PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 8th March, 2016
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
SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform all members of the
Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus that there will be a half-day training on social media on Friday, 11th March, 2016 at Nine o’clock.
All interested members should register at the Women’s Caucus Office Number 181. Those with laptops, tablets and smart phones are advised to bring them.
This announcement does not state where the training is going to take place. Anyone from the Women’s Caucus to assist; alright, so the Hon. Members in that caucus will have to consult each other. I was not given the venue.
APPOINTMENT TO COMMITTEES
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that Hon.
Josephine Shava has been nominated to serve in the Portfolio
Committees on Environment, Water and Climate and Small and Medium Enterprises Co-operative Development.
THE HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. On a point of order! My point of order is on matters of process and procedure pertaining to this House. If you look at our Order Paper, Mr. Speaker, we have motions that have been on this Order Paper for as long as we can remember. We also have questions, like if you go to questions section; Questions with Notice, question number 1 to 16 were deferred last week from the previous week. It is becoming very costly to this House that if you look from the second page of this Order Paper to the last page, everything has been the same for as long as I can remember.
The only page that changes is the second page.
What it means is that all these other pages are a waste of resources because motions are deliberated on; Ministers are not coming to give their response. So, motions are remaining on the Order Paper without falling off. Ordinarily, when a notice of motion is given, like Hon. Kwaramba has done that she is going to move a motion on Thursday, if the motion is not moved on that particular day, ordinarily it should fall off the Order Paper because it is assumed that the Hon. Member is no longer interested in moving the motion.
I am worried that our Order Paper is not looking very good. We only have one day for our own business. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for Government Business. Our only day for business is Wednesday.
When Wednesday comes, after Questions without Notice, it appears all
Members of Parliament leave and there is no business that happens after 1700 p.m. We have so much Business to do and I implore your good office to whip Members of Parliament so that on Wednesdays, when we have our Business we go beyond 1700 hours, even 1900 p.m. so that we discuss the motions on the Order Paper. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I hear the Hon. Member
and I thought he has answered himself partially to the extent that some Hon. Members leave the Chamber. How many times have I said stay in the Chamber and debate? If the motion is there on the Order Paper and we call for debate, nobody stands up. So, it is up to the Hon. Members to debate until the following day. The Standing Rules and Orders do not stop you from debating but we have suffered from lack of quorum. Also, it is not the duty of the Chair to whip Members. You chose your whips. It is they who must whip you to stay here and debate. As for some motions that have stayed their lifespan, we will definitely expunch them from the Order Paper so that we save cost as you have correctly indicated Hon. Maridadi.
FIRST READING
MANICALAND STATE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
BILL [H.B. 8, 2015]
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. (HON. DR. GANDAWA) presented the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Bill (H.B. 8, 2015).
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
FIRST READING
GWANDA STATE UNIVERSITY BILL [H.B. 9, 2015] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.
(HON. DR. GANDAWA) presented the Gwanda State University Bill (H.B.
9, 2015).
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. GONESE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March, 2016
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE
PRESIDENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I feel I should stand up and make a contribution SONA. Allow me to first thank His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde R.G. Mugabe for coming to the august House and deliver SONA. The 10 Point Plan he raised include number one, revitalising agriculture and agro-processing value chain. The good example is what has happened at Cashel Valley and Cairns Foods. I went there over the weekend; I saw that everybody was busy. Five hundred (500) hectares have been allocated to
Manicaland Province to produce beans and other vegetables required by Cairns Foods in the Cane process.
We have 300 hectares to be distributed to all other provinces. Mr. Speaker Sir, 2 000 households are going to be involved in this agricultural development programme and more so, the large number of participants are women. This is the only way we can transform the rural areas when our women are producing for a ready market which pays - not producing for GMB which does not pay. Farmers must not waste time looking for the market, it is there for whatever they produce. The companies employ agronomists and they are assisting Agritex officials to increase the yields. In our agriculture the most important thing is that if your yields are low, for example if somebody is harvesting 10 tonnes per hectare and you are harvesting two tonnes per hectare, you are always complaining that the prices are too low because your production is also too low. So, you will not enjoy anything.
The element of this value chain which has been introduced by Cairns
Food is critical. We now need to say let us buy Zimbabwe, let us buy Cashel Valley Baked beans. It was the best beans we used to eat. The tragedy that you are going to see as Zimbabweans is that one Government department is going to give an import permit to a particular company to import tens and thousands of GMO beans to compete with Cashel Valley. This person claims to be a businessman but alas, those are criminals destroying our agriculture, and they have no room in an independent Zimbabwe. This land we have today, the process of developing agriculture is what everybody agreed, stood for and we cannot have people coming in overnight to destroy our agriculture. We must never import anything that we can produce because we are just killing ourselves. The economy will never grow. So, I am appealing to the
Committee on Agriculture to go to Cashel Valley and see for themselves what is happening there. They should inform the relevant Government departments - it is a joke because one Minister has a Constitutional obligation to train farmers, the same Minister issues out import permits for importing vegetables that he has books in his office which tells him to produce beans. The whole thing is confusing and we are destroying our poor farmers in the rural areas.
So, we need to go and see what is going on at Cashel Valley.
When you look at the Agro-processing line; Bata produces quality shoes, in Midlands Gweru, they are the largest employers who employ about 1 350 workers but overnight we see people importing shoes. People are bringing in containers full of shoes, some of the shoes will be brand new in a box but they will be of one side like for the left leg and you have nowhere to complain to, because these are all imported from Europe – [HON. MEMBERS: From China] - Mr. Speaker Sir, people are trying to put words into my mouth, what I saw is that they were imported from Europe.
Before 2007, they were 76 African Caribbean Pacific countries, these are all former colonies of Europe, and they had what was known as Lome 1, 2,
3 agreements. These countries, including Zimbabwe enjoyed preferential
trade with Europe but then after the establishment of the European Union, there was what was known as the Economic Partnership. This meant that goods from Europe would come into any country in these 76 former colonies of Europe and compete. That is why we are now having shoes coming from Europe because we went into this agreement with Europe. Even in beer halls we see beer produced in Holland. In future Mr. Speaker Sir, the august House must look at some of these agreements because we have just been signing agreements that destroy us.
We have the issue of cotton – the production of cotton was mostly in region four and five but there is nothing. The major reason is that
Government banned the importation of second hand clothing but it did not ban the selling. If you go to every growth point there is a big market selling the second hand clothes. The major culprits are ourselves, we are not paying any duty, and most of those goods are smuggled. So, there is need for us, if we want Gokwe to return to its original status, we must allow the people of Gokwe to produce cotton. We must allow the people of Gokwe to sell their cotton at a reasonable price so that when they sell their cotton, it is put to ginneries. We must be proud to be wearing Zimbabwean clothes. If we were to check here in Parliament our clothing, we will notice that we are all putting clothes that are made in other countries yet we claim to be very patriotic. So the whole process must begin at home, we must support our home produced products.
There is the element of beneficiation and value addition. Beneficiation is the element of adding value - for example in diamonds, it is not even the cutting and polishing, it is just washing those diamonds then you know, on this consignment of diamonds what gem is and what is industrial. Diamonds have been exported unwashed and then they come and say it was 10% gem and 90% industrial. This has happened yet we say we are the most educated people in Africa. Our education does not recognise that people are stealing from us. We always want to think of things that do not help us. Cutting and polishing of diamonds is critical but all the cutting and polishing plants in Harare are not operational. Diamond producers are offering our people poor quality diamonds.
So, it is important Mr. Speaker Sir, that as a nation we realise what belongs to us. We must also realise that one day these minerals will lose value. There were emeralds in Mberengwa or Belingwe, Sandawana Mine. People used to struggle to go out there, but alas, one country is now producing synthetic emeralds. Nobody wants to hear about the emeralds from Sandawana, they are making them in a laboratory. One day it might happen on the diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are on their way on the market and we will be seated with those diamonds in Marange so it is important that we support our industry. When we do value addition we have created employment for our youths.
I was reading on the internet Mr. Speaker Sir, GMO free stock feed is on demand in many countries; here we have been producing GMO free soya beans and maize. We can be able to establish markets for our soya beans, add value to them, take the oil from the soya, get the soya cake and produce for the benefit of our people. Then our youths will get employed.
Finally, Research and Development is very critical in the development of agriculture and in the development of every other country. When you move around at Siyaso, Siyaso has remained what it was since I was a ten year old boy because there has not been any development. It is like rank marshals, they never changed since they started, it has always been Harare apo!, Harare apo! As a nation, we need to develop as we do some of our things because we are not rank marshals but a country that requires that we plan together and add value to whatever is in our hands.
I think, when we celebrate the International Women’s Day, we must also realise that 80% of our people live in the rural areas and more than 75% are women that need the support of this august House to continue producing, adding value and benefiting. In Mutoko and Domboshava, they produce a lot of vegetables but nothing is happening in terms of value addition. It is the responsibility of those relevant ministries.
I want to conclude by thanking you for allowing me to speak and I also want to thank Hon. Members who normally do not contribute for listening attentively and not making a lot of noise. Continue being attentive, as it is part of your learning process. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March, 2016.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that all other Orders of the Day, be stood over until Orders of the Day, Numbers 12, 17 and 27 are disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
UNLAWFUL PRACTICES OF CHILD MARRIAGES
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Mr. Speaker, I move
the motion standing in my name That this House;
TAKING NOTE, of the rampant unlawful practice of child marriages in Zimbabwe;
FURTHER Taking Note of the harmful effect of child marriages in Zimbabwe and other related customary practices such as the pledging of children;
ACKNOWLEDGING the abolishment of child marriages by the
Constitutional Court in the landmark ruling of Loveness Mudzuru, and
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi vs the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
Affairs and others judgment, CCZ12/ 2015;
ACKNOWLEDGING and expressing indebtness to the
Constitutional Court for the bold and long overdue decision;
FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING and expressing indebtedness to the young women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who brought the application;
EXPRESSING sadness at the indifference and failure of the Government, to actualize, Section 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which promotes the right of children:
NOW THEREFORE, this Honourable House resolves as follows:
(a) That a promotion of gratitude and indebtedness be and hereby made in favour of the two young women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who brought and made the constitutional application;
(b)That Government moves quickly to:
- amend the Marriages Act, Customary Marriages Act; Criminal Codification Act and Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, such that child marriages are criminalized and the age of sexual consent be 18 years;
- review the Children’s Act to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Constitution are apparent.
(c) That Government, civic society and the church, adopt and implement a systematic program of education around issues of child marriages, sexual abuse and patriarchy in Zimbabwe.
HON. MAJOME: I second.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker
and let me thank my other colleagues the Chief Whips and the Deputy Minister for agreeing to push our motion to the front.
Today is International Women’s Day and we thank you very much for providing us the opportunity to move this motion on International
Women’s Day. So we want to say, happy International Women’s Day to all the women that are in the House. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear]- Mr. Speaker, we also want to be able to move this motion in this context today and hope that our male colleagues will totally support us as one of our presents for this day. Let me start on a lighter note, this morning, as I was talking to one male who has the priviledge of taking me for a drink once in a while. I asked him why he was not wishing me a happy International Women’s Day. He said, but we just celebrated Valentine’s Day, I found that very telling and I queried why? He thought that International Women’s Day is the day that women just talk about their rights and all the other things. So why should he wish me happy International Women Day?
I thought we needed to raise this because I think we need to put
International Women’s Day into a particular context. For us as women,
International Women’s Day, is the day when our male counterparts whether they are sons, husbands, friends or boyfriends to which they say, thank you for the things that we give to them as women.
The back that we give to you, you need to be thanking your mother, wife or sister because this is the day to which you acknowledge us and say, thank you for everything that we give to you. It is unfortunate that it has now been turned into a day in which we speak about our rights. In fact, it should be the day to which you give us our rights to rest, enjoy and everything that makes us happy on this particular day.
I hope that after this presentation, all the males in this House will go out, pick up their phones and call all the women in their lives and thank them for being there. I hope that Hon. Khupe’s motion, that she moved last time, is still going to be taken seriously. It was a motion to say, give us a holiday on International Women’s Day.
Having said this, I am a bit convoluted today as I raise the issue of
International Women’s Day as the motion is speaking to two things. It is saying we have a constitutional judgment that requires us as a Legislature to put certain laws into place so that we can put into practicality a constitutional judgment that was made. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order. Hon. Members, your
whispers are too loud, let us respect the fact that we are all born of
women.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.
Speaker … - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear] - Like I said, the motion raises two fundamental issues. It says let us do something about the Constitutional Judgment and it also says let us do something about the things that are linked to the Constitutional Judgment. Before I go to the merits of that Constitutional Judgment let me raise one thing that I found very disappointing as it is the Ministers who are actually making noise.
It vaMudarikwa, vaDokora
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: The worry Mr. Speaker
Sir, is that when I was reading through the judgment there was a number of things that struck me. I thought I needed to raise those things because I think they are fundamental as we begin to look at issues to do with rights. The first thing Mr. Speaker that I think we need to do is to be able to congratulate these two women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo
Tsopodzi who were the applicants in this case. –[HON. MEMBES: Hear, hear]- We need to acknowledge them and we need to say they are the heroines in terms of having raised this message. I do not it is enough I had hoped Mr. Speaker because I did not know we will be able to move this motion today. I had hoped that they would be in the Gallery and they could stand up and we could acknowledge them. I am still hoping that we will be able to call them Mr. Speaker and that knowing you and the support that we get from you, you will be able to acknowledge them so that we can acknowledge them as a House –HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- The second thing is that Mr. Speaker when we have acknowledged people here those that are doing athletics or something like that we have given them something to acknowledge that they mean something. We have even given people that went to Big Brother and we have given them resources. I think as a nation, these are the people that we require to give something like a Diplomatic Passport.
I will indicate why.
They are going to be our diplomats in Africa the message right now is ‘make us girls and brides’. These are the girls who supposed to go and speak for this country because they themselves have been activists in their own right. I want to put a proposal that we acknowledge then as diplomats that they do get diplomatic passports and they become our ambassadors in pushing the issue around child marriages. So that is a better acknowledgement.
The second thing I want to raise Mr. Speaker Sir, that worried a little bit was - as this particular application was made, the people that challenged it Mr. Speaker Sir, unfortunately, among them was the
Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Gender. –[AN HON. MEMBER: It is very unfortunate.]- I think it is most unfortunate. I saw the Minister of Justice and Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. In fact, he is not the one who signed. The person who signed the application is a woman, Virginia Mabhiza. A gave her a call and I said I am going to raise your issue in the House. So, we had the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, a woman – then it was O. Muchinguri. We had Virginia Mabhiza the permanent secretary who is a woman. To cap it all, we actually had a woman lawyer Olivia Zvedi standing in to oppose this particular issue. I have not gone into the judgement Mr. Speaker. If you look at the issues raised by the respondents in beginning to argue and when I say respondents, you are talking about the woman lawyer who was defending this. This is one view they said. They suggested that the applicants were the cause of the problem. The cause of the problem as in Child Marriage and their argument was that they should have taken responsibility for getting pregnant.
This is a child who has come to court and has said the Constitution provides for me protection. This is a child who you are now saying you should have taken responsibility for being violated. I think Mr. Speaker this judgement should stand as something that says to us, if you are a woman in a position of authority and there is something that relates to women and girls, you could ask even if you are forced to say this is where I have a conflict of interest. If you want to proceed and you want to argue and defend this thing, I as a woman standing here will not part of that process.
I am hoping that as I raise these issues the women that were part of this Constitutional issue this judgment in particular should be able to say to themselves never again as a woman will I be used to stand and fight a war that I know is against myself. It does not make sense for us to come to this House and complain about an abuse by men when we ourselves were in positions of authority as women, we are un able to use that authority to defend. I am happy that my sister who is on the other side, the Chief Whip - pushed for this particular issue today as a woman, because she felt that it was important for us to raise this particular issue. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear. Hear.]- I am hoping that we will continue to be able to debate that issue today.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me quickly go into the issue that we are asking for. Basically, Mr. Speaker Sir, what we are asking for is that what the Constitutional Court said - in simple terms, we are outlawing any form of marriage of anyone under 18, whether that marriage is civil, registered customary marriage or unregistered customary. So, they basically, said we have outlawed. So, from the 20th of January 2016, it is unlawful for you to do so. What we are now asking Mr. Speaker Sir, is to now say we are criminalising anyone who marries anybody under18. It does not make sense Mr. Speaker Sir to say today do not marry. I know there are arguments that are being put around that particular issue but there is no point Mr. Speaker Sir, in making something unlawful and not criminalising it. Let me just give an example. The African Protocol itself on women’s rights, speaks to the issue that there should not be any child who is to be married under the age of 18. We as Africans and it is not a European one and it is not a UN one, it is an African Protocol. It is an African Protocol by ourselves. So if we are going to talk about customs, culture then we need to talk to the fact that we as African have stood up and have said this cannot be done.
That one has been said by the Constitutional Court but we need to bring it back to this House. What is it that we need to do Mr. Speaker Sir, from a legislative point of view? Firstly, we need to amend the Act - the Marriage Acts to set the minimum marriage for both boys and girls to 18 years. Like I said, we need to make it a criminal offence and this criminal offence should have a deterrent maximum penalty. Mr. Speaker Sir, but more than that - we want to amend the Sexual Offences Act . As we speak right now, the age of consent and the issue that was raised at the Constitutional Court are at variance. If we are agreeing Mr. Speaker that anyone under the age of 18 is a child, then we cannot of the same hand say no, proceed to have sex with this child but do not marry them.
It is an absurd way of saying it.
So if we say there is no marriage under 18 then it should follow that the age of consent should also be at 18 Mr. Speaker Sir. That is what we are asking this House to do. It is very simple. We know that we have got a lacuna in the law which is the issue around unregistered customary marriages. That is where we need to discuss and see how we deal with the mischief of unregistered customary marriages because the registered ones we can just set the age and say from 20 January there is no law that allows you to come in if you are under age 18 and for you to get married.
It is the unregistered marriages and the reason why we need to deal with those is that the excuse for a lot of people around statutory rape is they will sleep with a 13 year old and will say but I married her and use that as defence. If it is unregistered and if it is not criminalisied it means these people will get away with murder. Let us make sure that there is no lacuna in the law and let us close it up and very easily do it.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when we had that Zuva Judgment, we were called from recess to come here and amend that particular law because we felt it was in the public interest. This Constitutional judgement has been sitting with us. We still have not come to this House. I would have thought that the moment it came out, we would have rushed to come here and make sure that we address the issues that had been raised by the Constitutional Court. I am hoping that this will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Mr. Speaker, you will find it interesting that today if you go around these little girls that the older men have sex with now have a very interesting terminology, they are called tu anatomana. So, if a man is dating a little girl, they say ane katonomana kake kaari kufamba nako mazuvano. So, we need to make sure that people that have the capacity to come up with laws deal with these issues because they are then associated with persons who are seen to be making those laws.
On that note Mr. Speaker, I have engaged you and I hope we are going to get a good response from you Mr. Speaker. We want the males in this House and I hope they do listen because this is directly to them as Members of Parliament. We want male Members of Parliament to sign an oath, that oath says you in your personal capacities will not be seen to be having tu anatomana - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
– yes, you need to be fathers to these kids. We have no problem Mr.
Speaker, if they do not want, we will merely say out of all the male Members of Parliament, these are the male Members of Parliament that refuse to sign the oath. Mr. Speaker, we will say these are the male
Members of Parliament who do not want to deal with under eighteens.
We hope Mr. Speaker you will allow us to get a table outside and get our Hon. Members to come in and sign that oath so that at the end of the day, they will not be seen to be associated in any improper relationship with anybody who is under 18….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member, I think
there are two things. Firstly, you need to be understood, I was battling in my mind as to what is tu anatomana. So, you need to define yourself in clear terms. Secondly, there are no male guys here but there are Hon.
Members of Parliament. Please stand guided accordingly.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: I stand guided and I
withdraw the word ‘guys’ Hon. Speaker. I was referring to the street language that is used by people. You remember that when we had the Prosecutor General refusing to give that certificate for private prosecution, the understanding was that these young girls who were going there and pushing for this application were denied the right to take on men that were abusing them. Generally, it is now a terminology that is that if you are dating a younger person you then call ndina katomana kangu. Not that it speaks to Tomana, the person, I am just merely saying it speaks to the fact that if you are in a position of responsibility, you need to make sure that you are not then associated with a particular issue.
Mr. Speaker, I was saying we want our male Hon. Members of Parliament to be role models. We want them to stand up and say, not only that are we speaking against child marriages or having indecent sexual conduct with those that are under 18, we ourselves are committing to not being associated with that inappropriate relationship. This will send a message to all the other men that if Members of Parliament are standing up and saying this is not a done deal, it will encourage a number of people not to do so.
The second thing that we have been discussing with other female Hon. Members of Parliament is that in the next week or two, we will put our names and phone numbers in the newspaper, so that if there is anyone who has had an inappropriate relationship with anyone of our colleagues in here, they can tell us Mr. Speaker. We can come and tell you, and you can engage that person, and we may have to proceed to name and shame that person because charity begins at home.
Mr. Speaker, I know we are still engaging on it, please do not make a ruling, I beg. I am still trying to persuade you. We are hoping that given where we have come from with you Hon. Speaker and your support to women’s causes, you will agree to this particular movement. I do not want to take words out of your mouth and like I said, I really beg you because it is International Women’s Day. Please do not give us a no, think about it and we will stand guided by you.
In conclusion, thank you very much for allowing us to raise this on
International Women’s Day. Thank you for allowing us to put up the proposal that we have put today. Thank you for allowing the women in this House to be the voices for the women out there. I thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir.
HON. MAJOME: Let me begin by wishing you a happy
International Women’s Day. I also extend and wishes to all the Hon. Members of Parliament that are in here as well as those from the media and the visitors who are here today. I am doing this because today is the
International Women’s Day. It is a good day for absolutely everyone for
men, women, boys and girls.
I want to thank Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga for moving this very important motion. The motion will see us congratulating two very gallant Zimbabwean daughters, that is Ruvimbo Mutopodzi and Loveness Mudzuru who were bold enough to take their rights into their own hands and go to the highest court in the land, the Constitutional court. They vindicated their rights as children but also their rights as women and citizens, so that the Constitutional Court gets an opportunity as it did to interpret the legal position in Zimbabwe as far as child marriages are concerned.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to also roundly commend our Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe for stepping up to the plate and indeed, doing exactly what it is meant to do, that is actually showing the Constitutional light for us in Zimbabwe. Also, making a clear signal to say that child marriages in Zimbabwe are not permitted by law and they are not at all allowed and they shall not be done. I indeed salute our Constitutional Court.
In supporting this motion, I have very few words because I am indeed taken over by excitement and joy. I want to be able to continue to celebrate International Women’s Day. However, I will indeed say that in supporting this motion Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to draw the attention of the Hon. Members of this august House to something that this same august House did in the year 2006. This august House passed something called The Domestic Violence Act which was a ground breaking, I do not want to say earth-shattering, but it was a precedent setting enactment that was all over the world. I want to remind Hon. Members of this august House that Section 3 of the that Domestic Violence Act, that is still in force and that has not been repealed by this august House provides a definition for what it calls domestic violence, in that definition, it has a whole list of very nefarious acts that are a long list that include the usual that we think of when we think about domestic violence, which are reprehensible, such as, beating up people and depriving them of the economic welfare, et cetera.
In Paragraph L of the Domestic Violence Act that is still in force, there is a species of acts that pertain to child marriages that are also described and defined as domestic violence. The first one is the pledging of children into marriage, the second one is forced marriage and child marriage. As far as 2006, child marriage in Zimbabwe has been against the law because we have not repealed the Domestic Violence Act.
However, Section 4 goes on to do something that is even more exciting which talks to what Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga has said and also to what the Constitutional Court very correctly did in pronouncing the problem. Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act, which was passed by this august House exactly ten years ago, gives Hon. Misihairabwi what she is seeking. It criminalises child marriages and it provides that any person who commits any of the following acts that are in Sub-section 3, which are domestic violence, including child pledging, forced marriage and child marriage commits a criminal offence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it goes on to pass out one of the more severe forms of punishment that you can find on our statute books. It provides that if you commit domestic violence which includes child marriage, you can be sentenced to one of the highest levels of criminal penalty, which is level 14. You can also be imprisoned for up to ten years and you can actually be sentenced to both ten years imprisonment and the highest level of fine. I say this Mr. Speaker Sir to try and remind Hon. Members of this august House of the responsibility that we have as Members of Parliament to ensure that in our oversight responsibility, we ensure that the law that we have passed here in this august House is indeed implemented.
I want to salute the Constitutional Court because it dug from the archives this position that we already had as Zimbabwean law to remind everyone that in Zimbabwe, child marriage is against the law. I want to speak a lot about the Domestic Violence Act because it gives us an opportunity to ensure that we protect children from marriage. It is right there and it shows the tragedy that we have in Zimbabwe that we have wonderful laws and policies in a lot of ways but we are not implementing them. Thanks to the Constitutional Court. It has resuscitated the unlawfulness and the criminality of child marriages.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our Constitution also gave us that opportunity and I am hoping that Hon. Members will remember that in terms of the Constitution, we have a responsibility to ensure that the Constitution is implemented. As Hon. Members of Parliament, in our individual capacities, we have a duty to ensure that we do protect the girls who are in our constituencies from being abused. It is the sexual abuse of children that is actually glamourised as child marriage. It is nothing but sexual abuse.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to urge Hon. Members to continue their oversight role. As Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga indicated, there is now a very bad joke of a moniker that is being given to children who are abused by men; they are called Tomanas. That happened because the Prosecutor General of Zimbabwe made public statements that were most unfortunate and indeed most objectionable to the effect that they condone the marriage of children. Yet in terms of Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act, he is the one who is responsible for ensuring that he prosecutes these men who have no shame, who go around abusing children and calling it marriage.
I am not aware of a single person who has been arrested in this country in terms of Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act. It is time that Hon. Members of Parliament make sure that it is done.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Members on my left
you are not listening.
HON. MAJOME: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to make a call in this debate to the Prosecutor-General’s office to take its responsibilities seriously and to also take the criminal offences that are done because it is already a criminal offence. It has been a criminal offence to marry children since the year 2006. We should be seeing people having handcuffs around their wrists and being prosecuted for that. Unfortunately, it appears that in 2006 when the Domestic Violence Act was passed, there were no corresponding amendments to the Marriage Act, as well as the Customary Marriages Act to ensure that we remove from our statute books all reference to child marriage and all excuses for people who want to abuse children and hide behind the name of marriage.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to speak a little bit more about the Domestic
Violence Act and I am glad that the Hon. Deputy Minister for Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development is in the august House. The Ministry houses what is called the Domestic Violence Council in terms of the Domestic Violence Act. I understand that the Ministry has a gentleman laid agreement with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs. While the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is a responsible Minister in terms of the Domestic
Violence Act, to administer it, they have a laid agreement with the
Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development.
I call members of this august House to exercise our oversight functions so that Government Ministries fulfill their responsibilities. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Domestic Violence Act is a body which is designed and mandated to make sure that the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act are implemented. It has a whole array of representatives who represent stakeholders who are very vocal and indeed interested. It has representatives from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and
Community Development, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Education, Health and Child Care, ZRP, civil society and traditional leaders. Mr. Speaker Sir, I cannot then fathom why it is that we have that Domestic Council in place. Why is it that for the last ten years, since 2006 when this Act was passed, child marriage which is a species of Domestic Violence, which this council is responsible among other species of Domestic Violence to implement, we had to wait for the Constitutional Court to make this important pronouncement? I said this so that we can now get to action and ensure that we take the action required to protect our girls from marriage.
Mr. Speaker, may I also take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the august House the work of an organisation called Parliamentarians for Global Action, which is an international organisation that has individual members of Parliament who join in order to promote causes such as gender and equality. This organisation, I speak about it because we have a chapter here in Zimbabwe that at the moment, I have a privilege of chairing which has a campaign against global marriage, which has asked Hon. Members of Parliament across the whole world to pledge to do more in order to end child marriage. In addition to the pledge that Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga enunciated, that is very direct to our Parliament, which I also echo. It will be wonderful for our male Members of Parliament to sign up to that pledge to say I will not abuse girls under the guise of marriage.
In addition to that, it is also an opportunity to call upon Hon. Members, male and female to sign up to that pledge, which is available online. A lot of Hon. Members have signed that pledge and I want to say Zimbabwean Members of Parliament always do us proud. They are among the top three countries that have signed this petition online to end early child and forced marriages. For those who have not done so, let us do so. I say this because I had the privilege of attending a seminar in Ghana, organised by this Association in 2014 where I also signed a pledge to do more as an Hon. Member of Parliament to end early child and forced marriage. When I came to Zimbabwe, I decided to go and seek audience with the Hon. Minister of Justice as he was then and now is our esteemed Vice President; to ask because he is the responsible Minister who administers the Marriages Act and the Customary
Marriages Act. To ask him to please expedite the process of bringing to this august House, Bills that will do what Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga is asking to amend Section 20 of the Marriage Act, so that we remove that opportunity that allows that Minister of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs and guidance to consent to the marriage of girls.
Also insert a provision in the Customary Marriage Act to set a bar and limit for marriage of children. He graciously agreed to do so and even invited us because I also went with members from Plan International who had a campaign and he even said can you do a potential draft of the clauses you want changed.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am happy to say that with the help of organisations that includes the Research and Advocacy Unit Camfed, the
Child Protection Society of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers
Association, Plan International and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, we were able to even obtain the services of a drafter to draft a proposed Bill to remove all those places in our statute laws that allow child marriage. That Bill is indeed ready for presentation to the Hon. Vice President and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as and when it is ready. It seeks to amend the Marriage Act Chapter
5:11, the Customary Marriages Act Chapter 5:07 and the Birth and Deaths Registration Act to tighten its provisions requiring the registration of ages of children. It also seeks to amend the Children Act because the Act also correspondents to the provision in the Marriage Act that allowed children to be married. Also the Criminal Codification and Law Reform Act to remove what it was calling extra marital sexual intercourse with children, so that it is clear as the constitutional court say that we do not want any sexual intercourse with children at all so that – in the Shona language there is a proverb that says – Regai dzive shiri mazai haana muto – loosely translated it means let eggs hatch into hens because eggs cannot produce gravy or soup. That is indeed the philosophy and the thinking that even in our own traditional customs and practices, children where children, they were allowed to grow. In this modern age, let us as Hon. Members of Parliament do our best to ensure that we protect our girls so that they are not abused sexually in a glorified form of abuse which is called marriage. Indeed, let us also align the age of consent to the age of marriage because there is no reason why we should baptise our girls to rush into having sexual intercourse, they have the rest of their lives to have it. Those two years between sixteen and eighteen surely, it is in their best interest to wait until they are able to deal with the decision of the consequences of having sexual intercourse.
Allow me to wind up by also encouraging our musicians, artists and our media to also play ball and stop promoting images that seem to condone sexual intercourse with girls and also marrying girls. Indeed, I must say one of my favourite musicians has a brilliant, good song but unfortunately he produced a video that shows very suggestive and sex dances being done by girls wearing school uniform.
Mr. Speaker Sir, while that is entertainment, but unfortunately, those things send messages that say it is alright for girls to wear little dresses and to dance in a sex manner and titillate men. It also sends signals into some perverted men to actually start drooling over school girls. I understand that as we speak, they are stories in the media about how there is an uproar where certain commercial sex workers are also now wearing uniforms that are sexed up, if I may call it that and are luring men. I am thinking that the men who will stop to buy the services from those sexual workers are actually going to stop because they have been attracted by a sexfied school uniform. If I go further, I am disturbed by the consequences that it means that they will actually find a school girl in a school uniform attractive and lure her away from the parts of virtue and detract her from there and that is the paths of child marriage. We need to keep our girls in school so that they attain qualifications and they are able to look after themselves and make decisions for themselves. We must show zero tolerance to rape and sexual intercourse with children and we must not marry children. We must remove those images and deceit from entertainment and media reports that seem to condone and encourage sexual activity and the titillation of people using children in sexual images.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to please wind up and congratulate Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and also continue to urge Hon. Members of
Parliament to step up to the plate and to do more and the Ministry of Women, Gender and Community Development to, in future, desist from opposing applications in the constitutional court that seeks to promote the rights of women. The Attorney General’s Office must, in future, never again oppose applications made by women in the Constitutional Court or even other people in the constitutional court to protect their rights. It is tax payers’ money; we pay the taxes we expect the Attorney General and our ministries to protect our rights, not to use the money that we pay to sustain them to oppose our rights in the constitutional court.
Finally, may we, as august Members of the House and as well as Hon. Ministers who are responsible for bringing Bills, take away this increasing burden onto the Constitutional Court that we are heaping onto the Constitutional Court, for it to continue making pronouncement to say this is unconstitutional when the Constitution says so. May we have our Hon. Ministers bringing Bills to Parliament so that we align each and every one of their Acts that they implement to the Constitution so that the Constitutional Court is relieved of this burden because indeed a storm is coming. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the
opportunity that you have given me to speak and add my voice concerning this pertinent motion that was moved by Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga. I want to add a few words to support what has already been said that we want to thank the Government for accepting the request that came from the children Topodzi and Mudzuri that these children should be allowed to grow up before they become brides. This is so that the mothers can enjoy what is due to them when a child gets married and know that they now have sons-in-law.
I want to add a few words that a crab moves sideways, if it bears a young one and teaches them how to walk, we are saying that the young one has to find a suitable side in which to move. So, what we are saying is that as mothers, we should talk to our children and advice our children because children take what their mothers say. Our African custom never at one time allowed a child to get married below the set age. The myth was that you would be inflicted with a disease known as rukumbi, meaning that a child has become active at a tender age and our elders would always say that you ate a raw mouse, meaning that the parents did not do well in bringing up the child. I want to thank Hon. Majome who seconded the motion. She mentioned issues that I wanted to say. We heard in the House that; Hon Misihairabwi-Mushonga said that, you the male Hon. Members; you should also commit yourself and append your signatures, that you will not be found wanting in this regard. The Hon Member was right when she was talking of Tomana, she was not correct; she wanted to say tombana meaning a baby. Mr. Speaker, I plead with you to forgive her because she was not talking of a particular person. In Ndebele they say intombi and in Shona they tombi and if it is still a baby it is ntombana.
The male Hon. Members in this House have been urged not to be in relationship with the young girls. I want to challenge them that how would they feel if you saw your 13 years old child in a relationship with an Hon. Member. I plead with my Hon. Members that let us not be found in relationship with the young ones.
I also want to say that Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Hon. Majome, we will also go and investigate and see if it is not Hon. Labode who is also stalking the young men. If we find Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga dressed in a child’s school uniform, what do we do Mr. Speaker Sir? Are we supposed to leave her or we should arrest her and take her to the police station and inform the police that this woman wants to become a child. It is tantamount to impersonation of the under aged. There should also be a law to address that. Those people should be arrested for impersonation.
My request Mr. Speaker is that the female Hon. Members should assist us because in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development there is a female head. If it becomes legislation from Parliament and is gazetted in the papers and is in the
Constitution and there is no conscientisation, it is not known. In Hosea,
God says, ‘my people perish because of lack of knowledge.’ Today we are talking of Women’s Day; in my constituency where I come from, they do not know what Women’s Day means. If we go to Binga where my mother comes from, the women there do not even know what
Women’s Day is. Why do you not now embark on information
dissemination that will go right down to the grassroots, to the children and women in the rural areas? Advise the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development to do that. The Ministry should advise the people that the marriageable age is 18 years and above. If a child is married above the age of 19 years, we will give them a VW car or give that child cattle or goats as a challenge to ensure that girls look after themselves until there are of marriageable age.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I think this issue should be taken serious in this House of Assembly. If there is documentation, may it be availed to us so that we conscientise our children and women in the constituencies where we come from. The traditional leaders should also be given that information through their chief’s council, the village heads even at ward level should be given this information. God will bless us because what we have witnessed is that an old woman will put on a uniform looking like a child and then we are found wanting as we were found with these young girls.
Honestly, there will not be any rainfall if such things are happening. I want to end with these two words, Mr. Speaker, us in this House if there are those who have done that before, when we leave Parliament today, we should make sure that we desist from such actions and ask for forgiveness from God. If there are female Members of Parliament who also impersonated the school children, they should desist this and stop it forthwith. I thank you.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon Matangira, this House is not the
House of Assembly, it is known as the National Assembly.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANICALAND
PROVINCE (HON. CHIMENE): Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity. I was longing to speak in this House but on this issue that is before us, as a woman, I felt I would not let it pass. I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and the seconder Hon. Majome. As women if we are not in the forefront, the men will not do much. We want to thank you for bringing this motion in this House.
I want to support everything that you have said that it is not a small matter but it might not be pertinent to those who have not experienced it.
To those who have experienced it…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Members, I was checking on some technicality in terms of allowing a Member who is Minister of State to debate. Our Standing Orders are not very clear on that, so on the balance of doubt; we will allow Hon. Minister Chimene to speak.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANICALAND (HON.
CHIMENE): Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank this august House for giving me the opportunity, I was telling myself that I should finish quickly before I am told to sit down as a Minister.
However, I was saying that if you have not experienced this, you will look at it and view it as a trivial issue but when your child is found in such a situation that is when you will begin to feel the pain. I want to thank Hon. Matangira who has greatly supported this motion. As a man, we never thought you would say things as they are, we thought maybe you would put on your boxing gloves to defend yourselves. We want to thank you; you are a real man, a father who has a heart.
To other Hon. Members who are in this House, I do not have a very big issue but a message in my phone that I would want to share with you which I have just received. It goes like this: - Mr. Mwonzora, Headmaster of St Mathias Tsonzo, was involved in a fatal accident trying to chase a vehicle which had picked one of their female students last night. The Headmaster is very critical in Intensive Care Unit whilst the security guard of the school who was together with the Headmaster, died on the spot.
This is a school child. That is why I have said if you have not yet experienced it, you will not feel the pain. So, this is what has pushed me to speak Mr. Speaker. People probably just hear of what happens but this is a true and recent story that has happened. Maybe as I am speaking right now, I might get news that the Headmaster is no more. The school guard has died in an effort to protect a school child who is not even his own, which shows that he had a heart of a parent. School fees is now difficult to get, parents are struggling to send their children to boarding schools but some elderly man comes to snatch the child away from school. A child whose parents are struggling to get her school fees, this issue should be addressed in the harshest of manner. Sometimes, we end up thinking that in the prisons they are getting good treatment. His Excellency, the President, sometimes jokes and says badhiza . He normally says that if an elderly man rapes a young child badhiza. So, I think Hon. Members we need to take measures that man who do that are not man enough. They should be castrated and these men should be engaged in agriculture alone.
The two girls who went to the constitutional park, we had them at the launch in Manicaland, we really applaud them that they have done us proud. I agree with you that if a person does such a splendid job, we should not give the Government the load but take it up as women. We need to mobilise ourselves and go to the media, give those children whatever we can because they have fought a heavy battle and they are heroes of this law. I want to thank you, I may take much of your time and the order to stop me from talking might be raised. I thank you.
HON. MANGAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. May I also add my voice to this important motion which has been raised by Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and seconded by Hon. Majome. The 8th of March is a very important day to us as women because it is the day we continuously check on the progress we have made on gender disparity.
The international theme for this year is Planet 50/50 by 2030, where the intention is to achieve some important goals. I was looking at the goal which is there to ensure that both girls and boys complete free equitable education. Then I was also wondering that since we are paying school fees for both girls and boys, I hope we are going to get to a point when the primary education fees is not paid so that both have equal access to education, for us to achieve the fifth goal on gender equality.
Hon. Speaker, I would also want to look at the other goal where by
2030, we should have eliminated all forms of violence against women in the public sector. We hope that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender Equality will spearhead that, so that we achieve the goal. I was looking at the Domestic Violence Act, a good law which was enacted. I was wondering, in terms of education which has been given to our communities for the awareness of this Domestic Violence Act? So, I would like to urge the Government to give more resources for the publicity of the Domestic Violence Act.
I understand in the Domestic Violence Act, there are AntiDomestic Violence Councils where we are supposed to have councilors in each ward but we do not have them up to now. I was also looking at the other item which I have seen in the Domestic Violence Act, the idea of stalking and I was wondering who is not doing that in our communities? Stalking is a crime in the Domestic Violence Act, following up someone unknowingly for the purposes of someone committing a crime, stalking is being done by both men and women…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order did you say knowingly or unknowingly?
HON. MANGAMI: Unknowingly Mr. Speaker, you have to alert
them that you are following them. So that, yes …
THE HON. SPEAKER: You may proceed.
HON. MANGAMI: You have to know according to the Domestic
Violence Act, let them know that you are following them. We are saying everybody has committed this crime because they did not know it is criminal. So when people are educated on the components of the Domestic Violence Act, they will be aware of some of these things and that other issues both men and women do in terms of our culture are prohibited in the Act.
I think there will be less violence if the Ministry is allocated sufficient resources for the sensitisation of communities to these issues. In terms of police reports, every week, there have been 13 reports. The amount of violence being perpetrated on both men and women is actually alarming. So, I would want to say to Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga the issue of International Women’s Day does not only concern women but both men and women because everyone has been born out of a woman. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I will recognise, Hon. Mpariwa, Hon. Zemura, Hon. Mandipaka, Hon. Chinotimba and Hon. Chasi in that order.
*HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker and I say congratulations to Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and her seconder Hon. Majome for this important motion that has come at an opportune time, on International Women’s Day.
Mr. Speaker, allow me to congratulate Zimbabwe as well as the Parliament of Zimbabwe for debating this motion on such an important day. I also want to congratulate the two girls Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who I believe are on their way here. We want to welcome them and also thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing them to come here and hear our sentiments. If a person lights a lamp …
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order one of them has arrived, that is Ruvimbo Tsopodzi.
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi acknowledges her presence and stands up in the
Speaker’s Gallery.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, you may be seated.
*HON. MPARIWA: We are delighted Mr. Speaker because once
a person lights a lamp and puts it under the table, people will not see it because it will remain dark. The light was lit by these girls with the assistance of the courts but it is our duty as Parliament. We should be asking ourselves, what is next when this happens?
When you look at laws that protect children in this House, they are all in bits and pieces. I remember when I was still Minister in the
Government of National Unity, there was legislation Children’s Act 5:06 and the Ministry of Health and Child Care also had legislation addressing children. It is important that the legislation that affects children is in one place so that it cannot be used as a byway, where the other Act says this, they should all be in one legislation. So, I am happy that we are talking about this issue advising each other that we are all duty bound.
I want to thank the Hon. Members who debated this motion and
agreed that it is a pertinent issue. I also want to look back and state that women were challenged to advise their children. We want to talk as if married couples are now divorcing because they got married yesterday. I am saying this because it takes both a man and a woman to have a child. So it is not fair for us to hear that it is the woman’s responsibility because it takes two to tango. A child belongs to both parents, whether they are together or divorced but for that child to be there, both parents had to be there. So, it is not fair for us to say, Maidei belongs to the father because she has done well and she belongs to the mother when she has done badly. We do not want to accuse each other of wrong doing or burn the whole house down simply because there is a snake.
We do not want to blame the mother because the child is in a problem.
I was happy when the Hon. Member said that, ‘…from today onwards, let us make our ways right and find the way forward.’ We are the ones in the communities, in this Parliament who can address these laws, and hear what is happening out there so we should ask ourselves what we have done about it? What did I do when I heard about this issue? I heard an Hon. Member say that we need to stop this forthwith and that if anyone was engaging in such activities, they should stop it forthwith.
We should also have Hotlines and inform people of what is happening. There is an organisation called, Child Line. They have a Hotline that you can call and they can take it up. So, you may be convicted if you are found with a child especially when you are a Member of Parliament since we are the ones who enacted this piece of legislation.
I also realised that there was conflict of interests of terms, especially on the issue of gender, that when a woman stands up, they say that gender can debate. We need to conscientise each other on the fact that gender refers to both men and women. What then happens in the communities is that women cannot do this.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order are you now interrogating the Speaker? I was just reminding people that the women should be debating when I said that. We fully understand what the concept, gender means, you may proceed.
*HON. MPARIWA: My apologies Hon. Speaker, I am sure you
have heard it before that when a woman stands up to debate it is termed, gender.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order are you now opposing the Speaker again?
*HON. MPARIWA: No, I am actually excited because it was
mentioned before you even said it and I did not hear you referring to gender. So, I always hear them saying, gender, you are the ones in the fore-front in the Women’s Caucus. I am saying that we need to conscientise each other on the meaning of gender.
My other issue is if you consider that when a child is raped or betrothed at a tender age. A child is denied of education as well as health and a child is forced to settle down with a person that she does not want. There are diseases that are there like STIs and HIV. This can affect the children’s future. Those children are the Mpariwas of tomorrow. They are the teachers and nurses of tomorrow.
Hon. Speaker Sir, this motion came to make us realise that there are children’s rights that we need to protect. We as legislators need to protect that. We as the leadership of the nation need to protect these children. Let me end by saying that all of us are parents in this august House. We all have people that we look forward to I think Hon. Chimene said it clearly. She said it last time in another debate. I would have been deeply pained if she had not been allowed to debate. We all have expectations for our kids. When you ask them who wants to be the Speaker of Parliament, you will see them raise their hand and when you say MPs, they do these games, which means that they also have expectations. When a child is put in a situation where they become child- brides, they are taken by those with power at a tender age, their hopes and aspirations and expectations are thwarted. Hon. Speaker Sir, what I am saying is that I want to support the motion. I have said my proposal is that the rights of the children should come under one legislation to ensure that those who interrogate these laws will know that they are relating to the rights of the children and they are found in this Act. I thank you.
*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice on the motion. This important motion addresses the lives of the people. When I look at child marriages that are taking place, I realise that they are destroying a nation. Certain families are being destroyed because children getting married to people not of their age. It is the elderly man who go and impregnate another man’s daughter who is equally his daughter’s age. I want to thank the children who took this issue to the Constitutional Court. These children who said that this issue should be brought out in the open because most children are being affected and destroyed by those in power.
When I look at it as a Government we delayed in interrogating this issue. The Government should have taken steps ages ago because the Act that was put, the Domestic Violence Act, actually looked at the abuse of the children. Sexual Offences Act also touched on rape of the children. This is when these issues should have been interrogated and legislation been put into place. Issues pertaining to women are not given urgency; if it had been the boy child, it would have been addressed long ago. Our traditional custom looked down upon the girl child and the women thus nothing is done. If I look at the way a child is loved, especially a girl child in a family and let us look the girl child in our families, and see how much we love them. Here, if we are told that such a boarding school has children of Members of Parliament from
Zimbabwe no one will come to Parliament if those children are abused. In my personal capacity I would like to say that I have a herd of cattle that was given by my sons in law as is tradition when they married. I never thought at one time that in the Zemura family I would own cattle, but because of my daughters I now own cattle. Now if a man rapes someone else’s child why can they not realise that they are destroying expectation, hopes and aspirations for that child.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I am looking at this issues brought in by Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and seconded by Hon. Majome. I realise that it is a pertinent issue and action should then follow without counting any more days to ensure that our legislation is aligned. Once we align this legislation, we will see who will fill up the prisons because they have said that there are elderly women who put on girls uniforms. So, we want to see who will be arrested. We want to see if it is the elderly women or the men because the mandatory sentencing for such crimes should be reviewed upwards. We should realise that and let us forget about cattle rustling sentence but let us look at the lives of the people. If a donkey is stolen in Tsholotsho a person goes to jail for five years but if a child is married under age we need mandatory sentence for that because we are destroying our own country. Let us consider this as a
Parliament in the National Assembly, we are very few women in this House.
What more if people continue to be married at a tender age? Are they going to become MPs? We also want to look at the effects of getting married at a tender age, that is around 14 to 15 years.
Psychologically, what the psychologists say is that the child is not yet mature and that child has not come of age. This means that psychologically this is affecting the child and you find that they will continue playing child games because they have been affected. Even if she bears five, six children, she will not be able to cope. If a child is young, she is affected psychologically and health-wise. So, the doctors should also consider the issue of child marriages and everything that child lacks. If you were to put that child together with a person who got married at 22, their behaviour is totally different. Those who were married under age remain under age for the rest of their lives because there is no thinking and you have to tell them that you need to economically empower them yourself. To her she is not mature enough to think that she can economically to empower herself. We urge civil society, and churches to embark on an awareness campaign and ensure that once this issue is there, everyone should have a duty even in boarding and day schools, there is need for an outreach to conscientise the girl children. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this motion is a pertinent motion because it deals with the lives of the young girls. It is actually hereditary because if a child gets married at 14 years, the child will also get married at 14 years. The mother will not oppose that because she will say to her daughter; your father married me at that age. So, we want to talk about it now that it should be abolished. If it was a custom of either Zezuru or Ndebele, it should come to an end. It should be outlawed. This idea of taking children should be outlawed. If a woman does that, you should know that she will become a widow at 14 years.
I want hope that the Hon. Members in this august House will take this message to their constituencies because if we do not take it out, most of our relatives will die in prison because some are taking children who are 15 years. I want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I support that everything that was said should proceed. I thank you.
*HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving
me this opportunity. I want to start by thanking the mover and the seconder of this motion. This is a very important motion for our families and also as the African people. I also want to honour and congratulate the children who took this issue to the Constitutional Court. I heard there is Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who took up this issue to the Constitutional Court representing all the child brides.
So, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that as we look at our Constitution, I want to thank the nation at large that they were able to spell out clearly the issue of marriage. This is in Section 78 of the Constitution under Marriage Rights. If you will allow me to read it in English; as attained the age of 18 years has the right to found a family, this means that the people of Zimbabwe had realised that if a person is 18, be it male or female, he or she is able to find a family. That is the age limit that we are talking about as Zimbabwe, that is the ideal age for marriage.
So, I want to thank the Zimbabwean people. I also want to thank the Constitutional Court. I thank the Constitutional Court because the children brought their grievance to the court and the court understood this grievance and gave a ruling that protects these children. This court has to be applauded. I want to thank it because the other reason why
Zimbabwe was put on sanctions was because there was an issue that we do not follow the rule of law and also that there was no constitutionalism.
Mr. Speaker, if you look at what is happening; this august House was able to come up with legislation to ensure child marriage is not ideal. So, the Constitutional Court should be applauded. I also want to go back to Section 81 of the Constitution which talks of every child that is to say boy and girl under the age of 18 years, has the right to equal treatment before the law including the right to be heard. That is why I applaud this Constitutional Court because the children have a right to be heard. This is why I applaud the Constitutional Court.
I also want to go to Section 81 again, Section 81(e) to be protected from economic and sexual exploitation. I want to thank the movers of the motion because what they are doing is fulfilling what is in the Constitution. As MPs, we should sit down and ensure that we come up with legislation that protects the children especially from those who sexually abuse them at a tender age. Mr. Speaker Sir, I also look at what is in this motion, it talks about churches, civil society organisations and customs here in Zimbabwe. I am sorry my debate will be quite different from what has been debated. I want to talk about the customs of the African people in Zimbabwe. If you look at the customs of the African people, those were customs that brought a child in an ideal manner up to marriageable age, when a child now has wisdom and knowledge of how to run a family. They were given this by their uncles and their aunts. So, I applaud the African customs and traditions more than the customs that are coming in from the worst.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue that I want to talk about is the issue of cultural invasions. Some of these traditions that you are bringing in, that you want to adopt will destroy the way we leave. I say that Mr. Speaker because right now aunties are communicating via whatsapp, now the aunties can skype, and be on face book. These are the social media that are educating our children. So, our children want to grow up emulating what is on face book and what is in the whatsapp.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we should consider this august House the cultural invasions that are coming in and interrogate them and realise that some of these actually destroy our culture. Today, we see kids just loitering around, even their behaviour is unbecoming. We hear of places where they meet and they engage in some of these cultures that are not common to us to the extent of being intimate. So, we need to take up our African traditions and customs to ensure that our children grow up knowing what is right and wrong.
So, I want to urge the traditional leaders as well as the village heads and the parents that we need to have ideal conduct and cultures so that our children can emulate us, so that they grow up as respectable people in society. Also, I urge them to leave some of these cultural practices that are coming from the West that are destroying how we live as the African people. I urge; just like what Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga the mover of the motion and Hon. Majome, that our laws should address and deal with men who want to marry young children. We know that it used to happen. We even have religious groups that encourage the marrying of young children but we are saying this is not the time; we need to outlaw such practices and allow children to grow up. This is my request to the religious leaders. I also urge the traditional leaders to check in their various communities of the cultures that are engaging in such practices and address them.
I also want to say as Members of the National Assembly, when we go back to our constituencies, instead of just giving slogans at our rallies, we should also conscientise the people and advise them not to marry before they are of marriageable age. In schools, it should be laid out clearly that a child needs to grow up before she can become a bride.
If we go back to our cultural practices, there are some that are not ideal. Those we see, we should leave behind and adopt those that will bring up a whole African person. We need respectable people in our society, so we need to interrogate our cultural practices and traditions to ensure that we live in an ideal society. I want to thank Hon. Zemura who said that when her children got married, she got cattle as a reward as is our custom. Her children were brought up in the proper manner. They did not take their culture from watsapp or facebook and they married at an ideal age. I thank you Mr. Speaker for the time that you have given me.
With these words that I have said today, I believe one or two of them have touched on one or two lives. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, in terms of Standing Order
Number 82 (2) a Member while present in the House must not converse in a loud voice and must not during debate read any book, newspaper or document in print or electronic form including cell phones, except in connection with the business of such debate. A member who is present in the House must not make or receive calls from his or her mobile device. I remind the House because I have observed that this Standing Order is not being followed.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ZANU PF CAUCUS MEETING
THE HON. SPEAKER: There will be a ZANU PF Caucus
meeting on 9th March, 2016 at 1000 hours at ZANU PF Headquarters. All members of the ZANU PF party are urged to attend. Please advise your comrades who are not here accordingly.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to add my voice to the good debate that was moved by Hon. Misihairabwi – Mushonga and Hon. Majome. It is true that children should be protected. We should not abuse children, especially the girl child. They should not engage in marriage before they are 18.
I want to disagree Mr. Speaker, with the mover of the motion. My disagreement is that we have a proverb that says the person who knows well what is happening is a person who is involved in it. That is what I got when she was debating. If a girl child has a boyfriend, the mother is the first one to know before the father. It is the mother who agrees to that union or not. In the Bible that I believe in, Titus 2 talks of the men and the women on bringing up a child, that if a mother is clever, has wisdom and does not give in to wine, we will not witness that child departing from the proper path. The problem that we have is, here amongst us, no one is clean. Let me say that no one is clean pertaining to this issue. We are all found wanting. Let me say that – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I need your protection Mr.
Speaker. When they were debating I was quiet. What I am trying to explain is that …
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chinotimba, yes you are talking about our African customs but you are not a witch doctor for you to know that everyone here is not clean. You should have said some of us are not clean. We would have understood that. So, you need to address that. I thank you.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I withdraw
that statement. What I am saying is, if we look at each other here, it is not everyone who is clean. I cannot point out names. It is not only the abuse of women that is happening but there are women who are also abusing boys. We have a story that happened in Chitungwiza whereby a 65 year old woman took a young man aged 20. Again, we have a child who was 17 years and was herding cattle. He was taken by a woman aged 55. That issue went before the courts. I think as women debate this issue, as what was said by the Hon. Member that gender is not all about women but about men and women. Men are being violated; some of the women are the ones who spoil these children. The mother brings home a boyfriend and a child witnesses this. Now, when this child behaves in the same manner – that is why I said that if a child acts likewise, it is because they would have seen the mother doing it.
When that child leaves home going out in the evening, where do the parents think the child is going? Mothers should be clever and protect their children. You might not agree to this but this is what is happening. The women go to the beer halls, they come back with a boyfriend and the children are there and they see this happening. They send their children to go and ask for sugar or bread from a man who is living alone and the wife will be in the rural areas.
Some of us have rural constituencies so, when we come here we leave our wives behind and you see that mothers send their daughters to borrow sugar from such a man. Imaging borrowing salt from a man leaving alone – [AN HON MEMBER: Salt] – I did not say salt I said sauti, the term in Shona differs according to dialect. That is not what is expected from a good mother to send a child to go and borrow salt from someone’s husband instead of her going by herself. Instead they send their daughters to go and borrow salt from Mr. Chinotimba. What do they want Mr. Chinotimba to do when they send their daughters, knowing well that the wife is in the rural areas?
I am talking about our customs and traditions here. I agree with the motion that it is not right. I am not in disagreement with the motion but I am talking about our cultural practices. We are saying that women need to look after their children. We have a problem in Midlands University, the parents send children to university without money and food. There was a video that circulated of how children live. What do they expect their child to do when they send them to school without enough resources? Yesterday there was an issue on human trafficking which was on the radio and it was also in Kwayedza. If you look at those issues, those are caused by poverty; our nation as it is, in the past, when a child went to university, the university would give grants and loans that would be paid back when a child starts working. Now the
Government is having financial challenges and they cannot assist. There are also no jobs where the children can go and work and pay back that money.
If you travel in the Avenues area around 5p.m. you will be deeply saddened because the children who are there are very young 15 – 17 years; those are from the universities. What I am saying is that it is not only the men who should be arrested but those women who send children to school without enough resources must be arrested as well as the men who send children to universities without money - they should be arrested as well. The family is provided for by the mother and father so, it is their duty to look after the family. The mother and father who would have failed to provide for the children should be arrested because they are the ones who would have caused the immoral decadence.
Hon. Mandipaka talked about the apostolic sector where girls were encouraged to go for virginity testing; now it is termed child abuse. Why is it child abuse if the parents are protecting their child? They will fear that if it is known that they are no longer virgins, the children will not get married. These are the children who get married because if they confess that they were raped, they will be forgiven. We talked about this issue here in Parliament and I said let the church take root but the Members of Parliament refused and today children are engaging in immoral behaviour; if they are deflowered, the parents will know. If the parents say let us go to church and be examined, the child will say the parents are abusing me and they will go and report to the police. We need to consider what we can term child abuse.
What I am saying is that those people who interrogate the law should interrogate it seriously and where the child abuse is coming from. If we continue to say it is the men always, it is because Adam sinned and now the blame is put on everyone. The women have their issues that they do not want to bring out in the open because they do not want them to be known.
The cause of child marriages is on the women and I swear by my Bible that I am holding in my hand today, they push their children into early marriages. The only time when men where blamed in the Bible is when a King fell sick and they sourced for a solution they said that a child should be brought in and when the king moves it will show that he is still alive. So, I am saying that it is these women who actually cause child marriages. I support the movers of the motion. I was saddened on Saturday, I was at a meeting whereby I was preaching and I was preaching to the nation, I saw women without any respect who were breast feeding their children without covering their breasts. A decent woman should use a towel to cover her breast while breastfeeding or go away from the people but I did not see that happening. Now, if children see this they will adopt what they see their mothers doing.
I also want to support the issue of our African customs that was mentioned by Hon. Mandipaka. Our President is always talking about the issue of homosexuality but they want to take that. We have left our traditional African customs and want to take the cultures coming from the West. We need to look at our Bible and take what is in the Bible. What I am saying to the leaders who are here is that this law must be addressed. We should ensure that we have addressed it fully, not to just say it is the men who are the problem. Even the women should be imprisoned for such misconducts.
Mr. Speaker, most people in this august House are widows and widowers but my Bible says that if you are a widow around 60, you are young and may give us challenges because you want to get married to children who are 18 years old. So, there is child abuse and we have child abusers in this august House.
HON. CHASI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me an opportunity to say a few words on this very important motion that was moved by Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga. I want to start by congratulating the whole of Zimbabwe for celebrating Women’s Day today – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – Like the previous speakers, I do not believe that it is a day that is confined to women only; I believe that the gender issue is a man/woman issue.
I want to single out a group of women for acknowledgement. I want to acknowledge the women of this country who fought for the liberation of this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – The difficulties that this group of women endured during our war of liberation, I think surpasses any of the difficulties that women currently face in liberated Zimbabwe [HON. MEMBERS: Yes!] – So, I think as we celebrate this day, it must not be academic, it must be practical and I want to congratulate the mover of this motion for raising a very fundamental issue that we must consider as a country.
I want to take a slightly different approach from the previous speakers but I must say that I am personally very impressed by the Biblical skills of the previous speakers as well as his oratory skills which were quite impressive in some respects. I want to say that in addition to the various items that have been suggested on this motion, I agree that the laws pertaining to children would need to be consolidated into a single piece of law which is easily accessible. I also think that our laws in the respect of child abuse should be more holistic. The approach, part of which I have witnessed today in this House, which seems to merely focus primarily on men, I think is erroneous.
I think that our laws must be broad enough to cover the following persons. The persons who are aware of child abuse and do not take any steps to report or bring to – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – book individuals who are engaging in that practice. This is important in the sense that it will compel relatives who participate in this decision and encourage, say, the father of the child to sell off their child to a man as part of an early marriage.
I also think that we need to take an international perspective in respect of these crimes. I say that if we abhor the practice in this country, we must also abhor it wherever it occurs. In other words, if somebody who is known to have committed or participated in a crime concerning child marriages comes into our jurisdiction, our laws must be able to allow us to prosecute – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – the individual concerned.
I read with great trepidation the issue concerning Albino hunting in Malawi, a story that was extremely depressing where a child was snatched away from its mother by five men. The child was an Albino
and they were to go and clip off the child’s hands and other body parts. I think that is something that as a country we should abhor. If an individual crosses into our country and it is proven that they have participated in this type of conduct, I think we must be able to take action against them and provide jurisdiction for our courts to deal with such matters, notwithstanding the fact that they have not occurred in Zimbabwe.
I also want to say Mr. Speaker that as members of the Pan African Parliament and the SADC arrangements concerning our Parliaments, I would like to say that the members of this House who represent us in those Parliaments must be required to raise these issues at those forums, as well and take precisely the positions that we are taking in this country to ensure that child abuse is not only dealt with legally in this country but also in countries that we deal with.
I want to say that this is a very serious matter which in a sense is an indictment on some aspects of our social life. A lot of young girls end up in marriages because after Form 4 they cannot go to Form 6. As a country, we need to think outside the box and ensure that we come up with interventions that assist the girl-child in particular. When we speak about child abuse, we will talk about both boys and girls but when it comes to child marriages, we are really primarily talking about the girlchild as the focus of the problem.
I have witnessed this in my constituency, when we have a meeting you see girls as young as 14 years old, trooping to the centre of the meeting holding children. It is a very embarrassing and painful situation and I think that all the ministries that intersect with the child, ought to come up with interventions that favour the maturity of the child and their continued education. There was mention here about artists and others playing their role, as Members of Parliament we also have a role to play and speak against this at every meeting that we hold and to ensure that the local leadership also understands the gravity of the matter. I think we need to move away from the pretense that it is part of African culture that a 10 year old child should be married.
I am sure that the mover of the motion will be pleasantly surprised and impressed with me in that as a budding musician I have already done a song around this issue appropriately titled “regai dzive shiri, zai harina muto”. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. KHUPE: First of all, I would like to thank our Speaker of
Parliament because he is very gender sensitive. Today is International
Women’s Day, there were so many motions ahead of this motion but he allowed this motion to be debated. Last year a similar thing happened – there was a motion where we were urging the Executive to declare the 8th of March so that it becomes a public holiday and there were several motions ahead of it but he allow the standing over of other motions so that that motion could be debated. So, I would want to thank you very much Mr. Speaker.
We always talk about bringing the gender agenda into Parliament but Mr. Speaker Sir, I think since 2013 as female Members of Parliament we have done very well in bringing the gender agenda into
Parliament. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Hon. Majome for bringing this very important motion into this House. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who is in this House and Loveness Mudzuri for taking this matter to court because what they have done is that they saved lives of many girls. They have saved the future of many girls. They have saved the dreams of many girls. Had it not been for this landmark ruling, dreams and visions of some of these girls would not have been realised. So, I would like to thank them very much for what they did. I would also like to thank Roots, the organisation which helped them to do this.
A lot has already been said but I would like to allude to the fact that teenage pregnancy is one of the major drivers of child marriage because to most parents falling pregnant equals marriage. I would like to urge parents that if your child falls pregnant, please let us not chase them away. A child is a child. The law says anyone, whether female or male who is below the age of 18 years is a child and they must remain
children who should be treated with respect and dignity just like any other human being.
There are so many men whom I think are not mentally stable. Can you imagine an old man taking a 13 year old and sleeping with that girl? This man would be enjoying himself and the little girl would be screaming and shouting in pain. This man does not feel sorry for this little girl. He continues to enjoy himself and then we say this person is normal up there. They are not normal. They are mentally disturbed and this is why whoever is found wanting, justice must prevail because enough is enough. Our children are suffering Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday I had an opportunity to listen to Ruvimbo Tsopodzi and Loveness Mudzuri, Mr. Speaker Sir. If you had been there, you were going to cry. They were telling us about their ordeal. They were married at 15 and 16 years. Loveness got pregnant whilst she was doing her ‘O’ levels and her parents chased her away and she got married. Ruvimbo came home late and her father said go back to where you are coming from. She was not pregnant then and four months later she became pregnant and she became a mother. These children have gone through a torrid time. They have gone through thick and thin. Let us feel sorry for other children.
We also spoke about household poverty. Household poverty is one of the drivers of child marriages. The impact of household poverty equals marrying girls at a younger age. Older men end up preying on these young girls. Once these little girls fall pregnant and if they want to give birth, there is what is called the vascular vaginal fistula (VVF). What happens is that when they go to labour, their labour is protracted because they are young. Their bodies are not yet ready to give birth to children and the baby end up coming using the wrong way. It breaks everything. At the end of the day what happens is that urine and everything else comes out uncontrollably. They become outcasts in life. No one wants to live with them because they will be smelling all day. Is this what we want for our children? These are the results of early marriages.
Moving forward, we have very good laws and policies that protect young children. The biggest drawback is that they are not being implemented. We have got so many laws but they are not being implemented. Coming up with laws without the corresponding ability of implementing those laws is as good as not having laws. I think we have got this allergy to implementation. I think that allergy must be taken away. We must implement what we agree on. There are so many laws which protect these children but they are not being implemented.
Traditional leaders must be educated about this law. They must be educated about this landmark ruling so that in turn they educate their subjects about this landmark ruling, but I am afraid to say some of these traditional leaders do exactly what we are talking about right now. When we were consulting on the Domestic Violence Bill in Binga, we paid a courtesy call to one of the chiefs. When we got there we found little girls carrying babies on their backs and we thought these are chief’s children. When we sat down, we were told, no, no, - there were about three of
four of them carrying little babies. We were told these are the chief’s wives. I have never been hurt like that.
What we did as a Committee is that we picked our bags up and left immediately because we said we cannot sit here and watch these kind of things happen. Traditional leaders must lead by example. They must make sure that children are protected. They must educate their subjects that children are children and they must be treated as children.
They are not brides. They will never be brides and they cannot be brides.
There is also need for a national action plan to end child marriages.
Let us have a national action plan – we want more action than talking. Right now we can talk about this landmark ruling but as long as there is no action, it will remain a talk shop and we do not want this thing to remain a talk shop. We want action on these issues so that whoever is found wanting, goes to jail like what the other Honourable Members said. The girl child must be empowered. Once a mistake happens and they fall pregnant as mothers and fathers we should not let them go. Let us allow them to stay with us. Let them give birth and let us take them back to school so that they have a future. Education is a foundation for a better life. Once a child is educated they are guaranteed of a better future but once they are not educated, they are not guaranteed of anything. We are saying as parents, let us ensure that if our children make a mistake let us look after them. Let us not give them away because these children are suffering, like he said, you do not know what our children are going through. They do not know what marriage is all about and what love is all about. What happens in their home is just that men make love to them and they give birth to children and that is it. That becomes their way of life and I do not think that is what we want for our girls.
Let me conclude by saying that those who are affected should not sit and be passive victims. They must stand up, dust up and move forward like what Ruvimbo and Loveness did. As I speak right now,
Ruvimbo is doing her O’levels and Loveness could not make it today because she registered at the Women’s University. She is doing a diploma in Social Work.
It is important that they do not just stay there as victims. They must move forward. Like I said, I would like to thank Ruvimbo and Loveness for a job well done. I would also want to thank Roots, the organisation which helped them. I would also want to thank the Hon. Members who debated on this motion because this is a very important motion. Let us look after our children. A child is a child. Let children be treated with respect and dignity just like any other human being. I thank you.
*HON. CHAPFIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Firstly, I want to support the mover of the motion and all the Hon. Members who have supported the motion. I also want to encourage and appreciate this day – the International Women’s Day.
The motion that is before us is sacred. It takes us back to our historical perspectives in our lives as Africans. It gives us time to reflect on what we have done from way back to where we are today. Usually, when we are coming up with legislation, we do not normally consider the cause of some of these things. I am sure Oliver Mtukudzi sang a song pertaining to this.
Our children especially the girls are mostly at risk because they are the ones who get pregnant. They look after the children and also look for food. The legislation should also look at the boy child. What should happen to him if he marries at fifteen years? We have them in our constituencies. When these boys marry at such an age, they do not provide for the family in any way. This is the opportunity for us to address these issues.
In my opinion, we are dealing with symptoms and not the root causes of why these children may be married. As Parliament, we need to consider what has caused these girl children to get married before they are eighteen or twenty one. Like the previous speaker highlighted, these early marriages are mainly caused by poverty. The other thing would be religious practices that are pursued by certain religious sects that encourage child marriages.
I want to support what Hon. Chinotimba said and it really touched me. He said that when children went to university in the past, Government used to assist by giving grants and loans. When a child is who is above eighteen years and is at university phones his/her parents and asks for food and money; some parents dismiss them and say ‘you are now grown up, fend for yourself’. If you tell a girl child these words, what are you implying? If you are to tell these words to a boy child, he will engage in armed robbery. A girl child will go and engage in prostitution. Our behavior to children should be considerate.
What should the Government be doing about this issue? We have the social welfare Ministry. Where does it come in? I said it before that we are dealing with symptoms instead of the causes. We need to attack the causes. If a person has a boil, you need to make sure that you deal with the cause because if you do not, it will not heal. We can talk and sing that children should not be married at tender age but birth certificates will be changed and affidavits will be written to give false information that a child is twenty one yet she is fifteen years. There are some Apostolic sects who do that. A man can have ten wives and each wife can have five to seven children. They have fifty children and the man cannot fend for his family. What can be done about that? The children are not even in school.
We are saying that children must not be married before they are eighteen years. We have agreed to that but what are the factors that are causing this? The Government needs to take responsibility to address poverty. It should take ownership. It is not enough to say we have put in legislation. There are some pieces of legislation that cannot be implemented because they are not implementable. As we are in this august House, let us not just echo what has been said. We need to interrogate deeply into these issues.
In South Africa a child gets married at sixteen years. It must be specific in the law what then happens. Both girls and boys cannot marry before they are eighteen. Let us talk of child marriages and not just the girl child. What about child sex? If a child is below the age of 18, he/she should not engage in sexual activities. Those are the issues that we need to interrogate so that we come up with solutions on how best these children can be protected.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Zimbabwe has its cultural norms and values.
There used to be aunts and uncles in families who used to guide – [AN HON. MEMBER: Zvataurwa.] – it does not mean that if it has been said before I cannot talk about it again. We should analyse our cultural norms and values and align it with our Ministry of Rural Development and Preservation of Culture and Heritage. We should come up with means and ways of promoting these norms and values and incorporate the input into our laws.
Mr. Speaker, I stood up to support this motion. However, we should not be reduced to talk shows whilst we leave out some important issues that may hinder the norms and values of our people. Some laws are not being enforced because the Government will have failed to implement its policies. The State must take ownership of these policies. People should not manipulate laws through changing birth certificates and facilitating child marriages. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of Section 106 of our Standing Orders, we are discouraged from repeating what has been said. Those who are going to make their submissions now, we want fresh ideas and let us stick to the motion.
HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon .Speaker. Firstly, I would like to thank the two ladies who ensured that this case received the best attention to the extent of being declared a policy. The act of these ladies is similar to what happened in 1966 in Chinhoyi when the First Chimurenga started and the comrades made the first gun shots. I realise that these two ladies started their own Chimurenga and we will document their names in the book of records. There is need to be brave.
The most challenging issue Mr. Speaker Sir is on court proceedings when such crimes are committed. We are saying this should be an enforceable law and yet those who are responsible for prosecution are seemingly not taking such issues with the gravity they deserve. I am not trying to denigrate the Judiciary, but there are issues where the judges do not have decent accommodation. These judges may end up renting at the apartment of the one who would have committed the offence. This may trigger corruption and the offender is left scotfree. In order to address these issues, we should make sure that the judges have their own apartments where they do not end up mingling with such offenders.
In my constituency, Shamva, many children under the age of 18 were raped, impregnated, abused and infected with HIV/AIDS. However, if one would analyse the way the prosecution took place, there is no consistency. A suspect who is charged and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment is discharged without serving the full 12-year sentence. We as legislators may engage in a lot of talk-shows assuming that these issues may be addressed, but to no avail.
The gathering of evidence from these under-age victims who would have been raped or married off at a tender age takes off the morality aspect of our values. They are asked introvert questions even if the session would be held in camera. For example, a child is asked every detail on what was done on her and most children feel shy to narrate each act as it was done on her. I think this is one of the issues that should be analysed. The surveys which were conducted in Mashonaland Central and Shamva Constituency, have the highest number of children getting married at a tender age.
The most critical issue is the presence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and a 15-year old child is orphaned and left with nine other siblings. That same child cannot afford a fifty-cent coin to buy a sanitary pad and she is expected to take care of nine children. This is one of the factors contributing to child marriages.
In our education system, there is no policy that promotes vocational and technical training for those who fail to attain high levels of education. In the past, there used to be what is called F1 and F2 where a child at Early Childhood Development stage and primary level would be able to do carpentry or construct buildings. That is why they managed to survive even when those children are later orphaned in life. Even some Members of Parliament speaking in this august House sometimes support the idea of marrying off a child at 15 years. If a 15year old child is orphaned and is a neighbour to a Member of Parliament like Hon. Chibaya, he may even fail to donate a bag of maize to help feed the family. If Hon. Chibaya notices a neighbour’s child being abused, he may not be able to report the case – [Laughter] – saying this could be black magic and if I report, I may be bewitched. Those are some of the issues we need to analyse.
I would like to thank the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who are advocating and lobbying for the stoppage of this kind of abuse. However, the way they address these issues is not different from giving someone some pain-killing pills like panadol, which kills the pain for a while. Let us nip it in the bud. If donations are made towards the emancipation of children, it should be channeled to the rural areas and in vocational training centres. Qualifications should not be considered when one is being enrolled at vocational training centres, even a small child should be trained on self-help skills. As Government, we should make the best analysis on who should be enrolled with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and other
training policies.
However, we are looking at an educational system with a 15% pass-rate and 85% may end up in poverty-stricken situations. Most of this unfortunate group of students may not qualify in any other Government programmes offered by our Government and they should be catered for in vocational training centres. The Government should finance these centres and ensure that every ward has vocational training centres. This will ensure that every child grows up with a self-help skill within the community such as fish farming, carpentry, sawing, gardening and so on. These are the projects which are available in our rural areas and the children should be skilled to participate. These children may not talk about being trained in automotive engineering because they live in rural areas.
These issues should be considered so that our children are empowered to avoid children under the age of 15 from being abused. The case of these children can be compared to a tale of a sailing ship which was inserted a hole where a human neck and head were needed in order to seal the hole and save the people. In this regard, a female child may end up for the beheading of her head in order to save the nine children left for her to feed. The hole is sealed and the water is stopped from entering but one would have suffered.
We have a programme of the Traditional Leaders’ granary, zunde ramambo, currently, many people in the rural areas are faced with drought and hunger. In Rushinga, children are being fed on okra remuwuyu. This shows that even if we craft a lot of legislation, if a child has experienced hunger and poverty for years, she is forced to get into an early marriage. So, the issue of vocational training centres and education of our children from ECD, a child must be taught life sustaining skills and avoid too many theories of agriculture, but practical skills. The legislation that says no child labour, I think that is no child labour, but we are equipping them for their own sustenance. If I die of HIV/AIDS, my brothers cannot look after my children. If children have life skills, they can look after themselves. If they do not, that is when they engage in child marriages and get married to elderly men because that is what is available.
In Kenya, child marriages are also rampant. They are also introducing vocational skills for children to sustain themselves. This shows that when the donors are coming in, they do not say this for the girl child and do workshops only. They now see to it that they equip them with skills such that if a child drops out of school, he/she can use the skills to sustain himself/herself. As MPs, I was thinking that we should take this and look into it because people can be arrested for child marriages, but this will not bring the issue to an end. Those neighbours cannot assist and people will just be pointing fingers at each other. So, we need to address that.
The issue that was mentioned by Hon. Khupe that children who are giving birth whilst they are too young is where most of the cancer is coming from. If a child cannot afford a bundle of vegetables, it is not possible for them to get cancer treatment. You find that they end up getting married at a tender age because they cannot afford health care.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you.
HON. SANSOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Misiharabwi-Mushonga. I want to applaud the constitutional court for the landmark ruling outlawing child marriages. I do not want to repeat what has been said about the evils of child marriages and the violation of women. We all know that violating a woman sexually is one of the most horrible crimes that one can commit.
I just want to go on to penalties because I feel that the justice system is a bit weak on the penalty. There are laws outlawing child marriages and there are provisions for penalties against people who pledge their children as collateral and in settlement of debt. I want to call for the amputation of the offending organ Mr. Speaker. Instead of sending convicted offenders to prison, they should just be sent to hospital where doctors will remove the offending organ and just leave a hole enough for urine to be expelled from the body. –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- Thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member Sansole, is it the real amputation or simply to make the person unable to do what they have been doing without amputation? Anyway, it is food for thought.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to air my voice on this very important subject. I want to thank Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and her seconder Hon. Majome. I am going to be very brief on this one. I stood up because I have noticed that it is happening mostly in my constituency. You find that we have got a lot of child headed households. The parents are overseas either in England or South Africa. These children remain alone and their parents send a lot of money, whether for upkeep or whatever, and then they have excess of that money, they end up doing like in Bulawayo; there is what is now popularly referred to as vuzu parties.
In those vuzu parties, they will be drinking bronco, smoking weeds and doing all kinds of dirty stuff that leads to early unprepared sex, unprotected sex and hence, pregnancies and things like that. I have stood up today to say I think we need to pass a law which criminalises the parents first before the children. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- It must be on record that if a parent is so negligent enough to give their children a lot of money, you are enabling them to do that. If a child comes out of your house wearing a daring mini-skirt, what are you thinking as the parent? Where did she get that mini-skirt from? It means that you bought that mini-skirt for her.
When things start happening out there, it is a chain reaction of what we have started as parents. As people who are supposed to be responsible for these kids, we are letting it all loose. So, Mr. Speaker Sir, the major reason why I stood up is to say that the parents must definitely be punished with long jail sentences because we are irresponsible. You find even the Christian parents, they wake up on a Sunday and they go to church. If you go to most churches, it is full of adults, there are no youths there. We the elders are the youths. You leave them at home sleeping, nursing mabhabharasi instead of taking them to church to hear the word of God. What do you expect, miracles? No miracles are going to take place. You are going to find early sex, child marriages and stuff like that. So, if we guard against that, I think that will be the turning point for this whole discussion.
I am going to end up with a simple quotation that came up in one of my group chats Mr. Speaker Sir. It says, “we need to let our girl children know that there are four main dresses that a woman must wear. The first one is a school uniform, the second one is the graduation gown, the third one is a wedding gown and the fourth one is a maternity dress.” If you skip the first one, you must know that definitely you are not going to wear the second one. Do not rush to wear the fourth one because a man has promised you the third one. If you remember, the fourth one is the maternity and the third is the wedding. So, if you are told that let me get you pregnant then I am going to marry you, the child must be taught that it is a no. Once we start implementing such things Mr. Speaker Sir, I think our nation will be healed, but let it start with us to be punished for being misguided, unruly and so irresponsible. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I will not waste much of your time but I want to deal with the cure for this predicament that is currently before us. As I do, I need to thank the mover of the motion and I also need thank the children that hear Ruvimbo and Loveness, the other for the other, if the other is not here.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the reason why we are in this state of affairs, is because as Parliament or as a nation we are negating the Constitution. The Constitution is very clear. It speaks to empowerment because what we need to address is the issue of eradication of poverty which has been alluded to by my predecessors, all the speakers that spoke before me. They speak so eloquently, Mr. Speaker Sir. They wax lyrical when they come to that, about impoverishment; we need to eradicate that. How do we do it, by adhering to the Constitution. it is very clear.
I would want to start on section 19 and then go to Section 20 and Section 14, verbatim before I end. It speaks of children on Section 19 (1) and it goes on to say verbatim “The State must adopt policies and measures to ensure that in matters relating to children. The best interests of children concerned are paramount.” (2) The State must adopt reasonable policies and measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to ensure that children – (a) enjoy family or parental care, or appropriate care when removed from the family environment; (b) have shelter and basic nutrition, health care and social services; (c) are protected from maltreatment, neglect or any form of abuse, and (d) have access to appropriate education and training. (3) The State must take appropriate legislative and other measures – (a) to protect children from exploitative labour practices, and (b) to ensure that children are not required or permitted to perform work or provide services that (i) are inappropriate for the children’s age; or (ii) place at risk the children’s well-being, education, physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development”.
Let me go on to Section 20, that in part is ultra vires what has been alluded to in term of age restriction which is 18 years. It speaks to youths being empowered and age 15 to 35 years verbatim I will go on to what it says. “The State and all institutions ….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member can you pick those
issues that relate to early child marriages please.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue that I need to come out clearly is that when we speak of age 18 years, let it be across the board. There is no harm in us amending the Constitution to make the youths age come from 18 up to 35 years because as long as it is saying 15 years, we want to make sure that it is not ultra vires the age restriction in terms of marriage.
I will not belabour on the point. I will stick to exactly what you have asked me to speak to early child marriages. What is the cause? It is poverty. We need to make sure that we empower our children, youths according to the Constitution, those that are supposed to be empowered by the State and State organs so that our children are not married out early. As long as there is nothing in terms of food and nutrition in whole the first …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, I read to you the relevant Section 106, let us avoid repetition. What the Hon. Member is stating now was stated clearly by Hon. Chapfika. Can we have fresh ideas please?
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I will go on to something that has not been touched on.
THE HON. SPEKAER: Exactly.
HON. NDUNA: The cure, Mr. Speaker Sir, as long as we do not have infrastructure development where children, their parents, their grandparents and great grandparents are still living in a dormitory like oriented situation, which quarters were meant for single people or men that come from the rural areas to come and work in town; which have been turned into family units where the children are living with their grandparents in one place, we will find ourselves having children that are tempted to get married at an early age because they watch their parents indulging in copulation, this is bound to encourage them to do the same. We need to indulge in infrastructure development. We need to repeal our laws so that they do not impede on using what we have got in terms of the resources that we have to get what we want so that our children can economically be empowered.
The Constitution and the laws of the land are very clear but what is missing is the harmonization. If you do not harmonise the other to relate to the other, what is now happening in the judicial system; because they see that now there is no way that they can incriminate the perpetrator of injustice using the harmonized laws they turn to what has been alluded to here the Criminal and Codification and let me say it verbatim – so that I do not miss – they turn to Criminal Codification Act and Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. I will give you an example on how they turn to that. Where they cannot incriminate a girl child for exploiting their God given mineral resources, they will turn to a Section which calls for criminal trespassing which is in the Bible for all prosecutors and judges. This is trying to go away from the laws that have been harmonized, it is criminal to turn to a law that is archaic, historic and moribund-which is fraught of legacy oriented machinations. This is what causes early child marriage because of poverty. I would want to
end it there and want to thank you for this time that you have given to me. I thank you.
HON. SAMUKANGE: I had raised a point of order Mr. Speaker. I think Hon. Nduna is referring to non-existing laws and claims that there are actual laws. For example, he is talking about the Criminal Trespassing, there is nothing like that?
THE HON. SPEAKER: I hope the Hon. Member will stand
guided.
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker, in all due respect I respect his office, there is what is termed Criminal Trespassing. I encounter this every time in Chegutu, when they are trying to pursue or incriminate artisanal miners, in other words when they have not been able to catch him on prospecting.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member should stand guided,
there is no such a law. Thank you.
HON. BHEBHE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity to debate on this very important motion. I want to thank the mover of this motion, Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and the seconder, Hon. Majome. At the same time I want to thank the very brave two girls. I would want to call them girls because they are still girls and they will remain girls until they are properly mature to be married.
Whilst we debate, we need to embark on research, particularly for our cultural beliefs that have been abused in the name of early marriages. I just want to give an example Mr. Speaker; I come from a family where I was told that my fore-grandmother was one of those people that were offered to be married to the husband of her sister. With research it is very clear that when that was happening then, there was no abuse but now, because of lack of respect of our own laws - which is what is prevailing right now, we find people hiding behind cultural beliefs to have early marriages. I want to urge this House to embark on
a thorough research so that we are able to come up with laws that are going to disabuse the issue of child marriages.
I do not think it is fair for us to keep on calling these issues as issues of child marriages. It is basically the issues of Statutory Rape disguised as child marriage – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - I want to disabuse the fact that poverty is part of the reason why we are seeing child marriages. It is not poverty but greediness, once you grow up and become a parent who is greedy, when you look at your daughter; you tend not to look at her as your daughter but as a money spinning venture. We tend to have a situation where parents hide behind poverty just because they are greedy. You go to beer drinking and see baba nhingi wearing a new suit because of his child who got married, you then envy that suit, the next thing when you look at your daughter, you always think of baba nhingi’s suit, and then you begin start thinking of selling your own child.
I think what we can do Mr. Speaker, is beyond just creating laws because my belief is that we have seen a lot of laws that are being broken in this country. We can create laws but if we have not cultivated a culture of people to love themselves first, we will still have a problem. A person that does not love himself will never love an offspring of his own because he does not believe in himself. We need to cultivate a culture of self belief as a nation, once we believe in ourselves as a nation; we should be able to make sure that we are able to deal with some of these issues.
If you look at our own Constitution, it has got a cutoff point of when a person is said to be mature enough to be married but people are going ahead and breaking their own Constitution. You go to court or to the police, the police will just get there and say, ‘what happened?’ The child would have been coached by parents and other collogues to say you cannot let him go to jail, tell the court that we were in love. The same court will let that same person scot free. If you also go to a traditional leader, the same thing happens, once there is a declaration that there is love between the two people, it is easier to cover crime.
However, it has to be ourselves as a country that there are certain things that we should know are morally right and there are certain things that are abnormal. Once we cultivate a culture of self belief as a nation, we will not have to come here to debate, to make laws that are obvious. It is obvious that marrying an under aged person is criminal. If you go to first world countries Mr. Speaker, it is not spoken about or it is virtually a fraction of their population that talks about child marriages. They openly talk about those issues as a nation; they just do not sit down and come up with laws. They cultivate a culture of self belief and once we do so and start recognising our own cultures in a normal way, we will not have this problem. For example, scientists are currently busy researching about how they can deal with the issue of global warming. They are actually researching on traditional ways of how it used to be managed some thousand years ago. They want to understand how they will deal with that kind of a problem that we have as a global community. We have to apply the same methods of actually researching and finding out how it was done before and how we can use those to come up with laws that will prevent the so called child marriage. I think it is just a disguise but it is actually Statutory Rape.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March 2016.
On the motion of THE ACTING PRESIDENT AND
MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY
AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA), the House adjourned at Six
Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 8th March, 2016
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
SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform all members of the
Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus that there will be a half-day training on social media on Friday, 11th March, 2016 at Nine o’clock.
All interested members should register at the Women’s Caucus Office Number 181. Those with laptops, tablets and smart phones are advised to bring them.
This announcement does not state where the training is going to take place. Anyone from the Women’s Caucus to assist; alright, so the Hon. Members in that caucus will have to consult each other. I was not given the venue.
APPOINTMENT TO COMMITTEES
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that Hon.
Josephine Shava has been nominated to serve in the Portfolio
Committees on Environment, Water and Climate and Small and Medium Enterprises Co-operative Development.
THE HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. On a point of order! My point of order is on matters of process and procedure pertaining to this House. If you look at our Order Paper, Mr. Speaker, we have motions that have been on this Order Paper for as long as we can remember. We also have questions, like if you go to questions section; Questions with Notice, question number 1 to 16 were deferred last week from the previous week. It is becoming very costly to this House that if you look from the second page of this Order Paper to the last page, everything has been the same for as long as I can remember.
The only page that changes is the second page.
What it means is that all these other pages are a waste of resources because motions are deliberated on; Ministers are not coming to give their response. So, motions are remaining on the Order Paper without falling off. Ordinarily, when a notice of motion is given, like Hon. Kwaramba has done that she is going to move a motion on Thursday, if the motion is not moved on that particular day, ordinarily it should fall off the Order Paper because it is assumed that the Hon. Member is no longer interested in moving the motion.
I am worried that our Order Paper is not looking very good. We only have one day for our own business. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for Government Business. Our only day for business is Wednesday.
When Wednesday comes, after Questions without Notice, it appears all
Members of Parliament leave and there is no business that happens after 1700 p.m. We have so much Business to do and I implore your good office to whip Members of Parliament so that on Wednesdays, when we have our Business we go beyond 1700 hours, even 1900 p.m. so that we discuss the motions on the Order Paper. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I hear the Hon. Member
and I thought he has answered himself partially to the extent that some Hon. Members leave the Chamber. How many times have I said stay in the Chamber and debate? If the motion is there on the Order Paper and we call for debate, nobody stands up. So, it is up to the Hon. Members to debate until the following day. The Standing Rules and Orders do not stop you from debating but we have suffered from lack of quorum. Also, it is not the duty of the Chair to whip Members. You chose your whips. It is they who must whip you to stay here and debate. As for some motions that have stayed their lifespan, we will definitely expunch them from the Order Paper so that we save cost as you have correctly indicated Hon. Maridadi.
FIRST READING
MANICALAND STATE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
BILL [H.B. 8, 2015]
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT. (HON. DR. GANDAWA) presented the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Bill (H.B. 8, 2015).
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
FIRST READING
GWANDA STATE UNIVERSITY BILL [H.B. 9, 2015] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.
(HON. DR. GANDAWA) presented the Gwanda State University Bill (H.B.
9, 2015).
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. GONESE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March, 2016
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE
PRESIDENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I feel I should stand up and make a contribution SONA. Allow me to first thank His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde R.G. Mugabe for coming to the august House and deliver SONA. The 10 Point Plan he raised include number one, revitalising agriculture and agro-processing value chain. The good example is what has happened at Cashel Valley and Cairns Foods. I went there over the weekend; I saw that everybody was busy. Five hundred (500) hectares have been allocated to
Manicaland Province to produce beans and other vegetables required by Cairns Foods in the Cane process.
We have 300 hectares to be distributed to all other provinces. Mr. Speaker Sir, 2 000 households are going to be involved in this agricultural development programme and more so, the large number of participants are women. This is the only way we can transform the rural areas when our women are producing for a ready market which pays - not producing for GMB which does not pay. Farmers must not waste time looking for the market, it is there for whatever they produce. The companies employ agronomists and they are assisting Agritex officials to increase the yields. In our agriculture the most important thing is that if your yields are low, for example if somebody is harvesting 10 tonnes per hectare and you are harvesting two tonnes per hectare, you are always complaining that the prices are too low because your production is also too low. So, you will not enjoy anything.
The element of this value chain which has been introduced by Cairns
Food is critical. We now need to say let us buy Zimbabwe, let us buy Cashel Valley Baked beans. It was the best beans we used to eat. The tragedy that you are going to see as Zimbabweans is that one Government department is going to give an import permit to a particular company to import tens and thousands of GMO beans to compete with Cashel Valley. This person claims to be a businessman but alas, those are criminals destroying our agriculture, and they have no room in an independent Zimbabwe. This land we have today, the process of developing agriculture is what everybody agreed, stood for and we cannot have people coming in overnight to destroy our agriculture. We must never import anything that we can produce because we are just killing ourselves. The economy will never grow. So, I am appealing to the
Committee on Agriculture to go to Cashel Valley and see for themselves what is happening there. They should inform the relevant Government departments - it is a joke because one Minister has a Constitutional obligation to train farmers, the same Minister issues out import permits for importing vegetables that he has books in his office which tells him to produce beans. The whole thing is confusing and we are destroying our poor farmers in the rural areas.
So, we need to go and see what is going on at Cashel Valley.
When you look at the Agro-processing line; Bata produces quality shoes, in Midlands Gweru, they are the largest employers who employ about 1 350 workers but overnight we see people importing shoes. People are bringing in containers full of shoes, some of the shoes will be brand new in a box but they will be of one side like for the left leg and you have nowhere to complain to, because these are all imported from Europe – [HON. MEMBERS: From China] - Mr. Speaker Sir, people are trying to put words into my mouth, what I saw is that they were imported from Europe.
Before 2007, they were 76 African Caribbean Pacific countries, these are all former colonies of Europe, and they had what was known as Lome 1, 2,
3 agreements. These countries, including Zimbabwe enjoyed preferential
trade with Europe but then after the establishment of the European Union, there was what was known as the Economic Partnership. This meant that goods from Europe would come into any country in these 76 former colonies of Europe and compete. That is why we are now having shoes coming from Europe because we went into this agreement with Europe. Even in beer halls we see beer produced in Holland. In future Mr. Speaker Sir, the august House must look at some of these agreements because we have just been signing agreements that destroy us.
We have the issue of cotton – the production of cotton was mostly in region four and five but there is nothing. The major reason is that
Government banned the importation of second hand clothing but it did not ban the selling. If you go to every growth point there is a big market selling the second hand clothes. The major culprits are ourselves, we are not paying any duty, and most of those goods are smuggled. So, there is need for us, if we want Gokwe to return to its original status, we must allow the people of Gokwe to produce cotton. We must allow the people of Gokwe to sell their cotton at a reasonable price so that when they sell their cotton, it is put to ginneries. We must be proud to be wearing Zimbabwean clothes. If we were to check here in Parliament our clothing, we will notice that we are all putting clothes that are made in other countries yet we claim to be very patriotic. So the whole process must begin at home, we must support our home produced products.
There is the element of beneficiation and value addition. Beneficiation is the element of adding value - for example in diamonds, it is not even the cutting and polishing, it is just washing those diamonds then you know, on this consignment of diamonds what gem is and what is industrial. Diamonds have been exported unwashed and then they come and say it was 10% gem and 90% industrial. This has happened yet we say we are the most educated people in Africa. Our education does not recognise that people are stealing from us. We always want to think of things that do not help us. Cutting and polishing of diamonds is critical but all the cutting and polishing plants in Harare are not operational. Diamond producers are offering our people poor quality diamonds.
So, it is important Mr. Speaker Sir, that as a nation we realise what belongs to us. We must also realise that one day these minerals will lose value. There were emeralds in Mberengwa or Belingwe, Sandawana Mine. People used to struggle to go out there, but alas, one country is now producing synthetic emeralds. Nobody wants to hear about the emeralds from Sandawana, they are making them in a laboratory. One day it might happen on the diamonds. Synthetic diamonds are on their way on the market and we will be seated with those diamonds in Marange so it is important that we support our industry. When we do value addition we have created employment for our youths.
I was reading on the internet Mr. Speaker Sir, GMO free stock feed is on demand in many countries; here we have been producing GMO free soya beans and maize. We can be able to establish markets for our soya beans, add value to them, take the oil from the soya, get the soya cake and produce for the benefit of our people. Then our youths will get employed.
Finally, Research and Development is very critical in the development of agriculture and in the development of every other country. When you move around at Siyaso, Siyaso has remained what it was since I was a ten year old boy because there has not been any development. It is like rank marshals, they never changed since they started, it has always been Harare apo!, Harare apo! As a nation, we need to develop as we do some of our things because we are not rank marshals but a country that requires that we plan together and add value to whatever is in our hands.
I think, when we celebrate the International Women’s Day, we must also realise that 80% of our people live in the rural areas and more than 75% are women that need the support of this august House to continue producing, adding value and benefiting. In Mutoko and Domboshava, they produce a lot of vegetables but nothing is happening in terms of value addition. It is the responsibility of those relevant ministries.
I want to conclude by thanking you for allowing me to speak and I also want to thank Hon. Members who normally do not contribute for listening attentively and not making a lot of noise. Continue being attentive, as it is part of your learning process. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March, 2016.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that all other Orders of the Day, be stood over until Orders of the Day, Numbers 12, 17 and 27 are disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
UNLAWFUL PRACTICES OF CHILD MARRIAGES
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Mr. Speaker, I move
the motion standing in my name That this House;
TAKING NOTE, of the rampant unlawful practice of child marriages in Zimbabwe;
FURTHER Taking Note of the harmful effect of child marriages in Zimbabwe and other related customary practices such as the pledging of children;
ACKNOWLEDGING the abolishment of child marriages by the
Constitutional Court in the landmark ruling of Loveness Mudzuru, and
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi vs the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
Affairs and others judgment, CCZ12/ 2015;
ACKNOWLEDGING and expressing indebtness to the
Constitutional Court for the bold and long overdue decision;
FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING and expressing indebtedness to the young women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who brought the application;
EXPRESSING sadness at the indifference and failure of the Government, to actualize, Section 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which promotes the right of children:
NOW THEREFORE, this Honourable House resolves as follows:
(a) That a promotion of gratitude and indebtedness be and hereby made in favour of the two young women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who brought and made the constitutional application;
(b)That Government moves quickly to:
- amend the Marriages Act, Customary Marriages Act; Criminal Codification Act and Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, such that child marriages are criminalized and the age of sexual consent be 18 years;
- review the Children’s Act to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Constitution are apparent.
(c) That Government, civic society and the church, adopt and implement a systematic program of education around issues of child marriages, sexual abuse and patriarchy in Zimbabwe.
HON. MAJOME: I second.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker
and let me thank my other colleagues the Chief Whips and the Deputy Minister for agreeing to push our motion to the front.
Today is International Women’s Day and we thank you very much for providing us the opportunity to move this motion on International
Women’s Day. So we want to say, happy International Women’s Day to all the women that are in the House. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear]- Mr. Speaker, we also want to be able to move this motion in this context today and hope that our male colleagues will totally support us as one of our presents for this day. Let me start on a lighter note, this morning, as I was talking to one male who has the priviledge of taking me for a drink once in a while. I asked him why he was not wishing me a happy International Women’s Day. He said, but we just celebrated Valentine’s Day, I found that very telling and I queried why? He thought that International Women’s Day is the day that women just talk about their rights and all the other things. So why should he wish me happy International Women Day?
I thought we needed to raise this because I think we need to put
International Women’s Day into a particular context. For us as women,
International Women’s Day, is the day when our male counterparts whether they are sons, husbands, friends or boyfriends to which they say, thank you for the things that we give to them as women.
The back that we give to you, you need to be thanking your mother, wife or sister because this is the day to which you acknowledge us and say, thank you for everything that we give to you. It is unfortunate that it has now been turned into a day in which we speak about our rights. In fact, it should be the day to which you give us our rights to rest, enjoy and everything that makes us happy on this particular day.
I hope that after this presentation, all the males in this House will go out, pick up their phones and call all the women in their lives and thank them for being there. I hope that Hon. Khupe’s motion, that she moved last time, is still going to be taken seriously. It was a motion to say, give us a holiday on International Women’s Day.
Having said this, I am a bit convoluted today as I raise the issue of
International Women’s Day as the motion is speaking to two things. It is saying we have a constitutional judgment that requires us as a Legislature to put certain laws into place so that we can put into practicality a constitutional judgment that was made. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order. Hon. Members, your
whispers are too loud, let us respect the fact that we are all born of
women.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.
Speaker … - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, Hear] - Like I said, the motion raises two fundamental issues. It says let us do something about the Constitutional Judgment and it also says let us do something about the things that are linked to the Constitutional Judgment. Before I go to the merits of that Constitutional Judgment let me raise one thing that I found very disappointing as it is the Ministers who are actually making noise.
It vaMudarikwa, vaDokora
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order!
