PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 24th October, 2019
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
PETITION RECEIVED FROM TIMOTHY CHITAMBURE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have the following announcements – Hon. Zhou and your colleague please be attentive. I wish to advise the House that on 9th October 2019, Parliament of Zimbabwe received a petition from Timothy Chitambure of Community Water Alliance beseeching Parliament to exercise its constitutional mandate to safeguard the right of Zimbabweans to safe, clean and portable water. The petition has been referred to the Portfolio Committees on Lands,
Agriculture, Water and Climate and Rural Resettlement and Local
Government, Public Works and National Housing.
APPOINTMENTS TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES
THE HON. SPEAKER: The second announcement - I have to inform the House of the following appointments to Portfolio Committees:
Hon. Mliswa to serve on the Portfolio Committees on Public
Accounts and Energy and Power Development;
Hon. Matambanadzo to serve on the Portfolio Committees on
Mines and Mining Development and Industry and International Trade;
Hon. B. Dube to serve on the Portfolio Committees on Mines and Mining Development and Budget and Finance;
Hon. S. Mguni to serve on the Portfolio Committees on Lands,
Agriculture, Climate and Water and Health and Child Care;
Hon. Chiduwa to serve on the Portfolio Committees on Budget and
Finance and Industry and Commerce.
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANTI-SANCTIONS
MARCH
THE HON. SPEAKER: The next announcement - I have to inform the House that all Members of Parliament are cordially invited to participate in the anti-sanctions march on Friday 25th October, 2019. The march will commence from the Robert Mugabe Square and proceed to the National Sports Stadium at 0800 hours. The bus will leave Parliament at 0715 hours. Hon. Members are urged to be punctual.
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir.
Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir, a very good afternoon to you. May I humbly refer you to the incidence of yesterday, I think it is proper that you as the Chair when you make decisions we must respect. However, at the same time, we, as Parliamentarians are human and make mistakes. I want you to take cognizance of Section 129(k) of the Constitution which unfortunately whips Members of Parliament. I say so because some of the decisions which Members of Parliament make here are from the leadership in the party and not from themselves. It is therefore important Mr. Speaker Sir that when decisions are made, this be put into consideration. It is true that His Excellency, Cde. E. D.
Mnangagwa is the Head of State and being the Head of State, it consists of the three pillars which are the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive. You are the head of Parliament and in heading Parliament we must be seen to be independent and I must say Mr. Speaker Sir, you did show that in the Eighth Parliament when all Members here united in the impeachment process of the former President R.G. Mugabe. I say so because I am one who seconded your election to be in that Chair and I still stick by it because I think you are a man of honour. At a time when you could have succumbed to pressure but you did not. I am aware of the fact that even the former late President tried to call you just before our sitting on the impeachment which was moved by Hon. Mutsvangwa from the Upper House seconded by Hon. Maridadi from the MDC. I say so in order to illustrate the unity that this Parliament is exhibited. The impeachment process went smoothly despite many pressures. If there is any time that you could have succumbed, it was that time, but you being the Leader of this House, guided His Excellency in saying we are an independent institution, as such the business of the day will continue. Cabinet is Cabinet but Cabinet cannot override the law. We have oversight over Cabinet in terms of our role.
It is therefore important that the Chairperson of Cabinet is the President. A lot of resolutions and decisions are made in Parliament for the purpose of implementing the policies and other matters be it a law, Cabinet still comes to Parliament for a law to be passed and so forth. I would like to appeal to your conscience Mr. Speaker Sir, that we are the only institution which the nation looks up to in dealing with many issues and the decision you made. It is an appeal because there is also a word called meekness, which means despite having the power you still watch people do what they do but you have the power. It is a word which I think is befitting for this moment that you as the Chair have so much power to do so much but at times it is important to allow people to do what they do while you watch.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I close by saying that the Members of Parliament on this side clearly when they disrespect the President - you chaired, you made a ruling on the allowances. At this point in time, I think it was unfair for the Hon. Minister, the Leader of Government Business to bring in the issue of them disregarding the President because there is no evidence as of yesterday which showed that they disregarded the President. –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- Can I be protected Sir?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, can you allow the Member to conclude?
HON. T. MLISWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, you are a lawyer, you are an Advocate and I say so because there is no compelling evidence of yesterday which they did leading to disregarding the President. It was historical and not of yesterday. So, if at all they disregarded the President yesterday, I think a decision would have been taken.
Therefore, I appeal to you Mr. Speaker Sir for the good of this
Parliament and for the Leader that you have been, to be able to forgive. Forgiveness is also part of leadership because we have a lot more to do as parliamentarians in uniting this country. I therefore ask for your conscience in this regard to make a decision which will leave us united and not divided. I thank you Sir.
Hon. Matambanadzo having stood up to support Hon. Mliswa THE HON. SPEAKER: You do not support a point of privilege.
There are two aspects that you have mentioned and the first one refers to Section 129(k) of the Constitution. If that is an impediment to the participation, rather democratic participation of the Hon. Members from both sides, it is up to the House through their own measures to convince those that need to be convinced that the provision be amended. I am aware of one country that used to suffer from the same, but in the end it was decided that the primary accountability template for Members of Parliament must arise first and foremost from the electorate in a particular constituency. Accordingly, they achieved that amendment. So, it is up to the Hon. Members if they feel so convinced that they should negotiate for the amendment of Section 129(k) of the Constitution which relates basically to the whipping system.
As for the second part of your appeal, I shall review my decision and I need time to think about it very deeply so that I can come back and see what needs to be done in terms of the implications of our processes here in Parliament and outside Parliament when we are embarking on our Committee processes. So, I noted your concern.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Sir.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the Day, Nos. 1 to 3 be stood over until Orders of the Day, Nos. 4 and 5 have been disposed of.
HON. KWARAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned motion in reply to the Presidential
Speech.
Question again proposed.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate on the Presidential Speech. I am happy to be debating the Presidential Speech, especially on the issue of our roads.
We are happy with what the President said in terms of rehabilitating our roads. We are happy that funds are being allocated to
ZINARA in order to address the poor roads and this is all because of the President for example, in Rushinga my Constituency. I also want to thank the President on the issue of devolution funds. The issue of devolution had not yet been implemented and the money availed will assist us to build infrastructure such as clinics, schools and other infrastructure because we had lagged behind.
I thank the President for the drought relief that was given to our people. Considering Rushinga and nationwide, people were experiencing challenges and facing poverty, but now the situation is much better because of the President’s words that, no one would die of hunger. People are able to access food aid and I want to thank the
President for this initiative. I am sure that in this august House you heard about the challenges in Rushinga concerning water. In Rushinga, people were travelling long distances in search of water and they got water from boreholes and shallow wells. The President intervened and there was drilling of borehole project done in Rushinga. So Vision 2030 of a middle income economy is achievable.
I also want to mention the issue of agriculture. Inputs in most parts of the country have been distributed and this has been done on time. So I want to thank the President for supporting the agricultural sector. I want to conclude by saying that the President stressed the work of
Parliament should proceed. So I want to thank the President and Commander-In-Chief for the work that he is doing for us to achieve the 2030 Agenda. I thank you.
^^HON. MABOYI: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me
this opportunity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the President, in his speech he mentioned different issues like the State of the Nation Address (SONA). In his speech he mentioned the issue of development and we have witnessed development taking place in our country Zimbabwe.
I would like to talk about Beitbridge town, there is development that is happening in Beitbridge town through the efforts of our President Hon. Emerson Mnangagwa. So I just want to thank him for the development. In addition, we have developed looking at Zhobe Dam which is in Beitbridge area, whereby more than 250 families were given small fields to plough maize, vegetables and other hot cultural products. People are planting tomatoes and vegetables for consumption and resale, which is the best for the people of Zimbabwe.
His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa also spoke about devolution and this will help in empowering people in different districts. We have witnessed development from the top to the community - let us clap for him. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – President. E. D. Mnangagwa is the kind of person who loves everyone. He always talks about unity and encourages foreigners to come and help us. We have to work together with foreign nationals for the development of our nation.
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member on the floor.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member,
may you please come back. You are not allowed to pass between the Chair and the Hon. Member on the floor. Hon. Maboyi, you may proceed.
HON. MABOYI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this
opportunity. I am still talking about devolution as it is going to bring change from Harare to the different provinces and districts. This is why I am saying that I would like to thank Hon. Emerson Mnangagwa for the development that he is taking to different communities. When our President talks about development, he talks about schools, universities, polytechnics, colleges, vocational national centres and this helps in bringing development in different places and this can afford our children to go to different universities and colleges to upgrade their education. His Excellency the President always talks about the agriculture issue.
There is what we call Command Agriculture. There is a change when you are looking at Command Agriculture sector. We are now going to the banks to get the loans for us to keep on developing ourselves through agriculture and thereafter we have to pay back those loans.
Under the Command Agriculture we are also being given fertilizers and cotton seeds for those who cannot afford to buy seeds like rapoko. For those who cannot afford to buy the seed for these grain they are getting assistance from the Command Agriculture project where they given seeds and fertilizers so that they can keep on providing the nation with food. We would like to encourage everyone to see the development which is being done under the leadership of His Excellency, the
President E. D. Mnangagwa. We are really grateful to have such a President in our country because he does not even look at the face of a person. He is someone who is always talking about unity. Let us applaud him. I am saying His Excellency the President is doing well, let us applaud him.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Maboyi, you are not
allowed to do code switching.
^^HON. MABOYI: I was trying to help some other Members of
Parliament so that they could understand what I am really trying to put across about the developments which are happening as a result of His
Excellency’s leadership and guidance. We are looking at people who are staying in rural communities, they are getting development through different projects. When you are looking at communities under the Matabeleland South Province, they get help when you are looking at the water issue. They drilled boreholes for those communities. His Excellency is also helping us so that our livestock get better grazing areas. He also assists especially for us who come from Matabeleland South.
Under the development of the Zhobe Dam in Beitbridge, we are always getting assistance for us to keep on with our irrigation programmes. When you look at the education sector, he is always encouraging different schools in the area so that the children may learn different languages like Tonga, Venda, Shangani, Kalanga and other national languages so that children can be able to understand what the teacher is saying at different schools, especially when you are looking at infant schools. Thank you so much Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate in Venda.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much for this opportunity.
On 1st October 2019, the President presented his State of the Nation Address. The President talked about the 2030 Vision and TSP as the building blocks for the transformation that is so needed. In the 2030 Vision we are also coming from a number of blueprint documents,
ESAP being one and Zim Asset being the other. We have jumped to the TSP which is the current one. The question that lies is, were any of these successful at any given time? If they were not successful, what is it that made them not successful?
The reason why I say this is that there is a need to review any blueprint document which is there. The economy certainly has not been good because of many reasons, Cyclone Idai being one of them. How then can we still be on course in terms of 2030 with such major happenings in a country which affect the economy? The expenditure which was then extended to these disasters was never budgeted for. You have a situation where you now have got to find money to be able to pump into these unforeseen and unplanned circumstances which are there.
My question is, are the ministers really informing the President correctly because 2030 Vision is not where it is supposed to be unless a miracle happens. We now do not know this year in terms of the draught again whether there shall be a drought. If there is a drought then we are backwards and not forwards. That must be put into consideration.
The President in his State of the Nation Address was very confident in talking about a surplus. To me it is those who are informing him who are misinforming him because how can you have a surplus where there is inflation? There is no ways economically and to me it is important that we stop misinforming the President in that regard. It is important that those ministers who are informing the President that there is a surplus and yet there is inflation; we had a situation where we had the US dollar which was the currency at the time. Everything in Zimbabwe is pegged in US dollars. We have seen that. When the bond note was in circulation, it was 1:3, three being the most.
When the RTGS was introduced, it went up and it kept going up.
The question that is then asked is Dr Mangudya at the time and Minister
Chinamasa then, were very consistent about the bond note. Then came Professor Mthuli, he then introduced the RTGS and the rate went up. It is important for us in reviewing to then say which was the best? Was it the bond note which was trading at three or the RTGS which is now trading at 25 on the black market? I say so because we cannot keep on misinforming the President about the economic situation of the country.
The question here lies in when will the rates stabilise? There is no injection of foreign currency, which is coming and for as long as there is no injection of foreign currency any Government is allowed to print to resuscitate the economy. For as long as the printing goes into the productive sector, then it makes sense. The productive sector is agriculture where we believe we must grow so that we do not import.
We are importing so much and what is happening is that we do not have the figures as to how much we are importing. We are being told right now that the maize which is coming into Zimbabwe from Tanzania, whether it is true or not, is at US$600 per tonne, yet the farmers who are battling are not even getting half of that. How then do we have a situation which we are paying more for importing and we are not paying more for our farmers who are producing? Why can we not equally pay our farmers in foreign currency, yet we are prepared to pay foreign currency to other countries to grow their economy and their agricultural sectors?
It is about time that farmers are given their proceeds in foreign currency throughout. Once they are given their money in foreign currency, it becomes an incentive for them to keep growing. The tobacco farmers for example, whilst we had the highest yield of tobacco since Zimbabwe was born, which was over 250 million, the best was in 2000 when the commercial farmers were there, they produced 232 million. Unless the Members of Parliament follow events, tobacco is a critical sector in the economy. This year, it went up to 252 million, surpassing the year 2000 production, but despite that, the farmers are poor. So, to me, the question is that; who then at the end of the day is benefitting when the farmers are not benefitting? It is important. The farmers were told that they would be given 50% in foreign currency, it never came through. Right now some of them will probably not grow tobacco because they were expecting foreign currency to be able to cover some of their costs, some have children studying overseas and they also need to buy spare parts for their implements. It is only in foreign currency that they are able to buy that.
Madam Speaker, we equally have the Stock Exchange which is supposed to unlock value. However, if you look at it right now, there is no one who can invest in the Stock Exchange when the situation remains the same. It is important that the Stock Exchange becomes a barometre for any economic recovery, it tells you whether the economy is pumping or not pumping and our Stock Exchange is not pumping and as a result, it reflects a lot on where we are as an economy. This means investors find it very difficult to invest in a country where the Stock Exchange is no longer a vehicle for investment.
Madam Speaker, I want to commend the President for the $1.8 billion for the strategic crops. For a very long time, strategic crops were never a key issue. When the commercial farmers had these farms, they started getting into game parks, game farming and horticulture. That is the reason why the Land Reform was a necessary measure so that we could grow what we needed at the end of the day and maize is one such strategic crop which has been given some money. However, the question is; there is a drought, how then do we guarantee a bumper harvest when we have not done enough in terms of cloud seeding? Not only that, I am told from some of the farmers whom I work with that cloud seeding is becoming difficult again when we have a drought. The question is; how much money are we spending in these inputs, vis-a-vis, the amount of money that we are going to spend in inputs where we are not guaranteed a bumper harvest.
Madam Speaker, my thinking is; why then do we not put our house in order and ensure that there is irrigation in the farms that have water, rehabilitate the irrigation system, be sure of the rainfall pattern and be able to give the farmers input? As I speak, the inputs which are given to the farmers are sold; we all receive them on the black market. The fuel is sold as well as the fertilizer because they realise that their profit is in the selling and not in the growing because the weather patterns, the rains will not come. So, what is the point of the farmer taking a risk of planting when there is not going to be rainfall?
It is important as a result for us to be very clear in terms of the rainfall pattern; what exactly will be the pattern this season? The Ministry of Agriculture, the Meteorological Department has got to really give hope to the farmers. The only thing that can give hope to the farmers is if we know how the rainfall pattern will be this season. I also want to thank the President for Command Agriculture. However, when farmers do not harvest and there is a rainfall pattern, how then can they pay their money back? Government needs to come in and see how best they can cushion the farmers in that regard. The only sector internationally that you can subsidise is agriculture because that is the backbone of this country and farmers in this country have no subsidy whatsoever. It is important as a result, for us to then understand that the money that the farmers owe Command Agriculture, how do they pay it back when their harvest was not what they expected. What is Government doing to try and cushion the farmers and so on? Why should the farmer who suffered because of the rainfall pattern not be given a contract to grow again, it was not his fault. So the Government must be very clear in terms of the criteria because as a farmer who was given inputs and grew the crop but there was a drought and when they go and apply for Command Agriculture inputs, they are told, ‘you owe money, you need to pay,’ yet that was not their fault. We need to be very clear on this so that we move forward and so on.
We also have strategic crops like wheat where we have got farms with so much water, dams are there and there is not much happening and so on. Government must ensure that it goes into these farms, there are field officers who are working for the Government and we should be able to recommend that there is a Farm X and try and get those farmers involved in a sort of cooperative or consortium to be able to make that land productive so that wheat and soya are grown and at the end of the day, they are able to get their proceeds in a very organised way. Farming is a business. At the end of the day, if we do not encourage our farmers to create companies, to have consortiums or syndicates, it will become a problem. The former white farmers who were on this land never did it alone. In the Country Clubs, that is where they agreed on the price and spoke about what to grow and where the market was easily available and so on.
So, we have a dilemma in that we need to satisfy our own market first. Once we satisfy our own market, then we are able to export. From an agricultural point, we are blessed with good vegetation and climate; we have non-GMO products that we grow which the whole world is after. Sainsbury’s and Max & Spencer supermarkets were some of the supermarkets in England which were getting products from Zimbabwe. We need to go back and also resuscitate the horticultural industries. United Arab Emirates (UAE), they do not have land there and what are we doing in terms of synchronising with them to be able to grow the products that they need. This is because they have the foreign currency but they do not have the land and we have the land to grow what they want. There was no indication of us engaging them from an economic point of view. The engagement which is happening is a political one and a political engagement does not bring food to the table.
Talking about the political engagement which the President equally mentioned, it is equally important for the President to appreciate that the current engagement with the Americans and the British is not yielding anything and I do not know why they continue to engage with people who have already shut the door for them. It is a waste of money, we are looking foolish in many ways and so on.
The anti-sanctions march which we are having and we are trying to persuade the Americans to lift the sanctions, they have already made a statement and yet resources have gone in mobilising people. Why can we not read the writing on the wall, that America will not support this current Government but let this Government move on with what it has to do at the end of the day? The Smith regime defeated the sanctions through the infrastructure…
HON. MATANGIRA: Point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mliswa.
HON. MATANGIRA: My point of order Madam Speaker is, the debate is about the Presidential Speech and not sanctions. We are talking of a motion that is awaiting debate. That is my point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may go ahead Hon.
Mliswa.
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for that decision that you have made. The aspect of re-engagement was in the State of the Nation Address (SONA). Unfortunately, some cannot read and I cannot help them read at this stage or allow them to go to school.
They must read. The re-engagement was there in the SONA address and I am debating on the SONA. I am debating on the SONA, a motion which was moved by Hon. Sacco and seconded by Hon. Svuure. The problem of the Hon. Member is that he changes his smoking habits. He smokes different – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is about time that he is consistent with what he smokes.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mliswa, that is unparliamentary. Hon. Mliswa!
HON. T. MLISWA: He is very inconsistent with his smoking. I do not know what he smoked today again.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is unparliamentary.
Hon. Mliswa! Please stick to the debate.
HON. T. MLISWA: Alright. Madam Speaker, the re-engagement process which the Government has been going on about has yielded no results. The Americans and the British are very clear in terms of their position of Zimbabwe but we keep forcing ourselves to them. They have embassies here but the Government has spent $2 million hiring a
PR person in America to network with embassies instead of us putting that money into very important sectors and so forth. We have got hospitals which have no medicines, no proper bedding and where nurses are not well remunerated but we are seen paying a PR person to go and convince the Americans that the sanctions must go and so forth. The reengagement process is not yielding any results and as a result...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are left with five minutes Hon. Mliswa.
HON. T. MLISWA: It is not yielding any results at all and it is about time that this Government made a decision like the former President, the late Robert Mugabe had done with all his faults. He was very consistent that, we do not want the Americans and the British and we are not working with them; we are pursuing the Look East policy and so forth.
This Government must be very clear in terms of the policies that it is pursuing. Is it the western policy or is it the eastern policy? They seem to be running away from the East going to the West but they are the very same Government who attacked the opposition for going West.
Have they decided to be in the same basket? I now do not know – because when you talk about America or Britain, that is the West policy that you are going for.
It is important that presidential inputs are not politicised at the end of the day – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. T. MLISWA: It is important that presidential inputs are not at all politicised at the end of the day. There is a company which the Public Accounts Committee mentioned – FSG. This company is owned by a Scottish man and in him being Scottish, he has been given a five year contract without even going to tender to supply inputs of about 100 million every year. It is important that he be investigated because the corruption aspect that the President spoke about is seen in FSG. We can talk about Sakunda and many other companies but the elephant in the room is FSG which has been given a five year contract and is being paid 100 million dollars. Not only that – it is paid 60% in foreign currency upfront. So it is important that while we deal with the presidential inputs, we also deal with the aspect of corruption.
The aspect of the A1 and A2 farming areas – I think the President was very clear in terms of the Land Commission embarking on its job. The sooner that they deal with these problems the better. I think Parliament here will agree that the illegal people in these areas are not helping in terms of productivity that we are supposed to do and A1 model must be an A1 where 13 hectares is for cattle grazing but that 13 hectares has been sold by certain people – politicians, traditional leaders and councillors in giving people. How do we empower that farmer when his land has been taken away? While we have taken land from the whites, we seem to be taking it away....
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your time is up Hon.
Mliswa.
HON. BITI: I move that the Hon. Member’s time of debating be
extended by five minutes.
HON. CHIKUKWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may go ahead Hon.
Mliswa.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker and I am indebted to all the Members of Parliament for allowing me to continue debating.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: And I am giving you ten
minutes.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am giving you five minutes.
HON. T. MLISWA: The sooner that we give leases to farmers, it is important. There is no point for leases and offer letters anymore. The only way for these farmers to get money from the bank is title deeds. We own the land; it is ours – why can we not get title deeds? We now need to go to the next level. The white farmers got money through title deeds.
They never got money through offer letters because of the political
nature of offer letters – I being an example. When I was expelled from ZANU PF, they wanted to get my farm again. So what does my farm got to do with my livelihood?
It is important for these members to support this because they are the ones who are on the firing squad. It is important that we depoliticise land and de-politicising land, there must be title deeds that must be given and so forth.
In terms of the mining sector which the President talks about – US$12 billion; it is important that we understand when that US$12 billion will be circulating. There have been mega deals which have been signed but we have seen nothing in terms of even ten million. Here Hon. Chasi who is the Minister of Energy is looking for $86 million to pay off the debt but we talk about $12 billion mining industry. Why can those companies that have contracts with the Government not also advance a payment to a strategic entity like energy? We now start to wonder – are these companies genuine or not because it is important that they pump money into a sector which is important and I think energy needs money and so forth.
Why are we still conforming ourselves to the IMF and
World Bank? These are western companies which have no time. ESAP was as a result of IMF and World Bank. The only recommendation that they come with is change this and that. We had the IMF and World
Bank recommending again during the former President, the Late R.G. Mugabe – Dr. Gono was the Governor. He was said to have paid some money and was supposed to get more money and so forth. There is no economy in this world that has benefited from IMF or World Bank money. There has never been. The only thing that they do is - they tie you by their neck so that you follow what they are doing, cutting down this and that. IMF and World Bank do not have to come here anymore because the conditions that they are expecting this Government to conform with, it will never conform because things are changing all the time and so forth.
Lastly, I would like to also talk about the indigenisation. It was scrapped by the Ministry of Finance. That is the saddest point of this country. We had gained so much by local communities being empowered but now there is nothing that our people own. The Constitution itself is very clear about the empowerment of local communities and today those companies which were one in community ownership trust, especially the Chinese companies are now disrespecting our people .....
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your time is up Hon.
Mliswa, please wind up.
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, I want to say that indigenisation must come back. That is the only thing that can empower our people – that is the only thing that they have. If you look at
ZIMPLATS, Mimosa or Unkie, those are community ownership trusts. The President was misled by people who were working against him coming up with these western policies which are now destroying the legacy of this country. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and a very good day to you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. CHOMBO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 29th October, 2019.
MOTION
REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON ZIMBABWE
HON. NYATHI: I move the motion in my name that-
COGNISANT that the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, strongly condemned the prolonged adverse illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West and unequivocally called for their unconditional removal;
MINDFUL that SADC has always been calling for the immediate
lifting of sanctions to facilitate the socio-economic recovery of the country leading to the resolution to declare the 25th October, 2019 as the date on which SADC Member States collectively voice their disapproval of the illegal sanctions through various activities and platforms;
DEEPLY CONCERNED with the duplicity by the West and its allies who are masking the protracted illegal regime change agenda under the guise of targeted sanctions;
GRAVELY DISTURBED that the so called targeted sanctions have brought untold suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans through de- industrialisation resulting in high levels of unemployment among many other economic challenges;
WORRIED that the crippling sanctions have affected all spheres of our economic and social services through the ever increasing skills flight which has decimated all meaningful development in the last two decades;
NOTING with disdain the arrogant unilateralism and disrespect for the rule of law of countries that illegally imposed sanctions on
Zimbabwe;
NOW, THEREFORE-
- Calls upon the United States of America, the European Union and its allies to urgently and unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe at their instigation as these have resulted in horrendous suffering of the ordinary
Zimbabwean citizens;
- Resolves that dialogue be given a chance and that the perpetrators be encouraged by the collective voice of the SADC region to urge their governments to lift all forms of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe;
- Applauds the SADC region for rising with one voice in support of the unconditional and immediate removal of the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
HON. CHIKUKWA: I second.
HON. NYATHI: Madam Speaker, in the year 2001, the USA imposed illegal and unjustified sanctions under Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) of 2001. In March 2003, America imposed on us the executive sanctions while the European
Union also introduced its own sanctions against us in February 2002. ZIDERA is an Act of Parliament and in order to be lifted needs to go through a repealing process. While executive orders are renewed annually and are brought about by a specific decree by the President, in this case the American President, the executive order targets specific individuals and entities viewed to be working or supporting the Government. A total of 141 entities as well as senior Government executives and senior executives in the defence forces were placed on such sanctions.
The economic sanctions are part of a strategic neo colonial era in which former colonial powers continue clutching to vain glories of the past. Sanctions have invariably been used as a foreign policy tool designed to subjugate former colonies into compliance and submission to imperial demands. Washington’s sanctions have become an epidemic that is now defeating the original purpose that sanctions should solve.
Sanctions stop international financial institutions like IMF, World Bank and ADB from offering credit lines to our country and this impacts negatively on our balance of payment. America’s shareholdings structure in these institutions is such that they command over 70%. This therefore means even when other shareholders wish to grant a country the credit, the one with more shareholding determines who should be given and who should not.
It is important to note that Zimbabwe was not placed on sanctions because of poor human rights, poor rule of law or poor governance issues but you will realise that sanctions were effected after the Land Reform Programme of 2000. What is disturbing is that these sanctions are aimed at reversing land reform yet all Zimbabweans are in full support of the land reform. Land reform is a sovereign choice of all Zimbabweans, even opposition politics never challenged or doubted the legitimacy of land reform.
Opposition politicians are simply calling for a forensic audit and transparency in land redistribution. Land redistribution is a legitimate justification for dismantling…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Muponora order.
HON. NYATHI: If it is just for colonialism and imperialism, so why should Zimbabwe be put under sanctions? It remains incomprehensible – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. NYATHI: All other reasons that may be given, it is simply trying to hide behind one’s own figure. Sanctions make Zimbabwean companies find it extremely difficult to access offshore lending, thus crippling their operations. Where they manage to secure offshore financing, it is usually at punitive and exorbitant interest rates – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPURY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, order. Hon.
Mliswa!
HON. NYATHI: Interest rates that will in the end make our products uncompetitive on a world market. Sanctions have an effect of having sustained decline in long term capital inflows. This has a ripple effect on a country’s employment levels and its ability to provide basic goods and services to its people which has an effect of a declining standard of living of our people, de-industrialisation begins, skills, emigration of labour starts and a country will suffer from brain drain.
The Unites States of America treasury office of foreign assets control fined Zimbabwean commercial banks. The effect was that during the period 2008, credit visa cards or master cards were prohibited and action was taken to put most of our Zimbabwean banks on sanctions. This had a serious effect as no credit lines could be accessed from these banks for fear of being placed under fines by the United
States of America.
These sanctions also affected us badly in agriculture. Several key institutions with direct influence to agriculture sector such as the international fund for agriculture development were stopped after the imposition of sanctions. Industry and manufacturing sector was heavily wounded due to high cost of borrowing and each sector of our economy was affected adversely by these sanctions. America and its allies went as far as influencing the world press to demonise Zimbabwe, thereby creating a negative unsubstantiated wrong perception on Zimbabwe and its people.
In conclusion Madam Speaker, these unjustified and illegal sanctions have violated basic human rights by directly perpetuating hunger and poverty in Zimbabwe and against sustainable development goals. They have caused the marginalised vulnerable groups to sink deeper into poverty; thus women, children, widows, orphans, the less privileged people living with disabilities and the unemployed face increased challenges. Sanctions have hard-hit the marginalised and vulnerable people more than the so called targetted. The intended effect is on regime change in this country by our detractors and not to do with poor human rights or governance.
Now that we have moved over to the new dispensation thrust on engagement and re-engagement, sanctions are out of date and irrelevant to the situation prevailing in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker, I wish to address the Americans that from one who is from the cradle role to the oldest, they have four words that they respect more than any other words and these words, we even find them on their currency ‘ In God we trust’. My message is the God of the Americans is the God of the Zimbabweans; the God of the Americans is the God of the Nigerians, Asians and the God of everyone. So, like the writer of the Bible once said in the book of Psalms 24:1, in Shona it says ‘nyika yose nekuzara kwayo ndeya Jehovah nevese vageremo’, and in
English it says ‘The world and its fullness belongs to the Lord even they that dwell therein’ so we are all the works of the Lord, we came from his hands and we all are descendants of Adam.
If you take some blood samples whether from an Australian, Nigerian, Zambian or anyone on planet earth, you will not be able to distinguish whether this blood is for an aborigine or for a particular person living in a particular country. Only what you can distinguish is the different blood groups whether you are O positive, O negative, et cetera - which means that we are all one people. We believe in a heaven where an American is also going to one heaven and as Zimbabweans we are going to one heaven. My call is if the Americans trust in one God the
God that we trust, there is no reason for them to give sanctions to
Zimbabwe – [HON. MLISWA: Why reengagements.] –
May you embrace the able words of my President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa when he speaks on his famous mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’. When have created an enabling environment for everyone to come and invest in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is endowed with several mineral resources, some of which we have not even discovered. Zimbabwe is opening its hands to everybody to come and invest in Zimbabwe. We have created an enabling environment; we are in the process of educating even our Government employees to be very good and to be very effective and efficient in matters of public relations and in matters of taking our country forward.
May I say Madam Speaker, in this new dispensation the word of advice I give to all Zimbabweans, if America and its allies refuse to lift sanctions, we have nothing to be afraid of because as long as God in on our side, we have nothing to be afraid of. God is always on our side. May I thank the SADC region for rising up with one voice in supporting the unconditional and immediate removal of the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and coming up with the 25th of October, 2019 as the date on which SADC member states collectively voice their disapproval of the illegal sanctions through various activities and platforms.
Finally, I will argue and say that Zimbabwean sanctions are not smart or targeted, they are full- fledged and multilateral in that they are being molded by several countries like USA, UK, including the European Union. Madam Speaker, sanctions are real, sanctions are unfair and unjust punishment on our people and country. Sanctions are unacceptable and are evil, they must be removed. Sanctions must go – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, sanctions must go, I thank you.
HON. PARADZA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I must
thank Hon. Nyathi for raising such an important motion. I think time has now come for all of us as Zimbabweans to make sure that we speak with one voice when it comes to the issue of sanctions. Whether you are opposition or not, we are all affected by sanctions. For the past 18 years, we have been affected by sanctions. It is unfortunate that some of those who called for these sanctions are brilliant lawyers who are here; one of them is here, very brilliant lawyer, a Zimbabwean, an honourable Member of this Parliament. I think he should go on a soul searching tour and make sure that he actually asks his conscience to say what we asked for in 2000 is it still relevant today?
Madam Speaker, like what Hon. Nyathi said, he has covered everything but let me give statistics. According to a study done by Government, Zimbabwe so far has lost about $42 billion in the last 18 years. This money could have changed this country if it were not for these sanctions Madam Speaker. In terms of donor support this country lost more than $4.5 billion since 2001 and also we lost about US$12 billion in terms of loans from the Bretton Woods Institutions, IMF, World Bank and other international financial institutions, it is because of sanctions. So for someone to say there are no sanctions, I do not know, but I say that is treasonous to say that.
Madam Speaker, I am also proposing that actually this Parliament must come up with a law to say any Zimbabwean who calls for sanctions on his motherland must be prosecuted, let us have a law to that effect – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – he must be prosecuted. This is very dangerous - as I said earlier, let us all have a national vision as Zimbabweans. It does not matter whether you are opposition but let us make sure that we take our country from where it is today because it has been ravaged by sanctions Madam Speaker. In terms of transactions like what Hon. Nyathi says and also Hon. Mliswa said, all our banks are not able to trade with other banks. In other words, they cannot get offshore financing with corresponding banks because of sanctions. Everything else has been closed. In terms of agriculture, according to a study done by the Reserve Bank, agriculture has gone down. We used to have possibly 16 000 tractors and now we do not have. We only have about less than 4 000 tractors and most of these are old tractors. So, how can we improve our agriculture sector if we do not have tractors and tools of trade?
Madam Speaker, the industrial sector – all the equipment we have there is old. We cannot move as a country if these sanctions remain as they are. So my appeal to our friends is that please - especially Hon. Biti, please revisit your conscience and make sure that you talk...
HON. GONESE: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon.
Member who is debating should really focus on the substance of the debate. Whilst I do appreciate – yes, because we do not want to unnecessarily raise emotions. If we start mentioning names and so on and so forth particularly on facts which are not substantiated, it is wrong and I submit that he should retract the reference to Hon. Biti. It is on record that the United States of America is a sovereign State and we have no control over decisions which are made by sovereign countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Those countries make their own decisions and have got their own processes. At the end of the day, he must focus on the substance of the debate and withdraw his reference to Hon. Biti.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have heard your point,
please may you take your seat. Go ahead Hon. Paradza but do not mention names.
HON. PARADZA: Madam Speaker, I am stating facts. I am not going to mention names but there are Members here who are friends of the Americans and it is on record that they go to Washington very often to impress upon the Americans. –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible Interjections]- I was talking to the Canadian Ambassador on Monday and he says he has never seen a society which is as polarized as this one.
Hon. Madzimure having been talking.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, order.
HON. PARADZA: This country Madam Speaker is so polarized
and it is unfortunate that we have part of our society which believe that for change to come, it will come via some other external influence, which is wrong. Whites will never like us as blacks. It is unfortunate that we have diplomats...
Hon. Mliswa having been talking.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mliswa.
HON. PARADZA: Madam Speaker, even if we have foreign diplomats who visit you in your dingy bungalow somewhere in St.
Mary’s, they will never like you. Actually those people want to use you so that they can achieve whatever they want to achieve. I was talking about agriculture. You will recall that in the first 20 years of our independence, the economy was moving very well. We are exporting to the region and not only to the region. We were exporting beef to Europe about 9 100 tonnes of first class beef and we were getting $50 million every year, but all this has gone because of our own people – a Zimbabwean who goes out there and calls –[HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection]- Hon. Mliswa, we were listening when you were debating please.
So Madam Speaker, I do not know whether it is a curse or what but if you see a Zimbabwean going to ask for sanctions from external forces who are our erstwhile colonisers to go and sleep with our colonizers to say come and punish us - that person must be punished. In terms of agriculture like horticulture, our horticulture was good. We were sending flowers to Europe every week but because of our Zimbabwean people, we no longer have that. We were getting a lot of foreign currency from there. We were also sending peas and sugar snaps to European shops. I was also a producer of sugar snaps and manqué two, I was getting foreign currency but that Madam Speaker has gone because of sanctions.
On gold, our mines have collapsed but we used to produce 27 tonnes of gold each year, but that has gone down to about possibly less than 5 tonnes. It is because our mining sector has collapsed just because some of our people, our own colleagues who are even here are supporting this. This is very wrong Madam Speaker. Right now we have 12 hours of darkness because of lack of electricity. There is a shortage of energy because ZESA cannot...
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The
truth of the matter that we are expressing electricity problems is because of the water crisis, I think the Minister said it. –[HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections]-
HON. PARADZA: ZESA Madam Speaker, this is because I know
about the drought which he is referring to but our own power company cannot access spares because they do not have foreign currency. We cannot import electricity right now because we have no foreign currency. All our lines of credit have been cut because of sanctions. –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
HON. PARADZA: Madam Speaker, our health sector has virtually collapsed. It has collapsed because we do not have money to go and buy drugs. It is all because of sanctions. Also, our tourism has gone down because of sanctions. We have been blacklisted as a country because of our own people who are here, who are co-habiting with our former colonisers and we are having these problems because of sanctions.
Madam Speaker, it is important and there are reasons now to say, ‘If you want us to remove these sanctions, you need to reform and have the rule of law’. Madam Speaker, this current President is a reformer.
In my discussions with our foreign diplomats, I have always asked them,
‘Who do you support? Do you support a reformer or a hardliner?’ Madam Speaker, we are reforming and the President has said, ‘let us reform’, and as agreed even in this Parliament – you know it very well. We have undertaken law reforms – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] – an array of law reforms and one of them is POSA which is now MOPA.
You were here Madam Speaker and our colleagues were also here when we discussed MOPA up to about Four o’clock a.m. We never abused our numbers as the Ruling Party to call for the House to be divided – it was all by consensus and that is reform. At the end of that debate, Hon. Biti stood up and thanked Hon. Ziyambi for a job well done. So, we are together on that one – we are reforming. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] – You are also talking about economic reforms and there is the ZIDA Bill that is here and is going to have a One-Stop-Shop - these are reforms. Not only that, the President has said, ‘Let us dialogue’ and called on Opposition parties to say, ‘let us come and debate so that our country moves forward’, but there is one political party that has members in here that is refusing to dialogue – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - So, what more do you want the President to do?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Paradza, you are left
with five minutes.
HON. PARADZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we have media law reforms such as AIPPA and AIPPA is a bad law. I know that AIPPA is a bad law because it also affected me and I want to see it gone but we are coming up with good Bills such as the Freedom of Information Bill; Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill and others. So the President has said, ‘Let us reform’ and we are reforming.
What more do you want?
He has also set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to deal with the Motlanthe Commission Report – he has done that and not only that. He has also setup an Inter-Ministerial Committee to deal with the Observer Mission Reports of the 2018 Harmonised Elections and it is being dealt with. So what more reforms do you want? On top of that Madam Speaker, the President has changed the Foreign Policy. It is no longer look East policy – it has changed and he is now looking everywhere and is now saying, ‘whoever wants to come and do business with Zimbabwe, please come and do so’. So sanctions Madam Speaker, must go!
All of us as Zimbabweans, especially my colleagues from that other side – please this is your country. Tomorrow let us all go out Hon. Biti and march against sanctions – let us go out there. Sanctions are affecting all of us. You are a Zimbabwean first and foremost, do not listen to foreigners. Foreigners will never ever transform our country – no, do not do that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – So please tomorrow, I urge all of you to go out there and join the rest of the Zimbabweans – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – so that we march against sanctions.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Paradza.
*HON. MADZIMURE: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
We request Hon. Paradza to stop pointing at us and address the Chair please. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. PARADZA: I am emotional Madam Speaker because we have people who are our own Zimbabweans who want to destroy this country – let us not allow them to do that.
Madam Speaker, before I sit down, I am sure that our colleagues are going to discuss this in their Caucus this evening and all of us go to the National Stadium tomorrow and denounce sanctions starting now. I thank you.
*HON. CHIKUKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to
support the motion on the removal of sanctions. Representing women – which is why I am here in Parliament to represent women – I am saying that we have heard a lot about the issue of sanctions. What is of concern to us as women is that Zimbabwe, those that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe are the powerful countries. Most organizations that want to assist us fear to do so because of the super powers. As women, we had donors who assisted even if there was no medication, they would donate medication but because of the sanctions, they fear donating this medication.
Our company the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) which used to export beef abroad is no longer functioning and for that reason, we are losing a lot of money. There are a lot of companies that are exporting goods outside the country but for that money to be used – they cannot access it due to sanctions. Those who have children in educational tertiary institutions abroad they cannot send money to their children because of sanctions as the money will not get to the recipients.
Madam Speaker, I want to debate in this House that sanctions have resulted in unemployment and because of unemployment; most people are leaving for the diaspora. This has caused family disintegration and it is all as a result of sanctions. Medication has already been mentioned. I also want to mention that an issue was mentioned by anAssistant in the American Senate who is named Chester Kruger. He said the following – allow me to read, ‘The Zimbabwean people from ZANU PF, we are going to make their economy scream. I hope you Senators have the stomach for what you have to do’. We have all witnessed this result.
We cannot get money because our balance of payment is affected due to lack of exports. This is what the Senator was talking about and this situation does not look at which party you belong to or whether you are a Christian or not – it affects everyone. You also face challenges in getting water; you are failing to get transport and it is affecting everyone despite your political party. My request in this august House is that when we are looking at the issue of sanctions, let us fight sanctions as a united force because it is affecting everyone. We should all denounce sanctions because they are not good for the nation.
The word of God says that people who are called by name, if they unite I will hear their cry and I will assist them. I thank you.
*HON. CHIHURURU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to
debate on the issue of sanctions. In 2008, we experienced difficulties and the main political parties then formed a Government of National Unity. We used to buy bread at $1 for two loaves. The sanctions were still there but we managed to survive. The way you are talking about sanctions can be exemplified by a man who marries a wife and fails to conceive a child, and blames it on sanctions. We want to talk about the matter as it is so that we can develop our nation. I thank you.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Madam Speaker for this great opportunity you have granted me to talk about this subject which is a worthy cause. My question is, are sanctions there in Zimbabwe or not?
My unapologetic answer that I am giving you is, yes sanctions are there. While I understand that there may be some amongst us here who would not want this House to accept that there are sanctions; sanctions are there Madam Speaker. People are suffering Madam Speaker.
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order. She is actually reading a prepared speech. She is not debating the motion.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mathe, you are only
allowed to refer to your notes. You do not have to read. You only refer to your notes. You may go ahead.
+HON. MATHE: I thank you Madam Speaker. I will continue referring to my piece of paper. I do agree that amongst us there are a lot of people who do not believe that sanctions are there and that the sanctions are hurting the country. Let me tell you what causes that
Madam Speaker. The sanctions are there because we are not united as Zimbabweans. The very people who caused sanctions to be there are benefiting because of that. If this country had no sanctions, we would have developed better. Companies have closed down because of sanctions. Children go to school and pass but they cannot access any job because of sanctions. As a result, sanctions have hurt us and they should be removed.
In hospitals, we have doctors who are learned and competent but drugs and other related matters that need foreign currency are unavailable because the country has no foreign currency. We should relate with other nations, we cannot get funds from other nations. All these things are because of sanctions.
Coming to transport and buses, it is now very expensive to travel because people charge higher fares so that they can go and raise foreign currency for their cars. All this affects the ordinary man. We need to be united so that we remove sanctions. These sanctions affect everyone and they have no political boundary. We need to be organised as parliamentarians and request for the removal of sanctions. America and its friends will realise that there is need to remove sanctions. There are some people who believe that sanctions are targeted at individuals. As Members of Parliament, we should understand that sanctions should be removed. It is my request Madam Speaker that sanctions have adversely affected the country. The main objective of sanctions is that there are people who think that the Government of Zimbabwe will change overnight. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to have a say in this House, that these sanctions are nothing when it comes to changing the Government of Zimbabwe.
For the benefit of the nation, I urge everyone to join tomorrow’s march because sanctions have an effect on the economy of Zimbabwe. The people we represent in the Parliament of Zimbabwe will be relieved since sanctions affect everyone. Most of us were using public transport to and from Bulawayo before we were given our own cars by the Government. So many MPs were finding it difficult to pay bus fares to and from Bulawayo but now we have our own cars.
I would like to thank President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for the job well done when it comes to transport issues – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
+HON. MATHE: I urge that sanctions be removed because they
bring suffering to the people we represent in different districts. Even those who advocate that sanctions must not be removed also suffer, including the people they represent in Parliament. People should not forget where they come from because we represent innocent souls who do not know anything about the sanctions and the political issues. May our dear Lord be with us in this time of sanctions and may we be assisted in removing these sanctions because they cause a lot of suffering to the people. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I want to thank Hon. Nyathi
for bringing in this motion about sanctions that are affecting our people. Our people are suffering Hon. Speaker because of sanctions. Sanctions have destroyed our economy, education and even marriages – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Sanctions that we talk about today have far reaching effects throughout the country. We have educated people in Zimbabwe with skills but they do not have anywhere to showcase their expertise because of sanctions. My main worry Hon.
Speaker is that these sanctions we all know came after the land reform. However, every move forward, some political elements went about the world encouraging our former colonisers to impose sanctions on us in order for them to get political mileage and today we have some of them in this House who have gone about, to America, to the European Union to ask for sanctions – [HON. ZWIZWAI: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Zwizwai.
HON. TOGAREPI: Because we ask for sanctions, people out there whom we purport to represent are suffering. We come here to earn income as Members of Parliament from the same tax payers who are suffering because of sanctions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – They drive some of the top-range vehicles as Members of Parliament paid for by tax payers. Hon. Speaker, when I see those who go about asking for sanctions in this House, I think this is the time that we should look into each and every one of our Members in Parliament in the eye and ask the question - ‘do you represent the people or it is personal, selfish interests? These characters Madam Speaker, I ask this House as an arm of the State to take a single position. Do we support as
Parliament sanctions or the removal of sanctions? We need a position to be taken by this Parliament.
Madam Speaker, I would want you to allow me, I felt you said,
‘some names must not be mentioned.’
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, we do not have to
mention names.
HON. TOGAREPI: But these people are terrorists – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Anyone imposing sanctions or asking for sanctions to visit our people is a terrorist, terrorising our people. I am asking this House to take a position today, a position that such people should never even be allowed in this House of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, we have our financial institutions. Our financial institutions today cannot trade internationally. We have a good example today, the Standard Bank. They have been fined $18 million for facilitating trade between Zimbabwe and other countries yet we have people in this House who claim to be representatives of the people who are happy to see sanctions imposed on their people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, at the end of this debate, I
pray that we ensure that we have a resolution representative of this Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We cannot allow people who pretend to be representatives of people, who then go at night throughout the world – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
One thing that we should learn as people of Zimbabwe as well as Members of Parliament is that SADC has taken a position. They understand how sanctions are affecting our people –[HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!
HON. TOGAREPI: Many international organisations and countries have taken a position that sanctions are not good for
Zimbabwe and even for our neighbouring countries but I am surprised. I continue to be surprised that among our people and leaders – because as MPs, we lead people where we are coming from but we go about looking for those things that will damage the livelihoods of people. So Members from the Opposition, conscience must come to you – you are people of Zimbabwe and you are the same people who will enjoy the development of this country. You are equal to us and you are representatives of the people but you cannot allow your people to suffer. You have an opportunity today in this House and tomorrow when we march –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - to exorcise that ghost, that devilish mind for you to stand with the people of Zimbabwe. People are dying in hospitals because –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order –[HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon. Members order!
Order!
HON. TOGAREPI: You can tell that among our members in this
House, we have criminals, terrorists who are looking for disaster to visit their people and today they are opposing a position that has been taken by fellow Africans that the 25th October be set aside as a day to march against sanctions.
I pray Madam Speaker that at this sitting today, I see brothers and sisters from the opposite side –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Hon. Members as they would want to see –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – to stand up in this House and declare to the people of Zimbabwe that they are sorry for imposing sanctions. Tomorrow, I envisage a time when we are going to be marching – me and Hon. Biti –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – against sanctions. I will be with Hon. Karenyi and Hon. Mathe. We will be marching tomorrow with Hon. Temba Mliswa in
front.
We are now going to see this Parliament – I want to take the same position that any Member of Parliament who goes around asking for sanctions must be punished–[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] - a law must be put in place. A patriotic Act must be put in place so that we do not have people who enjoy the benefits of this
House while they ask for trouble for the people of Zimbabwe –[HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I conclude, sanctions must go. Sanctions must go and must go now. I thank you.
- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MASENDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me the
opportunity to add my voice to the removal of sanctions. I want to tell it as it is, Mr. Speaker Sir. Who brought the sanctions Mr. Speaker Sir? We have people right here seated with us, Hon. Members who went begging for sanctions. They are not even listening to the whistle that is being given in this House.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me educate them on the need to have the sanctions removed - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –. We have very educated people here, including those on my right but they use their education against their own country, against their own people. People are dying, people are suffering because of people who went to beg for sanctions to be imposed illegally on Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, re-engagement is about opening up the doors that were closed by those who went to beg for sanctions. We cannot stand and fold our arms when our people are suffering because of the ills of some of us right here in this House. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to open up everyone’s mind here about the importance of reengagement. Reengagement is seeking to open the closed doors of negotiations of being able to export our products.
Honourable Speaker Sir, give us a chance, Hon. Mliswa can you give me a chance to debate quietly please. Thank you - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – SADC has come up with a plan, with 25th of October being a day that we need to tell the world that it is unfair for the sanctions to be imposed on Zimbabwe. They are illegal in that they were not sanctioned by the United Nations. They were sanctioned by the big powers. They are illegal sanctions so they have to be removed.
I need to remind people here that sanctions are actually a special warfare. It is a war that is being waged against Zimbabwe - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I support the notion that those who went begging for sanctions are terrorists. They must be treated as such, because it is causing a lot of suffering to our people. Sanctions are used to further the agenda of regime change. The Americans are using it to try and change the regime in Zimbabwe which is a regime change agenda. They are fighting a war against the innocent people to say that sanctions are targeted is to be blinkered. You are looking in one direction, not in the other direction. We want to remove the blinkers from those people today. Sanctions are not targeted. They are affecting the general people in the rural areas. We will not allow people to have these blinkers forever. That is why SADC saw it fit to declare 25th October as an anti-sanctions day against Zimbabwe. So those of us who went begging for sanctions must go back and beg for them to be removed – [Hear, hear] –
When national duty calls we must all raise our reasoning above party politics. Sanctions are a party politics gimmick. We must all raise our reasoning above party politics so that we put the nation first. The nation of Zimbabwe comes first, individuals like some of those who went to beg for sanctions do not come first. Zimbabwe comes first.
As I said in my opening speech of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, sanctions are an evil, they are a devil. They are a demon that has to be exorcised. Sanctions are catastrophic. Our people are suffering. Go to the hospitals, there are no medicines because of the imposition of illegal sanctions against the people. You celebrate that even if you aspire to be the ruling party to come into party, are you going to rule graves when all people are dead because of sanctions? -
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
No sane person can ever go and beg, kneel on your knees for sanctions to be imposed on your country, on your own people. That is murderous. It is terrorism in one form or the other. Sanctions hurt the ordinary people. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is no corruption which is more than going to beg for sanctions for your people. Begging for sanctions is the mother of all corruption that you can ever think of - [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to go sector by sector,dissect and try to open the people’s eyes on what sanctions have done to the sectors in Zimbabwe. I will start with the health sector. The manufacturing companies that manufacture drugs are closed. They are not able to import drugs into the country. They cannot import the raw materials. People are suffering. There are no medicines because of sanctions that some of us went to beg for - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Importation of the necessary drugs, HIV for example, the Anti Retroviral drugs are hampered because some of us here look at us with the corner of their eyes and smile yet people are dying.
Let us look at industry and commerce. Foreign direct investment is hampered to come into the country. That is why we have companies not coming to invest because the funds are blocked out there. Banks that try to assist companies to bring cash into Zimbabwe are being fined. We have heard CBZ has been fined quite a lot of money –$3.8 billion, Standard Chartered Bank was fined US$18 million for having assisted companies to bring money into Zimbabwe and people smile about that.
Open your eyes, open up your mind. People think properly, see the truth
- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Our exports for example, let us look at what has happened to the diamonds in Chiyadzwa. They have been closed out of the market because they are alleging - false allegations that there are children working in Chiyadzwa. How can we have children work in Chiadzwa yet we have a lot of adults who are not employed, we can never have that, it is not true, it is a bad gimmick. Let us look at mining, we need to retool the mining sector, we need to open up the closed mines, we need to get the latest technology to mine our diamonds and gold. We have people who do not see this, people who beg for sanctions to be imposed on an innocent nation. Look at the countries that have imposed sanctions on us, they are the big foreign powers who have imposed sanctions; they want a regime change agenda which is not achievable. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for having given me this chance.
HON. BITI: Thank you Hon. Speaker for recognizing me so that I can also add a voice to this critical debate. Hon. Speaker Sir, the issue of sanctions – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – the issue of sanctions is a key debate in our country but the starting point ...
HON. T. MOYO: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO):
What is your point of order?
HON. T. MOYO: My point of order is that the Hon. Member should excuse himself because he is an interested party – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
Some Hon. Members stood up and started making inaudible interjections. Hon. Members on both sides started singing and making inaudible interjections.
Hon. Members having continued behaving in a disorderly manner, THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. M. KHUMALO) adjourned
the House at Five o’clock p.m without putting any question in terms of Standing Order Number 113 until Tuesday, 12th November, 2019.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 22nd October, 2019.
The Senate met at Half-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
2019 PRE-BUDGET SEMINAR
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the
Senate that the 2019 Pre-Budget Seminar will be held from 30th October to 4th November 2019, at the Elephant Hills Hotel in Victoria Falls.
Hon. Members must confirm their attendance with the Public Relations Officers who will be stationed at the Members Dining Room on 22nd and 23rd October, 2019.
Hon. Members from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands and Masvingo Provinces will drive to Victoria Falls, while those from Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central Provinces will fly. A charter flight has been arranged for those that are flying and it departs Harare on 30th
October, 2019 at 0900 hours and arrives in Victoria Falls at 1000 hours. The return charter flight leaves Victoria Falls on 4th November at 0900 hours and arrives in Harare at 1000 hours.
MOTION
PRESIDENITAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move the motion standing in my name
that a respectful address be presented to the President of Zimbabwe as follows:-
May it please you, your Excellency the President:
We, the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe desire to express our loyalty to Zimbabwe and beg leave to offer our respectful thanks for the speech, which you have been pleased to address to Parliament.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Madam President, let me begin by
thanking you for giving me the opportunity to respond to the Address by His Excellency, the President E. D. Mnangagwa on the occasion of the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Nineth Parliament. Allow me also to commend His Excellency, President Mnangagwa for delivering an Address according to me, which confirmed an observation by a legendary French General Napoleon Bonaparte that “a leader is a dealer in hope.” Indeed, the Address by His Excellency President
Mnangagwa, revived hope in the developmental trajectory that the New
Dispensation has taken and affirmed the conviction that, in President Mnangagwa and his Government, Zimbabwe is in safe hands.
Zimbabwe is in safe hands because by the first half of the year 2019, we witnessed a surplus budget, which budget the Government has kept in distributing some of the money to the much needed areas like Cyclone
Idai.
Let me zero in on the befitting drive by the Government to revive the economy through supporting the productive sectors, in particular agriculture. Indeed, as His Excellency President Mnangagwa rightly observed, “the sustained turnaround of our economy hinges on focused support for the productive sectors, especially agriculture”. In this regard, the decision by Government to continue with Command Agriculture and rope in the private sector financing is both welcome and commendable. It is a known fact that through Command Agriculture, under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa as Vice President, Zimbabwe harvested over 2.1 million tonnes of maize in 2016 /2017, the biggest harvest over a decade. Command Agriculture therefore, not only guaranteed food security by also ensuring self-sustenance and a reduction in grain imports for the country. The overall effect was to free up foreign currency to fund other vulnerable sectors. It is my conviction, therefore, that Command Agriculture was a worthwhile investment which should continue.
Secondly, as I have alluded to earlier, I must applaud the Government for opening financing of Command Agriculture to the private sector though some skeptics continue to criticize what in my opinion is a prudent move. To give perspective to my submission
Madam President, let me outline the numbers in the first session of Command Agriculture, $162 million was used by Government to fund
Command Agriculture before the funding was more than doubled to $400 million in 2017. While the $2.1 million tonnes that the country reaped from Command Agriculture make this a prudent investment, it must be noted, however, that the high capital outlay put a substantial strain on the fiscus, particularly in the face of the prevailing economic challenges, including drought. The decision to rope in financial institutions to play the central role in lending for farm production on a commercial basis, thus frees up Government resources to support other vulnerable areas.
Madam President, I am pleased to note that private sector financing also strengthens sustainability and ensures that those who access the loans are compelled to pay back or risk losing the collateral they would have put to access the loans because usually if stringent measures are not implemented, normally people would not pay back their loans. This refined funding mechanism resonates with the response to the commitment espoused by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, that “only those with a proven track record of delivering to GMB and repaying their loans will be supported under the Command Agriculture Programme”.
Madam President, I cannot emphasise the need for significant investment in agriculture in the face of current drought that has seen our agriculture sector registering a negative growth rate and reversing the gains of the Command Agriculture Programme. What is also clear is that the revival of our economy should not be only Government’s problem but the private sector and also every stakeholder must now come on board and play their part to revive this great nation. Also, we hope that universities, polytechnics and research institutions are going to come up and research on drought resistance food varieties that are affordable to the ordinary farmer.
Madam President, in the wake of climate change, we cannot afford to fiddle while Rome burns. The devastation brought by Cyclone Idai, if not anything else, as well as the prevailing drought, should have awoken us to the stark reality that climate change is definitely here to stay. His Excellency, President Mnangagwa has implored us to strengthen our resilience to climate change, particularly communal, A1 and A2 farmers by growing traditional grains which as you are aware of now are more nutritional than what we have been used to eat.
In addition, Government on its part has set aside a $60 million facility for the rehabilitation of irrigation equipment under the Command Agriculture Programme. As Parliament, we also have a critical role to play in alleviating the effects of climate change on our people and reviving our agricultural sector. In our differing constituencies we must alert communities on the National Climate Change Response Strategy so that we mitigate some of the effects. We must play our part in ensuring that Government strengthens the climate and disaster rise reduction policies and practices.
Madam President, although I extensively dwelled on agriculture, the President was clear and touched on a number of issues like agriculture which I have dealt with in detail. He also looked at manufacturing, mining, modernisation of Beitbridge Border Post, bilateral negotiations on establishment of one-stop border post in Victoria Falls and Beitbridge which are ongoing. He also touched on the grant from India to the SMEs of 2.7 million which is very important because you are aware that in our country as of now the informal sector is very key and that this is comprised of very small medium enterprises.
He also talked about the issue of dam constructions. The dam construction on Marovanyati which we were very pleased that the
President noted because as a Committee under Sustainable Development Goals, we had a chance to go and visit that Marovanyati Dam and we were very pleased that it is going to give irrigation to a number of people in Murambinda, Gwayi-Shangani and also the Causeway Dam were also some of the dams which the President highlighted.
We know tourism also brings a lot of revenue into our country. As a country I think it is important to be looking at it so that we spruce it in order for more tourists to visit our beautiful Zimbabwe.
Madam President, I note that as Parliament, whilst we performed our duties very well, the President noted that we had also slept so to say “on our laurels” because we had six Bills which lapsed in the First Session of the Ninth Parliament. Therefore, I hope that this time we will be more diligent and work very well. With these words my Madam President, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Thank you Madam President for
according me this opportunity to add few words on the Presidential Speech which was delivered by His Excellency, President E.D.
Mnangagwa to the nation. Let me touch on a few things that His Excellency talked about. Our father showed us that he is concerned about the plight of the people. There are people who are selling money and he is aware of that and the rates that they are using so that it is difficult for the country. He said that in a few days it was going to be rectified.
Madam President, let me go to the 2019 Supplementary Budget. Our father talked about the importance of the supplementary budget. All of us saw its importance. There are certain things that just crop up like the Cyclone Idai. We were faced with a disaster which was beyond us.
Most of the money which was on supplementary budget was channeled to help the victims of Cyclone Idai. Not only that, the President of our country has good relations with all African nations. Even in this country, he called out for help and we saw a lot of people even our locals coming together helping the Cyclone Idai victims.
Madam President, we have people who were affected by drought. Because of the climate change which was not favourable to us, we did not get enough rain in some areas and that money also helped those areas. Our father said what really touched our hearts, that is working very hard. We have our civil servants. We saw that things were hard. The money that was put aside was channeled towards their welfare so that they would leave well, which only brings out the importance of supplementary budget.
Mr. President of the Senate, we have Command Agriculture. We had a lot of challenges. People would spend many weeks and months without any progress and he realised that. So, he looked at things which can help us in growing our food. Command Agriculture has been put into banks, CBZ and Agribank. So true farmers, those who used to take their grains to GMB from time to time have a chance to go to the banks and get whatever they want. They are given there and then. So, we see that our Government, from the words of our father is expecting the lives of people to be revamped. Agriculture is our backbone from the rural areas even in the urban areas. So farming is very important and we should reverence it.
Mr. President Sir, we have the issue of inputs and equipment. They should be there from time to time. With the rising prices, our father said as Government he has arranged that we get fertilisers and agricultural equipment which will be brought into our country duty free.
It was welcomed by the citizens. This will make us continue farming.
Mr. President, let me also touch on what others have said. Due to climate change, there are a lot of changes in our methods of farming. He encouraged us that we should go back and grow small grains so that if there is drought, at least we will get to harvest something instead of maize. People were very happy. We want to thank the Government for coming up with such methods.
Mr. President, we saw our father encouraging people to farm. In Command Agriculture, he has put in more funds so that tractors will be maintained in the rural areas. In Command Agriculture, you just go and ask for money so that you can maintain the equipment. He did not end there. We saw his friends from outside such as Belarus. He is a true friend indeed. Now he has promised to bring tractors and combine harvesters, planters and all the equipment that is needed. So, we thank the Government through the President. We should continue looking for friends who help us in times of need. Looking at health, we have friends from India who stood with us. We should applaud the President for doing that.
Moving on to our minerals, the President talked about minerals and said that this year, our exports from mining totaled $1,3 billion. This means this is our backbone as a nation and he was encouraging people to continue mining but there should be order so that people mining use proper methods.
Mr. President, there was a time when we had a challenge in veterinary drugs or injections for our animals. We saw our professional from higher and tertiary institutions coming up with medicines for foot and mouth disease. It is important that we manufacture our own drugs here which are important for both humans and animals. We can see progress in our country. We also had problems in dipping our animals because the drugs were not accessible but now the dipping chemicals are getting to the rural areas. Dipping our livestock is taking care of our wealth as a nation. That is why the President does not want cattle to die.
We want to go back to climate change. We have challenges because of electricity shortages. We do not have enough water, like in Mashonaland West, we have Kariba Dam which we relied on for the supply of electricity and also tourism because people where also going there for tourism. Last year, the President commissioned one of the hydraulic pump stations and production of electricity was revamped.
However, the problem is we did not receive enough rainfall in the Congo
Basin which feeds into Kariba. At my age, I have never witnessed Kariba having such low levels of water and not able to generate electricity. After seeing that, our President went to South Africa where he was able to get electricity. Because of that, we want to thank the
President and he implored us to have unity in our midst. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the issues raised by the
President. Most of the things that were said by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa are issues which include climate change that also resulted in a number of deaths in Manicaland due to Cyclone Idai. That sad occurrence should not be taken as a problem that affects Manicaland only but the nation as a whole. That is why the President said it affects everyone. We know Manicaland is a producer of a number of minerals which were lost during that national disaster.
However, like my fellow Senators said, this is our loss as a nation.
Our friends in the international community saw it fit to solve and alleviate that challenge. As a nation, we mourned together with the Manicaland community. The President prioritised people’s lives.
We want to thank the President who also touched on agriculture. As you know, our economy is agro-based and also relies on minerals and on the processing of cotton. However, there are a lot of challenges which are a result of drought because of a lot of challenges. For example, when processing raw cotton to make fabrics, our machines require a lot of water but because of the low rainfall received, production went down affecting our economy as a nation.
The President also mentioned the point of food security particularly focusing on the A1 and A2 farmers, that they should concentrate more on small grains that are drought resistant such as soya beans and also cotton production should be encouraged. I am happy that Mt Darwin is one of those areas that produce cotton on a large scale but this year, cotton did not do well because of the low rainfall. We hope that if the rainfall improves cotton is one of the crops that will be produced especially in Mt. Darwin constituency. He encouraged us to take heed of all the information on climate change and the advice on small grains such as sorghum, millet, rapoko and so on that are drought resistant.
I am also happy to note that the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Air Marshall Perrance Shiri is out in the field talking about the production of small grains, taking into consideration that the rainfalls that we are receiving is not much. Production of small grains remains an integral part of agricultural production. However, the President has a great vision, a vision which is based on irrigation; the irrigation of different crops in Zimbabwe.
I would like to thank His Excellency for engaging different partners who are bringing tractors to Zimbabwe. I would like to appreciate and thank the President for that because the availability of tractors enables our farmers to be able to produce. This will benefit surrounding farmers and it will ensure food security.
I would also like to urge him to look at the DDF department which is critical in the agricultural sector. If DDF has planters and different machinery, this will benefit the populace of Zimbabwe and it will determine the prices of cash crops.
The President looked at the road infrastructure, everywhere we go, we see and notice that there are a lot of road rehabilitations that are happening in the road network. For example, the Mukumbura Road which was a dust road is being serviced. This is a road which was not considered in the national budget and in Government programmes, however, because of the President’s initiative, this road is now being worked on. This is a road which connects Zimbabwe and Mozambique. As such, many people who travel to the border posts are rejoicing because of that development. As a representative of that particular area,
I would like to appreciate the President’s initiative and I would like to say that the people who fall under the constituencies in that particular area are happy because of the road rehabilitation that is happening.
This, I believe will enable us to have a good relationship with
Mozambique.
Furthermore, I would like to say being united is a good thing as a nation. Unit strengthens our relationships as a people and as a nation. Imagine, considering the Cyclone Idai natural disaster, if we were not united, then we were not going to work and bring development in that particular area. As a united people and as United Nations, we share ideas, we work together from families, communities and throughout the nation. If people are not united, then there is no development. Even children might not be able to go to school and also the preparation of food might be a challenge when parents are not in a good relationship.
Mr. President, I would like to thank His Excellency, the President E.D Mnangagwa, for the State of the Nation Address that he brought to the august House. His words are words that touch on the livelihoods of people.
I would like to urge the nation to work hard, particularly in the mining sector. People should be united; they should work in peace and not in violence. I would like to urge people to live in harmony and seek guidance from Government departments, particularly to seek for proper hope so that they will be able to mine in peace and harmony for the sake of development.
We have noticed that there are some people who are armed with machetes, these go around killing and attacking other people which is not right. I would like to urge artisanal miners to find their own pieces of land where they will go prospecting and mining in peace.
The country will not experience peace if that issue is not addressed, particularly artisanal miners. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to also express my view points on the State of the Nation Address which was given by His, Excellency, the President. This is a programme which we must adhere to; this is a 2019-2020 agenda which will guide us. As Members of this august House, we must follow those guidelines.
The first thing that I would like to point out is the fact that the President spoke about agriculture, particularly command agriculture. He said that Government will look at people who benefited from the previous disbursement of agricultural inputs and who managed to pay back. However, there are some people who did not pay back. The President mentioned that those who paid back and those who took their grains to the Grain Marketing Board and those who are faithful, who continue to pay back are going to benefit again.
The President said that it is important for the nation to also concentrate on small grains which are drought resistant because maize production needs a lot of water. However, focusing on small grains will benefit the nation. This is information which should be shared with our constituents.
His Excellency also said that Government will construct a number of dams which will enable farmers to engage in irrigation schemes which are critical in cash crop production. This comes as a result of global warming and climate change. Engaging in irrigation will benefit different communities. The President also mentioned that there are a number of farming implements like tractors, combine harvesters and planters which were sourced from Belarus. These will be instrumental in the agricultural sector and they will benefit the nation because our cattle were affected by the previous drought. The President also spoke about the importation of fertiliser which should be duty free so that farmers can access fertiliser at reasonable prices.
The President also mentioned the importance of vaccines which are used in dip tanks for the prevention of animal diseases. Our domestic animals are being affected by different diseases like foot and mouth. The President also suggested that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development should look at how the foot and mouth disease can be eradicated.
The President did speak about climate change. He mentioned that variations of seasons as a result of climate change have resulted in natural disasters like Cyclone Idai. The President mentioned that the Government disbursed funds towards the rehabilitation of those who were affected by Cyclone Idai and a lot of people benefited from the interventions. The President mentioned that the nation is facing power challenges as a result of a drought which was experienced during the last season which culminated in the reduction of energy generation from Kariba Dam. The President urged the nation to be vigilant, particularly in the face of pilfering of ZESA cables. He urged people to report theft of copper cables to the police. The pilfering of copper cables is retrogressive because Government is forced to allocate funds to the procurement of new cables instead of channeling the funds to other developmental projects.
`Furthermore, the President mentioned the fact that Government is working on refurbishing the national road network, in Matabeleland
North, Matabeleland South and the Beitbridge-Chirundu road network. Long distance haulage trucks are now detouring via Botswana instead of using our road network because our roads are not in a good state. However, if these roads are refurbished, these vehicles will then utilise the local road infrastructure between Chirundu and Beitbridge and this will generate revenue for the nation.
The President then informed the nation that $2.5 billion was set aside for infrastructure like dams, irrigation schemes, the road network and various social services and amenities like schools which are critical in developing the nation. For the nation to be viewed as developed, it must have a good infrastructure, for example the Robert Mugabe International Airport and the new Parliament building because at the moment, our Parliament cannot accommodate parliamentarians and the lower House is very congested. For these initiatives, I would like to thank the Government for identifying these critical projects.
The next point regarding dams, the President spoke about the
Gwai-Shangani Dam which to us as representatives of Matabeleland North is critical because our region is a very dry region. The completion of this dam will benefit our communities in various irrigation programmes.
The next point, the President also spoke about the tourism sector. He emphasised the need for the construction of more international hotels. He mentioned that we do not have enough hotels to host big events. As Zimbabwe, we do not have big convention centres with conference rooms and this has resulted in people being booked in separate hotels. The lack of proper hotel infrastructure for big conferences has culminated in tourists booking in South African facilities which results in the loss of revenues for the nation.
Concerning Acts and Bills of Parliament, the President mentioned that these should be scruitnised, particularly the High Court Act, the Labour Act and the Magistrates Act which should be aligned to the Constitution. If these Bills are not aligned to the Constitution, then magistrates and judges cannot fully discharge their duties. The august House should understand the importance of aligning these Bills to the
Constitution, for example during the last session of Parliament, the
Mines and Minerals Bill came through the House and Members of Parliament debated the Bill and identified some issues. However, next time the same Bill should pass because I have noticed that there are some Shurugwis who are terrorising people since there is no legislation which adequately addresses their issues, then some people end up complaining that justice is not taking its course. He alleged that our courts are not doing much.
He also spoke about the Medical Aid Society Bill. Medical Aid Societies own hospitals and you would notice that if you are a member of a different medical aid, you might not get assistance from a particular hospital. However, this issue needs to be looked into because these societies own hospitals and this result in people being directed to those hospitals. These are things that should be looked at in this august House.
The President also spoke about corruption which is a cancer affecting development in Zimbabwe. It is important to eradicate corruption by reporting and by talking about these things. If we have evidence that there is corruption, we must not just throw allegations of corruption but we must report corruption when there is evidence that there is corruption. The President also said that there are a lot of Government structures that have been put in place so that investors can come in the country. There are a lot of words that I can say Mr. President regarding the State of the Nation Address but for today, I would like to end here. Thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 23rd October, 2019.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE (HON. SEN.
MUNZVERENGWI), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Five Minutes to
Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 23rd October, 2019.
The Senate met at Half-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
++HON. SEN. MALULEKE: Thank you Mr. President for
affording me this opportunity to add my voice to the speech which was delivered by the Hon. President, His Excellency Mnangagwa. I would like to thank the President for what he taught us in general. He has taught us to love and help each other. Right now in my constituency there is no hunger because people are given food. We have seen that our leader really loves his people and he makes sure that his people must not go hungry. On top of that, he gives us inputs so that we prepare for the coming season. We were also given small grains like sorghum and rapoko which do better in our area. Our area is dry and even grazing area is a problem but we have seen that our President Hon. Mnangagwa always remembers us.
In his speech, he also told us about various diseases which affect us and the situation which is in our hospitals which is in a bad state. We are happy that right now we are getting medicines, people in Sengwe were recently given medicines and now all medicines are available. Mr. President we thank you. We also have more schools built in our area which will help school children not to walk long distances. He also talked about education in his speech, encouraging even old people to go back to school. He said that school does not end; it ends by one’s death.
So he wants everyone to progress in school so that we develop our country, Zimbabwe. Mr. President, I thank you very much for giving me this time to talk about what was said by President Mnangagwa.
We have seen that even those who grow cotton in our area have been supported by the President so that they continue to grow cotton and send their children to school because they get money from selling that cotton. If it was not for President Mnangagwa, you were going to hear that all the people have deserted the area to some better places but we are still there because of him. We are all happy with our children because we know we have a leader who always remembers us. There will be no other leader who can be greater than President Mnangagwa. We thank him for what he is doing for us as women. You will see that if you go to hospitals, there are women who are suffering from breast cancer. Long back we used to think that it is an ulcer which is failing to heal but because of awareness programmes, we now know that, no, it is cancer. Nowadays, if it is diagonised early, it is treated because we now have many hospitals and medicine is available in hospitals. We are very grateful.
We want to acknowledge what the Government did at Tokwe Mukorsi Dam. It is one of the biggest dams in Zimbabwe. Everyone knows about this dam, it uplifts the livelihoods of the lowveld people. Things are difficult but as I speak right now, a lot of women in our area are cooperating to do income generating programmes as a result of that dam. At the moment we want to start fisheries, this was provided for by our President, if there was no dam, we were not going to get all those things. We do not receive much rain but now we are getting water from this dam. Mr. President, we want you to covey this message to His Excellency, President Mnangagwa. Thank you.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me
this opportunity to say a few things about the Presidential Speech. Our President spoke greatly about the challenges that we face. He spoke mainly about the illegal money market. He said we are encountering a challenge of people who are selling money illegally, and we commend the President for acknowledging this anomaly because it has brought suffering to our people. If you get into banks, you cannot get money, but when you go to the ecocash outlets you see those agents with money. So he realised that those people should be punished by enacting stringent laws.
He also mentioned about agriculture and indicated that
Government is providing assistance to farmers through inputs provision. He also mentioned that farmers should be trustworthy and make sure that they return their proceeds after harvesting to make sure that other farmers also benefit from the same scheme. Farmers should send their proceeds to Grain Marketing Board.
The President mentioned vulnerable children and stated that there are funds that are being provided for by Government to a tune of $67 million so that these vulnerable people can get inputs. The President also mentioned that as we are faced with the challenge of climate change, including issues of electricity provision. This is encountered mainly because of water shortage at Kariba. Therefore, they are looking into our neighbouring countries to make sure that electricity is provided for in the country. These challenges are not being created by any individual but they are coming as a result of climate changes that we are experiencing. Therefore we realised that our Government is coming up with efforts to make sure that our people are provided for.
The President spoke about a SADC meeting that was held in Dare-Salaam Tanzania where he mentioned that SADC supports all the projects that benefit this region. He indicated that all the members within SADC have resolved to make sure that on the 25th October, 2019 we come together and make sure that sanctions are removed in Zimbabwe. These efforts are commendable.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order.
Anything on sanctions, we now reserve it for debating on the motion presented by Senator Mbowa.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you President of the Senate for correcting me. The President also mentioned about quite a number of projects that are being funded by the country. He also spoke about road construction and mentioned that there is a fund that has been allocated to the development of roads. We realised that quite a number of roads are being constructed, especially from where I come from. The road from Bulawayo to Tsholotsho is under construction as we speak. Therefore, what the President is mentioning is really happening on the ground. We thank the President especially realising that since the country got independence in 1980, this road had never been attended to. This is good about our leader. There are quite a number of roads in our country that are being attended to.
He also mentioned a lot about projects that include the Zambezi Water Project. Thank you very much because this is one of the projects that we were looking into to help us as people from Matabeleland. We have quite a number of projects like Bulawayo ARDA and because of water challenges, these projects were not succeeding. Due to the Zambezi Water Project that is under operation, we realise that irrigation projects are going to succeed in Matabeleland North.
The President also mentioned issues to do with children whereby he indicated that children should be taught to respect and know where our country is coming from. For it to be called Zimbabwe, what really happened and how did our independence come into being? He mentioned quite a number of projects where he said a lot needs to be done. He also mentioned about money in our country. Today we are crying because of money challenges. All this is made by people with satanic ideas to create disharmony within our people.
I would want to thank His Excellency for mentioning quite a lot that we are looking forward to be done in our country. Funds are being allocated to projects in our country and it shows that the country is going forward. The President also talked about job creation so that it can consume a number of youths in our country to make sure that they have something to do and avoid being criminals. He mentioned that industries are being opened and we are looking forward to have more opportunities of getting our youths into employment. Without much, I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to support what was said by President Mnangagwa. The first thing I want to thank President Mnangagwa is that he has a loving heart and he forgives. He feels sorry for everyone. We saw it when he came in. The first thing before he gave his speech he gave us an opportunity to respect the late hero, President Mugabe, which is a very good thing. I saw that if we have a heart similar to that of the President, the spirit of forgiving and respect, our country would go forward.
The President, in his speech, talked about a lot of things. I will just pick few things because others have already talked about them. If you look at development, he is making sure that his Government improves roads. We see that roads are being fixed. We always complain about the Beitbridge to Harare Road but if we look closely, we see that our leader is observing and seeing a lot of accidents that are happening and he is fixing those roads. If we go to Beatrice, the road is being fixed and if you go to Chivhu, it is being fixed. I keep praying that the road is always monitored. The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, if he could use that road when going to Beitbridge and not always use the aeroplane to see that there are areas that are no longer accessible.
The President knows that the road from Ngundu to Beitbridge is no longer accessible. There are very big potholes. I know the President will push his Ministers that they do their work. The Ministers are doing their job. They do not do the job directly but it is the companies they engage that are delaying. We always had problems from Chibi turn off to Mhandamabwe and now if you drive that road, you can even get involved in an accident because the road has been repaired. I thank our Government that the President saw it. We are seeing the results of what is being done. If we go to Mwenezi, there is a road which goes to
Zvishavane, the road is being fixed nicely and they want to put tar. In Mwenezi, there was no tarred road. Our children saw the tar for the first time because of our good President. We want to thank the President very much.
As a country, we have hunger but the President always says no one will die of hunger because food is there. We will do whatever possible that everyone gets food. Even in my area Masvingo, people are getting food. He also encouraged that because of changes in climate, let us
grow crops that are drought resistant. It was like the President was knowing what is happening in Mwenezi where we are dealing with small grains. This is the encouragement which was given to the people of Zimbabwe that hunger is added by the fact that we always grow maize which wilts fast. Let us grow small grains. We can see that the President has a vision. We need to support the vision of the President that by 2030 our country has no hunger. We need to follow his vision.
The President also touched on issues about health in our hospitals. I can see that our hospitals have enough in terms of equipment and medicine, especially referral hospitals. In our area, we have a very big hospital which needs to be adequately resourced so that our people do not suffer. The problem that we have is that the referral hospitals in Mwenezi do not have medicine but you find that doctors at that hospital have surgeries that have medicines. Can you not see that you are undoing the
President’s work? You see that there are no medicines in hospitals but if you go to surgeries you find these medicines. The doctors will always refer patients to their surgeries.
I want to thank the President very much. He has a very good vision on health. If you look at cancer, it is now a problem. The First Lady is supporting the President with ways of combating the disease and wishes to see that both women and men are screened. The President is doing a good job.
He talked about mines. If you look at our country Zimbabwe, it has mines and a lot of minerals; gold, emerald and all other minerals. We are not supposed to be poor because we have mines. As has been said, there is a motion that has been tabled and will be debated tomorrow. That is when we can talk about sanctions.
In addition, the President talked about corruption. He always says we do not want corruption. There should be no tolerance to corruption because it has destroyed the country. The President referred to the issue of money being sold on the streets and this paves way for corruption. As a nation, we have to unite against sanctions because they destroy our country. With these few words, I would like to support what the President said because if I were to go case by case, we would need the whole day to talk about that. Thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 24th October, 2019.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. SEN.
MAVHUNGA), the House adjourned at Five Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 26th September, 2019
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: On the 24th September, 2019,
Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission on the election of the following Member of ZANU PF
Party as Member of the National Assembly with effect from the 21st September, 2019:- Hon. Clemence Chiduwa, representing Zaka East Constituency – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Order, order.
Can you reserve your acclamation until the Hon. Member is sworn in?
Section 128 (1) – [HON. DR. LABODE: Inaudible interjection.] – Order Hon. Dr. Labode – [HON. CHINOTIMBA: Munhu akapfeka wig!] – 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 Third 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 Hon. Clemence Chiduwa – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Order Hon. Member
in a red shirt! Order, order. Can we preserve the dignity of this House, Hon. Member in a red tie, can you get out.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. CLEMENCE CHIDUWA subscribed to the Oath of
Loyalty as required by the law and took his seat – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Order, order.
COLLECTION OF OFFICIAL PARKING DISCS
THE HON. SPEAKER: All Hon. Members are advised to collect official parking discs for the Opening Ceremony and SONA from Security Officers who will be stationed at the Members’ Dining Room today.
HON. A. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have risen on a motion of privilege Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I called for Notices of Motions.
HON. NDEBELE: I saw no one standing.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Ndebele, please proceed.
HON. NDEBELE: Hon. Speaker, I have noticed that amongst some of ZESA’s problems is the fact that they are bedeviled by challenges of theft and vandalism of some of their infrastructure, targeting specifically transformer oil and copper cables. I wish Hon. Speaker to then invite the Minister of Home Affairs. Perhaps we could have a joint statement from the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and the Minister of Mines and Mining Development on the wisdom of granting copper exporting licences to registered entities in Zimbabwe. It is a fact Hon. Speaker that in this country we do not produce copper. It is also a fact that granting copper exporting licences to particular entities, it promotes vandalism for copper cables. I thought it will be in good stead to invite a joint statement from the two Ministries on the issue of copper exporting licences because I believe these are granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
Last but not least Hon. Speaker, internet data bundles by all means have become a public good but these just disappear from our phones and our houses. Unfortunately without a proper test, we cannot tell whether or not internet service providers are stealing from the citizenry. However Hon. Speaker, I have a feeling that if we invite our colleagues in the ICT Committee to interface with internet service providers as has been done by our Zambian colleagues to perhaps reach a non-binding agreement if this House cannot be persuaded to make laws against disappearing data and expensive data, it would help.
Currently the situation is data disappears, data is just too expensive and unaffordable and data expires. If you buy data today, you are then forced to use it before a particular day. The connectivity is so poor and nobody ever cares to compensate people for data lost as a result of poor connectivity. I hope Hon. Speaker, the Minister of Information Communication Technology and Courier Services can also be persuaded to give us a Ministerial Statement on what he is doing in terms of protecting the public against abuse by internet service providers. This is the reason why the gentleman is in office. With your indulgence Hon. Speaker, I wish to point out to you that the nation is owed two Ministerial Statements that I invited, one from the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Hon. Kirsty Coventry. I had another one I tend to forget. My memory escapes me because this Parliament does not grant me a secretary to work on some of these things – [Laughter.]
Where I am going is the fact that you and I my learned brother agreed at some point that there is need for a special committee that should look into outstanding business of Government towards us back benchers, especially because some of the things may escape the desk. In your ruling Hon. Advocate J. F. Mudenda, I invite you to also update us on how far you have gone with that proposal for that special committee which I had duly recommended. I thank you Hon.
Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Ndebele, I hope you will resuscitate your memory and give me the two together and we will take it up from there. On the special committee, the matter is under consideration. Thank you.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Hon. Speaker Sir, since we cannot congratulate the newly sworn in Hon. Members of Parliament, on behalf of the House, I would like to congratulate the new Members who were sworn in for winning overwhelmingly, particularly Hon.
Members of the ZANU PF party. Of course Hon. Tsvangirayi is here. My fear is that he will also pass on, bearing in mind what was circulating on social media that they were killing each other. I would like to say congratulations to the Hon. Members who are representing ZANU PF for winning against their MDC counterparts.
HON. MATEWU: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I do not think it is right if we have a culture in this House that people stand up to talk about the dead in the way that he is doing. I do not think the Hon. Member is right to say that. I think he must withdraw that.
He must withdraw what he said.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What exactly did he say?
HON MATEWU: The first thing he said was “kurakasha” then the second thing he said “kuuraya munhu nebute, hanzi akafa nebute” that is what he said. The Hon. Member is insinuating that one of our Hon. Members passed away because “akaurayiwa nebute.”
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, the first part kurakasha is a language to indicate total defeat. Secondly, the Hon. Member talked about the use of bute to kill, which is witchcraft. The Hon. Member can you please withdraw that one.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Mr Speaker Sir, I would like to withdraw what they were saying because they used to go around saying that there are some people who poisoned the late Hon. Member. In our culture if someone says that the late Hon. Member was killed it means something happened. However, I would like to withdraw what the opposition MPs were insinuating. It pains me and the people of Buhera that one of ours was killed. Our child was killed.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
NOMINATION OF HON. MUSABAYANA AS MEMBER OF THE
DELEGATION TO THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have one announcement – I wish to
advise that following the round robin consultation of Members of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, Hon. Musabayana has been duly nominated to be on the delegation to the SADC Parliamentary Forum. He replaces the late Hon. Mguni.
RECOMMITTAL TO COMMITTEE STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 1C, 2019]
First Order read: Recommittal – Committee: Education
Amendment Bill, (H. B. 1C, 2019).
House in Committee.
On clause 14(k):
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): The
Education Amendment Bill passed through this august House and was transmitted to the Senate. When we took it to the Senate, we had an amendment to Section 64 whereby it talks about the appointment of sexual reproductive health personnel. The Hon. Senators were not comfortable with the reference to sexual - they felt that it is uncultural and undesirable. Therefore, they proposed that the personnel be called, ‘Reproductive Health Personnel’. This is the amendment that has been brought to the House for consideration.
HON. BITI: We object, let it stand as it was originally...
THE HON. CHAIRPERSON: Order, order Hon. Biti, our
microphone is off.
HON. BITI: I move that we totally reject the proposals by the Senate. Hatisi kuda!
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Hon.
Chairman, our initial position was that we needed to tackle issues of sexual reproductive health and needed personnel that would be able to articulate to our learners issues to do with sexual reproductive health.
So the Hon. Senators felt that we should not use the word ‘sexual’, even though it exists.
In my view, I do not have any objection – even if we retain it as it was as ‘sexual reproductive health personnel’.
THE CHAIRPERSON: I shall now report that there is a disagreement on this amendment.
House resumed.
Bill reported without amendment.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: In terms of Part 2 (6C) of
the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, the Bill has to be presented to the President in the form that it was passed by the National Assembly.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day Nos. 2 to 40 be stood over until Orders of the Day Nos. 41 and 42 have been disposed of.
HON. PHUTI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. OBEDINGWA
MADLALA MGUNI
Forty-first Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the condolence message for the late Hon. Obedingwa Madlala Mguni.
Question again proposed.
+HON. PHUTI: I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I am
happy to wind up on the passing of our colleague. He had a sudden death and he was a very humble and accommodative person. While we debate on the passing on of Hon. Madlala Mguni, I am happy that his wife is now with us here.
I would also like to thank all the Hon. Members who made contributions on this motion. The Members actually gave us the exact account of his personality. I conclude by saying that, may his exemplary life be taken heed of by all of us. I therefore move for the adoption of this motion that this House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Tuesday, 18th June, 2019, of Hon. Member of Parliament for Mangwe Constituency, Mr.
Obedingwa Madlala Mguni;
PLACES on record its appreciation of the sterling services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and
RESOLVES that its deepest and heartfelt condolences be conveyed to Mrs. Mguni, the entire family, relatives, friends and the Mangwe Constituency.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. KASTON
RINGIRISA GUMBWANDA
Forty second Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion on the condolence message for the late Hon. Gumbwanda.
Question again proposed.
HON. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for
giving me this opportunity to wind up the debate on the death of Hon.
Ringisai Gumbwanda of Zaka East. I would like to start by thanking all Members who contributed during the debate on the untimely death of Hon. Gumbwanda.
The late was a veteran of the liberation struggle. He fought for the liberation of this country. He was also a headmaster in Zaka for many years and taught some of the Hon. Members who are in this House. I would also want to thank the people of Zaka East who had trusted him and voted for him to become a Member of Parliament for Zaka East Constituency. I am very sorry on his untimely death which robbed the people of Zaka of a brilliant Hon. Member who was representing them here in Parliament.
It is unfortunate that Hon. Gumbwanda and the other three Members who passed on did not receive their motor vehicles. Now I plead with the Hon. Speaker and the powers that be to re-look into issues of such nature, including the welfare of our Members of Parliament.
However, today I am very happy that another brilliant Hon.
Member from Zaka East Constituency in the name of Hon. Clemence Chiduwa has been sworn in. He is going to take over from where Hon. Gumbwanda left. He is also a student of Hon. Gumbwanda at the school where he was heading. Congratulations, Amhlope, Makorokoto, Hon. Chiduwa, we welcome you.
I therefore move that the motion be adopted:
That this House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Tuesday, 25th June 2019, of Hon. Member of
Parliament for ZAKA East Constituency, Mr. Kaston Ringirisai
Gumbwanda;
Places on record its appreciation of the sterling services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and
Resolves that its deepest and heartfelt condolences be conveyed to the entire Gumbwanda family, relatives, friends and the Zaka East Constituency.
Motion adopted.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON. T.
ZHOU, the House adjourned at Twelve Minutes past Three o’clock
p.m. until Tuesday, 1st October, 2019.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 25th September, 2019
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
ISO 9001:2015 HAND-OVER CEREMONY AND LAUNCH OF
THE INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN (2018-2023)
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that all Members of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO), the Liaison and Coordination Committee (LCC) and Members of the
Speaker`s Panel are invited to the Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) ISO 9001-2015 Certification hand-over ceremony and the launch of the Institutional Strategic Plan for 2018 to 2023 on Friday 27th September, 2019 in the Parliament Courtyard from 0930 to 1400 hours.
STATE OF THE NATION AND OFFICIAL OPENING
ADDRESS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also wish to inform the House that
His Excellency, the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa will on
Tuesday, 1st October, 2019 at 1200 hours, address a joint sitting of Parliament on the State of the Nation marking the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.
INVITATION TO A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP
THE HON. SPEAKER: All Members of the Zimbabwe
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus are invited to a half-day workshop tomorrow Thursday, 26th September, 2019, which will be hosted by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Women
Lawyers Association on the 50/50 Campaign at the Rainbow Towers Hotel starting at 0830 hours. The bus will leave parliament building at 0800 hours.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received the following
apologies: Hon. Prof. Murwira, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development; Hon. July Moyo, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing; Hon. S. B. Moyo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance and
Economic Development, Hon. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development and Hon. Dr. Mangwiro, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. This is just for the benefit of all Members of Parliament. Some might not be on social media and the various groups, there is a Parliamentary sports club which trains in the morning for the good of your wellness and your health. It starts at 0600 hours at Girls High School and there is secretariat in place which is run by Hon. Saruwaka and our PR officer is Mr. Nyamuramba. You are invited to attend and to also pay subscriptions. We have received some tracksuits from an unknown company and will be given on first come, first served basis. So, I thought I should make this known to everyone. If you have not paid your subscriptions, you shall not get the tracksuit. Thank you very much.
HON. MUSIKAVANHU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise
on a point of privilege to express my deepest appreciation to the Government for stepping in to take the running of the Morton Jaffray waterworks – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – An Hon. Member having stood up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! – [HON. ZWIZWAI:
Hanzi ibvapo.] – Hon. Zwizwai, did the Chair say that? Do not put words into my mouth. The Hon. Member who just sat down there, when one Hon. Member has taken the floor, you do not stand up and start pointing at that Member. Yours is simply to listen. Whether you agree or not is neither here nor there. Thank you.
HON. MUSIKAVANHU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My
point of privilege arises from the total and abject failure by the city fathers of Harare in providing this vital service – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Do not speak hiding
behind the benches and make noise. That is being dishonorable. I think that is a very important observation and I want to take the opportunity to say when we have shortage of water and when water runs out, please make sure that when you open the tap and the water does not come out, close it firmly. We have had some disasters here which have cost us some money and we do not want a repeat of that.
Please close the taps firmly for the sake of the institution.
HON. S. BANDA Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir. On behalf of myself, my party and my president, Advocate Nelson Chamisa – [HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] – On Saturday, I am inviting Zimbabweans to come and commemorate with us on our 20th anniversary – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! This is where the Chair becomes upset unnecessarily. You know in your heart of hearts and mind that that statement is not a point of privilege. Can you sit down please.
HON. MADZIMURE: It is now almost a month since the doctors embarked on an industrial action. We have had several issues where people have passed on because they have failed to get assistance as quickly as possible. I think it is now prudent that the Minister of Health comes to this House and report what he is doing to alleviate the problem that our people are facing. Only yesterday, I was at Westend Clinic, it is overwhelmed and there are too many people who are all going to that one centre for healthcare when our hospitals which have got the facilities and accommodation to accommodate our sick people are idle because there are no doctors. Can the Minister come and issue a Ministerial Statement as to what is the solution and when we are going to get the solution?
THE HON. SPEAKER: I hear you. That question could have come under question time so that we dispose with the issues as soon as possible.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Mr Speaker Sir, I rise on a point
of privilege. I rise on a matter that I am troubled with, which is to do with the way Members conduct themselves when the President enters the Chamber. I would like to say to those who feel they want to leave when the President of Zimbabwe is addressing the House they should leave forever and never come back.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr Speaker Sir, I stand on a point of privilege. We were elected by the people in rural areas so that we can come and represent them here at Parliament but what is surprising is that when Parliamentarians come here and get to the door, they forget they did not come to represent themselves but the people in the rural areas. There are so many challenges that people are facing out there but when people come to Parliament and go on foreign trips they end up saying bad things about our country, forgetting who voted for them. Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to come up with legislation to address such behaviour in order to protect the electorate and those in our communities so that they are guaranteed that when we come here, we are here to represent them. I think you have understood what I am trying to say. I thank you. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Nyabani’s point of
privilege reinforces what Hon. Sacco raised yesterday. So, in future please do not repeat yourselves.
I have closed points of privilege. I shall not take more than six points of privilege. This is tantamount to abuse. Thank you.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. TONGOFA: My question is directed to the Leader of the House. I want to know if you have measures in place to ensure that local communities benefit from exploitation of resources within their localities which is in line with Section 13(4) of the Constitution.
THE HON. SPEAKER: That is a good question. You
emphasise (for the purpose of the others) Government policy, not the Hon. Minister in his individual capacity. Thank you.
HON. MLISWA shouted chief liar
Did you say chief liar? Get out of here.
HON. MLISWA: I am the one who said chief liar. I always joke with him.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You cannot joke like that in this House. This is not a House for joking, please leave the House. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question which is indeed correct. Our Constitution provides for that and it is Government policy that in communities where companies are extracting resources, they should also ensure that they give a certain percentage back to the community and this has been our policy. We have the ten percent Community Share Ownership Trust, we have one in Zvimba and the Hon. Member was the Deputy Minister in the Ministry responsible for that for some time. We had some successful community ownership trusts so we encourage and continue to encourage all the mining companies that come to do business to give back to the community some shares and to develop the communities that they are operating in. I thank you.
HON. TONGOFA: I want to thank the Minister for the
explanation but I just wanted to find out whether that policy is still being adhered to by the companies, especially the issue of seed money. The issues and dividends to the communities – are they receiving the dividends that they were promised? Also where we have got livestock is CAMPFIRE still operating – are people benefitting where we have wildlife – are we still upholding those policies? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, with all due respect, please sit down. With all due respect, you cannot just mix up issues and also the Hon. Minister cannot start tabulating now – that should have been a written question.
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker Sir, as a supplement any, would it be possible for the Hon. Minister to put maximum timelines for adhering to the values of the community share ownership trusts in terms of dividend allocations?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member that is an
unfair question. You as legislators must come up with a law that will give those timelines. Thank you.
HON. MADZIMURE: The Hon. Minister spoke about – Oh, it has been suspended because he has just left the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, the Hon. Minister has been asked to go quickly to the Senate to explain one provision in the Education Act. So we will suspend that one for the time being.
*HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I want to use the vernacular language. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of ICT, Hon. Kazembe Kazembe. What measures does the Government have in place concerning the duty free importation of cell phones and other electronic gadgets in order to enhance computer literacy in Zimbabwe?
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Since you are struggling to express yourself well in vernacular, please use English.
HON. NDUNA: What is the Government position relating to removal of duty on ICT gadgets i.e. cell phones, computers and such like so that we can have ICT penetration in Zimbabwe that is much more than 50%?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND COURIER
SERVICES (HON. KAZEMBE): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank the Hon. Member for such a pertinent question. Mr. Speaker Sir, I do agree with the Hon. Member that we really need to up the game to try and ensure that the mobile penetration rate increases so that we minimize the digital gap.
As a Ministry, we are very much in support of such an initiative. I would like to believe that it is an issue that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development will be looking at. I would also like to ask Hon. Members to assist us as we lobby for the reduction or complete removal of duty on ICT equipment. I want to believe that consultations on the budget for next year are on-going and this is one issue that Hon. Members can bring up. I thank the Hon. Member for the question.
HON. NDUNA: Attached to that Hon. Speaker Sir, I want to know relating to the programme of computer distribution for primary education. What is the position relating to that? It aids to the computer literacy and ICT penetration –what level is the Hon. Minister at relating to his programme of computer distribution to primary school education system?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! With all due respect – that is a separate question altogether.
HON. MAPHOSA: My question is directed to the Minister of
Health and Child Care, in his absence the Leader of Government
Business, seeing that the Leader of the House is not in…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, just hold on to your question. I will recognise you later as soon as he returns.
HON. MAPHOSA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MANGORA: My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development but in his absence I will direct the question to the Leader of the House, Hon. Ziyambi …
HON. TSUNGA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir! Hon. Speaker Sir, why must we allow the House to be rendered redundant because certain officials who are supposed to be in here from the Government side are absent?
Now it is two questions that have been asked and in both cases, the people who are supposed to be responding are not in the House.
Why does that happen? Can there not be a mechanism for the replacement of the Leader of the House in his absence rather than have both the Hon. Minister and Leader of the House absent at the same time? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, you raise a ...- [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order!
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. RTD. AIR
CHIEF MARSHAL SHIRI): Mr. Speaker Sir, I am standing in for the Leader of the House. So any questions in that regard can be directed to me…- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order …- [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order, the Hon. Chief Whip had done the appointment, but surreptitiously, because he did not advise me but indeed the Hon. Minister was appointed duly. So, can I favour Hon. Maphosa.
HON. MAPHOSA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What is
Government’s policy on individual preferences for medical attention outside the country? Does Government determine such choices for individuals? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. O. MOYO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Government actually has no say in terms of where an individual receives medical attention. It is up to the patient to decide whether to be treated in the country or outside the country depending on whether the individual can afford to get the required resources. Thank you.