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: The worry Mr. Speaker
Sir, is that when I was reading through the judgment there was a number of things that struck me. I thought I needed to raise those things because I think they are fundamental as we begin to look at issues to do with rights. The first thing Mr. Speaker that I think we need to do is to be able to congratulate these two women Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo
Tsopodzi who were the applicants in this case. –[HON. MEMBES: Hear, hear]- We need to acknowledge them and we need to say they are the heroines in terms of having raised this message. I do not it is enough I had hoped Mr. Speaker because I did not know we will be able to move this motion today. I had hoped that they would be in the Gallery and they could stand up and we could acknowledge them. I am still hoping that we will be able to call them Mr. Speaker and that knowing you and the support that we get from you, you will be able to acknowledge them so that we can acknowledge them as a House –HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- The second thing is that Mr. Speaker when we have acknowledged people here those that are doing athletics or something like that we have given them something to acknowledge that they mean something. We have even given people that went to Big Brother and we have given them resources. I think as a nation, these are the people that we require to give something like a Diplomatic Passport.
I will indicate why.
They are going to be our diplomats in Africa the message right now is ‘make us girls and brides’. These are the girls who supposed to go and speak for this country because they themselves have been activists in their own right. I want to put a proposal that we acknowledge then as diplomats that they do get diplomatic passports and they become our ambassadors in pushing the issue around child marriages. So that is a better acknowledgement.
The second thing I want to raise Mr. Speaker Sir, that worried a little bit was - as this particular application was made, the people that challenged it Mr. Speaker Sir, unfortunately, among them was the
Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Gender. –[AN HON. MEMBER: It is very unfortunate.]- I think it is most unfortunate. I saw the Minister of Justice and Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. In fact, he is not the one who signed. The person who signed the application is a woman, Virginia Mabhiza. A gave her a call and I said I am going to raise your issue in the House. So, we had the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, a woman – then it was O. Muchinguri. We had Virginia Mabhiza the permanent secretary who is a woman. To cap it all, we actually had a woman lawyer Olivia Zvedi standing in to oppose this particular issue. I have not gone into the judgement Mr. Speaker. If you look at the issues raised by the respondents in beginning to argue and when I say respondents, you are talking about the woman lawyer who was defending this. This is one view they said. They suggested that the applicants were the cause of the problem. The cause of the problem as in Child Marriage and their argument was that they should have taken responsibility for getting pregnant.
This is a child who has come to court and has said the Constitution provides for me protection. This is a child who you are now saying you should have taken responsibility for being violated. I think Mr. Speaker this judgement should stand as something that says to us, if you are a woman in a position of authority and there is something that relates to women and girls, you could ask even if you are forced to say this is where I have a conflict of interest. If you want to proceed and you want to argue and defend this thing, I as a woman standing here will not part of that process.
I am hoping that as I raise these issues the women that were part of this Constitutional issue this judgment in particular should be able to say to themselves never again as a woman will I be used to stand and fight a war that I know is against myself. It does not make sense for us to come to this House and complain about an abuse by men when we ourselves were in positions of authority as women, we are un able to use that authority to defend. I am happy that my sister who is on the other side, the Chief Whip - pushed for this particular issue today as a woman, because she felt that it was important for us to raise this particular issue. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear. Hear.]- I am hoping that we will continue to be able to debate that issue today.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me quickly go into the issue that we are asking for. Basically, Mr. Speaker Sir, what we are asking for is that what the Constitutional Court said - in simple terms, we are outlawing any form of marriage of anyone under 18, whether that marriage is civil, registered customary marriage or unregistered customary. So, they basically, said we have outlawed. So, from the 20th of January 2016, it is unlawful for you to do so. What we are now asking Mr. Speaker Sir, is to now say we are criminalising anyone who marries anybody under18. It does not make sense Mr. Speaker Sir to say today do not marry. I know there are arguments that are being put around that particular issue but there is no point Mr. Speaker Sir, in making something unlawful and not criminalising it. Let me just give an example. The African Protocol itself on women’s rights, speaks to the issue that there should not be any child who is to be married under the age of 18. We as Africans and it is not a European one and it is not a UN one, it is an African Protocol. It is an African Protocol by ourselves. So if we are going to talk about customs, culture then we need to talk to the fact that we as African have stood up and have said this cannot be done.
That one has been said by the Constitutional Court but we need to bring it back to this House. What is it that we need to do Mr. Speaker Sir, from a legislative point of view? Firstly, we need to amend the Act - the Marriage Acts to set the minimum marriage for both boys and girls to 18 years. Like I said, we need to make it a criminal offence and this criminal offence should have a deterrent maximum penalty. Mr. Speaker Sir, but more than that - we want to amend the Sexual Offences Act . As we speak right now, the age of consent and the issue that was raised at the Constitutional Court are at variance. If we are agreeing Mr. Speaker that anyone under the age of 18 is a child, then we cannot of the same hand say no, proceed to have sex with this child but do not marry them.
It is an absurd way of saying it.
So if we say there is no marriage under 18 then it should follow that the age of consent should also be at 18 Mr. Speaker Sir. That is what we are asking this House to do. It is very simple. We know that we have got a lacuna in the law which is the issue around unregistered customary marriages. That is where we need to discuss and see how we deal with the mischief of unregistered customary marriages because the registered ones we can just set the age and say from 20 January there is no law that allows you to come in if you are under age 18 and for you to get married.
It is the unregistered marriages and the reason why we need to deal with those is that the excuse for a lot of people around statutory rape is they will sleep with a 13 year old and will say but I married her and use that as defence. If it is unregistered and if it is not criminalisied it means these people will get away with murder. Let us make sure that there is no lacuna in the law and let us close it up and very easily do it.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when we had that Zuva Judgment, we were called from recess to come here and amend that particular law because we felt it was in the public interest. This Constitutional judgement has been sitting with us. We still have not come to this House. I would have thought that the moment it came out, we would have rushed to come here and make sure that we address the issues that had been raised by the Constitutional Court. I am hoping that this will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
Mr. Speaker, you will find it interesting that today if you go around these little girls that the older men have sex with now have a very interesting terminology, they are called tu anatomana. So, if a man is dating a little girl, they say ane katonomana kake kaari kufamba nako mazuvano. So, we need to make sure that people that have the capacity to come up with laws deal with these issues because they are then associated with persons who are seen to be making those laws.
On that note Mr. Speaker, I have engaged you and I hope we are going to get a good response from you Mr. Speaker. We want the males in this House and I hope they do listen because this is directly to them as Members of Parliament. We want male Members of Parliament to sign an oath, that oath says you in your personal capacities will not be seen to be having tu anatomana - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
– yes, you need to be fathers to these kids. We have no problem Mr.
Speaker, if they do not want, we will merely say out of all the male Members of Parliament, these are the male Members of Parliament that refuse to sign the oath. Mr. Speaker, we will say these are the male
Members of Parliament who do not want to deal with under eighteens.
We hope Mr. Speaker you will allow us to get a table outside and get our Hon. Members to come in and sign that oath so that at the end of the day, they will not be seen to be associated in any improper relationship with anybody who is under 18….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member, I think
there are two things. Firstly, you need to be understood, I was battling in my mind as to what is tu anatomana. So, you need to define yourself in clear terms. Secondly, there are no male guys here but there are Hon.
Members of Parliament. Please stand guided accordingly.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: I stand guided and I
withdraw the word ‘guys’ Hon. Speaker. I was referring to the street language that is used by people. You remember that when we had the Prosecutor General refusing to give that certificate for private prosecution, the understanding was that these young girls who were going there and pushing for this application were denied the right to take on men that were abusing them. Generally, it is now a terminology that is that if you are dating a younger person you then call ndina katomana kangu. Not that it speaks to Tomana, the person, I am just merely saying it speaks to the fact that if you are in a position of responsibility, you need to make sure that you are not then associated with a particular issue.
Mr. Speaker, I was saying we want our male Hon. Members of Parliament to be role models. We want them to stand up and say, not only that are we speaking against child marriages or having indecent sexual conduct with those that are under 18, we ourselves are committing to not being associated with that inappropriate relationship. This will send a message to all the other men that if Members of Parliament are standing up and saying this is not a done deal, it will encourage a number of people not to do so.
The second thing that we have been discussing with other female Hon. Members of Parliament is that in the next week or two, we will put our names and phone numbers in the newspaper, so that if there is anyone who has had an inappropriate relationship with anyone of our colleagues in here, they can tell us Mr. Speaker. We can come and tell you, and you can engage that person, and we may have to proceed to name and shame that person because charity begins at home.
Mr. Speaker, I know we are still engaging on it, please do not make a ruling, I beg. I am still trying to persuade you. We are hoping that given where we have come from with you Hon. Speaker and your support to women’s causes, you will agree to this particular movement. I do not want to take words out of your mouth and like I said, I really beg you because it is International Women’s Day. Please do not give us a no, think about it and we will stand guided by you.
In conclusion, thank you very much for allowing us to raise this on
International Women’s Day. Thank you for allowing us to put up the proposal that we have put today. Thank you for allowing the women in this House to be the voices for the women out there. I thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir.
HON. MAJOME: Let me begin by wishing you a happy
International Women’s Day. I also extend and wishes to all the Hon. Members of Parliament that are in here as well as those from the media and the visitors who are here today. I am doing this because today is the
International Women’s Day. It is a good day for absolutely everyone for
men, women, boys and girls.
I want to thank Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga for moving this very important motion. The motion will see us congratulating two very gallant Zimbabwean daughters, that is Ruvimbo Mutopodzi and Loveness Mudzuru who were bold enough to take their rights into their own hands and go to the highest court in the land, the Constitutional court. They vindicated their rights as children but also their rights as women and citizens, so that the Constitutional Court gets an opportunity as it did to interpret the legal position in Zimbabwe as far as child marriages are concerned.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to also roundly commend our Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe for stepping up to the plate and indeed, doing exactly what it is meant to do, that is actually showing the Constitutional light for us in Zimbabwe. Also, making a clear signal to say that child marriages in Zimbabwe are not permitted by law and they are not at all allowed and they shall not be done. I indeed salute our Constitutional Court.
In supporting this motion, I have very few words because I am indeed taken over by excitement and joy. I want to be able to continue to celebrate International Women’s Day. However, I will indeed say that in supporting this motion Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to draw the attention of the Hon. Members of this august House to something that this same august House did in the year 2006. This august House passed something called The Domestic Violence Act which was a ground breaking, I do not want to say earth-shattering, but it was a precedent setting enactment that was all over the world. I want to remind Hon. Members of this august House that Section 3 of the that Domestic Violence Act, that is still in force and that has not been repealed by this august House provides a definition for what it calls domestic violence, in that definition, it has a whole list of very nefarious acts that are a long list that include the usual that we think of when we think about domestic violence, which are reprehensible, such as, beating up people and depriving them of the economic welfare, et cetera.
In Paragraph L of the Domestic Violence Act that is still in force, there is a species of acts that pertain to child marriages that are also described and defined as domestic violence. The first one is the pledging of children into marriage, the second one is forced marriage and child marriage. As far as 2006, child marriage in Zimbabwe has been against the law because we have not repealed the Domestic Violence Act.
However, Section 4 goes on to do something that is even more exciting which talks to what Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga has said and also to what the Constitutional Court very correctly did in pronouncing the problem. Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act, which was passed by this august House exactly ten years ago, gives Hon. Misihairabwi what she is seeking. It criminalises child marriages and it provides that any person who commits any of the following acts that are in Sub-section 3, which are domestic violence, including child pledging, forced marriage and child marriage commits a criminal offence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it goes on to pass out one of the more severe forms of punishment that you can find on our statute books. It provides that if you commit domestic violence which includes child marriage, you can be sentenced to one of the highest levels of criminal penalty, which is level 14. You can also be imprisoned for up to ten years and you can actually be sentenced to both ten years imprisonment and the highest level of fine. I say this Mr. Speaker Sir to try and remind Hon. Members of this august House of the responsibility that we have as Members of Parliament to ensure that in our oversight responsibility, we ensure that the law that we have passed here in this august House is indeed implemented.
I want to salute the Constitutional Court because it dug from the archives this position that we already had as Zimbabwean law to remind everyone that in Zimbabwe, child marriage is against the law. I want to speak a lot about the Domestic Violence Act because it gives us an opportunity to ensure that we protect children from marriage. It is right there and it shows the tragedy that we have in Zimbabwe that we have wonderful laws and policies in a lot of ways but we are not implementing them. Thanks to the Constitutional Court. It has resuscitated the unlawfulness and the criminality of child marriages.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our Constitution also gave us that opportunity and I am hoping that Hon. Members will remember that in terms of the Constitution, we have a responsibility to ensure that the Constitution is implemented. As Hon. Members of Parliament, in our individual capacities, we have a duty to ensure that we do protect the girls who are in our constituencies from being abused. It is the sexual abuse of children that is actually glamourised as child marriage. It is nothing but sexual abuse.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to urge Hon. Members to continue their oversight role. As Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga indicated, there is now a very bad joke of a moniker that is being given to children who are abused by men; they are called Tomanas. That happened because the Prosecutor General of Zimbabwe made public statements that were most unfortunate and indeed most objectionable to the effect that they condone the marriage of children. Yet in terms of Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act, he is the one who is responsible for ensuring that he prosecutes these men who have no shame, who go around abusing children and calling it marriage.
I am not aware of a single person who has been arrested in this country in terms of Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act. It is time that Hon. Members of Parliament make sure that it is done.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Members on my left
you are not listening.
HON. MAJOME: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to make a call in this debate to the Prosecutor-General’s office to take its responsibilities seriously and to also take the criminal offences that are done because it is already a criminal offence. It has been a criminal offence to marry children since the year 2006. We should be seeing people having handcuffs around their wrists and being prosecuted for that. Unfortunately, it appears that in 2006 when the Domestic Violence Act was passed, there were no corresponding amendments to the Marriage Act, as well as the Customary Marriages Act to ensure that we remove from our statute books all reference to child marriage and all excuses for people who want to abuse children and hide behind the name of marriage.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to speak a little bit more about the Domestic
Violence Act and I am glad that the Hon. Deputy Minister for Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development is in the august House. The Ministry houses what is called the Domestic Violence Council in terms of the Domestic Violence Act. I understand that the Ministry has a gentleman laid agreement with the Ministry of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs. While the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is a responsible Minister in terms of the Domestic
Violence Act, to administer it, they have a laid agreement with the
Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development.
I call members of this august House to exercise our oversight functions so that Government Ministries fulfill their responsibilities. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Domestic Violence Act is a body which is designed and mandated to make sure that the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act are implemented. It has a whole array of representatives who represent stakeholders who are very vocal and indeed interested. It has representatives from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and
Community Development, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Education, Health and Child Care, ZRP, civil society and traditional leaders. Mr. Speaker Sir, I cannot then fathom why it is that we have that Domestic Council in place. Why is it that for the last ten years, since 2006 when this Act was passed, child marriage which is a species of Domestic Violence, which this council is responsible among other species of Domestic Violence to implement, we had to wait for the Constitutional Court to make this important pronouncement? I said this so that we can now get to action and ensure that we take the action required to protect our girls from marriage.
Mr. Speaker, may I also take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the august House the work of an organisation called Parliamentarians for Global Action, which is an international organisation that has individual members of Parliament who join in order to promote causes such as gender and equality. This organisation, I speak about it because we have a chapter here in Zimbabwe that at the moment, I have a privilege of chairing which has a campaign against global marriage, which has asked Hon. Members of Parliament across the whole world to pledge to do more in order to end child marriage. In addition to the pledge that Hon. Misihairabwi - Mushonga enunciated, that is very direct to our Parliament, which I also echo. It will be wonderful for our male Members of Parliament to sign up to that pledge to say I will not abuse girls under the guise of marriage.
In addition to that, it is also an opportunity to call upon Hon. Members, male and female to sign up to that pledge, which is available online. A lot of Hon. Members have signed that pledge and I want to say Zimbabwean Members of Parliament always do us proud. They are among the top three countries that have signed this petition online to end early child and forced marriages. For those who have not done so, let us do so. I say this because I had the privilege of attending a seminar in Ghana, organised by this Association in 2014 where I also signed a pledge to do more as an Hon. Member of Parliament to end early child and forced marriage. When I came to Zimbabwe, I decided to go and seek audience with the Hon. Minister of Justice as he was then and now is our esteemed Vice President; to ask because he is the responsible Minister who administers the Marriages Act and the Customary
Marriages Act. To ask him to please expedite the process of bringing to this august House, Bills that will do what Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga is asking to amend Section 20 of the Marriage Act, so that we remove that opportunity that allows that Minister of Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs and guidance to consent to the marriage of girls.
Also insert a provision in the Customary Marriage Act to set a bar and limit for marriage of children. He graciously agreed to do so and even invited us because I also went with members from Plan International who had a campaign and he even said can you do a potential draft of the clauses you want changed.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am happy to say that with the help of organisations that includes the Research and Advocacy Unit Camfed, the
Child Protection Society of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Women Lawyers
Association, Plan International and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, we were able to even obtain the services of a drafter to draft a proposed Bill to remove all those places in our statute laws that allow child marriage. That Bill is indeed ready for presentation to the Hon. Vice President and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as and when it is ready. It seeks to amend the Marriage Act Chapter
5:11, the Customary Marriages Act Chapter 5:07 and the Birth and Deaths Registration Act to tighten its provisions requiring the registration of ages of children. It also seeks to amend the Children Act because the Act also correspondents to the provision in the Marriage Act that allowed children to be married. Also the Criminal Codification and Law Reform Act to remove what it was calling extra marital sexual intercourse with children, so that it is clear as the constitutional court say that we do not want any sexual intercourse with children at all so that – in the Shona language there is a proverb that says – Regai dzive shiri mazai haana muto – loosely translated it means let eggs hatch into hens because eggs cannot produce gravy or soup. That is indeed the philosophy and the thinking that even in our own traditional customs and practices, children where children, they were allowed to grow. In this modern age, let us as Hon. Members of Parliament do our best to ensure that we protect our girls so that they are not abused sexually in a glorified form of abuse which is called marriage. Indeed, let us also align the age of consent to the age of marriage because there is no reason why we should baptise our girls to rush into having sexual intercourse, they have the rest of their lives to have it. Those two years between sixteen and eighteen surely, it is in their best interest to wait until they are able to deal with the decision of the consequences of having sexual intercourse.
Allow me to wind up by also encouraging our musicians, artists and our media to also play ball and stop promoting images that seem to condone sexual intercourse with girls and also marrying girls. Indeed, I must say one of my favourite musicians has a brilliant, good song but unfortunately he produced a video that shows very suggestive and sex dances being done by girls wearing school uniform.
Mr. Speaker Sir, while that is entertainment, but unfortunately, those things send messages that say it is alright for girls to wear little dresses and to dance in a sex manner and titillate men. It also sends signals into some perverted men to actually start drooling over school girls. I understand that as we speak, they are stories in the media about how there is an uproar where certain commercial sex workers are also now wearing uniforms that are sexed up, if I may call it that and are luring men. I am thinking that the men who will stop to buy the services from those sexual workers are actually going to stop because they have been attracted by a sexfied school uniform. If I go further, I am disturbed by the consequences that it means that they will actually find a school girl in a school uniform attractive and lure her away from the parts of virtue and detract her from there and that is the paths of child marriage. We need to keep our girls in school so that they attain qualifications and they are able to look after themselves and make decisions for themselves. We must show zero tolerance to rape and sexual intercourse with children and we must not marry children. We must remove those images and deceit from entertainment and media reports that seem to condone and encourage sexual activity and the titillation of people using children in sexual images.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to please wind up and congratulate Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and also continue to urge Hon. Members of
Parliament to step up to the plate and to do more and the Ministry of Women, Gender and Community Development to, in future, desist from opposing applications in the constitutional court that seeks to promote the rights of women. The Attorney General’s Office must, in future, never again oppose applications made by women in the Constitutional Court or even other people in the constitutional court to protect their rights. It is tax payers’ money; we pay the taxes we expect the Attorney General and our ministries to protect our rights, not to use the money that we pay to sustain them to oppose our rights in the constitutional court.
Finally, may we, as august Members of the House and as well as Hon. Ministers who are responsible for bringing Bills, take away this increasing burden onto the Constitutional Court that we are heaping onto the Constitutional Court, for it to continue making pronouncement to say this is unconstitutional when the Constitution says so. May we have our Hon. Ministers bringing Bills to Parliament so that we align each and every one of their Acts that they implement to the Constitution so that the Constitutional Court is relieved of this burden because indeed a storm is coming. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the
opportunity that you have given me to speak and add my voice concerning this pertinent motion that was moved by Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga. I want to add a few words to support what has already been said that we want to thank the Government for accepting the request that came from the children Topodzi and Mudzuri that these children should be allowed to grow up before they become brides. This is so that the mothers can enjoy what is due to them when a child gets married and know that they now have sons-in-law.
I want to add a few words that a crab moves sideways, if it bears a young one and teaches them how to walk, we are saying that the young one has to find a suitable side in which to move. So, what we are saying is that as mothers, we should talk to our children and advice our children because children take what their mothers say. Our African custom never at one time allowed a child to get married below the set age. The myth was that you would be inflicted with a disease known as rukumbi, meaning that a child has become active at a tender age and our elders would always say that you ate a raw mouse, meaning that the parents did not do well in bringing up the child. I want to thank Hon. Majome who seconded the motion. She mentioned issues that I wanted to say. We heard in the House that; Hon Misihairabwi-Mushonga said that, you the male Hon. Members; you should also commit yourself and append your signatures, that you will not be found wanting in this regard. The Hon Member was right when she was talking of Tomana, she was not correct; she wanted to say tombana meaning a baby. Mr. Speaker, I plead with you to forgive her because she was not talking of a particular person. In Ndebele they say intombi and in Shona they tombi and if it is still a baby it is ntombana.
The male Hon. Members in this House have been urged not to be in relationship with the young girls. I want to challenge them that how would they feel if you saw your 13 years old child in a relationship with an Hon. Member. I plead with my Hon. Members that let us not be found in relationship with the young ones.
I also want to say that Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Hon. Majome, we will also go and investigate and see if it is not Hon. Labode who is also stalking the young men. If we find Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga dressed in a child’s school uniform, what do we do Mr. Speaker Sir? Are we supposed to leave her or we should arrest her and take her to the police station and inform the police that this woman wants to become a child. It is tantamount to impersonation of the under aged. There should also be a law to address that. Those people should be arrested for impersonation.
My request Mr. Speaker is that the female Hon. Members should assist us because in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development there is a female head. If it becomes legislation from Parliament and is gazetted in the papers and is in the
Constitution and there is no conscientisation, it is not known. In Hosea,
God says, ‘my people perish because of lack of knowledge.’ Today we are talking of Women’s Day; in my constituency where I come from, they do not know what Women’s Day means. If we go to Binga where my mother comes from, the women there do not even know what
Women’s Day is. Why do you not now embark on information
dissemination that will go right down to the grassroots, to the children and women in the rural areas? Advise the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development to do that. The Ministry should advise the people that the marriageable age is 18 years and above. If a child is married above the age of 19 years, we will give them a VW car or give that child cattle or goats as a challenge to ensure that girls look after themselves until there are of marriageable age.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I think this issue should be taken serious in this House of Assembly. If there is documentation, may it be availed to us so that we conscientise our children and women in the constituencies where we come from. The traditional leaders should also be given that information through their chief’s council, the village heads even at ward level should be given this information. God will bless us because what we have witnessed is that an old woman will put on a uniform looking like a child and then we are found wanting as we were found with these young girls.
Honestly, there will not be any rainfall if such things are happening. I want to end with these two words, Mr. Speaker, us in this House if there are those who have done that before, when we leave Parliament today, we should make sure that we desist from such actions and ask for forgiveness from God. If there are female Members of Parliament who also impersonated the school children, they should desist this and stop it forthwith. I thank you.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon Matangira, this House is not the
House of Assembly, it is known as the National Assembly.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANICALAND
PROVINCE (HON. CHIMENE): Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity. I was longing to speak in this House but on this issue that is before us, as a woman, I felt I would not let it pass. I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and the seconder Hon. Majome. As women if we are not in the forefront, the men will not do much. We want to thank you for bringing this motion in this House.
I want to support everything that you have said that it is not a small matter but it might not be pertinent to those who have not experienced it.
To those who have experienced it…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Sorry Hon. Members, I was checking on some technicality in terms of allowing a Member who is Minister of State to debate. Our Standing Orders are not very clear on that, so on the balance of doubt; we will allow Hon. Minister Chimene to speak.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MANICALAND (HON.
CHIMENE): Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank this august House for giving me the opportunity, I was telling myself that I should finish quickly before I am told to sit down as a Minister.
However, I was saying that if you have not experienced this, you will look at it and view it as a trivial issue but when your child is found in such a situation that is when you will begin to feel the pain. I want to thank Hon. Matangira who has greatly supported this motion. As a man, we never thought you would say things as they are, we thought maybe you would put on your boxing gloves to defend yourselves. We want to thank you; you are a real man, a father who has a heart.
To other Hon. Members who are in this House, I do not have a very big issue but a message in my phone that I would want to share with you which I have just received. It goes like this: - Mr. Mwonzora, Headmaster of St Mathias Tsonzo, was involved in a fatal accident trying to chase a vehicle which had picked one of their female students last night. The Headmaster is very critical in Intensive Care Unit whilst the security guard of the school who was together with the Headmaster, died on the spot.
This is a school child. That is why I have said if you have not yet experienced it, you will not feel the pain. So, this is what has pushed me to speak Mr. Speaker. People probably just hear of what happens but this is a true and recent story that has happened. Maybe as I am speaking right now, I might get news that the Headmaster is no more. The school guard has died in an effort to protect a school child who is not even his own, which shows that he had a heart of a parent. School fees is now difficult to get, parents are struggling to send their children to boarding schools but some elderly man comes to snatch the child away from school. A child whose parents are struggling to get her school fees, this issue should be addressed in the harshest of manner. Sometimes, we end up thinking that in the prisons they are getting good treatment. His Excellency, the President, sometimes jokes and says badhiza . He normally says that if an elderly man rapes a young child badhiza. So, I think Hon. Members we need to take measures that man who do that are not man enough. They should be castrated and these men should be engaged in agriculture alone.
The two girls who went to the constitutional park, we had them at the launch in Manicaland, we really applaud them that they have done us proud. I agree with you that if a person does such a splendid job, we should not give the Government the load but take it up as women. We need to mobilise ourselves and go to the media, give those children whatever we can because they have fought a heavy battle and they are heroes of this law. I want to thank you, I may take much of your time and the order to stop me from talking might be raised. I thank you.
HON. MANGAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. May I also add my voice to this important motion which has been raised by Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and seconded by Hon. Majome. The 8th of March is a very important day to us as women because it is the day we continuously check on the progress we have made on gender disparity.
The international theme for this year is Planet 50/50 by 2030, where the intention is to achieve some important goals. I was looking at the goal which is there to ensure that both girls and boys complete free equitable education. Then I was also wondering that since we are paying school fees for both girls and boys, I hope we are going to get to a point when the primary education fees is not paid so that both have equal access to education, for us to achieve the fifth goal on gender equality.
Hon. Speaker, I would also want to look at the other goal where by
2030, we should have eliminated all forms of violence against women in the public sector. We hope that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Gender Equality will spearhead that, so that we achieve the goal. I was looking at the Domestic Violence Act, a good law which was enacted. I was wondering, in terms of education which has been given to our communities for the awareness of this Domestic Violence Act? So, I would like to urge the Government to give more resources for the publicity of the Domestic Violence Act.
I understand in the Domestic Violence Act, there are AntiDomestic Violence Councils where we are supposed to have councilors in each ward but we do not have them up to now. I was also looking at the other item which I have seen in the Domestic Violence Act, the idea of stalking and I was wondering who is not doing that in our communities? Stalking is a crime in the Domestic Violence Act, following up someone unknowingly for the purposes of someone committing a crime, stalking is being done by both men and women…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order did you say knowingly or unknowingly?
HON. MANGAMI: Unknowingly Mr. Speaker, you have to alert
them that you are following them. So that, yes …
THE HON. SPEAKER: You may proceed.
HON. MANGAMI: You have to know according to the Domestic
Violence Act, let them know that you are following them. We are saying everybody has committed this crime because they did not know it is criminal. So when people are educated on the components of the Domestic Violence Act, they will be aware of some of these things and that other issues both men and women do in terms of our culture are prohibited in the Act.
I think there will be less violence if the Ministry is allocated sufficient resources for the sensitisation of communities to these issues. In terms of police reports, every week, there have been 13 reports. The amount of violence being perpetrated on both men and women is actually alarming. So, I would want to say to Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga the issue of International Women’s Day does not only concern women but both men and women because everyone has been born out of a woman. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I will recognise, Hon. Mpariwa, Hon. Zemura, Hon. Mandipaka, Hon. Chinotimba and Hon. Chasi in that order.
*HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker and I say congratulations to Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and her seconder Hon. Majome for this important motion that has come at an opportune time, on International Women’s Day.
Mr. Speaker, allow me to congratulate Zimbabwe as well as the Parliament of Zimbabwe for debating this motion on such an important day. I also want to congratulate the two girls Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who I believe are on their way here. We want to welcome them and also thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing them to come here and hear our sentiments. If a person lights a lamp …
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order one of them has arrived, that is Ruvimbo Tsopodzi.
Ruvimbo Tsopodzi acknowledges her presence and stands up in the
Speaker’s Gallery.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, you may be seated.
*HON. MPARIWA: We are delighted Mr. Speaker because once
a person lights a lamp and puts it under the table, people will not see it because it will remain dark. The light was lit by these girls with the assistance of the courts but it is our duty as Parliament. We should be asking ourselves, what is next when this happens?
When you look at laws that protect children in this House, they are all in bits and pieces. I remember when I was still Minister in the
Government of National Unity, there was legislation Children’s Act 5:06 and the Ministry of Health and Child Care also had legislation addressing children. It is important that the legislation that affects children is in one place so that it cannot be used as a byway, where the other Act says this, they should all be in one legislation. So, I am happy that we are talking about this issue advising each other that we are all duty bound.
I want to thank the Hon. Members who debated this motion and
agreed that it is a pertinent issue. I also want to look back and state that women were challenged to advise their children. We want to talk as if married couples are now divorcing because they got married yesterday. I am saying this because it takes both a man and a woman to have a child. So it is not fair for us to hear that it is the woman’s responsibility because it takes two to tango. A child belongs to both parents, whether they are together or divorced but for that child to be there, both parents had to be there. So, it is not fair for us to say, Maidei belongs to the father because she has done well and she belongs to the mother when she has done badly. We do not want to accuse each other of wrong doing or burn the whole house down simply because there is a snake.
We do not want to blame the mother because the child is in a problem.
I was happy when the Hon. Member said that, ‘…from today onwards, let us make our ways right and find the way forward.’ We are the ones in the communities, in this Parliament who can address these laws, and hear what is happening out there so we should ask ourselves what we have done about it? What did I do when I heard about this issue? I heard an Hon. Member say that we need to stop this forthwith and that if anyone was engaging in such activities, they should stop it forthwith.
We should also have Hotlines and inform people of what is happening. There is an organisation called, Child Line. They have a Hotline that you can call and they can take it up. So, you may be convicted if you are found with a child especially when you are a Member of Parliament since we are the ones who enacted this piece of legislation.
I also realised that there was conflict of interests of terms, especially on the issue of gender, that when a woman stands up, they say that gender can debate. We need to conscientise each other on the fact that gender refers to both men and women. What then happens in the communities is that women cannot do this.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order are you now interrogating the Speaker? I was just reminding people that the women should be debating when I said that. We fully understand what the concept, gender means, you may proceed.
*HON. MPARIWA: My apologies Hon. Speaker, I am sure you
have heard it before that when a woman stands up to debate it is termed, gender.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order are you now opposing the Speaker again?
*HON. MPARIWA: No, I am actually excited because it was
mentioned before you even said it and I did not hear you referring to gender. So, I always hear them saying, gender, you are the ones in the fore-front in the Women’s Caucus. I am saying that we need to conscientise each other on the meaning of gender.
My other issue is if you consider that when a child is raped or betrothed at a tender age. A child is denied of education as well as health and a child is forced to settle down with a person that she does not want. There are diseases that are there like STIs and HIV. This can affect the children’s future. Those children are the Mpariwas of tomorrow. They are the teachers and nurses of tomorrow.
Hon. Speaker Sir, this motion came to make us realise that there are children’s rights that we need to protect. We as legislators need to protect that. We as the leadership of the nation need to protect these children. Let me end by saying that all of us are parents in this august House. We all have people that we look forward to I think Hon. Chimene said it clearly. She said it last time in another debate. I would have been deeply pained if she had not been allowed to debate. We all have expectations for our kids. When you ask them who wants to be the Speaker of Parliament, you will see them raise their hand and when you say MPs, they do these games, which means that they also have expectations. When a child is put in a situation where they become child- brides, they are taken by those with power at a tender age, their hopes and aspirations and expectations are thwarted. Hon. Speaker Sir, what I am saying is that I want to support the motion. I have said my proposal is that the rights of the children should come under one legislation to ensure that those who interrogate these laws will know that they are relating to the rights of the children and they are found in this Act. I thank you.
*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice on the motion. This important motion addresses the lives of the people. When I look at child marriages that are taking place, I realise that they are destroying a nation. Certain families are being destroyed because children getting married to people not of their age. It is the elderly man who go and impregnate another man’s daughter who is equally his daughter’s age. I want to thank the children who took this issue to the Constitutional Court. These children who said that this issue should be brought out in the open because most children are being affected and destroyed by those in power.
When I look at it as a Government we delayed in interrogating this issue. The Government should have taken steps ages ago because the Act that was put, the Domestic Violence Act, actually looked at the abuse of the children. Sexual Offences Act also touched on rape of the children. This is when these issues should have been interrogated and legislation been put into place. Issues pertaining to women are not given urgency; if it had been the boy child, it would have been addressed long ago. Our traditional custom looked down upon the girl child and the women thus nothing is done. If I look at the way a child is loved, especially a girl child in a family and let us look the girl child in our families, and see how much we love them. Here, if we are told that such a boarding school has children of Members of Parliament from
Zimbabwe no one will come to Parliament if those children are abused. In my personal capacity I would like to say that I have a herd of cattle that was given by my sons in law as is tradition when they married. I never thought at one time that in the Zemura family I would own cattle, but because of my daughters I now own cattle. Now if a man rapes someone else’s child why can they not realise that they are destroying expectation, hopes and aspirations for that child.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I am looking at this issues brought in by Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and seconded by Hon. Majome. I realise that it is a pertinent issue and action should then follow without counting any more days to ensure that our legislation is aligned. Once we align this legislation, we will see who will fill up the prisons because they have said that there are elderly women who put on girls uniforms. So, we want to see who will be arrested. We want to see if it is the elderly women or the men because the mandatory sentencing for such crimes should be reviewed upwards. We should realise that and let us forget about cattle rustling sentence but let us look at the lives of the people. If a donkey is stolen in Tsholotsho a person goes to jail for five years but if a child is married under age we need mandatory sentence for that because we are destroying our own country. Let us consider this as a
Parliament in the National Assembly, we are very few women in this House.
What more if people continue to be married at a tender age? Are they going to become MPs? We also want to look at the effects of getting married at a tender age, that is around 14 to 15 years.
Psychologically, what the psychologists say is that the child is not yet mature and that child has not come of age. This means that psychologically this is affecting the child and you find that they will continue playing child games because they have been affected. Even if she bears five, six children, she will not be able to cope. If a child is young, she is affected psychologically and health-wise. So, the doctors should also consider the issue of child marriages and everything that child lacks. If you were to put that child together with a person who got married at 22, their behaviour is totally different. Those who were married under age remain under age for the rest of their lives because there is no thinking and you have to tell them that you need to economically empower them yourself. To her she is not mature enough to think that she can economically to empower herself. We urge civil society, and churches to embark on an awareness campaign and ensure that once this issue is there, everyone should have a duty even in boarding and day schools, there is need for an outreach to conscientise the girl children. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this motion is a pertinent motion because it deals with the lives of the young girls. It is actually hereditary because if a child gets married at 14 years, the child will also get married at 14 years. The mother will not oppose that because she will say to her daughter; your father married me at that age. So, we want to talk about it now that it should be abolished. If it was a custom of either Zezuru or Ndebele, it should come to an end. It should be outlawed. This idea of taking children should be outlawed. If a woman does that, you should know that she will become a widow at 14 years.
I want hope that the Hon. Members in this august House will take this message to their constituencies because if we do not take it out, most of our relatives will die in prison because some are taking children who are 15 years. I want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I support that everything that was said should proceed. I thank you.
*HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving
me this opportunity. I want to start by thanking the mover and the seconder of this motion. This is a very important motion for our families and also as the African people. I also want to honour and congratulate the children who took this issue to the Constitutional Court. I heard there is Loveness Mudzuru and Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who took up this issue to the Constitutional Court representing all the child brides.
So, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that as we look at our Constitution, I want to thank the nation at large that they were able to spell out clearly the issue of marriage. This is in Section 78 of the Constitution under Marriage Rights. If you will allow me to read it in English; as attained the age of 18 years has the right to found a family, this means that the people of Zimbabwe had realised that if a person is 18, be it male or female, he or she is able to find a family. That is the age limit that we are talking about as Zimbabwe, that is the ideal age for marriage.
So, I want to thank the Zimbabwean people. I also want to thank the Constitutional Court. I thank the Constitutional Court because the children brought their grievance to the court and the court understood this grievance and gave a ruling that protects these children. This court has to be applauded. I want to thank it because the other reason why
Zimbabwe was put on sanctions was because there was an issue that we do not follow the rule of law and also that there was no constitutionalism.
Mr. Speaker, if you look at what is happening; this august House was able to come up with legislation to ensure child marriage is not ideal. So, the Constitutional Court should be applauded. I also want to go back to Section 81 of the Constitution which talks of every child that is to say boy and girl under the age of 18 years, has the right to equal treatment before the law including the right to be heard. That is why I applaud this Constitutional Court because the children have a right to be heard. This is why I applaud the Constitutional Court.
I also want to go to Section 81 again, Section 81(e) to be protected from economic and sexual exploitation. I want to thank the movers of the motion because what they are doing is fulfilling what is in the Constitution. As MPs, we should sit down and ensure that we come up with legislation that protects the children especially from those who sexually abuse them at a tender age. Mr. Speaker Sir, I also look at what is in this motion, it talks about churches, civil society organisations and customs here in Zimbabwe. I am sorry my debate will be quite different from what has been debated. I want to talk about the customs of the African people in Zimbabwe. If you look at the customs of the African people, those were customs that brought a child in an ideal manner up to marriageable age, when a child now has wisdom and knowledge of how to run a family. They were given this by their uncles and their aunts. So, I applaud the African customs and traditions more than the customs that are coming in from the worst.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue that I want to talk about is the issue of cultural invasions. Some of these traditions that you are bringing in, that you want to adopt will destroy the way we leave. I say that Mr. Speaker because right now aunties are communicating via whatsapp, now the aunties can skype, and be on face book. These are the social media that are educating our children. So, our children want to grow up emulating what is on face book and what is in the whatsapp.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we should consider this august House the cultural invasions that are coming in and interrogate them and realise that some of these actually destroy our culture. Today, we see kids just loitering around, even their behaviour is unbecoming. We hear of places where they meet and they engage in some of these cultures that are not common to us to the extent of being intimate. So, we need to take up our African traditions and customs to ensure that our children grow up knowing what is right and wrong.
So, I want to urge the traditional leaders as well as the village heads and the parents that we need to have ideal conduct and cultures so that our children can emulate us, so that they grow up as respectable people in society. Also, I urge them to leave some of these cultural practices that are coming from the West that are destroying how we live as the African people. I urge; just like what Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga the mover of the motion and Hon. Majome, that our laws should address and deal with men who want to marry young children. We know that it used to happen. We even have religious groups that encourage the marrying of young children but we are saying this is not the time; we need to outlaw such practices and allow children to grow up. This is my request to the religious leaders. I also urge the traditional leaders to check in their various communities of the cultures that are engaging in such practices and address them.
I also want to say as Members of the National Assembly, when we go back to our constituencies, instead of just giving slogans at our rallies, we should also conscientise the people and advise them not to marry before they are of marriageable age. In schools, it should be laid out clearly that a child needs to grow up before she can become a bride.
If we go back to our cultural practices, there are some that are not ideal. Those we see, we should leave behind and adopt those that will bring up a whole African person. We need respectable people in our society, so we need to interrogate our cultural practices and traditions to ensure that we live in an ideal society. I want to thank Hon. Zemura who said that when her children got married, she got cattle as a reward as is our custom. Her children were brought up in the proper manner. They did not take their culture from watsapp or facebook and they married at an ideal age. I thank you Mr. Speaker for the time that you have given me.
With these words that I have said today, I believe one or two of them have touched on one or two lives. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, in terms of Standing Order
Number 82 (2) a Member while present in the House must not converse in a loud voice and must not during debate read any book, newspaper or document in print or electronic form including cell phones, except in connection with the business of such debate. A member who is present in the House must not make or receive calls from his or her mobile device. I remind the House because I have observed that this Standing Order is not being followed.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ZANU PF CAUCUS MEETING
THE HON. SPEAKER: There will be a ZANU PF Caucus
meeting on 9th March, 2016 at 1000 hours at ZANU PF Headquarters. All members of the ZANU PF party are urged to attend. Please advise your comrades who are not here accordingly.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to add my voice to the good debate that was moved by Hon. Misihairabwi – Mushonga and Hon. Majome. It is true that children should be protected. We should not abuse children, especially the girl child. They should not engage in marriage before they are 18.
I want to disagree Mr. Speaker, with the mover of the motion. My disagreement is that we have a proverb that says the person who knows well what is happening is a person who is involved in it. That is what I got when she was debating. If a girl child has a boyfriend, the mother is the first one to know before the father. It is the mother who agrees to that union or not. In the Bible that I believe in, Titus 2 talks of the men and the women on bringing up a child, that if a mother is clever, has wisdom and does not give in to wine, we will not witness that child departing from the proper path. The problem that we have is, here amongst us, no one is clean. Let me say that no one is clean pertaining to this issue. We are all found wanting. Let me say that – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I need your protection Mr.
Speaker. When they were debating I was quiet. What I am trying to explain is that …
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chinotimba, yes you are talking about our African customs but you are not a witch doctor for you to know that everyone here is not clean. You should have said some of us are not clean. We would have understood that. So, you need to address that. I thank you.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I withdraw
that statement. What I am saying is, if we look at each other here, it is not everyone who is clean. I cannot point out names. It is not only the abuse of women that is happening but there are women who are also abusing boys. We have a story that happened in Chitungwiza whereby a 65 year old woman took a young man aged 20. Again, we have a child who was 17 years and was herding cattle. He was taken by a woman aged 55. That issue went before the courts. I think as women debate this issue, as what was said by the Hon. Member that gender is not all about women but about men and women. Men are being violated; some of the women are the ones who spoil these children. The mother brings home a boyfriend and a child witnesses this. Now, when this child behaves in the same manner – that is why I said that if a child acts likewise, it is because they would have seen the mother doing it.
When that child leaves home going out in the evening, where do the parents think the child is going? Mothers should be clever and protect their children. You might not agree to this but this is what is happening. The women go to the beer halls, they come back with a boyfriend and the children are there and they see this happening. They send their children to go and ask for sugar or bread from a man who is living alone and the wife will be in the rural areas.
Some of us have rural constituencies so, when we come here we leave our wives behind and you see that mothers send their daughters to borrow sugar from such a man. Imaging borrowing salt from a man leaving alone – [AN HON MEMBER: Salt] – I did not say salt I said sauti, the term in Shona differs according to dialect. That is not what is expected from a good mother to send a child to go and borrow salt from someone’s husband instead of her going by herself. Instead they send their daughters to go and borrow salt from Mr. Chinotimba. What do they want Mr. Chinotimba to do when they send their daughters, knowing well that the wife is in the rural areas?
I am talking about our customs and traditions here. I agree with the motion that it is not right. I am not in disagreement with the motion but I am talking about our cultural practices. We are saying that women need to look after their children. We have a problem in Midlands University, the parents send children to university without money and food. There was a video that circulated of how children live. What do they expect their child to do when they send them to school without enough resources? Yesterday there was an issue on human trafficking which was on the radio and it was also in Kwayedza. If you look at those issues, those are caused by poverty; our nation as it is, in the past, when a child went to university, the university would give grants and loans that would be paid back when a child starts working. Now the
Government is having financial challenges and they cannot assist. There are also no jobs where the children can go and work and pay back that money.
If you travel in the Avenues area around 5p.m. you will be deeply saddened because the children who are there are very young 15 – 17 years; those are from the universities. What I am saying is that it is not only the men who should be arrested but those women who send children to school without enough resources must be arrested as well as the men who send children to universities without money - they should be arrested as well. The family is provided for by the mother and father so, it is their duty to look after the family. The mother and father who would have failed to provide for the children should be arrested because they are the ones who would have caused the immoral decadence.
Hon. Mandipaka talked about the apostolic sector where girls were encouraged to go for virginity testing; now it is termed child abuse. Why is it child abuse if the parents are protecting their child? They will fear that if it is known that they are no longer virgins, the children will not get married. These are the children who get married because if they confess that they were raped, they will be forgiven. We talked about this issue here in Parliament and I said let the church take root but the Members of Parliament refused and today children are engaging in immoral behaviour; if they are deflowered, the parents will know. If the parents say let us go to church and be examined, the child will say the parents are abusing me and they will go and report to the police. We need to consider what we can term child abuse.
What I am saying is that those people who interrogate the law should interrogate it seriously and where the child abuse is coming from. If we continue to say it is the men always, it is because Adam sinned and now the blame is put on everyone. The women have their issues that they do not want to bring out in the open because they do not want them to be known.
The cause of child marriages is on the women and I swear by my Bible that I am holding in my hand today, they push their children into early marriages. The only time when men where blamed in the Bible is when a King fell sick and they sourced for a solution they said that a child should be brought in and when the king moves it will show that he is still alive. So, I am saying that it is these women who actually cause child marriages. I support the movers of the motion. I was saddened on Saturday, I was at a meeting whereby I was preaching and I was preaching to the nation, I saw women without any respect who were breast feeding their children without covering their breasts. A decent woman should use a towel to cover her breast while breastfeeding or go away from the people but I did not see that happening. Now, if children see this they will adopt what they see their mothers doing.
I also want to support the issue of our African customs that was mentioned by Hon. Mandipaka. Our President is always talking about the issue of homosexuality but they want to take that. We have left our traditional African customs and want to take the cultures coming from the West. We need to look at our Bible and take what is in the Bible. What I am saying to the leaders who are here is that this law must be addressed. We should ensure that we have addressed it fully, not to just say it is the men who are the problem. Even the women should be imprisoned for such misconducts.
Mr. Speaker, most people in this august House are widows and widowers but my Bible says that if you are a widow around 60, you are young and may give us challenges because you want to get married to children who are 18 years old. So, there is child abuse and we have child abusers in this august House.
HON. CHASI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me an opportunity to say a few words on this very important motion that was moved by Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga. I want to start by congratulating the whole of Zimbabwe for celebrating Women’s Day today – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – Like the previous speakers, I do not believe that it is a day that is confined to women only; I believe that the gender issue is a man/woman issue.
I want to single out a group of women for acknowledgement. I want to acknowledge the women of this country who fought for the liberation of this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – The difficulties that this group of women endured during our war of liberation, I think surpasses any of the difficulties that women currently face in liberated Zimbabwe [HON. MEMBERS: Yes!] – So, I think as we celebrate this day, it must not be academic, it must be practical and I want to congratulate the mover of this motion for raising a very fundamental issue that we must consider as a country.
I want to take a slightly different approach from the previous speakers but I must say that I am personally very impressed by the Biblical skills of the previous speakers as well as his oratory skills which were quite impressive in some respects. I want to say that in addition to the various items that have been suggested on this motion, I agree that the laws pertaining to children would need to be consolidated into a single piece of law which is easily accessible. I also think that our laws in the respect of child abuse should be more holistic. The approach, part of which I have witnessed today in this House, which seems to merely focus primarily on men, I think is erroneous.
I think that our laws must be broad enough to cover the following persons. The persons who are aware of child abuse and do not take any steps to report or bring to – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – book individuals who are engaging in that practice. This is important in the sense that it will compel relatives who participate in this decision and encourage, say, the father of the child to sell off their child to a man as part of an early marriage.
I also think that we need to take an international perspective in respect of these crimes. I say that if we abhor the practice in this country, we must also abhor it wherever it occurs. In other words, if somebody who is known to have committed or participated in a crime concerning child marriages comes into our jurisdiction, our laws must be able to allow us to prosecute – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – the individual concerned.
I read with great trepidation the issue concerning Albino hunting in Malawi, a story that was extremely depressing where a child was snatched away from its mother by five men. The child was an Albino
and they were to go and clip off the child’s hands and other body parts. I think that is something that as a country we should abhor. If an individual crosses into our country and it is proven that they have participated in this type of conduct, I think we must be able to take action against them and provide jurisdiction for our courts to deal with such matters, notwithstanding the fact that they have not occurred in Zimbabwe.
I also want to say Mr. Speaker that as members of the Pan African Parliament and the SADC arrangements concerning our Parliaments, I would like to say that the members of this House who represent us in those Parliaments must be required to raise these issues at those forums, as well and take precisely the positions that we are taking in this country to ensure that child abuse is not only dealt with legally in this country but also in countries that we deal with.
I want to say that this is a very serious matter which in a sense is an indictment on some aspects of our social life. A lot of young girls end up in marriages because after Form 4 they cannot go to Form 6. As a country, we need to think outside the box and ensure that we come up with interventions that assist the girl-child in particular. When we speak about child abuse, we will talk about both boys and girls but when it comes to child marriages, we are really primarily talking about the girlchild as the focus of the problem.
I have witnessed this in my constituency, when we have a meeting you see girls as young as 14 years old, trooping to the centre of the meeting holding children. It is a very embarrassing and painful situation and I think that all the ministries that intersect with the child, ought to come up with interventions that favour the maturity of the child and their continued education. There was mention here about artists and others playing their role, as Members of Parliament we also have a role to play and speak against this at every meeting that we hold and to ensure that the local leadership also understands the gravity of the matter. I think we need to move away from the pretense that it is part of African culture that a 10 year old child should be married.
I am sure that the mover of the motion will be pleasantly surprised and impressed with me in that as a budding musician I have already done a song around this issue appropriately titled “regai dzive shiri, zai harina muto”. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. KHUPE: First of all, I would like to thank our Speaker of
Parliament because he is very gender sensitive. Today is International
Women’s Day, there were so many motions ahead of this motion but he allowed this motion to be debated. Last year a similar thing happened – there was a motion where we were urging the Executive to declare the 8th of March so that it becomes a public holiday and there were several motions ahead of it but he allow the standing over of other motions so that that motion could be debated. So, I would want to thank you very much Mr. Speaker.
We always talk about bringing the gender agenda into Parliament but Mr. Speaker Sir, I think since 2013 as female Members of Parliament we have done very well in bringing the gender agenda into
Parliament. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Hon. Majome for bringing this very important motion into this House. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ruvimbo Tsopodzi who is in this House and Loveness Mudzuri for taking this matter to court because what they have done is that they saved lives of many girls. They have saved the future of many girls. They have saved the dreams of many girls. Had it not been for this landmark ruling, dreams and visions of some of these girls would not have been realised. So, I would like to thank them very much for what they did. I would also like to thank Roots, the organisation which helped them to do this.
A lot has already been said but I would like to allude to the fact that teenage pregnancy is one of the major drivers of child marriage because to most parents falling pregnant equals marriage. I would like to urge parents that if your child falls pregnant, please let us not chase them away. A child is a child. The law says anyone, whether female or male who is below the age of 18 years is a child and they must remain
children who should be treated with respect and dignity just like any other human being.
There are so many men whom I think are not mentally stable. Can you imagine an old man taking a 13 year old and sleeping with that girl? This man would be enjoying himself and the little girl would be screaming and shouting in pain. This man does not feel sorry for this little girl. He continues to enjoy himself and then we say this person is normal up there. They are not normal. They are mentally disturbed and this is why whoever is found wanting, justice must prevail because enough is enough. Our children are suffering Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday I had an opportunity to listen to Ruvimbo Tsopodzi and Loveness Mudzuri, Mr. Speaker Sir. If you had been there, you were going to cry. They were telling us about their ordeal. They were married at 15 and 16 years. Loveness got pregnant whilst she was doing her ‘O’ levels and her parents chased her away and she got married. Ruvimbo came home late and her father said go back to where you are coming from. She was not pregnant then and four months later she became pregnant and she became a mother. These children have gone through a torrid time. They have gone through thick and thin. Let us feel sorry for other children.
We also spoke about household poverty. Household poverty is one of the drivers of child marriages. The impact of household poverty equals marrying girls at a younger age. Older men end up preying on these young girls. Once these little girls fall pregnant and if they want to give birth, there is what is called the vascular vaginal fistula (VVF). What happens is that when they go to labour, their labour is protracted because they are young. Their bodies are not yet ready to give birth to children and the baby end up coming using the wrong way. It breaks everything. At the end of the day what happens is that urine and everything else comes out uncontrollably. They become outcasts in life. No one wants to live with them because they will be smelling all day. Is this what we want for our children? These are the results of early marriages.
Moving forward, we have very good laws and policies that protect young children. The biggest drawback is that they are not being implemented. We have got so many laws but they are not being implemented. Coming up with laws without the corresponding ability of implementing those laws is as good as not having laws. I think we have got this allergy to implementation. I think that allergy must be taken away. We must implement what we agree on. There are so many laws which protect these children but they are not being implemented.
Traditional leaders must be educated about this law. They must be educated about this landmark ruling so that in turn they educate their subjects about this landmark ruling, but I am afraid to say some of these traditional leaders do exactly what we are talking about right now. When we were consulting on the Domestic Violence Bill in Binga, we paid a courtesy call to one of the chiefs. When we got there we found little girls carrying babies on their backs and we thought these are chief’s children. When we sat down, we were told, no, no, - there were about three of
four of them carrying little babies. We were told these are the chief’s wives. I have never been hurt like that.
What we did as a Committee is that we picked our bags up and left immediately because we said we cannot sit here and watch these kind of things happen. Traditional leaders must lead by example. They must make sure that children are protected. They must educate their subjects that children are children and they must be treated as children.
They are not brides. They will never be brides and they cannot be brides.
There is also need for a national action plan to end child marriages.
Let us have a national action plan – we want more action than talking. Right now we can talk about this landmark ruling but as long as there is no action, it will remain a talk shop and we do not want this thing to remain a talk shop. We want action on these issues so that whoever is found wanting, goes to jail like what the other Honourable Members said. The girl child must be empowered. Once a mistake happens and they fall pregnant as mothers and fathers we should not let them go. Let us allow them to stay with us. Let them give birth and let us take them back to school so that they have a future. Education is a foundation for a better life. Once a child is educated they are guaranteed of a better future but once they are not educated, they are not guaranteed of anything. We are saying as parents, let us ensure that if our children make a mistake let us look after them. Let us not give them away because these children are suffering, like he said, you do not know what our children are going through. They do not know what marriage is all about and what love is all about. What happens in their home is just that men make love to them and they give birth to children and that is it. That becomes their way of life and I do not think that is what we want for our girls.
Let me conclude by saying that those who are affected should not sit and be passive victims. They must stand up, dust up and move forward like what Ruvimbo and Loveness did. As I speak right now,
Ruvimbo is doing her O’levels and Loveness could not make it today because she registered at the Women’s University. She is doing a diploma in Social Work.
It is important that they do not just stay there as victims. They must move forward. Like I said, I would like to thank Ruvimbo and Loveness for a job well done. I would also want to thank Roots, the organisation which helped them. I would also want to thank the Hon. Members who debated on this motion because this is a very important motion. Let us look after our children. A child is a child. Let children be treated with respect and dignity just like any other human being. I thank you.
*HON. CHAPFIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Firstly, I want to support the mover of the motion and all the Hon. Members who have supported the motion. I also want to encourage and appreciate this day – the International Women’s Day.
The motion that is before us is sacred. It takes us back to our historical perspectives in our lives as Africans. It gives us time to reflect on what we have done from way back to where we are today. Usually, when we are coming up with legislation, we do not normally consider the cause of some of these things. I am sure Oliver Mtukudzi sang a song pertaining to this.
Our children especially the girls are mostly at risk because they are the ones who get pregnant. They look after the children and also look for food. The legislation should also look at the boy child. What should happen to him if he marries at fifteen years? We have them in our constituencies. When these boys marry at such an age, they do not provide for the family in any way. This is the opportunity for us to address these issues.
In my opinion, we are dealing with symptoms and not the root causes of why these children may be married. As Parliament, we need to consider what has caused these girl children to get married before they are eighteen or twenty one. Like the previous speaker highlighted, these early marriages are mainly caused by poverty. The other thing would be religious practices that are pursued by certain religious sects that encourage child marriages.
I want to support what Hon. Chinotimba said and it really touched me. He said that when children went to university in the past, Government used to assist by giving grants and loans. When a child is who is above eighteen years and is at university phones his/her parents and asks for food and money; some parents dismiss them and say ‘you are now grown up, fend for yourself’. If you tell a girl child these words, what are you implying? If you are to tell these words to a boy child, he will engage in armed robbery. A girl child will go and engage in prostitution. Our behavior to children should be considerate.
What should the Government be doing about this issue? We have the social welfare Ministry. Where does it come in? I said it before that we are dealing with symptoms instead of the causes. We need to attack the causes. If a person has a boil, you need to make sure that you deal with the cause because if you do not, it will not heal. We can talk and sing that children should not be married at tender age but birth certificates will be changed and affidavits will be written to give false information that a child is twenty one yet she is fifteen years. There are some Apostolic sects who do that. A man can have ten wives and each wife can have five to seven children. They have fifty children and the man cannot fend for his family. What can be done about that? The children are not even in school.
We are saying that children must not be married before they are eighteen years. We have agreed to that but what are the factors that are causing this? The Government needs to take responsibility to address poverty. It should take ownership. It is not enough to say we have put in legislation. There are some pieces of legislation that cannot be implemented because they are not implementable. As we are in this august House, let us not just echo what has been said. We need to interrogate deeply into these issues.
In South Africa a child gets married at sixteen years. It must be specific in the law what then happens. Both girls and boys cannot marry before they are eighteen. Let us talk of child marriages and not just the girl child. What about child sex? If a child is below the age of 18, he/she should not engage in sexual activities. Those are the issues that we need to interrogate so that we come up with solutions on how best these children can be protected.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Zimbabwe has its cultural norms and values.
There used to be aunts and uncles in families who used to guide – [AN HON. MEMBER: Zvataurwa.] – it does not mean that if it has been said before I cannot talk about it again. We should analyse our cultural norms and values and align it with our Ministry of Rural Development and Preservation of Culture and Heritage. We should come up with means and ways of promoting these norms and values and incorporate the input into our laws.
Mr. Speaker, I stood up to support this motion. However, we should not be reduced to talk shows whilst we leave out some important issues that may hinder the norms and values of our people. Some laws are not being enforced because the Government will have failed to implement its policies. The State must take ownership of these policies. People should not manipulate laws through changing birth certificates and facilitating child marriages. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of Section 106 of our Standing Orders, we are discouraged from repeating what has been said. Those who are going to make their submissions now, we want fresh ideas and let us stick to the motion.
HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon .Speaker. Firstly, I would like to thank the two ladies who ensured that this case received the best attention to the extent of being declared a policy. The act of these ladies is similar to what happened in 1966 in Chinhoyi when the First Chimurenga started and the comrades made the first gun shots. I realise that these two ladies started their own Chimurenga and we will document their names in the book of records. There is need to be brave.
The most challenging issue Mr. Speaker Sir is on court proceedings when such crimes are committed. We are saying this should be an enforceable law and yet those who are responsible for prosecution are seemingly not taking such issues with the gravity they deserve. I am not trying to denigrate the Judiciary, but there are issues where the judges do not have decent accommodation. These judges may end up renting at the apartment of the one who would have committed the offence. This may trigger corruption and the offender is left scotfree. In order to address these issues, we should make sure that the judges have their own apartments where they do not end up mingling with such offenders.
In my constituency, Shamva, many children under the age of 18 were raped, impregnated, abused and infected with HIV/AIDS. However, if one would analyse the way the prosecution took place, there is no consistency. A suspect who is charged and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment is discharged without serving the full 12-year sentence. We as legislators may engage in a lot of talk-shows assuming that these issues may be addressed, but to no avail.
The gathering of evidence from these under-age victims who would have been raped or married off at a tender age takes off the morality aspect of our values. They are asked introvert questions even if the session would be held in camera. For example, a child is asked every detail on what was done on her and most children feel shy to narrate each act as it was done on her. I think this is one of the issues that should be analysed. The surveys which were conducted in Mashonaland Central and Shamva Constituency, have the highest number of children getting married at a tender age.
The most critical issue is the presence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and a 15-year old child is orphaned and left with nine other siblings. That same child cannot afford a fifty-cent coin to buy a sanitary pad and she is expected to take care of nine children. This is one of the factors contributing to child marriages.
In our education system, there is no policy that promotes vocational and technical training for those who fail to attain high levels of education. In the past, there used to be what is called F1 and F2 where a child at Early Childhood Development stage and primary level would be able to do carpentry or construct buildings. That is why they managed to survive even when those children are later orphaned in life. Even some Members of Parliament speaking in this august House sometimes support the idea of marrying off a child at 15 years. If a 15year old child is orphaned and is a neighbour to a Member of Parliament like Hon. Chibaya, he may even fail to donate a bag of maize to help feed the family. If Hon. Chibaya notices a neighbour’s child being abused, he may not be able to report the case – [Laughter] – saying this could be black magic and if I report, I may be bewitched. Those are some of the issues we need to analyse.
I would like to thank the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who are advocating and lobbying for the stoppage of this kind of abuse. However, the way they address these issues is not different from giving someone some pain-killing pills like panadol, which kills the pain for a while. Let us nip it in the bud. If donations are made towards the emancipation of children, it should be channeled to the rural areas and in vocational training centres. Qualifications should not be considered when one is being enrolled at vocational training centres, even a small child should be trained on self-help skills. As Government, we should make the best analysis on who should be enrolled with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and other
training policies.
However, we are looking at an educational system with a 15% pass-rate and 85% may end up in poverty-stricken situations. Most of this unfortunate group of students may not qualify in any other Government programmes offered by our Government and they should be catered for in vocational training centres. The Government should finance these centres and ensure that every ward has vocational training centres. This will ensure that every child grows up with a self-help skill within the community such as fish farming, carpentry, sawing, gardening and so on. These are the projects which are available in our rural areas and the children should be skilled to participate. These children may not talk about being trained in automotive engineering because they live in rural areas.
These issues should be considered so that our children are empowered to avoid children under the age of 15 from being abused. The case of these children can be compared to a tale of a sailing ship which was inserted a hole where a human neck and head were needed in order to seal the hole and save the people. In this regard, a female child may end up for the beheading of her head in order to save the nine children left for her to feed. The hole is sealed and the water is stopped from entering but one would have suffered.
We have a programme of the Traditional Leaders’ granary, zunde ramambo, currently, many people in the rural areas are faced with drought and hunger. In Rushinga, children are being fed on okra remuwuyu. This shows that even if we craft a lot of legislation, if a child has experienced hunger and poverty for years, she is forced to get into an early marriage. So, the issue of vocational training centres and education of our children from ECD, a child must be taught life sustaining skills and avoid too many theories of agriculture, but practical skills. The legislation that says no child labour, I think that is no child labour, but we are equipping them for their own sustenance. If I die of HIV/AIDS, my brothers cannot look after my children. If children have life skills, they can look after themselves. If they do not, that is when they engage in child marriages and get married to elderly men because that is what is available.
In Kenya, child marriages are also rampant. They are also introducing vocational skills for children to sustain themselves. This shows that when the donors are coming in, they do not say this for the girl child and do workshops only. They now see to it that they equip them with skills such that if a child drops out of school, he/she can use the skills to sustain himself/herself. As MPs, I was thinking that we should take this and look into it because people can be arrested for child marriages, but this will not bring the issue to an end. Those neighbours cannot assist and people will just be pointing fingers at each other. So, we need to address that.
The issue that was mentioned by Hon. Khupe that children who are giving birth whilst they are too young is where most of the cancer is coming from. If a child cannot afford a bundle of vegetables, it is not possible for them to get cancer treatment. You find that they end up getting married at a tender age because they cannot afford health care.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you.
HON. SANSOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Misiharabwi-Mushonga. I want to applaud the constitutional court for the landmark ruling outlawing child marriages. I do not want to repeat what has been said about the evils of child marriages and the violation of women. We all know that violating a woman sexually is one of the most horrible crimes that one can commit.
I just want to go on to penalties because I feel that the justice system is a bit weak on the penalty. There are laws outlawing child marriages and there are provisions for penalties against people who pledge their children as collateral and in settlement of debt. I want to call for the amputation of the offending organ Mr. Speaker. Instead of sending convicted offenders to prison, they should just be sent to hospital where doctors will remove the offending organ and just leave a hole enough for urine to be expelled from the body. –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- Thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member Sansole, is it the real amputation or simply to make the person unable to do what they have been doing without amputation? Anyway, it is food for thought.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to air my voice on this very important subject. I want to thank Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and her seconder Hon. Majome. I am going to be very brief on this one. I stood up because I have noticed that it is happening mostly in my constituency. You find that we have got a lot of child headed households. The parents are overseas either in England or South Africa. These children remain alone and their parents send a lot of money, whether for upkeep or whatever, and then they have excess of that money, they end up doing like in Bulawayo; there is what is now popularly referred to as vuzu parties.
In those vuzu parties, they will be drinking bronco, smoking weeds and doing all kinds of dirty stuff that leads to early unprepared sex, unprotected sex and hence, pregnancies and things like that. I have stood up today to say I think we need to pass a law which criminalises the parents first before the children. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- It must be on record that if a parent is so negligent enough to give their children a lot of money, you are enabling them to do that. If a child comes out of your house wearing a daring mini-skirt, what are you thinking as the parent? Where did she get that mini-skirt from? It means that you bought that mini-skirt for her.
When things start happening out there, it is a chain reaction of what we have started as parents. As people who are supposed to be responsible for these kids, we are letting it all loose. So, Mr. Speaker Sir, the major reason why I stood up is to say that the parents must definitely be punished with long jail sentences because we are irresponsible. You find even the Christian parents, they wake up on a Sunday and they go to church. If you go to most churches, it is full of adults, there are no youths there. We the elders are the youths. You leave them at home sleeping, nursing mabhabharasi instead of taking them to church to hear the word of God. What do you expect, miracles? No miracles are going to take place. You are going to find early sex, child marriages and stuff like that. So, if we guard against that, I think that will be the turning point for this whole discussion.
I am going to end up with a simple quotation that came up in one of my group chats Mr. Speaker Sir. It says, “we need to let our girl children know that there are four main dresses that a woman must wear. The first one is a school uniform, the second one is the graduation gown, the third one is a wedding gown and the fourth one is a maternity dress.” If you skip the first one, you must know that definitely you are not going to wear the second one. Do not rush to wear the fourth one because a man has promised you the third one. If you remember, the fourth one is the maternity and the third is the wedding. So, if you are told that let me get you pregnant then I am going to marry you, the child must be taught that it is a no. Once we start implementing such things Mr. Speaker Sir, I think our nation will be healed, but let it start with us to be punished for being misguided, unruly and so irresponsible. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I will not waste much of your time but I want to deal with the cure for this predicament that is currently before us. As I do, I need to thank the mover of the motion and I also need thank the children that hear Ruvimbo and Loveness, the other for the other, if the other is not here.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the reason why we are in this state of affairs, is because as Parliament or as a nation we are negating the Constitution. The Constitution is very clear. It speaks to empowerment because what we need to address is the issue of eradication of poverty which has been alluded to by my predecessors, all the speakers that spoke before me. They speak so eloquently, Mr. Speaker Sir. They wax lyrical when they come to that, about impoverishment; we need to eradicate that. How do we do it, by adhering to the Constitution. it is very clear.
I would want to start on section 19 and then go to Section 20 and Section 14, verbatim before I end. It speaks of children on Section 19 (1) and it goes on to say verbatim “The State must adopt policies and measures to ensure that in matters relating to children. The best interests of children concerned are paramount.” (2) The State must adopt reasonable policies and measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to ensure that children – (a) enjoy family or parental care, or appropriate care when removed from the family environment; (b) have shelter and basic nutrition, health care and social services; (c) are protected from maltreatment, neglect or any form of abuse, and (d) have access to appropriate education and training. (3) The State must take appropriate legislative and other measures – (a) to protect children from exploitative labour practices, and (b) to ensure that children are not required or permitted to perform work or provide services that (i) are inappropriate for the children’s age; or (ii) place at risk the children’s well-being, education, physical or mental health or spiritual, moral or social development”.
Let me go on to Section 20, that in part is ultra vires what has been alluded to in term of age restriction which is 18 years. It speaks to youths being empowered and age 15 to 35 years verbatim I will go on to what it says. “The State and all institutions ….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member can you pick those
issues that relate to early child marriages please.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue that I need to come out clearly is that when we speak of age 18 years, let it be across the board. There is no harm in us amending the Constitution to make the youths age come from 18 up to 35 years because as long as it is saying 15 years, we want to make sure that it is not ultra vires the age restriction in terms of marriage.
I will not belabour on the point. I will stick to exactly what you have asked me to speak to early child marriages. What is the cause? It is poverty. We need to make sure that we empower our children, youths according to the Constitution, those that are supposed to be empowered by the State and State organs so that our children are not married out early. As long as there is nothing in terms of food and nutrition in whole the first …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, I read to you the relevant Section 106, let us avoid repetition. What the Hon. Member is stating now was stated clearly by Hon. Chapfika. Can we have fresh ideas please?
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I will go on to something that has not been touched on.
THE HON. SPEKAER: Exactly.
HON. NDUNA: The cure, Mr. Speaker Sir, as long as we do not have infrastructure development where children, their parents, their grandparents and great grandparents are still living in a dormitory like oriented situation, which quarters were meant for single people or men that come from the rural areas to come and work in town; which have been turned into family units where the children are living with their grandparents in one place, we will find ourselves having children that are tempted to get married at an early age because they watch their parents indulging in copulation, this is bound to encourage them to do the same. We need to indulge in infrastructure development. We need to repeal our laws so that they do not impede on using what we have got in terms of the resources that we have to get what we want so that our children can economically be empowered.
The Constitution and the laws of the land are very clear but what is missing is the harmonization. If you do not harmonise the other to relate to the other, what is now happening in the judicial system; because they see that now there is no way that they can incriminate the perpetrator of injustice using the harmonized laws they turn to what has been alluded to here the Criminal and Codification and let me say it verbatim – so that I do not miss – they turn to Criminal Codification Act and Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. I will give you an example on how they turn to that. Where they cannot incriminate a girl child for exploiting their God given mineral resources, they will turn to a Section which calls for criminal trespassing which is in the Bible for all prosecutors and judges. This is trying to go away from the laws that have been harmonized, it is criminal to turn to a law that is archaic, historic and moribund-which is fraught of legacy oriented machinations. This is what causes early child marriage because of poverty. I would want to
end it there and want to thank you for this time that you have given to me. I thank you.
HON. SAMUKANGE: I had raised a point of order Mr. Speaker. I think Hon. Nduna is referring to non-existing laws and claims that there are actual laws. For example, he is talking about the Criminal Trespassing, there is nothing like that?
THE HON. SPEAKER: I hope the Hon. Member will stand
guided.
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker, in all due respect I respect his office, there is what is termed Criminal Trespassing. I encounter this every time in Chegutu, when they are trying to pursue or incriminate artisanal miners, in other words when they have not been able to catch him on prospecting.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member should stand guided,
there is no such a law. Thank you.
HON. BHEBHE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker for giving
me this opportunity to debate on this very important motion. I want to thank the mover of this motion, Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga and the seconder, Hon. Majome. At the same time I want to thank the very brave two girls. I would want to call them girls because they are still girls and they will remain girls until they are properly mature to be married.
Whilst we debate, we need to embark on research, particularly for our cultural beliefs that have been abused in the name of early marriages. I just want to give an example Mr. Speaker; I come from a family where I was told that my fore-grandmother was one of those people that were offered to be married to the husband of her sister. With research it is very clear that when that was happening then, there was no abuse but now, because of lack of respect of our own laws - which is what is prevailing right now, we find people hiding behind cultural beliefs to have early marriages. I want to urge this House to embark on
a thorough research so that we are able to come up with laws that are going to disabuse the issue of child marriages.
I do not think it is fair for us to keep on calling these issues as issues of child marriages. It is basically the issues of Statutory Rape disguised as child marriage – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - I want to disabuse the fact that poverty is part of the reason why we are seeing child marriages. It is not poverty but greediness, once you grow up and become a parent who is greedy, when you look at your daughter; you tend not to look at her as your daughter but as a money spinning venture. We tend to have a situation where parents hide behind poverty just because they are greedy. You go to beer drinking and see baba nhingi wearing a new suit because of his child who got married, you then envy that suit, the next thing when you look at your daughter, you always think of baba nhingi’s suit, and then you begin start thinking of selling your own child.
I think what we can do Mr. Speaker, is beyond just creating laws because my belief is that we have seen a lot of laws that are being broken in this country. We can create laws but if we have not cultivated a culture of people to love themselves first, we will still have a problem. A person that does not love himself will never love an offspring of his own because he does not believe in himself. We need to cultivate a culture of self belief as a nation, once we believe in ourselves as a nation; we should be able to make sure that we are able to deal with some of these issues.
If you look at our own Constitution, it has got a cutoff point of when a person is said to be mature enough to be married but people are going ahead and breaking their own Constitution. You go to court or to the police, the police will just get there and say, ‘what happened?’ The child would have been coached by parents and other collogues to say you cannot let him go to jail, tell the court that we were in love. The same court will let that same person scot free. If you also go to a traditional leader, the same thing happens, once there is a declaration that there is love between the two people, it is easier to cover crime.
However, it has to be ourselves as a country that there are certain things that we should know are morally right and there are certain things that are abnormal. Once we cultivate a culture of self belief as a nation, we will not have to come here to debate, to make laws that are obvious. It is obvious that marrying an under aged person is criminal. If you go to first world countries Mr. Speaker, it is not spoken about or it is virtually a fraction of their population that talks about child marriages. They openly talk about those issues as a nation; they just do not sit down and come up with laws. They cultivate a culture of self belief and once we do so and start recognising our own cultures in a normal way, we will not have this problem. For example, scientists are currently busy researching about how they can deal with the issue of global warming. They are actually researching on traditional ways of how it used to be managed some thousand years ago. They want to understand how they will deal with that kind of a problem that we have as a global community. We have to apply the same methods of actually researching and finding out how it was done before and how we can use those to come up with laws that will prevent the so called child marriage. I think it is just a disguise but it is actually Statutory Rape.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th March 2016.
On the motion of THE ACTING PRESIDENT AND
MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY
AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA), the House adjourned at Six
Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 3rd March, 2016
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA): I move that notices of
presentation of Bills, number 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MATUKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. GONESE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 8th March, 2016.
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE
PRESIDENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. GONESE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MATUKE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 8th March, 2016.
HON. MATUKE: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 3 and 4 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 5 has been disposed of.
HON. MUKWANGWARIWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE DELEGATION TO THE
CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT
AND OTHER REGIONAL PARLIAMENTS
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I move the
motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Zimbabwe Delegation to the Consultations with the Pan African
Parliament (PAP) and other Regional Parliaments on the provision of the
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in Africa, held in Midrand, South Africa, from 25th – 27th November, 2015.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: I second.
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker.
Introduction
The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
(ACDEG) which entered into force on 15 February 2012, encourages Parliaments (national, regional and continental) as the guarantor of the constitutional order, to work with more collaboration, cooperation, interaction to facilitate the experience sharing and good practices on democratic principles and good governance.
It is against this background that the Department of Political
Affairs (DPA) of the African Union Commission (AUC), through the
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law Cluster of the African Governance Platform of the African Governance Architecture, with support from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) convened a consultative meeting with the Pan African Parliament and Regional Parliaments in order to promote Constitutionalism and Rule of Law in Africa.
The meeting was held at the Pan African Parliament Headquarters in Midrand, South Africa from 25th – 27th November, 2015. Delegates were drawn from representatives of the Pan African Parliament, Regional Parliaments, African Union Organs, African Union
Commission, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and some experts on Constitutionalism and Rule of Law. The Parliament of Zimbabwe was represented by Hon.
Oliver Mandipaka.
Objectives of the Consultative Meeting
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, let the
Hon. Member be heard in silence.
HON. MANDIPAKA: The Consultative Meeting targeted
relevant stakeholders on issues to do with the promotion of
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in African countries, particularly the role of Parliaments in strengthening and promoting
Constitutionalism. The consultations aimed at:-
- Engaging African Parliaments on their responsibility to promote
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in Africa;
- Developing a capacity building initiative to strengthen the capacity of African Parliamentarian network in the area of
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law;
- Reinforcing coordination and increased interaction between the Pan African Parliament and the Regional Parliaments in order to facilitate more experience sharing and best practices to promote
Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law;
- Exchanging with Pan African Parliament (PAP) and Regional Parliaments on the strategy to engage member states in promoting values of Constitutionalism and Rule of Law;
- Identifying strategies to promote signing, ratification and implementation of AU shared values, particularly the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
Welcome Remarks
The welcome remarks were given by the first Chairperson of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Hon. Edwardo Joaquim Mudembwe and the Regional Director of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony for the Consultative Meeting was done by the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Khabele Matlosa, on behalf of the
Commissioner of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Dr. Aisha L. Abdullahi.
The ceremony was followed by a series of presentations by experts and representatives from Regional Parliaments on issues to do with state of Constitutionalism in Africa, the role of Parliamentarians in promoting and defending Constitutionalism and Rule of Law in Africa. Delegates also shared experiences on best practices.
The Parliament of Zimbabwe, made a contribution on possible definitions of Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law from an African perspective. The presentation also covered the role of the Legislature in promoting Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law, the independence of the Judiciary, the Zimbabwean Constitution and how proponents of the regime change agenda had used the hostile media to portray the country as one that does not respect the rule of law. The presentation was well received by other participants.
Discussions and Recommendations
In discussions, the Consultative Meeting acknowledged the central role played by African Parliaments in reinforcing good governance through democratic tenets such as Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law on the continent. The Consultative meeting further acknowledged the important role played by the African Charter on Democracy,
Elections and Governance (ACDEG) in providing an overarching normative framework on constitutional order was reiterated. It was recognised that engaging PAP, regional and national Parliament through instruments such as ACDEGs as the threshold would help to advance the agenda of democracy and good governance.
The consultative meeting emphasised that in order to enhance the role of PAP, there is need for sub-regional Parliaments to be equally functional instrumental in constitutionalism and rule of law discourse thereby complementing the objectives of PAP. The meeting also recalls the three traditional functions of Parliament in advancing constitutionalism including law making, representation and ensuring accountability through oversight. Five fundamental challenges that parliaments are confronted with on the subject of constitutionalism and rule of law were identified as follows:-
- Existence of constitution without constitutionalism;
- Pockets of military rule and coups on the Continent;
- Deliberate manipulation of constitutions to elongate tenures of sitting Presidents contrary to the letter and spirit to the
Constitution;
- The challenge of people’s power exercised through popular
protests and uprisings and;
- The challenge of “extremism”, a trend where alternative views are not tolerated.
AFRICAN CONSTITUNALISM, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: STATE OF CONSTITUTIONALISM IN AFRICA.
The consultative meeting made the following observations:-
- That the powers of Parliaments are influenced by four main factors, namely:-
- The difference between national Parliaments and supranational Parliaments since the latter can only act within the powers conferred by sovereign states;
- The configuration in which Parliaments operate (unitary system or federal system); iii)The constitutional traditions (civil law/common law/Anglo-
American systems)and; iv) The systems of government (presidential/semipresidential/parliamentary.
- The need to address the following challenges in African
Parliaments:-
- Conflict between loyalty to party and fidelity to the
Constitution; ii) The uncertain role of parliamentary opposition parties iii) Resources constraints; and iv) Challenges associated with mixed systems where Members of Parliament also constitute the executive.
The meeting urged parliamentarians to consider themselves as coequals and not subordinate branches of Government. It also highlighted the need to recognize and respect the constitutionally defined mandates of Parliaments and the need to define the limit of party loyalty and constitutional duties. The major challenge identified by the Meeting was that parliament is institutionally weaker relative to the Executive. It further recognized the shared and reinforced roles that exist between national and supra-national Parliaments. To this end, the meeting called for further collaboration and cooperation towards promoting democracy and the rule of law.
DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPOSAL FOR A
PARLIAMENTARY COMMON ACTION PLAN TO PROMOTE
CONSTIUTIONALISM AND RULE OF LAW
The meeting identified the following three linked areas of intervention:-
- i) The need for further interaction between the PAP, national and regional parliaments; ii) The need for convening fora with relevant stakeholders and; iii) The modalities of selection of the actors
There is need for further interaction between the PAP, national and regional parliaments on the following actions:
- Establishment of PAP African Union Day during which national and regional parliaments will be briefed on various decisions taken at AU levels;
- Development of an effective collaboration and cooperation between the PAP and national and regional parliaments in order to push Member States to sign, ratify and implement protocols and treaties taken at AU level;
- Creation of a parliamentarian network in order to constantly discuss emerging issues regarding democracy and governance in general and constitutionalism and rule of law in particular;
- Organisation of a briefing event in the beginning of each legislation session in order to inform parliamentarians on their respective roles and responsibilities.
The meeting further noted the need for convening for a fora relevant stakeholders in paying attention to the modalities of selection of the actors. These should be large consultations organised at national level for key actors including parliamentarians, political parties, armed forces, media, academia and practitioners.
DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPOSAL FOR A CAPACITY
BUILDING DRAFT PROGRAMME FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS
ON CONSTITUTIONALISM AND RULE OF LAW
Proposals were made on capacity building workshops on specific areas for parliamentarians. These include:-
- Capacity Building workshops on culture of democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law
- Capacity building workshop on principles and independence of the three arms of Government;
- Experiences sharing workshops on defence of constitutionalism and rule of law for regional and national parliaments.
- Workshops on the role of parliaments;
- Experience pooling and exchanges on defence of constitutionalism among academia, political actors and civil society.
OBSERVATIONS
The meeting observed the importance of recognising the various levels of socio-economic and political development in the different African States when it comes to standard setting even on matters relating to constitutionalism and the rule of law.
It also further observed that the concept of term limits is not necessarily an ingredient of democracy and the accepted principle is that of limited government. The consultation acknowledged, however that the third term debate is useful but a misplaced discourse and must be canvassed in the context of the need for a culture of constitutionalism. The consultation therefore called on parliaments to ensure that provisions to extend or scrap term limit do not almost always result in civil unrest by having institutions that ensure that the processes of retaining power are fair.
- Another observation was on the issue of popular protests where clarity was needed on the motivating factors and the real drivers of such protests to ascertain and question their legitimacy;
- Lack of political will to faithfully implement constitutions was cited and observed as a critical challenge to constitutionalism and the rule of law; and
- It was further observed that PAP has great potential to act as a catalyst to continental integration, enhanced constitutionalism and the rule of law as well as the development of more equitable, representative and acceptable national constitutions if fully operationalised and supported.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The meeting recommended the following:-
- That the PAP should consider adopting a model law on unconstitutional changes of Government since this mandate is recognised in the protocol to the Treaty establishing the African
Economic Community Relating to the Pan African Parliament;
- Parliaments should fully exploit forums and mechanism such as the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights and the African
Commission on Human and People’s Rights that were already addressing disputes related to constitutionalism and the rule of law, alongside other innovative strategies of addressing challenges to constitutionalism and rule of law through parliaments including human rights violations;
- The supra-national parliaments must explore best practices from other international parliaments and contextualize best practices to clarify the relationship between regional parliaments and the Pan African Parliaments towards promoting constitutionalism and Rule of law; and
- That there is need for vigilance to ensure that the mandates of the continental and regional parliaments do not encroach on the legislative mandate of matters that should be best left to national parliaments and even regional assemblies within states as being the better placed organs to address the detail of subjects legislated on.
- That PAP has to consider addressing some lacunas in the provisions of the ACDEGs, some of which are couched in vague and very broad terms by offering detailed guidance, especially through model laws.
CONCLUSION
Generally, the Consultative Meeting was educative, informative, interactive and very vital in sharpening one’s understanding of the dynamics of Constitutionalism and the Rule of law.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
SPORT COMPETITIONS FOR PARLIAMENT
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House
that the Parliament Warriors Sports Club is organizing sports competitions between Members of Parliament and Parliament Members of Staff to be held on Friday, 11th March, 2016 from 1300-1700 hours.
The competitions will include among others football, netball, tennis and tug of war.
HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would
like to thank Hon. Mandipaka for presenting his report on the Pan
African Parliament (PAP), whose session he attended in South Africa.
Nevertheless, I would like to raise concerns that in any Parliament, you have to be representative of your constituency. I understand we have elected members that go and represent us in the PAP but they do not consult us as Parliamentarians as to what should be discussed in that Parliament. That is a cause of concern. Yes, the ideas that were discussed are ideal for a Parliament just like ours ...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, can you
just move quietly.
HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Yes, the ideas were discussed especially where he pointed out that we need to observe constitutionalism. We are one of the Parliaments, two after having adopted a new Constitution which has not yet made sure that we adhere to the provisions in as far as aligning laws and Acts are concerned. We are moving at a very slow pace and it is a cause for concern. By the end of the day, we are operating unconstitutionally in most of the issues that are supposed to be running the Government in this country.
There is also an issue that was raised in his report that of insuring that Parliamentarians are pro-equals to the Executive. Unfortunately, maybe it is because of our party system, there is a tendency for
Parliamentarians to be looking upon themselves as being inferior to the Executive, hence this undermines our role to oversee how the Executive is operating in this country. In some instances, we have the abuse of being whipped into line when we are supposed to take the Executive to account. These are areas where we feel that the PAP should first and foremost be representative of the Parliamentarians in this House by ensuring that there is consultation before they go and sit there and start singing ideas that we will not have fed into them. At the end of the day, there should be cohesion.
If you look at the European Parliament for example, I am just looking at Parliaments in other continents, they represent the interests of the people from the country that they come from. They take their lead from those Parliamentarians that sit in their national Parliaments. It is important that whilst it is Parliament, it should be Pan African in terms of identity and representation of what they will be discussing in that particular forum.
There are certain issues that have been raised in the report, for example, in some states in Africa there is military rule. In some states in Africa there is no Constitution like in Somalia. What they have done is to gather tribal leaders who then elect their representatives into a so called Parliament. In Sudan, there is a Government that is in place without following its own Constitution which by now should have held elections. However, there is a war going on and the current leadership is imposing itself on the people of Sudan.
We have Libya where there are two Governments that have failed to merge into one Government. As a result, our pan africanism will not succeed until we have resolved the problems of these countries. We have Burundi where the President changes the Constitution so that he can remain in power for an indefinite period while people in that country are opposing that. I can give examples of countries where the very title pan africanism itself is under question.
As a country, we have an obligation when we go to the PAP to point out some of these shortfalls to ensure that we have indeed and in name pan africanism to be able to subsist on this continent.
On the issue of the rule of law, I know it is a case in court. However, when we are observing constitutionalism, what is going on in court at the moment about the public prosecutor is not constitutional because our Constitution says there are institutions that are supposed to be set to investigate before he is arrested. This is now being done after he has been arrested and he is appearing in court.
It is very important for us to participate in the PAP but it should be representative of the opinions of Parliamentarians in this country so that it plays its important role to ensure that where we have economic problems, there should be meeting of minds. When we go into the PAP, we should be able to discuss how we tackle these problems. Where there is misrule and non observance of the rule of law, there should be a meeting of minds in the PAP.
I would like to applaud the report that was given to us. It is an eye opener but let us change the rules and ensure that the PAP delegation represents this Parliament. I thank you.
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank you Madam Speaker maám. I
want to thank the mover of this motion Hon. Mandipaka. It is important to note that as a Parliament, we are not a Parliament in isolation. We are not an island. We are living in an international world where there is the international system.
He has touched on two important concepts, constitutionalism and the rule of law. I take the case for Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe in terms of constitutionalism; we attained our independence in 1980 and we had a negotiated constitution that was negotiated in London at the Lanchester House. We had it for many years and we had some entrenched clauses where the former white Rhodesians had reserved seats in this Parliament and that was not democracy. That was accepted on the basis that this country should attain independence but that was a very bad philosophy.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members on the
front bench. If you cannot lower your voices please take your partner out.
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: On the issue of constitutionalism, of course the Hon. Member said there are some countries for example Somalia and Burundi. When we are discussing issues, we should be very rational. What is happening in Burundi is very disgusting, we do not support that. Burundi has a neighboring country which is Rwanda. Rwanda has changed its Constitution because it had a two term limit for the president but Rwanda got away with murder. They were allowed to change that Constitution but Burundi, for unknown reasons - it is bad for Burundi but good for Rwanda. I think as Africans, we should stick to the culture of constitutionalism. If we say the constitution allows two terms, that country should stick to two terms and should not be allowed to change its constitution to favour certain politicians.
In Southern Africa, we were not very familiar with the issues of coups. The report mentioned that there are some military coups that have taken place. In our region, we had Lesotho, where some military commanders tried to seize power by force and that has been condemned. We thank the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) that has also resolutely supported the issue of constitutionalism and now we have a Government which has been elected by the people of Lesotho, because military coups by and large are not good at all.
In Africa, the country that first had a military coup was Nigeria. It was in January 1965 when Major Nzeogwu took over power from a civilian Government. Thereafter 6 months after in Ghana, General
Angara seized power and it was like that in Nigeria in the late 1990s Brigadier Sani Abacha took over and he brought in his friends, the likes of Idi Abonga who became head of state and after that the current head of state Mutula. In Burkina Faso there was also a military coup and soon after that Thomas Sankara who had taken over power was deposed by another military coup. So there will not be any stability if we have a military coup. Of course the report said that there are certain countries where the military has powers – that is a praetorian state. Here, the civilian is head of state but the military still wields a lot of power. That is not democracy at all. If we take the democracy that was propelled by the people of say the United States of America and Roosevelt, democracy is the rule of law by the people, for the people and so it should be like that.
In Zimbabwe, after every five years, this country goes for elections and where there are problems, for example in July last year there was a Supreme Court ruling which resulted in mayhem in the labour bodies. A lot of workers were fired but Government took a constitutional route to change the Labour Act. It was brought to this House and we approved it and that is the rule of law. The President did not use any decree. In 2008, we had a GNU which was something that came about …
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
Good afternoon Madam Speaker. Hon. Mukanduri’s presention is too much Pan Africanist but he stayed in America for many years, eating McDonalds food. He had more than 15 years of education in America, with the Americans and also went to France but he is presenting like a Pan Africanist.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. You
are out of order.
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank Madam Speaker. I was saying that we had a GNU which came as a result of the 19th amendment to our Constitution. The GNU was bound by that Constitution. Some of us did not like some of the provisions of that Constitution but we were bound by the rule of law and by constitutionalism. We followed that constitution and in March 2013, after the Parliamentarians and other stakeholders had gone to the rural areas to seek the views of the Zimbabweans on what should be included in the new Constitution, this new Constitution was approved in March, 2013 and it was signed by the three Principals, headed by our current President. So we now have that new Constitution which we are following. We have the rule of law and no one does what he/she wants.
We also have separation of powers. Parliament sticks to its core role while the Executive does the same and so does the Judiciary. We should also be vigilant as stated by Hon. Mandipaka because we are a watchdog of the people, we represent the poor and the marginalized people, hence we should never ever tolerate any infringement to our Constitution. There should be adherence to the Constitution. Whoever tries to breach that Constitution should be brought before the courts of law.
Madam Speaker, I support the issue that we have Africa Day to celebrate the achievement of Africa. We should adhere to constitutionalism and the rule of law just like we are doing in
Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is the best example where constitutionalism and the rule of law are upheld. In a nutshell Madam Speaker, I want to thank you.
HON. MARIDADI: On a point of order Madam Speaker, the point of order emanates from the fact that Dr. Mukanduri has not been factual. He is calling upon the establishment of Africa Day yet we already have it on our calendar on 25 May of each year. I think as an academic, Hon. Mukanduri should know this, but I think it is because he stayed too long in America and in France and he does not realise that there is Africa Day. – [Laughter] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. What is wrong with Dr Mukanduri staying in America and France. Anyway Hon. Maridadi, he did not say we need to have Africa Day. He said we have Africa Day.
HON. MACHINGURA: Thank you for giving me this opportunity Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Mandipaka for the revealing report that he has presented to Parliament. He has had so many adjectives to describe the goodness of the presentations that they had in South Africa. I just want to dwell on one facet of the presentation, which is lack of resources to Parliament. Madam Speaker, I do not want to use too many adjectives because I might stand accused of terminological inexactitudes – [Laughter] – but I wish to hammer on the point that every week when we come to Parliament, as early as on a Tuesday, Hon. Members begin to ask if at the end of the week, they will have fuel coupons.
Lack of resources has tuned people into a psychosomatic disorder
– [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – of not – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
Hon. Machingura having remained standing.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: If I call for order, I mean even yourself. Are you debating Hon. Mandipaka’s motion? – [HON.
MEMBERS: Yes] – You can proceed.
HON. MACHINGURA: Madam Speaker, in the report – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Let us have order Hon.
Members.
HON. MACHINGURA: In the report, it was mentioned that one
of the challenges that Parliaments are having is lack of resources. That is the issue I want to zero on. If people have what they are supposed to have, they will give their full attention to Parliament business. We have had recent complaints that Members of Parliament are not spending full time in the House. We can forgive most of them. I am not saying it is right, because they will be trying to see how best they can go back home on Thursday.
Madam Speaker, there is also this question of outside delegations. You will realise that people are not travelling as a full delegation because some are left out at the 11th hour due to lack of resources. If all the people who comprise a delegation are allowed to travel and attend to these presentations, they will all benefit. However, we will have to wait, some of us have to learn from our friends when they come back and make a presentation. I am not saying they will have left some things
out, but it could have been a good experience if all of them are given the opportunity to travel out and witness these things for ourselves.
Madam Speaker, I do not know which arm of Parliament avails resources to Parliament. We are pleading with them to avail resources to Parliament so that it can be able to execute its duties properly.
In the constituencies that we come from, we are often asked about CDF and we have told them that it is on the 2016 Budget. We are also pleading with you Madam Speaker that those who are responsible for availing resources should do so to ensure that our impact in our constituencies can be felt. With those few words, Hon. Speaker, I thank you.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI – MUSHONGA: Thank you Madam
Speaker. I also rise to thank colleagues who participated in the Pan
African Parliament and for the report that they have given to this House. I am also thankful for the opportunity given to us to speak about what we intend to do. I just want to deal with three issues raised in the report. The first issue is to do with constitutionalism. I think Hon. Mandipaka spoke very well on that particular issue. I want to add a few issues around that. One thing that we do not often debate in this House is the Separation of Powers, which we should be observing in line with the culture of constitutionalism.
My humble opinion Madam Speaker is, where we have a number
of challenges in this country. It is very difficult in this country to separate the Executive from the Legislature. I think that is a problem in itself. Let us just look at how laws are made in this country. The reason why you will find Members of Parliament - I used to be very angry at why Members of Parliament go quiet when we will be debating some of these bills. However, I think increasingly, Members of Parliament have realised that there is very little impact that they can make on a Bill that would have gone through a process by the Executive.
Madam Speaker, let me just take you back, before a Bill comes to this House, it goes through a pre-making stage and all that is done at
Cabinet level. By the time it comes here, the Government and/or the
Executive would have already made up its decision about what it is that they want to do. By the time it comes to this House, we are merely reduced to being rubber stamping Members. A lot of Members of Parliament have now realised that there is no point in shouting your voice hoarse, because at the end of the day, if the Executive has made a decision, that is what they will do.
Madam Speaker, we have seen examples when Ministers bring bills here, you would assume that they are excited about Members of
Parliament’s inputs into the Bill. However, they are irritated and get angry instead of allowing us to at least go through the motions of critiquing that particular Bill. That is the first one. The second issue which my colleague has raised here, which I think is important and I will not repeat what he said is resources. However, resources for us means going out there to speak to people about the legislation that we do here.
Madam Speaker, oftentimes when we sit on Committees, if we ask to go and conduct public hearings, we are told that there is no money or there are no resources. When we go out there, Members think that we are the ones pushing things on them without allowing them to contribute to the process. How do we contribute to a process when we do not have the resources? I will give you an example; we are going to be having the most important Bill that we have ever had in this country. This is a Bill that address all these issues of rule of law and constitutionalism, which is the MPRC Bill.
However, I can assure you that if we get anything from it, it will probably be one week of public hearings and yet it is a foundation to our future. Many times Members of Parliament have been asked to stop when they ask for compensation for Gukurahundi and they are shouted at. The fact of the matter is that there is no way we can come here and keep quiet. When we go back, that is the issue that our constituents will be pushing us to address. We therefore need to be given an opportunity not only through Portfolio Committees but also as individual Members of Parliament to go and do consultations in our constituencies so that we can come here and present. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Madam Speaker, how do I go and meet my constituents? For example, some of us who are Proportional Representatives, we are not only dealing with one constituency, we are at a provincial level. You want to talk to women at provincial level so that they can give an input to some of these bills. As alluded to by my colleague, you have no fuel, you have never been given an allowance and you have nothing. When people see us out there, they think we are the elite at the top – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Madam Speaker, some of us are no longer going to Church because you will be recognised in there to say, ‘ooh, we have Hon.
Members here, we have this project, please support us’ and yet in my purse I will be having just US$10. Thankfully, I have other Ministers who are members of my Church and they will stand up and say, ‘I am contributing with US$500.’ I will just be a poor cousin sitting there and looking very silly and poor.
Madam Speaker, what we are saying here is, we are not saying we want to be better than everybody else. We know that the people of this country are suffering, so when we raise these things it is not about
Members of Parliament. I know that tomorrow it will be ‘MPs shout for better packages’. We are not shouting for better packages. We are only asking for you to allow us to do the work that we are supposed to do.
The State is unable to provide roads, hospitals or take children to school. When I go in, I am being looked at as a representative of the State. So, if somebody wants to bury their child or school fees, they come to me. How do I do that when at the end of the day I do not even have the facility to just phone a Cabinet Minister to say, excuse me, I have 12 kids here that have been sent away by a headmaster. We have been reduced to paupers – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We sit here and pretend to be good but I am telling you the trauma that we find ourselves in.
Many times, I have been asked by a colleague for $10 to put a bit of fuel to go back home. It is a Member of Parliament that will be asking you that because at the end of the day, the situation is so bad. I know we are discussing the Pan-African Parliament, but charity begins at home – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We cannot go and pretend to be at a continental level and say all these wonderful things when at home we
are in a mess. The structure or face of a country is represented by the Legislature. If a legislator looks desperate, you have read in the papers and it is not a lie that Members of Parliament sell the few coupons that they have because at the end of the day, they are unable to survive. Where else have you seen a Member of Parliament selling coupons in the whole world? You only see it happening here in Zimbabwe and that in itself is an example.
Yet, Madam Speaker, if you do an example of the lives that the Executives lead; when Permanent Secretaries and directors of ministries travel, they travel in business class. The few times that we have been able to go on some trip, we are busy pushing around a person that you are to do oversight on, and they are saying; a-ah chef, and I am sure they are laughing and saying, what kind of a chef because you are moving to go to a place – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – and they are sitting in the main… So, we have an Executive …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Members.
Let us have order. Hon. Gabbuza, what is wrong? Can I have order in
the House? If you need to debate, you will have your chance. May the hon. Member be heard in silence please?
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: What we are trying to
say here Madam Speaker is that we have an Executive that treats us like a poor cousin and we have a pretense of saying we have an oversight over the Executive. We have nothing – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes!] – This is why sometimes if a Minister comes to a portfolio committee, people are thinking should I stand up or not because they are all looking so proper and well that automatically you think they must be my chef and not necessarily the person that you are supposed to do an oversight on.
So, we need to deal with those issues.
Lastly Madam Speaker, this Parliament cannot be put to a situation where the Executive decides how much they give us to be able to do our work. The moment somebody is responsible for giving you what you ought to have, that person has the power over you. We know resource allocation is an issue of power. We need to have our Parliamentary
Service Commission that is responsible for looking at Parliament itself.
It is very unfortunate and I have to apologise to my colleagues and the world, because when we were drafting the Constitution, we should have been much clearer on that particular point.
Sometimes I think if you are sitting in a particular space, you forget that tomorrow you could be behind that other space. Some of us, perhaps, when we were doing the Constitution, we were not fully cognisant with what is happening in terms of being a legislator and were thinking in the mind of an Executive. This is why even in terms of the parliamentary processes and procedures; you will find that we still gave a lot of power to the Executive and not necessarily to the Legislature. I think in terms of our Standing Rules and Orders which we can change as we see fit, we should be able to sit down again. I know we did them last time but we may have to review them so that they begin to bring to order that whole power game that exists.
The Judiciary does not have to beg. Look at what the Judiciary looks like. They get different cars and they even got farms and all sorts of things because they are seen as the special ones. The Executive does exactly the same. Who is a poor cousin? It is the Legislature and yet these are the people’s representatives. The Judiciary or Executive is not a people’s representative. The people’s representatives are ourselves and we need to start asking a question – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.], why is it that a person who represents the people out there is treated in the manner that we are treated.
Even when we go to the offices, the way a Personal Assistant will talk to you, for example, I once called the office of a Minister and asked to see the Minister. This person actually responded and said to me, Priscilla unofunga kuti uri ani iwewe. Unotopinda through inini ndini ndotokuudza kuti unoona sei Minister. I did not blame her because she has nothing that says I have anything that can raise an issue around her. The most important to her is the Minister alone. I think if we are going to deal with this particular issue, let us deal with it in the fullness of it.
In conclusion Madam Speaker, one of the issues around the Pan- African Parliament is that we were told that members would be elected. I think we need to push for that issue. Let us not just have people that go because a party says they go. Let us have people that are elected. Let us also have a properly organised executive like we do with the EU which is able to do legislative issues and answer to its Legislature. Right now, what we have in Pan-African Parliament is nothing but an NGO. You just go there and speak. It does not bind any member state on it because we do not have a structure that says this is the Executive or Legislature.
I think we need to push that before we even push the issue around a SADC Parliament. If we are going to have a SADC Parliament, the structure should be Executive and Legislature. Pan-African Parliament the structure should be Executive and Legislature. We cannot continue to call ourselves Pan-Africans when we cannot seed our sovereignty to do certain things as Africans. If we are going to be Africans, and this is why we have so many divisions. You want to go to the Security Council at the UN, one has been bribed and the other one not because there is nothing that is binding. We merely go there to have fun. In most instances when they go there, it is the Executive that goes. The
Legislature is left out.
Most of the time, we do not even know what they debate at the Pan African Parliament in terms of a summit. You cannot even have one legislator sitting there and be able to speak for the Legislature. So, until these structures acknowledge the role of the Legislature we will continue to be the poor cousins that we are being treated as. I am glad Madam Speaker that we have had this particular thing so that we can deal with the issue of saying, are we equal or somebody is lower than the other. If that is the case, go out there and tell people that these legislators are our servants and we as the Executive are the kings, and we will deal with it as such. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to
congratulate Hon. Mandipaka for the report which is astute, good, rich and I want to add my voice and in doing so, I want to get you back to the Constitution, first and foremost to the Preamble because the report that we are debating speaks to issues to do with constitutionality and the rule of law. I will get you to the Preamble and I will start exactly on the first sentence. It says “We the people of Zimbabwe. United in our diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality, and our heroic resistance to colonialism, racism and all forms of domination and oppression”. That is going to be the subject of my debate. Lower down it says “Acknowledging the richness of our natural resources”.
I will take you to Section 3 of the Constitution and this is to form a rich part of the introduction and the body is not going to be very long but the introduction will be a little bit longer than the body. Section 3 says the “Founding Values and Principles
- Zimbabwe is founded on respect for the following values and principles –
- Supremacy of the Constitution;
- The rule of law; This was really ventilated at length by the mover of the motion.
- Fundamental human rights and freedoms;
- The nations’ diverse cultural, religious and traditional values;
- Recognition of the inherent dignity and worth of each human being;
- Recognition of the equality of all human beings; I want you to mark that point.
- Gender equality;
- Good governance; and
- Recognition of and respect for the liberation struggle.
- The principles of good governance, which bind the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level, include-
- A multi party democratic political system which we have here as a nation;
- An electoral system based on-
- universal adult suffrage and equality of votes;
- free, far and regular elections like we conduct here in
Zimbabwe; and
- adequate representation of the electorate;”
I will not belabour you with the other sections, but I will quickly go to Section 14 and 20 and I will end my citations on those. Section 14 goes as follows:- “Empowerment and Employment Creation-
- The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must endeavour to facilitate and take measures to empower, through appropriate, transparent, fair and just affirmative action, all marginalised persons, groups and communities in Zimbabwe. Affirmative means deliberate skewing the boat towards those that were previously disadvantaged, in this case the previously marginalised black majority of this nation and not in Malawi.
- At all times, the State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must ensure that appropriate and adequate measures are undertaken to create employment for all
Zimbabweans, especially women and youths.”
I will go to Section 20 Madam Speaker, and end my citation.
Section 20 says and the heading is “Youths”
(1) The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must take reasonable measures, including affirmative action programmes, to ensure that youths, that is to say people between the ages of fifteen and thirty-five years-.
Alas I am above that age Madam Speaker.
- Have access to appropriate education and training;
- Have opportunities to associate and to be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life; Madam Speaker, if we do not take affirmative action and adhere to this constitutionality, we are ultra vires the Constitution in terms of our operation. It would be folly for us to sit here and hear Hon. Mandipaka present..
HON. WADYAJENA: On a point of order! I just want to find out if the Hon. Member is debating Hon. Mandipaka’s report.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Hon. Member is debating
Hon. Mandipaka’s motion but he is concentrating on the Constitution.
HON. WADYAJENA: Okay. It is a clarification Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: He is referring to the
Constitution. You are out of order.
HON. WADYAJENA: Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you can
continue but be very careful because you are now concentrating on the Constitution itself. Please concentrate on the report by Hon. Mandipaka because your reading from the Constitution, I think soonest you will be out of order.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you for your guidance and protection from Hon. Wadyajena. It would be folly for us to fly all the way to that forum if we do not uphold our own Constitution. Our Constitution speaks to taking care of the shrines of our fallen heroes. Our Constitution speaks volumes about affirmative action in the mining sector –[HON MARIDADI: Oh, uyo atotanga.]- It speaks volumes about affirmative action in terms of our natural resources. I read to you Section 3 of the Constitution, we are supposed to uphold the Constitution. If we believe that we are upholding the Constitution – if we do not deliberately take steps to give affirmative action and empower our youths, we are not upholding our Constitution.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. The
empowerment of youths and whatever you may think should be done; at times you can move motions but go along with the report by Hon.
Mandipaka. Please Hon. Nduna.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you. I will digress from the youths. I will go to the general populace. The Parliamentarians are here to show and see that laws are repealed for the good governance and order of the people of Zimbabwe. They are here to make sure that our laws are aligned to the Constitution lest we clog the courts with unnecessary litigation so that we can make sure that our Constitution is upheld. I want to talk of these Parliamentarians that Hon. Mandipaka spoke about when he presented his report. The Parliamentarians here in Zimbabwe in particular and Africa in general, are there to make laws. If they do not make laws for the good governance of their own people including youths, their work comes to naught.
If we do not make sure that these laws are made optimally by these Parliamentarians that are here, then their use does not reside in this Parliament. We are not in this Parliament, in Harare in particular, to eat good food and to live in lavish hotels. We are here to make sure we burn midnight candles and make laws. It is in that regard that I have stood up to say, we need to speak for those people that are marginalised, that live in dormitories that were meant to be single quarters but now living as a family unit in those dormitories.
If we do not speak for them, we lose our first usage of representation. If we do not interrogate the Executive in the way they carry out their mandate in terms of repossessing those idle mines, we are not conducting our oversight role optimally… – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] - If we do not speak to the land redistribution… THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Maridadi
you are out of order because you are obstructing my vision.
HON. MARIDADI: On a point of order, Madam Speaker. The thrust of Hon. Mandipaka’s motion is to talk about constitutionalism. That member states must adhere to their constitution and that Members of Parliament must be given a status that is deserving of Parliament. We are not talking about youths, the good food that we eat and all those things. He is out of order. Madam Speaker, please help us – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members. I go along with the point of order by Hon. Maridadi. Hon. Nduna please, I think you have to understand what is coming up from the ground when you are debating. Would you please go along with Hon.
Mandipaka’s report because at times you are diverting so that the impact of that report becomes diluted somehow. So please, I think you should wind up.
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, thank you for protecting me from Hon. Maridadi. As I conclude, Hon. Mandipaka touched on the roles of Parliament which I have also optimally ventilated and it is not an isolated situation. It should not be different, the way we conduct our business here in Zimbabwe from that which is conducted in other countries, in particular the SADC region.
Madam Speaker, a lot of countries believe that we, as a nation, are a role model because we are constitutionally prone. We adhere to the
Constitution. However, we need to take bold steps to keep aligned to the Constitution. We need to take bold steps, deliberate steps to empower our own people. I know we have left it to the courts of this nation because there are sections of the Constitution that need to be aligned; the laws that need to be aligned. There are a plethora of them.
However, let us take a bold step and take our mandates to its fullest. We have to burn the midnight candles, come and align laws here so that we can free the artisanal miners of Chegutu, the artisanal miners of this nation, so that we can optimally utilise and benefit from our Godgiven natural resources. God bless Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
*HON. CHINANZVAVANA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for
according me this opportunity to add my voice on this report which was tabled by Hon. Mandipaka, which has taught us how other Parliaments are doing it in Africa. The roles and Parliament have been articulated. They have talked about the Constitution which is clear on how the Government is run; that it is run by the three arms of the State which are the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, However, of these three arms of the state, we see that there is another arm which is not straight.
This is the Legislature.
This Legislature is not free to do its work. It is being oppressed like one of the previous speakers said. We are seen as if we are inferior. So, I think that we should follow our Constitution which shows that the three arms are equal. We do not see the equality of these three arms of the State because even the things that we should use so that we do our work properly; we find that we are facing challenges.
Let us look at our representative role. Mr. Speaker, how can we represent our people when we are not fully equipped? As Members of Parliament, we are ridiculed because when we go back to the people, we do not have anything to show. There are a lot of challenges that people are facing. We once had a Constituency Development Fund because it was necessary that when you go back to the people, at least you can work with the people for the betterment of their lives, but these days, people are not sure whether we are really representing them. This shows that things are not well in the constituencies. We are even afraid of going back to the people and it is very difficult to reach people because we do not have transport.
Last month some of us came, but we were not given cars to go back to our constituencies and those who have cars do not have fuel for the vehicles. For us to go back to the rural areas to do our representative role and also to hear their problems – yes, I can go and gather people under a tree, but how do I get there as their representative. That is not the only thing, because even if you look at your Hon. Members, some of them their lives are in a sorry state. I once did my survey… - [THE
TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Inaudible interjection.] –
Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, the problem is probably I did not hear what he said. Looking at some of our members and looking at myself without pointing at others, at times we look at our clothes which are supposed to be dry cleaned, but they are now being hand washed. We cannot take our clothes for drying cleaning. We cannot stop that because we do not have the resources. Most of us are using public transport. It is a waste of money to take our clothes for dry cleaning because we are using public transport.
Mr. Speaker, what we are saying is for us to go to Pan African Parliament, we do not have the confidence and we do not have enough clothes. Those in the Executive are really looked after well, but the rest of us are not enjoying that. It is not that we are ridiculing them, but as their representatives, there should be a difference. A few days ago, we heard that the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that we are not supposed to be issued with diplomatic passports. We will ask him when he comes.
When we go and mingle with others, we do not feel confident because we are not getting the honour that we deserve in our country. If there is no equality here, because ‘charity begins at home’, so if I am not treated well in my own country, there is no way I can be treated well outside. As an example, the other time Hon. Chinotimba once said that he was insulted by a policeman outside the gate here at Parliament. If he was a Minister, no one was going to insult him. He was insulted because he had wrongly parked his car because the car park is small. How can someone called an Hon. Member park outside which cannot be done to a Minister?
So, we are pleading with you Mr. Speaker that that should be looked into so that we get the respect we deserve so that we build our confidence. Even if we are given nothing, I can go to the people and represent them well. As it is, it is like we are naked. We want to thank those who have tabled this report that we should learn from what other countries are doing but we should start here at home, so that our sovereignty should not go astray. Thank you.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker and good afternoon Sir and how are you? May I also…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Order,
order.
HON. J. TSHUMA: May I also congratulate Hon. Mandipaka for
brining in a pertinent issue into this House. We as parliamentarians play an oversight role to the Executive. This means that we are the overseers of the Executive. So, why are we not at par with the Executive? We are not asking for body guards, but we are asking to be at par with them in terms of resource allocation. They are given an off road car and a nice Mercedes Benz. We are only given one car. They are accorded their status in so many places and we are not accorded that, yet we are the overseers. We are supposed to be the people overseeing those people. Where is the equality?
Mr. Speaker Sir, I do not want to come here and just talk. I have just come here to emphasise on one thing. We want to be equal. Let us have that equal power. We are one of the three arms of State, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. So, let us be put on an equal footing because after all, the Executive is chosen after they have been elected to be Members of Parliament. You start by being a Member of Parliament and then you become a Minister. So, this means that we are equal. Let us hope that report by Hon. Mandipaka will open up the eyes of whoever is making us not to be equal.
We want the diplomatic passports before April. We must have the diplomatic passports. We even want a second car. We need to have it. Right now, if you go outside by the parking lot, there are 4 X 4s and I am told they are for the judges. We do not have that. So, let us have that because we are supposed to be all equal, the three arms. That is all I want to talk about today. Let us be equal. I thank you.
*HON. MAHOKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would want to thank Hon. Mandipaka for his report which is very good. The report of Hon. Mandipaka has brought all the Members of Parliament together. They have become united because this is a good report. So, we want to thank you Hon. Mandipaka for this insight. It is very true Mr. Speaker that there are three arms of State which should be equal. As Hon. Members, when the Budget is being presented, it is us who will be applauding so that the budget would pass. This is where it all starts. You cannot say that if a herd boy takes all the cows in the kraal, then you start complaining. If we say we want to be equal, it does not work because when the budget was presented, we applauded in agreement. All the arms were represented and the budgets were allocated according to the three budgets and we applauded that it was a good budget.
Hon. Speaker, we ululated when we saw that the allocations were different but because Hon. Mandipaka has presented his report, the issue about diplomatic passports that we are talking about is the one that is important. When we go out on our airports, we are treated as servants. We are not seen as people. When we travel with you, you take your own route which is not congested. I will go and use the normal one where I will be pushed and shoveled. Some of us are really conscious about our presentation. We really want to look good and want to represent our country well, but it will not be seen because when you get to your destination, you will be dirty.
Some of us even fall down when we are shoveled and you get to your destination dirty, but there will be a line which is not congested. When we get into the plane, you go into the Economy Class. It is like you are in a chicken bus. Hon. Speaker, I think you should plead on our behalf. We should have talked about this when we were doing our budget. However, a diplomatic passport does not need a budget, what it only needs is for you to look into it. The same way people have had faith in us is the reason why they have chosen us to represent them in Parliament. I think Mr. Speaker you should also be on our side, representing us. If you give us the diplomatic passports, it will not do any harm to us but rather help us when we go out representing our country, smartly dressed like I am, we will be confident as Zimbabweans.
With our President, R.G Mugabe, who is also a Continental leader, we should have diplomatic passports. Wherever our President goes, he is very confident but his Parliamentarians are being seen shoveled. Our President is very educated and we love him but we should also be seen in the same vein with him.
I want to thank Hon., Mandipaka for this report. I think Hon. Members of Parliament; we should be wise during budget presentation and be critical on the budget.
HON. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I also rise to add my voice to Hon. Mandipaka’s motion and the seconder Hon. Chimanikire. Hon. Speaker, I speak with a heavy heart because if at all we say the State is comprised of three arms of governance and in those three arms, the other one is not recognised, it worries me so much. Again, it boils down to the issue of, saying coming into this House the motions that we debate is nothing but just a talk shop. What it calls down to at the end of the day, people will not take parliamentary business seriously.
You can see the way Members of Parliament are whipped, ofcourse whipping system is there but there are times when Members of
Parliament are supposed to look at national issues above partisan politics but we end up just supporting an issue for the sack of supporting, on partisan basis, because Parliament is not being taken seriously. If Parliament was really being taken seriously as one of the three arms of governance, definitely then we as Members of Parliament would rise to the situation of having to debate on issues without having to put a party first but being Members of Parliament For Zimbabwe –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-.
Mr. Speaker, I shall not talk about other issues that have already been raised but sometimes if one repeats, it means it is a serious issue deserving emphasis. We are saying the Executive ought to do something about it. The issue of diplomatic passports is not an issue that has been raised for the first time, in terms of Parliamentary Reforms, that was in 1996, I was one of the Members of that Committee in 1995. We were the pioneers to engineer whatever Reforms of Parliament we are enjoying today. It was an issue again that we raised in 1996 and we are now talking of 2016, we are still talking of one and the same issue 20 years later that Members of Parliament should be given the respect and dignity that they deserve. We have the kind of governance that has got Members of Parliament, whether we like it or not and we need to acknowledge that.
It is surprising Mr. Speaker that the Executive is not only comprised of Ministers but it also includes Permanent Secretaries,
Directors and their deputies, and all those have the red passports. However, the same Executive denies the Members of Parliament to have a diplomatic passport. I find it quite awkward for Hon. Mumbengegwi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to actually come out guns blazing in the media to say the Executives’ position is that Members of Parliament will not access diplomatic passports, period! I cannot go further to say why Members of Parliament cannot have diplomatic passport. I mean what is so special about a diplomatic passport? Now, they are even making us more curious and want to have those diplomatic passports by their refusal. What is it in that red passport? We want to know as Members of Parliament. Remember, we are the ones who are here to make laws, to allow that Executive to have those red passports but they cannot allow
us to have them – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-. That is funny. To me, it is really awkward.
To repeat what the other Hon. Member has said earlier on, to say that the Executive peg our packages is wrong. Why should we allow the Executive to peg our packages? The Executive that we are talking about has got a package which is way above everybody else and which does not commensurate with the salaries which they are earning. So, in this instance, what picture are we imaging to the members of public at the end of the day? For example, we are saying we are all Members of
Parliament, that Minister and myself a back bencher ,are all Members of Parliament. It is a privilege that you are actually picked from the basket of Members of Parliament and be appointed a Minister. The moment you are appointed a Minister, you automatically say you are different from the Member of Parliament. Members of Parliament as back benchers are taken as a buffer between the Executive and the generality of Zimbabweans. We are a buffer zone because the way the public sees us as Members of Parliament in the general sense of Members of Parliament, the Ministers including ourselves, they use a blanket definition. Members of the public do not see the separation between a Member of Parliament as a back bencher like myself and a Minister who is a Member of Parliament as well.
The Members of Parliament as Ministers are the ones who actually execute the implementation of the budget and naturally if I am a Minister, I will make sure that the biggest chunk will go to my constituency because of the influence that I have in the Executive. It is natural because I want to retain my seat, but a general Member of Parliament and back bencher like me and the majority of us who do not sit in the cabinet or control a budget are left at the periphery in terms of PSIP, public projects which are supposed to be supported by the public funds. You do not have any influence.
Since the land reform program that took place, there are communities that have been divided in my Constituency because there is no foot bridge. If Mutare river is in flood for a week or two, it means that those children from the other side of Old Mutare cannot cross the river for two weeks until the river subsides. There is complete division yet most of the health services and everything else is on the other side of the river. So as long as that foot bridge is not there, the Government should finance that important project. For a Member of Parliament within the Executive and sits in the cabinet and gets a vote, the budget will not come to fund that project in my constituency because as I said early on, it is natural that ngoma inorira ichiti pangu pangu. To look at another constituency, that will be extra and also considering at the financial constraints that we have; we do not have enough funds. I am just trying to show the power that the Executive wields over the Legislature yet it is supposed to be the other way round as Hon. Mahoka said earlier on.
Why are we whipped to pass a budget? Members of Parliament, I am saying it is high time that we show that we have got teeth that bite. When we are talking about national issues, let us rise above partisan politics and let us speak as national leaders who are representatives of people who elected us to be in this House. That is how I feel and that is how I see it.
The way Members of Parliament (MPs) are denigrated is painful. I can give you an example. I am one person who thinks twice whether to go to a national state event or not. I went to attend the late Hon.
Kangai’s burial. I literally fought with the CIO officer who was manning the seating arrangements. I told him that I fought before, I will keep on fighting and I will fight you, I am ready. I had to go to that extent. How denigrating it is? It is amazing that this is the President’s office which behaves like that when they are interacting with MPs. I had to pull a chair. He had to pull that chair from me because I wanted to sit. He said the seats were reserved for the Kangai family. I told him that I was one of the late Kangai’s relative because I am muera Shumba and he is also muShumba, so how do you distinguish….
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order. Order Hon. Member.
Could I remind Hon. Members to confine your debates along the motion at hand? –[HON. MEMBERS: Ndiyo motion yacho iyoyo!]- Hon.
Member, you may resume your debate.
- ZINDI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thought the motion is about the differentiation of powers; the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature. That is constitutionalism and I am talking about denigration of MPs and I am giving a practical example which I personally experienced as an MP with the President’s office personnel. I do not want to speak of abstract things –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order. Order Hon. Members.
Can the Hon Member be heard in silence please?
- ZINDI: What is amazing is that while the officers will be fighting an MP that he or she does not have the status to go and sit in the VIP arranged seats, you find some ordinary Zimbabwean who do not have any distinguished social status sitting on these seats right under the eyes of the same President’s office officers. I have seen musicians sitting on the VIP arranged seats but MPs are not allowed to go and sit there.
Now, if you notice, most MPs are no longer attending state functions. It is because of the treatment which is denigrating that MPs go through. We are talking about these issues in this House so that something be done in the President’s office. It is the Executive and we should be given equal status.
If there are judges coming to the Heroes Acre for any burial there, they will be having an escort but an MP is told to park his or her car down and then he or she goes up the hill. If it is a Minister, it is the same thing. Even in this institution, a Minister goes through the Mandela entrance without an ID. He or she is never asked but an MP is harassed for that. What is the difference?
I talked earlier about being a buffer. The CDF was introduced so that MPs could respond to the immediate needs of the electorate that elected them, but it is never taken seriously for MPs to go back with that CDF and do small projects. The people will be appreciative that our representative is making sure that at least that piece of cake we are getting, no matter how small is getting to us.
We get requests from our constituencies wanting money to send children to school, to go for medical attention and so forth. We subsidise the Parliament when we sit here, we are subsidising it. When there is no fuel, whether you like it or not, you just have got to find your way to Parliament and that is subsidising it. I am told some are even hitchhiking and using the Ford Ranger as a pirate taxi. What I am saying is that it boils down to not constitutionally holding the office of a legislator the way it is supposed to be accorded its status.
Then on being a buffer, as I said earlier on, the way the public sees Members of Parliament is they think that we all live the same life-style and get the same perks. But alas, it is not, but very different. What I want to recommend, if at all that is possible, is to have a forum where we can educate our electorate so that they know the difference between a back bencher and a Minister, in order for them to appreciate the life of a Member of Parliament. On so many occasions, I have been asked why we have not repealed some of the laws which they feel are not in the best interest of the Zimbabweans. They do not understand that it is not the Member of Parliament who initiates the law making process but the Executive. All these issues are not understood by our electorate. So, there is need for this Parliament as an institution to educate our electorate through an awareness campaign for them to understand. On this note, I want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MAWERE: I want to start by thanking Hon. Mandipaka for moving this motion and Hon. Chimanikire for seconding the motion. I also want to add my voice to the debate and let me hasten to say that it is very disheartening to see Hon. Members being seen as herdmen or herdboys who look after cattle in the rural areas. People are not giving us the respect that we deserve. We are seen as touts in the streets. What is very surprising is that the lack of respect is cascading down from the top. In Mutoko, I was manhandled when Vice President Mphoko came to tour. In my constituency, they knew me as their MP but the body guards or his aides manhandled me. They would not let me in where the Vice President was addressing yet the chief, herdmen and teachers were in attendance. It is like they are being sent to manhandle us. I think it is high time that we should get the honour that we deserve. Our dignity should be brought back.
Now, on the issue of diplomatic passports, what is there in a diplomatic passport that stops 1000 people from having them? What effect does it have? They have been lying to us that people at the top are the ones who are refusing but it is because they are heartless people. I think we should take this issue further. We lose nothing because I think here in Africa; it is only the Parliament of Zimbabwe which is looked down upon. What is the reason for that? We are even educated people.
The other thing that is happening is that as MPs, when we buy our cars, it is like getting money from loan sharks yet in Ministries, those entitled to cars buy them at book value though we are the ones who do the donkey work. What is fuelling all this is mostly corruption. It is like they have been sent to treat us the way they do. In Ministries, people have even bought 10 cars. I think the problem is with us because we are not doing our job. We should put in place a law that a person should only buy a car once and remove the law that is there which mandates people to buy new cars after every 5 years. Some of the economic wars that we are fighting are self-created. I think a person should be entitled to buy a car once or twice.
When we look at their jobs, those people who ill-treat us are also their relatives. There is nepotism in Ministries. We should look at the departments and not allow people using the same surnames to be in the same department. People should be vetted and declare their relationships so that people are not promoted on relational basis. The heads should not be part of the boards handling promotions or trials of their relatives. I think we should put in place a law to curb all this. As Parliamentarians, we are the ones who should stand up because we are the ones who build the foundations of Government. We should not jump with the common wagon but should work with one voice, unite and come up with one thing, which will bring out results, thereby enabling
us to stamp out corruption. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjection] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, order.
Can you give the Hon. Member on the floor the opportunity to be heard in silence? If you have something that you want to say, I will give you an opportunity to contribute.
*HON. MAWERE: It is up to us Hon. Members since the ball is in our hands, for the country to remain corrupt or to stop the corruption. We should come up with mechanisms to stop corruption. As people sit in their offices; say in Mukwati building, you would think they are talking to their workmates yet it will be the whole village that is employed in that department. That comes to light when a relative dies and no one is left in the office as they will all go to attend their relative’s funeral. Those who get employed through nepotism should come through the ballot box or merit because they want to look after each other. With these few words, I want to thank Hon. Mandipaka for bringing this report before us and Hon. Chimanikire for seconding it. I think we should continue advocating for democracy. I thank you.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I want to thank Hon. Mandipaka for the job well done and also Hon. Chimanikire. Besides being an Hon. Member, Hon. Chimanikire has a background of trade unionism. He was part of the people who were in the Welfare Committee for Parliament when Hon. Thokozani Khupe was part of the Executive.
We had a system where all Members of Parliament had to meet under the Welfare Committee. It was a meeting to identify the welfare needs of Members of Parliament. Through that Welfare Committee – I am giving the historical background so that people can understand. The Seventh Session of Parliament never paid a cent for the vehicles they got. It was achieved through the Welfare Committee. Divided you fall.
It is in the same Constitution that where there is Freedom of Association, why are Members of Parliament scared of meeting and discuss their way forward? Sekuru vakanditaurira kuti ukapfuya imbwa dzinosvinura at different stages. I am happy that at least people are beginning to see – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – because when we went for COPAC, I did not go on the basis of principle. Members were supposed to receive US$75 per day, but Hon. Members accepted US$20 per day. Poverty is a system that attacks your mind first.
If you take ownership of poverty, you die poor – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – We are where we are because our mental preparedness has accepted and honoured poverty as a brother in our life. As Hon. Members, we must make sure that we put up a fight against poverty because poverty removes your dignity, even the way you walk or respond to events. People say iwe and you say inini here because you are panicking and in a state of confusion out of poverty.
The Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) must look at the needs of the Hon. Members. The issue of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) came into this august House, the simple answer was that there is no law. The same Members of Parliament have passed several pieces of legislation without asking where the CDF is.
There is no way we can have sovereignty when Parliamentary programmes are sponsored by donors. When a donor sponsors you, you have to play to their tune and you will have to follow what they have to say. I do not understand why Parliamentary Progarammes should be donor funded.
We designed a budget and in it we did not put our travelling and sitting allowances. However, we continue to complain, not because there is a problem that has been raised by Hon. Mandipaka, but it is just like an opportunity created for cowards. Cowards die many times before their actual deaths – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – we are where we are because of our own making because we fear the unknown.
Hon. Speaker, finally, when we come here as Hon. Members of Parliament, there is no way I should queue for my fuel coupons, I must get them in an envelope, with my name written on it. This is unlike a situation to say ‘you come, next, sign here,’ and so on. It is like we are buying tickets from a rank marshal. It is not acceptable, it is not dignified. Our coupons must be put in an envelope and when I get there, I am told Hon .Mudarikwa here is your envelope,’ and so on. There is no dignity for Parliamentarians. There is nobody who is going to stand for you. No one will chew some meat for you and put it in your mouth, if I chew the meat I swallow it – [Laughter] – It is the African tradition where we used to get some traditional herbs chewed by our grandmother and put into your mouth. That time is over, we are a developed nation, we must make our own decisions. Thank you very much Hon .Speaker. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear].
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would
like to debate on this report which has been tabled by Hon. Mandipaka and seconded by Hon. Chimanikire. I am happy that we have been given an opportunity to articulate all our challenges. What I want to say is that our President once led the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) at the same time. He said our country is ranked above others because he is a good leader who led Africa. I have not heard of any other leader who was given an opportunity to lead AU and SADC at the same time, they will be given the duties separately. Our President led the two organisations at the same time.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am looking at the expertise of our President. I want to give you an example; I went to China with my family and other 18 people. I had to remove shoes, belt and jacket and queue with my children at the security check and I was not bothered by that. However, I travelled again the other time with other Members of Parliament and we were subjected to the same security routine. The other time I went with some businessmen when they wanted to show me how they run their mining companies.
The reason I went is that one of the company produces not less than ten tonnes of gold. So, I went there to see how he is doing it. Let me tell you what happened because they ended up asking me who I was.
We arrived at the airport and they had diplomatic passports as businessmen. They would wait for me stripping myself. Then when my passport expired, I went with it to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and left it there, and requested for a diplomatic passport because I had been an embarrassment to the business people I had travelled with because it was a shameful process. What I am saying is that we should be issued with diplomatic passports because we are doing Government work. If you are a good representative in your constituency, these business people want to travel with us so that we copy their way of doing business and implement in our country.
Let me give you a life example, I got some investors and took them to the Minister of Mines and Mining Development because they wanted to takeover ZIMASCO. The Minister was not there but the Deputy
Minister informed me that they were visiting my constituency with the people because they wanted to do the launch. So, I got into my car and drove using my own fuel since we were not getting any coupons from Parliament. We were in a convoy but my car was due for service so I was not speeding – [Laughter].
So, they arrived before me and got into the plant, and I got there late after they had started the meeting. The doors were closed and the
Minister’s aide said I was not to enter. I said this was my constituency.
He said he had been given the instruction not to allow me in but because I knew my rights and the people who were inside I was the one who had brought them. So, I bulldozed my way and got into the meeting. I was given a seat and I noticed that the police, ministry, engineers from the province and people from the President’s office were there. I just wondered why I was the only one who was being chased away– [Laughter] – After the Minister had finished addressing the meeting he said, honourable we are not going to allow you to talk because these are
Government issues. So, I asked myself, ‘so, I am not part of Government now’. I even looked at myself and said I am not from the opposition party and this Government is ZANU PF. I asked myself a lot of questions.
What I want to say is that, Ministers we agree when we are
Members of Parliament but when they are chosen or elevated to be Ministers they change – [Laughter] – Even when you are greeting them, you have to show that respect. Mr. Speaker Sir, I think we should have workshops with Ministers. They visit our constituencies without alerting us and can even engage those whom we beat during the primary elections. The people that we are representing do not regard these Ministers highly because they think that they want people to fight. I think the workshops should be directed to the Ministers because they should know that for them to get that post is because they were Members of Parliament – [Laughter]. They should know that we are even ready to take up their posts – [Laughter] – because we have the requisite qualifications – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections].
Coming to committees Mr. Speaker, the way these Chairpersons are chosen is very dangerous because you find that these committees are not bringing anything out yet the people are educated and there are engineers. One is supposed to chair the Committee on Mines yet he is a holder of a catering degree – [Laughter] – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections]. Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you that our country and the ministries through committees are not performing very well because that Chairperson does not know what is gold. I am the one who is supposed to teach them because I have a mine and was once a President of the Gold Miners Association. So, I have to educate them about the laws and everything. We take half a year trying to educate the Chairperson.
Besides that, he is appointed as a Minister and we have to choose another Chairperson. We also have to come out with results and then another one is chosen to replace him, maybe someone who was in the
Finance or Public Service and Labour Committee now to lead the Mines Committee. We go through the same process of teaching him. Do you think anything good comes out of that committee? I think the way of thinking and doing business should stop. We should look at people’s curriculum vitaes, even mine do not skip it …
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MARUMAHOKO): I
think you are now digressing from the motion. Stick to the motion –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Order in the House.
Please confine yourself to the motion because I think you are digressing.
* HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker for
guiding me but what I want to say is that we are Members of Parliament, all of us and our qualities are not being balanced, that is why you heard me touching on these issues. What I want to say is this, when something is being done wrongly, I think you heard the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare when she talked about NSSA that it was now a family business. This is because we are not listening to and respecting each other. All these people have been chosen by 21 000 people but if you want to give them advice they do not listen to you. This is where it has led us as a country because it is been run as a family system. For example, as we travel I have greeted some CEOs, all those people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]. Thank you.
*HON. NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving
me the opportunity to make my contribution. I would like to say thank to Hon. Mandipaka and the seconder of the motion. I would also want to congratulate this august House and say that we have now matured and we are people who are doing business avoiding partisan divisions – we have seen this in other countries.
I gave an example of what happened in Tanzania where we were told that whosoever indulges in party politics during Parliament business becomes an enemy of the august House and therefore when we are in this august House we represent the nation and not party interests. I am so glad to say that we are all in unison on items of common interest and I feel this should be the trend in our business.
We say we are a people who are looked down upon on the African continent. We have a very low status. When we were elected into
Parliament, we had a Welfare Committee which was comprised of Hon.
Members from all the parties represented in Parliament. This Welfare Committee would discuss all the issues pertaining to the welfare of workers without mentioning Hon. Mandipaka to present us because when an issue is raised by an individual, it goes on like that without any reference. But if this is done by a committee it is easy to make a follow up on issues. We were very much surprised when this year we did not have this committee appointed. My wish, our wish is that this committee should be appointed and the welfare of Members of Parliament be upheld.
Let me talk about the transport issue, we were asked to make research from other Parliaments in the SADC region. We held discussions with other Parliaments and with the help of our Chief
Whips, we contacted other countries and we were told that in Rwanda, Members of Parliament have loans given to them. The cars are given to them and not on credit. When a Member of Parliament is doing parliamentary business he is paid for the mileage used during the parliamentary business because he will be on Parliament, and not personal business. In Zimbabwe, we have Ministers who benefit twice. In the first place they are given a car by Parliament on that privilege and when as a Minister he is also given an official car. Unfortunately, in Zimbabwe, the only car that you get from Parliament is used in such a way that when five years expires, the car will be destroyed. It will be a wreck and when you meet a former Member of Parliament after five years, you get so surprised and say, is this Hon. Maridadi or not? In order for you to run a constituency you need to use your own money.
The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was only allocated once and when the money was allocated, there was a witch hunt exercise on people who had abused that fund and yet there are some expenses which you can use without getting a receipt. I will take an example of the expenses which are used during a funeral. You take your money and use it in running a funeral and you do not get any receipts. But Members of Parliament were tossed around, tormented, persecuted and yet they had done a good job. As Parliament, we need to perform an oversight role and that is our job. Let us adopt the Rwanda model whereby Members of Parliament are given US$3 000 per month as allowances and this money is used for the upkeep and welfare of the constituencies. But nobody could take that one up because the CDF was never revived and the welfare was never done.
Unfortunately, when CDF was not given, people are always suspicious that some of those who were not reelected, maybe they were voted out because they had abused the CDF and therefore we appeal to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to tell the nation that this money was only issued once and was never given twice because people think that Members of Parliament abused that fund and clear their names.
Talking of dignity, we acknowledge the dignity we receive when we go to these international forums, but let me come back to this august House. When we are sitting in this House we are crushed. A woman is crushed between two men. Does that retain a woman’s dignity? We may talk about dignity away from home but let us start with this Parliament. The Administration of Parliament and Government was aware that there was going to be an increase in the number of women Members of Parliament during this Parliament. Talk of the proportional representation, 60 women were to be added but there was no construction of a new Parliament because as we speak, we should have constructed a new Parliament which would accommodate all those people. Now we are being crushed as women and at times abused. My child once asked, “is that how you sit when you are in Parliament?”. In the past Parliament was not accessible and when they come now because it is accessible, they get surprised at seeing Members of Parliament who are crushed together.
We need to have permanent sitting places which should be reserved for a Member of Parliament even when you are absent. We saw it in Uganda and Rwanda. We need to have special reserved places. In our case you have to be as early as possible in order for you to get a seat in this august House.
We are Members of Parliament who have no offices. When members of the public want to meet us, they need to see us in our offices but as of now we hold our meetings in Africa Unity Square next to
Parliament building and yet people will be discussing serious business. There is no Member of Parliament with an office, therefore we are reduced to paupers.
When we go to the constituencies, the Parliamentary Constituency
Information Centres no longer exist. We need to have those offices so that we meet with our constituents in those places so that we retain our dignity. We need to be held in high esteem. I will conclude by discussing foreign trips. There is a time whereby if a trip has been proposed, it is directed to the Chairperson of the Committee on Health and Child Care, Hon. Dr. Labode but unfortunately, that chance is given to another person for unknown reason. Therefore, my plea is whenever these invitations for outside trips are brought in they should inform this House. We also talk about passports, when a ticket is bought by a funding partner that ticket is not upgraded. I will be in the economy class and the director who will be traveling with me will be in the firstcalls but I am supposed to be in first-class too. Who has a higher status the Member of Parliament in the economy or the director in the business class? I am therefore appealing to the Executive who say the ticket should not be upgraded why?
We noticed that they will have to upgrade the tickets like they do for the staff members who are directors. At times when we are in the economy class, you feel ashamed you sometimes try and hide your face because members of public will be coming to you and greeting you and saying hello Hon. Member but your status is so low that you are not proud of it. My plea is that when there are two tickets we should all be in the same class.
We have noticed that in some countries such as Uganda, we have Staff of Parliament and Members of Parliament travelling in the same class if it is the economy, this will show the status which we have like in the three arms, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. We also noticed that talking in terms of cars, the Judiciary have Ford Rangers and another car and in the Judiciary, it is the same but Members of Parliament have the lowest class of cars in the trinity.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am sure you were also in the past Parliament. Do you know that we have Members of Parliament who had to wind up their business in the last Parliament because they could not afford to service their cars? Some of us can no longer afford servicing our cars and especially on the ball joints, the car breaks down and the Member of
Parliament cannot afford that. The Member of Parliament will die because of poor servicing of cars and when the Member of Parliament dies a bi-election is going to be held and yet money could have been saved by giving this Member of Parliament enough money to service the car. So, that is why we say a stitch in time saves time.
I will conclude by thanking Hon. Members especially Hon. Mandipaka and say let us not be ashamed of bringing motions which have to do with our welfare because we are the people who propose the passing of the budget. When we are talking of the budget we are whipped into line to support the budget but this is our chance to look at our welfare. In some instances, Members of Parliament engage in corrupt activities because their welfare and remuneration are not equivalent or commensurate with their expenses.
We are not able to take care of our constituencies nor to service and repair our cars. Please, let us take care of our welfare. I thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. RUNGANI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MARIDADI: I second.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 8th March, 2016.
On a motion by HON. RUNGANI seconded by HON.
CHITINDI, the House adjourned at One Minute past Five ‘o clock p.m.
until Tuesday, 8th March, 2016.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 1st March, 2016
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: In terms of Section 39(7) (a) of the
Electoral Act Chapter 2(13), Josephine Shava, a registered voter in Ward
14 of Kadoma Municipality of 4232 Ngezi Kadoma in Mashonaland Province, has been nominated by ZANU-PF Party to fill the vacancy in the party list of Members of the National Assembly, which occurred following the death of Joan Tsogorani. She has been appointed as a party list Member of the National Assembly with effect from 19th
February, 2016.
Section 128(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the 3rd Schedule. Section 128(2) states that the Oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. JOSEPHINE SHAVA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the Law and took her seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order! Hon. Members.
SECOND READING
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY BILL, [H.B.
12, 2015]
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Second Reading of the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill, 2015 (H.B.
12, 2015).
Question again proposed.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving
me the opportunity to debate on the Bill that was introduced by the
Minister of Defence. I would like to start by thanking the Minister of
Defence Hon. S. Sekeramayi, for giving us the opportunity as a Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services to carry out consultations in regard to the Bill. The Portfolio Committee on Defence,
Home Affairs and Security Services has to report on the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill (H.B. 12, 2015) as follows:
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Your Committee held consultations on the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill, with senior Ministry of Defence officials who were led by the Permanent Secretary Mr. Martin Rushwaya. Other members accompanying the Permanent Secretary were Major General S. B. Moyo who is the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Chief of Staff and President of the Transformation Board at the National Defence
College (NDC), Air Vice Marshal M. T. Moyo who is the
Commandant at the Defence College, Group Captain A. V. M. Murove, the Director for Prosecutions and Major S. Tauya who is the Legal Advisor. The Ministry officials assisted the Committee in analysing and comprehending provisions of the Bill. In this regard, your Committee expresses its gratitude and appreciation at the candid manner exhibited by the Ministry officials in their responses to issues raised.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
2.1 In terms of section 141 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,
Parliament must:-
“(a) Facilitate public involvement in its legislative and other processes and in the processes of its committees,’
(b) Ensure that interested parties are consulted about Bills being considered by Parliament, unless such consultation is inappropriate or impracticable…”
In pursuit of this provision, your Committee proceeded to consult the Ministry of Defence officials and members of the Defence forces who are the key stakeholders in the enactment of the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill [H.B. 12, 2015]. Further to that, your Committee proceeded to post the Bill on the Parliament website where members of the public, interested stakeholders, civic organisations and any other interested groups were invited to make their submissions to the Clerk of Parliament for onward transmission to the Committee.
Your Committee also had an itinerary drawn up to cover seven provinces of the country namely, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo, Midlands and Mashonaland West. In this process, your Committee intended to consult as many stakeholders as possible. However, owing to critical resource constraints, consultations were rendered impracticable. Your
Committee, therefore, had to rely on consultations held with the Ministry of Defence.
3.0 JUSTIFICATIONS OF THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL
DEFENCE UNIVERSITY
3.1 Your Committee considered the Zimbabwe National Defence
University Bill which seeks to establish a military institution of
higher learning that specialises in professional military training, research and development strategies. The establishment of a National University will facilitate the training of the Defence Forces to fulfill their mandate as envisaged in Section 212 of the Constitution of
Zimbabwe which provides for the Defence Forces as follows:-
“The function of the Defence Forces is to protect Zimbabwe, its people, its national security and interests and its territorial integrity and to uphold this Constitution”.
3.2 It is obligatory for the Defence Forces to deliver on their mandate. It is also within this mandate that career progression is achieved. The Zimbabwe National Defence University is expected to provide adequate training for the Defence Forces so that they can curb any threats that may face the nation. To do this, Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) has to establish specific functional Institutions which have to deliver that obligation and responsibility as constitutionally authorised. The same Constitution provides in Section 211, that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces shall consist of an Army, Air Force and any other services that may be established under the Act.
The establishment of the Zimbabwe National Defence University has been necessitated by the need to fill up the vacuity which has been in existence for a long time, particularly the training at military strategic level and security strategic level. Basically, these two gaps have been glaring for a very long time. During the consultations, your Committee was informed that the ZDF had been sourcing this particular form of training from external universities and countries resulting in officers having to be sent out to acquire the requisite skills to fill those particular gaps.
3.3 Your Committee gathered oral evidence from the Ministry of Defence officials and members of the Defence Forces to the effect that there is a Staff College which provides training of personnel at the tactical and operational levels. However, it is the outsourcing of this kind of training that needs to be reviewed, more-so when one wants to contextualise issues in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. In consultations, it was revealed that the situation had changed to asymmetric forms of threats. In defining asymmetric forms of threats which face Zimbabwe, the following five different areas were identified:- political threats, military threats, societal threats, environmental threats and economic threats.
Further to that, issues to do with terrorism and cyber security threats were cited as other various forms of threats which no one institution could just deal with. Such threats require officers or top leadership in the military and other stakeholders who can develop a response capability for Zimbabwe so that it can deal with any particular threat. In this respect, there is need to ensure that training at the military strategic level and the national strategic level is made homogenous and locally established hence, the justification for the Zimbabwe National Defence University.
3.4 The other justification for the establishment of the university was cited as the need to deal with threats to national security. The kind of threats that Zimbabwe faces are not limited to territorial integrity alone as normally perceived whenever issues of defence and security are brought up.
3.5 Your Committee also received evidence to the effect that when dealing with all the various forms of threats, military technology became the hub of a lot of response by many countries hence, the need for such an Institution. Further to that, there is also a need to examine the expertise which is generated from different universities. Your Committee was informed that there is no university whose niche responsibility is to deal with defence and security matters. It is therefore critical to have a university which is going to be able to deliver a capability for Zimbabwe and provide a niche on defence and security related matters, so that the country remains within the context and freedom of its citizens without any challenges.
3.6 Prior to coming up with this Bill, the President of the Transformation Board of the University informed your Committee that it had taken them sixteen months to do a study, including various desk researches. Study tours had also been conducted around the world in places like Western Europe, China, Greece, Pakistan, Uganda, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Asia among the many countries visited. The visits focused on how capabilities are developed and also how the manpower of such institutions is developed.
4.0 Observations
4.1 The Zimbabwe National Defence College is affiliated to the
University of Zimbabwe.
4.2 No further expenditure will be incurred since the college is already in place.
4.3 The knowledge skills are relevant to the cause of the nation.
4.4 Benchmarking efforts were made in the area of justification. For example, the most important issue is the continuous process of sending members outside to study issues of national security and defence so that they can benchmark strategies.
4.5 Zimbabwe has to make sure that it contextualises its military educational system and develops its own technology over which it has its own rights so that it can deliver its capability.
5.0 Recommendations
5.1 Your Committee strongly supports the Bill and the establishment of the University.
5.2 Your Committee urges the House to support the Bill.
6.0 Conclusion
6.1 Your Committee notes that institutions such as military universities are very important for national security purposes, hence the need to support the establishment of the Zimbabwe National Defence University.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that there will be a Catholic Service tomorrow, the 2nd March 2016 at 1200hrs in the Senate Chamber. Non-Catholics are welcome, including the staff.
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I have risen to
add some few words to buttress the content of our report by the portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, Defence and Security, in which I am also a member. Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to urge this Hon. House to support the vital Bill that is coming to this august House.
Naturally, a university is an institution of higher learning and it is in this context that we believe when we establish the National Defence University, it will cater for the military and those that are outside the military from the content given by the Hon. Minister last time. The Bill is a welcome development in that it will enable the establishment of this university whose structures we understand already exist, so it is just a question of formalising the establishment of that university.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the House and the nation should remember that National Security is a vital cog in the economic development of any country. There is need on our part as a nation to ensure that our officers in the Military are sharpened, they get the relevant and necessary skills to be able to tackle any situations that confront this nation. So, the establishment of such a Bill which will enable the introduction of the university is quite fundamental. Members in the security sector Mr. Speaker Sir and those that are outside the security sector will have a chance to go and enroll at this National Defence University and carry out studies in various facets.
Mr. Speaker Sir, you will appreciate that whatever studies that are going to be offered at this university will play a vital role in the development of this nation in terms of its political outlook, the economy of the country, environmental issues and any other issues that are important for the well being of the country. So, we call upon the House to support this very important Bill.
Zimbabwe National Defence University will also be a source of knowledge which we want so much in and outside the security sector.
During consultation, you will understand that we were informed that the current forms of threats from studies that have been carried out would include political, military, societal, environment and economic threats. Once we have this university it will enable our people to be able to tackle issues that are relevant to the various forms of threats that have been brought to the fore.
So, Mr. Speaker Sir, suffice to say, to support and buttress what our Chairperson of the Committee has already alluded to in the
Committee’s report, that the establishment of this Bill which will also establish the university is a vital development, we must support it. I thank you.
HON. GWANETSA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for affording me
the opportunity to add my voice on this very important Bill. Let me also thank the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ronald Muderedzwa. Mr. Speaker Sir, from the on-set, peace and security are by their nature very expensive. Prevention, identification and response to threats are equally expensive, hence there is need to invest in the preservation of peace and security. Therefore, need for more effort to preserve peace and security is required. There is also need for us to identify the threats and therefore it remains very imperative that we have an institution where we can actually say we can be able to preserve our national integrity. The threats can be asymmetric; that is political, economical, naturally, environmental and technological. As outlined, we are in a global village where we have got sophistication in terms of all threats and therefore, the threats can come in very sophisticated ways.
As alluded to, we are looking in terms of political, economic, social and environmental threats. We need to have a place where we can evaluate some of these threats and therefore by so doing, safeguard our peace and security. It becomes so imperative that the Bill has to be supported if we are to preserve our peace and security.
Mr. Speaker Sir, wars and campaigns are won at the table and where is the table? The table becomes an institution like the university where we analyse issues of all threats and when we are saying we are going for a campaign, you are rest assured that you are going to win the campaign.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Members can we
reduce the volume of our conversation so that the Hon. Member debating can be heard. Please proceed.
HON. GWANETSA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I was saying the world over, wars and campaigns are won at the table and where is the table when we are looking in terms of the situation in Zimbabwe? This is the institution where we are saying the Zimbabwe National Defence University where we analyse all our threats so that when we send our defence forces, we are rest assured that we are going to win the campaign and the war, be it that they are wars that we fight out of this country or we defend; we will be planning and sensing all the activities that are economically, militarily, socially, environmentally and what have you. By so doing, we are saying we have got a defence force that is capable of defending our territorial integrity and our national sovereignty. Therefore, it becomes imperative that we have an institution of this nature.
We have had the ZDF that has been doing very well in all our campaigns be it in Mozambique or Angola, etc. The Zimbabwe Defence
Forces have done very well but they were lacking the cutting edge. However, were we lacking the cutting edge? Because we resorted to sending our troops or forces to foreign countries but the irony of sending our forces to foreign countries is that you are not going to be taught everything – and not only that, when it comes to diplomacy or international relations, we do not have permanent friends or enemies. Therefore, if we have got our own institution, we can do all we can. By so doing, we will be at the helm of putting our country to peace. I would not like to overemphasize the establishment of such an institution.
If we take an example of all the Presidents of the United States; less than five have not gone through defence institutions. The Americans know that whoever is the commander-in-chief knows what he defends and how he sends his troops because he has got the knowledge. For us to have such an institution becomes a deterrent to would-be aggressors to this country. Therefore, an establishment of this nature is of paramount importance.
I implore and request Hon. Members to support this important Bill because it sets the ball rolling for the preservation of the peace of this country. I thank you.
HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Mr. Speaker, I am a member of this
Committee whose report was presented before the House.
For the first time in our Committee, there was a consensus that there is need for a Defence Forces University. However, we had reservations in certain areas as to who was going to fund it and how much was it going to cost, whether it was necessary under the current economic environment?
Despite all these misgivings, when we consulted with those that are responsible for the transformational process, some of our concerns were brought to rest.
A visit by this Committee to the Military Defence College which is part of the University of Zimbabwe, was also an eye opener. It was an eye opener because it revealed the existence of modern technology which is used in the study processes and a very good curriculum.
Looking at participants that were going to join the college, it was encouraging to note that senior military personnel will only comprise
40% of the participants. Then we would also have people coming from the Region. Senior Government officials will comprise 20% in terms of attendance of these particular courses. Regional participants also comprise 20%. There would also be provisions for seminars for Hon. Members; interestingly enough.
The conceptual approach to courses at this particular college are not limited to military issues only but to strategic thinking and planning. This is what we appreciated Mr. Speaker. Therefore, looking at the period that the course is going to be conducted which is limited to particular and specific issues that will be discussed and examinations held for those who would have been trained; it is important to note that top military leaders will be able to integrate with the community and also give ideas that are important for the development of our country.
However, one thing that we appreciated as members from the other side of the House was the fact that the courses that are going to be conducted will ensure that there will be a situation of building an army that will be apolitical and more professional than being political as is the case at the moment.
I would also want to urge members of the House to support the Bill because this development is not only minor but major in terms of where we are going, rather than where we are coming from. I thank you Mr.
Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: I would like to add my voice to the establishment of the National Defence University. I want to add my voice to this Bill and I want to applaud the Minister for bringing up this Bill and also congratulate the Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Security for adding his voice the establishment of this Bill.
I want to take you back a little bit because the Bill we are talking about is at the tail end. The entry point will be where we get our children straight from school at the age of 18. It is explicitly put and advertised that whoever needs to be employed in the military at that point needs to be 18 or 22 years. These are the people that today, because of the establishment of this university are going to be empowered.
If you throw an object in this House, nine times out of ten you might hit a militant. The reason why these militants are in the House is because there are parallel structures in the military similar to those that are in the civilian sector where the military personnel now have to go and study in the civilian sector for that which they do not have in the military sector…
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir. – I appreciate the fact Hon. Nduna is not a member of the Portfolio Committee and the presentation that he is giving is quite contrary to the report which has got something to do with Bill. He is moving at tangent with the report and as a member of this committee Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is best and for the good of this House that whatever we do should be progressive. In light of that, we would appreciate Hon. Nduna sitting down.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. When a motion
is put before the House, it does not necessarily mean that only those who are in that Committee must speak. It is an open debate; however, I appreciate the Hon. Member’s point of view that our debate must be pointed to the Bill before us. May I therefore request Hon. Nduna to speak to the Bill accordingly?
HON. NDUNA: Thank you for the protection Mr. Speaker. - [HON. MEMBERS: Laughter] - I will continue speaking in this language and I ask that Hon. Mutseyami also takes pains to understand it in the same language. Mr. Speaker, it is said here that it has taken 16 months to study around the globe to try and establish this university. That effort is applauded. I say so because our children, at the entry point, some of them are immediately posted to military institutions in other countries. When they come back home they are asked to go and equate their qualifications in civilian institutions. If we had a university of our own, we would be able to immediately rationalize the qualifications at the entry point and they would not have to go into civilian institutions for the harmonization and rationalization of their qualifications. This will put a stop to that notion. I say so cognizant of the knowledge that one of the principals in a tertiary institution, in particular at the Polytechnic here in Harare is a soldier, whose qualification was derived from the military. He has now put himself in that position because of the harmonization of his qualification from the military to the civilian sector. So, would it not have been good just for him – I am trying to imagine, would he not be a vice chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe today if there was no time lost during the harmonisation. So, I applaud this effort and I call upon the Minister, his entourage and his officers to now put more effort to try and ensure that we can have certificates and diplomas, until we get to this apex level of the military institution, which is the Defence University.
There is a two-tier system in the military where you have the non- commissioned and the commissioned officers. There are non commissioned courses which take them to a certain level and commissioned courses, junior staff and senior staff courses which take them to another level. Eventually the apex is what this university is speaking to. I call for the establishment of more robust tertiary oriented institutions in the military to augment and bolster this university. I also urge this House to speak with one voice and support the military because a nation without the military is a nation which is akin to being naked or to being like a mermaid Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank you.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I have
stood up to also support this Defence University Bill. I am a member of this Portfolio Committee and I want to add a few words. Our country is doing well. I want to explain to the people that this university is not only in Zimbabwe and it is not free for all such that any school leaver can enroll at this college. It is just for a selected people, with some coming from the Ministry of Finance. That is where they send economists to be groomed in economics. If our economy is not doing well, there will not be peace and stability in the country. It also teaches bilateral warfare or nuclear, so our people have a right to go and learn how to handle nuclear bombings.
I believe that the Ministry of Defence started as a college and that is not only applicable in Zimbabwe but also in Romania. CBU in
Romania started as a military college but ended up as college of Romania, teaching intelligence in that country. So, our Defence College is evolving into a university. Our military helped us not to incur extra expenses by building new infrastructure. They simply upgraded the existing college into a university and all the expenses that people were afraid the country would incur for this college are not there as the infrastructure is there already.
I also want to believe that our boys and girls used to go outside to countries such as Pakistan and other countries to further their studies. Though they still go out, it is not as often as they used to. It is good to have exchange programmes but what it means is that we have also cut on the amount of money being used to pay for education in foreign institutions. We will get teachers from outside the country to work with teachers in Zimbabwe, who will teach on how to live so that we go forward as a nation without being threatened like what has been alluded to in the Bill. We are very fortunate that the money that we used to spent, travelling outside the country to countries like Pakistan, Yugoslavia, Russia in search of criminal investigation skills, will be saved as few people will be going to learn in other countries. We cannot close that door but we will learn from other people as well. Learning about other people is very good, but we are no longer going out to their countries and we have cut down on our spending.
If you look at the British, when we were still in the Common Wealth, they would come here and we would have lessons together and learn from each other. It does not mean that if teachers are coming outside the country, they are here to teach us, they are also here to learn. I think we have heard Hon. Chimanikire saying that it is for the first time. If you have an issue that brings us together with the opposition parties, it means that it is a very good thing and should be supported. I think we should work together that whatever we do, we unite. If the outside forces see that we are united, they will not infiltrate us. I really support this Bill. I urge you all Hon. Members to support this Bill, we should not take a lot of time debating. I think we should just say this Bill must be supported. Thank you very much.
HON. CHIWETU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this elaborative report presented by Hon. Muderedzwa. Mr. Speaker Sir, patriotism means to be security conscious. Threats are not limited. The other speakers before me mentioned a number of threats but from thereon, threats are not limited and when they come, they have to be contained. It is from this institution that we can be able to contain them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, patriotism can be enhanced from this institution. We need to develop our own solutions to all the threats that might come our way and suit our own situations. The university will be able to build the capacity of all within the Government and public sector to deal with all national threats. Mr. Speaker Sir, why am I saying threats are not limited? Let me give an example of seed houses, hunger can be manmade, supposed these seed houses play around with all the seed, the farmers will go out and plant the seed, but it will not germinate and at the end of the day we will have hunger. However, this institution can be able to determine what kind of seed will be grown, the cause of hunger and so on.
We have cases of ebola Mr. Speaker Sir. It is from this institution that we can be able to have solutions to such epidemics. At the moment we have Zika epidemic, which has troubled South America. With the institution in place, we will be able to come up with solutions. I therefore urge the House to speak with one voice in support of this noble Bill from the Ministry so that it sails through. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, in terms of our Standing Orders, we should we should not repeat ourselves. If there is nothing new that you want to put across, please do not stand up to be recognised.
We have had too many male voices, can we have female voice for a change.
*HON. NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I have
stood up to support this Bill. However, we want the university to encourage women to be recruited so that they are empowered. They should also know about the military and how to defend their country because everyone looks up to their mothers when they face problems.
This means that mothers are the only ones who can protect the country.
I did not have the opportunity to look at the Bill, but I think, maybe, that is not included in the Bill. There should be affirmative action which says that women and girls will be found in their numbers in that university even if they do not have money or are not fully qualified. There should be affirmative action so that women are also found in that university. We are not here to come up with a male thing so that only men and a few women will be there. We want to come up with a national thing which encompasses everyone, that is men, women, boys and girls. I want to add my voice on that because we also want to go there in future. Thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also support this
Bill that it should sail through. I am looking at ammunition. In
Zimbabwe we do not have people who have researched on how to come up with modern machinery. We had a defence industry company, which was headed by Hon. Thsinga Dube and was supposed to manufacture modern machinery. The military field is changing a lot. If I look at what is happening in the Middle East, the ISIS, Boko Haram in Nigeria or Al Shabab, it means that there is a lot of intelligence involved. Our country is supposed to match that so that we come up with our own machinery. It is not that they are trained to march or fire arms, but also training on how to make weapons using lithium, so people should go to school so that we know how to make weapons and sell to other countries. This will also bring foreign currency into our country. If we look at our college in Mt. Hampden, we see that other SADC countries are also sending their people to be trained. So, I support this Bill because it will end up as our cash cow or money spinner because we have foreigners also coming to be taught on military issues at that college.
The military should not only focus on making machinery of war but they should also be involved in food security because if the army is hungry, they cannot defend the country as well. So, they should also be articulate when it comes to agro-processing because they should know how to process what we grow in Zimbabwe. That is what we are looking at as well. In Zimbabwe, we have the army which is supposed to know how to generate electricity. So they should also learn that.
If we look back, we know that a lot of companies closed down because people were staying away from work. Given that scenario, we need a well-trained army which can take up those jobs in order to defend the country. They are not only going there to be taught how to fire arms, but their degrees of orientation should also be given from that college.
Our army should be well equipped when it comes to all those things.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, Zimbabwe National
Defence University Bill is a product of our revolution. It is the result of the efforts laid by King Lobengula, Lozikheyi Dlodlo at the battle of Shangani, Mai Mbuya Nehanda Nyakasikana. It is the crescendo for our struggle for total emancipation. Today Mr. Speaker Sir, in the City of Harare we are able to establish the Zimbabwe National Defence College first, then university which is going to bring the people of Zimbabwe from Zambezi to Limpopo to work together as a team in order to achieve one goal; to fight against hunger, ignorance, poverty and disease. This is because imperialism survives in the minds of poor people. Imperialism is like rabbis. When a dog has got rabbis, you do not need even to condemn the dog. When a dog has got rabbis, you do not need to condemn the owner but you have to condemn rabbis itself. In our case, imperialism is the rabbis, so we have to condemn with all the possible voices available.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in conclusion – [Laughter] – the university is going to accommodate officers from Africa under the banner of PanAfricanism. Today, I am joined by Kwame Nkrumah, Amilcar Cabral, Ernesto Che Guevara, Samora Machel, Ahmed Ben Bella and Nyerere in support of this Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill. It is an achievement of Africa, all progressive forces of the world, the nonaligned movement and the spirit of ubuntu of the people of Africa. Those who were listening Mr. Speaker Sir, I want you to take the short speech I have made and continue reciting on it because it is going to set you free – [Laughter] –. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to take this opportunity to thank Hon.
Muderedzwa, Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home
Affairs and Security Services. I want to also thank the following Members of Parliament; Hon. Mandipaka, Hon. Rtd. Brig. Gen.
Gwanetsa, Hon. Chimanikire, Hon. Nduna, Hon. Chinotimba, Hon. Chiwetu, Hon. Nyamupinga, Hon. Mapiki and Hon. Mudarikwa for supporting this Bill. When ministries come to Parliament to present various Bills, sometimes there is a lot of debate for or against, but what I have noticed as the common denominator this afternoon is the general support for this Bill. I want to thank all Hon. Members – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.].
The establishment of the Zimbabwe National Defence University is an important development in the growth of our Defence Forces. As has been explained, those who are going to attend this university are not strictly from the defence and security sectors alone. There will be some from the civilian sector, neighbouring countries and other sectors. All this is aimed at ensuring that the university is a centre of excellence in various disciplines. Yes, there will be purely military issues because we also need as Zimbabwe, military officers, cadres who are very well educated in various disciplines.
It may be in the real discipline of the military, knowing how to fight or in the discipline of knowing how, if the country has got problems of a socio-economic nature, the Defence Forces can participate in alleviating those problems. There will be other disciplines of a very technical nature. One of the Hon. Members talked about manufacturing some of the equipment that we need. So, there will be these various aspects at the university but at the end of it all, it should be a university that Hon. Members here should be able to visit and say yes, when I was sitting in Parliament on 1st March, 2016, we debated the Bill establishing this and we are proud of the institution.
So, the calibre of graduates from this university should be such that they prove to us all that the use of national resources in the establishment of the university was worthwhile. It should be something that we should be proud of.
I want to go further and say as students at that university will be mixing with various persons, there will obviously be cross fertilisation of ideas which will benefit the Defence and Security Services, Public Service and the private sector to some extent. All this is being done in the interest of ensuring that as Zimbabwe, we are able to develop socioeconomically at a very fast pace and this is what is important. It is also important that at an institution like that, issues of peace are emphasised because without peace, there can be no real meaningful development.
Here in Zimbabwe, for now we watch Boko Haram in Nigeria and
Cameroon, ISIS in Syria and other countries –[HON CHIBAYA: And G40.] – [Laughter]- the majority of Hon. Members in this Parliament, this afternoon are concentrating on the Bill to establish the Zimbabwe National Defence University. There may be one or two wayward brains from some juveniles but I think they will be disciplined enough to be able to do the correct thing. So, I just want really without saying much, because there has been this unanimous support, I just want to thank all
Members of Parliament for supporting this Bill. I move that the
Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill be now read a second time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.
COMMITTEE STAGE
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY BILL [H.B. 12,
2015]
House in Committee.
Schedules 2 and 32 put and agreed to House resumed.
Bill reported without amendments.
Third Reading: With leave; forthwith.
THIRD READING
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY BILL, 2015
(H.B. 12, 2015)
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):
I move that the Bill be now read the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me
this opportunity to also air my views in as far as the Presidential debate is concerned. While I was seated, I was actually thinking that when we started, we were going to rise and sing a happy birthday chorus for our President who has actually reached 92, but surprisingly, especially those from the other side, they never said anything. Anyway, I want to wish the President a happy birthday. Some of us do not wish someone to die. We really wish someone to have longevity in order for him to be blessed by God.
While it has been more than three years now, Madam Speaker, since the President delivered his Presidential Speech here in Parliament, from the look of things I think things have actually gotten worse after the speech. In fact, most people do not have money in their pockets and poverty has actually worsened the situation. Also, the situation has been made worse by the El Nino induced drought.
The reason which actually caused me to come and debate today is I had a meeting with some civil servants in my constituency on Sunday; mostly teachers, doctors and nurses. What they were saying to me is that it seems as though while we have this situation which we have in the country which is actually worsening, there is no one in Government who is actually thinking of doing something. It seems as though everyone in Government is much more interested, and this has become a grand preoccupation, in the succession of our President, Mr. Robert Mugabe.
What they said to me on Sunday is, Hon. Member…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member. We
are talking of His Excellency, not Mr. Mugabe.
HON. MUNENGAMI: I withdraw that statement. I also refer to him as the Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency. I withdraw that
Madam Speaker. Like I said, they are busy in terms of succeeding the President. What I wanted to say is that on Sunday the people of Glenview asked me a question that is there any need for us to be involved in these fights? What is in it for us? Honestly, there is no need for them to be involved. There is no need for them to join this drama which is actually happening within the country.
What they are more interested in, Hon. Speaker, they said they were more interested in a Government which is able to satisfy the needs of the people; a Government which is able to solve the bread a butter issues within the country, and a Government which is also able to provide a stable democratic space, but it seems as though this Government which is being led by His Excellency, Cde. R. G. Mugabe has failed. Yes, I know that Hon. Wadyajena might say I might be a G40, but as far as I know, maybe he is the best person to explain what G40 is. I do not think I am a G40.
Anyway Madam Speaker, I will concentrate my debate on the issues of the civil servants. If you go through the Presidential Speech, there is nowhere, where it is written civil servants, the whole Presidential Speech. I went over it and there is not even a single word where he mentioned civil servants. What I do not know is whether our President thinks that civil servants are not important. As far as we are very much aware, these are the people who are the drivers of our economy. These are the engine room where we drive the economy of the country. The status of a Government is usually reflected upon the state of the civil servants.
If the civil servants are not happy, poor and are not remunerated well, it reflects on how the Government operates. If you go to our Constitution, I think the Constitution is very clear that every 5 years, we go for elections whereby we elect a President and Members of
Parliament. That Constitution gives the President a mandate to appoint a Cabinet. This Cabinet is the one which is responsible to run the affairs of the country, including the President. Within that Constitution, there are some provisions which provide for example, the Bill of Rights which also gives provisions of the right to shelter, food, employment and the right to a job. It is something which I believe must be a right. If it is a right for the people to have a job, it goes without saying that for the very same people, salaries should also be a right to them. They should be given as and when they are due to be paid including the aspect to salaries.
I want to talk about the issue of bonus. Madam Speaker, the issue of bonus or the payment of bonus had become a custom in Zimbabwe. Since 1890, during the colonial era, the civil servants were being paid their bonuses in December, and every time, they were looking forward to it. So, it had become a practice and had become a custom. If something becomes a custom, it also becomes a rule. As you know that customs are derived from conduct or behaviour of certain people, and if something becomes a custom, it becomes a rule. I remember well that during the 1980s or early 1990s, a certain musician sang a song about bonuses. This shows how important the aspect of bonus had become to people. As I speak today, civil servants have not yet received their bonuses. If you take away something which had become a custom, you take it away unilaterally. I think that is also in breach of the same Constitution, according to my own belief, because like I said, the bonus had become a custom.
There is something about civil servants which I was asked on
Sunday to say, ‘Hon. Member, do you still remember just before elections?’ The President during his campaign days for re-election, was telling people that the Inclusive Government had become an animal which was not good for the country. He was blaming the inclusive government as the reason behind the suffering of the civil servants. He also promised them that after the elections when his party wins and he becomes President, definitely they were going to look into the affairs of the civil servants.
To quote his words, he said “we shall improve the working conditions of civil servants.” That was before the elections. At the inauguration speech, he said “civil servants, we have not yet forgotten you.” In October 2013, the President said, “we shall reward those who helped us, avo vakamira nesu kuti tihwinhe maelections.” He was again referring to the civil servants. Come January, 2014 Madam Speaker, we heard the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon.
Chinamasa saying, “If funds permit, we shall improve the conditions of civil servants.” Then in December, 2014, the same Hon. Minister said “we will stagger the bonus of civil servants.” That was when some received their bonuses in January, February and March. January 2015, the Minister, Hon. Chinamasa said “no salary increase for this year.” Actually, he was saying not for 2015, but he was referring to 2016 and 2017. That was in January, 2015.
Then in December, 2015 he said no bonus for civil servants. If you follow this chronology of events, you can see that initially, the President had said they were going to improve the conditions of the civil servants, but come December, there was no bonus for the civil servants. As we are all aware that Zimbabwe is endowed with minerals, it has got a peaceful citizenry and high literacy rate, what might surprise quite a lot of us is why a lot of people are leaving the country? We have got Zimbabweans who are running economies of other countries. Go to South Africa,
Namibia and even Mongolia, there is a certain guy who is running a mining operation for the country and that person is a Zimbabwean for that matter. Why are they running away from the country when we have got such an abundance of minerals, it is because they are seeking greener pastures.
Even if I come near home, they say charity begins at home. Here at Parliament Madam Speaker, if I want to see you in your office, I see your secretary. If I say I want to see the Hon. Deputy Speaker, the first thing which she will ask me is; Hon. Member, we have got this perfume, nice jacket and suit for you. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- If not only your office Hon. Speaker, but it has become a practice in every office which you visit within this Parliament. In fact, this Parliament has become a mupedzanhamo, a flea market. This is because every office you visit, they are selling goods. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- But, who can you blame Hon. Speaker?
HON. MANDIPAKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I respect the
debate by the Hon. Member, but my point or order arises from the fact that he is straying into areas which the President did not highlight when he presented his speech. The President did not talk about bonuses. So, I thought he should be directed accurately so that he comes back to the speech. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member. I
think the Hon. Member is just reminding the Hon. Member that we concentrate on what the President said. This is how we respond to his speech.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker for protecting
- What I was just trying to say is that we must not blame the staff of Parliament who are doing this. Surely, what is it that they can do with the $200.00 or $300.00 which they are getting every month? They are also suffering just like any other civil servant. Within the same Constitution, there is a provision about the SROC which is responsible for the welfare of these members of staff. It is within the powers of this Committee either to improve the working conditions of these workers in order for them to improve in as far as their - I am also surprised that even up to now, maybe we need to rename the Standing Rules and Orders to sitting orders because they have not yet done anything in as far as improving the working conditions of the workers of Parliament in order for them not to dwell in these illegal sales.
HON. HOLDER: On a point of order! Let me make my contributions in Shona so that he may clearly understand me. When the
President presented his Speech, he did not talk about LCC’s, Standing Orders or bonuses, so the Hon. Member who is debating is out of topic of the Presidential speech.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Holder, if the President has given his speech, every Member has a right to debate that speech and talk about what is happening in their constituencies. As long as everything is hinged on the Presidential Speech and when we want good living standards, we need to debate it in this House. However, I am asking Hon. Members not to stray too much from the Presidential Speech.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Hon. Speaker, again I want to thank you for protecting me from Hon. Holder as well. Madam Speaker, when I started, I said I had a meeting in my constituency but I also want to talk about the issues of the staff of Parliament, the issues of myself, Hon. Holder, Hon. Mandipaka and those of us here in Parliament. As I stand here, if I look at you, yes you might be wearing a brave face but within your heart you are also worried – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Member,
would you please concentrate on the Presidential Speech, avoid talking about the Chair please.
HON. MUNENGAMI: thank you Madam Speaker. Like what
you have rightly said, I will do that but you have cut me short earlier, maybe I wanted to praise you within what I wanted to say –[HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
Madam Speaker, we have one Hon. Member of Parliament, Hon. Mukwena from Chiredzi who travels more than 800 km from his constituency to Harare. Other Hon. Members might try to laugh at this but it is a serious matter. Hon. Mukwena has become someone who is known at the bus terminus in Chiredzi clutching his bag of clothes trying to board a bus and not a luxurious one but a chicken bus. He was actually in the press, the Masvingo Mirror that such a Member of Parliament can be seen running around trying to find a cheaper bus to enable him to come to Parliament. There is a reason why that is happening…
HON. HOLDER: On a point of order! Thank you so much for allowing me but we are here to debate issues not individuals. That is his personal life and he will take care of that. He will be called in the right forum and not here in Parliament.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you are out of order. Can you leave the Hon. Member to debate? Hon. Munengami, may you also shorten your debate.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Maybe just to finish this point that I was trying to emphasise. I just gave the example of Hon. Mukwena because he was the one who was in the newspaper but otherwise it is not about him only, it is about everyone who is within this building. So, It is not like I am personalizing but it was just as an example.
The reason is that week in and week out, we come here to Parliament, we are supposed to go back to our constituencies but if one travels more than 800 km per each sitting…
[Time limit]
HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I move that the Hon. Member’s time be extended.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Ndinoda kuti asawedzerwa –
[Laughter]-
HON. MUNENGAMI: I just want to know Hon. Madam Speaker, how many minutes a Member is allowed to debate on the Presidential speech…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is not myself who is checking on your time, we have those who are administrating, so you cannot ask me – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections] - Order, order! It is up to you Hon. Member to check what is happening at the table because it was an orange light showing you. I thought you are now experienced in this House, when you see the light at the table flashing orange, then you must know that you are about to finish.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Madam Speaker…
HON. CHIBAYA: Madam Speaker, as you are experienced with the rules of this House, if somebody has already made a contribution on the same motion is he allowed again to make another contribution unless it is…
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is in order; he did not
debate on this one.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Madam Speaker, I would like to make my contribution on the Presidential Speech which he delivered to this
House. However before I do that, I would like to start by congratulating him on attaining 92 years of age. This is a great achievement, attaining that age and still being physically fit and healthy. When people refer to the President as God given, they will be telling the truth. When you look at the President –[HON. MUNENGAMI: Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Munengami. We have
to respect the House. I do not want to send you out of the House
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: I would like to congratulate the President – his is a cultured person and has never been photographed with prostitutes…
*HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order, the Hon. Member is using unparliamentary language in this Hon. House. If he is saying
‘prostitute’ we would like to know what that means because in our Constitution, there is nothing like that.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is unparliamentary language. Would you please withdraw that?
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you. I withdraw the use of that word.
The point I am trying to put across is that the President was never seen or photographed with people who are called sex workers…
HON. MUNENGAMI: Madam Speaker, a sex worker is not someone who does a bad job. That is wrong and even if he goes to the Constitution, it is wrong for him to say that….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Munengami.
Hon. Munengami, we have read about sex workers. He is referring to that and what is wrong about that?
*HON. MUNENGAMI: Varikuti arikuita basa rakashata. That is why….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Did he say that? No. Hon.
Munengami, I think that is too much.
HON. MUNENGAMI: That is a profession and that is an insult.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Aaah. Hon. Munengami, that
is too much. Leave Hon. Chinotimba to debate.
Hon. Chinotimba, would you please come to your point please?
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Madam Speaker for
protecting me. I will now delve into the Presidential Speech.
From the Presidential Speech, there is something that really touched me. When he talked of the importance of unity in the progress and development of the country and the kind of unity is that whenever we are debating developmental issues such as the previous Bill….-
[HON. MUTSEYAMI: Inaudible interjections]
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Munengami. Hon
Munengami.
HON. MUNENGAMI: I did not say anything Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The names are alike.
Anyway, I am sorry. Hon. Mutseyami.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Surely Madam Speaker, during the previous debates, we heard Hon. Members like Hon. Holder calling for order when Hon. Mutseyami was debating and you praised the contribution which has been made on the Presidential Speech. Why is it that when we are making our contributions, they are disturbing me by always calling for a point of order….
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May you please make your
contribution.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: The President spoke about a lot of issues and these included the unity in the country. He said unity will lead to the development of the country and people will have a good life. I can give an example, we have people who do not agree with us when we say Zimbabwe is under sanctions. They say that is false. The unity shown when we were debating the Defence College University Bill – that is the unity that we need. Even the people in the Speaker’s Gallery enjoyed the contributions made on that Bill.
When we are talking of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, let us talk in unison and we know that when the President makes a speech, we have to follow him because we need to be united.
Unfortunately, some of us misunderstood the speech given by His Excellency.
The President also talked about the unity of Parliamentarians and it is very good for the country when Parliamentarians work in unison because we will bring development and peace in the country. He also talked about agriculture and said that we should be constructive so that there is development in the country.
Why is it that after such contributions, some of us run to Studio 7 and make destructive contributions to Studio 7. Some of these members who are interviewed on Studio 7 are members in this august House. When you listen to them, you wonder why they are doing that. My wish was that if Leaders of the Opposition were mentally capable like our President, the country would develop. Unfortunately, they always think negatively.
We should listen carefully and study the speech delivered by the President. These people should include the Leaders of the Opposition and Members of Parliament of the Opposition should know that in Parliament we do not just waffle but we need to discuss progress and development.
I thank you for giving me the chance to make a contribution.
HON. N. MGUNI: Thank you for affording me this opportunity to deliver my maiden speech. I would like to thank my party and my President, Dr. Morgan, Richard Tsvangirai for appointing me to this position –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- I want to talk about issues concerning Bulawayo Metropolitan…
*HON. CHIKOMBA: On a point of order! We are debating the Presidential Speech by President Mugabe. Unfortunately, they are now talking about party President, Mr. Tsvangirai.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, can you
please be guided and stick to the Presidential Speech.
HON. N. MGUNI: The issues I am concerned about are;
- The Economy
- Closure of industries
- Unemployment
- Deterioration of Health service delivery
- Constitutional issues
I would like to start by saying that the general Zimbabwean is struggling to make ends meet as a result of the economy that has remained in doldrums. The City of Bulawayo, which I represent, popularly known as ko ntuntu ziyathunqa, is almost a ghost town now. This is due to industries which were closed, leaving millions of residents unemployed and starving. The smoke we now see is from the firewood used by residents for cooking.
The prevailing economic environment has a negative effect on business and the hindering factors are; lack of access to finance, policy inconsistency, lack of suitable infrastructure, corruption and restrictive labour regulations. If the country addresses these fundamental factors, a favourable business environment will be created, industries will open, jobs created, exporting business will begin and foreign currency and foreign investment will be attracted.
Bulawayo has been the industrial hub of the economy since 1980 until the 2000 era. However, due to the economic meltdown between 2007 and 2008, many industries closed, leading to an escalation in the unemployment rate. Companies like the National Blankets, the famous G & D and many others closed down. It is therefore feasible to utilise the infrastructure in Bulawayo and create a special Economic Zone in that region. Matebeleland is rich in minerals like coal and gold. If these minerals were well utilised, the economy would not be in its current state. Interested investors should be able to facilitate the recovery of industries and economic development.
The potential of the City of Bulawayo towards the recovery of industry and economic development was displayed at the CZI Exporters of the Year Awards of 2013, where United Refineries, an industry located in Bulawayo scooped the top prize. This shows that favourable conditions for investment and employment creation are essential for the prosperity of this region. Nearly over 100 firms have closed in Bulawayo to date. Most companies were affected by the dollarisation of the economy in 2009 where bank accounts were left with a zero balance in investments. The National Railways is currently operating at 10% capacity and this means that transport systems have gone down.
The economic decline has resulted in massive unemployment rates. Many Bulawayo residents have migrated to other countries in search of greener pastures and this has caused serious brain drain. We need skills in order to progress, but the prevailing situation leaves us with no one to spearhead the development of the economy. This has brought poverty, leaving the livelihood of families well below the poverty datum line. Unemployment also means no income to many families and as a result, they are unable to pay school fees and secure accommodation for their children. This has resulted in an increase in homeless families, popularly known as squatters.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2014), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) for Zimbabwe has declined from 960 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2010 to 614 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2014. This is commendable progress. However, the ratio remains unacceptably high. Zimbabwe’s Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs)’s target was to reduce MMR to 71 deaths per 100 000 live births by 2015. The health policy in Zimbabwe discourages against payment of maternal fees, but this has not been implemented. The health budget has failed to adhere to the Abuja Declaration to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. This means that implementation of free health delivery has failed. Reviving the industrial sector will improve the economy and the policy of health for all will be realised.
Bulawayo hospitals, Mpilo and United Bulawayo Central Hospitals are poorly equipped to the extent that patients have to bring linen from home. Patients are buying medication using their own funds. It is even worse for the civil servants who contribute monthly subscriptions to Premier Medical Aid Society and yet fail to access health services, particularly medication. This is because we have failed to use the arms of Government to prosecute thieves.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am speaking from an informed point of view as I am a trained general nurse and midwife since post independence and have seen the deterioration. I am therefore standing here in this august House to speak for the voiceless and the unborn baby who has a right to a healthy life and a bright future.
People of Zimbabwe produced a Constitution in 2013. It is therefore very critical for the Government to align laws with the Constitution and implement constitutional issues. For example, as provided for in Chapter 14, Section 264, on the devolution of Governmental powers and responsibilities and also Section 270, which provides for the functions of provincial and metropolitan councils. I feel they should start sitting and implement their functions, which include the responsibility of the social and economic development of its province like approval and implementation of projects without delaying.
Chapter Two, Section Nine of the Constitution of the country provides for the good governance of the country. This allows the Government to prevent corruption, appoint leaders to positions based on merit, take measures to expose, combat and eradicate all forms of corruption and abuse of power by those in political and public offices.
In conclusion, I believe that the constitution is clear and if adhered to, the economy will improve and produce the good fruits of independence. I thank you.
*HON. BEREMAURO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for affording me the opportunity to add my voice on the Presidential
Speech. I want to say congratulations to our President, Hon. President Mugabe for attaining 92 years of age. I want to say to our President, the people of Hurungwe Central Constituency love you and they love the Government which is in place. They are also saying President Mugabe should rule this country kusvika madhongi amera nyanga – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – Our President spoke about the alignment of laws to the Constitution. Currently, there are laws which are inconsistent with the Constitution, which is hampering our development. So, what we are saying is that our Constitution should start working well and be implemented. So the realignment of laws should be speeded up.
Coming to the State Procurement Amendment Bill, we receive it with open hands because this Bill will help to give powers to councils and public enterprises, which means that the people of Binga, instead of them travelling all the way to Harare to collect tender forms, they will collect them from their local councils. This will really come a long way.
On the Special Economic Zones Bill, we receive it with open hands because this will lead to our investors to come into this country which will create employment in this country. Taking for example where I come from, 75% of tobacco is farmed in Hurungwe, which means with this Special Economic Zones Bill, the tobacco from Hurungwe will add value there and create employment there. So, we are really excited about
Moving on to agriculture, our President encouraged us to harvest water. We should not let our water to find its way to the oceans. We really need dams, especially in places like Vuti and Chipapa where there are no dams at all. We want dams to be there as well because these days farming is all about irrigation. When we go to A1 and A2 areas, we find that there are so many dams. So, we are saying the Government should invest in irrigation infrastructure which is found in A1 and A2 farming resettlements. Nowadays, because of climate change, we have to rely on irrigation.
We know that there is a shortage of maize in the country. This shortage is not because our farmers cannot grow maize but it is being caused by the white farmers whom we chased from our farms who are contracting farmers to grow tobacco instead of maize. If you look at the rural or farming areas where we come from, many people are growing tobacco instead of maize. We urge the Government to put a law that even tobacco farmers should also grow maize on their farms and that should be mandatory.
Reiterating on what Hon. Chiwetu said that this hunger is an artificial one created by our enemies, like this tobacco issue, the people who are growing tobacco are the whites whom we chased from our farms. They want people to grow tobacco instead of maize. Looking at it, tobacco farming is where we see that the pricing is not right because they are putting their people who look at the tobacco from the seed bag. They will just look at the kilograms that they want but when the tobacco is now being sold at the floors, they just look at the kilograms that they want, not at the hectarage which has been farmed. They are not concerned about the welfare or development of the farmer but the kilograms that they want to realise.
We want that farmers in Zimbabwe, the 300 000 tobacco farmers, if we say that each farmer has got eight farm workers, it means that we have created 2, 4 million jobs. That means we will have surpassed the 2, 2 million that has been talked about. We are just looking at farmers only and not the processing companies. So, in terms of agriculture, I see an improvement especially in the tobacco area. For our country to achieve 2, 2 million metric tonnes of maize which are needed in the country, it is not at all difficult. What we need is just four provinces; Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and the Midlands Province and we target 30 farmers from each ward whom we give inputs from fertilizers to the seed, high breed seed like Pioneer G90, which gives us 12 tonnes per hectare. If we empower 30 farmers with implements, we can achieve the 2, 2 metric tonnes which are needed in our country. We should also task the extension workers to ensure that in their wards, every farmer produces 10 tonnes of maize. We can achieve the 2, 2 million metric tonnes that are needed in the country.
I also want to say Mr. Speaker that the President talked about the National Border Posts Authority Bill. We receive that Bill with open hands. We want our border posts to be able to match our neighbours. For example, if you go to Kariba Border Post, the Customs and Immigration Department is operating from tents. The border post which was there was demolished because it was dilapidated but that process of rebuilding one has taken two years. If we look at our Interpol Police, you find their offices in a car if it is raining. If it is not raining, they will be operating under a mango tree. So, this National Border Post Authority will expedite the building of those border posts because at the moment, no one is in charge of the border posts. So this Bill will put everything in line.
The President also talked about unity, that for us to develop as a country, we should unite. When we were going around on public hearings on finance, the people in Bindura and Murewa said, every
Wednesday as we are watching and listening to the proceedings in Parliament, your behaviour does not match the title of honourable. They said we should behave like Honourable Members. I am just telling you what people are saying out there, that we should behave as honourable members especially on Wednesdays. They also said especially those from the opposition are the ones who are making destructive statements.
So, I am saying I want to thank the President for his Presidential
Speech when he opened the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament. Lastly, I would want to thank the First Lady for going round the provinces listening to the grievances and challenges faced by the people which show that we have a very good person who is a mother figure. So, I want to thank you all hon. Members who were listening.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER
ZANU PF CAUCUS MEETING
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, ZANU PF Members of
Parliament are being informed that there will be a Caucus meeting at 0900 hours tomorrow at the party’s headquarters.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): I move
that the debate do now adjourn. Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 2nd March, 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES, the House
adjourned at Twenty-Four Minutes to Five o’clock pm.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 18th February, 2015
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
COMMITTEE STAGE
ADVERSE REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL
COMMITTEE ON THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND
EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 3A, 2015]
First Order read: Committee: Adverse Report of the Parliamentary
Legal Committee on the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, [H.B.3A, 2015].
HON. SAMUKANGE: If it pleases you Mr. Speaker, I stand here
to withdraw the Adverse Report on the basis that the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs who is also the Vice President of the country has conceded that the Adverse Report and the recommendations that we had made were valid and they have accepted. I do not want to consider it as a defeat but I think it is justice in a democratic State where the Minister sees light – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -.
Can I finish….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, address the Speaker. What is your problem?
- [Laughter] -.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your problem?
HON. SAMUKANGE: I do not know whether you can hear me
Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order.
HON. SAMUKANGE: I want to take this opportunity to thank all the members who supported the decision made by your Committee, the PLC. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Minister in particular, for not arguing with the law. More importantly, in view of the fact that our highest court, the Constitutional Court, had struck out Section 121 and for someone mischievously deciding to bring it through the back door; it is my humble submission that it was unconstitutional.
With those few words, I thank you Mr. Speaker and I move that the Adverse Report be withdrawn.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I apoligise for the slight delay, but I was listening in the car as I was coming here when the Hon. Member, Chairman of the Parliamentary Legal Committee was saying that he has defeated us.
THE HON. SPEAKER: It was the other way around.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): He is repeating it just now. He says that he does not consider it as a debate. Just the fact that the concept of defeat comes into his mind and yet the real issue is that the role of the Parliamentary Legal Committee is to make sure that Bills that come into this House are not in conflict with other laws or the Constitution…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I think the Hon. Members at the back there were not following because of some background noise.
Please, can we hear the Hon. Vice President.
MOTION
LEAVE TO MOVE RECOMMITTAL OF THE CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL, [H.B. 2A,
2015]
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, following the withdrawal of the
Adverse Report of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, I seek leave of the House to have Clause 6 that had been put and agreed to and a new
Clause 30 recommitted for consideration by the Committee of the Whole
House. The reasons are to address the concerns raised in the Adverse
Report by the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Criminal
Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill [H.B. 2A, 2015]. I thank you.
HON. CROSS: Mr. Speaker Sir, the amendments to the original draft are substantial and I thought it would be more appropriate to refer this back to the PLC for consideration before it comes back to us here. I am thinking particularly of the new section replacing Section 6 of the draft.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Cross. I hear you, but you have jumped the gun. Just wait for the proceedings to go on.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RECOMMITTAL TO COMMITTEE STAGE OF THE CRIMINAL
PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL, [H. B. 2A,
2015]
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I am surprised by the views expressed by the Hon. Member because we agreed yesterday about what to take out and what remains. However, I move that Clause 6 that had been put and agreed to and a new Clause 30 recommitted for consideration by the Committee of the Whole House.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: I would want to follow
Hon. Cross’s point because I think there are some issues that whilst they were raised in principle by the Vice President yesterday and we agreed, we have issues with some of the issues that have also been brought in that amendment and I am not sure whether it would not be better to recommit it to the PLC and bring it back to the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You are also jumping the gun. Just
wait.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: I thought you asked for
debate, Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Not on what you are saying.
Motion put and agreed to.
RECOMMITTAL TO COMMITTEE STAGE
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT
BILL, [H.B. 2A, 2015].
First Order read: Recommittal to Committee: Criminal
Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, [H.B. 2A, 2015].
House in Committee.
THE TEMPORARY CHAIRPERSON (HON. DZIVA): Order,
order! Hon. Members on my right side, order!
On Clause 6:
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Madam Chair. On page 5 of the Bill, we are deleting Clause 6 from lines 23 to 32 and substitute the following:
The new section substituted for Section 16 of the chapter given. Section 16 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following is substituted.
“Certificate of Prosecutor-General that he or she declines to prosecute -
(1) Except as is provided in sub-section (4), it shall not be competent for any private party to obtain the process of any court for summoning anyone to answer any charge, unless such private party produces to the officer authorised by law to issue such process a certificate signed by the Prosecutor-General that he or she has seen the statements or affidavits on which the charge is based and declines to prosecute at the public instance, and subject to the conditions set forth in subsections (2) and (3), in every case in which the Prosecutor-General declines to prosecute, he or she shall, at the request of the party intending to prosecute grant the certificate required.
(2). The Prosecutor- General shall grant the certificate referred to in subsection (1) if –
(a) there is produced to him or her by the private party, a written request in the form of a sworn statement from which it appears to the
Prosecutor-General that the private party –
- is the victim of the alleged offence, or is otherwise an interested person by virtue of having personally suffered as a direct consequence of the alleged offence, an evasion of a legal right beyond that suffered by the public generally; and
- has the means to conduct the private prosecution promptly and timeously; and
- will conduct the private prosecution as an individual (whether personally or through his or her legal practitioner) or as the representative of a class of individuals recognised as a class for the purposes of the Class Actions Act, [Chapter 8:17] (No.10 of 1999) and
(b) no grounds exist in terms of subsection (3) for withholding the certificate.
(3). The Prosecutor General may refuse to grant the certificate referred to in subsection (1), upon any one or more of the following grounds, namely –
- that the conduct complained of by the private party does not disclose a criminal offence; or
- that on the evidence available, there is no possibility (or only a remote possibility) of proving the charge against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt; or
- whether the person to be prosecuted has adequate means to conduct a defence to the charge (in the case of a person who, but for the fact that the Prosecutor-General has declined to prosecute him or her, would have qualified for legal assistance at the expense of the State); or (d) that it is not in the interest of national security or the public interest generally to grant the certificate to the private party.
(4) When the right of prosecution referred to in this Part is possessed under any statute by any public body or person in respect of particular offences, subsections (1), (2) and (3) shall not apply”. I so move.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Madam
Chair. I must say I am a bit disappointed because yesterday, we understood that what we had agreed was the principle, and the principle was basic and simple. That principle was to say, in the event that the Prosecutor-General assesses and says I do not think this is a case I want to prosecute, he is obliged to; and it is a matter of right not privilege. It is not a privilege for somebody to get the private prosecution. It is a right for somebody to get a private prosecution certificate because in his wisdom, the Prosecutor General has said I am not going to proceed to do prosecution.
I am concerned that we still do not provide particularly Section
(2)”…has the means to conduct the private prosecution promptly and timeously. All he needs to do is to say, here is a private prosecution certificate. What that particular individual does with it is their own issue, but you as Prosecutor General, have washed your hands from doing the prosecution. Let us deal with the practical issue Madam Chair because this issue has been to court and we all know what happened with it. The case in which the private Prosecutor was asked by the courts to provide or to give a certificate for private prosecution was on the basis that he said, I as a Prosecutor-General; do not think that there is an issue around Dr. Kereke.
As a person who wants to proceed, you can proceed and do private prosecution. That is all we are asking. I am not sure where all this is coming from because if we look at Section 16 (3) (a), that the conduct complained by the private party does not disclose a criminal offence”.. I do not understand this. This is the basis in which he has refused to give a certificate in the first place. If he thought that there was a criminal offence, he should have proceeded with prosecution.
So, he did not proceed with prosecution because in his wisdom, he felt that there was no criminal offence. Why are you giving him a second bite of making a decision of whether there is a criminal offence or no criminal offence? In my opinion, that does not make sense. (b) “that on the evidence available…”
THE CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members, I have recognised
Hon. Misihairabwi and I am expecting you to listen to what she is debating. Can you please lower your voices?
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: (b) “that on the
evidence available, there is no possibility or only a remote possibility of proving the charge against the accused, beyond a reasonable doubt or whether the person or Prosecutor has adequate means to conduct a defence, are to be charged in the case of any person who, but for the fact that the Prosecutor General has declined to prosecute him”. All I am coming back to is that this is the basis on which the Prosecutor General has refused to prosecute.
So, why are we bringing this issue again for discussion? I thought it was simple. The Prosecutor General has a right to say, I as a
Prosecutor General will not, from a public point of view, prosecute. However, because I cannot prosecute, I am therefore issuing you a certificate for private prosecution. I thought that was the agreement yesterday. I am not sure why we are having these discussions. I understand from other conversations that there is still a provision that the High Court has inherent powers of review.
Even in the event that somebody has been denied the private prosecution certificate, they can still go back to the High Court. Why are we asking people to go back to the High Court and get a review when we the courts, have established that fact already? If you cannot prosecute, let somebody go for private prosecution. I do not understand and this is why some of us have insisted that before we debate this as a whole House, let it go back to the PLC. If the PLC thinks that this new amendment is in line with the Constitution, then we will come back and debate the report of the PLC, but to turn us into a PLC Committee, I think it is a bit unfair.
Let this be recommitted to the PLC and let the PLC come back and let us have this debate. If the PLC in their wisdom, come back and says they think that these amendments are within the constitutional ambit, it is fine. Some of us will have no choice, but as it is right now, I think it just does not make sense. Thank you Madam Chair. –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-
HON. CROSS: Madam Chair, I do not want to delay matters. I want to strongly support my predecessor. I think she has absolutely justified what she says and I think that the House should consider this seriously. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-
HON. MNANGAGWA: The arguments by the Hon. two
members do not disclose legal or law conflict. We have accepted that the
Prosecutor General, where he declines to prosecute, he ‘shall’, not he ‘may’. He shall issue a certificate for a private person to prosecute.
Under Section (3), we have stated expressly where he cannot issue a certificate for prosecution and the grounds are given. If the person is still aggrieved, you go to review. I will read the section again for the benefit of the Hon. Member on the other side.
(3) “The only condition is where the Prosecutor may refuse, not
‘shall’, to grant the certificate referred to in Section (1) upon any one or more of the following grounds namely:-
- that the conduct complained of by the private party does not disclose a criminal offence or;
- that on the evidence available, there is no possibility of proving the charge against the accused beyond reasonable doubt
or;
( c) whether the person to be prosecuted has adequate means to conduct a defence to the charge and;
(d) that it is not in the interest of national security or public interest generally to grant the certificate to the private party”.
It does not end there. This is the view which the Prosecutor General is allowed to take, but the party can take the matter for review to the High Court. Otherwise, wherever the Prosecutor General, in any matter outside these articulated, has to issue a certificate for private prosecution. We debated this as lawyers and we agreed that this is what it is both in South African jurisdiction and in the Namibian jurisdiction which we looked at, that is how it is structured. We think that is huge progress in terms of what existed before in this country. I thank you. –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
The Temporary Chairperson having put the question that the amendment be now put.
- [HON. MEMBERS: No, divide the House.]-
- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE CHAIRPERSON: Order, Order, Hon. Members! -
[AN HON. MEMBER: By the majority]- HON. MARIDADI: On a point of order Madam Chair.
THE CHAIRPERSON: What is your point of order?
HON. MARIDADI: Madam Chair.
THE CHAIRPERSON: Order!
HON. MARIDADI: Madam Speaker, -[AN. HON. MEMBER:
Divide the House.]- Madam Speaker I think it was difficult to determine the decibels from those that said ‘Ayes’ and those that said ‘Noes’. I think in this case you may kindly divide the House. I hope when the
House is divided people sitting to your right will not be whipped. I thank you.
THE CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Munengami! Order! Order
Honourables from my left side! – [Inaudible Interjections]- order hon. members! Hon. Zindi, Hon. Zindi, Hon. Munengami –[AN. HON. MEMBER: vamwe vari kurohwa.]- I shall now direct that the Bells be rung for seven minutes. Hon. Zindi, Hon. Zindi, Order! I divide the House, I divide the House. Order Hon. Members! Hon. Chibaya, Hon
Chibaya, Hon. Zindi, Order!
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMNETARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): For the sake of progress in the House we need to debate this clause in a dignified manner. I would suggest that this clause be referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee to discover –[HON.
MEMBERS: . V.P wedu, V.P wedu President wedu, President wedu,
President wedu, President wedu]-
THE CHAIRPERSON: Order! Order! Hon. Murayi, Hon.
members from my left side.
HON. MNANGAGWA: I am confident Madam that when this is
referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee which is constituted by lawyers, then it is a team which will say yes, there is conflict or there is no conflict. We as lawyers see no conflict at all so let us have it examined by lawyers rather than the rowdy participation here in
Parliament. – [AN. HON. MEMBER: Thank you, thank you.]- THE CHAIRPERSON: Order Hon. Members. Order!
HON. MNANGAGWA: Madam Chair, I move that you report
progress and seek leave to sit again at Committee Stage today.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
Committee to resume: Thursday, 18th February, 2016.
House resumed.
Progress reported.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee
Committee Stage: With leave, today.
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. We
just want to seek clarification. When you say the Committee will sit today, which Committee, because the Bill is going back to the PLC.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the PLC will
sit today and thereafter the Committee of the Whole House will also sit.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker, that is the
clarification that we wanted.