HON. MAPHOSA: Is it then a policy to request legal counsel or to seek permission even though I have my monies to then go and seek that medical attention? Thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. That supplementary
question does not arise because the Hon. Minister was very clear in the answer. It depends on the patient and also ability to pay. So, legal issues do not arise in that case.
HON. PHULU: Point of clarification on your ruling Mr.
Speaker. I think the follow up question was really to say that, if it depends on payment, is it Government policy to then have further requirements before an individual can go and seek treatment outside the country. Is the Speaker’s ruling also touching on that aspect of her question?
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member Maphosa did not
say what you are saying now.
*HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also like to thank the Hon. Minister for his response. My supplementary question is that, since Government is not responsible for determining where one gets medical attention, my point arises from the issue that
Government is prohibiting Dr. Peter Magombeyi to be treated –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member at the
back there with a red tie.
*HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was asking
that since the Minister mentioned that Government is not responsible for determining where one gets medical attention, especially looking at Dr. Peter Magombeyi’s case where he has been prohibited from going to South Africa; again, looking at the judgment that was made by Justice Zhou, what is Government going to do to resolve the issue of Dr. Peter Magombeyi and his request to go to be treated in South Africa?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Members, read
your Standing Orders very carefully. This matter has gone to the courts and we cannot as Parliament interfere with the court process and let us wait and hear what the courts will say.
HON. SIKHALA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Are you disputing my ruling?
HON. SIKHALA: No Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to assist the
Chair with clarity. The matter has already been disposed by court, so, it is not subjudice. This is a matter whose judgment is already running. So, it is a running court judgment that has authorised and given an order that the Doctor must go to South Africa to be treated. So, there is no subjudice on the matter. The matter is, the court has given an order for the Doctor to go and get treatment in South Africa.
Why is he being stopped to go and get treatment from South Africa? That is the simple clarity that is needed by the Hon. Member. Thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. That issue because
there is still some contestation, I would not be surprised ... – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. SIKHALA: Mr. Speaker, there is no appeal.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Can you sit down, can you sit down. Hon. Member – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
HON. GONESE: It was on clarification Mr. Speaker – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the one looking at me
in a red tie – [HON. SIKHALA: Inaudible interjections.]- Order, order. Hon. Sikhala, if you were listening, I told the Hon. Member there, in red tie on my right - I pointed at him. I do not know what you are talking about on question of unfairness? The Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, as much as I had suspected that when there is contestation, there is room for appeal and that appeal was noted last night against the refusal of Dr. Peter
Mugombeyi to be treated in South Africa –[HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. GONESE: Mr. Speaker, I am just seeking clarification.
This is an important issue and I believe in all fairness, that it should be addressed. In all fairness, I beg your indulgence because I want to seek some clarification on the response in relation to this matter which I believe is very critical and important.
The point of clarification is that when the question was asked, it was relating to the general policy of Government relating to people who will be seeking treatment outside the country. So, at that point, it was imperative – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- I think it is important…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order!
HON. GONESE: The follow up question related to the actions of the police yesterday afternoon. When you are referring to the subjudice principle; I am practicing lawyer and I do understand and appreciate the import of subjudice. Subjudice arises when a matter is still pending before the courts and the principle time we are referring to is before the appeal of the matter; that is what we are referring to Mr. Speaker.
When the question was asked, it related to how the police responded before an appeal had been noted. At that point, there was no matter which was pending, that is the point, which I think we need to get your clarification. Mr. Speaker, I have heard you very loudly and clearly when we refer to contestation which arose subsequently but at the principle point in time, there was no contestation. We had an order issued by consent by Justice Hapias Zhou; there was no appeal at that point in time.
So, what arose subsequently is not what we were dealing with. What we were dealing with was a situation where there was interference with a court order. We want a response from the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as to what is the Government policy relating to that situation – that is the point which I wanted us to clarify. I hope you have heard me now.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have heard Hon. Gonese and I am
saying because there was an element, as I indicated, of contestation – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – You want to hear my ruling? Order, order! Hon. Members, I do not want to repeat myself.
HON. SIKHALA: My supplementary to the Hon. Minister is that what measures will the Government take [AN HON. MEMBER:
Musatanyoko] - The Hon. Member from Bindura said Musatanyoko!
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. SIKHALA: My supplementary question is what measures will Government take on any institution or individuals who would want to stop the implementation of that policy?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULATURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI): So,
it depends on the circumstances. Thank you.
*HON. MANGORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question
is directed to the Leader of the House. My question is on externalisation of funds. How far has the Government gone with redressing and addressing the issue of people who are being accused of money laundering? – [HON. MATANGIRA: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, can you allow the
Hon. Minister to answer. Stop heckling please!
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank
the Hon. Member for a very important question which pertains to externalisation of funds and what the Government is doing to address the issue. I cannot say what is going to be done to people who are being accused of money laundering and externalisation in this House.
*HON. MANGORA: My supplementary question is how far
has Government gone with redressing and addressing the issue, are there any people who have managed to return the monies that they are accused of taking?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. I explained that Government policy is that externalisation is illegal. There are several steps that are taken when such a crime is perpetrated. However, for me to walk around with figures, I cannot do that. The Hon. Member should put the question in writing so that I go to those who are responsible to furnish me with the figures of the money that was returned, otherwise, off-the-cuff, I cannot respond to the question.
HON. SIKHALA: Hon. Speaker, the Hon. Member asked if there were people who returned the money and the Minister did not answer that question –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, the Hon. Minister has been very gracious enough – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – The Minister has asked the Hon. Member to put the question in writing [ HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Order! Order, ndichakudzingai manje. The Minister has asked for the question to be put in writing and a comprehensive answer will be given with figures and names then debate shall ensue.
HON. NDIWENI: What is Government policy on formation
and composition of district hospital advisory boards?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): The
Government allows the formation of district hospital advisory boards. As to the specific composition, may I ask the Member to put the question in writing so that I can come up with specific composition?
Thank you.
HON. MATHE: My question goes to the Minister of Education and in his absence Hon. Ziyambi. Looking at the accelerated results of our children at schools, looking at subjects like mathematics and science, particularly in Matebeleland, when are we expecting these children to be taught their mother languages as it is in our Constitution?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO): It is under the
policy of the Government that these little kids be taught in their mother language as they are still young. At the beginning of the year the Government recruited new teachers especially for different languages so as to benefit these little children.
HON. MATHE: In my supplementary, I have noticed that these children are being taught in languages which they do not understand in different schools. May the Minister clarify?
HON. E. MOYO: In these schools the little children are taught in their mother languages but from infancy they are not taught the examination language. We are still in the process of recruiting more teachers for some other schools which are still lagging behind.
+HON. N. NDLOVU: It is not true that this has already started because we have children who speak Sotho and Venda, they are being taught in some other languages.
HON. E. MOYO: There is a programme for teacher capacity development which is done in collaboration with Great Zimbabwe University and we are still recruiting teachers who can teach those languages, Sotho, Kalanga, Tonga and Venda so as to benefit these
little children.
HON. MUGIDHO: My question is directed to the Minister of
Transport and in his absence to the Leader of the House. How far has the Government gone in rehabilitating the bridges which were affected during the previous Cyclone Idai.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, I
want to – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Sacco, why do you not allow the Hon. Minister to answer? Forget about, you know, cross border altercations.
HON. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question and indicate that repair works to bridges is underway. There are companies that have been given tenders to ensure that they construct the bridges and that work is underway as we speak. I thank you.
HON. MUGIDHO: My supplementary is that we have been experiencing these cyclones and I have not noticed that bridges which were affected by previous cyclones have not been restored or rehabilitated. As we experience different cyclones, I would like clarification from the Minister what Government is going to do to address this challenge?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Tsunga, I thought you come from the most affected area there. Can you listen? – [HON.
TSUNGA: Sorry.] – Thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the Hon. Member and indicate that the original question pertained to Cyclone Idai and I indicated that the bridges are being repaired. I also want to add that the response that happened after Cyclone Idai was very good. We got a response from various stakeholders and Government is moving forward to ensure that all the bridges are repaired. I would not want to go back and speak about Cyclone Eline when I know very well that work is in progress to ensure that bridges are repaired that were damaged by Cyclone Idai.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD) GWANETSA: My question is
directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce but in his absence – [THE HON. SPEAKER: The Deputy is here.] – I think the Leader of the House can do justice to my question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order!
HON. GWANETSA: I think the Leader of the House can do
justice to my question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Gwanetsa, you are a ‘muzukuru’ but when we are in this House we must follow procedure. You do not contest the Deputy Minister’s position in terms of Section 107, Subsection 2 of the Constitution. Anyway, the Hon. Minister is here. Can you put forward your question now.
HON. GWANETSA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What is the
Government policy in relation to second hand clothes that are imported or dumped in this country? This has got an adverse effect in terms of agriculture and cotton production. This has also an adverse effect in terms of the primary, secondary and tertiary industry and employment creation. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE
(HON. M. NDLOVU): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I wish to thank the Hon. Member for the question. With regards to second hand clothing, the Government policy is that, these remain banned. There was an order by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in 2017 – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! The Hon. Member
there, can you be attentive or else I take you out of the House. Please Hon. Minister continue.
HON. M. NDLOVU: I will continue Mr. Speaker Sir. The ban on second hand clothing remains. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Hon. Member mentions a very important topic of our textile industry, which industry is in decline and Government is taking necessary measures to support value addition of our cotton. As it stands, we are only utilising about 20% of our cotton production, 80% is exported raw primarily as cotton lint. The process to empower people in the textile industry in terms of value addition is underway and we hope that this will create more employment to address the specific concerns raised by the Hon.
Member. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My
supplementary question arises from the tail end of the Hon. Minister’s answer where he spoke of beneficiation. My question therefore is, are there any plans of apportioning or designating Chegutu as a special economic zone where David Whitehead Textiles up to Gweru is positioned. If there is, what timelines are we going to see on designating the value addition and beneficiation of the cotton lint both short and long term at David Whitehead?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. Questions of policy must be national. The people from Gokwe who grow a lot of cotton might also say the same but I shall indulge you. Hon. Minister, any designation of special economic zones to improve textile industry?
HON. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I wish to thank
the Hon. Member for the question. There is no plan as yet on that specific issue that he raises to designate Chegutu to Gweru as a special economic zone targeting textile. However, as a Ministry, we have initiated a programme which will see more support going towards the cotton growing areas as you have mentioned Mr. Speaker Sir, primarily in the Gokwe area. David Whitehead is on the rebound. They have identified an investor. While the possibility of a special economic zone could help, I believe David Whitehead has what it takes to rebound and be back into full production in less than a year.
Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. With the
number of bales that come into Zimbabwe and the people who are selling them, if the ban still stands, can the Minister also explain why politicians are giving their people money to go and buy bales and distribute the second hand clothing?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. That statement needs
evidence. We cannot say some politicians.
HON. TSUNGA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. It is common knowledge that the sale of second hand clothes in this country is a source of livelihood for many of our people. Over and above that Mr. Speaker Sir, the nation is benefiting if I may say so from the sale of those second hand clothes because many cannot afford to buy new clothes. Having said that, what is the Ministry doing to consider regularisation rather than prohibition of sale of second hand clothes in the intervening period before we get to optimal production of local textiles?
HON. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I wish to thank the Hon. Member for a very important question. Mr. Speaker Sir, we might be talking of a case of chicken and egg. As the Ministry, we believe that to fully support the textile industry, it is important that we limit, if at all, any importation of second hand clothing because this will give our textile industry a chance and we believe that full support to this sector will actually accelerate the growth of the textile industry.
While I appreciate that there are people who are making a living out of this, I believe it is a symptom of other challenges within the economy that have to be addressed. We also have quite a number of people making a living from other not necessarily legal means. They are making a living out of that but I believe we need to regulate that. So, it is more important that local authorities enforce this particular policy to make sure that we fully support our textile industry. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. TUNGAMIRAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question
is directed to – I am not really sure whether to the Minister of Local
Government, Public Works and National Housing or the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. What is the Government’s policy …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Did you say or?
HON. TUNGAMIRAI: Yes.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, be specific.
HON. TUNGAMIRAYI: My question is directed to the
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural
Resettlement. What is Government policy on people displaced from their land or homes due to national development projects?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI): I
will only respond to the question in as far as rural and farming land is concerned. I am not going to cover urban land and where individuals are displaced due to national development or need to use the land for development. The individual is compensated for any piece of land and if the individual is a farmer, alternative land is found for the individual so that he or she can continue with operations.
HON. SIKHALA: Mr. Speaker Sir, my supplementary is to the
effect that if a person who is going to be displaced from the area of settlement had for example 10 hectares, will that person be resettled at a farm with the same acreage or not and will he be paid his compensation first before being moved to the new settlement?
HON. SHIRI: I presume you are not referring to former farmers who were dispossessed of land. Government tries its level best to ensure that the individual is compensated before being relocated. As to the size of land which will be availed to the individual farmer, it will depend on the realities on the ground.
HON. MAPOSA: We have seen people evicted staying along roads in the rainy season. What would have happened? Will they have been given alternative shelter and they deny or what happens? If they deny the alternative accommodation, what is Government doing to make sure that they are brought to book so that we do not continue to see people along the roads after evictions?
HON. SHIRI: I am not aware of the existence of such people. I suggest that the Hon. Member submit a written question giving details of exactly where those people are found so that we can give an appropriate response.
*HON. MUKAPIKO: My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. Is there a policy that can be applicable to ZESA, in terms of the load shedding they are conducting so that they alert the business community of the load shedding to ensure that industrialists mitigate serious losses due to load shedding?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): I want to thank the Hon.
Member for the question. I think before load shedding was commenced by ZESA there were schedules that were circulated both in the electronic and print media. So, most people should be aware of the load shedding timetable based on those schedules. At times you may think that it is load shedding but it can be faults so they should also check with the ZETDC local office to ensure it is within the load shedding schedule or a fault.
*HON. MUKAPIKO: Yes the schedule was publicised but it is not what is being followed. Looking at the current situation, the load shedding has exceeded the hours and also the days on the schedule are not the ones ZESA is sticking to. Some of the areas are 200km away from here and they are experiencing load shedding. People always ask whether it is a fault or load shedding and they are informed it is load shedding and will be told to call Harare. The point however is that most people will have already lost their goods.
HON. MUDYIWA: Yes it can happen that load shedding can be extended because of the supply of electricity. I think we have mentioned the challenge of electricity so sometimes we have low generation of electricity hence the increased load shedding hours. They have no other way of addressing the problem and they channel electricity to critical areas where electricity has to be available. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am persuaded by gender to allow the
Hon. Mahlangu.
+HON. MAHLANGU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Hon.
Minister, you are agreeing that there is load shedding and that at times they just switch off electricity at any time. You are concurring that you have accelerated the load shedding periods.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mahlangu, may you please
pose your question.
+HON. MAHLANGU: My question is: how are people
expected to pay for electricity when they do not have the commodity almost all the time? People are now resorting to buying firewood and candles and they spend almost the same amount that they use to buy electricity tokens and often times, people get electricity only once.
What is going to happen Hon. Minister?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, I hope that you
managed to follow the question.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, my apologies. I do not understand the language in which the question was posed. I am requesting for interpretation and cannot respond to the question. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, may you try to put your question in English please? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
+HON. MAHLANGU: Mr. Speaker, if the Hon. Minister says
she does not understand IsiNdebele then it also means that I do not understand Shona and English and people are expecting a response.
What should I say to the people?
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, may you please resume your seat Hon. Member. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] – Order, order!
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Thank you Mr. Speaker
Sir, I think that I now understand the question since it has been translated to me.
Yes, people have resorted to buying candles for lighting and firewood for cooking since they are getting electricity for a few hours so they are not paying towards ZESA. It is true because they cannot pay towards ZESA if the electricity that they paid for is still available. They can only do so when the electricity tokens that they have are depleted. It is a challenge that we have now that ZESA is not getting any money because people are not buying electricity tokens. Since electricity is in low supply, ZESA is not getting any revenue but once the situation improves people will then resort to paying towards ZESA.
+HON. MAHLANGU: Hon. Minister you said …
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, you are not allowed to pose two questions. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
In the new Parliament, we shall be able to sort out this question of cross language use because there will be simultaneous interpretation - so that we do not have these hitches in future.
HON. NYATHI: My question is directed to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In his absence, I redirect it
to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. What is Government policy regarding citizens of Zimbabwe or legislators who denigrate their Government and country when they are in foreign lands? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member, may you
repeat your question please?
HON. NYATHI: My question is directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In his absence, I redirect it to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs or the Leader of the House. What is Government policy regarding citizens of Zimbabwe or legislators …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Nyathi,
may you please speak aloud?
HON. NYATHI: What is Government policy regarding citizens of Zimbabwe or legislators who denigrate their Government and country when they are on foreign soil?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER,
CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker, the laws of the country are made in this august House. It is up to the Hon. Members to come up with appropriate laws to address issues of that nature. I thank you. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. T. ZHOU: My question is directed to the Minister of
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, in his absence, I redirect the question to the Acting Leader of the House, Hon. Shiri. Why are there still acting persons in the JSC from the Secretary to the rest of the staff in the secretariat, given the fact that the new Constitution came into operation some six years ago?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker, that is a specific question. I recommend that the
Hon. Member puts it in writing. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. T. Zhou, please may
you put your question in writing.
HON. MADZIMURE: My question is directed to the Leader of the House since the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is not in. Hon. Minister, what does Government policy say concerning suburbs in urban centres that would have been acquired by the Government and issue out offer letters. What measures are taken for that offer letter to be withdrawn by the Government itself and give the offer letter to someone else, yet it is supposed to benefit the person who got it first? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER,
CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. SHIRI):
Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member is talking about peri-urban land, because that is where offer letters are given. For a person to have his offer letter withdrawn or cancelled and given to someone else there will be a reason for it because a person will have violated certain provisions. So, the one with the new offer letter has the permission to make use of the land but if there is a dispute, or there are people who he is aware of that were victimised or there are issues that were not adequately addressed, he can bring them to us and we will address the issues.
*HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am
talking of measures that are taken that when the same Government that has given the offer letter, if it withdraws the offer letter, what measures are taken to ensure that we as representatives of the people can explain to our constituents what the Government does in withdrawing the offer letters?
*HON. SHIRI: The Hon. Member would want to know that if a person has his offer letter withdrawn, the Government informs the person with the offer letter concerning its intention to take the land and the person is given seven days to present his case and explain to the Government his side of the story. After that, the Government then looks at the issue and if his argument has no basis, the Government will go ahead and withdraw the offer letter. I thank you Madam
Speaker.
*HON. TSUNGA: My supplementary question is on those who were given agricultural land but because they are greedy, they have subdivided the agricultural land into residential land and there are now residential plots because it is peri-urban land. Is that
Government’s policy that if a person is given agricultural land, they can subdivide it and sell plots?
*HON. SHIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to inform the Hon. Member that there is a Commission that was set up by His Excellency the President – the Land Commission that is addressing these issues. So I think that it is prudent for us to wait for the findings from the land Commission which will be submitted to the
Government and I believe that it will be brought to this august House as well. I thank you. I thank you.
*HON. SARUWAKA: My supplementary question to the
Minister is that, from his response, I think he should clarify to us whether it is legal. We know that the Commission is doing its work, but is it lawful for a person to subdivide his farm and sell plots? Does the law allow such behaviour of making subdivisions?
*HON. SHIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker. The challenge that there are people who have acquired land and subdivided it into plots is a known challenge and the members of the Land Commission consists of lawyers and experts. So let us be patient and wait for their findings. In short, I can respond in short but I think because we have a Commission, we should give them an opportunity to come and explain to this august House the situation on the ground. I thank you.
*HON. CHINANZVAVANA: Thank you Madam Speaker.
My point of privilege is to the Acting Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry that there is a CITES Conference that was held. In Zimbabwe, there are so many elephants that are affecting people’s livelihoods. He went to this Conference and did not see it prudent to get delegates from this Parliamentary. We are requesting for a Ministerial Statement on the CITES Conference resolutions, because we are hearing that as a country, we may not be part of this CITES Conference. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon.
Chinanzvavana, I think the Minister has heard it and will bring a Ministerial Statement.
HON. NSINGO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My
question is directed to the Leader of the House. What intervention has been made by the Government to address the water situation in the City of Harare? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMTNT (HON. SHIRI):
Madam Speaker, it is quite a plethora of incompetence. Despite the plethora of incompetence, Government has taken action to assist the City Council. So far, Government has availed $37.4 million to assist with capital development aimed at developing water and waste water systems. At the same time, Government has pledged stringent conditions to ensure that the funds are not diverted and to that extent, a team of Government officials has been constituted into a Committee to monitor the implementation of the project.
At the same time, Government is in the process of clearing its own debts to the City Council so as to enable the City Council to go on to clear its own debts, related mostly to the procurement of chemicals. The vehicle which was bringing in the much needed chemicals was delayed on the South African side and Government had to make interventions by negotiating with South African officials so that the clearance process is expedited. That has since been done and we expect the chemicals in the country any time now. The City Council itself has gone on to secure some quantities of calcium hydrochloride enough to cover 36 hours. Pumping at Morton Jaffray started this morning and people should expect to get water in their taps around midnight today. Government has also attached some officials to the City Council to assist the council to prepare its 2020 budget so that it operates lawfully.
Madam Speaker, the Hon. Member may want to know that we
have got 32 urban local authorities and 60 rural local authorities all utilising water. Harare City Council has been conspicuous by wanting to be bailed out by Government every now and then. We would like to encourage the City fathers to do much more in terms of the management of their resources so that they can provide the much needed service to the residents of the City of Harare, otherwise it will always remain a cry baby which is not blessed under the circumstances. Thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Orders Number 64
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Questions 1 to 14 are
deferred because the Ministers are not present
HON. CHIBAYA: On a point of order! On question number 2; this question has been on the Order Paper for the past 7 months and the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. B.
Matiza; I do not know if he is still alive.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is not true that it has been on the Order Paper for 7 months. It is only 2 months from July.
HON. CHIBAYA: Madam Speaker, I raised this issue with the
Hon Speaker some weeks ago and the Leader of the House, Hon.
Ziyambi promised to convey the message to the Hon. Minister of
Transport and Infrastructural Development but up to now, the
Minister is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he was abducted; I do not know – [Laughter]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have heard you Hon.
Chibaya but it is not seven months as you said, it is only two months from July. I am going to do a follow up with the Minister.
HON. CHIBAYA: Hon. Speaker, I do not know if you can allow me to kindly ask Hon. Ziyambi to respond because he is the one who promised this august House that he will make sure that the Hon.
Minister will come to this august House.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Indeed I
promised to convey the message and indeed, I conveyed the message.
I thank you.
HON. C. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is on question 8 and indeed it was submitted on the 21st November, 2018. Up to now; the Leader of Government Business actually brought some answers and tried to answer but he said he did not have my answer and he promised me that he will give me a response. I am actually shocked if he said he conveyed the message after promising that he will be bringing my answer since he brought some answers to other questions. Surely, I need an answer Hon. Speaker. Residents of
Bulawayo in Mpopoma Pelandaba…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have heard you.
THE MINISER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you
Madam Speaker, consistent with my earlier response, I convey messages to Ministers and those Ministers that are not there, I usually advise them to bring in the written answers so that I can present them. So, if I do not receive any answers, it does not mean that I did not convey the message [AN HON. MEMBER: Dzokororo inesimba.] –
*HON. HAMAUSWA: I rise on a point of privilege Madam
Speaker. We requested the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to bring a Ministerial Statement to explain to us on what measures are being taken by the Government to address the issue of erratic water supplies. Yesterday, we were promised a Ministerial Statement. We requested for the Ministerial Statement so that as Hon. Members, we can seek clarity or ask questions. Madam Speaker, we were not given that opportunity. As we stand right now, yesterday, 24th September, City of Harare was unable to provide water but the Minister was not able to give us a statement in this august House. My request is that the Minister should give a Ministerial Statement to this House. In my opinion, we cannot talk about politics without looking at the issue of water. Water is vital and is life. My request is that as promised, the Minister should come and explain to us on measures they are putting in place for water challenges to be addressed.
In conclusion, even though the statement we got yesterday indicated that the local authorities are the ones at fault …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, you
are now debating, please take your seat.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Madam Speaker, it is important for you to hear our concerns because where we come from, we cannot stand the heat. People want to know what is happening. People should know what is happening.
HON. TSUNGA: On a point of order…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Tsunga,
please may you take your seat, I want to give a ruling first. Hon. Minister, I think you have heard their concerns that they had requested a Ministerial Statement from the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and the Speaker promised that the Minister would bring a Ministerial Statement. Our request is that you remind the relevant Minister to bring the Ministerial Statement to this House.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker Ma’am. Yesterday, that message was not conveyed to me but what I said was that we are going to give a statement to the nation giving the Government position and also our discussions with the City Council of Harare. The municipalities of Zimbabwe are run by the mayors and councillors. Government has nothing to do with this. We issued a statement and when Hon. Minister Shiri was here, he responded to the question. If the Hon. Member had a follow up question pertaining to the Government’s position, he should have raised that question. I want to bring to your attention Madam Speaker that as we speak, we are in September, City of Harare has not produced a budget for 2019 and the Hon. Member wants to stand there and blame central government for the non-production of a budget – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – He is being irresponsible.
Government does not collect revenue for City of Harare. For one to say Government is responsible for this mess is wrong and the Minister of Local Government cannot come to this House to issue a Ministerial Statement on City of Harare because he is not the one who is responsible for the mess in Harare. I thank you – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Hamauswa having stood up.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, I am no longer
taking any more points of order on this issue – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No more points of order, no, Hon. Member, please, take your seat!
HON. TSUNGA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Mine
is a different one. Madam Speaker, in terms of Parliamentary Decorum, Deportment and Grooming, we are supposed to be dressed in a manner that projects our honourable status as Members of Parliament and indeed also for Hon. Ministers. I noticed that in our midst, we have an Hon. Minister who is without a tie. If it is a new rule, I feel uncomfortable also having this tie on, can I remove it as well if it is permissible.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, I think we can
all see that Hon. Deputy Minister Matuke has got an injury – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Banda having removed his tie.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Banda, put on
your tie or else I will send you out – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order, there is a new Prado, silver in colour, could the owner of the Prado vehicle, silver in colour that has no number plate which is blocking other vehicles please go and attend to his vehicle.
IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE AT ZVOVHE DAM
- HON. MABOYI asked the Deputy Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to state whether there are any plans to put irrigation infrastructure at Zhove Dam in Beitbridge West Constituency to enable surrounding communities to benefit from the water reservoir.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Hon. Member, the Ministry is currently developing 2
500 ha of irrigation in Beitbridge District, Matebeleland South
Province using dam water. The Project is being financed by the Kuwait Fund and Abu Dhabi. Processes to engage a consultant to do detailed designs and environmental impact assessments are at an advanced stage.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NYATANA DAM IN MARAMBA-
PFUNGWE CONSTITUENCY
- HON. KARUMAZONDO asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House when the Ministry will construct the Nyanga Dam in Maramba
Pfungwe Constituency, a development which will benefit Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central Provinces.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): As you might be aware, the then Ministry of
Environment, Water and Climate held the Water Resources
Infrastructure Investment Conference from the 4th – 5th of June, 2018, at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC). The Water Resources Infrastructure Investment Conference showcased the major water and water related projects in Zimbabwe, highlighting each project’s funding requirements and the opportunities that accrue to such investments.
As a follow up to that conference, my Ministry re-advertised eighteen (18) investment projects on 1st March, 2019, inviting prospective investors to bid for projects that they can implement under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement with the Government of Zimbabwe. the projects included fresh infrastructure projects where feasibilities need to be carried out, those with completed technical feasibility studies and ready for construction. Nyatana Dam was among the prioritised 18 dam projects which were showcased for investment and I am happy to inform this House that two local bids were received for the Nyatana Dam which is currently under evaluation. The feasibility studies for the dam are expected to start as soon as the selection process is completed.
EXPANSION OF THE ZVAVACHARI IRRIGATION SCHEME
- HON. SHIRICHENA asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the
House when the Ministry will expand the Zvavachari Irrigation Scheme in Mberengwa South.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): The Ministry is implementing the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Programme that target 200 hectares per district per year to ensure that all areas and schemes with underutilized water bodies are fully utilised. In that regard, Zvavachari Irrigation Scheme in Mberengwa South is going to be considered for expansion next year if the water source can be further utilised.
REPAIR OF OLD AND DRILLING OF BOREHOLES IN
MBERENGWA EAST CONSTITUENCY
- HON. RAIDZA asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture,
Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House when the
Ministry will repair old and drill more boreholes in Mberengwa East Constituency as people are currently fetching unsafe drinking water from the Save River, where they are prone to water borne diseases and attacks by crocodiles.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Hon. Member, my Ministry recognises the widespread water challenges being faced in the country and prioritises the enhancement of water security through borehole drilling and rehabilitation in all rural and drought prone areas. The total number of boreholes and deep wells serving the rural communities in the country is around 42 482 and about half of them, 20 116 boreholes and deep wells are non-functional and require urgent rehabilitation to the tune of RTGs 235 million. Furthermore, new boreholes need to be drilled and equipped to enhance water supply for rural communities during this drought period.
An initial target of 200 boreholes has been prioritised in drought prone areas including Mberengwa. The cost for drilling and equipping the 200 boreholes is estimated at RTGS 10,2 million. The Ministry has since made submissions to Treasury for the allocation of these resources to deal with the water insecurities as a result of the drought. May you also take note that these requirements were also submitted for incorporation in the Cyclone Idai and Drought Response Appeal by the Government of Zimbabwe?
HON. NYONI: The Minister indicated that about 42 000
boreholes are there in the country but only half of them are functioning. Have there been any requests for funds to rehabilitate the
20 000 something that are not functioning?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Thank you Madam Speaker and thank you Hon.
Member. As per my statement Madam Speaker, I spoke of a figure of RTGS235 million which was submitted for the rehabilitation of those dysfunctional boreholes. Thank you Madam Speaker.
DRILLING OF BOREHOLES FOR CLINICS IN MBERENGWA
EAST CONSTITUENCY
- HON. RAIDZA: To ask the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House when boreholes will be drilled at the following health institutions in Mberengwa East Constituency in view of the fact that expecting mothers and other patients seeking medical services are currently being requested to bring their own water –
- Negove Clinic;
- Ingezi Clinic;
- Murongwe Clinic;
- Svita Clinic;
- Vutsanana Clinic;
- Mponjani Clinic and
- Mataruse Clinic
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Thank you Madam Speaker. While this request also falls within the same bracket as highlighted in the earlier question, the water supply for clinics is very critical. The Ministry will prioritise this urgent request from the funds available through the water fund administered by my Ministry. Thank you Madam Speaker.
VIEWING SCREEN AND INFORMATION CENTRE AT
MATAGA BUSINESS CENTRE
- HON. A. MPOFU asked the Minister of Information,
Publicity and Broadcasting Services to state when the Ministry would install a Viewing Screen and establish an Information Centre at Mataga Business Centre in Mberengwa, considering its remoteness and poor television signal.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION,
PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON.
MUTODI): Thank you Madam Speaker and thank you Hon. Member. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for asking the question. The issue of the information centres can best be answered by the Hon. Minister of Information Communication Technology and Courier Services. Mataga Business Centre is not currently earmarked for the erection of viewing screens but we have plans to do so in the future.
As for poor television signal at Mataga, the area is supposed to be serviced by Rutenga television, a transmitter site. However, the Rutenga site has never been installed with television transmission equipment in the past, hence the challenge of no or poor television reception in the area. Under the digitalisation programme Madam
Speaker, a new television transmitter site is earmarked for construction at the Buchwa peak site to service the Mberengwa area including Mataga.
Tour foundation construction and the construction of a new tour at Buchwa peak was planned for early 2019 and equipment installation for 2020 subject to the disbursement of funds in the 2019 budget. In the meantime, consideration is also being made to take advantage of the signal from satellite signal distribution to transmitter sites to deliver television service directly to home (DTH) to areas experiencing difficulty in receiving television services. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, would the Hon. Minister
advice us on the establishment of the transmitters in terms of how far we are and how many are due to be commissioned in terms of their working ability.
HON. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Like I have said
in my statement, the delivery of the transmitters is dependent on the availability of funds from Treasury. At the moment, the funds have been budgeted for the 2020 budget. So, we are awaiting the delivery of the funds by Treasury in 2020 budget for us to be able to acquire the transmitters to service the concerned areas that have been mentioned. Thank you.
EXEMPTION OF VIEWERS AND LISTENERS WHO DO NOT
WATCH ZTV FROM SUBSCRIBING LICENCES
- HON. S. BANDA asked the Minister of Information,
Publicity and Broadcasting Services to inform the House whether the Ministry has any plans to exempt viewers and listeners who do not watch ZTV or listen to local radio stations from subscribing licences for local broadcasting services.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION,
PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON.
MUTODI): Thank you Madam Speaker. The law requires that every holder or anyone who possesses a television set or a radio must pay a licence for the radio station irrespective of whether they are currently receiving transmission or not. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. S. BANDA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker and
thank you Hon. Minister for that honest response. However, I think it becomes a challenge when even though you have electricity, you do not want to watch the content that is on ZBC because mainly it will be biased. There are times when you do not want to watch it. You want to watch other channels where there is freedom of expression, not necessarily focusing on propaganda. People really have to be given a choice. If I want to pay Multichoice, I will pay and I am even prepared to pay in US dollars because I feel like the content that is there is acceptable. That would be my supplementary question.
Thank you.
HON. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Citizens need
to know that information is not a commodity that one needs transport to carry. Information can be passed from one citizen to the other irrespective of the fact that the other citizen had the gadget to receive the information directly from the transmitter site. We need to understand that if we want to be a country that is progressive in terms of information dissemination, we have to stick to the laws. That makes it a policy or an obligation for everyone who possesses a radio or a television set to be able to pay the licences required because of the fluid nature of our information. Thank you.
HON. NYONI: Thank you Madam Speaker. It is quite clear that the law was made for the gadgets and not for what you receive. If a bad law is made, that is why this House is here. Bad laws must be looked into and made properly. In my view, I think this is a bad law which needs to be looked into objectively so that the people out there are served properly. Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think that is a comment.
REDUCTION OF MASTER’S FEES ON DECEASED ESTATES
HON. S. BANDA asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to state when the Ministry will consider reducing the master’s fees on deceased estates in view of the fact that the current charge of 4 percent of the gross asset value is too exorbitant a situation which leads to loss of benefits that has to be realised by orphans and widows.
Questions With Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE DEPLOYMENT OF TEACHERS CONVERSANT WITH THE
LOCAL LANGUAGE TO SCHOOLS IN TONGA SPEAKING
AREAS
- HON. HOUGHTON asked the Minister of Primary and
Secondary Education to explain measures being taken by the Ministry to ensure teachers who are conversant with the local language are deployed to schools such as Tonga speaking areas, particularly in primary schools.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO): It is the
Ministry’s policy that the language of instruction, particularly at Infant Level should be the mother tongue. As such, deployment of teachers at Infant level takes into consideration the language spoken by the learners themselves. The recent deployment of teachers which was done by both the Ministry and the Public Service Commission considered the local languages spoken in each locality. Prior to the deployment of teachers, the Ministry issued a public advertisement to teachers who wished to be considered for employment to indicate their languages of proficiency. So, the issue of languages (not only Tonga) is an issue of priority to the Ministry.
CORRUPTION AT GMB DEPOT IN MHANGURA
CONSTITUENCY
- HON. MASANGO asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to apprise the House on measures being taken to curb the alleged corruption involved in the selling of maize at Grain Marketing Board depot in Mhangura Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. My Ministry is not aware of any formal complaint or reported malpractices at the mentioned GMB depot or any GMB depot in Zimbabwe. however, two social media clips were circulating in the public domain insinuating that GMB subsidised maize could be collected by its Depot Managers as millers and resold to another depot. The social media gave an example of Lions’ Den and Nembudziya.
The following information was gathered on Mhangura Depot:
- No grain sales were done at the depot during the last season to date. Furthermore, sales are not done at the depot but at Head Office. Only rural depots are allowed to sell one bag per household per month and Mhangura is not one of them.
- The depot was transferring maize from Mhangura to Bulawayo on a depot to depot transfer arrangement. This is meant to cover grain requirements for food deficient areas of the southern region. The transfers are monitored physically and in the system and receipts were confirmed by the receiving depots.
To fight corruption the GMB is continuously monitoring
activities at all its depots through Internal and External Audits as well as Enterprise Risk inspections. GMB partnered Deloitte and members of the public are always encouraged to report any suspected acts of corruption through the Tip-Offs Anonymous.
DRILLING OF BOREHOLES IN MHANGURA CONSTITUENCY
- HON. MASANGO asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to state when the Ministry will drill boreholes in Mhangura Constituency, considering the acute shortage of safe drinking water in the area.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Hon. Member, the Ministry is aware of the water challenges faced by the country as a result of this season’s drought and an assessment of the water supply situation in the country has just been concluded. Immediate to short term interventions amounting to US$7 519 904 have to be instituted to solve the water challenges faced by the country.
Mhangura is one of the centres assessed and the Ministry has a broader plan in place to solve the water issues facing approximately
13 000 people. The Ministry is planning to shift the raw water abstraction point for the centre as well as de-silting the Alpha Dam.
There is also the need to resuscitate the raw water pumping stem from Manyame River directly to the treatment plant as well as drilling 5 boreholes. This requires about US$137 500 which is part of the mentioned figure above which is set to be presented to Cabinet for resource mobilisation.
CRITERIA ON DETERMINING FARM RENTAL CHARGES
- HON. MAYIHLOME asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to –
- explain to the House the criteria used to determine farm rental charges;
- clarify whether factors such as the type of ecological regions are taken into account when determining farm rental charges and;
- further explain how a situation whereby a farm with mining claims obtains is handled.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question and respond to say that:
- It was a proposal given to Cabinet for its approval based on what is reasonable at the moment that new farmers can afford per house.
- Currently, all regions are charged the same $3 per hectare rental fee and $2 levy by the local authorities. The matter is being discussed as those in region five (5) are requesting that the rentals be lowered for them per hectare since they need to invest more to yield as much as their counterparts in say, regions 1, 2 and 3.
- Mining claims are governed by the Mines and Minerals Act. If the farm is over 100 hectares the miner is required to notify the farm owner of his or her claim on the farm and the farm owner is obliged to allow the miner to extract the mineral as long as they keep the distances from the farmer’s residence and other buildings/fields, as stipulated in the Mines and Minerals Act. If the farm is less than 100 hectares the miner needs the farmer’s consent to mine on any part of the farm. There are changes proposed to the current Mines Act, but the above is what is currently obtaining.
LICENSING OF COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS IN
ZIMBABWE
- HON. B. DUBE asked the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to explain Government policy regarding the licencing of community radio stations in Zimbabwe and why it has taken too long for the Ministry to license a community radio in every district of the country.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND
BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUTODI): The
Broadcasting Services Act was promulgated in 2001 to end the monopoly of ZBC on the provision of broadcasting services in the country. However, the Act was a knee-jerk reaction to a sector that had not yet been adequately prepared for the true opening up of the airwaves. This could be drawn from the sentiments of various stakeholders who commented on the restrictiveness of this broadcasting law and the failure by applicants to meet the qualification criteria prescribed by this Act when initial calls for applicants were made. This led to the review of the law in 2003 and 2007 to try and address the challenges that those persons that were interested in providing broadcasting services were facing.
In the case of community stations, the Act presented several grey areas which included the absence of the definition on what constitutes a community. For example, can any group of people come forward and claim to be a community and demand a community broadcasting licence. Lack of clarity on who is eligible to be issued with a licence, (for example, can a person from any part of the country apply for a licence to establish a community radio station in any other part of the country, even without the consent of the affected community and represent any interest of his choice), and the limitation of frequencies also presented the risk of other interests failing to find expression on such a community station.
The amendments made to the Broadcasting Services Act in 2003 and 2007 did not address these issues hence the licencing of community stations lagged behind that of commercial stations.
The current review of media laws, which includes amendment of the Broadcasting Services Act, is addressing these issues and Government is committed to see the operation of community stations by the end of 2019. From a policy perspective, the Government would want to see communities own and operate these community stations and actively participating in their programming for the development of these communities. Furthermore, in light of technical limitations, all key interests within a given community served by a community station must find expression on that community station.
Currently, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe is reviewing the frequency plans for the provision of Community Broadcasting Services. In this review, the authority will have to take into account the provisions of our country’s Constitution and the need to provide for universal access to broadcasting services. To this extent, in this planning and licensing of community stations, priority should be given to the equitable treatment of all officially recognised languages, the communities of which are well defined in terms of location and spread, in order to promote and advance the use and development of these languages as provided by our Constitution. This approach will also close the gap created by the limited use of these languages by commercial stations.
Priority should also be given to those communities in underserviced or unserviced areas, the majority of which are in rural and border areas of our country. These communities also have the constitutional right to receive information. Furthermore, in order to give practical and appropriate media skills to the youths in tertiary and higher learning institutions, consideration should be given to the establishment of campus radio stations in this planning and the licensing process. Other community station requirements should be accommodated subject to the availability of frequencies.
With this measures, which are already underway, Government would like to believe that the challenges that have affected the introduction of community stations are being addressed and we should witness the operation of community stations not in the too distant future and in any case by the end of this year.
ROLE OF COMMUNITY BASED DEVELOPMENT
COORDINATORS
- HON. MASANGO asked the Minister of Women Affairs,
Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development to explain the role of Community Based Development Coordinators and to state whether there are mechanisms in place to monitor their activities.
THE MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY,
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. S. NYONI): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon.
Masango for asking me to explain the role of Community Based Development Coordinators and also clarify the mechanisms in place to monitor their activities.
Madam Speaker, my Ministry is one of the most highly decentralised Ministries down to ward level. In the ward, we have a cadre, a Community Development Coordinator, a foot soldier of the Ministry who coordinates all proposed development programmes either by NGOs or other Government departments by way of mobilising communities in fulfillment of our mandate on community development. The cadre plays a secretarial and resource person role during all ward development meetings.
It has to be acknowledged Madam Speaker that while there exist other various structures at ward level, there is no coordinating office that ensures that the programmes and plans are consolidated and their implementation is coordinated. The officer plays a pivotal role in development in the ward by bringing all the actors together for the good of the community.
In line with our Vision 2030 and the Devolution policy, the cadre actively engages communities defining their environment, their local needs, resources and vision for the community. This enables communities to take collective action and generate solutions to their common problems. Our constitution emphasises inclusive participation of all people in decisions that affect their lives.
Madam Speaker, my Ministry administers Women Development Fund (WDF) and the Community Development Fund (CDF). As such, beneficiaries to these funds are coordinated by the officer who carries out feasibility studies of proposed income generating projects and forwards them through our structures. The mobilization of communities for cooperative formations and registration of SMEs are roles on the cadre’s shoulders. The cadre is the ear and eye of the Ministry at grass roots level as all gender issues and gender based violence cases take place at grass root level.
Madam Speaker, the Ministry structure provides supervision of
Community Development Coordinators (CDC) by Community
Development Officers (CDOs), who are at district level and further to this, the District Development Officer (DDO) also supervises the CDO providing an effective monitoring system for the activities implemented by the Ministry. Through the Inter-Ministerial platform, the District Administrator monitors and coordinates the work of Government departments at district level. The CDO falls under this arrangement.
Allow me to urge Hon. Members to also play an active role in monitoring the activities of all Government staff in their respective constituencies. They should then channel their concerns through the respective Government structures in existence at district and provincial levels, even national ones.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY SPEAKER
BILL RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House
that the Education Amendment Bill (H.B. 1C. 2019), has been returned from the Senate with amendments. Hon. Members are kindly advised to collect copies of Clause 14(k) which was amended by the Senate from their pigeon holes.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that
Order Numbers 1 to 38 be stood over until Order Number 39 has been dealt with.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Thirty-ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I wish to
thank Hon. Members of this august House for the very enlightening lively debate on the Presidential Speech delivered by His Excellency Hon. E.D Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the Legislative Agenda on 18th September 2018. Indeed, the said lively debate during the course of the current session of the 9th Parliament raised quite pertinent issues on various subject matters. I want to congratulate all the Members that debated and those that did not debate for agreeing with what the President said in his speech.
As the leader of Government business in Parliament and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (MoJLPA), I am extremely delighted and grateful to the Hon. Members for raising those issues during the debate. Allow me therefore Hon. Speaker and Members to respond to some of the issues that arose during the debate.
Although the issues raised are structurally diverse, most of them revolve around analogous subject matters. Consequently, I shall not individually or specifically respond to the aforementioned but will concentrate on the subject matter arising from the various contributions made by the Hon. Members. Accordingly, may I applaud the Hon. Members for posing very pertinent questions relating to the following issues:
- The Motlanthe Commission
- Government’s measures to effectively and efficiently deal with corruption
- The Land Commission
- Enhancing the ease of doing business
- Access to clean portable water and
- Improvements in public health delivery system
Mr. Speaker Sir, the need for Government to comply with the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission featured prominently on the contributions made by Hon. Kwaramba and Hon. Mliswa among many others. This is interrelated with the consistent reference to the 2018 Harmonised elections which characterised most of the contributions made to the President’s SONA. As you may be aware, the elections conducted on 30th July 2018, were peaceful except for the unfortunate skirmishes which occurred on 1st August 2018, when many demonstrators took to the streets of Harare demanding the immediate release of the election results. These events, particularly those that occurred within the Harare CBD resulted in the unfortunate loss of life, injury and massive damage to properties.
Subsequently, His Excellency, the President appointed a
Commission of Inquiry (CoI) or the Motlanthe Commission through Statutory Instrument 181 of 2018, which produced a final report with findings and recommendations that were published in December 2018. Some of the recommendations were anchored on the need to institute Electoral Reforms thus:-
- Promotion of political tolerance as well as responsible and accountable leadership and citizenry including during the electoral period.
- Electoral reforms leveraged by the development of effective Information Communication Technology (ICT), to enhance the transparent and expeditious announcement of election results.
- The enforcement of law and order to prevent recurrence of the events of 1st August, 2018.
- Nation building and reconciliation including an initiative for multi-party dialogue and co-operation.
Quite similarly, in response to the various contributions by the Hon. Members, His Excellency the President established an eight (8) member Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Political, Electoral and Legislative Reforms which I chair. The taskforce was in line with the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission and its terms of reference include:
- Accelerating implementation of political, electoral and legislative reforms aimed at deepening the country’s democratic processes and
- Addressing issues arising from the reports by the 2018 election observer missions as well as the findings of the Motlanthe Commission.
The taskforce which was established in March 2019 presented its report to the Appointing Authority which is His Excellency and Cabinet on the requisite reforms which must be made. Therefore, going forward, Parliament will be instituting all the necessary reforms which must be made. Therefore going forward, Parliament will be instituting all the necessary reforms.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the measures being taken by Government in dealing with corruption is a topical issue in the contributions made by various Hon. Members. For instance, Hon. Mliswa said that, “I look forward to the day the President will arrest Ministers while they are in office.” The recent arrest of a sitting Minister is illustrative to the fact that fighting corruption is one of the key pillars of the Second republic and President Mnangagwa has stated that his administration’s objective is to build a new Zimbabwe anchored on transparency, accountability and hard work. Therefore Government has already taken the initiative and established institutions to deal with corruption. This has seen the establishment of Special AntiCorruption Courts, a new Special Anti-Corruption Unit within the
Office of the President and the incorporation of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act. In addition, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has since formed the Police Anti-Corruption Unit under the Criminal Investigations Department to deal with these cases.
The Government is also capacitating the Zimbabwe Judicial
Commission, National Prosecution Authority, Zimbabwe Republic Police (principles for the Police Amendment Bill were approved on the 12th of February, 2019 and a draft Bill was prepared by the
Attorney General’s office) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (which has recently been reconstituted), with the requisite capacity and skills to effectively investigate and prosecute crimes related to corruption. Similarly, Government is expediting the establishment of a Commercial Crimes Court to fast-track the prosecution of such offenders.
Madam Speaker, the issue of land barons has featured prominently in the contributions made by the Hon. Members.
Government’s overarching objective of establishing the Commission of Inquiry is to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the status of State land in and around urban centres in Zimbabwe. This broad objective will underpin other specific objectives which are as follows:-
- To identify all State land that was acquired and handed over for urban development since 2000;
- To ascertain the status of such land in terms of ownership, occupation and development;
- To investigate methods of acquisition and/or allocation by current occupants and owners of such land;
- To investigate and ascertain the actors involved in such land allocations, occupation and use;
- To proffer solutions to the challenges identified from the investigation; and
- To document and report to the President in writing, the result of the inquiry.
Madam Speaker, the Government will soon receive the
Commission
of Inquiry’s report whose expected outputs derive from the above objectives. They are as follows:-
- All State land acquired and handed over for urban development since 2000 identified;
- The status of State land in and around urban centres ascertained;
- Methods of acquisition and/or allocation by current occupants and owners of such land ascertained;
- Actors involved in such land allocations, occupation and use identified;
- Solutions to the challenges identified proposed; and
- Documentation and reporting the result of the inquiry to the
President executed.
Therefore, the major expected outcome of the Commission of
Inquiry is the improved management and utility of State land in and around urban centres in Zimbabwe. Government will fully comply with the recommendations of this Commission.
Madam Speaker, the need to enhance the ease of doing business
Featured prominently during the debate to the President’s Speech and I am honoured to notify this august House that the Companies and
Other Entities Bill [H. B. 8, 2018] was approved and is now awaiting Presidential assent. This Bill will replace and update the law relating to companies and private business corporations. The present
Companies Act was passed in 1951 and needs updating. Hon. Members will agree with me that the provisions contained in this Bill will enhance the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe. Likewise, the President in his forthcoming speech will set out various Bills that are designed to ease the doing of business.
Madam Speaker, access to clean potable water was a topical issue
that arose during the debate on the President’s Speech. Section 77 (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment No. 20) guarantees the right to safe, clean and potable water. This provision reflects
Government’s obligations to provide water to people in Zimbabwe as required in the various Human Rights instruments that the country has accepted that include; the African Charter on the Rights of the Child
Protocol and the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa. The United Nations also passed a resolution in 2010 recognising that water and sanitation is a Human Right. As such, the principles for the Water Amendment Bill were approved in May 2019 and amendments to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Act are dependent to the amendments of the Water Act and the coming into existence of the anticipated Waste Water Authority Act. This means that the Government of Zimbabwe is seized with providing an effective and efficient legal framework to provide water to everyone – boys, girls, women and men.
Madam Speaker, the need for improvements in the public health delivery system featured prominently during the debate of the
President’s Speech. The Public Health Act was passed by Parliament on 31st August, 2018. Recently, the principles for the Health Services Amendment Bill were submitted and considered by Cabinet on 3rd
September. In addition, the principles for the amendments to the
Medical Services Act were approved by Cabinet in mid-March, 2018.
A draft Bill was prepared by the Attorney-General’s Office and is currently undergoing internal review at the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The policy of Government is to comply with the constitutional provisions enshrined in Section 76 (4) which stipulates that, “The State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of the rights set out in this section.” The Constitution
shows some of the promises that have been made by Government in Human Rights instruments that guarantee the right to health such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Madam Speaker, I am humbled by the motion by Hon.
Kwaramba that, a respectful address be presented by this House to the
President of Zimbabwe as follows:- “We the members of the 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.” Accordingly, I have no doubt that this 9th Parliamentary Session will complete the legislative agenda outlined by His Excellency President Mnangagwa and align our legislation to the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Despite our political differences, alignment of legislation to the Constitution should provide a common ground and possible point of dialogue to build a prosperous Zimbabwe. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear.] -
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE
(HON. M. NDLOVU): Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for this opportunity afforded to me to respond to His Excellency the
President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Firstly, let me congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Hon. Emmerson D. Mnangagwa, for romping to victory in our last general elections. His zeal and drive to change the landscape of our economic and social environment has been well received by the generality of our people as well as regional, continental, global friends and development partners. His mantra,
“Zimbabwe is open for business”, has generated a lot of interest from global investors.
Madam Speaker, let me also at this juncture, thank the people of Bulilima East Constituency for the support and opportunity they gave me to represent them in this august House. As one of the young members of this august House, the opportunity to represent the people at such a prestigious platform and also the portfolio given to me by
His Excellency the President as minister responsible for Industry and Commerce, give me the zeal and determination to work harder for the good of our motherland.
I would also want to thank the Hon. Members who introduced this motion, Hon. Kwaramba and seconded by Hon. Musabayana following His Excellency the President’s address to the nation.
In his address, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa gave a comprehensive address that covered economic, social, political and security sectors. He also highlighted a number of Bills including the Consumer Protection Bill and the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) that were to be tabled, debated and enacted during this First Session of the Ninth Parliament. My ministry worked tirelessly to have the Consumer Protection Bill come before this august House and I am happy Madam Speaker that the parliamentary process was well supported by the Hon. Members. There was great enthusiasm from Members here and in the Upper House as this Bill touched on all of us as consumers. There is great need to protect consumers from unfair trade practices and abuse by some suppliers and sub-standard goods. Improvements made to the Bill from this House will go a long way in ensuring that the primary intended purpose is realised. The Bill is currently being finalised to be presented to His Excellency the President for Presidential assent. I want to thank Hon. Members for your support on this very important Bill.
Alongside the proposed legal intervention, my Ministry is continuously educating consumers on their rights and responsibilities and has so far held awareness campaigns in all provinces. To reach out to more consumers, my Ministry is utilising various media sources to do the outreach programmes.
The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Bill is still going through the processes of this august House and I urge Hon.
Members to support this piece of legislation.
His Excellency the President also highlighted the need to continue scaling up the value addition and beneficiation drive to ensure Zimbabwe enters the regional, continental and global value chains. He emphasised that in line with our industrialisation agenda, Government will encourage the development of vibrant agro-based industries along the various agro-value chains such as serials, cotton, vegetables, horticulture and fruits among other products. I also wish to thank Hon. Members of this august House who made contributions on this very important topic. Hon. Mayihlombe asked for the Minister responsible for industry to craft the Industrialisation policy to provide it on the direction industry is taking.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am pleased to inform the House that my Ministry has put in place policies and strategies to promote and create a conducive environment for the growth of the local manufacturing sector, including the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy. It is important that the Hon. Members familiarise themselves with this important policy document and to facilitate this, I have brought copies of this policy to this House and I am sure that they will be in our pigeon-holes tomorrow. We also launched the local content which we, in collaboration with the private sector formulated and is a key part of the Government’s broad industrialisation initiatives aimed at promoting local value addition through strengthening linkages and utilisation of domestic resources.
Hon. Musikavanhu spoke about the importance of the sugar industry in our economy, considering the jobs created there as well as the export potential. He also showed concern on the lack of adequate support of this sector and that the monopoly enjoyed by Tongaat Hullet gives them unfettered powers to deny the 2 000 out growers a fair return for their investment. Government is indeed keen to see this sector realise its full potential and my Ministry has begun the process of developing the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry Development Strategy which seeks to address the challenges being faced by various stakeholders in this sector.
We will be holding a sugar industry international conference - a first of its kind in this continent during the month of October in
Masvingo among various consultation programmes we are engaging in. This process will culminate in the amendment of the Sugar Production Act of 1964 to reflect the numerous changes that have taken place since the last amendment of the Act, which include the land Reform Programme.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to thank Members of this august House for the support they are giving, especially the ratification of the
Agreements that Government has negotiated with other nations. The
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) that His Excellency the President signed in Kigali provides a wider market for our goods and services and we are looking forward to having more intra-Africa trade. Our business people have been engaged and are happy with the opening up of markets. I am happy that some Hon. Members had an opportunity to attend an awareness workshop on this Agreement that we held on 11 February 2019 and this assists all of us in the implementation of this important Agreement. I want to assure the House that we will work hard to implement this important Agreement and fully exploit opportunities that are inherently abundant.
Mr. Speaker Sir, His Excellency the president urged us Hon. Members as the representatives of the people in our various constituencies, to develop infrastructure that include schools, roads, clinics to alleviate our people from travelling long distances for these essential services. Madam Speaker Ma’am, I come from a constituency that has borne the full brunt of the debilitating sanctions, particularly as it relates to access to these basic services by ordinary Zimbabweans. Together with communities, I am working tirelessly to implement projects that will benefit the people of my constituency and these include building schools and clinics. I wish to add that the communities in Bulilima East Constituency have embraced community development regardless of the numerous challenges that they face.
We also work closely with the diaspora who invested heavily in social infrastructure. I am pleased to inform the House that we set ourselves an ambitious target of having at least a secondary school and a health centre in each of the 11 rural wards in my constituency.
We are on course Madam Speaker Ma’am, to achieve this in less than three years, all because of the unity of purpose exhibited by the people in my constituency. Madam Speaker Ma’am, my constituency is in Region 5 – a dry area by any standards and the issue of water is very key for the communities. I have made this a key priority and currently we are looking at rehabilitating broken boreholes and sinking new ones to augment the added demand because of climate change induced droughts.
While I appreciate the resilience shown by the people of
Bulilima
East Constituency and Zimbabweans at large during these trying times, I wish to draw Members to the contributions made by Hon. Masenda. He categorically stated that the effect of illegal sanctions on our economy, particularly as it relates to the access to lines of credit and free global trade have inhibited growth in Zimbabwe. He made a passionate plea to all Zimbabweans to unite in condemning these sanctions and the House is aware that SADC has taken a clear position and set 25 October as the day we will all make a clarion call to the powers that be to remove these retrogressive economic sanctions. They harm our economy and they affect industry directly. As an example Madam Speaker, Zisco Steel is still under sanctions and this led to its demise and because of that, our annual import Bill of steel and steel products is around US$400 million, not to mention the jobs lost, livelihoods affected and the downstream industries that have suffered. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly recently, the US President, Donald Trump said, ‘If you want freedom, take pride in your country; if you want peace, love your nation. I agree with him and I wonder if it is asking too much to love your country and denounce any form of aggression – economic or otherwise.
Let me conclude by congratulating all Hon. Members who were elected to represent their people and urge them to spare no effort in responding to their needs. It is my hope that this Ninth Parliament will continue to deliberate and guide the nation in the development of our country. Let us combine our efforts in delivering the election promises to our people.
Someone once said, “We are all witnesses to the futility of turning around our economy in an environment of pointless conflict. It does not benefit anybody; not the government, not business, not opposition parties, not labour, not the ordinary person – why then?” Zimbabwe will not be developed by outsiders but by us working together for our MOTHERLAND ZIMBABWE. I thank you.
Ndaboka Tjose.
HON KWARAMBA: I would like to congratulate and thank all Members who contributed to this debate on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, E.D Mnangagwa. I move that the motion be adopted that: a respectful address be presented to the President of
Zimbabwe as follows-
May it please you, your Excellency the President:
We, the Members of Parliament, 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.
Motion adopted.
On the motion of THE HON. MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, (HON.
ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Twenty Six Minutes past Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 24th September, 2019
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 NEW MEMBERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: On the 10th September, 2019,
Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the election of the following Members as Members of the National Assembly with effect from the 7th September, 2019:- Hon. Hlalani Mguni representing Mangwe Constituency and Hon.
Vincent Tsvangirayi representing Glen View South Constituency.
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 Third 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 Hon. Hlalani Mguni and Hon. Vincent Tsvangirayi – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Can we respect the swearing in ceremony in silence?
NEW MEMBERS SWORN
HON. HLALANI MGUNI AND HON. VINCENT
TSVANGIRAYI subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took their seats – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Can you be gracious enough? I am going to send out one or two people now. You have to respect the ceremony. Please Clerk proceed.
HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise on a
point of privilege. I would like to congratulate the First Lady, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa for being appointed Honorary Ambassador of Harvard University Global Health Catalyst in recognition of the work she is conducting in Zimbabwe’s health sector through her Angel of Hope Foundation. Congratulations. Amhlope. Makorokoto! – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I want the point of privilege to be as short as demonstrated by Hon. Kwaramba. No rumbling; straight to the point.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My point
of privilege is on the so called abductions – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! The matter being raised
is still under investigation.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: I rise on a point of privilege which I
earlier on raised and I now raise again today, this is on the issue of water. We requested that the Hon. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement should come and give a Ministerial Statement in terms of what measures were put in place to alleviate the debacle of water.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, do not say aiwa. Your time will come for you to be in the Chair. Hon. Member, you remember we discussed this. The Minister agreed but because we went on recess, that is why there was no time to give that Ministerial
Statement. So the Hon. Minister is ready to give the statement today.
HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Speaker, considering that land is a
national strategic resource that must be allocated and preserved for the benefit of all Zimbabweans equally and also for future generations, when the allocation is made, it is normally through the government or local authorities. The government issues offer letters especially to government land and where it acquires land it then also issues offer letters. However, more frequently than not, we have seen offer letters being withdrawn without proper procedures being followed to notify even those people who will have been given the offer letters and they are just withdrawn. It has become a serious problem where people will have made developments. So, my plea is that if the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement could issue a joint statement as to what should be the procedure to follow when cancelling offer letters because we have seen a lot of families getting stranded after offer letters have unilaterally been withdrawn while they would be under the impression that they now have the land and can develop it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member. Hon.
Member, you do not stand before I have made a ruling. That is the procedure. While the question of land is a very important issue, I suggest that you ask the question tomorrow during question time.
HON. SACCO: Mine is a point of privilege around the use of diplomatic or red passports. I have noticed with concern that the use of red passports by people who are denigrating Zimbabwe and bringing the name of Zimbabwe into disrepute and also bringing the name of His Excellency into disrepute. We have people who are using diplomatic passports to denigrate Zimbabwe and bring the name of His Excellency into disrepute. Those people are treasonous and I propose that those passports should be withdrawn.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The holding of a diplomatic passport
carries with it some heavy responsibilities, it is an honoured privilege and therefore cannot be abused especially during international relations. I shall have to converse with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and deal with the matter accordingly.
*HON. CHIPATO: On a point of privilege – I would like to thank ZANU-PF party for winning resoundingly the ZAKA East elections, won by Clemence Chiduwa. ZANU-PF cadres, you know the politics of Zimbabwe, that is how Cde Chiduwa was elected to represent ZANU-PF in ZAKA East. I thank you – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members order. Hon.
Members let us not make the point of privilege a circus. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – That is a congratulatory message so we wait for the Hon. Member to be sworn-in, then you can congratulate that Member.
APPOINTMENT OF ZANU-PF DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP
I have the following further announcements: I wish to inform the House that ZANU-PF has appointed Hon. Phuti as the party’s deputy chief whip – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Hon. Members having stood up.
Order, order! Please may you take your seats?
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that I have received a Non-Adverse Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on all the Statutory Instruments gazetted during the month of August 2019.
REVIEW OF CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND (CDF)
ALLOWANCES
THE HON. SPEAKER: Furthermore, I have to inform the
House that following the presentation of the 2019 Mid-Year Budget
Review and Supplementary Budget by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on Thursday, 1st August 2019. Hon. Members are advised that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation for 2019 has been reviewed upwards from ZWL$80 000.00 – [AN HON. MEMBER: Not $50 000.00?] - Keep quiet please - I am going to have you removed from the House. It has been reviewed upwards to ZWL $175 238.00 per constituency. Members are therefore advised to submit projects for funding amounting to ZWL $175 238.00.
CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that there will be a Roman Catholic Church service tomorrow, Wednesday 25th September, 2019 at 1230 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Catholics and none Catholic members are invited.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker,
I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 16 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 17 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 139TH ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-
PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
HON. MUTOMBA: Mr. Speaker, I move the motion standing
in my name that this House, takes note of the Report of the 139th
Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, Switzerland from the 14th to 18th October, 2018.
HON. CHIBAYA: I second.
HON. MUTOMBA: Introduction
The 139th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 14 to 18 October 2018 under the overarching theme “Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the Age of Innovation and Technological
Change”.
Hon. Advocate Jacob F. Mudenda, Speaker of the National
Assembly, led a Parliamentary delegation comprising the following Members and Officers of Parliament to the 139th Assembly of the IPU and Related Meetings:-
Hon. Chief Mtshane Khumalo;
Hon. William Mutomba;
Hon. Tsitsi Muzenda;
Hon. Robson Mavenyengwa;
Hon. Amos Chibaya;
Hon. Tinoda Machakarika;
Mr. Kennedy Chokuda, (Clerk of Parliament);
Mr. Ndamuka Marimo, (Director in the Clerk’s Office);
Ms. Martha Mushandinga, (Principal Executive Assistant to the
Hon. Speaker);
Ms. Rumbidzai P. Chisango, (Principal External Relations
Officer); and
Mr. Robert Sibanda, (Aide to the Hon. Speaker.)
Hon. Advocate Mudenda was elected President of the Africa Geopolitical Group while Hon. Tsitsi Muzenda was elected President of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade, taking over from Hon. Jenifer Mhlanga who was appointed into the Executive. We extend our warm congratulations to them and wish them success in their new roles.
Emergency Item
The proposal put forward by the delegations of Seychelles, Fiji, Tonga, Samao and the Federated States of Micronesia regarding climate change entitled “Climate Change-let us not cross the line” was adopted and added to the Assembly’s Agenda.
General Debate
The General Debate on the theme “Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the age of Innovation and
Technological Change” provided an opportunity for Member Parliaments to exchange views on both the negative and positive impact of technological change and recommendations for parliamentary action to promote peace and development through science and innovative technology.
Hon. Advocate Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly, joined the distinguished delegates in contributing to the general debate on the theme. The Hon Speaker underscored the critical role played by Parliaments in ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms as well as the rule of law in constitutional democracies as a way of ensuring socio-economic development through the application of science and technology. In this regard, he called on Parliaments to jealously and religiously promote, protect and advance the respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms which must anchor the socio-economic development agenda.
With regards to technological advancement, the Hon. Speaker urged Parliaments to encompass a robust legislative agenda which is cognizant of the ever emerging innovative technology in our societies. Accordingly, Parliaments must lead to the application of modern information and communication technologies that enhance parliamentary e-governance. Furthermore, Parliaments must craft laws that respond to demands of a digital technological world economy.
The Forum of Women Parliamentarians
The Forum of Women Parliamentarians contributed to the draft resolution before the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights entitled “Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation on migration and migration governance in view of the adoption of the
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”
In addition, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians held a panel discussion on “Gender Equality in Science and Technology”. In acknowledging that innovations transform societies by providing possibilities to improve individual empowerment and well-being, Parliamentarians noted the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The need for women to have access to digital tools and to funding for training and undertaking as well as engaging in scientific careers in these fields was emphasised.
The Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the IPU
The Forum of Young Parliamentarians took stock of national efforts to enhance youth participation in human endeavors including lowering the age of requirement to run for Presidential office through constitutional reform. Participants emphasised the importance of political parties and their youth wings as stepping stones for youth participation in formal politics. The young Parliamentarians proposed initiatives such as capacitation sessions, limitations on political financing, parliamentary awareness raising activities and support for youth wings of political parties in order to increase youth participation.
The work of other Standing Committees of the IPU
The Standing Committee on Peace and International
Security held panel discussions on the following topics:
- Comprehensive Disarmament and non-proliferation: The Committee noted that the International Community is currently addressing the use of conventional weapons through conventions such as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Parliamentarians were called upon to hold governments to account in their efforts to implement the Treaty.
- Combating Sexual Violence in UN peacekeeping operations and beyond: The Committee noted that sexual violence is now considered an international crime hence the
United Nations has put in place mechanisms where victims’
rights and dignity are prioritised. Accordingly, delegates called for a zero tolerance approach and Parliamentary action that may include regular briefings on peace operations and regular assessments of existing national legislation to determine its applicability to sex crimes committed by its citizens while in the service of UN peace keeping Missions; and
- Non-admissibility of using mercenaries which undermine peace and violate human rights: The Committee underscored the need for better legislation in order to prohibit the use of mercenaries and foreign fighters as well as to regulate the work of private companies. Legislation should address mercenaries’ impunity and promote respect and ethics among mercenary soldiers.
The Standing Committee on Sustainable Development,
Finance and Trade deliberated on the following topics:-
- Parliamentary Meeting on the Occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference: The Committee deliberated on the draft outcome document to be presented at the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the UN Climate Change Conference scheduled for 9 December
2018 in Poland;
- The Role of Fair and Free Trade and Investment in achieving SDGs, especially regarding Economic Equality, Sustainable Infrastructure, Industrialisation and Innovation: The Committee noted the nexus between trade and investment and that both are crucial to the achievement of SDGs. Trade is often neither free nor equitable and export-import relations are sometimes imbalanced. Parliamentarians were, therefore, called upon to prevent the spreading of systems that exacerbate inequalities and to promote a process that can help develop fair and free trade;
- Taking forward the IPU resolution entitled
“Engaging the Private Sector in Implementing the
SDGs Especially Renewable Energy”: The Committee
noted the benefits renewable energy could produce at environmental, social and economic levels. In this regard, regulations, enabling frameworks and comprehensive policies are crucial in order to effectively achieve a sustainable energy transition.
The Standing Committee on the United Nations Affairs deliberated on the following topics:
- Would a UN Intergovernmental tax body help resolve outstanding issues of corporate tax evasion?: Noting problems with the current international tax regime such as the proliferation of tax havens, most delegates expressed support for the creation of an intergovernmental body at the UN that would work to establish a global tax standard on corporate taxation;
- What scope for cooperation between Parliaments and
WHO as the leading United Nations Agency for Global Health: The Committee noted the essential role of the WHO in helping countries implement SDG 3 on health. Parliaments play a critical role in legislation and budget oversight to expand the provision of health services to all people, particularly among the most vulnerable and those in the hinterland.
Resolutions Adopted at the 139th IPU Assembly
The Resolution on the Emergency Item on “Climate Change –
Let us not cross the line” was unanimously adopted.
The resolution primarily notes major concerns raised in the Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 % above pre-industrial levels and related greenhouse gas emission pathways.
The resolution calls on Parliamentary action to:-
- Recognise and decisively act on the IPCC Special Report on
Global Warming of 1.5%;
- Support and lead the development of the Rule Book and Guidelines for implementing the Paris Agreement, including resource mobilisation and simplifying procedures for accessing climate change funding in order to build on the
Talanoa Dialogue at the upcoming COP24;
- Take a leadership role in combatting climate change and strengthening partnerships with all countries so as to meet targets set out in nationally determined contributions;
- Encourage governments to achieve 100% renewable energy targets; and
- Strengthen oversight of national and international commitments, including government implementation of national legislation in order to enhance transparency, accountability and periodic reporting on climate change. The outcome document on the theme of the General Debate
“Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the age of innovation and technological change” was endorsed by the IPU Assembly.
The outcome document recognizes the positive elements of technological developments that include improvements in connectivity and communication, creative innovative solutions to global challenges such as early warning signs to prevent disasters. It also recognizes the ethical and societal challenges associated with technological advancements such as cyber-crime, and the abuse of artificial intelligence. The outcome document accented the critical role Parliaments should play in fostering an environment where science, technology and innovation make a positive contribution to peace, development and human well-being while at the same time limiting the associated risks as well as protecting the environment. It, therefore, calls on Parliaments to:-
- Strengthen legal frameworks favourable to technological and scientific innovation for peace and development through, among others, strengthening education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), promoting universal digital literacy and guaranteeing respect for international human rights framework as a beacon that guides decisions on how to address difficult ethical issues.
- Make Parliaments drivers of technological innovation in favour of transparency and inclusion through use of modern information and communication technologies such as video live streaming of Parliamentary sessions and improved online information access and appropriately funding Parliamentary research services;
- Establish strong connections with the scientific community through supporting mechanisms and budgetary measures that guarantee science based policy making to ensure the sustainable well-being of future generations.
- Supporting international scientific cooperation in favour of peace and development as scientific methods can be used to build bridges and to bring countries in conflict resolution together. Parliaments can include scientific knowledge in Parliamentary oversight of the 2030 Agenda and implementation process.
The resolution submitted by the Standing Committee on
Democracy and Human Rights on “Strengthening InterParliamentary Cooperation on Migration and Migration Governance in View of the Adoption of the Global Compact for
Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” was adopted by consensus.
The resolution recognises that migration has been a feature of human civilisation from time immemorial and that governed humanely and fairly, migration contributes to inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development in both origin and destination countries as it strengthens the bonds of human solidarity. The resolution notes that people on the move, irrespective of their legal status, are entitled to the full enjoyment of human rights set out in the relevant international treaties and conventions. Accordingly, the Resolution welcomes the imminent adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The resolution calls on
Parliaments to:-
- Ratify relevant international human rights laws, key ILO conventions and other relevant international and regional instruments protecting the rights of migrants, women, children and persons in vulnerable situations;
- Expand legal pathways for migration to facilitate labour mobility and skills training, family reunification and migration for reasons such as armed conflict, gender based violence, natural disasters and climate change.
- Require government to report periodically on progress on the implementation of national migration policies and to ensure parliamentary tools such as questions to Ministers, public hearings and Committee enquiries to hold government to account for the results achieved..
- Actively participate in and support regional integration
processes and transnational efforts to coordinate migration policy and to domesticate relevant regional instruments in National legislation.
- Actively engage in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a means to optimise migration, particularly extreme poverty, climate change and natural disasters, and urges Parliaments to promote measures aimed at raising awareness of and maximising the development benefits of safe, orderly and regular migration.
- Participate in the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the Inter-governmental Conference to adopt a Global
Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in December 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
- Actively follow up on the implementation of the Global compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Endorsement by the Assembly of the Declaration on the 70th
Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The year 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, a historic instrument drafted in the aftermath of the horrors of the Second World War. The fundamental rights in the declaration uphold the inherent dignity of all human beings and their attendant fundamental human rights which contribute to peace, security and prosperity of all Nations.
Against the backdrop of growing authoritarianism, internal conflict, war, poverty and large scale migration, Parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment to the Declaration and its underlying principles in the following way:
- Guaranteeing that domestic legal framework complies with international and national human rights obligations and creates an enabling environment for inclusive participatory politics, a vibrant civil society and the rule of law.
- Ensuring Parliamentary discourse, proceedings and outreach are rooted in and promote equality, liberty and justice.
- Raise greater awareness of the Declaration among the people and help them access their rights thereunder.
- Acting in solidarity with Parliamentarians worldwide whose fundamental rights are being violated by raising their cases at appropriate fora and supporting the work of the IPU’s
Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.
Endorsement by the Assembly of the Presidential Statement on recent developments on the Korean Peninsular
The Presidential Statement welcomed the recent positive political developments on the Korean Peninsula, notably the InterKorean Summit in April 2018 leading to the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, the
U.S – DPRK Summit in Singapore in June 2018 and President Moon
Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang in September
OBSERVATIONS
The General Debate, Committee Reports and Resolutions covered topical issues that require Parliamentary action through exercising its representative, legislative and oversight roles.
It is, therefore, imperative for Parliament, through respective Committees to introspect on the resolutions and where possible, come up with action plans to ensure that resolutions agreed upon at international fora are implemented. There is need for follow up
action to make our participation at international fora more meaningful.
Recommendations
|
ITEM |
ACTION |
RESPONSIBILITY |
TIMELINE |
|
1. |
Climate Change |
- Enact appropriate Legislation on Climate Change. ( The delegation has taken note that Parliamentarians have attended the Annual Climate Change Conferences as part of the National delegation) |
- Thematic Committee on SDGs, Portfolio Committee on Environment -Expanded SDGs Committee of all Chairpersons |
-Workplan to be determined by the Portfolio Committees by February 2019. |
|
2 |
Increasing youth representation in Parliament |
- Parliament must lobby political parties for youth quotas. - Parliament must continue to include youth representation to delegations to International Meetings |
- Chief Whips
-Presiding Officers |
-Ongoing
-Ongoing |
|
3
|
Migration and Refugees |
- Parliament through its oversight function to ensure that Government adheres to International Agreements regarding the rights of migrants and refugees. |
-Committee on Foreign Affairs, Industry and Commerce
|
-The relevant Portfolio Committees to come up with a workplan by February 2019 |
|
|
|
- |
Parliament must ensure sufficient budget allocation towards migrants and refugees that is consistent with international commitments. |
-Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services |
In the 2019 Budget |
I thank you.
HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Hon. Mutomba
almost touched everything. Mr. Speaker, let me start by explaining the meaning of IPU so that Members understand what kind of an animal I am talking about. IPU is Inter-Parliamentary Union. InterParliamentary Union is made up of legislators drawn from the whole world where we share experiences from other Parliaments. Hon. Speaker, I will only touch on the recommendations by InterParliamentary Union. Before I touch on those recommendations, I would like to encourage this august House to implement these recommendations so that these bodies become relevant.
Hon. Speaker, we need to walk the talk, we need to have a mechanism as this august House of implementing these recommendations. In attacking the recommendations, I will go item by item and also I will highlight the action that is supposed to be taken by this Parliament and also indicate whose responsibility it is to implement these issues and also the time frame.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Action
This Parliament must enact an appropriate legislation on climate change. Parliamentarians must have attended the Annual Climate Change Conference as part of the national delegation. It is the responsibility of the Thematic Committee on SDGs, Portfolio Committee on Environment and the expanded SDGs Committee of all Chairpersons.
Timeframe
There must be a workplan to be determined by this Portfolio Committee by December 2019.
INCREASING YOUTH REPRESENTATION IN
PARLIAMENT
I am sure you have heard Hon. Mutomba talking about political parties to ensure that we encourage youth participation, especially here in Parliament. If I can ask Hon. Speaker, how many young
Parliamentarians are in this august House, if I can ask MPs across the political divide to just show by raising of hands for us to see if we are really serious, both parties, be it ZANU or MDC. Can you show by raising your hands - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I am sure you have actually seen it yourself; there are very few youths in this august House. We encourage that when we go to next elections, all political parties must make sure that there is adequate representation for young Parliamentarians in this august House. Parliament must lobby political parties for a youth quota. Parliament must continue to include youth representation to delegations to international meetings. It must be mandatory for young
Parliamentarians to be part of the delegations, be it IPU, SADC PF,
PAN-African Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – On this one, the responsibility lies with the Presiding Officers and in this case, it is yourself – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – On timeline, this should be ongoing.
MIGRATION AND REFUGEES
Action
Parliament through its oversight function, I am sure you are all aware that oversight is one of our responsibilities as Members of Parliament, apart from the legislative and representation roles. Parliament should ensure that Government adheres to international agreements regarding the rights of migrants and refugees. Right now we are approaching the 2020 Budget; Parliament must ensure that there is sufficient budget allocation towards migrants and refugees, a budget that is consistent with international commitments. I am sure as we go for the Pre-Budget Seminar we will discuss on these issues. As
Parliamentarians, we need to lobby the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development so that we get an allocation for this.
This is the responsibility of the Portfolio Committees on Foreign
Affairs, Industry and Commerce and also Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.
Time Frame
The relevant Portfolio Committees should come up with a work plan by December, 2020.
DELEGATIONS
Hon. Speaker, I want to ask your Office, even tomorrow if possible to actually go through the list of those MPs who attend meetings of these bodies just for us to know whether young parliamentarians are being represented. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Check on your Hansards, the Chair cannot debate. Check your records.
HON. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity to debate the motion by Hon. Mutomba since I was also part of the delegation to the IPU in Qatar which took place in
September. Hon. Speaker, I would start by congratulating you and
Hon. Muzenda for your appointments as the SADC head and
Women’s Parliamentary Forum head. Congratulations Sir.
I would want to start by debating on the issue of universal health coverage by 2030 which was debated at the IPU. I think Hon. Dr. Labode will be very happy with this subject. Every Zimbabwean should be afforded cheap and affordable healthcare by the year 2030 which has already been supported by our own President yesterday who is attending a UN Assembly in New York. He said that
Zimbabwe will build at least 6 000 clinics in the next five years. Already, it has shown the commitment by our country to make sure that we achieve this target because we want to see every Zimbabwean fit and getting treatment at the least possible cost.
You can also witness it as Zimbabwe - through the First Lady of this country who was also at the UN Assembly, named as the Ambassador of Harvard University Global Health Catalyst by the work she is doing back home –[Hear, hear.]. Hon. Speaker, this shows that Zimbabwe is serious in making sure that we achieve the target which was set by the United Nations of Universal Healthcare by 2030.
I will also touch on the issue of funding of terrorists. In Zimbabwe we have got laws which discourage the funding of international terrorists. Terrorists destroy everything indiscriminately. You find that in Zimbabwe, some people might be terrorists without even using firearms – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – they go out to fight their own country, asking for sanctions so that people will suffer because they want them to die through hunger and these hardship we are now facing. As a result of these sanctions, the country is unable to get any assistance from anywhere and it is another way of terrorism which is being practiced by some of our fellow Zimbabweans.
I also support the issue of having more youth and women in parliaments, especially here in Zimbabwe. I would want to think Zimbabwe is already in the right direction as we now have about 60 women on proportional representation in addition to those women who have constituencies – [AN HON. MEMBER: How many?] – so as Zimbabwe, we are already in it but on youth, I think there is a need for our Parliament to improve so that we also have more youth in Parliament.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, there is vehicle registration number AES 4312, which is white in colour and is blocking other vehicles. If that vehicle is not collected it will be clamped now.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to add
my voice to the IPU report. I will touch on a few issues raised in the report because there are specific issues that I want to address. Mr. Speaker, in the report the issue of the rights of Hon. Members who are represented by a Committee at IPU came out clearly and I thought as Zimbabwe we still have something that we must do about that issue and correct some areas which are quite grey.
Mr. Speaker, the confidence of a Member of Parliament is derived from the respect that the member is accorded. On a number of occasions, we have seen situation where our Members of Parliament are dragged before the courts. In most cases, those members are later on found guilty and this is a serious indictment on the system, especially the Executive that must uphold the Constitution and make sure that whatever is done to a people’s representative, the action that is taken is only taken after all necessary processes have been undertaken to make sure that it is not only done to embarrass or intimidate the Member of Parliament. It becomes difficult for that
Member to represent his or her constituency.
Mr. Speaker, we have had several arrests of Members of Parliament, especially from year 2000. On all the occasions, not a single Member of Parliament ended up being successfully prosecuted. Now the question is, why do we embarrass our Members of
Parliament? Why do we drag Members of Parliament to the courts on flimsy grounds? Mr. Speaker, the issue at IPU is topical. If you look at the lists of Members of Parliament who are persecuted in a number of countries, you even find sometimes Zimbabwe missing because the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe think that it can be corrected at home. However, I think Zimbabwe cannot be found missing on that particular list because we have got a lot of Members of Parliament who have been dragged to the courts without having committed a single crime. Members of Parliament have been dragged to courts because of simply mobilising the people around them. It is a right of the people to demonstrate whenever they think that something is wrong. In our case, it is actually unusual and not normal for us not to see demonstrations happening.
Madam Speaker, we have been increasing the cost of fuel on a weekly basis but the supply has not improved. When a Member of
Parliament is asked by his people …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, please
may you stick to the report.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker for the
guidance. I thought anything that you debate in this House must have a context and that is what I am trying to do to say what will then make a Member of Parliament utter a certain statement. If your people do not have water and you know that the local authority or the Ministry of Water is responsible, it is within a Member of Parliament’s right to respond by telling people that they can also demonstrate because their right will have been violated. However, if a Member of Parliament is then arrested because he has said so, it is wrong Madam Speaker. This is what I am saying and this is exactly the situation in Zimbabwe. Members of Parliament are arrested for advising people to take the proper action that is only taken by a normal society; a society that knows its rights.
Madam Speaker, going on the issue of health, the last speaker talked about the President promising 6000 clinics in five years. That is exactly why the Executive would not want Members of Parliament to be part of their delegation to the UN because they go there to misrepresent facts. Zimbabwe cannot build even 20 clinics in a year – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - You cannot. 6000 divided by five, you are saying you can do more than a 1000 clinics a year in Zimbabwe. Where is the budget? There is no budget to back up the claim that we can do 6000 clinics in five years. Zimbabwe must be realistic Madam Speaker so that if we want assistance, we then get it
– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Madam Speaker, in addition to that, the 6000 clinics that we are talking about must have medical staff to man the clinics. Right now, our doctors are on strike and they have been on strike for the past two weeks. Nothing is happening. There are no talks going on between the Government and the doctors. To add salt to the wound Madam Speaker, the doctor who was elected by his fellow doctors to head them was actually abducted and tortured – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, please
stick to the report.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thought I am talking about the provision of health in Zimbabwe, which is provided for by the medical professionals and doctors provide that service. Madam Speaker, until and unless we respect those professionals, we will not achieve what we claim we want to achieve.
Some people have talked about the issue of sanctions Madam Speaker. I respond to that because these are some of the misinformation that goes around that we cannot provide health services because of sanctions. Madam Speaker, if you look at the corruption in Government, it is shocking. The amount of money that is siphoned and is used to build mansions, if it was redirected to the improvement of our health facilities, we would not have a single problem.
Madam Speaker, we have Ministers who are now in the dock on the issue of corruption. If the amounts were to be shared amongst
Members of Parliament to go and give to their constituency clinics,
we would have enough medical supplies for the next two years, simply from one case of corruption. Let us not cry and use corruption as an excuse to continuously loot the Government coffers. We must make sure that we are accountable and we do not steal national resources. Madam Speaker, we abuse national resources. We have paid for drugs that have never been delivered. We have paid for hospitals that have never been built. We have paid for fuel and the money has been diverted to the black market. Only last week, when some accounts were frozen, the black market rate just crumbled and we ended up – [HON. SACCO: Inaudible interjections.] – THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Sacco.
HON. MADZIMURE: Hon. Sacco is one who is not even qualified to say whatever he is saying – [HON. SIKHALA: He is the most corrupt gold panner.] – Madam Speaker, there is evidence that he struggles in even addressing his own constituents. They do not want to see him there. Madam Speaker, I am of the opinion that we can make Zimbabwe a better country if we manage our resources well. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MAVETERA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker
for giving me this opportunity to also add my voice to this very important motion. I would like to thank Hon. Mutomba and Hon.
Chibaya for bringing to this House such a very important motion. Madam Speaker, this is quite a very important motion especially in terms of what we are facing as a nation. There is one issue that was raised which is about young people and I thought it is quite cognizant for me to be able to stand in this august House to be able to talk about this motion in detail.
If you look at the population census that we had here in Zimbabwe, we realised that 77% constituted the young people and indeed that is worth noting for us to say that young people are actually very important to ensure that Zimbabwe goes forward.
I would like to second Hon. Chibaya where he said there is need for us to look at the youth quota but this does not only go to the youth quota. What we need to do as Zimbabwe is that we have realised that until now, we have got a National Youth Policy but we do not have a National Youth Act. We are calling upon the Ministry of Youth for them to be able to enact a National Youth Act that will enable youth issues to be taken seriously. If we look at the current situation that we have, we have a situation where here in Zimbabwe we only have a policy which is highly unenforceable and there is need for us to have an Act. The moment we have an Act, it means it will become enforceable. As much as we can lobby for us to have a youth quota, this does not suffice if there is no Act in place. Therefore we are calling upon and saying for the young people to be taken seriously, we are calling upon the Ministry of Youth to enact a Youth Act.
The other issue is that of the Zimbabwe Youth Council Board. Here in Zimbabwe, we do not have a youth board until today. Why are we not having a Zimbabwe Youth Council Board for the last three years? There is need for us to be having our own youth council board that will represent the interests of the young people in Zimbabwe. This is what we are calling upon in line with what Hon. Members went and discussed at the IPU. If you look at all the other countries, you realise that they have got youth councils instituted but here in
Zimbabwe, we do not have that for the past three years. Therefore we are calling for that to be enacted so that youths issues can really be taken seriously. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this
opportunity to completely ventilate on issues that are pertinent especially on this report that is pregnant with a lot of issues not tissues. One issue that can be an impediment on the development of this august report presented here is the issue of sanctions. There are a lot of rights, health issues, e-governance issues, computerisation which brings us from the born before computer era which is moribund, rudimentary, antiquated and flout legacy oriented issues to the day of computerisation which leaves out collusion, corruption and nepotism and brings about collaboration, coordination and networking. So, the only impeding factor could be an issue of sanctions. I am quite alive to the fact that the august body of the SADC organ has finally come alive and has called on the unconditional removal of sanctions as an albatross around our neck as Zimbabwe. This is quite applaudable. I stand here head above my shoulders and chin up and I applaud that move and call upon the Inter-Parliamentary Union to join forces and hands and make a
clarion call for the unconditional removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe. Why do I say this – because as presented by Hon. Mutomba and seconded by Hon. Chibaya so eloquently, this is an issue of rights. There are reasons quite well defined in Section 3 (2) of our
Constitution which provides a reason for prosecuting anyone that calls for sanctions on Zimbabwe. This section provides that we need to protect the people of Zimbabwe. We cannot protect them by calling for sanctions on them. We cannot protect them by travelling miles out of Zimbabwe, to New York on diplomatic passports and call for sanctions on the very country that you hope to uphold the
Constitution. It might have been a mistake on the part of those that called for sanctions on Zimbabwe but I want to share this with you because whoever did it does not have a knife, does not possess a gun but brazenly conduct lyrical genocide because they have a weapon in the form of their forked tongue and this should be stopped forthwith. The Americans have a Logan law and it is now time for us to craft a law that criminalises laws that call for sanctions on Zimbabwe.
HON. MADZIMURE: On a point of order – the Hon Member has deliberately drifted away from the motion and you are allowing him to now debate sanctions. If he wants to bring the sanctions motion, he must bring the motion here and we debate it. Kwete kuuraya vanhu moti takapiwa masanctions nekutocha vanhu moti takapiwa masanctions. Doctor uya haachabereki nekuda kwekuti makamutocha.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Madzimure.
Continue Hon. Nduna but you must stick to the motion.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you for your protection Madam Speaker. We have lost doctors, engineers and miners who have migrated to other countries because their parents and their livelihoods have been destroyed because of these debilitating sanctions. It is with a heavy heart that I stand here before you and add my voice and ask the IPU to add their voice as well so that there can be implementation of the recommendations and everything that is encompassed in the report of the IPU without any impediment, fear or favour. This is our only platform or theatre of hope. This pedestal, we need to use as a platform to call an institution that is second to none because Madam
Speaker Ma’am, we would have removed the albatross on the neck of Zimbabwe. This lack of injustice needs to be removed not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow but immediately - yesterday and we need to speak with one voice. We do not need to speak with a forked tongue and call on sanctions no, I say no, no to sanctions.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, on the issue of climate change and COP 24, as a nation, we are supposed to be enjoying the same fruits that other nations around us enjoy. I will touch on the issue of the transport sector. We have over flights in Zimbabwe that we cannot determine because we have no navigation equipment to detect the over flights. What do the over flights do? They spend so many gallons of fuel, emit greenhouse gases and deplete the ozone layer in our airspace. We are supposed to be getting a lot of remuneration from these over flights in order to mitigate the issues of climate change. Alas we are not because we are behind in terms of development of the aviation industry.
My recommendation, therefore, Madam Speaker Ma’am is a complete separation of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural
Development and make sure that we have a Ministry of Aviation that is a stand alone in order to deal diligently and eloquently with the issue of climate change.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, may you
please stick to the debate?
HON. NDUNA: I will touch on the issue of rights that has been spoken about here. We owe it to posterity Madam Speaker Ma’am, that is to the future. The Bible in Psalms 90:10 talks about the age that we can live on this earth and it is threescore square years and ten. A score is 20; a 10 is 10; threescore is 60 and an additional 10 equals 70 – it says that when somebody gets to be alive any more than 70 years old – they will grow up to 80 years old. I am trying to say that there needs to be a very elaborate way of empowering our youths because they are the leaders of tomorrow. As their elders – I am 49 years old and am alive to that – so I am an elder to the youths.
I have institutional memory on some of these issues and there is no reason to remove me from my position of authority but there is need for the youths to learn from my institutional memory bias that I have. It is not for the youths to quickly and expeditiously want to assume positions of authority – the left foot should step in line with the right foot. We cannot have a country without a history. A country without a history does not know its present and does not know what informs its future. Inasmuch as we want to promote our youths, we want them to take a cue from our elders – who are myself and others who are older than me.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I wind up – the people of Chegutu West Constituency have given me this opportunity because they have reposed their trust in me to come and eloquently and effectively ventilate on these very key and pertinent issues. I want to thank them for giving me this opportunity – there is Mr. Nyandoro, Mai Nyasha, Mai Chikukwa, Mai Ruzha, Lobo and Patricia. All of these, I thank them for standing with me in all the debates that I come and give here in Parliament. I thank you.
HON. CHIDAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
would like to thank Hon. Mutomba and Hon. Chibaya - the mover and seconder of the motion for tabling this report. The report came as an eye opener to us the young generation and us who represent the youths in this country.
Hon. Mavetera has touched on most of the issues that youths require. I will, however, zero in on recommendation Number Two that speaks to the involvement and participation of youths in this country. Madam Speaker Ma’am, gone are the days when we were informed by Hon. Nduna that youths are the leaders of tomorrow.
The youths are the leaders of today and that is my belief – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The youths can only be parents of tomorrow.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, creating a strong foundation for good leadership in this country is by involving the youths in decision making processes and having them in positions of authority as well as involving them also in foreign trips that our fellow Hon. Members undertook to Geneva. Before resuming my seat, I would like to say that there must be nothing for the youths without the involvement of the youths, without the voice of the youths and without the youths themselves. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me begin
by thanking the mover and seconder of the report who have highlighted a number of things that Zimbabwe can emulate from the IPU in terms of operations and the way we can turn around our country.
Madam Speaker, I know that delegations of the IPU and several others that we send as a country comprise of women, but before I delve into the nitty gritties of what I want to say about the report - you as a woman also need to vet the delegations – on whether or not the 50-50 representation has been attained. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – When you talk about the youths you also begin to realise that they come from the mothers. Therefore mothers also need to embrace their children or youths in terms of mentoring and comfort that the youths may also need when they go out there.
My first issue is on migration, the majority of the migrants in the world are women. This is because when there is no peace at home and there is no employment because it directly affects the family. A household is comprised of the mother and the children – if there are any issues that are not properly handled in the country; if there is no good health and no good education for the children, the women are found to be searching elsewhere. Moreso when you say there is sexual violence in terms of them actually reaching out to the borders, the receiving countries may not be able to actually cater for these migrants, especially for being women and children.
If you watch Al Jazeera or most of our stations in the world, you will see that when women actually go to the other side of the world, they are treated like animals. I am glad that the report speaks to migration, but, I think we need also to check on the nexus between migration and development. If there is no good health, youths and women are not comfortable in staying. You will see that before we even go to Egypt and Syria where most of the people have actually migrated to, you check on South Africa and on the Limpopo how our own people are actually crossing the Limpopo.
I speak to this issue with passion on the realisation that
Zimbabwe is a host to more than 10 000 migrants at the Tongogara
Refugee Centre where the Government actually caters for them but waiting for them to be dispatched or to deliberate and negotiate with their countries so that they go back. I think that my emphasis is actually on what the treatment is when these people then are to go back and integrate into the communities, when they have stayed here like families and our own also when they have stayed there to come back and be integrated in the family.
Therefore, there is need to enhance the employment creation, to actually have good health facilities and also to have peace and reconciliation. We need people who can talk to the people that will have come back from neighbouring countries – both our own country, we host but our own people are also leaving us to go and stay as migrants. Before I take my seat, I would want to agree with Hon. Mavetera and Hon. Chibaya that there is need for Zimbabwe to learn some lessons that our own health, our own education, our own peace and our own security has to be enhanced for people to be comfortable to live in our country because it is not rosy out there, but home is best.
I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NDUNA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 35 be stood over until Order Number 36 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE EDEATH OF HON. VIMBAI
TSVANGIRAI-JAVA
Thirty-Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the condolence message for the late Hon. Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to firstly thank the Speaker of the National Assembly, Adv. Mudenda, thank you the Deputy Speaker and to also thank Members of
Parliament that allowed and also debated on this motion. Members of Parliament from both sides of the House took time to convey their sympathies. We know Madam Speaker that quite a number of Members of Parliament attended the funeral on the loss that we endured as a House.
Madam Speaker, it is important that when one of us passes on, Parliament, we need to convey that message to the family so that in future, they will have that as a remembrance and it is to that extent that I want this House to adopt this motion that:
This House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Monday, 10th June, 2019 of Hon. Member of
Parliament for Glen View South, Mrs. Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java.
That we place on record our appreciation of the services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and
That we resolve that our deepest sympathy be conveyed to Mr. Java, the Java family, the Tsvangirai family and the Glen View South Constituency.
To that end, I saw move for the adoption.
Motion put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON. N.
NDLOVU, the House adjourned at a Quarter-past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 24th September, 2019
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 NEW MEMBERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: On the 10th September, 2019,
Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the election of the following Members as Members of the National Assembly with effect from the 7th September, 2019:- Hon. Hlalani Mguni representing Mangwe Constituency and Hon.
Vincent Tsvangirayi representing Glen View South Constituency.
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 Third 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 Hon. Hlalani Mguni and Hon. Vincent Tsvangirayi – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Can we respect the swearing in ceremony in silence?
NEW MEMBERS SWORN
HON. HLALANI MGUNI AND HON. VINCENT
TSVANGIRAYI subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took their seats – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Can you be gracious enough? I am going to send out one or two people now. You have to respect the ceremony. Please Clerk proceed.
HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise on a
point of privilege. I would like to congratulate the First Lady, Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa for being appointed Honorary Ambassador of Harvard University Global Health Catalyst in recognition of the work she is conducting in Zimbabwe’s health sector through her Angel of Hope Foundation. Congratulations. Amhlope. Makorokoto! – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I want the point of privilege to be as short as demonstrated by Hon. Kwaramba. No rumbling; straight to the point.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My point
of privilege is on the so called abductions – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! The matter being raised
is still under investigation.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: I rise on a point of privilege which I
earlier on raised and I now raise again today, this is on the issue of water. We requested that the Hon. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement should come and give a Ministerial Statement in terms of what measures were put in place to alleviate the debacle of water.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, do not say aiwa. Your time will come for you to be in the Chair. Hon. Member, you remember we discussed this. The Minister agreed but because we went on recess, that is why there was no time to give that Ministerial
Statement. So the Hon. Minister is ready to give the statement today.
HON. MADZIMURE: Mr. Speaker, considering that land is a
national strategic resource that must be allocated and preserved for the benefit of all Zimbabweans equally and also for future generations, when the allocation is made, it is normally through the government or local authorities. The government issues offer letters especially to government land and where it acquires land it then also issues offer letters. However, more frequently than not, we have seen offer letters being withdrawn without proper procedures being followed to notify even those people who will have been given the offer letters and they are just withdrawn. It has become a serious problem where people will have made developments. So, my plea is that if the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement could issue a joint statement as to what should be the procedure to follow when cancelling offer letters because we have seen a lot of families getting stranded after offer letters have unilaterally been withdrawn while they would be under the impression that they now have the land and can develop it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member. Hon.
Member, you do not stand before I have made a ruling. That is the procedure. While the question of land is a very important issue, I suggest that you ask the question tomorrow during question time.
HON. SACCO: Mine is a point of privilege around the use of diplomatic or red passports. I have noticed with concern that the use of red passports by people who are denigrating Zimbabwe and bringing the name of Zimbabwe into disrepute and also bringing the name of His Excellency into disrepute. We have people who are using diplomatic passports to denigrate Zimbabwe and bring the name of His Excellency into disrepute. Those people are treasonous and I propose that those passports should be withdrawn.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The holding of a diplomatic passport
carries with it some heavy responsibilities, it is an honoured privilege and therefore cannot be abused especially during international relations. I shall have to converse with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and deal with the matter accordingly.