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY
THE PRESIDENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. MHLANGA: I rise to wind up debate on the State of the
Nation Address that was given by His Excellency, the President of the
Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde. R. G Mugabe - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, I asked for debate but there was nobody who wanted to debate, so I had to acknowledge her - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Order Hon. Members, order. It was Hon. Mhlanga who brought in this motion and now she wants to wind it up. She is allowed to do so.
HON. MHLANGA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Members –
HON. ZINDI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Some of us have not debated on this speech. So, I am kindly requesting Hon. Mhlanga if it is possible that she defers the winding up of the motion. I have been preparing to contribute to this motion and I am kindly requesting to be given the opportunity to do so.
HON. MHLANGA: I will defer the winding up of the debate
Madam Speaker. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MUNENGAMI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
POSITION REGARDING STEM
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. J.N. MOYO): Madam Speaker, yesterday during
Questions Without Notice, an issue arose over a programme that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology
Development has launched to support 2016 A’ Level STEM students. In
particular, the issue was whether there is conflict between itself and its counterpart Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. During that debate, the Speaker advised that we as a Ministry, issue a Ministerial Statement.
On the 27th January 2016, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary
Education, Science and Technology Development launched the 2016 A’ Level STEM initiative. This initiative seeks to encourage O’ Level school leavers who took their O’ Level examinations in 2015 and obtained Grade C or better in Mathematics, Biology, Physics and
Chemistry to take a combination of these STEM subjects at A’ Level or lower six in 2016. Where the 2015 O’ Level school leavers register for a full combination of these STEM subjects, the Ministry will pay tuition fees, levies and boarding fees at Government, Mission and Council schools.
Madam Speaker, students who register at public schools as I have indicated, will stand a chance to win a trip of a lifetime to Microsoft and other Silicon Valley STEM companies in the United States. This category will have ten winners, one each from the country’s ten provinces. There will also be draws for 100 STEM laptops, ten each from the country’s ten provinces and 100 STEM ipads, again ten each from the country’s ten provinces. All high schools, whether public or private that register full complements of STEM classes will stand to win a state of the art 30 seater STEM bus or $100 000 in cash to support STEM activities or infrastructure at the school.
Madam Speaker, registration under the 2016 A’ Level STEM initiative started on Monday, 15 February, 2016 under the auspices of the Ministry’s Science and Technology officers at provincial centres supported by ZIMDEF’s regional officers across the country. ZIMDEF has set aside $4 million to fund the initiative. Today, ZIMDEF has paid $31 653 for 106 students and processed 388 applications for payment first thing tomorrow morning.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this initiative are:
- To increase the number of STEM students who will enroll in
STEM degree programmes at the country’s universities in 2018;
- To stimulate interest in Mathematics, Biology, Physics and
Chemistry as foundational pillars for STEM competence;
- To promote STEM careers in response to ZIM ASSET’s value
addition and beneficiation thrust;
- To train and develop cutting edge skills to meet Zimbabwe’s industrialization quest and make the country competitive globally.
Madam Speaker, against this backdrop, the question that has arisen is whether the Ministry and its counterpart, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are complementing each other in light of the submission by Hon. Maridadi in this House yesterday, to the effect that the two ministries issued two advertisements in newspapers, contradicting each other.
Madam Speaker, I wish to place on record, the fact that at no time did the two ministries publish or run advertisements contradicting each other. It is factually incorrect to assert that such a thing ever happened. Instead, there were two newspaper articles, published on the same day in two different newspapers that contradicted each other about the position of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
One report appeared in The Herald of 9 February, 2016, headlined, “We have nothing to do with STEM.” This article was attributed to the
Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Silvia Utete – Masango. On the same day, 9 February, 2016, there was another article in Newsday headlined, “Dokora denies sabotaging STEM Programme,” which quoted a spokesperson of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education saying that there was no quarrel on STEM between the two ministries. For the record, in light of the fact that Hon. Maridadi actually said there were two advertisements – (showing the articles to the House) – in fact these are the two articles and they are not advertisements, they are just newspaper articles. It was a question of newspaper articles in the language of the Hon. Member contradicting each other. That is the position Madam Speaker.
Whereas there have been attempts to trigger a quarrel between the two ministries, those attempts have failed because there is no quarrel. For the avoidance of doubt Madam Speaker, I wish to table for the record, correspondence from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, acknowledging and approving the initiative on the 25th of January, 2016, before it was launched on the 27th of January, 2016. There is, in fact, official correspondence acknowledging and approving the programme.
Madam Speaker, the mandates of the two ministries are very different such that they cannot be confused, but they are of course complementary. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development has the mandate to train and develop the country’s human capital to serve and service the entire economy. This task of the Ministry Madam Speaker, starts with O’ Level school leavers. After students have taken their O’ Level examinations, they become the business of the Ministry. For example, in 2014, 316 000 students took their O’ Level examinations. Their destination after O’ Level was as follows; see table below:
DESTINATION | NUMBER | PERCENTAGE |
A – Level | 30,614 | 9.69% |
Tertiary Education (12
Teachers Colleges and 8 Polytechnics) |
19,006 | 6.01% |
3 Industrial Training Centres | 1,276 | 0.40% |
Unskilled Citizens | 265,104 | 83.89% |
TOTAL | 316,000 | 100% |
Interestingly and tellingly, out of 316 000, 265 104 of them or 83% are unskilled Zimbabweans, have nowhere to go in terms of our formal structure of education. These are the majority. This was the case in
2014; it is the case with the 2015 O’ Level students whose results were published last week.
Madam Speaker, with 2014 as the example, only 9.49% of the 316
000 students who took their O’ Level examination proceeded to ‘A’
Level. These were 30,614. Out of this group, only 13% Madam
Speaker or 2500 were STEM-qualified for admission into our universities last year in 2015.
This fact, that was presented to us by our universities during extensive consultations with them between July and December last year, jolted us Madam Speaker. It jolted us into finding ways of encouraging O’ Level school-leavers who have a grade C or better in
STEM subjects to take a full combination of these subjects at A’ Level. As a Ministry, we have a direct interest in this issue because there is no other reason for anyone to enrol in A’ Level courses other than to prepare for university.
Madam Speaker, A’ Level courses are pre-university courses.
That is why you have heard some well established traditional High Schools like Goromonzi claiming that they are sub-universities. It is because when you do your A’ Level, you are basically preparing for university and in a number of instances, you get credit for that at some universities.
Madam Speaker, it is in the national interest to do what we can to increase or grow the pool of A’ Level students who will be applying for admission for admission to our universities in 2018 from the paltry 13% of 2014 to hopefully 20% and 25% to begin with. Madam Speaker, in the end, when we have transformed the entire system of education, we must have 75% of all our students doing STEM. At least this is our expectation but we are far from that.
Madam Speaker, this is what the 2016 A’ Level STEM initiative seeks to do in a very particular way. It would be irresponsible for us to bury our heads in the sand and do nothing about the poor pool of STEM students at A’ Level as if we do not see or understand the detrimental effect of the current situation on our higher and tertiary education, science and technology development.
Madam Speaker, ultimately, the poor STEM pool at A’ Level, means that the skills deficit for Zimbabwe’s much needed
industrialisation will remain unattended, while we continue to make self indulgent excuses. In the circumstances and given the paltry 13% pool of A’ Level STEM students who were eligible for university entry into STEM degrees in 2015, it is clear that the STEM campaign that is going on is not in any way harmful to the so-called holistic education that includes humanities, arts and commercial studies. If there were only 13 percent ‘A’-level STEM students for university entry in 2015, then it means 87 percent were in humanities, arts and commercial studies. That remains the case as we speak today; 87 percent of our students are doing humanities, arts and commercial studies. Surely, this cannot be consistent with the requirements of a modern, knowledge – based society poised to industrialise and to be globally competitive.
Madam Speaker, we have a responsibility to stemitise our education system, not only with respect to STEM subjects proper but also with respect to the entire gamut of humanities, arts and commercial studies; they too need to be stemitised. We have been quite surprised to hear people saying, no we are doing arts, music and such subjects and we do not need mathematics. At the very least, we should be able to count even as you do your arts. These fields must be stemitised. How we propose to do this in higher and tertiary education, science and technology development is work in progress but nearing its end. We intend to produce a green paper for Cabinet consideration and approval after which we will subject it to public debate and input before finalising it and drawing policy and legislative fundamentals from it.
In the meantime, we found it necessary to get started with the 2016 ‘A’-level STEM initiative through ZIMDEF, to address the low pool of only 13 percent and in 2014, this 13% was only 2 500 out of 30 614 students going for university. We think that kind of situation is unacceptable and we are fortunate that as Government, we have ZIMDEF as a readymade instrument that gets contributions from industry to play a positive, progressive, intermediary role while we look for a long term or a lasting solution. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I would like to ask the Hon. Minister whether he sees any possibility of taking STEM to lower levels. By this, I mean to even primary and secondary level. I thank you.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Firstly, I would want to thank the Minister for the noble programme which we hope will come to its fruition. Just a few questions Hon. Speaker...
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: One question at a time, there are other members.
HON. MUNENGAMI: I think it would have been better so that I am just done one time.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: No!
HON. MUNENGAMI: It is okay, I can ask one question. Hon.
Minister, it is unfortunate that maybe the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education is not around because the challenge which students are facing at the moment and you know very well how Government departments work. They work through directions through circulars and it is very unfortunate that as students, even though they are registered under STEM, most schools are not accepting those students because they have not yet received any circular from their parent Ministry which is in this case the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. This is making it very difficult for those students who want to register for
STEM because they are supposed to have the headmaster’s signature. It has to be on the STEM sheet and the stamp of that school has to be on the STEM form. They cannot do that because they are still to receive your circular from their parent Ministry.
HON. MARIDADI: Firstly, I wish to thank the Minister for his prompt response to my enquiry yesterday. I wish to put it on record that Hon. Minister, there was no attempt on my part to impose a battle between the two ministries. The fact of the matter and that is the reason why you came here this afternoon, there was an advert placed by your Ministry in a newspaper, in the Herald in which you reproduced a letter of authority granted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education allowing you to go and fill for purposes of making STEM adverts. The reason for you to reproduce that letter is because the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had issued a statement to the effect that they did not know anything about STEM and this did not come out in private newspapers. It was in a Government controlled newspaper, the Herald and it was on the second page for the record, and it was in bold.
Also Minister you are on record as having said a Permanent Secretary for Information phoned ZBC to remove STEM adverts unilaterally and yet STEM was a project approved by Cabinet. Minister, it was for that reason that I made that enquiry and I am glad you have come to clarify it. But I do not think that aspersions should be cast on me for trying to impose a battle because I have nothing to benefit by having a battle between the two ministries. Actually, I have moved a motion to say there must be harmony in Government. So why would I want to impose a battle between you two Ministers because I do not benefit from that? I thank you Hon. Minister.
HON. MUDARIKWA: Madam Speaker, I thank you very much.
Hon. Minister, good afternoon to you Sir. I want to thank you Hon. Minister for STEM because all nations that have developed - Japan,
Germany et cetera, have incorporated STEM. I went to my constituency
Uzumba, STEM has been accepted left, right and centre. Their only concern is, will we get somewhere where we can get a budget for internal connections because we have got buildings that are empty and we are calling those laboratories? So, could we get some internal connections as well as chemicals to use because we are out there in the rural areas. We would also want to be on the same wave length with schools that have developed like Goromonzi which has been mentioned.
Also, this House must also incorporate STEM; yes, we are BBC meaning we are born before computers. We must incorporate computers and everything so that we move in the same wave length. Thank you very much Madam Speaker.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker. In Shamva, we
are very glad because we have this STEM project but unfortunately, most of the equipment is found in private schools and public schools have nothing. Therefore, I want to urge Government to give money to public schools. We are also saying the amounts disbursed to these institutions should be equal, both to private and public.
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Madam Speaker, I did
talk yesterday about the registration of the children and we were told that they have to register at one place for both provinces, that is Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South. My request and plea is that, may you please decentralise and put these registration offices in all the districts so that when you are putting your next advertisement, put the provincial offices physical addresses so that people find it easy to register. Unfortunately at the moment, everybody has to fork out some transport fees to go to Bulawayo for registration. Therefore, please decentralise.
HON. HOLDER: I just want the Hon. Minister to clarify this point, is this Government funded or is it USAID where you are getting the resources? That is all I wanted to know.
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: I think we should applaud Government
for a good programme but I want to hear from the Minister; he has mentioned that students who qualify will go into competition and end up getting to Silicon Valley and doing other things. I did not hear him spell the programmes which are likely to benefit students who do science, that is, engineers, physicist and mathematicians in their numbers in Zimbabwe – what programmes they are giving to ensure that these students are of a benefit to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation?
I also want him to assure this House that the universities as they are now, are they likely to have uptake of these students with full benefits because as Hon. Mudarikwa has said, some of the schools have no proper laboratories and some of the universities have no proper equipment to train these engineers and technicians. I used to do parttime lecturing at the University of Zimbabwe and I know that certain areas in engineering have no facilities to help students to do well and you find that even in the medical field.
*HON. MACHINGURA: We thank you Hon. Minister for
introducing this STEM Programme. On paper, this is very glorious and our plea is that there should be full implementation of this programme. My second contribution is that this programme at the end of it all, should produce well equipped engineers who are very innovative because at the moment we have problems between the production of engineers and technicians. They do not seem to know what they are supposed to be doing. An engineer initiates and a technician maintains. Therefore, what we are saying is that this difference should be clearly elaborated when the graduates complete their studies.
I will conclude by including what has been said by previous speakers that we need to equip all the laboratories with enough apparatus and chemicals so that children have a feeling of what they will meet in life when they complete their studies. We know this could be belonging to different schools but all the children are the same and they need to work like what they used to do in the past whereby the Form 4 learners used to hold practical subjects and they would be examined on that. At the moment, everything is theory but practice is very important. I also want to plead with you that may we please be careful in the procurement of equipment for STEM because of the levels of corruption in the country. We may find that poor equipment is bought because somebody is corrupt. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon.
Thank you Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education for the statement. However, what I need to know is, how are you going to deal with the school kids that have left secondary school, that have passed their “A” level – that 13% that you spoke about that cannot afford to go to university that have done those science subjects that are not being catered for, which is what I thought would have been the first port of
call.
The issue to do with infrastructure has been well ventilated. It is also my fervent view that you also need to take care of infrastructure development for the STEM that you have initiated and that you hope to take root. The issues to do with teachers that are going to deal with the science and engineering technology, they also need to be capacitated. You need to train teachers in that route. These three key issues, I thought would take root first before you get to try and expand the cake. It is in my view that you are trying to expand the cake or your responsibilities.
However, it is also the kids that are in the street who have not been able to go to tertiary that need to be taken on board by your institutions so that we get to make sure that we are optimally taking care of the end product. I thank you.
HON. DR. MATARUSE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for
allowing me to give a comment on this subject. As the Chairman of the Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology Development, it was our recommendation in the Budget last year that the priority in the Ministry is STEM and there was really no budget on it. It was a serious problem in our universities because they could not actually perform their duties because they could not get enough students. For example, Chinhoyi University of Technology is supposed to be science and technology development university and National University of Science and Technology, it is the same but they are not getting enough students. This innovation where they have actually got money from ZIMDEF is a commendable issue. It makes life in the Ministry very important. So we actually thank the Minister for doing that. I thank you.
HON. CHIRISA: I just want to thank the Minister for this STEM programme. I just want the Minister to assure this House that there will be gender equity in making sure that both sexes get equal opportunities.
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.
Speaker for giving me this opportunity to respond to the statement. In your advertisement Minister, you spoke in Shona and this is perplexing because we think when you are putting an advertisement across, you should put in both languages instead of just saying “ngayiende” because people do not understand what the advertisement is saying. So next time Minister, may you please put both languages in your adverts.
*HON. MUCHENJE: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on STEM. My question to the Minister is: when you are talking about STEM, how many children do you think will participate in this programme and how much have you budgeted for the programme? We realise that Government is failing to pay school fees for children who are on the BEAM programme. Are you not biting more than you can chew because some children may not be able to continue with their education as a result of non-payment of fees by the Government since it has committed itself to many programmes such as BEAM?
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for
giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on the motion on STEM. I am very grateful to the Government for introducing this programme. I also thank His Excellency the President, for appointing you to this Ministry because he is aware of your wise contribution.
Minister, may I please implore you not to deviate from your chartered course because of malcontents on the other side of the House.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order! I am sure you are
aware of the contributions being made in this House that we are all in support of this STEM programme. It is a very good programme which has been introduced by the Government. Now, what is disturbing is that we have an Hon. Member rising from this House and hurling abuse at
Members of Parliament; it is very unfair and unjust.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: If I can express myself in Shona. The Hon. Member is talking about others, when he mentioned that on the other side, he was not pin pointing at any individuals in this House but he is simply using a term that describes other people.
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for
expressing my position. When we are talking of the West, we are referring to the Europeans because they are saying there are people coming from the Western countries. I am supporting that in whatever it is you are doing, whether it is good or excellent there are some people who will always try and despise that good thing. For example, when the President introduced free education in this country, there were people who got the Government assistance to go to the universities and yet some of the beneficiaries were also castigating that same programme and were purporting to be wiser than their benefactor – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible Interjections]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! If it wrong information, is only up to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development to respond accordingly and not for any other member.
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I am
encouraging the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, that he should keep up the good work that he has launched. He said the programme is starting this year, school fees will be paid for those who have just come from Form Four. There are some of the beneficiaries who will be coming from poor families, these may succeed and get a chance of going to university. So, I am pleading with you that you prepare enough funds to take them up to university level.
*HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to ask Minister Prof. Moyo. When we talk of STEM, may you please promise this House and Zimbabwe that it will not be like other programmes which were introduced by Government? I will take the example of BEAM, it was a very good programme meant to benefit the poor and the vulnerable but the implementation has been very poor because only a few people are benefiting from that. This is stemming from non-financial support from the Treasury and we will end up having a situation like we had when programmes like ESAP were introduced.
When these programmes were first introduced they were highly praised because of their popularity, so, we do not want STEM to suffer the same. In order for this new programme to succeed, we should have well trained teachers, enough stationery and equipment. As far as I know, we had very few teachers of science and technology, so can you assure the nation that everything has been put in place and students will be taken care of and benefit from this programme?
I would also like to praise you Prof. J. Moyo, you are very eloquent and intelligent but we still want to see the implementation of the programmes you have launched. In the past you started on local content but you did not go far with it. Now, that you have started on STEM how are we going to support this programme financially? We beg you; please do not take us for a ride. I thank you.
+HON. MALABA: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for taking his time to come and explain to this august House on the STEM programme. When this was debated yesterday, all the facts were distorted and we were left mesmerised wondering as to where we are going with this programme, but now that you have come to this august House and have given a clear explanation, we are now aware of what you are doing as Ministry and the Government. It is now clear that you want to help students who want to develop and study further on science and technology.
Whenever a new programme or a change is introduced, we will have some people who suffer from a pulling down syndrome. However, I am glad and full of praise for you because you are not afraid of all these people, rather you came and explained what STEM means to the nation of Zimbabwe. Hon. Misiharabwi-Mushonga explained some of the recommendations which I would like to elaborate on. When we look at rural areas especially in Matabeleland, we have very few schools which are offering science subjects in these areas. As a result very few children from Matebeleland will benefit from this programme. My plea is that Hon. Minister, may you please put more support in introducing these institutions and financial support and equipment to assist Matebeleland so that learners in that area benefit.
My second concern is that when the learners are selected to study the sciences, we have noted in the past that few passes are registered from those who take up Sciences compared to the Arts. When a learner goes through in the sciences at A’ level, he will achieve eight points and they then find it difficult to enroll into any university, yet an Arts student will get 12 points and be admitted into university. My question therefore is what are you doing in order to equate the chances of getting into universities for both the Sciences and Arts students so that the Science students are not sidelined at the expense of Arts students?
*HON. JOSHUA MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me
the opportunity to make my contribution. Hon. Prof. Moyo, I praise you and have come to empower you. Quoting from a biblical teaching, the
Lord asked amongst the people who were in Heaven and said; ‘who is prepared to go down to earth and help the people there?’ All the created beings including the angels all looked down afraid of coming down until the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the one and only begotten said he was prepared to go and die for men.
Therefore Minister, I am giving you the courage to please stand up to these people. When Satan was thrown down on earth, he came down like lightening with a team of angels to disturb the progress that was being made. I am saying be of good courage. In Zimbabwe, we need to be very inventive. For example, when people started working on mobility, they started with bicycles, went on to motorcycles and the car. We are also saying and the President is on record for saying we should progress. You have broken ground in the right direction. We praise you for that. Be of good courage. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. PROF. MOYO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and I would like to thank the Hon. Members for their comments, questions and most importantly, support. Mr. Speaker and I think this will apply to a number of questions that Hon. Members have raised. As a general point, I would like to repeat what this programme seeks to do. It is specifically designed to increase the pool of ‘A’ level students and in this case, who
will be going into university in 2018.
The only reason why students who finish ‘O’ level and are called
‘O’ level school leavers want to proceed to ‘A’ level is because they want to proceed to university. It is not the only path available to them.
Others who finish ‘O’ level want to go to polytechnic colleges to get national certificates or a diploma. Some want to be teachers and go to teachers’ colleges. Others want to pursue industrial trade to be an artisan and go to industrial training centres. Mr. Speaker, I said many more have limited choices when they leave ‘O’ level and become unskilled, the majority, 84% of them, but there is just under 10% that do well and want to proceed to university.
Out of that pool Mr. Speaker, those who are semi-competent, by which we mean those who have got grades C or better in Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry are very few. I indicated that out of the
O’ level school leavers for 2014 who went to university last year, there were 30 614. Out of that, the ones that then passed and proceeded to go to university, some 19 000 or so, only 13% managed to do well in the STEM subjects so that they could be considered by our universities that are specialising in Science and Technology Development such as the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Chinhoyi
University of Technology (CUT), Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) itself.
This 13% Mr. Speaker, translated to 2 500 and what we are saying is that given the importance of STEM to ZIM ASSET’s success, especially with respect to value addition and beneficiation, which are technical issues that require science, technology and engineering skills. Given that need, 2 500 is a small pool and this is the only issue we are addressing.
If you look at the results of 2015 O’ level examinations that came out last week, we have 8 967 students who are STEM competent and can go for ‘A’ level and do STEM (Mathematics, Biology, Physics or Chemistry) subjects. What are we trying to do with this programme? We would like all of them to take STEM but it does not always happen like that. We want all these 8 967 to go and take STEM subjects at A’ level so that they can continue at university to do science, technology and engineering. That 8 967 would be a huge improvement from 2 500 last year.
The problem Mr. Speaker is that for a number of reasons, our students do not choose the STEM subjects, especially the girl-child but a major reason is that they cannot afford the fees and levies that are required. So, we are intervening to increase this pool and encourage, if we can, the entire lot of 8 967 to take science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. This is what we are trying to do. We are not addressing all these issues that Hon. Members have raised about facilities, whether more schools have laboratories and whether there are teachers who are qualified. That is a very important issue but separate; this is an issue we are addressing jointly with our sister Ministry. Our Ministry trains the teachers, the Bindura University of Science Education is mandated to train science teachers but that is not what we are talking about. We are talking about the existing capacity, the capacity that we have, to utilise that capacity to maximum benefit. We are saying let us make sure that we increase the pool with what we have.
Mr. Speaker Sir, they have been quite a number of suggestions about where we should start. I indicated that as a Ministry, we are reviewing the whole Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development sector. We will produce a green paper, take it to Cabinet for consideration and approval then we bring it back for public debate and then come up with specific proposals that will address a whole range of issues with STEM in mind. We are not there. We are simply addressing an obvious problem that can be resolved utilising the capacities that are in place and it is important to understand that. When that is understood, I think most of the concerns that Hon. Members have fall away.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is therefore important that a useful way of what we are doing is simply that we are giving a scholarship to ‘O’ level students who have passed mathematics, biology, physics and chemistry with a grade C or better. It is a scholarship programme. When you give a scholarship, you do not have to start building schools and training teachers because you are giving scholarships. You give a scholarship and the recipients of the scholarships utilise facilities that are there and you would have made a difference by paying for them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would have thought that the question that is obvious is simply to ask that you are giving these school leavers from 2015 examinations to start in 2016 their Lower Six, are you also going to support them at Upper Six, so that they continue? That would have been a relevant concern and now I have asked that question on behalf of
Hon. Members, the clarification is that, yes, – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] Mr. Speaker, very quickly…..
HON. CHAMISA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. The
Minister is simply supposed to respond to Hon. Members’ questions – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes] – He should not come here and insinuate that we are indociles, who do not know which questions to ask, otherwise we walk out and we leave him alone to address this Chamber, empty seats. He must respect the Members of Parliament; we raised fundamental questions because he knows something that we do not know. It is just osmosis of ideas; do not rubbish those who are in the region of lower concentration because you are in the region of higher concentration by circumstances. So, please Mr. Speaker Sir, we need respect. We respect our Minister but he should not extend his Twitter stance here, we will not accept that – [Laughter].
THE HON. SPEAKER: I think to be more comprehensive in responding Hon. Minister; it will be good that you address the concerns within the context of your delivery so that Hon. Members are so guided accordingly; that will be appreciated.
HON. PROF. J. MOYO: I am indebted to the Hon. Speaker for confirming that I did not insult anyone and that we can indeed now address the specific questions. But it was very important for Hon.
Members to understand what the programme seeks to do. I hope that now that has been clarified.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Mandipaka wanted to know whether this STEM
2016 ‘A’ level initiative can be taken to the lower level. On the lower level, I understand it means primary level, he wanted to find out whether we have plans to include ‘O’ level and may be even lower than that. I have explained Mr. Speaker, this is why it was important to clarify the background that this is specifically addressing the very low pool of ‘A’ level students who will be preparing to apply to universities. Mr. Speaker Sir, as I indicated, in 2014, there were only 2 500, we want to increase that number. So, we are not looking at a comprehensive scholarship that also caters for lower levels.
Hon. Munengami raises an important issue which he has brought to our attention that there are some instances where some school heads are not approving the applications to confirm that there are legitimate applications for funding. I am grateful for that indication; we are going to take this matter up with our colleagues to see that in such cases, those problems are not encountered. Our own feedback is that in an overwhelming majority of cases, this has not been happening but I am grateful that it has been brought to our attention that there are indeed some isolated cases where it is happening. We will give it our attention.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Maridadi wanted to place on record that it was not his intention to fuel a fight. Indeed, in our statement, we did not say that he fueled a fight. In fact, we did not refer to him as the trigger of the statement but that it was an intervention from the Speaker that we needed to clarify in light of the question that he had raised. So, we took note of the question he raised and did not imply that by raising that question, he had triggered a fight. I hope the Hon. Member does not leave with the impression that anyone certainly, the Ministry is blaming him. In fact, we are grateful Mr. Speaker, that he raised the question and as a result thereof, we have been able to clarify an apparent misunderstanding.
Hon. Mudarikwa, thank you for your support, but as I have explained, we are not addressing the issue of equipment, labs or building material. However, we do acknowledge that these are very serious challenges in our education system that need attention. We are aware that our sister Ministry is attending to some of these. Even the tertiary and higher education institutions face some of the challenges, but these would be attended to through different mechanisms.
In the case of higher and tertiary education, Hon. Members would be aware that last week we issued a request for proposals for a lead financial advisor to look at structuring infrastructure bonds for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, to address some of the issues raised by Hon. Mudarikwa, as they affect higher and tertiary education.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Mapiki wondered why this initiative is not including private schools, why it is restricted only to Government, Council and Mission schools. Well, I think the Hon. Member had an idea we share with him why this is not the case. It is basically because a number of the very few private schools that offer A’ level have unreasonable fee structures and they are meant for people who are willing and able to pay unreasonable fees, but the Hon. Member thought perhaps, we could have come up with a flat fee which would then have subsidised these private schools.
We do not think that the issue arises at private schools, that you have students who might fail to take these subjects on account of unaffordability. However, the private schools are included in the draws for a state of the art STEM bus and US$100 000 in cash to support STEM activities at their schools, including infrastructure projects. That is a good thing. The evidence is that the private schools are very excited about that inclusion. Otherwise, Mr. Speaker, there are a few private schools offering A’ Level, that their exclusion is negligible, it does not cause a serious problem.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Holder asked who is funding this and wondered whether this was Government funded. The answer is yes, it is funded by the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF). I know there are two or so questions that touched on this. ZIMDEF has set aside US$4 million initially to underwrite this programme, but if all the 8 967 students who have in fact passed O’ Level with a C or better in the STEM subjects register, we will need more than US$4 million and contingency measures have been taken to cater for that so that should that issue arise, it will not be an insurmountable challenge for ZIMDEF.
Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga asked a question and I am actually very gratefull for this question because we have been getting a lot of enquiries from Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North which do not have science and technology officers. Mr. Speaker, the implementation structure is that each province is handled by a science and technology officer and the Ministry has science and technology officers only in seven provinces at the moment, but in the case of Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North, there is in fact no provision, there is no officer. The officer there is only in Bulawayo and the contact number that has been given, both for the science and technology officer and for the ZIMDEF officer is a Bulawayo number.
This is a difficult challenge we are living with temporarily. It is a temporary problem, but we are attending to it because as Hon. Members will recall, we had the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education on the one hand and the Ministry of Science and Technology Development on the other hand and these two were merged by His Excellency in 2013. The Ministry of Science and Technology Development came with a structure that was incomplete and this is evidence of that. It is one of the issues that came up when we were having our interactive sessions with the communities in higher and tertiary education and we would like to assure Hon. Members that we are going to give it priority attention.
However, from a practical point of view, I would like the Hon. Member to know that this officer in Bulawayo is a very hard working officer. The A’ Level schools that offer Mathematics and Science subjects, namely Physics, Chemistry and Biology are known and limited in number. He actually knows. As the Hon. Member and others pointed out, Matabeleland North and South have very few such schools that offer these STEM subjects and have students who qualify for registration. So, it is not an impossible task. It is not like calling the entire population there. He has actually contacted these few schools and they have worked out the modalities.
We have been checking on them since Monday and I can assure the honourable House that as far as this limited exercise is concerned, that aspect has been handled, but it does not do away with the well taken point that in fact, we must have science and technology officers in those two provinces. I am grateful to the Hon. Member for highlighting an issue that has been raised by the affected communities.
Hon. Mudzuri proffered a number of interesting and useful comments but largely dealing with the university side of this equation, I suppose Mr. Speaker, because he has some experience as an engineer of teaching tertiary and higher education institutions.
I just want to reiterate that we are not dealing with those issues. We understand and accept that there are very serious capacity issues at our universities but we are responding to a well defined and well targeted need regarding a very poor pool of ‘A’ Level students with STEM competences that qualify for university. We are dealing with the capacity as it is and we think it is not being fully utilised. We want to make sure that through this intervention, we can increase the number of competent qualifying students from 2 500 to even 8 967.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Machingura raised issues that are more or less similar in terms of their spirit to those raised by Hon. Mudzuri. He then reminded us that there is a difference between technicians at our colleges and the universities - the main difference being that universities in his view, make things create things. Well, that is the traditional view but the thrust to stemitise our higher and tertiary education is to create the possibility of making things at different levels of the sector, in fact right from the level of artisans.
In our country, we have a tradition that our skilled workers actually make things. It depends on what is being made. Certainly, our technicians who are produced by our polytechnics have shown through examples from colleges like Harare Polytechnic that they have a capacity to do reverse engineering. Let me go back to the main point that, we are not yet there. We are going to come here with a comprehensive blueprint on how we propose to deal with tertiary and higher education institutions with science and technology being the reference point for their reform. Otherwise, we are only looking at the ‘A’ level pre-university pool.
Hon. Nduna also made some interesting points but felt that we are focusing on a wrong priority which he understood to be the expansion of the cake although I do not think I understood which cake he was talking about. If the Hon. Member understood us to be saying we want to expand the pool of ‘A’ level students who would be going to university in 2018 and if that pool is the cake, then we are talking about the same thing. Then he needs to understand that we consider it of fundamental importance that we increase and grow that pool from 2 500 in 2014 to a possibility of 8 967 in 2016….
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker, can I clarify on that point? The expansion that I spoke about is in terms of his responsibilities. That he is expanding his responsibility. I totally did not agree with the assertion that he is talking about expanding the pool of those wanting tertiary education in terms of STEM. It is his responsibilities I am talking about that would he not rather deal with the tertiary issues; those kids that are not finding themselves into tertiary that already qualify for STEM.
HON. PROF. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that
there is agreement on the importance of expanding the pool. As to whether I am expanding my responsibilities. I do not know how and where that arises from because my responsibilities, are assigned to me by His Excellency, the President. I cannot assign myself responsibilities that are outside that mandate.
For the avoidance of doubt, I want to repeat what we said in our statement that, school leavers ‘O’ level school leavers, when students take the ‘O’ level examinations after they have finished, they are immediately our business as a Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. We have been given a responsibility to plan, train and develop the human capital requirements of our entire economy. When the kids finish the examinations, we already gave you the numbers that in 2014, 310 000 took those examinations. Out of that, only 30 000 were able to go for ‘A’ level. Those who go for ‘A’ level are immediately our responsibility because they are going for ‘A’ level to come to university. They are not going to ‘A’ level to do anything else, but to come to university. They are pre-university.
Our 16 universities right now, eight polytechnics and 12 teachers’ colleges become interested in these. What I also flagged out and did not address, which I thought would be a talking point is that out of the 310
000 who took the ‘O’ level examinations in 2014, some 267 000 did not qualify to go either for polytechnic, teachers’ college, industrial training centre or for ‘A’ level, but they remain our responsibility because they are unskilled workers. They require skills for their own livelihood and also contribute to our economy.
It comes as a surprise that anyone would suggest that this pool of our citizens who come from our basic education system and suddenly – now have drivers’ licences, they now must begin to firm up on their carrier paths, are not our responsibility. No, that is the critical core of our responsibility. If you do not understand that ‘O’ level school leavers are the basis for manpower training and development, then we are not talking the same language and you have not understood the task that is before us. There are no expanded responsibilities. In fact, we are determined to make sure that we do our job very well with regard to this issue. When we come back with our blue print, our green paper, you will find that we will be particularly focusing on that issue because we have the excluded majority who has not been given the facilities to empower them from a human capital development point of view.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Mataruse who is the Chairperson of our Portfolio Committee put the issue succinctly. One of the direct reasons why we are doing this 2016 ‘A’ level STEM project is because of what
Hon. Mataruse’s Portfolio Committee raised with us and tabled before this Hon. House. Their report was adopted by this House, which is that our ‘A’ level school system is not producing enough students to do Science at our very few universities that were set up for Science. These are NUST, Bindura University of Science Education and Chinhoyi
University of Technology. These universities in particular, but along with the University of Zimbabwe, in January 2015 competed for 2 500 students who were Science proficient, qualifying to do the STEM degree programmes. Only 2 500, but what happened is that the majority of those students who were produced by our system left the country.
This is because if you do well in the Science subjects, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry, you also increase the possibilities of being offered a scholarship by various universities outside the country. So, out of the 2 500 students, the majority of them left the country leaving our universities with an even smaller pool. NUST is supposed to have 70% Science and Technology, 30% Humanities, Arts and Commercial Studies. As we speak, it is the other way round. You go to CUT; it is the same issue Mr. Speaker. The reason is because our school system is producing a small pool of Science. What are we doing to do that?
We are sponsoring all the schools enabling them to take every student coming from ‘O’ level who has got a ‘C’ or better in
Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry, to take these same subjects a combination of these subjects and not to do French, Arts or Humanities which they also do. When you try and find out why this is so, a major reason is, we cannot afford. Taking these subjects is also more expensive than taking the other subjects.
So, the first structure to identify this problem was the Committee led by Hon. Mataruse. We are responding to that in our view in a way that is certain to make a huge difference, only focusing on existing capacity so that when we start addressing capacity issues in future, we believe we would have sought solid foundation for dealing with these. We are most grateful Mr. Speaker to our Portfolio Committee and we will continue working with them in a constructive way.
Mr. Speaker, Hon. Chirisa raised an important issue that we should ensure equal opportunities. It is a very fundamental one. It is consistent with Section 17 of our Constitution. We are committed to achieve that very important aspiration.
Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga also raised another issue that is very important about the pay off line. Perhaps in all of the adverts and campaign messages, she asked why we are having the line ‘Ngazviende mberi’, and why is that not in English, Tonga, not in the other 16 languages, although she restricted herself to one. The reason is that this line is composed by the artist Jah Prayzar. You should listen to the song.
It is a line taken from the song and the song says, ‘Ngazviende mberi’.
One thing that we have learnt is that there are some artistic expressions which are lost in translation the moment you put them in 15 other languages. We thought the fact that and I am sure this is not a disputed fact, that Jah Prayzar is one of the best artists in this country; people appreciate him as Jah Prayzar. If you start saying sing in 16 languages, I am sure it will not come out well. A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. No one can fault the spirit of the question or behind the question. We are committed to celebrating all our languages. We are also committed to giving Zimbabweans as individuals from whatever language group they come from, an opportunity to excel and inspire other Zimbabweans.
We have no doubt that Jah Prayzar is an inspiration to many Zimbabweans. We accept that because this is a long journey and we want to travel together on this important journey. We will give IYASA and all these others an opportunity to come up with their own creations and we will not demand that those creations be translated into English.
Hon. Speaker, I am very grateful to Hon. Matambanadzo. He is correct that for quite some time the Government under His Excellency the President provided, supported and he used the phrase free education all the way from primary to university. Many Hon. Members here who went to attended the University of Zimbabwe which was the only
University for quite some time but also others who attended the National
University of Science and Technology (NUST) and later the Midlands State University did so using grants and loans from the Government.
They have not paid a cent and all of them have taken advantage of the demonetisation of the Zimbabwe Dollar and they think the issue is over. Others have taken advantage of the Prescription Law that after 15 years there is no debt. I am grateful Mr. Speaker to Hon.
Matambanadzo. He raised this issue and some Hon. Members were challenging him about the free education aspect. I thought I am going to consult with the Hon. Vice President and Leader of the House on whether we can take another look at the Prescription Law. What would be honourable for these people, some of them who are in this House who are disputing that fact they do have the capacity to pay Mr. Speaker. Maybe as part of that green paper we will take a second look to this issue and come up with a law that will compel them to pay.
The Hon. member there, she wants to be funny and is being scandalous. Mr. Speaker, Hon. Chamisa did not quite understand that in fact we are addressing this pool, the 13 % a very small pool – it is only that pool that we are seeking to increase to at least 20 to 25 % through the STEM campaign that is underway. We do not need a law to do this, we need a programme which we are calling an initiative but which is effectively a scholarship programme. We have been very specific that this is ‘A’ level 2016 STEM support. We did not say it is 2019 or 2020, but we said ‘A’ level 2016 STEM initiative to increase this pool using existing capacities. When we increase the capacities and do other things Mr. Speaker, this will not be a necessary programme. It will be replaced by something that is commensurate with the capacities that we would have developed and that is why it is limited to this.
It is therefore, important to understand it for what it for what it is and not blow it out of proportion and compare it to ESAP (Economic Structural Adjustment Programme) which is like comparing chalk and cheese. –[Laughter]- Mr. Speaker there were two more questions largely comments which we are appreciate very much from Hon. Malaba. I am most grateful to the Hon. Member for his support and understanding of the initiative, and the issues he raised about the low pass rate in Science subjects, especially in Matabeleland. The associated himself with the concerns raised by Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga. I have noted and accepted the challenges that are unique to those provinces and our commitment to addressing them as such.
Finally, Mr. Speaker Sir, I thought it was a blessing in disguise that the last contribution came from my namesake Hon. Moyo and there was something quite heavenly about the contribution –[Laughter]- I feel Mr. Speaker that our statement ended up getting a very rich blessing, that really deserved. Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. In case you
may want to ponder on the equivalent of Jah Prayzah’s statement. You may consider awuye ngasi fulanga -[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- I say so … -[AN. HON. MEMBER: The Tonga version.]- The Tonga version is subsumed, unfortunately for the time being. –[Laughter]- so thank you very much Hon. Minister for the comprehensive response to the questions raised by the Hon. Ministers as well as the positive comments that come from Hon. Members of Parliament. May I confer with Hon. Vice President?
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (MR.
MNANGAGWA): I move that we resume the Committee Stage of the
Whole House.
RECOMMITTAL TO COMMITTEE STAGE
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL
[H. B. 2A, 2015]
House in Committee.
Amendment to Clause 6 put and agreed to.
Clause 6, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 12:
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move the amendment standing in my name that:
On page 7 of the Bill, insert the following subsection in the new section
39B (“Police officers may restrain, etc., persons in certain circumstances without intention to arrest”)—
“(3) Whenever the police exercise their powers in terms of subsection
(1), the police shall, as soon as possible, record in their occurrence book as defined section 47, the particulars of the detained person and the reasons for such detention.”.
Amendment to Clause 12 put and agreed to.
New Clause 12, as amended, put and agreed to.
On Clause 30:
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move the Amendment standing in my name that:
Section 121 (“Appeals against decisions regarding bail”) of the principal Act is amended—
- by the repeal of subsection (1) and the substitution of—
“(1) Subject to this section, where a judge or magistrate has admitted or refused to admit a person to bail—
- the Prosecutor-General or the public prosecutor, within
forty-eight hours of the decision; or
- the person concerned, at any time;
may appeal against the admission to or refusal to bail or the amount fixed as bail or any conditions imposed in connection with bail.”;
- by the repeal of subsection (3) and the substitution of—
“(3) Where a judge or magistrate has admitted a person to bail, and an appeal is noted by the Prosecutor-General or public prosecutor under subsection (1), the decision to admit to bail remains in force unless, on the application of the ProsecutorGeneral or public prosecutor, the judge or magistrate is satisfied that there is a reasonable possibility that the interests of justice may be defeated by the release of the accused on bail before the decision on appeal, in which event the judge or magistrate may suspend his or her decision to admit the person to bail and order the continued detention of the person for a specified period or until the appeal is determined, whichever is the shorter period.”; (c) in subsection (6) by the deletion of “Subsections (2) to (6) of section one hundred and sixteen” and the substitution of
“Subsections 117 (2) to (6)”.
Clause 30, as amended, put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendments.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Order No. 4 be stood over until the rest of the Orders have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER SUSPENSION OF COMMITTEE BUSINESS
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MARUMAHOKO): I
wish to inform the House that the business of all Committees of
Parliament will be suspended today, 18th February, 2016 until the 29th of February, 2016. The only activities that will be allowed to proceed are those that were approved by the 17th of February, 2016.
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY
LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I have received a Non-Adverse
Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, (H.B. 2A, 2015)
Consideration Stage: With leave, forthwith
CONSIDERATION STAGE
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL, (H.B.
2B, 2015)
Amendments to Clauses 6 and 30 as amended, put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL, (H.B.
2B, 2015)
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL
AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA): 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
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF
JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Before I move the adjournment of the House, I
would like to thank Hon. Members from both sides of the House who have participated to the debate on the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, (H.B. 2B, 2015). There were a lot of constructive criticisms and contributions that contributed to sharpening of our minds and I now move for the adjournment of the House.
The House accordingly adjourned at Twenty Five Minutes Past 5
O’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 1st March, 2016.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th February, 2016
The National Assembly met at a quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER’S RULINGS
POINT OF PRIVILEGE RAISED BY HON. MATUKE AGAINST
- KUWAZA’S CONDUCT DURING COMMITTEE MEETING
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have two rulings to make. The first one
is a ruling by the Hon. Speaker on a point of privilege raised by the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy against the Chairperson of the State Procurement Board Mr. Charles Kuwaza.
1. Background
This Ruling seeks to address the point of order raised by Hon.
Matuke on Wednesday the 29th July, 2015, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy. Hon. Matuke stated that the Committee on Mines and Energy in performing its oversight function, had been conducting an enquiry into the tendering system of electricity sector projects. Accordingly, the Committee invited Mr. Charles Kuwaza, the Executive Chairperson of the State
Procurement Board to a meeting, in order to gather pertinent facts on the operations of the State Procurement Board in respect of electricity sector projects.
For the record Hon. Matuke stated that Mr. Kuwaza appeared before the Committee on Monday the 30th June, 2015 but failed to answer questions raised which led to the meeting being aborted so as to give him sufficient time to prepare his responses to the questions raised by the Committee. On Monday the 6th July 2015, Mr. Kuwaza once again appeared before the Committee. The Committee had documented additional questions which Mr. Kuwaza had been given in the first aborted meeting. After the formalities of taking oath as required under
Standing Order 25 (b) and introductions, members of the Committee led by the Committee Chairperson, asked if Mr. Kuwaza had brought written responses to the two sets of questions that had been brought to his attention. It became apparent that Mr. Kuwaza had not prepared a written response to the questions as directed by the Committee. When asked again to respond even orally to questions that were raised in the letter sent to him, Mr. Kuwaza indicated that he had sent an e-mail to the Clerk of Parliament dealing with only one issue of the mandate of State Procurement Board. Mr. Kuwaza could not even provide proof of the email. Hon. Matuke stated that it was impressed upon Mr. Kuwaza that it was important for him to provide answers that had been lawfully posed, which was to no avail as Mr. Kuwaza became visibly abusive and at one point suggested that there was no order in the Committee.
It is alleged that the conduct by Mr. Kuwaza has potential to impair and undermine the role and authority of Parliament in general and the work of the Committee in particular. The Committee is of the view that;
- Kuwaza’s failure to answer questions posed to him amounts to
contempt of Parliament;
- Kuwaza misrepresented facts in the email sent to the
Administration of Parliament;
- Kuwaza shouted, ‘Can we have order in this Committee,’ suggesting that the Committee was disorganised, after he had been asked to recuse himself from the meeting – [Laughter]
- Kuwaza’s arrogance, misrepresentation and refusal to respond directly impaired the work of the Committee in the discharge of its constitutional mandate.
Ruling
In view of the foregoing, it was imperative that the Chair looks into the matter and in particular the legislative provisions concerning the issue at hand. In terms of section 12 of the Privileges, Immunities and
Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08]—
“a witness in or before Parliament or a committee shall be … bound― (a) To answer any questions which may be put to him;
(b) To produce any document or thing which he may actually
have in his possession.”
It is patently clear that Parliament is given power under the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08] to act decisively where there is a prima facie contempt of Parliament or its Committee. The Schedule to the Act lists a number of offences including refusing to be examined before or answer any lawful and relevant questions put by Parliament or a Committee, amongst others. Standing Order No 25 allows Committees to conduct investigations and in doing so, may perform quasi-judicial functions such as summoning a person to appear before it to give evidence on oath or affirmation, as was the case in this instance.
It is apparent that Mr. Kuwaza refused to be examined before or to answer any lawful and relevant questions put by Parliament or the Committee and prevaricated as a witness before Committee and thus, was in direct violation of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08]. The Chair, therefore, rules that the alleged conduct by Mr. Kuwaza constitutes a prima facie case of contempt of Parliament, and further rules that an ad hoc Committee be established to enquire into the matter.
POINT OF PRIVILEGE RAISED BY HON. WADYAJENA AGAINST
HON. KASUKUWERE’S BEHAVIOUR DURING COMMITTEE
MEETING
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Wadyajena rose on Wednesday,
29th of July, 2015, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Portfolio
Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, on a point of privilege concerning Hon. S. Kasukuwere and the alleged words uttered by the Hon. Minister in a meeting of the Committee. Hon. Wadyajena stated that the Committee had been enquiring into the implementation of the Indigenisation Act administered by the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and in particular, the progress that had been made in implementing Community Share
Ownership Trusts.
Numerous submissions were made by the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, from which the Committee determined that the Community Share Ownership Trusts were at different stages of implementation. Of particular interest was the Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust, which was launched by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe,
Cde. R. G. Mugabe. The Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust was expected to kick start with a total of US$50 million said to have been pledged by the five diamond companies operating in Chiadzwa diamond fields. At the occasion, it was reported by the then Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Hon Kasukuwere, that the five diamond mining companies had each pledged US$10 million towards the Trust.
Sometime last year, the Committee invited the Board of the
Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust to brief the Committee on progress made in the implementation of the community projects following the US$50 million pledge by the diamond mining companies operating in the area. The Committee was puzzled when the Board indicated that they were yet to receive the alleged pledges. The Committee further invited the representatives of the diamond mining companies, who denied ever making such pledges to the Community Share Ownership Trust.
The Committee went on to invite the then Minister of Youth,
Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Hon. Francis Nhema, the Permanent Secretary and officials from the Ministry, who indicated that the Ministry did not have any letter or correspondence testifying to the pledges. The Committee further made a follow up on the pledges promised during the launch of the Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust which was broadcast on television. The Hon.
Kasukuwere who presided over the establishment of Zimunya-Marange Community Share Ownership Trust, was then invited to clarify matters in order to enable the Committee to make informed recommendations to
Parliament on the Community Share Ownership Trusts.
On the 9th of July, 2015, Hon. S. Kasukwere, now the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing appeared before the Committee after having been invited to do so. In terms of Standing Order Number 25(a), the Minister was requested to take oath and he duly complied. Hon. Wadyajena, in his point of privilege stated that, he as Chairperson of the Committee then took the opportunity to highlight the purpose of the Committee meeting.
It is alleged that, Hon. Minister Kasukuwere informed the meeting that discussions relating to the pledges were done at a very high political level and since Government was a key player in these diamond companies, it is inconceivable for it to enter into an agreement with other shareholders in the diamond mining companies. It is further alleged that as further clarification was sought from Hon. Minister Kasukuwere on the matter, the Minister became impatient, which resulted in verbal attacks on the Chairperson. It is alleged that he made the following statement:
“I think this is a big witch-hunt, a misplaced one. I do not think it is the Committee but I must say it is yourself Mr. Chairman, Hon. Wadyajena at a personal level. Mr. Chairman, you have been very careless, I have recordings of your own discussions with journalists”…
“this animal is too big for you to hunt; it might turn back and hunt you. In a small way Mr. Chairman, you have been using a rekeni”.
He also alleged to be in possession of video clips which testify to the allegations made and recordings of conversations that Hon. Wadyajena had had with the media. Hon. Wadyajena stated that he then ruled that the Hon. Minister Kasukuwere was out of order, indicating to him that his conduct was tantamount to intimidating the Chairperson and the Committee in carrying out its constitutional mandate. Hon.
Wadyajena stated that he then requested the Hon. Minister to submit to Parliament Administration any evidence against the Chair for appropriate action to be taken, but the Minister insisted that it was up to him to avail or not to avail such evidence.
The Hon. Chairperson reported that the alleged conduct was a possible violation of the following offences as listed in the Schedule to the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament act [Chapter 2:08] relating to offences, that is—
- Paragraph 4 which relates to prevarication or other misconduct as a witness before Parliament or a Committee; and
- Paragraph 13 which relates to making any oral or written threat to a member or challenging him to a fight on account of his conduct in Parliament or Committee.
Ruling
In my assessment of the matter, it was imperative that I consider the facts as presented to the House and establish whether there is a reasonable suspicion that a breach of privilege has been committed. In other words, do the facts establish a legally rebuttable presumption or are the facts lawfully sufficient to make a case against the member so charged.
(a) Violation of paragraph 4 which relate to prevarication or other misconduct as a witness before Parliament or a Committee:- The facts as presented do not establish sufficient evidence to make a case against the Hon. Minister for violating paragraph 4 of the
Schedule to the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08], which creates the offence of “prevarication or other misconduct as a witness before Parliament or a Committee”. The offence constitutes two elements, that is prevarication or other misconduct as a witness.
Prevarication denotes a deliberate misstatement or a lie and other misconduct is too wide but must be linked to prevarication as it is an element of the same offence, therefore, that other misconduct must be related to prevarication.
For the Committee to safely conclude that the Hon. Minister lied or misled the Committee, it has to weigh the copious evidence of the Hon.
Minister with the total evidence gathered during its enquiry. The
Committee did not substantiate its allegations that the Minister prevaricated by indicating the points at which the Minister is alleged to have prevaricated during the oral evidence session.
Furthermore, the Committee did not elaborate on any other misconduct that the Minister is alleged to have committed, suffice to say that the Minister became impatient when asked to clarify on some points.
(b) Violation of paragraph 13 which relates to making any oral or written threat to a member or challenging him to fight on account of his conduct in Parliament or Committee
The essential elements of the offence are:- the making of a threat, oral or written, with intention of making that threat and challenging a member to fight on account of the conduct of the member in Parliament or Committee. The Committee is of the opinion that the alleged utterances fall into the definition of “threats” to the Committee calculated to convey threats or intimidate the Committee with a design to instill fear, hinder or obstruct them from the performance of their constitutional mandate.
The word “threat” is defined as “any menace of such a nature and extent as to unsettle the mind of the person of whom it operates and takes away from his acts that free, voluntary action which alone constitutes consent”, or “an intention to harm, inflict pain or other harsh action on someone in retribution for something done or not done”.
(Concise Law Dictionary, 4th Edition 2012 by P. Ramanathaaiyar). The Committee felt threatened hence a Privileges Committee if established, would be able to investigate into the alleged conduct and threats by the
Hon. Minister and determine whether the utterances constitutes “threats” as defined at law and intended by the Legislature in paragraph 13 of the
Schedule to the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08].
The allegations leveled against the Hon. Minister are serious thus, it was pertinent that I carefully scrutinise all information available to me in determining the matter. Accordingly, I saw it fit that, apart from reading the report that was presented for my consideration, I should be extra cautious and listen to the recording of the Committee’s proceedings on that particular sitting in which the alleged utterances took place. In listening to the recording, I became aware of the fact that it is apparent that there was an exchange of words between the Chair of the Committee, Hon. Wadyajena and Hon. Minister Kasukuwere. The report of the Committee left out some of the utterances by the Chair and the Hon. Minister which would have given a proper context in which the exchanges were made. I found nothing in the conduct or utterances of the Hon. Minister that constitutes “threats” at law on the person of the Chairperson or the Committee in the conduct of its constitutional mandate.
The Hon. Minister presented his evidence quite eloquently during the hearing and in so doing, he wanted to give a brief background to the inquiry for the Committee to be able to understand where he was coming from. The other members of the Committee even posed questions to the Minister after his testimony, showing that the Hon. Minister conducted himself as expected of a witness before a Parliamentary Committee.
The facts as presented by the Committee do not establish sufficient evidence to charge the Hon. Minister for committing an offence under paragraph 13 which creates an offence of “making any oral or written threat to a member or challenging him to fight on account of his conduct in Parliament or a Committee.”
The Chair rules that, on a balance of probabilities, the alleged conduct by the Hon. Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Hon. S. Kasukuwere does not constitute a prima facie case of contempt of Parliament, and further rules that there is no need for an Ad hoc Committee to be established to investigate into the matter.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
CAPACITY BUILDING SEMINAR
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to advise all members of the following Portfolio Committees that there will be an in-house Capacity Building Seminar on Wednesday, 17th February, 2016 at 0900hrs in the
Senate Chamber:
- Industry and Commerce;
- Lands, Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation;
- Mines and Energy;
- Media, Information and Broadcasting Services;
- Foreign Affairs and;
- Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development.
The seminar is compulsory for all members of the afore-mentioned Committees. Members must bring copies of their Constitution to the seminar. Punctuality is expected of all participants.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: On a point of order Mr.
Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Point of order on what?
HON.MISIHAIRABWE-MUSHONGA: On privileges and
immunities.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I hope it is.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Why are you assuming
that it is not going to be?
THE HON. SPEAKER: You look unconvincing. -[Laughter]-
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move
under the Privileges and Immunities, to commend Hon. Chinotimba for having won the kissing competition. –[Laughter]- I say so Mr. Speaker, because particularly as women Members of Parliament, we were tired of reading day-in day-out male Members of Parliament that are being taken to court for maintenance and for failing to look after their children. So, to be able to see a male member who is showing a good sight of being a good male model should be commended. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I would want Hon.
Members to refer to their Standing Orders and the Act on Privileges and
Immunities. There is no romance in our Privileges. I take it that the Hon. Member was trying to be humorous and I am not sure whether you were envious of Mrs. Chinotimba.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEREMWE: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution. I will start by hailing His
Excellency, the President for good leadership. People from Mount Darwin West are very proud of what the President is doing for us. We have been without proper leadership for quite some time, but now that we have a new Member of Parliament, we say thank you to His Excellency, the President for making us choose such a leader. We are also very happy because my constituency did not have a road, but now we have a road. We are very much pleased by what His Excellency, the President is doing in the constituency.
The roads are good and there are no potholes. Travelling is now smooth.
I also ask the President to look into our problem in health institutions. People travel long distances seeking for treatment up to 20 kilometres and this is forcing some people to die in their homes with no treatment. We also ask His Excellency to sanction the exhumation of Hon. Ndoda’s remains from Bindura to be put at the Heroes Acre, a status which she deserves. We also support the War Veterans and all the fighters who fought for the Liberation of the country. We are solidly behind our party ZANU PF and we promise that whatever election is going to be held, there is going to be a 100% sweep of all the seats that will be contested for, just as we did when I was elected. We also thank His Excellency and urge him to keep on working hard for his people. May I also direct my request to the Minister of Agriculture that Minister may you please give farming inputs to farmers on time instead of giving them after the onset of the rainy season. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR
AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Mr.
Speaker Sir, I move that the debate be now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2016.
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE
PRESIDENT
Second Order Read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR
AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Mr.
Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2016.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Mr.
Speaker Sir, I move that Orders Numbers 3 and 4 be stood over until the rest of the Orders on the Order Paper have been dealt with.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 37TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE SADC
PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I move
the motion in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the
37th Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, Zimbali Resort, Durban, 6th to 11th July 2015.
HON. TOFFA: I second.
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr.
Speaker Sir, I am giving a report of the 37th Plenary Assembly of the
SADC Parliamentary Forum which was held, at Zimbali Resort in Durban from 6th to the 11th July, 2015.
INTRODUCTION
The 37th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC Parliamentary
Forum (SADC-PF) took place at the Zimbali Resort, KwaZulu Natal from 6 to 11 July 2015, under the theme, “Industrialisation and SADC
Regional Intergration: The Role of Parliament”. This was the third time that the Parliament of South Africa hosted the Plenary Assembly.
The Parliament of Zimbabwe delegation was led by Hon. Adv. Jacob Francis Mudenda, Speaker of the National Assembly. Hon.
Njobvuyalema chaired the 37th Plenary Assembly as Deputy President. Hon. Anne S. Makinda could not attend because of Presiding responsibilities in her country, Tanzania.
1.1.2 The rest of the delegation comprised the following:- Members of Parliament:-
Hon. Monica Mutsvangwa, Member of Parliament;
Hon. Tambudzani Mohadi, Member of Parliament;
Hon. Dr. Samson Mukanduri; Member of Parliament;
Hon. Innocent Gonese, Member of Parliament; and
Hon. Jasmine Toffa, Member of Parliament.
Secretariat
Mr. Kennedy Mugove Chokuda, Clerk of Parliament;
Mr. Frank Nyamahowa, Director in the Speaker's Office;
Mr. Cleophas Gwakwara, Principal – External Relations Officer and Secretary to the delegation; and
Mr. Robert Sibanda, Security-Aide to the Speaker.
2.0 ATTENDANCE
2.1 The 14 Member States of the SADC, namely Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe and the Seychelles all converged in Durban for the 37th Plenary Assembly of the SADC-PF. This, indeed, was a welcome development since the formation of the Forum.
3.0 OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE PLENARY ASSEMBLY
3.1 The Official Opening programme began with a call for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to transform itself from its consumptive role of goods and services to a more sustainable platform for growth. The Region should strive for rapid industrialization and value addition as its key competencies.
3.1.1 In his remarks Dr. Esau Chivhiya, the Secretary- General of the Forum, implored the region to copy from Asia where developing countries had managed to transform themselves from low income to upper and high income status through Industrialization and manufacturing.
3.1.2 In his address, Hon. Joseph Njobvuyalema reminded the Plenary Assembly that the theme was in sync with the current agenda of the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government and SADC. It sought to interrogate and provide answers to the resource curse theory, that “Why is Africa resource rich yet the poorest
Continent”?
3.1.3 Hon. Mbaleka Mbete, Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa urged Parliamentarians to play a key role in monitoring the implementation of the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap as well as the Regional Indicative Development Plan at national level in the context of their legislative work.
3.1.4 Hon. Thulisile Dladla, the Vice-Chairperson of SADC PF Regional
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus said the Region should strive to attain the 50 – 50 Gender parity if socio-economic growth is to be achieved.
3.1.5 The Plenary Session was privileged to have President Jacob Zuma host a reception in honour of the delegates during which he added his voice to the call for transforming the Forum into a Regional Parliament if the Region is to achieve economic growth and selfsufficiency. He noted that SADC remains the only region which has not established a Parliament whilst the Protocol establishing the Pan African Parliament (PAP) provides for it to be anchored by five Regional Parliaments. This is a missing link.
4.0 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON MIGRATION
4.1 The Round-table discussion entitled “Migration and Development; Free Movement of People: Towards Regional
Integration; and Diaspora Engagement”, brought together
Members of Parliaments, experts, civil society and interest groups. The round-table aimed at sensitizing members and the community at large about migration related issues in the SADC region.
4.1.1 The Round-table formed part of a series of activities initiated by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa in an ongoing campaign against xenophobia that had been launched earlier this year, on Africa Day.
4.1.2 Hon. Mbete said that the SADC Parliamentary Forum has a role to play on migration. The Forum in particular has to advocate for a regional policy framework to govern migration in SADC, as there is currently no overall regional policy in place.
5.0 MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
5.1 The Executive Committee resolved through an ad-hoc Committee, on the following:
- the Forum will liaise with donors and co-operating partners so as to raise the necessary funds to cover the cost of holding Standing
Committee meetings twice per year outside the Plenary Assembly;
- In case no donor or co-operating partner was ready to finance the cost of Standing Committee Meetings outside the Plenary Assembly, then all Standing Committee Meetings, as has been the practice, in the past, will meet during the Plenary Assembly and national parliaments will cover the cost of their Members' participation.
5.1.1 On the cost of Election Observation Missions, the Executive
Committee resolved the following:
Ø The cost of election observation missions (secretariat and logistic costs) should be covered within the budget of the SADC PF;
- The contribution for the costs of election observation missions should not be mandatory to National Parliaments; and
- The National Parliaments should continue to cover the cost of participation of their respective Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff depending on the availability of funds.
5.1.2 On the SADC – PF Parliamentary Studies Institute, the EXCO resolved that a comprehensive cost and benefit analysis be prepared by the Secretariat and that the Secretariat should explore the possibilities of collaborating with universities and accredited educational or training institutions. The EXCO also resolved that the post of the Director of Parliamentary Business be kept in abeyance until such a time that resources permit to fund such a post.
5.1.3 Parliament of Zimbabwe has paid its dues towards the purchase of the official residence of the Office of the Secretary General for the Forum. Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique were yet to pay their annual membership contributions of 2014/2015 financial years.
Zimbabwe’s outstanding subscription stands at US$257,973.00 dating back to the year 2014. The fact that our Parliament is mentioned at every Forum when it comes to outstanding subscriptions does not augur well for the country's image.
6.0 RESOLUTIONS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
6.1 In accordance with its constitutive mandate, the 37th Plenary Assembly debated and resolved on various issues of regional importance and concern which were set out in Members’ Motions, Reports of the Executive Committee and the Standing Committees.
6.1.1 In tandem with the SADC sectoral interests, the SADC PF has five established Standing Committees which focus on the following:
- i) Democratization, Governance and Human Rights; ii) Human and Social Development and Special Programmes; iii) Gender Equality, Women Advancement and Youth
Development; iv) Trade, Industry, Finance and Integration; and
- v) Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Infrastructure.
6.1.2 The 37th Plenary Assembly made the following resolutions which, in line with Rule 6(3) of the SADC PF Rules of Procedure, should “be submitted to the SADC Secretariat and to relevant National
Ministries through National Parliaments”
7.0 RESOLUTION ON THE THEME
‘INDUSTRIALIZATION FOR SADC DEVELOPMENT AND
INTEGRATION: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENT.’
7.1 It was observed that the SADC region is endowed with abundant and diverse natural resources and that recently oil and other valuable resources have been discovered. Paradoxically, SADC is resource rich and yet one of the poorest sub-regions of the world. The meeting acknowledged that the problems of the the sub-region and in fact the African continent is exporting their raw materials cheaply and in return paying exorbitant prices for finished products resulting in a trade deficit.
7.1.1 The 37th Plenary Assembly, therefore, welcomed and expressed Parliamentary support for the implementation of the Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) (2015 – 2020) and the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap (2015-2020) which were adopted by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government in April 2015 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
8.0 RESOLUTION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
SADC REGIONAL PARLIAMENT
8.1 There was concurrence on the need to establish a SADC Regional Parliament in accordance with an inclusive and participatory regional integration process. It was recalled that the Protocol to the
Constitutive Act of the African Union establishing the Pan African Parliament anchors it on the Regional Parliaments of Africa and that out of the five regions of Africa, SADC is the only one without a Regional Parliament. To this end, the SADC PF leadership will continue to engage the SADC Executive at both the national and regional levels for the transformation of the Forum into a Regional Parliament.
9.0 RESOLUTION ON FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND
NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
9.1 The Plenary Assembly called for the prioritization of interventions, both at national and regional levels, for the effective and efficient management of natural resources for sustainable development. SADC countries should also ensure that maximum benefit is derived from the exploitation of natural resources by the regional populace. The meeting urged greater political commitment amongst concerned SADC Governments to redress the skewed access, control and ownership of land and land-based resources in favour of the majority of the citizens of the region.
9.1.2 SADC Member States need to align their respective national legislations and policies on mineral resources to the African Mining vision and further propose the purposeful inclusion of natural resource governance issues in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Furthermore, SADC Countries that have not yet done so, are encouraged to consider joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (EITI) in order to enhance good governance of mineral and other resources.
9.1.3 Finally, it was agreed that there is need for the adoption of a broad-based and inclusive approach to the management of natural resources which values the roles of Parliament, civil society, the private sector, the media, and vulnerable and interested groups.
10.0 RESOLUTION ON TRADE, INDUSTRY, FINANCE
AND INTEGRATION
10.1 The meeting reiterated the need for SADC Member States to clearly agree and honour a financing modality in order to guarantee the achievement of the objectives of the revised RISDP and Industrialization Strategy and Road Map whilst the SADC Secretariat is urged to firmly exercise the role of coordination of the same.
10.1.1 Parliaments were urged to play a pivotal role in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the revised RISDP and the Industrial Strategy and Road Map and the overall impact of these on the SADC development and integration agenda.
11.0 RESOLUTIONS ON THE COMMITTEE ON
DEMOCRATIZATION, GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
11.1 The Plenary Assembly congratulated the four SADC nations which recently held elections which were generally concluded as free, fair and credible. These were; -
- i) Namibia Presidential and National Assembly Elections of 28
November 2014; ii) Mauritius National Assembly Elections of 10 December 2014; iii) Zambia Presidential Election of 20 January 2015; and iv) Lesotho National Assembly Elections of 28 February 2015.
11.1.2 The Assembly highly commended Namibia for being the first country on the African continent to pioneer the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and therefore, recommended research on the use of EVMs in order to inform SADC Member States.
11.1.3 A proposal was put forward for the training of Members of Parliament and Staff in ICT-based electoral systems and processes such as EVMs in order to better equip SADC PF Election Observation Missions with competencies to undertake observations through the use of ICTs.
11.1.4 The Assembly appreciated and encouraged the continuation of legislative reforms in SADC Member States which mandates for Parliaments' involvement in the appointment of Electoral Commissioners. In the interest of transparency and professionalism, the same role must be extended for Parliament in electoral boundaries delimitation.
11.1.5 It was recommended that SADC and all other electoral stakeholders should adopt an entire election cycle approach.
Parliamentarians should not just focus on the campaigning, polling and counting phases that are normally covered during election observation missions. It was, therefore, proposed that technical missions be sent to observe key processes such as voter registration, voter education, printing of the ballot papers and evaluation of elections. SADC Member States and respective legislatures which are currently undertaking constitutional and legal reforms should seize this opportunity to ensure that their respective legal and policy frameworks are aligned and harmonized with the relevant regional and international electoral instruments.
12.0 RESOLUTION ON THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN
AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
12.1 The Plenary Assembly implored National Parliaments which are yet to establish Parliamentary Committees on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health to work expeditiously in establishing them. In the meantime, those Parliaments which have the Committee were encouraged to engage in greater activism in appreciation of the resources generously received from AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa
(ARASA) and the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA).
12.1.1 The SADC PF Secretariat has to accelerate the promotion of the “Ending AIDS” campaign amongst other activities and convene a broad-based Regional Consultative Conference on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
12.1.2 Among other initiatives, the SADC secretariat is encouraged to brief the Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes on the state of human trafficking in the region and, for this Committee to share the same with the broader Plenary Assembly.
13.0 RESOLUTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ON GENDER
EQUALITY, WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENT AND YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
13.1 The Plenary welcomed initiatives aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of SADC Parliamentarians and officials with regards to issues of gender-responsive budgeting and encouraged the continuation of the same through collaboration with the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) and other cooperating partners.
13.1.1 National Parliaments’ are encouraged to engage in the scrutiny of the national budget from a rights based perspective and inculcate gender responsive budgeting.
13.1.2 SADC has to purposefully include the legislative sector within the institutional arrangements of the revised SADC Protocol on Gender and Development in order to ensure greater Parliamentary facilitation and oversight of the implementation process.
13.1.3 SADC Member States are to adopt frameworks that will promote youth empowerment and participation in politics and elections in particular as the youths constitute over 60 percent of the population and they are also the majority of voters in the region.
14.0 RESOLUTIONS ON THE MOTION ON THE
PREVENTION AND ELIMINATION OF CHILD MARRIAGES
14.1 The Plenary Assembly noted with deep concern the prevalence of child marriages in Southern Africa with about 40% of children being married before they are 18 years of age and that two of the SADC Member States are among the 10 countries in the world with the highest rates of child marriage, where over 50% of children are being married before they reach the legal age of 18.
14.1.2 The Plenary condemned the notion and practice of child marriages and strongly urged SADC Member States to work tirelessly to eradicate this inhuman practice as these contravene international human rights obligations and commitments to which SADC Member States are signatory.
14.1.3 There was need to encourage the continuation of consultative stakeholder engagement by the SADC PF as these consultations will serve to raise awareness and alarm about child marriages. It is encouraging to note that in Zimbabwe, an all-stakeholder consultative process is already ongoing.
14.1.4 There is need for the SADC Parliamentary Forum to expedite the development and adoption of the SADC Model Law on Child Marriages whilst urging Parliamentarians to ensure that appropriate legislation at national level is enacted to abolish child marriages.
15.0 RESOLUTIONS ON THE MOTION ON SADC
MEMBER STATES’ READINESS TO DEAL WITH FOOD SECURITY, DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE
CHANGE CHALLENGES
15.1 It was noted that the entire SADC Region faces a maize deficit for the current 2015/16 agricultural season and further, that SADC Member States, due to the effects of Climate Change, are vulnerable to a range of natural disasters which results in an upsurge in the frequency, magnitude and impact of drought and flood events.
15.1.2 The Plenary, therefore, welcomed the ongoing initiative of promoting the role of Parliament in Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation in the COMESA, EAC and SADC regions and in particular, the planned Parliamentary Conference on Mobilizing Domestic
Financing for Climate Change and Adaptation in the SADC Region.
15.1.3 In this regard, the Meeting applauded and expressed support for the adopted integrated regional approach to managing the challenges related to food insecurity, climate change and disaster risk management through specific initiatives such as (i) the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (ii) the Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in the SADC Region (iii) the SADC Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS) and the (iv) Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Programme.
16.0 RESOLUTIONS ON THE MOTION ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE BLUE ECONOMY TO ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAND STATES AND REGIONAL
INTEGRATION
16.1 The Plenary recognized the importance of the Blue Economy to the development of Island Nations and other communities whose existence is defined by the oceans that surrounds them, which isolates or connects them to the rest of the world. Over the last three years, the emerging concept of the Blue Economy has been embraced by many Small Island Developing States as a mechanism to realize sustainable growth based around an ocean-economy.
16.1.2 The Plenary Assembly welcomed and reaffirmed the SADC
Parliamentary Forum’s support of the notion of the Blue Economy in sustaining economic development and the need to help all Island Nations eradicate poverty in the SADC Region whilst contributing to the
Region’s economic growth in the process.
16.1.3 There were calls on SADC to embrace and mainstream the Blue Economy as a concept which has invaluable potential in maximizing the economic competitiveness of Island States as well as deepening integration in the Region.
17.0 CONCLUSION
In the concluding segment, Hon. Baleka Mbete, the South African
National Assembly Speaker, expressed gratitude
17.1 That the SADC Parliamentary Forum afforded members of respective Parliaments in the SADC region, a platform to engage in the critical issues affecting the people in the region. She hailed the SADC
PF efforts towards the establishment of a Regional Parliament.
37th PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE SADCPARLIAMENTARY FORUM RECOMMENDATIONS
1.0 Parliament of Zimbabwe to continuously advocate for the Transformation of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (PF) into a Regional Parliament through debates in both Houses.
2.0 The Parliament of Zimbabwe to Lobby Government to expedite the training and creation of a knowledge base on Electronic Voting Machines in preparation for future elections.
3.0 The Legislature is encouraged to engage in the scrutiny of the national budget from a rights based perspective and inculcate gender responsive budgeting and youth empowerment.
4.0 Parliaments to accelerate activities on mitigation of spread of HIV/AIDS campaign and make use of resources generously received from AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa (ARASA) and the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA).
5.0 There is need for a proactive method approach to the management of natural resources which is all inclusive and the country should champion value addition and beneficiation.
6.0 National Parliaments should track the status of ratification, domestication, harmonization and implementation of the relevant SADC Protocols and other international instruments.
7.0 Parliament to participate in a 2-day dialogue for the
Chairpersons of Gender and or Women's Affairs of the 14 National
Parliaments before the review of the SADC Protocol on Gender and
Development is finalized in order to debate and solicit their “buy in”.
Parliament should be prepared to finance this dialogue.
8.0 The institution to endeavour to attract the requisite research and analytical skills which will enable Parliamentary oversight of complex issues such as industrialization.
9.0 The SADC Parliamentary Forum should expedite the development and adoption of the SADC Model Law on Child Marriages whilst urging Parliamentarians to ensure that appropriate legislation at national level is enacted to abolish child marriages. It is encouraging to note that a Joint Session to consider and validate the Model Law on
Eradicating Child Marriage and Protecting Children Already in Marriage
is currently taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 30 September to 03 October 2015.
10.0 Government implored to continue playing an important role in mitigating the effects of Climate Change. I thank you.
*HON. MACHINGURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me
the opportunity to make my contribution. It is pleasing to note that Parliaments from the SADC region passed such good resolutions as presented by Hon. Dr. Mukanduri. I will begin by dwelling on child marriages. Which definition is being used when we talk of child marriages? Is it because a young girl is staying with a man?
I would like to advise our Parliaments to pass a law which prohibits young girls from going to public places such as bars and are into relationships with elderly men. If you do not pass this law, the young girls will run away from homes and go to public places where they fall in love with elderly men.
Let me talk of consumptive, versus productive, which is what is happening in our industries. We would want to see our industries growing. We want to develop our manufacturing sector because at the moment, when we go into the market, we realise that most of the goods on sale are imports. Even when you look at the cars on the roads, most of the cars are from Japan.
We are proud of our education in Zimbabwe and we should be able to educate engineers who will be able to invent a small car or just a car, which is equivalent to our needs and avoid imports. This is because when we import cars, we will be exporting jobs and our own wealth.
This leads to poor liquidity because we would have exported money.
I will now turn to xenophobia. The countries which engage in xenophobia are those who are ignorant of realities. When people like Zimbabweans migrate into the diaspora, they are highly educated and constructive people. What this means is that, if a country is suffering from xenophobia and chases out people like Zimbabweans, it will be exporting expertise and they become poor. We need to tap into the people of Zimbabwe who are in the diaspora and we will be able to benefit a lot from the money earned in the diaspora.
There is also need to look at the food security aspect. Zimbabwe is a blessed country. It is a highly productive country with good climatic conditions and an able leader who has qualities of leadership. What you need to do is to encourage all the beneficiaries of the land reform programme to work hard and produce for the country. Currently, we have people who own 1000 hectares and underutilising the land by using only one hectare. This is very bad for the country. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): I move
that the debate do now adjourn. Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2016.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE,
HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES REPORT ON THE
LAND MINE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Madam Speaker, I move the
motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services Report on the Landmine Situation in Zimbabwe. (S.C. 2, 2015)
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I second.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I am
presenting a report on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Defence Home Affairs and Security Services on the state of land mine or the land mine situation in Zimbabwe. Madam Speaker, I will start with the introduction then I will go to the methodology of how we conducted....
An hon. member having passed between the Chair and the member speaking.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. I think I have
always reminded Hon. Members that you should not obstruct the vision of the Chair and the Hon. Member who will be debating. You should bear this in mind every time you want to go out of this House.
HON. MUDEREDZWA. Thank you Madam Speaker.
1.Introduction
1.1. The contextual framework of this report is built around the challenges posed by landmines in Zimbabwe. Villagers along the areas close to our borders in Masvingo, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central
Provinces still live in perpetual fear of landmines, which have claimed 1
550 lives and maimed more than 2 000 people since the country’s independence in 1980.
1.2. The history of landmines dates back to the days of the war of liberation where the Rhodesian Army laid mines on the borders of
Zimbabwe with neighbouring countries namely, Zambia and
Mozambique. Most of the land mines were laid between 1976 and 1979. The primary objective of the Rhodesian Army in laying the landmines along the Eastern, South Eastern, and Northern borders of the country was to prevent incursions into the country by ZANLA and ZIPRA freedom fighters.
1.3. Your Committee conducted a fact finding tour to some of the areas where demining activities were underway or had just been completed, to get an appreciation of the situation on the ground. To this end, your Committee would like to thank the Ministry of Defence for the cooperation it received during this critical exercise.
2. Methodology
2.1 Your Committee held meetings and received oral evidence from the Ministry of Defence before conducting fact finding visits to the Eastern and South Eastern borders of the country. Oral evidence was also received by your Committee on the ground in areas visited. A general overview of the situation was also presented to your Committee as it sought to compile its report on the landmine situation in Zimbabwe, thirty-five years after independence.
2.2 After conducting its findings, your Committee made observations and recommendations on the landmine situation. A detailed overview on areas affected by the landmines countrywide was also given to your Committee.
3. 0 Overview of the landmine situation
3.1.0 Your Committee received oral evidence from the Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Mr Martin Rushwaya, who was accompanied by senior Army personnel. The Ministry officials informed your Committee that an estimated three million anti-personnel mines had been laid in six distinct minefields. The total distance covered by the minefields was approximately 850km. The minefields covered an area of about 310.65 square km along the borders with Mozambique and
Zambia. These minefields were laid in the following areas:-
3.1.1 Victoria Falls to Mlibizi
A total of 220km stretch of land from Victoria Falls to Mlibizi was identified as minefield No. 1. The minefield was the second largest minefield in the country. This area had since been cleared by the National Mine Clearance Squadron (NMC SQN). A total of 25 959 AP mines were recovered from the minefield and destroyed. The land has since been reclaimed for economic utilization.
3.1.2 Mukumbura to Rwenya
The 426km stretch of land from Mukumbura to Rwenya was identified as minefield No. 2 This is by far the largest of all minefields in the country. The demining exercise was still to be completed, unlike in minefield No 1, as at the end of June 2015. A total distance of 130km had been cleared where a total of 162 419 AP mines were recovered. Sadly enough, the operation had to be halted due to inadequate financial resources. In the same minefield Hallo Trust, a private company contracted to do the demining, cleared 379 253 square kilometres, where a total of 6 336 AP mines and 02 AT mines were recovered. During the same period, the National Mine Clearance Squadron (NMC SQN) carried out landmine clearance exercises in the Mukumbura encirclement area where a total of 19 700 square kilometres of land was reclaimed. Within the same area, 98 AP mines were recovered and destroyed.
3.1.3 Sheba Forest to Beacon Hill
This was identified as minefield No. 3. The area covers a 50km stretch of land from Sheba Forest to Beacon Hill. An area of some 66 801 square kilometres of land was reclaimed and 449 AP mines were recovered from this minefield and destroyed.
3.1.4 Burma Valley
The Burma Valley was identified as minefield No. 4. This area covered a distance of 4.1km of the Valley. It has since been completely cleared of landmines. Among them, were 118 AP mines which were recovered and destroyed.
3.1.5 Rusitu to Muzite Mission
This was identified as minefield No. 5. Demining activities were yet to start on this minefield. The area covers a stretch of 75km of land from Rusitu to Muzite Mission.
3.1.6 Sango Border Post to Crooks Corner
The Sango Border Post to Crooks Corner was identified as minefield No. 6. This consists of a 53km double stretch minefield and remains one of the deadliest and devastating minefields in the country. Locals in the area live in constant fear of detonating landmines still buried underground.
4.0 Proceedings of the Committee
a) Crooks Corner to Sango Border Post
4.1 In pursuit of its constitutional mandate, your Committee visited the Crooks Corner to Sango Border Post minefield. Your
Committee gathered oral evidence from the Four Brigade Commander in
Masvingo who gave an overview of the minefield in the Province of Masvingo which borders with Mozambique. Further evidence was received at Dumisa, a base manned by the National Mine Clearance Squadron and is part of the Crooks Corner to Sango Border Post minefield. The minefield is a double stretch which comprises two minefields that run parallel to the Mozambican boundary with Zimbabwe. Your Committee learnt that the inland minefield was referred to as the primary minefield and the one closest to the
Mozambican side was referred to as the secondary minefield. These two minefields stretched for a distance of 53km.
4.2. At the time of the visit by your Committee in June 2015, the NMC SQN was engaged in clearing the primary minefield. In evidence before your Committee, the engineers disclosed that the primary minefield was a reinforced plough shear type with a planned density of 120 above surface plough shear mines and 240 below surface mines per 1000m by 400m² area, which translated to 400 000m².
The activity level of the plough shear could be rated at 1%, while that of the anti-personnel below surface, could be rated at 90%. The minefield had a depth of about 400m. It also comprised three strips of plough shears, each with plough shear pickets protected by a keeper of one or two anti-personnel mines. The type of anti-personnel mines recovered from this minefield, were mainly plough shear. These constitute an above surface fragmentation mine. The below surface mines in this minefield were the R2M2, the VS50, the M969 and the
Carrot mine which are commonly referred to as the Rhodesian mine.
4.3 Your Committee was further informed, running along the same stretch, was the secondary minefield whose depth was about 75m.
The secondary minefield stretched for about 53km. It stretched from the Crooks Corner to the Sango Border Post. The secondary minefield also had a strip of plough shear mines and three rows of clusters, unlike the primary minefield. The challenge posed by the secondary minefield is the absence of markings. As a result, this minefield was claiming more causalities than the primary minefield.
The most disturbing observation about the mine clearing activity was the slow pace and laborious nature of the exercise. This was due to the clearance methods used. Your Committee was informed that the National Mines Clearance Squadron mainly used the mechanical as well as the manual clearance methods.
For the mechanical clearance method, your Committee was informed that the NMC SQN used bulldozer’s which cut through the depth of the minefield detonating the mines. The clearance exercise was later followed by a manual team with hand held metallic detectors. The hand held detectors, the valom VMH 3CS are designed in such a way that they detect any metallic objects that the miners come across. So from the whole lot of metallic objects picked by these detectors, extreme caution has to be exercised. Suffice to say, along the same minefield were numerous remnants of war munitions. As a result, the clearance methods were not only cumbersome but extremely dangerous to the courageous men and women conducting the demining exercise.
4.3 The clearance of the Crooks Corner to Sango Border Post minefield started in March 2006. A stretch of 21.8km by 0.4km of the primary minefield had been cleared while a stretch of 21.8km by
0.075m of the secondary minefield had been cleared at the time of the
Committee’s visit in June 2015. This was mainly the area between the Limpopo River and Mwenezi where the quality control of the reclaimed land had almost been completed and was expected to be handed over to the land hungry locals for resettlement and also for national economic development.
4.4 Your Committee witnessed a real life simulation of a daily experience on the minefield and was left shell shocked that such incidences still obtained in post-independent Zimbabwe, thirty five years after the war of liberation. The simulation covered the casualty evacuation procedures which are conducted in case of accidents or incidents in the minefield. This involved the state of preparedness by the Air Force of Zimbabwe, Medical Air Rescue Services whenever incidents occurred. In cases of such eventuality, your Committee was informed that the Operation would stop immediately. First aid would be rendered to the injured members by fellow deminers. At the same time, an ambulance and a medical traumatologist would prepare to receive and attend to the injured at a safe lane. The Officer Commanding would communicate with the Engineer Support Regiment and the Engineer Director to make sure some arrangements for Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) were in place. In cases where casualties needed to be taken to hospital, arrangements would be made for their evacuation to Malipati Airstrip where they would be ferried by plane to
Chikombedzi Hospital which is 93km away and is the nearest referral hospital to the Minefield.
4.5 Your Committee had the opportunity to interview the traditional leadership from the area around Dumisa and was informed of the challenges faced by the local community in as far as the landmine situation is concerned. Some victims who had lost their limbs also took the opportunity to meet your Committee. Through their traditional Chief, Makoti Lisimathi Sengwe, the locals informed your Committee that landmines continued to claim livestock, limbs and lives of people in the area. Those who fell victim to landmines required assistance in the form of wheelchairs, crutches and other related forms of aid.
Although your Committee could not get statistics on the number of livestock killed, the challenge was reported as being very devastating for the communal farmers who depended on their livestock for livelihood. The only winding and sometimes rocky road to Dumisa needed servicing as it crossed several narrow bridges several times along Mwenezi River and also meandered down the hills. This was clearly indicative that during the rainy season, the area is impassable.
b) Burma Valley
4.5 Your Committee also visited the Burma Valley area which had just been cleared. The area was cleared with the assistance from the
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). A total of 6801 square metres of land had been cleared and 449 mines had been recovered and destroyed. The land hungry communities in the Burma Valley could not resist the temptation of resettling themselves before the official handover of the reclaimed land. This served as testimony of how they had been denied access to hectares of communal land by the minefield.
A lot of land pressure had been created in the area where cotton farming and cattle ranching had been affected. Subsequently, income from crops and livestock had been significantly reduced as a result of denial of arable land. At the time of your Committee’s visit, the cleared area in the Burma Valley was expected to be officially handed over to the local communities. Indeed, this was expected to go a long way towards easing the land pressure among the local communities.
c) Border Streams Minefields
4.6 Demining activities were being conducted by private contractors in this area under the auspices of ZIMAC. Your Committee observed that significant progress had been made in areas where demining activities were being undertaken by private contractors unlike the Crooks Corner-Sango minefield where progress had been slow. This was attributed to the use of hand held Standoff Mine Detection Service (STAMID) equipment which gave a new dimension to operations in the minefields.
Your Committee was informed that the use of such equipment enabled demining engineers to distinguish different tones given for different metals and that assisted in the location of exact positions of the mines. The equipment also enabled the deminers to detect and determine different shapes of mines laid in the area. It could also be programmed to penetrate the ground to a depth of 20cm as compared to 30cm depth which is recommended. The Border Streams area had a concentration of mines such that the locals who used footpaths in the area had to give way to those travelling in the opposite direction by standing still. Any false step outside the footpath could easily trigger a minefield blast which could easily be lying anywhere next to the footpath. There were also incidents where locals were reported to have removed some mines and stored them at their homes in the mythical belief that they contained red mercury. The deminers had taken it upon themselves to sensitize the villagers on the dangers of the mines and that they did not contain the said red mercury. Only when the locals saw the public destruction of mines recovered, did they come forward to declare the stocks that they had hidden in their homes, which they had recovered from the minefield.
The area around Border Streams accommodated a lot of former Rhodesian properties. As a result, it had been fortified with numerous minefields. Your Committee was informed that there were more mines in the area than those found in Cambodia, Afghanistan and Viet Nam combined. The mines were said to have been manually planted. The economic impact that these landmines have had on our country is not just in terms of the reduction of arable land, but the depletion of game, livestock and loss of human lives as these continue to fall victim to the minefield. Mozambicans who frequently cross into the country are not also not spared. However, no official records could be availed of such victims. It was also brought to your Committee’s attention that while the weather conditions did not affect the operations in the Border Streams Minefield, the demining activity could take up to twenty years using the capacity that was available at the time of your Committee’s visit. It was also reported that there were numerous snakes in the area which presented challenges to deminers as they had to be extremely cautious of them as well.
5.1 Findings
5.2 Your Committee was informed that the deminers were confronted with a myriad of challenges. Some minefields such as Mukumbura to Rwenya and the Sango Border Post to Crooks Corner were made up of different minefields running parallel to each other, a situation that made it extremely difficult to remove the landmines as some of them had been washed away from the areas where they had initially been laid. These minefields were of varying patterns consisting of below and above surface mines.
5.3 Animal and human actions had also contributed to uncontrolled detonations of landmines. Owing to the varying patterns used in the distribution of mines with some having been disturbed by animals and weather conditions, the deminers were always at risk of missing the mines. Furthermore, the locals had since removed some of the plough shear mine pickets.
5.4 Some minefields had snakes, a situation that posed serious challenges to deminers, hence the need to provide miners with adequate protective clothing in the form of boots in order to avert snake bites.
5.5 The weather had also played its role as well, with some landmines having been washed away by floods or buried deep underground. Buried landmines are still very effective and dangerous to human beings and livestock. Furthermore, some areas experience extreme temperatures which make it very difficult for deminers to work during the hot season. Further challenges are also experienced during the cold season which all add to the woes of recovering the mines under very unfriendly weather conditions. Rains also fall heavy in some of the areas leaving the minefields prone to floods.
5.6 Other challenges experienced include insects, namely the morphine flies, which produces an irritating sound to the ear thereby reducing the rate of concentration for the deminers. A situation which usually results in the deminers risking injury.
5.7 The minefields have a lot of metallic objects especially plough shear fragments. Since the deminers use metallic hand held detectors to search for landmines, more time is spent as large tracts of land have to be screened for any metallic objects first before the actual demining can be done.
5.8 The vegetation in some minefields like the Sango-Crooks Corner area is dense. This makes it difficult to demine the area without clearing the vegetation first. The demining squadron uses metallic hand held detectors which need to sweep as close to the ground as possible and this is painstakingly slow.
5.9 The terrain has also changed since the time the landmines were laid. This has the effect of distorting the maps that were used during the laying of those landmines. Your Committee was informed that the minefield used to be marked but over the years, the maps have become unreliable. In other words, there are no definite records as regards the laying pattern details. It is therefore, difficult for the Squadron teams to clear the minefield at a faster pace. It has become difficult to ascertain the pattern and type of minefields in a given area.
5.10 The Squadrons have inadequate transport to ferry their troops to the minefield and also for personnel doing administrative duties during pay days.
5.11 The Sango area is also very dry hence the deminers have to rely on Mwenezi River flowing 6km away from the Dumisa Base. The Squadron requires additional water bowsers and tanks for water storage in order to ameliorate the water situation at the Base.
5.12 That the shortage of manpower and equipment hampers progress in demining activities, particularly those that fall directly under the Ministry of Defence (ZIMAC).
5.13 There are also numerous Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) strewn all over the minefields and these occasionally injure human beings and animals. This development negatively affects the Tourism Industry in the areas covered by minefields.
5.14 Lack of adequate resources such as ambulances, equipment and other essential tools has the effect of slowing down the pace of demining.
6. Observations
6.1 The situation of landmines throughout the Border areas in the
Eastern and South Eastern parts of the country resembles a similar pattern. Minefields in the Eastern Border were laid by the Smith regime in order to minimize easy access to the war front by liberation war fighters.
6.2 Your Committee observed that three minefields covered the stretch of land from Sheba to Beacon Hill, and Rusitu to Muzite Mission in addition to Sango Border Post to Crooks Corner. These minefields covered productive land hence they require clearance to enable land hungry communities and resettled farmers to utilize the land productively. The minefield in the Burma Valley has since been cleared and awaits to be handed over to the local communities.
6.3 Your Committee also observed private deminers, the
Norwegian Aid People’s Agency clearing the Border Stream area in cooperation with the ZIMAC and this is commendable. Zimbabwe as a signatory to the Ottawa Convention had failed to clear the landmines by
January 2015 which was the deadline set,
- Recommendations:-
7.1 Your Committee would like to make the following recommendations:-
- That since the issue of landmines is a devastating humanitarian Crisis, it has to be given the highest priority in terms of resource allocations so that the mines can be cleared. The one hundred thousand dollars that had been allocated in the previous years is just paltry and cannot sustain such an enormous programme.
- The Ministry of Defence should engage the donor community to assist in the clearing of land mines as a matter of urgency.
- That the countries that assisted their kith and kin to lay landmines in Zimbabwe should come forward and help remove their landmines which have become a holocaust for our citizens.
- That more Squadron teams be trained and deployed for demining activities if the country is to rid itself of landmines that continue to maim and kill people, game and livestock thirty five years after the attainment of independence.
- There is need to service the roads in order to allow troop carrying vehicles and adequate water supply and other equipment to be ferried to the minefield to alleviate the challenges which have affected the work of the deminers and thus, reducing their work rate.
- That appropriate equipment similar to the hand held Standoff Mine Detection Service (STAMID) equipment be acquired to speed up the pace of demining activities.
8. Conclusion
8.1 Your Committee is extremely concerned that the ordinary citizens living in the border areas where landmines were laid continue to bear the brunt of the war long after the country was liberated. It is your Committee’s fervent hope that adequate funds would be allocated for demining activities.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you madam Speaker for affording
me this opportunity to add my voice to the report from the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. Madam Speaker, it is of paramount importance to note that your Committee managed to go as far as Crooks Corner to go and see on its own the situation that we have with regards to landmines. This was a historic visit by the Committee since independence.
Since 1980, Madam Speaker, no Committee of Parliament has gone to Crooks Corner to see the situation of land mines –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- This was a landmark achievement by this
Parliament, so Madam Speaker you have to pride in yourself that your Committee in this period, has achieved something which was never done since 1980.
Madam Speaker, when we went to Crooks Corner, it is important to note how we traveled. From here we went to Beitbridge, when we got there, we woke up around Six o’clock in the morning as a Committee with our Chairperson, Hon. Muderedzwa. We left Beitbridge around past Six to Seven o’clock a.m.; we got at Crooks Corner to observe the landmine clearing exercise around past Three o’clock in the afternoon. The distance we travelled is very long and the greater part of the road is dusty, it needs attention. When we got there, everyone was hungry and thirsty because along the way there are no shops, you will be just moving within a Park. So, it was quite an achievement.
Madam Speaker, after the exercise, when we left Crooks Corner for Masvingo Hotel at around 4 a.m. so it was quite something.
It is important Madam Speaker, to note that when we went to
Crook’s Corner, we managed to meet chiefs and some members of the community. We noted from their presentations that at their place we had victims of landmines who have no limbs and some their legs were affected, and had quite a number of ailments as a result of the landmines. They gave us so many grievances of which our Chairman has presented quite a number of them.
In terms of the laws of this country, there is a responsibility which the people look unto Government to help them in terms of social assistance, especially bearing in mind that these people were victims of landmines. Due to the challenges that we are experiencing in this country, these people are not getting access to the social support which is meant for them to survive because most of them now are disabled as a result of the landmines and are in need of wheelchairs and crutches.
They cannot afford all these on their own. More so, they look upon the Government which by the time we visited them had not given them any form of assistance.
It is important Madam Speaker, to look into that seriously, especially the Executive and the Hon. Deputy Minister who is here and responsible for that, to note that we have people in Crook’s Corner who are victims of landmines and need access to wheelchairs, crutches and social support. If you can, please put them on the list of priority to go and assist them.
Madam Speaker, from the presentations that were done with regard to the officers and the private sector which is into the demining exercise, the implementers of this exercise, we noted that there is nowhere in terms of the labour laws of this country that these de-miners are considered as a skilled workforce. They have no grade. So, in terms of their job description in this country, it is not anywhere in the laws.
It is important Madam Speaker to note that these de-miners are doing a life and death responsibility, but if you look at the allowances and the monies that they are getting, it is more of peanuts. It is important for Parliament to appreciate the best thing that these de-miners are doing, regardless of the monies that they are getting. We noted that the exercise that they are doing is of paramount importance but when you look at the remuneration given to them, it is quite pathetic. So Madam Speaker, I think in the future and in the long term, it is best for these deminers to be accorded a grade and name in terms of being a skilled workforce in terms of the laws of this country.
One other thing Madam Speaker that we observed is that so many people are losing their livestock. You remember that in this country the culture that we have is that livestock is part of our wealth. Livestock is part of what we use whenever we have problems. We sell our livestock to attend to our problems and we noted that the communities in these mined areas are suffering losses of livestock. The livestock will be looking for grazing areas and naturally, they go into these areas and are affected by the mines.
The other thing which I realised - regardless of the perception that we get when people address issues in connection with politics of this country, at times we get this picture that we are not getting any support from Europe and America. The picture which is generally put across is that America has put sanctions, blab blah and it is not giving us any support. Madam Speaker, when we went to Vumba, I noted that we are actually being headed there by people who are giving us the expertise to do this de-mining exercise. The people are from Yugoslavia which is part of Europe. We saw people from Norway, the then Yugoslavia which is now Serbia and all those countries.
We also noted that we had the support of the Americans because we found these people putting on safety clothing with the flags on them. I was with Hon. Mandipaka and Hon. Muderedzwa, and they noted that they had two European flags on their safety clothes which were emblazoned with European flags. One Hon. Member asked why they had those flags on their safety clothes and they were told that those were the people who were funding the exercise and therefore, the need to have the flags understood that they were playing a role in the demining exercise which is happening in Zimbabwe, with the assistance of the Europeans and Americans, against the perception that there are these sanctions and so on.
Madam Speaker, I will give room for my other colleagues who will give their view on the visit that we undertook. Last but not least, if this House can recognise that we have de-miners who are doing a very good job in this country but they have no record of what skilled labour or grade they fall under. So, it is important to look into that and they are getting a paltry salary against a life and death responsibility that they are doing.
HON. MANDIPAKA: I would like to congratulate our Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Muderedzwa and also thank and respect Hon. Mutseyami for seconding the motion. It is historically accurate to state for the record that prior to independence, we had a very brutal and merciless regime which planted landmines almost everywhere. The idea was to destroy, kill, eradicate and phase out those sons and daughters who went to fight for the independence which we enjoy today. Mr. Speaker, it is not farfetched to indicate that history will judge the Rhodesians as the most brutal people that ever visited this country now called Zimbabwe. The situation of landmines in Zimbabwe needs attention. Why do we say it needs attention; it is because 35 years after Independence, people cannot continue to live in perpetual fear of being killed. Even donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats also live in perpetual fear of these landmines that were planted almost everywhere. Hon. Member Mutseyami talked about the Rhodesians that we met in Burma Valley, I want to say yes, it is paramount that they carryout demining activities because they are the ones to blame.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my debate is going to be very short and it has to do with the people that we met at Crooks Corner. They were giving harrowing experiences of how they were tormented by these landmines, the landmines that were planted by the Rhodesians. You would actually sympathise with their situation.
Hon. Mutseyami was correct to say that these people need psychological and social support. They need support in various ways. Some have been affected psychologically, some do not have the necessary tools to use because some need clutches, wheelchairs, food and even clothes. I want this afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir, to call upon Parliamentarians in their sympathy, if each individual can donate US$100 to the cause of these people that are in Crooks Corner; the money will go a long way in demonstrating our sympathy towards the people that we represent. I also want to call upon the international community; the donor community, diplomats from various countries to heed our call to carry out humanitarian assistance on these people that have been affected by landmines, not only in Crooks Corner, but also those in Burma Valley.
Hon. Mutseyami talked about the manner in which we travelled. It was an arduous journey, full of fatigue, the distances were very long. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to congratulate Hon. Mavhenyengwa who is a member of this Committee. We were almost starving when we were
given food at Hon. Mavhenyengwa’s homestead in Masvingo, I want to congratulate him for his generosity and mercy. With meagre resources, he was able to feed more than 20 Members of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to call upon the Government of
Zimbabwe to ensure that they give adequate resources to the National Anti-Clearance Squadron of the Zimbabwe National Army. These officers; men and women, should be congratulated for what they are doing. The risks that are before them are quite enormous but they are doing their best under very difficult conditions to make sure that they carry out demining activities. If you look at the types of allowances that these men and women are getting; they are very little, it is not substantial. We call upon the relevant ministry to ensure that this National Anti-Clearance Squadron is catered for in terms of welfare.
They should have adequate material to carry out the demining activities.
When they were giving their testimonies, you could see that they were not very happy. You could actually see that they are in those bushes but they are not adequately resourced to be able to carry out their duties competently.
I call upon well wishers to come to their rescue to ensure that we provide adequate resources for that enormous task. There is need on our part as a country to move with speed and ensure that the demining exercise is conducted with speed so that our people do not live in perpetual fear. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. A. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I want to
add my voice on the issue before this House. As we were travelling, we met a lot of challenges. The people who are carrying out the demining exercise are going to spend a lot of time there because they are moving slowly, inch by inch. They do not know how many landmines are there and they are not sure of the next move. Officers there face a challenge because ambulances are there but if anything happens there, the roads are not good. Also, I did not see any hospital nearby which can serve them. There is no water there for the officers who are carrying out the exercise. Mr. Speaker Sir, I do not know what can be done because those who were affected by landmines cannot do farming because they are old. I think they need to be supported because if you see them limping, it is really a pathetic situation. They cannot stand up on their own; they need a lot of support which means in their homes, they are facing those challenges.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the officers carrying out the exercise do not have enough food. They work in the sun and their food is not nutritious. If possible, I urge the Ministry of Finance to give them more resources. People were settled there, they were settled in areas where the landmines have been removed and they are helping those who have been amputated through landmines. They are looking after those who lost their limbs and also the welfare of our officers. They also do not have proper machinery to use.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am appealing to the Members of Parliament that when we are here, we are representing the people. We should work as a team so that when we go out there, we should not fight but we should serve a purpose so that when we come back here, we should engage in meaningful debate. If we go out there divided on political lines, it does not help anyone. We should work together and come up with one thing to help our people because when we meet these people out there, they do not know which party we belong to. So, we should work together as a team because we were chosen by the electorate, they chose us because we are good representatives, so we should work to their expectations. We should not fight amongst ourselves. When we go out there the people will be confused. So, I am appealing for unity amongst our members so that we serve one purpose. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
*HON. RUNGANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I also want to add my voice on this motion. I also belong to this Committee and I also took part in the demining exercise. For us to get to Crook’s Corner, it was a miracle and we were really challenged when we saw the way people there are living. The land mines there, if you see the area that they are planted, it is really a large area and our officers do not have good machinery to locate the mines. The demonstration that they gave us was not a good sight to look at. It was terrifying. I think the Government should really look into that issue because the roads are in a sorry state. If the roads are not good, it is a danger when the ambulances are plying that road. We saw people who lost their limbs.
I have stood up just to plead with the Government that we should prioritise demining. The place made me think of Gonarezhou where mines were also planted. I think they planted those land mines not with people in mind. The houses they are staying in are not in a good condition and they walk for seven kilometers in search of water. I think they should be provided with good accommodation so that when they are working, they will do it whole heartedly.
From there, we went to Manicaland. We went to Burma Valley and we saw the land mines that were removed. Then at Border Streams, we saw a lot of land mines. There are a lot of land mines planted there so that people who want to cross the border illegally into Mozambique, they endanger their lives. There is a factory there, but when the whites planted the land mines, they just left a strip which leads to their company. Now after 35 years, we still have those land mines. I think we should encourage the Government to deal with those land mines so that our people live safely.
What made me really happy is that we met seven women engineers who were engaging in demining at Border Streams. So as a Committee, we are encouraging the Government that those land mines should be removed because our people are losing limbs. We do not want to think of the war. After independence, we thought that we could move freely as Zimbabweans. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. GWANETSA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank you for affording me this time to add my voice. Firstly, I would like to thank the Chairman of the Committee Hon. Muderedzwa and the seconder Hon. Mutseyami on this pertinent issue of land mines. I think they said for the past 36 years, there has been no Member of Parliament who has visited those areas which are infected with land mines.
As a member of the forces, I knew all the mine fields around the country, but for today, let me look at Crook’s Corner where we first visited as a Committee. Crook’s Corner is 53km with a depth of 700m to 1 km and the area that is infested with land mines is 40 000 hectares to 45 000 hectares. That area still belongs to Rhodesia because there is nothing that we can do in that area. You cannot farm, practice ranching or tourism. That is my constituency. It borders with South Africa and
Mozambique. People are dying. If they die or are injured in that area, you cannot remove them. They will rot in there. If domestic or wild animals enter that area, they die.
The Government of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa have come up with Trans Africa, but the Government cannot realise anything because of the land mines and this is affecting our economy as Zimbabwe; 45 000 hectares which are under mines. The area is as big as where sugar is planted in the low veld and people are dying in that area. The hon. members who went there saw for themselves that from Chiredzi to get to that area, you have to travel 250km and the soldiers who are working there, you will feel sorry for them because if they are injured, the nearest hospital is 150km which is Chikombedzi Hospital.
Those who are well versed with land mines, like wine, they mature with age, so being buried for 36 years means they are now very dangerous. The statistics that I have in my constituency are that I have more than 50 people who have lost their limbs and some have lost their arms. I am looking at the social welfare that they will chip in and help.
The mine field is the worst war under the earth. So, with its ugliness, we can say all the mines that are buried there, it is a Zimbabwean soldier and that area is still Rhodesia because we have not moved to show that we are independent in that area. So, we are pleading with the Government that they should speed up the process and that the NGOs and embassies should also be given the chance to go and visit those areas so that they will know the situation there. I would like to thank the Minister of Defence who has gone out of his way. In November 2015, I was given 15 artificial limbs to give to the affected people who were referred by other members of the community. Some of them got artificial hands. If you see these people, it is a sorry state. Some families have broken down but they still want to live normal lives. That is what we are faced with in areas affected with land mines.
If we can speak with one voice, as representatives of people in support of what Hon. Mandipaka said, that those people should get the help they need. We should also look at the welfare of the soldiers who are doing the de-mining. Wives of these soldiers when their husbands go out there, are not sure whether they will come back. I feel they should be looked after properly and should always thank the Lord after completing their assignments safely.
We should also recommend for the upgrade of allowances of the members of this particular Committee because there is eminent danger there. I come from that constituency; land mines move with water. If they are pushed by water, we do not know where they are deposited. Probably, their destinations will be fields of people. I think the process should be speeded up because it is affecting animals and our tourism. I really want to thank the Committee that after 36 years, they have taken a step to visit the area.
If we remove all the land mines, it means that we would have completed our struggle for independence because the Rhodesian soldiers are still represented by the land mines. I would also want to thank the Hon. Members who highlighted the plight of people who stay in land mines infested areas. Thank you.
HON. CHIWETU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me add my
voice to this well presented report by the Chairman. Mr. Speaker Sir,
the Rhodesians were very cruel and they are still cruel – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – If we go back to the report, what my
Chairman said, the mines which are in Zimbabwe are more than those in
Cambodia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is because these Rhodesians were afraid of the war, hence they did not plan the way they planted these land mines. They did what we call the ‘broadcasting system’. They just threw them all over the border. It is a sad story; I wish one of these days you would go there and see for yourselves how people are living in those areas.
I would like to add this point to what other speakers said, this is still a danger to the locals. At one time, there were these con-people who went to these affected areas and told the people that there was red mercury in these land mines. We spoke to the squadron which was in the Crooks Corner, they said they had to go and recover some of the land mines from the houses. You see how dangerous these mines are. This is another generation which was born after the war. A generation which did not witness the war; a generation which does not know what a land mine can do. They thought about money and thought they were going to get red mercury from those land mines. They collected them. Lucky enough, they did not detonate in their houses. I plead with the Government that it is high time they train another squadron to assist in de-mining. It is a pathetic situation Mr. Speaker Sir.
The meager or paltry salaries, the soldiers are getting as compared to those they are working hand in glove with; those who are employed by Norway- we have got a Zimbabwean Dyke who did the de-mining in Afghanistan. He left this country to go and de-mine in Afghanistan because he knew he was going to get money. We have people who have got the capacity to assist, but because the Government is not supportive and the people who planted the land mines are not supportive, it is going to take us another 40 years – four or five generations who are going to experience disasters and deaths which are unwarranted for them because they do not know what the war was for.
I think it is wise to add what other speakers have said, that the people who planted these mines or those who were backing them should be approached so that they come back and remove their mines. I thank you.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to add my voice and congratulate the Chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. I also want to say, a nation without an army is a nation without protection. It is a nation which is akin to a naked person or akin to be likened to a mermaid. In the same vein, I want to congratulate this nation for having soldiers in its nation – not as a former soldier but as a soldier, they will give protection. Once a soldier, always a soldier – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
I want to say we need to add resources to the anti-land mine clearing squadron so that they can effectively de-mine those areas that are infested with mines, effectively as we have heard from the former speakers that a mine will live and it will mature with age.
I also want to touch in the same vein what His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of ZANU PF said at the United Nations recently that, the neo-colonialists and the colonialists are protecting their interests, not only in Cambodia and Vietnam and other areas, but also in Zimbabwe by making sure that Africa does not have permanent seats in the Security Council. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
Mr. Speaker Sir, if we had permanent seats in the Security Council long before now, we would have seen that we have got a need in Zimbabwe in particular, and Africa in general that needs demining effort. We would optimally have conducted that activity by now. This is because we do not have permanent seats. Those that have permanent seats and Europe in particular, concentrate on the issues to do with nuclear and more nuclear. They do not concentrate on bigger nuclear which is demining activities and the mines that infest our region in Mutare, Chiredzi and other areas such as the Crooks Corner Mr. Speaker
Sir.
I want to ask - what do we do about the areas that are infested with mines and those that have been affected by those mines? I advocate for every school, not only in that area but in the whole of Zimbabwe to have a 10% intake of all those people that have been affected by mines in that area. The kids and adults that are going to learn in tertiary institutions, secondary schools and primary institutions for free so that we are seen to be walking hand in glove with the population that is marginalised because of the mines infested areas.
I also advocate for remuneration, to boost the remuneration of those people that are conducting demining activities. This is because as they go like my predecessor, the former speaker and the general have alluded to, they go there fully knowledgeable and cognisant that theirs is an ultimate sacrifice; they might not come back. So, I advocate that there be an upward review of their remuneration. This is not only a department or a squadron, but this is a specialised squadron Mr. Speaker Sir that makes sure that today here we are, in the centre of Zimbabwe and we enjoy life to its fullest.
I should hasten to say Zimbabwe is not Harare alone, Bulawayo, Gweru, Chegutu or Kadoma alone. Zimbabwe also involves the people that are marginalised, that cannot carry out their activities in those land mine infested areas. So, we should not be blinded by good life and good food of Harare, Chegutu, Kadoma, Bulawayo and other areas that do not have land mines. We should speak with one voice and make a clarion call so that we can better the livelihood of those people that are in those areas by making sure that we enhance the activities of this squadron, by upward review of their conditions of service.
Mr. Speaker Sir, without the demining efforts, that land as my predecessor has said, is lying far and lying to waste. I am cognisant and alive to the fact that there is new technological advancement in the whole world that speaks to demining activities. As Zimbabwe in particular and Africa in general, we are oblivious of that fact because the door has been closed by a small clique of the world’s community which is the Europeans and their counterparts. We cannot have a buy-in into the Security Council. We cannot have a buy-in into inventions and the knowledge of inventions because we are still under the bondage and the yoke of the neo-colonialists and the colonialists.
As soon as they open the frontage and the door to invention, the
Security Council, the United Nations; we in Zimbabwe are going to be liberated and in Africa in general, through the demining efforts Mr. Speaker Sir, and through technological advancement that is going to be employed for the good of the demining efforts. We only have one Zimbabwe and it includes the 45 000 or more hectares that is mined. We should be cognisant of the fact that if we do not optimally utilise that place, we are only shooting ourselves in the foot as a nation. If we cannot demine that place as Zimbabwe, we cannot mine in it to remove the resources that can make sure we empower our nation using our God- given resources that is gold and other activities.
Finally, the point should be well ventilated. Those that put those mines there should be encouraged to come back and remove them. If they do not, they should be encouraged to compensate this nation so that we can utilise that money and those resources in the demining efforts. We should not have technological and manpower development flight because we cannot provide for those that are in the demining sector. If you put in a soldier especially in the engineering squadron and in this squadron, you can quickly put a bridge across a river in Negande area of Kariba. Soldiers should not be taken for granted.
They offer selfless dedication and service. Soldiers are the ones that brought us this nation. Even as we get remunerated in terms of salaries, they should be the first to get their salaries. All those that have been maimed and disabled because of this sacrifice that they have made of demining efforts, and going to war for this nation should be given services for free. The Executive and all Ministries should clamour for wanting to give services to all these people that are offering this selfless service to this nation.
They should say to themselves, what is it that we can give and offer for these people that are offering selfless dedication and service to this nation. At this point Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the Chairman of this Committee once again for bringing to the fore the issue of these mines and mining activities in that area. I congratulate him for his report. I thank you.
*HON. MURAYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to make my contribution on this important report from the Committee on Defence. I salute this Committee for gathering up enough courage to visit this area which is infested with land mines and had not been visited by any Parliamentary Committee in our 36 years of independence. This shows that this is a very dedicated Committee that is mindful of its duties.
There are a few painful points I would like to raise on this report we are debating. I believe de-mining of this region and other similarly infested regions in the country should have been given first priority in our development projects. De-mining of these areas would have made the citizens of these regions develop and prosper at the same rate with their compatriots and thus enjoy the fruits of independence and freedom.
Hon. General Gwanetsa in whose Constituency mine infested Crooks Corner falls expresses the opinion that lack of freedom of movement by people in this area is like that of people still living in
Rhodesia. Mr. Speaker Sir, there should be a change of heart to show
that we defeated the oppressive regime, but when we still have people living in fear of death and injuries to man and property because of land mines, there is no independence and there is no freedom.
Hon. Member who are former freedom fighters know how to deal and travel in such dangerous areas. During election time you carry out your campaigns throughout this dangerous Constituency and when you win you come and represent your people in Parliament. Unlike you, the people in your Constituency are not trained cadres and are in constant danger from these explosive devices.
As Parliament of Zimbabwe let us deal conclusively with this matter just like what Mozambique and Angola did who had the same fate of land mines infestation - they de-mined them. We need to change our attitude as a country and eliminate these mines once and for all. We can do this successfully by adopting enough support, remuneration and welfare for the personnel responsible for de-mining. What is the budget which can enable us to successfully de-mine Zimbabwe? If we are prepared as a country to eliminate the land mines, we will put it high on our National Budget, just like we do in our current budget system. We are spending money on some unnecessary items which money could be used in de-mining.
After the war we showed that we did not want any problems in the country hence all combatants were ordered to surrender their arms so that we can have peace in this country. The same urgency we showed is the same urgency which we should show in de-mining programmes. It is my belief that all Zimbabweans regardless of where they are we should empathise with the people in lad mine infested areas and have the zeal that they be de-mined. I felt very hurt when I heard Members of Parliament boasting that they are military personnel which I think is an empty boast as long as we still have land mines in this country. I challenge you my fellow trained military personnel to take it upon yourselves to lead the crusade against land mines. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MNISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR
AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Mr.
Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th February, 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MNISTER OF PUBLIC
SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE), the House adjourned at One Minute past Five
O’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE
BILLS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the
Senate that I have received the following Bills from the National Assembly:
- The General Laws Amendment Bill (H. B. 3A 2015).
- The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill (H.B. 2B
2015).
CHANGES AND APPOINTMENTS TO THEMATIC
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I also have to
inform the Senate that the following Hon. Senators have been nominated to serve in Thematic Committees as follows: Hon. Senator T. S.
Chipanga - Human Rights as well as Peace and Security and Hon.
Senator Makwarimba - Human Rights as well as Millennium Development Goals.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA, INFORMATION
AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SENATOR
MATHUTHU): I move that Order Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SENATOR TAWENGWA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MASUKU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 24th February, 2016.
MOTION
DECLINING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE
COUNTRY
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the socioeconomic conditions in the country.
Question again proposed.
HON. SENATOR B. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam President. I
want to believe that many Senators have expressed their opinions on the Motion. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the Senators across the political divide. I will not mention them by name but will recognise that over 20 Senators contributed to this Motion.
I respect the diversity of views expressed, when two economists meet, they never agree. When many lay-economists meet, they are likely to disagree more. I am not offended by views that were contrary to my views because I believe that is the society that we should build in Zimbabwe where there is accommodation for various views. I want to sincerely thank all the Senators for the robust debate. I am sure that the more robust we are about examining our problems, a better Zimbabwe we will build.
Now, I want to move on Madam President and apologise for one error in my presentation. It was not an error of fixation of mind but an error of presentation where I stated that the national herd had stabilized around three million and at the same time, stated that the national herd stands at five million but it had not increased. A close analysis of my statement will show that, that was some minor confusion in my statement. Besides that, I have no apology for any content in my presentation because I believe the rest of it was factual.
I have been challenged or it has been challenged that what I stated was exactly what was covered by the President. I accept that and also want to state that I know of no provision in this country, neither in the Constitution nor elsewhere where statements by the President cannot be further developed or where they are sacrosanct because they have been stated by the President. I was giving effect to statements made by the President when I said that the State needs to invigorate their efforts towards FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments) and I make no apology about
that.
I further want to make some observation. I stated that we have had ten policy statements in a space of 35 years and I insist that if you have ten policy statements in a space of 35 years and there are no positive results from any of those then there have been various levels of incompetence which are either at the development, implementation or at both those stages.
Madam President, I recognise that during debate, utterances tended to point at me personally. I acknowledge that a few Senators came to my defence. I also acknowledge that I did not raise a Point of Order because I respect the right of any individual to express his/her opinion without interruption. However, I must clearly mention that my name is Bheki Sibanda. I am not in any way associated with Tendai Biti or his statements. Therefore, gesturing at me when you are emphasizing
Tendai’s points of views, I consider irrelevant. It reminds me of a fight between Mike Tyson and I think, Evander Holyfield where Mike Tyson went for Holyfield’s ear forgetting that the subject was boxing. I insist that the subject on that day was economics and had absolutely nothing to do with my personality.
Madam President, I want to explore a few myths that were raised. It was raised during debate that the economic decline in this nation is largely due to sanctions. I dispute that. We first had ESAP (Economic Structural Adjustment Programme) in the early 90s, almost a decade before the so called sanctions were imposed. I, therefore, feel that
Zimbabwe must face up to the facts …
MADAM PRESIDENT: Order, order hon. Senator. I do not
think you can, with a straight face, say ‘so called’ because they are there.
HON. SEN. B. SIBANDA: Madam President, I believe that the
ruling from the Chair is final but quite sincerely, I believe that the negative performance of our economy is due to a laissez faire attitude, corruption, our failure to listen to each other and also due to incompetence because I emphasise, if you wrote an examination ten times and did not pass it eight to ten times, you have failed to do your job.
It was also raised during debate that we need to prove that there is corruption in this country. I urge all Senators to regularly refer to the
Auditor-General’s Report on the goings on at Air Zimbabwe, the
Willowgate scandal where it was explained that the Ministers were punished by being demoted. I am sorry that most of us in this country believe that the punishment did not equal the offence.
I also believe that we cannot question the existence of corruption in this county after the Vice President and Chief Justice of this country participated in an anti-corruption launch. In IsiNdebele we say that, you cannot query whether a goat is male or female because it is obvious. Therefore, I do not see any reason why anybody should be asked to prove that there is corruption in this county.
Now, I will move on and talk about the issue of questioning the usefulness of the GNU (Government of National Unity). I will not argue the case for the GNU as I did not actively participate in the GNU. Those who participated in the GNU have put a clear case about how helpful the GNU was. I will only quote what the President said. The President in an interview with CNN said, “The Inclusive Government is a real power-sharing agreement, do not denigrate it.” I will end there.
What are the future prospects of our economic thrust? Madam
President, I want to believe that it is within the capacity of Zimbabweans to re-engineer and redirect this economy. We are capable, history says we are capable, as we have overcome numerous problems to deal with issues in this nation. I insist that unless we put our heads together, come together and recognise that the Zimbabwean society is bigger than the three to four political parties that may be involved, we are not likely to get out of this economic quandary.
I therefore urge that my two suggestions that we should get together sit down and explore all the possibilities about redirecting our economy. I will skip the second suggestion but having made those observations, I would like to propose that this Senate adopts the Motion that I raised and once again I would like to sincerely thank the entire Senate and encourage the Senate to engage in more robust debate each time issues of national importance are raised. I thank you Madam
President. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear] -
MADAM PRESIDENT: Could you move that your Motion be adopted.
HON. SEN. B. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam President. I move
That this House –
CONCERNED about the socio – economic conditions in the nation which are direct result of: (a) A heavily underperforming agricultural sector; (b) A collapsed and continually collapsing industrial sector; (c) Unchecked corruption perpetrated at the higher echelons of society;
NOTING that there have been no concerted and consistent efforts over the past 20 years to stem economic decline, except during the brief period of the inclusive government, in spite the numerous economic blueprints produced by government including ZIMASSET;
WORRIED about the looming food shortages especially in the southern and eastern regions as a result of inter alia, continued poor performance in the agricultural sector;
ALARMED by the number of organisations, including the private sector, parastatal and government itself, that are either downsizing or downright closing down;
FURTHER CONCERNED about the collapse of the formal sector and close to total substitution of this sector by the informal sector;
NOW THEREFORE calls upon government to; (a) Convene a
national stake holders Indaba to address these critical national economic challenges; (b) Stop high level corruption which will emasculate recovery programs; (c) Make concerted efforts to resuscitate international FDI and domestic investment to jump start the economy; and (d) Improve domestic productivity through export incentive and productivity based remuneration.
Motion put and adopted.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE DELEGATION
TO THE 7TH WORLD WATER CONFERENCE
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Parliament of Zimbabwe Delegation to the 7th World Water
Conference.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. NDHLOVU: Thank you Madam President for
giving me the opportunity to contribute on the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa from Matabeleland South. I will make a few contribution. We come from the same constituency which has a problem of water. Matabeleland South has serious predicaments on matters of water. We should put our ideas together so that we can find out what we can do for water to be available.
For water to be available, there should be rains. When we have rains, we should have ways to harvest the rain so as to help the people and the animals. In my constituency, it is difficult to get water. There is no dam. There are boreholes in some areas and none in others. People walk about ten kilometers to fetch water.
For children to bath before they go to school, each child has to bring five litres after school then walk ten kilometers on the following day in the morning having taken a bath.
Looking at expecting mothers, there is a woman who has ran away from her husband because of this water crisis. She had no intention of doing this but because of the difficulty in finding water, she had to leave. When one is a daughter in law, one is expected to carry out such chores but when you are not used to it, it is difficult.
School children need water to drink because they are involved in a lot of activities but they cannot access that water. A child brings 400 or 500 ml of water to school – that water will be hot in the afternoon when they want to drink it. We are therefore requesting that if there are Non Governmental Organisations or those who can look at water matters should look at the country holistically. There are no boreholes, no dams and cattle are dying. For the beasts to access water they also have to walk ten kilometers.
I therefore request that boreholes be dug so that we can access water in this constituency. That is my contribution Madam President. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity for me to contribute to this important motion. My colleagues have raised a number of things and I would like to add that water is life. Without water, everything is difficult.
On earth, there is a lot of water that was created by God. If we read the Bible, we find that the percentage of dry land is smaller than that which is under water. Right now we are talking of portable water for use in agriculture and to generate electricity. For us to have light, we depend on generated or idle electricity.
When we were growing up and when it was time for the rains, people would pray. Others have said we would go and request for rain at the right time. There are a lot of things that happen during that rainy season. When the rains were just about to come, it was not a problem to be rained when you were in the bush. Even when you were at home, you would go out in the yard to be bathed by the raining water. It showed that you were lucky. Those days the rains were good and it was raining very well. The rains would come with a lot of thunderstorms but there were not damages at all. This problem of water has affected the whole world.
At this conference where Senator Mlotshwa went to and made a report to us here – the important thing on this matter is that since water is a problem, how can we preserve water since water is important? There are ways of conserving water by making dams, boreholes and so on. Long ago, people would just go into the river base and dig for water there. We also had wetlands a long time ago. We, as a people, we are a problem Madam President. When we were growing up, we would listen to advise given to us by our elders. We would believe such advise and that would make the world move properly. Now, if we give our children some instructions, they tend to disagree.
I have observed that there are wetlands which have been there since our birth but now these are getting dry now. There is no water anymore. Those were natural things created by God. But people have defiled on such places. There are a lot of things that happen and cause water not to be there. We are talking of water under the earth, created by God for a purpose but we also get rains from the heavens to help us have food and water to drink as well as all those other things that we know. We are no longer receiving the same type of rains like we used to. When we get rains we get thunderstorms and winds that cause damages. Now, when people see the rains coming, they are no longer happy because they fear destruction.
This Conference happened so as to pool ideas on water from the whole world. Now, on our own, in this august House, what are our views? What do we wish our people to know so that they know what is there to help us? The rains do come but it is said that we should go and request the rains at the right time, which is from October to September. Yes, there is climate change, but we also have gone astray because we have been told that the chiefs who are in charge of these things have a problem. Chiefs, it is your responsibility as leaders, particularly in communal areas where there are a lot of things going wrong, such as people being struck by lightning. Please go there and help the people so that they do not do things that will cause problems. At weddings people cut down trees so as to stop the rains. No, you cannot be chasing the rains away. Remember that the rains come at their own prescribed time. When you then want those rains to come, will you be able to make them come?
The responsibility is on you traditional leaders. You have people behind you and when you have your meetings - we know you are still respected and we also respect you here; we request that you take this matter to your people because there are a lot of things that are happening. Even though some of the things are not that obvious, rain comes from God and comes at the right time. When that rain is supposed to come, people should not interfere by engaging in matters that will cause the rains not to come. People should also not cause others to be struck by lightning. There are a lot of things that are done by people that cause the rains not to come down. Yesterday, I heard on the radio the narration on the El Nino heat wave. It is so hot and that heat has caused the levels of water to deplete to such an extent that even the water that we had, which should have lasted up to three years, cannot get us that far. The water table has gone down.
So, it is important that we have traditional leaders in this House. We request them to take this issue to the people and request them not to engage in acts that cause problems for us, in terms of rains. God wishes us well by giving us rains at the right time. Those who travel by air, you have observed that when you go up, it appears as though there are no clouds but you will find that there are a lot of clouds with a lot of water but that water is not coming down. God loves us and gives us rains but we are a problem. We have our science, which is so advanced and is against what God wishes for us. That causes heavy rains to be destructive. This issue is important and there is need for us to engage each other on this matter. I refer this matter back to our traditional leaders who are the people who can take this message to the people not to build on wetlands.
No taboo matters should be tolerated because they chase away the rains. God will not be happy to see his people perish from something that is not supposed to kill them. Hence the bible says that at the end of the times there will be this and that, but God wishes us well by giving us rains at the right time so that we have enough food.
I would like to thank all those who brought this report to this House because it is very important. Initially, it was not all that important to me but as the debate unfolded, I realised that we cannot live without water to bathe and look presentable. If we begin to ration our water – I know that Kariba only has a few days left for it not to have electricity generated from there. We request therefore that if this matter is being debated, it should be given the importance that it deserves. We should also pray. There is no need to go and congregate elsewhere but to simply make a prayer request for the rains to come at the right time. We cannot get rains in June. This is the time for the rains which should start from September and end in April. Winter is winter, though nothing is impossible with God. We would like our traditional leaders to have something to discuss with their people. I thank you Madam President. *HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Madam
President for giving me this opportunity to make my contribution. I had not prepared to debate on the rainfall but I have listened to the debate by previous speakers on this topic and this has urged me to make my contribution.
The last speaker talked a lot about traditional leaders and I felt really touched about that responsibility. I do agree that I am one of them, especially with my position as the President of the Chief’s
Council. We have been urged to encourage the general populace of Zimbabwe to adopt best practices regarding the rain. This takes me back to the debate raised by Hon. Sen. Mawire. These motions do resonate to empower us. I had a meeting with the traditional leaders in my area and we spent almost five hours looking at the cultural reasons why the rains are not falling as they do normally. By coincidence, when we concluded our discussions, there were a lot of rains and that really surprised us. In that discussion, people also talked about some taboos which we are indulging in. The female members in the discussion talked about premature babies and there are a lot of things that are happening in those areas. When the preterm babies are buried there is a certain way which should be followed and in that way we will be able to sustain our normal rainfall patterns.
I also go to church and we have heard of climate change as discussed by the scientists. As chiefs we had a meeting with Dr. Makarau who is the head of the Meteorological Department in Zimbabwe. He urged that there should be cooperation between the traditional leaders and scientists so that we rescue the country from drought and it shows that chiefs have a lot of things to be done, especially if you are to talk about climate change. Even when I got into this House, Hon. Sen. Tawengwa also asked me whether we had done some rain making ceremonies. We have also noticed that people are cutting down forests at an alarming rate and we need to do something to conserve our climate. We are glad because people have now realised that as traditional leaders we have other responsibilities which are due to us. Even when talking to the ordinary man in the street, they really feel
there is something which has to be done by traditional leaders so that we bring back our normal climate.
I am saying the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Mawire is really important. We need to look into it, scrutinise it and make constructive debate.
*HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Order! You cannot
debate another motion which has already been closed.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I am not yet debating
that motion, I was just mentioning it in reference to. There are times when we feel that the traditional leaders are not working as hard as they should be doing. The main reason is that - I will liken this to an individual who in the past was well content because he had everything he wanted like shoes, clothes, food and a car, but because of poverty that person has nothing. That person would be required to drive and get to Bulawayo in the next six hours. In the past he was to do so because he drove a Mercedes Benz but this person who is impoverished no longer travels in a Mercedes Benz but on a bicycle.
I am saying some of the responsibilities that you are giving us date back to pre-1890 when we were accorded so much respect and authority. What is happening is that you are putting more pressure on traditional leaders to meet their obligations but during the colonial era, the powers of the chiefs were usurped. As subjects of the chiefs you had some roles which you played that you are no longer doing. Therefore, this reverts me back to the motion on the expectations on the role of the traditional leaders. We do accept our responsibility, but we are also begging you to support us. Give us some of the powers and rights which we also need to discharge and be able to perform to our utmost best. Therefore, we feel if we are given enough support - I am sure when you look at the chiefs in this august House, they are people who are reasonable who can perform to the best of their ability when given enough support. I thank you.
*HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I thank you Hon. Sen.
Chief Charumbira for making your contribution on this motion raised by
Hon. Sen. Ncube. What really pleases me is that in your capacity as the President of the Chiefs Council you have made your contribution and
this is great.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MARAVA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 24th February, 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA,
INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN.
MATHUTHU), the Senate adjourned at Eighteen Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 2nd February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: In terms of
Section 39, Subsection 7(a) of the Electoral Act, Chapter 2 (13), the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has notified the Clerk of Parliament of the nomination of Hon. Senator Clemence Makwarimba as a senator. Hon. Makwarimba, a registered voter in Ward 19 of
Masvingo Rural District Council of Magan’ani rural village under Chief Mapanzure in Masvingo was nominated by the ZANU PF party to fill in the vacancy that occurred in the Senate following the recall by the ZANU PF party of the incumbent member, Hon. Dzikamai Mavhaire on the grounds that he has ceased to be a member of that party. Hon.
Senator Makwarimba was duly appointed Senator for Masvingo Province with effect from 18th December, 2015.
Section 128, Subsection I 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, subsection 2 states that the Oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament. I
therefore call upon the Clerk of Parliament to administer the Oath of a Member of Parliament to Hon. Senator Clemence Makwarimba.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
- CLEMENCE MAKWARIMBA subscribed to the Oath of
Loyalty as required by Law and took his seat – [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear] -
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I have to inform
the Senate that I have received a non-adverse report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on all the Statutory Instruments published in the Government Gazette during the month of December, 2015.
LAUNCH OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I have to inform
the House that the Hon. Chief Justice is inviting Hon. Members of Parliament to the launch of the Anti-Corruption campaign to be jointly hosted by all stakeholders in the administration of justice in Zimbabwe, 5th February, 2016 at 0900 hours at the Harare Magistrates Court.
INVITATION TO AN INAUGURAL PROVINCIAL INTER-FAITH
DAY
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I also have to
inform all senators that the Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province is inviting all Members of Parliament to an inaugural provincial inter-faith day, at the City Sports Centre, where prayers for peace and prosperity for the Harare Metropolitan Province will be conducted on Saturday, 6th February, 2016, starting at 08:00 hrs.
INVITATION TO A ROMAN CATHOLIC RECEPTION
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I have to inform
the House that the Roman Catholic Church is inviting Hon. Senators who are Catholics, to a reception to be held today, the 2nd February,
2016, at the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Africa Synod House, Corner 4th Street and Selous Avenue, starting at 17:00 hrs. Hon.
Senators are urged to attend.
INVITATION TO A SOLIDARITY MARCH
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I have to inform
the Senate that all Hon. Senators are invited by the Ministry of Women’s
Affairs, Gender and Development, to a march in solidarity with the constitutional Court ruling on the ban of marriages for children under the age of 18 tomorrow, starting at 08:00 hrs at Town House. Please collect your invitations, which have been placed in your pigeon holes.
MOTION
DECLINING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE
COUNTRY
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the socioeconomic conditions in the country.
Question again proposed
SENATOR B. SIBANDA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
SENATOR MARAVA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE DELEGATION
TO THE 7TH WORLD WATER CONFERENCE
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion on the Report of the Parliament of Zimbabwe Delegation to the 7th World Water Conference.
Question again proposed
+SENATOR B. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam President for this
opportunity to debate on this motion, which was moved by Senator
Mlotshwa. First and foremost, let me congratulate all the Senators in the
House for coming back alive this 2016. Secondly, I would like to thank God for being with you up to the end and on your visit to Korea. We saw a lot of things happening because of what was happening there. You went there but you did not die but you came back and we have to thank God for that. Thirdly, I want to thank the delegation from Zimbabwe, which went to this important conference that had to do with water and we are currently facing a drought. The other important thing is that the delegation that accompanied you, Madam President was mostly composed of women.
Women shoulder all the responsibilities when it comes to water, particularly in the rural areas. As such, it was proper for Zimbabwe to send women who know the importance of water, so that they could give us feedback from the conference. I have observed that it is mostly women who fetch water but I see a man taking 20 litres just to take a bath, without taking cognizance of where that water will have come from. During the holiday, I tried to pick up 20 litres of water, but I am not sure whether its age or it was the heaviness of that 20 litres, but I was convinced that 20 litres of water is heavy. So women are doing a good job in terms of fetching water.
I have also observed that the objective of that meeting was that as Parliamentarians, we should give our views on issues to do with water because it is indeed important. I had not observed that when I was staying here in Harare, there was no water because they had a borehole. When I sent a child to request for some water from neighbours, that is when I realised that water is important in our lives, particularly water that is palatable and used by people. Usually we take water for granted. If you go to Matabeleland South, for the past two or three weeks, there was a big problem of water shortage. People were staying at boreholes and people would drink water from the same dams that the beasts were drinking from.
This motion should be taken seriously by us as leaders because it is important in our lives. I hear that over 60% of our lives is water, so if you remove water, you are dead. I think it is proper that we should harvest water. People even fetch water from Gwanda to take it to the rural areas. The other important thing is that when you think of water, it should not only be water but water and sanitation, because most programmes have to do with water and sanitation. Sanitation is important because it cures diseases and makes our places look nice.
We used to say that Harare was the sunshine city because it was clean and there was clean water. If you look at the uncleanliness of a place and hygiene, they go hand in hand.
I will conclude by saying lack of water, how do you handle water issues as a country that runs out of water annually. I see that we leave a lot of water which goes out into the Indian Ocean. Every day, we should give ourselves the responsibility of ensuring that all the water that we lose is harvested and kept it for use in Zimbabwe.
Secondly, I have observed that we do not attach importance to our water. It is common cause that we have run out of water, and I have learnt that you can wash and bath with 5 litres. An average person like the Hon. can bath with 5 litres. If you can fill a lot of water into your tub, you use it for bathing before you even think of recycling the water by watering the loans and other things. We should shift our minds and focus on using our water sparingly.
Thirdly, water goes along with wetlands. I want to encourage us to keep our wetlands so that we can keep our water closer to us. It is very disheartening to see people drinking from the same source with beasts. I suggest therefore, that we should demarcate and put boreholes just under the dams so that when the water is sipping off the dam, it goes into the borehole. Those are the problems we meet as a country and now I am saying we should thwart such problems and ensure that we harvest the water and use it properly. We should make the work of women easier. With those words Madam President of the Senate, I thank you for the topic and the journey you went – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I thank also Hon.
Sen. Sibanda.
*HON. SEN. MACHINGAIFA: Thank you Madam President,
for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the report that was given in this House by those who went to Korea and the city of
Gyeongju. The conference was held from the 13th to the 16th of April,
- I want to thank the President of our nation His Excellency President Mugabe the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces who travelled to many countries for us to gain alliances and friends with whom we can liaise and get assistance us in development. I also want to say to all those who are here congratulations because God loves Zimbabwe and he loves all of us. We are back in 2016, and should proceed to ensure that development takes place in Zimbabwe.
This motion is very pertinent because when I heard people talk they said the head of delegation was Madam President and Senator Mlotshwa was part of the delegation as well as Hon. Wonder Mashange from the National Assembly. When they went there they did all they could as children of Zimbabwe to plead about economic challenges that we meet especially those pertaining to women? This motion is very pertinent when talking of water. Where I come from I am deeply concerned when women wake up as early as 1 a.m. to go and queue for water at the borehole, only to get water around 6 a.m. So, I hope when they went to Gyeongju in Korea, they also highlighted the challenges that we face in regard to water and hopefully they talked to others there seeking ways of empowering women in order to alleviate this challenge of getting water. Also, to ensure that water is within accessible distance because for one to carry twenty five litres of water after walking I km to it our women are deeply burdened because that is a long distance and they will never be strong. This motion is pertinent because as I was at home one of these days, there was talk of UMP; that they were only left with 14 days before they ran out of water and everyone was being given forty litres of water. Imagine such a situation! So, it is really important that in addressing the issue of water shortages, these meetings should continue and we should look into it and see what we can do to ensure that the challenges are alleviated especially in the rural areas. Even in urban areas toilets really need water if there is no water there is no life. I was looking at this motion and considering it and I thought may be the women in this House would second this motion and push for the empowerment of women in order that they acquire water. So, I want to thank you Madam President for this opportunity. –HON. SENATORS:
Hear, hear.]-
*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Madam President. I also want to support this very pertinent motion that was presented in the form of a report by the delegation that went to Korea. As has been said by many speakers, water is vital and it is not only vital to human beings but to all living creatures in this world which includes animals. Tourist resort areas that bring in foreign currency survive on water. If water is not available those animals become extinct and they die. So, water is very important we want to thank the delegation for the successful Conference because they also get best practices from other countries which we can adopt in this country.
I noticed in today’s Herald that our boreholes are drying up. To me, through such conferences like the one which was held in Korea, we then get ideas on how to address the issue or challenges of water. I want to thank Madam President and Senator Mlotshwa, for presenting this report that talked of water. We know that for all countries to be successful or to develop, they need water. In all sectors of the economy we need water. We want to thank the mover of the motion and we must give this motion due diligence. We should take the recommendations that they came with and adopt those that address the challenges in this country to ensure that we alleviate the challenges that we are facing due to water shortages.
The shortage of water also leads to disease outbreak. We want to thank the delegation that went to Korea. You were successful in that you managed to represent the country and also brought recommendations that will assist us as a nation to tackle the water problems that we are facing as you got them from other countries. We know that if such conferences are held, it is evident that such challenges are global challenges that affect human life and should be addressed. I thank you.
*HON SENATOR MAWIRE: Firstly, I want to congratulate this
House, through God’s grace we all made it into 2016, and we want to praise the Lord for that. I also want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Senator Mlotshwa for bringing this issue into this House and also for being part of the delegation that went to Korea to represent the Government.
We want to thank the Zimbabwean Government that approved that the delegation go to Korea and also the Korean Government for their welcome; giving us an opportunity to meet with other countries to discuss the issue of water that has become a challenge. Water and human beings should not be separated because water is very vital.
Even though we have little water obtained from different sources, in places where there was no rainfall, human beings were in trouble as well as animals. There was no water and food. Water is vital. We want to thank the delegation that represented Zimbabwe. You brought in recommendations that you heard and were adopted by other countries. I do not want to lengthen my debate because I heard a lot of Hon. Members talking of the importance of water. What I request is that, whatever you brought should be taken seriously by both this House and the Government. It should not be a talk show but recommendations should be implemented. When we go to such conferences what we look forward to is implementation of what we would have learnt.
It is a very painful situation. We talk about those in the rural areas having to walk long distances. I think those in the rural areas who walk long distances to get water are better off because in the urban areas we use toilets that require water. Without water it becomes a disaster. The utensils that we use need water to be washed.
Recently, I was watching the news and I heard that in Budiriro typhoid seems to be affecting the area. If we had water this would not be an issue. Long ago typhoid claimed a number of lives. I think the issue of water is important. You went to Korea and you brought recommendations and I request that you give them to the Government.
We also want to thank the Government of Zimbabwe because it strives so much to ensure that water is available. We heard that in Harare they were deprived of water for about three days in order to address a situation at the water works so that water could be available throughout. What I am saying is that water is important and animals are also important and both need water. Right now we are losing a lot of animals because of the shortage of water. If we look at what is happening, the rains that befell us a few days ago have actually improved the situation. Some of the dams that had dried up are now 40% to 50% full which is important. We do not want water to be lost to the oceans but we must ensure that we harness this water and use it as a nation. The dams that we are talking about are very few. We need to increase the number of dams in our country to ensure that we have water if we do not get enough rainfall.
I want to thank the mover of the motion Hon. Senator Mlotshwa and also for representing the Government and this House. With these few words I think I will take my seat and allow others to debate. I thank you.
*HON. SENATOR CHIEF CHISUNGA: Thank you Mr.
President for this opportunity you have given me in our first sitting of 2016. I was deeply touched by the debate that is in this House, which is emanating from the report that was presented by Members of Parliament who went to Korea for the conference that focused mainly on water. My intervention will mainly touch on water; that it is very important. Hon. Members have said a lot but I only want to emphasise on words that were spoken. Yes, water is very vital in all aspects of life. For us to survive on agriculture it is because of water. The hunger that we are experiencing today is because of shortage of water.
My request is the Government should put in place policies that ensure that people have access to water through affirmative action on the availability of engines that are able to draw water from various sources into fields.
The Government should also improve on the issues of irrigation.
Most of our farms have dams that have water ranging from 80% to
100%. I am saying this from experience because I once worked for ZINWA and my duties entailed moving around in different farms monitoring water. I remember Hon. Mnangagwa saying that, when he flew, at one time, he had not realised that as Zimbabwe we had so many dams with water. The hunger we are talking about today, can be alleviated if people were availed with irrigation equipment that they were given during the mechanisation programme in order to engage in irrigation farming.
More funds should be allocated to ensure that we have dams that are able to harness water. Our economy is agro-based, for our economy to develop, what it means is that we need to finance our agriculture. For now we are able to get inputs but water is not available because when it rains, most of the water is not being harnessed for use in our farms, so we need to harness that water so that we do not suffer from hunger.
If you look at the way things are progressing, you will realize that a bottle of water that I am holding now, in a few years time, it will be more expensive than it is today. Why? Because most people prefer mineral water, which means in the rural areas, water will also be expensive. So, it will be good if the Government embarks on programmes that ensure harnessing of this water.
As I speak, we have a policy that provides for the payment of water as it is being used. The sub-catchment areas charge the farmers for using the water. I think the Government needs to review such policies to ensure that our farmers are able to access water at an affordable cost so that our crops are able to get the required water. This will improve our food security. If there is no water, our economy will not develop and it will not be stable. If you look at all the water that we move around with, all cars need water, be it a Pajero or a Mercedes Benz, it needs water. Without water, we are not going anywhere. In our industries, there is need for water.
In other countries they convert water that is used in the sewerage reticulation and purify it and recycle it for other purposes. Water easily vapors and our efforts should be towards harnessing and harvesting water in order to utilize it for our irrigation projects. With these few words, I want to thank you Mr. President.
*CHIEF NEMBIRE: Thank you Mr. President. I have decided to add my voice to an important topic regarding our country Zimbabwe. First and foremost, let me thank the delegation that went out there and represented us. I want to say that water represents people who were sent by God to overlook into that issue. These overseers are the chiefs, they are responsible for water conservation. We urge that whenever there are important gatherings or events, chiefs should also be included because they are the custodians. They were given this duty by God.
Mr. President, water is vital in Zimbabwe. Let me start by saying that we have rivers with Shona names. Currently, these rivers are drying up because policies are being put in place without engaging the chiefs. We urge that there be inclusivity on the water issues. Chiefs should be an integral part of water issues. I only hear that there is the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) coming to my communal land as Chief Nembire, to look into the issue of water. This is done, despite the fact that the Constitution is very clear on who owns the land.
Chiefs are not greedy, we urge the various bodies that deal with water to acknowledge the presence of chiefs and give them their due respect. We observe that water issues can be quite protracted because parties from both banks of the river might fight over the use of the water. They go to court but no solution is reached. Eventually, the chief will then look into that water dispute and it will be concluded. The water should be administered by the chiefs. Money or any other items can be banked, but let us value water harvesting techniques so that the water will help us in future. With those few words, I thank the delegation for their participation. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. GOTO: Mr. President, I would like to thank you for giving me an opportunity to add a few words to this debate. I am elated by the issue that has been raised concerning water. I would like to thank all the delegates including Hon. Mlotshwa, we thank you for your representation.
First and foremost, water is life. Secondly, we are all here because of water. Water is vital and it should be conserved. I would like to support the previous speakers. I will not repeat what they said. For us to be called farmers, it is because of water. We have plenty of water and at times sparse water but the issue is that dams need to be conserved so that they have adequate water capacity and we use our water wisely. Once we utilize our water wisely, we will be self sustaining as Zimbabwe.
Churches pray for rain because it is important. Our culture also recognises and practice rain-making ceremonies because it is important.
They are all custodians, but rain-making ceremonies should be done, this was also acknowledged through radio publicity. Those who believe in God should pray to God and those believing in traditional rain-making ceremonies should do so.
We had a lot of heat-waves because there was no rain. Can we come here without bathing? We thank those who went to represent us. Water is used for a lot of things. I thank those who raised this important motion. Initially people did not understand it but they now do. I also say there should be development in the farms, through irrigation. Farmers who irrigate do not have problems. They do not wait for the seasonal rains but throughout the year, there will be farming. We should use our water together. There are those that said they once worked at ZINWA, it is a big problem. Dams are either drying up or there are leakages of water or nothing is being put to stop this. We urge ZINWA to start to seriously reconsider that so that we are able to work and irrigate our land. Come to my farm, I have produce that I get from the dam, you can come and collect. I have tomatoes that I sell in Zimbabwe and not for export. I sell them to TM and OK. I am selling green mealies to OK and I use irrigation to do that. If we have the dry spell like the one that we currently have, then irrigation would come into play. I would like to thank you fellow delegates for representing us. I am a farmer who is benefitting from President Mugabe’s land reform programme. I have water and I am irrigating. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. HLALO: Thank you Mr. President for giving me
this opportunity to add to this debate. I have heard what others have contributed and I will see what I will do as well. Firstly, I would like thank the delegates which includes Senator Mlotshwa and Hon. Madam President. I would like to say when others were debating I was thinking that here in Harare where we are, I believe there are one million plus people and using toilets that run with water. I understand that Harare uses five million litres at a time when flushing a toilet. Then I said but why do we not try and have people use less water? We should also use five litres to flush. There is a hotel where when you are flushing a toilet, it is like you are flushing with ocean water.
Why do we not give our children at universities to design a toilet that does not use five litres but one litre of water? If you use five litres to flush, the faeces do not go. If we have technology which is designed to use less water, we will not waste water because a lot of water is being wasted. If you look at the five million that I referred to, if you say we have something that cultivates and uses that water, we will save money. Let us have businessmen or business minded people who create solutions. I believe some of these toilets that are designed are being designed by people who are using sea water. For us as Zimbabwe, we do not have a lot of water. I have decided to give my own idea so that in towns, we can use less water in the toilets. In so doing, Zimbabwe will be able to develop and help a lot of people. That is my contribution. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to this good motion. I would want to appreciate Senator Mlotshwa and her delegation who went to Korea to represent us. This means that the world over, people put their heads together after realising that there was a problem. A lot has been said about water, but I would want to give my opinion based on my observation. A lot of our dams are silted. A lot of water is being wasted as the rains fall due to siltation because of the advent of climate change which is a new phenomenon. Things have changed, people are still cutting down trees and there is now a lot of plain land as a result that water is not being properly harnessed.
We need to conserve water through ensuring that we have trees that are not cut down indiscriminately. The condensation process uses leaves and water. People should be taught about water harvesting. We used to use water unnecessarily hoping that the rain season will bring new rains. Look at the high temperatures that we are experiencing. The public should be educated on how best to conserve water. Boreholes are drying up and the boreholes are far from the homesteads and it is the women who suffer most. If the women suffer most, what about the disabled? It becomes a serious challenge and even those in towns have problems. Burst water pipes in the cities have become the order of the day.
Water is being wasted or lost and therefore, people should conserve it. They should be taught about the importance of water especially when we are facing drought and people are suffering. People are experiencing starvation or famine. They are going without food as well as water. Others are now selling water even in cities and towns. We heard other people saying that they sell water in 20 litres. We may even have a worse off scenario than what we are currently experiencing. For us to be satisfied food wise, we need water.
I urge that people be taught more about water conservation processes so that we can conserve the little that we have. Even in our everyday life, we should not use water without conserving it. When washing our water, we have very little in the form of water. Let us have ways and means to ensure that we conserve it. I want to thank Senator Mlotshwa, you went very far away to Korea. I once went there. You travelled a long journey whilst you were on board a flight. We thank you for representing our country and for bringing us knowledge. Once we have knowledge, there will be development in our country. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Mr. President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MARAVA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd February 2016.
MOTION
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on great strides made by Government in raising literacy rates in the country.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. GOTO: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity. I would want to thank the entire Senate for the motion that I moved pertaining to the Education sector, the progress that has been made since 1980 to date. It was thoroughly debated, I would want those whom I may not mention by name to forgive me but I wrote the names of those that debated during my presence. I strongly want to thank those who contributed to the debate, a lot was said.
If Hon. Senators no longer want to debate it means they have understood. There are a number of teachers that arose systematically from 1980, a number of students that have enrolled, a number of schools that also came on board and a number of new universities that were also founded. I want to thank those who contributed; that is, Hon. Sen.
Bhobho, Hon. Sen. Mawire, Hon. Senator Mumvuri, Hon. Senator Shiri,
Hon. Senator Manyeruke, Hon. Chimbudzi, Hon. Sen. Machingaifa,
Hon. Sen Mohadi, Hon. Sen. Masuku, Hon. Sen. Chimhini, Hon. Sen. Chipanga, Hon. Sen. Chabuka and Hon. Sen. Maluleke. Thank you so much for your contributions towards that motion. Like I have earlier on said that those whose names I have not mentioned forgive me. I thank you.
Motion put that this House:
MINDFUL of the great strides that Government has made in raising the literacy rate of the people in the country, through the provision of affordable educational programmes.
COGNISANT that providing education to the people empower them as “knowledge is power”.
NOW THEREFORE, commends the Government and the people of Zimbabwe for the success they have achieved in making Zimbabwe one of the countries with high literacy rates in Africa.
Motion put and adopted.
MOTION
PROMOTION OF SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need to promote sports development in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: I move that the debate be now adjourned.
HON. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA, INFORMATION
AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN.
MATHUTHU): I move that the debate be now adjourned.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA,
INFORMATIOIN AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON.
SEN. MATHUTHU), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Three Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
DECLINING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE
COUNTRY
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the socioeconomic conditions in the country.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. B. SIBANDA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 4th February, 2016.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE DELEGATION
TO THE 7TH WORLD WATER CONFERENCE
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Parliament of Zimbabwe delegation to the 7th World Water Conference.
Question again proposed.
SENATOR MUMVURI: Thank you Madam President for giving
me the opportunity to add my voice on this debate on water. I want to thank the delegation led by you Madam President which went to the Republic of Korea to bring us this report. I want to thank the mover, Senator Mlotshwa.
It is a very pertinent issue which is grappling our nation at the moment. Madam President, in my wisdom I note that the Almighty God created three basic things which are to be accessed free of charge by humans. These are; free breathing space, water and land. The Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 77 clearly states that every person has the right to safe, clean and portable water. It goes on to urge the State to take some legislative and other measures within the limits of the resources available to it in order to achieve the progressive realisation of that right, which is given upon us by the Constitution.
Madam President, I believe that the number one target in Zimbabwe should be the ability to provide clean water to ordinary citizens in the rural areas and urban areas 24 hours, seven days a week. The situation is more precarious if there is a shortage of water. In the rural areas where the majority of us legislators come from, there are very desperate cases of shortage of water at the moment. As reported in the media recently, we have seen such places as Rushinga, which I represent in this House; they have got dire shortages of portable water.
Chiredzi, in Masvingo is similarly doing the same. Kezi, in Matabeleland South is also the same and this situation prevails in almost all the provinces. If the situation remains like that, then we are faced with a time bomb because people might resort to the use of contaminated water.
HON. SEN MLOTSHWA: On a point of order Madam President.
The Hon. President of the Chief’s Council is making noise and we cannot hear what Hon. Mumvuri is saying.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: May I
respectfully ask the Hon. President of the Chief’s Council to adhere to the rules of the House.
HON. SEN. MUMVURI: I was saying if this situation is not harnessed, people will resort to the use of contaminated water. Contaminated water has its own dangers. It spreads diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, scabies and typhoid. In that regard, in Harare so far, there have been seven or more cases of typhoid that have been reported. So, if there is going to be shortage of water, the number of cases will increase. This scenario the country over, calls for short term measures to help the dire situation. I would urge the authorities that be, not to pursue some of these long term high sounding programmes, which are applicable when the situation is normal. At the moment, I want to believe that the situation is not very normal, especially with the El Nino induced drought which we are facing.
I have learned with dismay – that is the point which I want to make, through recent media reports, including today’s Herald on
Business page (1), a full director from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate was sent off to Holland to study the Dutch water system. That study recommended the creation of three new directorates, fully manned and requiring funding. To me, it is contrary to what the Minister of Finance is trying to do. How can we create positions for new directors instead of having one director working with people under him doing all these roles that overlap. I therefore beg to differ in that approach to our water problem. The separate roles which were identified above, I would urge to be put under one department which must do the hydro-power licences. One of the roles that they are advocating for is the water quality testing. There is also the formulation of river outline plans – do they really need three separate directors? I do not think so. Honestly, Madam President, do we need to unbundle ZINWA, to come up with separate units which manage ground water, water supply system and dam construction.
I think from history, some of this unbundling has not served us right. The case-in-point is the unbundling of ZESA and REA. When REA embark on their projects, they do it half way and leave it for ZESA to come and inspect and then start on their own as well. So, why do we not just have it under one office so that we do not have to go from one office to another in order for a project to be completed? This is the point that I am trying to make, that sometimes we are pursuing long term projects which take a lot of time instead of looking for short term methods which can solve the problem of water that we are faced with at the moment.
My personal view is that this is unnecessary. What we need are practical approach methods. However, I should hasten to say that the water crisis, by and large in our country at the moment, is also our own making through the destruction of wetlands, which we have done all over both in urban and rural areas. We must be responsible citizens ourselves because wetlands provide sources of water, especially domestic water in the rural areas.
I appeal to the chiefs to prevent people from ploughing in the wetlands and not to allocate land for agriculture in the wetlands. There should be no building and construction of roads in the wetlands. Wetlands have been made dysfunctional though they are a vital source of water. I think we have got more of a crisis in the urban areas than in the rural areas at the moment because the land barons were letting people build in the wetlands.
To add onto that, the responsible authorities also dump waste in the wetlands. Local authorities should make it their priority to ensure that the presence of these wetlands provide clean and portable water. I thought I should add my voice by pointing out those few issues. I thank you.
HON. SEN KHUMALO: I just want to add a few words on the
issue of water. I also thought it is not right when we are saying there is no money to keep on creating departments which are going to employ more people. My major issue however, is the effect of water on education. When children are supposed to go to school in the rural areas where there is no water, they either wake up very early in the morning to go and draw water so that they leave water in the home before they go to school. The schools, as we all know, are very far away from their homes and the children have to walk all those long distances.
Again, the pregnant women even if they are pregnant when the water is far nobody says ahh! now because we have a pregnant woman you sit down and we fetch the water for you. Even the husbands do not say sit down and let us hurry around and go to look for water. They expect that pregnant woman to go and fetch water for them to bath. Therefore, the effect of that over work on the woman is that she gets a backache. Sometimes, she even gets a low birth weight child because she is overworking and she has no time to rest so that the child inside can grow efficiently, so that it is above 2.5 kg. Therefore, we are increasing the malnutrition records in Zimbabwe because we do not give women the chance to rest to so that they get … –[HON. SENATORS:
Hear, hear.]- The right size of the child.
I am therefore, requesting that, can we go back to the drawing board, we used to have a programme which used to say give a dam. If we increase the number of dams, we can put pipes so that the water is brought a bit nearer to the homes so that the women can draw water nearer than at the present moment because of lack of water. On economic development and lack of water - women spend a lot of time, once we have diarrhea in the home, it is the woman who has to be busy looking after those children. This woman is supposed to be employed, doing productive work so that she can earn money and bring food to the home.
Therefore, if she is a miner she does not go to supervise her mine. Her funds which are supposed to come from that mine or from agricultural production are at a standstill and therefore the development is not there. We are asking that the water should be brought nearer the home so that the health aspect of the people in the home is kept at the right level and the women can be able to go to work.
We know that in the industry and it is not only our homes which need water but our industries as well as you know we used to have water rationing. There is no water for so many hours and there is water for so many hours. Industry also stops at those hours when there is no water and if we want industrial development and we want to go forward, we need to have water so that we progress properly.
Lastly, I have already mentioned the gender effect. When we are older, women get backaches and so forth which have been exacerbated by going longs distances to go and fetch some water. I am therefore, saying lastly, can we have water so that women can be healthy because water is near their homes and economic development can take place because women can also continue to do their productive economic development within their homes or at their work places. Thank you the Hon. Madam President of the Senate. –[HON. SENATORS: Hear,
hear.]-
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Thank you Hon.
Sen. Khumalo.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Madam President for giving
me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion. First and foremost, I would like to thank the delegation that you led to Korea and which was talking about water. Madam President of the Senate, allow me before I can get into the topic to thank you so much of thinking of us during the festive season and the New Year by sending some of us the cards
“Christmas Cards”. –[HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: We really appreciate that because there are so many members here but we never got those cards it was may be only you and a few others who managed to think of this august House and send them Christmas Cards …
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: You are very
welcome thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Also, before I get into the subject I want to congratulate Senator Makwarimba a new member into this august House, you are most welcome –[HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]- This is the time we have been waiting for you to come into this House because our numbers as ZANU PF were not adequate. Thank you so much.
Going on to the issue of water as some members have alluded to - water is a human right. If water is a human right, really we should have water at all costs because water is a source of life. Without water there is no life for each and every one. Can you imagine Hon. Members, if we just take a picture of our source being may be at Parirenyatwa Hospital and a lot of women giving birth at the hospital without water. Can you just imagine what kind of a situation you imagine seeing without water
at all?
Already in this town there are suburbs that have gone without water for more than 5 days. Without water really everything cannot move. Mr. President you find that some of us come from lowveld areas and we have been badly affected by climate change. You will find that there is no water at all. Dams are drying up, boreholes are going dry. The water table is going deeper and deeper and as a result, people and livestock are at risk. We pray to God that may be some miracle might happen so that we have water because if there are no rains as it is, that means I do not know whether we are going to have the life that we need because there is really a crisis in those areas. Mr. President, we can talk and talk of any other thing, you find that without water we cannot even talk about the irrigation schemes. The irrigation schemes are there in some areas but without water they cannot go anywhere at all.
In the lowveld areas, there are livestock areas. We are talking about livestock as well as wildlife. They have started dying just because there is no water. Unfortunately, I do not have the figures with me but the deaths are occurring on a daily basis because there is no water at all. Even if we have the dry grass which we can feed our animals and the dry leaves which the animals can feed on but without the source of water anywhere, we are not going anywhere. Whenever we talk about the issue of water, we have to be very serious because it is really a big crisis.
In my notes I had also put the issue of diseases but I will not dwell on that now because those who spoke before me have already touched on the issue. It is really a very thorny issue. Mr. President, we should start looking for techniques to harness the little water that we have, either water dripping from the roofs of our houses or running in small streams - we should make use of it. We should have a way to harness that water so that we can use every little bit of it because as we see it now our dams have been full, but in the dry areas the evaporation is very high. Water is just evaporating and the dams are running dry at the moment.
Mr. President, I thought maybe I should add these few words in order to remind this august House how important water is and how we should use our water. With these few words I would like to thank you.
*HON. MALULEKE: Thank you Mr. President for affording me
this opportunity. There should be a reminder that we are dying. Where I come from in the lowveld, people moved because of the Tokwe-Mukorsi dam and they were resettled at Chingwizi. There were 36 boreholes that were more than 60m deep, only six are still functional. This is because of the drought. That was last year but one. In 2005 there was a serious heat wave, some deer would come and join goats so that they could drink water because water was inadequate. Water is life and for everything to live it revolves around water. If we have very little water, disease outbreak starts in our area, diseases such as cholera, typhoid and others such as diarrhea. We are close to Mozambique and South Africa; if we do not have water we are susceptible to such diseases.
Mr. President, I urge those that are responsible for the administration of water to ensure that we have adequate or additional boreholes in our areas. Maybe, God help us we will be able to survive. Last week we had rains for the entire week. It was not widespread in all the areas. We urge the Government Department that is responsible for water to really bear in mind that water is life. Everything revolves around water to be alive so I urge them to serious consider our plight.
We have irrigation schemes where they are irrigating sugarcane. They were irrigating sugarcane but because of the heat wave some of the sugarcane was drying up. That meant the water that they were using for irrigating was inadequate hence the sugarcane was drying.
The depth of our boreholes ordinarily goes beyond 70m before they access water. This is Zimbabwe and there is not much we can do about it but the best that could be done is to ensure that we have even deeper boreholes so that we do not access water from distances that are too far. People have to cover these long distances so as to enable their families to survive. Like I indicated earlier on, life for fauna and flora depends on the availability of water. It was in the press that cattle are being now sold for $30 to $50 because there was no grazing land. It is because of the arid region that we find ourselves in and because of the aridness of the land we have sparse rainfall. The water is too salty and there are very few people who come to our area who would drink that water but those of us who live in that areas drink this water that is why you see us fat as we are. It is because of the salty water. It is our area and we are proud of it. We want sufficient water supplies despite the water being too salty.
We come into the city; we do not know what the recycled water has in the form of diseases. We urge that in the towns there also be boreholes for people to have safe water. We believe that some of the chemicals that are being applied to water treatment have side effects. We should have sufficient boreholes that are in places where the sewer lines do not run. Some people are oblivious of the sewer lines as they do these boreholes.
Water is life. I have relatives in Mozambique, before they greet you they give you water to go and bath. That is their culture. They appreciate that maybe you have covered a long distance and you have been on the road for several days and not had an opportunity to bath hence you want to refresh. You are also given water to drink. There should be sufficient water for irrigation, portable water and all the other uses that water can be put to. Our trees also cry for water; but God intervened, we believe that we are now in a position that we would have sufficient rains. Last night there was some rainfall. I hope that we become one people, love each other and look after our fauna and flora using this water to ensure that we conserve our heritage. I thank you Mr. President for this opportunity. I would also like to thank the mover of the motion, Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa. It is an issue that affects mostly women for, we cannot do our household chores without water. Not a day goes by without using water. The issue of water is very important. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUMVURI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 4th February, 2016.
MOTION
PROMOTION OF SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need to promote sports development in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to wind my motion. However, before I do that, I would like to thank the following members who contributed to my motion, especially Hon. Sen. Mumvuri who supported the motion. Sen.
Mumvuri spoke on discipline amongst players themselves. We all know that discipline is very important in sports. It moulds a person’s history, it influences employment to other big teams, either in Africa or Europe.
Therefore, discipline is very important. Thank you very much Hon. Sen.
Mumvuri for your ideas.
Let me also thank other senators who contributed to my motion,
Sen. Tawengwa, Sen. Mohadi, Sen. Goto, Sen. Maluleke, Sen. Sibanda,
Sen. Mawire, Sen. Hlalo, Sen. Makore, Sen. Matiirira, Sen. Musaka, Sen. Ncube, Sen. Masuku, Sen. Mkhwebu, Sen. Bhebe, Sen.
Machingaifa, Sen. Mavhunga, Sen. Chifamba, Sen. Manyeruke, Sen.
Makone, Sen. Mashavakure, Sen. Sibanda and Sen. Mabugu. Thank you very much Hon. Senators.
Before winding my motion, I listed a few points which I think the
Government should consider. These are;
- Government should enact appropriate laws to capacitate the Sports
Council of Zimbabwe;
- Identify qualified coaches who will take sports to a higher level;
- Establish offices in all provinces where identification of talented players will take place in the rural areas;
- Eradicate corruption in sports;
- Have board members with a clear term of office, and
- Players should be well remunerated as a way of boosting their morale.
One more issue that was debated was the issue of corruption. We know that even when the President officially opened the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament on the 16th of September, 2015, he talked about corruption. So, when a Bill is send to this House, it is important for this House to give ideas to Government so that corruption is eradicated. Thank you very much Hon. Senators for your participation. However, I now urge the Minister of Sport and Recreation to take the good, which will promote sport in Zimbabwe so that we enjoy it.
Right now, our women Members of Parliament are players of golf and I am very happy about this. This is very important, we thank you our ladies because you are leading by example. I now move that this House adopt my motion.
Motion put that this House;
NOTING the need to promote sports development in the country;
COGNISANT that sports play a major role in uniting society;
CONSIDERING that men and women are involved in sport;
CONCERNED that many talented school leavers are loitering, hence, some have experience in sports;
DESIROUS to see a policy that promotes sports in Zimbabwe;
ACKNOWLEDGING that sports can create employment;
NOW THEREFORE calls upon Government to;
- Government should enact appropriate laws to capacitate the Sports
Council of Zimbabwe;
- Identify qualified coaches who will take sports to a higher level;
- Establish offices in all provinces where identification of talented players will take place in the rural areas; and
- Eradicate corruption in sports.
Motion put and adopted.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TAWENGWA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MASUKU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 4th February, 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA,
INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON. SEN.
MATHUTHU) the Senate adjourned at Nineteen Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 24th February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SENATOR TAWENGWA: I move that Orders of the Day,
Number 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SENATOR MASUKU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
TRADITIONAL CHIEFS MANDATE
HON. SENATOR MAWIRE: I move the motion standing in my
name that this House -
ACKNOWLEDGING that Traditional Leaders play a pivotal role in local Government administration and yet they are not given the respect that they deserve, a situation that has led to many illegal activities perpetrated in their areas of jurisdiction;
CONCERNED that such disrespect for our Traditional Leaders has led to unwanted developments such as moral decadence, environmental degradation and child marriages;
NOW THEREFORE calls upon this Government to revisit policies that give Traditional Leaders their mandate so that they can effectively deal with issues of moral decadence, environmental pollution and degradation, children’s rights among communal communities as well as other incidental issues that they may fall under the purview of the
Traditional Chiefs’ Mandate.
HON. SENATOR MANYERUKE: I second.
HON. SENATOR MAWIRE: Madam President, my motion is on
traditional leaders and their mandate. Over the years, traditional leaders have been reduced to just ordinary people in most of our communities including resettlement areas. This has led to poor management and distraction of the environment with many illegal activities being the order of the day. Our morals have also become a cause for concern. It is against this…
HON SENATOR MLOTSHWA: On a point of order Madam
President.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Give her time to
finish here presentation.
HON. SEN. MAWIRE: Madam President, it is against this background that I call upon this august Senate to revisit policies that lay our powers and the mandate of traditional leaders.
Our chiefs should be given powers like in the past where they would maintain and control activities that were done in their communities. With such powers, these important people can assist Government in the implementation of policies most of which are implemented in their still developing areas. These policies include environmental and agricultural policies and children’s rights just to mention a few. Our chiefs courts should be fully empowered to deal with some of the cases that the courts consider unconstitutional but posing a threat to peace, security and the upholding of good moral values.
We can help to reduce pressure on our courts by allowing chiefs to handle some of the trivial cases brought before the magistrate courts at their courts. There are many rules that have been ignored, some of which have helped conserve our environment in the past. With powers, chiefs can help conserve these rules and formulate new ones that are in line with the developing world’s trends of protecting the environment
and its inhabitants.
We have had a rise in veld fires, poaching, stock theft, child marriages, abuse, suicides, divorces and many other issues which, if our chiefs are empowered and supported with resources can help reduce.
Hon. Senators, chiefs are very important stakeholders in our
communities and if we really want to drive the nation to prosperity especially in our disadvantaged rural communities, then we need to restore their lost value and empower them.
Our ZIM ASSET has very important clusters which touch these disadvantaged communities and success can be recorded if we empower these noble people and use them for the good of the nation. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MANYERUKE: Thank you Mr. President. I rise in support of the Motion that was moved by Hon. Sen. Mawire concerning the powers of the traditional leaders. Our feeling is that the power of the chiefs should be restored and their dignity and empowerment implemented as in that way, the chiefs will be able to lead in the development of the areas of their jurisdiction.
During the liberation struggle, traditional leaders played a very important role of appeasing the spirits in their areas of operation; that is why we are calling for the re-empowerment of traditional leaders. Such empowerment will enable them to control the behaviour of their subjects, especially the youth. The control by the chiefs will also lead to the recession of divorce rates and drought spells currently being experienced in the country. I say this because if the traditional leaders are empowered, they will be able to carry out successful rainmaking ceremonies. The western culture that we have adopted is able to explain the current climate change that has led to the drought but our chiefs can solve this problem if they are re-empowered and are able to carry out their traditional rainmaking ceremonies.
The young generation has no respect for the traditional leaders. Whenever they meet or mingle with them, they do not show any respect, hence we are saying, as true black Zimbabweans, let us restore the dignity and powers of our traditional leaders, the chiefs. I am aware of the fact that we have adopted a christian culture but this does not overpower our traditional leaders who should be re-empowered and retain their dignity.
*HON. SEN. MASHAVAKURE: Thank you Mr. President for
giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on this motion. This is a very important motion that has a bearing on our livelihood as Africans.
Chiefs are the custodians of our culture and should lead in conducting traditional ceremonies in their areas of jurisdiction. Under the leadership of traditional leaders, we will be able to fend off the bad influence from the invading western culture. I therefore, implore Government to re-empower our traditional leaders so that they regain their due dignity.
I will now turn to the land resettlement programme where I have noticed that people are resettling themselves willy-nilly, without the consent of the traditional leaders. Some of these settlers have even gone to the extent of carrying out agricultural activities on sacred places including river beds and cutting down trees because they are exercising rights that are above the wisdom of the chiefs. They feel that their rights should not be disputed by traditional leaders.
I think if our chiefs are given their rightful powers, they can help the Government in controlling people from doing what they want; thereby causing land degradation by cultivating anywhere they want. If chiefs are given their full powers, they can easily tackle such issues.
Coming to resettlement areas, I know that chiefs know their boundaries before farms were there. This helps in creating order in the resettlement areas so that people live in peace and harmony. We know that trees help us when it comes to climate change because some of our areas are now deserts due to deforestation. Chiefs should be reempowered so that they are able to show would-be wrong doers in their respective areas of jurisdiction that they are the ones in power. As a result, when they are empowered, they will also be able to correct the wrongs of the people.
On trial courts, we need to have a special court system whereby the chief has to try certain cases and these ones are not suitable for them. According to the court system of this country, chiefs have lesser powers and if there are some cases that cannot come before their courts; they refer them to the Magistrates Court. For example, if we take a case of appeasement of the avenging spirits, this type of a case is not in Roman Dutch law which we are following. As a result, it has no basis and if it is brought before the traditional court of the chief, the chief knows how to try such cases and how the sentences are passed on these people because we have people who may be calling for 50 or 100 cattle.
At times, the avenging spirit would want to be appeased with a young girl who has to be married off to the wronged person but we have a case whereby the courts are saying it is child abuse and therefore, nothing should be done. But, if someone had been made to pay 100 cattle that would make up for the young girl who would have to be given away as part of appeasing the avenging spirits. We are saying in our traditional courts, if one is not satisfied with the kind of sentence given on a particular crime, then they can always appeal to the higher courts. If someone is also not satisfied with the imposition of 100 a herd of cattle as fine – they will then proceed to the Magistrates Court. What we are saying is that the chiefs should have specified fines which go according to the crimes committed and they will be using precedents in whatever cases they should use of what will have happened.
I am very pleased by the way our chiefs try their cases. They have no imprisonment as a way of fixing whoever has been found guilty but they make you pay a certain fine. At times, the cases are tried in jest and whosoever would be tried in that court will find that they are fighting a psychological warfare because they would have wronged their community. They will be frowned upon hence we are saying we need to empower these chiefs.
If this person goes to the Magistrates or High Court, they will say this person should go to prison or should be hanged. The people who suffered because of the perpetrated crime will be living in a free Zimbabwe and will be paying taxes. The taxes will then go and feed that convicted person in prison. The prisoner will be eating good food and will be protected. The wronged family does not benefit anything from that sentence, hence if the chiefs are empowered and given the authority to try these traditional cases, then all the two parties will benefit, that is the offended and the offender. Therefore, you will not be able to pay that tax and know that Chikurubi, Khami or Mutimurefu will benefit that person who offended you.
The offender or prisoner is actually treated as a VIP because whenever he is in prison, he is always accompanied by prison officers and is as good as a person who is getting VIP treatment from that treatment.
If you steal one cow, chiefs will make you pay two as compensation to the offended family. We need to empower our chiefs. We need to avoid taking these people to the courts because the courts will simply say, convict the offender, take him to prison and give him VIP treatment of being looked after by the prison officers. The offended family will still be at a loss because they will not get anything out of the conviction given to that person. People need to fork out money. It is an obligation for the people to pay taxes and hence, there is refurbishment of prisons and conditions.
Therefore, when a person is tried in the traditional courts, everybody attending that court will know that if you break the law in one way, you are going to be punished somehow. Unless if that person feels that they want to take their case up, the case will then be taken to the
Magistrates Court. When we are trying in the chiefs’ court, we need to look at a way of solving cases.
This is a very good motion and we need to support it. We need to empower our chiefs. We need to give them a limitless way of trying cases because at the moment, we have schedules of the cases they may try but we are saying, let us not put a limit on that. At the moment, chiefs are dealing with trivial cases and yet we know that from long back chiefs were trying some of these cases. Therefore, their powers should be restored upon them. Should anybody be offended, they are in a free Zimbabwe and should go to the next court.
In addition, chiefs need to be given that dignity such as provision of good cars and houses with electricity. That should give them the dignity. I am appealing to the Government to give due authority and dignity to the chiefs they were deprived of their powers because of the illegal regime which was in power then and wanted to belittle the chiefs.
I am saying; let us restore their power, authority and dignity. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAKORE: Thank you Hon. President, for giving me this time to make my contribution on this valid motion. I would like to say thank you Hon. Mawere and Hon. Manyeruke for bringing into this august House such a motion. Traditional leaders are very important in our culture. They are very essential and important in the peace which we are enjoying in the country because chiefs try cases in their traditional courts, hence they create peace and order in the country just like we used to live in the times gone by.
Some of the children born in this modern era never go to the rural areas. As a result, they never realise the importance and dignity of the chiefs. Since a long time ago we realised that the chiefs were the custodians of our culture and whenever one side-tracked, the chiefs would take care of that situation. At times I have had the opportunity to look at the Nigerian movies and I admire the Nigerians because they give their chiefs so much respect, even calling them Igwe, a term which shows they will be referring to somebody who is very important. What interests me most about the Nigerian films is that when they go to their courts to try cases, they demonstrate the kind of lifestyle which they expect to be lived by the people of their country.
When we were growing up we knew that the girl child was taught the traditional way of living their lives when they grew up to be wives and mothers. The same was taught to the young men, emphasis being put on their roles as heads of the family, how to look after their family and what to do as the head of a home. But now, life has changed because we have children who are about 12 years indulging in sexual activities. In the past this was taboo and was frowned upon. Whosoever was responsible for that would be sentenced a heavy fine because the chiefs did not want to have their areas of jurisdiction defiled.
I remember that in one of the contributions made by Hon. Chief Charumbira; he said their powers were now limited because of the current situation. He said they no longer have the same powers that they used to have. Even when we look at land distribution that also used to be done under the guidance of the chiefs. During the war of liberation the ancestral spirits were invoked by the traditional leaders to lead the freedom fighters. These freedom fighters would move at will during the war because the chiefs always asked for guidance and protection from the ancestors, such that the fighters were invisible from the enemy’s sight. Hence the white regime then removed those powers because they knew how powerful they were. Before the advent of the white men, the chiefs were the leaders of the people.
I know we have a ruling that chiefs should not indulge in politics. But that is not so. Chiefs should indulge in politics but they should not practice partisan politics. In our Constitution, Section 281, the Chief does not select who his/her subjects should be, therefore they should not discriminate people because if the chief or traditional leader discriminates, then there will be a problem somewhere. We understand that a chief should not punish indiscriminately people who have not committed any offence. Please understand me my Hon. Colleagues, what I am saying is that chiefs should be involved in politics but they should not be involved in party politics. Every one of us should hold the traditional leaders in high esteem.
Let me also say that we have some problems which we face such as what we call patronage. There are some people who are powerful because of one reason or another and as a result these chiefs are afraid of these powerful people. Hence, when these people do wrong, the chiefs are afraid to challenge them. This is happening Madam President. I remember when I was growing up I used to fear those pugilists because some of them would fight me, but I am glad I was also a fighter and I would fight back. It was only when I came across somebody who was more powerful than myself that I would tell them I would report them to my bigger brother to avenge the ill-treatment they would be meting upon me. What I am trying to say is that the chiefs belong to the highest echelon in our cultural ladder, so we need to have an identity which originates from the chiefs.
I am sure you have heard of communal farming which is done under the command of the chief (zunde ramambo) which, in times of hunger and starvation the chief will be able to distribute to deserving families. So, in our budget there should be an allocation for the chiefs to give to the vulnerable families. We know we are in a drought and we can help by giving some stored food to the chiefs to distribute to their people. I also noticed that even the NGOs which come to give assistance to communities in rural areas overlook the chiefs. The chief is just left to be a by-stander but in-as-far-as I am concerned; the chiefs should be leading in the distribution of food because they are well versed with the welfare of their subjects. They should very much be involved in the selection of those to be given food. What we have seen is that those people who are doing the selection and distribution of food are very corrupt. They disregard the dignity and pride of the people who deserve to get food and that is why we are saying this function should be taken over by the chiefs, because we know they will ensure that all the people under their chiefdom are given the necessary support.
I would like to thank the movers of this motion that we are debating as it helps us to look at ways to empower our chiefs. The chiefs who are in this august House were not elected in a general election like us, but they were appointed to come into this House because of their authority. I wish to point out to the chiefs that when they come into this House, it is not because of political party A or B but you are here on behalf of every citizen of Zimbabwe. Do not practice partisan politics but retain your dignity as you do your work. Regardless of whether a new party comes in to rule, the chiefs should have that automatic right into this House because they give dignity to this House. Let me reiterate that Chiefs are precious and we are proud of them. So as you practice politics, it should not be partisan politics because if you practice partisan politics, you are only humiliating yourselves and reducing your dignity.
Let me conclude by saying that this motion has come at the right time and our request is for chiefs to be given their due respect. They should be given their due dignity and suitable benefits which are their entitlement. People should note that unlike any other position, chiefs are not appointed but chieftainship is inherited and it runs in the family because if your family is a royal family, it will always come to you. We have had people who have tried to usurp the powers of the chiefs and the ancestral spirits will punish such people, at times somebody will die because of trying to impose themselves as chiefs.
I thank the Hon. Senator who raised this motion that we are bringing back the dignity, influence and the superiority complex of the chiefs. We very much uphold the institution of the chiefs. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT (SEN. TAWENGWA):
Thank you very much Hon. Senator Makore for your contribution. As Senators, let me point out that the issue which we are debating straddles across many Ministries, hence let us stick to our motion and avoid raising sub motions on this issue. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIDUKU: I rise to make my contribution because you selected me to stand and debate. We have a saying which says that when people are talking about you, you should not contribute because you could be self praising or sourcing for sympathy.
*THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT: Hon. Sen. Chief, if you
want, you may sit down if you feel that you have been forced to make a contribution.
*HON. SEN. CHIDUKU: I would like to thank Senator Mawire for raising this motion which is very pertinent and has something to do with our culture. I am glad because it has been raised amongst the elderly people of the nation. When you talk of traditional leadership and chiefs are talking of the traditional African culture. I know we have some amongst us who lack respect for the traditional leaders and chiefs. When God created heaven and earth, He saw it fit that there should be kings and chiefs - even Jesus Christ said “I am King of kings” and this
shows that the kings and queens have been there since time immemorial.
The mover of this motion wanted to revive the powers of the chiefs and my contribution on this issue is that we do not have much on the chiefs but you find that they do not force people to like them just because they want to retain their powers and therefore this is a very important motion. We do not solicit for respect and dignity but it is our natural right bestowed on us. We all know that the Senate is an august
House whereby to be in this House, you have to be a mature person of 40 years and above and hence this is the august House where we find that we have chiefs as Senators. We have some people who go against
God’s wisdom that there should be kings and chiefs but some do not
realize it.
Let me now talk of the roles and functions of the chiefs - their powers and areas of jurisdiction. Is it a case of somebody trying to appoint themselves as a chief, no? Chieftainship is inherited, you do not have to appoint yourself as a king or chief, hence when we are talking about chiefs or traditional leaders, we come from a long way because we can also start from where this motion was raised.
During the constitution making process, we talked about the powers of chiefs, their roles, functions, dignity and the Government’s perspective of the traditional leaders. Unfortunately, when it comes to the interpretation of Chapter 15 of the Constitution, there are some omissions. We are glad the Government formulated a chapter on traditional leaders in the Constitution. Chapter 15 has problems in its implementation, especially regarding the respect and recognition of the chiefs. How do you define it? We may ask people who are educated to define the dignity of the chiefs? They may be able to define it, yes, but they cannot implement the dignity which should be given to the chiefs. As chiefs, we are unlike political parties whereby if we feel we have been persecuted or face hardships, we migrate to other countries for greener pastures. As chiefs we endure the hardships with our people. That is why the previous speaker talked about setting up a budget for the chiefs to look after their subjects. My problem is that this is mere rhetoric which is not implemented.
The previous speakers also talked about land redistribution and the jurisdiction of the chiefs. During the constitution making process, people said that the traditional leaders were the custodians of our land and when you look at the current situation, we see these people and they say there is somebody who is distributing the land who is not a chief and yet the people of Zimbabwe who know their culture will come to the chief and ask for a portion of land. The chiefs have no powers to allocate land.
In this time of drought, people are appealing to the chiefs to hold traditional rain making ceremonies but we always blame the false culture given to the people. In our culture, we used to have some sacred places whereby nobody was supposed to cut trees and do anything abominable. What is happening is that in those sacred places, there is a lot of promiscuity and prostitution that is going on in those areas. If you challenge the culprit, they will tell you that you are breaking their constitutional rights and yet that is where we carry out our traditional cleansing ceremonies. When we go there after such diabolic acts, our prayers will not be answered.
In our culture, we also had a way of burying a pregnant woman who dies before giving birth. We used to bury them at particular places but as of now, people are simply saying a dead person is a dead person and a woman who dies pregnant should be buried beside her husband.
Our culture says whosoever has recently given birth or has died pregnant, should not be buried on common burial place. This is taboo but because of the change of attitude or lifestyles, these females are buried anywhere where people feel like, claiming it is their democratic right.
Hon. Chief Charumbira discussed this and in short he said we need to empower our chiefs. When we empower our chiefs, all the cultural problems we are facing, will be taken care of because the traditional leader will be carrying out the traditional ceremonies and even communicating with the Lord. You do not just talk to the Lord as easily as all that because at times there are some people who go before the Lord with dirty hands, hence prayers will not be answered. There are a lot of things which need to be rectified and corrected regarding the traditional chiefs.
We also have a new problem whereby the youngsters of today despise their elderly and yet the Bible states that children should respect their elderly and parents. There is a law that says love your neighbour as you love yourself. What is happening now is that we have a lot of murder cases in the country, what is causing all this menace? We need to appease our ancestral spirits. With these few words, this is my contribution. I thank you Mr. President for giving me a chance to debate on this motion. I also thank the mover of this motion and the seconder. This is not of your own making, it is a divine intervention given to you because kings and chiefs come from the Lord.
*SENATOR MAVHUNGA: Thank you Mr. President for
according me this opportunity to add my voice on this pertinent motion from Senator Mawire. Looking at our tradition and culture, looking at degradation and the climate change which is being caused by the lack of respect of our chiefs; the mover is appealing that their powers should be returned to them so that we go forward as a nation. Firstly, I want to tell you who a chief is and how important the chiefs are in our midst. All of us here have identity cards and on my identity card is my chief’s name and where I come from. It means that when we were going for the liberation struggle, we were recognised by chieftainship, like I would say I come from Chief Dotito. I would then be recognised as someone from Chief Dotito’s area. Chiefs are very important in our midst not as politicians, but as God-chosen.
When we refer to chiefs as traditional leaders, we must start from the grassroots – from the village/kraal head going up to their chiefs. If you cannot respect your village head – how can you start to show respect to the chief, it means you will be missing it somewhere. So, we encourage that all our traditional leadership should be given their respect. I think there have been appeals that there is degradation in our land because there are no people who are enforcing, it is the village head that should be doing that. So, we should respect our leadership so that we move forward as a nation. In this Senate we must agree that the chiefs should arbitrate on our cases in the rural areas; I really want to support the motion.
When we look at murder, when you commit murder, avenging spirits pursue you. According to our Constitution, if you commit murder you are taken to jail; this does not solve anything in our culture or families. It is only the chiefs who can deal with such cases properly.
They know how to deal with it because they will help us in dealing with the avenging spirits. In the same vein, I want to support the idea that the chiefs should get back their powers even in the resettlement areas. The chiefs who are in those areas should also be given powers and they are the ones who should be involved in the allocation of land and the boundary issues should be dealt with by them so that we go forward as a nation.
I want to plead on behalf of the chiefs that for them to do their work properly, their welfare should be looked at properly so that they are given what is due to them. If people go to village courts which are usually under a tree, it is not good. If possible, I suggest the Government should build village courts in the rural areas which are uniform throughout the country so that even the people who go into these courts will find justice.
On hunger, for sure these chiefs are in trouble because when people are hungry they approach the chiefs. So, we should really support the idea of the Zunder Ramambo so that the chiefs can help the people. In conclusion, I want to say that everyone as a Chief’s name written on their identity cards that they move with, in their pockets. I thank you.
*SENATOR CHABUKA: Thank you Mr. President. Firstly, I would want to thank Senator Mawire and her seconder Senator Manyeruke. I think a lot has been said about this motion which is very pertinent, which teaches us about our culture and our tradition. We should respect our chiefs who are in our midst. Even as we were growing up in Masvingo, it was a frightening thing to hear that little children have gone to the chiefs’ courtyard. There was an age limit to go to the chiefs’ village. They would kneel and start clapping before they approach the homestead. There would be a special place used for court sessions or arbitration purposes. You will find that these days there is a lot of change. That is not what used to happen a long time ago when we were growing up. When we were growing up, we used to swim together with our brothers during the 60’s. We were not afraid because of the leadership of our chiefs. They used to have their own way of raising up children. I want to say that, the chiefs that we have are afraid to say what is deep down in their hearts.
Chiefs, you should not be afraid. You should speak out your minds because it is your right. You were born with God-given gifts which are hereditary. However, if you cannot say it out, I think no one will come to your rescue because everyone is your child and you are the custodians of the land.
I want to look at two or three weeks back when people talked about the scarcity of water in Kariba. What should we do? The problem of what should be done, are there no chiefs in our midst? I saw chiefs in Kariba, they danced all night. The ceremonies are supposed be attended by women who have reached menopause. Then after, there were rains in Kariba. What I am saying is that chiefs should express their feelings so that it goes well for us and we receive rains. We also want those springs of water to flow. It was so before because of you chiefs.
I want to give an example of the war veterans. I have heard some war veterans saying the children lying in Chimoio are not happy with what is happening because blood was spilt.
Hon. Senator Chabuka, having been addressing the gallery.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon.
Senator, can you please address the President of the Senate.
HON. SEN. CHABUKA: Thank you Mr. President. That is exactly what is happening in this country. We do not have rains and food in the country. We shoulder all these issues to you as chiefs. You should look at us your subjects, whom you should feed. There are a lot of accidents happening around the country. There are places where most of these accidents regularly happen and we refer to them as ‘black spots.’ Chiefs should do something about those areas. They should carry out cleansing ceremonies in order to appeal to the ancestors to cleanse those areas. That is the duty of the chiefs.
I want to leave this to you because you are the owners of this land, you control the land and if the ancestors are speaking, we are referred to as birds which you as chiefs have to look after. We are in all this because of you chiefs. You should do what you are supposed to do. The mandate that you were given by your ancestors should be carried out and you should speak out your voice without fearing anyone. You are our leaders, we love you, but we realize that you are silent and if you do that, nothing will move. With these few words, I want to thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: I want to debate in Shona today because today’s motion is very touching to me. Mr. President, firstly, I would like to clarify on your objection where you said we are not in sync with what Hon. Sen. Mawire said in her motion. She did not say we should be confined to what was spelt out, she said, such as… If you read from where it is written… “Concerned that such disrespect for our Traditional Leaders has led to unwanted developments such as moral decadence, environmental degradation and child marriages.” These were only examples, she did not say it is confined to those examples. On the last part, where it is written “Now therefore”, you will see where it is written, “as well as other incidental issues that may fall under the purview of the Traditional Chiefs’ Mandate.” I will revert to Shona…
*THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I am
not willing to engage in a debate with you concerning that issue; just go ahead and debate on the motion. If we dwell into the academics of those issues, you will be unable to keep pace with me.
*HON. SEN. MAKONE: I intend to stick to the motion.
*THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Stick
to the motion and if you fail to follow the motion, I will let you know.
*HON. SEN. MAKONE: I wish to debate other issues that are under the purview of the traditional chiefs’ mandate in terms of the three stipulated items. Mr. President, today I am speaking as the chief’s daughter, I am a princess, Princess Chiweshe. There is nothing more essential to me than being the chief’s daughter. People do not have to go to the polls to vote for it. Even if I am not voted to become a Member of Parliament, it is something which is inborn. It is mine because my father is a chief.
The person who is referred to as a chief is not someone whom you can degrade. A chief is a very important person, whose position in terms of line of heritage is well documented and known. For instance, the chieftainship is passed on with full knowledge that from this family, it will be passed on to that family within the chieftaincy and so on. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear] – This is different from political power. In politics, it is not possible to predict which political party will take over from the other. There will always be one political party winning over the other. Meanwhile, the one who will be in power over a given period also comes from a particular chieftaincy. His or her identification certificate shows the village and chieftaincy from which he or she comes from. That person is temporary and is different from our chiefs who are permanent. It has always been like that.
However, the chiefs should desist from a habit of following us as politicians. They should team up as chiefs and tell off the politicians when they clutter their jurisdictions. They should tell the politicians that they are not the ones who prescribe the chiefs’ mandate and jurisdiction.
Instead, chiefs should clearly spell their mandated roles to the politicians– [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear] –
I would like to move on to the issue of land allocation Mr.
President. I am at pains to realise that someone from Chivhu or Tsholotsho is allocated land in Chiweshe – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear] – If these issues were being handled professionally, the chiefs should have been granted the opportunity to identify and allocate land to their subjects. The subjects to that particular area should be allocated the land within their ancestral land. It is not a good thing to just allocate land haphazardly. This causes quarrels, confusion and moral decadence. The culture of Masvingo is different from the culture of people in Chiweshe. We have a certain way of doing our things and I think we should try by all means to go back to our tradition so that our country should go back and get to a place where we know that where we know that on 15 October that is when we receive our first rains. If we do not do that, we will not live in peace. However, the people who should spearhead our culture are the chiefs. If you want to control them, nothing will move.
Things that are given to chiefs should not be at the will of Ministers or the Government but they should be written down so that what belongs to them should be given to them as their entitlement, despite who is in control. They should not be fearful of anyone. They should not be afraid of me even if I belong to a different party which is ruling. They should treat me as anyone else because the chief is for everyone who is in their areas of jurisdiction.
I want to support what Senator Makore has said that for things to go well in this country, we should give everything to our chiefs. At the local level, all the powers should be returned to chiefs. If we do that, everything will run smoothly because we will go back to our culture. People will be told that if you come into my area, this is what you do. If you do not subscribe to that, you are not welcome. This will lead to good morals in our people.
I want to end by saying Senator Mawire, what you have done is a good thing because this makes Zimbabwe move forward. Whatever we are doing, we are wasting our time. We should go back to our culture as Zimbabweans. The Western way that we are adopting is not good. We should follow our tradition. As your children, you should give us room to fight on your behalf. If you see us doing the wrong things, you should tell us that you do not participate in bad things because you are chiefs. When you do that, people will know that you are now doing your mandate. As senators, we are going to give you all the respect and we would want to see who is going to remove that from you. Thank you Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. HLALO: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on this motion. We should start by identifying ourselves as to who we are. We are Africans, the Bantu and not Europeans. We are people created by God. The Bible also dictates how people should live and defines holy and sacred places amongst a people. The Bible defines that when God created people, he also appointed Kings to rule over them. He also created law and order to guide the people in their everyday life. The law guided the people on one end and people created order in following the law.
We are talking about our chiefs and we should be aware of the fact that they are very important. Since they are so important, their importance is shown by the multiplicity of chiefs in their areas of jurisdiction. These chiefs are also aware of their subjects. When we are looking at the drought and starvation which is currently prevailing in the country, the chiefs will also know about their people, how they live and those who should benefit from the food which is to be distributed. The chiefs should do this in a proper way without jeopardizing anybody because they know it is their duty. In other words, we would call for the fact that when food is distributed by Government or Non-Governmental Organisations, it should be given over to the chiefs who should be responsible for distributing the food. When food is distributed by chiefs, there is no favouritism; chiefs are not corrupt and there is order, which I talked about.
When we look at the British whom we say are the most civilised, they have the Queen who is highly respected. This is because it is their culture which brings them closer to the Lord. As we are not recognizing our chiefs, it means we are drifting away from the Lord because you cannot just go straight to the Lord. There are procedures which have to be followed when you want to communicate with the Lord.
We also noticed that we have people who seek solace from the prophets and pastors. When they go to these people, they go to look for miracles. When we look at what is happening in this country in our everyday life, this is akin to a film. I think the retaining of the chiefs’ powers is one of the things that we should be proud of as Zimbabweans. As such, we will be proud of being Zimbabweans. We should understand that when we go into these areas, they are the Lords or Kings of those areas. I remember when I was growing up, there was a chief who whenever you did something wrong, you would be taken to that chief. The chief would beat you up for that wrong doing and nobody would say there is child abuse. As a result, we had people who stayed in peace because they were controlled by the chiefs.
This is a very important motion and has been brought at a time whereby Zimbabwe needs such leadership as the leadership of the chiefs. I was fortunate to be one of the people responsible for the construction of the new Constitution. We went to a place whereby we had hot springs. We had a pool whereby you would get in and be treated of your illnesses because of the waters which were there. That place was sacred. What has happened now is the chiefs have been deprived of their powers and people are now carrying out washing chores in those areas. The powers of those places have been lost. Therefore, we are saying as people of Zimbabwe and members of this august House, the Hon. Member has brought up a pertinent issue and I wish this would not be just rhetoric but should be a way of trying to restore the powers and dignity of our chiefs so that they can lead us into a better life in future. With those few words, I say let us restore the respect, dignity and the welfare of our traditional leaders so that they can carry out their duties in a proper manner. Mr. President, it is just as we do in our work places; when you get to your workplace, you are given the tools of your trade so that you work in a conducive atmosphere. This will make us proud as Zimbabweans. At the moment, there is full of hatred and suspicion yet the problem we are facing is that whenever there is a misunderstanding amongst the people, we have nowhere to go. In the past, when there was a misunderstanding amongst the people, the chief would call these people and create peace. We need that institution of the chiefs; we need that place because it brings peace and harmony amongst the people.
Mr. President, we need to show that our chiefs are very important. What we know is that every Zimbabwean belongs to some chiefdom somewhere, which means we have to respect these chiefs because they make us who we are. Let us treat this case with the urgency it deserves. If we empower the chiefs, they will give us capable leadership but in our case especially as Members of Parliament, we do it on a rotational business. I am here now, for the next five years and I will be going away, somebody will be coming in but chiefs are there to stay. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to make my contribution on the motion moved by Hon. Sen. Mawire and seconded by Hon. Sen. Manyeruke. We have come to the extent that since the chiefs have been deprived of their powers, we need to re-empower them. There are many things which we are now looking down upon on the powers of the chiefs. We look at a situation where something taboo takes place such as sexual intercourse between a mother and a son, and a sister to sister indulging in sexual activities. During those old days when the chiefs had power, people could be tried and fined accordingly by the chiefs. But as of now a mother is empowered by his son and when you try to bring them to court you are told they are adults, they are consenting, they are practicing their rights. I remember, I did ask why the chiefs were not intervening in such issues and I was told the chiefs were deprived of their powers and in such cases you have an elderly woman, a mother who is impregnated by his son saying I took care of this child and he is now taking care of me and should not support the other families.
Mr. President, we are adopting foreign laws, cultures and customs and these are now coming to torment us. When Ward Courts and Village Courts where introduced in our areas, we were so happy and yet we have forgetting that the people who were leading us, the officers where foreigners in our areas and they go back to their areas on retirement. They were not aware of our sacred places, they were not aware of our taboos and yet as far as our chiefs are concerned, they know that we have sacred places in particular areas and something bad should not be done in those areas. Yet when we talk of land distribution, people are settled even in those sacred placed. At the moment, we have people who are moving semi-naked in rural areas and the chiefs have nothing to do because the mother of that person will say you are depriving my child of her rights. When these girls wear mini-skirts, the elders would chide them; they would ask them to dress properly.
I remember at one time, there was a time when a chief tried to tell people not to wear mini-skirts but there were people in that gathering who were saying you are depriving somebody’s right because they need to practice whatever they want. May I also say at times some of these rape cases are committed because of the way people will be dressed. At times, I believe you need to wear a trouser and when the people are dancing they do whatever they want because of the way they are dressed. At times when you try to control that person, she or he will tell you that he is practicing his or her rights.
Mr. President, we follow foreign cultures even in dressing. We do not have a Zimbabwean way of dressing but we are borrowing from foreign cultures. I wish Zimbabweans would have their own culture of dressing. A good example is that if you see a Malawian woman, Zambian woman, you can tell their country of origin because of the way they dress but with the Zimbabweans, we are putting on trousers and mini-skirts. In the past, whenever somebody impregnates somebody’s child, it is taken as their own fault. People would only indulge in sexual activities after getting married. In the past if a man who denies impregnating somebody’s daughter at a chief’s court, that lady would be asked to remove the pant and hit the young man on the face with that pant but now we have nothing to do with it. Whenever somebody is impregnated, it is the girl child who is at fault but we are saying, let us restore our culture, let us restore our traditional powers. Therefore, we need to give traditional chiefs their powers because some of the things which are happening in this country are caused by the fact that we are not following our cultures. No matter how much we pray, as long we are not following our culture, we will not get anywhere because our culture says, no matter how educated, how you dress or where you live, you will always be an African and a Zimbabwean. You need to stick to your culture. I thank you.