*HON. CHIPATO: On a point of privilege – I would like to thank ZANU-PF party for winning resoundingly the ZAKA East elections, won by Clemence Chiduwa. ZANU-PF cadres, you know the politics of Zimbabwe, that is how Cde Chiduwa was elected to represent ZANU-PF in ZAKA East. I thank you – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members order. Hon.
Members let us not make the point of privilege a circus. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – That is a congratulatory message so we wait for the Hon. Member to be sworn-in, then you can congratulate that Member.
APPOINTMENT OF ZANU-PF DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP
I have the following further announcements: I wish to inform the House that ZANU-PF has appointed Hon. Phuti as the party’s deputy chief whip – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Hon. Members having stood up.
Order, order! Please may you take your seats?
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that I have received a Non-Adverse Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on all the Statutory Instruments gazetted during the month of August 2019.
REVIEW OF CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND (CDF)
ALLOWANCES
THE HON. SPEAKER: Furthermore, I have to inform the
House that following the presentation of the 2019 Mid-Year Budget
Review and Supplementary Budget by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on Thursday, 1st August 2019. Hon. Members are advised that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation for 2019 has been reviewed upwards from ZWL$80 000.00 – [AN HON. MEMBER: Not $50 000.00?] - Keep quiet please - I am going to have you removed from the House. It has been reviewed upwards to ZWL $175 238.00 per constituency. Members are therefore advised to submit projects for funding amounting to ZWL $175 238.00.
CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that there will be a Roman Catholic Church service tomorrow, Wednesday 25th September, 2019 at 1230 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Catholics and none Catholic members are invited.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker,
I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 16 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 17 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 139TH ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-
PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
HON. MUTOMBA: Mr. Speaker, I move the motion standing
in my name that this House, takes note of the Report of the 139th
Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, Switzerland from the 14th to 18th October, 2018.
HON. CHIBAYA: I second.
HON. MUTOMBA: Introduction
The 139th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 14 to 18 October 2018 under the overarching theme “Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the Age of Innovation and Technological
Change”.
Hon. Advocate Jacob F. Mudenda, Speaker of the National
Assembly, led a Parliamentary delegation comprising the following Members and Officers of Parliament to the 139th Assembly of the IPU and Related Meetings:-
Hon. Chief Mtshane Khumalo;
Hon. William Mutomba;
Hon. Tsitsi Muzenda;
Hon. Robson Mavenyengwa;
Hon. Amos Chibaya;
Hon. Tinoda Machakarika;
Mr. Kennedy Chokuda, (Clerk of Parliament);
Mr. Ndamuka Marimo, (Director in the Clerk’s Office);
Ms. Martha Mushandinga, (Principal Executive Assistant to the
Hon. Speaker);
Ms. Rumbidzai P. Chisango, (Principal External Relations
Officer); and
Mr. Robert Sibanda, (Aide to the Hon. Speaker.)
Hon. Advocate Mudenda was elected President of the Africa Geopolitical Group while Hon. Tsitsi Muzenda was elected President of the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade, taking over from Hon. Jenifer Mhlanga who was appointed into the Executive. We extend our warm congratulations to them and wish them success in their new roles.
Emergency Item
The proposal put forward by the delegations of Seychelles, Fiji, Tonga, Samao and the Federated States of Micronesia regarding climate change entitled “Climate Change-let us not cross the line” was adopted and added to the Assembly’s Agenda.
General Debate
The General Debate on the theme “Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the age of Innovation and
Technological Change” provided an opportunity for Member Parliaments to exchange views on both the negative and positive impact of technological change and recommendations for parliamentary action to promote peace and development through science and innovative technology.
Hon. Advocate Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly, joined the distinguished delegates in contributing to the general debate on the theme. The Hon Speaker underscored the critical role played by Parliaments in ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms as well as the rule of law in constitutional democracies as a way of ensuring socio-economic development through the application of science and technology. In this regard, he called on Parliaments to jealously and religiously promote, protect and advance the respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms which must anchor the socio-economic development agenda.
With regards to technological advancement, the Hon. Speaker urged Parliaments to encompass a robust legislative agenda which is cognizant of the ever emerging innovative technology in our societies. Accordingly, Parliaments must lead to the application of modern information and communication technologies that enhance parliamentary e-governance. Furthermore, Parliaments must craft laws that respond to demands of a digital technological world economy.
The Forum of Women Parliamentarians
The Forum of Women Parliamentarians contributed to the draft resolution before the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights entitled “Strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation on migration and migration governance in view of the adoption of the
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration”
In addition, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians held a panel discussion on “Gender Equality in Science and Technology”. In acknowledging that innovations transform societies by providing possibilities to improve individual empowerment and well-being, Parliamentarians noted the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The need for women to have access to digital tools and to funding for training and undertaking as well as engaging in scientific careers in these fields was emphasised.
The Forum of Young Parliamentarians of the IPU
The Forum of Young Parliamentarians took stock of national efforts to enhance youth participation in human endeavors including lowering the age of requirement to run for Presidential office through constitutional reform. Participants emphasised the importance of political parties and their youth wings as stepping stones for youth participation in formal politics. The young Parliamentarians proposed initiatives such as capacitation sessions, limitations on political financing, parliamentary awareness raising activities and support for youth wings of political parties in order to increase youth participation.
The work of other Standing Committees of the IPU
The Standing Committee on Peace and International
Security held panel discussions on the following topics:
- Comprehensive Disarmament and non-proliferation: The Committee noted that the International Community is currently addressing the use of conventional weapons through conventions such as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Parliamentarians were called upon to hold governments to account in their efforts to implement the Treaty.
- Combating Sexual Violence in UN peacekeeping operations and beyond: The Committee noted that sexual violence is now considered an international crime hence the
United Nations has put in place mechanisms where victims’
rights and dignity are prioritised. Accordingly, delegates called for a zero tolerance approach and Parliamentary action that may include regular briefings on peace operations and regular assessments of existing national legislation to determine its applicability to sex crimes committed by its citizens while in the service of UN peace keeping Missions; and
- Non-admissibility of using mercenaries which undermine peace and violate human rights: The Committee underscored the need for better legislation in order to prohibit the use of mercenaries and foreign fighters as well as to regulate the work of private companies. Legislation should address mercenaries’ impunity and promote respect and ethics among mercenary soldiers.
The Standing Committee on Sustainable Development,
Finance and Trade deliberated on the following topics:-
- Parliamentary Meeting on the Occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference: The Committee deliberated on the draft outcome document to be presented at the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the UN Climate Change Conference scheduled for 9 December
2018 in Poland;
- The Role of Fair and Free Trade and Investment in achieving SDGs, especially regarding Economic Equality, Sustainable Infrastructure, Industrialisation and Innovation: The Committee noted the nexus between trade and investment and that both are crucial to the achievement of SDGs. Trade is often neither free nor equitable and export-import relations are sometimes imbalanced. Parliamentarians were, therefore, called upon to prevent the spreading of systems that exacerbate inequalities and to promote a process that can help develop fair and free trade;
- Taking forward the IPU resolution entitled
“Engaging the Private Sector in Implementing the
SDGs Especially Renewable Energy”: The Committee
noted the benefits renewable energy could produce at environmental, social and economic levels. In this regard, regulations, enabling frameworks and comprehensive policies are crucial in order to effectively achieve a sustainable energy transition.
The Standing Committee on the United Nations Affairs deliberated on the following topics:
- Would a UN Intergovernmental tax body help resolve outstanding issues of corporate tax evasion?: Noting problems with the current international tax regime such as the proliferation of tax havens, most delegates expressed support for the creation of an intergovernmental body at the UN that would work to establish a global tax standard on corporate taxation;
- What scope for cooperation between Parliaments and
WHO as the leading United Nations Agency for Global Health: The Committee noted the essential role of the WHO in helping countries implement SDG 3 on health. Parliaments play a critical role in legislation and budget oversight to expand the provision of health services to all people, particularly among the most vulnerable and those in the hinterland.
Resolutions Adopted at the 139th IPU Assembly
The Resolution on the Emergency Item on “Climate Change –
Let us not cross the line” was unanimously adopted.
The resolution primarily notes major concerns raised in the Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 % above pre-industrial levels and related greenhouse gas emission pathways.
The resolution calls on Parliamentary action to:-
- Recognise and decisively act on the IPCC Special Report on
Global Warming of 1.5%;
- Support and lead the development of the Rule Book and Guidelines for implementing the Paris Agreement, including resource mobilisation and simplifying procedures for accessing climate change funding in order to build on the
Talanoa Dialogue at the upcoming COP24;
- Take a leadership role in combatting climate change and strengthening partnerships with all countries so as to meet targets set out in nationally determined contributions;
- Encourage governments to achieve 100% renewable energy targets; and
- Strengthen oversight of national and international commitments, including government implementation of national legislation in order to enhance transparency, accountability and periodic reporting on climate change. The outcome document on the theme of the General Debate
“Parliamentary Leadership in Promoting Peace and Development in the age of innovation and technological change” was endorsed by the IPU Assembly.
The outcome document recognizes the positive elements of technological developments that include improvements in connectivity and communication, creative innovative solutions to global challenges such as early warning signs to prevent disasters. It also recognizes the ethical and societal challenges associated with technological advancements such as cyber-crime, and the abuse of artificial intelligence. The outcome document accented the critical role Parliaments should play in fostering an environment where science, technology and innovation make a positive contribution to peace, development and human well-being while at the same time limiting the associated risks as well as protecting the environment. It, therefore, calls on Parliaments to:-
- Strengthen legal frameworks favourable to technological and scientific innovation for peace and development through, among others, strengthening education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), promoting universal digital literacy and guaranteeing respect for international human rights framework as a beacon that guides decisions on how to address difficult ethical issues.
- Make Parliaments drivers of technological innovation in favour of transparency and inclusion through use of modern information and communication technologies such as video live streaming of Parliamentary sessions and improved online information access and appropriately funding Parliamentary research services;
- Establish strong connections with the scientific community through supporting mechanisms and budgetary measures that guarantee science based policy making to ensure the sustainable well-being of future generations.
- Supporting international scientific cooperation in favour of peace and development as scientific methods can be used to build bridges and to bring countries in conflict resolution together. Parliaments can include scientific knowledge in Parliamentary oversight of the 2030 Agenda and implementation process.
The resolution submitted by the Standing Committee on
Democracy and Human Rights on “Strengthening InterParliamentary Cooperation on Migration and Migration Governance in View of the Adoption of the Global Compact for
Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” was adopted by consensus.
The resolution recognises that migration has been a feature of human civilisation from time immemorial and that governed humanely and fairly, migration contributes to inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development in both origin and destination countries as it strengthens the bonds of human solidarity. The resolution notes that people on the move, irrespective of their legal status, are entitled to the full enjoyment of human rights set out in the relevant international treaties and conventions. Accordingly, the Resolution welcomes the imminent adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The resolution calls on
Parliaments to:-
- Ratify relevant international human rights laws, key ILO conventions and other relevant international and regional instruments protecting the rights of migrants, women, children and persons in vulnerable situations;
- Expand legal pathways for migration to facilitate labour mobility and skills training, family reunification and migration for reasons such as armed conflict, gender based violence, natural disasters and climate change.
- Require government to report periodically on progress on the implementation of national migration policies and to ensure parliamentary tools such as questions to Ministers, public hearings and Committee enquiries to hold government to account for the results achieved..
- Actively participate in and support regional integration
processes and transnational efforts to coordinate migration policy and to domesticate relevant regional instruments in National legislation.
- Actively engage in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a means to optimise migration, particularly extreme poverty, climate change and natural disasters, and urges Parliaments to promote measures aimed at raising awareness of and maximising the development benefits of safe, orderly and regular migration.
- Participate in the Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the Inter-governmental Conference to adopt a Global
Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in December 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
- Actively follow up on the implementation of the Global compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Endorsement by the Assembly of the Declaration on the 70th
Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The year 2018 marks the 70th Anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, a historic instrument drafted in the aftermath of the horrors of the Second World War. The fundamental rights in the declaration uphold the inherent dignity of all human beings and their attendant fundamental human rights which contribute to peace, security and prosperity of all Nations.
Against the backdrop of growing authoritarianism, internal conflict, war, poverty and large scale migration, Parliamentarians reaffirmed their commitment to the Declaration and its underlying principles in the following way:
- Guaranteeing that domestic legal framework complies with international and national human rights obligations and creates an enabling environment for inclusive participatory politics, a vibrant civil society and the rule of law.
- Ensuring Parliamentary discourse, proceedings and outreach are rooted in and promote equality, liberty and justice.
- Raise greater awareness of the Declaration among the people and help them access their rights thereunder.
- Acting in solidarity with Parliamentarians worldwide whose fundamental rights are being violated by raising their cases at appropriate fora and supporting the work of the IPU’s
Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.
Endorsement by the Assembly of the Presidential Statement on recent developments on the Korean Peninsular
The Presidential Statement welcomed the recent positive political developments on the Korean Peninsula, notably the InterKorean Summit in April 2018 leading to the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, the
U.S – DPRK Summit in Singapore in June 2018 and President Moon
Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang in September
OBSERVATIONS
The General Debate, Committee Reports and Resolutions covered topical issues that require Parliamentary action through exercising its representative, legislative and oversight roles.
It is, therefore, imperative for Parliament, through respective Committees to introspect on the resolutions and where possible, come up with action plans to ensure that resolutions agreed upon at international fora are implemented. There is need for follow up
action to make our participation at international fora more meaningful.
Recommendations
|
ITEM |
ACTION |
RESPONSIBILITY |
TIMELINE |
|
1. |
Climate Change |
- Enact appropriate Legislation on Climate Change. ( The delegation has taken note that Parliamentarians have attended the Annual Climate Change Conferences as part of the National delegation) |
- Thematic Committee on SDGs, Portfolio Committee on Environment -Expanded SDGs Committee of all Chairpersons |
-Workplan to be determined by the Portfolio Committees by February 2019. |
|
2 |
Increasing youth representation in Parliament |
- Parliament must lobby political parties for youth quotas. - Parliament must continue to include youth representation to delegations to International Meetings |
- Chief Whips
-Presiding Officers |
-Ongoing
-Ongoing |
|
3
|
Migration and Refugees |
- Parliament through its oversight function to ensure that Government adheres to International Agreements regarding the rights of migrants and refugees. |
-Committee on Foreign Affairs, Industry and Commerce
|
-The relevant Portfolio Committees to come up with a workplan by February 2019 |
|
|
|
- |
Parliament must ensure sufficient budget allocation towards migrants and refugees that is consistent with international commitments. |
-Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services |
In the 2019 Budget |
I thank you.
HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Hon. Mutomba
almost touched everything. Mr. Speaker, let me start by explaining the meaning of IPU so that Members understand what kind of an animal I am talking about. IPU is Inter-Parliamentary Union. InterParliamentary Union is made up of legislators drawn from the whole world where we share experiences from other Parliaments. Hon. Speaker, I will only touch on the recommendations by InterParliamentary Union. Before I touch on those recommendations, I would like to encourage this august House to implement these recommendations so that these bodies become relevant.
Hon. Speaker, we need to walk the talk, we need to have a mechanism as this august House of implementing these recommendations. In attacking the recommendations, I will go item by item and also I will highlight the action that is supposed to be taken by this Parliament and also indicate whose responsibility it is to implement these issues and also the time frame.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Action
This Parliament must enact an appropriate legislation on climate change. Parliamentarians must have attended the Annual Climate Change Conference as part of the national delegation. It is the responsibility of the Thematic Committee on SDGs, Portfolio Committee on Environment and the expanded SDGs Committee of all Chairpersons.
Timeframe
There must be a workplan to be determined by this Portfolio Committee by December 2019.
INCREASING YOUTH REPRESENTATION IN
PARLIAMENT
I am sure you have heard Hon. Mutomba talking about political parties to ensure that we encourage youth participation, especially here in Parliament. If I can ask Hon. Speaker, how many young
Parliamentarians are in this august House, if I can ask MPs across the political divide to just show by raising of hands for us to see if we are really serious, both parties, be it ZANU or MDC. Can you show by raising your hands - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I am sure you have actually seen it yourself; there are very few youths in this august House. We encourage that when we go to next elections, all political parties must make sure that there is adequate representation for young Parliamentarians in this august House. Parliament must lobby political parties for a youth quota. Parliament must continue to include youth representation to delegations to international meetings. It must be mandatory for young
Parliamentarians to be part of the delegations, be it IPU, SADC PF,
PAN-African Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – On this one, the responsibility lies with the Presiding Officers and in this case, it is yourself – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – On timeline, this should be ongoing.
MIGRATION AND REFUGEES
Action
Parliament through its oversight function, I am sure you are all aware that oversight is one of our responsibilities as Members of Parliament, apart from the legislative and representation roles. Parliament should ensure that Government adheres to international agreements regarding the rights of migrants and refugees. Right now we are approaching the 2020 Budget; Parliament must ensure that there is sufficient budget allocation towards migrants and refugees, a budget that is consistent with international commitments. I am sure as we go for the Pre-Budget Seminar we will discuss on these issues. As
Parliamentarians, we need to lobby the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development so that we get an allocation for this.
This is the responsibility of the Portfolio Committees on Foreign
Affairs, Industry and Commerce and also Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.
Time Frame
The relevant Portfolio Committees should come up with a work plan by December, 2020.
DELEGATIONS
Hon. Speaker, I want to ask your Office, even tomorrow if possible to actually go through the list of those MPs who attend meetings of these bodies just for us to know whether young parliamentarians are being represented. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Check on your Hansards, the Chair cannot debate. Check your records.
HON. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity to debate the motion by Hon. Mutomba since I was also part of the delegation to the IPU in Qatar which took place in
September. Hon. Speaker, I would start by congratulating you and
Hon. Muzenda for your appointments as the SADC head and
Women’s Parliamentary Forum head. Congratulations Sir.
I would want to start by debating on the issue of universal health coverage by 2030 which was debated at the IPU. I think Hon. Dr. Labode will be very happy with this subject. Every Zimbabwean should be afforded cheap and affordable healthcare by the year 2030 which has already been supported by our own President yesterday who is attending a UN Assembly in New York. He said that
Zimbabwe will build at least 6 000 clinics in the next five years. Already, it has shown the commitment by our country to make sure that we achieve this target because we want to see every Zimbabwean fit and getting treatment at the least possible cost.
You can also witness it as Zimbabwe - through the First Lady of this country who was also at the UN Assembly, named as the Ambassador of Harvard University Global Health Catalyst by the work she is doing back home –[Hear, hear.]. Hon. Speaker, this shows that Zimbabwe is serious in making sure that we achieve the target which was set by the United Nations of Universal Healthcare by 2030.
I will also touch on the issue of funding of terrorists. In Zimbabwe we have got laws which discourage the funding of international terrorists. Terrorists destroy everything indiscriminately. You find that in Zimbabwe, some people might be terrorists without even using firearms – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – they go out to fight their own country, asking for sanctions so that people will suffer because they want them to die through hunger and these hardship we are now facing. As a result of these sanctions, the country is unable to get any assistance from anywhere and it is another way of terrorism which is being practiced by some of our fellow Zimbabweans.
I also support the issue of having more youth and women in parliaments, especially here in Zimbabwe. I would want to think Zimbabwe is already in the right direction as we now have about 60 women on proportional representation in addition to those women who have constituencies – [AN HON. MEMBER: How many?] – so as Zimbabwe, we are already in it but on youth, I think there is a need for our Parliament to improve so that we also have more youth in Parliament.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, there is vehicle registration number AES 4312, which is white in colour and is blocking other vehicles. If that vehicle is not collected it will be clamped now.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to add
my voice to the IPU report. I will touch on a few issues raised in the report because there are specific issues that I want to address. Mr. Speaker, in the report the issue of the rights of Hon. Members who are represented by a Committee at IPU came out clearly and I thought as Zimbabwe we still have something that we must do about that issue and correct some areas which are quite grey.
Mr. Speaker, the confidence of a Member of Parliament is derived from the respect that the member is accorded. On a number of occasions, we have seen situation where our Members of Parliament are dragged before the courts. In most cases, those members are later on found guilty and this is a serious indictment on the system, especially the Executive that must uphold the Constitution and make sure that whatever is done to a people’s representative, the action that is taken is only taken after all necessary processes have been undertaken to make sure that it is not only done to embarrass or intimidate the Member of Parliament. It becomes difficult for that
Member to represent his or her constituency.
Mr. Speaker, we have had several arrests of Members of Parliament, especially from year 2000. On all the occasions, not a single Member of Parliament ended up being successfully prosecuted. Now the question is, why do we embarrass our Members of
Parliament? Why do we drag Members of Parliament to the courts on flimsy grounds? Mr. Speaker, the issue at IPU is topical. If you look at the lists of Members of Parliament who are persecuted in a number of countries, you even find sometimes Zimbabwe missing because the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe think that it can be corrected at home. However, I think Zimbabwe cannot be found missing on that particular list because we have got a lot of Members of Parliament who have been dragged to the courts without having committed a single crime. Members of Parliament have been dragged to courts because of simply mobilising the people around them. It is a right of the people to demonstrate whenever they think that something is wrong. In our case, it is actually unusual and not normal for us not to see demonstrations happening.
Madam Speaker, we have been increasing the cost of fuel on a weekly basis but the supply has not improved. When a Member of
Parliament is asked by his people …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, please
may you stick to the report.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker for the
guidance. I thought anything that you debate in this House must have a context and that is what I am trying to do to say what will then make a Member of Parliament utter a certain statement. If your people do not have water and you know that the local authority or the Ministry of Water is responsible, it is within a Member of Parliament’s right to respond by telling people that they can also demonstrate because their right will have been violated. However, if a Member of Parliament is then arrested because he has said so, it is wrong Madam Speaker. This is what I am saying and this is exactly the situation in Zimbabwe. Members of Parliament are arrested for advising people to take the proper action that is only taken by a normal society; a society that knows its rights.
Madam Speaker, going on the issue of health, the last speaker talked about the President promising 6000 clinics in five years. That is exactly why the Executive would not want Members of Parliament to be part of their delegation to the UN because they go there to misrepresent facts. Zimbabwe cannot build even 20 clinics in a year – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - You cannot. 6000 divided by five, you are saying you can do more than a 1000 clinics a year in Zimbabwe. Where is the budget? There is no budget to back up the claim that we can do 6000 clinics in five years. Zimbabwe must be realistic Madam Speaker so that if we want assistance, we then get it
– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Madam Speaker, in addition to that, the 6000 clinics that we are talking about must have medical staff to man the clinics. Right now, our doctors are on strike and they have been on strike for the past two weeks. Nothing is happening. There are no talks going on between the Government and the doctors. To add salt to the wound Madam Speaker, the doctor who was elected by his fellow doctors to head them was actually abducted and tortured – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzimure, please
stick to the report.
HON. MADZIMURE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thought I am talking about the provision of health in Zimbabwe, which is provided for by the medical professionals and doctors provide that service. Madam Speaker, until and unless we respect those professionals, we will not achieve what we claim we want to achieve.
Some people have talked about the issue of sanctions Madam Speaker. I respond to that because these are some of the misinformation that goes around that we cannot provide health services because of sanctions. Madam Speaker, if you look at the corruption in Government, it is shocking. The amount of money that is siphoned and is used to build mansions, if it was redirected to the improvement of our health facilities, we would not have a single problem.
Madam Speaker, we have Ministers who are now in the dock on the issue of corruption. If the amounts were to be shared amongst
Members of Parliament to go and give to their constituency clinics,
we would have enough medical supplies for the next two years, simply from one case of corruption. Let us not cry and use corruption as an excuse to continuously loot the Government coffers. We must make sure that we are accountable and we do not steal national resources. Madam Speaker, we abuse national resources. We have paid for drugs that have never been delivered. We have paid for hospitals that have never been built. We have paid for fuel and the money has been diverted to the black market. Only last week, when some accounts were frozen, the black market rate just crumbled and we ended up – [HON. SACCO: Inaudible interjections.] – THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Sacco.
HON. MADZIMURE: Hon. Sacco is one who is not even qualified to say whatever he is saying – [HON. SIKHALA: He is the most corrupt gold panner.] – Madam Speaker, there is evidence that he struggles in even addressing his own constituents. They do not want to see him there. Madam Speaker, I am of the opinion that we can make Zimbabwe a better country if we manage our resources well. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MAVETERA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker
for giving me this opportunity to also add my voice to this very important motion. I would like to thank Hon. Mutomba and Hon.
Chibaya for bringing to this House such a very important motion. Madam Speaker, this is quite a very important motion especially in terms of what we are facing as a nation. There is one issue that was raised which is about young people and I thought it is quite cognizant for me to be able to stand in this august House to be able to talk about this motion in detail.
If you look at the population census that we had here in Zimbabwe, we realised that 77% constituted the young people and indeed that is worth noting for us to say that young people are actually very important to ensure that Zimbabwe goes forward.
I would like to second Hon. Chibaya where he said there is need for us to look at the youth quota but this does not only go to the youth quota. What we need to do as Zimbabwe is that we have realised that until now, we have got a National Youth Policy but we do not have a National Youth Act. We are calling upon the Ministry of Youth for them to be able to enact a National Youth Act that will enable youth issues to be taken seriously. If we look at the current situation that we have, we have a situation where here in Zimbabwe we only have a policy which is highly unenforceable and there is need for us to have an Act. The moment we have an Act, it means it will become enforceable. As much as we can lobby for us to have a youth quota, this does not suffice if there is no Act in place. Therefore we are calling upon and saying for the young people to be taken seriously, we are calling upon the Ministry of Youth to enact a Youth Act.
The other issue is that of the Zimbabwe Youth Council Board. Here in Zimbabwe, we do not have a youth board until today. Why are we not having a Zimbabwe Youth Council Board for the last three years? There is need for us to be having our own youth council board that will represent the interests of the young people in Zimbabwe. This is what we are calling upon in line with what Hon. Members went and discussed at the IPU. If you look at all the other countries, you realise that they have got youth councils instituted but here in
Zimbabwe, we do not have that for the past three years. Therefore we are calling for that to be enacted so that youths issues can really be taken seriously. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this
opportunity to completely ventilate on issues that are pertinent especially on this report that is pregnant with a lot of issues not tissues. One issue that can be an impediment on the development of this august report presented here is the issue of sanctions. There are a lot of rights, health issues, e-governance issues, computerisation which brings us from the born before computer era which is moribund, rudimentary, antiquated and flout legacy oriented issues to the day of computerisation which leaves out collusion, corruption and nepotism and brings about collaboration, coordination and networking. So, the only impeding factor could be an issue of sanctions. I am quite alive to the fact that the august body of the SADC organ has finally come alive and has called on the unconditional removal of sanctions as an albatross around our neck as Zimbabwe. This is quite applaudable. I stand here head above my shoulders and chin up and I applaud that move and call upon the Inter-Parliamentary Union to join forces and hands and make a
clarion call for the unconditional removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe. Why do I say this – because as presented by Hon. Mutomba and seconded by Hon. Chibaya so eloquently, this is an issue of rights. There are reasons quite well defined in Section 3 (2) of our
Constitution which provides a reason for prosecuting anyone that calls for sanctions on Zimbabwe. This section provides that we need to protect the people of Zimbabwe. We cannot protect them by calling for sanctions on them. We cannot protect them by travelling miles out of Zimbabwe, to New York on diplomatic passports and call for sanctions on the very country that you hope to uphold the
Constitution. It might have been a mistake on the part of those that called for sanctions on Zimbabwe but I want to share this with you because whoever did it does not have a knife, does not possess a gun but brazenly conduct lyrical genocide because they have a weapon in the form of their forked tongue and this should be stopped forthwith. The Americans have a Logan law and it is now time for us to craft a law that criminalises laws that call for sanctions on Zimbabwe.
HON. MADZIMURE: On a point of order – the Hon Member has deliberately drifted away from the motion and you are allowing him to now debate sanctions. If he wants to bring the sanctions motion, he must bring the motion here and we debate it. Kwete kuuraya vanhu moti takapiwa masanctions nekutocha vanhu moti takapiwa masanctions. Doctor uya haachabereki nekuda kwekuti makamutocha.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Madzimure.
Continue Hon. Nduna but you must stick to the motion.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you for your protection Madam Speaker. We have lost doctors, engineers and miners who have migrated to other countries because their parents and their livelihoods have been destroyed because of these debilitating sanctions. It is with a heavy heart that I stand here before you and add my voice and ask the IPU to add their voice as well so that there can be implementation of the recommendations and everything that is encompassed in the report of the IPU without any impediment, fear or favour. This is our only platform or theatre of hope. This pedestal, we need to use as a platform to call an institution that is second to none because Madam
Speaker Ma’am, we would have removed the albatross on the neck of Zimbabwe. This lack of injustice needs to be removed not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow but immediately - yesterday and we need to speak with one voice. We do not need to speak with a forked tongue and call on sanctions no, I say no, no to sanctions.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, on the issue of climate change and COP 24, as a nation, we are supposed to be enjoying the same fruits that other nations around us enjoy. I will touch on the issue of the transport sector. We have over flights in Zimbabwe that we cannot determine because we have no navigation equipment to detect the over flights. What do the over flights do? They spend so many gallons of fuel, emit greenhouse gases and deplete the ozone layer in our airspace. We are supposed to be getting a lot of remuneration from these over flights in order to mitigate the issues of climate change. Alas we are not because we are behind in terms of development of the aviation industry.
My recommendation, therefore, Madam Speaker Ma’am is a complete separation of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural
Development and make sure that we have a Ministry of Aviation that is a stand alone in order to deal diligently and eloquently with the issue of climate change.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, may you
please stick to the debate?
HON. NDUNA: I will touch on the issue of rights that has been spoken about here. We owe it to posterity Madam Speaker Ma’am, that is to the future. The Bible in Psalms 90:10 talks about the age that we can live on this earth and it is threescore square years and ten. A score is 20; a 10 is 10; threescore is 60 and an additional 10 equals 70 – it says that when somebody gets to be alive any more than 70 years old – they will grow up to 80 years old. I am trying to say that there needs to be a very elaborate way of empowering our youths because they are the leaders of tomorrow. As their elders – I am 49 years old and am alive to that – so I am an elder to the youths.
I have institutional memory on some of these issues and there is no reason to remove me from my position of authority but there is need for the youths to learn from my institutional memory bias that I have. It is not for the youths to quickly and expeditiously want to assume positions of authority – the left foot should step in line with the right foot. We cannot have a country without a history. A country without a history does not know its present and does not know what informs its future. Inasmuch as we want to promote our youths, we want them to take a cue from our elders – who are myself and others who are older than me.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I wind up – the people of Chegutu West Constituency have given me this opportunity because they have reposed their trust in me to come and eloquently and effectively ventilate on these very key and pertinent issues. I want to thank them for giving me this opportunity – there is Mr. Nyandoro, Mai Nyasha, Mai Chikukwa, Mai Ruzha, Lobo and Patricia. All of these, I thank them for standing with me in all the debates that I come and give here in Parliament. I thank you.
HON. CHIDAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
would like to thank Hon. Mutomba and Hon. Chibaya - the mover and seconder of the motion for tabling this report. The report came as an eye opener to us the young generation and us who represent the youths in this country.
Hon. Mavetera has touched on most of the issues that youths require. I will, however, zero in on recommendation Number Two that speaks to the involvement and participation of youths in this country. Madam Speaker Ma’am, gone are the days when we were informed by Hon. Nduna that youths are the leaders of tomorrow.
The youths are the leaders of today and that is my belief – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The youths can only be parents of tomorrow.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, creating a strong foundation for good leadership in this country is by involving the youths in decision making processes and having them in positions of authority as well as involving them also in foreign trips that our fellow Hon. Members undertook to Geneva. Before resuming my seat, I would like to say that there must be nothing for the youths without the involvement of the youths, without the voice of the youths and without the youths themselves. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me begin
by thanking the mover and seconder of the report who have highlighted a number of things that Zimbabwe can emulate from the IPU in terms of operations and the way we can turn around our country.
Madam Speaker, I know that delegations of the IPU and several others that we send as a country comprise of women, but before I delve into the nitty gritties of what I want to say about the report - you as a woman also need to vet the delegations – on whether or not the 50-50 representation has been attained. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – When you talk about the youths you also begin to realise that they come from the mothers. Therefore mothers also need to embrace their children or youths in terms of mentoring and comfort that the youths may also need when they go out there.
My first issue is on migration, the majority of the migrants in the world are women. This is because when there is no peace at home and there is no employment because it directly affects the family. A household is comprised of the mother and the children – if there are any issues that are not properly handled in the country; if there is no good health and no good education for the children, the women are found to be searching elsewhere. Moreso when you say there is sexual violence in terms of them actually reaching out to the borders, the receiving countries may not be able to actually cater for these migrants, especially for being women and children.
If you watch Al Jazeera or most of our stations in the world, you will see that when women actually go to the other side of the world, they are treated like animals. I am glad that the report speaks to migration, but, I think we need also to check on the nexus between migration and development. If there is no good health, youths and women are not comfortable in staying. You will see that before we even go to Egypt and Syria where most of the people have actually migrated to, you check on South Africa and on the Limpopo how our own people are actually crossing the Limpopo.
I speak to this issue with passion on the realisation that
Zimbabwe is a host to more than 10 000 migrants at the Tongogara
Refugee Centre where the Government actually caters for them but waiting for them to be dispatched or to deliberate and negotiate with their countries so that they go back. I think that my emphasis is actually on what the treatment is when these people then are to go back and integrate into the communities, when they have stayed here like families and our own also when they have stayed there to come back and be integrated in the family.
Therefore, there is need to enhance the employment creation, to actually have good health facilities and also to have peace and reconciliation. We need people who can talk to the people that will have come back from neighbouring countries – both our own country, we host but our own people are also leaving us to go and stay as migrants. Before I take my seat, I would want to agree with Hon. Mavetera and Hon. Chibaya that there is need for Zimbabwe to learn some lessons that our own health, our own education, our own peace and our own security has to be enhanced for people to be comfortable to live in our country because it is not rosy out there, but home is best.
I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NDUNA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 35 be stood over until Order Number 36 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE EDEATH OF HON. VIMBAI
TSVANGIRAI-JAVA
Thirty-Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the condolence message for the late Hon. Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to firstly thank the Speaker of the National Assembly, Adv. Mudenda, thank you the Deputy Speaker and to also thank Members of
Parliament that allowed and also debated on this motion. Members of Parliament from both sides of the House took time to convey their sympathies. We know Madam Speaker that quite a number of Members of Parliament attended the funeral on the loss that we endured as a House.
Madam Speaker, it is important that when one of us passes on, Parliament, we need to convey that message to the family so that in future, they will have that as a remembrance and it is to that extent that I want this House to adopt this motion that:
This House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Monday, 10th June, 2019 of Hon. Member of
Parliament for Glen View South, Mrs. Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java.
That we place on record our appreciation of the services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and
That we resolve that our deepest sympathy be conveyed to Mr. Java, the Java family, the Tsvangirai family and the Glen View South Constituency.
To that end, I saw move for the adoption.
Motion put and agreed to.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON. N.
NDLOVU, the House adjourned at a Quarter-past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 5th September, 2019
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. PRESIDENT OF
SENATE
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to
inform the Senate that the House will adjourn today until Tuesday 24th September, 2019. During the period of adjournment only Committees with approved public hearings will be allowed to meet.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am sure you will join
me in expressing our utmost disappointment to the fact that other than Minister Mavhunga, no other Ministers turned up to attend this very important issue of Questions Without Notice and Questions With Notice. It is most regrettable and I can assure you that we are going to bring this to the attention of the President. We obviously have some Ministers who are on duty elsewhere but I am sure and convinced that there are other Ministers somewhere out there. Hon. Minister Mavhunga, can you move for the deferment of question time until such time when the Hon. Ministers will be in the House.
HON. MAVHUNGA: I move that Questions Without Notice and
Questions with Notice be deferred until Ministers are in the House.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
ON FAMILIARISATION VISITS TO FEATHERSTONE, NGUNDU, BEITBRIDGE, GWANDA AND PLUMTREE POLICE STATIONS
AND BORDER POSTS.
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the
Thematic Committee on Human Rights on Familiarisation Visits to Featherstone, Ngundu, Beitbridge, Gwanda and Plumtree Police Stations and Border Posts
Question again proposed.
#HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this debate as a member of this committee that went to these places where our police officers and inmates stay. We came across quite a number of challenges which our police officers and inmates are facing. Let me mention a few things that we came across – in the cells where inmates, stay there were a few blankets that were placed by the side. These blankets are not even enough to cover these inmates especially when it is cold. The same cells do not have water for ablution facilities as well and it is dirty such that other inmates lose appetite when they get food. In the same police camps that we visited, police officers do not have enough chairs; they sit on benches, and some of them you will be talking with them whilst you are standing because they do not have anywhere to sit. It is very important for them to have chairs or even benches for them to sit on.
In some places the holding cells are very old; they were built during the Smith Regime. The holding cells are very old and they are in a very bad state, such that even the prisoners are not fit to be in those cells. We discovered that our police stations are still facing the challenges of lack of resources, for example they do not have enough cars for them to perform their duties as expected.
You can find that in a district, they will be using one car, of which they will not be performing their duties as expected, because they lack resources and this will result in some crimes being ignored. We urge the Government to provide the police with new cars.
In the border area these police stations do not have holding cells where they can lock in the prisoners. Looking at this challenge, the police need to walk long distances for them to take the prisoner to the holding cells and this will result in some prisoners running away from the police. We urge the Government to help in building the holding cells and borders like Beitbridge and Plumtree Border Post, this is where the crime rate is high and these borders are very busy. The Beitbridge Border Post is one of the big borders in the Southern Africa that need to be looked upon when we are looking at the issue of holding cells, they need to have enough security. The border is always busy during the day and even at night.
These are some of the important issues which need to be looked upon so that police will work under a peaceful environment. I do not want to waste time because this Committee has already mentioned so many things
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this very important motion. firstly, I want to thank Hon. Sen. Sekeramayi for moving the motion and I also want to thank the Thematic Committee on Human Rights for the tour that they did which they call familiarization visits to these said police stations.
Mr. President Sir, I was really surprised to hear the conditions of service for the police. The fact that it is the police doing the cooking for the prisoners and cleans up all the police stations. According to the Constitution, Chapter 223.1, functions of police service commission; what is the commission doing because the functions of the Police Service Commission Chapter 223.1, the police have the following functions:- to employ qualified and competent persons to hold posts or ranks in the police service; to fix and regulate conditions of service including salaries, allowances and other benefits of members of the Police Service; to ensure the general wellbeing and good administration of the Police Service and its maintenance in a high state of efficiency; to ensure that members of the police service comply with Section 203; and to foster harmony and understanding between the Police Service and civilians.
How can the police do their work if they are made to work like labourers? I am pleading with the Commission to look at this because it is an embarrassment to our country. Our police force will never do a proper job as long as their conditions of services are not improved. So as the Senate we have to look at this and really applaud the Committee on Human Rights for actually coming up with this report to the Senate.
I also want to implore the Minister to look at this as a matter of urgency, to really look at the conditions of service of our police so that they can do a good job. It is really unfortunate that possibly the Committee could not go to most police stations, but I am sure if resources were permitting; if they had to go around the country, they would actually find the same poor services. So, we really need these services improved so that our police can function. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GUMPO: Thank you Mr. President. I am one of those who went on that very trip that is being talked about by some Senators. I would like to add on a few remarks on what we saw. Unfortunately, I may repeat what has been said by Senator Mohadi because I did not understand the language but I will do my best to talk about something else. We visited a number of police stations - the one that we were shocked about was the Ngundu police Station. As we went into the Ngundu Police Station, we did not even believe that we were driving towards a police station because the road to the police station was not a road, it was a just a bush.
As we go to the police station, we were so shocked and surprised that the police station which was meant to be temporal during the liberation war is still there and it is in a terrible state. It was meant to be a temporary location built out of some prefabs, those wooden houses. Most of them have been eaten by white ants. You cannot even believe that our modern police would work in such a police station. It was terrible. I am sure the Committee wrote a very strong report to the Commissioner that something needs to be done immediately on that police station. However, we were very impressed by the Gwanda police station. It is the police station that when you get there you envy and you know you are getting into a police station. As we went into the police station, even where the prisoners sleep, it was so neat and smart. You can even see there is a very high organisation in that police station. We urge the Commissioner to take very serious look at the Ngundu Police Station to see that something is done soon. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. GWESHE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I was one of the Members of the Committee that went on tours. A lot of things have already been said. We went to
Furtherstone which was built in 1943. I witnessed at Furtherstone something which I have never witnessed in any of the cells that I have been to. When we got into the cell, we saw something round and we asked what it was. They explained that it was for violent accused persons. They use it to secure the accused person. I liked that concept because violent accused persons can fight other accused persons in cell.
I was happy with that arrangement.
I also witnessed the same in Ngundu. We do not know whether this was relevant for those who had or it was for abuse. In Ngundu, we witnessed the same and they explained the same. However, I was not happy with their police station.
We then went to Beitbridge and we were shocked to see armed soldiers. We asked why there were armed soldiers because we had not witnessed any soldier at any police station but they explained that soldiers were needed in order to aid the police in arresting accused persons who may be armed. The armed soldiers were also found at
Plumtree Border Post and the same thing was explained. We thought that having armed soldiers at the borders was intimidating to visitors coming to the country.
When we went to Gwanda police station, we were impressed. It was the best police station. It is well built. For some of us who wore stilettos we almost fell. We never faced any problems in Gwanda. With those few words, I want to thank you Mr. President. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the
debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. MWONZORA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. My
question would have been directed to the Minister of State Security but in his absence, I direct the question to the Leader of Government
Business. My question is in two parts. Did Zimbabwe know or did not know about the impending xenophobic attacks in South Africa? If it did, what did it do about it?
The second part is, what is the Government doing to protect the
Zimbabwean people who are facing xenophobia in South Africa?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
President Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Mr. President, there were unsubstantiated reports that South Africans were planning to carry out what they did and the South African Government was against it as indicated by the pronouncement by the Government and what they have done. The Government of Zimbabwe relies on the Government of South Africa for the protection of everyone within their territory. As a Government, we do not have any means of getting into the territory of another and protect our citizens besides relying with the Government of South Africa which they have started doing. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MWONZORA: Hon. Minister, you have confirmed that the Zimbabwean Government in fact knew about the impending attacks. Why did it not alert like other governments do, its citizens in South Africa to expect those attacks?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I said there were unsubstantiated reports and an alert was already there because unsubstantiated reports pointed to an attack that was imminent and our reliance was on the South African officials to ensure that there is peace and security within South Africa. I am not sure whether the alert was going to give the assurance that the attack would not be carried out. That information that we had was that South Africa was going to ensure that peace and security is maintained within its borders, of which they have since deployed forces to ensure that happens.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Hon. Minister, do you have the number
of people that have died from the xenophobia attacks who are
Zimbabwean and also who have lost their properties? I thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Hon. President, that is a very specific question which if the Hon. Member wants statistics, we can request our Embassy in Pretoria to furnish us if they managed to collect the statistics.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: I think it is the duty of our
Government, the State to look after every citizen of Zimbabwe, anyone who carries our passport wherever they are. I think this issue of xenophobia has been going on for quite some time. It is repetitive. Is the Government considering putting pressure to that Government which is South African Government to compensate our citizens who are losing their businesses each time there is an outbreak of xenophobia?
HON. ZIYAMBI: It is our duty to ensure that we maintain peace and security in Zimbabwe. We do not interfere with the territorial integrity of another country to protect our citizens. It is a request that is unattainable. We can only but convey to the South African authorities that they are bound by international conventions that they acceded, to ensure that they protect everyone within their territory. I am not sure how they want us to compensate each and everyone who meets a calamity wherever they are in the world and the Government of Zimbabwe compensates. I am at pains to understand how that can be done by any Government in the world. I thank you.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: The Hon. Minister, through you
Mr. President, I think missed the point. It is not for the Government of
Zimbabwe to compensate for what has happened in South Africa but the Government must put pressure to make sure or influence so that our citizens get compensation. It is not about us compensating for what is happening outside our territory.
HON. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the Hon. Senator for the question. Indeed, there are diplomatic channels that are being followed to ensure that this issue is resolved. As soon as those channels or something is concluded, the nation will be made aware of whatever would have transpired. As you know, our President is the Chairman of the Organ on Security, Politics and Defence, and he will engage his counterparts as well as the South African President. That is part of his duty during his tenure as Chairman to ensure that within the region there is peace and security. He is going to follow up and have those engagements with a view of ensuring that we have peace and security in Southern Africa.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: My question to the Minister of Mines is; we have regions that have minerals such as diamonds and gold. In Mwenezi, what does Government policy say concerning these areas because for people to go and peg claims in those areas, they are informed that the area is reserved. We are perplexed. Why is it that it is just Mwenezi that is reserved and yet others are mining and getting the minerals?
THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): I want to thank the
Senator for that important question concerning reserved areas in Mwenezi. The reservations that we make are not only in one area but countrywide. When we have information that the area has minerals that need big investors for large scale operations, we usually reserve such areas. If the Hon. Senator has an investor, she can come to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and seek approval for her to peg that area. She can be given a letter that enables her to go and peg that area. Some miners are coming and are being assisted. What we urge the miners working on reserved areas is that the reserved areas should be mined efficiently and effectively to ensure that the minerals being mined benefit the country at large. Hon. Senator, if there is an area that you have identified that has precious metals come to our offices and we will assist you or if there are diamonds in that area, the Head of State announced the diamond policy that provided what should be done by anyone in cases where diamonds are found. If there are any who have identified an area with diamonds, there are four companies that were allowed to mine depending on the nature of the joint venture.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: I thank the Minister for that explanation. My supplementary question is - this process is only done here in Harare. Do your officers in the provinces know about it because there are people who have approached your offices but they did not get assistance? They were informed but they could not get assistance since they are reserved areas. I thank you.
HON. KAMBAMURA: In our various provinces they have not
yet been instructed to allow people to peg in those reserved areas but they redirect people to the head office where they can get assistance. Since the Senator has highlighted this, we will sit down as a Ministry and ensure under the ease of doing business mantra, plans be made for provincial officials to be able to handle such matters.
Mr. President, various provinces have not yet been instructed to allow people to peg in those reserved areas but they should redirect people as to where they can get assistance. Since the Senator has highlighted this, we will sit down as the Ministry and ensure that we use the ease of doing business criteria to ensure that we have officials in the area who can avail those approval letters for people to mine. It is expensive for a person to travel from Bulawayo to Harare to come and get approval in order to engage in mining activities. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Thank you Mr. President.
Minister when you say you are inviting people to come to your offices to get mining letters; what is the relationship between issuing a licence by your offices and the proper mining? I will give you an example where people have gone to get a licence and when they went to the mining area they were not able to mine because there is no consultation with the local people, the local people will refuse and say that you will not mine. How do you relate, who actually consults the local people, on the issuance of licence?
HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to
thank the Hon. Senator for that supplementary question. The process when we issue licences, usually our team goes to the sites for ground verification. It is during that process when they are supposed to consult the locals whether there are any reservations over the areas which they want to issue out for mining. We have such cases where people go to peg for a certain block, then the locals come forward that these are our reserved areas for traditional purposes. So it is important if ever there is an investor or anyone who wants to mine, they should consult the locals so that they work together with the community in which they want to mine.
Also for environmental assessment, there are some reports from the locals, signed by the chief, so it is important to consult the locals before engaging in any mining activity to avoid clash of interests.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: I want some clarifications, when
you are given a licence by your office, when are you supposed to consult the local people, is it after you have the licence or before? If you approach the National Assessment they think you are starting afresh to get a licence, so where exactly is one supposed to consult the locals? That is why I asked about your relationship – issuing a licence and the proper mining and consultation with the locals, people end up being issued with licences when they cannot mine. The Environmental Assessment Agents will also say you have not consulted the local people and it becomes a circle. For the ease of doing business, how many months do you think you take for one to start operation after getting a licence?
HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Mr. President. The process is
supposed to start with consultation before payment of fees. After that our officers will go for verification but we cannot rule out the fact that there are some officials who may go by short-cut and issue licences corruptly. We are in the process of following up. In the past, whenever there were disputes, the Ministry would attend to disputes but not looking back at the officials who would have caused that chaos to occur. So again, to answer the issue of the timeframe to issue a mining licence, currently we are incapacitated in terms of vehicles. With few vehicles that we have, every application that comes has to follow the queue. Fortunately, very soon we are looking forward to receive a complement of vehicles and maybe after we have cleared the backlog, that is when we can be able to tell how long it will take to issue a new mining licence. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to
understand, when an area is called a reserved area, who is it reserved for, because if we approach provincial offices, they inform us that we cannot peg in that particular area because it is a reserved area. Who is it reserved for if the people living in that community cannot access it? We are also supposed to develop but how do we develop as a community when the area is reserved?
*HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Hon. President. Responding
to Hon. Sen. Shumba’s question, whenever we sit down to plan we do not sell all the grain to GMB but we keep some in our domestic granaries, in the event of a drought in the next season. So, if we look at the mining sector, there are areas that are reserved for the same purposes. It could be that certain reserved areas have minerals that can assist the nation later on and it is for sustainability purposes. They are reserved for future generations. Some are reserved for the fact that we can get investors who have the capacity to engage in mining activities in those areas. If we are to mine all areas today- Senator Shumba, you have grandchildren who need to make a living; who need sustainable livelihoods. So they will use those reserved areas. I thank you.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President. My question
is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. I want to find out what programmes the Ministry has to protect schools from gold panners, generally in Zimbabwe. I would not like to be specific; I will remain general.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I am assuming this refers to situations where panners or illegal miners may encroach on school property. That is what I am assuming and if that is the case, they are not supposed to do that. Matters should then be referred to the police, otherwise the school authorities on their own may not be in a position to do that. This becomes a matter of criminal activity that should be reported to the police and the police should take action against such encroachments.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President.
My question was supposed to be directed to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, but in his absence, I will refer it to the leader of the House. I would want to know whether it is government policy that the welfare of traditional leaders is just discussed and left without being resolved until traditional leaders live in abject poverty to the extent that they become a burden to those that they live with? Does government policy allow preferential treatment between civil servants and traditional leaders? If you look at the history, the issue of traditional leaders has been discussed since 2010 without anything being done. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank
the Hon Member for his pertinent question. I want to start by stating that what the Hon Member said is not correct when he said the issue of traditional leaders has just been discussed without anything happening.
He should have said that some of the issues have been resolved but there are still some outstanding issues. This would have given the correct position of what took place. Hon. President, in 2017, after engagement with traditional leaders, they started getting their cars in line with addressing what they had raised as a welfare issue.
Last year 2018, those who had not gotten their cars also received them. Currently, discussions are ongoing to increase their allowances but how they negotiate is different from the civil service. Civil servants have their own Commission which negotiates on their behalf, likewise, the traditional leaders are also supposed to have their own negotiation forum. So, we also anticipate that to happen for traditional leaders so that when negotiations for the civil service are being done they are also represented at their own fora so that their welfare can be uplifted. Our government is concerned with the welfare of our traditional leaders, so government will continue to do all it can to ensure that their welfare concerns are addressed. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: I want to thank the Hon.
Minister for his wise response. It is true we got our vehicles but what I was referring to when I gave the example of civil servants is to do with salaries. It is true that there are supposed to be negotiations, but what lags behind is the implementation part. It never materialises but it ends as a discussion. We have our own well known institution – Traditional
Leaders Chief’s Council which has a budget but we do not know where the money goes after that, hence the reason why I asked the question. Is it not that everyone’s welfare should be looked at at the same time, because we are also people who need to survive at the end of the day? I thank you.
*HON. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank the Hon. Member for
acknowledging that the welfare of the chiefs has been looked into and something has already been done towards that. If it is the issue of salaries that is when I said they can negotiate through their institution which should continue to pursue the issue of pay increases, just like the Civil Service Commission does. It never tires to represent its workers. I say so because each case is resolved through negotiations and persistently so. I thank you.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Mavhima. It has become common knowledge that some schools, particularly in Matebeleland North are getting a zero pass rate at Grade 7 public examinations. What is government policy on such schools or even the teachers? What remedial action has the Ministry taken to assist such schools? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVHIMA): Let me thank Hon.
Senator. Mpofu for that important question. This is an issue that the Ministry takes very seriously. We have had quite a number of schools in different parts of the country at Grade 7 and Form 4 recording zero pass rates. What the Ministry has done is to identify all of them and try to clearly understand what the causes are, whether it is the issue of teachers or teaching and learning materials in order to take action to address the specific problems those schools have had.
I know that we started off with a very big number in some parts, especially of Matebeleland North and South but that is something that we also get in areas such as Gokwe, in the Midlands in Mbire, Kariba and there are a number of ways in which we are dealing with that. If it is the issue of not having enough teachers, then we address it by offering those schools more teachers. Generally, we have tried to provide up-todate teaching and learning materials for all schools, but we also target those schools to make sure there are adequate teaching and learning materials.
Then at the primary school level, we then go in and implement the Performance Lag Adjustment Programme (PLAP). We try to see where we are having problems with the performance of the learners in that school and we have a programme targeted to ensure that these learners catch up. Most of the time performance is related to reading, which might not be adequate for comprehension and therefore, learners fail to perform in examination. So we have this programme called
Performance Lag Address Programme which we then direct and our DSI’s supervise to ensure that these schools are implementing these PLAP programmes. I thank you.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: Now that the Minister has indicated that they have done a review, is the lack of teachers and material in these places a systematic problem only in Matabeleland or not?
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: In my response, I indicated that this issue does not only affect Matabeleland but all parts of the country. Of course differently, even within provinces the spatial distribution, some districts will do well and others will not. So, it affects the entirety of the country but it typically affects rural schools and the Ministry has taken a very deliberate stance to say it is the disadvantaged schools that we should give priority to when we provide especially teaching and learning material throughout the country. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I think yes the other provinces, there are schools that have problems as such but in Matabeleland North, I am sure as a Minister, you would have an interest, there is zero percent pass rate.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: No, that is not a correct statistic. We have some of the best performing schools in Matabeleland North. As leaders of this House, we should learn to be honest with ourselves. You cannot say the entirety of Matabeleland North records zero percent, that is a lie and it is not acceptable to say the entirety of the province records zero percent at Grade 7. Victoria Falls, Hwange St Mary’s will record 100% and you sit here as a leader and communicate to Zimbabwe such a
lie. It is not acceptable.
*HON. SEN. FEMAI: My question is directed to the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. My apologies for drawing him back a bit but because of national interest, I had to do that because that will inform the nation since it is being screened live. I would want to know that on the issue of xenophobia, he said that he is in consultations with the South African Government for the xenophobic attacks to end but if these attacks do not come to an end, what do they have as Plan B? People have their relatives who affected and we want to know what the nation has as Plan B?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Our Plan B is
engaging the South African Government until we get a solution. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. May I know through the Leader of the House, President Mnangagwa is the Chairperson of the JOC on Politics Defence and Security but we saw a statement where he was telling President Ramaphosa to use force. Is it proper for the President on politics and defence to say a statement like that?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon.
President Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, the use of force is there in statutes world over but it is the extent of the force. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NTABENI: My question is directed to the
Minister of Mines. He responded well but my question is - are there any measures to protect the country? We are coming from rural areas where illegal mining is taking place. What measures do you have in place to ensure that they protect the environment since livestock can also be lost?
I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): We allow people to
engage in mining activities in permissible areas and we give licences. If people are mining without licences as has been explained by the Hon. Chief, the Home Affairs department or the ZRP should arrest such individuals. The people in those areas who are in leadership positions should report such matters to the ZRP to ensure that these people are brought to book. If people are mining without licences, that is when we get to hear these artisanal miners having machetes and killing each other and also degrading the environment. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NTABENI: I am a chief and I control all those artisanal miners who are mining everywhere, there is no order. It is the police themselves who engage in these illegal mining activties.
HON. KAMBURA: As I have explained, if there are people who are breaking the law, as a Ministry, we do not have arresting powers but the Ministry of Home Affairs. So, I think this question should be redirected to the Minister of Home Affairs that, what are the measures ZRP taking to ensure that they arrest people who are mining in undesignated areas. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: Thank you Mr. President. Minister, I think the Minister does not understand the sense of the question. The question is saying that we are the custodians, the chiefs, the traditional leaders of the areas where mining is taking place but we do not have authority over the people who come and engage in mining activities. We are told that they have the requisite papers but they are engaging in mining activities that are not permitted in the areas under our jurisdiction. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It appears to
me that it is the same question which is being asked about the extent of perceived illegal mining which is going on and the Minister is saying you have to report to the police. That is the answer which is the
Minister is giving – [HON. SEN. NCUBE: Supplementary Mr. President.] – I have not finished. I am still – [HON. SEN. NCUBE: My apologies.] – May I suggest that perhaps if there are specific areas, you write that down and bring it through Parliament. You can submit written questions and we submit to the Ministry so that we get a comprehensive answer citing specific areas where there is rampant perceived illegal mining going on. As I understand, it is pertaining to the Midlands mostly, is it not? – [AN HON. SENATOR: No, it is whole country.] – As presented by Hon. Sen. Chief Ntabeni, it is Midlands. Perhaps Chief, if you can submit your question in writing and cite specific areas, we might have a comprehensive response – [AN HON. SENATOR: To the same Ministry?] – To Ministry of Mines.
*HON. SEN. MKWEBU: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Mines. If you have been given land, another person comes to that land and takes you to the courts.
What does the policy say because the papers will have been prepared by the Mines office but the new miner would have taken you to the High Court?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): Thank you Mr.
President. I would like to thank the Hon. Sen. for that question. The question posed by the Hon. Sen., as I understood it is that if there is a dispute we end up being taken to court yet I have all the paper work showing that all I did was above board. In most cases in the event of a dispute, in provinces there are dispute committees that are chaired by the provincial mining director. If they fail to resolve the dispute, it is then taken to the head office and there is a committee that was set up by the Minister. What normally happens is that the two miners after being involved in a dispute, before the committee sits to rectify the dispute, one can rush to report the matter to the court; or after being referred to the head office by the province, the other party can report the matter to the courts. So, policy says that once those engaged in the dispute have gone to the court, the Ministry does not have powers to resolve the dispute because it is a lower court than the High Court. We cannot sit down, reach a consensus and resolve the dispute because it means we will be in contempt of the higher court.
*HON. SEN. MKWEBU: Once that issue is taken to the High Court, it is not taken to the Ministry of Mines. It can be withdrawn from the High Court and taken to the Mines Ministry and it is returned again to the High Court. What does the policy say on this matter?
* HON. KAMBAMURA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for that supplementary question. I have heard the question but it seems it is the same question. If people approach the Ministry of Mines in the event of a dispute, after that dispute is solved, if there is a determination that is given and the other party is aggrieved because of that ruling, the party is allowed to approach the courts. Once that matter is before the courts, as a Ministry we do not get involved. You will get someone who then withdraws the cases. Once a person withdraws a case, it is in a way accepting that he is in the wrong. This withdrawing and reporting and withdrawing, as the other party you can go to the courts and bring it to their attention that they are wasting the court’s time. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. In 2018, the International Election Observers and the local observers identified 225 mis-acts of the electoral process. I wanted to find out whether the Government has started doing anything to correct these mis-acts of electoral processes so that in the next coming elections everything will be sorted out.
Also because of time Mr. President, when is the Government planning to align Chapter 11 of the Security Services Operations to our Constitution?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon.
Senator, you are allowed one question at a time.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
President Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question and indicate that indeed when we have elections, we invite observers; local, from the region and international at large. They produced the reports of their observations and a recommendation Mr. President Sir, is made to somebody to study and decide whether to accept it or not. The President set up an Inter-ministerial Taskforce, which I chair to look into all the recommendations with a view of finding out where the gaps are and where we might need to have some legislative reforms. The document is now awaiting Cabinet approval and once that is done, it will be made public. I must add that some of the issues that came up we have already started implementing, like the repeal of POSA. We have started the process and it is completed, as well as AIPPA. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My questions is directed to the Minister of Industry and Commerce. Looking specifically on the issue of monitoring of policies I would think that because policies are done for the people, if they are seen that they are not working, the Minister is supposed to see how we are supposed to survive. What am I saying? I want to talk about liquor licences which have been difficult to obtain since long back. They now have decentralised to provinces but licences are not being issued. They are said to be on internet but it is not working.
I applied in December, up to now I do not have. Here is the problem: Delta says you cannot order beer when you do not have a licence. What am I supposed to do?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I think that question is
supposed to be directed to the Minister of Local Government but perhaps he can respond.
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON.
- NDLOVU): It is correct Hon. President that this is a Local Government issue, however just to highlight that if there are specific bottlenecks that are encountered in acquiring liquor licences, we should be able to assist as Government. It is not the intention of the application process to delay or deny applicants the licences so we are open to take the matter on board and find redress to the issue but it will be directed to the Minister of Local Government.
*HON. SEN. ZIVIRA: My question is directed to the Leader of the House. Is it allowed in Zimbabwe for foreigners to vote in elections?
Why am I saying so? There is a Minister of Information who said that Ndebele people are from South Africa. How did you allow them to vote in elections?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I have not seen
an official statement which says the Government has said that Ndebele people are foreigners. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHUNDU: My question is directed to the
Minister of Home Affairs. Children from the rural areas who got scholarships to go and study out of the country are facing a lot of problems when they go to apply for passports. Is there a law which can assist these children? They are different from children who dwell in urban areas but those from rural areas are cheated and have their money being stolen by office bearers at the passport office. We want them to also access passports so that they can go outside and uplift our rural areas.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): The question which
has been asked by the Hon. Senator is a very important one and it affects a lot of people. It is the Government position that passports should be accessed by every Zimbabwean whenever they need them. The problem we have at the moment is the resources to use in making those passports. As of now, we have very little resources. We can issue 800 passports per day. We have people who are waiting to get passports. We have 340 000 people who are waiting for passports.
Meaning to say among those people are some who have serious diseases who need assistance and who have to go outside the country. There are also students, which makes it difficult for the Registrar
General’s Office to issue emergency travel documents. What I can say to the Hon. Senator, is that the people who are facing those kinds of problems have to write and inform the Registrar General so that they are put on top priority for people who would be waiting for passports, which is equal to the resources which will be available. It is the Government position that this should be fixed immediately.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is trying its level best that we make sure that passports are available because the Ministry of Finance, through their facilities, assists us in the issuance of passports. It is unfortunate this problem is there that people are not accessing passports on time including Zimbabwean citizens in the diaspora. When they get work outside the country, they are supposed to have valid passports for more than six months to enable them to get permits. So the Government is looking at how we can fix the problem so that passports can be issued to those who want emergency travel documents. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by the HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number 62.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: I move that time for Questions Without Notice be extended with twenty minutes, there is a reasonable number of Minister now present.
HON. B. MPOFU: I second Motion put and agreed to.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. Minister, can you give us your policy as to how you are going to assist farmers in terms of supply of fuel and electricity, taking cognisance of the fact that at present both are not available and we are now approaching the farming season. The electricity sometimes is cut off at consistent times. If they cut it off at 1800 p.m, it will come back at 0400
a.m. It is so consistent everyday that you might not be able to sleep - how do you get fuel to your farms because you might need it in drums and the like. So, how are you planning for the farming season to ensure that farmers and other business people will be able to get reasonable and consistent energy?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Thank you Mr. President. I
would like to thank the Hon. Senator for the very pertinent question.
Firstly, let me answer on electricity. Yes, we are still having shortage of electricity due to reasons that have been said now and again. What we have always done is we discussed with farmers at the moment who are engaged in wheat farming. We have discussed with them and have advised them that our generation of electricity has gone very low but they can start irrigating their crop as soon as electricity is switched on.
Even at night, we have encouraged them to do that.
The main challenge is that we cannot be consistent in supplying that electricity because now and again we are experiencing breakdowns at Hwange, which is now the major supplier of electricity since Kariba is almost down. The other small thermal power stations in Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare are also consistently breaking down. So that is basically what I can say, that at the moment we have advised them to take on to irrigating their crops as soon as they have electricity. Those farmers who have gone for long without electricity - maybe there is a fault within that area. Maybe the transformer has been vandalized or it is down, we have advised them to meet with the ZETDC regional managers to report their case so that it can be traced where the problem, is but I think as of now, that is what we can do at the moment.
We are engaging on solar energy and we are also encouraging these farmers, those who can afford to have solar plants at their farms for irrigation because we have got plenty of the sun. Also, the Government has got several other projects for solar which are under different stages of completion, but at the moment our electricity is really constrained.
Coming to fuel….
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Before you
go to fuel, he wanted to know whether you have got any plans for prioritizing supply to farmers.
HON. MUDYIWA: On electricity; yes that is what we have done
but the issue is that – electricity even if we are to prioritise to farmers, it is not enough to cater for them on their day to day needs of electricity, but we are prioritizing them and we have advised those wheat farmers in their areas to work with ZETDC so that they are prioritized in terms of electricity.
HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: I am not talking of the coming
season but the current season?
HON. MUDYIWA: For the current season, I do not think there is much we can do at the moment. We are trying to make sure that for Hwange, the units are fully operational if they are repaired, like Unit six which has been down since March, I think we need to start on it this month of September. We are working tirelessly to ensure that all the six units at Hwange are operational. Once they are operational – I am sure there will be more megawatts of electricity which can at least take us somewhere with supply to farmers with electricity.
On fuel, I think the Government has taken measures where we are saying the fuel traders get monies at inter-bank rate so that they buy fuel from the suppliers. Our role as a Ministry is to facilitate that there is fuel in the country. Once we see that there is a gap, we follow up on what the problem is either with the bank or the traders and then we try and rectify that problem. Otherwise we are ready to make sure that there is plenty of fuel for the farming season which is almost starting, may be in October or so. So we want to make sure that we have got enough fuel in the country. In most cases we do have enough fuel at our depots in Masasa and Mabvuku but the issue is on payment. At times the issue is beyond our control that they fail to get the foreign currency to pay for the fuel, there is not much that we can do, but we always engage the RBZ to make sure that the money is availed for fuel.
+HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: My question is directed to the
Leader of Government Business, Hon. Ziyambi on behalf of Minister of
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Hon. July Moyo. We heard that chiefs were given vehicles, what is his Ministry doing so that village heads and kraal heads also get those vehicles because the chiefs work with these people?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. J. MOYO): I want to thank the Hon Senator for the follow up question where he highlighted that government looks at the welfare of chiefs but what about headmen and kraal-heads? When you discuss the welfare of chiefs you also discuss the welfare of the headmen but the welfare of kraal-heads was lagging way behind. So where the welfare of chiefs is being discussed, the headmen and kraalheads are also included. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. M. R. DUBE: My question is on xenophobia. Until when are we going to be quiet as a nation while our citizens are abused and killed in South Africa?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank
the Hon Senator for her question though I am really unhappy because the Hon Senator is not acknowledging the open truth that is being seen by everyone. There is one Hon. Member who mentioned that the President was seen on television urging the Government of South Africa to use a bit of force so that the perpetrators of this violence can stop doing so. It was mentioned in this House and I actually answered that question. My wish is that when we say things, let us give credit to the good things that were done and then go on to say what we think should have been done further to that not to say nothing happened. Our Government, from the President and our ambassador in South Africa were seen on TV also explaining the situation in South Africa and actually telling us the measures that they have put in place. So, the Hon. Senator should actually have thanked our representative in South Africa and our President for all their endevours. When our President got there he held discussions with his counterpart and he continues to engage the President of South Africa.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Industry and Commerce. It is common knowledge that you have been talking about establishing amancimbi industry in areas in Matebeleland South, in particular specific areas being Gwanda and Plumtree so that they can value add them then export as well as create employment for our citizens. Can we have the latest on that one?
THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON.
- NDLOVU): As the Ministry of Industry and Commerce we recently launched the National Industrial Development Policy and part of the key pillars in that is the promotion and development of rural industries. We are almost complete in coming up with provincial industrial development policies and I think it will be by the end of this week. It is coming up prominently in Matabeleland South Province that there is need to develop the further processing of amancimbi -this natural resource. As a Ministry, we stand ready to provide full support to any prospective investor into this potentially lucrative industry. We even have facilities through our industrial development co-operation where such potential investors can get assistance. As Government, we will not go into establishing factories but we will support potential investors. So, I encourage the Hon. Senator to direct anyone who is interested in venturing into this specific business to visit our offices and they will get assistance. I thank you.
HON. SEN B. MPOFU: On a point of order Mr. President, today being the last day for this session, we have got questions that date back to November and I want to ..
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is not the
last day of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament. The Senate is reconvening on the 24th September. You have raised the question of a question which has been on the Order Paper since 2018 and I acknowledged that you were right and that we were writing to the responsible Minister because it is unhealthy and unacceptable to have such a situation.
REHABILITATION OF THE TSHIKWALAKWALA
IRRIGATION SCHEME IN BEIT BRIDGE EAST CONSTITUENCY
- HON. SEN. MOHADI asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to state when the Tshikwalakwala Irrigation Scheme in Beitbridge East Constituency will be rehabilitated in order to mitigate the challenge of food shortages.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): In face of the climatic changes that we are currently experiencing, irrigation is of critical importance to our great nation, in particular for us to move away from traditional rain fed agriculture to climate smart irrigation. Our Ministry’s mandate is food security and that is what we target. Therefore, the irrigation scheme that the Hon. Senator has brought up is of critical importance but more importantly it is well known within our Government and Ministry. The unfortunate coincidence was that at the time where we require irrigation so badly we lacked funding. However, I would like to inform this House that we have received funding in the form of 100 000 hectares from a company called MACA which should be rolled out in the next three years. This funding will be used for current irrigations like the one in particular that the Hon. Sen. has brought up as well as new irrigation schemes going forward.
LACK OF MAIZE GRAIN AT THE GMB DEPOT IN BEIT
BRIDGE
- 16. SEN. MOHADI asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House why there is no maize grain at the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Depot in Beitbridge, a situation that has resulted in people incurring high costs of transporting grain from the Bulawayo GMB Depot
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Thank you Hon. President and again thank you to the
Hon. Senator for the very good question. I have personally contacted GMB in the course of the last few weeks and they assured me that maize will be transferred as a matter of urgency to the relevant depot, Beitbridge.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: This depot that we are talking about has taken too long and looking into the fact that the area that we are talking about, Beitbridge is in region 5 whereby people did not harvest anything, if their local GMB does not have grain and I think it is almost five months now down the ladder, where are they getting food? I thank you.
HON. HARITATOS: As I have mentioned, I have spoken to GMB and it is an urgent matter. The statement that the Hon. Senator made is correct. We have people that require this maize yesterday not tomorrow, not today. So, this is something that we have put on an urgent list to do by the GMB and I promise you that I will follow it up until delivery has been made. Thank you.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES RELEASED BY TREASURY
TOWARDS FINANCING THE COMMAND AGRICULTURE
PROGRAMME
- HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to state the amount of financial resources released by the Treasury towards financing the Command Agriculture Programme this farming season and to confirm whether such allocation will be adequate for the expected outputs.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Hon. President Sir, I would like to apologise to this House that I have misplaced two questions out of the questions for today and unfortunately, this happens to be one of them. However, I can tell this House that Government has set aside ZWL2, 8 billion for the Command Agriculture Programme. We encourage more private players to be involved with Command Agriculture as that is our future. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We will treat
that question as deferred, which means we still expect a written answer.
PRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL CEREAL CROP OUTPUT
THIS FARMING SEASON
- HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House the national cereal crop produced this farming season and to also state the proportion contributed by the Command Agriculture Programme.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): What I can tell you is what we expect from the two cereal grains. The first is maize; we expect unfortunately due to the drought only 700 000mt this current season. However, the season is still ongoing and deliveries are still being made. The proportion of the maize that has been grown, that we are expecting does in fact come from Command Agriculture, the bulk of the proportion which is another question.
Wheat – currently again, we have not harvested the current season and unfortunately due to the drought, we are only expecting between 70
000 to 100 000 metric tonnes of wheat this coming season. I thank you.
TOTAL NUMBER OF WHEAT FARMERS IN THE COUNTRY
- HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA asked Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House the national cereal crop output produced this farming season and to also state the proportion contributed by the Command Agriculture Programme.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Thank you for the question. This current season we have only grown approximately 25 000 hectares of wheat. The Hon. Senator asked how we incentivise farmers to venture into wheat production. Essentially, how we have to incentivise wheat farmers is to provide them with the right price. Wheat farmers are very competent, they have the irrigation available but what we need to offer them as Government is a price that keeps them and allows them to keep going back to the field. If we do not offer the right price, the hectrage will continue to diminish until we no longer grow wheat. So, the incentivising that we do as Government is through price. It is my
Ministry’s intention that we will continue to review prices in line with the economic situation. Therefore, if prices of inputs increase, our price should increase to our farmers again to ensure that they do go back to the fields.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Right now, if we look at our
import bill for wheat, it is just too high but we have got land, capable farmers, if those resources could be channeled I think we would solve the problem. My question to the Minister was to really see something practical which is done but the response I got from the Minister, I do not think really addresses what we want to hear as to what Government is doing. Next season we will still continue to have a high import bill.
HON. HARITATOS: Prior to independence, we have always imported wheat. I think it is something that many people do not know or do not understand. Zimbabwe has never been self sufficient in wheat production. Therefore, what is important for us going forward is to plan to ensure that we are self sufficient in the production of wheat.
I would mention to this Hon. House that going into this current season, we had 75 000 hectares of inputs ready to distribute to our farmers. However, our farmers were not forthcoming and they only accessed 25 000 hectares. There were several challenges that we all know, for example electricity that affected the decisions of our farmers.
One could argue that another decision made by our farmers was the issue of price. That is why I mentioned that in order for us to truly incentivise our farmers we have to offer them the best price. If we offer them the best price then in Zimbabwe we say, we can make a plan and that is what farmers are very good at doing. They are hard workers, we have the land, water, the climate but most importantly we have the human capital. We can grow enough wheat in Zimbabwe, we have never been able to but the potential is there. It is my hope that throughout my tenure as a Deputy Minister, at least one thing that I would have done is to ensure that we grow enough wheat for Zimbabwe. I thank you.
AMOUNT OF MAIZE DELIVERED TO THE GMB BY A2
FARMERS DURING THE 2018-19 FARMING SEASON
- HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA asked the Minister of Lands,
Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to:-
- inform the House the amount of maize delivered to the Grain Marketing Board by A2 farmers during the 2018-2019 farming season; and
- explain whether the Ministry has set any production targets for those allocated A2 farms and if there are any repercussions for those who underutilise the land.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,
WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): I would like to apologise, this is the second that I do not have. However, if you would like I can make one or two comments with regards to some basic figures, for example the season of 2018 to 2019.
As a nation, we grew approximately 1, 6 million metric tonnes of maize. A good proportion of that was A2 farmers. Unfortunately, I do not have the figures in front of me and I apologise, Hon. Senator.
The second part of it is, our target is to maintain two million metric tonnes of maize. With regards to the question of underutilization of land, I think you know Mr. President Sir that there is currently a land audit that is being conducted. We hope that land audit will be able to tell us exactly what farms are underutilised instead of us talking broadly. I am very confident that once the land audit had been completed, we will have a very good picture and will be able to know how to move forward.
Thank you Mr. President Sir.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: I wanted the Minister to address on the issue of individual farmers, because when you give out command inputs, it is a contract between you and the farmer. Do you give targets because we do not want someone who is perennially getting inputs from command but is not producing the intended targets? It is a waste to the Government. These are the issues so that everyone who goes into command farming knows the obligations and also is serious about it.
The impression now is like cheap inputs and we are not accountable.
HON. HARITATOS: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I thank the Hon. Sen. for the supplementary question. I believe he has hit the nail on the head. When it comes to inputs, our farmers should not access inputs unless they believe that they can grow a crop that will produce positively and will make them a profit. I do not believe any farmer should access any inputs whether it is available or not. If that crop is not productive and that crop does not make them a profit to allow them to go back on the field, we do certainly have targets.
The targets that we do prepare are based on five metric tonnes per ha. This is where that target will come as a blend of commercial of A1 as well as A2 as well as communal farming. It is a blended target across the board. We do not specifically state one target in one region or in another but across the nation. That is the targets that we got but I would like to resonate the point that I made that farmers should not access inputs if they feel it is not profitable for themselves because they will just burry themselves in debt. Thank you Mr. President Sir.
INSTALLATION OF A PIPELINE TO TRANSMIT WATER FROM
MTSHABEZI DAM TO THE CITY OF BULAWAYO
- HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU asked the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to inform the House when Government will install a pipeline to transmit water from the Mtshabezi Dam to the City of Bulawayo and other surrounding areas in
Matabeleland South Province.
DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER,
CULTURE AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON.
HARITATOS): Thank you Mr. President. Thank you Hon. Senator for the question. The Government has already completed the installation of a pipeline that transmits water from Mtshabezi Dam to the City of Bulawayo and other surrounding areas in Matabeleland South. The pipeline runs from Mtshabezi to Mzingwani Dam. The water is then transmitted to Ncema water works where it is treated and pumped to Bulawayo. Seven off takes have been designated to service local communities along the pipeline and two of the off takes are already functional. The five remaining off takes will be completed as and when resources are available.
ASSISTANCE TO FORMER MBADA DIAMONDS WORKERS ON
OUTSTANDING WAGES
- HON. SEN. TIMVEOS asked the Minister of Mines and
Mining Development to explain to the House measures being taken by the Ministry to:-
- assist former workers of Mbada Diamonds to receive their outstanding wages since the latter still cannot access their operating licence despite a ruling to this effect by the Constitutional Court; and
- facilitate the rehiring of former workers of Mbada Diamonds by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Development Company or provision of termination of employment benefits in line with the Labour Court ruling.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. KAMBAMURA): Thank you Mr. President
and thank you Hon. Sen. for the question. If the Constitutional Court ruled as indicated in the question and the directive was not effected, then the applicant to the case should approach the same court for a redress. On the other hand the payment of outstanding wages to workers is a labour case which is under the portfolio of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Also the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company is a parastatal under the Ministry of Mines and we are not supposed to be giving directives to the parastatal but to play an oversight role. If ever they have issues or where they need guidance or such issues, especially on the employment of employees who were left by Mbada diamonds, they need to take the initiative and approach the Ministry for guidance.
Thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move that Orders of the
Day Nos. 2 to 7 be stood over until the rest of the Orders have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
COMMITTEE STAGE: RESUMPTION OF COMMITTEE ON THE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 1B, 2019]
Eighth Order read: Committee: Education Amendment Bill [H. B.
1B, 2019].
Question again proposed.
House in Committee.
On Clause 16:
THE CHAIRPERSON: You will recall that yesterday when we finished we were on Clause 16.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Chair. Maybe I am
getting lost on the procedure. I thought the Minister was going to read because yesterday when he left there were some issues as senators, we wanted amendments to be done. I do not know whether we should
proceed as it is.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. SEN.
MOHADI): In fact when we adjourned yesterday, we were debating Clause 16, that is where we are starting from today.
HON. SEN. CHIEF. NGUNGUMBANE: Hon. Minister, my
comment relates to the issue of semantics. On 68 (b) people with disability; if you look at Clause 1 it says “every school shall”. Clause 2 says “the Secretary shall” but if you refer to Section 22 of the
Constitution it says “the State, all institutions and agencies of
Government at every level must”. If you look at the word “must” and
“shall” pose a lot of questions. From my own understanding the word must causes a legal obligation on the State that should be undertaken. I would propose Hon. Madam Chair that there is similarity in the wording so that the obligations are similar. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVHIMA): I think the Hon. Senator
Chief has indicated that it is just a matter of semantics and in my view the “shall” is as compelling as the “must”, because it is saying this has to be done. It is unlike the other things where we were considering the unavailability of resources, where we were saying “endeavour” which means try but in this particular case the obligation is complete and it says it shall be done. There is no question about it. Thank you.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: Whereas I partially agree with the Hon.
Minister, there is also a contradiction on the same clause. If you look at it, it says ‘resources permitting’. It is something which is not measureable. Nobody in this country has ever stood up to say I have got resources which are permitting, even the entire Government. I feel the Ministry is hiding behind a finger that they would always say we do not have resources, even for something which costs less than $1 000 bond. So I thought we need to re-coin this phrase which says ‘subject to availability of resources’. It is an endless statement. We will never have enough resources in this country. I appeal to the Hon. House and the Minister to find a way of putting something which has got a positive future for children with disabilities. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVHIMA: This is an issue Hon. Madam Chair
that has been discussed before and where we actually said without that clause or phrase included, it will open a lot of litigation for our schools, because to comprehensively plan for every disability will be impossible. This is why we even said the general infrastructure will be provided, but in some cases we will have to deal on a case by case basis because resources may and will not be available in order to provide comprehensively for every form of disability. This is only saying let us be practical, pragmatic and not tie ourselves to litigation because we cannot say each and every one of the schools in this country will provide for each and every possible form of disability. Thank you.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: Just briefly. I want to assist here because it is something which affects me as well as the youngsters. We are not saying all of a sudden when this Act is enacted, every school - even in Mandlambuzi in Beitbridge will be expected to have a comprehensive set up of disability related issues. We are saying for example, if we go to Hingwe School today in Bulilima, every classroom there has steps where a wheelchair cannot get in. every toilet entrance is so narrow that a wheelchair cannot go into the toilet. We are saying perhaps if you may use the term “much effort” will be done that also makes sure that when you go to a school and say look, ‘I think there is no effort which is being made because to adjust this door costs less than $300 bond’. I do not think we will be actually making the Government bankrupt.
We are just saying we are reasonable people, we know what Government can be able to do and not able to do. I am just appealing that we should find another way of configuring this phrase. If you go to Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe today and find the school which was officially opened, perhaps by the Minister Mavhima as a guest speaker applauding whoever funded it - say parents, all of a sudden a student with a disability comes tomorrow and he cannot even get to the
Headmaster’s Office. She cannot even get into the toilet at that school and we are saying if it costs $1 000 to adjust, what is wrong with that, because if you leave it like this - I think it also serves the purpose of those who are interested in having a negative attitude towards the disabled.
I end there and I will not comment again but I have just appealed to say ladies and gentlemen, Hon. Members I appeal for your support. Thank you. Even you Minister, you have to rephrase it in a way that at least gives you the opportunity to run away from responsibility, and also at times to find yourself being pinned down. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVHIMA: Thank you Madam Chair. Madam
Chair, the following clauses after Clause 1, they attend to what Hon.
Sen. Khupe is referring to. Section 2 says, the Secretary who is the Chief Administrator of the Ministry shall monitor and enter premises for the purposes of ascertaining whether the rights of people with disabilities are taken into account during teaching and learning and (3) for the purposes of fees approval, the Secretary shall require every registered school to submit in writing how the school shall advance the rights of pupils with disability, which means that within everything that is reasonable, by the way already Hon. Chair, we have a policy that requires every school to provide ramps and accessible ablutions. This is part of what the Secretary will do in order to monitor.
Everything that is reasonable and covering most of the basic disabilities that are encountered on a daily basis will be taken care of through 2 and 3 in this clause of the Bill.
Clause 10 put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA), the Senate
adjourned at Three Minutes to Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 4th September, 2019
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
APPOINTMENT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK FOR
DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (APNODE)
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to
advice the House that the following are the Executive Committee
Members of the African Parliamentarians Network for Development
Evaluation (APNODE) Zimbabwe Chapter: Hon. Sen. Chief
Nechombo, Chairperson, Hon. P. Mpariwa, Vice Chairperson, Hon.
Mhona, Treasurer, Hon. T. Mavetera, Secretary, Hon. O. Sibanda,
Committee Member for Marketing, Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane Khumalo, Committee Member, Hon. Madzimure, Committee Member. The main objective of APNODE is to create awareness and promote a culture of evaluation amongst Parliamentarians in order to inform evidence based decision making policy formulation.
SECOND READING
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 1B, 2019]
First Order read: Second Reading: Education Amendment Bill [H. B. 1B, 2019].
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (PROF. MAVIMA): Mr. President, I move that the Education Amendment Bill, [H. B. 1B, 2019] be now read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave; forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 1B, 2019]
House in Committee.
Clauses 1 to 7 put and agreed to.
On Clause 8:
HON. SEN. MAVETERA: I went through this Bill but did not
see it addressing the issues are of concern to the general populace. So I thought on this Section, probably, what I want to talk about would actually fit into that. The role of the Minister in governing what is happening in private institutions. I went through the Bill and I did not see anywhere where the Minister is going to exercise his mandate because I truly believe that when you are Minister, you are Minister of both private and public, but this Bill is biased towards regulation of the public sector and neglecting the private sector. I do not know whether the Hon. Minister responded and probably if I missed it, my area of concern would be inserted.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Hon. Chair, the fees and levies payable at any non-Government school was regulated by a commission previously. I am not sure about the specific name but if you go to amendment of Section 21 which is item 10 in the Bill - because that Commission no longer exists, the responsibility is now in the hands of the National Competitiveness Commission.
We do regulation by and large of the schools. We register them and the registration is provided for here, we supervise them on an ongoing basis. We also put in place provisions for our structures to make sure, through our Secretary, that they are teaching properly, the curriculum is according to our standards, the teachers have the necessary qualifications and everything.
However, previously on the issue of fees they were under the supervision of what was known as the National Pricing Commission which is the one that was replaced by the National Competitiveness
Commission which was established by the National Competitiveness Act Chapter 14: 36. So this arrangement continues. This Commission is supposed to ensure that they do not pay outrageous fees, that they do not form cartels, that they consider the welfare of families.
I know what is happening now, Hon. Senator and Hon. Chair where a lot of these schools - sometimes even with the concurrence of the parents board, have hiked fees to astronomical levels, in some cases
RTGS$ 35 000 per term. They have pegged the fees on the basis of the USD.
Why on the matter of fees there was no direct influence by the Minister; was that these private schools essentially provide for an investment, either by an individual or by a trust. This investment, if you look at most of those schools is quite substantial, therefore they were given a leeway to where they are supposed to recoup some of those investment. This is why there was a difference than the direct supervision that we give to other schools on the issue of fees. However, all of them are actually mandated before they increase fees to tell the
Secretary that we have sat with the parents’ board and we have agreed on these fees and the secretary should then work either through raised issues with the Commission itself or the parents can raise issues with the Commission and that remains within this new Bill. So, everything else except the fees we actually control these schools.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Hon. Chair.
Minister, the Bill that you have is very pertinent. You said that the
National Competitive Commission which has replaced the National
Pricing Commission which will see all the pricing in the country; the Pricing Commission never used to follow up on schools but concentrated more on the commercial sector.
My view is that for private schools, though they apply to the secretary, the terms and conditions need to be strengthened because some of these schools were built long back, for example Dominican Convent here in town, is 78 years old. They may say that they want to build more infrastructure, but they already have enough infrastructure.
Since 2007, when our economy started collapsing, most schools were destroyed and the Government introduced incentives because teachers were now preferring private schools and most of the Government schools were left without teachers. So the private schools do assist when the economic conditions in our country are bad. The private schools took advantage of the economic situation and hiked fees, but now because the teachers prefer private schools because there is a lot of distortion when it comes to teachers salary, it makes the Government teachers demotivated.
My opinion is that even if these are private schools, they should not be at liberty to do whatever they want; we need regulations, checks and balances. Their fees are exorbitant like RTGS21 000, in US there is a USD fees rate and this is cruel, it is no longer investment. Therefore, my request is that we know that it is not right to control everything but some of the fees are cruel.
HON. SEN. MAVETERA: Thank you Madam Chair. Like what
Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira has said, this Bill is a very important Bill and is going to define our future. Suffice to say, I hope you will forgive me for bringing in these issues because they are not addressed anywhere in the Bill which probably points to my argument that this Bill is not robust enough to cater for the needs of our people. We need to review and look at it. My point Madam Chair, is that on the issue of educational institutions chasing away school children, I have not seen where it is addressed because if a child is chased away, the parents makes up for the child but the child is not compensated for that time that has been lost when they were chased away. I feel that the Bill should make it illegal for a child to be expelled from a school. The Hon. Minister would probably say, it is a contract between parents and the school but when you involve yourself in an illegal contract which violates the laws of the country, I do not think we can entertain that as a nation. The child should be protected on their right to education. When they are chased away they are violated in terms of being stigmatised and all sorts of things come into play.
We are not going to come back and discuss or come again with another Bill. This Bill must be comprehensive enough to address all the fundamental rights of the child, their rights at school. I do not want to labour the point, I think it is clear. We want the Bill to come out very clearly that it is illegal for a pupil to be expelled from school or even to be told about that you have not paid fees, your father has not done this. Some are humiliated when they are called to stand and we cannot have such things. It is something that has been happening and I expect the Minister in this new Bill to address those problems which we were encountering. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. J. D. HUNGWE: Madam Chair, I also want to add my voice to the debate. The Senator said that the Bill does not give the Minister enough powers to ensure that he cannot allow some of these measures in the education system. We want the Minister, as is provided in section of Amendment 2A, that the Minister should be the one in charge. The work of the Minister in education is that of legislation. He should see where things are going wrong, bring it to the House and spell out the anomalies. We also faced such challenges before when I was still in the education sector with Minister Dr. Mutumbuka. Watershed had a committee and Ziyenge and a white man. They had their own school and he said schools of this type were a challenge and we faced the challenge last time. The fees are exorbitant. I was called in Parliament to come and talk about the issue. Education in 1893 through the Lutheran faith. Governor Zingeya rejected such a school. Government did not have schools, at that time. We agreed that since they are not going to take their schools abroad, if they were going to raise their fees to exorbitant fees, the Minister would come to Parliament and this would be changed by means of a legislation in order to ensure that they do not commercialise the business sector. That is what we are facing Madam Chair.
That is what we will be facing in regards to the question that was raised by my colleagues. We want to see the Minister given powers to deal with these anomalies. Long ago, the Minister would only come on Wednesday just to come and sign papers and go back to his farms. We changed this in 1980 but the challenge that we faced as has been said by the Senators, is that people group and form a club and to have their own schools. These schools were discriminatory. The children who were able to access these schools worked for certain companies and were discriminatory. That is what we refused and said that the Minister should be given powers so that he cannot allow such treatment. If he cannot do that, he would come to Parliament and spell it out to say we do not agree with this since it is retrogressive. The orbit around the Bill shows that it wants to mould education under the realm of quality. That is what we all want but for the Minister to be deprived of powers to deal with those who are commercialising the education sector is not right. We have a Minister and that is the Minister we want to assist so that you cannot be cheated. We do not know who wrote this but on the issue of the Minister and the education that we are talking about, it should be children’s education. Education for children, even those who teach in schools are called teachers for children not for maidens.
We want to see good education for our children. Whatever is done in schools is not for the parents, it is for the students. The Minister is the one who should talk to the parents to understand the education system.
You need to address that.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I hear the submissions by
the Hon. Senators. I would love to have the powers that have been mentioned by Hon. Sen. Hungwe but I want Senators to appreciate that I have 9 500 schools. The trust schools that we are talking about which are said to be in the habit of constantly raising fees are less than a 100 countrywide. These are schools that are built by people who approach the Ministry and say they have monies and would want to build a school. Once they put in their funds, they come up with contracts and even proforma contracts which they do with people that have money or the elite in Zimbabwe, the elite society who want to send their children either at St. Georges, Peterhouse or Watershed schools. The schools are not only run by whites but they are also run by some of us blacks.
Even in the old Bill up to this current Bill, it says let us look at whether it is still procedural or out of order or that it is now beyond the reach of the rich to send their children there. Has it gotten out of hand to an extent that the elite can no longer afford fees at those schools? Let us come up with fees that enable them to be able to function. As a Ministry, we tend to tolerate that. As a Minister, my request to both august Houses is that as regards the 9 500 Government and church run schools, these are the schools where a father who is in Binga or Dotito can send his children to those particular schools. I am urging us to put our resources in those schools.
Even if I were to control these other schools, the majority of our people are not going to access those. That is what has been happening. Even if we are to bring the National Competitive Commission and work hand in glove with them and say such a school should charge at least $15 000 instead of $21 000 as fees, the majority of our people are not going to access those. So they must strike a balance between the investor and access to schools. I believe we have got enough systems but we may want to be more aggressive in engaging and getting them to regulate as provided for in that Act. We are saying Government schools should come up with facilities that are equal to private schools but they should not charge exorbitant fees. That is my view on this issue.
I would believe that the manner in which we talked about the National Competitive Commission that it should take a leading role is a good thing. There must be a balancing act because those ones also play a role so that sector can also continue to invest rather than for us to limit or curtail their capacity, willingness or motivation to do that. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: You see when I am in
this august House; we have people out there who believe they have sent us their representatives to represent their interests. There are times we must stand firm and others, we can let it go by but it could cause problems for our people. Minister, you have said there are those that you have said are ours. We have nothing called ours. We used to have Group 'A' schools that used to be for whites because they were for the elite and Group 'B' schools for the blacks. I would say to ensure that all schools are up to the right standard with the right facilities is a good issue but the point is that the Minister of Finance is not here. The Minister of Finance does not have money.
We clamour for the budgets to be increased but because of the economic situation we find that we do not have adequate financial resources. These schools cannot be equated to others. We are in an independent Zimbabwe. We should not have disparities between students that go to a Government and those that go to private schools. We have been advocating for a clustered society just after independence and we were talking about the issue of capitalism and socialism. We do not want a society or classes that are too wide. They are there, we cannot deny that fact and they will still be there forever but let us try to minimise the gap. Someone would have sent his child to a Trust School, in the middle while the child is now in Form Four, the school fees are hiked more than three times. The child would have done form one to three and the parents were affording – so the argument that why did you send the child to a Group A school is out.
This is a legitimate expectation because by then he was able to pay the fees – it is a legitimate expectation. This will just come unexpectedly because the owner of the school had decided to go on holiday to America so he hikes school fees to raise money so that they can enjoy themselves outside the country. This will affect a child’s education, that is why we are saying Minister you need to regulate all schools.
If I may ask, where is the difference between Ministry of
Education and Ministry of Health? I think that is where the issue is, the same Cabinet, the same Government should not give us distorted policies which show that we differ philosophically. Doctors who are at West End Hospital and Avenues Clinic are private hospitals; it is an individual’s investment but the Government still regulates those doctors. You tell them that it is your hospital and the doctors went to school on their own but they are not allowed to charge exorbitant fees to patients.
Doctors’ fees come from Government- where is the difference with private schools? Why do we not stop regulating doctors’ fees in private hospitals? We need you to have power not to vest all the powers in the Permanent Secretary- this Bill is giving the Secretary all the powers but in other Bills we hear of the Minister having most of the powers; where is the difference? Why is it that in this Bill we are talking about the Secretary in other Bills we talk much about the Minister?
The Secretary is a civil servant, he/she is not answerable to Members of Parliament but the Minister comes here and answers to our questions like we are doing now but the Secretary will not come here to respond to our question. Therefore, we urge you Minister to look closely into this Bill because we are very concerned. If it continues like this we will not be happy. I thank you.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you Madam Chair. I want
to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for buttressing - that is actually the reason why I rise up because we want as a Government to be consistent and our primary responsibility is to protect everyone. I will apologise later but I will expect the Minister to respond and address this issue in a non-conflicted way or rather not to give us the impression that he may be conflicted- probably vane chikoro. I am from the medical profession, ever since, it has only less than 100 000 people who are on medical aid and what proportion of the population is it, but we are seriously regulated by the Government, which is correct. I am one of the advocates who said we should be controlled rather than make services inaccessible to the general populace.
If you think because health munhu anofa, education tinofawo. I think we need to open up and say education is the same as health so there is no reason why you cannot regulate it because this is exactly what the Hon. Chief Charumbira said, is what is obtaining at the moment. Last term private schools were charging like $2 000, right now they are charging $35 000 and you say they are private institutions, we cannot put legislation or rules which are discriminative. I think this is policy inconsistency. I do not want to over emphasise the point but we are part of the Government and we should not allow such a thing to continue.
I would want to appeal to Hon. Senators to understand education is much more important than even the health. So we need really to make sure that we get a Bill which addresses every citizen not one which is discriminatory. I propose and submit that the Minster seriously brings in a clause to make sure that we see as legislators that there is enough regulation, otherwise this Bill is not even giving us what the people want – you just register?
Why do you register something which you cannot control? You bring in a monster and you cannot control the behaviour of that monster. We cannot allow that to happen Madam Chair. So the proposition by the Hon. Minister that it is private money that they have been invested – investment in health is in the tune of millions if not billions from private individuals but it is regulated. So that narrative, I think we should actually put it aside and address the needs of the people of Zimbabwe.
Thank you Madam Chair.
HON. SEN MAKONE: Thank you Madam Chair. I just wanted
to address the point being made by the Minister that he does not want to interfere with private citizens who invest their money in hundreds of millions and that they need to get a return on investment. Investment in education is like any other investment, all investment is done for a return on investment. It is just that they have chosen to put their money into education. They have done their sums and they have satisfied themselves that when they put their money in education they will get the kind of return that they want.
When they apply to the Ministry of Education, I want to believe that they present everything that they will have worked out and then you allow them to operate. You cannot then say after you have given them the permission to invest in education just like any other sector, you then say now you are on your own, you do what you want. Basically, you will be telling every investor in Zimbabwe that if they invest in any industry they are free to charge whatever prices they want afterwards, because they have done us a favour by investing in that area. Education in the private sector is a business like any other, so when they want to increase their fees, we are not saying that the Government should necessarily legislate the quantum but we want to see that it is reasonable and manageable. When you reach the stage where the fees are jumping from USD 2 000 to RTGs 35 000 a term, something is very wrong.
Minister, you know as well as I do that no one’s fortunes change by that amount inside three months because there is only three months’ difference between two terms. It is not possible, there should come a time when Government will say no, we understand that you want to change your fees but instead of going to RTGs 35 000, we suggest you go to RTGs 20 000 in order to give parents to recover, recuperate and work out other ways of putting that money together.
If you look at the people in this august House, most of their children have already gone through university. So we are not talking about our own children. We are talking about the children of the people of Zimbabwe who are still going to school. Our vested interest is in the population as a whole which I would like to think that the Minister is also. So that excuse of saying yes, you would like to have power but you are not going to take power because this is private sector investment. I am sorry, as Senate we do not to accept that one as an argument. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – We will continue to say that investment in education is investment like any other business.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: Thank you Madam Chair. I just
want to add one or two words to say let us give the Minister power. The Minister said that we should focus on church schools and Government schools. Is it because it is a church school and not private? They would have brought their money just as private schools. They are church organisations and they are humble and malleable. We want to find out the power that the Minister has towards churches which cannot be exercised on private schools.
We are saying that we want to give you the power Minister; the mandate to intervene in private school issues as regards their school fees structures. Two weeks ago, they said we are going to pay an additional
$2000 and I have since moved my child because I am unable to afford it.
I am asked to add $2000 after two weeks and the Minister has no say.
Minister, I will give you this power, accept it and use it. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. J. HUNGWE: Hon. Chair, I rise for the second time. Maybe my issue was not properly understood as I was contributing. In this bill, we are talking about the rights, not of parents or anyone else but the rights of the children. As the Minister, you are expected by the entire nation to ensure that the children’s rights are upheld. Who will want to abuse the children’s rights? You have no moral obligation to listen to people that are eloquent in the English language but all we do is what is the benefit that the child is going to derive. As the august Senate, we are not waiting for anyone else except you the Minister. You can come and talk to us. They are not allowed to come here but you are the only person who is allowed.