+HON. SEN. D. T. KHUMALO: Thank you Mr. President for
giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the work that is being done by our chiefs. The work that has been done by our chiefs is important. I liked it so much because when we were growing up way back, the chiefs would look at the people from their area and take note whether there is drought or not. If there is drought it was the responsibility of the chief to look, for example cows so that they will provide milk for the children. This is where the issue of having a specific place where the chiefs keep their food stocks comes in.
Today, we realise that there are children who are so slim because of drought, some have stunted growth. During our time, our chiefs used to work so much and we never had such cases. Those who used to experience such cases, they used to take them to other families who were known to be doing well and it was the responsibility again of the chiefs to keep checking whether that child is being taken care of properly or not. If not, they would take the child back to their families. That is why I am saying I love our chiefs for they used to take care of all the children regardless of where they came from.
I know that these days the chiefs are not been given an opportunity to allocate residential areas for people especially in their communities.
There are some people who come from other areas and I know most of them who are coming from different provinces do not listen to the chiefs. Hence, I agree with what Hon. Makone said. I therefore, support the speaker who said that everybody is supposed to be allocated land where they stay according to their culture. As a result, it will be easy for the chiefs to allocate residential areas to the people in their community. I, therefore, ask the Government to empower the chiefs to instill the culture that they want in the people from their community.
One speaker highlighted again on the issue of Chimoio, that they fought so much but we are realising that the people have forgotten about this. I urge all the chiefs from Matebeleland and Midlands that if they can look seriously on the issue of people who died during Gukurahundi. I am urging all the chiefs from Matebeleland so that they can try and rebury all those people who died during Gukurahundi so that they can be given a decent burial…
HON. SEN. MOHADI: My point of order is that I do not think
Mr. President, that this is the right platform or time to talk about
Gukurahundi. I do not think even the chiefs would want to talk about it.
If the member want to talk about Gukurahundi, it would be better if she could move her own motion, not to include it in this motion. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT (HON. SEN.
TAWENGWA): Agreed, please proceed on other issues.
+HON SEN. KHUMALO: The speaker who just gave a point of order does not want me to continue with the issue of Gukurahundi. However, the chiefs heard what I have been saying. I will, therefore, continue and say, if people are allocated residential areas according to their culture, it would be easy for the chiefs to control them. If you bring people from different provinces who do not know the culture pertaining to that province, they will fail to follow the specific culture for that province or community. If I have migrated and am now living in Mashonaland, for example in Chesa, you realise that I will have to abide by the culture of Chesa people.
I therefore, urge everyone to honour our chiefs for it is within our
Zimbabwean culture that when somebody enters a chief’s homestead, they have to honour them first. To the chiefs, I would like to tell them that they should teach people in their community that they are supposed to honour them, especially when they are coming to their homesteads. After all has been said, I would like to urge every one of us to really support people in their community so as to avoid malnutrition. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. MUZENDA): I
move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th February, 2016.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIMHINI: Thank you Mr. President. I just want to make one comment about the presentation by the President. In his last remarks, he mentioned something about peace and I stand very worried about the peace in this country. Last week, we had an incident where there was a clash between the police and the war veterans. In my view, this does not build peace in this country. My concern is that we may be playing with State security and institutions which we may find very difficult to manage. It is not my business to discuss what happens in other political parties, but it is of great concern that we have a situation where everybody finds people who are supposed to be leading the Security Sector in this country clashing in public.
The next issue which I raise, which is of great concern is that the President was one of the first people to come out and actually abhor the conflict or clash. I would expect the same President, every time when we have a situation where the police over-react, to come out and abhor such happenings because what we normally see is that, when other organisations have demonstrations people are beaten up, harassed and nothing really happens. In this case, the President came out very clearly to stop what was happening. To me this was a sign that there was a security threat.
As Senators, I think we must call on the leadership and
Government of this country that we want peace and stability because if we do not do that and allow political parties to fight amongst themselves, it disturbs the stability of this country. I think we are heading nowhere as a country. I thank you Mr. President.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 24th February, 2016.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE DELEGATION
TO THE 7TH WORLD WATER CONFERENCE
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the
Parliament of Zimbabwe delegation to the 7th World Water Conference.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): I move that the debate do
now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 25th February 2016.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY
AND POWER DEVELOPMNENT (HON. MUZENDA), the
Senate adjourned at Twelve Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 25th February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SENATOR TIMVEOS: Thank you Mr. President for
giving me this opportunity to ask a question. I want to ask Hon. Minister Hlongwane. I just want to know, whether we are now allowed to participate in the World Cup because the last we heard, we owed money?
THE MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION (HON.
HLONGWANE): Thank you Mr. President and thank you Hon. Senator Timveos for the question. The conversation we have had late last year in respect of World Cup participation is in respect of two tournaments.
The first one is Russia 2018 and the second one in Qatar 2022. In respect of Russia 2018, we owed Coach Claudinei Georgini and we have since amortised that bill. However, our appeal to the court of arbitration for sport fell flat and we are not going to be able to participate in Russia 2018. In respect of Qatar 2022, we were owing Coach Tom Saintfiet an amount to the tune of $150 000. That bill has again since been amortised and we are now able to participate in the FIFA World Cup tournament 2022. Thank you.
*HON. SENATOR CHIEF NTABENI: Thank you Mr.
President. I am directing my question to the Minister of Agriculture Hon. Zhanda. Minister, you are making good presentations regarding livestock but you seem to be putting more emphasis on livestock and neglecting the people who are dying of hunger. You are even encouraging people to de-stock. We have noticed that in most cases in rural areas, Ministers are not aware of the poverty situation in the rural areas and you can only get that information from the chiefs. The chiefs are the people who are feeding the people and they know their culture.
We would have wanted to direct this question to Hon. Made but unfortunately he does not turn up.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA): Thank you Mr. President. I would
like to thank the Chief, Hon. Senator Ntabeni for asking that question and also declaring our friendship. The Ministry of Agriculture has the responsibility of taking care of the people in the country especially if there is a drought situation. We are also encouraged to give permits to encourage maize to be imported so that nobody dies of hunger in
Zimbabwe. We have enough stock to feed the people of Zimbabwe.
The distribution of this food is under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services under Hon. Mupfumira. They are responsible for the distribution and not my Ministry
HON. SENATOR B. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to ask the Deputy Minister of Energy what the compensatory policy of ZESA is towards people who might have lost property due to pylons falling down and maybe killing livestock or any other damage.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): Thank you Mr. President.
May I ask the Hon. Senator to put that in writing because I am not sure what the compensatory policy is about?
HON. SENATOR CHIMHINI: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. Minister, what is the correct position about allocation of stands in Seke area? There has been a lot of confusion and it is not very clear whether the chiefs or headmen have the authority to do it or it is the local authority. Thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC
WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):
Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank Hon. Senator Chimhini for asking the question but this area will be best dealt with by the Minister for Rural Development Hon. Ncube. This area you are talking about, Seke, falls under the Rural District Councils and the jurisdiction therefore rest with my colleague Minister. I thank you.
HON. SENATOR BUKA: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Health. What is Government policy on user fees on cases of mothers who give birth at central hospitals and then fail to pay for these services since we have mothers who have been detained and humiliated?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): I want to thank the Hon. Senator for asking this very important question. The policy of the Ministry of Health and Child Care is to provide free service because we have what is known as the HTF (Health Transition Fund). This fund was going to be used by mothers, once the mothers were admitted; they were supposed to claim against this fund.
The Hon. Senator is alluding to issues that have arisen and are mostly administrative. We have heard of cases whereby mothers are detained, that is not Government policy. Government policy is to ensure that mothers are allowed to go home once they have delivered. In cases where they must pay, then they will be billed to pay and those that cannot pay must then be referred to the HTF. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUMVURI: My question is directed to the
Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. Minister, I will start by thanking you for flashing out land barons but when are they going to be prosecuted for their crimes?
What is Government policy when constructing houses for the middle and low income groups? We realise that nobody is prepared to buy the houses after construction because the prices are beyond the reach of the intended target.
*THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC
WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):
Thank you Mr. President and I thank Hon. Sen. Mumvuri for such an important question. We realised that the land barons were illegally selling land after taking advantage of open spaces. This was a very big national problem but we are glad that we have now overcome this challenge. The land barons have been arrested and their cases are before the courts. We also realised that some of the land barons were selling land to multiple people. Some of them have been prosecuted and found guilty.
On the issue of Government policy regarding construction, but before I address the CABS/Budiriro Project, the first step is that
Government had a working relationship with UDICORP which is part of the national housing programme so that everyone in Zimbabwe will own a house.
Whilst working in unison with UDICORP, we are constructing houses in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. We are also allocating land to local authorities such as Bulawayo, Mutare and Harare. We resolved that land should be given to people who are registered on the waiting lists.
The third aspect is allocating land to responsible organisations to develop for allocation of stands. This is the case that made us look into the CABS saga. We realised that the problems that arose in the CABS Project were due to the amounts used in constructing the houses and CABS also wants a mortgage of $7 000.00.
We are aware of the fact that most of the beneficiaries of this scheme are small to medium entrepreneurs who cannot afford such amounts. Consequently, we are working together with CABS Building Society so that we come up with lower deposit terms and ensure people can afford the mortgage bonds.
Work is still in progress in other cases that do not involve such plans. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: My question is directed to the Vice President and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. How do we stand legally on Provincial Councillors elect? Are they yet to be sworn-in or they have expired? Again, is it not a violation of the Constitution to deny people the Provincial Councillors who were supposed to deal with issues of given provinces?
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. President Sir, we are not violating the Constitution at all and Government has not declined to implement the provisions of the Constitution.
There is a process, if you read the Constitution properly. It says that there must be an Act of Parliament to operationalise what is provided in the Constitution. It has been a question of resources for us to implement that provision. Let me assure you that that shall be done in time whenever resources will be made available. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHIRI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government policy regarding heads of schools who are withholding ‘O’ and ‘A’ level results for failure to pay school fees?
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): As the Ministry of Primary
and Secondary Education, we stated that the issue of fees is a case between the parents/guardians and the school, that has nothing to do with the students. When we look at the students in primary and secondary schools, they are young children who cannot appear in courts or enter into any agreement or contract as they are below the age of majority.
Heads of schools are aware of this fact since it was circulated in writing to everybody and Government policy is clear. Heads of schools, please leave students alone, give them their results but deal with the parents and guardians who are supposed to pay the fees. We have had instances whereby parents and guardians have spent more than two years promising that they will be paying the fees to the extent that the learner has written the final examination at these particular schools. This is a pain in the neck for these schools. I ask members of this august House to go and tell the parents in their constituencies that learning institutions are not for babysitting but for learning. They can only run if fees are paid.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:
Senator Mlotshwa, you are reading a newspaper….
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I am checking something concerning what he is saying…
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: You
can go out and check then come back and contribute. Minister may you conclude your answer.
*HON. DR. DOKORA: Thank you Mr. President. I am emphasising that people of Zimbabwe should be leaders and torch bearers. Let us hold meetings with parents and guardians advising that they should honor the agreements they made with the schools that they are going to pay school fees for the sake of running the schools. No matter what we do or how teachers work, if there are no resources in these schools, schools will suffer. Let us pay our fees and our children will have better education.
*HON. SEN. MAKORE: I have a supplementary question for Hon. Dr. Dokora. We have children whose fees are paid by the BEAM programme. We have also realised that these children under BEAM have been affected because they have not been given their results and yet we already know that they are vulnerable and come from poor backgrounds. What is your policy regarding such situations?
*HON. DR. DOKORA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me
the chance to once again respond to this question. As a Ministry, we are aware that we have outstanding financial balances between the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The amount is almost 64 million dollars which is fees of these students on the BEAM programme.
Regardless of that problem, we are aware as a nation that we have the less-privileged who benefit from BEAM and hence they are covered by the policy stated by Government, that they are not in a position to hold a contract with the school but they should be given their results. It is known that the problem lies with the Ministry responsible for the payment of fees.
*SEN. CHIEF CHISUNGA: My question is directed to Minister
Khaya Moyo. Is it Government policy that Chiefs are the only civil servants who receive their salaries in cash and not through the banks like any other civil servants? –[Laughter]-
THE MINISTER OF POLICY CO-ORDINATION AND
PROMOTION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC VENTURES IN THE
PRESIDENT’S OFFICE (HON. SEN. S.K. MOYO): Thank you Mr.
President. May the hon. Chief allow me to answer in English. If he will, let me start by stating that my mandate is basically on policy coordination in terms of ministries and of course promotion of socioeconomic ventures in the office of the President.
That question belongs to a Minister in a line Ministry and I do not mind taking it to him. In this case I think it is the Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of Culture and Heritage. I will endeavour to take it upon himself since I coordinate policy to ensure that what you expect should be done and done according to the policy laid down by the Government. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: On a point of order …..
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Order,
order. The Minister is saying that question belongs to another Ministry.
How do you then raise a supplementary?
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: It is not a supplementary.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I will
then have to give you an opportunity later on.
+HON. SEN. D.T. KHUMALO: My question is directed to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. In 2009, we changed currency from Zimbabwean dollar to a multicurrency regime. In energy, especially with ZESA, people were asked to pay a certain fixed amount but we realise that there are old people who are staying in Barbourfields or Mzilikazi who are owing from 2009 approximately US$2.000 to US$3.000. How did that happen whilst you did switch off most of the time? If monthly payment was not made, how could they owe so much to these old people?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. MUZENDA): Thank you Mr.
President. May I ask the Hon. Member to ask in English if she does not mind because I got the question partly?
HON. SEN. D.T. KHUMALO: I do not mind but I thought I would explain correctly in Ndebele. During 2009, we used to have our currency and there was a monthly limit of payment in the homes for electricity. Every month you had to pay so much. If you did not, they came and switched your electricity off. But now when there was a change of our currency to the current multi-currency system, the department of house owners was converted and became high. Some owed$1 500, $2 000, and $3 000. How could that happen when every month if one did not pay, an officer came to the house to switch off or disconnect the electricity?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): I am not sure if Senator Khumalo is saying the bills are accumulating now in US dollars but what should have happened is, those owing should have made a payment plan because that is what the policy is about. If one is unable to pay, he/she should not be switched off. If there are problems, we have offices in each district and if the consumers are not happy with what is happening or they feel they are not getting any help from the district offices, they should take it up.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: I hear people saying why have they not
gone to the offices but let me assure you that they have gone to the offices. Maybe you need to come up with another system to make the elderly understand. They now do not know what to do because each time they pay something, it is too little and insignificant when compared to what they owe. It does not look like they have paid anything when the bill comes. What should they do?
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: A way out would have been – most of
our consumers now are on the prepaid scheme. So I am not sure whether those houses do not have prepaid meters. However, if they have gone to the district offices and they are not happy or they have not understood what is happening, they should go to the next level. I will however take it up if you give me the full details of what is happening because even if they do not have prepaid meters, by now the electricity would have been cut off instead of the bill continuing to accumulate, unless they are just other tariffs.
HON. SEN. MARAVA: I would like to find out from the Vice President Hon. Mnangagwa, how much longer he thinks it shall take before the repealing of the death sentence on those who are under 21 years and those over 70 years. How much longer are those men going to wait before knowing if their death sentences will be repealed or not?
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): The provision which provides for the death penalty is in the Constitution and for it to be removed from the Constitution, a policy must be adopted to abolish the death penalty first. Then the process of amending the Constitution will take place. I came back last night from a conference in Rome where over 40 countries met to discuss the issue of the death penalty. The trend world-wide is that we move towards a world without the death penalty.
In Zimbabwe, at the time of independence there were about nine offences which attracted the death penalty. When we became independent and I became Minister of Justice in 1988, by 1992, I had removed six of those offences which attracted the death penalty and remained with three. Down the line when we had our outreach programme in 2013, we removed one and we are left with two offences which attract the death penalty, which are aggravated murder and treason. However, we have made progress because during the colonial period the only person who was exempted from execution or the death penalty was a pregnant woman. Now, we have said in our Constitution that those under 21 years cannot be sentenced to death, those over 70 years - like me, cannot be sentenced to death and all women cannot be sentenced to death. But men between 21 years and 70 years can be hanged.
I, personally am anti-death penalty. My colleagues in Cabinet know that. Some Ministers in Cabinet support the death penalty while others do not support it. This is not an ideological issue but a question of conscience which each individual can use to take one’s position. To say that after such a period, we should be able to have abolished the death penalty, I would not be honest with the House. I however, hope that one day we will succeed in abolishing the death penalty. I know the trauma that is experienced by the person sentenced to death because I went through that. So, I cannot guarantee the time frame but I believe that one day, Zimbabwe shall join those countries in the world who will abolish the death penalty. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUSAKA: My question is directed to Hon. S. K.
Moyo. It is a cross cutting issue involving the Ministries of Justice,
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Agriculture, Mechanisation and
Irrigation Development; Lands and Rural Resettlement; Home Affairs; Environment, Water and Climate; Rural Development and Preservation of Cultural Heritage; and Finance and Economic Development. It is the problem of squatters in resettlement areas. It is also inter-provincial and inter-district in my constituency of Mashonaland West. We have people who cross over from Midlands and Mashonaland East Provinces into Mashonaland West. It is so serious; it is causing conflict, poverty and environmental degradation. It is stifling development and it is quite a serious problem now. What policy should Government formulate coordinating the ministries mentioned above to stop the problem of squatters?
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Order, you are
supposed to be asking a policy question.
HON. SEN. MUSAKA: But I am buttressing my question Hon.
President.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE Senator, that
sounds more like a question that qualifies for a written question and not oral. You have so many facts behind your question. Are you not comfortable putting it in writing? If you are not, can you simply stand up and ask what is your policy on this?
HON. SEN. MUSAKA: Thank you Mr. President. I put my
question in context. Minister, what is the policy on this?
THE MINISTER OF POLICY COORDINATION AND
PROMOTION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC VENTURES IN THE
PRESIDENT’S OFFICE (HON. S. K. MOYO): I want to thank Hon.
Sen. Musaka for asking the question. In actual fact he has answered the question in his contribution because he said it was cross-cutting. The question of policy coordination does not only curtail itself to those Ministries you mentioned but it is across Government. Where there is conflict between Ministries, we must at all times try to ensure that we put the situation straight so that it does not cause misunderstanding amongst people and also those who are supposed to take necessary action, take it without stepping on each other’s toes.
I believe myself that if there is such a situation and you have mentioned about two or three Ministries, it is important for us and I want to thank Mr. President for that – that you put it in writing and then we shall definitely sit down with those Ministries and ensure that there is no conflict in implementing Government policy in any sphere. I thank you
Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: My question is directed to the
Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of livestock. I want to find out the plans that you have in spearheading irrigation scheme so that people can mitigate against the effect of drought?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA): The Ministry of Agriculture is
responsible for the installation of systems where water is available.
Where water is not available, it obviously requires the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to do dam construction and make sure that there is water available. Government has got various programmes in place including the much talked about Brazilian facility…
HON. SEN. T. MOHADI: On a point of order. The question was asked in vernacular. The Minister should also respond in vernacular.
*HON. ZHANDA: I want to thank Senator Mohadi for reminding
me that the question was asked in vernacular. I want to thank the Hon. Senator for asking a question pertaining to irrigation. What I was saying is that irrigation works hand-in-hand with water, so if there is no water it means the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate should construct dams. If there is water available, we have a department which deals with irrigation development. What it does is that it gives ideas to farmers and educate them on how they can engage in irrigation schemes but we now have in place a programme where His Excellency launched, the irrigation scheme which is facilitated by the Brazilians to the tune of US$98m and so far US$38m has been distributed already to all the areas around the country.
The plans that we have are that when that is through, there will be a second stage where another consignment will also come. This first scheme was directed at irrigation schemes which are already in place so that people will not have problems with food security. If we want to make a follow up on equipment that has been disbursed already, if the Hon. Senator has identified places where we can do irrigation schemes, she can approach our department and talk to the engineers so that they will go and investigate and assess whether an irrigation scheme can be established.
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: Supplementary. My question to the
Minister is referring to those who are engaged in irrigation already, that is, A1 and A2. The crops are now wilting, what plans do they have so that we can have equipment and irrigate our plants quickly?
*HON. ZHANDA: What I am hearing is like the Hon. Senator is referring to A1 and A2 farmers who have their irrigation programmes. I want to find out whether there is no water? Where is the problem because it looks like these farmers are engaged in irrigation already? Probably, what she is referring to are specific challenges that they are facing. What are the challenges?
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: The people who were resettled there
had irrigation equipment and I think the equipment has been vandalised?
*THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I
think you should be clear with your question.
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: What I am saying is that, there are no transformers, pumps and sprays. The farmers do not have money to buy these items.
*HON. ZHANDA: I understand what she is saying but she is referring to things that are not in place. We have to assess so we find out how much we need in order to fund those programmes. So, what I can say is that the Hon. Senator should put her question in writing and tell us where the challenges are, so that when we send people to investigate, they will come up with something. I thank you.
*THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I
think what she wants to know is, do you have a policy on the irrigation schemes that are in place already. Is there a policy?
*HON ZHANDA: Thank you for clarifying the issue. In the past there was no plan in place but now there are plans. The Government has taken steps that wherever there are water bodies and in order to mitigate the effects of the drought, we should have irrigation schemes in those areas.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Firstly, allow me to congratulate the Minister and the Government of Zimbabwe for affording the BaTonga community to learn their language in the education system of Zimbabwe hence last year, 2015, they had their first
‘O’ level examination which they did very well. My question is, what is the Government’s position for those students who did their ‘O’ level to proceed for ‘A’ level if they want? I know the excitement they have because they passed very well. I am saying this because there is total confusion and there is no formal communication to the concerned schools?
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (DR. DOKORA): Thank you Mr. President. You rarely hear Members of Parliament congratulating the Government for progressive programmes which are carried out. This makes me so happy. We have a policy in Government, we did look at all the indigenous languages which are in the Constitution...
SENATOR MOHADI: On a point of order Mr. President.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: What
is your point of order?
SENATOR MOHADI: My point is order is that I think the Hon. Chief Senator asked the question in English of which he should also respond in English.
*THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:
Before you speak Minister, I think the Minister thought it wise to speak in Shona because the Hon. Senator is a chief, so he thinks chiefs are well versed in Shona. In this case the Chief understands Tonga and English hence if you want to go vernacular, you must speak in Tonga, otherwise he is more comfortable with English.
HON. DR. DOKORA: I thank you Mr. President. I want to say as policy we embrace the diversity of the languages as given in the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Secondly, we have also taken a policy position which gradually escalates the teaching of those languages. We have said in the first instance, we must try and match at the infant level the indigenous language of the source community of those children as given in the different sites of our school locations. We give that a priority.
Some of the indigenous languages are now being examined at Grade 7 and indeed the Hon. Senator is correct that Chitonga is one of those languages that has now been examined at O’ Level. It is in the interest of all for us to continue to escalate upward to A’ Level. The material challenges at the beginning of this term relate to a number of factors, some of which are not entirely domestic to my Ministry - to do with staffing, size of establishment. The establishment is given to us by the Public Service Commission, but for them to do so as well it requires us to first of all confirm the numbers of learners that we have in the system. In an earlier question Hon. President, there was some talk about young learners perhaps not being afforded their results at some of our schools. In the first term of every year at this time, there is a lot of challenge to be able to confirm with certainty our enrolment numbers so that we can get the establishment and then try to align the teacher deployment to the various communities in the languages that we are trying to escalate.
The Senator can be rest assured that at the earliest opportunity we will escalate the language to A’ Level, even if it means we will begin closer to the end of the first term. I thank you.
SENATOR CHIEF SIANSALI: Precisely my question was to
know whether they are going to start learning Tonga in Form 5 this year?
HON. DR. DOKORA: Well I was asked to speak in English and
I responded. I said even if it means by end of this term, we will still facilitate. I do not know what else I must say.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:
Minister, I think Vasimwame, which means Mambo, simply wants to know, and I think it is fair, although you were not very clear at the end, on the issue of awarding A’ Level Tonga as a subject, how feasible is it this year? What is your view, what is your policy on that? Do you think it is going to happen this year or can the students wait further or it is out?
HON. DR. DOKORA: Mr. President of the Senate, I did say there is interplay of ministries on this matter. Those that give us the establishment, and those of our people in the line of duty who confirm the various statistical evidence that is required. I said while there has been this delay, we will continue to facilitate so that even if it means starting those classes by end of this term, we will facilitate that to happen.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Very
good Minister. I think you have done justice. Minister, just be fair. There is no problem expressing yourself in the English language, you are the head of schools, you have very sweet, refined English, grammatical expression. Just to close the matter you could have said this is now March almost, in your view what have you done? If you were going to say, we have already applied to Public Service Commission and we await their response that would have been a good answer. Anywhere let us proceed.
*SENATOR CHABUKA: My question is directed to the Hon.
Vice President and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Mnangagwa who is also Leader of the House. Hon. Vice President my question is on the welfare of Members of Parliament. When we come to Parliament we are coming to perform national duty and when we go back to our homes and constituencies; people look forward to benefit from our work. As a Government and as Vice President of the country, do you have a way of supporting your Members of Parliament and avoid them from coming into and staying in hotels for about two weeks? This is because you deny them fuel to go back to their constituencies. We also believe that as the Leader of the House and the Vice President; we are living like beggars, we have nothing to take back to our constituents, we have nothing to feed our families and yet we are workers. Therefore, I am asking that you take care of our welfare.
*THE HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF
JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Mr. President of the Senate. I do agree whole heartedly. We agree with whatever the Hon. Senator has raised. We have the welfare of the Members of Parliament at heart and we wish to support them fully in all their requirements. We have problems in implementing the welfare programmes because the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Treasury have no money to support our welfare programmes because Members of Parliament should be given their fuel coupons for travelling. They should travel using vehicles allocated by Parliament and even stay in best hotels. Unfortunately, the economy of the country is at its lowest point. We have had discussions with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Chinamasa who concurs that the welfare of Members of Parliament needs to be addressed.
Before I came to Parliament, I received a letter from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Adv. Mudenda, requesting us to inform the
President about the prevailing situation affecting Members of
Parliament.
*HON. SEN. CHABUKA: I am not content with the response given by the Vice President and Leader of the House on our welfare. We are in this august House because we are working and upon adjournment, we need to go back to our constituencies and families.
However, because of lack of fuel, we are being encouraged to stay in Harare instead of going back to our homes. I think the best we can do, as I am suggesting, is that we close Parliament until we are financially stable and we are able to pay for our welfare. Thank you.
HON. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. President. I know we have problems in whatever will be happening in such situations because at times, you fail to express yourself in an understandable manner. However, the truth of the matter is that, as a Member Parliament, I could have raised the question on the welfare of Members of Parliament because I am also suffering.
I stated that I received a letter from the Speaker of the National
Assembly, asking me to appeal to the President on the welfare of
Members of Parliament. I called the Office of His Excellency and I was told that he was not there and was informed to call back at quarter past two ‘o’clock pm. I am promising you that tomorrow, on Friday; I am going to inform the President of your predicament. I told you that I really sympathise with you. Your welfare has been disturbed by lack of finance. We do not have money in our fiscus. We have members who have the responsibility of mobilising funds for the state budget. These are the people who are telling us that Treasury does not have enough money to carry out all the programmes.
However, let me tell you that the Hon. Speaker stated all your problems and all the situations that you are facing. As you have stated, as beggars, we are all aware and even the Acting President of the Senate, Hon. Chief Charumbira is also aware of this situation. We have been moving up and down disseminating information on the welfare of Members of Parliament. This is nothing new, but I know that the main problem is that, in my response, I did not tell you the cut-off date that all your problems will be solved.
Let me tell you that everything that you bring to my attention, I take it up to His Excellency and Treasury and I promise you that whatever amount will be made available by the Treasury will be disbursed to your welfare. I am glad because Hon. Chinamasa is part of you and he is also a former Minister of Justice and is aware of the Constitutional rights of the people of Zimbabwe. However, I will reemphasise that, the problem is non-availability of cash in the country and once cash is made available; your welfare will be taken care of.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: We are
running out of time but I will be a bit lenient. I will use a different system, if you are given a chance, you ask your question in 30 seconds, it is heard and the Minister will respond in less than a minute. At least we have a full bench of Ministers today, which we rarely do, we move very fast.
+HON. SENATOR A. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining
Development, Hon. F. Moyo. I would like to know what is happening if you intend to obtain a mining claim? For example, you identify certain minerals in someone’s property or someone’s farm that you wish to exploit, what should you do, how do you negotiate with the owner of the property so that the company is registered? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Mr. President, allow me to
answer in English if I can be allowed by the Hon. Senator.
THE HON. ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE:
Permission granted.
HON. F. MOYO: Thank you very much. Our regional offices are there to assist the mediation between farmer and miner. They know what to do and understand the processes. If there is no agreement, the discussions can be elevated at the Head Office. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAWIRE: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Hon. Kasukuwere. We are at pains concerning the officials from Mutare Municipality. They are pouring out their grievances all the time. You visited the other time and advised that they should be given their salaries, but to date, they are still to get their salaries and it is almost two years now without being paid.
THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC
WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):
Thank you Mr. President. Thank you Hon. Senator Mawire. I approved for their payment yesterday and I signed the necessary documents to facilitate their salary payment. Thank you very much.
HON. SEN. S. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What grades represent O’ Level passes? It may sound funny, but I just want to ask that question.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): Passes at O’ Level are A, B
and C. Those grades constitute credits at O’ Level. Below that level, there is a classification which enables the learner to understand where they are placed. You know D to U, where U means ungraded, but if you are above the U you are closer to the credit beginning at C and upwards.
HON. CHIEF MUSARURWA: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Vice President, who is also the Leader of the House. My question is, the Union Jack was lowered and taken back to Britain but I have noticed that in the National Assembly, we still have the symbols of the British Queen or King. We still have the Crown or some of those symbols resembling the Royal Family of Britain.
*THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. President, my wish is that all the symbols which show the presence of the Queen should be taken back to their place of origin in Britain.
*HON. SEN. MACHINGAIFA: Mr. President, when you look at
the benches which are in the National Assembly, there are symbols of the Crown. Some of them are a symbol of the Union Jack.
*HON. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. Member. You have
given me some homework. I am going to examine these artifacts so that we make the necessary removal and transference to their rightful place. I have been in that House for quite some time but I have never been able to identify those artifacts. You seem to be implying that we should pluck out these symbols of the colonial regime and this may mean allocating a budget for Parliament to remove these reminders of the British Colonial Regime.
HON. SEN. MAKONE: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development. In recent writings, I have come across information that the Kariba Dam is now one and half metres above the water line which allows the turbines to generate electricity. When it is below that level, the turbines will stop turning. Also, we are generating 285 megawatts instead of 700 megawatts as a country. I would want to find out what the Ministry is doing to prepare us for the eventuality that water will fall below that water line because we are in February and by September, obviously something serious will have happened.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. MUZENDA): I would like to thank
Senator Makone for that question. That is true, we are one and half metres to the required water level. The Government is doing a lot. We are right now working on a project to have 200 megawatts of diesel energy at Dema. You are aware that at the moment, we are importing fuel from South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia. We have other projects, such as the Mutare Peak Project which is going to be giving us 120 megawatts. The Gwanda Project is also on board. Therefore, the Government and ZESA are quite aware of the challenges and projects in the pipeline to alleviate that. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF MUSARURWA: My question is directed
to the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development. What is the Government policy regarding the closure of diamond mines in the
Chiadzwa area. We know they are not functioning properly. What plans do you have that these mines be re-opened and revive the country’s economy?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President. We
closed a lot of mines, some of them were gold mines, copper mines et cetera. We issued a statement on the closure of Chiadzwa mines. The mines were not closed by the Government willingly but they were operating out of the agreed route. Therefore, they have to be opened in future and operated by the Government. It is job in progress; we will be opening them as soon as possible so that we can revive the economy.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE ACTING PRESIDENT in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
CONVERSION OF CHURCH HOSPITALS INTO DISTRICT
HOSPITALS
- SENATOR MASHAVAKURE asked the Minister of Health
and Child Care as to when a church hospital is made a district hospital, more specifically, does it become a Government institution or is it run as a Government institution for the purpose of being a district health institution. Does it adopt the title of “District Hospital” in titular terms only?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): Thank you Mr. President. I would want to thank Hon. Mashavakure for asking this very important question. He wanted to find out when a church hospital is made a district hospital. A church or mission hospital is only made a designated district hospital in districts where there are no standard district hospitals, but it does not become a Government institution. It is run by the Constitution of the church which owns it.
The designated district hospital has its own Executive appointed through the church which does the day to day operations of the hospital. The Government has a District Health Executive Team that is headed by the District Medical Officer, who carries out Government duties within the respective district. It is addressed as a designated district hospital. It can only be run as a Government institution if it is transferred to
Government as is the case with Father O’Hea Hospital in Zvimba. I thank you.
ROLE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF HIV/AIDS
PROGRAMMES
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Health and
Child Care to explain to the House the role played by traditional leaders in supporting HIV/AIDS programmes in their communities.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank Hon. Senator Chimbudzi for asking this very important question. Traditional leaders, as custodians of culture and role models in their communities, are in a strong position to address harmful cultural practices in order to promote the prevention of HIV within their communities. Traditional leaders preside over Customary Law Courts and exercise legislative power in many communities. As custodians of culture, traditional leaders can facilitate the creation of positive cultural environments in their communities.
Supporting and empowering traditional leaders with the knowledge and skills to assist their communities to address HIV and AIDS through redressing harmful cultural practices and promoting positive ones is a key element of HIV and Aids programming. Traditional leaders are a gateway to the communities targeted in HIV and AIDS prevention programmes. An effective method to reach men and thus contribute to reduction of new HIV infections and keep communities healthy, is involving traditional leaders. Against this background the role of traditional leaders include the following inter alia:
- Advocacy role - traditional leaders act as agents of behavioural change since they are cultural custodians and therefore play a pivotal role in the uptake of HIV and AIDS related services. For example Chief Nemanwa in Masvingo encourages men to accompany their wives for Antenatal Care Services. Defaulters are penalised. The practice code name “Perekedzanhumbuyako”, is yielding positive results in reproductive health.
- They are promoters of HIV testing and treatment.
- Discourage negative cultural tendencies while promoting positive ones.
- De-stigmatisation of HIV and AIDS.
- ZunderaMambo for home-based care and support to orphans due to HIV and AIDS with support from National AIDS Council (NAC). The Honourable Minister Dr. Parirenyatwa officially handed over maize harvested from such programme in Masvingo under Chief Mazungunye.
In 2005, the National AIDS Council hosted the first ever Chiefs’ Conference on HIV and AIDS at Great Zimbabwe, Masvingo. However, there is continuous engagement through the Chiefs Council in all HIV and AIDS programming. Community mobilisation and sensitisation on issues related to HIV and AIDS involves traditional leaders in all districts.
As the President of the Chiefs Council today testify, when we launched the ZIMFLYERS the Chiefs in the areas where part of the coordination so that we could reach the people. We really value the work that is done by the traditional leaders. I thank you.
THE ACTNG PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Just to correct
the Deputy Minister, Nemanwa is a headman, he is not Chief
Nemanwa, it is Chief Charumbira, Nemanwe is a headman under
Chief Charumbira. May be you thought you cannot compliment the President when he is in the Chair – [Laughter] – but thank you very much.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIVING WITH
HIV/AIDS
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Health and
Child Care to inform the House the strategies that the Ministry has put in place to support people living with HIV/AIDS in the event that Global Fund and other donors withdraw their support.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank
Senator Chimbudzi for asking this question. Government through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has the responsibility to provide resources for the health sector.
Evidently the resources coming from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development have been inadequate and therefore, the need arose to apply for more resources from the Global Fund to assist finance our AIDS and TB and Malaria programme.
Currently Global Fund funds more than 50% of our HIV treatment programmes. Should the Global Fund come to an end, the
Government through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will have to step up and take the responsibility and take over the treatment currently covered by Global Fund. The alternative would be to look for new partners or donors to assist.
So, in terms of financing health, we look at the fiscus and the Aids levy which is a domestic way of financing our health delivery system. Let me say it is actually the only one in Africa that has got a domestic financing. We also have the public and private partnerships. We have got other innovative finance avenues through donors and private sector players. But, maybe now is the time to start seriously thinking about national health insurance. I thank you.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A DISEASE CONROL CENTRE
7.HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Health and
Child Care to explain to the House whether the Ministry has any plans to establish a disease control centre to mitigate the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): Thank you Mr. President. The Ministry already has an STI/HIV and AIDS and TB directorate that coordinates and leads the health sector fight against HIV in Zimbabwe. Through the work of this unit, we have recorded significant gains and successes in our fight against HIV. There is therefore no need and we have no plans to establish a disease control centre for HIV and AIDS as this will be duplicating what the AIDS and TB directorate is doing at the moment.
MEASURES TO CURB ABUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS
9.HON. SEN. CHIMHINI asked the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development to inform the House –
- What measures the Ministry is putting in place to effectively curb the abuse of scarce public funds, particularly in Government Ministries and parastatals as qualified in the Auditor-General’s reports;
- Which Ministries and parastatals if any, have been sanctioned for such improprieties for and to state the nature of penalties applied if any as a way of showing Government seriousness to stop the rot.
THE MINISTER OF POLICY CO-ORDINATION AND
PROMOTION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC VENTURES
IN THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE (HON. SEN. S.K. MOYO) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Thank you Mr. President.
First, I want to convey the apologies of my colleague, Hon. Minister Chinamasa who is not able to be here because of circumstances beyond his control and I want to, on his behalf, thank Hon. Sen. Chimhini for the question which he has asked me to read to this august House. The response reads as follows;
Mr. President, the Auditor-General’s reports highlighted various areas of concern in the management of and accountability for public resources in Government ministries and public entities. The issues raised include, among others, governance challenges and non-compliance with approved frameworks, some of which have resulted in leakages.
As highlighted to this august House in the 2015 Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review Statement, the opaqueness of our accountability system where some public entities are governed by both the statutes that establish the entity and the Public Finance Management Act has created some of these undesirable situations. To deal with these challenges, there is need for clarity of roles of the Treasury, the line ministries, entities’ boards of directors and other players in the public resource management chain.
Mr. President, consistent with Treasury’s mandate to exercise a general direction and control over public resources, my ministry will this year engage relevant ministries to implement appropriate corrective measures at both ministry level and in public entities under their purview. The engagement process will be complemented by the review of the Public Finance Management Act to strengthen the existing governance and accountability arrangements as contained in a Bill that has already been gazetted for consideration by this august House.
The proposed amendments seek to, among other things:
- clarify the roles of respective stakeholders in the operations of public entities;
- strengthen the sector ministries and Treasury’s oversight of public entities;
- provide for governance arrangements over statutory funds that are not adequately catered for in the current legislation;
- make it mandatory for supervising ministries to check for and ensure consistency of public entities annual corporate plans and budgets with the financial policies set by Government; and
- compel public entities to implement recommendations within timeframes agreed with the Auditor General.
Mr. President, the Public Finance Management Act empowers my Ministry to raise Treasury Orders for the recovery of losses of public resources arising from identified deficiencies in, damage to or destruction of State property, subject to due process as laid out in that statute. Treasury Orders have over the years been raised against individuals found responsible for deficiencies in, damage to or destruction of State property.
While other transgressions by members of the Civil Service are handled by the Public Service Commission, seven officials from the Treasury were dismissed this year alone following disciplinary proceedings related to the handling of public resources.
Financial Analysis Unit/Performance Audits
Mr. President, Hon. Members will be aware that in the 2016
National Budget Statement, I created a dedicated Public Enterprises
Reform and Monitoring Unit in the Accountant General’s Department under my Ministry to:
- vigorously monitor public performance;
- proactively coordinate the implementation of restructuring reforms; and
- analyse budgets and financial statements of public entities.
We are now in the process of setting up this unit to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act by the public entities. The unit will be equipped with the requisite skills for the achievement of the objectives of increasing public enterprises’ contribution to GDP, reduction of their dependence on the fiscus, improvement of service delivery and enhanced accountability.
Audit Response Unit
Mr. President, in the 2015 Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review, I highlighted that Government was instituting measures to address concerns raised in the Auditor-General’s Narrative Reports. The processes of amending the Public Finance Management Act to include monitoring and close oversight of public enterprises and local authorities is complete, and the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill was gazette on 23 November, 2015 and will soon be tabled in this august House.
In addition, Government is establishing another unit within the
Accountant-General’s Department mandated to analyse audit reports, enforce issues of compliance raised by the Auditor-General and ensure that Government is responsive to issues raised by the Auditor-General and indeed, this august House. The mandate of this unit will also embrace compliance and accountability of ministries and departments in line with their obligations under Public Finance Management Act with regards to public resources.
Measures to address public enterprises corporate governance
Mr. President, Hon. Members will be aware that the Corporate Governance and Remuneration Framework for State Enterprises, parastatals and local authorities adopted by Cabinet in 2014 is now being converted into a Public Sector Corporate Governance Bill that seeks to, among other things;
- establish a Corporate Governance and Delivery Agency to monitor activities of boards, assess public entities’ compliance with the prescribed national code;
- set parameters for the appointment of public enterprises boards;
- provide for establishment of Board Committees; and
- make provision for the appointment, tenure of office, conditions of service and performance monitoring of public entities Chief Executives.
This measure will address the governance issues in public entities by putting in place a corporate governance framework that is mandatory and legally enforceable, in addition to establishing institutional arrangements for monitoring compliance.
Mr. President, the 2015 Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review
Statement also alluded to on-going stakeholder consultations with a view of coming up with a strategy for further parastatals reforms. The strategy that will emerge from these consultations will complement and reinforce the reforms already under way to ensure our public entities are properly managed to both discharge their core mandates and contribute to the development of our economy.
Mr. President, I want to assure hon. Members of Government’s seriousness in ensuring full accountability in the management of public resources, and addressing all matters raised in the reports of the AuditorGeneral. This measure will address the governance issues in public entities by putting in place a corporate governance framework that is mandatory and legally enforceable in addition to establishing institutional arrangements for monitoring compliance.
Mr. President, the 2015 Mid-Term Fiscal policy review statement also alluded to on-going stakeholder consultation with a view of coming up with a strategy for further parastatals reforms. The strategy that will emerge from these consultations will complement and reinforce the reforms already underway to ensure our public entities are properly managed to both discharge their core mandates and contribute to the development of our economy.
Mr. President, I want to assure Hon. Members of Government’s seriousness in ensuring full accountability in the management of public resources and addressing all maters raised in the reports of the Auditor
General. I thank you.
Questions with Notice were interrupted by the ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number
WRITTEN ANSWER TO QUESTION WITH NOTICE
DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES BY MEDICAL AID
SOCIETIES ON PEOPLE AGED 60 AND ABOVE
- HON. SEN. B. SIBANDA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to explain why some Medical Aid Societies do not accept clients who are in the age group 60 to 65 years and to further state whether this practice is not discriminatory in view of the retirement age currently pegged at 65.
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. PARIRENYATWA): The Ministry of Health and
Child Care is there to ensure that all people of all ages have access to affordable, equitable, effective and efficient health care services. To enable access for all, issues of rights to health and vulnerability are key. Therefore, the Ministry identified vulnerable groups that have to be assisted to ensure a healthy population and these groups include; children under five years, pregnant women, the indigent and the elderly above 60 years. Financial protection given to these groups allows prioritisation of the available resources considering ability to pay for services amongst other factors. The public system is just but part of the health system and is complemented by the private for profit sector, and the private not for profit sector.
The private sector includes the Medical Insurance sector, which includes the profit and not for profit entities. These entities complement Government efforts in the purchasing of services from providers of health care. These entities pool risk on behalf of their beneficiaries by ensuring that they access health care services when they require them. In developing their health care benefit schemes, these entities consider numbers enrolled in the schemes and utilisation of services by the enrolled target beneficiaries.
My Ministry does not prescribe the benefit schemes offered by the Medical Insurance companies but rather is concerned with whether the beneficiaries access the services they signed up for.
The exclusion criteria of the 60+ age group are known by the Ministry and that is why the group was included in the vulnerable groups for financial protection under the public health system. It is the prerogative of the Medical Insurance entity to diversify its product portfolio in a manner that gives it viability; however this exclusion of the above 60 age group is not a common feature across medical insurance entities. It is the interest of the Ministry to see this group also catered for more, under private health insurance and the Ministry has been more inclined to licencing Medical Insurance entities that provide benefit schemes across all age groups and also cross subsidies financially stable schemes with less lucrative ones. As a way of increasing financial protection in accessing health care and avoid point of service fees for basic health care services, my Ministry is advocating for the operationalisation of the National Health Insurance, through the
Ministry of Labour and Social Services.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 5 be stood over until Orders of the Day, Numbers 6 and 7 are disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SENATOR MARAVA: Thank you Mr. President. I have just been checking around, a lot of people are ill-prepared for these motions, I wonder if we cannot be allowed to debate these motions on next sitting, in order to allow people to go through their orders.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I am in agreement but I can facilitate that by reading my Second Reading speech on the two Bills so that you read the Bill as well as the philosophy behind it, hence getting you to be more prepared.
I thank you.
SECOND READING
GENERAL LAWS AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 2A, 2015]
Sixth Order read: Generals Laws Amendment Bill, 2015 (H.B. 3A,
2015.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Mr. President. As you may be aware, Zimbabwe underwent a historic process of enacting a new Constitution and repealing the 1980 Lancaster House Constitution. The enactment of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe on the 22nd of May 2013 ushered in a number of new obligations and new policy areas on the part of the State. Arising out of these new obligations is the need to align all laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution so that they conform to the new Constitution.
Significantly, Section 324 of the Constitution compels the State to ensure that all constitutional obligations are performed diligently and without delay. As such, my Ministry identified a total of 396 pieces of legislation which require alignment, 117 of which will be aligned with the Constitution by way of the General Laws Amendment Bill.
However, let me highlight that there are two steps of alignment of legislation that can be effected by the Constitution. There are substantive changes which are core changes which lead to the amendment of a Principal Act or the creation of a new one. The other is the minor changes or non-consequential changes that are brought about by the Constitution. These changes do not lead to the creation of a new Act, but rather bring minor changes such as changes of a name or office
e.g. from Provincial Governor to Minister of State.
Mr. President, as highlighted earlier, the enactment of the new Constitution brought about changes to more than 396 pieces of legislation thus necessitating an omnibus General Laws Amendment Bill which will effect non-consequential changes to these pieces of legislation.
These are said to be non-consequential changes because they are
minor in nature, which effect is for instance, a new name or term being brought by the Constitution. These do not materially impinge on the entire Act and once rectified, the Act will become correctly aligned to the Constitution. Let me highlight forthwith that I am going to touch on a few selected pieces of legislation. As alluded to earlier on, the Amendment Bill is an omnibus amendment Bill. It touches on 117 pieces of legislation effecting both non-consequential and consequential changes to them, hence it is impossible to highlight which changes are being effected on each and every piece of legislation, hence the selection of a few wherein consequential changes were effected. The consequential changes to the bills highlighted below, including the Interpretation Act, are urgent and of utmost importance.
Amendment of the Interpretation Act
Mr. President, over and above, the Constitution being the supreme law of the country has brought with it changes to the Interpretation Act where there is need to include new definition terms as found in the new Constitution.
As such, the supremacy of the Constitution supersedes that of Parliament. This is embodied in Section 2(1) of the Constitution. It therefore has to be understood and accepted by every Zimbabwean that any law, practice, custom or conduct inconsistent with the Constitution is invalid by reason of it being inconsistent.
Amendment of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament
Act
Mr. President, this Amendment Bill also seeks to alter the power of Parliament to defend its dignity and prestige in face of contempt towards it and breaches of its privileges through restricting its imposition of the sentence of imprisonment. This is necessary since the provisions of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act are in contradiction with provisions of Section 148 of the Constitution. The present power given to Parliament under the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act is too magnanimous because Parliament can request the Attorney-General to launch a prosecution in respect of any offence over which Parliament could exercise its autonomous criminal jurisdiction.
Therefore, the amendment being brought by the Constitution is necessary in that it allows for an Act of Parliament that will not permit an imposition of any in the nature of a criminal penalty but rather a fine for breach of privilege or contempt of Parliament. Thus the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act has to be amended in order to fit this proviso of the Constitution.
Amendment of the Electoral Act
Mr. President, of importance I wish to highlight that, the Amendment Bill introduces the functions of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and seeks to do away with the office of the Registrar of Voters. Section 239(c), (d) and (e) of the Constitution gives ZEC the new responsibility for registering voters, compiling voters’ roll and registers and ensure the proper custody and maintenance of voters’ rolls and registers. This means that the Registrar-General will be confined to the duties of maintaining the registers of births, death, marriages and citizenship. Also the Bill seeks to amend and update references to office, terms and provisions used in the old Constitution which have been overtaken by the new Constitution. The amendments also remove some superfluous and abolished processes such as special voting.
Amendment of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act
Mr. President Sir, under Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16; the amendments seek to replace the expression ‘shorter period of imprisonment’ by the expression ‘definite period of imprisonment’, which is more accurate.
Under Items 6, 7, 17, 28 and 29 - interesting to note is the departure from the designation Prison Service to Prisons and Correctional Service as provided for by Section 227 of the new Constitution which establishes it.
Mr. President, under item 8, the new Constitution is one of the most progressive Constitutions in the region as far as the Bill of Rights is concerned. Zimbabweans must be applauded for coming up with such a progressive Constitution that recognises the importance of fundamental freedoms and liberties. Let me elucidate that as such, this Amendment Bill will also touch on the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform”) Act. Major highlights are on the restriction by Section 48 of the Constitution to impose death penalty on women, a person who was less than twenty on years when the offence was committed and on a person who is more than 70 years old.
Interesting to note is the fact that death penalty cannot be made a mandatory penalty but a court must use its own discretion to impose it. This proviso brings out the sanctity of life by protecting the right to life.
Consequently, this Amendment Bill seeks to provide that the death penalty for murder is competent only where the crime is committed in aggravating circumstances and that a court has discretion to instead impose a sentence of imprisonment for life or a prison sentence of at least twenty (20) years.
Mr. President, under Item 12, as highlighted earlier on, the Constitution is progressive in terms of human rights, Section 3 thereof sets forth the Founding Values and Principles of Zimbabwe where rights of women, elderly, youths and children are recognised. The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act prevents sexual exploitation of younger persons and only adults may be prosecuted for this crime, because the subject of the crime is a person and its object is a young person that which is below 16 years, as defined in section 61 of the Code.
It is in the interest of the society to protect all young persons, hence it is proposed that the Act be amended to effect the following proposed changes, that where two young persons aged between 12 and 16 engage in sexual intercourse or an indecent act, neither of them should be prosecuted for the crime of sexual intercourse or performing an indecent act with a young person, unless the report of a probation officer finds that it is proper to prosecute one of them for the offence.
Under Item 18, the definition of a public officer is given to mean the redundant office of the Provincial Governor. This has since been replaced by chairperson of Provincial Councils as provided by Chapter 14 of the
Constitution. It is thus proposed to amend as is provided by the Constitution.
Under Item 19, I wish to highlight that this Amendment Bill also seeks to propose that courts be given the discretion to decide whether a person has taken any significant step towards the commission of an offence before convicting that person of attempting to commit it. This is so because the distinguishing between an attempt to commit a crime and a mere preparation raises more problems and has never been canvassed in our courts, hence the proposal to leave it to the courts to decide.
Mr. President, under Item 20, 21, 22, and 26, the original purpose of the Criminal Law Code was to simplify the degree of responsibility where two or more persons are associated with a crime. Therefore, it is stated that if a person authorizes a crime but is not present at its commission is regarded as an accomplice but this amendment seeks to revert back to the Common Law position. It holds that someone who authorises the commission of a crime should be distinguished from a mere accomplice in the ordinary sense because he/she is rather a principal not an accomplice. This distinction should not be ignored because it makes a difference in sentencing since courts have a tendency of not punishing accomplices as much as they do to the principals and actual perpetrators.
Mr. President, under item 24, accomplice liability is dependent upon liability of the actual perpetrator, as such a person cannot be an accomplice if the actual perpetrator has a complete defence to the crime. Section 197(3)(a) of the Code provides that where an actual perpetrator has defence that reduces the liability of that person, the accomplice will still be liable as an accomplice as if the other person were the actual perpetrator. There arises some confusion because the term accomplice as presently used in the Criminal Law Code encompasses also a principal who authorises the commission of a crime without actually committing it. It therefore follows that, the principle ‘acts of an agent are the acts of a principal (qui facit per alium facit per se)’ becomes true if one substitutes the word ‘accomplice’, with the word ‘principal’ in subsection (3). Since the principle ‘acts of an agent are the acts of a principal (qui facit per alium facit per se)’ is embodied in subsection (3) of the new Section 196(a). It is therefore proposed that subsection (3) should be repealed and substituted by a different subsection which makes it clear that if an actual perpetrator is not found and brought to trial, another person can be convicted as an accomplice.
Mr. President, under item 25, this amendment seeks to distinguish the types of assistance referred to in Section 198(e), (f), (g) and (h) of the Criminal Law Code from case where the person rendering them may be liable as a co-perpetrator rather than as an accomplice.
Under item 27, Section 200 of the Criminal Law Code should also be recrafted to provide that principals and accomplices should not escape criminal liability entirely where they simply withdraw from participation in a crime before it is committed if the crime is subsequently committed without their participation. A provision is required to cover withdrawal from crimes by co-perpetrators and those who were present at the scene of the crime may only escape liability from the crime only if they take action to prevent the commission of the crime but must still be liable for conspiracy and attempt to commit the crime.
Mr. President, under item 30, in relation to rights of convicted persons, the Amendment Bill seeks to do away with disproportionate punishment. This arises when a person is convicted of a crime in specified aggravating circumstances that may render him or her liable to severe punishment, if at the same time he or she is also convicted of any other crime whose factual elements are the same as the specified aggravating circumstances. This may amount to cruel or inhumane punishment contrary to Section 53 of the Constitution because the convicted person will be subjected to double penalization. Subsequently, it therefore calls for a new clause to avoid double punishment.
Mr. President Sir, I also wish to highlight that this Bill will repeal the offence of criminal defamation.
Amendment of the Trademarks Act
Let me also highlight that this Amendment Bill also seeks to amend the Trade Marks Act among other pieces of legislation. This is not a constitutional alignment but timeous compliance with our international treaty obligations with respect to international property rights, in particular trademarks. This amendment will see Zimbabwe acquiesce to the Madrid Protocol (World Intellectual Property Organisation) concerning the International Registration of Marks. This protocol aims at shortening the process of registering an international trademark.
Mr. President Sir, hon. Senators will note that the Amendment Bill addresses the above mentioned pieces of legislation and the other over two hundred pieces that I have not mentioned thereby effecting nonconsequential changes to them. It is my hope that this mother of all Amendment Bills will ease the burden on our Constitutional court as a sizeable number of legislation will be aligned to the Constitution.
I laud the General Laws Amendment Bill of 2016, to the Senate and move that the Bill be now read the second time. I thank you.
I move that the debate be now adjourned.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 1st March, 2016.
SECOND READING
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT
BILL [H.B. 2B, 2015]
Seventh order read: Second Reading: Criminal Procedure and
Evidence Amendment Bill (H.B. 2B, 2015)
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Mr. President Sir, the Government remains committed to its constitutional duty to respect fundamental human rights and freedoms. The coming into force of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act of 2013, certainly brought about significant progressive changes to the Criminal Procedure and Evidence
Act [Chapter 9:07] and thus has necessitated the amendment to the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act in order to bring the Act in harmony with the Constitution. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill will thus seek to update the Principal Act in many respects.
This Act basically regulates the procedure that must be followed in criminal investigations and the subsequent prosecutions thereof and the nature of evidence that may be adduced in the courts of law.
Mr. President Sir, the salient amendments are premised on the following objectives:
- To ensure that suspects who have been arrested are
accorded the rights which the Constitution guarantees them, such as the right to remain silent, the right to contact their friends and relatives and their legal and medical advisers and the right to be brought to a court within 48 hours.
- To define the compelling reasons justifying the
continued detention of the suspects, as required by Section 50 of the Constitution.
- To ensure that accused persons receive fair trials, as
required by Section 69 of the Constitution.
- To substantially improve the provisions connected
with the seizure, custody and disposal of articles for the purpose of criminal proceedings.
- To provide for judicial conferences to formulate sentencing guidelines and
- To repeal unconstitutional provisions relating to the
death penalty.
Mr. President Sir, this now brings me to the contents of
the Bill before the Hon. Senators.
Clause 1 of the Bill sets out the Bill’s Short Title which is the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Act, 2016.
Clause 2 will amend Section 2 of the Principal Act by the insertion of a number of definitions. For instance, the definition of “statutory capital offence”, is now restricted to murder committed in aggravating circumstances. Similarly, the definition of an “accused” will now be confined to persons who have entered the criminal justice system as suspects.
Section 50 (d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe does not define compelling reasons justifying the continued detention of an arrested person. The definition of compelling reason is clearly defined in this clause. There are other definitions of new phrases and words in this clause such as the definition of bodily sample, buccal sample, DNA, forensic DNA, intimate sample, health practitioner, medical officer,
National Director of Public Prosecutions and the Public Prosecutor.
Mr. President Sir, Clause 3 will repeal Part II of the Principal Act which deals with prosecution at the public instance so as to align these provisions with Sections 258-263 of the Constitution.
Hon. Members might be aware that before the enactment of the new Constitution, the Office of the Attorney General (AG) had two primary functions; that of undertaking criminal prosecutions and that of acting as principal advisor to Government. While there were provisions that the AG should not be subject to the direction or control of anyone, there were other sections of our community that felt that the independence of the AG was severely compromised because of the two pronged function. Against this backdrop, the new Constitution created a standalone National Prosecution Authority to undertake criminal prosecution and retained the AG in terms of Sections 114 and 115 for the sole purpose of acting as principal advisor to the Government.
The new Section 5 will make the National Prosecuting Authority and its officers, acting under the direction of the Prosecutor General, responsible for public prosecutions though, if the National Prosecuting Authority officers are not available, the Prosecutor General is permitted to authorise other people to prosecute.
The new Section 7 is a re-enactment of Section 11 (2) of the Principal Act and allows the taking over of a case instituted by a prosecutor by another prosecutor.
Similarly, the new Section 8 will re-enact Section 9 of the Principal Act which deals with withdrawal of charges. The important new Section under this clause is Section 11A which will require the
Prosecutor General to consult the Judicial Service Commission, the Law
Society and other interested persons and bodies when in terms of Section 260 (1) of the Constitution, he or she formulates the principles on which he or she decides whether and how to institute and conduct criminal proceedings. This statement of principles will have to be reviewed at least once every two years and published as widely as is practicable.
Clauses 5, 6 and 7 will deal with institution of private prosecutions. The clauses set out who are entitled to institute private prosecution and reinstate that such prosecution can only be conducted after the Prosecutor-General has declined to prosecute and having issued a certificate to that effect.
Further to that, a person instituting private prosecution in the High Court must deposit a sum of money as well as providing sureties to pay further amounts as a guarantee that he will institute such prosecution without delay. Another security is required for payment of costs to the person being prosecuted in the event of the prosecution being unsuccessful.
Clause 9 amends Section 32 so as to bring it in conformity with
Section 50 (2) of the Constitution which prohibits any extension of the 48 hour detention period for suspects who would have been arrested without a warrant.
Clause 10 will amend Section 35 which deals with issuance of warrants of arrest. The warrant of arrest will now be issued by any
Judge, Magistrate or Justice of Peace other than a serving police officer.
Clause 11 inserts a new Section 36, which allows a person to be arrested on the authority of warrants which have been transmitted by electronic means such as e-mails.
Clause 12 inserts three new sections, that is Sections 39A, 39B and 39C. By virtue of this clause, a person who voluntarily appears at a police station for the purposes of assisting the police with investigations shall not be kept at that police station against his will unless he/she is lawfully placed under arrest.
By virtue of this clause, the police are empowered to detain persons for not more than twenty four hours without necessarily intending to charge that person with a criminal offence, pursuance to their socially protective function.
Clause 13 is a very new area in our law which had not previously been provided for. This clause will provide for the taking of a bodily or buccal sample by a trained person for the purposes of forensic DNA analysis.
Section 50 of the Constitution provides for expanded rights of arrested persons which are not provided for in the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. Clause 14 thus seeks to insert a new Section 41A which specifically provides for these rights.
Of equal importance is the fact that this clause also seeks to insert a new Section 41B which provides for the taking of a bodily or buccal sample by an authorised person, issuance of a warrant of arrest where the person who is required to submit to the taking of a sample resists and the admissibility of sworn affidavit deposed to by an authorised person upon its mere production as prima-facie evidence of the facts deposed therein.
The new Section 41C re-enacts the current Section 41 (2) to (5) of the Act without change save to provide for the taking of saliva and tissue samples since at present, only blood samples may be taken. The police are also required to keep proper records of arrested and detained persons.
Clause 15 repeals Section 42 (2) of the Principal Act and substitutes it by another Section 42. Section 42 of the Principal Act permits the killing of persons who resist arrest or attempt to escape arrest. However, by virtue of Section 86 (3) of the Constitution, the right to life cannot be limited except to the extent specified in Section 48 of the Constitution.
The new section permits persons authorised or required to arrest or assist in arresting another person to use such force as may be reasonably justified and proportionate in the circumstances if the attempt to arrest is resisted.
Clauses 16 to 27 amend part VI of the Act which relates to the seizure of articles used to commit offences or which may be used in courts of law as exhibits. These provisions have not been substantially revised since 1975 and there is need for improvement in order to protect both the police and the persons from whom the police seize the articles.
For instance, Clause 17 will now require a police officer to give a full receipt for any article being seized, whether or not the seizure was done under a warrant unless the article in question is one whose possession is intrinsically unlawful, for example, possession of dangerous drugs or substances.
Warrant of seizure or search is sought from a Justice of Peace other than a Magistrate. That Justice of Peace must not be himself/herself a police officer. Further to that, when carrying out a search under a search warrant, a copy of the warrant must be furnished to the person whose rights have been affected by the search.
This part will further deal with disposal or return of seized articles. The procedures to be followed are clearly spelt out and there are additional safeguards against unwanted destruction of seized articles on the grounds that they are perishable or a hazard to health without the knowledge of the lawful owner.
The owner concerned is given an opportunity to object to this course of action, whereupon the police must obtain a warrant of destruction of disposal of the seized articles whose possession is intrinsically unlawful.
This part also deal with situations where certain seized articles may be forfeited to the State, the procedures followed thereof. Seized articles may be forfeited to the State or destroyed if possession of such articles is unlawful.
Clause 28 seeks to repeal subsection (6) of Section 66 and substitute it with a provision that provides for the procedure to be followed during the committal of an accused person in light of the right to silence and the consequences of exercising or not exercising that right.
Clause 29 seeks to insert Section 115C which will preface the provision dealing with the admission of an accused person to bail pending trial by clarifying what are “compelling reasons” as provided in the Constitution and grounds for denying a detained person bail. It also provides for the burden of proof in bail proceedings. Currently Sections
116, 117 and 117A of the principal Act deal respectively with the granting of bail to an accused person but ‘compelling reasons” are not defined.
Clause 30 merely seeks to amend Section 127 so as to provide that the arrested person must be told at the time of his/her arrest and why he/she is being arrested in compliance of Section 50(1) (a) of the Constitution and must be brought to a court of law within 48 hours as required by Section 50(2) of the Constitution.
Section 127 of the principal Act merely empowers peace officers to arrest persons who have been released on bail if they reasonably suspect the persons are likely to abscond or interfere with evidence and does provide for the need to an arresting officer to comply with the constitutional provisions referred to above. We have however, conceded to Section 121 so that anyone who has been granted bail is entitled to immediate release even if the Prosecutor-General appeals against the person’s release.
Clause 31 will categorically provide that the Prosecutor General or his/her Deputy or the acting Prosecutor-General shall personally sign indictment papers for murder.
Crimes of murder and culpable homicide are now statutory offences as defined in Section 47 and 49 of the Criminal Law Code respectively. Section 154 of the principal Act sets out the wording for charges of murder and culpable homicide. The wording is absolute since these offences were formerly common law crimes.
Clause 32 will thus repeal Section 154 so that the charges of murder and culpable homicide will have to follow the words used to describe these offences in the Criminal Law Code.
Similarly Clause 33 will update references in Section 157 of the Act to the common law crimes of uttering forged documents and theft by false pretences as these crimes are now part of the statutory crime of fraud as provided for by the Criminal Code.
Clause 34 will insert a new Section 163A into the principal Act which obliges magistrates to inform accused persons of their right under Section 70 (1) (d) of the Constitution and Section 191 of the Act to be represented by a legal practitioner.
Clause 35 will insert a new Section 167A which will oblige the courts to investigate undue delays in criminal proceedings and effect remedial orders.
Section 180 of the principal Act sets out pleas namely those of
“guilty” and “not guilty” which an accused can tender upon being arraigned. Clause 36 will however, add some new pleas namely plea of immunity from prosecution and plea of having been granted a permanent stay of prosecution.
Clause 37 will seek to oblige a magistrate when requesting an accused to outline his or her defence, to inform the accused of the right to remain silent and the consequences of exercising that right.
Clause 39 seeks to insert a new Section 258A which provides for the admissibility of illegally obtained evidence. It will thus guide the court during the exercise of their discretion for the need to strike a proper balance between the rights of the individual and the abuse of the law by the police, the victim and the public interest in compliance with Section 86 of the Constitution.
Clause 40 also seeks to insert a new Section 264 which provides for the admissibility of evidence of bodily appearance, health and prints of an accused and further empowers the court to order the taking of fingerprints, palm prints or footprints, blood, saliva or tissue samples from an accused, including examination of the accused.
Clause 41 will insert a new Section 334A which will give the Judicial Service Commission powers to convene Judicial Conferences for the purposes of formulating sentencing guidelines in order to bring about uniformity of sentencing by criminal courts in Zimbabwe. This is a new and progressive development in our jurisdiction.
Clause 42 and 43 are also of paramount importance. As you may be aware, Sections 336 to 342 of the principal Act provide for the imposition of death penalty. The imposition of death penalty is now unconstitutional to the extent of it not being consistent with the provisions of Section 48 of the Constitution.
Clause 44 reaffirms the rights of the arrested and detained persons in compliance with Section 50 of the Constitution.
Clause 45 will amend Section 389 of the Act in order to empower the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to make regulations prescribing:
- The translation into the constitutionally recognised non-English languages of the form of any warning or information that must be given to arrested and detained persons that is contained in the new Tenth Schedule to be added to the Act.
- The extent to which police officers and other peace officers may question suspects – the equivalent of what used to be called “Judge Rules”.
Clause 47 will seek to insert the Tenth Schedule which provides for the wording of the warning of rights that a police officer has to give to an accused person upon arrest. This can also be translated into the 16 official languages so that every arrested persons is informed of his or her rights in a language which he/she understands as required by Section 50 of the Constitution.
The clause will further add an Eleventh Schedule providing for the form of notice issued by the police to owners of seized articles before such articles are destroyed or disposed of by the police.
Clause 48 will make minor and consequential amendments which
are set out in the schedule to the Bill.
Lastly, Clause 49 will amend the National Prosecuting Authority Act to provide for the post of Deputy Prosecutor General and effect minor and consequential amendments to that Act.
Honourable Senators will note that this Bill has addressed quite substantial issues calling for the alignment of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to the Constitution and those requiring general updates.
It is of paramount significance to note that the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act [Chapter 9:07] was mostly affected by the enactment of the new Constitution in so far as the individuals’ rights and freedoms as enunciated in the Bill of Rights are concerned.
It is against this background that I have seen it proper and prudent to prioritise the alignment of this Act with the Constitution. I thus commend the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, 2015 to the Senate. Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 1st March, 2016.
On the motion of THE HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND
MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA), the Senate adjourned at Two
Minutes past Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 1st March, 2015.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 4th February, 2016
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE
SUSPENSION OF THEMATIC COMMITTEE BUSINESS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the
Senate that all Thematic Committee business will be suspended with effect from today until Monday, 22nd February, 2016.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA: Thank you Madam President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
I would want to find out the teacher to pupil ratio in our country. I
would also want to find out what measure the Ministry has taken to deal with the issue of hot sitting? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): Thank you President of the
Senate for giving me this opportunity. I would like to thank the Senator for that pertinent question to explain the teacher to pupil ratio. This simply means the ratio between the teacher and the learners - we have three levels in terms of education in our primary and secondary
Ministry. The first sector is the infant level which is ECD up to Grade 2. Under this group, one teacher should have 25 pupils. The second level is from Grade 3 to Grade 7, which we call junior school. We expect the teacher to pupil ratio to be one teacher to 40. The last level is the secondary level, whereby a teacher is expected to have 35 pupils. When we look at the last years of secondary school, which is A’ Level, the
ratio is 1:25.
However, when we look at disciplines that we call tech-voc, a teacher has at least 75 pupils. What we are saying is that a teacher can have a session, for example in woodwork. He can actually have 25 pupils to do practicals and after they are done, he takes another 25 pupils. So, what we are looking forward to is for the teacher to have at least 75 pupils for that person to be accepted under the Public Service regulations as a full load.
We also look at special needs children, for example those who have handicaps, especially in hearing or sight. Such special needs children have their own ratio. One teacher should have one learner. We also consider that whereby a pupil has two handicaps, probably he is deaf and dumb; he is expected to have seven pupils. Under special needs, a teacher cannot have more than 19 pupils. I do not know if there are any other explanations that are needed beyond what I have explained. I would appreciate it if it were put in writing, should there be need.
Secondly, you asked about hot seating, meaning that there are two schools running in one school. Since independence, we never put a policy that said a school is now full. A school that we consider to be full is one that has boarding facilities because facilities can only cater for a certain number of children. If it is a day school and that stream is full, there should be an increase on the streams available. That is what has put pressure in our schools because in the last 15 years, the country was under sanctions and had so many challenges. What it then means is that our duty as parents to bring up our children has actually increased the number of children without an increase in the infrastructure. So, what we request as a Ministry is that we engage in joint ventures with those having private capital. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has also promised that it will try and source infrastructure bonds. So those who want to deposit their monies and invest in infrastructure can benefit through rentals.
The third plan that we have to alleviate hot seating is to look for loans. We have a loan that was applied for and we were given by the Arabs, which we voted in favour of. We managed to get US$20 million and we are currently working on the papers to ensure that building commences. We also have countries such as China that are assisting us.
We have plans to have six schools. I am sure you are aware of the one in Hatcliffe and another one in Lupane. We are hoping to open these schools mid-month. I thank you.
HON. SEN CHIMHINI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Can the Minister clarify the position of recalling of teachers who had gone on leave and are now back in the schools.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): I would like to acknowledge
the question but defer it so that the Hon Member can ask the question in writing to the appropriate Minister, who is the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services.
*HON. SEN. MUMVURI: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development. I want to know whether it is Government policy that if a transformer breaks down, a person is requested to buy that transformer. There are also connections that are being done in schools, are they supposed to be bought by the schools or the Ministry should provide these?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): I want to thank Senator
Mumvuri for his question. I cannot say it is Government policy but that if challenges are being faced, people are asked to buy a transformer but what then happens is that after they have purchased the transformer, on paying the electricity bill, deductions are made.
On the issue of connections, I think I need to research more, so I will bring a written response.
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development. These days load shedding has improved; may you enlighten the House on what measures you have put in place and how you are managing it?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): Thank You Madam
President but I do not know whether this is a policy question but I will respond by stating that these days we are buying electricity from Eskom and Mozambique (Kahora Bassa). That is what has alleviated load shedding in Zimbabwe.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Madam President, it is
true that load shedding has improved. She said they are buying from different countries but we have always purchased electricity from elsewhere. We thought the challenge was because we did not have money. So what we need to know is the actual reason why things have improved. Is it because we now have money because we have always been struggling to pay for electricity? Are you saying we no longer have challenges in paying for electricity?
*THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon Chief, I
think you are making things difficult for the Minister.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Madam President, I thank you for highlighting that the question has become too heavy for the Deputy Minister. The Chief wants to know why things have gone right and why we do not have problems with electricity. He wants to know why the situation has been alleviated which is a positive development and I do not understand what kind of spirit this is. Our aim is to ensure that people get electricity. We do not have extra cash but we are actually virementing funds from other areas to ensure that electricity is available.
So, Chief Charumbira we are not saying that there is a lot of money but we are actually starving other areas to ensure that people get electricity. That is how things are as we speak. I thank you. –[HON.
SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Thank you Vice
President Mnangagwa.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Madam President. My
question goes to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. I am not very sure whether it is a policy question but somewhere somehow it links with the policy. My question …
An Hon. Senator having passed between the Hon. Senator speaking and the Chair.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Order!
HON. SEN. MOHADI: My question Minister is that last time I
raised this question about other currencies that are being used in Zimbabwe, like the Rand and the Pula. You will find that at schools, teachers are chasing children away from school if ever the parents are paying in Rands. As a result, most of the children are no longer going to school just because the headmasters are chasing them away from school. What should be done to these headmasters who are doing this as it is that all currencies are legal tender in Zimbabwe and Rand and the Pula as well? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): Thank you Hon. President of
the Senate. I thank the Hon. Senator Mohadi for asking the question. It is true that she asked this question before and I did respond to it to say that if there are instances where this practice of turning down what is a legal tender in this country in the multicurrency regime, if any of our institutions are turning down acceptance of this legal tender - those schools should be reported through our system. I am quite happy to receive the list from the hon. member and we will take some action. I thank you.
HON. SEN. HLALO: Thank you Madam President for giving me
this opportunity to ask a question. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. The question is, what is the Ministry doing to decongest in hottest grounds what we call VIDs since there is now a big population of vehicles and the VID depots still remain the small depots? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):
Thank you Madam President. I thought you were going to do the same like you did for the Deputy Minister of Energy to say that is a difficult question and referred it to the Hon. Vice President. My response to the question from Hon. Senator Hlalo is that that problem has not been brought to the attention of the Ministry. The Hon. Member is referring to the population of cars having increased and that we should also may be have more vehicles VID depots.
Well, the relationship between the number of cars in town and those people who will be going to the VID depots for testing I think it is totally separate. It is not something that I can connect and come up with an answer which will satisfy me as in giving an answer. I would therefore, thorough you Madam President ask Hon. Senator Hlalo to put that question in writing stating the reasons why there should be a re-look at increasing these depots so that we can make an investigation and give a satisfactory answer. I would plead with Hon. Member to do that because it is not something that I can off the cuff give a satisfactory answer because it will need looking into the situation that he is referring to. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: Thank you Madam President for giving
me this opportunity. I would like to ask whether there is a Minister of
Mines because my question is in related to mines.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Mines is not
covered.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: Okay, sometimes they stand for each other and what about The Minister of Health and Child Care?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: The Ministry of
Health and Child Care is not covered.
HON. SEN. CHIPANGA: Thank you Madam President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Sport and Recreation. Minister there has been a lot of hullabaloo in relation to the Zimbabwean Football Coach. At that point there was an argument that of ensuring that we qualify to go to Rwanda. Now that the team crashed should we now say we need another coach?
THE MINISTER OF SPORTS AND RECREATION (HON.
HLONGWANE): Thank you very much Hon. Madam President of the Senate and I thank the Hon. Member for the question. First and foremost let me state that question resides within the operational realm of ZIFA and Government does not influence the staffing issues around national associations. So, clearly it is not a policy matter. However, what I could advise the Senate is that there are consultations and discussions between ZIFA, the SRC and the technical team around the issues of whether or not that particular technical team can go on. Thank you. –[HON.
SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. SEN. MAKONE: Thank you Madam President. My
question is directed to the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Hon. E.D Mnangagwa. Hon. Vice President there is drought looming and it is an open secret that there will be very poor harvest this year and our farmers, no-matter how diligently they work will not be able to feed the nation. We have a pending disaster on our hands. When is the presidency going to announce that we have an emergency in the country so that you can start to mobilize resources internationally to feed the nation? Thank you.
*THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. E. D.
MNANGAGWA): I thank Hon. Senator Makoni for the question. It is true that this year there is a drought and hunger is looming. Mostly, when a country is drought stricken as it is right now, we declare it as a season’s disaster in order for us to get assistance from NGOs and the
Government. When we declare such, we actually explain how things are. That is what is underway right now but for me to say when it will be done, I cannot say. In the coming few days we will present this but we are not intimidating people that they will die of hunger because food is available in the country.
We got 50 000 tonnes from Zambia and we paid. The money that we used was able to get 15 000 metric tonnes. We delayed to purchase more grain because we wanted to see how the season would progress. As time went on the 34 000 was gone. Through an agreement with Zambia, we were engaging talks and we agreed and they are giving us another 110 000 metric tonnes. You might ask that we failed to pay 34
000 and now we are buying 110 00, it is because we were able to acquire $200 million to buy grain such that as a Government we are trying to ensure that there is food. We know that there is a drought and we are still working on how to present this to the nation as I have said. I thank you.
+HON SENATOR A. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam President.
We are seeing at home beasts are dying and people are selling their beasts for $20 or $30, what steps are being taken by the Government to take care of the remaining beasts? What action is the Government prepared to take so as to avoid the death of all these beasts?
*HON. E. D. MNANGAGWA: Thank you. What she has asked
now refers to livestock that are dying due to lack pasture and water. We have been informed that this is happening in most rural areas especially in Matebeleland south, Midland in the south, Masvingo and a few areas in Chipinge. We even have the number of livestock lost as a result of this. We have quite a number of measures in place such that if the Minister of agriculture had been available he would have done justice in enlightening the House on the measures.
You asked that question as a Government we are not idle to the situation we are assisting. There is a measure that has been taken to inform people that if their livestock have been affected by the said issues, they can come and report in order to get assistance. We take some of the cattle so that in future if the situation improves they can be given other cattle as these will have been used. With some of the livestock we can give them stock feed for them to survive in these areas.
This is being done by the Ministry of Agriculture together with the Cold Storage Commission to ensure that we do not lose a lot of livestock. In other areas we safeguard the female livestock and ensure that these are fed whilst slaughtering the male. It is a pertinent measure ensuring that we can grow our national herd when the situation improves. It is an issue that is under debate in Cabinet. Thank you.
*HON. SENATOR MASHAVAKURE: Thank you Madam
President. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. In the last few days we heard from the media that you are promoting science at ‘A’ level and students will be educated for free. Is it not possible that one day the Government would also come up with a position whereby such a measure could be taken at ‘O’ level and also deal with the issue that most teachers may discourage children to take up sciences in an effort to obtain higher pass rates? Is there anything that can be done to ensure that those children who would not make it to ‘A’ level can also get such assistance? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): Thank you Madam President
for giving me this opportunity to respond to the Hon. Senator regarding what he heard from the media both electronic and print. There are responsible authorities; it is not our Ministry that is dealing with this. Our plan to promote Science, Mathematics and technical vocational subjects, we have put it in the new curriculum. It begins at level one from the infants right up to ‘A’ level. Currently what we know is that our children since 12013 to 2015, we can give you a number of children who have gone through the curriculum that we currently have. However, there is an increase because we have a new curriculum that was introduced. If we compare the statistics and look at the E grade, it is a pass but it represents one point. This also depends on the combination of subjects. See table of performance below;
Advanced level graduates ready for tertiary education
SESSION | SUBJECT | No. of Students with a C or better | No. of Students with an E or better |
2013 | Biology | 1220 | 2015 |
Chemistry | 1202 | 2987 | |
Geography | 1714 | 6832 | |
Mathematics | 3215 | 5184 | |
Physics | 909 | 1504 |
SESSION | SUBJECT | No. of Students with a C or better | No. of Students with an E or better |
2014 | Biology | 1058 | 1876 |
Chemistry | 1118 | 2679 | |
Geography | 2814 | 6277 | |
Mathematics | 2797 | 6005 | |
Physics | 956 | 1769 |
SESSION | SUBJECT | No. of Students with a C or better | No. of Students with an E or better |
2015 | Biology | 1593 | 2220 |
Chemistry | 2035 | 3214 | |
Geography | 2544 | 9102 | |
Mathematics | 3771 | 7768 | |
Physics | 1119 | 1969 |
This past year, we announced the results two weeks ago and we told the nation that there was an improvement of 5 point something percent on the general performance. We also noted that on the improvement, the majority of students doing so well are girls. Referred back to table of statistics above.
This is the mandate of my Ministry to work with the children to ensure that they succeed and proceed with their education to the next level. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: In relation to these results, have we done it in such a way that we can see how the performance is like in each province?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: May I encourage
Hon. Senators to stick to policy issues. That question is not a policy issue, you just want to know some information.
HON. SEN. KHUMALO: I am asking if there is a policy that
entails these results to be shown in relation to provinces- [Laughter ] –
HON. DR. DOKORA: The answer is yes. When we released the
results, we also structured the release into provinces. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MUSAKA: Thank you Madam President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Sport and Recreation. As a policy matter regarding sport, football in particular, what is the Ministry’s policy to ensure that there is success. It has almost become a ritual that when the Zimbabwe national soccer team goes out to compete, any other national team competing against it would see it as a walk-over.
The impression given by the Minister to the other question was so quick and witty, almost to say, they are spectators. It is worrying and the Ministry should do something. What is it that they are doing as a matter of policy? As long as the recruitment base remains narrow, I am not sure whether much will be achieved. I thank you Madam President.
THE MINISTER OF SPORTS AND RECREATION (HON. HLONGWANE): Thank you Hon. President. Thank you Hon .Musaka
for the question. I will start with the second comment that he made in respect to my answer to the earlier question. The question asked earlier on was about the coach for the national team. That is a staffing matter for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
The Government does not influence issues of staffing for ZIFA because that is interpreted as interference within the issues of football. Usually, this draws the ire of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA). That said, it does not mean that we do not do anything as far as the success of football is concerned. As Government, we should not be activity based or driven; we should be driven by issues of national strategy and structuring policy. If fully exploited, this should be able to provide the success dividend.
What are we doing as far as the success of football in the country is concerned. Let me start by saying that, having performed badly in the campaign in Rwanda recently, I have called the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) as well as ZIFA to sit down and do a post-mortem of what transpired. Some of the issues are technical and therefore fall firmly within the province of ZIFA. However, at a strategic level, the issues that we have diagnosed as being the problems, not just for football but for all national sport associations are issues that are structural in nature. How are our national sports associations, ZIFA included, structured?
How much outreach work do they have to do at the bottom of the pyramid, which is the grassroots sports?. Most sports associations do not have that kind of reach. In respect to football, there is a lot of football that gets played at the grassroots level. The problem is that football which is being played at the grassroots level is not organised, it is spontaneous.
Therefore, what we have said is that ZIFA should find itself present at the local grassroots structures. Put differently, we have asked all national sport associations to mirror the Government administrative structures in terms of how the architecture of their associations is designed. We have said whilst we will not want them to go to the sell which we think is rather over ambitious, certainly, we want them to be present at the ward so that they can compete in mobilising people for their particular sport cord. ZIFA has agreed to do that immediately, so that they begin to organise community clubs at the grassroots, but that is not enough.
The other key aspect of your question is that there is a lot of latent talent that is resident at the grassroots. How do we make sure that talent is given access to the national team? We have asked ZIFA to introduce a competition which is national in character that enables or provides an opportunity to community clubs to participate. In the process of doing that, Government, ZIFA, SRC and other stakeholders are involved in the talent identification process so that the talent that is resident at the grassroots, the bottom of the pyramid does not leak out of this barrel of a process that we have put in place, through the competition system that we are going to be introducing through ZIFA. That is what we are going to be doing.
That said, we also have the school system that we are working with my colleague in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. This is Government policy and we are saying sport is now henceforth mainstreamed into the school system. That means sport has to be played in schools throughout the year not seasonally. Not only that, sport also has to be learnt in the classroom from ECD all the way up to the exit point at A Level. Thank you Madam President.
+HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I thank you Madam President. Hon. Minister, sport is employing people and people are now surviving on sport; what is Government doing to ensure that people take sport as a profession that can sustain their lives? I thank you.
+HON. HLONGWANE: I thank you Madam President. I thank you again Hon. Senator Mlotshwa for the question that you have put across. It is true that sport is clinging shocks to the youth in the country. What we are doing as Government is that if we are looking at football for example, those who start football clubs should be registered with
ZIFA so that they can follow regulations that are put in place by us and ZIFA. This helps the sportsmen not to be cheated. People form clubs, let us say in Bulawayo, region 1 or region 2, sportsmen play, but they do not realise anything. We do not want that to continue. When a club enters into a certain level, that is competitive sport. What we want is that the sportsmen in that club should realise something out of that club. That means ZIFA has to regulate the registration of those clubs to make sure that the players do not play for nothing. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUMVURI: Thank you Madam President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. We have our national airline Air Zimbabwe and we have seen that there has been an introduction of various airlines. Is our national airline Air Zimbabwe visible and when will it resume international flights like Gatwick and Heathrow? Secondly, have you found a partner to improve the services offered by our national airline Air Zimbabwe? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):
Through you Madam President, I want to thank Hon. Sen. Mumvuri for his pertinent question which everyone is looking forward to as to what is happening at Air Zimbabwe. I want to explain that the Government is trying to come up with measures on how we can bring the national airline to its visibility. We are trying to ensure that we restore its operations and also improve on our airports such as Victoria Falls as well as Harare International Airport. With the difficulties that we are facing as well as the sanctions that the country was facing, it was difficult for us to acquire parts to keep our planes in good shape.
So, the sanctions were affecting us. Where we are as Government is that we have got to a point whereby we are looking for partners like what other countries are doing on the issue of airlines. Throughout the world Sen. Mumvuri and all those in this House, the airline business is struggling in all countries. Most countries are now in partnership when it comes to airlines to ensure sustainability and viability.
You said that Air Zimbabwe and the challenges that we were facing is doing quite well because if you look at other countries that do not have difficulties like us Zimbabwe, we were able to maintain our flights although they were few, but we used to service our routes. What we have mentioned about international flights to Gatwick and London, it is an issue that we are discussing as Government to ensure that we restore these routes. We have some loans which have affected our routes because when an aircraft passed through a particular country, it attract fares or taxes.
So, those are some of the challenges that we have. What I want to guarantee you is that the Government has plans to restore the national airline visibility and also to get others to partner with to ensure that our national airline becomes a strong and powerful airline like other countries. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Thank you Madam President. My
question today is directed to the Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa. I am happy that his rural home is also in Zvishavane. My question has to do with the policy that you used to move over 5 000 students from MSU to Zvishane where there is no infrastructure and classes. I understand that they are using Shabanie Mine offices, they are failing to acquire accommodation, and they are always on the streets. When you were considering this policy, how were you hoping to address the situation because the infrastructure is not available and the students are requesting for accommodation at my place. So, how are we going to address this? I am seeking for your guidance as you are the Vice President of the country. Thank you.
*THE HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF
JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): I thank you Madam President. I have heard the question that you had 200 pupils who came looking for accommodation. That is not the only challenge, even where they came from, MSU in Gweru, there are such challenges but we did not close the university because of that. Currently, other universities are following what MSU has done because waiting for the university to build infrastructure for the pupils will take years. So, as a Government, we agreed that each university and its council, if it can get companies to construct hospitals, a portion of the money paid for school fees can be used to pay the contractors. It is not the Government that said students should go and learn in Zvishavane, it was the University.
I think it is better for children to face challenges whilst being educated than for them to stay home. Although challenges are there but students are being empowered in terms of education whilst the challenges you have highlighted are being addressed. Like what you are saying that you had 200 pupils who came to you looking for accommodation; yes these are challenges we face. So, we should work as a united force and address these issues.
*THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: We want to
thank the Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa for the response that he has given us as well as the enlightenment that he has given in the response.
*HON. SEN. CHABUKA: Thank you Madam President for the
opportunity to pose my question. It is directed to the Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa. There is drought and poverty in the country. On the media, we see the Chiefs coming up, talking about the hunger that is affecting their areas. The people out there are now eating roots and they are pounding theses roots to sustain themselves. I do not know what measures you have put in place as a Government to alleviate that situation. I am sure these issues have come up and you are there as Government to help.
*THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Hon. Senator,
you may not have been in the House when this question was posed. It has already been responded to, so you cannot raise it again, our rules do not allow this. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. KHUMALO: Thank you Madam President. I would
like the Vice President to help us since he is here, about what the law says on mines. Do you want mines that are being used by other people or mines that are actually there? On this matter, I am referring to Chegutu. In Chegutu, if someone has a mine, that mine is being disturbed by us as Members of Parliament, it seems as though they are not paying tax, which ones do you prefer working with as leaders of the country? Is it big mines or artisanal miners?
*THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I request that
you direct your question to the rightful Ministers. Yes, I am aware that the Vice President might have answers to that and that he is Leader of Government Business but let us follow the regulations. Mines is not represented unless there is someone representing mines. I am saying the Vice President cannot answer the question but I am just saying let us observe the rules of debate in the Senate and pose appropriate questions to the appropriate Ministers.
*THE HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF
JUSTICE LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Madam President. We want all of them, those who have companies and the infrastructure to mine. We also want those who use manual labour, like hoes, we want things to be done the proper way. Gold that is extracted by machinery is gold and even that which is extracted by hoes is also gold, so we want all that gold. So what the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development should do is that if people come together and form a group to mine, they can get recognition. What we do not want is for people to just wake up and start extracting gold in an area without the knowledge of the Minister, it has to be guaranteed. So what I guarantee is that the Member of Parliament for Chegutu, Hon. Nduna, was with us today and we discussed these issues. We advised him that what we do not want is a dis-organised set up. He has said there are 10 000 miners who mine using traditional equipment. What we want is for them to be organised and to work within the confines of the law. We do not want those without the relevant documents to come and mine where there are miners with proper documentation. That is what can bring in money into the fiscus and make Hon. Chinamasa happy. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF. NEBIRE: My question is directed to the
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services but in her absence, I am directing my question to the Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa. We have maize from GMB that came to the rural areas. In my area, the grain is there but when it came, people went to get assistance. The price is $11.25 a bucket. I need to be enlightened on whether that is the price countrywide. From other sellers, we buy maize at $5 per bucket. The grain is there and no one is buying it. So, I want to be enlightened as to whether that is the national price for the grain.
*THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Thank you Madam President. Those who are experiencing hunger are in two phases. There are those who are disadvantaged and are being assisted by the department of Social
Welfare. These have already been noted by the Social Welfare. There are those who need to purchase their own grain. We cannot say Hon. Chimutengwende is a welfare case but he has to buy. What you have asked is the price of maize. What I advise is that you put your question in writing and address it to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development. They will enlighten you on the price. For me it would be difficult because I am not aware of the price of a bucket of maize. What I know is grain is in two phases. What I know is, some grain comes to the various communities and is given as aid. That is, mostly to vulnerable groups such as child headed families and the elderly. Some have to buy but for me to know how much a bucket costs, I would not know. So, if you put your question in writing, Hon. Made will be able to address that. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number 62.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
PROGRESS ON EDUCATING THE NATION ON EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of
Environment, Water and Climate the progress that the Ministry has made to educate the nation on the effects of climate change.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND
CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Thank you Madam President. I
would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi for the question on the progress my Ministry has made to educate the nation on the effects of climate change.
Madam President, Article 6 of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) emphasizes the promotion of education, training and public awareness on climate change. To this end, my Ministry has since developed a National Climate Change
Communication Strategy embedded within the National Climate Change Response Strategy. However, we have engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through the Curriculum Development Unit (CDU), to mainstream climate change at all levels in the current curriculum review and I am glad there has been progress in that direction.
Several universities have already started teaching climate change as a subject in their geography departments. We intend to continue having the climate change subject being more visible at tertiary level. In addition, my Ministry has initiated the programme of secondary school debates on climate change issues. So far, the programme has covered Manicaland, Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mashonaland East and Matebeleland North provinces. These debates are expected to become an annual event throughout the country. The aim of these debates is to raise awareness amongst our school children, as well as stimulate innovative ideas, research and technological interventions in climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. In this case, we are applying the principle of “catch them young”.
Madam President, my Ministry participated in the 2015 Edition of the Harare Agricultural Show, from 24th to 29th August, 2015. During the exhibition, climate change causes, impacts, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies and on-going national programmes were shared with visitors to our exhibition stand. An educational book published by UNICEF and the Institute of Environmental Studies (University of
Zimbabwe) titled “Children and Climate Change in Zimbabwe”, was distributed to school children during the exhibition. Climate change Question and Answer Competitions were also conducted and children were given t-shirts printed with climate change messages for information purposes.
My Ministry has also taken advantage of the print and electronic media, which has seen our officials going on radio and television to explain to the general public what is happening in terms of climate change, the opportunities available for adaptation initiatives as well as what we can do in our respective constituencies to address these impacts. We wish to carry these programmes on a weekly basis if resources permit.
We have engaged various environmental journalists to come up with effective ways of raising awareness on climate change. The Ministry has also created a website to post various climate change activities on ongoing programmes and projects. The climate change management, www.climatechange,org,zw website has been developed with an interactive platform where comments and feedback can be posted. The Climate Change Management Department has also created a facebook page CLIMATECHANGEZIM which is aimed at capturing the attention of those using social media platforms.
I therefore urge all Hon. Members to visit the page and appreciate the interesting discussions taking place there since its inception at the end of November, 2015.
My Ministry is currently developing a National Climate Policy. A draft has already been availed and consultations are currently taking place. I am happy that in our policy consultations throughout the country, we tried to be as inclusive as possible.
Traditional chiefs, youths, children and the disabled amongst the various constituencies, have participated in these processes thereby generating rich ideas which we have captured.
My Ministry held a National Climate Change Conference where the National Climate Change Response Strategy was officially launched by the Hon. Vice President, E.D Mnangagwa. The Conference saw participants drawn from the rural communities, especially women farmers, school children, Local Government Authorities, academics, reasearchers, Government Officials, NGOs, politicians as well as MPs coming to attend. We registered a total of over 4800 participants drawn from all walks of life.
At the National Climate Change Conference, a children’s education book titled “Children’s Thoughts on Climate Change” was also launched. The book was developed as part of the Eco-Schools Programme Zimbabwe, with input from my Ministry and was printed by the French Embassy in Zimbabwe. The book presents children’s understanding and experiences with climate change. It further provides climate change information in a simplified manner, understandable by the ordinary primary school children.
As follow up to the national Climate Conference, my Ministry has stepped up consultations for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for climate change in response to the calls by the conference participants.
One NAP consultative workshop was held in September 2015, in Manicaland and in 2016, the process is expected to cover all the country’s provinces, consulting all relevant stakeholders including smallholder farmers, women, children and the disabled groups.
The Ministry further recognises the need for setting up committees at lower levels, district or ward level to educate and address environmental issues including climate change.
Madam President, my Ministry will, continue with its efforts to cooperate with our strategic partners and other Ministries to educate the nation on the effects of climate change.
DISCRIMINATION OF DISABLED CHILDREN IN SPORTING
ACTIVITIES
- HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI asked the Minister of Sport and
Recreation to explain the measures that the Ministry has put in place to ensure that children living with disabilities are not discriminated against in sporting activities.
THE MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION (HON. HLONGWANE): Section 32 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe
stipulates that;
“The State must take all practical measures to encourage sporting and recreational activities, including the provision of sporting and recreational activities for all people”.
As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities adopted on 13th December, 2006, the Government of Zimbabwe has taken practical steps to promote the rights of people living with disabilities including prevention of discrimination on the basis of disability.
Specific to sport, my Ministry oversees the implementation of the National Sport and Recreation Policy, which ensures that opportunities for sport and recreation are granted to all Zimbabweans regardless of gender, disability, religion and social status, among other considerations. The Paralympic Movement in Zimbabwe was among the stakeholders whose input was captured in the draft National Sport and Recreation policy, which is currently going through approval processes.
The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Sport and Recreation
Commission (SRC), actively supported efforts to establish the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Committee (ZNPC) as an umbrella body to further the Paralympic movement in Zimbabwe and to promote the participation of people living with disabilities.
Since 2008, the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games (ZNPGs)
have been staged as a platform to avail sporting opportunities to people with disabilities and the Games are held annually. The ZNPGs also serve as a platform to select gifted sportspersons with disabilities to represent in other competitions such as the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), Region 5 Under 20 Youth Games and the African
Games. In the recent Region 5 Under 20 Youth Games, which Zimbabwe hosted, the visually impaired athletes fared well and they contributed a total of 18 medals for Team Zimbabwe. The following are the names of the athletes and the medals that they scooped for Zimbabwe.
Name | Category | Medal |
1.Elina Sithole | 100m | Gold |
2.Luck Chitimbe | 1500m and 400m | Gold and Silver respectively |
3.Tapiwa Bhasera | 400m and 1500m | Both Bronze |
4.Dorcas Nyamupfukudza | 800m and 1500m | Silver and Bronze respectively |
5.Fidelity Mhone | 100m, 200m and 400m | Silver, Silver and
Bronze respectively |
6.Faustina Madziva | 1500m | Gold |
7.Shepherd Gumede | 100m and 200m | Both Gold |
8.Pray Mbongeni | 200m an 400m | Both Bronze |
9. Libetra Moyo | 100m and 200m | Both Silver |
10.Easther Mavura | 800m | Bronze |
From these games, four athletes qualified for the African Games, which were in Congo Brazaville in 2015. Elina Sithole did us proud by contributing a bronze medal to the overall pool of our medals.
In the past, we had athletes who excelled on the international scene such as Elliot Mujaji, who scooped gold medals in Paralympic Games of 2000 in Sydney, Australia and 2004 in Athens, Greece.
Government has been assisting ZNPC officials to attend regional and international meetings. In 2014, Zimbabwe sent two officials; Mr. Michael Bulagango and Mr. Witness Magulula to Rio, Brazil, to participate in the inspection of Paralympic infrastructure for the
Paralympic Games to be hosted in the city in October this year.
Zimbabwe has managed to send officials to represent Zimbabwe at all the AUSC Region 5 meetings since the inception of the ZNPC.
This is evidence demonstrating the Government’s commitment and support towards the participation of people with different disabilities. Last year, Government, through Treasury released USD40 000.00 in support of the annual Danhiko Paralympic games.
In November 2015, Zimbabwe sent a Wheelchair Basketball team
to Algeria to participate in the Rio 2016 qualifiers.
My Ministry will continue to support the participation of all citizens of Zimbabwe in Sport and Recreation activities, regardless of their abilities. I thank you. –[HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
POLICY REGARDING FUEL PRICING
- HON. SEN. GOTO asked the Minister of Energy and Power
Development to explain the Ministry’s Policy regarding fuel pricing in Zimbabwe.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. MUZENDA): Thank you Madam President
of the Senate. Fuel prices in the country are determined through a fuel pricing model, normally referred to as a Fuel Cost Built-Up, which sets the maximum pump prices applicable at any point in time. This model was produced through consultations between the Ministry and the oil industry. It is therefore an agreed pricing model.
The Fuel Cost Built-Up takes into account all the cost elements associated with supplying fuel to the end user. These cost elements include, FOB (Free on Board) price, pipeline costs, taxes and levies, administrative and distribution costs and profit margins allowed at the different levels in the supply chain.
FOB Price – we get our fuel from two international markets, Mediterranean or Arab Gulf. This fuel is delivered to Beira and local oil companies buy their fuel from Beira. The FOB price is made up of the fuel price at source, related costs of shipping the fuel to Beira (include freight, ocean losses, insurance, docking fees) and the margins of the international oil traders.
The applicable FOB price at any point in time is the lower of the two between the Arab Gulf and Mediterranean markets. The country has no control over the FOB price as it is an external factor determined by the international fuel demand and supply conditions.
Pipeline costs – refers to the costs of transporting fuel using the pipeline.
Taxes and levies – The levies and taxes on fuel are duty, Carbon
Tax, ZINARA road levy, Debt Redemption Levy and Strategic Reserve Levy. This amounts to 46 cents per litre for diesel and 63 cents per litre for petrol. These are fixed costs and are not affected by changes in international oil prices.
Administrative costs – include storage and handling, clearing costs and financing costs up to the Msasa depot.
Distribution costs – include inland bridging costs, additional storage and handling and secondary transport costs. These are costs associated with distributing the fuel from the NOIC bulk storage facilities to service stations.
Profit margins – these are maximum permitted profit margins for oil companies and fuel retailers.