You are told there is a Secretary in the Ministry who supervises but you are the one who runs the Education sector eagerly. It is not you who wants to give power to yourself. We are giving you the power, we are giving you teeth on behalf of the parents first and foremost but your first priority in terms of concern should be the rights of the children. Anyone who is against you in that regard should come here and hear it from the horse’s mouth. We want you to be totally empowered so that those who would have gone astray are brought back to line. We meet them, they spend a day at holiday resorts and clubs and spend a day drinking, enjoying the children’s money.
You have done very well Hon. Minister to come to us with this particular bill and we are giving you our concerns as the Minister responsible for our children’s rights. Ensure that you uphold the rights of the children and that you must have the powers so that they are not exploited. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF. MATHUPULA: Thank you very much
Hon. Chair. The issues that have been raised are very pertinent because the Constitution says we should be non-discriminatory in everything that we do, but I believe there is a lot that has been said to that. My question to the Minister, and what I needed clarity on is he said these people are operating more on a business model and more on a private investment model. How is the tax structure? Are there any taxes that they are paying when they sign these affiliations or whatever he was talking about? If they are actually in business, there should be something that they are helping the fiscus with. There are some schools in rural areas that cannot afford a bench but they can afford to fly overseas for holidays with the kids. So we need a situation where those same schools can empower the schools that have nothing. How is the tax structure like? What are they paying to affiliate? Thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NGUNGUMBANE: Thank you Hon. Chair.
Hon. Minister, if you read in the Bible, Jesus teaches a parable that if you lose one sheep, you leave the 99 and go and look for the one. What am I saying Minister? Let us not leave those so called few sheep out of the flock of sheep because if we do so, we are creating a danger that they would become a law unto themselves. Past experience has taught us that private schools or the cheese association can be a menace if they so want.
I would want to refer the Minister to Section 75 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Subsection 2. It says every person has a right to establish and maintain at their own expense independent educational institution of reasonable standards, provided that they do not discriminate on any ground prohibited by the Constitution. If we talk of reasonable standards, the issue of fees becomes one of those reasonable standards. So, it has been provided by the Constitution and it is therefore imperative that we should ensure that these private institutions are subject to the Constitution of Zimbabwe and any law or laws of the nation.
So Minister, what we are saying to you is that the Constitution has provided that every organisation under the land of Zimbabwe is subject to constitutional scrutiny and the private schools should not be an exception. Secondly, we know that people are free to choose to go to a private school or not but there should be standards and it is the role of Government; it is your role Minister to promulgate such laws that protect the rights of those pupils that are attending those institutions.
The parents also have rights, they should not be abused by those so called schools. So, it is my submission Hon. Minister, that you also take into consideration the points that I have raised above.
*HON. SEN. J. HUNGWE: Thank you Madam Chair. I rise to
just follow the steps of others, literally speaking. Minister, you are aware about the way we were brought up, we went to communal schools, rural based schools. However, you would expect that since you are now a Minister and professor, your children should not go to the same schools that you went to but you now want the best for your children – which I also appreciate.
However, I am saying the rights of the children to education should be the same. I have heard here one of the chiefs saying that he withdrew his child from private school. If that child was brilliant, then probably he is going to be disturbed and he is going to perform below average because he had the thinking that it was the only best school, hence we are saying the children’s rights to education for those that are rich and those who are not should be the same
Maybe the Permanent Secretary may be doing this because he knows that Government pays schools fees for his or her child yet there are other poor parents who cannot afford such fees. Minister, you must accept the powers that we are giving so that tomorrow you will be answerable. We do not meet the Permanent Secretary, maybe he is actually laughing that the Minister is going to come under severe cross examination from the Hon. Members of the Senate and the National
Assembly. So Minister, our children’s rights to education should be the same.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Madam Chair, we would want to
give the Minister more powers with regards to the issues of education. Those people who own private schools want to get rich out of their investment. Hon Minister is the custodian of the law; he has the power to do that. You are the one who should be looking and seeing what problems are arising in schools; our children should be the same, and they must be equal. There was a sad scenario at a certain school where I saw a child telling the lady teacher that she has no power over him, she can longer beat the child because it was now illegal. So, where will that child go? Children should have good laws that are beneficial to their upbringing.
I am happy Hon. Minister, that you are here because I have certain concerns as regards our children. Please, look after our children. I have read a section which says that once a child falls pregnant she should continue with their education. However, I think this child will be of bad influence to others. There must be a law that controls these children so that they are led in the right direction.
Minister, you have been given the power, take this power and use it…
THE TEMPORARY. CHAIRPERSON: Order, order! I think at
the moment we are trying to wind up Clause 8 and other clauses we will debate them as we get there. Hon. Senator, may you concentrate on Clause 8.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I reiterate
the same points that I earlier own raised that should fees be raised, the Minister should have a final say. The fees should be uniform, we have brilliant children and they should be attending such schools.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Hon. Chair, Clause 10 is
the one which stateS how fees are regulated. It is the one that speaks to the regulation of the fees for private schools. A lot of things have been said by the Hon. Senators and the input of what they have said is that we are not doing anything to regulate the private schools. However, the truth of the matter is that we are regulating them, we register them and we also look at their curriculum to see what it is that they are teaching.
On a day to day basis, we also find out to see if they are teaching well. Our officials are going to schools to maintain and monitor the quality of education that is being given in these schools.
There is a Senator who said that private schools now have almost a laissez faire attitude on the amount of fees that they can charge. They are actually closing the gap that existed since 2017 when the Pricing
Commission was replaced with the Competitiveness Commission, which means we are reinstating the regulation of the fees of the private sector. A lot of the Senators have referred to reasonableness as far as fees are concerned and that is exactly what Clause 10 is trying to say that there has to be reasonableness. Here there has to be a balance. We cannot regulate to a point where there is not going to be investment into education by the private sector.
Also Madam Chair, I would like Hon. Members of this House to understand that the current situation is unique in the sense that it is coming after changes that have taken place in the Monetary Policy. The changes that we have seen since October 2018 are such that if a school was charging $2 000 at that particular point in time, that school could continue to function had it not been for the changes in the Monetary Policy. Now, to expect that the same school with the level of investment as well as the expectations for continued investment by the school, to continue at that same level would be to kill the same school. In actual fact, I think there is a place for those private schools and we should not kill them with over regulation.
What we have provided in Clause 10 is reasonable enough with the Ministry working together with the Competitiveness Commission to ensure that there is reasonable levels of fees. This is what is obtaining in all the other sectors of the economy. As a nation, we have moved away from price controls because there are certain things we want to promote as far as investment is concerned. Realising that, this is why we have put in Clause 10, the role of the Competitiveness Commission definitely working with our Ministry to ensure that whatever fees or levies charged are reasonable and will on one end make sure that our citizens continue to send their learners to those private schools. At the same time, we have created space for them to continue to invest in that education. I was at St. Georges recently with His Excellency and they have given us a model for a science centre with eleven labs and different levels including a design lab. There was considerable investment there but what is needed to happen is to make sure that we continue to motivate that investment just like we are doing in all the other sectors.
There is a Senator who talked about conflict. Maybe my only conflict is the fact that I am looking for a balance between the need to promote investment and the need to maintain the fees at a reasonable level so that even our Senators and Ministers can still send their learners there.
The major issue of the right of the child can never be addressed through private investment in education. This is why I referenced the 9 500 schools that we collectively will have to ensure that we have developed in terms of their standards, in terms of the teachers that go there, in terms of infrastructure, classrooms and everything to make sure that there is opportunity for a learner in Binga which approximates the opportunity for a learner who is being sent by their parents to a private school. This is where the issue of the fundamental right of the child gets addressed. Within the context of our current economy and the steps that we have taken as Government in order to promote investment, the National Competitiveness Commission will do a good job as presented in Clause 10.
There were other issues that were raised regarding the right of the child. You will realise that non-exclusion is addressed, so no child will be sent home for non payment of fees and this Bill is taking care of that. I think as senators have already said, I think this is a progressive Bill Madam Chair. It is centred on the rights of the child and where private sector schools are concerned, Clause 10 which we have pre-empted tries to address that. Thank you Madam Chair.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Chair. I do not understand when the Minister says especially on the issue of monetary changes, does the Minister mean that other schools like church schools and Government schools were not affected? It looks like the Minister is protecting the private schools. Can the Minister explain to this House, which schools are more important over others because a parent has a right to choose where he or she wants to take her child. A parent can choose a private school or a church school. What is the difference? Were they not affected? Is it the private schools only that were affected by the monetary issues?
HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: I did not get a response. I had asked, are they paying any company taxes or taxes to Government for education. Thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NGUNGUMBANE: The Minister has
addressed the situation but we are saying the Minister must monitor the fees increases at all schools taking into account the location and place of those schools.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Madam Chair. Let me apologise, I overlooked the issue which was raised by Hon. Sen. Nhema about the differences between public as well as faith-based schools and the private schools. Madam Chair, there is a rationale for .differentiating these two. We as Government have taken a deliberate stance to say our schools and those of faith based institutions should provide education to the generality of Zimbabwe. In order to ensure that access we pay all the teachers in faith-based schools as Government. We support them when they take learners who are indigent and those supported by the BEAM programme, which is run by the Ministry of Social Welfare. We support these schools.
As Government we do not invest any resources in the private schools. We have withdrawn our teachers from them I think from 2016/17. We do not support them in any way as far as teachers are concerned. We do not put BEAM money into that system. What we have done here is almost to say there is a road where traffickers will go and pay toll fees and it is their choice. As Government we then have an obligation to provide the alternative. Our alternative that takes care of the needs of a learner in Binga or anywhere is the Government and the faith-based school.
I hear some say even a child who is in Binga should be able to go to Peterhouse. The reality of the situation is that cannot happen because a father who is in Binga is paying $15/20 in a Government school. If you are saying we should put children who can afford $100 at Peterhouse, it means I then have to pay the Peterhouse bill. This is where I said a school in Binga should have good facilities. This Bill is about Government funding for basic education. That is what it is about. Let us make sure that those schools which can be accessed by everyone are capacitated in terms of having teachers, the development of teachers and all the necessary facilities, and closer to the people. That is what the Bill is all about.
We have…
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN.
MOHADI): Please Hon. Minister, could you stick to one language.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: So the issue of taxes, we do not exempt them from tax because they are for profit so they have to pay their taxes. That is not a problem. What we exempt from paying taxes are the nonprofit schools and that is what church schools are. They do not distribute any dividends to anybody but these which exist for a rate of return on investment have to be taxed. There should not be any exemption and again, as far as the regulation is concerned, all the normal regulation we are doing but we have put them in the same category as the other commercial entities which are now controlled by the Competitiveness Commission. Thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: My supplementary is to say I hear the Minister referring much to Binga. In reference to that Binga is the place or area where a parent cannot afford to take a child to school or a better school, meaning they are poor. As a Government are you now perpetuating or encouraging that we should enact a policy that creates classes and division where those that are poor like in this reference, those from Binga shall remain poor for good and be in that low class where they should send their children to a school that charges $15 and get the least quality of education. Whereas, some from some parts of the country are managing to take their children to better schools where they are going to get better jobs and those from Binga will always be garden boys and sweepers.
The Government should create a policy that will enable and give an opportunity to all children. Classes should not be made by policies. Classes should be made by some other competitive advantages. If a Government can now create policies that perpetuate classes then we cannot be a good country. We cannot be a country that deliberately puts policies that say, we have the poor class and those in private schools for upper class. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: I just want to clarify something that the Minister probably misunderstood in our argument. We are not saying that private schools should not charge fees that are higher than Government schools. No, that is not what we are saying. One of your responses was that there was a change in the monetary policy, which instead of paying in US$ now we are paying in RTGs.
What we are saying here is that if the fees were say US$1 000, this terms it must still be US$1 000 equivalent, not three and half times because what most schools have done is to move from US$1 000 to charging in RTGs equivalent to US$3 500. That is a very big jump. It is unaffordable even by upper middle class parents who would normally afford to pay those kinds of fees. That is where we want Government to come in and say if we moved from US$ to RTGs keep the equivalence in place. Do not put three and half times what you were charging before.
This is the moan and groan of most of the middle class families.
They are not saying that Government must necessarily interfere but they are saying the change of the fees has not been proportionate to what they should be paying. The jump has been too much. When the bills were sent, at that time the exchange rate was about 10:1, it jumped from US$1 000 to $35 000 bond which would have made it US$3 500 but I am sure now because of the change again in the exchange they will take care of the other 4%. What we are saying is that the fees must stay at US$1 000 but they must pay the equivalent in local currency but not to allow them to make those kinds of US$ jumps as well.
HON SEN. CHIEF MATHUPULA: Thank you Madam Chair.
Thank you Minister for the clarity on taxes which I wanted to understand. So you are saying they are paying a company tax, but I what suggest is that there is no way where that tax can be somehow a way of adjusting it to ring fence a certain amount for the development of these other schools which are not doing well. I think we have a state of emergency in rural areas when it comes to schools and there has to be a way to raise money to build school and buy furniture. There are these big ‘guns’ who have got so much money to invest in private schools, there has to be a way to get something to invest for those who has nothing. I thank you.
HON. SEN TIMVEOS: Thank you Madam Chair. I heard the
Minister mentioning that Section that the Senate is discussing can be managed by Section 10, possibly if you can explain so that Senators can understand where you are coming from. Is the Commission going to also manage the school fees to try and regulate it?
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you Madam Chair. I
think we need to make clarification because it is with a sense of disappointment to hear some of the responses which I am getting from the Minister. I am sure he is doing his best but I also have to express that I am disappointed. We are not saying private schools should pay equivalent to what is happening in Government schools, but for the Hon.
Minister to say his main reason to say we cannot regulate fees is because Government does not put anything on the private side.
I am saying in the health sector, does Government put money in Avenues Clinic, West End and all those private health institutions? We are talking about policy consistence as a Government and you are part of the Government, I think you should be aware of that. I think that is not a good argument. If he has got a better argument - I am sorry to say that, he should actually give us so that we can push.
We are here to protect everyone, like what the Hon. Members said it is not about my children. It is about the fact that policy must be uniformly applied. So the fact that Government is not putting anything in private schools it is also not putting anything in other sectors such as health but Government is regulating bakeries and all those other private businesses. Why should, just a small clique be an exception? This is what we are saying as a Government and we are part of the Government. We do not allow such a scenario to happen and we need the Minister to address our concerns. Those are genuine concerns, not for us but for the constituencies which we represent which is the country. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam Chair.
With regards to my reference to Binga, I really apologise that the Hon. Senator felt that I was saying that because I would prefer Binga to remain poor. Remember what I then said, I could have said Gokwe, Rushinga or Mbire in that regard but remember what I said, it is not realistic for this House to expect that we can reduce or regulate the private schools to where even a child who is currently paying RTGs100 per term can go to that school. It is not realistic for the reasons that I have stated.
When I mentioned Binga, I also added to say that as a
Government, we need to provide schools in Binga that will allow access and opportunity that is comparable to the private schools. That is our responsibility as Government. This is why we have built Kokolodza in
Binga, which is a state of the art school which we are going to be opening very soon. We have also built in many other parts of the country same of state of the art schools, taking responsibility as Government to say we are going to provide the basic right of the learner in all parts of the country. I say not realistic because there is an expectation of return on investment by the private sector.
In response to Hon. Sen. Makone, the issue of reasonableness is what we are pushing here and we are saying the Commission should provide for that. The Commission should provide for reasonableness just like what it is supposed to provide for reasonableness in other sectors of our economy and that is its role. It should provide for reasonableness. It does not make sense for a school that was charging US$1 000 to then say now we are charging RTGs 35 000, it does not make sense and this is where we are providing for this Commission working with the Ministry to approve the fees. This is why I am saying Section 10 is important in response to the Hon. Senator.
Section 10 is saying we regulate, it is not a laissez faire thing.
Section 10 provides for that and again Hon. Sen. Mavetera, we are not saying they charge as they want, but in Section 10 we are saying that Commission regulates the fees and the Commission can do a number of things. It can revoke, if they have approved before, it can revoke its approval of a fee or levy, so it can force a reduction. It can fix the amount of any fee and it can also fix the purpose of a fee. In cases where there has been an excess, that amount can be refunded to the parents; according to the Act that sets up that Commission.
So we are saying working with this Commission there can be regulations of these private sector schools but we have to say we are a country that is saying we are open for business and let us provide for investment in education so that we continue to have these private investments. It serves a certain purpose in our education sector but the fundamental thing that we have to start doing now as a nation is to look into how we adequately fund, as a Government, basic education, which in this Bill is defined as ECD A to Form Four. We have to start thinking about this. Remember when this Bill was initially crafted it had an
Education Fund. That section has been expunged but I have started a process because both Cabinet and the National Assembly said we could work on the Education Fund or whatever name we want to give it through administrative means. We did not legislate for example, the Aids levy but it is there. So, we are not saying we will not regulate but we are saying we will regulate and make sure that these fees are reasonable, there will not be excessive charges in these private schools.
They have to justify whatever increases that they make. Indeed Hon. Senator, Section 10 is the one that deals with these regulations through the Commission. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: Thank you. I just wanted to find out whether the Minister has powers on Section 10. We were saying the Minister must have power. We are not saying that private schools must not charge fees which they want but we are saying if it was $5 000, it cannot be increased to $35 000.
THE CHAIRPERSON: I do not think it is on Clause 8. That
will come on Clause 10. I think you can raise it there as I said earlier on.
Can we proceed.
Clause 9 put and agreed to.
On Clause 10:
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Hon. Chair, I think that
all the debate that took place pertained to Clause 10. Clause 10 is not saying anything. It talks about the creation of a commission and it then deals with its competitiveness. We are representing the people in this august House. No one is fighting personal issues. We are speaking on behalf of the constituents. Such issues should go back to the people because with this commission, if the people at Charumbira Primary School in Masvingo are not happy about the fees that should be paid and they look for this commission, where would they find the commission? The commission will be based in Harare. I do not believe that it will decentralise to all schools nationwide. We are talking about access to education and the commission. Is the commission readily accessible to the people?
I beg you Minister that you hear our plight. You should have said we need to revisit this and see how best it can be recast so that the people can get access to their Minister. The commission may be present but it will be a bonus, that is if people want to use that leeway. The people should go to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. If he then delegates to the commission, it will be up to him but people would have approached the Minister directly – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] - If the commission then says you go directly to this particular school, we want to see the involvement of the Minister when such issues are being dealt with.
If we look at magistrates courts, there are so many of them nationwide that we see people in the communal lands saying that if you want me to go and appear before the magistrate, I will not go there. I would want things that are dealt with there and then and are easily accessible in the districts. A commission is not going to be found at district level. I would want to say Minister, you are our relative. It may not be you personally but it came from the Cabinet. You may have opposed the clause but you cannot confess that to us.
Out of love, please reconsider and allow us to come directly to the Minister. If you are going to use the commission to bring in changes to your people, so be it but I will not want this to sail through as it is. If you were to do that, we would have let the people of Zimbabwe down. In truth we would have become cowards. We should not say school fees whether public or private should be decided by a commission. There is some mischief that has to be cured. When you bring the Bill, you want it concluded but it will be more heroic to say no I do not want this.
The Senate is the Upper House and I will liken it to the Supreme
Court. Once we accept it here, God has accepted it. The National Assembly may pass it knowing that the Senate will have a chance to reexamine it. If we allow it to sail through as it is Minister, we will not be happy. There are very few Bills where six or more chiefs stand up and plead with you – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] - There are very few Bills where you find members from both sides of the House applaud the changes that we are clamouring for. It shows that the people are for this. Go back and tell the Cabinet point blank that I could not do anything, Senators unanimously said we should recast this section and I should not deny that. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: Thank you. I come back with the same point. The way I understand the commission is, it could be private which means that the Minister may not have power over the commission. As the august House, we are against that idea and this is our plea. We are saying the power should be resident in the Minister’s office because he is our representative in Cabinet. He is a member of the Executive. We do not want a stand alone or a private thing which is that the private schools are going to be monitored by yet another independent commission. This is akin to two private institutions supervising each other. We are saying Minister, understand us well as Senators, Chiefs, parents, people, and owners of this country. We are saying you are in charge of all the schools in Zimbabwe.
Before we distinguish between private and public schools, we are saying allow them as private schools to come up with their own fee structure. Once they become exorbitant, the Minister should intervene.
The Senators should appeal to the Minister to say, is this good for the benefit of Zimbabwe? Even when schools are going to open, private schools in Zimbabwe are asking for 35 000 dollars as fees. We have no other country to go to, there is xenophobia in South Africa, they are being assaulted. We were born and bred in Zimbabwe and we want to spend our time in Zimbabwe. With those words Hon. Minister, I give you the power to do away with the Commission unless if you are saying that you have power to supervise these commissions. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I concede that the
amendment is not completely speaking to the role of the commission and what the commission can do. In order for me to give a full answer of that, I wanted to refer back to Section 21 of the principal Act, the one that we are changing. I have therefore asked for the principle Act to be delivered so that we can see because this is just talking to the replacement of a name, one name with another name. So, we really
want to go back to the principal Act to see exactly what it says and then we can have a reasonable conversation.
So, I seek leave of the House to put aside this particular section for now so that we can go to the next section and then we come back once the principal Act has been delivered. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHABUKA: I hear the Minister saying that we can remove this Act and we move…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: The Minister did not say
that he was going to remove; he said that he will defer. Defer simply means to put aside.
HON. SEN. CHABUKA: He may defer but the fear is that it might be smuggled. We are voicing our concerns as the people.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: We have accepted the
deferment of the clause but we want some clarification from the Minister. Is the Minister saying that in the principal Act there are certain things that we have removed so that it is read in conjunction with the other? As far as that one is concerned, we are in agreement. If anything relates to this debate, if it is importing from the one that you have deferred then we can continue. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: The expectation is that the principal Act will be delivered in a few minutes so that maybe we can come back but in the mean time, we can consider the other clauses. That is the leave of the House that I was asking for. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: The problem is that this is an important Bill hence our concerns. When the principal Act comes, we will then see that it is open, these things that you passed were not included. We cannot go back technically because we have lost on this one. We are saying, let us put a stop to this Bill because we may be affected by the principal Act in terms of a certain clause. We will run into problems with technicalities and you will tell us that it has already been passed. We want transparency, we want to digest over this and then it would be brought. We can spend a night here rather than for us to just go over the Bill because that may be detrimental to our cause. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Madam Chair, I am saying I have made
a mistake of not bringing the principal Act. I have sent a message now for that Act to be brought so that we can read from it.
*HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Hon. Chair, my fears have been
confirmed. I want to have the principal Act and go over it over night. We are now going to be forced to pass this Bill. We want time to digest what these clauses and the principal Act is. This is an important Bill; we may never be afforded the chance to go back to it.
HON. PROV. MAVIMA: I hear what Hon. Mavetera is saying
but my idea was, so that we read from the original, that Section 21.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: Hon. Minister, you are already familiar with the Act referring to how commissions operate. As Senators here, we are not all familiar with how it works. So when this Act comes here, we are begging leave to go and read this Act over night to see how it then relates to our concerns. Tomorrow, we will continue with this Act.
We fully understand that schools open next week but if the Bill had come on time maybe we would have the time. What we are asking is, we do not want to be stampeded into making a decision today without fully understanding everything that has to do with the Commissions Act.
Thank you Madam Chair.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): What I was referring to is
the principal Education Act that we are repealing. That Section that talks about the role of the Commission is the one that I wanted to seek leave of the House so that our original Education Act, the one that we are repealing – because that section will continue as it is. What it is substituting is the Pricing Commission that used to exist with the National Competitiveness Commission, but the role in terms of regulation is going to be the same. It is a very small section that we are talking about which I had wanted to present to the House so that the House can decide whether there is adequacy there as far as the role of that Commission and Ministry is concerned.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Madam Chair, I have
understood what the Minister has said. You said if it has come to the reform of the Bill, then you would want it to be incorporated in the Act and this is your issue Hon. Minister. We are saying, you have a chance now to ensure that if there is a commission that does that, we are saying we want you to change that. The power should not be housed in the Commission but the principal Bill will come and say that the roles and functions of the Commission remain the same but there has been a change in name.
If possible Minister, the issue is let us change the powers of the commission and we are saying we want you Minister to be the responsible person. It has now gone beyond the change of name. We are saying if your principal Act says that, we are now much clever today. That is why people were behaving as they pleased because there was this loophole. We are now saying, we are putting a stitch in time to save nine as an august House. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAKONE: Minister, it appears we are now talking the same language. You were saying that all of our concerns and grievances were going to be addressed in Section 10. Our concerns are not being answered by Section 10. Section 10 simply talks about the change in names. Our concern is that, the commissions as independent bodies, we do not want these commissions to be dealing with independent schools. We want the Minister of Education, whether it is you today or anyone who comes tomorrow to look into the issue of raising of the school fees and that these are being done in a reasonable manner such that the same parents who were sending the children to the same schools are not heavily burdened.
We want to talk of the education issue as it is in the Act. The issue of education affects Zimbabwean children from tender age up until they become professors at tertiary education. If the parent was told that $3 000 is the fees per year, it should be maintained as $3 000 per year whether it is Rand, Kwacha or RTGs. There should be an equivalence of that particular currency that it has been charged in, instead of fees being changed willy nilly overnight to $3 000 in terms of foreign currency. If my child was going to Chirodzo Primary School, I will not morn because I cannot send my child there. If I was sending my child to Peter House, paying a thousand US dollars, I should be able to afford to send my child to Peter House so that only the children of the elite will remain in school. Anyone who has afforded to pay the initial fee should be able to afford a school fee adjustment. The Minister should deal with that issue in the private sector and not the Commission. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam Chair.
I hear what the Hon. Senators are saying. The status quo is the one that had serious problems because now there was a gap. To use the terminologu of lawyers, there was a lacuna because from 2017 when the Commission changed and a new Act was enacted , there was virtually no regulation that could take place because that regulation had been given to the Commissioner. The reinstatement of the authority of the Competitiveness Commission provides for that regulation.
I now have the principal Act, with the leave of the House, I could go through that Section 21 in order for the senators to understand what role the Commission places and what role also the Ministry plays in controlling the fees. In many ways, this is quite robust Madam Chair and does not really relegate everything to the Commission. There is an appeals process that is outlined here which comes back to the Ministry and the Minister. With the leave of the House, Madam Chair, I could just pin point what this Act is saying. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF. CHARUMBIRA: There is no problem.
We have a spirit of unity. If the Minister has the information he can share with us.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVHIMA): Thank you Madam Chair
for the opportunity to read in detail Section 21 of the Education Act and it is talking to fees and levies payable at non-Government schools. You will realise that now the non-Government schools is a reference to private schools. We have put together the Government schools and the faith-based schools in one category. This now refers to private schools. Under one (1) it says in this Section, Consumer Price Index as the meaning given to it by Section 17 (a) of the National Incomes and Pricing Commission Act and Commission means the National Incomes and Pricing Commission established in terms of the National Incomes and Pricing Commission Act. This is where the amendment is coming.
- Subsection 2 says subject to this section no responsible authority shall charge any fee or levy or increase any fee or levy in respect of any pupil attending a non-Government school, in this particular case it is a private school, unless it makes prior application therefore to the Commission in writing through the Secretary setting out the detail of the fee or levy or increase thereof. The basis upon which it is calculated and proof that its proposal has been approved accordingly with the section 3 (b) and the Commission has approved the fee or levy or increase thereof, as the case may be.
- the Commission shall not approve any increase of fees or levy sought in respect of the next term of the non-Government school concerned unless the increase of such fees and levies are justified by reference to some basis other than the application of the Consumer Price Index and the proposal to increase fees or levies has been approved by a majority of the parents at a meeting of the school parents assembly attended by not less than 20% of the parents.
- the Commission shall without delay consider any application made in terms of subsection 2 and if it is satisfied that the proposed increase is fair and reasonable having regard to (a) the cost of operating and maintaining the school and (b) any programme for improving the facilities provided at the school and (c) any representations made by or on behalf of parents or pupils related to the proposed increase and (d) any other relevant economic factors justifying the proposed increase, it may approve the increase or amend the figure representing the interests and fix a new figure which shall not be below the level of fees or levies that may be fixed in terms of subsection 2 or 3, reject the application for the increase.
- if at any time the Commission is satisfied that its approval of any fee or levy or increase thereof was on the basis of false or incorrect information supplied by the responsible authority of the non-
Government school, which is private in this case, concerned or amounts received by a responsible authority by way of any fee or levy or increase thereof, approved in terms of this Section have not been applied (i) to any purpose that was specified by the responsible authority in the application in terms of subsection 2 as the purpose to which the fee or levy or increase therein, as the case may be would be applied, or (ii) in the interest of pupils attending the private school concerned, or (iii) the school has charged unauthorized fees or levies or both the Commission made by written notice to the responsible authority concerned, do any one or more of the following as may appear to it appropriate (a) revoke its approval of the fee or levy or increase therein, (b) fix the amount of any fee and additionally or alternatively any levy that maybe charged by the responsible authority concerned, (c) fix the purpose to which any fee or levy or increase thereof maybe applied by the responsible authority concerned and (d) cause the excess amount to be refunded to parents or credit to the following term and the responsible authority concerned shall comply with any such notice.
- Any person who contravenes this section or fails to comply with any notice in terms of subsection 5 shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine equivalent to the excess amount charged or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
Madam Chair, that is Section 21 - let me quickly go to section 22 because it talks about…
HON. SEN. NCUBE: On a point of order, can we have the copies because it is not easy to follow. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVHIMA: I think with your instruction the
Parliament administration can make this available.
THE TEMPORARY CHARPERSON (HON. SEN. MOHADI):
Can they make it available now so that the Hon. Members can have a chance to look at it and research. Is it possible to bring the copies?
HON. PROF. MAVHIMA: That is an answer that can only be given by Parliament administration.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: The Administration
reports that copies of that section are not available at the moment but they were given to the Members some time long back and you were supposed to have read this Chapter together with the Bill.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: On a point of order.
Hon. Chair, here we are referring to the principal Act, when was it passed in this House so that you can refresh your mind and see that you are being unfair to us. Which year was it passed in Parliament, even the staff, does not know where the chapter is. This Act has been operating for years, meaning to say we need to refresh our memory and that is fair. I think to be fair you, cannot say we were given that document- that is being unfair to Members.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Madam Chair, I think we talked
about this issue of documents not being given to us last week even weeks before – I think this should actually have stopped but now to be shortchanged to say we gave you when it has not come to us, I think it is not fair. This Hon. House also needs to be respected. I think it is not proper and I do not think we will take it lightly for us to be pushed to discuss issues of such fundamental importance without due research.
Thank you Madam Chair.
HON. SEN. DUBE: Thank you Madam Chair. Why are we fast
tracking, why can we not take our own time? Please Minister, give us time as Senators, we are the seniors in this Parliament. There is no Xenophobia coming to this House. We want to run away, for what?
Thank you.
THE TEMPORARYCHAIRPERSON: Order, order, our
Administration is saying that it is not possible to have copies now or tomorrow. We have to request reprinting of copies of the principal Act.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Hon. Chair, let us not
complicate a very straight forward, simple and clear matter. We are not asking for the principal Act, we want the page with that section we are discussing here. If we say the Act, it becomes complicated and it will be impossible to do as of now. We want only that part which was read by the Minister, which is a page; just photocopy that one sheet of paper not the whole Act.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Minister, would you
want to respond to this?
PROF. MAVIMA: Madam Chair, photocopies can be done as
quickly as possible so that all Members can get that Section 21 and 22.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: With leave of the
House, can we defer Section 10 at the moment and then deal with the rest of the clauses. After finishing then we come back. Is there any objection?
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Hon. Chair, my
submission, if any clause that we are going to debate does not relate or there are no consequential issues arising from the one that we have deferred we can proceed. If there is a problem we stand advised.
Clauses 11 and 12 put and agreed to.
On Clause 13:
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President. On Clause
13, I realise there are languages to be taught in schools. On these languages, can the Minister explain because I do not see any sign language or Braille? Can the Minister tell us whether all these languages are going to be taught in schools excluding sign language and Braille? I thank you.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: Thank you Madam Chair. I am also
coming to the section on languages; Section 62, languages to be taught in schools 1A, every school shall endeavour to teach every officially recognised language. I am asking for the Minister to give us an honest answer here. Do we have the teachers for all the languages that are taught in Zimbabwe at all levels that are qualified to teach in schools or is this aspirational because there is a danger that if a language is missing in a school there is nothing to stop a parent taking that school to court to say that this language is not being taught here. We would like the Act that we are putting in today to protect both the parents and the schools because I do not believe that at this moment in time, in Zimbabwe we do have qualified teachers for every language that is in the Constitution, that is a national language. If it is inspirational then I will not have problems with that.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: Thank you Hon. Chair. While I
congratulate and applaud the Minister for inserting this provision that acknowledges that the Constitution has now recognised 16 languages, I however, have got reservations as alluded to by the previous speaker on Clause 6 to bring on board all officially recognised languages which means 16. Of late, we had a lot disparities where some schools were even compelled to teach three, four, one and some two in the same country governed by the same policy.
Is it not too ambiguous to say all schools should teach all 16 languages? How feasible and practicable is that? Are we prepared as a nation with human resources and the material resource for the said languages? If my memory does not betray me, since the bringing up of most languages that were formally marginalised which are bulky nothing much was done by Government to promote human resource, that is to have enough teachers who can teach across the country from those formally marginalised languages, be it material. Most schools from those formally marginalised tribes are still struggling with teaching material but now if that same language which is struggling and its place of origin is being compelled to be taught across the country, are we going to have enough textbooks, let alone teachers? If no Hon. Minister, are we not then going to relent back to the previous status quo where those giant languages that had been in the system for so many years with enough material, be it human or reading material are going to dominate across the country at the expense of the formally marginalised languages, thereby relenting back to the painful status quo.
Hon. Minister, we have walked this road before, we know what it takes to be left out from the main stream education system but we had made a lot of achievements now that most languages are now in the system. I would have loved maybe some spellings that will guarantee that we will not have a few languages compelled across the country at the expense of some other languages which maybe not be taught across because of the excuse to say material is not enough.
Yes, the policy might be speaking to say they should be taught across but because the material is not enough then Government will say when and when the material is enough, they are going to be taught leaving them outright.
Issues to do with language, Hon. Minister, is always misconstrued by many. When we speak like this, some will think you are being tribalistic but that is not the case; we pride in these languages, everyone prides in his own language and everyone wants to see his own language being promoted to the infinite levels. We would have been happy if the Minister could guarantee and assure this House to say how he is going to practicalise to make sure that some schools will not be compelled to teach more than others. If school A is teaching 16 languages, I will be very glad to see school B and C teaching 16 languages but not a situation whereby school A is teaching 16 then some schools are teaching less than that in the same play field, same environment. It becomes a disadvantage to some learners. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: Thank you Madam. In fact, what is hiding
here for us not to see is that the section says endevour. Endevour does not say it must be taught, it simply says try hard to teach. So the whole thing is really cosmetic, it is not clear. We need something which can be put in a better phrase. Hon. Minister, is there any way that you can clarify this better than the word endevour? I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Hon. Chair, this debate is
addressing people’s concerns; this Bill is for the people. I do not see the legal drafters in this House but I see the Legal Counsel’s office is here. On 62, you say every school shall endevour. Shall and endevour, I think you need to find better terms because endevour as was said by the Senator means you are going to try or to put effort. Shall means that you are compelled to do it. So, the words shall and endevour are not the right words, you need to find alternative words. Shall enforces but endevour is saying if possible. It is not your business Minister, you are an Education Minister; it is for drafters.
Under A, it is saying to teach and it says the language of instruction, next it says the medium of instruction. They are just playing around with semantics. What are the languages of instruction and the medium of instruction - what is the difference? What is the difference between teaching and instruction?
Under A, in future the drafters should be careful of those words. A and B - reading between the lines, it is a challenge. Is teaching giving instructions because after teaching, you then go on to say that children should be educated using their language but you are saying that for the examination there is a particular language. This is confusing, you are also talking of using medium of instruction for the young ones, this is not clear; I think as drafters, they should be assisted.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Madam Chair. On this issue
of language, the contradictions are immense because I hear one Hon. Sen. Chief who has been talking to me about the importance of promoting languages saying to me, wait until you have enough resources. That is not at all accepted. He is even indicating that there are places where we have neglected in terms of the teaching and learning of some languages, but he says wait until we have resources so that you can go forward. We will not achieve any headway if we wait for every cent to be available before we go into our schools and say let us teach these languages. Having said that, let me say that we have made a lot of headway on a number of languages that were marginalised before.
We now have instruction to Grade 7 for quite a number of languages. I concede that there are others where we have not made that headway. We have also made sure, especially in the marginalised schools that the teaching and learning materials, particularly those that go to grade 7 have also been made available. We have progressively done that. Additionally, we took a deliberate stance to train the teachers on these languages and we designated Great Zimbabwe University for that purpose.
However, the University of Zimbabwe has been proactive as far as this is concerned. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development has also taken a deliberate stance to ensure teachers coming from colleges will be taught at least three local languages so that they are able to give instruction when they leave college. So there is a lot that Government is doing and also plans to do. Accordingly, I really object to a situation where we are being told to wait until we have all the resources because we will wait for decades. Let us use the resources that we have to progressively make sure that we are complying with our Constitution.
Then on the issue of endeavour, it is in there for the purposes of the reality that given resource limitations not every school can be able to teach all the sixteen languages at the same time. We have to do this progressively. So that is why endeavour is there. Teach every officially recognised language so they should strive to teach every officially recognised language but we are realising that resource limitations will not allow them to immediately implement the teaching of the sixteen languages. The sixteen languages, which the Hon. Senator asked about includes sign language. Braille is not a language but it talks to materials that are written in such a way that the visually impaired can read them. On ensuring that the language of instruction shall be the language of examination, it actually means that where you teach in chiVenda, chiTonga or Chishona the language of instruction should be the same for the examination that will be written.
On (c), where it says ensure that the mother tongue is to be used as a medium of instruction at early childhood education, we are saying where chiTonga or chiChangni is predominant, our schools, at the infant module should teach all subjects in the mother tongue, which means if you are in Chiredzi where chiChangana is the predominant language then the instruction at early childhood level should be the mother tongue and this should apply everywhere in the country. Then we go further to say school curricula shall, as far as possible reflect the culture of the people of every language used or taught in terms of that section. That is my response. We are training teachers and we have a very aggressive programme. I have an implementation matrix for rolling out the languages and that we are sticking to. I am sure that within the next five years we will cover most of the languages up to about form 4. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: Thank you Madam Chair. In
my debate I did not mean that some languages should be left out in the meantime. There is no way I can agitate for that as one from the formerly marginalised languages chiTonga. If I agitate for that, there are high chances that my language can be one of those that will be left behind so I cannot think like that. However, my intervention was to highlight the danger Hon. Minister that is obtained in the words of the said section. Intervention on the word endeavour, you highlighted what I meant and you agreed that the said resources that I talked about are not adequate, be it textbooks or teachers.
The fear arises from the technicalities on implementing the same section. One would legally excuse that if chiTonga is not being taught in Gweru it is because we do not have enough teachers and the same word endeavour would qualify that, though it would come at the expense of the speakers of that language which is not adequately funded. My wish was to see spellings that would be compelling government to swiftly move to fund those formerly marginalised languages. Wording to do with must and shall but not to aspire, not to endeavour because once you put such words it means Government will be compelled to make sure that human resource is adequate for those same languages to be taught across. For as long as it is left as an endeavour then it leaves a loophole in implementation and a loophole where no one can stand even in a court of law to sue Government for not doing such.
My submission Hon. Minister is to consider the revision of that terminology where it leaves it as an endeavour but to compel Government to make sure that they fund and thereby addressing the dictates of the Constitution on the founding principles that is Chapter 3 I guess or section 3, I cannot remember. It compels Government to move very fast in funding those formally marginalised languages so that they are also adequately taught.
Imagine Hon. Minister if Tonga was being compelled to be taught in Chiredzi to the Shangani language speakers, then the Shangani fails to find its way into Binga because we cannot find teachers who can teach
Shangani and we cannot find books that can be used to teach in schools.
How will they feel? Tonga is being taught in a Shangani area then Shangani cannot find its way to Binga. It becomes an injustice. That is the plea. It is very technical to some who cannot see it, but it leaves a loophole for one to maneuver and work his way scot free. No one can sue the person for not addressing that. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Hon. Chair, to compel every school to
teach 16 officially recognised languages at a stroke is next to an impossibility. As legislators, we need to look at what is possible and let me assure this House that our most recent education policy which is found in our curriculum framework, indicates that we will progressively develop languages but taking into consideration of the areas where they are dominant. I want also to assure this august House that I have an implementation matrix on the languages which on a weekly basis I am looking at to see how far we have gone.
Matters that are not taken care of by this Bill can be taken up through the development of appropriate policy and we have developed a language policy. For example on the issue of the training teachers - it says we will provide the necessary materials and teachers but in a progressive manner. This is why I referred to the training that we are providing to teachers at various institutions.
This is why I have said we have taken a deliberate stance to have even item writers for the various languages and we are using national resources in order to make sure that the books for teachers and learners and other materials for the various languages are made available. At the moment, I am really happy with the progress that we have made. Like I said, give it another five years, we will have developed our indigenous languages to Form 4 level and then we will continue until we have also covered A’ level. Thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Hon. Minister, I do not think that the Senators meant that each school should have 16 languages. I think what the Senators are saying is that if it is a Tonga community they must be taught by a Tonga teacher. If it is a Shona community they must be taught by a Shona teacher. What was happening previously was that somebody possibly from Matebeleland who speaks Ndebele and English goes to teach children that speak Shona in Mutoko and it takes time to understand that teacher. So what the teacher is now doing is to impose Ndebele and English on the children and they end up forgetting their culture.
Look at Zimbabwe right now, we do not really understand our culture and we want to enhance that culture by being taught and our children understanding that teacher from the same community. This is what we are saying and the Constitution is really clear that these 16 languages should be respected, and mechanisms should be in place but we cannot say every language be taught - we are looking at communities here. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for his response. One thing I quoted from his response is that maybe I miss the implementation matrix which may speak to my worry. What I would have wanted to get from the Hon. Minister is the assurance of how he is going to standardise this whole matrix.
Assurances coming from the previous practice whereby, for example, in Binga a school or learners are compelled to learn English, their Tonga and another language which were three. These are Grade 7 learners. The same children from another school somewhere will be learning English and their mother language. These are learning three. Some in the same level, Grade 7 are learning two. Are we giving those children an advantage? That was the plight.
My worry is that because of this endeavour word which does not compel outright, which means those languages with enough resources would be spread across the country and the formerly marginalised languages which do not have enough material will not manage to find their way across the country which literally translates that some schools will not learn an equal number of languages against others. Already, that is not just. Grade 7 learners sit for the same exam at the end of the year but these are compelled to more workload against another Grade 7 child somewhere. What it speaks to is that this child is over burdened and as such the quality of passes that we are going to get from that child who is learning more is not comparable to the other one who is learning less. That is the fear Hon. Minister. Had we known the implementation matrix maybe such worries would not have been arising. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. J. HUNGWE: What the Chief is talking about is not a new issue in this House. He has mentioned it before and I have told him I am also a Tonga speaker. I know what he is talking about. This has been mentioned ever since that the community is rather backward. We decided to put 16 languages in the Constitution. We need to make a start. Implementation will be done gradually. We cannot delay because teachers are needed. We must initiate implementation because we agreed to the 16 languages in the Constitution. The students should not be disadvantaged because they were unable to be taught in their own language. We cannot be retrogressive but should find ways of progressing. It is not a new issue to us who are here. They once talked about it and I told them that I am also a Tonga as they are. By that time, I knew what they meant by that sentiment. It has been said for quite a while that some people have been left behind and the like. An effort was made to put other languages in the Constitution and we consulted people and that is how we come up with the 16 languages. Therefore, we must make a start, some things will come as we go. We cannot wait until we have qualified teachers for all the official languages. Let us not go back and forth but it must not be forgotten that teachers are needed but we cannot stop. We discussed and agreed that there are some languages which are marginalised and are not taught in schools and those children were getting lower marks in classes.
We all understand that it was not easy to start, even Shona for it to be recognised and taught in schools as an official language was not an easy journey. We widely consulted and the Njanja people are the ones who speak real Shona, not all of us. The issue here is to have all official languages written in the Constitution to be recognised and taught in schools like other languages. So let us do that, we should not go back; let us move forward. We urge the Minister to take a stance and not be moved by some sentiments which are retrogressive. Listen to what we are saying here because you are our Minister. Tell them that as the Senate, we do not want to be going back, let us move forward. We do not want to refer to what was said before but what we are saying right now is that any eventualities will be dealt with as they come. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Hon. Chair, the issue raised
by Sen. Timveos is not relevant in this section. Here, we are talking about teaching of the language rather than who teaches it. The matter of who teaches it is a completely different issue. The thing that we are doing is to ensure that the teachers that are going to teach are competent in the languages. It is one thing to say I want a teacher who is trained in Chishona to teach Chishona than to say I want a Shona teacher to teach Chishona. Those are completely different issues. She also goes on to say the implication is, even Geography in an area should be taught by someone who speaks the language of that area. So we are endeavouring to say those who teach a specific learning area should be competent. If someone is going to go and teach Chichangani, they should be competent to go and teach Chichangani, which means their training in Chichangani has to be adequate. That is what we are saying.
The second aspect in this Bill is to say those teaching the infant module, which is ECD A to Grade Two should teach in the mother tongue of that area: this is what we are providing for here. They do not necessarily need to be a Muchangani but they are supposed to be competent to speak Chichangani because it will be the language of instruction.
Related to Senator Chief, the issue of Grade Seven, we do not compel two indigenous languages at Grade Seven. Our subjects at Grade Seven are five now - English, Chishona, General Paper local language, Mathematics and Agriculture. So in places where we have developed the local language, the examination at Grade Seven is given in the local language. We then do not say, do the local language and Isindebele for example, they just write the local language like everyone else. I do not see any contradiction there.
Let me take this opportunity Hon. Chair, that we have taken a deliberate stance to say as we are in a global village, our learners starting at junior level going into secondary should also have opportunity to learn a foreign language. We are saying our schools should choose among a number of foreign languages; Chiswahili one of which is the lingua franca of Africa but we are also saying Mandarin, we are also saying the languages of the UN, Portuguese, French and Spanish. We are saying they can choose to learn these languages starting from primary school. These languages at primary level are not examinable but at secondary school, they become examinable.
We are also encouraging cross pollination in our schools, where for example a school in Mutoko can teach Chichangana or Chitonga on the basis of the resources that they have so that we promote nation building by making people understand each other across the languages and cultures of the different local areas. So, we have this programme and definitely Madam Chair, the issue of language is one that the Ministry is taking very seriously. You would realise that in a few years we have managed to roll out and I think with Chitonga we are getting to Form Four already. Other languages, we are still behind. We are taking a proactive stance to promote these languages. I can assure you that under my watch, there is going to be effective implementation. Thank you Madam Chair.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: Thank you Madam Chair. Let me express
my bitterness to the Hon. Minister. I am a Kalanga speaker and there is lack of resources in terms of books, teachers and any other material. However, we find the Minister now introducing Mandarin, Swahili and all those other fun languages from outside. Why do we not prioritise our own indigenous languages first and then we go to other languages? Why are we running away from our own languages when we are complaining that there are no resources? We want to please Chinese and others; I do not think that is right. Thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Chair. Hon. Minister,
on the issue of local languages, I think we have a problem. That is why we cannot even express ourselves in Isindebele when we are speaking with you ministers. Every time when we stand up wanting to ask questions, most of the ministers do not understand Ndebele. Local languages should be introduced in all Metropolitan Provinces. For example in Bulawayo, all subjects are taught including Shona. Why is
Ndebele not taught here in Harare? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This is because this is a Metropolitan Province. That is where we are having a problem because as long as you are in a Metropolitan Province, you have to learn both languages. So, Hon. Minister, please consider that. That is where our chief was asking that; ‘do you have teachers who can teach in Binga?’ It is not about the teacher having passed at school because Ndebele is difficult to learn. Most of our children who are learning now cannot speak proper English because the teachers teaching them do not know proper Ndebele. They passed at school but they do not know proper Ndebele. Hon. Minister, I propose that all Metropolitan Provinces should learn both languages, Ndebele and Shona. I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Thank you Madam Chair. I think Hon.
Sen. Khupe did not fully appreciate what I was saying. I said we are taking an affirmative action to roll out our local languages and we have a very robust programme for doing that. However, I have said in addition to that because we live in a global village and we do commerce with other countries, it is important that our schools also introduce other foreign languages – that is what I said. It does not mean that we are relegating our other local languages to a lesser priority. Our priority right now is to comply with our Constitution which recognises those 16 languages and we are rolling out that programme to make sure that progressively we offer these languages in our schools. So, there is no contradiction there. We cannot say we only learn our languages here and nothing else that would actually be taking us back.
The other issue of the Metropolitan provinces, I think that is an administrative issue that we can deal with. I would not want to say that there is no school in Harare Metropolitan Province which is offering other local languages than Shona because I do not have that statistics. It could be well that there are other schools who are offering other local languages in Harare. We cannot rule out the possibility. In fact, my understanding is that one of the big schools is doing that, it is actually offering Ndebele. That is why I want to check the information but I do not want to lie and say we are not doing that. Even if you go deep into Mashonaland Central for example, you will find schools teaching Isindebele there – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- That is the truth. Before you get the information, you cannot refute it.
On that score, you will find that this Bill is now saying our schools should introduce the other languages on a progressive way. If there is any movement towards what Senator Ncube was talking about, it is this
Bill because it is now saying our schools should strive to offer all the 16 officially recognised languages, not just Shona and Ndebele but all the
16.
HON. SEN. MALINGA: I would like to find out from the
Minister how many schools have introduced sign language as a language of teaching? What progress are you making in the teaching of sign language?
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: We have put sign language on the same
pedestal as all the other officially recognised languages and we are making efforts. I am sure now that we have developed the syllabi for the sign language, so we are making efforts. We will have to select schools because we cannot roll out to every school in the country for the same reasons that resources are limited. So we will select schools so that we progressively offer sign language but it is on the same pedestal as all the other 16 officially recognised languages.
Clause 13 put and agreed to.
On Clause 14:
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Clause 14 is bringing in
sex education and is talking about health in schools. Health refers to a lot of things. It goes on to say the appointment of sexual and reproductive health personnel. We need to uphold our culture. We know that there is a lot happening in terms of contraceptives and condoms. This seems to be leading that way. In our culture, it is not easy to just call the young ones to come and access condoms. Why do you not use language that upholds our culture?
I think the word sexual needs to be revised. It would have been ideal just to say the appointment of health personnel. We know that within that whole personnel, there is the issue of sanitation, the issue of bathing and mensturation and how girls need to be prepared for this. It seems we are focusing on sex as if sex is referring to health. Does health mean sex? These are just unnecessary arguments that you bring here and we feel very uncomfortable as traditional leaders because this will be defended by the education sector that it is in the Act.
You want everything to pass but if we are to agree, remove the word sex. Just put appointment of health personnel. We do not want to encourage people who are reluctant to do this because it is in the law. It has been witnessed even in universities whereby students end up engaging in beer drinking because it is allowed. This Bill is for the people and should address the concerns of the people. Let us leave the issue of health there and remove sexual issues in schools. I am sure those out there will agree with me that some parts of this legislation makes some of these practices permissible in schools, which should not be the case. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Madam Chair, that
addition of (k) is aimed at a lot of other things that our schools are supposed to do related to issues of health in schools. The rationale for adding (k) comes from the fact the same problems that the Hon. Sen. Chief wants to avoid are happening without interventions of qualified human resources in our schools. The increases in premature pregnancies, the contraction of STIs and other things like that are a reality that is happening in our schools without the intervention of qualified human personnel to deal with those issues. When we are saying sexual and reproductive health personnel, we are talking about people and counsellors who will say abstention, who will say there is a danger, you will fall pregnant and if you do this and that, you will ruin your life. It is under guidance and counselling for our learners in our schools. We want people who have the appropriate language to avoid some of the problems that the Sen. Chief is referring to. This is why this was added here Madam Chair.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: We are not differing
with the Minister. Just a few days ago, the Minister of Justice came here and we discussed the Maintenance Bill. He saw that we had a point. If we have a point, you have to acknowledge that we have a point. The Minister of Justice said that it was expensive to go back and redo it but he accepted the point. We are not disputing with what the Minister is saying that pupils will be taught about sexual health but we just want the word health. We are saying that there are unqualified workers, but if we say right now, appoint health personnel, those who are qualified will fill that gap. Those are the personnel including those for sexual reproduction. All health personnel can be included not exposing ourselves that if we come out of this House, people will say you were in Parliament and you were promoting sex in school. Some people will not understand. Is it difficult for us to just say health?
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you very much Madam Chair. I
think health and sexual health, there is a slight difference somehow. Statistics are showing that our children, maybe it is because of the internet, maybe it is because of the phone. We can blame a lot of things but it is happening. Twelve year olds getting pregnant and less than that. We are saying there should be somebody, I hope I understand properly, at a school, who these girls and these are girls, boys are left out of everything and they do the damage, somebody where a girl can go and speak or girls can be taught. They had that extra time at school to say come, let us educate you about how to be safe, what the chief does not want to say. Way back we had aunties where we would go and when parents saw that the child is now mature, they would call tete to come but we do not have aunties now. So we need this at the schools and we need this person where a girl-child can go and be comfortable to speak to them. Also, she can call the young girls to actually educate them on their own. So I agree with the Minister. The moment you change, it is now health and health can be flu, pneumonia or anything. It has to be specific. I beg Chief.
*HON. SEN. KHUPE: I just want to support Hon. Sen. Chief because we are now - if it is said that the bedroom belongs to mother and father, we all know what goes on in there during the night but we do not talk or write about it. So the Hon. Chief is saying we know what health covers but should we go about talking about it openly?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): We have not
changed the heading of the section in the Bill but we have simply said let us insert (k) that speaks to the appointment of somebody with a certain specialty which is sexual and reproductive health. The danger in saying let us appoint somebody in legislation who will teach health, it is too broad and non-specific.
We want in the legislation to speak to issues of sexual and reproductive health, hence we had to insert a section that is specific, particular and unambiguous to what we intend to achieve. If we become broad, we are hiding under a finder, yet like what Hon. Timveos said, long back we used to have aunts and uncles who used to teach children about sexual reproductive health but nowadays, we no longer have these. For example, I stay in town and my sister the aunt stays in Hwange, probably my children only see her once in two years. The children have tablets where they see these things.
We are saying each school must appoint somebody who will be able to offer this and mitigate against zvinhu zvavari kuona musocial media or wherever and we want this person to be specifically prescribed in legislation kuti unoita nezvei aside kuti section yatiri kuti tiinserte this
…
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: Order Minister, may
you kindly use one language at a time because it becomes difficult.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Okay, but what I am saying Hon. Chair is that if you go to the section which is being amended by the Minister, Section 64 in the Education Act, the heading is health in schools, then it categorises what we need to do. Then the Minister of Education is saying let us have a specific subsection (k) that speaks to the appointment of somebody who will handle sexual and reproductive health. For the lack of a better word, that is vana tete whom we are introducing in schools to do the counseling, teach our children about sexual reproductive health, the age that is suitable for them to engage in this, what is required of them and also to monitor these individuals, our learners.
If we do not specify that person, a school may decide to appoint an environmental health technician. He is a health person and a Minister will not have a legislation to say why you appointed this person when you want you to deal with these issues of sexual reproductive health. If we have it being specific like this, the Minister will be able to say can you show us the qualification of that person that is supposed to ensure our learners learn sexual reproductive health when this person is an environmental health technician.
This will assure that our schools have the requisite skills to deal with the issue of sexual reproductive health which we must not be shy to speak about in this day and age. We are talking about child marriages, we need to ensure that we fuse it in our education system and this is a very important clause that we must applaud the Minister for inserting in this Bill as it will help us a lot.
+HON. TIMVEOS: I want to give an example using Bulawayo. There are those who come from Bulawayo. You know that there are vuzu parties where children enter competitions of sleeping with numerous boys. They say if you sleep with a number of boys you will get a trophy and yet their parents are toiling in South Africa trying to raise fees for these children. They are saying if you want to win a trophy you have to sleep with quite a number of boys. I would like you to know what is happening out there.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My understanding is that we
should not be using broad terms. We need to be specific in this particular section. I need to seek clarity. Are you saying each school from Grade Zero up to Grade Seven or from Form One up to Form Four? Where is this sexual reproductive health education going to apply? Where are these teachers or advisers going to apply? What benefit do we derive from the impartation of such knowledge? What benefit does it bring to our culture and our country? I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Some of these things
need to go to the people so that the country or people can give their input. If the people say Chief you are wrong then I will sit down – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – I am in agreement with the two Ministers that have spoken. We are not differing but we are in agreement. We are saying that there should be this person because we no longer have aunties in our societies.
We say there must be an “aunt” at a school but the point is the duties of that person are much broader than sex. As black people there are things that we do and say in our African language. I am saying that some of the issues or concepts that are related to sexual and reproductive health should have the specific terms that we use that still give decency to us as Africans. We should not be calling a spade a spade. That is what I am saying. The implication is that this could be counselors or social welfare or those from health. When you are using the word, you say these are counselors. We want people who will counsel. If it is personnel that deal with reproductive health, we are running away from our culture too fast. That is why we say the person you are talking about, we can say specific and the like but some specifics can give us problems in future. You are now implying as if they are counselors – it is you who are using that word. So if we are using that word, just be clear and say we want personnel who will counsel school children on health matters. Use counsel; you also used the word early child marriages, that one is good. Put it like this - health personnel and reproductive health, it sounds clear. Counselors who counsel school children on early child marriages and reproductive health, it is proper.
After all they are just words – what is reproductive health? There is no reproduction without sex, so why do we not just use reproductive health? Once we say reproductive we have included sex. We are Africans, we do not want to use such words as sexual. So why do we not say these people will educate children on early marriages and reproductive health, it is respectable in our society. Instead just say personnel who will counsel children on reproductive health and early childhood marriage not sexual whatever, in our society. I rest my case.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam Chair. I
would like to thank Hon. Sen. Timveos for her support and the examples which she gave of Vuzu parties. Even if we deny that fact, our society has a rot that is affecting young children due to lack of proper teachings. They now engage in such activities like Vuzu parties where they compete in sexual intercourse. A boy who would have slept with many girls and the girl who would have slept with many boys would be awarded with trophies – many things are happening and generations to come can be misled by these things.
I also heard that we should change some wording but the issue on different health practitioners is being covered by that section already. Government should provide dental officers who will go in schools, Government should provide psychiatrists and medical officers who will be doing immunisation and other related health issues. So this was inserted because the Act right now is not providing for the part to include the aunties you were talking about for them to assist in our schools.
This came into effect after the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education conducted public hearings, consulting the people across the country. This suggestion came at a later stage but it was never there. The general people are saying where we are heading with the issue of young children falling pregnant and certain behaviours is becoming uncontrollable, hence there is need to use our schools as a platform to educate our children on socialisation, so that is why we need to get qualified personnel to do that. With those words, I move that let us adopt this clause as it is.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: Thank you Madam Chair. I am sorry to
take you back Minister. When you look at your addition, the appointment of sexual and reproductive health personnel, I personally do not think that there is a difference in qualifications of a sexual and reproductive health personnel from that of a reproductive health personnel only. I think they are one and the same person who deals with sexual activity and reproductive activity. I think that the sexual bit can come in the job description of the person who is going to be employed and what they are going to do – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – because they are going to look at the whole process from how it starts, what gets done and what it results in this particular health problem.
So the person is the same, the qualification is the same, what they are going to teach is the same but when you specify, when you are looking at that personnel and you advertise, then you include all these things so that the correct person is appointed. I do not think that we should stick to a term which makes most of us uncomfortable. I personally would like my grandchildren to be taught these things but I do not want them today because they are very literate – Grade one and two but they read this and they would say gogo what is sexual? I do not want to go into those details but I can easily talk on what reproductive health is. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Before the
Minister responds, while I want to beg to differ with the Hon. Senator, sexual reproductive health and reproductive health are two different things. Reproductive health pertains to health when reproducing. Somebody who is not fertile can engage in sexual activity. So there are two aspects; there is sexual activity and reproductive health. If you look at the World Health Organisation definition, it defines sexual reproductive health and that is what they urge governments to teach. So we should not shy away from using the correct terminology of what we intend to do. I get what they are saying but I submit that, let us leave it as it is. It will cover what we require.
The other Hon. Senator said – it is covered, the Minister is empowered under this section to make regulations to define the specifics that he was speaking to. So this is general to say that the Minister will now be able to direct that it be done through regulations. Further to this, regulations will now be put in place to ensure that the gap on the specificity and particularity that we need will be covered when the Minister issues regulation but it is not one and the same thing when we speak about sexuality and reproduction. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: That is why it is said in
English they are just semantics. We are only using semantics. I want to register as chief, my discomfort of moving the way we are moving as someone who promotes culture in the country. I am aware where this is coming from; it is not a taboo, that is why they have homosexuals. Let us be careful because to them they can say anything, like a daughter can tell her father that I had sex last night with my boyfriend. In our culture, this is not permissible. We might incorporate some of the things in the Bill but this is now domestic law, it is not international. We have to write it in a way that is permissible to our culture. If we just use the term reproduction we would have covered a lot of things without mentioning the word ‘sexual’. You talked about counseling and early child marriages, in early child marriages we are teaching children not to indulge in sexual activities. To me, it should be early child marriages and reproductive health, By so doing we would have covered everything. I am uncomfortable if we can to proceed in this manner. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: What is your point of
order?
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My question was not responded
- We are debating that children must not be taught such language but I am asking - are we talking about primary or secondary schools? I am not comfortable if my grade two child is being taught sexual reproductive health.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I think we are having problems, nothing is wrong with the clause but it is the choice of words that is wrong. When Ministers come in this Senate, they want to incorporate what they think is correct; I do not think this is fair. When you come to this Senate you must listen to Senators’ concerns so that we are together. Yes, we know you brought this Bill but when Senators are concerned about something you should accept that we can contribute something meaningful.
Remove what we think is not good for the public, I thank you.
+HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Hon. Chair. This is tough, we are going to sleep here, I do not think what we are talking about here was never there; it was there before you were even appointed Ministers. We have our own ways of bringing up children in our culture. A girl will be taught how to behave whenever she becomes a teenager. Why is it now necessary that you bring this Bill here in
Parliament on how we can raise our own children, that is not proper?
We have our own culture and we have chiefs, aunts and grandparents who can teach these young children how to behave. They can teach the girls and boys. Some of us are not educated, we do not speak English and English is going to disturb us. Let us follow our own culture and teach it to our children. Are we saying when a child goes to school she must be taught about condoms? What if the child gets impregnated, what are we saying?
Ministers must be serious, we are not here to play but we are here to represent people. What are we saying as Senators, are we teaching these children to be naughty? We will not allow our children to be taught such things and we will not allow the Senate to pass such a Bill. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Hon. Chair. There is
an outcry over child marriages and there is an outcry that chiefs should intervene and act in such a manner. Here in the Senate, we have chiefs and they are objecting to the way this clause is crafted. They are making suggestions so that our children will not look at us and say we are fools; how come we did not impart wisdom in coming up with such a law. If the Bill has come from another House and we are there to give our input ,we should not come to rubber stamp what the National Assembly would have said. We want things to be amended so that we give a good image and dignity to our chiefs as the custodians of our culture in the communal lands. We should not accept everything hook, line and sinker. Let us see what we can do as elderly people so that we retain our culture which we are clamouring that it has been lost.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you Madam Chair. I think
we should be very sensitive to our cultural values. We do not promulgate laws for the international community but for our people and whatever comes out from these two august Houses must actually address and be sensitive to the intended targets. So, I do agree with what has been said. I think let us not play with semantics. If I am asked to come and teach reproductive health, there is no way I can go without talking about sex, so it is covered. So, I do not know why we want to be so offensive and disregard our cultural sensitivities just coining a word. Probably, it has the WHO or whoever that this is what Zimbabwe is doing.
I think we need to know, with all due respect, our Hon. Ministers should know that laws are created for the people that is why we domesticate any international convention so that it addresses the cultural sensitivity of our people. I strongly feel that putting sexual, the age group which we are - I do not want to labour what the other Hon. Senators have contributed but we are talking about child marriages. You said we do not want child marriages, but you are talking of sex issues so much which in our culture is a taboo so we cannot run away from it. Basically what we are saying is that we are trying to run away from being Zimbabweans who have got a culture and value. That is what defines Zimbabwe which is different from Congo, South Africa and America. We need to safeguard those. With all due respect, let us respect the institution of chiefs – those are the custodians of who we are
– [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: This is an upper house which has Hon.
Senators who are 40 years and above. This shows that we are mature. We do not want indecent things in this House. Minister, we are appealing to you that if elders are against the name – why do you not simply change the wording because you know what you want to teach the children. I thought about it as I was sitting here – after teaching these children, are you going to come to us as elderly people to teach these children or you are going to have our children taught by children who are interested in sexual reproductive health. What are they going to learn?
If you are going to talk to us as old people that are no longer sexually active, then they would understand. How can someone who requires a counsellor be a counsellor to another child? It is embarrassing. It is not a question of just rubber stamping what will have been emanated from the other House. We should not be considered as the cheaper House. We are not as cheap as that. I get touched and become afraid. If we had a Minister like Hon. Sen. J. Hungwe, he would not have said such things. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon.
Chair. It is not correct that we are disrespecting the institution of chiefs. We are not saying we are not recognising our cultural values – that is not correct. We have a section already in the Bill that speaks about health in schools. It says; the Minister may, after consultation with the Minister responsible for health make regulations in terms of Section 69 for the purposes of safeguarding the health of pupils or students attending any educational institution operated by or registered with Ministry and it gives a description of those.
We now acknowledge while we have areas where our traditions and cultural values are well preserved, we now also have metropolitan provinces or cities where we do not have strong family institutions. We need to deal with those areas. While I respectfully differ with my learned Hon. Dr. – if you go to the definition of sexuality – it has its own specific aspects. When you speak about reproduction, it has its own specific aspects too. We wanted to marry the two to ensure that this is only speaking to the Minister to say that the Minister may, after consulting; appoint these personnel to specifically deal with those issues.
It is not about counselling alone.
We want the Minister to be guided when he makes regulation that he is looking at this specific cadre to deal with this specific problem. We must not run away from this. We have that problem and we must not run away from this because we have a culture. Otherwise we want to deal with this issue so that we deal with the issue of our children. If we are to admit, the majority of us leave our children at the mercy of our schools. We are rarely with them to teach them some of these issues whereas in other communities like communal areas, it is well knit. If we look at the metropolitan provinces, it is not the same. We are speaking to amend this section so that we give guidelines to the Minister. We are not saying it is something that will be publicized, but it is a guideline in legislation to say Minister, when you consult with the Minister of
Health, appoint this personnel with these specific skills – that is the reason why we decided to specify so that when he comes up with those regulations, he will then specify that schools need these personnel in the regulations that he is making.
We are not in any way demining the institution of chiefs. We are not in any way demining the institution of marriage. We want to enhance that by ensuring that even those communities without strong family or traditional cultural values have these values taught at all our institutions. I submit that we leave it as it is. It will not create a lot of harm to us. It is very progressive to us and we move forward.
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: Madam Chair, I strongly
disagree, these rules are not private things which are tucked in the Minister or in my office ....
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. SEN.
MOHADI): Order, I do not think I recognised you. Let us conduct ourselves orderly. Can you rise so that I recognise you?
Let us avoid repetition by all possible means. I thank you. Can you continue?
HON. SEN. DR. MAVETERA: I just want to respectfully disagree with the Minister. Rules are a public document – his assertion that it is meant to guide the Minister; it is not going to be out there. If we are doing the proper thing, this should actually be available to the common person. Those words that are offensive culturally should be addressed. As a House, we will not allow such things to proceed.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: We have agreed that there should be 16 languages and that one should be removed and that should be removed which is English which is a foreign language. I want the Ministers to read in Ndebele, Tonga or any other language. Once we have removed the foreign language, that should be taught in our common languages.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: My plea was to ask the Hon. Minister – what implication or changes does it bring to their intention if they phrase it as the Hon. Chief suggested to say early childhood marriage and reproductive health. Does it not still send the same signal to their intended objective?
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Chairman I have observed that we have
dwelt at length and spoken at length. I would like to say firstly we should know that we have the Lower House and the Upper House here. This was arranged. The people that we believe we consulted they believe that if there was an opinion in that House the Lower House would come to the elders, the Upper House. Then there came a view that in the Upper House we should be in there. It was then decided that what we value most is our culture. So the chiefs were chosen to represent that aspect in the Upper House. There is no one in the Lower
House to do that so that they represent the cultural aspect of our society.
It was my understanding that the Portfolio Committees of Parliament had come up with this report yet the officers in the Ministry of Justice, legal and Parliamentary Affairs are the ones who draft this and they come here and expect us to accept that. If you are not ready to go against us then I urge you to go and implement what we have said. *THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam
President. I wanted to say that this meant that if the Minister were to appoint who will be appointed. It did not mean that it did not talk of the modus operandi of the impartation of this syllabus, that we are talking about who is the appointing authority and which personnel is needed. I have heard what you have said. We will remove the word sexual and in its place put reproductive health. We will then see the criteria of the person we will require to fill the position. I thank you.
Clause 14 as amendment put and agreed to.
Clause 15
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I am not very clear,
where are we.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON: We are on Clause 15.
Clause 15 put and agreed to.
On Clause 16:
HON. SEN. MPOFU: I am looking at subsection 5 where it says under no circumstances is a teacher allowed to beat a child. I am concerned with that Clause Madam Chair because it seems we are fast adopting the western culture of not disciplining our own children. We do not want to raise unruly children. A teacher is the one who spends most of the time with the child at school. So I think a teacher can be allowed to exercise minimum discipline to her child so that our children are all disciplined. We do not want to bring up an undisciplined youth. Thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Chair. I am on people with disability where it says every registered school shall provide infrastructure subject to availability of resources suitable for use by pupils with disabilities. Minister, what if those resources are there? I think other children will be disadvantaged. The Minister should consider that it is everyone’s right to have access to any building or institution of the country. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. MAVIMA): Thank you Madam Chair, let me
respond to both interventions; the issue of corporal punishment is almost like a fait accompli because there is already a court ruling barring corporal punishment. This is also in response to Section 68 (a) of our Constitution, which outlaws corporal punishment in general.
You will also realise that taking that into consideration, the Constitution and the court ruling; we have said we need a very robust disciplining policy which as a Ministry and I as a Minister, should develop as guidance to our schools. So, we are providing alternatives
for it.
With regard to the issue of disability, you will realise that we have a big array of disabilities. To say one school should plan in advance for all of them is almost an impossibility. We have provided for some basic infrastructure like ramps and ablutions in our schools and every school that we are building and those that did not have in the past. So that aspect is only saying, unless we are comprehensively aware of all the types of disabilities, we cannot plan in advance and those resources are not going to be there. However, if a school is approached by a learner with a disability that they have not planned for, then that school should go out and seek the necessary resources in order to provide for that. So, it is a matter of not being able to plan in advance and also not being able to provide for all disabilities because of resources. Thank you Madam Chair.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
Committee to resume: Thursday, 5th September, 2019.
It being Five Minutes to Seven o’clock p.m. THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE interrupted business under consideration in terms of Standing Order Number 51(1)(a).
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 24th September, 2019
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
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to
inform the Senate that I have received a Non Adverse report on the Education Amendment Bill [H.B. 1C, 2019] from the Parliamentary
Legal Committee.
I also have to inform the Senate that I have received a Non Adverse report for all the Statutory Instruments Gazetted during the month of August 2019.
REVISED CDF ALLOCATION
Furthermore, I have to inform the Senate that following the presentation of the 2019 Mid-Year Budget review and supplementary budget by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on Thursday, 1st August, 2019, Senators are advised that the CDF allocation from 2019 has been reviewed upwards from RTGS 80 000.00 to RTGS 175 238.00 per constituency. Members are therefore advised to submit projects for funding amounting to RTGS175 238.00.
INVITATION TO A CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
I have to inform the Senate that there will be a Roman Catholic Church service tomorrow, Wednesday, 25th September, 2019, at 1230 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Catholics and Non Catholic members are invited.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RIGHTS ON FAMILISARION VISITS TO POLICE POSTS
AND BORDER POSTS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the
Thematic Committee on Human Rights on familiarization visits to Featherstone, Ngundu, Beitbridge, Gwanda and Plumtree police stations and border posts.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. SEKERAMAYI: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. KHUPE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON
INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES
IN THE MINING SECTOR
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Thematic Committee on Indegenisation and Empowerment on the implementation of empowerment programmes in the mining sector. Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Thank you Mr. President for
giving me this opportunity to debate on this motion. Our Committee visited mining areas and we talked to chiefs in those ares on what they are doing with the monies that they are receiving from Community
Share Ownership Trusts. Let me talk about Mhondoro, Ngezi, Chegutu, Zvimba Community Ownership Trusts. We met with the mining management and they articulated how they work and how they are helping the community and also explained to us their relationship with the Chiefs. We were very happy because we saw that Chiefs are given money and they engage in projects together with their communities. The mine as well is aware that it is surrounded by villages in that area. We saw that the Mhondoro Ngezi Community Share Ownership Trust constructed schools in the area. They have projects that they are doing in rural areas to help the people there. We visited the schools and they told us how much money was put in those schools and we were satisfied that indeed a good job was being done. It was pleasing to note that the mine was ploughing part of its profits back into the community. All the chiefs from Mhondoro, Ngezi, Chegutu and Zvimba gave us a report that they had dip tanks erected for them by the mine.
Coming to the money that was given to the chiefs whether it reached the people, we found that they were given $10 000 in cash, which did not do much in terms of development. Chiefs are not doing a lot but they said that after realising that their money will finish, they got into partnerships with chicken producers so that the money can circulate amongst the people. We were shown some chicken projects which were being done.
We visited Unki Mine in Shurugwi. We met the management and wanted to know their relationship with the surrounding community. They informed us that they were staying well with the people and they were working very well. We went around and were shown two schools which they built. We were happy. These were schools that they started from scratch. We observed that the indigenisation and economic empowerment drive is going on very well.
We met the chiefs and they told us that when they were given the money, they looked for a rig and sunk boreholes. We got a record that they sank so many boreholes and they also bought a truck. The chiefs informed us they were working well with their subjects. We were very happy Mr. President because something was happening there.
From there we went to Marange Zimunya Community Ownership Scheme. We met the management and they informed us that they work hand in glove with the community. We did a tour and saw some factories of dress making which were deep down in the rural areas. The ladies were being taught how to sew and market their wares. We also visited a school which was built by the mine. It was a beautiful school.
We saw that the mine is helping the community.
From there because we did not have much time, we met the chiefs and we wanted to see how they were performing. We were informed that in Marange there is a headman called Chiadzwa who was working with the mine and is more popular than Chief Marange. Apparently Chief Marange was not pleased because he is the head but his headman is the one who is getting much recognition from the mine. We wanted to find out from the chief how they were working but we did not get anything from the chief that was satisfactory.
The community was complaining that they were not getting anything. The mine is giving them a hard time. They said that for them to drive around they have to get a permit to travel in that areas. If you move around beyond the stipulated times, you will be prosecuted. People were really complaining saying that they were being given laws in their own land. As a Committee, we felt that has to be investigated.
The other complaint there is that children in that area are not getting any help from the mine – mining companies do not want to employ them. We were informed that there are educated youths in the area but the mine is shunning them. We also met a challenge that the people that were removed from that area were not getting any help from the mine.
That is what we came up with when we were investigating this issue of share ownership trusts. The roads are not very good. They are crying about the roads in Marange Zimunya. That should be investigated and rectified so that the community and the mine should have a good relationship like the other community share ownership trusts. With those few words I thank you Madam President.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Madam President for giving
me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which we visited different Community Share Ownership Trusts. I would like to thank the Chairperson of the Committee Hon. Sen. Mbowa for leading us at all times as we moved around the country in order to assess how these community share ownership trusts are functioning and if they are functioning legally.
We began with Mhondoro-Ngezi. We wanted to see what the share ownership trust is doing. We began at ZIMPLATS, which is the company that gave them money to begin their work. However, before we speak about the share ownership trust, ZIMPLATS laid down for us the things that they are doing in Mhondoro-Ngezi. As a company, there is a lot that they are doing. They built classroom blocks for the community. In most cases, they help in building health facilities. They also managed to construct a bridge. People were facing challenges trying to cross a particular place. These are the good things that this company is doing. They are managing to assist the community that they work with.
The community share ownership trust for Mhondoro-Ngezi is also working on different and various projects. They were using the money that they were given for projects. They are doing farming as well as keeping bees and chickens. They are also doing small grains such as sorghum and millet. What we noticed about Mhondoro-Ngezi Share
Ownership Trust when we inquired from the people is that most people are not aware of it because they do things without consulting people on what they want. In some instances, they do projects that the community is not interested in.
In addition, they need to know how the money was used. The share ownership trust seems not to be sure as to how much they used in each project. There is therefore some lack of transparency and accountability. It is very vital that they should inquire from the people what they should use with the money that they receive.
We also went to Shurugwi and visited Unkie Mine. We wanted to visit Tongogara Share Ownership Trust. The company – Unkie Mine is also assisting people in terms of development. They are constructing classroom blocks as well as health facilities such as clinics, houses for the teachers as well as Blair toilets and fencing the schools. In addition to that, they said that they looked for a machine to drill wells for the people.
When we visited, they had managed to drill 150 wells for the people. However, one challenge they are facing is that ZINWA is charging them about $30 per well. Therefore most of the money that they want to channel for this is then paid to ZINWA for each of the wells that they dig. I wonder what this money that ZINWA is collecting is for. We would have loved the Minister to hear about this issue.
We ended up in Zimunya-Marange. We realise that ZCDC is the company that is there. It has availed about $5 million to them. However, ZCDC also has many things it is also doing in order to help the people in the community such as the project for making uniforms and overalls. They have also built a beautiful computer lab and science block at Gandauta Secondary School. This is a good thing that the company has done apart from share ownership trust. They have also put solar pumps at the clinic. This is done by the company directly. We need to applaud such things.
Another challenge that people are facing in Zimunya-Marange is that there are people who were moved at a place where a dam is being constructed. They were moved to another area and the company had promised that they would build houses as well as give them farms.
However, all this has not happened and the people are struggling and suffering. There are others who are in some houses that were provided by the company but they do not know where they will plant their crops.
A contribution from Chief Marange revealed that the company is causing division amongst the people especially the community and the traditional leadership. The company seems to be in favour of the headman instead of the chief. A house was built for the headman but the chief does not have all that. The chief is struggling and does not have all that the headman has. Indeed the headman is prioritised more than the chief yet he owns the community. We would like the Minister to look into this so that division does not occur amongst these people. There is need for the chief to also have a house that is built by the company because he is the head of all traditional leadership.
People pleaded on the issue of permits because they need permits to move from one area to another. If the permit expires, one faces challenges moving around. If they are caught without a permit, they are beaten up thoroughly. People were pleading that they should not be abused in their communities. At the same time, where they collect these permits, it is a far-away place and they request that this be done in their communities. It is a plea that the Minister ensures that the people who were moved to ARDA have proper houses as they were promised before they were moved to where they are today. I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you Madam President for giving
me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion. I want to thank the Committee that went around the country to see what is going on especially in terms of mining and Community Share Ownership Trusts.
Madam President, this Community Share Ownership Trust was a very good initiative which really helped a lot. I want to give you an example of Zvishavane where this Community Share Ownership Trust actually built quite a few schools and a clinic, which means that it did very well. The chiefs that were administering it, I know even now they still have a bit of money left aside.
What I really wanted to say is that I want to look at the aspect of women. When it comes to mining, women do not really have the proper support and I think when communities get an opportunity to get a trust such as this women should be considered. Women can achieve a lot and there are quite a few women that want to venture into mining, but because of resources, they do not have this opportunity.
Madam President, since the Committee has brought this important subject of this Community Share Ownership Trust we need a mining law that can support women so that they can venture into the mining sector without hindrance. There are quite a lot of women that are doing mining now but they have a lot of problems resource wise and also harassment because men that are into mining are not very friendly to us as women.
Madam President, the Constitution is clear that we must occupy these positions where we can actually contribute to the economy. So when the Community Share Ownership Trust comes again, it should have that portion where women are empowered and as women, I remember the last time there were groups that were even given opportunities. I remember there were groups that were given an opportunity for them to have licences to buy gold as well. I want to recommend even little cooperatives that we can do as women so that we can get support from all over the country.
Madam President, when it comes to mining, some of these companies that have come are not really friendly to the communities. I want to give an example of the Chinese company that is mining chrome in Zvishavane at Mapanzure area. They have caused a lot of damage in terms of environment. There are holes everywhere. The cattle are actually dying as a result of falling into these holes instead of them fencing the areas. I remember last year the communities actually sat down and called them, but all they have done after all that mining, they actually bought exercise books for one of the primary schools which I think is not enough with the funds that they are getting from that area. They are getting a lot of money which is why I can understand the Government needs to look at our laws to see if they are really abiding by the Constitution.
The Constitution says that the people that actually stay in that area should benefit from that resource and from what you are hearing in Marange, there are actually problems in that area. The community feels that they are not benefiting and the people that are coming from outside are the ones that are benefiting, which is not fair. I think the law should be clear that our children, husbands and our wives in that local area should be the first to be employed and they should get paid properly.
In Zvishavane, the workers in one of the mines, the mine that I am talking about belongs to the Chinese nationals, the workers are not getting paid properly and they do not even have days off. They work seven days a week. These Chinese are actually training people to be slaves, which is not good. Government should look also at the people that work at these mines to make sure that they are remunerated well and they are given breaks. The law is clear on that. We come here at Parliament, we have time for lunch, we have time for break which is why we start in the afternoon I suppose, but these people that work at that mine do not even have time for a break and they work seven days a week.
Madam President, let us look at our mines and make sure that our communities benefit and the Government in turn will actually benefit as well because employment would have been created for our people and everything will all go well. Especially in this country, Madam President, when we say Zimbabwe is a rich country, we are talking about the mining sector because we have so many minerals. When I was doing my research, I found we have over 62 minerals that can actually bring a lot of money into Zimbabwe, but we are not really utilising them well.
Madam President, with these few words, I want to appeal to the chiefs mostly because they are the ones that actually administered, I do not know if it was happening around the country but in Zvishavane, they were the ones who were really administering this, that they should actually consider women and make sure that we also improve our standards of living. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MBOWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER
AND DEVELOPMENT ON CANCER TREATMENT AND
CONTROL IN ZIMBABWE
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on Cancer Treatment and Control in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President. I stand to move for the adoption of the motion standing in my name. However, before I do that, I would like to thank all the Hon. Members who contributed to the motion. We heard that cancer treatment machines were bought and we hope that they have been installed so that people’s lives are saved. I therefore move that the motion that:
This House takes note of the Report of the Thematic Committee on
Gender and Development on Cancer Treatment and Control in Zimbabwe be adopted.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on Cancer Treatment and Control in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President for giving me
this opportunity to debate on this motion. When God created the earth, he gave us wild fruits which are for both human beings and wildlife.
However, we are realizing that there is a challenge that comes as a conflict between the two, that is human beings and wildlife.
We have quite a number of wild fruits which are being eaten by both human beings and wildlife. As such, we have realised that human beings have disregarded the fact that wildlife is also sitting on the same wild fruits. People are harvesting most of the wild fruits, leaving nothing for the wild animals, hence the wild life end up causing havoc within people’s homesteads looking for food.
Looking at what people eat as wild fruits; there is a wild fruit called nyii, this fruit is said to be delicious. It is found in different places but there are provinces where it is mainly found, it is mainly found in Masvingo, which is called nyii in Shona and umnyi in Ndebele. This wild fruit is supposed to be eaten by wild animals but people are now harvesting this fruit to make money by selling it.
I also looked at another wild fruit called mazhanje in Shona. I have not found a Ndebele name for it, but I am told they are also called mashuku. The fruit is mainly found in Mashonaland Province. When God created the universe, he made sure that each and every Province has a unique wild fruit associated with that province.
The third fruit also does not also have a Ndebele name, it is called masawu. It is mainly found in Mbire. This wild fruit is being sold by many people. The other fruit is called uxakuxaku in Ndebele and in Shona it is called Matohwe, it is found in quite a number of places in the country. We also have another fruit called tsubvu in Shona and umtshwankela in Ndebele and is said to be found in the greater part of Zimbabwe. Umtshwankela is found in hotels where it is provided for as dessert. There is another wild fruit called umqokolo in Ndebele and found in Matebeleland North and is said to be more like a tomato but it is a bit different because its main colour is purple.
There is another wild fruit called mobola which is a plum found in the forests. When we look at the way people are harvesting all these wild fruits compared to the number of wild animals in the forest, you realise that, indeed it is posing a challenge to the wild animals. If people who have other means of survival are turning to harvesting wild fruits as a form of living, then the wild animals are left with nothing to eat. As a country, we are getting money from the wildlife.
There is another fruit called amarula, which is amaganu in Ndebele. We are getting Amarula beer from this fruit but baboons feed on this fruit too. The way people are fetching these wild fruits is leaving these wild animals without anything to eat because these animals do not feed on grass only. However, in fetching these wild fruits, we are supposed to remember that we have wild animals that are supposed to also feed on the same wild fruits that we are fetching to make a living. These animals are of use to us as a country, we realise that we have got the big five they attract tourists and we get foreign currency and have a lot more benefits as well. If we take these wild fruits and sell them, we then have a challenge whereby these wild animals end up going to nearby homesteads and eat people’s produce and conflict with humans instead of getting that from the forests.
What I remember being said the other day is please do not take away wild fruits from wild animals and do not ever take away a bird from a cat after having pawed on it so that it can feed. We must learn from this so that we will avoid being attacked by wild animals because we are taking away what is supposed to be theirs. You cannot go into the forest and face the opposite direction from animals because wild animals have realised that human beings are now a threat to them, therefore they are their predators.
Therefore, as people we should realise that each time we fetch these wild fruits, we leave some for our wild animals. These people who are selling wild fruits should make sure that they take some and leave some for wild animals. It is not supposed to be the way we are doing it, whereby we are just taking almost everything to sell and forget about the wild animals which are this important to our country. This motion is meant to resolve the conflict between wild animals and humans. We used to eat makemeswani in Ndebele. When there was drought, we ate this fruit using our hands and made sure we left some for the wild animals or the next person. Today people are taking baskets into the forests to fetch everything and forget about the next person and forget about the wild animals.
Let us remember that these other creations in the form of wild animals are also supposed to get something from the same forests. We realise that nowadays there is no electricity and the consumption of firewood is more than what we used to have in the past. People are now cutting down trees and the rate at which trees are being cut - we realise that in the next 50 years, we will face a very big challenge. We are encouraging people not to cut down trees for firewood but make sure that we preserve our forests. Let us not forget that there is the next generation that is supposed to survive on the same trees that were created by God.
Let us teach each other to desist from causing veld fires. I fail to understand what EMA’s duty is. I feel it is a useless organisation because the way veld fires are seen in the forest is just too much. So let us respect these forests. People in rural areas use firewood for cooking but they do not cut down trees, they pick dried wood and use them for cooking. In conclusion, I continue to focus more on wild fruits that are being sold my people. Let us please guard our wild fruits in this country because our country is a very beautiful country and has all the wild life
in it.
If we fetch all wild fruits in these forests, then we will disadvantage birds and all wild animals that are found in the forests. Right now people are not even considering that birds stay in trees and prepare nests to lay their eggs there; they are only concerned about earning a living through selling firewood and wild fruits, forgetting wild life. This motion is important; people should realise that even though we are facing challenges as a country, we are not supposed to cut down trees for firewood. Let us go back to picking up dried wood and not cutting down trees. I want to thank all the previous speakers. We must remind each other on the importance of preserving our forests. I thank you.
HON. CHIFAMBA: Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. S. NCUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON SEN. RAMBANEPASI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON SEN. SHOKO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
MOTION
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWNS
AND GROWTH POINTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial shortages of clean and potable water in most towns and growth points.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. WUNGANAYI: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON SEN. TIMVEOS: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 25th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN. MKHWEBU, the Senate adjourned at Twenty Three Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 25th September, 2019
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
ISO 9001:2015 HAND-OVER CEREMONY AND LAUNCH OF THE
INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN (2018-2023)
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to
inform the Senate that all members of the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO), Liaison and Coordination Committee and members of the President’s Panel are invited to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe ISO 9001, 2015 Certification handover ceremony and the launch of the Institutional Strategic Plan 2018 to 2023 on Friday the 27th September, 2019, in the Parliament Courtyard from 0930 hours to 1400hrs.
STATE OF THE NATION AND OFFICIAL OPENING
ADDRESS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also wish
to inform the Senate that His Excellency the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa will on Tuesday, 1st October, 2019 at 1200 hours address a joint sitting of Parliament on the State of the Nation marking the Official Opening of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament.
INVITATION TO A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also want
to inform the Senate that all members of the Zimbabwe Women
Parliamentary Caucus are invited to a half day workshop tomorrow,
Thursday 26th October 2019 which is hosted by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association on the 50:50 campaign at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, starting at 0830 hours.
The bus will leave Parliament Building at 0800hrs.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa’s cell phone rang.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Please leave
the Senate.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa walked out of the Senate.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELL PHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Lastly, I
wish to remind Hon. Senators once again to switch off their cell phones or put them on silent. The Chamber will not tolerate any disturbance from cell phones.
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.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RIGHTS ON FAMILIARISATION VISITS TO POLICE POSTS
AND BORDER POSTS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Thematic Committee on Human Rights on familiarisation visits to Featherstone, Ngundu, Beitbridge, Gwanda and Plumtree Police Stations and Borders Posts.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON
INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES
IN THE MINING SECTOR
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the
Thematic Committee on Indegenisation and Empowerment on the Implementation of Empowerment Programmes in the mining sector.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. PHUTI: Thank you for affording me the opportunity to debate on this motion. During our trip to all these places that are being mined – we went to Mhondoro and realised that miners bankrolling the Community Share Ownership Trust are saying they are helping the community, however the community on the other hand is saying they do not get any help. The other thing that we have realised is that the community is not even aware which developmental projects are being undertaken by the Community Share Ownership Trust. The only people who are in the know of what is happening is only the board.
When we went to Mhondoro Ngezi, they took us to Muchiriri area which has about 10000 people. When we got there, we really admired what was happening and we wanted to know exactly how they started this project. One of the villagers then said he was not even aware of what we were talking about. The person responsible then said they started the project from the money ceded to them by parents who were overseas. Therefore, they are using such projects to say this is what we are doing, yet they are not the ones who are doing that project.
We went to this other place where there is a school which is being built. This school had a roof that was plain and the parents did not know where the money to start that project came from. Therefore, I am requesting Government to make sure that it follows up on such projects and then see if the people are benefiting from such community trusts. We then went to Chingoto Secondary School where we found some classrooms which are said to have been built by this Community Share
Trust. The chairman of this school was not aware of the activities taking place and he confirmed to us that he was hearing this for the first time following the visit.
From there we went to Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust at Msasa Primary School. This is where we realised that the trust is really making frantic efforts in the development of the community. There were earth moving machines on site. We realised that there were so many classrooms which were built by the trust. The toilets and cottages built there were of high standard and everything was nice. However, when we talked to the parents they were not even aware who was doing that project.
We then went to Chiadzwa and when we got to Chiadzwa we really felt pain when we realised Chief Chiadzwa does not know what a diamond looks like. This therefore means that these people who are mining are just doing whatever they feel like. They do not engage the people in the community. The paper work was so well done and when it is presented you really get satisfied and say everything else is okay.
However, there is absolutely nothing that is happening Mr. President.
When we left we were told to abandon the road that we used in the first place and use a different one. We were told that you may not get to where you are going because of the state of the road. People from Chiadzwa are absolutely not happy. They are saying the diamonds that are being mined from there are so much but there is no development coming to their area. There is a place where there was gunshots and people from there were saying they would rather prefer diamond mining activities to be stopped because they are not living in harmony with the mine. They are appealing to Government to put in place policies that will make them benefit from the mining activities that are taking place in the area. They were saying they do not have water and clinics. When we asked people from this place they said they are not even aware that these miners are doing anything.
We also went to another school where we saw computers which were not working. However, the communities are not aware of these developments. In Mangwe there is gold that was found, people are just digging from all over and quite a number of cars were bought from the gold mining activities that are happening. People from the community have been left with large deep pits that have been dug all over the place and nothing else. Government should make sure that it protects these areas because these people are not taking care of our environment. We need help in these areas.
When people are mining there should be a policy that is put in place because the country is losing a lot of money on gold mining and the people who are coming from those communities where the mining activities are happening are not getting anything at all. Right now we are asking those responsible in the mining sector to visit Mangwe and see what is happening there. We really need help on that part Mr. President.
We also ask those with claims in the same areas to help by building roads or schools and not to see monies being lost without any development. With those few words, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. O HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to contribute to this debate on indigenisation and empowerment. What forced me to stand up is the issue of mining. Mr. President, mining is one of the most promising sectors that we have but we are saying it is important that everyone can run around to exploit minerals but I have a request to Government that it intervenes to correct certain issues. One of the Hon. Senators who contributed to the debate said there are people who are just digging around exploiting minerals from Mangwe. People are dying.
I would like to refer to my neighbouring place – Mazowe Mine or
Jumbo Mine. If you go there, people are killing each other. If we go to Shamva, people are fighting also and killing each other. All I am saying is that Government should rectify the situation in those areas such as Jumbo Mine. If you go there now, you will realise that children are even digging on road sides – that will cause a lot of deaths. We have places like railway lines where people are digging for minerals under there. So we are saying, the responsible authorities should look at that so that they ensure that those closed down mines that belong to Metallon Gold – if there are issues that are pending in courts, may they be looked into quickly so that those places can be rectified. Children are even afraid to move around freely because there are people who go about raping them. I have decided to contribute to this debate so that those places may be rectified because they have become very dangerous.
As for Mazowe Mine, they said the water levels are very high. The allegations are that when the informal panners go into those mines underground, they drown each other. I am happy that the Minister is also here. This issue should be rectified as a country. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the
debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that we
revert back to Order Number 1 on the Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 1C, 2019]
Amendments to Clause 14 (k) put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 1C, 2019]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
(HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I now move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I would like to thank all those who debated this motion. All that is in this motion should be done. We should not just talk but act on our motion.
I move that this House adopts the motion that:
COGNISANT that Section 73 of the Constitution obligates the State to protect the environment for the benefit and future generations through reasonable legislative and other measures that prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation and secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources;
ALSO COGNISANT that wild animals depend on the environment as a habitat and source of food;
CONCERNED that human beings are endangering the survival of wild animals through the unsustainable harvesting of wild fruits which results in human and wildlife conflict;
FURTHER CONCERNED that environmental management
agencies are failing to adequately protect the environment as indigenous fruit trees continue to be cut indiscriminately, thereby depriving wild animals of their source of food and shelter;
NOW, THEREFORE, resolves to –
- enact a law that prohibits the bulk harvesting and selling of wild fruits and policies that boost agricultural production in order to revive local industry thereby improving citizens’ source of livelihoods;
- call upon Government to adequately empower the
Environmental Management Agency (EMA), including recruitment of a sufficient number of Environmental Officers to enable the agency to effectively execute its mandate.
- recommend to the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and
Hospitality Industry and Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to strengthen collaborative efforts towards protection of the environment particularly to stop the cutting of trees.
Motion put and agreed to.
Motion with leave, adopted.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you Mr. President. Firstly, I would like to thank Hon. Senators for debating this motion on pensions.
I hope the Executive are going to implement the recommendations. Surely here in the Senate, we have pensioners and all of us are going to be pensioners sooner rather than later and if this issue on pensioners is not going to be resolved, we are all going to cry. Therefore I would want to urge – I was hoping that the Minister could be here to hear one or two issues on this issue because as it stands right now, there are pensioners that are crying, there are pensioners that are asking themselves what did we go to work for and why were we contributing towards this pension because the monies that they are getting do not reflect what they worked for. So Mr. President, I would like to thank everyone and I want to move that this House adopts the motion that:
Concerned with the glaring gap in the regulatory framework on matters to deal with administration of policy holders and pensioners whenever a plethora of irregularities arise, a situation that has resulted in pensioners and policy holders being prejudiced of their benefits:
Further concerned that some administrators of pensions and insurance services have taken advantage of economic challenges to cause further prejudice by coming up with inaccurate benefit calculations, engaging in governance malpractices within pension schemes and insurance policies, poor accounting and record keeping and manipulating regulations and legislation to their benefit:
Disturbed by the complete disregard of the welfare of pensioners by the concerned authorities:
Now therefore, resolves that –
- The Executive establishes and adequately empowers an entity to address challenges affecting pensioners and policy holders with a view to comprehensively compensate all those who have been prejudiced:
- Pensions and insurance legislation be urgently reviewed in order to eliminate loopholes that have been exploited to prejudice policy holders and pensioners:
- New regulatory approaches be introduced in order to cater for the interests of stakeholders, pensioners and policy holders before the end of the year: and
- The Executive urgently implements recommendations of the
Justice Smith Commission of Enquiry on Pensions and
Insurance Benefits
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President Sir…
[First part of speech not recorded due to technical fault]
…When one gets into an early marriage, there are many diseases that they can contract from the person who marries them. This includes HIV and AIDS because in some cases, these elderly people believe that if they marry a young child, they will give it to the child and they will be healed yet they are just spreading it. In addition, the body of the child is not yet ready for them to get pregnant. Before the right time, they engage in activities that are meant for the elders. They are also expected to behave like an elderly person. They get so many responsibilities like taking care of the home and they are supposed to work instead of playing with others. This is abuse to the children and could cause mental disorders.
It is my plea that our traditional leaders strictly state that early marriages be stopped. I am glad that at the moment, we are handling the Marriages Bill which provides that a child below the age of 18 cannot get married. This is a very brilliant idea. I hope that Parliament will pass it into law so that we put an end to these early marriages. So Mr. President, I hope that churches and traditional leaders will also create awareness on this issue of child marriages. With those few words, I thank you Mr. President Sir.
*HON. SEN. TONGOFA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to wind up my motion. Mr. President, I would like to thank all Hon.
Members who contributed. This motion was debated effectively by all Hon. Members across the political divide because of its importance in our society. I hope the Marriages Bill will be passed into law as it seeks to end child marriage in Zimbabwe. Mr. President, I now move for the adoption of the motion:
That this House –
RECALLING that child marriages were a rare occurrence before
Zimbabwe’s independence;
NOTING that the extended family, community leadership and members used to play a critical role of inculcating good morals and values in children, a culture which minimised child marriages;
CONCERNED by the disintegration of the extended family unit and the community social moral fabric resulting in increased number of juveniles entering into marriage partnerships with adults:
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon the Government in collaboration with other stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders to vigorously enforce the law against offenders engaging in child marriages and inculcate cultural values that ultimately discourage and bring to an end all forms of child marriages.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWNS
AND GROWTH POINTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial shortages of clean and portable water in most towns and growth points. Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on the motion that was brought by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi, which is very important. The motion is about clean water in different provinces and districts of the country.