Fuel pricing review
Fuel prices are reviewed on a weekly basis to ensure a quick response to movements in international oil prices and any other related costs. When international prices are going down, consumers must quickly benefit from the lower prices. When they are going up, fuel suppliers need to be protected from any adverse impact.
The Zimbabwe Regulatory Agency implements fuel price changes whenever there is need. They also constantly monitor pump prices to ensure compliance with the permitted maximum prices. This is done weekly.
Petroleum Sector Pricing Study
Government is in the process of reviewing the fuel pricing template with a view of improving. In this regard, a Petroleum Sector Pricing Study is being conducted.
Interim measures
The Ministry has taken the following interim pricing policy measures in order to address the imbalances in the fuels market.
- When reviewing prices, the maximum FOB fuel prices will now be based on the lower of the two between the Arab Gulf and Mediterranean markets instead of an average.
- Removal of the wholesalers storage and handling costs of $0.015/litre as the majority of companies are utilizing the storage facilities operated by National oil Infrastructure Company and therefore are not incurring any additional storage to warrant it.
- Applicable margins for wholesale and retail of fuel is now going to be an absolute 6 cents instead of 7% of product cost landed at
Msasa, which varies margins unnecessarily for operators when external factors change. This measure is meant to protect consumers when prices are going up while at the same time ensuring viability of business.
The implementation of the above interim pricing measure resulted in a 7 cents and 4 cents reduction in the maximum pump prices of petrol and diesel respectively. Thank you Hon. Deputy President of the Senate, Sir. –[HON. SENATORS: Hear. Hear.]-
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
OPERATIONS OF INDEPENDENT COMMISSIONS
- HON. SEN. CHIMHINI asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs what the Ministry is doing to ensure the following:
- That the Anti-Corruption Commission effectively conducts its constitutional mandate and produces tangible results to instil public confidence in its work.
- That the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission maintains its independence, thereby avoiding situations such as the one experienced on the 10th June 2013 by-election in Hurungwe where the Commission investigated and confirmed incidences of political violence by some politicians but could not act on the findings.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Madam President, Hon. Chimhini has asked very
important questions. Firstly, I would like to kindly request that the questions pertaining to the Anti-Corruption Commission be referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The rationale of this reference is that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission falls under this Ministry. The Ministry of Home Affairs would be in a better position to answer the question since the Anti-Corruption Commission receives its budget allocations and sends their annual report through the Ministry of Home Affairs. Therefore, I kindly recommend that this question be referred to the Minister of Home Affairs.
Madam President, I would like to proceed to address the other two questions pertaining to the independence of the Zimbabwe Human
Rights Commission and voting of Chiefs when there is a division of the House in the Senate. For the purposes of clarity, I will give an official position as follows: The Government of Zimbabwe has been maintaining the independence of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission. The Ministry has done so by adhering to the provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Firstly, the Constitution lists the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission as one of the independent commissions outlined in Section 232 of the Constitution. It is to be noted that Section 235 of the Constitution protects and promotes the independence of these commissions. Section 235 reads as follows:
- The independent Commissions:-
- are independent and are not subject to the direction or control of anyone;
- must act in accordance with this Constitution; and
- must exercise their functions without fear, favour or prejudice, although they are accountable to Parliament for the efficient performance of their functions.
- The State and all institutions and agencies of Government at every level, through legislative and other measures, must assist the independent Commissions and must protect their independence, impartiality, integrity and effectiveness.
- No person may interfere with the functions of the independent commissions.
As noted in Section 235 (2), the Government of Zimbabwe and all other institutions have a duty to assist these commissions to maintain their independence. Other well-known guiding principles to ensure independent commissions maintain their independence are the Paris Principles which relate to the status of national institutions. Article I reads:
The composition of the national institution and the appointment of its members, whether by means of an election or otherwise, shall be established in accordance with a procedure which affords all necessary guarantees to ensure the pluralist representation of the social forces (of civilian society) involved in the protections and promotion of human rights, particularly by powers which will enable effective cooperation to be established with, or through the presence of or representatives of:
- Non-Governmental Organisations responsible for human rights and efforts to combat racial discrimination, trade unions, concerned social and professional organisations, for example, association of lawyers, doctors, journalists and eminent scientists;
- Trends in philosophical or religious thought;
- Universities and qualified experts;
- Parliament;
- Government departments (if these are included, their representatives should participate in the deliberations only in an advisory capacity).
The national institution shall have an infrastructure which is suited to the smooth conduct of its activities, in particular adequate funding. The purpose of this funding should be to enable it to have its own staff and premises, in order to be independent of the Government and not be subject to financial control which might affect its independence.
In order to ensure a stable mandate for the members of the national institution, without which there can be no real independence, their appointment shall be effected by an official act which shall establish the specific duration of the mandate.
Madam President, the Government of Zimbabwe has largely adhered to the Paris Principles to ensure that the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission is independent. The Commission had its
Commissioners vacancies advertised, public interviews were conducted, the relevant short-listing was conducted and submitted to the President who then appointed the Commissioners. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission has its own premises independent from the Government, they also have their own budgets and are only answerable to Parliament by submitting annual reports in order for Parliament to evaluate if they are effectively performing their mandate.
Madam President, with reference to Hon. Chimhini’s question pertaining to the 10th June incident, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission received complaints of politically motivated criminal violations of human rights at Spring Farm, Hurungwe Central District in Mashonaland West. The Commission carried out its investigations. It then generated a report and thereafter, it acted on its findings by directing the Commissioner-General of Police to act upon the findings as outlined in Section 243 (h) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission also acted on another complaint alleging violations of human rights of an independent candidate in Hurungwe West By-elections in Mashonaland West. This complaint was submitted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission carried out its investigations and generated a report with specific recommendations which it submitted to ZEC for consideration and action.
Therefore, Hon. Members, the assertion that the Zimbabwe Human
Rights Commission could not act on its findings is not factual. The Commission has already acted in line with their mandate of directing and making recommendations to other institutions for further action.
VOTING BY CHIEFS IN THE SENATE
- HON. SEN. CHIMHINI asked the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to clarify the position regarding the voting by chiefs where there are divisions in the Senate on purely non-partisan lines and to state whether the whipping system is correct, in view of the fact that Section 281 (2a-c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that traditional leaders must not act in any partisan manner.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Madam President, in response to Hon. Chimhini’s question, I will start by outlining general proceedings in Parliament. Generally, as we all are aware, various issues are discussed and require the approval or disapproval of the House. It is to be noted that clear proceedings of the Senate are regulated by the Standing Orders as provided by Section 139 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Standing Rules and Orders provide that if in any House the presiding officer fails to determine whether the majority is for a decision or against it, the Presiding Officer must call for a division of the House. When the division of the House is called, voting is carried out in accordance with Section 138 of the Constitution. During this time, all members present vote and the vote of the majority decision prevails.
Madam President, Hon. Chimhini is questioning why chiefs should vote since Section 281 (2a-c) forbids them from acting in any partisan manner. Section 281 (2a-c) provides thus;
Traditional leaders must not –
- Be members of any political party or in any way participate in partisan politics;
- Act in a partisan manner; and
- Further the interest of any political party or cause ....
It is to be noted that when chiefs in Parliament, carrying out their duties as Senator Chiefs, they are not acting to further their own interests but they would be acting as representatives of the communities that they belong. In like manner, when there is a division in the House of Senate, Senator Chiefs vote in relation to the interests of the communities that they represent which is not in violation of Section 281 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
However, if a Senator Chief verbally and openly expresses themselves to be acting in violation of Section of 281 (2a-c), that would not be considered a violation of the Constitution and is not recommended. I thank you.
POLICY ON REMOVAL OF TRANSFORMERS FROM
CHIEFS’ HOMESTEADS BY THE RURAL
ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY
- HON. SEN. SINAMPANDE asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to explain the Government’s policy on the removal of transformers from Chief’s homesteads by the Rural Electrification Agency.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER
DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. UNDENGE): With respect to Mzola
Business Centre, the policy is that business centres that require power approach REA and apply for electricity connection. Upon receiving an application for electricity connection, REA personnel will provide the business customers with a quotation. The quotation is given at 50% of the actual cost of erecting the power lines to the customer’s premises. Normally, we recognise that for rural communities, it may be difficult to raise all the 50% required in one installment. Our policy provides for a 10% down payment with the balance payable over three years at 4% interest per annum.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MEDIA,
INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES (HON.
MATHUTHU), the Senate adjourned at Eight Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday 11th February, 2016
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
TIME LIMIT OF MOTIONS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to draw the attention of Hon. Members to the provisions of Standing Order Number 103 relating to the time limit of motions. I therefore, appeal to Hon. Members to debate motions in time and for the movers of motions to wind up their respective motions within the stipulated 21 sitting days. Hon. Members should note that at the expiry of the time limit, the affected motions will automatically fall off the Order Paper and they will not be reinstated.
CHANGES TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House of changes in the membership of Portfolio Committees. Hon. A. Mnangagwa moves from the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Water and
Tourism and Hospitality Industry to the Portfolio Committee on Foreign
Affairs and Hon. Dziva moves from the Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment to the Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development.
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I just want to say that through your Office Mr. Speaker Sir, if you can expedite the issuance of the amended versions of Standing Rules and Orders in order for us as Members of Parliament to comprehend the new rules and regulations of Parliament because that is really affecting us.
Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Munengami, I want to assure you that we have completed the amendments and I want to believe that by next week or thereabout, the amended Standing Orders will be put in the pigeon holes.
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: My point of order comes in the area of
privileges for Parliamentarians. While Government is trying to find finances to sponsor whatever they are sponsoring, Members of Parliament are having problems in getting allowances. They do not get allowances and fuel. It is difficult for them to do their duties, taking into consideration that in other countries, a Member of Parliament has got an office, which is properly manned and there is proper research for a member to be able to debate and come up with informed information. Whatever is happening, this House is not being properly financed to ensure that Members of Parliament are doing their duty.
While it has come to your attention that some Members of
Parliament leave this House when it is not yet time up for the sitting; it is because they are going out to look for money to make sure that they survive. It is not enough to sit in Parliament for four days and end up with nothing at home in this economy.
Vice President Mphoko having entered the House.-[HON. ZWIZWAI: Hamusikuona Vice President varikupinda here zvamunoramba makagara?]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Are you the Chief Whip now for the
other side?
HON. ZWIZWAI: No, it is just patriotism.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Eng. Mudzuri, your point of order is
noted but I have got reservations in terms of your seriousness of that point of order. When we debated the budget, that is the time when you should have raised the issues to beef up our budget so that it would adequately take care of the requirements of Parliament. The point is taken and we will ensure that remedial action is considered to put things right.
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: Hon Speaker, I think you
misunderstood me because I am talking of Members of Parliament. If a Member of Parliament comes from Victoria Falls, he travels here to do work. He does not get fuel; it is not about the budget. It is about their travelling here and just surviving. There is no maintenance of the vehicle, it is purely fuel. It is running of the portfolio of a Member of Parliament for him to be efficient, visit his constituency and to talk to the people. There are so many responsibilities given to a Member of
Parliament which are never discussed and understood by the community. They do not understand that Members of Parliament are not given enough resources to run those constituencies. –[HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.]-
I am appealing to you that whatever is there must be there to assist the work of the Members of Parliament to oversee central Government-
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order! Hon. Eng. Mudzuri,
I think you raise a very valid point. What needs to be understood is that we have had an inherited debt from the Seventh Parliament and I received a delegation twice beginning of last year when it was pointed out to me by Members of the Seventh Parliament who did not come back that they were in dire straits.
From a humane point of view, we approached the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to expedite the outstanding amount of about US$6 million – to pay off that debt which is a right outstanding to them. That has since been rectified. Now, I am hoping that whatever we are owed, Treasury will respond accordingly.
Furthermore, the point of order raised normally should be appropriately addressed through the Committee on Welfare of Members of Parliament –[HON. MEMBERS: Hakuna.]- It is there and it is chaired by Chief Whips from both sides –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- Do you want…..–[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- Hon. Sibanda, I said order. If you want an explanation, you must listen to the Chair. Thank you.
Unless you are disputing the integrity of the Chair, that Committee is there. It is a sub-committee under the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. So, in your Caucuses, meet your Whips and talk to them so that they can bring some of these issues to the Committee on Standing Rules. If you have no faith in those Whips, you should vote and give us new Whips who can work for you. Any other point of order?
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: With all due respect, I appreciate your… -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Can the hon. member be heard?
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: The mere fact that the Seventh
Parliament is owed money and this Parliament’s Members are owed fuel for more than 20 weeks and they are also owed allowances for more than two years, you are making us not to respect ourselves by not presenting it to you.
The subcommittee you are talking about is more of a social gathering. It is not really in any structure of Parliament. All the Caucuses are more of social gathering than what you should be appreciating. You are the most senior person in this House. You should be helping us to present this case as it is, say how much is owed and make sure that MPs are efficient in the discharge of their duties. This year, we have a lot of work because we want to come in with the Acts of Parliament. We need to consult and we have to move everywhere, but if we look back and talk about yester-year or yester two years and we are not rectifying that, then we are actually making this House defunct. I therefore appeal to you Hon. Speaker, not to compare what happened in
- Some of the Members here are still owed from the other
Parliament. So, we are rendering all those Parliamentarians ineffective. One of these days we may bring a motion on this and then we can debate it if we fail to get a proper answer. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I indulge you Hon. Eng. Mudzuri. I
think you were not listening carefully. The matter is taken and as Speaker, if I inherit debts concerning your erstwhile fellow Hon. Members, I should make sure that they are taken care of as well and cleared out of the way. From a humane point of view and what is owed to the 8th Parliament, it is being addressed by the Chair in the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. So, the point is taken and the appeal is taken.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: I have stood to raise a point of order. My point of order is that this House is so small that it cannot accommodate all of us. We also have problems with parking space in the car park, which is inadequate. You gave us parking space near the park but when we get here after 1 o’clock, it will be full. As I am speaking right now, it is full.
I also want you to know that we are being harassed by our own police officers when we are parking our motor vehicles. They are now behaving as if our roles have been exchanged. They are now the Hon. Members and we are now the police. We are now being treated like slaves and we are not being accorded our due respect as law makers.
We cannot say staff should remove their cars from the parking area. They all have cars and they have filled up the car park. It would be in bad taste if we were to ask the members of staff to remove their motor vehicles from the parking area. When we want to park our motor vehicles at the front, we are threatened with clamping of our motor vehicles and ordered to remove our motor vehicles by the police. I will give an example, MPs are now parking their vehicles on the pavement of private businesses. Police officers insulted me for parking. Should I bring my motor vehicle into the Parliament building? There is insufficient space in the House itself and you end up saying we run away, but it is because we are now taking shifts to park our motor vehicles and give each other space.
Whatever the issues, let us build the new Parliament so that we have enough sitting space and parking space. Not all of us are here because of the inadequate space. Some are outside and we are now taking shifts to be in the House. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON SPEAKER: - [HON MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections] - Order, order Hon. Members. Hon. Chinotimba, you have said a lot of things. That you are being harassed by the police, I have taken note of it and we will make a follow up. On the issue of parking space, I would want to believe that we are now getting to a point where we are going to remove our damaged vehicles so that we will have adequate parking space. Thirdly, you said that you go and remove your motor vehicles so that your colleagues can also park, that is incorrect. Were it correct I would not find a few MPs at 16.30hrs. The majority of you will have gone. Be honest and say the truth, you will have gone, completely gone for the day.
Fourthly, it is true that the new Parliament building should be constructed. I believe next week we are going to meet with the Minister of Local Government, who was tasked with ensuring that the contractors to the new Parliament commence their work in earnest. We are meeting them on Monday next week. I remember that - Hon. Labode, if you do not understand shona, please listen.
I was just saying we will encourage them to expedite the construction of the building so that within 18 months or so we will be having a new Parliament with adequate sitting and parking space. I thank you.
HON. ZINDI: On a point of order Hon. Speaker, I am of the opinion that when we are raising such pertinent issues, it is important that we reach the logical conclusion of these issues, particularly regarding the welfare of MPs. In addition to what Hon Chinotimba –
THE HON SPEAKER: Order, I want the point of order to be raised and not a speech. What is your point of order?
HON. ZINDI: My point of order is that in addition to what Hon. Chinotimba has raised with regards to harassment of MPs, especially during the Official Opening of Parliament or even the issuing of Parliament I.Ds, MPs are squeezed in that corridor in order to come up with that procession and I am of the opinion that it is high that issue should be…
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. ZINDI: My point of order is that Members of Parliament should be given the treatment they deserve as Hon Members not to be squeezed like sardines in a can of oil as what we experience whenever there is official opening of Parliament. We are made to stand for more than three hours squeezed in that corridor. Again I am suggesting that you as the Presiding Officer…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! I want a point of order please, not
a statement.
HON ZINDI: Hon Speaker, I thought I would as well make a suggestion which we have on several times made in this House. Can we use the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) which has enough space to accommodate all Members of Parliament?
On another point of order! I am of the opinion that …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! You cannot make two points of
order please. You are an experienced Member of Parliament, you should know better. Please take your sit so that I respond.
The question of procession and crowding will be taken into account and I want to assure Hon. Zindi that administratively we will make sure that the crowding should not occur, I am promising you that.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: My point of order is based on the fact that Senate adjourned last week on Thursday. This morning I met Hon. Members of Senate, about 10 of them at one of the local hotels, I just want to find out whether Senate was sitting again this week.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Can you make your point of
order? What is your point of order?
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: My point of order Mr. Speaker Sir is that these Hon. Senators that I saw, informed me that they have been in hotels since last week on Thursday up to date. My question is that are Hon. Members of Parliament becoming prisoners of the State who are being kept in hotels for a week against their will, when they are supposed to be servicing their constituencies. They have stayed from Thursday last week up to date because they have not yet been given fuel for them to travel back to their constituencies. So, the question Mr.
Speaker is that if they have become prisoners of the State…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! You have made your statement; I
have heard you, take your sit. I do not entertain questions in a point of order, you have made it very clear and I think I have understood you.
Please take your sit.
Hon. Sibanda, I will investigate that matter administratively and I will advice next week giving you a full response. Thank you. Be reminded that this is not a session for points of order.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My point of
order is on a separate note as I see that all these proceedings have given you a lot of headaches, mine will be a bit different. It is to do with Contempt of Parliament which has happened in this august House with regard to the then Chairperson of the Procurement Board and the then
Minister of Youth, indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Hon. Kasukuwere. I stand guided that we await a decision which you said you were going to bestow at a time which was relevant. As I speak today Mr. Speaker Sir, that judgment has not come forth, what is the position?
Are you still pondering on the decision or it is taking too long to take.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Musteyami, because you are not a lawyer, I will forgive you but I thought you answered yourself that the Chair will give the ruling at the relevant time. That relevant time has not yet arrived, possibly next week.
HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. In fact I just wanted to also kick in to add my voice to the point that has already been put before the House. I also want to amplify your thoughts of concluding that it is very difficult for us to reduce Parliament into a grievances chamber for Members of Parliament. I think it is an abuse of the tax payers’ money, national time because we own national time as a resource but that said and done, it is a very crucial issue that has been put forward by all Members of Parliament.
The point of order is that instead of you bothering yourself to respond Hon Speaker Sir; you are actually taking what is not your problem. The problem is to do with us as Members of Parliament; we do not know our powers. So in terms of our Constitution, Section 148…
THE HON SPEAKER: Order! Can you be brief in your point of order?
HON. CHAMISA: In terms of our Constitution, Section 148…
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am not allowing a statement.
HON. CHAMISA: Unless you are saying that I should abbreviate my thoughts to the extent of not making sense but to the extent that I cannot abbreviate any further, allow me then to have that space Hon. Speaker Sir. You may not see the wisdom of it but it is actually meant to help you. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Be brief! - [Laughter]-
HON. CHAMISA: In that brevity spirit, Section 148 of our
Constitution, deals with the immunities and privileges of Members of Parliament. If you look at all these issues, we have not resolved some of the issues that were raised by Members of Parliament, wherein Members of Parliament are then asked to come in to Parliament, being subjected to harassment and embarrassment. All those things, Hon. Speaker Sir, have not been resolved. We need, within the context of Immunities and
Privileges Act to amend and then define our parameters to cater for what Hon. Chinotimba, Hon. Zindi or Hon. Sibanda is saying. So, we need the Immunities and Privileges Act to be amended so that we are loyal to our interests as Parliament.
However, more importantly, we have Section 153 dealing with the remuneration of Members of Parliament. We are the only Parliament where remuneration is not a sovereign remit of Parliament. We must be able to define what we are supposed to get because we define the budget of the country. For the reason that we do not know that, we allow other people to do it on our behalf. I hope that will be corrected. We need to do it – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Hon. Mutsvangwa having walked out in the company of Hon.
Cross. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Chamisa, you have raised very good points. In Ndebele and shona they say, ungatshaya inja ufihlu induku or usarove imbwa wakaviga mupini. Hon. Chamisa, you are one of the most important members of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. You are responsible for the legal issues in that committee. I am surprised – [Laughter] – that you have paraded all these issues which are very pertinent. Unfortunately, these should be raised in the Committee on Standing Rules.
The Committee on Standing Rules must be seized with that matter. So, at our next meeting, come prepared with your proposals in terms of the Constitution. I am not allowing any further points of order. I see that there is a very good spirit hovering around here. I do not know what is happening – [AN HON. MEMBER: Maybe you had a nice Politburo meeting yesterday] –
FIRST READING
NATIONAL PEACE AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
BILL, 2015 [H.B. 13, 2015]
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF NATIONAL HEALING, PEACE AND RECONCILIATION (HON. MPHOKO)
presented the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill, 2015
[H.B. 13, 2015].
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):
Thank you Mr. Speaker. 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
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO): I
move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 16th February, 2016
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):
Thank you Mr. Speaker. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 16th February, 2016
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):
Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Order of the Day, Number 4 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day, have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
COMMITTEE STAGE
ADVERSE REPORT BY THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL
COMMITTEE ON STATUTORY INSTRUMENT NO. 77 OF 2015
Fifth Order read: Consideration of the Adverse Report of the
Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Criminal Procedure and
Evidence Amendment Bill, 2015 (H.B. 3A, 2015).
Question again proposed.
HON. SAMUKANGE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I move to
withdraw the Adverse Report issued against Statutory Instrument No. 77 of 2015, (Presidential Powers) Application of Chapter 8:14 to the
Premier Medical Aid Society Regulations, 2015. The Statutory
Instrument has ceased to have effect as the 180 days has expired. In light of that, it has no effect whatsoever.
I want to take this opportunity Mr. Speaker to thank all the
Members of Parliament who debated eloquently, effectively and obviously motivated the Minister not to respond to the debate in favour of the Adverse Report. In particular, I want to thank the Members of the Parliamentary Legal Committee who supported, not only during the deliberations but in Parliament as well. I also want to make special mention to Hon. Chinotimba who argued in my respectful view, knowledgably and eloquently. In the circumstances, I move that the
Adverse Report be withdrawn. Thank you.
Report, with leave, withdrawn.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE MOTION ON THE FIRST REPORT OF
THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. MAJOME: I move the motion standing in my name that
the motion on the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, be restored on the Order
Paper in terms of Standing Order Number 152(1).
HON. M. MAWERE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES ON
THE ATTEMPTED JAIL BREAK FROM CHIKURUBI
MAXIMUM PRISON
HON. MUDEREDZWA: I move the motion standing in my name
that this House takes note of the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Service on the
Attempted Jail Break from Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
HON. CHIDAVAENZI: I second.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES ON THE ATTEMPTED JAIL BREAK FROM CHIKURUBI MAXIMUM
PRISON
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move
the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Second Report on the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services on the attempted jail break from Chikurubi Maximum
Prison.
HON. CHIMANIKIRE: I second.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir.
I rise to give a report on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. The essence of this report is that as a Portfolio Committee on security matters, we were drawn into an incident that happened at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. As a security sector Committee, we wanted to enquire and find out what has transpired. Your Committee is going to report on account of what transpired.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Section 227 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides for Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) whose mandate is to protect the society from criminal elements through incarceration and rehabilitation of offenders. The Prisons and Correctional Services fall under Security Services as defined by Section 207 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
1.2 In the exercise of its mandate, your Committee conducted an Inquiry where it sought to establish events leading to an attempted jailbreak at Chikurubi Maximum Prison on Friday 13th March, 2015. Further to that, your Committtee also sought to find out remedial action taken by the Prison Authorities to thwart jailbreaks of such nature in future.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
Your Committee embarked on the following methodology to establish the causes for the lapses that led to security breaches of the Chikurubi Maximum Prison:-
- Gathered oral evidence from the Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Aggrey Huggins Machingauta who was representing the Commissioner General of Prisons and Correctional Services.
- Paid a fact finding visit to Chikurubi Maximum Prison and conducted an on-site inspection within the Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
- Received oral evidence from officers who were on the ground on the day the attempted jailbreak occurred.
2.1 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
Your Committee received oral evidence from the Deputy
Commissioner General of Prisons and Correctional Services
Aggrey Huggins Machingauta, who was representing the Commissioner General, and was accompanied by Superitendent
Muzanechita.
2.2 In comprehensive evidence before your Committee, the Deputy Commissioner General stated that in discharging its mandate the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services manages 46 prison institutions that fall under 4 administrative regions. The holding capacity of the prison cells is 17000. Prison Institutions are classified from Grade one to four. These hold inmates of different classes ranging from class A to D. Consideration of Prisoners’ classification is determined according to crimes committed, term of incarceration awarded by the courts, the remaining part of the sentence after part thereof has been served and the danger those inmates pose to society.
2.3 The Deputy Commissioner General further informed your Committee that a grade one prison would ordinarily hold A class inmates who are trustworthy. These are the ones who are allowed to go about their chores without being supervised or escorted. A grade 2 prison accommodates B class inmates who are partially trusted and have to do their daily duties under escort. C class
inmates fall under grade 3 prison and cannot be trusted and require constant supervision day and night. This category of prisoners is dominated by unconvicted inmates and those convicted and serving sentences of up to 10 years.
2.4 Your Committee learnt that a Maximum Security Prison holds D class inmates and falls under grade 4. D class inmates are the most dangerous prisoners and can never be trusted; they include inmates who are under sentence of death, those who would have committed offences such as murder, rape, robbery, theft of motor vehicles among other crimes. They are the inmates who serve sentences of 10 years and above. Zimbabwe has only two such institutions, namely Chikurubi Maximum and Khami Maximum Prisons to
cater for this category of prisoners. Such a situation has led to overcrowding in these institutions being more pronounced than in other places. For example, Chikurubi Maximum Prison had a population of 2 293 inmates as of 11 May, 2015. The official holding capacity is 1 360.
3.0 Findings
3.1 In the conduct of its inquiry, your Committee sought to find out events leading to the disturbances that shook Chikurubi Maximum Prison on Friday 13 March 2015. In evidence, the Deputy Commissioner General informed your Committee that authorities were not surprised by the events that unfolded at the Chikurubi Maximum Prison on that day. The Authorities had gathered information from sister Intelligence Services that inmates were planning to destabilize operations at the institution. It was the submission of the Deputy Commissioner General that this information was received more than two weeks before the incident.
Evidence given to your Committee revealed that,
“The whole scenario was designed such that all the 2 290 dangerous inmates would have walked out of Chikurubi
Maximum Prison into the general public.’’
3.2 The Commissioner General of Prisons had written to the Commissioner General of Police informing him of the pending jailbreak attempt. Subsequently, pre-emptive measures had been taken to avert a situation where dangerous prisoners would have escaped en masse. To foil the attempted jailbreak, the Prison
Authorities re-deployed Security and Intelligence Personnel to the Chikurubi Maximum Prison in advance. However, this evidence was contradicted later on by Prison officials who were on the ground on the day the attempted jailbreak took place.
3.3 Your Committee received evidence which revealed that the incident started off with the refusal of inmates to take their meals.
They alleged that the relish served to them was of poor quality. The Deputy Commissioner himself conceded that to some extent the issue of food could have contributed to the attempted jailbreak, as he remarked as follows,
“The issue of food, of course yes, we agree that they were eating sadza nemunyemba, which is not very pleasant, but we have had food shortages before. In 2007 and 2008, we actually lost lives in our prison because of lack of food but we have never had riotous situations”.
Evidence led by the Deputy Commissioner General revealed that on receiving information that inmates were refusing to eat, two Superintendents, namely Dumbura and Chikayi went to the Halls to investigate and to address the inmates. To their horror, the inmates suddenly turned violent and started attacking the officers. They hastily retreated to safety. The inmates then demanded to see the Officer-in-Charge, Chief Superintendent G. Marange. By then, the situation was slowly getting out of hand. Some inmates started a fire in the Halls. At that juncture, the Officer-in-Charge contacted the Fire Brigade and also informed the Officer Commanding Assistant Commissioner G.Denya, who immediately rushed to the prison to investigate what was happening. Contrary to the evidence given by Deputy Commissioner General Machingauta, the officers on the ground at Chikurubi that day, led by the Officerin-Charge, Superintendent Marange, said that they were
completely taken by surprise when they found themselves being suddenly attacked by inmates and had soup and sadza poured on their heads and clothes.
3.4 According to Deputy Commissioner General Machingauta, intelligence reports had been received of the pending attempt to breakout from prison. Further to that, inmates got outside assistance to stage their ill-fated jailbreak through information smuggled into prison by visitors. He said the Prison and Correctional Services had managed to get the names of outsiders who had given information to inmates on how to stage their escape.
Your Committee was further informed that within the prison, inmates had formed committees which had a Chairman. Through their chairman, the inmates engaged a certain lady who masqueraded as a visitor and would often ask to see that Chairman. Using that mode of communication, information from outside the prison filtered through. That was how the alleged outsider
managed to communicate with inmates on what to do next. There was no evidence of any communication of information having been made on the ground on what was coming within the prison despite the fact that the authorities had a hint that potential unrest was simmering. Your Committee was informed that when pandemonium broke out, the prison authorities were overwhelmed. Evidence given by the Deputy Commissioner General was not consistent with that of officials on the ground on that day.
3.5 The chaos at the Maximum Prison was said to have grown out of hand as blankets and electrical fittings were engulfed in fire. The Fire Brigade tried in vain to extinguish the flames and unfortunately most of the damage had been done.
3.6 The Officer Commanding went to the C section of the Prison to calm down the situation by addressing inmates. They violently attacked him and the rest of the accompanying Officers, with all sorts of weapons that they laid their hands on. These ranged from broken water pipes and wooden shelves to other pieces of
destroyed Prison property such as electrical cables among other items. In the ensuing riotous situation, the Officer Commanding suffered a fractured leg. The other Officers accompanying him suffered varying degrees of injuries including a fractured backbone suffered by Prison Officer (2) Manyika Admire. As the riotous situation intensified, inmates dispossessed senior Prison Officer Muringani of his cellphone and straight away phoned the media to say Chikurubi Maximum Prison was burning
3.7 Some inmates managed to get access to the prison roof and they started encouraging their colleagues to join them. It was at this point in time that the Officer in Charge called for reinforcements as it was then clear that the intention of the inmates was to escape. The Zimbabwe Republic Police Support Unit timeously responded and ordered the inmates to climb down from the roof. They did not take heed and, instead, they started running all over the roof calling for other inmates from other sections of the Prison, including the Chikurubi Prison Farm to refuse food and get ready to leave
Prison.
3.8 Sensing that the inmates could possibly jump over the security wall and make good their escape, the Support Unit team fired warning shots. The inmates ignored the warning shots. Instead, they made more noise, taunting the police and encouraging other inmates to join them. They dared the police to fire more shots and shouted encouragingly to other inmates telling them that the rifles were firing blank shots. They vowed that they were not going back into prison. They told other inmates to refuse their food as well and get ready to leave the prison. At that point in time, the Support Unit opened fire. The inmates scurried for cover back into prison. In the ensuing stampede, some inmates were injured and one died.
3.9 Eventually, the situation calmed down and the inmates were locked up in their cells. The injured were ferried to Parirenyatwa Group of
Hospitals.
4.0 Casualties
4.1 After the commotion had subsided, the prison authorities had to take stock of the casualties and damage to the prison. A total of 19 officers sustained minor injuries. They were treated and discharged while 2 others, namely, Prison Officer (2) A. Manyika and
Assistant Commissioner G. Denya were admitted at West-End Hospital for treatment where they spent three and seven days respectively. Twenty-three prisoners were injured during the disturbances. Eight of the injured were rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital where they were admitted. Two were discharged from hospital on the 14th March, 2015. Two other prisoners passed away on 14th and 15th March, 2015 respectively. The remaining four prisoners were discharged from Parirenyatwa Hospital on the
16th, 17th, 19th and 26th March, 2015 respectively.
4.2 Your Committee was informed that no officer died in the disturbances. However, three out of four inmates died from injuries sustained during the stampede and one died from gunshot wounds. In evidence, the Deputy Commissioner General highlighted that,
“One died due to gunshot wounds and three due to injuries sustained during the stampede. Denis Aram was serving 29 years under Fire Arms Act and Pedzisai Nota alias Paula
Pedzisai Zuze who was in for armed robbery under Fire Arms Act serving a 27 year sentence and Titos Mandikonza was in for armed robbery, rape, unlawful entry and escape serving a 45 years sentence, as well as, Nicholas Dendera who was in for rape, serving 13 years sentence passed away on that day.”
5.0 Damage to Infrastructure
5.1 Mr. Speaker Sir, the attempted jail break from Chikurubi Maximum Prison caused extensive damage to two halls. For example, the roof was ripped open, all windows smashed, plumbing and wood works destroyed. The damage caused required thousands of dollars which were not budgeted for and these have to be met as a matter of urgency. Treasury has since availed US$200
000 for the repairs of the Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
6.0 Remedial measures taken
6.1 Following the failed jail break, prison authorities at Chikurubi resorted to ensuring that the Maximum Prison was secure by immediately repairing and improving security. Work had already started and they were almost fifty percent through with the repairs.
The Deputy Commissioner General had this to say,
“We were waiting for the procedure of procurement of this diamond mesh wire which I think sailed through only last week because it involves a lot of money. It involves State Procurement Board and I think we have been given green light now that we can procure. We are hoping; this week possibly, we will be able to procure the diamond mesh wire. Once that has been done, our welders will be on the ground to try and seal off that but the road was already repaired
and we are happy that there is a roof now.”
6.2 The issue of food had also been addressed as there was said to be adequate food for the inmates.
7.0 Observations
7.1 Evidence given to your Committee revealed the following glaring issues:
- The shortage of food posed a serious security threat and was the main cause of the riotous situation. The shortage of food could have been as bad or worse than what it was in 2007 and 2008 where some inmates were said to have died.
- There was evidence of lack of modern day security equipment such as closed circuit television cameras and audio equipment to capture what could be happening at any time around the prison complex. The timing of the attempted jailbreak was meant to coincide with the visit to Japan by His Excellency, the President, hence the calculation to embarrass the Head of State while out in a foreign country.
- The motive behind the attempted jailbreak was also aimed at disgracing the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and the nation at large.
- Even though no inmate managed to escape, security had been breached.
- The infrastructure such as pipes, ceilings and the roof was obsolete, dilapidated and outdated as it had been built during the colonial days.
- The dignity of prisoners was severely compromised as they were exposed to antiquated ablution facilities.
- Utensils in the kitchen are very old and a serious cause for concern as the boilers and pots were either leaking or dysfunctional.
- The information that had been received relating to the envisaged escape had not been disseminated to lower ranks, hence they were taken by surprise when the riot broke out.
- While there were contradictions in the evidence given by the Deputy Commissioner General and that of the other officers who were on the ground on the day of the attempted jailbreak, this could have been prompted by lack of information flow within the system.
- Mock security drills were not being conducted as a way of asserting state of preparedness for any eventuality.
- The prison was overcrowded, a situation which compromises to a great extent, the welfare and dignity of inmates. Such a situation remains a ticking time bomb as it will remain a security challenge.
- Inmates were not being given their prison dietary scale due to acute shortage of food.
- The ageing infrastructure has severely compromised the security of the prison.
- Even to date, the security situation still remains risky at the Prison.
- There is need for urgent attention to cater for the welfare of inmates through the provision of linen, utensils and blankets.
8.0 Recommendations
In its deliberations on the evidence gathered, your Committee made the following recommendations:-
- The prison infrastructure needs a complete overhaul so that it can meet the required security standards of modern day Maximum Security Prisons.
- There is need to timeously disseminate security information to
lower ranks so as to avoid loss of lives and incurring unnecessary costs in repairs and damage.
- There is need to replace the blankets that were burnt and Treasury has to avail the requisite resources.
- There is need to adhere to the stipulated prisons dietary scale and where shortages are looming, prison authorities should endeavour to come up with initiatives that would see the utilization of prison farms to maximum use so that they are self sufficient in terms of providing food for inmates in the country’s prisons.
- There is need for the training of the special tactics team to handle any possible future attempts to break out by prisoners.
- There is need to upgrade the security system which remains a challenge due to inadequate funding.
- There is need to have simulations that would involve other sister intelligence units for effective rapid response to threats.
- There is need for the reintroduction of a Special Tactics Force at the prison to be always on standby for such eventualities.
- The issue of overcrowding has to be addressed as a matter of urgency since it poses a serious security threat and alternatively the possibility of another security prison should be considered as a way of decongesting prisons.
- Government Protective Security Inspectorate should regularize the monitoring of Institutions such as prisons since these are deemed high security areas.
9.0 Conclusion
9.1 Having received oral evidence from the Deputy Commissioner General A.H Machingauta and Superintendent Marange who was the Officer-in-Charge at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, your
Committee found some inconsistencies which had to be clarified. In this regard, your Committee found the evidence given by the officers on the ground on the day of the incident more credible and substantiated. However, your Committee would like to give Deputy Commissioner Machingauta the benefit of the doubt as he remained consistent in the evidence that he gave during the two oral evidence sessions that he was required to attend.
9.2 Your Committee would like to urge the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services to consider the findings, observations and recommendations contained in this report as a way of mitigating the challenges that may have given rise to the attempted jailbreak.
HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. In seconding
this report I am going to touch on a few issues that may not have been mentioned directly in the report but that were part of the evidence that we gathered. What was most important during our visit to Chikurubi Prison and during the interview that we conducted with Deputy Commissioner General Machingauta was that the main cause behind the security breach at Chikurubi Maximum Prison was food shortages or non availability of it. On the days leading up to this riotous situation at Chikurubi on the 12th of February, 2015, the senior officials in charge of the maximum prison were notified by the prisoners that they had grievances pertaining to food availability.
What they are supposed to receive as prisoners is as follows: they are supposed to have a cup of tea in the morning with one large slice of bread or they are given porridge, this was not happening at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. They are supposed to have sadza in the afternoon with vegetables and in the evening they are supposed to have sadza with beans, again this was not available at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. They are supposed to eat meat at least twice a week but what was happening at Chikurubi is that they had not had meat for over two years according to the records. This actually is what motivated most of the prisoners if not all of them after having given notice at least a month before the riotous situation, to actual engage in riotous behaviour.
Mr. Speaker the other problem that we found was that they are no security cameras for the officers in charge of prisoners to be able to monitor the activities of the prisoners. So, in other words unless they physically went to inspect and this can be done maybe once or in two hours or once in six hours. The conditions inside the prison itself were deplorable. For example, up to the third floor, there is no water supply. The prisoners have to carry buckets that have been donated by the nongovernmental organisations to the third floor and the supply of water is actual out of a charitable act by the International Red Cross to provide water to the prisoners otherwise our own systems that were there prior to this being done could not supply water to Chikurubi Prison. So, you can imagine the conditions under which the prisoners were surviving. On the day of the riot, the attempted jail break, the officer that was in charge of D-class prisoners, those that are serving 10 years or more, had to use a cell phone to phone the officer in charge, the Deputy Commissioner General to come urgently to the Prison Complex. That was his own private cellphone. The land lines in prison are not working and one observation that did not really amuse some of us as Committee members was that in their administration offices inside the prison, the picture of the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe was not there. Yet in any
Government office you are supposed to at least have a picture of the
Head of State in the administrative office.
So what was evident Mr. Speaker Sir, is that the general administration of the prison was not being supervised by the senior authorities. I remember after the visit, meeting with the CommissionerGeneral in charge of prison who was asking what was happening to the meat of cattle being slaughtered. This meat belongs to the prison farms.
In other words, he was not aware of what was happening on the ground. Therefore Mr. Speaker Sir, it is important that our recommendations should be recognised and are implemented. Mr. Speaker Sir, as part of the Committee that visited there was no evidence that proved that the attempted prison break was to embarrass the President while he was in Japan. We could not find any evidence but it was an allegation that came from Deputy Commissioner Machingauta, which is why in our report, you find that we did mention that there were inconsistencies in his submissions that we also wanted to examine. He had also alleged that there was a woman who was coming into the prison complex to gather information and then feed the prisoners with information in order to promote that riotous behaviour. But, there was no evidence that we gathered during the submissions. What happened was that the Officer in Charge of the Prison, Senior Officer Pambai did indicate that the real cause of the riotous situation was actually the shortage of food or non availability of it. As I have explained, their diet was clearly defined and there was no such diet being provided to the prisoners.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the other issue that arose is that this week we had a response from the Minister of Agriculture that the prison farms are being supplied with mechanization. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker Sir, this is not correct. The submissions that we had is that there is no equipment but they have got very nice farms in Hurungwe, Gweru and around Harare. However, these farms are not being cultivated. They have got the labour but what is happening is that the labour is not being utilised. That poses a security threat when food is not there. You are likely to get problems of the nature that we experienced at Chikurubi Maximum
Prison.
Generally, we would like to appeal in our report to the Ministry of Agriculture to avail to the Prison Services tractors as well as seed and fertilizers so that the prisoners who are serving long term sentences as those in Chikurubi are actually utilised and go and farm. For example, in Hurungwe there is a very big dam that is next to the prison complex and water is not being utilised. So it is one of those areas that Mr. Speaker Sir, our recommendations are saying let us utilise those farms to produce food for themselves and to be able to sell that food on the market and provide for their own budget through their own efforts. I here that Hon. Chinotimba is saying I am a candidate for going to prison and he is also a candidate for going there -[Laughter]- since he is going to be engaging in a long kiss tomorrow evening.
In our recommendations on remedial action, we did observe the way the food that they eat is being prepared. The pots were not in a good condition to be used for cooking. For example, the pots that they were using to cook their sadza had holes in some parts and they were using firewood which was not readily available. So they start preparing for evening meals at 8 a.m. because they do not have electricity, they use fire wood. When you look at the fence that surround Chikurubi Maximum Prison, it is falling down. So when these prisoners managed to climb up the wall they would have escaped with ease. There was no evidence Mr. Speaker Sir, that they were arrangements for a pick-up if the prisoners had managed to escape. So, the whole story about attempted Maximum Prison break would have been a fallacy against the background that there were no get-away cars or anything that we got as evidence when we visited. Inside the prison itself, besides non availability of water, the prisoners do not have any mattresses they sleep of the floor to such an extent that the conditions inside the prison, the prison officer decides to release all the prisoners onto an open yard as a matter of being humane towards the prisoners. For example, the toilet facilities have no privacy, the dining facilities have very little in terms of facilities that make them conducive. Bearing in mind that Mr. Speaker Sir, this is not only a prison but a correctional service area. We believe a lot of improvements can be done.
When we looked at clothing that the prisoners were wearing only those prisoners who were on death row had adequate clothing and this was in May and it was very cold. The rest of the prisoners had torn shorts and torn shirts. They were tattered and torn; that is the description that is appropriate. We wondered why those who were on death row were the only ones that were smartly dressed and they had jerseys as well. May be they were living the best of their last before facing the death, we do not know, but the general picture that we got out of the Prison Complex was that the conditions are very poor. We came across a sick prisoner who was covered in blankets but the appropriate action to take when you have a sick prisoner is to take them to a prison hospital. This is not being done. That is why Mr. Speaker, you heard me pointing out that supervision by seniour personnel appears to be very lackluster at the Chikukubi Maximum Prison. I can safely say the conditions at the Chikurubi Maximum Prison are worse than what they were when His Excellency was a prisoner at that prison. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- from the pictures that I saw. Mr. Speaker Sir, we need as legislatures to ensure that there is an improvement in the conditions under which we keep prisoners and especially when the aims and objectives are to act as a correctional service since we are now vying for the removal of the death sentence. These people have to go back to our communities and we should not sentence them to death through the conditions that we expose them to. But, we should be able to look after them so that they regret the offences that they would have committed. They should be re-engaged into society after they have served their terms of prison. Otherwise what is happening at the moment is we have sentenced all prisoners in Maximum Prisons to death. Recalling that a few years ago they were also victims of cholera because of the unhealthy conditions under which they are kept.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to say, let us look into the real problems that caused the commotion at Chikurubi Maximum Prison and make correctional measures that will ensure that we look after our prisoners as prisoners not as death row inmates. I thank you Mr.
Speaker. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, I do not want to appear as if I am repeating what the Hon. Chair of the Committee has already presented and what has been highlighted by Hon. Chimanikire. But, I would like to make very few comments perhaps on the conditions in our prisons which we visited as a Committee. I would like to look at the inconsistencies that came as a result of the oral evidence that was given before your Committee. I want to make a comment on that. Mr. Speaker Sir, the time that we visited the prison at Wha Wha, the situation that we found there can best be described as deplorable at that material time and I want to believe the Commissioner General of Prisons and Correctional Services has taken a leaf from what we saw. I want to strongly believe that there is an improvement. If there is no improvement, I think this Committee again is challenged to make a follow up and see whether the conditions have improved because the conditions that we saw there were quite inhuman to say the least Mr.
Speaker Sir.
The prisoners that we met, definitely speaking, yes some of them were not properly dressed. There were inadequacies in terms of their clothes. There inadequacies in terms of mattresses and blankets and it would appear that we came face to face with prisoners that were not very well in terms of their health. Some appeared to be very ill maybe because of the conditions that we saw.
From a security point of view, the Chikurubi Maximum Prison has very limited security gadgets, if any. Our observation was that there are no modern security gadgets that would assist the prison officers to be able to understand and appreciate what is taking place within the prison complex. This inadequacy comes - from our point of view, on account of inadequate funding by the relevant Department and Ministry. We call upon the Government to ensure that there is adequate funding so that the Prison Department is able to clothe our prisoners.
We need to take note that a prisoner is a human being and we need also to take note that these prisons were constructed at a time when the system that was there when it was Rhodesia, was brutal, especially towards the black majority. So, there was this element of wanting to punish the black majority who were fighting against the system that was there because it was oppressive.
Since we attained Independence we have never made efforts to make sure that we improve and upgrade infrastructure or perhaps to build several new prisons so that we can properly accommodate our prisoners - those that are found on the wrong side of the law. It is very important for this august House to understand that we can also be potential candidates for prisons. So, if conditions do not improve, the day we find ourselves there, we will cry foul. So, it is important that the
Government of Zimbabwe improves our prisons. We need that upgrade.
On inconsistency, in terms of the evidence that was given, we were made to understand that this incident was politically motivated from the evidence that was brought before the Committee. We want to strongly dispute this assertion. There was nothing that would point to the fact that the jailbreak happened as a result of politics. We found no grain of truth in that piece of evidence.
What we discovered as a Committee was that the attempted jailbreak was as a result of the conditions at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. It was as a result of lack of food. I do not believe that if I commit an offence and I am penalised to go to prison for a month or two, I must be denied my right to food and water. So, we want to challenge the Department, the Ministry and Government that prisoners need to be treated as human beings. Of course the element of rehabilitation - correcting their behaviour, and the element of reintegrating them into society, so we should actually as a Government move to adopt a system which is prison friendly, unlike the system that used to exist during the colonial era.
With those words Mr. Speaker Sir, I would want to summarily buttress what Hon. Chimanikire has rightly out in his debate and in his discussion. I support the points that he brought before this august House and also what has been clearly articulated by the Chairman of the Portfolio Committee. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank the Committee for the report that it tabled on the state of our prisons. This has deeply touched me because I was looking at, if things happen and people are truthful about it, it can be addressed. On the issue of attempted jailbreak we had been told about Gumbura being involved but for us as people who are legislators we end up taking up the wrong issues. The truth needs to be brought out in the open and discussed in order to address the situation.
The issue of food was the main reason for the attempted jailbreak.
I was looking at China where there are so many prisoners such that in Beijing there are over 20 million inmates. What China did was that they came up with measures to ensure that they engage in farming, not only for their own but also to feed the country. If we look at Zimbabwe, we have farms belonging to ARDA and those farms are lying idle. Those people in the prisons should engage minimum tillage in order to grow food and that will assist in terms of food security in the country. So, I see it as others who are employed by the Government to run such institutions need to be conscientised because these are issues which we are failing to address but are easy to address.
China is also taking its inmates not for them to stay in jails but they are coming to Africa and they are engaging in mining and other activities including buildings that they are constructing but we are keeping 2000 prisoners in jails and they are doing nothing. This is
where as a nation we need to consider how we can develop our nation Zimbabwe before we bring in issues that are false. If we consider other countries such as Taiwan and Dubai where we get our clothes from, the Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprise Development has information that people who are inmates are good at tailoring and they can actually sew clothes for the inmates who are in jails. They can also engage in tailoring for our various shops for the country to develop but we are seen importing clothes from other countries. So, those in the jails should undergo training at Vocational Training Centres and engage in skills to develop the country.
When we look at women in the jails, they do not get sanitary wear and they end up using tissues and yet those tissues also have certain chemicals that cause infection. If we look at women who are inmates, they take the blankets that they use to cover themselves as sanitary wear. These are the blankets that are rarely washed and when they use these they are prone to infections which cause cancer. Such issues are things that hurt us. I looked at machines that produce sanitary pads, these are not expensive but in this country we take a lot of time looking at the inmates and securing them without doing anything. So, I think we need legislation so that the Government will not only look at the budget in terms of food. Other governments are buying grinding machines to produce wheat to give to their people. So, I think, we need to seriously look into these issues and find ways of assisting the inmates.
We have another issue that is before us of livestock in Bulawayo that now only costs $5.00. I was looking at the fact that if we take the hides and give them to inmates, they can tan and export them. Can we not use our resources to develop our country? I am looking at the resources that we have. We can take a few inmates to Matabeleland to cut grass that we can sell as hay. I am saying as Zimbabweans, we are failing to come up with means of addressing these issues because we are using only 0.05% of our brains. Even peanut butter could be produced in maximum prisons as most inmates are incarcerated for ten years. It would be better if we would stop councils from employing sweepers but use those inmates to ensure that we do not waste any money.
So, Mr. Speaker, the issue that was brought before us by the Committee is very important. I think that we need to seriously look into it and ensure that the prison administrators appear before us and we work together to ensure that they are able to feed inmates. If you look at the Chinese people who are here, most of them are former inmates. When I went to Nigeria, I also discovered that the Chinese were also there around the Niger Delta region. Some of the money that they acquire is sent back to develop their country. So, whoever becomes a prisoner in China is taken to another country to go and work in the construction industry. Once you enter the prisons in China, you are taught how to build and provide cheap labour wherever there is construction work.
We should not be engaging in Tenders to get people to build because we already have cheap labour that is available. This report that was tabled before us is very good and has deeply touched us. We do not know how to address it. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.
Speaker Sir, let me thank the Committee for the report but particularly also thank Hon. Mapiki for raising issues around women in such a good way. It makes a big difference when men speak to some of these issues.
I just have a few issues that I would like to raise. The first one, I think, was raised by Hon. Chimanikire and I think it is a real issue that we have to worry about. The issue is, should there not be a difference between what those prisons looked like before we attained Independence and what they look like now? Our understanding is that before we attained Independence, those whites were generally abusive to us so we should be able to see those prisons being different because the experiences that our leaders went through should push them into making things different.
I am glad that Hon. Mapiki mentioned that we are all candidates for prison. Mr. Speaker, I never thought I would see the day when the Prosecutor General is sitting behind a truck, for example, being taken to court. That, in itself, speaks to where we all could be, depending on what is happening in our lives. I am glad that as we debate this, we all understand that we could be in a prison one way or the other but like I said, the underlying factor is that we cannot continue to be part of the system or continue with a system that was used by our oppressors. We should ensure that the system is different.
The second issue that I would like to raise and was conferring on with Hon. Chimanikire because I was asking him whether they had actually visited the women’s’ side of Chikurubi Maximum Prison. He said there were no women inmates at the time the Committee visited Chikurubi prison. I think that is an unfortunate thing because the concerns raised by Hon. Mapiki would have been clearly put across if they had met women inmates.
Let me just give you a very dramatic example. When you go to male prisoners, they do not necessarily have to wear underwear because organically, a man can walk around without underwear. You cannot ask the same for a woman because at the end of the day, it is problematic for a woman to move around without panties. Otherwise we would all be coming here without panties but we cannot because generally, our anatomy is made up in such a way that we cannot move around without panties. What is actually happening with women prisoners is because we have a shortage. You are talking about shortage of shirts and shorts but with women it is shortage of underpants. So, not only do they have to go through what Hon. Mapiki said whilst they are having their menstrual flows. They have to endure that without sanitary wear or panties and I think it is just inhuman. We cannot treat people by dehumanizing them to that level.
The Committee, as a matter of urgency, should try and find a way of revisiting Chikurubi Maximum prison this time particularly to look at the gender aspect of the prisons. I think, if we are talking of men being in more problems then let us talk about what women are going through. Every other month, I will not stop speaking on the menstrual issue because I believe the more we hit on it, the more men begin to understand.
When a woman is going through her menstrual period, it is just not the blood that is coming out but the pain that comes with that blood. I always ask myself whether that is taken into consideration when you a woman prisoner? Does somebody understand that if you are having dysmenorrhea, sometimes it is difficult to come and sit here because the pain is just unbearable? It means every other month a woman is not only going through menstrual periods, without panties, in pain and is never provided with pain killers.
Ask any other woman in this House who is still having their period, we are lining up at the clinic to ask for Panadols or something to ease the pain so that we are able to operate in this House. If I do not take pain killers, I am not able to function … – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection] – Yes, so you literally have to have painkillers for a woman, every other month, who is in that prison. I am not talking about what happens as you grow older because you become feverish and all sorts of things happen due to hormonal changes. I am sure Hon. Dr.
Labode would be able to explain better from a medical point of view.
But because some hormonal issues are happening within your body, so many things happen during that particular time yet no one considers the fact that women have to go through that.
The last point that I want to raise and for me, that is the most painful point. Mr. Speaker, the children of women prisoners have to be incarcerated with them. So when a woman is a prisoner, the child is also a prisoner, there is no facility that says we have a specific facility here for children. Even as the mothers are incarcerated they do not have an opportunity to go and be with their children and allow children an environment grow.
Pre-school for example, just to get them to begin to develop. You are denying a child the development that any other child who is outside prison is having. This child is being taken on and is suffering for the sins of the mother that have nothing to do with him/her. So, if she is inside and needs to breastfeed, they are also inside. This is why I am saying the Committee needs to go back and focus on the issues that are to do with women prisoners. When we talk about prisoners, in our minds, we tend to think that the only people that are imprisoned are men and not necessarily women. This is why for the majority of those women, it is very difficult when they get out to be rehabilitated because a lot of them have to suffer a lot of depression while they sit in those prisons.
If you were to look at the records of the women who are in prison, most of the crimes that they are going in for, very few are to do with robbery or so on. Most of the crimes are mostly to do with either they are victims of violence and were responding to that violence or dumping a baby. It is all to do with their social way of living and their womanhood and the things that they have to do because they are female. They go into prison, instead of feeling differently about what is going on, they actually get even worse. To get them out of that space and to begin to rehabilitate them so that they can go back to normal becomes more and more difficult.
I am glad that we have a Committee that decided to spend a bit of time there and I hope they also spent a bit of time also going to the cells.
I know because I was arrested and put in a cell for four days so I know how difficult it was for me to be told as a woman in a cell to go there, urinate, do poop and whatever it is when everybody is watching you. I have always said somebody has to tell me why somebody thought of dehumanising a person to the level where they literally have to do poop when somebody is looking at them. For four days, I could not do it. My system just clamped up because I just could not understand how I could go there and do poop. I then told myself not to eat because nothing would then come out of my system.
To continue to think that today so many years after independence we are still subjecting our people to that level of dehumanisation says to me, we probably do not understand that the struggle was actually about changing the lives of the people. We think it was merely about changing the colour of who was oppressing who and replacing that person with a black skin and continuing with the way that we always did business. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
* HON. RUNGANI: I want to add my voice to the debate and I am a member of the Committee chaired by Hon. Muderedzwa on the issue of the attempted jail-break. This was not true because when we investigated, we realised that there was no way that people could have escaped. If we put our prisoners at Chikurubi, the prison officers should do their duties and ensure that they monitor what the prisoners are eating and how they are settled. When people are arrested and taken to Chikurubi, it is supposed to be a correctional service centre and people should be able to re-integrate into society. That is not happening.
What is actually worsening their conduct is because of the challenges that they meet and this is very inhumane. What I am saying is that this major prison of ours, Chikurubi, the way it was built is amazing. The smaller prisons are actually better off. If you go to Mutimurefu in Masvingo, it is better placed and you cannot compare it to Chikurubi where our people are taken. I want to urge the prison officers, especially those at a higher level, to ensure that they perform their duties well to improve the conditions at Chikurubi. If you look at the ceiling at Chikurubi, if the inmates wanted to escape, they would have escaped. So, what I urge is that if we are given duties to do, we do them diligently.
We talk of ZIM ASSET, this is where ZIM ASSET should be working because the inmates should be taught to use their hands and engage in skills development in order to become self-sufficient and look after their families. Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga, I want to support you because you end up insane whilst in prison. I want to end up by saying that those women who are imprisoned should be given work to do. There are people who are good at knitting and others with different skills.
People come from various places here in Harare to get their hair plaited. So we must teach them how to fend for themselves when they leave prison and that will be a way of giving them correctional service.
At Chikurubi, food is cooked in the morning and it dries up but they are given the same food in the evening. When we look at health issues, we say people should not eat cold food. I feel the food should be cooked at appropriate times like in the afternoon and then they can be served for supper. We should not have the mindset that if we send people to prison, they will return as corpses but we must teach them to engage in productive work to look after themselves. Those who gave oral evidence gave false information. What we want is that if the Ministry is given duties, it should perform its duties diligently. I thought maybe I would add my voice to the report presented by my Committee.
HON. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker, Nelson Mandela the former President of South Africa said, the character of a state is defined by the way you look after your prisoners. That is what defines the character of a state. The 16th President of United States, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘a country cannot endure when a portion of its population is living in abject slavery’, and he was talking about people that were in prison after the war of liberation. There are three groups of people in the Bible that the Lord proclaims are His people. In the book of Exodus, Chapter 19, widows – [HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Isusu.] –, orphans
and prisoners, and the Lord says, do not afflict prisoners for one day you shall also be prisoners – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]. He also says, do not afflict orphans and widows because if you do that and they cry aloud, I hear their cries, I will also kill you and your children will be orphans and your wives will be widows.
When people go to prison, it is for rehabilitation but what you must also remember is that when a person is in prison, the propensity for getting out of prison is very high. There is an appetite to go out there because there is freedom out there. When there was that attempted prison break, I have an article here that was written by a journalist called Veneranda Langa of the Daily News because she was capturing what transpired in this Parliament. “Member of Parliament for Zengeza West, Simon Chidhakwa asked about the prison break and the response that was given by the Leader of the House was that, Robert Martin Gumbura who is serving a 40 year jail term was behind the prison break. He was chairing a committee of inmates that then led to the prison break but what the Committee is now reporting is that Martin Gumbura had nothing to do with what happened on that particular day. What it means is that there are people who are working for the Zimbabwe Prison Service who deliberately misinformed the Vice President of the nation. When you deliberately misinformed the Vice President of a nation, for me, that is treason. It is a treasonable offence because you cannot misinform the Vice President of a nation who then comes to Parliament and misinforms the nation.
Mr. Speaker, I was reading a book called ‘The Kevin Hood Story’, written by Kevin Wood who was imprisoned at Chikurubi for 20 years and another book written by Simon Mann who was also imprisoned at Chikurubi. In both books, they talk about the likelihood of a prison riot and a prison break because of shortage of food. Actually Kevin Hood is the only person who documents the prison break by Edgar Masendeke, Steven Chidhumo and Elias Chauke in 1995. He says, when there was that prison break, it was because of the shortage of food, the conditions in prison and Masendeke and Chidhumo realised that when people get paid, which is usually on the 24th or 25th of a month, prison officers get drunk on the day that they get paid. They get so excited and they get drunk. So they put their guard down. These prisoners said to people outside just inform us as to when you will get paid and were told that this month we get paid on the 24th, then they organized for their jail break on the 24th. They knew that jail guards would come late, half drunk and on the change-over when one shift is changing to another shift, that is when they broke out and ran away.
I remember, because when they broke out, they ran through Mabvuku/Tafara and into nowhere. I remember it was just a hive of activity. It was frenzy all over, police dogs, the prison warden, soldiers, you name them, all over the suburb looking for these three.
Mr. Speaker, I want to focus my attention on two issues, the first one on people that lie to the nation about causes of events. Every one country has prisoners and I am at a loss to relate how the attempted jail break should be connected to a presidential visit to a foreign country. There is no connection whatsoever and the person who gave that information is a Deputy Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Prison Service and he is still serving up to this day. He informs the nation that no, this prison break had nothing to do with anything but people were just trying to embarrass the President, which is a lie and that person is still serving.
Mr. Speaker, I think this person should be called to come before Parliament, he must be charged and dismissed because he unnecessarily brought the name of the Head of State into disrepute, for whatever reason I do not know. He calls false alarm for nothing.
Mr. Speaker, I want to wrap my discussion by saying that what Hon. Mapiki has suggested of looking after prisoners and as a way of raising money and food for prisoners is well received. That is what should be done. I get so embarrassed when I am parking my vehicle there. I see inmates that come and clean this place and some of them will be wearing work suits inscribed Mobil or ZESA. What it means is that their relatives have taken work suits from their workplace to give to prisoners. None of them would be wearing shoes. They are either wearing mapatapata or rafters and you would say, is this how we look after our prisoners.
People went to prison during the liberation war including His
Excellency the President. When he came out of prison, he was a proud holder of seven university degrees. Only one of those degrees, he went to Fort Hare University for and that was English Literature and History. The other degrees, including law, he did them in prison. This means that the condition in prison was such that he was able to read.
Hon. Mnangagwa spent ten years of his precious life in prison after he had started law. He came out of that prison with his sanity. Imagine today if someone were to go to prison under these conditions, it is very unlikely that after ten years, you would come out of that prison with your sanity intact.
In conclusion, I want to say we need to put money into looking after prisoners. We are not saying prisoners should live a luxurious life as if they are in five star hotels. I always watch the programme called CI on television where they talk about criminal investigations in the United States and the conditions of the jail. It is criminal offence when you lock somebody up and you are not able to give them three square meals. You are not able to provide them with breakfast, lunch and supper because they are constitutional rights. These are rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. In this country, as the Hon. Member has said, food is cooked in the morning. Actually prisoners prepare their own food using newspapers and plastics and the left over is kept there. If it is not finished, it is the same food that they will eat tomorrow but the sadza has got rocks, mapundu. If you go through it, you will see raw mealie-meal. I think as a country we can do better.
I want to rest my case and say those people that lied to the Vice President of the country and those that came and lied to the Committee, they were speaking under oath. When you lie under oath, lawyers call it perjury. When you present yourself and you are not presenting the truth but presenting to make it sound as if it is the truth, you are deliberately misinforming a Portfolio Committee after you have taken an oath that what you are going to say is the truth and nothing but the truth.
I think the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons must be summoned or the Committee must write to his authorities and he must be told to tender his resignation which his bosses must be able to accept. I thank you.
HON. DR. LABODE: I want to thank the Committee that
brought the plight of prisoners to this House and the plight of prison inmates. Mr. Speaker Sir, mine comes to the fact that there is ample evidence that shows that the HIV rate among prison men is higher than the national population outside. It is like there is something in prison that makes men multiply when they get in relation to HIV incidents. The women remain the same. The women prisoners have the same incidents as the women outside. Also the numbers of men who are taken to hospitals like Mpilo and Harare, who have sours or what we call chancroid, which is an STD of the anus, has increased. This is evidence that men in prison are having sex with each other, yet as a people, we have decided to close our eyes and pretend that this thing is not happening. We are forgetting that those men come out and meet the innocent wife who is at home and infect that woman. We need to seriously, as a Government, say we do not agree with this thing but we have evidence that it is happening; here are condoms and ARVs, so that if those men are using condoms, they will come out clean. The fact that vakadzi are still lower than varume, zvinotaura mhani. There is something very wrong. Let us introduce condoms in prisons.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let us not pretend it is not happening. It is happening and there is hard evidence on the ground. You speak to the National Aids Council, they will tell you that we know it is happening but as Parliamentarians, push for condoms because maoko edu akasungwa. As Zimbabweans, we like pretending and I think it is high time that we hold the bull by its horns and say we are attacking this thing. That is all I want to say.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this very pertinent discussion. I would like to thank the Portfolio Committee which brought this serious matter.
The hon. members who have spoken before me all spoke very well and have brought in the proper issues. I am going to take another angle which I think I have observed several times when I visited these prisons. It has been alluded to already that these inmates are human and therefore should be treated with that dignity but I have realised that the prison officers themselves do not treat inmates like they are human beings. This has caused these kinds of turmoils.
They have spoken about the attempted jail breaks and stuff like that being caused by food shortages and other things – but also Mr. Speaker Sir, how do you feel when you are a normal adult; yes of course you are in prison, being subjected to treatment like you are probably nothing or a child. I have always wondered why if you look at prisoners, when they come to a certain door, they are made to kneel or lie down but they are human beings. This is being done by the prison wardens. Why are they treating people as if they are nothing? This has psychological effects. People will end up wanting to revolt against that system. It is very imperative that the authorities of prison are shown and taught that this is a normal human being. Besides that, are you aware Mr. Speaker
Sir, that 75% or so of those inmates did not commit those crimes at all. They are there for reasons that they do not even know. Whilst they are in there they are being subjected to inhumane treatment by the wardens. It is very wrong Mr. Speaker.
While we talk of food, it is important but less us also talk about the treatment of these people. They must be treated with respect so that they feel and know that they are still part of a system and a society. They have gone in there but they must be rehabilitated. But how do you rehabilitate somebody when you undermine them so much that when they are talking to you they must be kneeling down? Why? We are all human beings. In the colonial era, we were meant to kneel down to the white people but this has been carried on by our own fellow black brothers and sisters.
I am saying that these wardens must learn to treat inmates as human. They must know that tomorrow it could be them inside there. How will they feel to kneel down? Why are they making someone kneel down? I think it is very improper. Let us treat people with the dignity that they deserve then they will not think of rioting or breaking those jails. They will go there and know that they are in prison to serve their sentence and once that is done, they will go back and be rehabilitated and go back to society.
The emphasis on the diet Mr. Speaker Sir – most of these prisons have got farms. When the money comes, let us concentrate on income generating projects in those prisons. I can envisage a situation whereby probably at Khami Prison, there is a vast piece of land there. Why do they not build poultry runs and rear broilers or layers? Prisoners will then start having a proper diet because they will have the eggs there for breakfast. They will be able to have chicken relish because they will be rearing chickens in prisons.
I have always wondered why their day ends so early. I think their day ends at about three o’clock. They are shut down to go and sleep yet they can go out and do productive work, feed themselves and sell the excess outside. That way, we will have a balanced diet in prisons and we have prisoners that are eating properly and respected by the wardens as well.
Let the Prison Wardens respect those inmate, they are human.
When they do that, things are going to be proper. I thank you Mr.
Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: May I ask hon. members to avoid
repetition because it is against our Standing Orders.
HON. HOLDER: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this noble debate. I would like to thank Hon. Muderedzwa and his team that brought this to Parliament.
There are a few things that I want to raise. The first thing is; an angry man is a hungry man or a hungry man is an angry man. What has happened is that I have had the opportunity to visit the prison that is in
Zvishavane where I am a Member of Parliament. On several occasions, I have been called to step in and help feed inmates. If I approach companies or private organisations to try and source food to feed these prisoners, they say that is not their business.
Despite the fact that a person goes to prison because he did wrong, it is important for us not to violate human rights. We need to treat each other as human because when they go to prison, they come out and they are back in society. Some are our relatives or friends but what happens for them to get into prison is something which they must probably regret doing.
The previous speakers have spoken a lot but I have a few suggestions. We all know that Australia was built by prisoners. There is a lot of work that is available for prisoners. I feel that we have a lot of road carnage that happen on the highways simply because there are trees on the side of the road. There is grass on the side of the road and we keep debating saying where do we get money to cut trees or pay people yet we have got people sitting and waiting to be fed. When they are idle, this is when tricks start playing on their minds that we should break out.
Ever since we gained independence Mr. Speaker, there is not even one prison that we have built. We are relying on the prisons which the regime had built. The reason they had built these prisons is that they did not want people to go war. They would keep them there as ‘keeps’. If you notice all the prisons are within 20 kms of an army barrack. Wherever there is a prison, you know there is an army barrack somewhere nearby within 20 kms. Can I ask and say the best fertilizer for a farmer is his foot print, after planting; a farmer walks in the field studying his plants. Now, in the prisons, if we do not visit these prisons and see the situation there, we come here and debate about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis but what are we doing as this august House? We need to put things into action Mr. Speaker Sir. I also feel that maybe we should also change the name from prison to correctional services. If we change the name it will change the person’s mentality.
There is also a saying that 90% of the children who grow up with their mothers in prison will also end up in prison. I feel the social welfare should come up with houses where these children can be kept and fed. We talk about mealie-meal, food and all the vegetarian staff, if prisoners are capacitated, are able to grow their own food but if you go to Harare prison, you find there is only chomolia and rape, they are not growing maize or any other staple food.
Mr. Speaker, I said earlier on that many a time I had to step in. I went to visit the prison in Zvishavane, there were no blankets, the blankets are worse than what my dogs have. There was no food; I have many a time sourced big bags of kapenta, a tone of maize to give the prisoners. However, we cannot carry on doing the same things; we should be able to teach them to be resourceful. We should be able to use the Ministries departments like the Ministry of Roads and Infrastructure and use these prisoners. Most of these Chinese people coming into our country are prisoners in China but they come here doing contracts, building our roads, bridges and yet we have our own prisoners sitting and doing nothing except planning how best they can break and get out.
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to take much of your time. I would like to thank the mover of the motion. It is important that we improve the situation in the prisons. I believe during the regime time, prisoners used to get soap, toothpaste but now there is nothing. I can imagine waking up in the morning; I cannot even open mouth before I brush my teeth, so, what about the prisoners out there. We see them here in the car park sweeping and cleaning, that is why around the Parliament building it is smart because the prisoners are doing the job for us. We can use these prisoners at different places and allocate that resource to correctional services. Thank you.
HON. E. GUMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me
this opportunity to contribute to the debate. First and foremost I would like to thank your Committee for the detailed factual report on the situation at Chikurubi prison. The report details the deplorable inhuman conditions which the prisoners are subjected to. These deplorable conditions are lack of clothing and food, it is tantamount to a death sentence. We are subjecting them to a death sentence without officially pronouncing it; going to prison is as close as dying.
However, having said that, I will not go through the other topics that have been discussed, I would like to say it is up to us as Hon. Members, to come up with innovative solutions to these challenges that are before us and that is what I will contribute towards. We need to change the whole mindset about being in prison, change that mindset within our communities and the authorities, and understand the basis of going to prison. It is not to take away your human rights; it is only to deprive you of some privileges.
I will however point out what innovative solutions are there or my proposal for innovative solutions that I would like the House to think about and possibly adopt. Well if you think most people are able bodied, they can work; they are strong but when they go to prison, given the situation there, when they come out they will be weak, infected and wasted human beings. Is that the purpose why we want people to go to prison, that is why we must change our mindset on that. That is not what we want, we want somebody to be corrected and contribute to society.
First and foremost prisons should not be wards to incarcerate people – change your mind about that. Yes, for the dangerous D-classes, let us convert all these prisons to only hold D-class prisons so they will be enough space and there will not be houses that will be overcrowding. The rest of the prisoners in the other three categories as was mentioned should be moved close to production centres where they can have none crowded conditions, where they can produce for the nation and also for themselves.
I will give a few examples, in Matabeleland, we have the Zambezi water project, a noble idea that could save the country and turn it into a green belt on that area. We also have something unique there, an ecological challenge overpopulated with elephants. I think if we get the tool, you can see people who can work on the project, they can be cunning and there is overpopulation of the elephants we could help feed them. I understand they get no meat but we could control our elephant population by doing something good to our country. That is a national project of big priority and I think the nation will benefit from that.
On the theme of moving prisoners close to production, we got plenty of water in the Zambezi basin; I think the First Lady, amai Dr. G. Mugabe, visited a big irrigation scheme in Binga, we could produce 10 of those just along the Zambezi basin, there is water and everything else. Those prisoners can produce for the whole country, for all the other prisons if we just move them. They will not be crowded because they
will be working, housed in a human way but producing. This is what I am advocating by saying let us change our mindset completely on that.
There is also the issue that we always talk about prisoners, one way or the other not having clothes and other things – we identify the skills that will help alleviate the problems. If we feel we need clothes let us train some prisoners to be tailors, we just have to talk to David Whitehead, give them a small amount of money to produce the material so that they sew their own clothes. We need to think need to think not outside the box when it comes to prisoners. Thank you.
HON GABBUZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me the
chance to raise a few issues. May I subscribe to all the contributions that have been made by the other speakers but save to say how I wish Mr. Speaker the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, was around to listen to this debate, be that as it may, I am sure he is going to read the Hansard. I press upon you Mr. Speaker, to ensure that we invoke some sections of the Standing Rules and Orders to persuade the Minister to respond to some of these pertinent issues that have been raised by Hon. Members. I am sure that this is one motion that we should not allow to just go away and be closed without the Minister responding. The issues that have been raised have been raised before and these are not very difficult issues. I am sure in his response, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs might argue about financial resources to try and improve some of the conditions.
However, Mr. Speaker, some of the things do not require money at all. For example, if a prisoner is made to sleep in the toilet and you will be very unlucky if you are imprisoned on the day with some inmates suffering from diarrhoea. They will mess up the whole room because the toilets are inside, where you sleep and when they are flushed, they are flushed the next day from outside. That is how some of our prisons are designed. I am sure that does not cost a lot of money, to demarcate between the toilet and the sleeping areas. If one wants to flush, it has to be flushed from inside, why should it be from outside? Certainly, Mr. Speaker, I would need the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
Affairs, to respond to the issues that I and many others have raised.
The issue of prison guard relations does not require money. I went to see my uncle at one of the prisons. You get there by the gate, he is called out, ‘Mr. Silvester Mudenda come out, you have a visitor.’ When he comes out, he is an adult, he is older than me, he is made to stoop, to kneel down. Even the response, you do not just respond, you have to say shefu, or nkosi or mambo to a small boy, maybe the age of your daughter or son. You have to respond in a manner that denigrates you, brings you so low. When he comes, he remains seated there and the guard is standing, he is given instructions and at times for the duration that you have to see him. I am sure some of the things do not require money.
Mr. Speaker, there are issues like, when the prisoners have been working from outside, they move into the prison. While they get in, they are made to remove their clothes, these are the things that happen in prison. Whilst they are naked, they are made to bend whilst they inspect them from behind to ensure that they are not hiding anything, cigarettes or anything. Adults being made to bend whilst naked so that they are checked from behind, these are things that do not require money. Why can we not change all these kinds of dehumanising behaviour?
Furthermore, why should we restrict visitors? I am raising these things so that the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs will be able to respond to some of these things. What is so dangerous if a prisoner is allowed so many visitors because that person is in solitary confinement, he is lonely. He is already under punishment by not seeing relatives. However, if he is allowed one visitor per month or per week, I think it makes his condition even worse.
If you bring food to a prisoner, you are made to eat it first before the prisoner can eat it. In some cases, you are not even allowed to bring food. We are saying there is shortage of food in prisons, but some prisons will not allow you to bring food for your relative. Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to understand, we have very educated leaders, Ministers and we are viewed as the most educated nation in Africa, we are number one, we are told. Why can we not move with time?
In other countries - other jurisdictions, they are even allowing prisoners to have their wives in the prison. You are given some time off and you go home. Once in a given duration you are allowed to go home for a few days, they know your addresses and they know there is no way you can run away. In some instances, once in a while you are allowed to have your wife to come into the prison, maybe you are given a special room to stay with her for one or two days. That is a progressive way of correctional services – [Laughter]
We must begin to think in that direction. We do not want to harden criminals, because that is what our prisons are doing. By treating them the way we are doing, we are hardening criminals and many people when they finally come out of prison, are worse off than they were before they got to prison. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that my plea, as indicated, could you ensure that the Minister of Justice responds to some of these issues. Some of these things do not require money, why is it so difficult, thirty something years after independence, to try and have a correctional service system? I thank you for that.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me to add my voice. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to touch on a few things that have not been touched. However, my predecessor touched on very key issues that we need to change our modus operandi and our mind set. We also need to change our laws.
Mr. Speaker Sir, a lot of Hon. Members have been talking about the male prison part, there is also the female prison for women criminals where they are incarcerated. Children are born in that set up. At one time I was…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, I said no repetition.
Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga covered that one very adequately.
HON. NDUNA: Finally on that one Mr. Speaker, if we can have the right environment for those children born in prison. However, we can also utilise our prisoners in the same manner that the Chinese have done. They have imported their prison labour into Zimbabwe and they have made us proud in terms of infrastructure development.
Mr. Speaker, in the same way, we can utilise our prison manpower to produce a sperm bank. We also realise that there is appetite for sex and sexual intercourse…
THE HON. SPEAKER: I did not quite get it, to produce what?
HON. NDUNA: There are a lot of nations that are not endowed with productive human production Mr. Speaker – [Laughter] – we can also – seeing that we are not short of that as a nation, we can also produce a sperm bank from our prison population and then export our sperms to nations that are not endowed with either copulation ability or sex with production.
Mr. Speaker Sir, a lot of our laws have caused our prisons to be so much polluted, in particular laws to do with the mining sector. 60% of Chegutu is populated by the youthful population Mr. Speaker. As long as we do not have the resuscitation of David Whitehead, the alignment of our laws and the inhibitive laws of the mining sector, a lot of our youths are going to find themselves in prison.
One day I met a young man who is a prisoner at Chikurubi, he said to me, ‘do you remember me,’ I said no, I do not. He said ‘when you were campaigning in 2013, I was one of those youngsters who was arrested for prospecting because I was gold digging in a sector, in an unlicenced place. This is why I found myself being sentenced for 7 years imprisonment. However, ndirikubuda next year, please go and tell my parents that next year I will be out of prison. As long as we do not change our laws which are archaic, moribund, historic and legacyoriented Mr. Speaker Sir, a lot of Chegutu West youths are going to find themselves in prison. The youngsters will be subjected to those prison conditions and 60% of those will be from Chegutu.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I wind up, I need to add my voice on issues to do with technology. We need technology in our prison set up so that we do not subject our prisoners to dehumanising arrangements such as what the Hon. Gabbuza has spoken about. Whilst we go through our checkpoint at the Airport, we do not remove our clothes. We just remove our keys, laptops and such other things. We should have such machines for our prisoners and scanners so that we are not dehumanising them. The last word that I got when I was in the army is that every man is close to the door of prison. Murume wese wese aripedyo nemukova wejeri. We should be cognisant of that fact and be knowledgeable of that. We should change our laws and our set up in prison as well as our infrastructure, knowing that each and every one of us could be in jail one day. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 16th February, 2016.
On the motion of HON. MATUKE, seconded by HON. D.
SIBANDA, the House adjourned at Eight Minutes past Five o’clock
p.m. until Tuesday, 16th February, 2016.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday 10th February, 2016
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
VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to recognise, the presence, in the Speaker’s Gallery of young men and women from the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust. You are most welcome.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I am raising a point of order in terms of Standing Order Number 69 of the amended Standing Orders for the National Assembly. I want to seek your guidance on how the right of Members to debate on issues and the powers of Parliament to oversee the running of Government is being balanced with the right and power and the need to protect the integrity and the name of the
President.
I am raising that point of order Madam Speaker because I have observed a scenario in this House in which if Members debate anything to do with the Office of the President, they are told that they should not debate. What I want to understand is whether this House is not allowed oversight over the office of the President as provided by the Constitution on the powers of Parliament. I believe that when we are debating on anything to do with the Office of the President, we are playing our Constitutional role of oversight over the Executive. However, I have seen the Chair interfering so much, to an extent that if anyone debates on anything to do with the Office of the President, they are told that they cannot debate. So, I want a ruling on that Madam Speaker. I want to know whether, in terms of our Constitution, we are able, as Members of Parliament, to bring the Office of the President to account on certain issues pertaining to the governance of this country. Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, while I do
understand and hear your point of order, at the moment, I can say it is not the Office of the President which is being talked about, it is the name of the President. However, we will go and study and give you a comprehensive response so that you will understand how we can proceed.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I will be eagerly awaiting that comprehensive response Madam Speaker. Thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My point of order Madam Speaker is to do with the business that we have today, whereby we are obliged to ask questions of importance for this country to benefit. You would see that on the front bench we only have one Cabinet Minister. I think it is of paramount importance to look into that seriously because last week, we were assured outright left, right and centre by the Speaker that on today’s programme, all the Ministers will be available but alas, today we only have two Hon. Ministers, Hon. Joseph Made and the other. I think it is best for us to have a response to the nation which is in sincerity to the cause of Parliament.
Madam Speaker, please if you can respond, then we move on for the good of this country, the Republic of Zimbabwe; bearing in mind that we are doing a national business at the expense of a ruling Party which is holding a political party politburo at the expense of
Government business – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MATUKE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I wanted to raise the issue that Deputy Ministers are also commissioned Ministers–
[HON. MEMBERS: Garai pasi Mudhara.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Hon.
Members, there is no need to complain if I recognise anyone to stand up and speak. Can we give him a chance to talk?
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
Surely, the Hon. Chief Whip firstly, he is not a Cabinet Minister.
Secondly, the Speaker was very clear, even our rules are very clear that Deputy Ministers do not sit in cabinet. For Deputy Ministers to come here and tell us that they are the same as Cabinet Ministers - that is not correct
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order behind there.
Hon. Member, are you a Cabinet Minister? I gave you a chance to stand up and speak out your mind. That is the same with this hon. member, he also has a chance to stand up and speak out his mind. From there, you will hear my ruling. He is not going to speak on my behalf, but he will have a chance to say what he wants to say –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear.]-
HON. MATUKE: I want to raise an important issue that our Deputy Ministers here present can answer on behalf of the Ministers because they also get Cabinet minutes and all reports from Cabinet. If there is any question which can be asked to the Deputy Ministers and they fail to answer….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon. members,
before we came into this House, I think we discussed this issue and it was also well discussed last week. I was assured that a number of Members of the Cabinet are coming into this House. Meanwhile, we can proceed and question those who are here because I am assured they are coming–[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. MUNENGAMI: With all due respect Hon. Speaker…–
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Someone is speaking and we want to hear because we would like to answer questions.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Surely, with all due respect….
Hon. Musundire having sat on ZANU PF Members of Parliament’s side - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, what is the
problem? Order, order! Hon. Members, I think you are senior hon.
members. If I call for order, what does that mean Hon. Munengami?
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you…..
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, when I call
for order, what does that mean?
HON. MUNENGAMI: Sorry, sorry, sorry.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: So you have to do that. I am appealing to hon. members, when the Chair is speaking, no one is supposed to stand up. Do not be surprised if I take action on you. I am warning you.
The noise is still there. Everyone should go back to his original seat so that we avoid confusion - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
Order, order. Chief Whips, Chief Whips please.
Chief Whips approach Hon. Musundire.
Hon. Musundire goes back to his seat.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Can we have order now and proceed?
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. CHIVAMBA: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. There is this Zika virus disease caused by mosquitoes and its being talked of in Brazil. Are we safe in Zimbabwe?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): I would like to thank the hon. member for asking this pertinent question at this point in time. Zika virus disease is a new infection that is spreading in South America. However, it is not completely new. It was discovered a long time ago here in Africa in
Uganda in 1947. That is when it was first isolated.
The current outbreak is mostly centered in South America – Brazil and Colombia to be particular. It is a viral disease that is spread by mosquitoes. It is pertinent because we also have mosquitoes in this country but the type of mosquito that spreads this type of infection is different from the mosquito that causes malaria. The one that causes malaria is the female anopheles mosquito. The one that causes the Zika virus is known as Aedes. It is also found locally in Zimbabwe.
The major difference is on their feeding habits. The one that causes Zika feeds during the day whereas the female anopheles is normally a nocturnal feeder.
The question the member asked is whether we are safe. It has been declared by the WHO that it is now a pandemic and it can spread all over the world. At the moment, we have not had Zika in Zimbabwe but we are taking precautions. Our monitoring and surveillance systems are already in place to detect any such effects. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MACHINGURA: Hon. Minister, when they said there is
no treatment of this Zika virus, how did they eradicate it in 1947?
HON. DR. MUSIIWA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for
asking this question. Actually what happened is that the disease was not eradicated in 1947. What happens with viral infections is that they flare up during certain periods then sometimes they just go down and this is what has happened even with other flues. At the moment the symptoms are quite mild but the danger with this one is that it affects unborn babies. So, mostly pregnant mothers are affected by this virus and they end up giving birth to children with defects.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: My supplementary question is based on the desire to have the nation correctly informed. The Hon. Deputy Minister indicated that Zika virus is caused by mosquitoes yet information that we get from International News Stations seems to indicate that causal nexus has not really been determined. Has it been determined scientifically that indeed mosquitoes are the ones that are causing the spread of Zika?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): I think I need to clarify further. The Hon. Member has asked a very important question. He wants to know whether Zika is caused by mosquitoes. No, it is not caused by mosquitoes but caused by a virus. The mosquitoes only transmit and this is irrefutable scientific evidence which we can actually isolate. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - I knew this was going to be a very important question because it concerns the welfare of the whole nation.
So, I have taken my time to prepare this document from the Centre for
Disease Control in America and you will read it in the Hansard.
Key Facts
- Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
- People with Zika virus usually have a mild fever, skin rash (exanthema) and conjunctivitis. These symptoms normally last for 2 to 7 days.
- There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available.
- The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites.
- The virus is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
Introduction
Zika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947, in rhesus monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the
Pacific.
- Genre: Flavivirus
- Vector: Aedes mosquitoes (which usually bite during the morning and late afternoon/evening hours) Reservoir:
Signs and Symptoms
The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is not clear, but it is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and also includes fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headaches. These symptoms are usually mild and last for 2 to7 days.
During large outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015 respectively, National Health Authorities reported potential neurological and auto-immune complications of Zika virus disease. Recently, in Brazil, Local Health Authorities have observed an increase in Zika virus infections in the general public as well as an increase in babies born with microcephaly in North East Brazil. Agencies investigating Zika outbreaks are finding an increasing body of evidence about the link between Zika virus and microcephaly. However, more investigation is needed before we understand the relationship between microcephaly in babies and the Zika virus. Other potential causes are also being investigated.
Transmission
Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti in Tropical Regions. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.
Zika virus disease outbreaks were reported for the first time from the pacific in 2007 and 2013, (Yap and French Polynesia, respectively) and in 2015, from the Americas (Brazil and Colombia) and Africa (Cape Verde). In addition, more than 13 countries in the Americas have reported sporadic Zika virus infections indicating rapid geographic expansion of Zika virus.
Diagnosis
Zika virus is diagnosed though PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and virus isolation from blood samples. Diagnosis by serology can be difficult as the virus can cross-react with other flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nile and yellow fever.
Prevention
Mosquitoes and their breeding sites pose a significant risk factor for Zika virus infection. Prevention and control relies on reducing mosquitoes through source reduction (removal and modification of breeding sites) and reducing contact between mosquitoes and people.
This can be done by using insect repellent, wearing clothes (preferably light-coloured) that cover as much of the body as possible, using physical barriers such as screens, closed doors and windows and sleeping under mosquito nets. It is also important to empty, clean or cover containers that can hold water such as buckets, flower pots and tyres, so that places where mosquitoes can breed are removed.
Special attention and help should be given to those who may not be able to protect themselves adequately, such as young children, the sick and the elderly.
During outbreaks, Health Authorities may advise that spraying of insecticides be carried out. Insecticides recommended by the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme may also be used as larvicides to treat relatively large water containers.
Travellers should take the basic precautions described above to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Treatment
Zika virus disease is usually relatively mild and requires no specific treatment. People sick with Zika virus should get plenty of rest, drink enough fluids and treat pain and fever with common medicines. If symptoms worsen, they should seek medical care and advice. There is currently no vaccine available.
WHO Response
WHO is supporting countries to control Zika virus disease through:
- Defining and prioritizing research into Zika virus disease by convening experts and partners.
- Enhancing surveillance of Zika virus and potential complications.
- Strengthening capacity in risk communication to help countries meet their commitments under the International
Health Regulations.
- Providing training on clinical management, diagnosis and vector control including.
- Strengthening the capacity of laboratories to detect the virus.
- Supporting Health Authorities to implement vector control strategies aimed at reducing Aedes mosquito populations such as providing larvicide to treat standing water sites that cannot be treated in other ways, such as cleaning, emptying and covering them.
- Preparing recommendations for clinical care and follow-up of people with Zika virus, in collaboration with experts and other health agencies.
*HON. MAHIYA: My question is directed to the Deputy
Minister of Home Affairs. Can you please enlighten this House on what would have happened when you send the Support Unit or Black Boot to the artisanal miners? I also want to know who pays the allowances of those police officers when they are on such duty.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): That is a very important question but it is actually dubious because it always pities the police against artisanal miners. But the procedure goes like this; a person will apply for a mining prospective licence which he/she will be given and then apply for a mining licence. When given the mining licence they then call the surveyors who will peg the claim. What happens thereafter is -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon, Minister. Order
Hon. Members, Order, let us have order in the House. Why is it that whenever I open my mouth you also start talking? Hon. Minister, the way I understood the question is that the Hon. Member wants to know about the deployment of police to Makorokoza and the allowances that they are paid, not the allocation of stands.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. We cannot send police to an area where there is no mining permit. That is why I was giving you the procedure. Firstly, if there is a complainant who reports that there are people who will have intruded into his/her mine or claim, we advise that person to go to court and be given the messengers of court to go and evict the intruders. When it is like that, that is when the police can be released to accompany the owner of the claim to bring order. If there is no court order, police are not allowed to go there. That should be reported to us. Secondly, Government has a duty to give police allowances whenever they are deployed outside their work stations.
Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. NDUNA: I heard from the Minister that police are not allowed to go without a court order. In what instances do police go in without a court order, force and cause the closure of artisanal mining activities, in particular, an incident that happened at Pick-Stone mine in Chegutu West.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think you
can write down your question and bring it in as an outstanding question.
HON. MAJAYA: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. I would like to know Government policy on security of tickets, which police issue at road blocks with regards to their authenticity? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the invoice books that are used for issuing tickets are serial numbered and the stock is taken from the headquarters when they issue them. Secondly, they have got four pages which can be cabornised to show that if you issue a ticket the record remains on the book, the other one is taken to the administration and the third one is sent to the headquarters. I think that is a very good security measure that the book has. Thank you.
HON. D. SIBANDA: My supplementary question is that; has the Government policy changed? The system has been that if you are driving without a licence, you are issued seven days grace period to produce that licence. Then all of a sudden the Deputy Commissioner says you are supposed to pay the fine immediately.
HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. She is 100% correct
that without a licence you can be given seven days to produce it.
However, the police have had challenges where bogus addresses have been given to them. People are renting some houses and they transfer immediately after committing an offence. So, we have found that it costs the police to track the $20.00 ticket. It is not cost effective to go around looking for a person who has got an offence of $20 against $100.00 fuel that will be used. So, the law can be changed but in the interim there is an operation memorandum that has been issued to say people can pay a certain amount. Thank you Madam Chair.
HON. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Deputy Minister, so when are we
going to have the policy changed or are you going to bring it to Parliament to change this. Are you changing the Act or are you changing the policy in regards to that?
HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Those are some of
the challenges that the Ministry has come across and we have to bring them to Parliament so that everybody in this House – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Members it
is not you who call the Hon. Minister to sit down – it is my duty as the Chair.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. In my view
it is actually scandalous for the Deputy Minister to come here and say that there is an operational memo which they are using to defy the law. Hence the reason why we have been saying Deputy Ministers do not sit in Cabinet.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order Hon. Members!
Everyone knows that Deputy Ministers do not sit in Cabinet but we already have had satisfactory answers from them and you have been clapping hands to those answers. So, I think the issue that they do not sit in Cabinet is out. If you are complaining about what the Deputy Minister has said, then let us dwell on that one rather than going back on the issue of Deputy Ministers’ position in Cabinet.
HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker, there is nothing that
is against the law which I have mentioned. The police will have the
right to demand the payment using their own discretional powers – [HON. MEMBERS: In audible interjection]-constitutionally,they have
that right.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER; Order! Order! Can we have
order please? Hon. Members! I am going to give a ruling on this one that the Hon. Member should bring the question in written form so that they go and research in order to give us a detailed answer – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - I have given a ruling on this question. No one is going to answer and no point of order on this question!
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: On a point of order! It is on the issue of the capacity of Deputy Ministers to answer questions not specifically on this one – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are out of order, please
take your sit.
HON. B. TSHUMA: Thank you very much for your honour –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, regai
kundibatsira, I do not need your help, I can control the House. There is no original Tshuma, they are all equal. I have recognized Hon. D.
Tshuma.
HON. D. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. My
question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. I know there is a policy of feeding the people in the rural areas whenever there is drought. In our urban constituencies, there is the same drought effect, so what is your policy towards feeding us the urbanites as well because we are facing the same drought?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. The policy we have for feeding people in the urban areas is under the Public Assistance Programme. Initially, we were giving cash payments to that group of people, but we have since reverted, from this month onwards to giving them maize as well. So, yes, with effect from the beginning of next month, you will see us giving maize to people in the urban areas.
HON. DR. LABODE: We tend to get a lot of reports of what is happening or is not happening at any given place. I think it is now important for us to come to a position where the Minister, on regular basis come and brief this House that yesterday you were in Magwegwe, tomorrow you are in another place because no urban area has had food distributed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. Certainly, as a Ministry we do not have a problem with availing that information. For the record, week in- week out – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members behind there, you are
making a lot of noise.
HON. MGUNI: For the record, week in-week out, we actually supply these figures to Cabinet. So, I do not see any problem with availing those figures here. That can be done.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question to the Hon.
Deputy Minister is, is it possible to put the information on record from the time they began to allocate assistance to urban vulnerable groups? I have not heard it anywhere in Zimbabwe.
HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I have insisted from the outset that we have a programme on eight rural districts, which is different from the urban product, which we call Public Assistance
Programme. On that programme, for the two urban centres namely Harare Metropolitan and Bulawayo, we have been giving cash payments to identified individuals and households – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Yes and we will avail the information. We are now saying, yes we sympathise with the urban settlements right now and with immediate effect, from next month, we will be issuing out grain to the vulnerable households in the urban areas.
HON. B. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. In the absence of Minister Chidhakwa, I will direct my question to the Deputy Minister, Hon. Moyo. For the record, is the shareholding ministry responsible for managing the Government stake at Hwange? I read in the papers that you will be paying your institutional creditors through Treasury Bills from the Ministry of Finance. I also want to know, seeing that you are now prioritising institutional creditors, what policy measures do you have in place to extinguish the long overdue Compensation Bill? Employees have not been paid for over 15 to 20 months. I would like you to come clean on policy measures that are in place to extinguish that bill. Thank you very much.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I
think the key point is ‘institutional creditors.’ I think that is a word that was put up by the press. What we are trying to do is to avoid the company from going into judicial management or liquidation. We want to bring all creditors together, discuss with them, agree on how shareholders can protect them, allow them to have payment plans put in place and then give the company the chance to raise capital, which will not be intercepted by creditors and therefore try and resuscitate the company. So, all creditors will be looked at. In any case, the law expects workers to be at the top of the creditor priority list. Thank you.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question
is directed to the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, whom I understand is around. Hon. Deputy Minister, can you explain the inconsistency in policy pronouncements between your Ministry and that of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education regarding the STEM Programme, which was recently launched by the President. This is in reference to current issues as Ordinary Level results have been released since yesterday –
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. Is this
question originating from the first one?
HON. MUNENGAMI: No.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Someone had called for a supplementary question. Can you please sit down Hon. Munengami.
HON. B. TSHUMA: Thank you so much. I would want the Deputy Speaker to come out very clear on this issue. Realising right now that we have in place, something very concrete with institutional creditors, what is there with regards to employees as far as extinguishing that long overdue payment bill. Can you be very clear and concise in a few words. Thank you very much.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I
commended on the actions that are being taken to protect all creditors, specifically regarding employees as asked by the Hon. Member. Management has been instructed to put a specific arrangement that will give some level of comfort to employees on an ongoing basis whilst we are managing the larger part of the employee risk. That is the position that is in place.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me the opportunity to ask the last supplementary question. Hon. Minister you said that you have made plans to extinguish the debt that the Hwange Colliery Company has. However, Hon. Minister, we understand that recently, you approved the increase of the debt by Hwange Colliery Company through allowing the importation of equipment from India through a loan from the Export and Import Bank of India of which the equipment was found to be unsuitable for use at the colliery company. How do you align? Is that not an inconsistency that you are trying to extinguish a debt and at the same time creating another which might have been done in some kind of another debt which might have been done in some kind of a corrupt manner.
HON. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I guess I will avoid going into the history of which equipment was imported and how. The importation of the equipment which was capital investment was done by the company, board of directors and management without the shareholders necessarily being directly involved. We are now discussing the intervention of shareholders now because the company is being threatened with judicial management and liquidation. So, I am discussing issues past the point where the company’s going concern is now threatened. Yes, the issues that happened upstream of that have been raised, concerns from this House have been taken and we are going to be looking into that issue as well. But, I am talking of preempting potential company exposure in its going concern aspect. Thank you.
HON. CHIWETU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is
directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development. What is Government policy on mechanising institutions such as Prisons and Police? These institutions have farms which are not productive because they are not mechanised. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MADE): Thank
you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for raising the question. Government policy on institutional capacity building, in terms of all the institutions that have got agricultural land, be they Prisons, Police, the Army as well as other institutions will be supported under the mechanisation programme to include both tractors and irrigation equipment because they play a vital role in the production system.
HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question
is directed to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development. Hon. Minister, there has been confusion on the introduction of STEM that is Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Would you please shed more light on STEM and also advise on how this can be accessed since O level results are out. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA) Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I
want to thank the Hon. Member for asking the question. I think we all agree that STEM, Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are important to the country and this initiative is the best thing that has happened to this country. To answer on the inconsistencies that have happened, it is irresponsible for anyone to think that STEM is a bad thing in the country. Every development that happens in the country must be hinged on STEM. If you want to industrialise any economy, you need to have your education system hinging on STEM.
This programme came after the realisation that we have few students that get into our universities because we do not have enough students that have done …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. We
asked the Minister a question. Now he is giving a response and we are busy talking, how do we hear what he is saying?
HON. DR. GANDAWA: So we have a few students that are
taking sciences at universities. The Ministry found it fit to make sure that we increase the number of students from our primary and secondary education sister Ministry that will then take sciences to the universities. We had to come up with a fund to make sure that we incentivise them because after a study that we carried out, we realised that most of the students could have passed Science at O level, but because of other reasons, they just chose not to take sciences at A level. So, this incentive was to encourage them to say even after you have got a C in these sciences, then you proceed and take on A level and you will later proceed to universities.
I personally engaged the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr. Dokora to get access for us to get the drawback in their schools as our sister Ministry. We got the approval from him through the Acting Permanent Secretary then. The current Acting Secretary was on leave. After having been armed by that, we then went ahead and launched STEM as per directive. My Ministry and the Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education are agents of the principal who is His Excellency, the President Cde. R. G. Mugabe. So, there should not be any inconsistencies between us. But, the member is quoting what came in one paper and not quoting what came out into the other paper.
The Minister himself, Hon. Dr. Dokora, did not deny that we got access. At policy level, we are in agreement that STEM is the way to go and the country is geared for it. I will take advantage of this opportunity that I have been given to then explain further. Many people have asked where the fund is coming from because they are very sure that the country is in difficult times. We have always had a fund called ZIMDEF and I am on record on many occasions trying to correct the misgivings that were happening in this fund.