Water is very important in the country, be it in big or small cities as well as service centres and growth points. Clean water is required. There is shortage of clean water in various countries, it might be available in big cities but in most rural areas there is no water. Rivers and dams have run dry, therefore this motion is quite important. Most boreholes do not have water anymore. Water is now a challenge in the whole nation.
We are not looking at water for the consumption of ourselves only as human beings but animals as well, they do not have water. This includes various animals like cattle, there is no safe and clean water for our animals. I mentioned before that we do not even have water in the boreholes, it has become dry. In most areas people are facing the challenge of water shortage. Water is important as it is needed for us to live. It is also important for us in order to have adequate blood in our bodies. Therefore, there is need for us to have proper ways of harvesting water.
I want to plead with the Government to look into ways of providing adequate water for people. There is need to remove the soil that is in dams so that they collect enough water. I do not want to speak of Region 5 which has shortages of water, I am looking at the whole country which has water shortages. There are a few dams which still have adequate water, the situation is really bad this year for both people and animals. There is no water. The Government should drill enough boreholes for people in both cities and rural areas.
If you collect water and you do not use it for a day or so, if you look closely into the water, you see tiny organisms in it. Clean and safe water is important for people regardless of where they live. It is important for the Government to prioritise this. It should ensure that each and everyone get clean water. Mr. President, a lot has been said on this motion; I just wanted to add a few words.
*HON. SEN. MURONZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which was tabled by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. Mr. President, Hon. Sen. Wunganayi tabled this motion at the right time where we are facing challenges of water. Many areas in Zimbabwe are facing challenges of water. Everyone has got a right to access clean and portable water. Water is life for everyone, even long back when people want to resettle, they first look at the availability of water on that area before they settle. The challenge that we have in this country – be it rural or urban, is there is shortage of water.
Yesterday, we had our lunch late because there was no water and this is very sad. They were moving around with buckets fetching for water, it is not supposed to be like that in urban areas even in rural areas. In my constituency three villages use one borehole and there will always be long queues; people coming with scotchcarts to fetch water. So I stood to debate just to implore the Government that in the rural areas, if possible, the Government must sink more boreholes.
If we run out of chemicals like what they are saying, boreholes must also be sunk in urban areas so that people will not have challenges because water has become a challenge to all the people. To make it worse here in Zimbabwe, we have a challenge of water and this stresses citizens. If people are exposed to dirty water, this will lead to water borne diseases.
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President, for giving
me this opportunity to debate on the water situation in Zimbabwe. Water is very important in people’s lives even to plants and animals. Where there is no water there is no life. The composition of a human body; 90% of fluids is water, meaning if there is no water nothing survives. Now we are seeing the issue of water is not a problem in Harare only but in rural areas also. Shortage of water is now amongst the list of scarce things in the country including electricity et cetera. Government has the responsibility of making sure that order and sanity is restored.
If you look at dams; in Harare in 1999, it was recommended that Kunzvi dam be built because it was foreseen that we were going to have a problem of water, but ZINWA did not do that. The Government did not put any effort to make sure that water is provided. Now we are in deep trouble because the Government is not acting in fixing this, our population is increasing and there is rural urban migration but urban areas are not expanding their facilities to accommodate this. If you look at local authorities the little water that is available is not treated, dirty water is coming out of the tapes. Glen View residents were infected with cholera because of dirty water, we should have learnt from such things because a lot of people died. Councils are failing to secure enough foreign currency to buy water purification chemicals. The Government must take this issue seriously to avoid the risks of diseases, that is my thinking. Other countries have to assist us with chemicals if this is declared as a national disaster. For now, we are only looking up to the creator, God that there will be enough rains this year. There are chances that there might be no rain as we are going through another phase of el nino induced drought. Our task is to push Government to provide money to councils so that they buy water chemicals. I travelled to Chegutu and Harare, I observed that water pipes were put a long time back and are now cracking and they are blocking.
For the past five months, the pipes were bursting in Mabvuku and this gave rise to cases of typhoid and cholera. Government has to give priority to the issue of water by repairing the old pipes. A lot of water is being lost through burst pipes. The water will not be able to be pumped to different areas because of these burst pipes. Government has to chip in and assist. Councils are facing difficulties in getting money. Rate payers are not remitting their dues to council because they are not working. They survive on vending and as a result council’s revenue is
getting thin.
Most councils do not have revenue to buy money from the black market like what happened last week when the likes of Tagwireyi were buying and selling money at the black market and it was all over in the newspapers. RBZ even agreed that those things were happening. Even if council were to go onto the black market, it has no money to buy that foreign currency. People are not working and they are not able to pay rates. Government has to take over this issue and declare a national disaster so that people are assisted. Council has to play its role to encourage people to pay. As we speak right now, the situation is very difficult and people are not able to pay.
Council is not supposed to charge commercial rates for water because the workers are not getting paid. It is just charging a nominal fee and we do not expect miracles from councils. We need that grant from Government and it has to be fast tracked from central government to local governments so that they are able to deliver. Councils my fail but Government would be providing money to them and they need to be held accountable for the money that they use to buy chemicals for water.
Things are difficult because the economy is bad.
We do not want to continue giving excuses. We were voted by people to come to this House and let us serve the people. People are supposed to get water, electricity, fuel and medicine and that is the job of Government to provide these services. If Government fails to do that, we have betrayed the will of the people. We have to be held accountable by the people of Zimbabwe on what we are doing as a Government and we are supposed to respond. As we have reached this stage where things are difficult, we need a solution for the people of Zimbabwe. People have to sit down and come up with a solution that this country moves forward. Let us come together and talk and get a solution for this country. We cannot continue suffering. We cannot continue to be seated when people are dying because of dirty water. It is shocking. People are dying because of lack of medicine and doctors. People are dying when they are being operated on because of electricity blackouts. As a Government, we are doing genocide. We are sitting as leaders here when people are dying.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The
language you are using Senator Komichi is unparliamentary, especially the word genocide. May you withdraw that word?
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: I withdraw Mr. President. Many people are dying and for the past two months, I had relatives who died of blood pressure. The cause of their death was not that the blood pressure was too high but they did not have the money to buy the medication and they stroked and died. Many of us here have lost our relatives and the
Government is supposed to be conscious that things are difficult. Government is supposed to make sure that there is a solution. The solution comes from leadership.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my views on the motion that was brought by Senator Wunganayi – a very important motion indeed that everyone has a right to have safe and clean water. It is true indeed that this is a vital motion. People are having a challenge with water. The issue is that we did not have enough rains. As previously alluded to, there is need to deposit the various dams so that people have enough water.
In some areas, the wells have also run dry and that is because the number of people using them have risen. As I speak right now, water is a challenge even in towns. There is need for us to be honest with each other as leaders so that we build our nation. If councils are allocated funds by Government, they need to use it properly especially towards water. People should not be buying their properties and cars like what Harare City Council is doing. The Harare Council was very irresponsible, which is why today people are not getting clean water. They were given the money and they channeled the money towards their own vehicles instead of prioritising the people that they represent.
Indeed, Government needs to look into the issue of water. We need to know that rains are God given and when we get water, we need to be careful as a country. There is need for us to take care of our own nation and not wait for other nations to come and do it for us. There are people who purchased vehicles and ignored purchasing chemicals for water yet we are the ones who are suffering. They cannot expect other countries and nations to come and take care of this.
The previous Senator stated that most people are dying in various hospitals. As I speak right now, I lost so many of my relatives. We did not have the doctors because they had been on strike. They have been unnecessarily on strike. There are people who claim that they have been abducted yet they were not. When the doctors went on strike, they wanted the person who had been abducted to be released yet there was no one who had been abducted but up to now, they have not gone back to work. We know the real challenge especially at Mpilo; most people died because the doctors wanted the person they claimed to have been abducted to be released yet he had not been abducted. There is need for God to protect us and to come through for us and our nation. We need to respect ourselves and have a vision together because we fought a war together for this country. The devil should not destroy us. I thank you Hon. President of the Senate.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Hon. President for giving me time to support this important motion to everyone in this country because it touches on our lives and animals. As has been said by
Hon. Sen. Wunganayi – he gave a very good vision of seeing the
problem of water which is in the country. Water is very important….
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: On a point of order. The Hon. Sen. debated this motion.
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon. Sen.
Chimbudzi, the records show that you debated this motion.
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add my voice to this motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi.
Water gives life to people. When one is very sick, doctors give you a drip. They will see that if you have little water in your body, you may die. We are talking about water in the urban areas and not in the rural areas. I know that the Government is trying its best by drilling boreholes. It is not anyone’s problem but it is because there is no rain. We cannot curse God. Even the Bible speaks of seven years of rain and seven years of no rain. The Government is trying its level best that people and livestock get water both in rural and urban areas through drilling of boreholes, although other boreholes are affected by sewerage.
During the time of elections, we voted for the President, MP, Senator and the Councillor. All these people are empowered. The local authorities should see to it that people under their jurisdiction get clean and enough water. I have worked within the city council before and I know that Government allocates and gives them money for water. They divert that money to workshops that are held in Victoria Falls where hotels are expensive instead of buying chemicals. They make sure that they use that money for workshops and not for water. Interestingly, if that water is not treated, it will kill every one of us.
Yesterday Morton Jaffray was closed because there were no chemicals to treat water. We can blame each other but councils are given foreign currency by Government to buy chemicals but they are busy abusing that money. They want the Government to be accused of failure yet Government is doing its job effectively. Fixing things need people who are experienced. The issue is that all local authorities are given money. I went to a meeting where they were being asked about the money which they were given to fix roads – it was found out that local authorities in urban areas had not done anything. They could not account for the money so they ended up saying they used it to pay salaries.
If we look at their salaries from Grade 1 to 7 or 8 – they are earning a lot of money. Government is giving local authorities money to buy chemicals but they are abusing that money. In the City of Harare, Bulawayo or Gweru, it does not mean that if you are a Councillor you will get money. It is a voluntary job to represent the people. The Local Government has to see to it that the councils are using money properly.
Another issue which has been said about doctors – it was in the open. They agreed that one of them has to go into hiding. You cannot be abducted with your phone on….
HON. SEN. NCUBE: On a point of order, the Hon. Member is out of order because there is nothing about doctors on the motion.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You may
proceed.
HON. O. HUNGWE: Let us speak as adults. Local Government has to go and monitor the Local authorities to see that the money they would have been given has been used properly. There is an issue that people are not paying rates. How is the council supposed to function if people are not paying rates? They might not pay all the rates but the local authorities are getting money from rentals. Harare has houses and buildings. What we are saying is chemicals must be bought so that people may not die. It might be me who might die from dirty water.
Right now, Mr. President, diarrhea in Harare is high. People are having diarrhea because of the city council which is not treating water. We are saying we should not be pointing fingers at each other. We must say things as they are. Councils are being given money and they abuse that money. They do not use money for the purpose which they would have been given for. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. FEMAI: Thank you, Mr. President Sir. First of all I would like to say, Mr. President, I would also like to reiterate that water is life. It is essential for the life of both human and wildlife. I usually watch television especially wild life programmes. I saw kudus drinking water at a small pool. Lions also wanted to drink the same water but because the kudu was feeling thirsty as well as giraffes they started drinking water. A lion appeared and ran just to drink water instead of attacking those animals. The kudu stood and ran away soon after drinking water. I realised that it was now strong because it had drank water. Now the lion started looking for the kudu. So what it means is water is very important that even a snake would not see its prey as a priority when there is water.
Mr. President, this House, as honourable as it is, in other countries when you hear of a Senator they are very much respected. I hereby request that honour and respect should be accorded to our Senators in this House. When we come into this House let us forget about where we come from in terms of political parties. We are not campaigning because there are no elections, here we are talking about saving people’s
lives.
Today I want to debate on how we can save lives and not people of my party, not people where I come from. This water that I am holding here is very clean. That is why Parliament procures this water to give us. If this water comes dirty the Parliament would not procure it because it would be dirty. Possibly the company can also be arrested for providing unclean water. The water we are always talking about, Mr.
President, is not always clean even if Government is trying by all means.
If you are a Member of Parliament who goes out to the rural areas and you see people fetching dirty water while we buy clean water, then what do you say you are doing. In the past if you saw queues in the urban areas, you would think that it is something else that is happening perhaps food distribution, but these days what is happening is those queues are meant for dirty water, not even clean water. We are talking about what we see not because we mean to attack someone.
We want to refer to that person who has the responsibility. That person must be talked about. According to Apostolic religion if you expose a demon that demon will eventually leave you, so when we call upon those people who are failing, we mean to say those people should rectify their mistakes. If we applause for people unnecessarily, they will end up scoring their own goals, but let us give praise where it is due.
That shows that we want to build our country.
I would like to talk briefly about money that is given to local authorities to treat water. There is a Minister responsible for water, there is Government and there are also some people who are paid to give tenders. That is not done by the local authorities. The local authorities will only be given tar for roads after requesting for the tar and not the money – [HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] – I thought you were going to protect me Mr. President. It is very bad when people laugh at you while you are presenting your facts, especially when the person who will be laughing at you will be ignorant.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Honourable
just ignore them and address the Chair.
*HON. SEN. FEMAI: What comes to local authorities from
Ministries are procured goods. There are no auditors that will audit money disbursed to local authorities. Instead, they audit how the procured goods were used. That is what happens. We may lie to each other. If we want to build this country if we see a Minister driving a range rover – in this country a range rover is highly rated so much that even in America ordinary people do not use it except people in high places like George Bush, but in this country they are using it and nobody complains about such state of the range cars. Councilors drive Honda Fit, which cost US$2 500 on duty but range rovers cost millions. According to a document that I saw some time ago, the person who authorises owed the local authorities over $80 million and that is the same person who directs the local authorities to procure this and that and owes the local authorities huge amounts of money.
What we are saying is: such people in positions of authority should pay their debts, what they owe to local authorities. Once we say that we are accused of doing wrong but the whole point is, we would be having good intentions for the country. The country’s resources should be used for productive means and if we do that, our economy will move forward.
If we are really serious about growing this economy, let us forget about political parties and let us focus on how best we can build our country. For example; if you have an elder brother who plays soccer but one day he misses a goal and soccer fans begin to boo him, do not insult the fans because the fans would have realised the missed opportunity to score – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – If we realise that there is something wrong that the Government is missing, let us expose that instead of accusing the one who would have exposed the wrong doing. Let us unite and build this country together – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Let us address the water problem together as a country. If we fail to address that, then nothing else will be solved in this country, because that is the most important thing to address.
Some of us have lived for long, I am 70 years old. I saw a lot of governments come and go, I have seen Muzorewa come and go until I witnessed the coming of independent Zimbabwe. The design of residential areas was such that water and sewage reticulation would be constructed first before houses or any other structures were put in place.
Those were prioritised, then they would construct roads so that they can be used by people with nice cars and pedestrians. They would then allocate residential stands. As it is Mr. President, people are just being allocated residential stands and led to stay or settle on a piece of an undeveloped area in terms of services. Even God will curse us if after blessing us with wisdom and understanding, then we do such things.
If analysts were to look into this issue, blair toilets which are now in urban areas are just too many. What it means now is that underground water and the sewage from those toilets is mixing and leading to water being contaminated and we experience the problem of cholera. You may think that people are healthy but one day they will suffer from cholera because they are drinking contaminated water.
Mr. President, my appeal is – I will try to avoid saying the Government should avoid or rectify this and I will say, the responsible authorities should do so because I might be accused of hating or not liking the Government, which is not true. The Government belongs to everyone – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Even though it is the same Government that is supposed to provide safe water for everyone.
With the few words, thank you Mr. President.
*HON. MWONZORA: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity you have given me to debate on this motion. I also would like to thank Hon. Senators who debated this motion from across the political divide. I would like to say, before we became or become members of MDC, Ndonga, ZANU PF or NPF, the most important thing we should realise is that we are Zimbabweans. So when we look at a problem, let us look at it as Zimbabweans.
Coming back to the issue of local authorities or Harare as an example, before we go into that town, you are not required to produce the membership card of your political party but you are regarded as a citizen coming into a town to settle. That is why people are mixed in urban areas from any given political party. For example, looking at Harare, MDC had almost 500 000 votes, ZANU PF had almost 250 000 votes, but there were more people than the combined two categories who did not vote, so we do not know which party they support. When we look at this problem, let us stop blaming each other and scrutinise this problem as a united people.
Hon. Sen. Wunganayi must be applauded for bringing up this motion. His request is that the Government should avail foreign currency to the local authorities to procure water treatment chemicals as well as the pipes for water reticulation. That is the request that we are expected to debate on as Senate. Do we agree that the Government should allocate foreign currency to the local authorities? Do we agree that infrastructure should be repaired, not looking at who is to be blamed for this problem?
On that issue, when we look at local authorities, I heard Hon. Sen. Hungwe saying local authorities were given money but I was listening attentively to hear how much they were given because it is one thing to be given money but another thing on the amount that they were given. So, what I am aware of is the Mayor of the City of Harare was quoted in the press complaining that they have not received money from
Government. Local authorities do not start on the level of councillors but it starts with the Minister of Local Government then the Permanent Secretary then the Local Government Board that is the structure of the organogram of work. The Local Authority board also is involved in scrutinising who should be employed in the local authorities. The Local
Government Board scrutinises that and that board is not appointed by the
Municipality, it is appointed by the Government. So we cannot say as Government if things go wrong, we can then not say we are clean from that problem. According to the organogram, the Government is on top.
When we look at local authorities, I also heard some people saying people are paying their rates. The poverty that exists amongst the residents is so dire, they cannot afford to pay rates or contribute anything to the local authorities. I also would like to add onto what Hon. Sen.
Femai said; we also have the Procurement Board that is appointed by the President. The Procurement Board directs who supplies materials. I remember when I was at COPAC, we were looking for suppliers of certain goods that we needed, and we saw people from high offices running around trying to influence the procurement process.
In conclusion, the request by Hon. Senator Wunganayi is that there was a lot of water borne disease recently in this country. Now that we are going towards the rain season, we are likely going to face cholera outbreak. Remember it is on record that the Ministry of Health and Child Care spend US$50m to address the cholera outbreak. So, what the motion is expecting from us is to debate on averting such expenditure.
Mr. President, there is something that was said about Hon. Sen. Hungwe which I thought was out of order but now that you had not ruled it out of order, it means it is in order so, I would like to comment on that issue. The Hon. Senator referred to a case of a missing doctor
(Dr. Magombeyi), they said the doctor deserved what he went through. Since that issue is being investigated, let us wait and see how it will end because so far, we understand that his liver is injured as well as his brains and also some of the doctors, it is reported that the doctor was tortured and needs to go out of the country for further examination. So, let us stop commenting on that issue without facts but we hear that on those abductions that are being done, there are a lot of allegations about who is behind this. There is a common denominator on those allegations, number one is.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I would
like to correct you on what you are saying. I did not stop Hon. Sen. Hungwe debating on the issue of doctors because it was brought about by someone else. You are very right that issue is not supposed to be debated because it is subjudice, this motion is about water, let us debate on water.
*HON. SEN. MWONZORA: Thank you Mr. President. That is
why I said when the Hon. Senator was debating, she was not ruled out of order hence I also wanted to debate along those lines. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is the one that is mandated to allocate foreign currency. If you try to buy foreign currency from anywhere else, it becomes illegal, what the Mayor of the City of Harare said is the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has not allocated foreign currency. What happens in Harare as a capital city affects many people. I am in support of what Hon. Wunganayi said; let us unite as a country. Let us all agree that the Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe rectify this problem by allocating foreign currency. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON.
SEN. MOHADI, the Senate adjourned at Twenty One Minutes Past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 25th September, 2019
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
ISO 9001:2015 HAND-OVER CEREMONY AND LAUNCH OF THE
INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN (2018-2023)
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to
inform the Senate that all members of the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO), Liaison and Coordination Committee and members of the President’s Panel are invited to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe ISO 9001, 2015 Certification handover ceremony and the launch of the Institutional Strategic Plan 2018 to 2023 on Friday the 27th September, 2019, in the Parliament Courtyard from 0930 hours to 1400hrs.
STATE OF THE NATION AND OFFICIAL OPENING
ADDRESS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also wish
to inform the Senate that His Excellency the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa will on Tuesday, 1st October, 2019 at 1200 hours address a joint sitting of Parliament on the State of the Nation marking the Official Opening of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament.
INVITATION TO A HALF-DAY WORKSHOP
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also want
to inform the Senate that all members of the Zimbabwe Women
Parliamentary Caucus are invited to a half day workshop tomorrow,
Thursday 26th October 2019 which is hosted by the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association on the 50:50 campaign at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, starting at 0830 hours.
The bus will leave Parliament Building at 0800hrs.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa’s cell phone rang.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Please leave
the Senate.
Hon. Sen. Mbohwa walked out of the Senate.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELL PHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Lastly, I
wish to remind Hon. Senators once again to switch off their cell phones or put them on silent. The Chamber will not tolerate any disturbance from cell phones.
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.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
RIGHTS ON FAMILIARISATION VISITS TO POLICE POSTS
AND BORDER POSTS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Thematic Committee on Human Rights on familiarisation visits to Featherstone, Ngundu, Beitbridge, Gwanda and Plumtree Police Stations and Borders Posts.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON
INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES
IN THE MINING SECTOR
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the
Thematic Committee on Indegenisation and Empowerment on the Implementation of Empowerment Programmes in the mining sector.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. PHUTI: Thank you for affording me the opportunity to debate on this motion. During our trip to all these places that are being mined – we went to Mhondoro and realised that miners bankrolling the Community Share Ownership Trust are saying they are helping the community, however the community on the other hand is saying they do not get any help. The other thing that we have realised is that the community is not even aware which developmental projects are being undertaken by the Community Share Ownership Trust. The only people who are in the know of what is happening is only the board.
When we went to Mhondoro Ngezi, they took us to Muchiriri area which has about 10000 people. When we got there, we really admired what was happening and we wanted to know exactly how they started this project. One of the villagers then said he was not even aware of what we were talking about. The person responsible then said they started the project from the money ceded to them by parents who were overseas. Therefore, they are using such projects to say this is what we are doing, yet they are not the ones who are doing that project.
We went to this other place where there is a school which is being built. This school had a roof that was plain and the parents did not know where the money to start that project came from. Therefore, I am requesting Government to make sure that it follows up on such projects and then see if the people are benefiting from such community trusts. We then went to Chingoto Secondary School where we found some classrooms which are said to have been built by this Community Share
Trust. The chairman of this school was not aware of the activities taking place and he confirmed to us that he was hearing this for the first time following the visit.
From there we went to Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust at Msasa Primary School. This is where we realised that the trust is really making frantic efforts in the development of the community. There were earth moving machines on site. We realised that there were so many classrooms which were built by the trust. The toilets and cottages built there were of high standard and everything was nice. However, when we talked to the parents they were not even aware who was doing that project.
We then went to Chiadzwa and when we got to Chiadzwa we really felt pain when we realised Chief Chiadzwa does not know what a diamond looks like. This therefore means that these people who are mining are just doing whatever they feel like. They do not engage the people in the community. The paper work was so well done and when it is presented you really get satisfied and say everything else is okay.
However, there is absolutely nothing that is happening Mr. President.
When we left we were told to abandon the road that we used in the first place and use a different one. We were told that you may not get to where you are going because of the state of the road. People from Chiadzwa are absolutely not happy. They are saying the diamonds that are being mined from there are so much but there is no development coming to their area. There is a place where there was gunshots and people from there were saying they would rather prefer diamond mining activities to be stopped because they are not living in harmony with the mine. They are appealing to Government to put in place policies that will make them benefit from the mining activities that are taking place in the area. They were saying they do not have water and clinics. When we asked people from this place they said they are not even aware that these miners are doing anything.
We also went to another school where we saw computers which were not working. However, the communities are not aware of these developments. In Mangwe there is gold that was found, people are just digging from all over and quite a number of cars were bought from the gold mining activities that are happening. People from the community have been left with large deep pits that have been dug all over the place and nothing else. Government should make sure that it protects these areas because these people are not taking care of our environment. We need help in these areas.
When people are mining there should be a policy that is put in place because the country is losing a lot of money on gold mining and the people who are coming from those communities where the mining activities are happening are not getting anything at all. Right now we are asking those responsible in the mining sector to visit Mangwe and see what is happening there. We really need help on that part Mr. President.
We also ask those with claims in the same areas to help by building roads or schools and not to see monies being lost without any development. With those few words, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. O HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to contribute to this debate on indigenisation and empowerment. What forced me to stand up is the issue of mining. Mr. President, mining is one of the most promising sectors that we have but we are saying it is important that everyone can run around to exploit minerals but I have a request to Government that it intervenes to correct certain issues. One of the Hon. Senators who contributed to the debate said there are people who are just digging around exploiting minerals from Mangwe. People are dying.
I would like to refer to my neighbouring place – Mazowe Mine or
Jumbo Mine. If you go there, people are killing each other. If we go to Shamva, people are fighting also and killing each other. All I am saying is that Government should rectify the situation in those areas such as Jumbo Mine. If you go there now, you will realise that children are even digging on road sides – that will cause a lot of deaths. We have places like railway lines where people are digging for minerals under there. So we are saying, the responsible authorities should look at that so that they ensure that those closed down mines that belong to Metallon Gold – if there are issues that are pending in courts, may they be looked into quickly so that those places can be rectified. Children are even afraid to move around freely because there are people who go about raping them. I have decided to contribute to this debate so that those places may be rectified because they have become very dangerous.
As for Mazowe Mine, they said the water levels are very high. The allegations are that when the informal panners go into those mines underground, they drown each other. I am happy that the Minister is also here. This issue should be rectified as a country. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the
debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that we
revert back to Order Number 1 on the Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 1C, 2019]
Amendments to Clause 14 (k) put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 1C, 2019]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
(HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I now move that the Bill be read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I would like to thank all those who debated this motion. All that is in this motion should be done. We should not just talk but act on our motion.
I move that this House adopts the motion that:
COGNISANT that Section 73 of the Constitution obligates the State to protect the environment for the benefit and future generations through reasonable legislative and other measures that prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation and secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources;
ALSO COGNISANT that wild animals depend on the environment as a habitat and source of food;
CONCERNED that human beings are endangering the survival of wild animals through the unsustainable harvesting of wild fruits which results in human and wildlife conflict;
FURTHER CONCERNED that environmental management
agencies are failing to adequately protect the environment as indigenous fruit trees continue to be cut indiscriminately, thereby depriving wild animals of their source of food and shelter;
NOW, THEREFORE, resolves to –
- enact a law that prohibits the bulk harvesting and selling of wild fruits and policies that boost agricultural production in order to revive local industry thereby improving citizens’ source of livelihoods;
- call upon Government to adequately empower the
Environmental Management Agency (EMA), including recruitment of a sufficient number of Environmental Officers to enable the agency to effectively execute its mandate.
- recommend to the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and
Hospitality Industry and Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to strengthen collaborative efforts towards protection of the environment particularly to stop the cutting of trees.
Motion put and agreed to.
Motion with leave, adopted.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you Mr. President. Firstly, I would like to thank Hon. Senators for debating this motion on pensions.
I hope the Executive are going to implement the recommendations. Surely here in the Senate, we have pensioners and all of us are going to be pensioners sooner rather than later and if this issue on pensioners is not going to be resolved, we are all going to cry. Therefore I would want to urge – I was hoping that the Minister could be here to hear one or two issues on this issue because as it stands right now, there are pensioners that are crying, there are pensioners that are asking themselves what did we go to work for and why were we contributing towards this pension because the monies that they are getting do not reflect what they worked for. So Mr. President, I would like to thank everyone and I want to move that this House adopts the motion that:
Concerned with the glaring gap in the regulatory framework on matters to deal with administration of policy holders and pensioners whenever a plethora of irregularities arise, a situation that has resulted in pensioners and policy holders being prejudiced of their benefits:
Further concerned that some administrators of pensions and insurance services have taken advantage of economic challenges to cause further prejudice by coming up with inaccurate benefit calculations, engaging in governance malpractices within pension schemes and insurance policies, poor accounting and record keeping and manipulating regulations and legislation to their benefit:
Disturbed by the complete disregard of the welfare of pensioners by the concerned authorities:
Now therefore, resolves that –
- The Executive establishes and adequately empowers an entity to address challenges affecting pensioners and policy holders with a view to comprehensively compensate all those who have been prejudiced:
- Pensions and insurance legislation be urgently reviewed in order to eliminate loopholes that have been exploited to prejudice policy holders and pensioners:
- New regulatory approaches be introduced in order to cater for the interests of stakeholders, pensioners and policy holders before the end of the year: and
- The Executive urgently implements recommendations of the
Justice Smith Commission of Enquiry on Pensions and
Insurance Benefits
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you Mr. President Sir…
[First part of speech not recorded due to technical fault]
…When one gets into an early marriage, there are many diseases that they can contract from the person who marries them. This includes HIV and AIDS because in some cases, these elderly people believe that if they marry a young child, they will give it to the child and they will be healed yet they are just spreading it. In addition, the body of the child is not yet ready for them to get pregnant. Before the right time, they engage in activities that are meant for the elders. They are also expected to behave like an elderly person. They get so many responsibilities like taking care of the home and they are supposed to work instead of playing with others. This is abuse to the children and could cause mental disorders.
It is my plea that our traditional leaders strictly state that early marriages be stopped. I am glad that at the moment, we are handling the Marriages Bill which provides that a child below the age of 18 cannot get married. This is a very brilliant idea. I hope that Parliament will pass it into law so that we put an end to these early marriages. So Mr. President, I hope that churches and traditional leaders will also create awareness on this issue of child marriages. With those few words, I thank you Mr. President Sir.
*HON. SEN. TONGOFA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to wind up my motion. Mr. President, I would like to thank all Hon.
Members who contributed. This motion was debated effectively by all Hon. Members across the political divide because of its importance in our society. I hope the Marriages Bill will be passed into law as it seeks to end child marriage in Zimbabwe. Mr. President, I now move for the adoption of the motion:
That this House –
RECALLING that child marriages were a rare occurrence before
Zimbabwe’s independence;
NOTING that the extended family, community leadership and members used to play a critical role of inculcating good morals and values in children, a culture which minimised child marriages;
CONCERNED by the disintegration of the extended family unit and the community social moral fabric resulting in increased number of juveniles entering into marriage partnerships with adults:
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon the Government in collaboration with other stakeholders including traditional and religious leaders to vigorously enforce the law against offenders engaging in child marriages and inculcate cultural values that ultimately discourage and bring to an end all forms of child marriages.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWNS
AND GROWTH POINTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial shortages of clean and portable water in most towns and growth points. Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on the motion that was brought by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi, which is very important. The motion is about clean water in different provinces and districts of the country.
Water is very important in the country, be it in big or small cities as well as service centres and growth points. Clean water is required. There is shortage of clean water in various countries, it might be available in big cities but in most rural areas there is no water. Rivers and dams have run dry, therefore this motion is quite important. Most boreholes do not have water anymore. Water is now a challenge in the whole nation.
We are not looking at water for the consumption of ourselves only as human beings but animals as well, they do not have water. This includes various animals like cattle, there is no safe and clean water for our animals. I mentioned before that we do not even have water in the boreholes, it has become dry. In most areas people are facing the challenge of water shortage. Water is important as it is needed for us to live. It is also important for us in order to have adequate blood in our bodies. Therefore, there is need for us to have proper ways of harvesting water.
I want to plead with the Government to look into ways of providing adequate water for people. There is need to remove the soil that is in dams so that they collect enough water. I do not want to speak of Region 5 which has shortages of water, I am looking at the whole country which has water shortages. There are a few dams which still have adequate water, the situation is really bad this year for both people and animals. There is no water. The Government should drill enough boreholes for people in both cities and rural areas.
If you collect water and you do not use it for a day or so, if you look closely into the water, you see tiny organisms in it. Clean and safe water is important for people regardless of where they live. It is important for the Government to prioritise this. It should ensure that each and everyone get clean water. Mr. President, a lot has been said on this motion; I just wanted to add a few words.
*HON. SEN. MURONZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which was tabled by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. Mr. President, Hon. Sen. Wunganayi tabled this motion at the right time where we are facing challenges of water. Many areas in Zimbabwe are facing challenges of water. Everyone has got a right to access clean and portable water. Water is life for everyone, even long back when people want to resettle, they first look at the availability of water on that area before they settle. The challenge that we have in this country – be it rural or urban, is there is shortage of water.
Yesterday, we had our lunch late because there was no water and this is very sad. They were moving around with buckets fetching for water, it is not supposed to be like that in urban areas even in rural areas. In my constituency three villages use one borehole and there will always be long queues; people coming with scotchcarts to fetch water. So I stood to debate just to implore the Government that in the rural areas, if possible, the Government must sink more boreholes.
If we run out of chemicals like what they are saying, boreholes must also be sunk in urban areas so that people will not have challenges because water has become a challenge to all the people. To make it worse here in Zimbabwe, we have a challenge of water and this stresses citizens. If people are exposed to dirty water, this will lead to water borne diseases.
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President, for giving
me this opportunity to debate on the water situation in Zimbabwe. Water is very important in people’s lives even to plants and animals. Where there is no water there is no life. The composition of a human body; 90% of fluids is water, meaning if there is no water nothing survives. Now we are seeing the issue of water is not a problem in Harare only but in rural areas also. Shortage of water is now amongst the list of scarce things in the country including electricity et cetera. Government has the responsibility of making sure that order and sanity is restored.
If you look at dams; in Harare in 1999, it was recommended that Kunzvi dam be built because it was foreseen that we were going to have a problem of water, but ZINWA did not do that. The Government did not put any effort to make sure that water is provided. Now we are in deep trouble because the Government is not acting in fixing this, our population is increasing and there is rural urban migration but urban areas are not expanding their facilities to accommodate this. If you look at local authorities the little water that is available is not treated, dirty water is coming out of the tapes. Glen View residents were infected with cholera because of dirty water, we should have learnt from such things because a lot of people died. Councils are failing to secure enough foreign currency to buy water purification chemicals. The Government must take this issue seriously to avoid the risks of diseases, that is my thinking. Other countries have to assist us with chemicals if this is declared as a national disaster. For now, we are only looking up to the creator, God that there will be enough rains this year. There are chances that there might be no rain as we are going through another phase of el nino induced drought. Our task is to push Government to provide money to councils so that they buy water chemicals. I travelled to Chegutu and Harare, I observed that water pipes were put a long time back and are now cracking and they are blocking.
For the past five months, the pipes were bursting in Mabvuku and this gave rise to cases of typhoid and cholera. Government has to give priority to the issue of water by repairing the old pipes. A lot of water is being lost through burst pipes. The water will not be able to be pumped to different areas because of these burst pipes. Government has to chip in and assist. Councils are facing difficulties in getting money. Rate payers are not remitting their dues to council because they are not working. They survive on vending and as a result council’s revenue is
getting thin.
Most councils do not have revenue to buy money from the black market like what happened last week when the likes of Tagwireyi were buying and selling money at the black market and it was all over in the newspapers. RBZ even agreed that those things were happening. Even if council were to go onto the black market, it has no money to buy that foreign currency. People are not working and they are not able to pay rates. Government has to take over this issue and declare a national disaster so that people are assisted. Council has to play its role to encourage people to pay. As we speak right now, the situation is very difficult and people are not able to pay.
Council is not supposed to charge commercial rates for water because the workers are not getting paid. It is just charging a nominal fee and we do not expect miracles from councils. We need that grant from Government and it has to be fast tracked from central government to local governments so that they are able to deliver. Councils my fail but Government would be providing money to them and they need to be held accountable for the money that they use to buy chemicals for water.
Things are difficult because the economy is bad.
We do not want to continue giving excuses. We were voted by people to come to this House and let us serve the people. People are supposed to get water, electricity, fuel and medicine and that is the job of Government to provide these services. If Government fails to do that, we have betrayed the will of the people. We have to be held accountable by the people of Zimbabwe on what we are doing as a Government and we are supposed to respond. As we have reached this stage where things are difficult, we need a solution for the people of Zimbabwe. People have to sit down and come up with a solution that this country moves forward. Let us come together and talk and get a solution for this country. We cannot continue suffering. We cannot continue to be seated when people are dying because of dirty water. It is shocking. People are dying because of lack of medicine and doctors. People are dying when they are being operated on because of electricity blackouts. As a Government, we are doing genocide. We are sitting as leaders here when people are dying.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The
language you are using Senator Komichi is unparliamentary, especially the word genocide. May you withdraw that word?
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: I withdraw Mr. President. Many people are dying and for the past two months, I had relatives who died of blood pressure. The cause of their death was not that the blood pressure was too high but they did not have the money to buy the medication and they stroked and died. Many of us here have lost our relatives and the
Government is supposed to be conscious that things are difficult. Government is supposed to make sure that there is a solution. The solution comes from leadership.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my views on the motion that was brought by Senator Wunganayi – a very important motion indeed that everyone has a right to have safe and clean water. It is true indeed that this is a vital motion. People are having a challenge with water. The issue is that we did not have enough rains. As previously alluded to, there is need to deposit the various dams so that people have enough water.
In some areas, the wells have also run dry and that is because the number of people using them have risen. As I speak right now, water is a challenge even in towns. There is need for us to be honest with each other as leaders so that we build our nation. If councils are allocated funds by Government, they need to use it properly especially towards water. People should not be buying their properties and cars like what Harare City Council is doing. The Harare Council was very irresponsible, which is why today people are not getting clean water. They were given the money and they channeled the money towards their own vehicles instead of prioritising the people that they represent.
Indeed, Government needs to look into the issue of water. We need to know that rains are God given and when we get water, we need to be careful as a country. There is need for us to take care of our own nation and not wait for other nations to come and do it for us. There are people who purchased vehicles and ignored purchasing chemicals for water yet we are the ones who are suffering. They cannot expect other countries and nations to come and take care of this.
The previous Senator stated that most people are dying in various hospitals. As I speak right now, I lost so many of my relatives. We did not have the doctors because they had been on strike. They have been unnecessarily on strike. There are people who claim that they have been abducted yet they were not. When the doctors went on strike, they wanted the person who had been abducted to be released yet there was no one who had been abducted but up to now, they have not gone back to work. We know the real challenge especially at Mpilo; most people died because the doctors wanted the person they claimed to have been abducted to be released yet he had not been abducted. There is need for God to protect us and to come through for us and our nation. We need to respect ourselves and have a vision together because we fought a war together for this country. The devil should not destroy us. I thank you Hon. President of the Senate.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Hon. President for giving me time to support this important motion to everyone in this country because it touches on our lives and animals. As has been said by
Hon. Sen. Wunganayi – he gave a very good vision of seeing the
problem of water which is in the country. Water is very important….
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: On a point of order. The Hon. Sen. debated this motion.
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon. Sen.
Chimbudzi, the records show that you debated this motion.
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add my voice to this motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi.
Water gives life to people. When one is very sick, doctors give you a drip. They will see that if you have little water in your body, you may die. We are talking about water in the urban areas and not in the rural areas. I know that the Government is trying its best by drilling boreholes. It is not anyone’s problem but it is because there is no rain. We cannot curse God. Even the Bible speaks of seven years of rain and seven years of no rain. The Government is trying its level best that people and livestock get water both in rural and urban areas through drilling of boreholes, although other boreholes are affected by sewerage.
During the time of elections, we voted for the President, MP, Senator and the Councillor. All these people are empowered. The local authorities should see to it that people under their jurisdiction get clean and enough water. I have worked within the city council before and I know that Government allocates and gives them money for water. They divert that money to workshops that are held in Victoria Falls where hotels are expensive instead of buying chemicals. They make sure that they use that money for workshops and not for water. Interestingly, if that water is not treated, it will kill every one of us.
Yesterday Morton Jaffray was closed because there were no chemicals to treat water. We can blame each other but councils are given foreign currency by Government to buy chemicals but they are busy abusing that money. They want the Government to be accused of failure yet Government is doing its job effectively. Fixing things need people who are experienced. The issue is that all local authorities are given money. I went to a meeting where they were being asked about the money which they were given to fix roads – it was found out that local authorities in urban areas had not done anything. They could not account for the money so they ended up saying they used it to pay salaries.
If we look at their salaries from Grade 1 to 7 or 8 – they are earning a lot of money. Government is giving local authorities money to buy chemicals but they are abusing that money. In the City of Harare, Bulawayo or Gweru, it does not mean that if you are a Councillor you will get money. It is a voluntary job to represent the people. The Local Government has to see to it that the councils are using money properly.
Another issue which has been said about doctors – it was in the open. They agreed that one of them has to go into hiding. You cannot be abducted with your phone on….
HON. SEN. NCUBE: On a point of order, the Hon. Member is out of order because there is nothing about doctors on the motion.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You may
proceed.
HON. O. HUNGWE: Let us speak as adults. Local Government has to go and monitor the Local authorities to see that the money they would have been given has been used properly. There is an issue that people are not paying rates. How is the council supposed to function if people are not paying rates? They might not pay all the rates but the local authorities are getting money from rentals. Harare has houses and buildings. What we are saying is chemicals must be bought so that people may not die. It might be me who might die from dirty water.
Right now, Mr. President, diarrhea in Harare is high. People are having diarrhea because of the city council which is not treating water. We are saying we should not be pointing fingers at each other. We must say things as they are. Councils are being given money and they abuse that money. They do not use money for the purpose which they would have been given for. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. FEMAI: Thank you, Mr. President Sir. First of all I would like to say, Mr. President, I would also like to reiterate that water is life. It is essential for the life of both human and wildlife. I usually watch television especially wild life programmes. I saw kudus drinking water at a small pool. Lions also wanted to drink the same water but because the kudu was feeling thirsty as well as giraffes they started drinking water. A lion appeared and ran just to drink water instead of attacking those animals. The kudu stood and ran away soon after drinking water. I realised that it was now strong because it had drank water. Now the lion started looking for the kudu. So what it means is water is very important that even a snake would not see its prey as a priority when there is water.
Mr. President, this House, as honourable as it is, in other countries when you hear of a Senator they are very much respected. I hereby request that honour and respect should be accorded to our Senators in this House. When we come into this House let us forget about where we come from in terms of political parties. We are not campaigning because there are no elections, here we are talking about saving people’s
lives.
Today I want to debate on how we can save lives and not people of my party, not people where I come from. This water that I am holding here is very clean. That is why Parliament procures this water to give us. If this water comes dirty the Parliament would not procure it because it would be dirty. Possibly the company can also be arrested for providing unclean water. The water we are always talking about, Mr.
President, is not always clean even if Government is trying by all means.
If you are a Member of Parliament who goes out to the rural areas and you see people fetching dirty water while we buy clean water, then what do you say you are doing. In the past if you saw queues in the urban areas, you would think that it is something else that is happening perhaps food distribution, but these days what is happening is those queues are meant for dirty water, not even clean water. We are talking about what we see not because we mean to attack someone.
We want to refer to that person who has the responsibility. That person must be talked about. According to Apostolic religion if you expose a demon that demon will eventually leave you, so when we call upon those people who are failing, we mean to say those people should rectify their mistakes. If we applause for people unnecessarily, they will end up scoring their own goals, but let us give praise where it is due.
That shows that we want to build our country.
I would like to talk briefly about money that is given to local authorities to treat water. There is a Minister responsible for water, there is Government and there are also some people who are paid to give tenders. That is not done by the local authorities. The local authorities will only be given tar for roads after requesting for the tar and not the money – [HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] – I thought you were going to protect me Mr. President. It is very bad when people laugh at you while you are presenting your facts, especially when the person who will be laughing at you will be ignorant.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Honourable
just ignore them and address the Chair.
*HON. SEN. FEMAI: What comes to local authorities from
Ministries are procured goods. There are no auditors that will audit money disbursed to local authorities. Instead, they audit how the procured goods were used. That is what happens. We may lie to each other. If we want to build this country if we see a Minister driving a range rover – in this country a range rover is highly rated so much that even in America ordinary people do not use it except people in high places like George Bush, but in this country they are using it and nobody complains about such state of the range cars. Councilors drive Honda Fit, which cost US$2 500 on duty but range rovers cost millions. According to a document that I saw some time ago, the person who authorises owed the local authorities over $80 million and that is the same person who directs the local authorities to procure this and that and owes the local authorities huge amounts of money.
What we are saying is: such people in positions of authority should pay their debts, what they owe to local authorities. Once we say that we are accused of doing wrong but the whole point is, we would be having good intentions for the country. The country’s resources should be used for productive means and if we do that, our economy will move forward.
If we are really serious about growing this economy, let us forget about political parties and let us focus on how best we can build our country. For example; if you have an elder brother who plays soccer but one day he misses a goal and soccer fans begin to boo him, do not insult the fans because the fans would have realised the missed opportunity to score – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – If we realise that there is something wrong that the Government is missing, let us expose that instead of accusing the one who would have exposed the wrong doing. Let us unite and build this country together – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Let us address the water problem together as a country. If we fail to address that, then nothing else will be solved in this country, because that is the most important thing to address.
Some of us have lived for long, I am 70 years old. I saw a lot of governments come and go, I have seen Muzorewa come and go until I witnessed the coming of independent Zimbabwe. The design of residential areas was such that water and sewage reticulation would be constructed first before houses or any other structures were put in place.
Those were prioritised, then they would construct roads so that they can be used by people with nice cars and pedestrians. They would then allocate residential stands. As it is Mr. President, people are just being allocated residential stands and led to stay or settle on a piece of an undeveloped area in terms of services. Even God will curse us if after blessing us with wisdom and understanding, then we do such things.
If analysts were to look into this issue, blair toilets which are now in urban areas are just too many. What it means now is that underground water and the sewage from those toilets is mixing and leading to water being contaminated and we experience the problem of cholera. You may think that people are healthy but one day they will suffer from cholera because they are drinking contaminated water.
Mr. President, my appeal is – I will try to avoid saying the Government should avoid or rectify this and I will say, the responsible authorities should do so because I might be accused of hating or not liking the Government, which is not true. The Government belongs to everyone – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Even though it is the same Government that is supposed to provide safe water for everyone.
With the few words, thank you Mr. President.
*HON. MWONZORA: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity you have given me to debate on this motion. I also would like to thank Hon. Senators who debated this motion from across the political divide. I would like to say, before we became or become members of MDC, Ndonga, ZANU PF or NPF, the most important thing we should realise is that we are Zimbabweans. So when we look at a problem, let us look at it as Zimbabweans.
Coming back to the issue of local authorities or Harare as an example, before we go into that town, you are not required to produce the membership card of your political party but you are regarded as a citizen coming into a town to settle. That is why people are mixed in urban areas from any given political party. For example, looking at Harare, MDC had almost 500 000 votes, ZANU PF had almost 250 000 votes, but there were more people than the combined two categories who did not vote, so we do not know which party they support. When we look at this problem, let us stop blaming each other and scrutinise this problem as a united people.
Hon. Sen. Wunganayi must be applauded for bringing up this motion. His request is that the Government should avail foreign currency to the local authorities to procure water treatment chemicals as well as the pipes for water reticulation. That is the request that we are expected to debate on as Senate. Do we agree that the Government should allocate foreign currency to the local authorities? Do we agree that infrastructure should be repaired, not looking at who is to be blamed for this problem?
On that issue, when we look at local authorities, I heard Hon. Sen. Hungwe saying local authorities were given money but I was listening attentively to hear how much they were given because it is one thing to be given money but another thing on the amount that they were given. So, what I am aware of is the Mayor of the City of Harare was quoted in the press complaining that they have not received money from
Government. Local authorities do not start on the level of councillors but it starts with the Minister of Local Government then the Permanent Secretary then the Local Government Board that is the structure of the organogram of work. The Local Authority board also is involved in scrutinising who should be employed in the local authorities. The Local
Government Board scrutinises that and that board is not appointed by the
Municipality, it is appointed by the Government. So we cannot say as Government if things go wrong, we can then not say we are clean from that problem. According to the organogram, the Government is on top.
When we look at local authorities, I also heard some people saying people are paying their rates. The poverty that exists amongst the residents is so dire, they cannot afford to pay rates or contribute anything to the local authorities. I also would like to add onto what Hon. Sen.
Femai said; we also have the Procurement Board that is appointed by the President. The Procurement Board directs who supplies materials. I remember when I was at COPAC, we were looking for suppliers of certain goods that we needed, and we saw people from high offices running around trying to influence the procurement process.
In conclusion, the request by Hon. Senator Wunganayi is that there was a lot of water borne disease recently in this country. Now that we are going towards the rain season, we are likely going to face cholera outbreak. Remember it is on record that the Ministry of Health and Child Care spend US$50m to address the cholera outbreak. So, what the motion is expecting from us is to debate on averting such expenditure.
Mr. President, there is something that was said about Hon. Sen. Hungwe which I thought was out of order but now that you had not ruled it out of order, it means it is in order so, I would like to comment on that issue. The Hon. Senator referred to a case of a missing doctor
(Dr. Magombeyi), they said the doctor deserved what he went through. Since that issue is being investigated, let us wait and see how it will end because so far, we understand that his liver is injured as well as his brains and also some of the doctors, it is reported that the doctor was tortured and needs to go out of the country for further examination. So, let us stop commenting on that issue without facts but we hear that on those abductions that are being done, there are a lot of allegations about who is behind this. There is a common denominator on those allegations, number one is.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I would
like to correct you on what you are saying. I did not stop Hon. Sen. Hungwe debating on the issue of doctors because it was brought about by someone else. You are very right that issue is not supposed to be debated because it is subjudice, this motion is about water, let us debate on water.
*HON. SEN. MWONZORA: Thank you Mr. President. That is
why I said when the Hon. Senator was debating, she was not ruled out of order hence I also wanted to debate along those lines. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is the one that is mandated to allocate foreign currency. If you try to buy foreign currency from anywhere else, it becomes illegal, what the Mayor of the City of Harare said is the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has not allocated foreign currency. What happens in Harare as a capital city affects many people. I am in support of what Hon. Wunganayi said; let us unite as a country. Let us all agree that the Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe rectify this problem by allocating foreign currency. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 26th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON.
SEN. MOHADI, the Senate adjourned at Twenty One Minutes Past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 3rd September, 2019
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
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
STANDING ORDERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to
inform the Senate that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has circulated proposed amendments to the Standing Orders through the Members’ pigeon holes. Hon. Senators are kindly requested to make their submissions which should be deposited in Counsel to Parliament’s office by end of business on Thursday, 19th September, 2019 or email clerk@parlzim.gov.zw.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: May I
remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cell phones or put them on silent.
WINDING UP OF MOTIONS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also would
like to remind Hon. Senators that we are coming to the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, so avoid having your motions lapse by winding them up.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Mr. President, is it possible to carry the motions over?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You cannot.
That is why I am reminding you to wind them up.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that Order of the
Day, Number 1 be stood over until all the rest of the Orders on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RAMBANEPASI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Fourth order read: adjourned debate on motion on the need of the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWNS
AND GROWTH POINTS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial shortages of clean and potable water in most towns and growth points.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. NCUBE: I thank you for this opportunity, Mr. President. I would like to thank Senator Wunganayi for moving this pertinent motion for non-availability of potable water. Water is life; there is nothing you can do in life without water. The mover almost said everything on this motion, I have just stood to concur and second the motion.
We go without water in our houses and drink unhygienic water as well and it makes people’s lives unhealthy. What measures is the Government taking to make sure people have got potable water in
cities.
Most of our dams where we should be harvesting water are now silted, including the rivers. Let us priorities people’s lives. When we talk of health, there is no way we can live in cities without water.
Talking about Parliament, it is a disgrace for a place like this to go without water. I am of the opinion that if there is no water, we should just close because our toilets should be hygienic and accessible.
When we leave this Parliament building without water, we go to our homes and also find out there will be no water as well. We have toilets in houses and these toilets should be hygienic. How many are able to maintain that hygiene without water? Let us take measures that will enable us to live a hygienic life.
There are vendors selling vegetables and other food products in the streets, how are they managing to do such things without water? Government should take measures to ensure that people have access to borehole water.
There are some places where people were resettled and there is no water. How do those people survive when there is no water? I have since observed that some towns have blair toilets now. The Government should take note of that. Some places here in Harare have gone for 10 years without piped water; that is not good at all. Water has many uses. Very soon the rains are coming, as a country, let us ensure that we harvest the water so that it does not flow to the sea.
We have talked about a lot of things here about water. In
Bulawayo and Matabeleland region there is the Zambezi Water Project which has always been talked about during election time. The
Government should implement what would have been talked about. If Government implements the Zambezi Water Project, it will improve the lives of the people of Matabeleland in various ways. People are now tired of this project, it has always been talked about on television and in newspapers.
Let us do things that make our people happy. We are talking of water which people use and cannot live without. The Hon. Sen. who moved this motion looks into everything so that we can access water and how to conserve the water. People who throw dirt into the water were talked about. That is not good, people should not do that. Water should always be clean. Even water that is used for irrigation should be clean. I thank you for the motion which was brought into the House, I second it. Let us debate and implement it. I thank you. *HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Madam President for affording me this opportunity to speak on a motion raised by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. It is an important motion that talks about clean portable water in urban cities. We all know that water is life, hence it is important to our health. If you look at the urban settlements, we are having difficulties in having sufficient quantities of water. If the water is available, it will have a stench smell. At times, it is dirty and one wonders what could be the cause. As I have earlier on stated, things can never remain stagnant. Gone are the days when things used to be good in the 70s and 80s when there were very few urban dwellers. The population has now increased. If we look at the water reservoirs, the question comes that - when were these reservoirs last constructed? Have new ones been constructed or we are still having the same old capacity of water reservoirs that we had?
If I look at a situation in Mwenezi – I am at Rutenga Growth Point. We require water because we have said we were dealing with water in cities and growth points. The reservoirs that were constructed are still
the same size, same applies to the pipes that were laid a long time ago. They either break down or they run short of water because of increased demand as a result of population explosion. There is need for the expansion of water reservoirs and tanks. Who is responsible for ensuring that bigger and larger reservoirs are constructed? We always blame the Central Government for having failed but what has the local government done? What has the local authority said? Have they taken up the matter with the superiors? They are given money for use at local government level, what is the money used for? If we look at sewer pipes, they are constantly broken down. Are there no funds disbursed from the National Budget to these local authorities? We always talk of devolution, pardon me, I am not good at English. Local governments are going to be given funding as a result of the devolution aspect of Government. It is going to cause other people grow large stomachs and forget to look at issues of water, sanitation and sewage, especially the construction of water reservoirs and other infrastructure. We should not constantly be blaming the Central Government but should look at the root cause.
We should see if the local government structures are doing their work properly. It is always good to learn from other people’s best practice but at times it may be detrimental to you. I looked at the small country called Israel. It is in a desert. When I listened to the radio broadcast, I realise that they had used wisdom in recycling the water from the sewerage. They observed that it was better for recycled water from sewerage for irrigation and gardening purposes. The same cannot be said about us when we water our loans and vegetable patches. The water that we are unwisely using for our gardening and loans is treated water which is more expensive as opposed to just using recycled water treated from the sewage for such purposes as is the case with the Israelis. The recycling of sewage water is a conservative measure and it is that same water they use for gardening and watering their loans.
We should have two different taps, a blue tap for portable water and green tap for recycled water for other purposes. I urge local government to use best practice, copy and put it into practice rather than having sewages being discharged into Lake Chivero causing pollution.
We need wisdom to come up with solutions because we are having dirty and contaminated water. As the august House, is it not better for us to call the local authorities and ask them what measures they have taken to alleviate the water problem and that of the constant breakdown of sewer lines. This is a good motion and I have decided to support it so that people can take in the wisdom of the Israelis too so that we can also benefit from their technology rather than lose the water from sewage. By using the recycled water from sewage, we may be conserving our drinking water. It also helps alleviate the population explosion that we have in urban areas without corresponding water harvesting and distribution infrastructure. Madam President, I have decided to share these few words with the House. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. SHOKO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND
DEVELOPMENT ON CANCER TREATMENT AND CONTROL IN
ZIMBABWE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on Cancer Treatment and Control in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MPOFU: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate. I would also like to thank all Committee members who got acquainted on how things are done here in Zimbabwe. We also have hospitals that attend to cancer patients which are Mpilo and
Parirenyatwa hospitals. It is however difficult for people to access these two hospitals from their respective homes on issues of cancer and other diseases because of lack of machines. All the machines that are available are down and many patients are told machines are down after being burdened by transport expenses.
Again, we do not have enough radiographers to operate those machines as most of them have left the country for greener pastures. What made me happy is that the VIAC Services department that looks into the issues to do with cancer is available in all the hospitals that we visited and the people who are able to operate the machines are available. What surprises me Madam President is that cervical cancer is a disease that is not being given priority but we realise cancer is now a problem in this country particularly because of ignorance. It is a request of the Committee that cancer services be made available in all wards so that people can easily access information and treatment on cancer because the disease is causing problems in various ways.
People should be conscientised so that they do not go to the traditional healers for cancer. If you go to the traditional healers you end up questioning your problem. It is however, expensive to get treatment for cancer. People should be subsidised for accessing these services because we notice that it takes long for people who have been diagnosed with cancer to get treatment. It takes a period of about 10 – 12 months for someone to get treatment. We therefore request that all provinces should have these machines.
Another observation is that uterus cancer should be looked at closely and should be prioritised but it is just like prostate cancer which is common in men. Some of our people have not yet been conscientised on the issue of prostate cancer particularly in the rural areas. We do not have prostate cancer awareness campaigns and we therefore request that they be put in place so that our people are conscientised. You hear people saying, I cannot urinate and they think that they have been bewitched when it is prostate cancer, which is common in men who are 40 years and above so that when they are diagnosed with cancer early, it can be treated. It is also important for women to have VIAC done on them so that when they are also found to be with cancer, they can be treated early as well. The Committee recommends that awareness be vibrant because cancer is one of the top killer diseases. The Minister should ensure that there is adequate budget for cancer and we therefore pray that our adults should be examined, diagnosed and if found with the disease be treated. I thank you Madam President.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Madam President. most
of the things that I wanted to say have been said. Although I do not understand Ndebele much I could pick some points here and there. Cancer is not being treated the same way as HIV in terms of awareness and testing. There is need to have cancer testing for adults so that people can be treated. A lot of awareness is needed so that people are willing to be tested. Most of the time a person is diagnosed with cancer when the disease has already spread to other parts of the body and treatment will be expensive. Awareness campaigns should be done and be published in both electronic and print media so that everyone can access the information. That will encourage the people to go and get tested.
The issue of cancer is not talked about much, so for a person in the rural areas to make a decision to go and get tested – also considering the exorbitant bus fares, people do not travel to health centres for testing.
My request is that awareness should be done and this should be treated like any other disease that is being advertised. Maybe some day we will get a sponsor who will enable this awareness. If you look at men of ages 40, they already have symptoms of prostate cancer. I do not know, maybe it I because of the food that we eat nowadays, it is the same for women.
With these few words, I think there should be someone to sponsor advertisements to ensure that cancer testing is encouraged because if something is encouraged a lot a people end up deciding to go for testing. There was a song called Maloyi and it encourages people to go and find out more about it, so it is the same with cancer. People should be able to access treatment before the cancer spreads. Once it spreads, it becomes difficult to treat and the cost of treating cancer is exorbitant. I also think the cost of cancer screening and treatment should be affordable because most people cannot afford it, hence the call for a decrease on the cost of cancer treatment. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
ON FAMILISATION VISITS TO POLICE POSTS AND BORDER
POSTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of th Thematic Committee on Human Rights on Familisation visit to
Featherston, Ngundu, Beibridge, Gwanda and Plumtree Police Stations and Border Posts.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President. I
want to add my voice to the report that was tabled by the Thematic
Committee on Human Rights on familiarisation visits that they made.
Madam President, what we heard in this report is sad because when we talk of human rights, we need to understand that the police are also human, like every other individual in Zimbabwe. When you get to areas where they have their offices and also prisons, the police are the ones who cook for the prisoners. I do not know where they even get the food to cook for the prisoners. It is a sad story. Madam President, we are talking about human rights but if you look at this matter, it means that the rights of the Police are being violated. So my request is that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should ensure that since this report has reflected this issue, they should ensure that the working conditions for the Police in their various police stations as well as the prisoners are addressed.
Nowadays, we hear of the Police ill treating civilians at road blocks; it is because of the ill treatment that they get from their different camps or offices. I think this also needs to be addressed. Human rights should apply to everyone in Zimbabwe, whether you are at work - wherever you are. Once we do that, I think everyone will be glad to know that they are protected by the so called rights, not that they should be for selected individuals. For the law enforcement agents, it is also important because they are the ones who protect us and ensure that we are safe in cases of chaos in the country. I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President. I do not
want to debate but I just want to ask if we can be supplied with the report. Some of us were not there when the report was read in the House. This will make it easy for us to follow up on the debate. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. RWAMBIWA: Thank you Madam President. I
want to debate the motion that was presented by Hon. Sen. Dr.
Sekeramayi. When we went on visits as the Human Rights committee, it was a sorry sight. We first got to Featherstone and the police station was clean. The cells were cleaned and it was smart. We asked who was cleaning the cells and they told us that there was no one to do the cleaning except the officers themselves. The cells and the toilets were cleaned, which means police officers are carrying out duties that they should not be doing. They need to get assistance to do that.
We further asked that if they have a female prisoner and it is during her menstrual cycle, what do they do about it. They said there is not anything much that they can do. What I request is that sanitary wear be availed in such areas, so they should be available in various police stations. The food that is consumed by the prisoners is cooked by the police officers. They only eat sadza in the afternoon and the evenings. In terms of relish, there is boiled kapenta. It is just boiled and it does not have any tomatoes or onions.
I think people need to be treated as people because this is a violation of human rights. Probably you are arrested for a crime that you did not commit. If possible, we need to have gardens for the prisoners. It is better if they are to grow their own vegetables. Even if there is no cooking oil, they can put tomatoes in their relish and it becomes edible. Their toilets do not have water, which means that a prisoner cannot go to the borehole to fetch water. The policeman has to go and fetch water from the borehole and gives it to the prisoner to flush the toilet. So I think the Government should avail funds to assist these police officers. Even the prisoners’ rights should not be violated. Prison is not for one to go and pay for a crime in such a way that it becomes painful but it is supposed to be a corrective measure so that when you return home, you are able to fend for yourselves through the skills learnt. I think if we are to address this issue, only then can we develop our country. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Madam President. I just want to add a few issues that I think need to be addressed. I am a member of that committee. Wherever we went, prisoners are only allowed 48 hours before appearing in court. That is where the issue is - that if a prisoner has overstayed, they end up cooking for them and engaging in all those menial duties. Once they are arrested, they should be transported to the courts. We were not able to go to the prisons to check what the prisoners eat once they have been arrested because this was not planned.
In the various police stations that we visited, that is what we witnessed. In all the police stations, there was no water and there were no cleaners. The police officers have to do the work themselves. That is where the issue is and it needs to be addressed. What would the prisoners eat when they are in transit? If they are delayed to appear before the courts, they should be provided with food. That is what we requested that it would be good to have even to have a bucket of tomatoes; just one tomato is enough to put in their relish and the food becomes edible. After eating, they can then appear in court. We do not know what happens when they go to court and how they are treated.
Maybe as we speak right now, they are eating good food.
We do not know because I am referring to the areas that we visited. As a Committee on Human Rights, we need to make field visits and see how the prisoners are treated. We do not want to be told by you, Hon. Senators who have been arrested before. Those who were arrested, probably they were arrested when the situation was so bad. If you have gone to prisons of late, there is a family week…
HON. SEN. NCUBE: On a point of order! I think the Hon. Member is speaking outside what was said in the report. I think she should debate on issues that are in the report. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you. I am debating what is in the report because we have the report and I am mentioning things that I witnessed with my own eyes. I am not adding my own perspectives, we may misinform each other that we were told by inmates that our food is not edible but we were told by the police. In Gwanda, we saw one inmate; you may think that we are misinforming the House but that is what is in the report. For us to see how inmates are treated, it requires us to take field visits to the prisons. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN.
MOHADI): I think the Hon. Sen. is within the pretext.
HON. SEN. SHUMBA: I am talking of the things that I witnessed
HON. SEN. DR. SEKERAMAYI: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is my plea
that all female Senators are being asked to remain behind by the Chief Whips when we adjourn the House. I thank you.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON
INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN
THE MINING SECTOR
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Thematic Committee on Indigenisation and Empowerment on the implementation of the empowerment programmes in the mining sector.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUNZVERENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MANICALAND PROVINCE (HON. DR. GWARADZIMBA), the
Senate adjourned at Twenty Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 5th September, 2019
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
PETITION RECEIVED
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I wish to advise the House that on the 4th September, 2019, Parliament of Zimbabwe received a petition from Mr. Shepherd Murahwi of the Deaf Zimbabwe Trust, Number 12 Victory Avenue, Greendalale beseeching Parliament to exercise its constitutional mandate to protect the rights of children with disabilities as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on
Primary and Secondary Education.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that the House will adjourn today until Tuesday, 24th September, 2019. During the period of adjournment, only Committees with approved Public Hearings will be allowed to meet.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Orders of the
Day, Nos. 1 to 5 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. MATANGIRA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point
of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Before I recognise you, I need a
seconder.
HON. MATANGIRA: Ndasekenda kudhara Sekuru.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You will be informed on how we should
proceed.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TONGOFA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ON
THE 2018 HARMONISED ELECTIONS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the 2018 harmonised elections.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that the
debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 8 to 32 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 33 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
HEALTH AND CHILD CARE ON THE STATE OF MEDICINES
AND DRUGS SUPPLY IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTIONS
OF ZIMBABWE
HON. TONGOFA: I move the motion standing in my name that
that this House takes note of the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care on the State of Medicines and Drugs Supply in the Public Health Institutions of Zimbabwe.
HON. MUKUHLANI: I second.
HON. TONGOFA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Since the last quarter of 2018, Zimbabwe’s public health institutions have been experiencing severe shortages of medicines and drugs as well as other essential products. This has rendered the general public at the mercy of the private sector which introduced a three-tier pricing system. This is in the form of the United States of America Dollar (USD), Equivalent of the USD in Bond (RTGS$) and demand of a markup percentage on products purchased through EcoCash and Swipe. These demands are beyond the reach of an average citizen in Zimbabwe, let alone the poor and vulnerable population in the country.
This unbearable situation led to the public outcry over the acute shortages of medicines and essential drugs in the public health institutions in Zimbabwe and the price distortions of the medical products. Consequently, the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care was prompted to conduct an inquiry into the state of medicines supply in the public health institutions in Zimbabwe.
Objectives
The objectives of the enquiry were:
- To understand the medicines and drug supply chain in the county;
- To appreciate challenges being faced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in the supply of medicines and drugs in public health institutions; and
- To recommend strategies that may enhance provision of medicines and drugs in the public health institutions.
Methodology
The Committee held oral evidence meetings with the various stakeholders and conducted fact finding visits to the National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NATPHARM).
Oral Evidence Sessions
The representatives of the Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe appeared before the Committee on the 5th of December 2018 to present on the state of medicines availability in Zimbabwe.
The Director General for the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), Ms. G. Mahlangu appeared before the Committee on the 5th of March 2019 to present on the institution’s mandate, role, function and operations in the supply of medicines and drugs in the country.
On the 10th of April 2019, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Obadiah Moyo, briefed the Committee on the policy measures that the Ministry was taking to improve the supply of medicines in public health institutions and to address the price distortions in the market.
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs and
Cultural Heritage, Mr. M. Matshiya briefed the Committee on the 10th of April 2019 on the measures that the ministry has put in place to curb unlicensed trade of medicines on the streets.
Fact Finding Visits
The Committee undertook two fact finding visits to the National
Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe on 12th of February 2019 and on 11th of April, 2019. The objective of the first fact finding visit was for the Committee to familarise itself with the operations of Natpharm in terms of medicines and drug supply in the country. The second fact finding visit was a verification exercise to confirm whether indeed, Natpharm had started receiving medicines as indicated, by the Minister of Health and Child Care on the 10th of April 2019.
The Committee Findings
State of Medicines Supply in the Public Health Institutions
As already alluded to in the introduction, since the last quarter of 2018, the country has been faced with severe shortage of medicines across the board. However, the crisis has been more severe in the public than in private health institutions as most essential medicines and drugs for chronic ailments such as hypertension and diabetes were out of stock. Consequently, senior doctors at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have been on record protesting over shortages of medicines and supplies as the situation became dire, putting lives of the patients at risk of preventable complications and deaths.
During the oral evidence meeting on the 10th of April 2019, the Minister of Health and Child Care confirmed that the public health institutions in the country were in a dire state. He further stated that shortages of medicines and drugs, among other medical supplies, were being experienced right from the primary healthcare level to the tertiary institutions.
State of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Key players in the industry are the manufacturing companies, importing wholesalers, distributors, National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) and retailers. There are five main local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies namely: Varichem, Plus 5, CAPS, Datlabs and Pharmanova. Unfortunately, the current state of equipment and manufacturing processes has affected their ability to produce vital drugs and medicines in the country. At the time of the enquiry, capacity utilisation of the industry was, on average running below 40% primarily due to inadequate foreign currency allocations.
Regulatory Framework
The regulatory authority that oversees the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ). MCAZ is responsible for pharmaceutical surveillance, licensing, enforcement, laboratory services, evaluation and registration activities for the sector. It was established through the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (Masca) (Chapter 15:03). Registration processes are rigorous and thorough for both imports and exports with the aim to ensure citizens are safeguarded against counterfeit and unsafe medicines.
In the quest for promoting local manufacturing of drugs and medicines, the MCAZ reduced lead time to process local applications from 11-20 months in 2016 to 3 months in 2017. Furthermore, local pharmacies are given priority review on their applications and are offered trainings on bio-equivalency and in some cases, bio-equivalency can be waived where necessary. However, the Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe representatives recommended that the lead time be further reduced to below 3 months for local manufacturing companies to enable them to start producing most medicines currently being imported. They added that these should include critical lifesaving and chronic medicines. They also requested that registration guidelines for dossier purchase be put in place, exempting most requirements such as bioequivalency studies and stability studies, so long as pharmaceutical equivalency is demonstrated.
Promotion of the Development of Traditional Medicines
The Committee was informed that Traditional Medical
Practitioners seem not to be keen to register their medicines. However, it was stated that there is a regulation for complementary medicines which is being worked on, where these traditional medicines will fall under. The Committee was further informed that in February 2019, the MCAZ licenced one Traditional Medicine Manufacturer under the
Complementary Medicines Regulation and is located in Murehwa area.
Natpharm and Medicine Management
In 2014, the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care tabled a report on the State of Affairs in the Health Service Delivery System in Zimbabwe and revealed that:
Multi donor funds have provided support to the vital medicines and vital health services for the district health system. The programme supplies more than 75% of the country selected package of essential medicines. The programme excludes the five central hospitals, hence, the lack of essential drugs at the tertiary institutions… 98% of the drugs being distributed to various hospitals are donated by donors and do not seem to be purchased with morbidity patterns in mind and have very short shelf life plus or minus 3 months in most cases.
The result of the above-quoted scenario was that drugs were expiring at Rural Health Centres and District Hospitals whilst the Central Hospitals were in need of the same. The Report noted that this was due to lack of an effective redistribution system of the distributed drugs to reduce the quantities of drugs expiring. It recommended strengthening of the MoHCC’s monitoring system for effective drug management.
The Report also revealed that Natpharm had large quantities of expired drugs in its warehouse and recommended that it should sell excess stocks of drugs to private sectors and also donate to the schools, clinics, prisons and Mission hospitals to minimise expiries. Furthermore, the Report noted that Napharm, a quasi-government company mandated with procurement and distribution of drugs was incapacitated by lack of finance and strongly recommended for its recapitalization.
Five years later, the newly constituted Committee on Health and
Child Care undertook a familiarisation visit to Natpharm on the 12th of
February 2019. The Committee’s findings were disheartening in that Natpharm was still dogged by the above-mentioned problems. It still had huge piles of expired medicines and drugs in its warehouse and issues of its capitalisation have not yet been attended to.
During the familiarisation visit, the Committee vehemently expressed its disapproval on the proposed idea for Natpharm to establish retail pharmacies across the country, at a time when the public health institutions did not have medicines. The majority of our population cannot afford medicines from the private pharmacies and rely predominantly on the public sector. Hence, the Committee proposed that the public health institutions be well stocked with medicines to improve on accessibility and affordability of the products to the general population. On the 10th of April 2019, during the oral evidence meeting, the Minister of Health and Child Care indicted that the Ministry had taken heed of the observation by the Committee. He further explained that the move to establish Natpharm retail pharmacies was to try and curtail the competition from the retailers who were charging in foreign currency, but, this has been overtaken by events and the proposal was dropped.
Unlicensed Selling of Medicines and Drugs
The Committee, greatly disturbed by the proliferation of the unlicensed selling of medicines and drugs in the country (black market), quizzed the MCAZ and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage over the matter. In her presentation before the Committee on the 5th of March 2019, the Director General of MCAZ attributed the problem to the importation of undeclared medicines and leakages from the public health institutions. She informed the Committee that the
MCAZ, in conjunction with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural
Heritage, carries out medicines and drug blitzes on the streets and at border posts. However, penalties are not punitive enough to deter the offenders.
Presenting oral evidence before the Committee on the 10th of April 2019, the Commissioner General of Police, Mr. T.G. Matanga, confirmed the assertions made by the MCAZ Director General. He cited the arrest by the Police of three suspects who were caught in possession of huge consignment of medicines worth US$500 000 at a backyard warehouse in Waterfalls, a case which is still before the courts. He stated that part of this consignment belonged to the MoHCC.
The Committee was informed that although they carried out medicines and drug blitzes, the Police is inadequately equipped to combat such crimes. He stated that the Police had no vehicles and latest technology in combating crimes. He also stated that this was further worsened by the unattractive conditions of service and salaries of the police officers, resulting in demoralised officers. He also echoed the same sentiment regarding lack of punitive penalties to offenders, resulting in Police Officers being demotivated to follow upon such crimes.
Major Challenges
Four factors were presented as the major challenges that have led to the acute shortages of medicines and drugs in the country and these are:
- Lack of foreign currency to import medicines and drugs and raw materials for local production; ii.Restrictive regulatory framework that affects the ability of the local manufacturers to produce vital drugs and medicines in the country; iii. Lack of investment in technology and equipment (Obsolete equipment) in the pharmaceutical industry; and iv. Lack of innovative research in the country owing to the current economic hardships.
Measures in place to improve supply of medicines in the public health institutions
The following are the measures the MoHCC had instituted to improve medicines and drug supply in the public health institutions as presented by the Minister of Health and Child Care during the oral evidence meeting on the 10th of April 2019:
Establishment of a Foreign Currency Allocation Committee
(FCAC)
In 2018, RBZ was allocating foreign currency on its own, leading to diversion by the pharmaceutical industry buying non-essential drugs as RBZ would make allocations based on the request that came directly to them. In order to mitigate against the abuse of funds by the beneficiaries in the pharmaceutical industry and to ensure the funds are used to procure essential drugs, the MoHCC set up a Foreign Currency
Allocation Committee. The Committee is chaired by the Principal
Director Curative (MoHCC). Other members include: Director of
Pharmacy Services (MoHCC); Natpharm (1); Pharmaceutical
Wholesalers (2); Pharmacy Retail Association (2); Pharmacy
Manufacturers (2); Pharmacy Association of Zimbabwe (2) and Finance Directorate. The Minister informed the Committee that since its inception in February, the FCAC has only received US$600 000 leaving a huge gap of financing required to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, retailers and wholesalers. At the time of the oral evidence, the Minister indicated that Zimbabwe owes about US$50 million to the manufacturers outside the country.
Partner Engagement
The MoHCC has engaged partners such as the United Nations (UN) and entered into a swap arrangement. The Minister explained that this is, where, if Zimbabwe has invoices outside the country, instead of the partners to bring their foreign currency into the country, the Ministry requests them to pay for the invoices. He, however, stated that this arrangement is not always available as those monies are required for the general management and routine management of their missions in Zimbabwe.
Loan facility
The MoHCC, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Development has engaged funders who have foreign currency outside Zimbabwe on an arrangement that would see Zimbabwe repaying them over a lengthy period of time.
Tender requests in RTGS$
The MoHCC decided to have a blog and went to tender requesting for companies to submit in RTGS$. This approach worked because of positive responses from the prospective bidders. The Minister stated that the introduction of the inter-bank rate of 2. 5% helped them to be able to go to tender and request for quotations in RTGS$. As a result, the Ministry managed to secure RTGS$80 million worth of medicines. The first consignment of medicines worth RTGS$25 million was reported to have been delivered to Natpharm at the time of the oral evidence meeting.
The above-mentioned statements by the Minister, prompted the
Committee to undertake a second visit to Natpahrm on the 11th of April
2019 with the objective to verify his assertions. To the satisfaction of the Committee, the medicines were, indeed, being delivered to Natpharm when it arrived at the premise on the 11th of April 2019. However, the Committee noted that this was a drop in the ocean considering the quantities of medicines and drugs the country requires in the public health institutions. The Minister also stated that although the RTGS$80 million facility would be upped to RTGS$190 million, the situation remains dire as the country’s medicines and drug reserves had run dry. He informed the Committee that Zimbabwe requires US$400 million annually to ensure adequate supply of medicines and drugs in her public health institutions.
Promotion of Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry
According to the Minister of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe is currently buying 80% of her medicines and drugs from India. In order to reduce the import bill, the MoHCC is working on promoting the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. The Minister informed the Committee that it intends to revamp and re-capacitate the local manufacturing industry starting with CAPS and other manufacturing companies such as Datlabs, PLUS5, Varichem among others. Since the pharmaceutical industry has representatives in the Foreign Currency Allocation Committee, the MoHCC would support them to get an allocation for them to buy raw materials. The Minister also indicated that the Ministry was in negotiation with Indian companies interested in revamping CAPS, but have challenges with its old equipment procured in the 1960s. To this end, the MoHCC, in conjunction with Minister of Industry and Commerce, have already identified potential companies. The Minister further informed the Committee that the companies from the UAE have also expressed their interest to support Zimbabwe in the creation of pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.
Donations from Well-Wishers
Zimbabwe has kept her doors open for well-wishers to assist with donations in the health sector. To this end, well-wishers such as the United Nations mostly and others as well as the United Arab Emirates have been forthcoming during these trying times. These donor agencies have kept the health sector on its wheels.
Committee Observations and Recommendations
Observation
The Committee noted with concern that at the moment there is no concrete solution to address shortages of medicines in the public health institutions as pharmacies are either non-functional or are inadequately stocked due to inadequate foreign currency allocation towards the procurement of medicines and drugs as well as raw materials to produce the products. In light of this, the Committee recommended the following:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 1/2019
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, going forward, should prioritise regular disbursement of foreign currency to the health sector to ensure adequate and consistent medicines and drugs supply to the public institutions.
It is further recommended that the Ministry of Health and Child
Care should ensure that pharmacies in the public institutions are immediately resuscitated to ensure increased availability and affordable medicines and drugs for the generality of Zimbabweans.
Observation
The Committee noted that while the private sector benefits from the foreign currency allocation by the RBZ, it is disheartening to note that the bulk of the products they were bringing into the country were non-essential drugs. In light of this, the Committee recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 2/2019
The Government of Zimbabwe should immediately stop allocating foreign currency to the private sector and allow them to charge their own prices while it channels the foreign currency to NatPharm for supply of medicines to public institutions to ensure availability of essential drugs in the country.
Observation
The Committee also noted that the existing regulatory framework and policies in the medicines manufacturing sector are not addressing the current demands for medical drugs in the country. Therefore, the
Committee, recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 3/2019
The Ministry of Health and Child Care should develop user friendly regulatory framework and policies that promote, support and protect local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry by 31 December
2019.
Observation
The Committee noted that the promotion of the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry seems to be skewed towards big players such as CAPS, Datlabs among others and recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 4/2019
The promotion of local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry immediately be expanded to encompass the small to medium enterprises in the sector.
Observation
The Committee noted that public health institutions are manned by unqualified personnel in violation of the requirements of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (Chapter 15:03) and that where pharmacists are serving, the ratio of pharmacist to patient is currently unacceptable. The Committee, therefore, recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 6/2019
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should unfreeze by September, 2019, the posts for pharmacists for the MoHCC to comply with the requirement of the Medicines and Allied Substances Act (Chapter 15:03).
Furthermore, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should provide concurrence for the review of the establishment of the posts of pharmacists by 31 December, 2019 in order to address the ratio of pharmacist to patient at public institutions in line with the current demands.
Observation
The Committee noted with concern that despite the fact that a Report was tabled in this august House in 2015 during the 8th Parliament with recommendation to prioritise capitalization of Natpharm, no action was taken in that regard. Therefore, the Committee recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 7/2019
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should immediately avail funds to expedite the capitalisation of NatPharm as per the MoHCC’s 2017-2020 Strategy in order to kick-start production of medicines and drugs by 31 November 2019.
Observation
The Committee is further concerned that not much has improved in terms of the drug management by Natpharm in line with the recommendations that were made in the report presented during the 8th Parliament. It also noted that there is unfair distribution of medicines and drugs with respect to Matebeleland North Province which gets its stock from Bulawayo. In light of this, the Committee recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 8/2019
The Ministry of Health and Child Care should put a mechanism in place to strengthen its monitoring system for effective drug management with regards to the redistribution system of the distributed medicines and drugs to reduce quantities of expiries by 31 October 2019.
The Committee further recommends that MoHCC decentralises the distribution points of medicines and drugs from Natpharm by ensuring that each province has its own Natpharm Depot in line with the dictates of devolution by the first quarter of 2020. This arrangement would improve on timeous deliveries of the products to the public health institutions as distances to transport medicines and drugs would be shortened.
Observation
The Committee noted with great concern the delays by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development in the approval of board of survey for the destruction of expired medicines and drugs, leading to huge piles of the same at Natpharm. The Committee recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 9/2019
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development expedite the approval of board of survey in order to have the expired drugs destroyed by 31 October 2019.
Observation
The Committee noted that the health service sector carries a very high security risk as medicines and drugs find their way into the black market and recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 10/2019
Public health institutions should immediately put in place their own strong internal security to curb against leakages of medicines and drugs.
Observation
The Committee noted that the black market is thriving as a result of shortages of medicines and drugs in the public health institutions coupled with exorbitant prices of the products in the private sector. The Committee further noted the inadequacies by the Police to deal with such crimes and their demotivation in light of lack of punitive measures.
The Committee, therefore, recommends that:
Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care
Recommendation Number 11/2019
The Government of Zimbabwe, going forward should avail adequate foreign currency to Natpharm for procurement of medicines and drugs as well as raw materials to boost the local production. This would ensure that public health institutions are well stocked and eventually cripple the black market.
It is further recommended that the Police be adequately resourced to deal with such crimes and offenders be given deterrent penalties to curb illegal trade.
Conclusion
The evidence gathered by the Committee has revealed that the state of medicines and drugs supply in the public health institutions is disheartening as it is characterised by severe shortages of essential products from the primary to the tertiary levels of care. Based on these findings, the Committee urges the Government of Zimbabwe to prioritise the health sector and create an enabling environment that would promote the growth of the local pharmaceutical industry. I thank you.
HON. NDIWENI: When you look at health provision Mr. Speaker
Sir, health is divided into two major areas which is medicine and drugs. Medicines without the supply of drugs does not provide health to an individual, so the shortage of drugs in public health institutions therefore compromises the health of the nation. I think if we look at ourselves as Members of Parliament or the general middle class, there is some hypocrisy of some sort. Why do I say so? Drug shortages have been there for a while maybe for the past 10 years, it was just affecting the poor. The poor person would go to a public hospital and not get his high blood pressure tablet called HCT, no one would worry even you as parliamentarians. That poor person would trudge along to a private pharmacy and they would charge three dollars for that drug.
This poor patient unfortunately and I say this from experience Madam Speaker, they will not be able to buy one month supply of medication for three dollars. The middle-class, the parliamentarians who are not worried – the poor patient would walk out of the pharmacy, go away to the rural areas and would never come back because they will not be able to raise the three dollars to buy that medicine. Then came 2018, the drug shortage now affected parliamentarians, the middle class and the drug prices shot up and this is when everyone now wakes up. We started seeing headlines that drug prices have gone up; because now it was affecting us. That is the hypocrisy I am referring to.
We should have realised on the onset when the drug shortages were just affecting those poor people that visited the public hospitals, that we should have raised a red flag and pushed the Ministry of Health to allocate more resources to the public sector. So, we did let the poor people down as parliamentarians by not pushing. Ninety percent of the population in Zimbabwe relies on the public health institutions not the private sector.
I want to give an example Madam Speaker. When I was growing up, private pharmacies were not meant for us. We were even scared to walk in because we never used them, they were used by the rich and our health provision was done by the public sector. That means the private sector is not meant for the ordinary person, the ordinary person is supposed to get all their health provisions from the public sector. The shortage of drugs in the public sector Madam Speaker, there are plenty of causes that I can look at as alluded to by the report, like that shortage of foreign currency. I also concur with the report that we should not be wasting foreign currency allocating it to the private sector. Let the private sector look after itself. Whatever foreign currency that we have that has provisions for buying drugs, let us channel it to the public sector. If we channel all the foreign currency to Natpharm, you will find that all the public sector pharmacies will be well stocked and then the poor person will be able to access their drugs.
Some of the observations that the report notes is the existence of the regulatory board, MCAZ. That regulatory board is supposed to be one of the best in Africa - fair and fine, I applaud them for being one of the best. The problem is, they are as stringent as first world regulatory bodies. I personally feel we are over stretching ourselves, we are a third world country and we cannot have a regulatory board that then insists on first world standards when we are in a third world country. I am not down playing quality by saying this Madam Speaker, but all that we have to be cognisant of is what we have in terms of finances and providing quality drugs to our population. We should not be astringent. I want to give an example Madam Speaker, on our recent visit to St
Luke hospital in Lupane, this is a mission hospital and they run an IV Infusion Unit which by themselves. That unit is capable of supplying IV fluids for the rest of the southern part of the country, meaning
Matabeleland and Midlands. It has got that capacity.
They have been applying to MCAZ for a licence to fully utilise that capacity of their unit but have been having problems in getting a licence. Why I am saying there is so much rigidity in this regulatory board is, this unit has been producing IV fluids for mission hospitals in the whole of Matabeleland for the past 5 or 6 years and no one has ever died because of... – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – no one has ever died or there has not been any tragedy on using these IV fluids. So, why cannot we give them a licence so that they will supply almost half of the country with IV fluids?
So there I do not see the rationale of supplying some hospitals and them being refused to get a licence to fully utilise the units that they have. Madam Speaker, like I said, we should not be relying on the private sector on the health of the nation. Private sector drug provision is just complimentary and as I alluded to, it just covers 10% of the population, 90% is covered by public health institutions. When we are zeroing in on Natpharm and the manufacturing sector, when we give them the scarce foreign currency, let us insist that they produce only drugs that are essential. There is a list that the Ministry has a come up with which comprises of essential drugs.
What we should do is to channel our strengths to drugs that are essential to our nation. So when you are allocating this foreign currency, we should just restrict ourselves to products that are essential for the public sector. The private sector can cater for themselves. I second the idea that the wastage of drugs which could be one of the causes of the shortages of drugs in the public health institutions is due to unavailability but I would not call it unavailability because now we have got plenty of pharmacy personnel in the country though through the freezing of posts in Government public institutions, posts for pharmacists have been frozen. The pharmacist is the fundi when it comes to drugs. So he or she is the professional that look after drugs. Currently, most district hospitals do not have pharmacists. Municipal clinics do not have pharmacists but may be Harare City Council might have one or two pharmacists yet they look after the health of millions in this country. They do not have pharmacists. So the drug supply and provision – this is when you see notices that there will be expiry of drugs because there is no qualified professional that is looking after the drug supply.
There is a point that was raised in the report about the tender that was flighted sometime back for RTGs provision of drug, we allude and want to commend the Ministry for having flighted that tender because we did help in a way in the supply of drugs to public health institutions. My worry whilst I am on that point is when these tenders were flighted, we suddenly saw new companies sprouting up. Some of these new companies got the bulk of these tenders so we wonder who is behind some of these new companies that just sprouted because there was this RTGs tender.
Madam Speaker, it is not all gloomy, that report was centred on year end 2018 and the start of 2019. We visited public hospitals around the country and the situation has vastly improved and we are grateful to His Excellency the President for pushing – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – on the purchasing of drugs. When we moved around Madam Speaker, we realised that most public hospitals now have a drug availability of between 55 and 72% - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I urge the people responsible that this should not be a once off occasion, it should be sustained. This is what the health professional on the ground is saying. If it is sustained, definitely we are going to achieve health for all by the year 2010 Thank you.
HON. MUKUHLANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. The
universal coverage of health is not only determined by the availability of health professionals or the infrastructure to deliver that health delivery system; but the availability, accessibility and the quality of medicines. Treatment can only be treatment if patients or clients visit health institutions and at the end of the process they get tests, diagnosis and medicines. When patients and clients visit our health institutions and leave without medicines, the treatment cycle is incomplete.
Madam Speaker Ma’am the provision of medicines to a country is not entirely dependent on a private sector. It is a joint effort between the public sector and the private sector. Our focus and our interest as Parliament and Government is that our public institutions which dispense the public health system must be fully equipped not only in equipment and personnel but with the necessary medicines.
What is pertaining today Madam Speaker Ma’am is that health delivery has become a source of impoverishment for many in our country today. As has been indicated, the issue of foreign currency plays a major role. Between March, 2018 and August, 2018, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe did allocate an amount of US$30 million for the sole purpose of procurement of medicines for this country. It is interesting to note that you need around US$40 million to up the production of the eight pharmaceutical companies in this country. So $30 million comes out of the Reserve Bank which is almost the same amount that is needed to up the production services of this country and yet still at the time when this Report was done there were no medicines, regardless of the $30 million having been sent out.
What has happened in Zimbabwe which is a sad state is that we have technically converted Zimbabwe into one big pharmaceutical flea market where a cabal or a set of few players who own wholesales control the procurement and distribution of medicines. NatPharm is supposed to be the sole procurer of medicines for use within the public sector. NatPharm should be responsible for procurement, storage and the distribution, that position has been taken by big wholesalers who are accessing forex from the Reserve Bank. That should be changed. The ideal situation that should be there in this country is that NatPharm should be the first priority in terms of allocation of foreign currency so that they procure medicines for the country.
The second tier which should get foreign currency should be your manufacturers and I will explain why. If you take US$1 million today and give it to a wholesaler, they will buy medicines that are worth US$1 million and after four weeks those medicines would have finished because medicines are consumed, they do not last forever. If you take a million dollars and you give it to a manufacturer, you manufacture medicines that are worth US$3 million. So we have expanded the US$1 million, not only have we done that, we have paid tax, created employment and we have done import substitution – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – so your manufacturers should be your second tier line to be allocated foreign currency.
The last line of allocations should be your wholesalers and the wholesalers should only access foreign currency if they are servicing a NatPharm tender for public consumption. If they are not doing that, they should not access funds, and I will explain. A wholesaler has got lines that they distribute for instance, wholesale X distributes for Johnson and Johnson, wholesale B distributes for Sibler, wholesale C distributes for Sunnysummer. For you to be given exclusivity to distribute products, you must satisfy certain levels of procurement from the manufacturer.
Now, the levels of procurement from the manufacturer are the ones that are needed by the country. What has been happening is that Government has been running procurements for wholesalers for their benefit as private companies. Not only do wholesalers stock essential drugs, non essential drugs and vital drugs. I will explain this again
Madam Speaker Ma’am. Drugs that are used are categorised in the following classes. You have got vital drugs, essential drugs and non essential drugs.
A wholesaler stocks and warehouses everything from vital drugs, essential and non essential drugs. Only NatPharm can stock essential and vital drugs. So, our money should go to NatPharm where they buy only vital and essential drugs. We have been giving our monies to wholesalers who are buying vital, essential and non essential. Wholesalers only buy products that move. For instance, if cough mixtures are my fast moving products, if I get money from the Reserve Bank, I will buy cough mixtures, but do we need cough mixtures in our public health institutions? No, we do not. We need drugs for anti tuberculosis, hypertension, oncology, cardiovascular and Malaria. That is what this country needs and what this Parliament and Government represent.
In terms of manufacturing, I think there is need for a deliberate effort and inclination within the policy to focus on manufacturing. If you look between 1980 and today, there has been only two start ups within the pharmaceutical industry – that is VARICHEM and Plus Five. In 39 years there are two start up pharmaceutical companies. In 39 years, there have been only two acquisitions within the industry that is ZIM PHARM and DATLABS. This means that this sector is static. We need a policy framework that allows the growth and the incoming of new players within that industry. What is the problem?
The problem is that the entry barriers are too high and stiff. The MCAZ which regulates the registration of policies, pharmaceutical industries, the registration of medicines is too rigid. It takes between 18 months to 36 months to register a molecule. It takes two years (24 months) to develop at least a liquid preparation within a pharmaceutical company. If you say two years of developing the molecule, three years of registering the molecule that is five years, two years of setting that molecule within the market, you are at seven years. Who has money to be tied on a product for seven years? We need a change within the approach that MCAZ regulates and allows molecules and medicines to be registered in this country. We need a framework that changes the way the pharmaceutical industry is regulated and registered in
Zimbabwe.
Of interest is that we are importing 90% of our medicines out of India. It takes you 30 minutes in and out to register a drug in India - the same medicine that takes 36 months to register in Zimbabwe. It does not make sense. We need a policy framework that changes that. Not only that – we are importing 90% of our medicines out of India. What we import from India is finished products but the raw materials for those medicines come out of China. India does not manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients – they get them out of China. We could as well import our active pharmaceutical ingredients out of China and manufacture here than to wait. India imports out of China – manufactures in China and then sell to us. Yes, one would say there are economies of scale because of their population in India, so you get them much cheaper.
If we can have an import substitution scheme by manufacturing our medicines here, it will go a long way in making sure that the much needed forex that we are complaining about, that what is affecting and hampering the delivery of medicines within our country is foreign currency – we can deal with it by making sure that we have manufactured locally. Not only do we manufacture for ourselves – we can then export. There is no manufacturing company in Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland; there is one manufacturing company in Zambia, hence there is a market within the SADC framework. All what we need is that our own industrial policy and framework must allow for players to manufacture medicines here with an outward looking. Yes, we are 13 million people - but if we look at the SADC bloc, then there is a market.
Furthermore, the infrastructure for the dispensing a health delivery system does exist in Zimbabwe. What is not there is the products. We have turned Natpharm into a donation receiving warehouse, which is a problem. I am in support of donations coming to our country and well wishers donating to us but we are creating an industry in their own home country. When UNICEF brings medicines from Copenhagen – they are creating employment in Sweden. When they bring medicines out of America, they are creating employment within America. I do not have a problem with donations, but a donation is still a donation if it is bought from VARICHEM, DATLABS or CAPS. Our donations must have a
percentage that is locally bought so that we also support our own local industry. It cannot be 100% donation, 100% procurement from outside and 100% product comes out of the foreign territories.
Furthermore, we do not necessarily mean to manufacture a whole product within Zimbabwe. We can do part manufacturing here. We can bring products in bulk and finish the manufacturing in Zimbabwe.
MCAZ must allow that – that is still manufacturing.
In conclusion, there are two areas that I think we need to look at – firstly, our regulatory framework which should allow and reduce the entry barriers for registration and creation of new factories to manufacture medicines. Secondly, we should have a proper and scientific way of allocating forex and determine who gets forex from the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. DR. LABODE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker ma’am. I would like to thank the members of the Committee for a well elaborated report.
I must put this fact down that the availability of drugs in
Zimbabwe is way below 50%. Once in a while, you get a spin off and it is dangerous to come into this House when the Committee is besieged with a petition from the people living with HIV that there are no ARVs and then we sit here and give the impression or make someone somewhere happy that they do not have to look for money to buy drugs.
It is dangerous.
I also want to talk about some of the issues that we found – a very import issue in particular that I believe that as a country we are serious about making sure that the scarce resource gets as far as it can; one of the issues is poor movement of drugs. There is a tendency that the first clinic or hospital that requests for drugs from Natpharm gets whatever is available. This means that the remaining 99.9% get nothing. The drugs go and expire at point A when point B to Z have nothing.
I think the Ministry of Health and the pharmacist profession need to come up and do what was done yester year where there were pharmacists at provincial hospitals and Natpharm never allocated one who ever comes first but rather divided medicines equally in the country and the fact that you have got a specific drug does not follow that people that need that drug will come to your institution. If you see that you have got too much of it, you are supposed to phone or circulate in a system to say I am overstocked by this drug, who needs it?
That system is no longer happening because pharmacists are running their own pharmacies. Nobody is there to follow up on the whereabouts of the distributed drugs. It is very sad because it is also a fact that there is no foreign currency that is being put out there. These wholesalers we are taking about are making contacts outside and bringing in their own drugs. There is literally no foreign currency going to the manufacturing sector or to the wholesalers. Whatever drug you are getting right now in the private sector is being bought using the black market or striking deals with companies in India who then give them drugs with the hope that one day foreign currency will come.
We have a serious problem on the ground and so I am pleased that we have to talk about this issue and see where the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development can get the money from. We have a petition which the HIV Committee met to deliver on. From what we have heard from the Ministry of Health and Child Care including the Global Fund, we still have not paid our counter funding. So we are literally in danger of losing over $400 million because we are failing to raise a certain amount of money that would give us those drugs.
So let us be serious and tell the truth as it is. We are talking on behalf of Zimbabwe and we have 2.5 million Zimbabweans on ARVs who would die if we do not get those drugs. So for me, that is what is important. What is important is the drugs are not there and we have petitions. We have no drugs in hospitals and we need to do something about it. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. DR. MATARUSE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow
me to thank the presenter of this motion. He articulated very well the views of the Committee. I want to add just two points. The first issue is that we are seeing the impact of the health levy in the hospitals we visited. So we recommend that the 10% health levy, the whole of it, should be reserved for the procurement of drugs. The hospitals have got the bond, what they are lacking is the foreign currency. At least they have got something to use to buy the foreign currency. So I really recommend that the whole 10% health levy be reserved for drugs.
The other issue is, there should be efficient use of drugs. There should also be efficient procurement of drugs. If I take the example of Ingutsheni Hospital, it is a quaternary referral centre where Harare Hospital refers psychiatric patients to and Ngomahuru in Masvingo is also a referral centre where the eastern side of the country refers psychiatric persons to. The two hospitals are manned by general practitioners. The quantities and types of drugs procured there are prescribed by the general practitioners. So I strongly recommend that for efficient use of drugs there should be properly qualified specialists in specialised hospitals. I recommend that we employ psychiatrists at
Ingutsheni Hospital and Ngomahuru Hospital.
At the same time in these specialised hospitals we need clinical psychologists. They do not prescribe drugs. Most of these psychiatric patients do not need drugs. So, to efficiently use these drugs so that we do not just give drugs to people who do not need them, we need to employ clinical psychologists at specialised hospitals like Ingutsheni, Ngomahuru, Harare Hospital and so on.
At Ngomahuru we found that there were no psychiatric drugs, but at Ingutsheni there were psychiatric drugs. The problem was, there was no specialised person to procure the drugs. The experience of procuring drugs is also needed. So we need to employ properly qualified pharmacists at specialised institutions with interest in specialised drugs. I thank you.
*HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to
add my voice on this motion concerning medicines and drugs. This is a very pertinent issue but it is surprising that you find that you can see drugs being sold in the streets, like panadols going for $1 for two and you wonder what is happening.
HON. SIKHALA: IZanu-PF yakazvisakisa izvovo – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order.
*HON. P. ZHOU: I think you have heard that in the Committee we travelled and we have seen that the commissioners of police are saying that those who sell and are being caught are only being given lenient years. So there is nothing that they can do because those people continue to do it. We plead that the police should be well resourced so that they can do random searches at any given time when they suspect that drugs are being sold on the streets especially panadols.
Secondly, all the clinics or health public centres, we want them to have drugs. When we travelled we heard that in most places the drugs were there and we saw them, but the issue is with Natpharm. It did not have all the drugs that are needed. You find that in the area of HIV there are no drugs. You also find that drugs which are not there are those for silent killers especially BP and diabetes. If it were possible, Natpharm should stock those drugs and they should be distributed to clinics.
If you listen very carefully you will find that people in the rural areas are just collapsing and dying but after postmortem you find that they die because of high blood pressure. So you are saying that Natpharm should be well resourced with drugs and they should be distributed to health centres like clinics so that these silent killer diseases are dealt with at that primary level.
Coming to the purchase of drugs, you find that what pensioners are getting and the drugs that they are supposed to take, there is no collaboration. You find that if Natpharm gets a lot of drugs and then the drugs which are channeled to public health institutions, it means that our people will be able to buy medicines, but if they are channeled to the private pharmacies you will find that our people will not be able to afford them. It will be out of reach. Although the use of United States dollars is no longer allowed, they still charge in United States dollar. So I think there should be strong monitoring when it comes to that so that drugs are sold in RTGS.
When it comes to allocation of funds, I will support that it should be given to Natpharm and it should also be given to local manufacturers because you have heard that if they are given let us say $1 million, it will be three times what they produce. So we are pleading that local manufacturers like CABS, Datlabs, those that are not functioning well should be helped. They should be given more money to recapacitate them so that our drugs will be manufactured locally. Let me leave others to contribute. Thank you.
*HON. SHAVA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I stood up
to support the report which has been moved by Hon. Tongofa and supported by Hon. Ndiweni concerning the shortage of drugs in hospitals. Madam Speaker Ma’am, in our hospitals we are not getting many of the drugs and the reason is that there are doctors in hospitals who are running pharmacies. You go there and all the drugs are in stock but when you go to hospitals, you pay for the consultation and yet there are no drugs. The Government should also make a follow up on the drugs that they disburse to hospitals and ensure that all the drugs are being used because that is where everything is failing; we have shortages.
When the drugs have been transported, for example to Kadoma General Hospital, you will realise that an empty box will have been delivered to the hospital. The Government should make a follow up and see whether that box has all the consignment that was intended for the hospital. The drugs that are found in hospitals would have expired and they take unexpired drugs and exchange with the expired. Stiffer penalties should be given to those who break the law, they should be jailed for life. In the rural areas people are suffering and they cannot afford the blood pressure pills. The Government should intervene by providing drugs for chronic diseases for free.
In conclusion, we should get help by making a follow up on the drugs that are distributed to hospitals. We visited one hospital and were told that some hospitals are not collecting allocations and when there is a lot of pressure they start making a follow up. If the date that they are given to collect drugs passes, they will have to make another appointment. Thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would
like to thank Hon. Tongofa on this pertinent report on our livelihood here in Zimbabwe. People are suffering from a lot of chronic diseases. Madam Speaker, many people suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer and they need a lot of drugs. What has been said in this report shows that there is a short supply of drugs. What made me to be happy is that the Committee has tabled what they think the Government should follow so that all of us can access drugs from our hospitals.
Many Government hospitals do not have drugs. As a Committee, we visited one of the hospitals like Karanda, which is not a Government Hospital and we found that many people from Harare, Bulawayo and even Chimanimani and Masvingo abandon their local hospitals and visit Karanda Hospital to get help where they have realised that they obtain good services and drugs. It is a sign that as Government, our hospitals are not giving people good services by giving them drugs. So, the Government should allocate enough money for drugs so that our people will live well.
Madam Speaker, I am happy because the report is talking about recapitalisation of Natpharm. It is very good that as a Government, we should focus and make sure that these are implemented because if the donor does not ownr up in giving us drugs, it means that Zimbabwe will come to a standstill. So, I recommend that if it is possible, the
Government should allocate enough money so that as Government, we are well resourced when it comes to the supply of drugs.
The supply of foreign currency to Natpharm has been talked about and this is very painful that as Government, how is it possible that we do not have foreign currency to Natpharm but when we get into the streets we see new United States Dollars, which means that foreign currency is here in Zimbabwe. However, the foreign currency is being misdirected by the Government. What I can recommend is that the Government should monitor the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe when allocating money to find out who the beneficiaries of foreign currency are. Are we not giving foreign currency to those involved in the parallel market whilst killing our people on the other side through shortage of drugs?
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would also like to look at the expired drugs that we have in our hospitals. It is very painful as a Government that there are no drugs in hospitals but expired drugs are there at Natpharm. I am not happy because the Permanent Secretary was not even aware that the drugs have expired and was also questioning Natpharm why the drugs get expired. This means that as Government, we do not have channels in place to monitor. I recommend monitoring and evaluation of the movement of our drugs from Natpharm to the district hospitals. The drugs should be directed to clinics in terms of their catchment areas and needs and not direct drugs which are not needed in certain hospitals and clinics. It does not help to disburse malaria drugs to places which are not prone to malaria. I think we should distribute drugs according to the need of that area. So, it is my desire that the drugs that we distribute should be in sync with the diseases which are frequent in those areas. As I sit down, I want to say that after investigating all that is boiling down to good governance. What is causing the drugs to expire when we have them is follow up and it is boiling down to issues of governance. We have heard one of the
Hon. Members who is a pharmacist saying that our bureaucracy as Government is not good.
If you go to India there are policies with regards to manufacturing of drugs and their period is very short but as Government of Zimbabwe there is a lot of bureaucracy which hinders progress. So we go back to Government that issues of policy and bureaucracy should be made easy so that supply of drugs is made easy because our people are dying.
We have elderly people in places like Tsholotsho and
Chimanimani who have chronic diseases which is not by choice. All this shows that these grandmothers are dying, not because of age but due to lack of medication. Due to issues of HIV and AIDS, many are looking after orphans. So when they come into Mutare and want to look for BP drugs, they are charged in US$ but they do not have the US$. Even if we say it is being bought in RTGS, the truth is that drugs are being charged
in US$.
As Government, we should be able to supply Government hospitals so that all those who get sick should collect their drugs from hospitals so that we will be able to save our elderly and the women because when the economy is not well people will end up with BP and stress. Many women end up having those diseases and they need to be helped. We want our Government to make sure that tablets are distributed in the local clinics and pharmacies where forex is not demanded. I thank you.
*HON. CHIKUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would
want to add a few words to this motion, the one that concerns drugs in hospitals. Now the drug situation is better than before. In the past we used to have problems getting these drugs but now it is better. I would want to say that it is better to have electricity in different hospitals so that they install fridges for keeping these drugs, especially for people who are not mentally stable. Some of them use an injection that needs to be kept in fridges and in most cases they are found in faraway places, so they face difficulties over and over again.
On the issue of medication, I would want to say this is the medication that is very scarce. In addition, I would like to say that there should be reduction in prices as we buy medication with our local currency. We should be able to afford this medication. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I will not
disappoint you. I will be very brief. I have got four issues that I want to ventilate on. The first one is all to augment and complement the deficit and depletion of the tablets in the pharmacies, particularly in the public health institutions. I am going to talk about the cross border vehicles. As I speak to that one I want to talk about the separation of vehicular and human traffic at the border posts.
The second one I am going to touch on is the issue that she has spoken about, the issue of psychiatric patients that we remove them from the Ministry of Justice and give them to the Ministry of Health.
The third one that I am going to touch on is the issue of Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe where about 43 people are getting injured each day, that is every 30 minutes we have got an injury due to traffic accidents. I am going to propose that whole department is removed from the Ministry of Transport as its mandate is to also take care and give awareness to the electorate, the unsuspecting innocent citizens of Zimbabwe who at the end of the day are involved in traffic accidents if they are not properly schooled in that regard. That is the third issue that we take that whole department from the Ministry of Transport and we make it reside with the Ministry of Health, and I am going to explain why.
The fourth one is the issue of increase of royalties. Just recently the
Minister of Finance came here and proposed a royalty increase from 0.5% to 1% for small scale miners and 3% to large scale miners. I am going to propose that there be a 0.5% increase in terms of taxes or royalties on gold deliveries to finance the health care delivery system of Zimbabwe so that we complement, augment the tablets in the public health sector and also the medication as alluded to by the presenter of this motion.
The separation of vehicular and human traffic at the border post, as a Committee of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs chaired by
Hon. Mataranyika where I am a new entrant after being kicked out of the
Transport Committee Chairmanship, but I am quite happy in that Committee. There is a petition that came through to that Committee which speaks to and about child molestation and abuse in terms of child prostitution – that petition is pregnant with such issues Madam Speaker. If you delay a 30 tonne truck of sugar at the border post when it therefore lands in Harare, it will have increased the price of sugar by 4 cents.
If you delay a 30 000 litre truck of fuel, you will have increased the price of fuel when it lands inland by 2 cents. I therefore urge the Executive to separate these two institutions, the vehicular and the human traffic at the border post so that places like Chiredzi, Beitbridge,
Chirundu are not infested by child molesters and child prostitution
which is a cause for the proliferation of HIV and AIDS scourge that is championed by the truck drivers. The more you delay them at the border, the more they start looking for small little houses to house children that they then engage in child prostitution with. I ask that there be separation so that there is expeditious clearance of such cargo.
The other issue that I touched on is the issue of taking that whole department from the Ministry of Justice in particular the correctional services and those that deal with incarceration of offenders. If somebody has been deemed to be a psychiatric patient, that whole department needs to be removed from the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services and it should be taken to the Ministry of Health so that there can be treatment of the offender as opposed to incarceration of those people in the cells.
Hon. Mataruse spoke quite eloquently about the deficiency of psychiatric attenders, doctors and the like. It is only prudent to house these people where they get enough and sufficient care. To follow on that I am going to propose ways of getting resources in order to purchase the medication for not only these patients but also for the whole public health and care delivery system. As we speak, there is no board that champions the care of those that are psychiatric patients in the
Correctional Services. So it also should enhance the expeditious transfer of that department to the Ministry of Health so that without only augmenting and complementing the supplies of the medication, we are also treating these people with due care and concern.
Madam Speaker, the issue of special economic zones, the creation of a generic and non-generic drugs has been spoken about – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. NDUNA: The issue that is before us of special economic zones speaks to the issue of foreign direct investors who can get the investment, 100%, capital, profit and can repatriate it to their places of origin. Why do I say so? This is one of the conditions of establishment of the special economic zones. Madam Speaker, it is the creation of jobs using brains that is globally acceptable; for example as I have always said, the creation and manufacture of Adidas brand in Zimbabwe for the global market. We can use these geographical locations Madam Speaker to manufacture our drugs and give to these foreign investors 100% capital plus profit repatriation modus operandi so that we use what we have to get what we want. We have Madam Speaker a nation which is endowed with a lot of people that have a capacity in terms of literacy rate which is about 90 to 95 percent and which is just in Africa is just less than Mauritius.
We need to use that capacity that we have to get what we want. Inside the special economic zones, an Hon. Member of this Committee alluded to the fact that we are getting a lot of our drugs from India, whereas the raw materials are coming from China and India, we can get that raw materials because China is our all weather friend. We need to create the right environment for them to invest. Where do we get finances and where do we get the benefits as a country, jobs, the forwards the backwards, the linkages and ultimately we get the output which is the drugs and then we resource our public health care institutions.
Madam Speaker the issue of Special Economic Zones as I conclude, we can get what is called health tourism in Victoria Falls. There was some traction once on this matter. If we get the tourist attracted to our health care institutions, this is going to attract a lot of finances towards our health care delivery system. So, let us get that traction ignited once again Madam Speaker so that we use what we have to get what we want.
As I touch on Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Statutory
Instrument 45 of 2005 speaks to the remittances – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. NDUNA: It speaks to the remittances of a 12 ½ percent from third party insurance. What does this mean? Out of the vehicular population 1.5 million, there is 150 then when insurance was not yet upped from 55 dollars to 295 dollars, third party insurance. The traffic Safety Council would get 20 million RTGs dollars annually because it has gone up 5-fold there is now about 100 million RTGs dollars accruing to Traffic Safety Council. Its core mandate is for traffic safety tutorage to unsuspecting innocent citizens of Zimbabwe who both use vehicles and those that are pedestrians Madam Speaker.
It is my humble call and submission that that whole department is extracted from the Minister of Transport and is given to the Minister of Health so that we can take that US$100 million, if it is not used in the form, mould and weigh what I am proposing, that money is going to lend into the wrong hands and is going to be used for dangerous purposes as opposed to creating a lot of benefits to the health care delivery care system to procure the much needed medication in our health care institutions.
I have just touched on a 157 million, five times which is half a billion RTGs annually that is accruing because of third party insurance to Government Madam Speaker, 12 ½ percent of that is going to Traffic Safety Council so it is RTGs100 million annually. Let us use - put our money where our mouth is, currently that money because we have not proposed its usage is currently lying in the bank and losing value, but I am proposing to you today that that money be utilized for enhancing our health care delivery system. This is just the third party insurance, there is also what is called passenger insurance which is RTGS15 per each seat charged for each public transport and arising from how many seats that vehicle or public transport has, you will find that the minimum currently is maybe about RTGS 5000 that is paid towards insurance and 12 ½ percent of that can also give you about US$100m.
There is more than 80 or 100 public service vehicles which are paying this money. Before the upward review of the insurance, there used to be about 150 million accruing to Government each annual period. Currently there is about half a billion accruing because of passenger service vehicle insurance and now 100m is going towards Traffic Safety Council. This is now a cash cow and this why I ask that out of this report we wrest that away...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, you are left with
5 minutes.
HON. NDUNA: We wrestle this away from the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructural Development and give it to the Ministry of Health and Child Care because at some point one of us will definitely
get ill.
The last issue that I want touch on is the issue of an upward review of the royalties paid on gold or by gold suppliers. The Minister of Finance and Economic Development was here not so long ago trying to up the stakes on those royalties so that he can supplement and augment the pittance budget to the tune of $10 billion deficit that he had on the $18 billion budget that he has proposed in terms of Supplementary
Budget. I propose therefore Madam Speaker Ma’am that there be a further point five percent charged on the royalties on gold deliveries so that this money is utilised as a platform to enhance the issue of the manufacturing sector in the drug delivery system. Madam Speaker
Ma’am, these are the issues that I have been asked by the people of Chegutu West Constituency to come and completely ventilate so that no one dies whilst delivering in our public health hospitals, so, that no one dies of BP, sugar diabetes, headache, all the electorate who are unsuspecting, innocent citizens of Chegutu West Constituency in particular and Zimbabwe in general. Thank you.
*HON. MACHINGURA: The debate on drugs relies on Abuja
Declaration and other guidelines which guide us on the amount of drugs needed in a country. As Zimbabwe, we should be in a position to know how much money we need to put aside for the drugs of the whole nation. I am making this contribution because at the moment most of us are suffering from ailments one way or the other.
I am saying this because Parliament has no water because we use toilets but do not wash our hands. In Chitungwiza, there is no water and the local authorities that are responsible for the sanitary systems of the country are not doing their job. As a result, people fall ill because of dirt. In Chipinge, the urban area has no water. As a result, people are using and drinking unhygienic water from unprotected sources and end up falling sick. The problem is when they go to the clinics there is no medication. I wish these clinics had some tablets or those who would have failed to get access to the clinics would go to the hospitals and get the necessary drugs.
Unfortunately, clinics are no longer referring the sick to hospitals, but the sick are now going straight to the hospitals because these local clinics are not functioning properly. We need to have a critical analysis as to why clinics run by local authorities are not operating efficiently. I am saying the responsibility of national health is everybody’s business and it is up to us to look for ways and means of reducing these ailments.
I thank you.
*HON. JAJA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on this report. I urge the
Government to ensure that Government hospitals are well equipped with medicines. Let me give you an example. If you go to a hospital like Parirenyatwa, there is no medication and yet when you go to private hospitals there is plenty of medication bought using foreign currency.
You ask yourself why is it like that. I am calling upon Government to ensure that Government central hospitals be resourced with enough medication to withstand people’s ailments. People are suffering. I thank you.
HON. MUSABAYANE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MATANGIRA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE,
HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY ON THE GWANDA
COMMUNITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TRUST PETITION ON
ACCESS TO PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
Thirty-Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security on the Gwanda Community Youth Development Trust Petition on the access to primary documents.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): Thank you Hon.
Speaker. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, through its department of the Registrar General is responsible for all vital civil registrations as well as production and issuance of travel documents.
The department is decentralised and represented in all the ten administrative provinces, 62 districts throughout the country and 206 sub offices.
The Ministry takes note of the report by the Committee and commits itself to implement the recommendations therein, particularly to improve access to and acquisition of civil registration and travel documents by every citizen in need of these essential documents. The Ministry also undertakes to further decentralise its services, including
the office of the Registrar General in line with the Government thrust of ease of doing business.
Responses to recommendations 5.1 (a) Streamlining of requirement for obtaining primary documents
The department has developed operational manual to serve as standard operating procedures to guide officials in the performance of their duties including requirements obtaining primary documents.
(b) Public awareness on the importance of primary documents
In addition to static registration offices throughout the country as explained above, the department also conducts mobile registration exercises in an effort to bring services to the people and reach out to places that are far away from registration offices. The department participates in and exhibits annually at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, Zimbabwe Agricultural Show and takes part in television and radio programmes to encourage civil registration and explain the importance of having primary documents.
(c) Mobile registration exercises all year round
This exercise has since begun at provincial and district levels throughout the country on an on-going and permanent basis.
(d) Special dispensation for victims of natural disasters
A special exercise to replace and issue primary documents to victims of Cyclone Idai is due to commence on 9 September 2019 in
Chimanimani for 30 days after which the programme will be moved to
Chipinge for another 30 days. As already has been directed by His
Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangangwa, these documents will be replaced and issued for free, that is at no charge to the affected citizens.
(e) Decentralisation of the office of the Registrar General to all parts of the country
The office of the Registrar General is already decentralised as already explained above through provincial, district and sub offices.
The process to establish more sub offices is ongoing, subject to availability of resources, that is infrastructure and staff.
(f) Reliable transport for operations
Admittedly, the department needs to be supported with vehicles suitable for all terrain to enable it to carry mobile registration in all areas of the country. Plans are underway to include this in the 2020 departmental budget.
The Ministry would want to acknowledge the support by and express its gratitude to the United Nations High Commissioner
(UNHCR) for refugees in Zimbabwe for partnering the Registrar
General’s department in the mobile registration exercises to be conducted in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. The office of the UNHCR is assisting the department with among others, four wheel drive vehicles for this outreach programme.
(g) Ongoing training and refresher courses in customer care for officers
An exercise is underway by the department to develop an appropriate training programme and curriculum in customer care as part of continuous professional update and to address identified performance deficiencies.
(h) Establishment of birth registration at ECD centres
This idea will be considered. However, the creation of facilities at ECD centres by 31 December 2020 depends on the availability of resources for the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and staffing suffice to say currently, the office of the Registrar General is represented through sub offices at all major hospitals and at some clinics for births and death registration.
Parents, through these sub offices can obtain birth registration of their newly born children even before they leave the maternity home. Parents are therefore encouraged to take advantage of this facility as well as the free birth registration window for children up to the age of six and save themselves the inconvenience of late or non registration.
(i) Relaxation of search fees for lost documents
The search fee is currently RTGS$5.00. It is submitted that this figure is both reasonable and necessary to motivate citizens to take care and look after their documents.
(j) Parliamentary Oversight on the Registrar General’s
Department
The Ministry is ready to cooperate with and would appreciate any support by Parliament to ensure provision of an efficient service delivery that meets public expectation. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. MAYIHLOME: Mr. Speaker Sir, on behalf of the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security, we would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural
Heritage and the Registrar General’s Office for the prompt response to this petition and to our report. We are very grateful that as we debated this report in this House, action on the ground had already started.
We have heard reports that they have started to issue birth certificates and they are being issued until late in some parts of the country. We have also been informed by the Registrar General’s office during our visit to the passport production centre that measures have been put in place to ensure that passports are issued out more promptly. Foreign currency challenges that were encountered at the production centre are issues that are being addressed by the Ministry of Finance and that of Home Affairs.
It is our fervent hope that the issue of foreign currency generated at foreign embassies will be discussed amicably between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance so that an equitable share of that foreign currency could be given to the Registrar General’s Department so as to alleviate their plight on foreign currency requirements.
We however appeal to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the
Registrar General’s office to ensure that this exercise will not be just a response to the petition but an exercise that will continue throughout the country until the problem of delayed issuing of birth certificates is addressed once and for all.
As part of our oversight role, we will continue to monitor the activities and service delivery in these departments and check developments over a period of time and during the life of the Eighth Parliament.
I must conclude by saying thank you to the Gwanda Community
Youth Development Trust, the Registrar General’s office, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage and all who contributed to this exercise. We believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel and such cooperation is what is we expect as your Committee. I thank you.
I therefore move that the motion on the Report of the Portfolio
Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security on the Gwanda Community Youth Community Trust Petition on the access to primary documents be adopted.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MUSABAYANE: I move that the all the Orders of the Day be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 37 has been disposed of.
HON. TONGOFA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FIRST REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING ON
GWANDA RESIDENTS’ PETITION ON VIOLATION OF RIGHTS
TO HUMAN DIGNITY, WATER AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
Thirty-Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the first report of the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public
Works and National Housing on Gwanda Residents’ Petition on violation of rights to human dignity, water and clean environment.
Question again proposed.
HON. CHIKUKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank all the Hon. Members who contributed and we hope what is happening in Gwanda is an eye opener to other local authorities where we might not have gone to and we hope with our Committee we are going to pursue some of the local authorities in the same venture.
I therefore move that this House takes note of the first report of the
Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing on Gwanda Residents’ Petition on violation of rights to human
dignity, water and clean environment, be adopted.
Motion put and adopted.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME
AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO), the
House adjourned at Twenty One Minutes to Five o’clock p.m. until
Tuesday, 24th September, 2019.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 4th September, 2019
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
APPOINTMENT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK FOR
DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (APNODE)
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I wish to advise the House that the following are the Executive Committee Members of the African
Parliamentarians Network for Development Evaluation (APNODE), the Zimbabwe Chapter:
Hon. Sen. Chief Nechombo Chairperson
Hon. Mpariwa Vice Chairperson
Hon. Mhona Treasurer
Hon. Mavetera Secretary
Hon. O. Sibanda Committee Member
Hon. Sen. Mtshane-Khumalo Committee Member
Hon. Madzimure Committee Member
The main objective – [HON. CHIKWINYA: Inaudible interjection.] - Hon. Chikwinya, can I have your attention together with your neighbours there. The main objective of APNODE is to create awareness and promote culture and development evaluation amongst Parliamentarians in order to make informed evidence based decision making policy formulation.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received the following names of the Hon. Ministers who have tendered for leave of absence:
Hon. Prof. M. Ncube – The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Rtd Air Marshall Shiri – The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement -[*HON.
SIKHALA: He called us dogs, monkeys and baboons, he should not come here in Parliament.] – [Laughter.] - I am going to send someone out now. Hon. Rtd. S. B. Moyo – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Hon. Dr. Mangwiro – The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care.
I want to advise Hon. Members in this House that I have written twice to His Excellency about non attendance of Hon. Ministers and I am told that the matter has been raised in Cabinet where all Hon.
Ministers were advised to attend parliamentary business in terms of Section 107 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. When I look around, I think we are all agreed, the absence today is appalling and pathetic. I have instructed the secretariat that those who have not tendered their apologies will have to be charged accordingly – [HON. SIKHALA: Those are fake apologies.] – I want to address myself to Hon. Sikhala, be ready for the worst.
Hon. Hamauswa having stood up to raise a point of privilege.
What is your problem Hon. Member? Can you sit down; I am holding the Chair – [Laughter.] –
I want to advise Hon. Sikhala and others that the Hon. Minister did apologise here in the House publicly. If you check your Hansard, the apology is there.
Hon. T. Moyo having stood up to raise a point of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I have called for notices of motion. Hon. Mathe are you rising on a notice of motion?
HON. MATHE: Sorry Mr. Speaker Sir I thought you had gone to points of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No.
HON. T. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise on a point of privilege. My point of privilege, Mr. Speaker Sir, is drawn from
Sustainable Development Goal number 6 which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. This SDG number 6 calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. The official wording is, ‘ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation
for all.’
Furthermore, I also refer to the International Water Convention of 1992 which reads that the Water Convention Act protects human health by better water management and by reducing water related diseases. The protocol provides for framework to translate into practice the human rights to water and sanitation.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, raise the issue of national importance now, not historically.
HON. T. MOYO: According to SDG number 6 and international water convention, I therefore call upon the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to expeditiously carry out the following measures to mitigate the effects of a real phenomenon.
- Expedite drilling of boreholes in rural areas.
- To carry out desiltation of dams
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I will ask the Chief Whips to assist the Chair. During your Caucuses, can you please discuss the question: what is a question of privilege? I feel very uncomfortable to ask the Member to sit down.
*HON. KARENYI: On a point of privilege. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. As women in Zimbabwe we have rights to choose what we want at a particular time, but you have seen Mr. Speaker, that as women we are not getting the respect when it comes to torture and abuses.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in this august House, that is where we represent people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. I go back to my same ruling for Hon. Moyo. Yes, we cannot pursue privileges in the manner that I can see the trend developing. I am ruling that meet in your caucuses and discuss the matters accordingly. So I am not accepting any further – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order! Hon.
Member take your seat. Yes, I cannot make a ruling and unrule myself. Come back well prepared within the confines of our standing rules and present your privileges accordingly – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It looks like we have a problem with power. We will proceed. The transcribers will be able to perform their tasks provided we can speak in English. The vernacular languages unfortunately have to be connected up there.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MUSIKAVANHU: My question is directed to the Leader
of the House. What policy measures are being put in place further to the observations by His Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa that CITES is not working to the advantage of SADC countries on the backdrop that amongst ourselves, Botswana and Namibia we have a stockpile of elephant tasks valued at $600m?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank
the Hon. Member for the question indeed the issue of our elephants is a cause for concern in the region. We had a conference in Victoria Falls where as a bloc we agreed that the meeting that took place in Geneva - our Ministers went there with a view of arguing our case to CITES to indicate that between us and Botswana we have the largest population of elephants in the world.
We have a lot of human wildlife conflict. The people that are leading the campaign not to sell ivory, do not even have a single elephant. We need to maintain the elephants that we have. Our carrying capacity is now overcrowded and therefore we put our case. Hon Members will recall that CITES was not agreeable to what we were proposing. Our countries are of the view that there is a need to pull out of CITES because we cannot continue in that scenario where our carrying capacity has been over stretched. Our own population in those areas are now vulnerable to attacks by the animals and therefore, we are mulling a scenario where as a bloc we may decide to pull out of CITES for the sake of ourselves and our animals. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: May I hear from the Hon. Leader of the
House whether in view of the challenges with CITES we are presuming any trading of live elephants to any other countries [HON. T. MLISWA:
He is not head of the House, he is the head of Government business head of the House is Hon. Speaker - next time.] –
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. At the moment, we are still bound by CITES and we cannot violate what we agreed to. So what we are doing is, we want to find a solution whereby if we move out of CITES then we can do what the Hon. Member is suggesting. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question to
the Leader of Government Business is - this issue of overstocking of elephants has not been there. I would like the Minister to be honest.
What procedure and what arrangement was put in place when the then Ministers of Environment, Hon. Kasukuwere and Hon. Mupfumira were selling elephants to the Chinese? If that was happening here, why do they not continue with that because you are also working on, not only that but the money that was generating from those sales of elephants, we do not know where it went to. We talk about the value being 600 million elephants that went to China which was good, but where did the money go to and what mechanism was used to try and destock the elephants?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What I said are
facts that we have an overstocking of elephants. If the previous Ministers were selling, the Hon. Member is privy to that. On top of that, the Hon. Member said he does not know where the money went to, which means the sales that took place were done by the Ministers in their personal capacity; it was not a Government programme. What I indicated is that we have a very large population of elephants, it is a fact. We presented our case with a view of ensuring that we also benefit from our wildlife and ensure that we also uplift the lives of communities that are affected by those animals. As to the other allegations, I am not privy to that and I cannot answer that, I thank you.
HON. WATSON: Does the Minister have empirical evidence that proves overstocking and can he answer correctly what the Government is doing to ameliorate or reduce the population without selling elephants and what is the correlation between selling ivory and the number of live elephants.?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What I indicated that we have an overpopulation of elephants is a fact – [AN HON. MEMBER: Give us evidence.] – The exact number of elephants that we have at the moment, I can request that information because surely, it is expecting too much out of me to cram all the figures. What I know is, we have over-population of elephants and between us and Botswana, we hold over 80% of the world’s elephant population. What I can do is to bring information as to the actual number of elephants which we have. As to what happened when the previous Ministers sold the elephants, I cannot answer for them. What I can answer is what we are trying to do now to ensure that we reduce the elephant population so that our environment can carry the correct quantities of elephants; that I can answer. What I cannot competently speak about is what happened during the era of the previous Ministers. I thank you.
HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Schools will
be open in a few days time and we notice that there is rampant increase in school fees. I would like to know from the Leader of Government Business what Government policy is in regards to fees increase?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. Last week, we dealt with the Education Amendment Bill and this issue was discussed extensively. The Minister indicated that Government schools and faith based schools, because they are supported by Government, their school fees are controlled by Government. They have to submit their proposals for increases and then the Government will assess and respond accordingly. As for private schools, the Government does not have any control; it is a matter that is between the private school and the parents. I thank you.
HON. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What measures
have been put in place to cater for those learners who are disadvantaged and may not be able to pay the fees?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker. The question is very broad and I am not sure which specific category of learners is being referred to. Mr. Speaker Sir, I may fail to pay my fees at St Georges College but I chose to go to St Georges College, therefore, Government would not put a policy regarding the fees. We put a policy for those learners that Government knows that the parents cannot pay fees, we already have a policy in terms of BEAM. It is not something that is coming out now because there are school fees increases. We already have a policy, parents, learners and school heads know the processes that have to be followed to ensure that those learners are catered for. I thank you.
HON. KASHIRI: I would like to applaud the Minister for establishing Anti Corruption Courts around the country. My question is, what is Government policy to recover the property acquired corruptly, including buildings that have been built with corruptly earned money?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. Yesterday I tabled the amendment to the Money Laundering Act. I brought in a Bill to address issues of unexplained wealth and we feel that is the easiest way to target people who would have acquired wealth corruptly whereby unexplained orders are issued and you have to explain. So, that Bill will be discussed here and I will be very happy if Hon. Members can debate, improve and enact it very fast so that we can deal with corrupt people. I thank you.
+HON. MAHLANGU: My question is directed to the Minister of Information. Is it Government policy to discriminate the Ndebele people?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUTSVANGWA): Thank
you Mr. Speaker. Zimbabwe is a unitary State. Zimbabweans fought together for the liberation of this country. Zimbabweans are all entitled to all what is within the boundaries of their country. It is not Government policy to discriminate each other. In this particular case which she is referring to, I am not aware and if there is a particular case let it be – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I am not aware, the Constitution of this country does not allow discrimination so those individuals have a right to demand redress to that particular individual. As a Ministry, we would be happy to get the details so that we look into it. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. GONESE: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker Sir, my point of order emanates from the fact that the statement in question was made on ZI-FM and it was broadcast live on radio. There have been a lot of tweets regarding the statement. I am astounded and perplexed that we have a situation where the Hon. Minister of Information comes to this august House and say that she is unaware of that. It is ether the Hon. Minister is not doing her job or – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – because it was the Hon. Deputy Minister of Information and we have got something which is so notorious, something which transpired, it was not just a tweet but it was on ZI-FM.
The Hon. Deputy Minister was a panelist with Hon. Molokela. I can understand if it did not come to the attention of some other people but for the Hon. Minister of Information - I believe that it is either as I have already indicated, she is not doing her job and she is not keeping herself abreast of developments in the country. Alternatively, she is misleading the House, she is aware but she does not want to own up. I believe that we cannot as an august House accept such a statement from the Hon. Minister, that she is not aware of something which has been widely publicised to the extent that this statement was publicised.
THE HON. SPEAKER: With that clarification Hon. Minister, can you proceed to answer.
HON. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, the
question was, is there a policy of discriminating other Zimbabweans and I thought I answered that question – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, can you be guided from
the Chair. There was a publication and the Hon. Members are saying that that was through a panel and the statement was against the Ndebele people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. MUTSVANGWA: What I want to make clear is that there is no policy of discrimination within Government.
HON. MAHLANGU: My supplementary question is this; if there
is no policy, then the Hon. Minister should apologise to the people of Matabeleland for what happened. What is making me say that is that there is no one who wants development in Matabeleland because they take us as refugees. No one wants to apologise for Gukurahundi because they think we are refugees. Therefore the Minister should apologise and state that we are not refugees. If you go to Matabeleland, there is no development because we are considered as refugees.
THE HON. SPEAKER: It is understood that there is no policy but your Deputy Minister made that statement. That is the question now.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND
BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUTSVANGWA): Mr.
Speaker, I think I indicated already earlier on. I did not have an opportunity to listen to this interview. I will have to listen to it and then come back and explain – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order. The Hon. Minister has undertaken to pursue the matter and come back to the House on the issue and the matter will rest there.
HON. MAMOMBE: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. In his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of Government business.
We are seeing a notice that was given by the doctors on the strike that they want to undertake. This notice was saying that the strikes are going to take place from the 3rd of this month. I would like to know the permanent solution to the crisis that we are facing in the public health sector, particularly on the issues to do with strikes. How is the
Government going to deal with that problem, considering that our health sector is already crippled by the absence of electricity, unavailability of drugs and even equipment? We do not want to see a repeat of people dying like what happened the last time when doctors went on strike –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Matangira, why do you interrupt the Hon. Minister? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Government is
committed to improving the welfare of all Government workers, doctors included. Negotiations have been ongoing to ensure that we reach an agreement as to the wages that have to be given to all Government workers. What the Government cannot do at this stage is to treat one sector with preference and neglecting the rest.
As to the second question of a permanent solution to strikes, world over, the right to demonstrate is allowed. I would not believe that one would have a prescription to unforeseen events that may happen that will dictate that a certain sector show their dissatisfaction with that particular event, therefore I cannot say.
HON. CHIKWINYA: In his response, the Hon. Minister says Government is committed to the welfare of civil servants in general, including doctors and nurses. The Minister of Finance in the previous week announced a 76% salary increment effective 1st August to Civil Servants in an effort to ameliorate the situation as schools are beginning to open – is it possible to explain to this House when this money is going to be paid to the Civil Servant as they expect to pay school fees and to cover some of the problems being raised by the doctors and nurses in the general civil service?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Indeed, we deliberated on this issue and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development undertook to ensure that before schools open, most likely by end of this week, he would have given the civil service their salary increases to cushion them with a view to ensuring that they pay school fees. It is something that is being done and I believe some have already received it.
HON. T. MLISWA: With due respect, the Leader of Government business must take to the fact that the economic situation is not good. As a nation, we cannot be insensitive to the plight of the people and being hard in response. For him to say that it is a democratic right to protest and demonstrate when the courts are saying that you cannot demonstrate because its national security concern – I think it is proper to say that the Government is trying by all means to ensure that we bring to an end the suffering of the people rather than him pushing that agenda of strikes.
It hit me hard because our people are suffering. I expect him to have a heart for our people and say that we are trying by all means to improve the conditions of our people. I remain guided by you Mr. Speaker. For him to say it is their democratic right yet the courts are saying they cannot march – there is nothing to lead us to democracy when the courts have clearly spoken. The Minister has a heart; he can speak better than that – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Let us not confuse issues. We are talking about doctors and the Hon. Minister contextualised the issue of how to cushion the challenges the civil service is facing now. It was not a general question about the challenges the people of Zimbabwe altogether are facing. This is in relationship to the doctors and civil servants accordingly. Let us not argue outside the original question.
So, I rule.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): The question
from Hon. Mamombe was in two parts. The first part was - what are we doing about the doctors salaries, they have given a notice – [HON.
MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. ZIYAMBI: The second part was; she wanted a permanent
solution so that they do not strike. So I answered it in two parts and said we are looking holistically at the plight of civil servants with a view of improving their conditions of service - that shows sensitivity.
The second part was, what do we do with strikes so that they do not occur. In answer to that, I said you cannot determine now since we have a right that is there in the Constitution to demonstrate - a permanent solution. What if something happens in future that dictates that they have to take that route. It was in response to a futuristic event to say that you cannot prescribe what is going to happen tomorrow. It was not in reference to the present situation and the present plight. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I allowed the Hon.
Minister.
Hon. Tsunga having stood up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is happening my friend? I have
not finished.
HON. TSUNGA: I thought you had finished.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, I had not. I indulged the Hon.
Minister and I think he has emphasised that the responses were confined to the questions originally asked. So, I do not think we can go outside the purview of that question and the attended supplementary questions.
HON. TSUNGA: My supplementary question, Hon. Speaker, is that the problem in the health delivery system is money fold. While the dimension of conditions of service and rates of pay for health personnel is critical, there is also the aspect of medication.
You may address the issue of salaries but the galloping prices of medication because once you get a prescription you still need to go to a pharmacy. How then do you address that other angle because I think the prices of medication is beyond the reach of many. Let us look at it in that perspective that it has to be a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem because it is really a crisis. Thank you Mr. Speaker – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I indicated earlier on that the question asked by Hon. Mamombe was contextualised to the doctors plight. The question of medication is another issue.
HON. MAMOMBE: Just a point of clarification
THE HON. SPEAKER: Clarification on what?
HON. MAMOMBE: A clarification on the 76% increment.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Ask a supplementary question.
HON. MAMOMBE: Hon. Speaker, my supplementary question is directed to the – [AN HON. MEMBER: Bvisa heti.] –
HON. T. MLISWA: Hon. Speaker ,on a point of order. Whoever said bvisa heti is very sexist, feminist and they must withdraw.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Who is saying that? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Can I listen to one person please?
HON. MAMOMBE: It is Hon. Nyabani.
HON. SIKHALA: You always allow them to get away with it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Order Hon. Member
there. Can I get the name properly?
HON. T. MLISWA: Hon. Speaker, I never lie; it was Hon.
Nyabani. If you refuse, the Hansard will pick you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. The Hon. Member, can you withdraw your statement? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
*HON. NYABANI: Hon. Speaker, for the sake of progress I withdraw – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MAMOMBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker for that protection –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. D. SIBANDA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. The
Honourable here is not withdrawing. He is saying for progress sake.
Can he just withdraw because he has always been heckling – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order.
HON. MAMOMBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My
supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that the strikes that were announced by the doctors and nurses, it was after the announcement that there is going to be an increment of 76%. Yes, the Government has tried its best. The Government is going to make an increment of 76% but on their petition, on their demands they are stating that they are not recognising that 76% of increment. What they want is that their money be paid in United States dollars on an increment which is in line with the inflation that is 500% or 700%. This is what the doctors want.
So the 76% increment that the Hon. Minister is talking about is not going to work. It is not going to stop the strikes that are ongoing and we are going to lose lives, Hon. Speaker, because already there are no drugs and no equipment and doctors have been making an effort. What is the
Government going to do about the current crisis? They want United
States dollars and they want an increment of 700%. Thank you Mr.
Speaker.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, I alluded to the fact that negotiations are ongoing – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
–
THE HON. SPEAKER: Honourable Members at the back there, can the Hon. Minister be heard in silence? Please carry on Hon.
Minister.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, I alluded to the fact that negotiations are ongoing. The rest of the civil service said okay, we agree to what Government has offered us but we will continue negotiating and we accepted that. It is the same with doctors, so I am surprised that she has already concluded that is the finality of the case when we are still negotiating with the representatives. I thank you.
+HON. F. K. MGUNI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Health and Child Care. I would like to know what Government policy says concerning hospitals without mortuaries or with mortuaries that are not functioning as well as those that do not have incinerators to burn waste. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you repeat your question, what is the policy question?
HON. S. K. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I wanted to find out what Government policy says in cases where there are hospitals which do not have mortuaries which are functioning as well as proper incinerators to burn waste. I had directed my question to the Minister of Health and Child Care and in his absence, I would like to ask the Leader of Government Business in the House to answer the question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mguni, you are mixing up different issues, you are speaking of mortuaries as well as waste. You should ask just one question as these questions do not go hand in hand.
HON. S. K. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is - what is Government policy concerning hospitals which do not have functional mortuaries?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Government policy on ensuring that hospitals have mortuaries so that the dead bodies are preserved in dignity.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, we have hospitals which do not have mortuaries and the ideal situation is to have a mortuary at every hospital. That is an aspiration that we have to ensure that progressively all the hospitals have mortuaries. In the mean time, we are also working closely with funeral parlours so that where we do not have a mortuary; they can also help with facilities for body removal. I thank you.
HON. DZUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Climate and Rural Resettlement and in his absence, I direct it to the Leader of the
House. What is the Government position on provision of tillage – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – as we go into the new season. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Dzuma, can you ask a
straight forward policy question please.
*HON. DZUMA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. What is the Government policy in relation to the loss of cattle due to the disease that attacked our stocks in the past and also in terms of the agricultural tillage equipment and other agricultural inputs?
What is the level of preparedness in relation to that?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY SFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. This question was asked last week but the Minister of Agriculture will come and present a Ministerial Statement on the preparedness of the next season touching on issues of mechanisation as well. Thank you.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam. Speaker. My question will go to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government policy on mothers who have their children admitted in hospitals; what is the
Government policy on their welfare? This is because, I visited Harare
Hospital where the policy is that when a baby is admitted, the mother is not entitled to bedding or food. So, what is the Government policy on the welfare of mothers who have their children admitted in hospitals?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY SFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, our paediatric units by their very nature of their set up have no accommodation or bedding for the mothers. It is designed in such a manner that it will accommodate the paediatrics or children who are admitted in those units. What the Government can do pertaining to the mothers; she clearly indicated that the hospital articulated the policy that they take care of the patient and not the mother. That is the position.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My follow up
question is - what is Government policy on that? I want to find out how you can have a child who is being breast fed and when the child is still being breast fed and the mother will be hospitalised with the baby? If the mother is not getting food, how is this child going to feed from the mother because mother needs food in order to breast feed. If this is not addressed, you end up having malnutrition in hospitals and I think Government must have a policy that the mother must get fed by way of breakfast, lunch and supper. That is my proposal.
HON. ZIYAMBI: The question of malnutrition for the babies is out of the question. The question that babies in children’s wards will have malnutrition does not arise. When we have our pediatric patients in wards, the hospital takes it upon itself to ensure that those pediatric children are well looked after. If you go to those children’s wards - nine out of ten times when the children are ill, they cannot even breast feed. So the hospital ensures that they supplement and that they get the relevant treatment and food supplements while they are in hospital.
As for the mother, I think if she has a suggestion that we should have a policy of feeding the mothers, this is the platform in Parliament to ensure she brings those issues and if they are agreed on by this House, it can be adopted. I thank you.
HON. GONESE: My supplementary question is that can the Hon.
Minister explain to us what is the rationale for that policy which he has articulated. The Hon. Miniser in his response is asking the Hon. Member to come up with suggestions but I want him as a Minister of Government to explain to us what is the basis upon which the Government has come up with that policy which is placing those children at a disadvantage?
Can the Hon. Minister justify the current policy position which Government has adopted, because as the original question has illustrated, we have got the situation where those children who are admitted are placed at a disadvantage. Perhaps, the Hon Minister can try to explain to us why Government is being so insensitive because that is what it amounts to.
HON. ZIYAMBI: It is the standard practice the world over in hospitals. If the Hon. Member believes that we need to shift from that because I am not aware of any disadvantage to any hospitalised child because of the current practice. I am not aware of any deaths that occurred because of malnutrition due to the current practice. If they have statistics that indicate that we have a problem with the current practice and they have comparable jurisdictions where they can compare that when a child is hospitalised the mother is also catered for, then we are free to adopt that. I thank you.
HON. KARENYI: My proposal would be: can the Minister visit Harare Hospital for him to know what is happening there. The nurses are even asking Government to help these mothers because if your child is admitted for three months you go there and sit on a chair for the whole night for three months. To be very honest it is not healthy. Can he go and have a fact finding tour at Harare Hospital so that he can have a policy which will help the women of this country?
HON. ZIYAMBI: It is the choice of the mother to sleep on the table and observe the child. It is not the policy of Government. Once your child is admitted, the child is under the care of the nursing staff and they ensure that the child is bathed, fed and the mother is there because she is the mother. She is not obliged by any law to sleep in hospital. Our policy is very clear. That is why I said if we can have comparable jurisdictions where mothers are admitted in hospital together with their children, then we can study that with a view of adopting it. What we are doing now is the current practice worldwide and we do not admit mothers together with their children. I thank you.
HON. P. ZHOU: My question is directed to the Leader of the House. In light of the oncoming rainy season, cognisant that urban councils are failing to execute their duties effectively, what is Government doing to reduce incidences of cholera outbreaks in the urban areas?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON ZIYAMBI): End of last year
we had incidences of cholera and we are approaching a rainy season. The Minister of Health who was new then in fact landed in cholera, came here and gave a Ministerial Statement of what the Government was doing with a view of ensuring that we deal with the cholera epidemic. Hon. Members are guided that this is something that was deliberated here and Government insists like what the Minister of Health said, on hygiene and ensuring that we have safe water always. This is what we will continue doing. I thank you.
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My
supplementary question is we all know that cholera in urban areas is caused by unclean water. What is Government doing considering that there is continuous load sheding and this affects water treatment plants?
What is Government doing to make sure that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – water treatment plants are supplied with power? I thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Our sewer system
does not require electricity. We have had serious cases of cholera outbreaks when we had electricity. Cholera is a disease where sewer and water that we use mix and we end up with the cholera bacteria. I do not know why the Hon. Members want to link the current power outrages to cholera; perhaps he can show me the causal link between the two. I am failing to get where he is leading to. Whenever he had cholera, we had electricity. The pumping of clean water has nothing to do with cholera outbreaks or the lack of pumping. Secondly, the issue of reticulation falls within the purview of local authorities and the Hon. Member was advised to go to the local authorities, most of whom are controlled by the MDC – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- to interrogate and find out what they are trying to do to ensure that we ameliorate the situation.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. Indeed, the demonstrations were banned according to the courts of this country, which is in order. The police had gone to the courts stating that they did not have enough manpower. My question is - what measures are they taking to ensure that next time there are demonstrations, they are well equipped for that? They cannot continue with prohibition orders. So what measures are they taking to train the police to capacitate themselves so that they are able to deal with any demonstration in the country because it is actually quite dangerous for the police to announce publicly that we do not have the capacity to deal with any demonstration in the country? It exposes them and they being the law enforcement agency, for them to give such alertness to the populace of this country.
I would like to know what measure are being taken to ensure that next time there is a demonstration, the police will be well prepared and do not go back to court with the same reasons?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): Thank you Madam
Speaker. The Hon. Member has asked an important question. However, I am not privy to the reason he is giving here which he purports to have been given by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. What I am aware is that the police actually have given different reasons that what he has given that there was potential for violence and therefore it is the responsibility of the police to prevent destruction of property to prevent lawlessness. Therefore, that is the action that was taken before the violence took place, rather than capacity to handle demonstrations. I think it is clear and common cause that the police handled the situation very well –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
Madam Speaker I think I need to state it very categorically that the
Zimbabwe Republic Police had the capacity to handle the recent potential demonstration which was going to be destructive. So Hon. Mliswa should be advised that it is not about capacity and any future demonstration will be handled as it comes, I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker, precisely my
question to the Hon. Deputy Minister; I am glad that the Hon. Deputy Minister has even cited the fact that there were concerns of violence. After the prohibition order what did they do to investigate those who were supposed to purport violence during the demonstrations? The issue is they cannot go to court, the issue is, what did the Ministry and police do to investigate the very same people that they had identified to have caused violence? There had not been any arrest of anybody and no suspect at all. So, what then are they doing in terms of that? The reason is that we do not want a situation where His Excellency, the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa is labelled to be a heavy handed leader in Government when pretty well we talk about a new dispensation which is supposed to allow certain things to happen.
The police must be able to tell us who they have picked, who they suspected was going to cause violence, who they have investigated and so forth. The people of Zimbabwe will still go back to the courts to seek for those demonstrations again. What reasons are they going to give next time when people go to apply for a demonstration and appear before the court?
HON. MADIRO: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. The
Hon. Member, his supplementary question is actually the same as his original question that the police within their – [HON. SIKHALA:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Sikhala.
HON. MADIRO: Hon Speaker, the Zimbabwe Republic police to
the best of their judgment and intelligent information gathered, we are informed and we are clear that the demonstrations had great potential for violence and therefore – [HON. T. MLISWA: Who did you engage and arrest?] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mliswa – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I
raised the question on a point of clarity.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.
HON. GONESE: On a point of order Madam Speaker. First of all, Madam Speaker, I do not know whether there is any need for us to have Deputy Ministers in this country.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gonese, I did not
recognise you. May you take your seat?
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, I move that the time for Questions Without Notice be extended.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
HON. CHINOTIMBA: We cannot continue wasting time –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, is there any objection [HON. MEMBERS: Yes.] – There is an objection – [HON.
MEMBERS: No! no!] –
The Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs having approached the Chair.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, we are extending with ten minutes – [AN HON. MEMBER: So, can the Hon. Minister answer Hon. T. Mliswa’s question?] – Hon. Deputy Minister, you may continue to answer Hon. T. Mliswa’s question.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): Madam Speaker, with
your indulgence, can the Hon. Member repeat the question so that I am clear of what he wants answered.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
Madam Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of MDC, Job Sikhala said that I ate some people but the truth is, he urinates on himself every time. I want to know from him when I ate people. I want him to withdraw that particular word. He must withdraw because he insulted me.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chinotimba, those
words are unparliamentary, can you withdraw those words.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Madam Speaker, the truth is there, I do
not eat people but he said that I eat people. If he does not withdraw his words that I eat people, I am also not going to withdraw because I do not eat people. Hon. Sikhala should be the first person to withdraw his words because that is what he said.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw your statement.
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, it is that every time when the
Speaker leaves the Chair and leaves the Deputy Speaker, ZANU PF MPs do not respect Madam Chair – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections] – I did not say anything.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw the words that you directed to Hon. Chinotimba.
HON. SIKHALA: You directed him withdraw his words, so he must simply withdraw. He must simply follow the ruling of the Chair.
He wants to create another matter for you to make a ruling.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw those words.
HON. SIKHALA: I did not say those words.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: When I raised the point of order, I wanted Hon Sikhala to withdraw his words. Your ruling should ensure that he withdraws his statement – [AN HON MEMBER: Chinotimba waakuda kuzotijairira, enda unodzura ndebvu idzodzo] - – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
I withdraw my statement but I also plead with Hon. Sikhala to withdraw the statement that he directed to me.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, may you
withdraw your statement.
HON. SIKHALA: Which statement must I withdraw?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That Hon. Chinotimba is a
cannibal.
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, I am not getting you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That Hon. Chinotimba is a
cannibal.
*HON. SIKHALA: Chinotimba, did I say that you are a cannibal? If I said so, I withdraw - [AN HON. MEMBER: I have an issue that is troubling me here. It is said that VaMnangagwa came into power as a result of demonstrations but you are prohibiting us to do the same.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. I have
not recognised you.
AMOUNT PAID TO HIRE PRIVATE GULFSTREAM JET FOR THE
FORMER FIRST LADY
- HON. GONESE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to state the amount paid by the Government to hire a private Gulfstream jet for the former First Lady, Grace Mugabe to attend her mother’s funeral.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): I am not in a position to answer this question. I will forward the question to the substantive Minister of
Transport who is responsible for that and he will come and respond.
HON. GONESE: I have a point of order Madam Speaker. If you notice, this question was deferred from 21st November 2018. It has taken almost eight months for the Hon. Minister to come with that response that the question must be re-directed. This is really unfair and it is a disservice to the people of Zimbabwe. This is a pertinent question and I believe that if the Hon. Leader of the House felt that the question was not directed to the appropriate Minister, he should have responded timeously. As such, I object to the course of conduct exhibited in this august House where the Hon. Minister of Finance who has not been coming to this House for a long time simply then deflects the question and says that it must be re-directed. I appeal to the Chair to really ask the Leader of Government business and the Executive to be more serious about the business of Parliament.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have heard you Hon.
Gonese but I also urge you to redirect your question to the relevant Ministry. Thank you.
PLANS FOR THE REFURBISHMENT OF POWER STATIONS
- HON. TSUURA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House of the Ministry’s plans for the refurbishment of power stations which were established before independence.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Thank you Madam Speaker.
I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Madam Speaker, I would like to inform the House that there are plans to refurbish or repower the small thermal power stations, that is Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare Power Stations. The plans involve changing of the boiler technology so that these power stations can use a low quality grade coal to reduce the cost of generation and improve efficiency. Currently the power stations use a 10 grade technology that utilises high quality coal which is expensive.
A contract for the repowering of Harare is in place and the one for Munyati is being finalised. The progress in implementation has been negatively affected by lack of funding. The repowering of Bulawayo project is at procurement stage. Hon. Members should also note that apart from the repowering of the Small Thermal Power Stations, ZESA is also working on Hwange Life Extension Project, Hwange Power Station units which have exceeded the design operation life of 25 years, hence their frequent breakdowns and low than desired output.
The project aims to refurbish the six units, that is unit 1 to 6 in order to restore equipment reliability, firm output and extend life.
HON. WATSON: Could the Hon. Minister please tell us whether the refurbishment of Bulawayo power station which you are busy negotiating with will include the pipeline to ensure that the power station no longer uses Bulawayo’s precious portable water. I thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thank you Hon. Member for the question. Yes there is upgrading of the power line from Hwange to Bulawayo to Kwekwe. It is ongoing.
HON. WATSON: Can I just repeat the question. The question is about the water being used in the Bulawayo power station. There was supposed to be a pipeline being built from Khami dam to the power station to stop the use of potable water in the power station because it is precious. I want to know that is included in the funding that you have obtained and the plan at hand. Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: At the moment the project that you are talking about according to the question is about the upgrading of the power station, but that will be considered in the near future. I think after the upgrading then we consider that.
HON. CHIKWINYA: I think because of the importance of Hon.
Watson’s question I will just try and walk through because it is the same project. On the production of electricity on these small thermal power stations there is high usage of water and Bulawayo included. So according to the design in Bulawayo to compensate for the water which is supposed to be used in the production of electricity - the design entails drawing water from Khami dam to Bulawayo so that you spare the municipal water for residential consumption.
Now Hon. Watson’s question is does your procurement also include drawing water from Khami to the CBD where the Bulawayo thermal power station is included. So as you answer you may relate to that. However, my supplementary question is that the cost of repairing the small power thermal stations because of their age now it is so much that can we not invest in new technology that is outside coal because (1) coal itself is becoming extinct to the extent that we are now finding it difficult to even supply Hwange which is our main power station. What measures are there Hon. Minister for us to invest in new technology, solar included so that at least we can quickly realise power production which can be fed into our grid? Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Hon. Chikwinya for clarifying that question. Yes, the project to upgrade the Bulawayo Power Station includes everything that is involved, including the pipeline to draw water from Khami Dam as stated, it is in the project. Coming to his question, what was the question?
HON. CHIKWINYA: My question was, in her response, she said the power stations are now above 25 years of age. The upgrades include the use of coal that is not high in phosphorous content, which is currently difficult because it requires more energy to burn, that was her response. My issue is; the technology that they are continuously engaging in is expensive and requires fuel in coal which is becoming extinct in Hwange. Why do they not invest in new technology that is devoid of coal? I have suggested solar, which is easy to realise for the production of electricity which goes straight into our grid. Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Yes, the
upgrading of the old thermal power stations is expensive at the moment, considering that there is new technology that we can take on board. However, the issue at the moment is that we cannot ignore those power stations which are already operational. It is just a matter of upgrading to the level where we can generate more electricity at the moment. The long term measure that we have is that, we are encouraging renewable energy, solar energy plants; we have a number of such projects which are under consideration and that will be added on to the grid in the near future once they are concluded. Thank you for that question.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
want to ask the Hon. Minister whether it is not possible for their Ministry to do a proper research and inform the House. I say this because the question asked by Hon. Watson is very important, which borders on the management of water, which is now becoming a scarce resource in Zimbabwe.
I will further explain with evidence from Kariba Dam; engineers are saying what we experienced was poor management of the water that was used to generate power where generators were using more water and there was no capacity to take the energy that was being generated. In the end, we are suffering as a result of shortages of electricity. My question is - why can the Ministry not do a proper research and inform the House on the status of water management in terms of generating power, other than to mislead the House to say those issues are going to be considered in this project, yet we know that nothing is happening similar to what the Minister would want the House to believe.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. We are
currently engaged in research work on the best way forward in terms of electricity generation. I cannot say we are ignoring that fact, we are considering that. The current power generation consumes a lot of water but we are looking at ways of how to mitigate that and get out of it and use better ways like renewable energy which uses the sun to generate solar energy.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PURCHASE OF VEHICLES FOR CHIEFS IN 2018
- HON. MASUKU asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House on the amount of money used to purchase vehicles for chiefs during 2018.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Government provides chiefs with
vehicles in order to assist them in the discharge of their duties. Prior to
Government’s intervention in 2017, vehicles for chiefs were last procured in 2006 being a Mazda single cab B1800.
During 2017, Government procured 226 Isuzu double cab vehicles through issuance of US$7.5 million in Treasury Bills. The first batch of 30 vehicles was allocated to chiefs by the former President on 30 October 2017 during the Annual Chiefs Conference in Bulawayo. The balance of the vehicles was delivered and distributed during 2018. The expenditure incurred during 2018 with regard to US$4.66 million and was expended towards payment of import duty for the vehicles.
CONSTITUTION OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON
PAYMENT MODALITIES OF INSURANCE LOSSES DURING 2005
– 2008
- HON. SHOKO asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development when the other Commission of Inquiry that looks at the payment modalities for persons and insurance losses incurred during the economic meltdown of 2005-2008 will be constituted as recommended by the first Commission of Inquiry report.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Hon. Members will recall that the
Commission of Inquiry was approved by both the Cabinet and
Parliament in 2018. Paragraphs 991 and 992 of the report recommend IPEC, as the industry regulator to assume overall oversight over the implementation of the compensation framework by the industry as well as obligating the institutions to submit their proposed compensation schemes.
In this regard, IPEC has already been mandated to look into compensation modalities. There is thus no other Commission of Inquiry to be constituted.
I am also aware that IPEC will soon be engaging industry to discuss this issue. In fact, an initial consultative meeting was set to take place in the last month with industry players to kick start the process but has however been postponed to a later date.
MEASURES AGAINST BUSINESS PEOPLE OPERATING FOUR-
TIER PRICING SYSTEM
- HON. MADZIMURE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain measures being taken against some business people who are operating a four-tier pricing system.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Government is aware that people are taking advantage of the current macro-economic environment and challenges on the foreign exchange market to continue operating different tier pricing systems –RTGS$, mobile money transfer, bond cash and US$.
These practices are normally meant to counter perceived risks related to the different exchange rates between the parallel and the interbank.
However, to some businesses, the practice is for rent seeking purposes. The key issue here is the current difference between the interbank and parallel exchange rates and the attendant foreign currency shortages in the market. In addition, an exit from multi-currency to a local currency regime is hard and peculiar to our situation.
Government is however prioritising key stabilisation measures which are already being implemented under the Budget and the TSP with a view of getting convergence of those two exchange rates which ultimately removes the rent seeking objectives and exchange risks.
Similarly, the soon to be introduced single local currency will also address this challenge and lastly, the ongoing efforts in improving performance of the economy including exports and other sources of foreign currency will also be critical and pursued.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will also play a supportive role through respective functions of removing unethical trading practices in the economy.
CONVERSION OF PENSION SAVINGS INTO EQUITY
- HON. CHIKUDO asked the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development whether the Ministry could consider converting into equity pension savings still stuck in long term non liquid assets dating back to 2009 in order to unfairly deprive pension funds contributors.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): Hon. Chikudo’s question is not quite clear as he seems to be talking of equity pension savings without specifying what equity he is referring to. He also talks of long term non liquid assets. It is not clear if he is referring to investment property which most pension funds are invested in or if he is talking of Government prescribed assets which pension funds are obliged to invest in. In the absence of clarity in Hon. Chikudo’s question, I will respond in the way I assume the Hon. Member meant to ask.
Pension funds are obliged to subscribe to prescribed assets to the tune of 10% of their assets. As at 31 December, 2018, prescribed assets amounted to $325.6 million which constitutes 6.24% of their assets.
Most of the prescribed assets invested in are short term instruments with maximum tenors of 3 years.
In view of this most of the instruments issued after adoption of the multiple currencies matured, hence there are no long term instruments contrary to Hon. Chikudo’s assertion that that funds are tied up in longterm instruments. Furthermore, the instruments are tradable, thus pension funds can dispose of them as and when they wish to do so.
Alternative investment by pension funds in projects of national interest on BOOT/BOT arrangements may also be considered for prescribed asset status. In addition Government in consultation with industry is exploring ways to preserve pension values.
POLICY ON SUPPORTING LOCAL INVESTORS
- HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development to explain to the House Government policy on supporting local investors.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): Private investment per se is best supported through:
- Legal instruments which aim at guaranteeing on property rights
etc;
- A fair regulatory environment;
- Fair labour laws;
- Macro-economic stability and other appropriate policies void of policy reversals; and
- Infrastructure and public utilities such as good roads, water and electricity.
These are key supporting pillars which Government is pursuing in support of local and other investors. However, under our circumstances,
Government goes further to support local businesses or investors
through facilitating inflows or lines of credit, that is facilities from Afreximbank, PTA, China and India, engaging various external partners for investment including technology transfer.
In addition, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other Departments Government supports the local industry in sourcing markets for our exports. Specific direct funding and other indirect sources of funding are also channeled to youths and women businesses under various economic empowerment programmes. To that effect, we have the Empowerment Bank which has so far disbursed more than RTGS$12 million.
Treasury also offers various tax and other incentives to local industries. These include tax holidays for Greenfields projects as well as preferential treatment in awarding contracts. These are just a few examples of how Government supports the local industry.
COMPENSATION OF BANK ACCOUNT HOLDERS WHO’S
SAVINGS WERE ERODED DURING THE ZIMBABWEAN
DOLLAR PERIOD
- HON. B. DUBE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain the Government position regarding compensation of bank account holders whose savings were eroded during the Zimbabwean dollar period.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): The Hon. Member may be aware that Government has already finalised the demonetisation exercise commencing with Statutory Instrument 70 of 2015 of 12th June 2015 which demonetised the Zimbabwe Dollar and formalised the multicurrency dispensation. The demonetisation exercise was completed in 2015 when bank balances were converted from Zimbabwe Dollars to United States Dollars.
I therefore wish to advise the Hon. Dube that compensation for bank account holders whose savings were eroded during the Zimbabwe dollar period had finalised in 2015.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO GWERU CITY COUNCIL ON
PURCHASING PUMPS
- HON. B. DUBE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain measure being taken by the Government to assist Gweru City Council to raise the US$6 million for purchasing pumps for transmitting water from Mabongobwe Dam to the City.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): The city of Gweru’s water supply comes from two main sources, namely Gwenhoro and Amaphonokwe dams. To date the main water source has been Gwenhoro dam supplying more than 90% of the city’s water requirements and is now at 25% full equivalent to about three months water supply. There is therefore urgent need to address the imminent water crisis facing the city.
Amaphongokwe Dam on the other hand is 75% full equivalent to more than 12 months water supply. However, the pumping equipment is down, hence the urgent need to procure four raw water pumps to allow for the use of this available resource.
The council completed the procurement process in June and following Government support of 6.5 million Rands, the importation of pumps and equipment has since been done and the City of Gweru received delivery yesterday with installation of the raw water pumps expected to commence tomorrow and will take about two weeks to complete.
Completion of the project will address the challenge of raw water supply for the City of Gweru. In addition US$2.4 million will still be required for procurement of treated water pumps, civil works and electrical works among other works.
MEASURES TO MANAGE THE MULTI-TIER PRICING SYSTEM
- HON. S. BANDA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House measures being taken to manage the multi-tier pricing system and state when the RTGS dollars will become the sole trading currency.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): I have already responded on measures in managing four tier pricing system and it is our plan, subject to an appropriate macro-economic environment that we operationalise the single local currency by end of the year.
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order. From question 15 up to question 20 the Hon. Members are not in the House as well as the Minister, but your ruling is that the Hon. Minister may submit the answer. It is that there is an Acting Minister and if so, we are not seeing the Acting Minister submitting the answer. I am saying so because we cannot expunge these questions when they have not been responded to.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Ziyambi is standing in for the
Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
MEASURES TO MONITOR AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE TO
STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 142 RESERVE BANK OF
ZIMBABWE (LEGAL TENDER) REGULATIONS 2019
- HON. SEN. TONGOGARA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House the measures being taken by the Government to monitor and enforce compliance to
Statutory Instrument 142 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (Legal Tender) Regulation 2019 as business operators in down town Harare continue to charge their products in foreign currency.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): SI 142 being a law is being monitored for compliance through various arms of Government and various instruments at each point in time. To those business operators down town Harare who continue to flout this law, they can only expect to face the full wrath of the law at an unexpected hour. For that matter, there is no policy reversal on this issue.
CRITERIA FOR ELECTRICITY LOAD SHEDDING
- HON. CHIMINA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House the criteria that is used for electricity load shedding and to explain why Mkoba 4, 5, 14, 15 and 19 suburbs are the only ones experiencing electricity power outages in Gweru.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development would like to advise the House as follows;
Firstly, load shedding is carried out as a last resort to ensure stability and functionality of the national grid. It is about balancing supply and demand to avoid total system collapse.
Secondly, during the operation of the power system, unforeseen additional supply deficits do occur, thereby creating further shortfalls that may trigger the controller to increase the demand curtailment. What this means is that other sections or feeders that may not originally have been scheduled to be shed on that day will be shed urgently to maintain the balance.
After the recent securing of an additional 350 MW non-firm (during off-peak hours), power import from Eskom premised on the exporting customers’ arrangement, the implementing agent, ZETDC, should normally operate at Stage 1 load shedding (a scenario of shorter outages). However, due to the recent outages of two units at Hwange Power Station and poor performance of small thermal power stations
(Munyati, Harare, and Bulawayo), ZETDC is currently operating at Stage II load shedding (a scenario of longer outages) which has the effect of affecting previously unshed industries and other installations.
Now to the more specific issues as raised for the load shedding on
Mkoba 4, 5, 14, 15 and 19, I would like to respond by saying:
- The referred sections of Mkoba suburb are not the only ones that are being shed in Gweru. Most of Gweru town and its environs are experiencing the same shedding patterns as are other parts of the country as can be confirmed by other members of this House. The same prolonged shedding is affecting both domestic and agricultural customers.
- However, there are some circuits which are normally exempted from load shedding because of their sensitive nature. These include hospitals, security installations, water and sewer works as well as Commercial Business Districts. We need to point out that in most cases where such a feeder as one feeding a hospital exists; it has connected to it other circuits other than the hospital which circuits therefore benefit from the exemption but not by design.
- To separate these hang-on circuits from the hospital or security installation, feeders require a large amount of money and time to implement. Ordinarily, initial ZETDC network circuit designs and configurations did not have load shedding in mind because load shedding is an abnormal way of an operating system.
REPAIR OF FAULTY ELECTRICITY TRANSFORMER FOR
CHOMUNYAKA PRIMARY SCHOOL
30 HON. RAIDZA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House when the faulty electricity transformer which was sent for repairs will be repaired and restored to the Chomunyaka Primary School in Mberengwa East Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry
of Energy and Power Development would like to firstly advise the
House that there is a huge backlog for replacement transformers in ZETDC, with over 2300 transformers faulting due to vandalism and other mechanical causes. In ZETDC Southern Region where Mberengwa falls, 249 transformers of various sizes are required to replace faulty ones across the Midlands Province. A further 116 are required for new connections. Efforts will continue to be made to get a replacement transformer for the school.
ZETDC has confirmed that indeed, a 25Kva, 11/0.4 KV transformer got burnt at Chomunyaka Primary School and the burnt transformer windings and laminations were burnt beyond repair. The prevailing foreign currency shortage has frustrated efforts to urgently get a replacement transformer.
In order to address the transformer shortages, the procurement process has been activated with suppliers for the delivery of 600 transformers of various sizes. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. We no
longer have ministers to answer written questions so we move on to Orders of the Day.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BUDGET,
FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON MR. CHARLES
MANDIZVIDZA GANAGANA’S PETITION
HON. MHONA: I move the motion standing in my name, that this
House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Budget,
Finance and Economic Development on Mr. Charles Mandizvidza
Ganagana’s petition to Parliament of Zimbabwe on the progress made on the implementation of the Recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from the Zimbabwe dollars to United States dollar (S.C 7, 2019).
HON. G. DUBE: I second.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to
present a Committee Report on the Budget, Finance and Economic
Development on Mr. Charles Mandizvidza Ganagana’s petition to Parliament of Zimbabwe on progress made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the conversion of insurance and pension values from the Zimbabwean dollar to the United States dollar.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am actually thrilled to say that finally, the motion has been tabled today. It is my humble request to the Hon. Members to pay heed to this very important report which concerns the lives of the masses of Zimbabwe who have been prejudiced because of the pensions.
Parliament of Zimbabwe received a petition from one Mr. Charles
Mandizvidza Ganagana on 15 November 2018 which was referred to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee for consideration. The petitioner beseeched Parliament to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from ZW$ to US$.
The Committee invited Zimbabwe Pension Insurance Rights Trust
(ZimPIRT) together with the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) to appear before it on the 14th of January 2019. It was during this meeting that the Committee Members realised that the matter required a thorough appreciation and understanding. The Committee, therefore, resolved to convene a seminar to enable the former
Commissioners of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from ZW$ to US$ to unpack and fully equip the Committee Members with all the information on the matter. A two-day seminar with former Commissioners of the Commission of
Inquiry was subsequently convened in Mutare during the period 22 to 23 February 2019. The Committee after deliberating on the matters presented to it by the Commissioners and IPEC, felt that it was important to conclude the inquiry by inviting the insurance companies to also give their side of story before tabling a report in the House. Thus, the Zimbabwe Association of Funeral Assurers (ZAFA) and Life Offices Association of Zimbabwe (LOAZ) appeared before the Committee on the 20th of May 2019. Therefore, this report is an outcome with various stakeholders in the sector. I will actually table the entire report, so I will not bother you with a number of issues that I have.
Background
The Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from the Zimbabwe Dollar to the United States Dollar was set up by the then President in terms of Section 2 of the
Commissions of Inquiry Act [Chapter 10:07] by way of a proclamation in S.I. 80 of 2015 as amended in S.I. 1 of 2016. The appointed
Commissioners were Justice Leslie George Smith (Chairman), Mrs. Violet Mutandwa, Mr. Itayi Walter Chirume, Dr. Godfrey Kanyenze, Mr. Anesu Daka, Mr. Tapiwa Maswera, Mr. Brains Muchemwa, Mr.
Martin Tarusenga and Mr. George Dikinya (deceased - died on 16 March 2016) and the Secretary, Mr. Cuthbert Tafirei Munjoma. They conducted the Inquiry over an 18-month period from 1 September 2015 to 28 February 2017.
The Commission had 14 broad terms of reference, which included the establishment of the total value; nature and type of assets owned by insurance companies and pension funds; causes of loss of value of insurance and pension benefits; assessing the conversion methods and processes of ZW$ insurance and pension assets and liabilities to US$; establishing the extent of prejudice (if any) to policyholders and pensioners; recommending compensation where prejudice has been established; examining instances of regulatory failure; assessing soundness of the industry and the role of the insurance and pensions sector in the economy.
The Inquiry’s Report was finalised and submitted to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in May 2017, for onward submission to the President.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development tabled the
Inquiry’s Report in Parliament on 09 May 2018, for further debate and deliberations by Members of Parliament.
In a letter dated 16 July 2018, Government, through the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, mandated IPEC to spearhead postinquiry reforms although IPEC received the mandate letter on 31 August
2018.
Government re-affirmed its decision to mandate IPEC as the implementing agency of the post-inquiry reforms in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, a position that was also re-stated in the 2019
National Budget Statement.
Major Findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI)
Total Industry Assets and their breakdown
It is contained in the CoI report that of the three sources of asset data considered namely financial statements; valuation and the regulator’s reports, the amount of total asset values differed depending on the source of information used. This indicates inconsistencies and non-standardised methods of disclosure of financial data. The regulator was not consistent in producing annual reports containing industry asset valuations, broken down by type of insurer, class of business and investment class during the investigation period. The Commission was alarmed to note that the regulator failed to produce annual reports for the period 2001 to 2003 and 2005 to 2008, which reports could have been a secondary source of asset data.
The total assets in the Insurance and Pension Industry, including
NSSA, were worth approximately US$5.13 billion in December 1996,
US$3.69 billion in December 2008 and US$5.1 billion in December
The Commission noted with concern the understatement of asset values for the period 1996 to 2008, attributable to the failure by big institutions such as Old Mutual, First Mutual, ZB Life and Fidelity Life, to provide accurate, consistent and reliable asset values for the period prior to dollarisation. Whilst the incomplete and inconsistent asset data submissions to the Commission could have been a genuine failure to maintain the data as required, the possibility of the motive to conceal incriminating information remains.
The assets were mainly invested in property and listed equities, which were a hedge against inflation and which occasioned negative real returns on fixed income securities such as bonds and money-market instruments. Contrary to the general perception in some quarters of the industry that most assets were lost through investments in bonds and money-markets during the high inflation period, such investments were very negligible during the period 2003 to 2008. The reduction in asset values during the period prior to 2008 was therefore largely attributed to misappropriation of assets and excessive expense structures, as opposed to hyperinflation. Over 85% of the existing assets in the insurance and pension industry were acquired before dollarisation in 2009, thus showing that the majority of assets survived hyperinflation. The question now is who is benefiting from such investments?
Causes of loss of value or prejudice
The loss of value in Insurance and Pension benefits mainly occurred before the conversion from ZW$ to US$ and dollarisation only revealed the extent of the loss. The Commission classified the causes of loss of value into three factors, macro-economic, regulatory and institution-specific.
Macro-economic Factors: The macro-economic factors that caused pensioner and policyholder prejudice were inflation, currency debasing and the exchange rate used during the de-monetisation of ZW$ to US$ in 2015. Inflation resulted in loss of benefit values through the erosion of fixed premiums and pension contributions that were not indexed to inflation. In addition, negative real investment returns on fixed income securities such as bonds, treasury bills and money-market instruments resulted in loss of value, hence insurance companies and pension funds divested from such investments during the period 2001 to 2008.
The removal of 25 zeros (currency de-basing) during the period August 2006 to February 2009 resulted in insurance companies and pension funds technically extinguishing their obligations to policyholders and pensioners without any actual payments being made. The industry players duly removed zeros on promised sum-assured or pension benefits when the ZW$ currency was de-based. This resulted in abnormally low ZW$ benefit values which upon conversion to US$, were for some pensioners as low as US$0.05, and in most cases zero despite several years of contributing to pension funds. Meanwhile, assets that were supporting insurance and pension liabilities were transferred to shareholders of insurance companies or became surpluses in some defined benefit pension funds.
The exchange rate of US$1 to ZW$35 quadrillion (15 zeros), which was used when the ZW$ currency was de-monetised in 2015 prejudiced insurance policy-holders and pensioners as it reduced the already worthless ZW$ values that had been deposited in individuals’ bank accounts to just a few US cents or at a maximum, US$5. Regulatory Factors: The CoI report identifies regulatory failure on the part of Government and the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) as having caused loss of value. There was failure by the Government and regulator to guide the industry during hyper-inflation, currency de-basing and during the conversion of insurance and pension values when the economy was dollarised. In addition, the delayed demonetisation of the ZW$ currency resulted in the various entities in the industry applying their own conversion methods, which were prejudicial to policy-holders and pensioners.
Regulatory failure on the part of IPEC manifested itself through failure to conduct on-site supervision and to investigate its licences, allowing arbitrary insurance product terminations by insurance companies, poor investment management practices, poor recordkeeping, failure to deal with predatory administration expenses which averaged 81% of total contributions and premiums in a dollarised environment, failure to protect policyholders and pensioners when deregistering insurance companies, failure to deal with pension contribution arrears as well as the failure to strengthen the weak legal and institutional frameworks for insurance and pension businesses. Institutional Factors: There was loss of value attributed to insurance companies and pension funds which included failure to index contributions, premiums and benefits to inflation; arbitrary and prejudicial conversion methods from ZW$ to US$; arbitrary terminations of products and closures; pension contribution arrears; failure to separate insurance; pension and shareholder assets; poor record-keeping as most institutions could not account for assets; investment returns and individuals’ contribution records; poor corporate governance practices; unsustainable administration and other expenses as high as 300% of pension contributions as well as compromised provision of actuarial services and absence of skills. There were only 2 resident qualified actuaries in Zimbabwe at the time of conversion.
Key Corporate Governance Irregularities Identified by the CoI Poor oversight by some boards: Some boards, at the time of the inquiry had last met as far back as 2011 with one classic example of a Board Chairman who was not sure if the institution whose board he chaired was still operational since the board had last met in 2011 (page 322). Some boards operated without any committee of the board, a serious deficiency in corporate governance and indeed, an indictment on
IPEC’s supervisory role;
Regulatory Capture through Failure to have Operational
Independence from both the Government and the Industry:
Individuals with beneficial shareholding in the company took executive roles in their business while some also served on the regulatory board
(IPEC) or industry association e.g. Moonlight, and Rutendo Funeral Assurance Companies.
Conflict of Interest: The IPEC Board was composed of members who had conflict of interest. Mr Richard Muirimi sat on the IPEC Board, at the same time he was a controlling shareholder of pension administrator, Comarton Consultants. The late Elisha Mushayakarara was chairman of both ZB Life and the IPEC Board. Mr Douglas Hoto, sat on the board of IPEC, and was also the CEO of Altfin Life
Assurance.
Non remittance of deducted pension contributions: It was discovered that the majority of corporates, e.g. the Mining Industry
Pension Fund (MIPF), NRZ, ZUPCO, CSC, Fidelity Printers Pension Fund and Unified Councils Pension Fund (UCPF) among others, were not remitting pension contributions to pension houses. Conversion of schemes from defined benefit to contributory schemes without regulatory approval nor consent of the employees. Highlights of the Complaints Received by the CoI
There were 68% complaints received in writing that were against private sector insurance and pension service providers, followed by the Government Pension Agency and NSSA, which had a combined 23% share of the complaints. Parastatal-related pension funds namely GMB, LAPF, NRZ, Unified Councils, and ZESA constituted 9% of the total complaints.
Complaints for the Government Pension Agency and NSSA were 54% and 46% respectively.
Almost 83% of public complaints were against life companies, followed by 7.9% against fund-administrators such as Comarton Consulting, Marsh Employee Benefits and Minerva Benefit Consulting, 4.9% were against funeral assurers and 4.5% against stand-alone pension funds;
Complaints in respect of Life Assurance Companies as a percentage of total Complaints Against Life Companies - Old Mutual
33.9%, First Mutual Limited 19.8%, Zimnat 19.3%, Fidelity Life 15%,
ZB Life 11.6% and Heritage Life 0.4%. Complaints in respect of
Funeral Assurance Companies as a % of total complaints against Funeral
Assurers - Doves 58%, First Funeral 19.3%, Moonlight 12%, Foundation Mutual Society 10% and Cell Funeral 0.7%.
The Commission commended Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance
Company which received not a single complaint related to loss of value in relation to funeral assurers established prior to dollarisation.
Zimpirt Submissions to the Committee
In its submission, ZimPIRT proposed urgent payment and honouring of rightful benefits due to pensioners, from pension and insurance schemes (contracts) that they contracted into, over very long periods.
- ZimPIRT expressed concern on the following:-
- Inappropriate Inquiry and recommendations of the Commission of
Inquiry;
- Appointment of IPEC as the implementing agent of post inquiry reforms.
- Apparent unwillingness on the part of IPEC to be transparent in pensions and insurance provision;
- IPEC being incompetent to compensate and regulate impartially; and
- IPEC being responsible for prejudicing pensioners.
IPEC’s Observations on Zimpirt’s Concerns
Inappropriate Inquiry and Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry
IPEC noted ZimPIRT’s allegations of unprofessionalism in the way in which the inquiry was conducted, which eventually led to the purported resignation of a former Commissioner. IPEC’s view is that the alleged unprofessional conduct should have been brought to the attention of the appointing authority, who is the President. IPEC further noted that the purported resignation of the former Commissioner took place after the report was presented to Government.
Appointment of IPEC as the implementing agent of post inquiry reforms.
IPEC noted the ZimPIRT’s objection to the recommendation of appointing IPEC as the implementing agent for post-inquiry reforms. IPEC is of the opinion that that its appointment was informed by the fact that the post-inquiry mandate is generally of a supervisory nature and in line with the organisation’s statutory functions which include insurance and pension legal reforms, supervisory reforms, governance and institutional reforms. The observed weaknesses on the part of IPEC should be addressed without taking away its implementing role. Apparent unwillingness on the part of IPEC to be transparent in pensions and insurance provision.
It is the view of IPEC that it is a regulatory and supervisory institution for the insurance and pensions industry. By virtue of being a public institution, it is subject to disclosure requirements in terms of the
Insurance and Pensions Commission Act [Chapter 24:21], the Insurance Act [Chapter 24:07], the Pensions and Provident Funds Act [Chapter
24:09], the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19] and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31].
IPEC being incompetent to compensate and regulate impartially. IPEC submitted that it is not responsible for paying out benefits to policyholders and pension scheme members, and the issue of
“incompetent to compensate” is misplaced.
IPEC being responsible for prejudicing pensioners IPEC submitted that the report of the Commission of Inquiry attributed loss of value to the macroeconomic environment (43%), regulatory failure (21%) and the Insurance Companies and Pension
Funds (36%).
The report also attributed regulatory failure to outdated legislation, failure to enforce good corporate governance, failure to protect policy holders and pensioners as well as the failure to guide the sector on conversion of values from the ZW$ to the US$. It is therefore IPEC’s view that the regulatory weaknesses should be addressed as part of postinquiry reforms.
Submissions Received from Zimbabwe Association of Funeral
Assurers (ZAFA)
ZAFA comprises of the following members; Doves, Moonlight, Nyaradzo, First Funeral, Sunset, Vineyard, Foundation, Ruvimbo and
Passion Funeral Assurers.
ZAFA members duly took note of all the findings and recommendations made by the CoI, but however, raised some concerns with regard to some of the recommendations in the Commission’s report.
It was submitted that the hyperinflationary environment to a large extent was the cause of the loss of value and was no different to the act of God provisions in a funeral agreement, where by virtue of impossibility as a result of natural disaster, an assurer would not be able to assume liability to all insured. ZAFA members believe that the hyperinflation period phenomenon was beyond natural to the extent that the experience of hyperinflation must be considered as an unforeseen risk which may require impossibility of performing specific promises especially when the policy is not paid-up. The simple fact of termination by other assurers was that the agreement by both parties was eroded to the extent that there was no value in premium that could transcend to any reasonable investment or funeral service.
On paid up funeral policies, ZAFA pointed out that policyholders were not compelled to start afresh after dollarisation or were not subjected to unilateral alteration of promised benefits. It was submitted that all fully paid-up policies were still being honoured by ZAFA members. However, policy holders were given the options to upgrade their paid-up policies at conversion to allow policy holders to upgrade to new benefits which were not previously included such as bus for mourners and grocery cash pay-out. A commensurate premium was actuarially determined for all the policy upgrades.
We have a number of assertions from ZAFA but these will also appear in our Hansard. Submissions received from Life Offices Association of Zimbabwe comprises of the big players in the pension and insurance industry namely; First Mutual Life Assurance, Old Mutual
Life, ZB Life, Fidelity Life, ZIMNAT Life, Nyaradzo Life, CBZ Life,
Econet Life,. First Mutual Reinsurance (Life and Health) and Zep Reinsurance and Emeritus Reinsurance. The associations dispute some of the findings made by the Commissioner of Inquiry in particular that as the industry, they were responsible for 36% of the loss of value suffered by policy holders and pension fund members. LOAZ members are of the strong view that macro-economic environment as well as regulator’s failure was the key determinant factor for the loss of value experienced in the sector. It was heard that due to the hyper inflationary environment, most if not all companies failed to index contributions, premiums and benefits in line with inflation as it was proving to be difficult to keep pace with the rate of inflation which was more than doubling every hour. That is failure to index contributions, premiums and benefits to inflation was beyond the ability of the companies and that should be wholly attributed to the macroenvironment. They also attributed the product terminations and closures by policy holders, increased surrenders and lapses of policies by the policy holders as well as non-remittance of contribution by employers as caused by the astronomical inflation rates which dominated the macroeconomic environment.
The arbitrary conversion of insurance and pension values, poor record keeping, poor governance, poor risk management systems and poor accounting methods were cited as caused by regulatory failure by the Government and in particular, IPEC the regulator.
COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS
The Committee took note of the issues raised in the petition by Mr. Charles Mandizvidza Ganagana on the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the conversion of insurance and pension values for the Zimbabwean dollar to the United States Dollars. In line with that, the Committee has also noted with concern the lack of implementation of most of the findings raised in the
Commission of Inquiry’s report.
The Committee also sadly noted that the 2008 era is repeating itself and there is need to safeguard the contributions and premiums by policy holders and pensioners. The Committee observed that the investment that we made in US dollars after 2009 such as prescribed assets have been converted to the local currency RTGs and bond notes when the RBZ Governor made the policy pronouncement to separate the RTGs, FCA accounts and the nostro accounts resulting in the loss of values. The demonetisation process also impacted negatively on the insurance and pension industry and the premiums of policy holders. Thus, the Commission is concerned by the lack of guidance by the Government on how to address the issue of loss of value that was experienced due to the hyper inflationary era of 2009, the demonetisation process in 2015 and the recent separation of FCA accounts on 20th February to 2019.
The Committee observed that the Commission of Inquiry report attributed loss of value to the macro-economic environment which comprises 43%, regulatory failure 21% and the insurance and pension industry 36%. Madam Speaker, the Committee is disturbed by the position that was submitted by the representatives from the Insurance and Pension Industry, which equated the hyperinflationary period to a natural disaster or an act of God and such an assurer would not be able to assume liability to all insured.
The Committee also noted with concern the legislative gap in the Insurance and Pension Industry that has negatively impacted on the performance of IPEC and the industry as a whole. The Committee observed that IPEC was inadequately capacitated to perform its regulatory and supervisory functions effectively; apparently this has been overtaken by events since there has been a board which has been constituted. The Committed noted that the delays being experienced in relation to compensation by the insurance companies whilst Government gave IPEC the mandate to spearhead implementation of post inquiry reforms including compensation. Further policy guidance is required on the following:
- Scope of the legal instrument to compel compensation by insurers and private and public occupational schemes.
- Compensation of policy holders prejudiced as a result of collapsed insurance companies.
- Indexation model to convert insurance premium, pension contributions and liabilities into US$ or its equivalent.
During the deliberations, the Committee noted with concern that NSSA and medical aid schemes were still being supervised by line ministries instead of the regulator, IPEC. NSSA falls under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and Medical Aid schemes under the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. Thus, the current status quo is problematic given that the ministries do not have the capacity to supervise the operation of insurance and pension companies which are so technical but rather should provide guidance.
The Committee concurred with the findings by the Commission of Inquiry, which noted that some of the board members were conflicted and therefore, against the dictates of good corporate governance.
The Committee is disturbed by the legislative provision that bars insurance and pension companies from investing some of their investment portfolio offshore. The current legislation provides for limited investment options as follows; i.e 40% property, 20% unit trust, 20% equity and 20% cash. Thus, all these investment options collapsed in one way or another, save for property which remained even after hyperinflation although they are affected by the occupancy ratio which has not been to fully capacitate. After carefully deliberating on the evidence received, the Committee noted that one of the factors that contributed to the collapse of some of the insurance and pension funds were that they were not hedged against hyperinflation and that off shore investments were not allowed in line with best practice.
The Committee also observed that the predatory administrative and other expenses also contributed to the loss of value in the dollarisation period and eventually to the collapse of the pension and insurance sector. For example, it was submitted that total contributions and premiums received in the period 2009 to 2014 of life insurance companies and pension funds (including NSSA) amounted to US$3.67 billion, with administration and other expenses excluding benefit payments amounting to US$2.96 billion, translating to 81% of total contributions. The high expense ratios indicated above are more than 100 times bigger than that of jurisdictions such as the UK where all expenses are capped at 0.75%. Even the lowest expense ratio for standalone pension funds averaged 8% during the period 2009 to 2014.
Madam Speaker, in contravention of the provision of section 16 of the Pension and Provident Funds Act, all life insurance companies investigated failed to maintain separate and distinct funds of insurances and pension assets that were acquired during the investigation period of 1996 to 2014.
The Committee also observed that the failure to separate insurance and pension assets could have led to the use of pension assets in capitalizing the business of the insurance company for the benefit of shareholders. For example, the Commission of Inquiry report highlight that the reasons for the growth in Old Mutual’s shareholder assets at the expense of policy holder assets as well as the source of financing for such growth remained unexplained. Old Mutual policy holder owned 25% of the institution as at December 2014 against 75% for shareholders. Thus, the Committee concurs with the Commission’s findings that policy holder assets could have been transferred to shareholders of Old Mutual.
Committee’s recommendations Madam Speaker; the Committee is proposing that a holistic approach is adopted to support the implementation of the post inquiry reforms. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should take a leading role by ensuring that a post inquiry implementation plan with clear timelines and responsibilities of different stakeholders is developed by end of July 2019 which has just passed. The Committee is recommending that there be set in motion a compensation programme instituting appropriate accountability measures by end of 2019. It is being proposed by virtue of being a supervisor for the sector which enforces applicable laws and supervisory requirements. IPEC should provide guidance and ensure fairness of the process leading to compensation. The compensation process should recognise the different players in the industry and considered on a case by case-by-case basis. The Committee believes that if IPEC is fully capacitated, it can effectively spearhead the compensation process.
11.3. The Committee is also imploring the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to ensure that IPEC is adequately capacitated to effectively supervise and regulate the insurance and pension sector. The Minister should appoint the IPEC Board immediately to fill the critical posts by 31 December, 2019 of which he has done. The Committee is also urging the Minister to safeguard against conflicted board appointments at IPEC, in line with the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10:13).
11.4 With regards to compensation on the loss of value experienced by policyholders in the industry, the Committee is of the view that both the Government and the industry jointly seek a solution to the problem. The Government may meet the 64% of compensation and the industry meets 36% in line with the Commission of Inquiry Findings that the loss of values is attributed to the three main factors
(macroeconomic, regulatory failure and institutional). The Committee also welcomes the remarks by the Minister of Finance where he promised to ring fence the value of pension benefits and wish that the same could be extended to assurers. In some countries where such disasters were experienced, the Government played a significant role in the restitution process. However, there is need to nationally determine how this compensation process can be financed.
11.5 The Committee is imploring the government to amend some of the following laws under its ambit to address deficiencies identified by the Commission of Inquiry Report, namely Insurance and Pensions Commission Act [Chapter 24:21]; Pensions and Provident Funds Act
[Chapter 24:09]; the Insurance Act [Chapter 24:07]; National Social Security Act [Chapter 17:04]; State Service (Pensions) Act [Chapter 16:06]; and Medical Services Act [Chapter 15:13].
In view of that it is the Committee’s recommendation that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development urgently tables a comprehensive review of the Pension and Insurance Legislation. The review of the envisaged laws governing insurance, public and private occupational pension funds should facilitate the recommended reorganisation of the insurance and pension by end of 2019.
11.6 The Committee is of the view that NSSA and Medical Aid Schemes should be under the purview of IPEC to enhance transparency, accountability, protection of policy-holders and consolidation of insurance and pension business under one regulatory body. The
Committee recommends that the process of transferring NSSA and Medical Aid Schemes under the regulation of IPEC be achieved by midyear 2020.
11.7 The Committee is recommending that a certain percentage of investments portfolios for the Insurance Pension companies be set aside for off-shore investments as measures to protect the values of insurers and policyholders.
12.0 CONCLUSION
Hon. Speaker Sir, allow me to conclude. The petitioner and other members of the public and investigated institutions are highly expectant and anxious to hear the outcome of the Inquiry. There is, therefore, urgent need to implement its recommendations. Equally important is the need to provide feedback to the public on the findings of the
Commission so as to bring closure and fulfill expectations. The Commission viewed this as the responsibility of the appointing authority. If implemented, these recommendations will undoubtedly change the landscape of the Zimbabwe insurance and pension industry for the betterment of social protection in Zimbabwe. Moreover, this will set a good precedent to guard against loss of value to pension contributors in the event of another economic shock. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. NDUNA: I want to thank the Committee on Budget and
Finance. Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of retirement annuity is very important. It preserves value when somebody gets to be retired. The
Bible in Psalms 90:10, a man is appointed to live three score and ten. Three score is 60 and 10 is ten, therefore he is 70. If you live any longer than that, it gets to be 80. We are here as both members and the electorate out there to live out our lives to about 70 years.
Therefore at 70 years or after 55 we cease to be able to have the energy that we had and we then eat into our pensions. We eat into our retirement annuity. There are various ways of preserving these values, and that speaks to a local investment. It also speaks to off-shore shares, property, bonds and cash. I want to touch in particular on an observation by the Chair about the lack of investment permission by the Executive or by RBZ on the pension houses for them to be able to have some offshore investment on the retirement annuity.
It is my humble submission and it is my fervent hope and view that there be allowable investment off-shore of pension houses to the tune of 20% without any permission from the Executive or from the RBZ. Arising from this report, it is my hope that that permission given from this Report, aware that the Minister is supposed to come into this House and respond to this report within the timeframe of 21 days. It is my hope that at the close of 21 days, there will be authority granted to pension houses going forward to invest off-shore, 20% without even going through the regulating authorities. However, there can be more allotted to these pension houses in terms of investment. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is quite an assortment of companies in a variety of industries’ offsshore and local that the pension houses can invest the retirement annuity. It is sad reading that the issue of pension monies is embroiled or mixed up in the devaluation of our local currency or the US dollar. Aware that at inception or when we remit our pension funds, I was in Government for much more than ten years – it is my hope that at retirement I should be able to eat into the retirement annuity or savings because the retirement package’s value is preserved in property in particular and in other ways and means in general.
Therefore the issue of devaluation of the retirement annuity at this point does not arise. I am alive to the time when we used to make our contributions to Old Mutual in terms of policies. We received our contributions after our local currency lost its value from 1997 to 1999 – our Zimbabwean dollar lost quite some considerable value. At that time and point, I am sure that Old Mutual saw it fit to now give remittance back as reimbursement to the policy holders.
I saw that there was quite some value in the monies that we received from Old Mutual. Howbeit going forward, when our dollar devalued, we did not see any value arising and being given to the pensioners. This is the reason of this petition that has been handed over to the Chair of the Budget Committee because there is devaluation of the value of the pensioners’ funds. That having been said, the issue of the pensioners funds need to be preserved and it is preserved by the buildings and properties. The issue of devaluation certainly does not arise.
During the time I chaired your Committee on Transport and Infrastructural development where we proposed that there be some egovernance in terms of remittances and contributions as it relates to pension and insurance funds so that there can be a track record and trail of accountability if there is some e-governance in that sector. Having preserved the value and remittances through e-governance, it is now seen that there is quite a defined way and path as it relates to the direction that the pension and insurance funds are going.
When this route has been preserved, it is now incumbent upon the pension houses to make sure that when there is no claim for insurance for argument’s sake on third party or full cover on property insurance – there should be reimbursement to the electorate or the person who is remitting those funds at the close of each year. I say this so that the amount of money that is now being reimbursed to the one that is remitting should not only be the amount that has been paid for insurance but it should be the amount paid for insurance plus interest because that money would have been taken to preserve its value and it would have been invested in either shares, property both offshore and local in bonds or hard currency which is the US dollar which has value or in gold.
It is only prudent that we have fund managers who know what they are doing in the insurance sector because their mandate is very simple – it is to preserve the value of the person who is going to be aged in a not so distant future and who is not going to be able to work at 70, 75 or 80. *No matter what we do, there is a time that the heart would be willing but the flesh will resist. That is the time where we are supposed to get our pension funds.
As I conclude, the people of Chegutu West who have sent me to come to this House have also said that the issue of medical aid that the Chairperson has recommended that it be a preserve of IPEC and the pension houses – that is very prudent so that it is housed under one particular department. Further to that, I also say there needs to be expeditious establishment an Accident Victims Compensation Fund. That is also going to be housed under the pension fund. I say this because already 5% of the insurance funds that are coming from the automobile are already housed under the IPEC, because whoever is getting those remittances are the insurance and pension houses.
Further to what the Chairperson has proposed in his report, I also give this suggestion that fund which we call the Accident Victims Stabilisation Fund be houses under Ipack and the pension funds. I also say and make a clarion call that all the funds of the pensioners and insurance funds do and should not have their value depleted. As we speak, our local dollar has devalued but the property sector has appreciated.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon.
Member, may I remind you that you just have five minutes to go.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The appreciation of the property sector in which our pensions are housed that property has appreciated hence the devaluation of the pension funds should never be tolerated and also that any pension funds reimbursements and payments should be applied in retrospect with a value that it used to have – that is one as to one to our current dollar. If it so happens and pleases the Executive, the pension funds should be remitted on the day of payment they should take the value of the US dollar versus our local currency at the bank rate.
I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to completely ventilate on the issue of the pension funds and I make that clarion call that they now be paid off to our pensioners. If it is going to be RTGS 50, it should be US$ 50 – one is to one versus the US dollar at the bank rate on the day of payment. Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank you. The people of Chegutu West Constituency also want to thank you.
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I will be very brief. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank Hon. Mhona and his Committee for a job well done. This is a very important topic which affects the livelihood of our people. These people are no longer the normal people like you and me. These are people who, as Hon. Nduna has said, are above 70 years old and they are not as fit as they were before and, need our total support – [AN HON. MEMBER: He is a leaner.]- I am not a learner.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, who has said
that he is a learner. May you withdraw that?
HON CHIKOMBA. Unfortunately I was not expecting amateurisms but I withdraw the statement.
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, this is very sensitive.
With all due respect, I think there has been foul play here. The
insurance companies have played a very dirty game. If you look at the hyperinflation, the insurance company actually grew by US$100 million in terms of property. That money has not been shared by the people who contributed to purchase those properties. That money was enjoyed by the big insurance companies whose executives keep on driving their Mercedes Benz and living in their Borrowdale houses yet people are wallowing in abject poverty in Chendambuya and Dotito.
Going forward, for the insurance companies to cleanse the blood in their hands should…
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir. I think in sign language doing this means something that we should not allow the Member of Parliament to do –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - It means something in our culture.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Okay, point of order over ruled. May you continue Hon. Member?
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Let us concentrate on more important things here. I think we have got a topic here which is affecting the livelihoods of people including people who voted for him. It is a pity if he takes this lightly.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, may you
address your Chair.
HON. P. CHIDHAKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, without any delay, the insurance industry must implement the Justice Smith’s recommendations. They should pay the money to the pensioners and to equate hyperinflation to a national disaster, it is criminal. They have made money, they created the value and they were responsible for 50% of what happened. At least they should pay 50% of what is liable to their actions.
There is no point. You have Westgate and Eastgate which were built by pensioners money yet the pensioners are wallowing in abject poverty. The insurance companies have got blood on their hands and they should have a conscience or be forced to pay to the pensioners what they contributed. The pensioners are at our mercy. It is our duty as able - bodied people to make sure that they are protected. If we do not do
that especially here in Parliament, we also have got blood on our hands because it is our job to make sure that we push and make sure that the pensioners go forward and make sure they get what they deserve.
In any case, they are not a charity case. They contributed for this money because they were able bodied and the insurance companies should show good faith and pay. So on this one, Members of
Parliament, I urge you we must all unite on this cause to make sure that our pensioners who can no longer, with the NSSA payments, afford to pay tollgate fees to and from Harare. So with all due respect, it is our duty to make sure that these people get compensated.
Coming to NSSA, NSSA should fall under IPEC. Some of the problems which we are facing with NSSA right now, we would not be facing them if there was proper monitoring and evaluation of their products. So I fully agree with the Committee that NSSA and insurance companies should fall under IPEC.
Finally, Mr. Speaker Sir, thank you very much Hon. Mhona for a job well done. We have got a job to do. The nation is expecting that we could hit another brick wall going forward because of the devolution which has happened. We must not set a precedence. The insurance companies must pay back the money to the insurers. Thank you very much.
HON. ZHEMU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also rise to add my voice on the report that was presented by the Chairman of Finance and Economic Development Committee. Let me start by commending the work that was done by the Committee.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also note from the report that there are some inconsistencies that were obtained- inconsistencies in terms of information which was reported by IPEC which is the regulator and that which was held by the industry. Those were some of the observations that were read from the report. Also there was no proper enforcement of regulations by the regulator, especially in terms of remittances of contributions. I think that was also noted from the report that IPEC did not enforce the requirement for the industry to remit the money or contributions that were made by the pensioners themselves.
Also, IPEC did not provide a guiding framework especially during that time when there were some of conventions converting from the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar. Also IPEC allowed too much administration costs to be incurred and they did not also regulate on that one. There was also failure by IPEC to regulate on the separation of assets because separate assets that are held by policy holders were supposed to be separated from the assets of the shareholders.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also note from the report that was presented, that whilst there was a mention of supervening impossibility or the act of God, there was also assets that survived inflation. Those assets were taken to belong to the shareholders and not to the policy holders. I think that correction has to be made. Of course, it is understood that there was inflation but there are some assets that actually survived the inflationary environment.
I also take the recommendations that were made by the Committee to say, there was incapacitation of IPEC which the Chairperson of the Committee now said that has since been rectified because of the appointment of the new IPEC Board. There is also a recommendation that there is need to implement what was recommended by the Commission of Inquiry. I think that has taken too long because people are actually living in poverty, especially the pensioners. They have not been compensated. They made those contributions but up to now, they are actually living in dire poverty because of failure by IPEC to facilitate the compensation.
I would like to also add my voice that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development takes this seriously to facilitate the compensation, now that there is a substantive IPEC Board. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to concur with the Committee that NSSA be transferred to fall under IPEC because we cannot have all these organisations or institutions like NSSA to be falling under the Ministry of Public Service. I think it will be proper that all institutions like NSSA fall under IPEC. I submit that Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MHONA: Hon. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 5th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON.
MUTSEYAMI, the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 4th September, 2019
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
APPOINTMENT TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK FOR
DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION (APNODE)
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I wish to advise the House that the following are the Executive Committee Members of the African
Parliamentarians Network for Development Evaluation (APNODE), the Zimbabwe Chapter:
Hon. Sen. Chief Nechombo Chairperson
Hon. Mpariwa Vice Chairperson
Hon. Mhona Treasurer
Hon. Mavetera Secretary
Hon. O. Sibanda Committee Member
Hon. Sen. Mtshane-Khumalo Committee Member
Hon. Madzimure Committee Member
The main objective – [HON. CHIKWINYA: Inaudible interjection.] - Hon. Chikwinya, can I have your attention together with your neighbours there. The main objective of APNODE is to create awareness and promote culture and development evaluation amongst Parliamentarians in order to make informed evidence based decision making policy formulation.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have received the following names of the Hon. Ministers who have tendered for leave of absence:
Hon. Prof. M. Ncube – The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Rtd Air Marshall Shiri – The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement -[*HON.
SIKHALA: He called us dogs, monkeys and baboons, he should not come here in Parliament.] – [Laughter.] - I am going to send someone out now. Hon. Rtd. S. B. Moyo – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Hon. Dr. Mangwiro – The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care.
I want to advise Hon. Members in this House that I have written twice to His Excellency about non attendance of Hon. Ministers and I am told that the matter has been raised in Cabinet where all Hon.
Ministers were advised to attend parliamentary business in terms of Section 107 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. When I look around, I think we are all agreed, the absence today is appalling and pathetic. I have instructed the secretariat that those who have not tendered their apologies will have to be charged accordingly – [HON. SIKHALA: Those are fake apologies.] – I want to address myself to Hon. Sikhala, be ready for the worst.
Hon. Hamauswa having stood up to raise a point of privilege.
What is your problem Hon. Member? Can you sit down; I am holding the Chair – [Laughter.] –
I want to advise Hon. Sikhala and others that the Hon. Minister did apologise here in the House publicly. If you check your Hansard, the apology is there.
Hon. T. Moyo having stood up to raise a point of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I have called for notices of motion. Hon. Mathe are you rising on a notice of motion?
HON. MATHE: Sorry Mr. Speaker Sir I thought you had gone to points of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No.
HON. T. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise on a point of privilege. My point of privilege, Mr. Speaker Sir, is drawn from
Sustainable Development Goal number 6 which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. This SDG number 6 calls for clean water and sanitation for all people. The official wording is, ‘ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation
for all.’
Furthermore, I also refer to the International Water Convention of 1992 which reads that the Water Convention Act protects human health by better water management and by reducing water related diseases. The protocol provides for framework to translate into practice the human rights to water and sanitation.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, raise the issue of national importance now, not historically.
HON. T. MOYO: According to SDG number 6 and international water convention, I therefore call upon the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to expeditiously carry out the following measures to mitigate the effects of a real phenomenon.
1. Expedite drilling of boreholes in rural areas.
2. To carry out desiltation of dams
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I will ask the Chief Whips to assist the Chair. During your Caucuses, can you please discuss the question: what is a question of privilege? I feel very uncomfortable to ask the Member to sit down.
*HON. KARENYI: On a point of privilege. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. As women in Zimbabwe we have rights to choose what we want at a particular time, but you have seen Mr. Speaker, that as women we are not getting the respect when it comes to torture and abuses.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in this august House, that is where we represent people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. I go back to my same ruling for Hon. Moyo. Yes, we cannot pursue privileges in the manner that I can see the trend developing. I am ruling that meet in your caucuses and discuss the matters accordingly. So I am not accepting any further – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order! Hon.
Member take your seat. Yes, I cannot make a ruling and unrule myself. Come back well prepared within the confines of our standing rules and present your privileges accordingly – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It looks like we have a problem with power. We will proceed. The transcribers will be able to perform their tasks provided we can speak in English. The vernacular languages unfortunately have to be connected up there.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MUSIKAVANHU: My question is directed to the Leader
of the House. What policy measures are being put in place further to the observations by His Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa that CITES is not working to the advantage of SADC countries on the backdrop that amongst ourselves, Botswana and Namibia we have a stockpile of elephant tasks valued at $600m?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I want to thank
the Hon. Member for the question indeed the issue of our elephants is a cause for concern in the region. We had a conference in Victoria Falls where as a bloc we agreed that the meeting that took place in Geneva - our Ministers went there with a view of arguing our case to CITES to indicate that between us and Botswana we have the largest population of elephants in the world.
We have a lot of human wildlife conflict. The people that are leading the campaign not to sell ivory, do not even have a single elephant. We need to maintain the elephants that we have. Our carrying capacity is now overcrowded and therefore we put our case. Hon Members will recall that CITES was not agreeable to what we were proposing. Our countries are of the view that there is a need to pull out of CITES because we cannot continue in that scenario where our carrying capacity has been over stretched. Our own population in those areas are now vulnerable to attacks by the animals and therefore, we are mulling a scenario where as a bloc we may decide to pull out of CITES for the sake of ourselves and our animals. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: May I hear from the Hon. Leader of the
House whether in view of the challenges with CITES we are presuming any trading of live elephants to any other countries [HON. T. MLISWA:
He is not head of the House, he is the head of Government business head of the House is Hon. Speaker - next time.] –
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. At the moment, we are still bound by CITES and we cannot violate what we agreed to. So what we are doing is, we want to find a solution whereby if we move out of CITES then we can do what the Hon. Member is suggesting. I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question to
the Leader of Government Business is - this issue of overstocking of elephants has not been there. I would like the Minister to be honest.
What procedure and what arrangement was put in place when the then Ministers of Environment, Hon. Kasukuwere and Hon. Mupfumira were selling elephants to the Chinese? If that was happening here, why do they not continue with that because you are also working on, not only that but the money that was generating from those sales of elephants, we do not know where it went to. We talk about the value being 600 million elephants that went to China which was good, but where did the money go to and what mechanism was used to try and destock the elephants?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What I said are
facts that we have an overstocking of elephants. If the previous Ministers were selling, the Hon. Member is privy to that. On top of that, the Hon. Member said he does not know where the money went to, which means the sales that took place were done by the Ministers in their personal capacity; it was not a Government programme. What I indicated is that we have a very large population of elephants, it is a fact. We presented our case with a view of ensuring that we also benefit from our wildlife and ensure that we also uplift the lives of communities that are affected by those animals. As to the other allegations, I am not privy to that and I cannot answer that, I thank you.
HON. WATSON: Does the Minister have empirical evidence that proves overstocking and can he answer correctly what the Government is doing to ameliorate or reduce the population without selling elephants and what is the correlation between selling ivory and the number of live elephants.?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What I indicated that we have an overpopulation of elephants is a fact – [AN HON. MEMBER: Give us evidence.] – The exact number of elephants that we have at the moment, I can request that information because surely, it is expecting too much out of me to cram all the figures. What I know is, we have over-population of elephants and between us and Botswana, we hold over 80% of the world’s elephant population. What I can do is to bring information as to the actual number of elephants which we have. As to what happened when the previous Ministers sold the elephants, I cannot answer for them. What I can answer is what we are trying to do now to ensure that we reduce the elephant population so that our environment can carry the correct quantities of elephants; that I can answer. What I cannot competently speak about is what happened during the era of the previous Ministers. I thank you.
HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Schools will
be open in a few days time and we notice that there is rampant increase in school fees. I would like to know from the Leader of Government Business what Government policy is in regards to fees increase?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. Last week, we dealt with the Education Amendment Bill and this issue was discussed extensively. The Minister indicated that Government schools and faith based schools, because they are supported by Government, their school fees are controlled by Government. They have to submit their proposals for increases and then the Government will assess and respond accordingly. As for private schools, the Government does not have any control; it is a matter that is between the private school and the parents. I thank you.
HON. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What measures
have been put in place to cater for those learners who are disadvantaged and may not be able to pay the fees?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker. The question is very broad and I am not sure which specific category of learners is being referred to. Mr. Speaker Sir, I may fail to pay my fees at St Georges College but I chose to go to St Georges College, therefore, Government would not put a policy regarding the fees. We put a policy for those learners that Government knows that the parents cannot pay fees, we already have a policy in terms of BEAM. It is not something that is coming out now because there are school fees increases. We already have a policy, parents, learners and school heads know the processes that have to be followed to ensure that those learners are catered for. I thank you.
HON. KASHIRI: I would like to applaud the Minister for establishing Anti Corruption Courts around the country. My question is, what is Government policy to recover the property acquired corruptly, including buildings that have been built with corruptly earned money?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. Yesterday I tabled the amendment to the Money Laundering Act. I brought in a Bill to address issues of unexplained wealth and we feel that is the easiest way to target people who would have acquired wealth corruptly whereby unexplained orders are issued and you have to explain. So, that Bill will be discussed here and I will be very happy if Hon. Members can debate, improve and enact it very fast so that we can deal with corrupt people. I thank you.
+HON. MAHLANGU: My question is directed to the Minister of Information. Is it Government policy to discriminate the Ndebele people?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUTSVANGWA): Thank
you Mr. Speaker. Zimbabwe is a unitary State. Zimbabweans fought together for the liberation of this country. Zimbabweans are all entitled to all what is within the boundaries of their country. It is not Government policy to discriminate each other. In this particular case which she is referring to, I am not aware and if there is a particular case let it be – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I am not aware, the Constitution of this country does not allow discrimination so those individuals have a right to demand redress to that particular individual. As a Ministry, we would be happy to get the details so that we look into it. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. GONESE: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker Sir, my point of order emanates from the fact that the statement in question was made on ZI-FM and it was broadcast live on radio. There have been a lot of tweets regarding the statement. I am astounded and perplexed that we have a situation where the Hon. Minister of Information comes to this august House and say that she is unaware of that. It is ether the Hon. Minister is not doing her job or – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – because it was the Hon. Deputy Minister of Information and we have got something which is so notorious, something which transpired, it was not just a tweet but it was on ZI-FM.
The Hon. Deputy Minister was a panelist with Hon. Molokela. I can understand if it did not come to the attention of some other people but for the Hon. Minister of Information - I believe that it is either as I have already indicated, she is not doing her job and she is not keeping herself abreast of developments in the country. Alternatively, she is misleading the House, she is aware but she does not want to own up. I believe that we cannot as an august House accept such a statement from the Hon. Minister, that she is not aware of something which has been widely publicised to the extent that this statement was publicised.
THE HON. SPEAKER: With that clarification Hon. Minister, can you proceed to answer.
HON. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, the
question was, is there a policy of discriminating other Zimbabweans and I thought I answered that question – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, can you be guided from
the Chair. There was a publication and the Hon. Members are saying that that was through a panel and the statement was against the Ndebele people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. MUTSVANGWA: What I want to make clear is that there is no policy of discrimination within Government.
HON. MAHLANGU: My supplementary question is this; if there
is no policy, then the Hon. Minister should apologise to the people of Matabeleland for what happened. What is making me say that is that there is no one who wants development in Matabeleland because they take us as refugees. No one wants to apologise for Gukurahundi because they think we are refugees. Therefore the Minister should apologise and state that we are not refugees. If you go to Matabeleland, there is no development because we are considered as refugees.
THE HON. SPEAKER: It is understood that there is no policy but your Deputy Minister made that statement. That is the question now.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND
BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. MUTSVANGWA): Mr.
Speaker, I think I indicated already earlier on. I did not have an opportunity to listen to this interview. I will have to listen to it and then come back and explain – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order. The Hon. Minister has undertaken to pursue the matter and come back to the House on the issue and the matter will rest there.
HON. MAMOMBE: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. In his absence, I will direct it to the Leader of Government business.
We are seeing a notice that was given by the doctors on the strike that they want to undertake. This notice was saying that the strikes are going to take place from the 3rd of this month. I would like to know the permanent solution to the crisis that we are facing in the public health sector, particularly on the issues to do with strikes. How is the
Government going to deal with that problem, considering that our health sector is already crippled by the absence of electricity, unavailability of drugs and even equipment? We do not want to see a repeat of people dying like what happened the last time when doctors went on strike –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Matangira, why do you interrupt the Hon. Minister? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Government is
committed to improving the welfare of all Government workers, doctors included. Negotiations have been ongoing to ensure that we reach an agreement as to the wages that have to be given to all Government workers. What the Government cannot do at this stage is to treat one sector with preference and neglecting the rest.
As to the second question of a permanent solution to strikes, world over, the right to demonstrate is allowed. I would not believe that one would have a prescription to unforeseen events that may happen that will dictate that a certain sector show their dissatisfaction with that particular event, therefore I cannot say.
HON. CHIKWINYA: In his response, the Hon. Minister says Government is committed to the welfare of civil servants in general, including doctors and nurses. The Minister of Finance in the previous week announced a 76% salary increment effective 1st August to Civil Servants in an effort to ameliorate the situation as schools are beginning to open – is it possible to explain to this House when this money is going to be paid to the Civil Servant as they expect to pay school fees and to cover some of the problems being raised by the doctors and nurses in the general civil service?
HON. ZIYAMBI: Indeed, we deliberated on this issue and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development undertook to ensure that before schools open, most likely by end of this week, he would have given the civil service their salary increases to cushion them with a view to ensuring that they pay school fees. It is something that is being done and I believe some have already received it.
HON. T. MLISWA: With due respect, the Leader of Government business must take to the fact that the economic situation is not good. As a nation, we cannot be insensitive to the plight of the people and being hard in response. For him to say that it is a democratic right to protest and demonstrate when the courts are saying that you cannot demonstrate because its national security concern – I think it is proper to say that the Government is trying by all means to ensure that we bring to an end the suffering of the people rather than him pushing that agenda of strikes.
It hit me hard because our people are suffering. I expect him to have a heart for our people and say that we are trying by all means to improve the conditions of our people. I remain guided by you Mr. Speaker. For him to say it is their democratic right yet the courts are saying they cannot march – there is nothing to lead us to democracy when the courts have clearly spoken. The Minister has a heart; he can speak better than that – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Let us not confuse issues. We are talking about doctors and the Hon. Minister contextualised the issue of how to cushion the challenges the civil service is facing now. It was not a general question about the challenges the people of Zimbabwe altogether are facing. This is in relationship to the doctors and civil servants accordingly. Let us not argue outside the original question.
So, I rule.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): The question
from Hon. Mamombe was in two parts. The first part was - what are we doing about the doctors salaries, they have given a notice – [HON.
MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. ZIYAMBI: The second part was; she wanted a permanent
solution so that they do not strike. So I answered it in two parts and said we are looking holistically at the plight of civil servants with a view of improving their conditions of service - that shows sensitivity.
The second part was, what do we do with strikes so that they do not occur. In answer to that, I said you cannot determine now since we have a right that is there in the Constitution to demonstrate - a permanent solution. What if something happens in future that dictates that they have to take that route. It was in response to a futuristic event to say that you cannot prescribe what is going to happen tomorrow. It was not in reference to the present situation and the present plight. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I allowed the Hon.
Minister.
Hon. Tsunga having stood up.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is happening my friend? I have
not finished.
HON. TSUNGA: I thought you had finished.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, I had not. I indulged the Hon.
Minister and I think he has emphasised that the responses were confined to the questions originally asked. So, I do not think we can go outside the purview of that question and the attended supplementary questions.
HON. TSUNGA: My supplementary question, Hon. Speaker, is that the problem in the health delivery system is money fold. While the dimension of conditions of service and rates of pay for health personnel is critical, there is also the aspect of medication.
You may address the issue of salaries but the galloping prices of medication because once you get a prescription you still need to go to a pharmacy. How then do you address that other angle because I think the prices of medication is beyond the reach of many. Let us look at it in that perspective that it has to be a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem because it is really a crisis. Thank you Mr. Speaker – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I indicated earlier on that the question asked by Hon. Mamombe was contextualised to the doctors plight. The question of medication is another issue.
HON. MAMOMBE: Just a point of clarification
THE HON. SPEAKER: Clarification on what?
HON. MAMOMBE: A clarification on the 76% increment.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Ask a supplementary question.
HON. MAMOMBE: Hon. Speaker, my supplementary question is directed to the – [AN HON. MEMBER: Bvisa heti.] –
HON. T. MLISWA: Hon. Speaker ,on a point of order. Whoever said bvisa heti is very sexist, feminist and they must withdraw.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Who is saying that? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Can I listen to one person please?
HON. MAMOMBE: It is Hon. Nyabani.
HON. SIKHALA: You always allow them to get away with it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Order Hon. Member
there. Can I get the name properly?
HON. T. MLISWA: Hon. Speaker, I never lie; it was Hon.
Nyabani. If you refuse, the Hansard will pick you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. The Hon. Member, can you withdraw your statement? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
*HON. NYABANI: Hon. Speaker, for the sake of progress I withdraw – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MAMOMBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker for that protection –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. D. SIBANDA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. The
Honourable here is not withdrawing. He is saying for progress sake.
Can he just withdraw because he has always been heckling – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order.
HON. MAMOMBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My
supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that the strikes that were announced by the doctors and nurses, it was after the announcement that there is going to be an increment of 76%. Yes, the Government has tried its best. The Government is going to make an increment of 76% but on their petition, on their demands they are stating that they are not recognising that 76% of increment. What they want is that their money be paid in United States dollars on an increment which is in line with the inflation that is 500% or 700%. This is what the doctors want.
So the 76% increment that the Hon. Minister is talking about is not going to work. It is not going to stop the strikes that are ongoing and we are going to lose lives, Hon. Speaker, because already there are no drugs and no equipment and doctors have been making an effort. What is the
Government going to do about the current crisis? They want United
States dollars and they want an increment of 700%. Thank you Mr.
Speaker.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, I alluded to the fact that negotiations are ongoing – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
–
THE HON. SPEAKER: Honourable Members at the back there, can the Hon. Minister be heard in silence? Please carry on Hon.
Minister.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Mr. Speaker, I alluded to the fact that negotiations are ongoing. The rest of the civil service said okay, we agree to what Government has offered us but we will continue negotiating and we accepted that. It is the same with doctors, so I am surprised that she has already concluded that is the finality of the case when we are still negotiating with the representatives. I thank you.
+HON. F. K. MGUNI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Health and Child Care. I would like to know what Government policy says concerning hospitals without mortuaries or with mortuaries that are not functioning as well as those that do not have incinerators to burn waste. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you repeat your question, what is the policy question?
HON. S. K. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I wanted to find out what Government policy says in cases where there are hospitals which do not have mortuaries which are functioning as well as proper incinerators to burn waste. I had directed my question to the Minister of Health and Child Care and in his absence, I would like to ask the Leader of Government Business in the House to answer the question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mguni, you are mixing up different issues, you are speaking of mortuaries as well as waste. You should ask just one question as these questions do not go hand in hand.
HON. S. K. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is - what is Government policy concerning hospitals which do not have functional mortuaries?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Government policy on ensuring that hospitals have mortuaries so that the dead bodies are preserved in dignity.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, we have hospitals which do not have mortuaries and the ideal situation is to have a mortuary at every hospital. That is an aspiration that we have to ensure that progressively all the hospitals have mortuaries. In the mean time, we are also working closely with funeral parlours so that where we do not have a mortuary; they can also help with facilities for body removal. I thank you.
HON. DZUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Climate and Rural Resettlement and in his absence, I direct it to the Leader of the
House. What is the Government position on provision of tillage – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – as we go into the new season. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Dzuma, can you ask a
straight forward policy question please.
*HON. DZUMA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. What is the Government policy in relation to the loss of cattle due to the disease that attacked our stocks in the past and also in terms of the agricultural tillage equipment and other agricultural inputs?
What is the level of preparedness in relation to that?
*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY SFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. This question was asked last week but the Minister of Agriculture will come and present a Ministerial Statement on the preparedness of the next season touching on issues of mechanisation as well. Thank you.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam. Speaker. My question will go to the Leader of Government Business. What is Government policy on mothers who have their children admitted in hospitals; what is the
Government policy on their welfare? This is because, I visited Harare
Hospital where the policy is that when a baby is admitted, the mother is not entitled to bedding or food. So, what is the Government policy on the welfare of mothers who have their children admitted in hospitals?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY SFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, our paediatric units by their very nature of their set up have no accommodation or bedding for the mothers. It is designed in such a manner that it will accommodate the paediatrics or children who are admitted in those units. What the Government can do pertaining to the mothers; she clearly indicated that the hospital articulated the policy that they take care of the patient and not the mother. That is the position.
HON. KARENYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My follow up
question is - what is Government policy on that? I want to find out how you can have a child who is being breast fed and when the child is still being breast fed and the mother will be hospitalised with the baby? If the mother is not getting food, how is this child going to feed from the mother because mother needs food in order to breast feed. If this is not addressed, you end up having malnutrition in hospitals and I think Government must have a policy that the mother must get fed by way of breakfast, lunch and supper. That is my proposal.
HON. ZIYAMBI: The question of malnutrition for the babies is out of the question. The question that babies in children’s wards will have malnutrition does not arise. When we have our pediatric patients in wards, the hospital takes it upon itself to ensure that those pediatric children are well looked after. If you go to those children’s wards - nine out of ten times when the children are ill, they cannot even breast feed. So the hospital ensures that they supplement and that they get the relevant treatment and food supplements while they are in hospital.
As for the mother, I think if she has a suggestion that we should have a policy of feeding the mothers, this is the platform in Parliament to ensure she brings those issues and if they are agreed on by this House, it can be adopted. I thank you.
HON. GONESE: My supplementary question is that can the Hon.
Minister explain to us what is the rationale for that policy which he has articulated. The Hon. Miniser in his response is asking the Hon. Member to come up with suggestions but I want him as a Minister of Government to explain to us what is the basis upon which the Government has come up with that policy which is placing those children at a disadvantage?
Can the Hon. Minister justify the current policy position which Government has adopted, because as the original question has illustrated, we have got the situation where those children who are admitted are placed at a disadvantage. Perhaps, the Hon Minister can try to explain to us why Government is being so insensitive because that is what it amounts to.
HON. ZIYAMBI: It is the standard practice the world over in hospitals. If the Hon. Member believes that we need to shift from that because I am not aware of any disadvantage to any hospitalised child because of the current practice. I am not aware of any deaths that occurred because of malnutrition due to the current practice. If they have statistics that indicate that we have a problem with the current practice and they have comparable jurisdictions where they can compare that when a child is hospitalised the mother is also catered for, then we are free to adopt that. I thank you.
HON. KARENYI: My proposal would be: can the Minister visit Harare Hospital for him to know what is happening there. The nurses are even asking Government to help these mothers because if your child is admitted for three months you go there and sit on a chair for the whole night for three months. To be very honest it is not healthy. Can he go and have a fact finding tour at Harare Hospital so that he can have a policy which will help the women of this country?
HON. ZIYAMBI: It is the choice of the mother to sleep on the table and observe the child. It is not the policy of Government. Once your child is admitted, the child is under the care of the nursing staff and they ensure that the child is bathed, fed and the mother is there because she is the mother. She is not obliged by any law to sleep in hospital. Our policy is very clear. That is why I said if we can have comparable jurisdictions where mothers are admitted in hospital together with their children, then we can study that with a view of adopting it. What we are doing now is the current practice worldwide and we do not admit mothers together with their children. I thank you.
HON. P. ZHOU: My question is directed to the Leader of the House. In light of the oncoming rainy season, cognisant that urban councils are failing to execute their duties effectively, what is Government doing to reduce incidences of cholera outbreaks in the urban areas?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON ZIYAMBI): End of last year
we had incidences of cholera and we are approaching a rainy season. The Minister of Health who was new then in fact landed in cholera, came here and gave a Ministerial Statement of what the Government was doing with a view of ensuring that we deal with the cholera epidemic. Hon. Members are guided that this is something that was deliberated here and Government insists like what the Minister of Health said, on hygiene and ensuring that we have safe water always. This is what we will continue doing. I thank you.
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My
supplementary question is we all know that cholera in urban areas is caused by unclean water. What is Government doing considering that there is continuous load sheding and this affects water treatment plants?
What is Government doing to make sure that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – water treatment plants are supplied with power? I thank you.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Our sewer system
does not require electricity. We have had serious cases of cholera outbreaks when we had electricity. Cholera is a disease where sewer and water that we use mix and we end up with the cholera bacteria. I do not know why the Hon. Members want to link the current power outrages to cholera; perhaps he can show me the causal link between the two. I am failing to get where he is leading to. Whenever he had cholera, we had electricity. The pumping of clean water has nothing to do with cholera outbreaks or the lack of pumping. Secondly, the issue of reticulation falls within the purview of local authorities and the Hon. Member was advised to go to the local authorities, most of whom are controlled by the MDC – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- to interrogate and find out what they are trying to do to ensure that we ameliorate the situation.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. Indeed, the demonstrations were banned according to the courts of this country, which is in order. The police had gone to the courts stating that they did not have enough manpower. My question is - what measures are they taking to ensure that next time there are demonstrations, they are well equipped for that? They cannot continue with prohibition orders. So what measures are they taking to train the police to capacitate themselves so that they are able to deal with any demonstration in the country because it is actually quite dangerous for the police to announce publicly that we do not have the capacity to deal with any demonstration in the country? It exposes them and they being the law enforcement agency, for them to give such alertness to the populace of this country.
I would like to know what measure are being taken to ensure that next time there is a demonstration, the police will be well prepared and do not go back to court with the same reasons?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): Thank you Madam
Speaker. The Hon. Member has asked an important question. However, I am not privy to the reason he is giving here which he purports to have been given by the Zimbabwe Republic Police. What I am aware is that the police actually have given different reasons that what he has given that there was potential for violence and therefore it is the responsibility of the police to prevent destruction of property to prevent lawlessness. Therefore, that is the action that was taken before the violence took place, rather than capacity to handle demonstrations. I think it is clear and common cause that the police handled the situation very well –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
Madam Speaker I think I need to state it very categorically that the
Zimbabwe Republic Police had the capacity to handle the recent potential demonstration which was going to be destructive. So Hon. Mliswa should be advised that it is not about capacity and any future demonstration will be handled as it comes, I thank you.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker, precisely my
question to the Hon. Deputy Minister; I am glad that the Hon. Deputy Minister has even cited the fact that there were concerns of violence. After the prohibition order what did they do to investigate those who were supposed to purport violence during the demonstrations? The issue is they cannot go to court, the issue is, what did the Ministry and police do to investigate the very same people that they had identified to have caused violence? There had not been any arrest of anybody and no suspect at all. So, what then are they doing in terms of that? The reason is that we do not want a situation where His Excellency, the President Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa is labelled to be a heavy handed leader in Government when pretty well we talk about a new dispensation which is supposed to allow certain things to happen.
The police must be able to tell us who they have picked, who they suspected was going to cause violence, who they have investigated and so forth. The people of Zimbabwe will still go back to the courts to seek for those demonstrations again. What reasons are they going to give next time when people go to apply for a demonstration and appear before the court?
HON. MADIRO: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. The
Hon. Member, his supplementary question is actually the same as his original question that the police within their – [HON. SIKHALA:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Sikhala.
HON. MADIRO: Hon Speaker, the Zimbabwe Republic police to
the best of their judgment and intelligent information gathered, we are informed and we are clear that the demonstrations had great potential for violence and therefore – [HON. T. MLISWA: Who did you engage and arrest?] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mliswa – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. T. MLISWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I
raised the question on a point of clarity.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.
HON. GONESE: On a point of order Madam Speaker. First of all, Madam Speaker, I do not know whether there is any need for us to have Deputy Ministers in this country.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Gonese, I did not
recognise you. May you take your seat?
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, I move that the time for Questions Without Notice be extended.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
HON. CHINOTIMBA: We cannot continue wasting time –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, is there any objection [HON. MEMBERS: Yes.] – There is an objection – [HON.
MEMBERS: No! no!] –
The Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs having approached the Chair.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, we are extending with ten minutes – [AN HON. MEMBER: So, can the Hon. Minister answer Hon. T. Mliswa’s question?] – Hon. Deputy Minister, you may continue to answer Hon. T. Mliswa’s question.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO): Madam Speaker, with
your indulgence, can the Hon. Member repeat the question so that I am clear of what he wants answered.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
Madam Speaker, the Deputy Chairperson of MDC, Job Sikhala said that I ate some people but the truth is, he urinates on himself every time. I want to know from him when I ate people. I want him to withdraw that particular word. He must withdraw because he insulted me.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chinotimba, those
words are unparliamentary, can you withdraw those words.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Madam Speaker, the truth is there, I do
not eat people but he said that I eat people. If he does not withdraw his words that I eat people, I am also not going to withdraw because I do not eat people. Hon. Sikhala should be the first person to withdraw his words because that is what he said.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw your statement.
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, it is that every time when the
Speaker leaves the Chair and leaves the Deputy Speaker, ZANU PF MPs do not respect Madam Chair – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections] – I did not say anything.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw the words that you directed to Hon. Chinotimba.
HON. SIKHALA: You directed him withdraw his words, so he must simply withdraw. He must simply follow the ruling of the Chair.
He wants to create another matter for you to make a ruling.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, please
withdraw those words.
HON. SIKHALA: I did not say those words.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: When I raised the point of order, I wanted Hon Sikhala to withdraw his words. Your ruling should ensure that he withdraws his statement – [AN HON MEMBER: Chinotimba waakuda kuzotijairira, enda unodzura ndebvu idzodzo] - – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
I withdraw my statement but I also plead with Hon. Sikhala to withdraw the statement that he directed to me.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Sikhala, may you
withdraw your statement.
HON. SIKHALA: Which statement must I withdraw?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That Hon. Chinotimba is a
cannibal.
HON. SIKHALA: Madam Speaker, I am not getting you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That Hon. Chinotimba is a
cannibal.
*HON. SIKHALA: Chinotimba, did I say that you are a cannibal? If I said so, I withdraw - [AN HON. MEMBER: I have an issue that is troubling me here. It is said that VaMnangagwa came into power as a result of demonstrations but you are prohibiting us to do the same.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. I have
not recognised you.
AMOUNT PAID TO HIRE PRIVATE GULFSTREAM JET FOR THE
FORMER FIRST LADY
12. HON. GONESE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to state the amount paid by the Government to hire a private Gulfstream jet for the former First Lady, Grace Mugabe to attend her mother’s funeral.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): I am not in a position to answer this question. I will forward the question to the substantive Minister of
Transport who is responsible for that and he will come and respond.
HON. GONESE: I have a point of order Madam Speaker. If you notice, this question was deferred from 21st November 2018. It has taken almost eight months for the Hon. Minister to come with that response that the question must be re-directed. This is really unfair and it is a disservice to the people of Zimbabwe. This is a pertinent question and I believe that if the Hon. Leader of the House felt that the question was not directed to the appropriate Minister, he should have responded timeously. As such, I object to the course of conduct exhibited in this august House where the Hon. Minister of Finance who has not been coming to this House for a long time simply then deflects the question and says that it must be re-directed. I appeal to the Chair to really ask the Leader of Government business and the Executive to be more serious about the business of Parliament.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have heard you Hon.
Gonese but I also urge you to redirect your question to the relevant Ministry. Thank you.
PLANS FOR THE REFURBISHMENT OF POWER STATIONS
28. HON. TSUURA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House of the Ministry’s plans for the refurbishment of power stations which were established before independence.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Thank you Madam Speaker.
I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Madam Speaker, I would like to inform the House that there are plans to refurbish or repower the small thermal power stations, that is Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare Power Stations. The plans involve changing of the boiler technology so that these power stations can use a low quality grade coal to reduce the cost of generation and improve efficiency. Currently the power stations use a 10 grade technology that utilises high quality coal which is expensive.
A contract for the repowering of Harare is in place and the one for Munyati is being finalised. The progress in implementation has been negatively affected by lack of funding. The repowering of Bulawayo project is at procurement stage. Hon. Members should also note that apart from the repowering of the Small Thermal Power Stations, ZESA is also working on Hwange Life Extension Project, Hwange Power Station units which have exceeded the design operation life of 25 years, hence their frequent breakdowns and low than desired output.
The project aims to refurbish the six units, that is unit 1 to 6 in order to restore equipment reliability, firm output and extend life.
HON. WATSON: Could the Hon. Minister please tell us whether the refurbishment of Bulawayo power station which you are busy negotiating with will include the pipeline to ensure that the power station no longer uses Bulawayo’s precious portable water. I thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thank you Hon. Member for the question. Yes there is upgrading of the power line from Hwange to Bulawayo to Kwekwe. It is ongoing.
HON. WATSON: Can I just repeat the question. The question is about the water being used in the Bulawayo power station. There was supposed to be a pipeline being built from Khami dam to the power station to stop the use of potable water in the power station because it is precious. I want to know that is included in the funding that you have obtained and the plan at hand. Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: At the moment the project that you are talking about according to the question is about the upgrading of the power station, but that will be considered in the near future. I think after the upgrading then we consider that.
HON. CHIKWINYA: I think because of the importance of Hon.
Watson’s question I will just try and walk through because it is the same project. On the production of electricity on these small thermal power stations there is high usage of water and Bulawayo included. So according to the design in Bulawayo to compensate for the water which is supposed to be used in the production of electricity - the design entails drawing water from Khami dam to Bulawayo so that you spare the municipal water for residential consumption.
Now Hon. Watson’s question is does your procurement also include drawing water from Khami to the CBD where the Bulawayo thermal power station is included. So as you answer you may relate to that. However, my supplementary question is that the cost of repairing the small power thermal stations because of their age now it is so much that can we not invest in new technology that is outside coal because (1) coal itself is becoming extinct to the extent that we are now finding it difficult to even supply Hwange which is our main power station. What measures are there Hon. Minister for us to invest in new technology, solar included so that at least we can quickly realise power production which can be fed into our grid? Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Hon. Chikwinya for clarifying that question. Yes, the project to upgrade the Bulawayo Power Station includes everything that is involved, including the pipeline to draw water from Khami Dam as stated, it is in the project. Coming to his question, what was the question?
HON. CHIKWINYA: My question was, in her response, she said the power stations are now above 25 years of age. The upgrades include the use of coal that is not high in phosphorous content, which is currently difficult because it requires more energy to burn, that was her response. My issue is; the technology that they are continuously engaging in is expensive and requires fuel in coal which is becoming extinct in Hwange. Why do they not invest in new technology that is devoid of coal? I have suggested solar, which is easy to realise for the production of electricity which goes straight into our grid. Thank you.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Yes, the
upgrading of the old thermal power stations is expensive at the moment, considering that there is new technology that we can take on board. However, the issue at the moment is that we cannot ignore those power stations which are already operational. It is just a matter of upgrading to the level where we can generate more electricity at the moment. The long term measure that we have is that, we are encouraging renewable energy, solar energy plants; we have a number of such projects which are under consideration and that will be added on to the grid in the near future once they are concluded. Thank you for that question.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
want to ask the Hon. Minister whether it is not possible for their Ministry to do a proper research and inform the House. I say this because the question asked by Hon. Watson is very important, which borders on the management of water, which is now becoming a scarce resource in Zimbabwe.
I will further explain with evidence from Kariba Dam; engineers are saying what we experienced was poor management of the water that was used to generate power where generators were using more water and there was no capacity to take the energy that was being generated. In the end, we are suffering as a result of shortages of electricity. My question is - why can the Ministry not do a proper research and inform the House on the status of water management in terms of generating power, other than to mislead the House to say those issues are going to be considered in this project, yet we know that nothing is happening similar to what the Minister would want the House to believe.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. We are
currently engaged in research work on the best way forward in terms of electricity generation. I cannot say we are ignoring that fact, we are considering that. The current power generation consumes a lot of water but we are looking at ways of how to mitigate that and get out of it and use better ways like renewable energy which uses the sun to generate solar energy.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PURCHASE OF VEHICLES FOR CHIEFS IN 2018
7. HON. MASUKU asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House on the amount of money used to purchase vehicles for chiefs during 2018.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Government provides chiefs with
vehicles in order to assist them in the discharge of their duties. Prior to
Government’s intervention in 2017, vehicles for chiefs were last procured in 2006 being a Mazda single cab B1800.
During 2017, Government procured 226 Isuzu double cab vehicles through issuance of US$7.5 million in Treasury Bills. The first batch of 30 vehicles was allocated to chiefs by the former President on 30 October 2017 during the Annual Chiefs Conference in Bulawayo. The balance of the vehicles was delivered and distributed during 2018. The expenditure incurred during 2018 with regard to US$4.66 million and was expended towards payment of import duty for the vehicles.
CONSTITUTION OF A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON
PAYMENT MODALITIES OF INSURANCE LOSSES DURING 2005
– 2008
8. HON. SHOKO asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development when the other Commission of Inquiry that looks at the payment modalities for persons and insurance losses incurred during the economic meltdown of 2005-2008 will be constituted as recommended by the first Commission of Inquiry report.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Hon. Members will recall that the
Commission of Inquiry was approved by both the Cabinet and
Parliament in 2018. Paragraphs 991 and 992 of the report recommend IPEC, as the industry regulator to assume overall oversight over the implementation of the compensation framework by the industry as well as obligating the institutions to submit their proposed compensation schemes.
In this regard, IPEC has already been mandated to look into compensation modalities. There is thus no other Commission of Inquiry to be constituted.
I am also aware that IPEC will soon be engaging industry to discuss this issue. In fact, an initial consultative meeting was set to take place in the last month with industry players to kick start the process but has however been postponed to a later date.
MEASURES AGAINST BUSINESS PEOPLE OPERATING FOUR-
TIER PRICING SYSTEM
9. HON. MADZIMURE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain measures being taken against some business people who are operating a four-tier pricing system.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Government is aware that people are taking advantage of the current macro-economic environment and challenges on the foreign exchange market to continue operating different tier pricing systems –RTGS$, mobile money transfer, bond cash and US$.
These practices are normally meant to counter perceived risks related to the different exchange rates between the parallel and the interbank.
However, to some businesses, the practice is for rent seeking purposes. The key issue here is the current difference between the interbank and parallel exchange rates and the attendant foreign currency shortages in the market. In addition, an exit from multi-currency to a local currency regime is hard and peculiar to our situation.
Government is however prioritising key stabilisation measures which are already being implemented under the Budget and the TSP with a view of getting convergence of those two exchange rates which ultimately removes the rent seeking objectives and exchange risks.
Similarly, the soon to be introduced single local currency will also address this challenge and lastly, the ongoing efforts in improving performance of the economy including exports and other sources of foreign currency will also be critical and pursued.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will also play a supportive role through respective functions of removing unethical trading practices in the economy.
CONVERSION OF PENSION SAVINGS INTO EQUITY
16. HON. CHIKUDO asked the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development whether the Ministry could consider converting into equity pension savings still stuck in long term non liquid assets dating back to 2009 in order to unfairly deprive pension funds contributors.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): Hon. Chikudo’s question is not quite clear as he seems to be talking of equity pension savings without specifying what equity he is referring to. He also talks of long term non liquid assets. It is not clear if he is referring to investment property which most pension funds are invested in or if he is talking of Government prescribed assets which pension funds are obliged to invest in. In the absence of clarity in Hon. Chikudo’s question, I will respond in the way I assume the Hon. Member meant to ask.
Pension funds are obliged to subscribe to prescribed assets to the tune of 10% of their assets. As at 31 December, 2018, prescribed assets amounted to $325.6 million which constitutes 6.24% of their assets.
Most of the prescribed assets invested in are short term instruments with maximum tenors of 3 years.
In view of this most of the instruments issued after adoption of the multiple currencies matured, hence there are no long term instruments contrary to Hon. Chikudo’s assertion that that funds are tied up in longterm instruments. Furthermore, the instruments are tradable, thus pension funds can dispose of them as and when they wish to do so.
Alternative investment by pension funds in projects of national interest on BOOT/BOT arrangements may also be considered for prescribed asset status. In addition Government in consultation with industry is exploring ways to preserve pension values.
POLICY ON SUPPORTING LOCAL INVESTORS
17. HON. CHIDZIVA asked the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development to explain to the House Government policy on supporting local investors.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): Private investment per se is best supported through:
• Legal instruments which aim at guaranteeing on property rights
etc;
• A fair regulatory environment;
• Fair labour laws;
• Macro-economic stability and other appropriate policies void of policy reversals; and
• Infrastructure and public utilities such as good roads, water and electricity.
These are key supporting pillars which Government is pursuing in support of local and other investors. However, under our circumstances,
Government goes further to support local businesses or investors
through facilitating inflows or lines of credit, that is facilities from Afreximbank, PTA, China and India, engaging various external partners for investment including technology transfer.
In addition, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other Departments Government supports the local industry in sourcing markets for our exports. Specific direct funding and other indirect sources of funding are also channeled to youths and women businesses under various economic empowerment programmes. To that effect, we have the Empowerment Bank which has so far disbursed more than RTGS$12 million.
Treasury also offers various tax and other incentives to local industries. These include tax holidays for Greenfields projects as well as preferential treatment in awarding contracts. These are just a few examples of how Government supports the local industry.
COMPENSATION OF BANK ACCOUNT HOLDERS WHO’S
SAVINGS WERE ERODED DURING THE ZIMBABWEAN
DOLLAR PERIOD
18. HON. B. DUBE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain the Government position regarding compensation of bank account holders whose savings were eroded during the Zimbabwean dollar period.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): The Hon. Member may be aware that Government has already finalised the demonetisation exercise commencing with Statutory Instrument 70 of 2015 of 12th June 2015 which demonetised the Zimbabwe Dollar and formalised the multicurrency dispensation. The demonetisation exercise was completed in 2015 when bank balances were converted from Zimbabwe Dollars to United States Dollars.
I therefore wish to advise the Hon. Dube that compensation for bank account holders whose savings were eroded during the Zimbabwe dollar period had finalised in 2015.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO GWERU CITY COUNCIL ON
PURCHASING PUMPS
19. HON. B. DUBE asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain measure being taken by the Government to assist Gweru City Council to raise the US$6 million for purchasing pumps for transmitting water from Mabongobwe Dam to the City.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): The city of Gweru’s water supply comes from two main sources, namely Gwenhoro and Amaphonokwe dams. To date the main water source has been Gwenhoro dam supplying more than 90% of the city’s water requirements and is now at 25% full equivalent to about three months water supply. There is therefore urgent need to address the imminent water crisis facing the city.
Amaphongokwe Dam on the other hand is 75% full equivalent to more than 12 months water supply. However, the pumping equipment is down, hence the urgent need to procure four raw water pumps to allow for the use of this available resource.
The council completed the procurement process in June and following Government support of 6.5 million Rands, the importation of pumps and equipment has since been done and the City of Gweru received delivery yesterday with installation of the raw water pumps expected to commence tomorrow and will take about two weeks to complete.
Completion of the project will address the challenge of raw water supply for the City of Gweru. In addition US$2.4 million will still be required for procurement of treated water pumps, civil works and electrical works among other works.
MEASURES TO MANAGE THE MULTI-TIER PRICING SYSTEM
20. HON. S. BANDA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House measures being taken to manage the multi-tier pricing system and state when the RTGS dollars will become the sole trading currency.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): I have already responded on measures in managing four tier pricing system and it is our plan, subject to an appropriate macro-economic environment that we operationalise the single local currency by end of the year.
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of order. From question 15 up to question 20 the Hon. Members are not in the House as well as the Minister, but your ruling is that the Hon. Minister may submit the answer. It is that there is an Acting Minister and if so, we are not seeing the Acting Minister submitting the answer. I am saying so because we cannot expunge these questions when they have not been responded to.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Ziyambi is standing in for the
Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
MEASURES TO MONITOR AND ENFORCE COMPLIANCE TO
STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 142 RESERVE BANK OF
ZIMBABWE (LEGAL TENDER) REGULATIONS 2019
23. HON. SEN. TONGOGARA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House the measures being taken by the Government to monitor and enforce compliance to
Statutory Instrument 142 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (Legal Tender) Regulation 2019 as business operators in down town Harare continue to charge their products in foreign currency.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEAGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI) on behalf of THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. T. NCUBE): SI 142 being a law is being monitored for compliance through various arms of Government and various instruments at each point in time. To those business operators down town Harare who continue to flout this law, they can only expect to face the full wrath of the law at an unexpected hour. For that matter, there is no policy reversal on this issue.
CRITERIA FOR ELECTRICITY LOAD SHEDDING
29. HON. CHIMINA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House the criteria that is used for electricity load shedding and to explain why Mkoba 4, 5, 14, 15 and 19 suburbs are the only ones experiencing electricity power outages in Gweru.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development would like to advise the House as follows;
Firstly, load shedding is carried out as a last resort to ensure stability and functionality of the national grid. It is about balancing supply and demand to avoid total system collapse.
Secondly, during the operation of the power system, unforeseen additional supply deficits do occur, thereby creating further shortfalls that may trigger the controller to increase the demand curtailment. What this means is that other sections or feeders that may not originally have been scheduled to be shed on that day will be shed urgently to maintain the balance.
After the recent securing of an additional 350 MW non-firm (during off-peak hours), power import from Eskom premised on the exporting customers’ arrangement, the implementing agent, ZETDC, should normally operate at Stage 1 load shedding (a scenario of shorter outages). However, due to the recent outages of two units at Hwange Power Station and poor performance of small thermal power stations
(Munyati, Harare, and Bulawayo), ZETDC is currently operating at Stage II load shedding (a scenario of longer outages) which has the effect of affecting previously unshed industries and other installations.
Now to the more specific issues as raised for the load shedding on
Mkoba 4, 5, 14, 15 and 19, I would like to respond by saying:
• The referred sections of Mkoba suburb are not the only ones that are being shed in Gweru. Most of Gweru town and its environs are experiencing the same shedding patterns as are other parts of the country as can be confirmed by other members of this House. The same prolonged shedding is affecting both domestic and agricultural customers.
• However, there are some circuits which are normally exempted from load shedding because of their sensitive nature. These include hospitals, security installations, water and sewer works as well as Commercial Business Districts. We need to point out that in most cases where such a feeder as one feeding a hospital exists; it has connected to it other circuits other than the hospital which circuits therefore benefit from the exemption but not by design.
• To separate these hang-on circuits from the hospital or security installation, feeders require a large amount of money and time to implement. Ordinarily, initial ZETDC network circuit designs and configurations did not have load shedding in mind because load shedding is an abnormal way of an operating system.
REPAIR OF FAULTY ELECTRICITY TRANSFORMER FOR
CHOMUNYAKA PRIMARY SCHOOL
30 HON. RAIDZA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to inform the House when the faulty electricity transformer which was sent for repairs will be repaired and restored to the Chomunyaka Primary School in Mberengwa East Constituency.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUDYIWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry
of Energy and Power Development would like to firstly advise the
House that there is a huge backlog for replacement transformers in ZETDC, with over 2300 transformers faulting due to vandalism and other mechanical causes. In ZETDC Southern Region where Mberengwa falls, 249 transformers of various sizes are required to replace faulty ones across the Midlands Province. A further 116 are required for new connections. Efforts will continue to be made to get a replacement transformer for the school.
ZETDC has confirmed that indeed, a 25Kva, 11/0.4 KV transformer got burnt at Chomunyaka Primary School and the burnt transformer windings and laminations were burnt beyond repair. The prevailing foreign currency shortage has frustrated efforts to urgently get a replacement transformer.
In order to address the transformer shortages, the procurement process has been activated with suppliers for the delivery of 600 transformers of various sizes. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. We no
longer have ministers to answer written questions so we move on to Orders of the Day.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BUDGET,
FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON MR. CHARLES
MANDIZVIDZA GANAGANA’S PETITION
HON. MHONA: I move the motion standing in my name, that this
House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Budget,
Finance and Economic Development on Mr. Charles Mandizvidza
Ganagana’s petition to Parliament of Zimbabwe on the progress made on the implementation of the Recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from the Zimbabwe dollars to United States dollar (S.C 7, 2019).
HON. G. DUBE: I second.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to
present a Committee Report on the Budget, Finance and Economic
Development on Mr. Charles Mandizvidza Ganagana’s petition to Parliament of Zimbabwe on progress made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the conversion of insurance and pension values from the Zimbabwean dollar to the United States dollar.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am actually thrilled to say that finally, the motion has been tabled today. It is my humble request to the Hon. Members to pay heed to this very important report which concerns the lives of the masses of Zimbabwe who have been prejudiced because of the pensions.
Parliament of Zimbabwe received a petition from one Mr. Charles
Mandizvidza Ganagana on 15 November 2018 which was referred to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee for consideration. The petitioner beseeched Parliament to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from ZW$ to US$.
The Committee invited Zimbabwe Pension Insurance Rights Trust
(ZimPIRT) together with the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) to appear before it on the 14th of January 2019. It was during this meeting that the Committee Members realised that the matter required a thorough appreciation and understanding. The Committee, therefore, resolved to convene a seminar to enable the former
Commissioners of the Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from ZW$ to US$ to unpack and fully equip the Committee Members with all the information on the matter. A two-day seminar with former Commissioners of the Commission of
Inquiry was subsequently convened in Mutare during the period 22 to 23 February 2019. The Committee after deliberating on the matters presented to it by the Commissioners and IPEC, felt that it was important to conclude the inquiry by inviting the insurance companies to also give their side of story before tabling a report in the House. Thus, the Zimbabwe Association of Funeral Assurers (ZAFA) and Life Offices Association of Zimbabwe (LOAZ) appeared before the Committee on the 20th of May 2019. Therefore, this report is an outcome with various stakeholders in the sector. I will actually table the entire report, so I will not bother you with a number of issues that I have.
Background
The Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pension Values from the Zimbabwe Dollar to the United States Dollar was set up by the then President in terms of Section 2 of the
Commissions of Inquiry Act [Chapter 10:07] by way of a proclamation in S.I. 80 of 2015 as amended in S.I. 1 of 2016. The appointed
Commissioners were Justice Leslie George Smith (Chairman), Mrs. Violet Mutandwa, Mr. Itayi Walter Chirume, Dr. Godfrey Kanyenze, Mr. Anesu Daka, Mr. Tapiwa Maswera, Mr. Brains Muchemwa, Mr.
Martin Tarusenga and Mr. George Dikinya (deceased - died on 16 March 2016) and the Secretary, Mr. Cuthbert Tafirei Munjoma. They conducted the Inquiry over an 18-month period from 1 September 2015 to 28 February 2017.
The Commission had 14 broad terms of reference, which included the establishment of the total value; nature and type of assets owned by insurance companies and pension funds; causes of loss of value of insurance and pension benefits; assessing the conversion methods and processes of ZW$ insurance and pension assets and liabilities to US$; establishing the extent of prejudice (if any) to policyholders and pensioners; recommending compensation where prejudice has been established; examining instances of regulatory failure; assessing soundness of the industry and the role of the insurance and pensions sector in the economy.
The Inquiry’s Report was finalised and submitted to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in May 2017, for onward submission to the President.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development tabled the
Inquiry’s Report in Parliament on 09 May 2018, for further debate and deliberations by Members of Parliament.
In a letter dated 16 July 2018, Government, through the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, mandated IPEC to spearhead postinquiry reforms although IPEC received the mandate letter on 31 August
2018.
Government re-affirmed its decision to mandate IPEC as the implementing agency of the post-inquiry reforms in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, a position that was also re-stated in the 2019
National Budget Statement.
Major Findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI)
Total Industry Assets and their breakdown
It is contained in the CoI report that of the three sources of asset data considered namely financial statements; valuation and the regulator’s reports, the amount of total asset values differed depending on the source of information used. This indicates inconsistencies and non-standardised methods of disclosure of financial data. The regulator was not consistent in producing annual reports containing industry asset valuations, broken down by type of insurer, class of business and investment class during the investigation period. The Commission was alarmed to note that the regulator failed to produce annual reports for the period 2001 to 2003 and 2005 to 2008, which reports could have been a secondary source of asset data.
The total assets in the Insurance and Pension Industry, including
NSSA, were worth approximately US$5.13 billion in December 1996,
US$3.69 billion in December 2008 and US$5.1 billion in December
2014.
The Commission noted with concern the understatement of asset values for the period 1996 to 2008, attributable to the failure by big institutions such as Old Mutual, First Mutual, ZB Life and Fidelity Life, to provide accurate, consistent and reliable asset values for the period prior to dollarisation. Whilst the incomplete and inconsistent asset data submissions to the Commission could have been a genuine failure to maintain the data as required, the possibility of the motive to conceal incriminating information remains.
The assets were mainly invested in property and listed equities, which were a hedge against inflation and which occasioned negative real returns on fixed income securities such as bonds and money-market instruments. Contrary to the general perception in some quarters of the industry that most assets were lost through investments in bonds and money-markets during the high inflation period, such investments were very negligible during the period 2003 to 2008. The reduction in asset values during the period prior to 2008 was therefore largely attributed to misappropriation of assets and excessive expense structures, as opposed to hyperinflation. Over 85% of the existing assets in the insurance and pension industry were acquired before dollarisation in 2009, thus showing that the majority of assets survived hyperinflation. The question now is who is benefiting from such investments?
Causes of loss of value or prejudice
The loss of value in Insurance and Pension benefits mainly occurred before the conversion from ZW$ to US$ and dollarisation only revealed the extent of the loss. The Commission classified the causes of loss of value into three factors, macro-economic, regulatory and institution-specific.
Macro-economic Factors: The macro-economic factors that caused pensioner and policyholder prejudice were inflation, currency debasing and the exchange rate used during the de-monetisation of ZW$ to US$ in 2015. Inflation resulted in loss of benefit values through the erosion of fixed premiums and pension contributions that were not indexed to inflation. In addition, negative real investment returns on fixed income securities such as bonds, treasury bills and money-market instruments resulted in loss of value, hence insurance companies and pension funds divested from such investments during the period 2001 to 2008.
The removal of 25 zeros (currency de-basing) during the period August 2006 to February 2009 resulted in insurance companies and pension funds technically extinguishing their obligations to policyholders and pensioners without any actual payments being made. The industry players duly removed zeros on promised sum-assured or pension benefits when the ZW$ currency was de-based. This resulted in abnormally low ZW$ benefit values which upon conversion to US$, were for some pensioners as low as US$0.05, and in most cases zero despite several years of contributing to pension funds. Meanwhile, assets that were supporting insurance and pension liabilities were transferred to shareholders of insurance companies or became surpluses in some defined benefit pension funds.
The exchange rate of US$1 to ZW$35 quadrillion (15 zeros), which was used when the ZW$ currency was de-monetised in 2015 prejudiced insurance policy-holders and pensioners as it reduced the already worthless ZW$ values that had been deposited in individuals’ bank accounts to just a few US cents or at a maximum, US$5. Regulatory Factors: The CoI report identifies regulatory failure on the part of Government and the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) as having caused loss of value. There was failure by the Government and regulator to guide the industry during hyper-inflation, currency de-basing and during the conversion of insurance and pension values when the economy was dollarised. In addition, the delayed demonetisation of the ZW$ currency resulted in the various entities in the industry applying their own conversion methods, which were prejudicial to policy-holders and pensioners.
Regulatory failure on the part of IPEC manifested itself through failure to conduct on-site supervision and to investigate its licences, allowing arbitrary insurance product terminations by insurance companies, poor investment management practices, poor recordkeeping, failure to deal with predatory administration expenses which averaged 81% of total contributions and premiums in a dollarised environment, failure to protect policyholders and pensioners when deregistering insurance companies, failure to deal with pension contribution arrears as well as the failure to strengthen the weak legal and institutional frameworks for insurance and pension businesses. Institutional Factors: There was loss of value attributed to insurance companies and pension funds which included failure to index contributions, premiums and benefits to inflation; arbitrary and prejudicial conversion methods from ZW$ to US$; arbitrary terminations of products and closures; pension contribution arrears; failure to separate insurance; pension and shareholder assets; poor record-keeping as most institutions could not account for assets; investment returns and individuals’ contribution records; poor corporate governance practices; unsustainable administration and other expenses as high as 300% of pension contributions as well as compromised provision of actuarial services and absence of skills. There were only 2 resident qualified actuaries in Zimbabwe at the time of conversion.
Key Corporate Governance Irregularities Identified by the CoI Poor oversight by some boards: Some boards, at the time of the inquiry had last met as far back as 2011 with one classic example of a Board Chairman who was not sure if the institution whose board he chaired was still operational since the board had last met in 2011 (page 322). Some boards operated without any committee of the board, a serious deficiency in corporate governance and indeed, an indictment on
IPEC’s supervisory role;
Regulatory Capture through Failure to have Operational
Independence from both the Government and the Industry:
Individuals with beneficial shareholding in the company took executive roles in their business while some also served on the regulatory board
(IPEC) or industry association e.g. Moonlight, and Rutendo Funeral Assurance Companies.
Conflict of Interest: The IPEC Board was composed of members who had conflict of interest. Mr Richard Muirimi sat on the IPEC Board, at the same time he was a controlling shareholder of pension administrator, Comarton Consultants. The late Elisha Mushayakarara was chairman of both ZB Life and the IPEC Board. Mr Douglas Hoto, sat on the board of IPEC, and was also the CEO of Altfin Life
Assurance.
Non remittance of deducted pension contributions: It was discovered that the majority of corporates, e.g. the Mining Industry
Pension Fund (MIPF), NRZ, ZUPCO, CSC, Fidelity Printers Pension Fund and Unified Councils Pension Fund (UCPF) among others, were not remitting pension contributions to pension houses. Conversion of schemes from defined benefit to contributory schemes without regulatory approval nor consent of the employees. Highlights of the Complaints Received by the CoI
There were 68% complaints received in writing that were against private sector insurance and pension service providers, followed by the Government Pension Agency and NSSA, which had a combined 23% share of the complaints. Parastatal-related pension funds namely GMB, LAPF, NRZ, Unified Councils, and ZESA constituted 9% of the total complaints.
Complaints for the Government Pension Agency and NSSA were 54% and 46% respectively.
Almost 83% of public complaints were against life companies, followed by 7.9% against fund-administrators such as Comarton Consulting, Marsh Employee Benefits and Minerva Benefit Consulting, 4.9% were against funeral assurers and 4.5% against stand-alone pension funds;
Complaints in respect of Life Assurance Companies as a percentage of total Complaints Against Life Companies - Old Mutual
33.9%, First Mutual Limited 19.8%, Zimnat 19.3%, Fidelity Life 15%,
ZB Life 11.6% and Heritage Life 0.4%. Complaints in respect of
Funeral Assurance Companies as a % of total complaints against Funeral
Assurers - Doves 58%, First Funeral 19.3%, Moonlight 12%, Foundation Mutual Society 10% and Cell Funeral 0.7%.
The Commission commended Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance
Company which received not a single complaint related to loss of value in relation to funeral assurers established prior to dollarisation.
Zimpirt Submissions to the Committee
In its submission, ZimPIRT proposed urgent payment and honouring of rightful benefits due to pensioners, from pension and insurance schemes (contracts) that they contracted into, over very long periods.
• ZimPIRT expressed concern on the following:-
• Inappropriate Inquiry and recommendations of the Commission of
Inquiry;
• Appointment of IPEC as the implementing agent of post inquiry reforms.
• Apparent unwillingness on the part of IPEC to be transparent in pensions and insurance provision;
• IPEC being incompetent to compensate and regulate impartially; and
• IPEC being responsible for prejudicing pensioners.
IPEC’s Observations on Zimpirt’s Concerns
Inappropriate Inquiry and Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry
IPEC noted ZimPIRT’s allegations of unprofessionalism in the way in which the inquiry was conducted, which eventually led to the purported resignation of a former Commissioner. IPEC’s view is that the alleged unprofessional conduct should have been brought to the attention of the appointing authority, who is the President. IPEC further noted that the purported resignation of the former Commissioner took place after the report was presented to Government.
Appointment of IPEC as the implementing agent of post inquiry reforms.
IPEC noted the ZimPIRT’s objection to the recommendation of appointing IPEC as the implementing agent for post-inquiry reforms. IPEC is of the opinion that that its appointment was informed by the fact that the post-inquiry mandate is generally of a supervisory nature and in line with the organisation’s statutory functions which include insurance and pension legal reforms, supervisory reforms, governance and institutional reforms. The observed weaknesses on the part of IPEC should be addressed without taking away its implementing role. Apparent unwillingness on the part of IPEC to be transparent in pensions and insurance provision.
It is the view of IPEC that it is a regulatory and supervisory institution for the insurance and pensions industry. By virtue of being a public institution, it is subject to disclosure requirements in terms of the
Insurance and Pensions Commission Act [Chapter 24:21], the Insurance Act [Chapter 24:07], the Pensions and Provident Funds Act [Chapter
24:09], the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19] and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act [Chapter 10:31].
IPEC being incompetent to compensate and regulate impartially. IPEC submitted that it is not responsible for paying out benefits to policyholders and pension scheme members, and the issue of
“incompetent to compensate” is misplaced.
IPEC being responsible for prejudicing pensioners IPEC submitted that the report of the Commission of Inquiry attributed loss of value to the macroeconomic environment (43%), regulatory failure (21%) and the Insurance Companies and Pension
Funds (36%).
The report also attributed regulatory failure to outdated legislation, failure to enforce good corporate governance, failure to protect policy holders and pensioners as well as the failure to guide the sector on conversion of values from the ZW$ to the US$. It is therefore IPEC’s view that the regulatory weaknesses should be addressed as part of postinquiry reforms.
Submissions Received from Zimbabwe Association of Funeral
Assurers (ZAFA)
ZAFA comprises of the following members; Doves, Moonlight, Nyaradzo, First Funeral, Sunset, Vineyard, Foundation, Ruvimbo and
Passion Funeral Assurers.
ZAFA members duly took note of all the findings and recommendations made by the CoI, but however, raised some concerns with regard to some of the recommendations in the Commission’s report.
It was submitted that the hyperinflationary environment to a large extent was the cause of the loss of value and was no different to the act of God provisions in a funeral agreement, where by virtue of impossibility as a result of natural disaster, an assurer would not be able to assume liability to all insured. ZAFA members believe that the hyperinflation period phenomenon was beyond natural to the extent that the experience of hyperinflation must be considered as an unforeseen risk which may require impossibility of performing specific promises especially when the policy is not paid-up. The simple fact of termination by other assurers was that the agreement by both parties was eroded to the extent that there was no value in premium that could transcend to any reasonable investment or funeral service.
On paid up funeral policies, ZAFA pointed out that policyholders were not compelled to start afresh after dollarisation or were not subjected to unilateral alteration of promised benefits. It was submitted that all fully paid-up policies were still being honoured by ZAFA members. However, policy holders were given the options to upgrade their paid-up policies at conversion to allow policy holders to upgrade to new benefits which were not previously included such as bus for mourners and grocery cash pay-out. A commensurate premium was actuarially determined for all the policy upgrades.
We have a number of assertions from ZAFA but these will also appear in our Hansard. Submissions received from Life Offices Association of Zimbabwe comprises of the big players in the pension and insurance industry namely; First Mutual Life Assurance, Old Mutual
Life, ZB Life, Fidelity Life, ZIMNAT Life, Nyaradzo Life, CBZ Life,
Econet Life,. First Mutual Reinsurance (Life and Health) and Zep Reinsurance and Emeritus Reinsurance. The associations dispute some of the findings made by the Commissioner of Inquiry in particular that as the industry, they were responsible for 36% of the loss of value suffered by policy holders and pension fund members. LOAZ members are of the strong view that macro-economic environment as well as regulator’s failure was the key determinant factor for the loss of value experienced in the sector. It was heard that due to the hyper inflationary environment, most if not all companies failed to index contributions, premiums and benefits in line with inflation as it was proving to be difficult to keep pace with the rate of inflation which was more than doubling every hour. That is failure to index contributions, premiums and benefits to inflation was beyond the ability of the companies and that should be wholly attributed to the macroenvironment. They also attributed the product terminations and closures by policy holders, increased surrenders and lapses of policies by the policy holders as well as non-remittance of contribution by employers as caused by the astronomical inflation rates which dominated the macroeconomic environment.
The arbitrary conversion of insurance and pension values, poor record keeping, poor governance, poor risk management systems and poor accounting methods were cited as caused by regulatory failure by the Government and in particular, IPEC the regulator.
COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS
The Committee took note of the issues raised in the petition by Mr. Charles Mandizvidza Ganagana on the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry into the conversion of insurance and pension values for the Zimbabwean dollar to the United States Dollars. In line with that, the Committee has also noted with concern the lack of implementation of most of the findings raised in the
Commission of Inquiry’s report.
The Committee also sadly noted that the 2008 era is repeating itself and there is need to safeguard the contributions and premiums by policy holders and pensioners. The Committee observed that the investment that we made in US dollars after 2009 such as prescribed assets have been converted to the local currency RTGs and bond notes when the RBZ Governor made the policy pronouncement to separate the RTGs, FCA accounts and the nostro accounts resulting in the loss of values. The demonetisation process also impacted negatively on the insurance and pension industry and the premiums of policy holders. Thus, the Commission is concerned by the lack of guidance by the Government on how to address the issue of loss of value that was experienced due to the hyper inflationary era of 2009, the demonetisation process in 2015 and the recent separation of FCA accounts on 20th February to 2019.
The Committee observed that the Commission of Inquiry report attributed loss of value to the macro-economic environment which comprises 43%, regulatory failure 21% and the insurance and pension industry 36%. Madam Speaker, the Committee is disturbed by the position that was submitted by the representatives from the Insurance and Pension Industry, which equated the hyperinflationary period to a natural disaster or an act of God and such an assurer would not be able to assume liability to all insured.
The Committee also noted with concern the legislative gap in the Insurance and Pension Industry that has negatively impacted on the performance of IPEC and the industry as a whole. The Committee observed that IPEC was inadequately capacitated to perform its regulatory and supervisory functions effectively; apparently this has been overtaken by events since there has been a board which has been constituted. The Committed noted that the delays being experienced in relation to compensation by the insurance companies whilst Government gave IPEC the mandate to spearhead implementation of post inquiry reforms including compensation. Further policy guidance is required on the following:
• Scope of the legal instrument to compel compensation by insurers and private and public occupational schemes.
• Compensation of policy holders prejudiced as a result of collapsed insurance companies.
• Indexation model to convert insurance premium, pension contributions and liabilities into US$ or its equivalent.
During the deliberations, the Committee noted with concern that NSSA and medical aid schemes were still being supervised by line ministries instead of the regulator, IPEC. NSSA falls under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and Medical Aid schemes under the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. Thus, the current status quo is problematic given that the ministries do not have the capacity to supervise the operation of insurance and pension companies which are so technical but rather should provide guidance.
The Committee concurred with the findings by the Commission of Inquiry, which noted that some of the board members were conflicted and therefore, against the dictates of good corporate governance.
The Committee is disturbed by the legislative provision that bars insurance and pension companies from investing some of their investment portfolio offshore. The current legislation provides for limited investment options as follows; i.e 40% property, 20% unit trust, 20% equity and 20% cash. Thus, all these investment options collapsed in one way or another, save for property which remained even after hyperinflation although they are affected by the occupancy ratio which has not been to fully capacitate. After carefully deliberating on the evidence received, the Committee noted that one of the factors that contributed to the collapse of some of the insurance and pension funds were that they were not hedged against hyperinflation and that off shore investments were not allowed in line with best practice.
The Committee also observed that the predatory administrative and other expenses also contributed to the loss of value in the dollarisation period and eventually to the collapse of the pension and insurance sector. For example, it was submitted that total contributions and premiums received in the period 2009 to 2014 of life insurance companies and pension funds (including NSSA) amounted to US$3.67 billion, with administration and other expenses excluding benefit payments amounting to US$2.96 billion, translating to 81% of total contributions. The high expense ratios indicated above are more than 100 times bigger than that of jurisdictions such as the UK where all expenses are capped at 0.75%. Even the lowest expense ratio for standalone pension funds averaged 8% during the period 2009 to 2014.
Madam Speaker, in contravention of the provision of section 16 of the Pension and Provident Funds Act, all life insurance companies investigated failed to maintain separate and distinct funds of insurances and pension assets that were acquired during the investigation period of 1996 to 2014.
The Committee also observed that the failure to separate insurance and pension assets could have led to the use of pension assets in capitalizing the business of the insurance company for the benefit of shareholders. For example, the Commission of Inquiry report highlight that the reasons for the growth in Old Mutual’s shareholder assets at the expense of policy holder assets as well as the source of financing for such growth remained unexplained. Old Mutual policy holder owned 25% of the institution as at December 2014 against 75% for shareholders. Thus, the Committee concurs with the Commission’s findings that policy holder assets could have been transferred to shareholders of Old Mutual.
Committee’s recommendations Madam Speaker; the Committee is proposing that a holistic approach is adopted to support the implementation of the post inquiry reforms. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should take a leading role by ensuring that a post inquiry implementation plan with clear timelines and responsibilities of different stakeholders is developed by end of July 2019 which has just passed. The Committee is recommending that there be set in motion a compensation programme instituting appropriate accountability measures by end of 2019. It is being proposed by virtue of being a supervisor for the sector which enforces applicable laws and supervisory requirements. IPEC should provide guidance and ensure fairness of the process leading to compensation. The compensation process should recognise the different players in the industry and considered on a case by case-by-case basis. The Committee believes that if IPEC is fully capacitated, it can effectively spearhead the compensation process.
11.3. The Committee is also imploring the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to ensure that IPEC is adequately capacitated to effectively supervise and regulate the insurance and pension sector. The Minister should appoint the IPEC Board immediately to fill the critical posts by 31 December, 2019 of which he has done. The Committee is also urging the Minister to safeguard against conflicted board appointments at IPEC, in line with the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10:13).
11.4 With regards to compensation on the loss of value experienced by policyholders in the industry, the Committee is of the view that both the Government and the industry jointly seek a solution to the problem. The Government may meet the 64% of compensation and the industry meets 36% in line with the Commission of Inquiry Findings that the loss of values is attributed to the three main factors
(macroeconomic, regulatory failure and institutional). The Committee also welcomes the remarks by the Minister of Finance where he promised to ring fence the value of pension benefits and wish that the same could be extended to assurers. In some countries where such disasters were experienced, the Government played a significant role in the restitution process. However, there is need to nationally determine how this compensation process can be financed.
11.5 The Committee is imploring the government to amend some of the following laws under its ambit to address deficiencies identified by the Commission of Inquiry Report, namely Insurance and Pensions Commission Act [Chapter 24:21]; Pensions and Provident Funds Act
[Chapter 24:09]; the Insurance Act [Chapter 24:07]; National Social Security Act [Chapter 17:04]; State Service (Pensions) Act [Chapter 16:06]; and Medical Services Act [Chapter 15:13].
In view of that it is the Committee’s recommendation that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development urgently tables a comprehensive review of the Pension and Insurance Legislation. The review of the envisaged laws governing insurance, public and private occupational pension funds should facilitate the recommended reorganisation of the insurance and pension by end of 2019.
11.6 The Committee is of the view that NSSA and Medical Aid Schemes should be under the purview of IPEC to enhance transparency, accountability, protection of policy-holders and consolidation of insurance and pension business under one regulatory body. The
Committee recommends that the process of transferring NSSA and Medical Aid Schemes under the regulation of IPEC be achieved by midyear 2020.
11.7 The Committee is recommending that a certain percentage of investments portfolios for the Insurance Pension companies be set aside for off-shore investments as measures to protect the values of insurers and policyholders.
12.0 CONCLUSION
Hon. Speaker Sir, allow me to conclude. The petitioner and other members of the public and investigated institutions are highly expectant and anxious to hear the outcome of the Inquiry. There is, therefore, urgent need to implement its recommendations. Equally important is the need to provide feedback to the public on the findings of the
Commission so as to bring closure and fulfill expectations. The Commission viewed this as the responsibility of the appointing authority. If implemented, these recommendations will undoubtedly change the landscape of the Zimbabwe insurance and pension industry for the betterment of social protection in Zimbabwe. Moreover, this will set a good precedent to guard against loss of value to pension contributors in the event of another economic shock. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. NDUNA: I want to thank the Committee on Budget and
Finance. Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of retirement annuity is very important. It preserves value when somebody gets to be retired. The
Bible in Psalms 90:10, a man is appointed to live three score and ten. Three score is 60 and 10 is ten, therefore he is 70. If you live any longer than that, it gets to be 80. We are here as both members and the electorate out there to live out our lives to about 70 years.
Therefore at 70 years or after 55 we cease to be able to have the energy that we had and we then eat into our pensions. We eat into our retirement annuity. There are various ways of preserving these values, and that speaks to a local investment. It also speaks to off-shore shares, property, bonds and cash. I want to touch in particular on an observation by the Chair about the lack of investment permission by the Executive or by RBZ on the pension houses for them to be able to have some offshore investment on the retirement annuity.
It is my humble submission and it is my fervent hope and view that there be allowable investment off-shore of pension houses to the tune of 20% without any permission from the Executive or from the RBZ. Arising from this report, it is my hope that that permission given from this Report, aware that the Minister is supposed to come into this House and respond to this report within the timeframe of 21 days. It is my hope that at the close of 21 days, there will be authority granted to pension houses going forward to invest off-shore, 20% without even going through the regulating authorities. However, there can be more allotted to these pension houses in terms of investment. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is quite an assortment of companies in a variety of industries’ offsshore and local that the pension houses can invest the retirement annuity. It is sad reading that the issue of pension monies is embroiled or mixed up in the devaluation of our local currency or the US dollar. Aware that at inception or when we remit our pension funds, I was in Government for much more than ten years – it is my hope that at retirement I should be able to eat into the retirement annuity or savings because the retirement package’s value is preserved in property in particular and in other ways and means in general.
Therefore the issue of devaluation of the retirement annuity at this point does not arise. I am alive to the time when we used to make our contributions to Old Mutual in terms of policies. We received our contributions after our local currency lost its value from 1997 to 1999 – our Zimbabwean dollar lost quite some considerable value. At that time and point, I am sure that Old Mutual saw it fit to now give remittance back as reimbursement to the policy holders.
I saw that there was quite some value in the monies that we received from Old Mutual. Howbeit going forward, when our dollar devalued, we did not see any value arising and being given to the pensioners. This is the reason of this petition that has been handed over to the Chair of the Budget Committee because there is devaluation of the value of the pensioners’ funds. That having been said, the issue of the pensioners funds need to be preserved and it is preserved by the buildings and properties. The issue of devaluation certainly does not arise.
During the time I chaired your Committee on Transport and Infrastructural development where we proposed that there be some egovernance in terms of remittances and contributions as it relates to pension and insurance funds so that there can be a track record and trail of accountability if there is some e-governance in that sector. Having preserved the value and remittances through e-governance, it is now seen that there is quite a defined way and path as it relates to the direction that the pension and insurance funds are going.
When this route has been preserved, it is now incumbent upon the pension houses to make sure that when there is no claim for insurance for argument’s sake on third party or full cover on property insurance – there should be reimbursement to the electorate or the person who is remitting those funds at the close of each year. I say this so that the amount of money that is now being reimbursed to the one that is remitting should not only be the amount that has been paid for insurance but it should be the amount paid for insurance plus interest because that money would have been taken to preserve its value and it would have been invested in either shares, property both offshore and local in bonds or hard currency which is the US dollar which has value or in gold.
It is only prudent that we have fund managers who know what they are doing in the insurance sector because their mandate is very simple – it is to preserve the value of the person who is going to be aged in a not so distant future and who is not going to be able to work at 70, 75 or 80. *No matter what we do, there is a time that the heart would be willing but the flesh will resist. That is the time where we are supposed to get our pension funds.
As I conclude, the people of Chegutu West who have sent me to come to this House have also said that the issue of medical aid that the Chairperson has recommended that it be a preserve of IPEC and the pension houses – that is very prudent so that it is housed under one particular department. Further to that, I also say there needs to be expeditious establishment an Accident Victims Compensation Fund. That is also going to be housed under the pension fund. I say this because already 5% of the insurance funds that are coming from the automobile are already housed under the IPEC, because whoever is getting those remittances are the insurance and pension houses.
Further to what the Chairperson has proposed in his report, I also give this suggestion that fund which we call the Accident Victims Stabilisation Fund be houses under Ipack and the pension funds. I also say and make a clarion call that all the funds of the pensioners and insurance funds do and should not have their value depleted. As we speak, our local dollar has devalued but the property sector has appreciated.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon.
Member, may I remind you that you just have five minutes to go.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The appreciation of the property sector in which our pensions are housed that property has appreciated hence the devaluation of the pension funds should never be tolerated and also that any pension funds reimbursements and payments should be applied in retrospect with a value that it used to have – that is one as to one to our current dollar. If it so happens and pleases the Executive, the pension funds should be remitted on the day of payment they should take the value of the US dollar versus our local currency at the bank rate.
I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to completely ventilate on the issue of the pension funds and I make that clarion call that they now be paid off to our pensioners. If it is going to be RTGS 50, it should be US$ 50 – one is to one versus the US dollar at the bank rate on the day of payment. Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank you. The people of Chegutu West Constituency also want to thank you.
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I will be very brief. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank Hon. Mhona and his Committee for a job well done. This is a very important topic which affects the livelihood of our people. These people are no longer the normal people like you and me. These are people who, as Hon. Nduna has said, are above 70 years old and they are not as fit as they were before and, need our total support – [AN HON. MEMBER: He is a leaner.]- I am not a learner.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, who has said
that he is a learner. May you withdraw that?
HON CHIKOMBA. Unfortunately I was not expecting amateurisms but I withdraw the statement.
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, this is very sensitive.
With all due respect, I think there has been foul play here. The
insurance companies have played a very dirty game. If you look at the hyperinflation, the insurance company actually grew by US$100 million in terms of property. That money has not been shared by the people who contributed to purchase those properties. That money was enjoyed by the big insurance companies whose executives keep on driving their Mercedes Benz and living in their Borrowdale houses yet people are wallowing in abject poverty in Chendambuya and Dotito.
Going forward, for the insurance companies to cleanse the blood in their hands should…
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir. I think in sign language doing this means something that we should not allow the Member of Parliament to do –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - It means something in our culture.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Okay, point of order over ruled. May you continue Hon. Member?
HON. P. CHIDAKWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. Let us concentrate on more important things here. I think we have got a topic here which is affecting the livelihoods of people including people who voted for him. It is a pity if he takes this lightly.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, may you
address your Chair.
HON. P. CHIDHAKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, without any delay, the insurance industry must implement the Justice Smith’s recommendations. They should pay the money to the pensioners and to equate hyperinflation to a national disaster, it is criminal. They have made money, they created the value and they were responsible for 50% of what happened. At least they should pay 50% of what is liable to their actions.
There is no point. You have Westgate and Eastgate which were built by pensioners money yet the pensioners are wallowing in abject poverty. The insurance companies have got blood on their hands and they should have a conscience or be forced to pay to the pensioners what they contributed. The pensioners are at our mercy. It is our duty as able - bodied people to make sure that they are protected. If we do not do
that especially here in Parliament, we also have got blood on our hands because it is our job to make sure that we push and make sure that the pensioners go forward and make sure they get what they deserve.
In any case, they are not a charity case. They contributed for this money because they were able bodied and the insurance companies should show good faith and pay. So on this one, Members of
Parliament, I urge you we must all unite on this cause to make sure that our pensioners who can no longer, with the NSSA payments, afford to pay tollgate fees to and from Harare. So with all due respect, it is our duty to make sure that these people get compensated.
Coming to NSSA, NSSA should fall under IPEC. Some of the problems which we are facing with NSSA right now, we would not be facing them if there was proper monitoring and evaluation of their products. So I fully agree with the Committee that NSSA and insurance companies should fall under IPEC.
Finally, Mr. Speaker Sir, thank you very much Hon. Mhona for a job well done. We have got a job to do. The nation is expecting that we could hit another brick wall going forward because of the devolution which has happened. We must not set a precedence. The insurance companies must pay back the money to the insurers. Thank you very much.
HON. ZHEMU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also rise to add my voice on the report that was presented by the Chairman of Finance and Economic Development Committee. Let me start by commending the work that was done by the Committee.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also note from the report that there are some inconsistencies that were obtained- inconsistencies in terms of information which was reported by IPEC which is the regulator and that which was held by the industry. Those were some of the observations that were read from the report. Also there was no proper enforcement of regulations by the regulator, especially in terms of remittances of contributions. I think that was also noted from the report that IPEC did not enforce the requirement for the industry to remit the money or contributions that were made by the pensioners themselves.
Also, IPEC did not provide a guiding framework especially during that time when there were some of conventions converting from the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar. Also IPEC allowed too much administration costs to be incurred and they did not also regulate on that one. There was also failure by IPEC to regulate on the separation of assets because separate assets that are held by policy holders were supposed to be separated from the assets of the shareholders.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also note from the report that was presented, that whilst there was a mention of supervening impossibility or the act of God, there was also assets that survived inflation. Those assets were taken to belong to the shareholders and not to the policy holders. I think that correction has to be made. Of course, it is understood that there was inflation but there are some assets that actually survived the inflationary environment.
I also take the recommendations that were made by the Committee to say, there was incapacitation of IPEC which the Chairperson of the Committee now said that has since been rectified because of the appointment of the new IPEC Board. There is also a recommendation that there is need to implement what was recommended by the Commission of Inquiry. I think that has taken too long because people are actually living in poverty, especially the pensioners. They have not been compensated. They made those contributions but up to now, they are actually living in dire poverty because of failure by IPEC to facilitate the compensation.
I would like to also add my voice that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development takes this seriously to facilitate the compensation, now that there is a substantive IPEC Board. Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to concur with the Committee that NSSA be transferred to fall under IPEC because we cannot have all these organisations or institutions like NSSA to be falling under the Ministry of Public Service. I think it will be proper that all institutions like NSSA fall under IPEC. I submit that Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MHONA: Hon. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 5th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON.
MUTSEYAMI, the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 3rd September, 2019
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
ERROR ON THE ORDER PAPER
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, I want to draw the attention of the
House to an error on the Order Paper. Page 2017, Questions for Oral Answers should read Wednesday, 4th September, 2019 and not Thursday 5th September.
SUBMISSIONS OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
STANDING RULES AND ORDERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: Following that on 1st August, 2019, the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders had circulated proposed amendments to the Standing Orders through the Members pigeonholes, it has been brought to our attention that this has not been done. The Standing Orders have since been circulated and the Hon. Members are kindly requested to make their submissions which should be deposited in
Counsel to Parliament’s Office by end of business on Thursday, 19th September, 2019 or to the e-mail address as follows; clerk@parlzim.gov.zw.
LACK OF DEBATE ON MOTIONS
THE HON. SPEAKER: There are about 35 Motions that have not been debated and we are coming towards the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament. Now, this lack of debate on your motions can either mean that we have not created time for them to be debated or we were not serious when we tabled those motions. In terms of the Standing Orders, these motions may lapse and we may start to reintroduce them again. May I encourage Hon. Members especially the movers of motions to ensure that their motions are debated accordingly because they speak to very important national policies.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I totally agree in terms of the motions, for me in particular having to go through the two Chief Whips from the two parties. I feel very disadvantaged. I put my motion sometime ago and it becomes very difficult to actually negotiate with them so that I can debate on my motion. So, with your indulgence, I think it is important for you to talk to the Chief Whips. Being an Independent, you do not have a Chief Whip at all. I have no choice but to come to you. Mine is constantly ignored and it is about Section 129 (k) on my motion that I want removed which is not comfortable with the ruling and opposition parties because it is something that does talk about them.
So, I do not know how best I can be able to make sure that it is debated. Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga is the seconder of the motion. She is always here but we find it difficult to move it so that we can debate on it. So, Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is a matter that I think you can talk to the Chief Whips about so that they can accommodate a motion which people are ready to debate on.
Finally, with the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, I think it is important for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to issue a statement on how safe the Zimbabweans are. There is now a State of Emergency and we are as a nation supposed to look out for our people there and with immediate effect, that a Ministerial Statement is issued on safety of our nationals. We certainly do not subscribe to any xenophobic attack, at the same time our people must be protected from such. It is the responsibility of this Government to ensure that our people are protected in any country where such is happening. Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Government Chief Whip has agreed
that you will be facilitated. If you talk to the Clerk, we can push that motion upwards so that it is debated but you raise this issue towards the end of the Session. I hope it will see some light at the end of the day.
On the issue of xenophobia, we will ensure that the Leader of
Government Business, Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi and we request the
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to make a statement about the safety of our Zimbabwean citizens in the diaspora particularly in South Africa where there has been some attacks against the foreigners there.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Zimbabwe is a member state to the
African Union and as such, it is a signatory to the African Charter on
Human and People’s Rights which was approved in June of 1981 and came into effect on 21 October 1986. The charter is presided over by a
Commission known as the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights which was set up on the 2nd of November 1987.
I understand that my colleague, Hon. T. Mliswa has raised an issue which you have concurred with but I rise to also add my voice on the issue of our inertia to promptly put our voices together with other African States like Zambia, Nigeria, DRC and Mozambique when our nationals have been affected by xenophobic attacks in the Republic of
South Africa. I am now limited by the fact that you have concurred with
Hon. T. Mliswa that yes indeed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade must issue a statement.
It is my belief that as a matter of principle, that whereas Zimbabwe subscribes to an International Human Rights Instrument that is intended to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms; Whereas in Article 29 it provides for the duties, I will present only the two of them and these are the last ones; to preserve and strengthen positive African cultural values and in general, contribute to the promotion of moral well being of society and most importantly, to contribute to the best of one’s ability to the promotion and achievement of African Unity that our Foreign Affairs Ministry emphasises these duties which are conferred upon the Republic of South Africa to protect all the citizens of all the other nationals in their country.
I would be glad if the Minister of Foreign Affairs comes to Parliament so that Hon. Members are afforded time to debate a motion on public importance and air views for us to be able to alert our South African brothers whom we fought with during the apartheid era and they benefited much to the contribution where we actually accommodated their freedom fighters as they were fighting the apartheid regime. It is sad to note that they are managing to come to an extent of killing their own African brothers.
Some senior politicians in South Africa have actually called for disbarment of borders because it is within the spirit of ubuntu and Africanism that we must not be confined within the geographic locations as borne about by the border locations. Therefore, I will not belabour you that much seeing that you have concurred that the Minister of Foreign Affairs must indeed offer a Ministerial Statement but moreso, he must come to Parliament to afford us time that we can feed into the statements which are going to be relayed to the South African government.
HON. PETER MOYO: I stand up to share with you my grief with the manner in which our football has been run in this country. It is so embarrassing that we can sit here and not take action against the current administration at ZIFA. I think you are aware that our country was embarrassed in Egypt where all sorts of things were happening.
You talk of corruption, these small chicks and so on – you now come back home and go to the Olympics. Our friends from Zambia come here at the National Sports Stadium and there is nobody there – not even a single person from ZIFA to tell them that we have cancelled the match.
I request your good office to make a ruling today that the Auditor- General audits as a matter of urgency, all funds which have been given to ZIFA because it is tax payers’ money. We want a forensic audit from the day ZIFA was elected to date. I also request that the Minister of Sport should dissolve ZIFA as a matter of urgency and our football –
[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – and also – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Can you wind up?
HON. PETER MOYO: Therefore Mr. Speaker Sir, I would request you to instruct the Minister of Sport to come and give a Ministerial Statement tomorrow. I know she is tied up somewhere but for this matter, it is very urgent. She might tell us that we are going to be banned by FIFA or CAF but we have already been banned by not participating in a scheduled match at the National Sports Stadium.
I know that you are a very diligent pata familiaris, you are going to give us direction from this House – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Chinotimba cool down – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order. I do not know how many chicks you counted Hon. Moyo that went to Egypt– [Laughter.] – I hope they were real chicks from the fowls.
That aside, having studied the FIFA rules as former Chairman of the Sports Commission sometime back. It will be difficult to have the Minister to interfere in the affairs of ZIFA. What is required is perhaps the Hon. Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation engaging FIFA to do their due diligence in terms of what has transpired and what transpired in the Tournament in Egypt.
As to the forensic audit, I shall discuss the matter with the Auditor General and see how best she can handle that. As you rightly said, taxpayer’s money was utilised and therefore it is essential that it should be accounted for – [HON. SIKHALA: It was looted.] - Lawyers do not come to conclusions before they have sought evidence. Just ignore that small heckling.
HON. PETER MOYO: On a point of clarity Mr. Speaker Sir. I had said also we need a Ministerial Statement pertaining to that. On the issue of FIFA that you are talking about, I know we are going to be sanctioned but we have already been sanctioned by not participating. Therefore it is good, Mr. Speaker Sir, that we disband and correct our thing. We cannot put out country on the wrong platforms every time. Wherever we go – Somalia or wherever we are going, our country is always tainted by bad things. It is totally unacceptable. It is better for us to be banned and start correcting things and putting our train on the rail. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I do not want to make a ruling on that aspect before we have studied very carefully the FIFA statutes in terms of whether the Minister can go as far as giving a Ministerial Statement about what happened, but what I am comfortable about is FIFA can be engaged and do due diligence in terms of the operations of ZIFA. We will pursue the matter accordingly.
*HON. TOGAREPI: I rise on a point of privilege. We know that we have different political parties in this country. The previous week during a rally there was a political party which said it might start a war in our country – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - After saying that I observed from the pictures in the media that some Members of Parliament who are present in this House today were showing their support that there should be war in Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! In terms of Section 119 of the Constitution, we have to defend the Constitution and one of the fundamental areas of defence is Chapter 4 – protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. Now, if an Hon. Member is speaking and you do not agree, let that Hon. Member exercise their freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order! Once the Hon. Member has spoken, then anyone else is free to respond. That is the procedure. So I do not want any interruption when another Member is speaking. Thank you.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, Hon. Members are people who make laws and represent the people. We should know that if there is war in our country, those people that we represent are the ones who are going to suffer as a result of that war. I plead that Members of
Parliament should say no to war in our country – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: The utterances that are made at political rallies - and I hear the Hon. Members concern in terms of national security and the appeal to Hon. Members that we should not encourage hate speech that creates possibilities of disharmony, insecurity among the people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Order! It is our responsibility therefore and where such issues do arise, the police should intervene and take appropriate action accordingly
HON. SIKHALA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise also to protect the rights of citizens for them to disseminate information on what they think over political issues in our country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it has been raised in this House that there is a political party which has agitated for a war which in actual fact is false, misleading and malicious – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Mr. Speaker Sir, we also urge political parties in this House not to institute disciplinary hearings on Members who would have suggested engagement among political players in this country. Members of Parliament are being harassed for their own opinion by the same previous Speaker’s presence after he suggested the engagement of
President Nelson Chamisa and President Emmerson Mnangagwa – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – So, we urge those political parties not to harass individuals for giving a suggestion on how the country should move forward.
Secondly, Mr. Speaker Sir, we urge the senior leaders in our country like Hon. Matemadanda who threatened to extinguish people from the opposition in this country, that his language is also inflammatory – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – when the law is being applied. I refer you Mr. Speaker Sir to Section 56 of our Constitution which provides that every citizen in this country must be protected by the law equally. We do not want the law to discriminate against members of the other political party whilst others enjoy the privilege of inflaming violence in our country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Hon. Matemadanda recently said that he is prepared to unleash soldiers – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – He has threatened to unleash a gukurahundi on opposition members. He has threatened to unleash the army against civilians in our country and that cannot go unnoticed Mr. Speaker Sir. I am waiting for your ruling.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You did not listen to my ruling. I said when such utterances are made, the police should take appropriate action, that is number one. Secondly, Hon. Togarepi never mentioned a single political party – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Order – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order. The bottom line is that when such utterances are made, it is not for this House to come up with arresting powers, the arresting powers rest with the police for law and order. Therefore, I cannot allow further debate on that. What Hon.
Sikhala said is just like what the Shona idiom says:
‘Chirimumusakasaka chinozvinzwira’ – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. I move that Order Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the orders are disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
MONEY LAUNDERING AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME
AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 4, 2019]
Second order read: Second Reading: Money Laundering and
Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill [H. B. 4, 2019].
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. It is a great honour to present to you the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill, 2019. This Bill will amend the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act [Chapter 9:24]. The background to these amendments is that they were initially effected under the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures)
(Amendment of the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act) Regulations 2018, published in Statutory Instrument 246 of 2018 on the 9th of November, 2018.
According to the provisions of Section 6 of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act [Chapter 10:20], the regulations expired on the 181st day, following the day of commencement of the regulations which was on 9th May, 2019. As such, it is expedient to enact an
Amendment Bill re-enacting the affected provisions.
The amendment will further strengthen the provisions in the law to combat corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing and ensure that members of the law enforcement are effective in carrying out their mandate.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to discuss the individual clauses of the
Bill.
Clause 1 sets out the Bill’s short title, which is the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Clause 2 has a provision which gives powers to ZACC, ZIMRA and ZRP to elicit explanations from persons who exhibit great wealth without having any apparent lawful means of obtaining such wealth. This is so as to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, tax evasion and corruption.
A new part will be inserted in the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act providing for unexplained wealth orders issued by the High Court at the instance of ZACC, ZIMRA or ZRP. These orders will require the addressee to explain his/her wealth and provide supporting documentation for the wealth. Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the Bill be read a second time. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Before I put the question, Hon. Minister, the Committee responsible has not yet completed its report. So I suggest you move for the adjournment of the debate.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th August, 2019.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move that
Orders of the Day, Numbers 4 and 5 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of Day, Number 6 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
FIRST REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING ON
GWANDA RESIDENTS’ PETITION ON VIOLATION OF RIGHTS
TO HUMAN DIGNITY, WATER AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
HON. CHIKUKWA: I move the motion standing in my name that
his House takes note of the Report of the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on Gwanda Residents’ Petition on violation of rights to human dignity, water and clean environment.
HON. MARKHAM: I second.
HON. CHIKUKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for affording me the opportunity to move my motion on the First Report of the
Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National
Housing on Gwanda Residents’ Petition on violation of rights to human dignity, water and clean environment. According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 119 it is the mandate of Parliament to protect the
Constitution and promote democratic governance in Zimbabwe. It is also
Parliament which has the power to ensure that provisions of the Constitution are upheld and that the State and all its institutions and agencies of Government at every level act constitutionally and in the national interest.
According to Section 149 of the Constitution every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority including the enactment and amendment or repeal of legislation. Section 149 of the Constitution and Standing Rules and Orders 186 and Appendix D, Petitions and Procedures allows citizens and permanent residents of Zimbabwe to petition Parliament on any matter within its jurisdiction.
The Committee received a petition on 1st November 2018 from the
Women’s Institute for Leadership Development, Gwanda Residents Association and Ward 5 residents. The petition urged Parliament to exercise its oversight role by ensuring that the Municipality of Gwanda and its parent ministry provides adequate service delivery in terms of water, sanitation and road networks to Spitzkopp residential area which is in Ward 5 in Gwanda.
The petitioner’s grievance was lack of access to water and sewer lines to Ward 5 in Gwanda thereby exposing residents to a health hazard situation. They cited Section 73 of the Constitution that states that every person has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well being. Section 77 (a) states that every person has the right to safe, clean and potable water. The petitioners raised concern that Gwanda Municipality has failed to provide basic amenities such as access to clean potable water and sewer reticulation facilities. The petitioners stated that the Gwanda Council has allowed beneficiaries to build and occupy houses in the absence of a functional sewer system and residents have resorted to erection of pit toilets and wells.
The Committee invited Gwanda Municipality officials to a meeting to discuss the issue which was raised by the petitioners on 18th December 2018. The Committee received oral evidence from the Mayor
Councill J. Mazhale, Town Clerk, Ms P. Nkala, Town Engineer Mr. P
Ndebele and Town Planner Mr. Mutiwani. The Committee then visited Gwanda Municipality from 11 – 12 February 2019 and held a meeting with the petitioners and residents of Ward 5, councilors and officials of Gwanda Municipality to discuss the issues raised in the petition. The tour of Spitzkopp which is in Ward 5 was conducted.
Findings
Oral Evidence with Gwanda Municipality
The Mayor of Gwanda Municipality, Councillor J. Mazhale informed the Committee that the town acknowledged the petition regarding the violation of rights to human dignity to clean water and a clean environment. The Town Planner, Mr Mutiwani explained that 333 stands were awarded to beneficiaries in Spitzkopp North high density residential area in 2007. The beneficiaries were charged land value and survey fees only. During the allocation of stands the beneficiaries were advised site serving fees would be levied at cost recovery basis. The council allowed beneficiaries to build houses while waiting for servicing of the area and approximately 65 to 70% of the 333 stands were constructed and occupied while sewer and water provision had not been provided.
The Committee learned from Gwanda Municipality Town Planer that more than 50% of Spitzkopp stands were at a higher altitude of 73m resulting in challenges of supplying water to the residential area as water cannot flow upwards. Faced with that challenge Gwanda Municipality through the Government received Public Sector Investment Periodic funding amounting to $2 434 571.89 to built a 12 mega litre reservoir. The reservoir project was at 98% completion at the time of the
Committee’s visit to Gwanda Municipality. An amount of US$100 000 is needed for testing of the reservoir, fencing and construction of a road leading to the reservoir. The project is expected to be completed by end of June 2019 to supply water to Spitzkopp and other areas in Gwanda.
Ms. Nkala, the Town Clerk explained that the stands were allocated during the hyper inflation period 2007-2009 and the revenue collected from the beneficiaries was eroded. The decision was made that beneficiaries would pay for services once the situation had stabilised. The Committee was informed by Gwanda officials that some of the beneficiaries were refusing to pay service fees arguing that they had already paid. The contracts that were signed between the beneficiaries and council however indicated that the beneficiaries did not pay service fees. The Committee is of the view that there was not proper engagement between the council and residents of Ward 5 in terms of explaining the challenges the council was facing in servicing the area and the contents of the agreement.
Although Gwanda Municipality acknowledged that Spitzkopp
residents have a right to complain because it is not an ideal situation to stay in houses without water and sewer reticulation. There is no tangible solution to water and sewer lines. The Committee is not satisfied that the Council tried to correct the situation by construction a public toilet and installed community pipes to provide water. Gwanda Council claimed that they supplied water twice a day but this was disputed by the residents who stated that there was no regularity regarding the supply of water.
Our Oral Evidence from Petitioners
Residents expressed their displeasure with the way Gwanda Council was treating them as far as service was concerned. They complained that the local authority allocated them stands which were not serviced and residents were given a go ahead to build houses. Nice houses were built and people occupied their homes but for more than 10 years, they lived without water and sewer services. The area has no roads and residence park their vehicles at car parks which are far from their houses. Residents queried why the local authority has sold stands which were not serviced and why the Ministry of Local Government had allowed that to happen. The Committee was disturbed to learn that the residents had resorted to using the bush and plastic bags to relieve themselves. This situation is not ideal for human habitation and the Committee opined that the Gwanda Municipality neglected its responsibility and co-business for providing basic service delivery.
Residents also raised concern that the local authority did not engage them concerning the plans in place to provide sewer and roads in the area. The residents of Ward 5 stated that they resorted to petition Parliament because nothing was being done by the council towards improving their situation. Some residents indicated that they were willing to pay service fees as long as the funds were used for the purpose of service delivery and that council should play its role. The Town Clerk explained that the delay in providing water and sewer systems was caused by lack of funding. It was pointed out that the construction of the reservoir which was stated in 2011, took time to complete because of lack of funding from Central Government.
The Town Clerk gave an undertaking to the Committee that the reservoir would be completed three months after getting the resources from Central Government. An additional amount of 346 thousand was needed to complete the construction of the water and sewer systems, roads and offsite infrastructure. The Committee urged the council and residents to work together and come up with a solution on how best the area can be serviced. The Committee suggested that a Committee be set up comprising council and residents of the affected area.
The Gwanda Municipality Project Committee would then come up
with plans to raise funds for service and timeframe to do the service. Residents were urged to contribute towards servicing of their stands by paying their rates and the council was urged to play its part.
Committee’s Observations
The Committee noted with concern that Gwanda Municipality was reluctant to come up with a lasting solution to provide social amenities to Ward 5. The stands were sold in 2007 and 12 years later no service has been effected yet council gave residents permission to construct houses. The Committee also observed that local authorities are now allocating stands which are not serviced and this has resulted in the mushrooming of resettlements which can best be described as illegal when in actual fact people would have paid their hard earned money for the stands.
There is need for Government to monitor local authorities so that only serviced stands are sold to home seekers. The Committee noted the need for Government to intervene in situations such as the one in Ward 5 by providing PSIP for the purposes of providing service to residents to avoid outbreaks of diseases such as cholera. There is need for consultations between Gwanda Municipality and ZINWA regarding the provision of water to renew residential areas to avoid a situation where on allocating stands, it is noted that ZINWA cannot supply water.
Currently, ZINWA is in charge of supplying raw water to Gwanda Municipality. Gwanda Municipality has no control over the supply of raw water to its reservoirs and relies on ZINWA.
The Committee noted that such a situation might cause problems as witnessed at the Spitzkopp project. The Committee felt that control of water should be handed over to Gwanda Municipality to enable proper planning of new settlements. The Committee noted that council’s engagement with beneficiaries was not sincere. The Committee was of the view that residents’ complaints were genuine and they have a case.
The council has to engage residents and offer both short and long term solutions to the problems of water, sewer and roads infrastructure to the residents of Ward 5.
Committee’s Recommendations.
The Committee therefore, recommends that:
- The newly established Gwanda Municipality Project Committee should submit progress reports and minutes of proceedings whenever a meeting has been held to the Portfolio
Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on a quarterly basis.
- Gwanda Municipality must come up with a lasting solution to provide social amenities to Ward 5 by 30 December 2019.
- Government should intervene by providing PSIP for the purposes of providing service to residents to avoid outbreak of diseases such as cholera by 31st December 2019.
- Council has to engage the residents and offer both short and long term solutions to be problem of water, sewer and roads infrastructure to the residents of Ward 5 by 30th August, 2019.
We hope they have done that.
- There should be consultations between Gwanda Municipality and ZINWA regarding provision of water to new residential areas to avoid a situation where after allocating stands, it is noted that ZINWA cannot supply water by 31st December, 2019. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Madam Speaker Maam. In the
interest of time, I would like to just highlight the problems because the report on Gwanda is very important. The issues brought up there cover virtually every council in this country that is urban and rural. I just want to talk genuinely and in the interest of time, what the Chairman has reported has been very detailed and comprehensive. The first issue I have with the whole report is the issue of communication between the actors and actions within councils. We have an issue here where the residents have the problem with the council. We have an issue here where management is not necessarily coordinating either with the residents or with the council. We have an issue here where the council has a problem with Government in following up and responding with the national Government. These issues are common throughout the whole of Zimbabwe and are holding all developments in all our councils.
In Gwanda, this is clear for everyone to see. The complication comes where we have a centralised issue like ZINWA. When ZINWA is controlling the water which is a human right everyone plays the blame game; it is the council’s fault, it is the water authority’s fault, it is the residents’ fault. Communication is a major issue which has to be highlighted in this report.
The second general issue I would like to cover is the issue of the background of this problem. The problems always start with one thing which is money. This all happened in 2007 when we were going into a hyperinflation situation where all councils were running out of money to the extent that they could not pay the employees. So, what council does is that they find the quick way out and sell stands. Now, the first issue that we will do when we run against an issue where we have got no money, what people do Madam Speaker is, they find the easiest way out and the easiest way out is to break the rules. So we break the rules and we sell unserviced stands.
In the case of Gwanda, this is highlighted. Stands were sold to people, a lot from the diaspora, a lot of locals with all the money that they got they spend on buying the stands The residents believed that they bought a serviced stand; the council says it is unserviced, so we have to break the rules. You cannot sell a stand that has no infrastructure. You cannot build a house where the fundamental human right of water is not there. This is very clear in Gwanda. People have committed their money and so become bitter when toasted. We have a major issue between local Government and Government. We have a major issue between the Council and the residents.
The sad issue which I would like to bring in is the third point which is ZINWA. We have a problem with ZINWA. ZINWA is an authority for all water. In this case ZINWA controls the water board. There is no one other than ZINWA who knows what the off take of those dams can be. The Council is likely to account for ZINWA’s fault. It is very easy for ZINWA to say council has not paid us. Again we run to the same issue which is money. This comes on the back of the economy that is financially unstable.
In 2007 and 2009, when this all started, we had runaway inflation. So, everyone wanted to spend his or her money as quickly as they could and buy things. So, they bought stands. Council wanted to pay the workers so, they took the money but nothing is clear there. There is nothing clear on paper and this becomes very clear in the report that we have just done.
We get to any issue of who is accountable. No one is accountable because everyone can blame each other saying the case of Gwanda, this is happening on and on. National Government and the public sector provision which is very good but because of the financial and economic status of the country, you get a half built operation. The tank is on the hill but there is no power to supply the water there for eight or ten years.
The money is partly distributed but it is not complete.
We now have a situation where there is a tank, you have your water but it is not being distributed to the residents. The residents have already spent all their money buying stands and building their houses. Despite what we think in this House, every constituency has the same problem of unfinished Government funded businesses because of the runaway inflation. It is time for us to look at bringing this to order and finishing what we started rather than starting more new projects. Let us just finish what we have got because we will not have rescinded the problem. We have what is commonly termed as flying bullets. The knock on an environment, the possibility of typhoid and cholera is across the nation on these satellite development areas which must be brought into regulation. I know the Minister of Local Government has mentioned that they are doing that but it cannot be quick enough.
I would just like to bring the last point which is what we have been talking about which is very simple. Instead of waiting for a problem to arise and then run away from a problem for 20 years, you must be proactive. That is why it is called town planning. You plan before you do it. We are doing it, then we regularise it and say zvapera ipapo, we must plan first so that we know where we are coming from and where we are going. There are not many people in this town that will start walking in a direction that they do not know where they are going. That is what we are doing.
Madam Speaker, all I am asking in the case of Gwanda Report which I believe was thoroughly done is not the only council with that problem. Let us finish what we do and do it properly. Let us plan too before distributions to the residents. The biggest issue the local government has, is the bending of the regulations that are there. They have not been there for ten years; they have been there for twenty years.
We are bending the regulations due to the financial problems we have.
We have to be realistic and all these issues stand from one thing, money!
Madam Speaker, I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow me to just add my voice on the report by the Committee on Local Government. May I first begin by thanking the Committee for responding to the petition by citizens? I think it is quite encouraging that we as Parliament are found to be responsive and within our representative role to respond to such petitions which go at the core of fundamental rights within our citizens. As I looked at the report, I discovered that it breaches seven rights of our Constitution.
It breaches Section 29 which is about health services, Section 28 which covers shelter, Section 77 (a) the right to food and water, Section 80, the rights of women and Section 81 (i) part 3, under the rights of children. Section 82 (a) is about the rights of the elderly and Section 83 (b) under the rights of people living with disabilities. Madam Speaker, it is sad that if we are to realise that Zimbabwe has a three tier governance system and local governance plays a very important role as it is at the core of the people and within the people.
Under Section 29 of the Constitution, it is mandated that the State must provide health services to all its citizens. Under the report presented by the Chair, it has been seen that residents of Ward 5 are failing to access basic health services since residence were built but basic health service structures where not put in place. Over and above that, sewer is not reticulating to the extent that people are using rudimental facilities including buckets and plastics therefore exposing the residents to health diseases.
Under Section 28, it is regarded that whilst stands where sold at the acknowledgement of City Council, there was no town planning which had happened. Therefore the residents stands were sold, shelters were built in a haphazard manner. This therefore invited other illegal settlements to establish where there are supposed to be formal settlements. This goes to the core of urban planning and equally so to the rights of shelter which must be provided for by the State in this case in point.
Under Section 77 (a), it is mandatory that the State must provide clean water to its citizens. The report also states that the residents of Ward 5 in Gwanda are not being accessed with clean water. Under Section 80, it is common cause that where a home is being built, the women mostly reside there as they take care of the children and the home itself whilst the men are fending for the family. Therefore to put up illegal structures some which are not fit for human habitation, is a violation of women rights who according to the Constitution deserve decent shelter.
Under Section 81 (i) part 3, it is stated that children must be given decent accommodation, therefore, according to the report, no decent accommodation is being provided. The same is echoed under Section 82
(a) and 83 (b) of the Constitution with regards to disabilities. Madam Speaker, where we fail to provide planned accommodation, people living with disabilities are affected most because we would not have put in place the process of accommodating these disadvantaged members of our society.
Madam Speaker, I will go over to my second point which is the relationship between local councils and ZINWA. It is sad Madam
Speaker, and I have raised this issue before that the Chairperson of Cabinet is the President. The Minister responsible for local governance and the Minister responsible for the parastatals which is ZINWA both sit in Cabinet being chaired by the President. It is sad that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. It therefore goes to the core of the principle to say is this Government functional. How can a local Council provides stands, allow people to build shelter but then ZINWA come up and say we cannot provide water to those residents. Are we not being presided over by a dysfunctional executive?
My third point is the absence of a Local Government Board resulting in most senior management members operating in acting positions. If you look at the majority of our town councils, both urban and rural – they have members in the senior management including Town Clerks, Treasurers, Chamber Secretaries in acting positions after interviews have been done because of the absence of the Local Government Board which is supposed to confirm these individuals into permanent positions.
The fact that we have got acting members means that their decision making matrix is limited since they are in an acting capacity. They are either to make bold and firm decisions because they are acting or they make overzealous decisions because they want to please other authorities who must then confer them with permanent positions. I therefore urge the Minister of Local Government to quickly set up the Local Government Board and confirm every senior management member who is in the acting position; they should be given the job or interviews be redone so that at least we have got permanent members who then do their job with all the confidence they deserve.
My last point is on devolution. Section 265 (1) (a) confers good governance, transparency, accountability and institutional coherence within local authorities. It is common cause that the majority of the local authorities both urban and rural are not conforming to this practice as enshrined in our Constitution simply because we do not have an enabling instrument which is supposed to see devolution being fully recognised within our provinces. The Minister had promised that by December 2018, we would have a fully functional devolution system within our country but up to now nothing has been done.
In the year 2019, the Minister of Finance has so far disbursed two trianches of funds under the devolution fund. You would see that these funds are not going to the intended use because there is no structure that is supposed to monitor and be accountable to the devolution funds. I therefore urge the Minister of Local Government to quickly set up and actualise the provincial councils so that at least we properly conform to the Constitution and also actualise the principle of devolution which was set out on the 6th of May 2013 when the people of Zimbabwe voted for a new Constitution. I thank you.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
also need to add my voice on this petition by the people of Gwanda by supporting what has been said by Hon. Markham, Hon. Chikwinya and all those who have contributed before me.
The lives of people is supposed to be improved without looking at who is supposed to improve that. This petition is giving Members of Parliament an insight. We are in here at Parliament and we are supposed to do something which is productive. Here in Parliament we are just fighting and we have not done anything since the inception of this session as the National Assembly. We are the House which is supposed to improve the country but according to our way of doing things, we are not able to help people. It is not only in Gwanda. Hon. Markham said that we are not following our Constitution from Section 1 to 345. We are supposed to see the cause of these things. We are not pulling in the same direction in this Parliament. We want to see how these things can benefit the countries.
When they are from the other side, we are supposed to put concrete on the toilet; some are saying we are supposed to buy. We are supposed to work together hand in hand so that things will go well in our country.
We have one country which is Zimbabwe. We are supposed to work together so that we help people from Gwanda.
Hon. Markham said the tanks are on this level and the houses are at another level. There are no taps for water from the tanks to the houses. Hyperinflation is there even in the Bible in the book of 2 Kings – there was hunger in Israel. There were also leapers and they wanted to go and take the country which was led by the Israelites. Women had to eat their children. Here in Zimbabwe, are we at the level of eating our own children? We are supposed to work together. What has been said by Hon. Markham is that we are supposed to finish what we started.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order. We encourage that people who do not have enough understanding on a raised motion are not supposed to debate for example the Hon. Member on the floor. This motion is very important and it is in terms of water and sanitation for people. We are supposed to stick to the report so that people will benefit from what is being said in here. We are not supposed to digress from this report.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, may you
please debate on what is in the report. You can proceed.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I was just supporting what has been said even though I was not in here. What I am saying is flowing. We are supposed to help people. We are thinking differently, that is where the problem is. We are supposed to be one as parliamentarians and Zimbabwe as a whole, despite where you come from - either left or right. We are supposed to put people on our hearts so that we do what will benefit the people.
*HON. PETER MOYO: I applaud the debate on the motion brought by Hon. Members from the Local Government Committee. We are supposed to be very strong because of what is being done in local authorities. This is what is causing houses to fall on people but because there are no relations between the local Government and the people it will end up causing people to look for places where they are going to be placed to build houses. They will not know whether the house is strong or not. Some will build on top of the electric cables and then this will result in the death of children. This motion is supposed to be supported by everyone who has a vision that everyone is supposed to live well having clean water.
Local authorities are supposed to be given power. Hon. Chikwinya says when there is no local governance board people will be acting. For example the City of Harare, how many people are there in higher offices who are acting up to now? There are people who are acting now who do not have any love for the people who are in the community.
Lastly, I am in line with what Hon. Matangira said. This country needs everyone to think about where this country is going. What we need in this country is dialogue so that we talk while seated in here and see if people are taken care of. The two political parties and the parliamentarians are supposed to be seated and debate on this motion.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, you are
supposed to contribute what is in the motion.
*HON. PETER MOYO: So this dialogue is needed Madam
Speaker, because if we do not speak together we do not develop. We are supposed to have the same direction, the same vision. I am supporting him and this dialogue is needed even tomorrow – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: : You can go ahead Hon. Member.
*HON. PETER MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We are supposed to see where our country is supposed to go. Those who went through the liberation struggle did not fight so that we get into the situation that we currently are in. Those who died during the liberation struggle did not die in vain. Why can we not just sit down and contribute as Members of Parliament. How can we not achieve that if
Ian Smith and Mr. Mugabe had a conversation at Lancashire House? So Mr. Speaker Sir, we want a dialogue of political parties who are debating in this august House.
*HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I am also thinking about those who talked about the report from Gwanda, they talked pertaining to what they have seen in Gwanda local authorities, but what I am seeing as a resident in the CBD, the big problem is corruption.
There are local authorities who are very corrupt who are spending the money which is supposed to be used for services. They are giving land without the Government notice. I was thinking that those who have looked upon this report have looked upon corruption. We are supposed to look upon all the local authorities to see if people are living well in the urban centres. Thank you.
HON. CHOMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to support this motion on Gwanda residents petition. As a mother, I feel adequate service delivery in terms of water sanitation and road networks should be first priority. When there is no water, it is the women who suffer most. They have to fetch water to prepare food for their children. If there is an outbreak of diseases, it is the women who suffer. All domestic chores are done by women.
In rural areas, people have to wake up very early in the morning to go and fetch some water. When women are having their menstrual cycles they need a lot of water because they have to wash daily. Also, women need transport to hospitals when they fall ill or when they are going to maternity.
I am urging all Government ministries to provide the PSIP funds to the Portfolio Committee and I also want to urge the Portfolio Committee to make an urgent follow up. Thank you very much.
*HON. J. CHIDAKWA: Firstly, I want to thank Hon. Chikukwa for her report which she brought into this House and also the Gwanda residents for their petition to Parliament because it has exposed a lot of issues. Although it is the Gwanda residents, it touches on all the other local authorities.
Mr. Speaker, firstly I want to say that matters pertaining to the law have been dealt with but I want to bring a way forward. I think the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing should come up with mechanisms to bring water to the people because without water it is putting their lives in danger. In this country, we do not have money to buy chemicals to purify the water. We are still lagging behind in that other countries, because of modern technology, there are few chemicals being used. I think there should be means and ways to purify our water cheaply.
I want to also talk about the 5% retention which should be given to the local authorities. I think it should be channeled down to the local authorities so that these challenges which Gwanda has been facing since 2007 will be dealt with. I also want to suggest that when the local authorities are settling people, I think there should be stiffer laws that people should not be settled where the land is not serviced so that when people are given those stands they will not stay for 50 years using wells and blair toilets.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to look at the other challenges because some of the challenges are caused by procrastination which happens in local government. There is a lot of bureaucracy and with inflation, it means that costs will be affected.
Council should not have a mediator when it comes to issues of water. The residence of Gwanda are saying that ZINWA should leave the administration of water to local authorities because when consumers face challenges, they do not approach ZINWA but they deal with the local authorities. So, it is easy for consumers to have the local authorities dealing with the water administration if they are given authority. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
+HON. MABOYI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. We have noticed that many people face difficulties because of ZINWA. When we look at Gwanda we realise that it is a good example of the many local governments that are not functioning properly. I think that the Ministry of Local Government should try and give the powers that ZINWA has to local authorities. When we look at the issue of toilets, I think the local authorities are not putting enough effort because they allocate stands to people without servicing them. Therefore people do not have toilets and resort to using the bush and this gives us many problems like cholera which spread easily.
We plead with the Ministry to look into this issue especially that of allocation of stands which are not serviced. ZINWA does not also play its part in this respect. The local government also fails to provide sufficient toilets to the people. It is better that a board be set up to supervise because the local authority cannot support all the services for the people. We agree that there should be a local board that is set up so that supervision is done thoroughly and people receive all the services that are needed in terms of water and toiletries and people live properly in these urban areas.
In addition, the local authorities disturb the way people live because they do not analyse how many people live in each house and toilets block because the sewage system is overused by many people living in one place. The houses are overpopulated. We plead that the Ministry also looks into the issue of roads. The roads are bad as well as the sewage system. In most cases, we realise that the sewage system disturbs the water that the people drink. The Local Government has too much work in its hands which they cannot do. With those few words, I thank you Hon. Speaker.
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for affording me this opportunity to debate on a very important issue which talks about service delivery. Mr. Speaker Sir, we must be very clear in terms of the Constitution, what it says about the role of these councils in particular Gwanda, which also falls under it. Section 274 clearly talks about the role of these town councils and rural councils. Urban and local authorities are responsible for managing the affairs of the people in the urban areas, equally in the rural areas.
The problem that we have with the Gwanda Council is that it fails to comply with very simple rules of local government and physical planning. Hon. Chidakwa was very clear in saying that this problem, whilst we talk about Gwanda, exists in most urban authorities in the country. The residents, whom we must listen to are the ones who vote for these councillors. When they say that the councillors are not working, we must take it seriously. There is an outcry on the performance of councillors in the country, especially in the urban areas. We must not try to bit about the bush. We have a situation where the very same land barons who are supposed to comply are accommodated through corrupt means.
Councillors are richer than anybody else because they are part of the cartel of corruption. I say so because, why would you allow an area to be developed yet certain fundamentals are not there like road network, sewer and so on. As a result of that, there is no urban to talk about in Gwanda; what you can talk about is rural Gwanda. In fact, it must be reduced to rural Gwanda and not urban Gwanda because of the facilities. The only thing lacking is the appointment of a village head to now man
that.
We must understand that for a very long time the opposition must be commended for being instrumental in removing certain powers from the Ministry of Local Government then. That being the case, they must also understand that whilst the powers were limited from the Minister of Local Government where they cited interference, there is not much interference now from the Minister and it is about time we talk about these. Leaders of various councils and parties which are in charge of these urban areas should take note that the failure in delivering services has repercussions on their political life when elections come.
The reason why I am saying this is that the development of any area begins with the ward councillor. I actually regret at times why I did not choose to be a ward councillor because they are able to sit down and manage the budget from the rate payers and say; this money must go to X or B and so on. Even parliamentarians do not have the power to do that. Instead of using that money on sewer and service delivery, they have used that money to buy good cars. The councillors, because of lack of capacity and intellectual capacity, have allowed the management to be smarter than them. The management is able to sneak in workshops for them to go away in order to be given allowances of $50 whilst they sign for the luxury lives of the management. If you look at the management of even Gwanda Town Council itself, they have no complaints but the councillors who are the bosses are given nothing at the expense of service delivery at the end of the day. Members of Parliament will attest to the fact that it is actually difficult as a Member of Parliament to get councilors together because they are making money every day and you are not making money. They are in it not for service delivery but for corrupt tendencies.
If you look at the land barons who are there – admittedly the land barons their god father was Ignatius Chombo. Ignatius Chombo was able to have land barons from ZANU PF but even in the urban town councils where MDC is dominant, the land barons who are ZANU PF have captured those councilors. You can now not blame a Government Minister for interfering. Hon. July Moyo is one person who does not interfere. He does not interfere. Hon. Chombo was different. Hon. Kasukuwere was different. He tries to play to the rules of the game but the councilors themselves are nowhere near in terms of service delivery at the end of the day. To me there is absence of compliance when the engineer is appointed and recommended by these councilors.
My fellow colleagues here reminded me and said the Local Board has got the final say, but before the Local Board has got the final say who would have seconded these engineers in management? The management is selected by the councilors and then approved by the Local Board. To me, before they are approved by the Local Board, we must understand the source where they have come from. We must not mince our words on this. This issue of Gwanda is national. Residents cannot be ignored because we are there to represent the people. The residents are there because there is no way that you can put politics into this. Politics must stay away.
If the MDC dominate Gwanda, it is the residents of Gwanda who are MDC who are no longer happy. We must understand that. Where does the Minister come in? The same way we discuss a corrupt Government Minister, we are able to say ZANU PF is corrupt and at the same time Gwanda Council is corrupt, and that is an MDC led council.
Let us call a spade a spade. On this one I talk about it because I face it. It is time to call a spade a spade. They have failed to zero in on their councilors because their councilors are too strong in terms of money.
They are able to have a syndicate with senior politicians in their party structures who they give money to so that they can be protected. I have an inside to all that.
To me this issue is very clear. The residents cannot lie. They cannot give you a mandate and immediately say you are not doing your job. Let us not ignore that. I remember the late Morgan Tsvangirai suspended over 20 councilors because of corruption. That was commendable. Right now they are cruising. There is no road block. It is to those who lead them to take action because they are allowing their political downfall. They are being destroyed at ward level and if you are destroyed at ward level you have no place nationally and politically.
That must be understood.
It is important they take note of what we are saying. The aspect of the budgets is critical. These are the issues that they are talking about. The issues also come from capacity. What qualification do the councilors have to comprehend a budget? They have none – Grade 2,
Grade 7. Give them a $10m budget where you have councilors who read the budget upside down until one of them reminds them that no, can you read properly.
The aspect of water is critical. It requires capacity Mr. Speaker Sir in terms of forward planning. What have they done to plan ahead to envisage the problems which are coming? Right now we sit here in Parliament and Members of Parliament are constantly asking that there is a water problem. We ask the Minister of Local Government but before we go to the Minister of Local Government, what does Gwanda Town Council do about rectifying the water problem? We must understand that because they are responsible for water plants to ensure that there is clean, safe water for the people - which is a right. Let us be mindful that we might think that we are exposing others yet we are exposing ourselves in the process of all that.
I want to talk about the situation of good governance which is a practice from a constitutional point of view that we must follow. We must understand that where things are wrong and where governance is bad, we must be able to say governance is bad. If you look at the disaster, the health hazard that is being created for these people – the young ones who are growing, it is out of this world. It will never be recovered at the end of the day. You talk about typhoid and cholera, where does it come from? It comes from a council which is not able to comply with certain regulations. The residents of Gwanda must be commended for speaking against leadership that they put in place because it is not many who do that. However, if you see that even before a year ends they have already put together a petition and they have already blamed the work of the councilors, we must not ignore it.
There is a time to play politics and there is a time not to play politics. The role of town councils in this country is the bedrock of the development of the people. As Members of Parliament we are nothing. No wonder why in the wards that we are in, we are able to say if a ward councilor is doing well, the role of the Member of Parliament is three things – to legislate, represent and play oversight. We do not run the councils. The councils are run by people elected by the people. The people of Gwanda do not only talk to Gwanda, but they talk to Harare, Norton, Bulawayo, Mutare and Kariba. The opposition are dear friends of mine. They have a conscience. They have heard what I have said. They must zero in on their councilors to ensure that there is service delivery at the end of the day. Without service delivery at the end of the day, they are digging a grave for themselves, because that is manure.
The honest truth which I must say is that the councilors which were elected in the urban areas, most of them were never going to come back. They benefited from a Chamisa wave. There was a Chamisa wave in the urban areas but not their wave. Most of the people who got into Parliament was through Chamisa and not their capacity. Now their capacity is being judged, are they good are they not good? To me you cannot rely on the Chamisa wave. There will be a time when the
Chamisa wave will be gone. To me it is important that they ignore the Chamisa wave but Chamisa cannot be a councilor. Chamisa cannot sit in there. It is up to them now to try and justify how they got into that wave. It was a wave that had come through. Credit goes to Chamisa for controlling the urban vote but at the same time, it is also important that the urban does perform in terms of its mandate and so forth. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to be very honest to my colleague members on the right and hopefully they can do something about it.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Hon. Chairperson for giving me this opportunity so that I add my voice on this petition from Gwanda. Hon. Chair, it is important to realise that our people live in a free nation, a nation with freedom of speech where they can speak freely. I am glad that we have such laws, that is why they have managed to speak out about their problems and that is why they have written to us concerning the problems that we were not noticing in Gwanda.
Hon. Speaker, we do not need such problems in Gwanda only –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Go
ahead Hon. Mathe.
+HON. MATHE: We do not want such problems - not in Gwanda
Town only; it has become a habit, ever since towns were led by people who are not elected and recognised by the people, that is where this habit began. Since that habit began, towns have become a places of dirt, the sewer system runs just in front of the houses and there is no water, and there are no roads. I wonder what is causing Gwanda to attack us this much. I think that the people who are supposed to sit down and plan on how to do things are not the people who are doing this because the councilor who is meant to run a town must come from that very place.
I think the councilor should come from that Ward that he wants to stand for. The reason why this was done Hon. Speaker is because the problems that are faced in that place are the problems that he faces too each and every day so he should be able to understand and deal with it. If the local authorities Mr. Speaker are chosen because they belong to a particular party, it will make the local council to be unable to provide services for that particular place because the people in the council are not the right ones.
I go back to the issue of the Ministry of Local Government and I say we plead with them that after being attacked as Parliament of Zimbabwe, they need to go back and check what kind of people we have in these local councils. I think most of them are involved in corruption and they are worried about their own personal benefits. They are worried about personal gain and those are the kind of councilors we have in different towns. When they are elected into office they come putting on khaki trousers and after a few hours in office they will be putting on suits and changing the suits morning, afternoon and evening. One wonders where they would have gotten that money in such a short time.
What is making citizens to attack us is that in the past the councilor used to represent the people without expecting anything in return. They only looked forward to getting allowances. These days they want a salary and complain about the money that they are given. This is not what we expect from Local Government. They should not expect salaries when representing people. The Ministry should really look into this issue. The other problem why there is so much dirt in towns is that there are political parties – I am not going to mention any names, they have turned the towns into a place where they play, Hon. Speaker, that has caused...
HON. CHINYANGANYA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The
Hon. Member is way offside. What she is talking about was never mentioned in the report, she should stick to what has been reported in the report – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: May you resume your debate.
+HON. MATHE: Thank you Mr. Chairman, I was saying when I
got disturbed, I wanted to emphasise that in the past we all knew towns to be beautiful places. Nowadays people no longer take good care of them, they want to demolish buildings, they no longer know that there are important places and as leaders, we should stop making noise in these towns. I thank you.
HON. CHINYANGANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for
giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the report that was given by the Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Hon. Chikukwa. Mr. Speaker Sir, population growth has negatively affected service delivery across the country. The infrastructure that was there before independence is the infrastructure that is still in existence Mr. Speaker Sir, there is need actually for the local authorities to get funding from the central Government so that service delivery will be improved, more importantly water reticulation and delivery system in all the local authorities. What is critical Mr. Speaker Sir, is that previously local authorities used to get PSIPs for the annual maintenance of infrastructure, water included. Currently, PSIPs have been suspended and this has negatively affected the provision of critical services such as water. Gwanda has not been spared in this anomaly. Therefore, I propose that just as the Constitution says that local authorities are supposed to get a certain percentage of the annual budget, that money should be released so that local authorities would be able to improve service delivery, more importantly water which is critical in the survival of all the people. On the ZINWA issue, Gwanda is one of the remaining local authorities where the water system is still being run by ZINWA.
Mr. Speaker Sir, ZINWA should hand-over water service delivery to local authorities, more importantly to Gwanda so that Gwanda Municipality will be able to have full control of water provision to the residents. We cannot talk about improved service delivery without addressing the issue of the 2013 debt write off by the Government that it ordered to all local authorities. This has negatively affected the way local authorities operate. Mr. Speaker Sir, I say so because local authorities remained in debt of critical service providers such as ZESA, ZINWA, other pension funds and ZIMRA included. As we speak, local authorities are trained to pay back those debts but the money owed by residents was written off. I think it is important and I propose that Parliament debates on the issue of Government assuming those debts so that local authorities would be able to function properly. In that way, local authorities would be able to provide critical services to the residents. Those are my submissions Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of clarification Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.] – Wakuda kuvamurungu manje?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Point of order. Did you raise
an...
HON. MARKHAM: I withdraw the statement. Mr. Speaker, I have three points of clarification. The first one is the appointment of management for most, not all local councils...
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Markham.
Clarifications can only be given to the Minister and you are not a Minister. I am sorry, please can you sit down?
HON. JOSIAH SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would
like to add my voice to this debate on the issue of the petition relating to Gwanda local authority. I personally see that the petition is a bell ringer calling for performance audit for our local authorities so that we see what our local authorities nationwide are doing and their performance. Some of the issues that were aired in the petition relate to most of our local authorities. I have also noted that the petition dates back to 2007. This reminds me that from 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, things were little better and during that period we were expecting Gwanda local authority to do something to alleviate the problems of these residents who were complaining. I also find that Gwanda local authority and other local authorities must look for solutions or to look for medicine to cure issues of non-conformity. At times we may say, lack of confidence that is in the residents. If we look at this issue, some residents were claiming that they had paid money and when people begin to resist like that, it means there is a war. Therefore, our local authorities need to find a method where they can have good relationships with the people they serve so that they do not go to the extent of suspecting that there is something going on or fraud taking place. When people resist payment, it means something is not going on well.
The Public Health Act mandates local authorities to ensure that they provide good health facilities for their residents. Therefore, we feel our local authorities, Gwanda included, should make sure that they do not allow a situation that goes back to people using bush toilets or using plastics as was mentioned in the report. If a situation like that happens, the Zimbabwe we are looking for by 2030 may not exist. I thank you.
*HON. KARENYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Chikukwa and the Committee for going to Gwanda to hear the pleas of the people of Gwanda. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my voice on this motion. I realise that most of us diverted from the good report that was produced by the Committee. The report gave us good recommendations and myself would want us to ensure that Gwanda is assisted. I would like to say, most local authorities are unable to function because of the economic problems that we are facing as a nation. Mr. Speaker Sir, Gwanda cannot be spared from these problems because this is faced by the whole nation.
The first recommendation of PSIP, if we look into it historically, all of our local authorities used to have projects like water treatment, tanks and sewer pipes because there was a fund specifically for local authorities.
It is my plea Mr. Speaker, that the Government ensures local authorities are allocated on the National Budget, the PSIP. There is a certain percentage that is supposed to be given to local authorities each and every year so that they are able to function properly. As we speak right now, that money has not been given to local authorities. How are they expected to function? They cannot run most of their projects because they do not have any income generating projects. Most local authorities only get their monies from ratepayers. So I hereby support this issue that they have brought into the House because if we do not have PSIP then we should implement what we agreed upon so that the monies are given to local authorities.
Mr. Speaker, what I also noticed and I think affects service delivery is that most local authorities are only there because they give water to the people. I think we should make sure that water in Gwanda is managed by the local authority because if they sell this water to their residents then they will get some money from the payments made to the council. They can use that money for service delivery. If you look at our local authorities they only function because of the money that they receive from the people when they pay for water and sewer. Therefore, if the money for water is given to ZINWA in Gwanda, then the Gwanda local authority cannot afford to offer services to its people.
I remember from the Seventh Parliament when I chaired the Portfolio Committee of the Local Government, we ensured that ZINWA surrendered water and it was managed by local authorities. I therefore plead that this is done also for Gwanda so that it functions properly. I noticed that there is an issue of stand allocations in Gwanda. There is need for the Government to pitch in and assist because the population has grown as people are giving birth and migrating from the rural to urban areas. Therefore, the use of water is increasing and at the end of the day our sewers are not functioning properly, thus the sewages are bursting and people are getting diseases like typhoid and cholera. If PSIP is returned it means that this can be fixed. Mr. Speaker, it is my wish that the people of Gwanda need to be assisted so much because if they are not assisted we will lose some of them as they die from these diseases that I have mentioned before.
I also want to speak about the issue of corruption Mr. Speaker. Corruption is a disease that is affecting us as a country that is why we are where we are today as a nation. The problem is that in Zimbabwe, people are only arrested depending on who they are Mr. Speaker and if forensic audits are done, most Members of Parliament will be arrested because of corruption. Most people are corrupt but they know that they will get away with it because they know they will not be arrested. Certainly, corruption is there but people are not being arrested. I want to leave this to our local authorities Mr. Speaker.
I want to put this on record that in the past years, most councils used to do interviews for managers. They used to interview these managers and take them to the local board which used to make the final decision but right now our councillors do not have the power or authority. Therefore, people are employed based on how connected one is. Thus, corruption is used when these interviews are done. People get jobs not because of competence but depending on their connections. I plead with you to ensure that people get employed based on competence and not due to connections or political affiliation.
Mr. Speaker, I would want to take us back a little. If you look at our local authorities, once in a while they patch roads. However, when it rains the potholes worsen. If you look at the background of some of those people who are engineers, you will notice that most of them do not deserve those jobs and are not meant to be engineers after all; that affects service delivery. Recently, we noticed that in Chitungwiza because people said that councillors are supposed to work properly, I saw on television a clip where the Mayor of Chitungwiza as well as councillors were said to have held a meeting because they faced a challenge with their Town Clerk. The Town Clerk had been found guilty of some issues. They are trying to work on service delivery in Chitungwiza. He was thoroughly beaten a lot and taken to the hospital because of people who had been allocated land that they were not supposed to get.
Our nation has politicised everything even at local authority level. Some of these parties are managing the local authorities, which is the correction that we are referring to. Parties are not meant to do such things. They are not supposed to meddle with council issues. When councilors decide to suspend some of these issues the parties are not supposed to pitch in. it is my plea that we have people who are ready to work for the nation so that we move ahead. There are people who spoke about the managers and the like in terms of corruption. It is my plea that our Minister takes these issues that were brought into this House by the Committee up to enable the Minister to carry out investigations, ensure the running of the local authorities is done properly, and ensure that our residents get the services they require from the local authorities.
Before I sit down Mr. Speaker, I would want to say that what was recommended by this Committee, I would want to see those recommendations being fulfilled so that Gwanda functions properly.
Thank you.
HON. TUNGAMIRAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for this
opportunity to add my voice to this motion. First and foremost, it is not only Gwanda local authority that has this issue. It is all over the country, throughout mainly our urban councils. Water is life and you cannot live without it for three to four days. That is why in our Constitution, it is a right to the people of Zimbabwe.
Secondly, why these councils are not running well – from experience, I was once a Councillor. Councillors lack knowledge of what their description is. What they are actually supposed to do and the administration of these councils which are the CEOs – [ AN HON.
MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] – [Laughter.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Order!
Order Hon. Members.
HON. TUNGAMIRAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Councilors lack the knowledge. They should go to workshops which teach them how to administer their jobs. The CEOs of these councils; the Engineers are happy with the councilors being in the dark. They are happy with councilors who do not know what they are doing; they are happy that way, as long as the councilors do not know what they are doing, the Executive can do what they want with the council.
Some councilors have no basic education, whereby documents come to council which are huge, which even I can struggle to read but these councilors are given these large documents to read which they do not read. Councilors go to council sometimes just for the allowances and eats that they may get from council. If they get into councils they are given drinks; allowances, motor cycles and then they forget why they came to be councilors, thus councils fail at times.
Thirdly, local authorities are not following regulations, allowing people to build houses without providing water, sewage and roads. The
Councils’ Act is there but the councils seem not to follow their own regulations by putting up buildings and letting people build without there being water or sewage or roads. Councils are now in the business of selling stands to pay their high wage bills, especially in the urban areas. The councils have got huge wage bills which they cannot manage. They have forgotten their core business. The core business is service delivery, not paying wages. Most councils - the ratio should be 70:30 percent, 70% should go to service delivery while 30% goes to wages, but most councils it is not that 70:30 anymore. It is may be 40% to service delivery, 60% to wages, that is why local authorities cannot provide services for the clients.
Gwanda is right to demand service delivery; it is their right as the people of Zimbabwe to have water reticulation and roads in the area. So please let us follow the recommendations of the Committee and push that all local authorities work hard and corruption is stopped because councils are now just selling stands and putting money in their own pockets, forgetting that they were voted in by people to work for the people for service delivery. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. K. PARADZA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON.
MUTSEYAMI, the House adjourned at Twenty Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 27th August, 2019
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
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. MBONGENI DUBE subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the Law and took his seat - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
HON. CHIKWINYA: I rise on a point of privilege in terms of Section 68 read together with Section 69 (d) and am pleased that I rise on this motion of privilege whilst the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is in the House. My first point of privilege Hon. Speaker is that every time when we pray before this House begins its work, we pray that we make laws for the good governance and maintenance of peace in our country. It is disheartening Madam Speaker that ever since the 14th of August this year, we have seen 26
Members of the opposition being abducted at night. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
Hon. Speaker Section 61 (1) (b) of our Constitution allows for freedom of expression and creation of contempt. It is disheartening that in these days of high unemployment where our youths are seeking to earn a living through creation of content, they begin to be abducted as the case of Gonyeti. As Hon. Members of Parliament, whilst we are doing our work we must seek to be protected. It is dismaying that one of our Hon. Members, Hon. Matewu had his house sprayed with 31 bullets around 2 am on 19th August 2019. Whilst we are doing our work, we expect protection from the law enforcement agents.
Lastly, Section 59 of our Constitution allows for citizens to petition and demonstrate where they have any disaffection towards Government. It is disheartening that we have continued with the abuse of our courts whereby members of the opposition are now disallowed to petition the Government in terms of Section 59, but us as Parliament having inserted this law in our Constitution, do hope that the laws are going to be abided by, by both the Executive and the Judiciary. I therefore implore the Minister of Home Affairs to come and give a Ministerial Statement in this regard.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Chikwinya I have heard what
you said. I will advise the Hon. Minister to come and give a Ministerial Statement.
COMMITTEE STAGE
ZIMBABWE INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT AGENCY BILL [H. B.
2, 2019]
First Order read: Committee to resume on the Zimbabwe
Investment Development Agency Bill [H. B. 2, 2019].
House in Committee.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the Chair reports progress and ask leave to sit again.
HON. K. PARADZA: I second.
House resumed.
Bill reported and leave sought to sit again.
Motion put and agreed to.
Committee to resume: Wednesday 28th, August, 2019,
SECOND READING
MONEY LAUNDERING AND PROCEEDS OF CRIME
AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 4, 2019]
Second Order read: Second Reading, Money Laundering and
Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill [H. B. 4, 2019]
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam
Speaker, my understanding is that the Bill under consideration, Money Laundering Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill has not gone through the necessary processes and to that extent I think it will be in the interest of Parliament and Zimbabwe that we allow the Committee to do the necessary consultations so that we will be in a position to prepare and be supportive.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 28th August 2019.
SECOND READING
CORONER’S OFFICE BILL [H. B. 5, 2019]
Third Order read: Second Reading: Coroner’s Office Bill [H. B. 5,
2019]
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you
Madam Speaker. It is a great honour to present to you the Coroner’s Office Bill [H. B. 5, 2019]. This Bill provides for the establishment of an office responsible for investigating all details that come about as a result of death by unnatural causes. It also sets out the appointment, functions and powers of the Coroner General, Deputy Coroner-General and Coroners in relation to postmortems, inquests and their findings. The Bill repeals the Inquests Act [Chapter 7:07] and amends the Birth and Deaths Registration Act [Chapter 5:02] and the Burial and Cremation Act [Chapter 5:03].
Madam Speaker, allow me to discuss the individual clauses of this
Bill.
Clause 1 and 2 sets the short title of the Bill and the definition of terms used in this Bill.
Clause 3 provides for the establishment and constitution of the
Coroner’s Office of Zimbabwe.
Clause 4 lays out the functions of the Office, primarily investigation of deaths which appear to come about in a sudden, suspicious or violent manner; and deaths occurring within 24 hours of a patient arriving at a health institution, and death occurring during treatment or care.
Clause 5 provides for the appointment and qualifications of the Coroner-General, Deputy Coroner-General and other coroners. All staff of the Office shall be civil servants.
Clause 6 outlines sources of funds for the Office and establishes the Office as a reporting unit in terms of the Public Finance Management Act.
Clause 7 enjoins custodians of health or medical records to preserve medical records. The clause criminalises willful and reckless destruction or failure to preserve documents.
Clause 8 lists people given the duty to report unnatural deaths and also gives timeframes within which such deaths should be reported.
Clause 9 outlines circumstances when postmortems and inquests should be conducted or dispensed with.
Clause 10 provides for a review mechanism for any person aggrieved by a Coroner’s decision not to hold an inquest.
Clause 11 contains substantive provisions on inquests and powers of coroners in relation thereto.
Clause 12 contains procedural and provisions on inquests, while Clause 13 provides for the duties of a Coroner at the conclusion of the investigation of an unnatural death.
Clause 14 provides for the publication of a coroner’s findings and observations.
Clause 15 empowers coroners to report misconduct by any professional to the National Prosecuting Authority and professional regulatory bodies, while Clause 16 empowers the coroner to dispense with inquests on death of members of the Defence Forces in certain circumstances.
Clause 17 and 18 empowers the Minster to give policy direction to the Office and make regulations for the Office, while Clause 19 gives the Coroner-General a duty to ensure that the Office has a website and publishes an Office bulletin.
Clause 20 makes consequential amendments to other Acts, while
Clause 21 repeals the Inquests Act.
I now move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 28th August, 2019.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 7A, 2019]
Fourth Order read: Consideration of an Adverse Report –
Education Amendment Bill [H. B. 7A, 2019].
House in Committee.
HON. SAMUKANGE: Mr. Chairman, I will just repeat what has already been stated, that in pursuance of the constitutional mandate, as provided for in Section 152 (3) (b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Parliamentary Legal Committee referred to as the Committee, considered the Education Amendment Bill [H. B. 7A, 2019]. After deliberations, the Committee unanimously resolved that an Adverse Report be issued in respect of the same. The Committee was of the view that the definition for “public school” should be redefined as in its current form, violates section 75 (2) of the Constitution.
The definition reads as follows; ‘public school means a school established and maintained by the Government including schools run by local authorities, registered private voluntary organisations or faith based organisations to provide education to the public without profit”. Subsection 72 (2) of the Constitution states that “every person has a right to establish and maintain at their own expense independent educational institutions of reasonable standards provided they do not discriminate on any ground prohibited”.
It is the Committee’s view that the definition of public school extends to private schools which may be registered under trust or registered private voluntary organisations or faith based organisations which should be permitted to run their own affairs in terms of section 75 (2) of the Constitution. It is the Committee’s view that this violation cannot be permitted as it will disadvantage private schools which are constitutionally established by the section 75 (2) of the Constitution.
I must point out that I have had discussion with the Minister of Education who has informed me that they agree with the Adverse Report and consequently is here to confirm what I have said and will produce the amendment which my committee will go and consider. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Just to indicate that we are in agreement with the Adverse Report from the Committee.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
HON. SAMUKANGE: Thank you Madam Speaker. As I have
already indicated to the Committee, the PLC is withdrawing the adverse report in light of the fact that the Minister has conceded that the definition was in contravention of Section 57 of the Constitution. Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I second.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Madam Speaker, we are not so sure what
the question before the House is
Motion put and agreed to.
Recommittal to Committee Stage: With leave, forth with.
COMMITTEE STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 7A, 2019]
Recommittaal – Committee: Education Amendment Bill [H. B. 7A, 2019].
House in Committee.
On Clause 2 (2).
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): In accordance with the recommendations of the Committee, Clause 2 of the Bill is amended on Page 2 in lines 38 to 41 by the deletion of the definition for public school.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Chair. I think what we needed
the Minister to do is to clarify the amendment so that the whole House is on the same wavelength with him. Maybe you could take us from the original reading of that clause before the withdrawal because I think it is important for everyone to understand, given the fact that most of the Hon. Members here had left the Education Bill as they were not anticipating debating, because as they thought you were going to withdraw the Bill because of the adverse report. So it is only fair for us to be in a position to debate if you could bring the House in line with where you are and where you are coming from.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Let me hasten to explain what is
happening with that explanation and hopefully it can satisfy Hon. Members here. During the Committee of the whole House we had proposed an amendment to Clause 9 of the Bill where the phrase public school first appeared, other than in the definition where we replaced public school with Government or local authority school or non profit making faith based school.
The Bill continues to contain clauses that refer to public school including Clause 9 itself as the amendment was made to the proposed new subsection 7 of Section 15 of the Act. The proposed subsection 8 of the same section was not looked at. Accordingly, a subsequent amendment must be made, necessitating the deletion of that definition of public schools. That is why we are bringing this amendment to the Bill so that there is complete removal of that public school definition and replacement of a clearer definition of what we mean.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Mr. Chair, the challenge with the
explanation from the Minister is that if you check the original clause that he seeks to amend, apparently it defines a public school as a government, local authority school or non profit making faith based school. The mischief which I believe needed to be corrected was purely to remove the word non profit making faith based from that definition which in itself is okay with government or local authority school.
What the Minister is doing, I think is not fair to the House because what the PLC had considered was that it was not appropriate to bracket government schools and locals schools together with non profit making faith based schools. That was the reason but what the Minister is trying to do is actually to hoodwink us by removing the definition of public when in reality what was supposed to happen was that the definition should have stood and just remove the word non profit so that the public school refers to government or local authority school.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Hon. Chair, the so called mischief then
is addressed by Clause 9 which then refers to the class of schools which we proposed in Clause 7.
HON. MUSHORIWA: The Minister maybe is not hearing us.
What the Minister is doing is trying to come through the back door. What we basically want is for the Minister to just remove non profit making faith based so that public school will stand for government or local authority schools. I do not see why the Minister wants to do the very thing which the PLC had said no to. We will not have a problem if he can just remove faith-based non-profit making school.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. Chair. I
had already responded Hon. Chair, indicating that some of these queries will be taken care of in Clause 9, which is going to refer to all the classes of schools that fit within that definition that we have struck. I think we can move forward with the amendment to Clause 2 after our discussion with the members of the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC). Thank you.
Clause 9 of the Bill is amended on page 4 in line 28 by the deletion of the phrase ‘public schools’ and substitution of Government or local authority school or non-profit making faith based school.
HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Chairman. I want the
Minister to probably explain to us – you see the Bill itself says that this clause about the Government having the power to regulate the fees on
Government local authorities or non-profit making faith based schools.
The challenge that I have with this amendment - and I will be happy if the Minister could remove the non-profit making faith-based from there so that the fees and levies payable will be treated the same with nonGovernment schools.
Alternatively, maybe the Minister can share with us the mind or idea behind that because my idea is that non-profit making faith based schools are supposed to be the mission schools and other church or religious based schools. However, if you go through the amendment you will find that trust schools and other non-governmental schools, their fees are regulated by the National Competitive Commission. The mission schools that Government wants to control, and which I think does not make sense in my view, unless probably the Minister may need to explain to us the rationale of including non-profit faith-based schools together with public schools which are Government and local authorities.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): There is clearly a
difference between the for-profit (private) schools and the faith based schools. The faith-based schools are schools that are supported by the Government in many respects. The Government pays all their teachers except in exceptional situations where they want to use their own local resources to add to what Government is paying for. Additionally, if a learner goes into a faith-based school and the learner’s parents or guardians cannot pay for that learner, Social Services through BEAM also pay for such learners.
So, the faith-based schools need to be treated similarly to central Government schools as well as local authority schools in terms of the regulation of the fees that they charge. Otherwise, we subsidise them by paying their teachers and then they charge astronomical fees which make them inaccessible to our learners. So for that purpose it is important that they be categorised together with Government schools.
Amendment to Clause 9 put and agreed to.
Clause 9, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 12;
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Clause 12 of the Bill is
amended on page 5 in line 4 by the deletion of the word ‘public’.
Amendment to Clause 12 put and agreed to.
Clause 12, as amended, put and agreed to.
On New Clause inserted after Clause 9:
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): I move the amendment standing in my name and Hon. Members have the amendment.
Amendment to new Clause 10 put and agreed to.
New Clause 10, as amended, put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee
MOTION
RATIFICATION OF THE BEIJING TREATY ON AUDIO VISUAL
PERFORMANCES (2012)
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move the
motion standing in my name:
THAT WHEREAS Section 327 (2) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states of governments or international organisations shall be subject to approval by Parliament;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe as a member to the World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), signed the Beijing Treaty on
Audio Visual Performances (2012) on the 11th of December 2012. On 5 July 2019 the Public Agreements Advisory Committee (PAAC) approved the recommendation for Zimbabwe to consider ratification of the treaty and on 30 July 2019 Cabinet approved the ratification of the
Beijing Treaty by Zimbabwe.
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of becoming party to the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances so that it raises the status of performers to professionals thereby improving their working conditions and to facilitate the promotion of the four kinds of economic rights to performers for their performances fixed on audio visual fixations namely; a) the right to reproduction; b) the right to distribution; c) the right to rental and the right to making available;
WHEREAS the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances (2012) recognises the rights of performers against unauthorised use of their performances and facilitates the protection of culture, folklore and cultural diversity by contributing to the protection of traditional cultural expressions and national folklore. It also helps strengthen and consolidate local audio visual industries as they join an international system of protection, thereby creating employment to scores of performers, technicians, musicians and actors;
WHEREAS the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous of ratifying the
Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances (2012);
WHEREAS the entry into force of the aforesaid treaty shall be conditional upon its ratification by Member States in accordance with their constitutional procedures;
NOW THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) (a) of the
Constitution of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Agreement be and is hereby approved for ratification. I thank you
Madam Speaker Ma’am. Thank you Madam Speaker.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 6 to 8 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 9 has been disposed of.
HON. M. KHUMALO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE,
HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY ON THE GWANDA
COMMUNITY YOUR DEVELOPMENT TRUST PETITION ON
ACCESS TO PRIMARY DOCUMENTS
HON. MAYIHLOME: I rise to present a report of the Portfolio
Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security on the Gwanda that:
This House takes note of the Portfolio Committee on Defence,
Home Affairs and Security on the Gwanda Community Youth
Development Trust Petition on the access to primary documents (S.C. 9, 2019.
HON. NGULUVHE: I second.
HON. BRIG. GEN (RTD) MAYIHLOME: The Report on
Gwanda Community Youth Development Trust Petition on Issuance of Primary Documents highlights the extent of existing challenges experienced in accessing primary documents in Matabeleland South Province, a phenomenon prevalent in frontier provinces of the country.
These challenges include:-
- Failure to acquire birth certificates by orphans, vulnerable children and children with single parents;
- Impact of lack of primary documentation;
- Prohibitive legislation which is often implemented with rigidity;
- Complex and cumbersome administrative policies on issuance of primary documents and
- In-house administrative issues within the Registrars` Department such as low staffing levels, unsuitable accommodation and lack of facilities among others.
It was from submissions by stakeholders and members of the public that the Committee was able to synthesise existing challenges and proffer its recommendations.
Introduction
On the 10th of December, 2018 the Petition from the Gwanda
Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT) on challenges relating to issuance of primary documents was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. The Petitioners` prayer was that Parliament should take measures to ensure the protection of the right to birth certificates and identity documents. In the exercise of its oversight role, Parliament was obliged to assess and oversee the adequacy and effectiveness of policies and practises of the Registrar
General’s Office in the provision of birth and national registration in frontier provinces, particularly, in Matabeleland South. This is in so far as to determine the right to a name and access to relevant documentation as well as downstream rights such as the right to education and other social services. The prayer also beseeched Parliament to recommend that the Registrar General’s Office adopts policies and practices that take into account peculiarities of border areas in ensuring that the rights and interests of children are protected and to call upon the Office to adopt measures that redress the prevailing challenges in the affected areas.
Methodology
The Committee interviewed the Registrar General, Mr Clement Masango and visited some districts in Matabeleland South Province, namely Gwanda, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Maphisa and Kezi. Further to that the Committee also interviewed the petitioners to get first-hand information on what was obtaining on the ground. In areas visited, the Committee interacted with officials at the provincial and district registries to get an appreciation of the challenges they encountered in the issuance of primary documents. Apart from interaction with officials, the Committee observed the processes at the offices visited and also interacted with the clients.
The Committee also gathered evidence through the following methods:
- On-site inspection of infrastructure such as offices, furniture and other materials at centres visited to check the appropriateness of the work place;
- Conducting of interviews with officials on the quality of service delivered and customers on the level of satisfaction with such services;
- Interaction with the hospital administration staff in Gwanda and
Kezi on issuance of birth records at their institutions; and
- Gathering of information from members of the public, Petitioners and Ministry officials on challenges encountered on obtaining primary documents.
Indeed the Committee is indebted to all stakeholders who contributed to the inquiry which culminated in this Report.
Submission Presented to the committee
Lack of Birth Certificates
The Community Youth Development Trust, a Civic Organisation based in Gwanda, highlighted the nature and extent of the challenges encountered in accessing primary documents. Major reasons that were proffered on why some people did not have primary documents were attributed to the following:-
Children with single parents
There were children either born of single parents or were under the care of single parents. In most cases these parents either did not have primary documents themselves or they did not have required documentation to obtain birth certificates such as birth records for the children. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the acquisition of primary documents by single parents and guardians in charge of minors had become extremely impossible owing to stringent regulatory requirements that had to be met for such documents to be obtained. Children born in the affected areas were sometimes left in the custody of grandparents or other guardians who could not trace the parents at the time of acquiring primary documents. Some parents were said to have migrated across the borders into South Africa and Botswana leaving their off-spring behind without any form of documentation.
Children born out of wedlock
There were generational issues such as those inherited from those born of parents who never had any form of primary documentation in their lives spanning from grandparents, parents and their children.
Children who are citizens by decent
The Committee observed that there were children born outside Zimbabwe who neither had birth records nor any witnesses to confirm their births and yet they were Zimbabweans by descent.
School Children without Birth Certificates
The Committee received oral submissions to the fact that in the Matobo District, Halale Primary School had a lot of pupils who did not have birth certificates. Statistics given were that one hundred and twenty eight children out of a total of three hundred children did not have birth certificates. It was extremely disturbing to your Committee to hear that of these children without birth certificates seven of them came from one family.
Transit and Border proximity challenges
It was also brought to the Committee’s attention that owing to the proximity of Matebeleland South Province to South Africa and Botswana, people in these areas usually crossed the borders in search of economic opportunities. Sometimes when they returned to the country, they brought back with them their children who would have been born outside the country and these added to the numbers of the many children who did not have access to primary documents. The reasons for failure to access such primary documents were attributed to non-existent birth records confirming the children`s birth by Zimbabwean citizens abroad.
People affected by Gukurahundi
The Committee was informed by the members of the public that many people lost their documents as a result of the Gukurahundi in Matabeleland South Province and there were some children born during this era whose parents cannot be accounted for. This made it difficult for them to acquire primary documents as there were no witnesses coming forward to confirm that they were born by individuals from their local communities.
High cost of acquiring Birth Certificates
The costs of ferrying witnesses to the Registrar General’s offices for acquiring primary documents is too high for the ordinary citizens. They also expressed their disapproval at the insensitivity of the policies which did not take into account that whenever one was requested to bring along the witnesses there was no due regard for the costs that one had to bear. These costs were related to witnesses` accommodation, meals and transport at a time when the vicissitudes of the economy had taken a turn for the worst. Suffice to say that opportunity costs of acquiring primary documents were particularly high for people living in the border areas of the country.
The public was not aware of the downward review of fees due to lack of information dissemination. The fees have since been slashed from fifty dollars to two dollars with effect from December, 2018. As a result, people were not seeking identity documents due to perceived high levels of user fees.
Double registration of Deaths certificates
The Committee was informed that the situation was caused by the clients` ignorance and lack of information and appreciation that the abridged death certificates from South Africa were equally regarded as complete certificates and were legally recognised in Zimbabwe without any repercussions;
Withholding of Birth Records due to non-payment
Local hospitals were alleged to have been withholding birth records due to non-payment of maternity fees, hence denying children their basic rights to acquire birth certificates and other social basic amenities offered by the State. In this regard, the hospitals were perceived as indirectly using the Registrar General`s Department as their debt collector.
Absence of reliable information on children`s identities
False information was being issued out by kraal heads, school officials and health personnel about the children`s identities.
Consequently, some of these officials were alleged to be charging for such services. A case in point was in Kezi, where the Committee received such information from Ministry officials.
Long distances travelled to access services
It was also submitted to the Committee that some communities are failing to access the Registrar General`s offices due to the long distances that they had to travel to get their primary documents. Submissions were made to the fact that some distances that had to be covered were well over two hundred kilometres to travel to the Registrar General`s offices.
A case in point was the distance between Mangwe & Gwanda and
Plumtreee and Gwanda. For instance, people have to travel from Chikwalakwala area to Gwanda and also from Shangani area to Gwanda to obtain primary documents. Members of the public suggested that there is need to set up sub offices in their districts so that they do not have to travel long distances for purposes of acquiring their primary documents. They further suggested the need to decentralise production of passports to their respective Provinces as a way of reducing the distances that people have to travel to acquire such documents.
Process of acquiring primary documents
The youths in Matabeleland South Province informed the Committee that the requirement for applicants who wanted to access primary documents were very cumbersome to the extent that some clients ended giving up before acquiring the documents. Consequently, the majority of them had dropped out of school due to their failure to acquire documents such as birth certificate and national identification cards.
Passports Issuance
The issuance of passports was said to be an extremely bureaucratic and slow process which could easily be turned into a fertile ground for corrupt practices. They said the whole process for getting passports is too long which de-motivates residents who stay in borders. In most cases, clients applying for passports complained of poor feedback and long waiting periods. Senior citizens staying in border areas found it difficult to acquire passports. They also said that the real cost of acquiring primary documents had a lot of hidden costs that had to be borne by applicants.
In some cases, for one to get an emergency passport one had to sell his or her livestock to raise money, hence the need for special permits taking into consideration their advanced ages. The Committee received submissions where some 85 year old applicants had been requested to bring witnesses in order for them to acquire their birth documents.
Burial Orders
Some of the challenges were said to be those relating to issues of burial orders. It was alleged that at times there were cases of individuals who did not come forward to acquire death certificates for their relative but instead only relied on burial orders as proof of death of their relatives. Such a scenario had far reaching consequences when it came to issues of administration of estates of the deceased.
Application of Laws and Policies
Throughout the districts visited by the Committee, there was an outcry that laws were too cumbersomely applied with extreme rigidity to the extent that it discouraged clients from applying for documents. In their submissions, some of the stakeholders condemned lack of discretion on the part of the officials who were in most cases adamant that witnesses be brought to testify even in extreme cases involving very elderly people in their late eighties who did not have requisite documents.
Language barrier
Incidents of language barrier were also highlighted where clients complained of cases where their names were misspelt by officials from the Registrar General’s office who were not conversant with local languages in these communities. In their submissions, members of such communities complained that it was quite costly for them to have those errors rectified.
The non-availability of primary documents also affected some sections of the population such as war veterans who needed to be allowed to get easy access to such documentation so that they could get their social benefits. The findings by your Committee on the challenges faced by the people in Matabeleland South Province had a lot of similarities throughout the districts visited namely Gwanda, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Maphisa and Kezi.
Operational Challenges
The Committee noted there were challenges of inadequate resources that the office of the Registrar General has to grapple with. However, there is compelling need for the Department to seriously address the following:-
- Unsuitable office facilities, these are very crowded and not user friendly and a lot of paper work being used.
- Inadequate Transport, there were no vehicles in most of the
Registrar`s General offices.
- Lack of foreign currency for passport paper, this is affecting the entire department particularly at the production centre.
- Inefficient online systems, the network system is always down, hence it is difficult for them to use internet.
- Complex paperwork, the forms that people may be requested to fill in details are many and sometimes the questions which were being asked are difficult to answer.
- Lack of public awareness - most people do not have idea on when public awareness programme will be conducted and they do not know the importance of having primary documents.
Impact of lack of birth certificates
The impact of lack of access to primary documents deprives citizens of education to levels beyond grade seven hence a lot of students drop out of school before writing primary school examinations.
This has an effect of prematurely ending their educational careers. Further to that talented sport persons find it difficult to represent the country or to participate competitively due to non-availability of their primary documents. Subsequently their potential in the sporting discipline is not realised.
The increased numbers of undocumented nationalities has the potential of exposing the country to high security risk which may manifest itself in spiralling criminal activities and human trafficking. Consequently it would be difficult to account for perpetrators of such activities as they would be unregistered. Suffice to say the numbers of undocumented nationalities will also continue to rise from one generation to the other. In addition lack of access to primary documentation has the impact of having false figures during census enumeration. It also results in stateless people, deprives citizens of their voting rights, basic rights, access to customary law benefits and other social benefits. Furthermore the impact of lack of primary documents leads to inaccurate resource planning and retards poverty alleviation strategies by Government.
Recommendations
In view of the challenges experienced, your Committee recommends the following measures to be undertaken in order to alleviate the plight of the citizens:-
- The department should streamline requirements for obtaining primary documents taking into account the peculiarities of border areas by 31st December 2019.
- The Ministry should undertake public awareness programmes on the importance of acquiring primary documents so that future generations are not disenfranchised and deprived of their citizenship status as a result of their parents who may not be so appreciative of the need to acquire such documentation by 31st
December, 2019;
- The Ministry conducts massive mobile registration exercises always as an all year round programme instead of carrying the exercise at specific times; i.e. around Christmas holidays when it is envisaged that, those working in neighbouring countries would have come into the country for the festive season. The time and allocation of resources may be problematic hence the failure to achieve the intended noble objectives;
- The Ministry should give a special dispensation for those who fall victim to natural disasters such as floods, lightning and infernos.
These should be given amnesty to acquire their primary documents without any cumbersome procedures by 31st December, 2019;
- That the office of the Registrar General be decentralised to all parts of the country by 31st December 2019 to make it easy for people in the hinterland to acquire documents, a service currently available in urban centres;
- That reliable transport, preferably four wheel drive type of vehicles, should always be availed to assist in conducting periodic visits to outreach areas;
- The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should undertake ongoing refresher courses and training in customer care for officers so that quality service may be provided by the department in the province.
- The Registrar General’s office should create facilities for birth certificates at E.C.D centres by 31st December 2020.
- The Registrar General’s office should immediately relax search penalties for lost documents.
- There is need for a continuous monitoring and evaluation framework that enhances parliamentary oversight on the Registrar
General’s department.
Conclusion
The Committee envisages that this report and recommendations contained therein will go a long way towards alleviating the plight of affected citizens. The public hearing on the petition enabled the Committee to get an appreciation of the challenges in frontier provinces of the country with regards to the issuance of primary documents. It is, therefore, the Committee’s fervent hope that the Ministry will consider this report and take remedial measures to expeditiously come up with policies that make it less cumbersome to acquire primary documents throughout the country. Such policies should include an amnesty by the
Registrar General’s office in the handling of similar cases like the ones raised by the Petitioners. I thank you.
^HON. NGULUVHE: I want to support the motion raised by the former speaker on what is happening under the Gwanda District. Firstly, I want to thank the Registry Department because they have already started the work of issuing out birth certificates to children. As we are talking right now, these children have already started getting birth certificates. I want to talk about those children with single parents, either single mother or father. It is not a problem of these children but it is a problem which can be solved by one of the parents.
Now, why is it that the Government is not allowing the elders to help these children to get birth certificates so that they can attend school. I want to talk about a child with a single parent looking at the people going to South Africa. Sometimes when they get to Beitbridge Border Post, they end up having children there and leaving those children at the border town. We would like Government to help us so that these children get birth certificates.
There are some children who are born in South Africa. For example, there are ladies who go to South Africa whilst they are pregnant, they get there and give birth. What can be done for these ladies or girls for them to get birth certificates because they cannot leave their children in South African? I do not want to say much about this issue because it is a problem to so many people, especially those who give birth while working abroad. For the elderly who are taking care of those children, they should get assistance especially when they want these children to get birth certificates. For example, I was in Gwanda and some of these elderly face problems when they want to get the birth or death records after their children or husbands have passed on.
For someone who is coming from Chikwalakwala to Beitbridge to get those documents and he/she is reffered to Gwanda. He/she does not have money, what is she going to do in order for her to get those documents. Why is it that the Registry Department is not doing enough for these people to get these birth certificates especially when looking at the nearest places like schools and so on?
I want to thank the Government of Zimbabwe for helping those who would have given birth in hospitals and you find out that these people do not have money to pay maternity fees. The Government is now assisting these people to get the birth certificates for their children. When you look at this issue, you can see that these people who are trying to get birth certificates sometimes it gets very expensive than getting a passport. For example, for some who will be coming from
Chikwalakwala going to Beitbridge and then from Beitbridge to
Gwanda, and in Gwanda it is already late and one has to sleep there. Tomorrow you have to go back and pay the money so you end up selling your goats or a cow. That is why I am saying to get a birth certificate is now more expensive than getting a passport.
Long back, we used to get passports from the Post Office. Why does the Government not make such an arrangement? When you look at the issue of getting burial orders, people do not have information about getting this burial order. There is need to give them more information to equip them with knowledge through getting the correct information from the correct department about how to get a burial order and what it is for. For example, when you are getting to the offices, some of the people do not even know how to spell our names and surnames.
For example, if you are getting to the birth certificate office, someone is writing “Nguluve’ instead of ‘Nguluvhe’. Then, one will end up looking for a lawyer for him or her to get the correct surname or name written on his or her birth certificate.
In other words, why is it that the Government needs to make an arrangement so that the people for example in Beitbridge, we have to have the people who are speaking Venda or Sesuthu so that they will not write the wrong spellings? Some of the people do not even write the correct name when you are looking for a Chikorekore or even Venda, Suthu or even Shangani. If you get a Shangani person to write the Chikorekore, he/she cannot write the correct information or the correct name. In short I am saying, I thank you Madam Speaker because the youth in Gwanda have already showed us that they really need those birth certificates and to make matters worse, under the Matabeleland South Province, people are making an effort to really help these people under this Province. When you are looking at children they should have been given birth certificates. Thank you so much Madam Speaker.
HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN. MAYIHLOME: Mr. Speaker Sir, I
now move that the debate be adjourned.
HON. MUBAIWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 28th August, 2019.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): I have
received a non-Adverse Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Education Amendment Bill, [H. B. 7B, 2019]. Consideration Stage: With leave, forthwith.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL [H. B. 7B, 2019]
Amendments to Clauses 2, 9, 12 and New Clause invested after
Clause 9, put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
EDUCATION AMENDMENT BILL (H. B. 7B, 2019)
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (PROF. MAVIMA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I now 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 JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI), the House
adjourned at Twenty-one Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 1st August, 2019
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
PRESENTATION OF THE 2019 MID-TERM FISCAL POLICY
REVIEW AND SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET STATEMENT
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the
Senate that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development will today present in the National Assembly, the 2019 Mid-Term Fiscal
Policy Review and the Supplementary Budget Statement at 1445 hours.
Hon. Senators are advised to follow the presentation on monitors in the Senate Chamber, here.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MANICALAND PROVINCE (HON. SEN. DR. GWARADZIMBA), the Senate adjourned at Twenty Five Minutes to Three o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 6th August, 2019.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 7th August, 2019
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANICALAND EAST
PROVINCE (HON. SEN. DR. GWARADZIMBA): 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.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of the environment and the use of natural resources.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me
an opportunity to debate on the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Chifamba. I also want to thank Hon. Sen. Chifamba for raising such a pertinent motion which encourages us to look after our vegetation. I want to start with the proverb ‘Kare haagare ari kare’ meaning we should not focus on the past because things change. What I have realised is that our country cannot be stretched like elastic but our population continues to grow. Our elders say that when the population increases, everything should increase as well.
In the past, there were large forests but because the population is growing and people are looking for places to stay as they grow and have families of their own and cut down trees to build their homes.
Nowadays, it is actually better because we have bricks unlike long back when we used pole and dagga. Those are some of the root causes of deforestation. Even here in town, the number of people living in towns has increased and this has an effect on the service and people say the Government is letting us down but that is not the case because when we increase in numbers, we should look at other factors.
When we cut down trees for firewood and when I was listening, I heard that trees are cut down in the rural areas and brought into the cities to sell as there is no electricity. However, if you look closely, those people are looking for money because our population has grown and they need means of survival. We should look at ways to earn a living and maybe they also are following the mantra by the President that Zimbabwe is open for business. So, everyone is doing business. Yes, they will be doing business but we should not encourage them to cut down trees but as leaders, what are we doing?
Each year, there is a programme which should take place once a year in December on National Tree Planting Day because the Government realised that trees are becoming scarce because of the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’. So, people should be encouraged to plant trees in December. Our Government set aside this day for planting trees and the President plants a tree on that day but how many trees have each one of us planted? People are cutting down trees for various reasons such as selling for money, building houses and so on but we should teach people in our constituencies to participate on National Tree Planting Day.
If we can, as Members of Parliament who are issued vehicles, carry trees such as mutamba, mutohwe, et cetera in our cars for planting in our constituencies on this particular day. This will ensure that our trees will be preserved. If we allow people to cut trees randomly without planting more, we will end up in a desert.
When I got married, there were think forests but now, we can hardly find any firewood because of overpopulation. Let us come up with a programme that will ensure our forests are restored. Those who treat tobacco cut trees to treat their tobacco but others have had a programme of planting gum trees, that is what is encouraged, other than blaming the Government all the time. The Government cannot plant trees throughout the country. We should do that together in order to preserve our forests. During the month of December, each and every citizen must plant a tree, even ten trees per person rather than continuously blaming the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
Fruit trees like muzhanje, I will refer to the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business,’ people gather the mazhanje fruits for business purposes. Let us teach our constituents that if we want to sell those fruits, let us not cut the trees or gather unripe fruits. We used to live in areas where there were so many fruit trees of mazhanje and we would gather and eat. However, people began to notice that it was an opportunity for business as the fruit trees like muzhanje, muchechete and mutohwe were popular and had a market for those fruits. Our chiefs should educate their subjects that if one is found gathering unripe fruits, they should be convicted. I would like to thank you for this opportunity.
I heard someone referring to the days of Ian Smith but I do not think we are ever going back there, he is gone with his regime. Let us talk about us with this new dispensation and improve the economy of our country. We do not want Smith back into our country and we should never be reminded of the white man. Let us do our own things with the blessing of God. Mr. President, each person in December should carry tree plants to plant in our constituencies.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF
SENATE
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: May I
remind Hon. Members once again to put your phones on silent or better still, switch them off.
++HON. SEN. NYATHI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on this motion moved by Hon. Sen. Chifamba on the environment. A lot has been said so far, but I would like to talk about veld fires. I am really shocked Mr. President because of these veld fires. All along, was this fire not there, how come these days we see a lot of all these veld fires everywhere and nobody will be attempting to stop it and people who start those fires are not seen? What is causing all that? Even on road sides, somebody raised that issue yesterday. Some of the cars use petrol – [HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order!
++HON. SEN. NYATHI: You see those fires raging and smoke
will be covering the road. With these accidents claiming lives on the roads, you see smoke obstructing the road users especially in the evening, then you wonder how this is happening.
Let me also touch on the issue of tree planting, I agree that we should plant trees. However, if we plant those trees on one hand whilst we burn on the other hand and we do not address the plight of veld fires – yes, we might grow trees but we burn those trees again. So, what we should do is to address the cause of veld fires so that we restore dignity to our country.
The environment has totally changed because a lot of trees have been cut down. If you visit some areas, trees will be the prominent features that mark your way. However, that is all gone now because people are just cutting down trees, even on streams. During the time that I was born in 1960, as we were growing up, streams were flowing and we used to fetch water from them but now because of veld fires, they also burn seeds of various tree species. We used to eat a lot of fruits when we grew up. That was also important to our health but all those trees have all been destroyed by veld fires. So, my suggestion is, when we debate here, let us ensure that we address the root cause of this menace of veld fires.
As we grew up, these fires that burn the whole country from East to West were not there. Now we debate in this august House every time, that these veld fires must be stopped but right now as we speak, if we were to go out, we will find those veld fires raging. So, what will become of our country? Some of the educated people refer to soil erosion as being caused by veld fires. So what it also means is, the veld fires burn everything including matter and dead leaves. That would also contribute to enrichment of soil, but these days you will no longer get food because people are burning fires which is also contributing to poor food production, even deserts are growing.
Trees also blow whirlwinds, but these days roofs are being blown off by whirlwinds. So when we cut down and burn those trees, our environment loses dignity. As we debate now, we say let us go and plant trees. It is just as good as saying someone is building yet on the other hand another person is destroying. So the most important thing is, as we debate let us look at the root cause of these problems. Where are these veld fires coming from?
If it is a policy it should be referred to, for instance the chiefs, our traditional leaders. They must be empowered to examine the cause of that problem so that they may enforce the snipping in the bud of the root cause of veld fires. Even in the rural areas, the chiefs should be empowered to ensure that they look at the root cause of those problems. Yes, I am referring to the powers of the traditional chiefs, but the biggest problem is here in towns or areas that are not under the jurisdiction of traditional leaders. Even if we refer to EMA, indeed yes EMA has the power. Even if people go to report they are afraid of EMA, yet they do not seem to be afraid of the problem. Should they wait for EMA to tell them that there is a problem with these veld fires? People should be responsible. People should understand that veld fires affect them, not necessarily EMA.
Mr. President Sir, I do not understand on the issue of veld fires. Even wild animals including snakes are no longer there. We used to learn History and Geography. We used to have practical lessons but these days when children have to go out to see those animals or species they no longer see those snakes. They will no longer see them including hares. As you would travel from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, there were a lot of hares on the road, but these days you no longer see them including bucks and all other wild animals. There was a fence that used to demarcate or protect road sides.
I raised that motion in this Parliament referring to that fence. You no longer see it and even the wild animals you do not see them. You can drive all the way to Victoria Falls without seeing wild animals. These days you can draw a wild animal like for instance a hare, but our
children will no longer see them live. They can only get to see them on pictures or in books and they will not be able to see them live.
So what I am saying is, we should address the problem of veld fires so that our country can be as beautiful as before with wild animals, trees and flowers. When the Minister comes to this House, we should be able to hear a policy that can stop that from going on. If EMA is not capable of enforcing that, then we should make sure that other people are brought in to stop the problem. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am talking
and let us listen when the Chair is talking.
HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. P. NDHLOVU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 7th August, 2019.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. WUNGANAYI: Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity to add my voice to this motion. I would like to thank Sen. Timveos, the mover of this motion on pensions. Mr. President, when we were growing up we saw the elderly in our community living good lives while on pension. What surprises me is that nowadays it is a completely different story. It is now not a good idea to retire from work even at the age of 92 because pension is no longer enough for our pensioners.
Some may ask why I said 92 years. It is because if a person works for 60 or 62 years at a company and he retires, two years after retiring he cannot even afford to buy bathing soap. With such a scenario who would like to go on retirement? This affects us because we see many pensioners who are now suffering because they cannot afford basic goods. If you look at them you cannot imagine that these people worked for 50 years at a company, for example like Olivine but cannot afford to buy even a bottle of cooking oil. Our elders in the villages who once worked are now living as if they never worked before. I think
Government should come up with legislation that looks into the pensions of people. They should not know it by going and sleeping in the bank queues. It should be known how much they get and when because if a person waits for the whole year to get a $60 pension, then they board a bus, what is it? From where I come from Njanja, it is now $50 then you come to Harare and you are given $60. After spending three days, you would have spent $60 and you are given RTGS$60 through ecocash because there is nothing they can do to get the cash. On top of that, with RTG$60, you cannot buy anything. You can only buy a bottle of Mazoe
drink.
Mr. President, we are in trouble of helping people who are supposed to be helping themselves after working hard. I am worried when I listen to some people talking about war veterans. It is very painful. There are some who want to talk as if they love them more than others but they are both our parents. We should tell the truth which builds us, how we got independence.
Mr. President, no one hates war veterans because they are our parents. We were with them during the war. They used to help together with our mothers, fathers, sisters and our brothers for us to gain independence but if you look at how they live, it is very painful. Surely
Mr. President, no one wants to retire. When I look at it, there is Rtd. Major General Nyambuya because he is on his farm that he was allocated by the Government, he should retire and enjoy his pension but now he cannot go to his farm because there are no inputs there. He does not have pension, no honour in order for him to be respected. In order for him to be recognised, he should remain as the President of the Senate. There is nowhere you can be respected out there. That is the truth. We have our war veterans, brothers and sisters in the rural areas and most of them are suffering from stroke because they are getting nothing. They are living from hand-outs. When the youngsters are now scolding them, we say they are not good people but it is the Government which should have the legislation in place. We should not only mention about the war veterans because when we refer to them, it is as if we love them. If we love them, we should speak on what pertains to them. They should get their money and their children should go to school but honestly speaking, we do not like the war veterans.
The war veteran is where the country begins. One party did not fight the war; everyone fought for it. No one can stand up and say, I do not like war veterans because from every home, there were people who were involved. They did not fight each other as we do in this House. They had one purpose for us to live well but today a war veteran, if you get into the society, I have my uncles and brothers in the rural areas and when they see me going into the community, they ask me about their money. They say do you talk about our welfare in Parliament. Mr.
President, we can say you are very lucky because you got a job in the
Government and in other companies after the war. What about those who were crippled and are sitting at home right now who did not get anything, even the demob? Who is going to remember them if they do not get their pension?
Mr. President, NSSA should be investigated. The NSSA should be talked about in all sectors. There is a state of the art building that I see going to Borrowdale which was built by NSSA but pensioners are earning $30. If you want to go and rent in that building, you should make sure you pay rentals in United States dollars but they are giving people $30. How many buildings does NSSA have in this country? They are many. Mr. President, NSSA as an institution must be investigated to see how money is handled. I was happy when I saw that some people were investigated, which is a sign that we are going somewhere. There is somewhere we are going and we will get there.
Mr. President, I am very pained when I look at pensioners in the rural areas. In towns, they can sell tomatoes and live. What about those in the rural areas who do not have even livestock at their homesteads?
They came back disabled. What do they get in this beautiful country of ours?
The truth we should remember all of us is that everyone out there who once worked for a company should get a pension. It is only war veterans and Government workers who get their pension. If it does not start from there, who else do you think should give people their pensions? We should first look at the way our war veterans are living. We have relatives that are suffering out there because they were not working anywhere. We thought that if they are the ones who liberated us, they are the ones going to sit pretty but their living has been taken over by some thieves.
Mr. President, this country should enforce change from the top going down because if it starts from the bottom going down, we are lying to each other. It should start from the top. It should be like anointing oil coming from the head going down Aaron’s head. To see the beauty, it must come from the top. Even a river flows from the top going down. Our country should flow like a river. We should not force things or go behind the back. I am waiting to hear that the Board of NSSA has been called and the culprits apprehended. It is not that I am suspecting them but I am saying they should be apprehended. These people have destroyed our country.
For us to know what happens in other institutions, we should start with NSSA because it has to do with issues of the people who worked for this country. The people should get their pensions.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for
affording me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which is at hand and which touches on a lot of people in our country. Firstly, I would want to say that right now we are talking about pension issues. Pension came about after independence because when we were growing up, if your father had worked in a company for a number of years, then they would be given a bicycle as a pension after working for 20 years. when we got our independence, it enabled us to change those laws so that each and everyone who is gainfully employed knows that they are paying towards their retirement pension.
When it started, it used to go very well. There was an Hon. Member who said we would envy the pensioners but here is the challenge which has befallen us. There are thieves that have dipped their hands into the pension fund. These thieves would, when they are in trouble, move around selling premises and people lost a lot of money just like what is happening in these mushrooming churches. People are forming churches so that they can make money. They steal money through tithes paid by people. They group people according to how much they are paying and that is a challenge we are faced with. Even when it comes to pensions and insurances which we thought would help people, people take advantage of the premises.
What I want to say is that after we have seen that, I want to thank the new dispensation which came and placed the Anti-Corruption Commission which has teeth now to bite so that investigations will take place and come up with solutions. In the new dispensation, the President has put a new Board to investigate these people and make sure that they are arrested. We know that the previous Board did not have the powers to arrest but the Board that is now there has been given powers to arrest. People are being arrested and so I have confidence.
There is an Hon. Member who once said things will not remain the same. The new dispensation is putting order so that where there was disorder, they will now be order so that our country will move forward and our pensioners will be able to get their money. I will not delve into the issue of how people are living but we should render support as Senate. We should not point fingers at each other. We should come together and work as legislators so that we can bring order so that our people are viewed as people through their pensions. We should be able to help each other. If we do that Mr. President, I know that we will concur because there is no problem that will not end if we bring our heads together. Thank you.
+HON. SEN. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the issue of pensions. A lot has been said about pensioners and most of the members who contributed before me highlighted that these people are having difficulties in accessing their pension fund. It is important that the Government looks at how they are going to get their funds since most of the beneficiaries are coming from the rural areas and some of them are actually using the same funds that they get as their pension.
It will be easier Mr. President that the beneficiaries, since we are taking into consideration that most of them are elderly people, for them to be queuing for a long time in banks; why can we not fix this so that they do not spend so much time in queues at their banks? Members who contributed before me indicated that most of them especially now that we are in the new dispensation; we have a new Board that was elected which should also take into consideration that most of these elderly people are coming from rural areas. Some of them travel more than 200 km and have to stay for long periods in bank queues. They should be able to have access to their funds without facing such difficulties.
We are also taking into consideration that the issue of pension is a problem to everyone. We also realise that war veterans are facing the same challenge. The war veterans will acknowledge this and the question that we pose is why war veterans should have difficulties. We know why we are getting funds that are not enough. As Hon. Members of the Senate, why should we be seen not to be speaking with one voice when it comes to the issue of war veterans? Everyone who is a war veteran knows why they are facing such challenges. We all know why we are facing such challenges and our plea is that this should be –[HON.
SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order.
Allow the Hon. Senator to debate. Let us listen to what she is saying even if you do not agree with it. You have your own opinion and it is respected – [HON. KOMICHI: Vakurasika.] – Hon. Sen. Komichi, withdraw that.
HON. SEN. KOMICHI: I withdraw Mr. President Sir.
+HON. SEN. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President Sir, for protecting me. I am saying something that I know and have experienced. I am one of the war veterans. Issues to do with pensions are so important for you will actually be preparing for your future when you retire. What we used to see way back is that, when someone retires, the person would get so much respect as they will be able to do so many things. Some of the pensioners die early because they will not be doing any form of exercise.
It is our request that the Government should correct this so that people get their pensions in full and they should be respected. When one retires, they are supposed to be taken care of by the pensions that they will be receiving. I am adding my voice on this and saying, as Zimbabweans, all that we want is the truth. As a war veteran, you cannot keep on saying the same thing especially if you bring issues that have to do with the past, you will be opening healed wounds. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th August, 2019.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Fourth Order Read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need of the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: Thank you Mr. President for giving
me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion that was brought by Hon. Sen. Tongogara and the seconder on child marriages that we should come up with a law that restricts child marriages. A lot has been said in this House concerning child marriages. Following on what one of the Senators questioned that, why should we have child marriages and why they should be raped; as parents, we are supposed to have a look at this. We realise that way back, such things never used to happen. What is happening today is worrying us especially as Members of Parliament. Most of them are being raped by their relatives and the child marriages are occurring a lot. Why should we have child marriages?
Mr. President Sir, when a child is born, there are certain traditions that are done where we check whether the child is a boy or girl. There used to be certain traditions that used to be done when they were still young and this used to protect them from so many things that could happen to them as they grew up. We are no longer teaching our children the culture that we used to practice. You will notice that a child who is at the age of 12 might have experienced their menstrual cycle already and if we do not look into this, these girls think that they are old enough to start families.
I just want to add my voice, especially on what I have said; we need to sit down and teach our children on the culture that we used to have. You will realise that most of them reach the menstruation stage at a tender age whilst way back, they would reach that stage maybe at the age of 18. We have girls proposing to boys these days and we should come up with a law that restricts that.
We need to have a look at that Mr. President Sir as Members of the Senate on why we are having a high rate of child marriages. This may be caused by the fact that they are now reaching the puberty stage at an early age. We should come up with a law in Zimbabwe that restricts that. If we do not correct this, most boys will be arrested because of marrying an underage child. Most Hon. Members highlighted that we should scrutinise why we are having child marriages especially nowadays as compared to what used to happen before. This could be because of the type of food that we are eating. When you look at a 12year old, you might think she is in her late 20s. With these few words Mr. President Sir, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to support the motion raised by Sen. Tongogara and those who supported. Mr. President, I realise that as a country we have a big problem about early child marriages. In the past a girl or a boy would grow to a reasonable age.
If we look at the lives lived by our mothers, there were not so many schools, but they would preserve the culture that would ensure that marriage would be respected. The girl child would grow so much that if the time comes for them to get married there was a channel to consult the aunt. The aunt would enquire about the totem or the origins of the boy, but these days things have changed. A girl would communicate with a boy over the phone to court for marriage, but they would not be knowing each other and that is a problem that is affecting our culture.
We have a problem so much that such a relationship has been destroyed in our families. We no longer get time to impart good culture and bad things to our children. The mother goes out and minds their own business, the father minds his own business and the children also mind their own business. That has destroyed our culture, but sometimes that is also caused by the way we behave as parents. If the mother dies and there is a girl child, those children who are left behind by the deceased suffer a lot. There is no woman who agrees to take care of a child who was left by another woman, hence leading to the girl child opting to get married at an early age because of the suffering. It is caused by the behaviour of us women. We do not take good care of such children because we say I will not take care of another woman’s child. They only care about looking after their own biological children.
Families that are led by step mothers are suffering a lot. I came across a girl child who is being taken care of by a step mother. She narrated her story that when she went to take grain from the silo one of her step mother’s relatives came and raped her, so now she was going to the police station to report. I asked why she was not accompanied by the step mother. She said the step mother asked her to face her case alone. So what is happening now is, when a step mother comes in the husband has no control. It is the step mother who controls how things are run in that family and they do not take care of the children.
My province Mashonaland Central is number one in child marriages. This is not about development. It has nothing to do with development but is number one in child marriages. I am ashamed when this issue is being debated and statistics bare given. I am ashamed because that is where I come from. What is causing this at times is laziness. Debates take place in beer halls and when they find someone who is rich, they pledge their children because people in Zimbabwe are greedy when it comes to money. We are no longer interested in our children growing up. We are greedy. That is the challenge which we are faced with in Zimbabwe.
We should put strong legislation. We are very happy with the Marriage Bill. We should talk about it. We have been given a chance to choose as people of Zimbabwe what we want as Zimbabweans. Let me say that if we leave it like that, it will not go well for us as a nation because right now, we no longer have our aunts. The aunts are now doing whatever they want and our mothers are doing what they want as well, but we should think of families that are marrying off children, that the mothers and the father should be given strong penalties because when they are given lobola, they share. The mother is given groceries and other things and the father is given clothes and other things. These two should be convicted and given the same number of year in prison. I think we will end child marriages because they have agreed so that they would benefit on the lobola. So when the Marriage Bill is tabled, it will help us. We should really debate and exhaust it and people should
adhere to the principles of the legislation because right now, they think that we are a lawless country.
What does it help to marry a young child? When you look at it; the son-in-law is older than the mother-in-law and it is very difficult for a mother-in-law to be respected by a very old son in law because we would have agreed to the game. We should let our children grow, let them go to school and improve their career so that they become tomorrow’s leaders or become senators. They should choose on their own because they would be learned and they will now know what is to get married since they would have matured. Wherever they go, it is a burden to that family because she has to be looked after by that family. She does not know how to man a home. So as Zimbabweans, I think we should come up with stiffer penalties.
Long back we used to say that if a girl or a child is misbehaving neighbours would reprimand them, but these days they do not listen. They will tell you that you are not my mother you cannot reprimand them. We must look into that because we have lost our culture of not respecting each other. That is why long back we would see that in our homes when they are married as mature people, divorce was very rare. They would get old but these days after two years of marriage they separate. They think that they would have been separated. Our children are now making us enemies with our neighbours because we have lost our culture. I think we should debate the Marriage Bill so that we come up with strong legislation that will help our children when they want to get married at the right age. If we do not do that, we would have missed it and it will continue to be a play game. It is very difficult for children to get married. We are destroying their future. We should remove the spirit of greediness from the families and we move well. We should work hard because we can change our lives and send our children to school. That is what makes us develop as a nation. Thank you Mr.
President.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MATHUPULA: Thank you very much Mr.
President for the opportunity to speak to the topic before us on, the issue of child marriages that was brought in by Hon. Sen. Tongogara. I would like to thank you so much for such a pertinent issue that has been brought before us and the seconder. I felt that I should also add my voice to the issue, not because I am a lawmaker and a representative of my community, but because I am a parent. This issue is pertinent to all of us as parents. The issue of child marriages is an old issue but it seems to be taking years for us to sort it out. What is a normal marriage? A marriage is the union of two adults with a full, free and informed consent. That is a simple definition but how can a child have a full, free and informed consent? If you read the contract laws, a child cannot enter into a contract because they say, a child is too young to be fully informed. She cannot be educated enough, she cannot be free enough because she is just a child living with an adult maybe 20 or 30 years older than that child. You cannot say that child is free in that union.
We have children living in such circumstances and we cannot call them free, we cannot call them full and we cannot call them informed in those relationships. These are the child marriages that we are talking about Mr. President. I feel very much that these children are sort of slaves who are in these relationships which they cannot have a say in.
I want to speak about child marriages and health Mr. President. If these children are not informed, if they are not having full, free and consent, how can they speak to issues regarding their health? We are fighting the epidemics, for example HIV, STDs, high infant mortality and mobility. We cannot fight these and win if we still have child marriages. This is because these children cannot speak to issues such as sexual reproductive health and issues of contraceptives. They are too young to understand. Even if they want to speak to them, they would like to have their partners give them permission and most of the time, the older men would not want that child to exercise their right to sexual reproductive health. Then we cannot win the fights that are against health. We then have a vicious cycle of health problems which continue to bedevil this country. We cannot win the fight for good health if we still have child marriages.
The issue of poverty is number two Mr. President. We cannot win the fight against poverty as long as we have child marriages in our communities. It is common knowledge that most of the countries that have child marriages are also high poverty countries. It becomes a vicious cycle Mr. President because in trying to escape poverty, you marry off your child but without those informed choices we spoke about, you have such a big family. In trying to feed the family, you want one of the children to be married off. It becomes a vicious poverty cycle.
As a nation, we need to improve the standards of living for our people. As legislators, we need to have projects in our communities that our people can find to make better ways of living so that they do not see their children as ways of making money or as income generating projects.
We would like to speak to the issue of education also Mr. President. Without improving this issue, we cannot have our children marrying at the right ages. Are there schools in the rural areas of
Zimbabwe? How far do our children travel to get to school? Is it easy for them to love going to school? The long distances that we see being travelled, for example in Tsholotsho, from my area Jimila Secondary to Siphepha Secondary School, it is 40km. From Jimila Secondary to the next secondary school when you are going towards Tsholotsho, it is another 40km. This is too far for a child to be travelling and you expect the child to continue to do well. We then have high numbers of school drop-outs. These children who drop out at Grade 7 until they reach 18 years, all those years what will they be doing? They will be sitting doing nothing. At the end, they have to marry because that is the only thing that will be attracting them or that will be around them at that age. We need to improve the issue of education because it touches very much on our child marriages. If the schools are available, what is the quality of schools that are available.
The issue of BEAM and having school fees paid for our children is very important. BEAM needs to be available and it needs strengthening. When the Minister is talking about it, see to it that we see BEAM catering for a greater number of students. Also, the issue of free primary and secondary education should be made available so that our children do not need to drop out of school. The issue of extra-curricular activities, sports and the like, we do not have a lot of them in rural Zimbabwe. We see that this is also causing our children to have nothing to do and end up sitting around, waiting for the potential grooms to approach them.
The issue of vocational training centres, we need to have them in every district because the children that are sitting around doing nothing are the ones being potential brides. We also see a situation even in town where even the urban town planners are not looking at the issue of children anymore. All they look for is money. If you look at the way they used to plan long back, there used to be sports and recreational facilities in every place which was being planned. If you look now, even the old parks where there used to be swings and slides, they are run down and the councils that are there now do not bother to make sure those parks are rehabilitated. It is our duty as legislators to look into our areas and see those parks which used to be there where children used to go. Swimming pools need to be rehabilitated so that our children can find something to do and not forced to grow up.
Mr. President, on the issue of legislation, I am very happy that the Marriage Bill that was brought to our attention and deliberation touched on the issue of the age of marriage which was said to be eighteen years. It is still going to come before us but I am happy that this age has now been brought to Parliament so that we can put our stamp on it.
The issue of concern Mr. President is the age of consent. We cannot, as a nation, agree to a situation where the age of consent is sixteen years but the age of marriage is eighteen years. Our laws are a reflection of our values and we do not value a situation where a child is given the licence to have sex but not given the licence to marry. That is a great problem which we need as legislators to tackle and see to it that age of consent and the age of marriage are harmonised so that we also seem, as legislators, to know what we are talking about.
The issue of culture is also very important. Our culture as
Zimbabweans – somebody spoke about the first thing that should protect a child is the family. As our laws, we should strengthen the family and the ability of a father and mother to discipline, correct and instruct the child. As long as we have those same values which our culture brought about Hon. President, our children are in safe hands. The issue of also giving the community and the extended family the ability to look after that child is also very important. So, our traditional values of family, extended family and community should also be strengthened so that everyone is given the onus to look after that child Mr. President.
Also on the issue of culture, we have also, as traditional leaders, the onus to look at our communities and make sure that those younger than eighteen years are not married. We need to also monitor those unregistered cultural marriages which are happening in our areas which are cultural and largely accepted by most people in rural areas. But it is now the duty of us as leadership to make sure that those who are younger than eighteen are not married off.
So, Mr. President, in conclusion, we have a very big role in front of us especially as Parliamentarians to continue this fight against child marriages even as the Marriage Bill comes, to look at that once and for all so that on the legislative side, it says something which is positive towards our children. To our policy makers, we need a child policy which will once and for all speak to the issues that protect our children which will trickle down to the rest of the country. Also Mr. President, to our traditionalists, they should make sure that in rural Zimbabwe, our children are protected. I would like to end by a quote from Mr. Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, who says ‘You can judge a morality of a people by the way they treat their own children’. I thank you.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 8th August, 2019.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MANICALAND PROVINCE (HON. SEN. DR. GWARADZIMBA), the Senate adjourned at Five Minutes to Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 27th August, 2019.