So, we have been channeling funds to the polytechnics, universities and teachers’ colleges and we have just decided to take $4 million from that fund that we have been channeling in these institutions to close the gap that we have realised we need scientists to industrialise our economy. That is where the funds are coming from. The funds are there and we are seriously implementing the policy of His Excellency, President. We are saying if you get into the secondary schools or high school, the students will apply in those schools that they intend to go to and register for Mathematics, Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, a combination of these subjects. Once they register in the schools, when we get the statistics, we will cause the release of the funds from the ZIMDEF fund to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to administer the funds in our secondary schools to pay for the tuition fees of these STEM students. Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we have order in the
House. You cannot keep on shouting point of order, point of order. I hear you. You cannot give me that phone.
*HON. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question
is what does the Standing Order say when a Minister gets into this House and he sits at back as a back bencher, when people who are occupying the bench are not Ministers. A male Minister entered last, and he was given a seat?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, at times he
does not need to waste time, just consult the Chief Whips. That is their duty. It is not the Speaker. I think you will have to consult our Chief Whips. Order Hon. Members! Let us have order please. Hon. Chief
Whips, can we go and organise this.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My
question to the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education,
Science and Technology Development is that now that ‘O’ Level results are out – already this is a concern for my Constituency, whereby secondary schools that are accepting those students are not accepting them on the basis of STEM. If you apply to study those three subjects, you have to pay. If you do not pay, they will not accept you. As a
Ministry, are you allowing students to pay first… –[HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear] – Are you allowing students to pay first, then you refund them later or the STEM has to pay for those students as soon as they are enrolled?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER FOR HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member… – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Members.
HON. DR. GANDAWA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for
asking that pertinent question. It has never arisen to us as a Ministry that they are required to pay before we can pay for them. Now that we know that there is a situation like that arising – because we were going to pay for them all the costs including their science kits and everything after they have registered; I would put it on record that for as long as they register for a combination of the STEM subjects, we should be able to refund them the money they would have paid and still pay for their fees and the boarding fees. I thank you.
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: Thank you Madam Speaker. The
Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development has managed to bring in a policy where they want to encourage students to do Science and Engineering. Does the Ministry have a record of students who have graduated with Engineering, Mathematics and Physics who are unemployed and where are the incubators where you are helping to ensure that they use those science subjects and engineering to enhance the economy and themselves? –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, you are
making a lot of noise. The Minister is trying to listen to what the Hon.
Member is saying. What is wrong with us?
HON. DR. GANDAWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. We have a
database of the graduates that did STEM because we know they are important, we are trying to increase the number. We have a fund in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology
Development called the Innovation and Commercialisation Fund in which we fund students who want start-ups. Those who have a product that they need to put on the market, we assist them to develop that idea, using the fund which is administered by our department called Research, Development and Innovation in the Ministry, so if you have any graduate…– [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Minister. Hon.
Members on that corner, I am so much surprised, it is a Minister from your side, I think you have to support by listening, not making noise.
HON. DR. GANDAWA: I was saying we are available to assist
all the graduates that need to have start-ups in the Ministry. They approach our Department of Research Innovation and Development. They should be assisted with a fund that is available to them. This question is very pertinent because may be we have not publicized. We have advertised in the press but we might have not publicized this fund. So, this question comes handy so that the Hon. Members will know and assist the graduates in their constituencies. My office is always available, should you not get assistance from our department, but there should be assistance.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Maám. My
question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development. What is Government policy on the maize that is going to be imported for the starving people of Zimbabwe especially when the same maize would be coming from either Brazil, Agentina or the United States of America when our country does not accept Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) to be consumed by the people of this country? What is the timeframe to have maize from Agentina, Brazil or America to reach Zimbabwe and at what cost are we importing that maize. What is it going to cost our people in the constituencies who do not have money to buy the same maize?
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MADE): I want
to thank the Hon. Member for raising that question. Madam Speaker, certainly the Hon. Member has asked some technical questions that need considered response. Part of that question, you may put it in writing. However, on the general question that relates to any maize that would possibly be GMO, the country is very clear on that. We do not accept GMO maize. Wherever, and as and when it is accepted, it has got to be brought in under escort, direct for milling if we give the permits for such maize to ever come into the country. Thank you.
HON. MATANGIRA: My supplementary is do we have our own
people at the port of country of origin to test non-GMO maize because we do not accept GMO?
HON. DR. MADE: I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking
that question in terms of clarity. As I have said, I said as and when we approve GMO to come into the country, it will come under escort for direct milling. That is in the case that we give that authority. Secondly, yes, all maize that comes into the country, the consignments are tested before they come into the country. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question to the Hon.
Minister is, I would like to know from him how do you stamp management of authority to authenticate this GMO product bearing in mind that in this country, we get things like tinned foods from South Africa, China, et cetera. Are we really clear that all these tinned products have nothing to do with GMO? How do you make sure that they are clear of GMO?
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MADE): I think
the question is relating to grain and any material that is live in terms of the possibility of that material contaminating our environment. The Hon. Member certainly is asking a different question. I referred specifically to grain, that has a possibility of germinating on our land. That is why I made it clear that as and when we approve that material to come in, it has to go direct under security escort for milling. I think I made that point very clear. Thank you.
HON. ZINDI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary
question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in relation to GMO and giving people the freedom to choose to eat or buy GMO and non-GMO foods. What would it take for the Government, through his Ministry, to enforce a law through all retailers to clearly indicate shelves which contain GMO food and shelves which do not contain GMO food and the choice remains with the consumer to be able to choose to buy the GMO or non-GMO? HON. DR. MADE: Like I said Madam Speaker, the questions are very clear and I have answered very clearly. I am concerned about …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: When you start making
noise, how do you hear the answer?
HON. DR. MADE: I am concerned about materials that have the possibility of germinating. I talked about grain and processed food is a different subject. That is why I said if we give the authority for GMO grain to come in, it has to go directly for milling. The question of whether food on the shelf is labeled and placed according to its material base does not arise from the original question that I was asked.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, if the question
arises on its own, does it come into your Ministry or into a different
Ministry?
HON. DR. MADE: It comes into a different Ministry because we are not …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: If it is a different Ministry, yes we can take that. However, when I allow a Member to ask you when it is in your Ministry, I think you have got to answer.
HON. DR. MADE: I have answered and I have said I am
concerned about grain. If it is GMO grain that comes in, it has to go for milling under escort so that it is processed into food.
HON. ZINDI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, what is your point of
order?
HON. ZINDI: My point of order is to clarify my question if the
Minister did not hear me properly or maybe did not understand my question. My question is, it is the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development which has got the responsibility of ensuring that Zimbabweans are eating non-GMO food, which is being imported. I have said, through his Ministry, what would it take to enforce a law to clearly mark GMO food and non-GMO food in the retail sector so that consumers have got a choice. That is my question Madam Speaker.
HON. DR. MADE: I have answered that question clearly. If it is food and labelling, that does not fall under agriculture. It is an industrial product and the questions of labeling are totally different matters in relationship to the Ministry of Agriculture – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members! I
think you have to hear what the Minister is saying. He said he is concerned about the grain. If it is the question of those tinned foods and so forth, it is the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
HON. SARUWAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. In the
absence of the Leader of the House, I might have to direct my question to the self-appointed Chief Whip, Hon. Matuke who was acting as the Leader of the House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are out of
order.
HON. SARUWAKA: In that case, can you please appoint someone who can act as the Leader of the House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not appoint Ministers.
Can you please sit down and re-craft your question so that you know where to direct it.
*HON. MAKONYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question
is directed to the Deputy Minister of War Veterans, Hon. Dube. My question is as follows; we heard there is a fund for war collaborators so that their children can attend school. The majority of us no longer have children who are still at school, what benefit is going to be derived by those war collaborators whose children are no longer in school? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR
WAR VETERANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER
POLITICAL DETAINEES AND RESTRICTEES (HON. T.
DUBE): Madam Speaker, if I understood the Hon. Member well, she is asking whether those who no longer have children in school can be compensated in retrospect. I do not think this is correct. Once you have no children, it means you do not have children. It only applies to those who have children. All I can say is that I might as well explain to you that at present, we have only 34 thousand war veterans but collaborators, chimbwidos and their children and the restrictees all add up to about 700 000. Over and above, we have not yet vetted many others so it may mean we will end up having over a million of them, just for interest sake for you to understand. I thank you.
*HON. MUCHENJE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to
seek clarity from the Minister. At times we do not understand the figures that you gave for children of our war collaborators. What age limit does the Minister define as children because some of these children are as old as myself?
HON. ZINDI: On a point of order Madam President.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. ZINDI: I am interjecting to that supplementary question, which is questioning the ages of the children born by the war collaborators. My interjection is on the basis that medically, do people know that even if you are 90 years old you can have a baby through in vitro fertilization – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order Hon. Members!
*HON. MUCHENJE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I believe the
hon. member did not appreciate the gist of my question. I said I would want to seek clarity on the age limit of these war collaborators that should receive assistance. In terms of the children how old should they be? If my child is 40 years and decides to go to school, will I get any assistance? I thank you.
HON. T. DUBE: It is very difficult to determine the age of children or when you cease having children. Maybe you may have them in vitro or something. The fact is that the acceptable age is up to 24. It is assumed that at 24 everyone would have completed his university studies but as I said someone might have kids at 90 years. So, we do not entertain that.
*HON. MAONDERA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. MAONDERA: I am hate that every time we mention war
veteran issues members on the right side become more patriotic than others. Some of them were sell outs and very unpatriotic.
*HON. MURUNGA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question
is directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation
Development; we hear that in Masvingo a lot of livestock has been lost. What measures have you put in place to alleviate the plight of cattle that are dying in Masvingo. We hear that maize is now going to be put in place for the people that are starving. What are you going to do for the livestock?
*THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MADE): I would
want to thank the Hon. Member for his question. First and foremost this is directed towards all livestock farmers. We envisage that farmers that are in the arid lands that do not have sufficient rainfall and enough pastures, should de-stock before the livestock die of famine or lack of grazing. I am saying so because in some areas there has not been any rainfall as a result we do not have grazing pastures. We will not be able to give them supplementary feeding for their cattle as Government. Government on its programme to alleviate the suffering of the people due to famine or drought is that we have in place measures to reduce the effects of the loss of farmers that are into livestock farming. There are areas where we are moving cattle from one area to the other to ensure that there is enough grazing. The key point is livestock farmers should de-stock and sell most of their cattle before they die.
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: My question is
directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development. If you are saying that you have set aside funds for assisting people who are starving; is there money that has been put aside for cattle because we need to go back to the people and inform them that Government has put aside so much for those people who are into cattle rearing?
+HON. DR. MADE: I want to thank the hon. member for the
question. Yes, there are funds that are going to be availed for assisting those who are into cattle rearing…
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, if you do
not feel like being in this House please go out and talk then you can come back.
*THE MINISTER AGRICULTURE, MECHANISATION AND IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MADE): We
have made an appeal both domestic and international. Yesterday we made an appeal for food assistance as well as other programmes. On cattle as well, we will assist using a support programme we are going to spend about 138/9 million on the live stock programme. On the livestock destocking programme we will assist with 54 million and on wild life support we will assist with 16 million. So it means it is 139 plus 54 plus 15 all related to livestock. This programme will also go into borehole drilling and water support as well. Thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I thought you said Hon. Mutseyami. It is
alright Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Misihairabwi!
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Minister I wanted to
ask about food. We know how people get food but when we talk about cattle and here we are talking about people who are in the rural areas.
How are they going to get the funds?
+HON. DR. MADE: Thank you Madam Speaker and thank you
Hon. for the question. With the cattle programme, we are going to have Committees at the national level then provincial and district levels. This programme will be under a special task force Committee. There will be NGOs involved, private investors as well and our development partners and the national committee. There will also be institutions and we will appoint institutions and local communities as well in the local programme. It will be comprehensive and we want everyone to participate.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
HON. MARIDADI: Madam Speaker question number one was responded to last week by the acting Minister of Finance. But there were aspects to that question which were not responded to that is why the question had to go back to Order Paper.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: So, what do you think?
HON. MARIDADI: What I am saying is that the Minister may respond to that question. There is a supplementary that we raised that necessitated us putting it back on Order Paper.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You still need the Minister to
respond to the question.
HON. MARIDADI: Yes.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We defer the question again.
PAYMENT OF PENSIONS TO RETIRED COUNCIL WORKERS
- HON. MANGAMI asked the Minister of Local Government,
Public Works and National Housing to explain:
- The process for the payment of pensions of people who retire from councils under the Local Authorities Pension Fund (LAPF);
- Why Sibanda Killion, pensioner 56110000’s pension was
terminated in January 2015, despite completing forms indicating he is still alive and entitled to it.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.
CHINGOSHO): Hon. Speaker, the first question from the Hon.
Member asking the Minister on the process for the payment of pensions of people who retire from councils under the local authorities pension fund. Hon. Speaker, I am glad that the Hon.
Member has asked the question. However, I would like to inform the Hon. Member that upon receipt of the relevant termination papers and supporting documentation of a retired member from a local authority. The local authority pension fund calculates the retirement pension payable based on the fund’s rules.
In general, the initial retirement benefits is made up of one third lump sum plus monthly pensions arrears from retirement date to calculation date. Currently, the fund’s cash flows are extremely constrained resulting in incapacity to meet benefit obligations on time. -[AN HON. MEMBER: Hanzi gara pasi]- thus, a result of subscribing member to local authorities failing to terminate contributions to the fund. In view of the foregoing depending on the quantum of the member’s retirement benefit payments may be staggered.
Part two of the question, Hon Speaker Sir,
HON. ZWIZWAI: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): What is
your point of order?
*HON. ZWIZWAI: My point of order is that I was looking at Hon. Chinotimba when he entered he did not bow to the Speaker and yet the rules say that he is supposed to bow to the Speaker. He might see the factions in his party but here in Parliament in this august House there are no factions and my request is that he bows to the
Speaker. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member. Mr.
Speaker did not see that, so your point of order is over ruled. No, I did not call you and I have not recognised you. No, no do not worry about that and resume your sit. Order!
HON. CHINGOSHO: Hon. Speaker, it may please this House that Mr. Killion Sibanda’s pension payments have not been terminated as his record is alive. The reason why he has not been receiving regular pension payments is due to the Fund’s liquidity as already outlined above. In an effort to address the pensioner’s plight, the Fund engaged all member local authorities in October 2014 including Mr. Sibanda’s former employer, requesting them to provide funding for monthly pensions in respect of Mr. Sibanda’s pension, that is, Redcliff Municipality has not provided feedback on the matter.
HON. PHIRI: Supplementary. My supplementary question is on the council’s pension. Most local councils in Zimbabwe are failing to submit monies that are being paid by workers to the Pension Fund. What is the Ministry doing to assist the workers so that councils submit the money to the Pension Fund?
HON. CHINGOSHO: The Ministry has ordered all local
authorities to honour pensioners and to make sure that this is done. All local authorities have been requested and they have done so to make a provision in their current budgets.
HON. NDUNA: Supplementary. Minister, we have it on good authority that Chegutu Town Council has made an application to get $900 000 in order to pay off the executives to go on retrenchment. What is Government’s policy regarding monies that are requested through your office for payment of retrenchment packages for top executives in the council?
HON. CHINGOSHO: I am not sure whether that question applies because here we are not talking about supplementary budgets but we are talking about the pensions.
VIABILITY OF ZIMBABWE UNITED COMPANY (ZUPCO)
- HON. MASUKU asked the Minister of Local Government,
Public Works and National Housing to explain the viability of
Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) and also state whether the Ministry is considering the privatisation of the entity. To ask the
Minister to further explain the benefits accruing to the nation from
ZUPCO?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.
CHINGOSHO): I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking such an important question. The Ministry is currently evaluating the viability of ZUPCO through the analysis of the recently submitted 2013 audited accounts to establish the actual trends. However, the fact that Government has not injected capital into the company for the past 15 years and that ZUPCO has survived the current challenging economic environment to date tells a story about the company’s viability status. In terms of the original mandate ZUPCO has decided to operate rural, inter-city and regional routes due to stiff competition in urban areas.
However, the ZIM ASSET strategy to introduce a mass bus transit system has seen the company repositioning itself for urban operations. The company is now being encouraged to rebuild its fleet to ensure the leading role in the urban sector where it will continue to operate on commercial lines but as a state enterprise 100% owned by Government. On the benefits accruing to the nation, the company is servicing rural and inter-city routes where on most rural routes, the company is the sole supplier, which means ZUPCO is filling a gap where the communities would otherwise be deprived of public transport. I thank you.
*HON. MUNENGAMI: Supplementary. ZUPCO recently
acquired 50 buses and these were impounded by ZIMRA because they had not paid tax. What are you doing as a Ministry to ensure that
ZUPCO is able to get back the buses that were impounded by ZIMRA?
*HON CHINGOSHO: I want to thank the Hon. Member for the
question. First and foremost, ZUPCO is a parastatal which should be able to stand on its own. At the moment of the 50 buses ZIMRA requires $50 000 for each bus to be released. So far they have paid for 17 buses that are already on the road and the rest have not been paid for. So, now ZUPCO has submitted a request to the Ministry for assistance but at the moment the Ministry is also facing financial constraints and cannot assist ZUPCO. ZUPCO is still trying to source for required amounts so that the buses can be released. I thank you.
*HON MUFUNGA: Mr. Speaker, still on the issue of councils, my issue is that my council in Muzarabani was given $82 000 and that money was garnished by the Pensions Departrment. What is the Ministry doing about it because an acquittal for that money will be required that was taken for pensions?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the question
you are posing is not related to the original question of ZUPCO
*HON. MARIDADI: Hon. Minister, as we are facing this issue of ZUPCO, why is it that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing still firmly holds onto ZUPCO? What necessitated ZUPCO to fall under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, can you explain to us why your ministry still holds onto ZUPCO yet it is a transport company that should fall under the purview of the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructural Development because what made ZUPCO fall under your ministry is no longer there?
Do you know why ZUPCO was placed under the Ministry of Local
Government, Public Works and National Housing?
*HON. CHINGOSHO: I want to thank the Hon. Member for
asking this question. I am aware of the fact that there is no Act that states the company should be under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, that was just an arrangement that was agreed upon that it should fall under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing since it is a ministry that looks into local authorities. – [SOME HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I am not aware of the reason as to why it remains under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing as I have already stated.
UPDATE ON THE OUTCOME OF THE PENSION
VERIFICATION EXERCISE
- HON. KANHANGA asked the Minister of Public Service,
Labour and Social Services to provide an update on the outcome of the pension verification exercise that the Ministry recently carried out and to state whether or not it covered the whole country and state the anomalies that were noted as regards the ghost pensioners.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR
AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): The
Public Service Commission has a mandate under its Performance Audit and Inspectorate Agency to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of existing service delivery and human resources management practices and systems in the Public Service.
In line with this mandate, the Public Service Commission, embarked on a pension verification exercise which ran from the 7th September to 30th October, 2015. Government pensioners were requested to appear before the Public Service Commission for positive identification in person. They were required to fill in Life Certificates as proof that they are alive and indeed entitled to pension. In the case of bed-ridden pensioners, close relatives were requested to liaise with the
Public Service Commission officers for authentication. The findings of this verification exercise are yet to be tabled in Cabinet before official release.
MEASURES TO SUPPLY POLICE STATIONS WITH RAPE
INVESTIGATION KITS
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Home Affairs to explain the following to the House: (a) what measures are in place to ensure that police stations are adequately and continually supplied with rape investigation kits; (b) measures the ministry is taking to ensure that the Victim Friendly Unit remains open during weekends and after hours to cater for cases reported by victims of Gender Based Violence at all hours in order to meet the 72 hours recommendation.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): Thank you Mr. Speaker, responding to the questions by Hon. Majome, I know that there are three questions following each other.
- At any given time, a Police Station should have at least four
rape case investigation kits and these are only used when both the victim and the accused are available. It is important to note that not all cases require the use of these kits.
However, Police Stations submit monthly returns to the Police
General Headquarters stating their current stock levels of rape kits. This monitoring mechanism ensures that stations remain with adequate stock at all times. Furthermore, when a rape kit is used and submitted for forensic examination, a replacement is ordered.
- The Zimbabwe Republic Police has put measures to ensure that during weekends and public holidays, members from the Victim Friendly Unit will be on standby in the Charge Offices ready to attend to cases that are reported during such periods. If that is not happening, there is a Hotline where members of the public can report that there are no officers within the Charge Office during weekends and public holidays.
HON. MAJOME: Firstly, I thank the Hon. Minister for his response, particularly about the rape kits. He explained what should be ideal but I have looked at police stations in my constituency, that is Marlborough, Mabelreign and Avondale Police Stations and it does not give much information. There are no rape kits at all. He says that the procedure is that there must be four at any given time. My supplementary question is yes, that is the theory but in terms of the practice, I am hoping that the Hon. Minister can be forthright and explain why there are shortages.
Secondly, can he please give the hotline for the Victim Friendly Units so that Hon. Members can know and benefit their constituencies and when did the 24 hour manning of Victim Friendly Police Units start because I am not aware of it in my constituency.
HON. MGUNI: We have a lot of Hotline numbers in ZRP. I
would want to be very accurate by bringing the correct one for that specific case. Secondly, I am 100% sure that the kits are always available and when they are used, they are being ordered. We can even come back to this House and bring the number from the headquarters for that issue and know what is there. Otherwise, we have enough for the moment. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hakuna makits mudhara.] – There are
kits!
UPDATE ON CASE CR28/11/14 BY THE SERIOUS FRAUD SQUAD
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Home Affairs to give
an update relating to the status of investigation of case number CR28/11/14 by the Serious Fraud Squad on the allegations of misappropriation of funds at Ellis Robins School.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): The Zimbabwe Republic Police investigated the case under ZRP Mabelreign CR28/11/14, CID Serious Frauds DR30/11/14. The matter has been handed over to the Prosecutor General to take it further.
OPENING OF THE AVONLEA POLICE POST 22. HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Home Affairs to state when Avonlea police post which was built by the community four (4) years ago and is currently collapsing due to non-use will be opened by the Zimbabwe Republic Police who are currently insensitive of the community’s need, as well as defying instructions from Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.
MGUNI): The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not have adequate human resources to permanently deploy police officers to the post at the moment. The area falls under ZRP Avondale’s area of policing which already has four bases, namely Emerald Hill, Monavale, Avondale Shops and Belgravia. These bases are manned 24 hours. A police cycle patrol unit is dispatched on a daily basis to patrol Avonlea area owing to the shortage of the manpower as stated above.
HON. MAJOME: I want to ask the Hon. Minister to explain why there is a shortage of police officers to mann Avonlea Police Station only when it appears that the Zimbabwe Republic Police appears to be the only public office in terms of the Government that is recruiting? Can he explain that? Also, why is there a shortage to mann that station when there is a lot of crime which is rife at Greencroft Shopping Centre around the Plaza D’Castilla area where there is rampant crime, for example, now there is drug dealing and a lot of abuse of children who are engaging in sex work. Does the Ministry of Home Affairs not care at all? Surely, are these sporadic patrols sufficient because they are never seen and the community is reeling from crime and recently, there were gunshots at that particular place? Does his Ministry not care to do something better about this and find police officers, not to stay there permanently but even periodically when the community made these efforts in collaboration with the police and went to the extent of building this police post that has not been opened.
HON. MGUNI: The police is mobilising a community policing as they have not been recruiting for too long. The 2012 census showed that the ratio of a police officer to the population is 1:550, of which the international standard requirement is 1:300 people. Already by 2012, the police were overwhelmed by the population that they must mann. By now it is exuberant. Now, what the police have taken action on is to mobilise community and do what we call community policing. However, in her area, there are police that are sent to patrol using bicycles. That is what we are trying to do although we do not have enough support from Treasury, we have managed to have a factory where we fix the bicycles so that the police can give service to the community in a proper way.
HON. MANDIPAKA: My supplementary with regard to the response that has been given by Hon. Mguni is, we are alive to the fact that the police and members of the public work hand-in-hand. That is also in line with the Police Service Charter. You have not furnished this august House with a convincing answer why the police fail to take up and occupy an establishment that has been worked out by members of the public. Is it not negating their responsibility in line with the Police Service Charter?
HON. MGUNI: Thank you for that pertinent question. May the House allow me to physically go to the place, gather correct information and bring an accurate answer to this House?
POLICY REGARDING ORPHANS AGED 18 IN CHILDREN’S
HOMES
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services to state the policy regarding orphans who attain the age of 18 while still in children's homes, and to further explain how the Ministry supports such orphans given that they would still not be in a position to support themselves?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Thank
you Mr. Speaker. The placement of children in residential child care institutions by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social
Services is provided for under the Children’s Act (Chapter 5.05). Section 3 of the Act defines a child who is in need of care who may end up being placed in a registered children’s home for their safety and rehabilitation support. Orphans without guardian support fall in this category.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe defines a child as a person below the age of 18. As such, children’s homes are administratively limited to taking care of children below the age of 18. However, this does not translate in throwing children out into the streets upon their attaining the age of majority. The National Residential Child Care Standards (2010) provide policy guidelines for the care and protection of children in children’s homes. Standard 6.1 of these National Residential Child Care Standards requires the development of individualised discharge plans that outline arrangements for:
- i) Continuing education and training; ii) Support and follow up for children living with disabilities, including medical, educational, occupational and psychosocial; iii) Support to enable the child to set up and maintain an independent home, in instances where living with family, extended family or friends is not an option; iv) Providing information on available social services benefits for future use which may include public assistance, health care and other specialist services as may be required by the child;
- v) Creating and maintaining networks of advice and information in order to support the child in decision making during the discharge process; and vi) Ensuring an effective and realistic plan is in place for family and community care and that follow up arrangements are in place.
Standard 6.2 is clear that children should be prepared to:
- Develop and maintain relationships with others.
- Understand their sexuality and establish positive and caring relationships.
- Overcome trauma and establish self esteem and resilience.
- Prepare for the world of work and/or for further education.
- Develop practical and independent life skills.
The above are skills that will help the young adult to make responsible decisions and build their self confidence.
After leaving the institution, the young adult is provided with continuous support, follow up and an open door in case they need help. All this is to make sure they have adjusted and are integrating well in their new lives. Each case is handled individually but the best practice is that before the child turns 18, their case is continuously reviewed for considering available options. Most of the institutions have built other shelters for the older children, a reasonable distance away from the children. These shelters are called youth centres or half way homes depending on the management of the home.
Support systems for children after they leave the children’s homes
If children reach 18 years of age before completing schooling, it is mandatory that they be supported to complete their education from the half-way homes that some institutions run. They are also supported with life skills and sometimes are helped to start careers depending on their strengths and abilities. Social protection programmes from Government such as Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) and public assistance are available to meet education and accommodation needs.
I hope the above response is to Hon. Majome’s satisfaction.
HON. MAJOME: I thank the Hon. Minister for demonstrating some care towards children who come out of children’s homes when they are 18 but are not yet looking after themselves. Is the Government supporting financially, by granting cash transfers to these youth shelters that children who are orphans and have no one to live with but cannot live in children’s homes that he indeed mentioned?
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I
thank the Hon. Member for that pertinent question. If you realise in my last remarks, in the last paragraph, I made reference to the BEAM programme and also to the public assistance programme which in fact I have alluded to earlier on in my presentation when I started talking today. We identify those vulnerable children and we will continue with follow up programmes.
MONEY COLLECTED FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION FUND
PURPOSES
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Energy and Power
Development:
- To state how much money was collected for rural electrification fund purposes during the period 2002 to 2015;
- To state which communities that have benefited from the programme, the criteria that was used in selecting beneficiary communities;
- To state how Government came up with the 6% rural
electrification levy on electricity bills.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (HON. MBWEMBWE) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND
POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. UNDENGE): Thank you
Mr. Speaker Sir. With your permission, I am representing the Minister of Energy and Power Development. During the period 2002 to 2015, the REF got funding from the following sources, in line with the provisions of the Rural Electrification Fund Act (2002):
- Six percent levy on electricity sales.
- Fiscus allocations.
- Loans/Supplementary credit facilities.
- Customer contributions.
- Income generating activities and other incomes.
Between 2002 and 2008, a total of ZW$11 981 492 178 900
000.00 was collected from the sources mentioned above. In addition
ZW$318 614 556 102.00 was received from the Parastatal And Local Authorities Reorientation Programme (PLARP) Funding availed through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. A supply credit facility worth US$27 015 002.00 was received from China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) of China. The supply credit facility provided electricity distribution materials and project vehicles. The loan will be liquidated by end of February 2016.
Between 2009 and 2015, a total us US$243 337 679.00 was
received from 6% levy, fiscus funding and other income. The detailed breakdown of funds received by category and by year is given in the
Table below.
Table 1: REF INCOME 2002 – 2015
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AGENCY
INCOME TREND ANALYSIS – ZIM DOLAR PERIOD
YEAR |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
6% Levy |
Z$1,206,765,000 |
Z$8,249,015,000 |
Z$56,175,404,000 |
Z$113,308,926 |
Z$1,250,645,253 |
Z$316,006,841,727 |
Z$388,773,735,000,000 |
Grant Income |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Z$563,636,000,000 |
- |
Customer Contributions |
- |
Z$ 665,372,000 |
- |
Z$ 9,266,682 |
Z$ 45,441,551
|
Z$ 72,683,536,917 |
Z$5,780,836,261,694,0 00,000 |
Donations |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Income Generating Activities |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Other income |
- |
Z$ 983,812,000 |
Z$ 1,551,230,000 |
Z$ 23,979,217 |
Z$ 279,588,924 |
Z$433,869,697,624 |
Z$6,200,000,000,000,0 00,000 |
Total Z$ Income |
Z$1,206,765,000 |
Z$9,898,199,000 |
Z$57,726,634,000 |
Z$146,554,825 |
Z$1,575,675,728 |
Z$1,386,196,058,2 68 |
Z$11,981,225,035,429, 000,000 |
CATIC (US$) US$27,015,002
PLARP FUNDS (Z$) Z$318,614,4556,102
The Rural Electrification Programme is meant to benefit the following:
- Rural primary and secondary schools.
- Rural health centres.
- Rural Government extension centres.
- Rural business centres.
- Chiefs homesteads.
- A1 and A2 farms.
- Other communal institutions such as churches, co-operatives and clubs.
The first Rural Electrification Master Plan (REMP) which had been developed by Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) of India Limited in 1995-97 and whose main focus was on rural business centres was reviewed by the same consultant in 2001 – 2002, giving birth to the Expanded rural Electrification Programme (EREP). The EREP entailed extending the grid infrastructure to all the beneficiaries listed above, starting with those centres within 5km radius of the existing grid, in all the eight rural provinces of Zimbabwe.
Since January 2002 to 31 December 2015, 6 158 rural nodes including public institutions, villages, farms, chiefs’ homesteads and other communal centres were electrified using electricity grid. Four hundred and twenty-four (424)solar mini-grid systems and 437 mobile solar systems were installed at remove rural institutions. In addition, 36 institutional biogas digesters were installed at rural institutions such as schools, hospitals and prisons.
Table 2 showing the status of rural electrification using electricity grid and solar technologies countrywide between January 2002 and 31 December 2015 is attached below.
Table 2: RURAL ENERGY PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED 2002 –
2015
YEAR |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Total |
Grid Extensions
|
970 |
512 |
346 |
1096 |
258
|
242
|
115 |
154 |
357 |
332 |
572 |
490 |
287 |
427 |
6158
|
Solar Micro Grids
|
14 |
47 |
70 |
106 |
136 |
10 |
5 |
22 |
14 |
424 |
|||||
Mobile Solar Units
|
392 |
45 |
437 |
||||||||||||
Biogas
|
6 |
12 |
18 |
36 |
The EREP which runs in all the eight rural provinces concurrently is much broader in terms of coverage than the first master plan programme (1997 – 2007), which targeted only 415 rural service centres countrywide. In view of the magnitude of the EREP, it became necessary to increase the levy from the original 1%. In this regard, recommendations to increase the RE levy from 1% to 6% were made to Cabinet through the then Ministry of Mines and Energy. Pursuant to this, in 2002 Cabinet approved an increase in the RE levy from 1% to 6% with effect from 1st July 2002.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not clear why this question is being posed in respect of a decision which was made some 14 years ago by Cabinet. Much as we would want more financial resources for this worthy rural development programme, we have had to make do with the rural electrification levy at 6%.
HON. MAJOME: This was fourteen years ago when the Rural Electrification Levy was raised to 6%. Why is Government not reviewing this 6% downwards considering the heavy burden on consumers particularly urban consumers of electricity when there are all sorts of power cuts? Fourteen years is a long time to realise the objectives of this programme without a review.
HON. MBWEMBWE: I thank the hon. member for that question. with your permission Mr. Speaker Sir, may I ask the hon. member to put the supplementary question in writing for the relevant Ministry to be able to respond.
TARGETS SET FOR THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION
PROGRAMME
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Energy and Power
Development to state the targets set for the Rural Electrification Programme and to further state how long would consumers continue to charged the rural electrification levy.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ( HON.
MBWEMBWE) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. UNDENGE): About 3700
rural public institutions remain un-electrified to date. It is estimated that between US$250 – 300 million is required to provide some form of energy source to these outstanding rural public institutions. Of the 3 700 institutions, about 3 000 are within 20 km of the existing grid network while the remainder are beyond 20 km from the existing grip network. In an effort to meet our ZIM ASSET targets, the REF plans to extend the grid to all institutions within 20 km of the existing grid network, while providing those beyond 20 km with renewable energy sources by 2018. Achievement of this target is subject to availability of resources. In the outlook, in line with Government vision, it is envisaged that all rural communities will have access to modern energy services by 2030. The
Rural Electrification Fund is expected to play a pivotal role in this Government effort.
If Government, through the REF, is to attain this vision of universal access to modern energy services by all by 2030, it will be necessary to continue charging consumers the Rural Electrification Levy, until such time when other alternative sources of funding have been identified.
Mr. Speaker Sir, one hopes that the hon. member who has asked this question is not suggesting that the Rural Electrification Programme should be stopped.
PROVISION OF ELECTRICITY METERS
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to state what the Ministry has been doing to ensure provision of electricity meters because electrification has been put on halt due to the electricity meters which are out of stock.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ( HON.
MBWEMBWE) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND
POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. UNDENGE): Mr. Speaker
Sir, my Ministry is aware that ZETDC has not yet installed prepaid meters in Westlea Suburb. Prepaid meter installations had stalled due to a shortage of prepayment meters.
ZETDC went out to tender for 130 000 prepaid meters to cover both new connections and replacement of the remaining post-paid meters. Tenders for the procurement of the meters were finalised with contracts being awarded and signed off in November 2015 for meter deliveries to commence end of March 2016.
Installations in Westlea and other suburbs are expected to be carried from the month of March 2016 when the deliveries are received.
PETROLEUM PRICES VIS-À-VIS CRUDE OIL PRICES
- HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Energy Power and Development:
a)To explain why Zimbabweans continue paying retail petroleum prices of about US$1.40 per litre which is consistent with crude oil prices of US$120.00 per barrel, despite the fact that crude oil prices have reduced to US$30.00 per barrel and SADC one ranging from 59 cents per litre in Namibia to 89 cents per litre in Mozambique.
b)To state when Zimbabwean petroleum consumers can expect to enjoy the slump in world crude oil prices.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (HON.
MBWEMBWE) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND
POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. UNDENGE): Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon Cross asked a similar question in February 2015 for which a response was given in this august House. I hope that the explanation that I will give today will put to rest the same question being asked over and over again.
Fuel prices in Zimbabwe are set through a fuel pricing model agreed to between the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority and oil companies.
The model sets the maximum pump price permissible, after taking into account all the costs of doing business in the fuel sub-sector. The costs include taxes and levies that go to Government.
The first cost element in the fuel pricing model is the price at which oil companies procure their fuel. As this price changes, the model captures the movements and adjusts the maximum pump price accordingly. The same applies when the other cost elements in the model change.
It is important to note, hon. members, that the fuel pricing model that we use is unique to Zimbabwe. The cost elements in the model are not the same as those used by other regional countries. The model therefore produces prices that cannot be compared with prices obtaining in countries that use different models and have different cost structures.
Comparing fuel prices in Zimbabwe with those obtaining in other countries will produce different results because we do not use the same fuel pricing models. Comparison would only be really useful if our pricing model was similar to the pricing models of other regional countries.
Some countries like Namibia and Mozambique have ports of their own while Zimbabwe is landlocked and has to transport its fuel for long distances. Angola, for example, actually subsidies its fuel while Zimbabwe imposes taxes on its fuel. Some countries impose taxes on their fuel but at lower rates than Zimbabwe does.
Some countries like South Africa and Zambia own refineries and refine their own fuel. Countries that use own currencies can benefit or lose when their currency gains or loses against the United States Dollar.
The same cannot be said for Zimbabwe because the country uses the
United States Dollar.
If one is to compare fuel prices in the region, one therefore necessarily has to also take into account the different cost structures, otherwise the public may be misled.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I have also noted one other error that some people make. Such people think that if crude oil prices fall by 50%, it means that local pump prices should necessarily also fall by the same percentage. The relationship between crude oil prices and pump prices of refined fuel is not necessarily like that.
Crude oil is a raw material that has to be refined. The refined fuel needs to be shipped to Beira where Zimbabwe can access it. There are therefore costs associated with refining, shipping and storage which have to be incorporated into the Zimbabwe fuel price.
Zimbabwe does not buy fuel direct from refineries. We buy our fuel from international traders, ex-Beira. So for us, the ex-Beira price is what we really consider. Yes, if crude prices fall, the ex-Beira prices will also fall but not necessarily by the same percentage or magnitude.
Mr. Speaker Sir, on 1 June 2015, the ex-Beira prices for diesel and petrol per litre in Beira were 63.22 and 60.53 cents per litre respectively.
After factoring in the cost of pumping the product into the country, local duties and taxes, internal storage and handling, internal distribution and the margins for oil companies and dealers, the pump prices for diesel and petrol per litre then were US$1.41 and US$1.54 respectively
On 1st February 2016, the ex- Beira prices per litre for diesel and petrol were 34, 53 cents and 40.75 cents respectively. The ex-Beira prices had therefore fallen by 45.4%. In tandem with the fall in the exBeira prices, the pump prices of diesel and petrol fell to US$1.05 and $1.27 per litre respectively. The price of diesel therefore fell by 25.5% and that of petrol fell by 17, 8%.
Mr. Speaker Sir, these facts are a testimony that prices of fuel on the local market respond to the movements of crude oil prices on the international market. I also would like to inform the Hon. Members of Parliament that the majority of the cost elements in our pricing model are fixed. In other words, they are not affected by changes in the movements of crude oil prices. In fact, only the ex-Beira prices are affected by movements in the international crude oil prices. The rest of the costs are affected by our local economic situation prevailing at the time.
I will however, highlight just two cost items in our pricing model, that is Government charges (duty, taxes/levies) and pipelines charges. You are aware Hon. Members that the pipeline that we use to transport fuel from Beira is Mozambican owned. We pay not less than US$3 million per month at the current level of pumping for the pipeline services. So, every litre pumped into the country attracts a pumping fee of 6.55 cents. Government charges (duty, taxes/levies) amount to 46.1 cents per litre for diesel and 63.2 cents per litre for petrol.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the current maximum pump price for diesel is US$105.00 per litre. If we take out the Government charges and pumping fees per litre, we remain with 58.8 cents. This 58.8 cents covers the ex-Beira purchase price, storage and handling, internal distribution and the margins for the oil companies and the dealers. Taking out the Government charges and pumping fees from the current price of petrol leaves 63.7 cents for the remainder of the cost elements on the pricing model.
Mr. Speaker Sir, may the House note that even if we were to be given fuel for free, given the costs of pumping it into the country, the duties and taxes, storage fees, distribution costs, the pump price of petrol would be 86 cents per litre and that of diesel would be 71 cents per litre. This helps to demonstrate that although local fuel prices respond to movements in the crude oil prices, there is a limit to the extent to such response.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my response to part B of Hon. Majome’s question is that the consumers are already enjoying the benefits. I have just given you the maximum fuel prices as at 1st June, 2015 and compared them to the current prices. While Hon. Majome says the price of fuel is around
US$1.40 per litre, as we speak the maximum prices are actually
US$1.05 and US$1.27 for diesel and petrol respectively. Because of competition, some fuel retailers are actually selling the fuel at lower prices. This goes to show that local prices are falling in line with the movements in the prices of crude oil globally.
Take note too, Hon. Members that the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) reviews fuel prices weekly hence quickly captures any changes in international crude oil prices. Other countries do so once a month. ZERA’s price adjustments may appear small but this is only because they are implemented more frequently than obtains in other countries in the region. ZERA has also engaged a consultant to review the pricing model to see if the cost elements therein are still applicable.
With this submission, Mr. Speaker Sir, I believe the Hon. Members now fully appreciate the nature of fuel prices in Zimbabwe. In conclusion, I request Hon. Members to assist with educating the people in their constituencies on this matter so that the general motoring public is informed of how local fuel prices are arrived at.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
CRITERION FOR SELECTING AND INVITING BIDDERS
- HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Mines and Mining
Development to: (a) explain the criterion used in the invitation and selection of bidders; (b) explain whether the mineral licensing regime is done transparently; and (c) state whether there is a provision for parliamentary revocation or veto of an exclusive exploration award.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO):
- a) My assumption here is that the invitation and selection of bidders in this question relates to the diamond sales.
Diamonds produced in the country are marketed through a standard tender system, organised by the Minerals Marketing
Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) in consultation with an international facilitator, who currently, is First Element Services.
For one to participate in the international diamond tenders and be registered on the database for future invitations, they have to submit the following documents to MMCZ for consideration: (i) Company profile; (ii) Company Incorporation documents; (iii) Police Security Clearance of Directors and Attendees; (iv) Letter of intention; (v) Passport copies (Directors and possible attendees); (vi) Name of responsible payee and proof of funds available; (vii) Diamond organisation memberships and proof thereof; (viii) Whether the applicant is a trader, dealer, beneficiator, manufacturer or a broker.
MMCZ assess applicants on the basis of financial capacity and technical expertise. MMCZ may then recommend the applicant and include them on their database of customers.
- The country’s mineral licensing system is transparent. All mining titles are issues in terms of the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05] which also provides for requirement to maintain title. Procedures for acquiring mining titles are clearly outlined in the Act and should be adhered to by applicants and title holders.
However, the current system is manual and this comes with challenges to do with efficiency of the system given the huge number of applications.
In that regard, the Minister is establishing a computerized Mining Cadastre for the management of the entire mining industry throughout the value chain; that is from licensing, actual projects implementation and marketing including accounting of production by all mining and mineral entities.
Such a system will result in the modernisation of the mining title management system in line with regional and international best practices to provide for a faster and more efficient system.
- The Mines and Minerals Act, does not have a provision for Parliamentary revocation or veto of an Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) award. The mandate is left with the issuing authority and in this case His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Parliament, however, oversees compliance with the Act per procedure.
All EPOs are applied for through the Mining Affairs Board (MAB), which recommends to the Minister, who in turn recommends to His Excellency the President for approval.
However, during the processing of an EPO application, the MAB publishes a general notice of application in the Government Gazette inviting members of the public to raise objections, if any, within a period of 21 days.
ADVICE TO SMALL SCALE AND ARTISANAL MINERS
- HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Mines and Mining
Development to: (a) explain how the Ministry advises the small scale and artisanal miners of their rights and responsibilities; (b) state where there is an integrated network of mutual accountability among various operational agencies in the mining sector.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): (a) Artisanal miners are either registered or none registered. Where they are registered, upon being issued with a prospecting license, small scale and artisanal miners are informed of their rights and obligations for the maintenance of their title by the Provincial Mining Director.
Furthermore, during the Ministry’s routine technical inspections, the small scale and artisanal miners are given advice on their rights, proper and sustainable mining methods and responsibilities in terms of the law. The Ministry seeks to intensify its presence at mining locations given that the ministry is now represented at provincial level. It must be mentioned however, that the Ministry is currently weak on logistics and does not adequately reach out to miners.
Representatives of small scale miners are always invited to the
Ministry’s strategic planning workshops where they are reminded on the expected responsibilities of the miners. There is need to compile a database of miners working with Rural Councils so that communications and support is done more effectively.
(b) The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development works together with various stakeholders in the mining sector such as the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police – Mineral and Border Control Unit (ZRP-
MBCU).
Examples include the following: (a) Applications for
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) at mining sites are forwarded by EMA to the ministry for consideration; (b) The ministry conducts joint gold monitoring and surveillance exercises together with the RBZ, FPR and ZRP-MBCU.
However, there is need for harmonization of fees that are charged to miners by various agencies in the mining sector. Also, like in any process, stakeholders are urged to stick to their mandates in order to provide for accountability. Equally, stakeholders must ensure awareness and competency on the part of miners to help them achieve compliance.
RELOCATION OF MEMBERS IN MINING COMMUNITIES
- HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Mines and Mining
Development to: (a) state whether the law provides for the relocation of communities including upholding of rights of members in mining communities; (b) state whether the law provides for environmental protection and (c) state key mechanisms that are in place to solve disputes.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Government policy provides
for anyone who is negatively affected by mining activities to be compensated. Miners and respective ministries are required to ensure that fairness is realised through compensation, education and support is necessary.
Currently, the Mines and Minerals Act provides for compensation or buyout of the land hosting minerals from their private owners. The proposed Amendment Bill seeks to expand this protection to general land occupiers as issued by the Ministry of Lands and Rural
Resettlement.
- The Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05] provides for various mechanisms for environmental protection at the mining sites.
This includes maintenance of slime dams, land reclamation,
management of effluent disposal et cetera. It also prohibits mining in certain areas and within certain jurisdictions in a bid to protect the environment.
The Act is further complimented by the EMA Act. It must be noted that in the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, it is proposed that the Ministry continues with environmental protection and monitoring within mining sites since technical expertise is required for this role, whilst EMA becomes responsible for environmental protection issues outside mining sites.
- In terms of the Mines and Minerals Act, disputes can be resolved at any of the following levels: (i) Provincial Mining Director
(PMD); (ii) Minister; and (iii) courts.
The aggrieved parties may approach the Provincial Mining
Director in their respective province for resolving of their disputes. If the parties do not agree, they may appeal to the Minister and finally to the Courts for determination.
In that regard, the Minister has set up a dispute committee at Head Office which deals with appeals from the provinces. The Committee was set up as a check and balance for decisions made by the PMDs and recommendations to the Minister for his/her decision process.
Once a matter is referred to Court, all ministry proceedings are automatically suspended.
DECENTRALISATION OF EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY ON
EXTRACTION OF MINERAL ORE
(9) HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Mines and Mining
Development to inform the House whether or not the ministry has decentralized Executive Authority on the extraction of mineral ore.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING
DEVELOPMENT (HON. F. MOYO): Previously, the Ministry had been decentralized to five mining districts namely Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru and Kadoma with two satellite offices in Mutare and
Gwanda.
In 2014, the ministry restructured to align itself to Government
Administration Provinces i.e. Mutare, Gweru, Masvingo, Chinhoyi, Marondera, Bindura, Gwanda and Lupane. This was done to ensure that the Ministry gets closer to the miners as well as liaise better with other ministries at provincial level.
Oral Answers to Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE
TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
On the motion of HON. RUNGANI seconded by HON.
MUTSEYAMI, the House adjourned at Eight Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 9th February, 2016
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
HON. NDUNA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I beg your pardon? You have a point of order!
HON. NDUNA: Yes, Mr. Speaker. It is according to Standing Orders, Section 68 (d), on a point of privilege. It is noted with great concern that we are now having logjam on our Order Paper because we cannot conduct the business of Parliament to its conclusive end each sitting day. Mr. Speaker, I raise this concern because yesterday, as we set in your Committee of Transport and Infrastructure Development, which I am the Chairperson, we noted with concern that we, as a
Committee, have about two reports that have not been disposed of because at the end of each sitting day, we did not have a quorum that makes sure we can present our reports to their conclusive end.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to take you to the Constitution. Section 143 (3) of the Constitution speaks to the House referencing the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. It says “the President may, by proclamation, dissolve Parliament if the National Assembly has unreasonably refused to pass an Appropriation Bill referred to in Section 305”. I will take you to Section 305 of the same Constitution which is the supreme law of the land.
Mr. Speaker, Section 305 (2) states that “the estimates of revenue and expenditure must be presented to the National Assembly in terms of subsection (1) on a day on which the Assembly sits before or not later than thirty days after the start of each financial year.....”. Mr. Speaker Sir, why do I bring these sections to the fore? It is because we burnt midnight candles on our two days of sitting here because we feared in part that the President was going to dissolve Parliament. We wanted to make sure Mr. Speaker, that the Budget, according to Section 305 (2), was going to be passed on time within the limits. Mr. Speaker, Section 129 (k) of the Constitution speaks to this House about members that do not come to the House for 21 consecutive days. However, I am talking to members that come to the House religiously all the time that at least on a sitting day, can we depose of what motions and reports on the Order Paper so that we are not found to be an ‘eight to five’ House Mr. Speaker.
In conclusion, you have always raised a concern that Ministers are not coming to the House on Wednesdays but Mr. Speaker, when you point a finger to a particular individual, remember four are pointing at you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Order! Can the Chair be heard in silence? Hon. Nduna, you started very well but went into some valley of discussion which had nothing to do with your substance of your point of order which is that Hon. Members must stay here to complete the business of the House. That is the substance of your point of order. To that extent, your point of order is valid, notwithstanding what you stated later on about other sections of the Constitution.
Having said that, I hope today hon. members will make a difference and stay here as long as it is possible and dispose of the matters that are on the Order Paper because the notes are getting too voluminous as well as the Order Paper. It is important that we debate our motions, complete them and then hon. Ministers can respond accordingly.
I appeal to you to stay put here until you have concluded the business of the House. This is also in the interest of the fact that you represent the electorate from whom you derive the authority to be here in terms of the Constitution. Let us respect that authority by being present all the time until business of the House is disposed of.
FIRST READING
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES BILL [H.B. 15, 2015]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA) presented the Special
Economic Zones Bill [H.B. 15, 2015].
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): I move that Orders of the
Day, Numbers 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the
Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate in reply to the Presidential
Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I would like to thank the recent Supreme Court judgement which prohibits marriages for girls below the age of eighteen years. I would also want to thank Hon. Webster Maondera, Member of Parliament for Glen Norah who moved a motion in that regard.
My contribution to the Presidential Speech touches more on the macro-economic environment in terms of trying to improve our economic environment; my contribution is that maybe, we should first look at the macro-political environment so that we would be able to have a good economy because these things go hand in hand. We cannot talk of economic growth when we do not have political stability in the country.
The first thing that I would want to talk about is to have an issue to do with peace and reconciliation which should be spearheaded by the Government. In that regard, I would want to see a scenario whereby we do not, as a Government try to sweep hot issues under the carpet. By that I mean we have burning issues which Government tries to ignore. I will cite those issues that took place between the 1983-1987 period. Matabeleland and Midlands experienced Gukurahundi and the President is on record saying that it was a moment of madness. Those issues should be addressed by Government. If it does not have money for compensation, at least it should apologise to the people of Midlands and
Matabeleland. [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear].
Not only that, but people also have issues to deal with what happened after the 31st March, 2008 elections. There was a lot of political violence; issues to do with short and long sleeves. Most people were killed during that time and we have to address those issues [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]. That would help to make our country a peaceful nation. If the country is very peaceful that will also attract investors.
We also have issues to do with the disappearance of people in our country. Edison Sithole, my relative, disappeared along the street behind Parliament. Up to now people do not know where he is. We also have Itai Dzamara, Mr. Speaker. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - The issue of Itai Dzamara, it is our appeal that Government takes measures to ensure that police do sufficient investigations to make certain that we find him.
Then on the political scene, we have issues to do with the electoral reforms. Any Government that comes into place has to come without controversy. We need electoral reforms that actually guarantee voter confidence and confidence of the vote. The other issue that we would want to see regarding the Presidential Speech, is the issue to do with the contract which is there between the voters and the Government of the day. The voters put the Government in power. They actually give Government two things; power and money through taxation but we would not want a Government that pursues vulgar priorities, where we see Senior Government Officials – when we do not have money; for example, recently the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development failed to pay bonuses on time because Government said it did not have money. However, personally, I do not believe Government does not have money to pay bonuses because during the year which is currently under review, 2015, we had Presidential trips which amounted to more than US$150 million [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear], yet the wage bill for bonuses is only US$120 million.
The other issue that we would also want to see dealt with is the harmonization of various Acts of Parliament to the Constitution. If you read Section 90 of the Constitution well, it talks about the duties of the President and one of the duties which is mentioned there is to promote unity and Section 90 (2) (d) talks about the President accepting the diversity of the people. This should be adhered to Mr. Speaker, because we cannot have a scenario where the First Lady, Dr Amai, distributes Government inputs at party political rallies. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - That is actually in contravention of the Constitution.
The other issue that we should be looking at is trying to revive the industry. The President spoke at length on the issue to do with our economic revival and in my own opinion; I think this can only be done through encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). We cannot talk about FDI without talking about our diaspora citizens. If we demand diaspora remittances we should also demand diaspora votes. Those two things should go hand in hand. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] -
We should try to ensure that our citizens who are abroad should be able to exercise their right to choose the Government of their choice by voting through the various embassies dotted around the globe.
Then on the issue to do with corruption, Zimbabwe, at one point was ranked number 157. It was worse off than war torn Rwanda which was ranked number 112 and Mozambique which was ranked number 72. We have to deal with this phenomenon called corruption in this country, which actually is eating into our investment and the prospects of economic growth. If you go along Seke road, you will see not less than six road blocks. I think if we move into – like what the President said and what is written in ZIM ASSET, if we promote Information, Communication Technology, increase the broadband capacity and have a national database of everything in this nation - for example, there should be a National database which has every citizen’s I.D number and all the registered vehicles number plates.. In that regard, it will not be necessary for us to deploy police officers to roadblocks but they can just go online and get all the details pertaining to licence payments or requisite papers that drivers have. This will help us to deal with the case that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development has been talking about of trying to manage the wage bill. We will not need a lot of police officers on the ground since all the information will be online. If you move to that era of IT, it will be easy for this nation to cut costs on the wage bill and a lot of other things.
The President also talked on the issue of tourism. Last year there was a lion, which was actually a celebrity and the most popular lion in the whole world - Cecil, which was killed through a policy of Government called Trophy Hunting. It is my personal opinion that we do away with trophy hunting because it is a culture where a registered and licensed hunter is allowed to pay a fee to hunt a specified animal and take the head of the animal as a trophy to his/her country. So, I think if we do away with trophy hunting, we would be able to conserve our wild animals. Through that conservation, even our grand children will be able to see these animals.
Let me also touch on the issue to do with drought. Recently, Government declared a National State of Emergency regarding drought, yet two decades ago, Zimbabwe was able to supply 250 million people with food. I think it is still possible for Government, through the relevant Ministries, to come up with strategies so that they will be able to harness the water that we have in our various dams. We have more than 11000 dams in this country and it is possible to make sure that using the right methods we will be able to avoid such situations as droughts.
Now, on issues to do with Government priorities; this month, on 21st February, 2016, the President will be turning 92. His birthday comes at a time when we have just declared a National State of Emergency for food. I then find it actually disturbing that we have people who want to raise nearly a million dollars to celebrate a birthday when we are facing hunger in this country. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] - We have a good example of the President of Tanzania,
President John Magufuli, who has done a lot to cut costs in Government. This is exactly what I am saying, so if anyone is opposing cutting of costs by Government, I do not know whether they are for the people or against the people.
The other thing is that you are actually on record to have said Members of Parliament should read the Constitution and Standing Rules and Orders. On Friday, I went to the Papers Office looking for the
Standing Rules and Orders; I actually heard there are only a few left. Hence, I would like to request through you Mr. Speaker, the few remaining copies of the Standing Rules and Orders, which gives us how to conduct ourselves in Parliament, be given to the Hon. Members who are heckling at the back so that they understand how to conduct themselves in this august House – [HON. MEMBERS: hear, hear]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Sithole you should
admit that you lost your copy of the Standing Rules and Orders because each Member of Parliament was given a copy which was placed in their pigeon holes. So, if you lost one, first thing is to admit that you lost and not to say the Standing Rules and Orders are not available, that is incorrect. Thank you.
HON. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I was looking for the
amended version, I have not yet received it, and maybe I lost it.
Mr. Speaker, I would also want to touch on the issue to do with peace. Recently, we have been seeing a lot of demonstrations from the students, especially when they were coming to Parliament. I would want to touch mainly on the issue to do with the response that the anti-riot police have been giving to these students. Section 59 of the Constitution, states that every citizen has a right to demonstrate and petition peacefully. Most of these demonstrations, in my own opinion, have been peaceful. I actually get worried when these students are demonstrating sometimes for food which costs US$5.00 or even US$3.00. Then, instead of the State addressing that issue, it employs heavy handedness through the riot police, puts fuel in their trucks, spending more per average student that would be US$130. 00 in just trying to stop a demo that is demonstrating for a US$5.00 meal - for me it does not make sense.
The other issue that I would want to touch on is education. Zimbabwe is regarded as the second most literate nation in Africa, which is a good thing, Section 27 of the Constitution states that the State must put in place practical measures to ensure that children get basic and compulsory education. Last year in November, 2015, I was talking to the Vice President of MDC-T, Hon. T. Khupe who was telling me that – [HON. MEMBERS: inaudible interjections] – during the year 2015, she paid fees from her own pocket for more than 100 students; that is actually being a nationalist. Then on the other hand, we look at the Vice President from the other side, who is the Vice President of this country, Hon. P. Mphoko; reports state that he stayed in a hotel for more than 400 days. The room that he was using costs US$405.00 for bed and breakfast and in my constituency I have three Government Primary Schools, the total number of students is 5 400, who have not been receiving basic education assistance module fees. Fees per child is roughly US$30.00, if you multiply US$30 by 5 400 students, you come up with $162 000.00 which is exactly equivalent to the amount that was spent by the Vice President in the hotel. So, the reason why this country is in a mess is because of corruption and very vulgar priorities, Mr.
Speaker.
Lastly, my constituency in Chitungwiza that I have been talking about which is the hub of Zimbabwean celebrities, the likes of Aleck
Macheso, the late Cephus Mashakada, Winky D, they all come from
Chitungwiza. I would also want to see a scenario whereby the Government tries to support our artists. I propose we should even have an 80% policy on local content coverage that is on ZTV and even on other national radio stations so that these artists will get coverage. I also feel that the Government is not doing enough to stop piracy. Outside Parliament building, we have pirated disks that are being sold; we also have other Hon. Members who buy those pirated disks. We should try by all means to ensure that we protect our local artist so that we have in place measures that stop this piracy.
The last issue is about jobs. ZIM ASSET talks about the creation of 2, 2 million jobs and the Fiscal Statement that was announced by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Chinamasa, talks about freezing of posts. The Fiscal Policy Statement does not speak to ZIM ASSET, they are going at a tangent, most of those who are affected by this unemployment which is around 80%, compared with South Africa it is around 35%, are the youths and I am also a member of the youths. Section 20 of the Constitution is very clear that the Government must put in place measures to ensure that our youths are trained, educated, get employment and most of these youths are not employed. Unemployment is a social ill that the Government must address. This is being evidenced by the number of demonstration, protests that we see every day in the streets.
So, in my opinion, the Government must come up with practical solution measures. Taking into consideration that Zimbabwe is the second richest country in Africa based on underground resources. We have platinum, gas and a lot more. We also have one of the most educated Ministers, Professor Jonathan Moyo, the twitter and our President who is the most educated in the world. So I do not see any reason why we have an educated Cabinet and a lot of underground resources, yet we are still poor. It shows that what is lacking is political will.
I think it is high time as Parliament, we do not consider whether you are ZANU PF or MDC but seriously look into Section 97 (2) paragraph D, which talks about the fitness of the President to continue. We should discuss that issue and put it as a motion. I am against some of my colleague MP’s who have been saying the President went on holiday while the county is burning, he should come back and address the issues – in my personal opinion, I differ. The President should actually stay in that holiday for a lifetime, he needs to rest, and he should spend most of his time with his family especially on the back ground of the reports that Bona is pregnant. So, the President might need to spend more time with his grandchildren [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order. Hon. Sithole, you should read your Standing Rules and Orders very carefully, you are not allowed to bring the name of the Head of State to disrepute-[HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- order, order, there is one Chair.
So, I am asking you to withdraw that statement.
HON. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I withdraw the statement that the President should rest. Thank you.
HON. K. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for affording me this opportunity to present my maiden speech to this august House –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Mutseyami, you also made a maiden speech here and nobody disrupted you and your colleague next door there who shall remain nameless. So please can you allow Hon. Sibanda to make his deliberations, which is going to be part of his maiden speech. Let us hear him.
HON. K. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. In this Third
Session of the Eighth Parliament, it is with utmost gratitude to the Nkulumane electorate for electing me as their representative in this National Assembly. As the Nkulumane Constituency, we mourn the loss of your colleague in Parliament, the late Hon. T. Mahlangu. In this regard, I request the people of Nkulumane and the nation to continue with the solidarity we have exhibited.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as the incoming Member of Parliament for Nkulumane Constituency, I have many fresh ideas to revive and replenish the aforementioned constituency in the face of the hard social economic conditions under my leadership. The constituency will lobby for matters that would be addressed as a matter of urgency, which include, but not limited to the following;
Industry – Mr. Speaker Sir, I will lobby for the resuscitation of
Bulawayo’s ailing industry and commerce, which will be achieved through the creation of sound investor-friendly conditions, which embraces the economic empowerment of indigenous Zimbabweans.
The scrapping of illegal sanctions and equitable sharing of
Government funds should contribute immensely in the restoration of Bulawayo’s la gloire as an industrial hub of the nation. Lending rates-
HON. BUNJIRA: On a point of order.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, there is a point of order.
HON. BUNJIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My point of order is that the Hon. Member is whispering and we cannot even hear him. I think it is a serious offence.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, you can only hear whispers if you are not listening and also making some noise. Please can you allow the Hon. Member to be heard in silence. Can you please speak up.
HON. K. SIBANDA: Lending rates by banks should be reviewed downwards as the current position frustrates business start-ups as demonstrated in the year 2015. The revitalization of Bulawayo industries as outlined in the ZIM ASSET should be given special attention as it is a prerequisite against brain drain, capacity underutilisation and growth prospects. The economy should align consumption with balance of payment where local procurement is preferred to imports. This will curb the influx of substantial goods and promote quality consumption. This is meant to protect local industry and products which in turn creates employment.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the future and the present lies with our young people who have unique ideas and exuberance. It is mandatory to empower our youths financially to enhance economic growth. This could be achieved by encouraging and funding entrepreneurial projects and training such as Empretec. Further, the setting up of a skills centre will also go a long way in helping our young people to attain self actualisation.
This kind of initiative has seen success in areas like Lobengula and Sizinda Vocational Training Centres. The need to support the ever growing informal sector can be addressed through proportional, equitable distribution of funding so as to capitalize business projects particularly for the current jobless and aspiring self-employed youths, women and all marginalised members of my constituency. The
objective will be to bring the informal sector into the mainstream economy so that youths will be able to benefit and be assured of financial independence.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I will lobby for the improvement and resuscitation of education in my constituency. To address the problems of distressed tertiary students who are subjected to constant disruption of further studies due to failure to pay school fees. I am advocating for the reintroduction of Government grants to cushion them from the current state of affairs.
For primary and secondary education, I am recommending the completion of Mncumbathi Secondary School in my constituency to alleviate the problem of overcrowding in surrounding schools. This will make the student-teacher ratio to be sustainable. There is also need to strike a balance between feeder schools and secondary schools.
There is need to lobby for science laboratories to be built in all secondary schools to ensure an effective scientific foundation and further studies at our local university – The National University of Science and Technology (NUST). The objective is to perpetrate the high literacy and numeracy rate of the nation. Furthermore, I propose inclusive education conditions where the disabled are able to learn under the same environment as their able-bodied peers. This will go a long way in overcoming societal stigma bedeviling most people with disabilities. Children who drop out of school, school leavers and those who have never been to school should be given opportunities to learn skills so that they also contribute to economic growth.
Mr. Speaker Sir, social welfare is an important aspect to breeding a sound and productive citizenry.
Water is a natural resource which is essential for human survival and socio-economic development. I will advocate for the constituency’s participation in water governance as provided by the 1998 Water Act. This will be done so that all those who are directly and indirectly affected by the crisis can contribute meaningfully by cash or otherwise towards the mitigation of water crisis.
It will be our priority to ensure that the Gwayi-Shangani pipeline to Bulawayo contributes to the improvement of food security and livelihood of Nkulumane residents. I appreciate the efforts made by the Government in the Mtshabezi water project despite the poor rains and dwindling water levels.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it is of utmost importance as a Member of Parliament to address the challenges faced by vulnerable groups such as widows, widowers, orphans and the disabled. I advocate for a welfare state, where the vulnerable and marginalised groups are provided with monthly stipends to cushion them against economic hardships. Mr.
Speaker Sir, in my constituency, approximately 5 150 households out of 14 500 live in abject poverty. This should be mitigated given the availability of resources.
Health and Safety
Mr. Speaker Sir, our societal set up has disintegrated, hence affecting our health system. One in every four teenage girls gets married annually resulting in young children born with no birth certificates.
Teenage pregnancy has deleterious effects on the health of the young mother and child. It disrupts physical, educational and psychological developments of parties involved hence; our health system in Nkulumane faces challenges in terms of capacity and resources. The health crisis and shortage of drugs, linen, equipment breakdown and inadequate staff can be addressed by encouraging private public partnership to solve the problem.
Housing
The Bulawayo City Council waiting list has been an eyesore. The general populace is not housed. If the stands are available, they are very exorbitant in price. We can seek well-wishers partnership with Government to service land for the purposes of building affordable houses. Instead of building detached houses, a move to build two storey flats which in turn will accommodate more people is ideal.
Electricity
The demand for electricity continues to grow, with less production of electricity comes with it load shedding which has impacted negatively to the society as electric gadgets are damaged, normal life is disturbed and burglary is given a chance.
There is need to embark on a massive go green strategy so as to alleviate the power shortage. Once more, strategic partners from the East should be sought in solving the problem. I would like to applaud the Government for importing 300 Megawatts of electricity from South Africa to its grid which has eased incessant power cuts. Also the refurbishment of existing power stations is greatly appreciated as it will further increase the capacity, so as recapitalisation of the Bulawayo Thermal Power Station by $87 million for retooling. Mr. Speaker, I rest my case.
HON. MUDYIWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to add a word in response to the motion moved by Hon. Mutomba. In response to the Presidential Address on the occasion of the Opening of the 3rd Session of this 8th Parliament, I will also give my maiden speech in this august
House. I would like to applaud His Excellency the President, Cde. R. G.
Mugabe for setting the Constitutional alignment pace by ushering a busy session legislative calendar.
I want to start by the forthcoming Bill to combine the War Veterans Act and Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Act into one Act to incorporate the War Collaborators. I have a particular interest on war collaborators whom I feel have not managed to get the support and cover they deserve, just like the war veterans. It is my hope that this new Bill will pave way for War Collaborators to get some appreciation since they played a very important role during the liberation struggle. Still on the same note, the construction of three Zimbabwe
Liberation War Memorial Hospitals in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls is a welcome development. I hope it will even assist the comrades and communities at large to receive quality medical care.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the National Code of Corporate Governance Bill to bolster the fight against corruption which will be brought for consideration before Parliament is critical. This was long overdue. The corrupt tendencies by some managers and board members experienced in the past resulted in the near collapse of parastatals like NRZ, Air Zimbabwe and GMB because there was no Code of Corporate
Governance. The mismanagement at PSMAS cannot be condoned at all as this led to gross shortchanging of members of the public and legal battles have been the most common news, and feature at parastatals even more than productivity news. The national Code of Corporate Governance will go a long way in bringing about sanity at these big institutions and resuscitation of our economic performance. Enacting of such a code will come as a welcome demonstration of political will in Zimbabwe to curb this scourge.
Allow me to comment on the Education Amendment Bill to align the Education Act of 2006 with the Constitution. The review of the
Primary and Secondary School curriculum is a welcome development. This will promote a sense of patriotism and nationalism among our children as the saying goes “catch them young”. The Ministry has done a great consultation job. It is my sincere expectation that what shall be brought before this august House will be a resemblance of what the population of Zimbabwe hereby represented, want. Zimbabwe needs to continue to invest in education, regain and maintain its status as the country with the highest literacy levels in Africa.
Moving on to the Local Authorities Bill to be introduced in Parliament during this session, it is my desire to see this law adequately addressing issues of dismissal or discipline of councilors, mayors and chairpersons of local authorities. These people are charged with service delivery and their conduct should be above board. We have witnessed service delivery and amenities going to the dogs over the last decade. The local authorities need to be put to bed as proper progressive governance takes its course.
I am glad that His Excellency, the President has maintained on his legislative schedule, the Public Health Bill and the enactment of a Regulatory Authority for Medical Aid Societies. The Public Health Act was done in the early 20th century. You would agree with me that a lot of diseases emerged as the population soared. Health is a dynamic field and it needs an Act that is current and relevant. As mentioned before, it is my strong desire to see this House passing an Act that will restore the health safety nets and havens that medical aid societies used to provide. I call upon the Minister responsible to ensure that this Bill finally comes to being since this is the 3rd time it is appearing on the legislative calendar, as far as I remember.
Allow me at this juncture Madam Speaker, to divert to my maiden speech and speak on issues from Mudzi District where I stem from. Let me begin by thanking people of Mudzi for choosing me to represent them in this august House until 2018 and below. - [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections]-
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA): Order, order!
Hon. Sibanda. Can the Hon. Member be heard in silence?
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Mudzi is one of
the least developed districts as compared to districts elsewhere. The district lags behind in almost every aspect of infrastructural development. Below are some of the issues which need urgent attention:
- Provision of clean water – Mudzi area is Natural Region 5,
and therefore very dry. The characteristics of the region are: annual rainfall of 450 to 650 mm, severe dry spells during the rainy season and frequent seasonal droughts. There are only six dams in the Constituency, most of which have reduced water capacity due to siltation. The District Development Fund (DDF), which is charged with the responsibility of maintaining our dams and road construction have got only one grader and nothing for dam scooping.
Some dams were pegged more than 30 years ago but have not been constructed to date. The provision of water in my Constituency is priority number one, as women walk up to 15 km to fetch water and do their washing. Livestock is equally affected and cattle are dying even during this summer season because all rivers dried up because very little was received. One can imagine what will happen from winter until the next summer season. Most of the boreholes have dried and more should be drilled in the area to alleviate water shortage. The ideal situation will be to drill a borehole in every village.
- Road Network – Madam Speaker, you would not want to drive
on the majority of the roads in the rural areas, particularly in my Constituency which are in bad shape. Most of these roads were last attended to more than 20 years ago. We have areas like Chimango, Chisvo, Bension Mine and Kachimana where the roads need grading and resurfacing. Some people in these areas have to endure as much as 20 km walking to the main road to access transport. The DDF whose responsibility is to maintain the roads has only one grader which is always parked due to lack of fuel. I call upon ZINARA and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to attend to these roads as a matter of priority, so that we have ZUPCO and other private buses plying the routes to ease transportation woes.
On the same note, a number of bridges in the area are dangerous to cross, particularly during the rainy season. These bridges need urgent attention, otherwise some areas will be inaccessible, come the heavy rains.
- Electrification/Computerisation – The President’s
Computerisation Programme is greatly applauded. However, most schools in my constituency have no computers yet, hence school children there cannot be compared to those who are computer literate.
This technological advancement cannot be realised without electricity.
We have quite a number of areas that are without electricity.
In some areas, we have electricity poles with cables that were fitted a long time ago but the project has been idle for over three years now. Some of the poles are falling down and need to be propped up so that electricity can be connected.
- Clinics - On health matters, there are very few clinics in the area and people walk for up to 20 km to access health facilities. The area is malaria infested, particularly during the summer season, hence the need for more clinics and satellite clinics need no emphasis at all. I understand we have a policy to have a clinic at least within 10 km of every household.
- Schools – There are only two ‘A’ Level schools in the whole Constituency, no Government school, no boarding school and no Vocational Training Centre (VCT). There is only one boarding school in Mudzi District, which means our school children have to look for ‘A’ Level places elsewhere outside the district. At one high school in Chifamba, ‘A’ Level students have to rent accommodation at the nearest growth point and in the surrounding villages. This is unacceptable, considering that these young boys and girls still need parental care, without which they end up indulging in unbecoming behaviour. Resultantly, there is poor performance academically and the region produces very few ‘A’ Level students for university qualification.
There is virtually no development at schools in my Constituency because the parents are failing to pay school fees for their children due to economic hardships. This is a real challenge. I therefore call for the revival of BEAM.
- Mobile Network - Coverage is very poor in areas like Masenda, where people have to climb up a tree to communicate on the cellphone. Cellphone handsets are now affordable but no network coverage. The three Mobile Network Service Providers should install more boosters in the area, that is Net One, Econet and Telecel.
- Identity Cards - Last but not least Madam Speaker, allow me to conclude my debate on an issue that is of great importance to every elected Hon. Member in this House. We have quite a number of people who do not vote because they do not have National Identity Cards… -
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. MUDYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. The process at Mudzi District Office is cumbersome and people should make a number of trips to get an ID Card. Considering the transport cost involved, many people abandon the process. The Registrar General’s office should not wait for general elections to sent mobile registration teams to rural areas. This should be an on-going exercise and should commence now. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam Speaker for allowing
me to debate for the first time this year, again the first time on the Presidential Speech since I came to Parliament. I am going to concentrate mainly on economic issues raised by the President in his Speech. I am going to critically look at the 10-Point Plan and other economic views that he shared with us in that particular speech.
In doing so Madam Speaker, I am going to try and paint the economic situation that is currently prevailing in the country. I am going to try and identify the problem that has brought us to this economic situation that we are facing as a country. I am also going to try and proffer solutions; maybe that might not be in tandem with the 10Point Plan and other views that were given by the President. I think it is important Madam Speaker that we indicate that Zimbabweans have economically suffered for too long. At times Zimbabweans begin to ask themselves about what it is that they have done to deserve such perpetual economic suffering for a number of uninterrupted decades –
[AN HON MEMBER: Sanctions!] –
Madam Speaker, I think it is important for us to stop the blame game in whatever we do as a country. It is high time that as a country we look at ourselves and introspect where we have gone wrong and where we need to take corrective measures. It is not by mistake Madam Speaker, that countries such as Ethiopia, Mozambique and Kenya are thriving economically. It is not by luck that they are thriving economically. They are thriving because there are deliberate policy decisions that are taken by the people and its leadership to ensure that they grow their economy; neither is it a mistake nor a misfortune that we find ourselves in the scenario that we are as a country. Similarly, the fact that the Republic of South Africa right now is facing serious economic volatility is not by mistake or misfortune. So, we will not develop because of luck as a country. We will not grow economically by luck as a country.
Before I proceed Madam Speaker, let me state that I had an opportunity to analyse the 10-Point Plan that was presented by the
President in this august House. My conclusion is that the plan is far away from being the panacea for economic growth in this country. It is such a weak plan that you cannot even grow the profit of a tuck shop if you use that kind of a plan. It is such a plan that even if you try to apply it to Alpha and Omega Dairy, it cannot get out of the current financial situation that it is facing.
What are the challenges that we are facing? Madam Speaker, I do not want to start somewhere far away from here. I want to start right here because charity begins at home. Madam Speaker, the economic situation of this country has seriously compromised the responsibilities and duties that Parliament is supposed to discharge. Let me explain why. The majority of Hon. Members that are here have become beggars and net borrowers – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - The majority of Members, we read in newspapers everyday that they are being sued for debts that they owe. The reason is that the majority of Members of Parliament are net borrowers and beggars and I will explain why I am saying so.
Since we were sworn-in in 2013 Madam Speaker, nobody in this House has ever received sitting allowances from Parliament. Madam Speaker, as a matter of right and not privilege, Members of Parliament are supposed to be given fuel so that they are able to go and service their constituencies. Right now as I speak, I am sure if there are Members of Parliament who are servicing adequately their constituencies, maybe they are those based in urban areas that are able to cycle within their constituencies and be able to see their members. Also, maybe those who were able to corruptly acquire wealth in this country during the time of looting spree that was taking place in this country but every other ordinary Member of Parliament is not able to adequately service their constituents.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Sibanda. I would
like you to focus on your debate and also make sure that you substantiate whatever you are alleging to other Members of Parliament that you claim have been acquiring their wealth through corruption. I want you to withdraw that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Order, order! I want you to withdraw that because you do not have the evidence.
HON. P.D SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I suggest that you make your judgement after I am done with my debate because I am actually going to justify and substantiate whatever I am saying. Whatever I am debating here is as factual as possible.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Do you have anything on
paper right now so that whatever you are alleging, you can submit it to the Hansard Department? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – If you do not have it, I want you to withdraw.
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, can I substantiate
corruption activities.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am saying you have
generalised that statement. If you do not have anything written on paper as evidence, I would want you to withdraw that.
HON. P.D SIBANDA: Let me substantiate that.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Are you challenging me?
HON. P.D SIBANDA: No, I am not challenging you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Can you please withdraw and
you can then continue with your debate. Withdraw your statement.
HON. P.D SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, can you allow me to
substantiate my statement.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Go ahead.
HON. P.D SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, if you want me to
substantiate on the issue of corruption that there are Members who could have acquired wealth corruptly in this country, I will refer you to basically two issues. Two or three years ago, the Anti-Corruption Commission of Zimbabwe had obtained warrants to go and search into offices of two members of Cabinet who are Members of Parliament on allegations that in that search they were going to confiscate material which was going to prove that they were involved in corruption. Those members of the Anti-Corruption Commission were barred from getting into the Ministers’ offices. They were also arrested and prosecuted for trying to prove corruption. Therefore, what I am saying is not farfetched.
Secondly Madam Speaker, it is only a few months ago when we heard that a Cabinet Minister improperly collected $100 000 from PSMAS. He claimed that he had returned that money when facts on the ground indicate that he did not return the $100 000 – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, in a very honest and patriotic manner, let us not try to hide corruption under the cover of
‘withdraw, withdraw’. We have to say things as they are – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This country has suffered for too long when a few are benefiting out of national resources of this country.
Madam Speaker, let me be honest and say these days I am very much ashamed to be addressed as honourable because there is nothing honourable about being a Member of Parliament any more. What is honourable when I have to go and beg for money in order for me to travel to my constituency because I do not have fuel? What is honourable about me if I have to go and borrow each and everyday for the love of going to see how my people are suffering in the constituency? What is honourable about that? Madam Speaker, this is a very clear indication that the economic situation in this country is not good and we need to go beyond the 10-Point Plan.
The situation does not only affect Members of Parliament. I can go to my colleagues, the Hon. Ministers. The majority of Ministers, especially those that were not able to loot are poor. They are poor Ministers as we speak. The majority of Cabinet Ministers that were not involved in any looting spree are poor Ministers. If you look at them, you can see their frustrated faces. They are hungry faces.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member! Sit
down. Hon. Sibanda, when you are presenting your facts, please try not to be too emotional about these things. Try not to use hard language when describing other Members of Parliament. Cabinet Ministers are also Members of Parliament. So, let us just respect each other in the
House please.
HON. P.D SIBANDA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Cabinet
Ministers are not very miserable but obviously they are poor. Madam Speaker, I am not speaking this from nowhere. I interact with Hon. Ministers; the majority of them are my colleagues, we are of the same age, G40 – [Laughter] – Not in terms of faction, but in terms of age.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! Let me warn
you for the last time. If you do not take this House seriously, I will not allow you to continue with this debate. Please withdraw your statement that you have recently said and concentrate on the facts of your presentation.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I am not sure exactly what you want me to withdraw? It is unfortunate that the term generation 40 has become associated with poisonous politics of
Zimbabwe, what I am...
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon Sibanda, stop defending
yourself and just withdraw what you said.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I withdraw Madam Speaker. What I was
trying to say is that my interaction with Hon. Ministers has actually shown that there is no business anymore that Hon. Ministers are doing because they do not have the resources. They are simply going to offices to sit and wait for salaries which might not even come. That is how the situation is in the country. Soldiers - I am not talking about the foot soldiers, the privates and so on, I am talking of generals. They are not happy; they are complaining that the economic situation is not good. The Justice system and its personnel are complaining and businesses have folded - that is the current situation. I cannot talk about the common person who is down there in Binga, who is down there in Ngezi. People are suffering and we need to seriously look into how we can grow this economy.
Then the question becomes what is the problem? Why has our economic situation deteriorated to this level? Some will blame Hon. Chinamasa as Minister of Finance and Economic Development but I think that is not correct, we cannot blame him; he has done his best under the circumstances. We cannot blame Hon. Chinamasa, he is a saint, he is a good person, and he has tried his best to save his country.
So, where is the problem?
Madam Speaker, a country just like a company has got a Chief Executive Officer, and the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer of a company is to ensure that he adds value to the investment of the shareholders and if they fail to do that they are fired. In this country the Chief Executive Officer is His Excellency, the Commander in Chief, the Chancellor of all Universities. You can say all the titles that you want to say but he is the Chief Executive Officer of Zimbabwe, and the entire responsibility to ensure that the economic welfare of the people of Zimbabwe is improved lies solely on his shoulders. If things are not ticking, it is his blame. The bark stops with him.
He is the one who appoints Cabinet Ministers, some who are not performing. Some of the Cabinet Ministers are non-performers. If we were going to access them on a point of 10, most of them fall far much below 5. Actually, I am told some Cabinet Ministers are already sleeping – [Laughter] – He is the one who fails to take action when corruption thrives. Up to now the Chief Executive of Zimbabwe has not explained to Zimbabweans where the over $2bn worth of diamonds that came out of Marange went to and he is silent about that, for him everything is okay. He is the one who has been consistently presiding over inconsistent policies, policies that are disastrous to economic growth. He has done that constantly, so he is...
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Sibanda.
According to Standing Order Rule No. 93 (1), Section B, the use of the name of the President irrelevantly in debates or for the purpose of influencing the House in its deliberations – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I repeat do not unnecessarily use the name of the President in your presentation in order to influence the debate in the
House. This is now allowed.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I have not used the name of the
President; I have mentioned the Office of the President. He is the Chief Executive Officer of this country and he is the one that submitted this speech that I am debating today.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Sibanda. I will
not allow you to continue doing that, trying to pretend as if the Office of the President is not the President – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]- You are talking about the current President and you are not allowed to use his name to influence the debate. Just go to your debate and talk about the economy of the country.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker...
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON MUNENGAMI: Madam Speaker, I find it hard that we debate a speech that was presented by the President in this House and do not talk about the President. So, what it means is that the speech that was presented by the President must not be debated because we cannot avoid talking about the President because he is the one who delivered it. I think the hon. member is within his rights to talk about the President and actually he must mention the President by name because we have one President in this country. I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I...
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, hon. member your time is up – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There is no more point of
order! His time is up!
HON. MUNENGAMI: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUNENGAMI: Yes I rise Madam Speaker to extent the time the Hon. Member is debating. Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Is there any objection?
HON. D. TSHUMA: I object Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Order! Is there any
objection?
HON. D. TSHUMA: Point of order Madam Speaker. I have been given the floor. Sit down! I have been given the floor!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Order! -[HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
HON. D. TSHUMA: You do not have the floor you sit down!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Everyone sit down! Hon. Member sit down! Order! Hon. Sibanda sit down! Hon. Sibanda sit down! Order! Order Hon. Members! Can you behave yourself? This is not a beer hall! Order! Sit down. Hon. Members from my right side and my left side can you please maintain order in the House! This is not a shabbeen or a beer hall! Order!
Firstly, I am addressing the first order that was given and after that I will address the second order. I am still addressing the first order that was raised by Hon. Munengami. I said is there any objection and I recognised Hon. Tshuma.
HON. D. TSHUMA: Thank you Madam Speaker for your
protection..
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. D. TSHUMA: Yes I object to the extension of his time.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Order. I am doing the
procedures of Parliament. I will raise your order later on. Hon. Sibanda Order! Hon. Sibanda I said I am still addressing the first order. After I am done with it I will take the next order.
In terms of the Standing Orders I do hereby divide the House. Order Hon. Members. The amended Standing Orders state that the fact that there is an objection by a Member of Parliament means that command is final. So, is there any further debate?
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Do not tell me rubbish! Point of order!
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I cannot allow him to have a
point of order because he was the one debating.
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I think you are abusing your powers.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, in a very honest
observation this is our country in which all the leaders that are here are chosen in order to protect the interest of the generality of the 15 million Zimbabweans. While I was debating you interrupted me several times and you did not take that opportunity - [inaudible interjections]- madam Speaker you interrupted me several times and that time of your interruption I am sure was taken into consideration. My point of view
Madam Speaker is that …
HON. ZWIZWAI: On a point of order.
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Your ruling is going to stifle my right to debate as a Member of Parliament. I just want to indicate Madam
Speaker that you are wrongly interfering into my right to debate as a
Member of Parliament. I had not done the twenty minutes or 30 minutes that is required. You spent almost half of that period of time that was meant to be mine, interrupting me.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members from the right
side and from the left side. This is the last time I am going to give these warnings. I am going to take action. Thank you Hon. Sibanda we have heard your point of order.
HON. ZWIZWAI: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! I will not entertain any
other point of order.
HON. ZWIZWAI: I did not recognise you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members! Order
Hon. Members, Hon. Sibanda. Do not force me to take the hard action because I will do that. Order! Hon. Members!
HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker
the issue that I want to raise is a small issue. If you look at our clock there it has two lights before the Clerks at the Table there is one that is darker red light and an orange light. So those lights reflect the time that the Hon. Member has and the red light indicates that his time has elapsed. So what happened is that no light went on. We knew we were in the middle of addressing the one who was debating. So for that reason we would want to go back to what the law says that if it has not reflected the members should be given time. This does not need us to go and seek the services of a witch doctor. There is nothing that you can tell us Hon. Mupfumi. Some of you Hon. Members have very little portfolios and you cannot come here and tell us some of these issues. May be Hon. Zhuwao, if he speaks we can listen to him because he visits the State House more often than any other. Thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members from my right
side and my left side, please behave like Hon. Members in this House. I have heard what Hon. Zwizwai has raised and what I want to say is that the clock that you are talking about reflected. Whoever says “ah-h” this time, I will request the Serjeant-at-Arms to escort you out of the House.
So, this issue shall be laid to rest.
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Firstly, I would like to congratulate our President and Commander-in-Chief of the
Defence Forces for the speech that he delivered here in Parliament. Firstly, I would want to talk about land. The President of the country is a very good leader in the whole of Africa. We are now complaining that our economy is not performing well but this is because of the whites. If we look at our own country we have to unite and assist each other especially for us Members of Parliament, we must support the
President’s Ten-Point Plan.
Madam Speaker, when I look at some people who come to play here in Parliament, I wish it was during the war. These people should be made to run so that they jump out of the windows. We should be representing people out there. We are not here to discriminate each other. We must be here to see how we can remove sanctions and improve the economy of our country. Yes, the President of this country gave us farms but there are some people who said they did not want farms. Those are the people who are coming to disturb us on our farms.
Why did they not go to Britain because they support whites?
Madam Speaker, it is painful because we know the truth but we are trying to evade it. We, as women know that even if a man gets money, he can go and drink beer with all the money but us as women, we know that the family has to be fed. Everything has to start with a woman because the woman is the one who is worried about what happens in the home. When it comes to education, the President gave us computers all over. He did not discriminate according to parties when he distributed those computers. Our education system has improved more than any other country. He is an elderly person and he has a vision.
Madam Speaker, people fought for this country and I am saying that the President should have many more years to live. Some say a woman is not good at times because she is there to cause disharmony amongst the people but there is a woman who comes to Parliament and she is worried about the economy. We should unite as women and not look at which party one comes from. We should unite and not discriminate against each because we all have the same ancestors. We do not have white ancestors. We are not here to play. If you want to play, why do you not just go home and play.
I am still on the Ten Point Plan that was mentioned by the President of this country. Yes, you can check how many schools we have in this country. During the whites’ rule there were no secondary schools. We did not have many schools but now children are attending school. We do not have money in this country, yes because of the sanctions that were imposed on us. My request is that we should unite as children of Zimbabwe. We should not discriminate each other according to political parties.
When it comes to health issues, the President of the country spoke about health. He does not want corruption. He is not corrupt and he does not want corruption. During the Inclusive Government, why did you not sort it out when you were in office? Why did you not sort it out? My plea is that we should unite and let us look at what the President wants.
Let us unite in the face of the crippling drought because the President is saying we should all eat. He is not discriminating. He is not saying that food is not for the Opposition. Madam Speaker, let us unite as blacks.
I come from Matabeleland South and when the President came, we received maize. Yes, it was not enough because of sanctions but let us sort out the issue of sanctions. Let us unite and declare that these sanctions must go. We must speak the same language that “sanctions must go”. We should not wait for the British to come and rule us. How many times are they going to rule us? No British is going to rule us in this country. We have our own President. Even if he is old and has to use a walking stick, he will still rule us. When he left his chairmanship of the AU, I heard that they elected him as a rapporteur. I do not know, if ancestors were to come out, are they going to speak in English? We are not here to destroy each other. We are here to plead that we unite. We should know why we are here.
The President spoke about the issue of war veterans. The issue of war veterans is a serious issue. The President of this country is saying that people should unite. War veterans, war collaborators and everyone fought for this country. War veterans would not have just fought on their own without people cooking for them. Women too, were cooking for them and offering them shelter. For those who support whites then I should say that you should not worry about them because they are always there to betray others. There is Lucifer and Jesus was also betrayed, so we should accept that. We should note that there is Lucifer up there. We want peace in Zimbabwe. The President of this country talks about war veterans and if a war veteran dies and is not given a decent burial, then it means that he did not join the War Veterans Association because they do not want to contribute $20. There are some who do not want to make those contributions. Why is it that they do not want to make their contributions and get decent burials?
We know that there are sell-outs who do not want to unite with others. I am saying the President should rule this country whether you like it or not. Let us look at his past achievements, ZANU PF has achieved a lot in this country. We may deny it yet we know ZANU PF achieved a lot and the whites failed. The whites came to this country and took our gold after misleading our ancestors but now let us look at the land reform. When they came, they took our money and bought tractors for their grandparents.
Madam Speaker, when these whites came in …
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon.
Member speaking.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. member, I think
it is high time you should understand the rules and procedures of the House. You are not supposed to disturb the vision between the Chair and the person who is debating. You may continue hon. member.
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker, during the
Land Reform Programme, the whites came in and took money that they got from our mines and bought tractors and machinery for themselves. Now, when the President says we should take over the farms, they are complaining. Yes, we now have farms but we do not have implements just like what the whites used to have. Even those from the opposition should also get farms because we are not discriminating.
Madam Speaker, I love everyone. I am saying that they should get farms even though they are getting double payments. They are paid at Parliament and also get paid elsewhere – how about us from ZANU PF who only get paid once? So, where else are we going to get money from? We also need implements and we are working very hard. We go into the fields and use hoes for ploughing and someone will be following putting the seed down.
We are better off because we drive Ford Rangers and other latest models but some people died during the liberation struggle. There is no one who does not have a relative who died during the liberation struggle, even those from the opposition have relatives who were killed by the whites but they seem to have forgotten because it is now like a soccer match. Now, those from the opposition are now saying they have forgotten about the blood of their late relatives who perished during the liberation struggle.
These sanctions must go and the President is going to rule this country forever, whether you like it or not. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. RUNGANI: Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. DZIVA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 10th February, 2016.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. RUNGANI: Madam Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 4 to 20 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 21 has been disposed of.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT
Twenty-first Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Pan African Parliament Session held in Midrand, South
Africa, from the 4th to 18th October, 2015.
Question again proposed.
HON. A. MNANGANGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I rise to thank Hon. Members who supported the Pan African Parliament
Report that I tabled before this august House late last year. Particularly, my mention goes to Hon. Mashakada; Hon. Mpariwa; Hon. Chasi and Hon. Mapiki for the sound contributions they made in support of my report. I also thank our Zimbabwe delegation and would like to mention that we worked as a team and in harmony during these sessions.
I, therefore, move the Motion that this House takes note of the Report of the Pan -African Parliament Session held in Midrand, South
Africa, from 4th to 18th October 2015.
Motion put and adopted.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. RUNGANI: Madam Speaker I move that we revert to
Order of the Day Number 18 on today’s Order Paper.
HON. DZIVA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
AFFAIRS OF THE PREMIER SERVICE MEDICAL AID
SOCIETY
Eighteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on alleged maladministration of Premier Medical Aid Society and call for their prosecution.
Question again proposed.
HON. MPARIWA: Let me thank Hon. Cross for bringing a motion to the House pertaining to Premier Medical Aid Society. I know Hon. Speaker that a lot was said during the debate by Hon. Members pertaining to this particular motion in terms of the report and what was coming out in the media and everywhere else. I stand to support the facts that were raised by Hon. Members during debate.
You may recall that this is one of the biggest medical societies in Zimbabwe to which all the civil servants actually belong to. A lot of money has been invested in this particular institution. When you cannot account for any cent, be it $50, the nation shakes because it is to do with public funds. As the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, I also stand to support the motion in terms of the problems/ issues that were raised and the concerns from the public.
Can you imagine Hon. Speaker that members of the public can no longer access medical assistance in terms of them being members of the public medical aid? In some hospitals or service providers, you will find that a whole range of medical aid societies are accepted and they write it clearly on the notice board but not PSMAS, when actually you are a member contributing and deductions are done, and no service is provided. You know Hon. Speaker that civil servants are one of those that are lowly paid members of the society. When you have been contributing in terms of getting health assistance and you cannot get it, but on your pay slip deduction is made, then it is a problem.
I wish the House could adopt this motion in terms of those facts that were raised by others and also what I am saying. One appeal that I have stood up to appeal for is the availability of the forensic audit report that was done on this particular institution so that it is availed to
Parliament so that every member gets a copy and we walk through the report to see how much damage was done to this particular institution. At the end of the day, this institution belongs to the members and not the executive of that particular institution. Having said that Madam Speaker, I wish to appeal to members of this august House to adopt this particular motion. Thank you.
HON. CROSS: Madam Speaker, I rise to thank members for their contribution to this debate and for the support across the House which I received in support of this particular motion. In summing up, I just want to emphasise to members the significance of this particular matter.
The total sum of money which we are looking at which was misappropriated during the last five years was $120 million. That is equivalent to five years of the budget of Parliament. The salary drawn by the Chief Executive Officer, Mr Dube in his last year of service before he was dismissed from the position would have paid the salaries of every single Member of Parliament of this House. Every single Member of
Parliament could have been paid just from the salary of one individual. In fact, six executives over a period of five years drew a total of salaries and allowances worth $64 million. The official salaries over the same period of time were $2, 9 million, which means they drew unlawfully $61 million from the resources of the society equivalent to 95% of the amount which was paid to them as individuals.
In addition to this, they were drawing salaries, not only from the society but also from the investment wing and in certain cases, from the subsidiary in Zambia. In addition to that, the majority of these extraordinary payments were either authorised by the Chief Executive Officer or by the board. In fact, where authority was given, the auditors could only find authority given by particular Chairpersons.
Allowances worth $24 million over five years were paid to 16 staff including a secretary and driver to Mr. Dube. These allowances covered the following elements; educational, board, special, housing, DStv, fuel, groceries and acting allowances, and quarterly benefits. Only 17% of these allowances were taxed. The balance was not taxed and society incurred another $9, 5 million in taxes on these allowances. That means over a five year period, those 16 individuals benefitted to the extent of $34 million.
Madam Speaker, the budget for this House this year is $20 million and here are allowances for these ridiculous issues being paid to these individuals. In addition, the holiday allowances paid to Mr. Dube and his family totaled $6 000 per day or $539 000 in three years. In addition, he drew cash loans worth $350 000. He drew travel and subsistence allowances worth $3, 2 million. None of these payments passed through the payroll. In other words, they were not taxed.
Madam Speaker, one of the trips which were covered by this subsistence and travel allowance was a private trip to Nigeria to see the Prophet T.B. Joshua. Payments were also made for relatives, including his son-in-law and his daughter to go on holiday. $22 million was spent on land, buildings and motor vehicles all of which with inadequate documentation and records. This includes a house for the Chief
Executive Officer at a cost of a million dollars.
The report reveals two transactions involving Hon. Muchinguri of the purchase of a vehicle for $60 000 and a plot of land for $45 000 without any valuations or board approval. In addition to this, the report states that $3,8 million was paid to “high profile individuals (politicians, legislators and Government officials)” who have not been named.
Madam Speaker, the reason why I list these things is because this is a very complex and serious matter. What I have done is to add to the motion, a rider which I am debating to day. The rider is that this matter should now be referred by this House to the Committee on Health which should be instructed by the House today to call each of these individuals to the House for Public Hearings. This should include the entire board on which there are seven permanent secretaries, some of whom are extremely prominent civil servants. It should include all former senior staff and those individuals who are named in that audit report as being beneficiaries of this maladministration payment, and that should include the Minister of Health and Child Care.
I am hoping then that once we have done Public Hearings and investigated these matters, we will then come back to the House with a full report and recommendation for action. I think the House has the responsibility to follow. Madam Speaker, I recommend this motion to this House that:
DISTURBED by the recent revelations disclosed by a forensic audit conducted into the affairs of the Premier Medical Aid Society;
ALARMED that many millions of subscribers’ funds have been used to pay senior staff massive salaries and other benefits;
WORRIED that this occurred at a time when the Society was failing to pay service providers and other creditors on time; FURTHER WORRIED that the Society’s members were unable inter alia to access medical services, get treatment and purchase drugs;
CONCERNED that among those affected were civil servants who already suffer from the inability of the State to pay reasonable salaries and other emoluments:
NOW, THEREFORE, this House calls upon the Executive to-
- immediately set in motion processes for the prosecution of all those who benefitted from this scandal;
- take remedial action to recover the funds that were paid to those individuals who were unjustly enriched;
- investigate the role of the board of the Society that was in charge of the affairs of the society at the time of this abuse of funds and if found culpable, that prosecution be extended to former Board
Members; and
- review present remuneration policies of the Society and bring them in line with current Government policy.
Motion put and adopted.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. RUNGANI: Madam Speaker, I move that we now revert back to Order of the Day, Number 5.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE FIRST REPORT OF THE
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE CAUSES OF
ROAD CARNAGE ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, I would ask the Administration of Parliament to go on power point for my presentation on road carnage.
I will present the First Portfolio Committee Report....
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nduna, I think your
motion is that we reinstate the motion on the Order Paper. Is it not so?
You are not going into detail but reinstating the motion on the Order
Paper.
HON. NDUNA: I think we have passed that stage.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, it was not passed. It was
still being debated because we have to pass it here. It is in our papers.
HON. NDUNA: I move that the motion on the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development on the causes of road carnage, which was superseded by the end of the
Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, be restored on the Order
Paper in terms of Standing Order No. 152 (1).
HON. RUNGANI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE NATIONAL
RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: I move that the motion on the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development on the Operations of the National Railways of Zimbabwe, which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, be restored on the Order Paper in terms of Standing Order No. 152 (1).
HON. SINDI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE MOTION ON MINERAL EXPLORATION
ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: I move that the motion on Mineral Exploration which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament be restored on the Order Paper in terms of Standing Order No. 152(1).
Madam Speaker, I need to wind up this motion and be responded to by the relevant Minister in the Executive.
HON. CROSS: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE MOTION ON THE HARMONISATION OF
THE LAND ACT AND THE MINES ACT ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: I move that the motion on the Harmonisation of the Land Act and the Mines Act, which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament, be restored on the Order Paper in terms of Standing Order No. 152(1). Madam Speaker, I need the two Ministers in the Executive to come and respond on the harmonisation of Land Act and the Minerals Act, so that we can know that our people on the ground are not being disenfranchised because of the two Acts not speaking to each other.
HON. J. TSHUMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE MOTION ON WAR SHRINES ON THE
ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: Mr. Speaker, I move that the motion on War
Shrines which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the
Eighth Parliament be restored on the Order Paper in terms of Standing
Order No. 152 (1). This will give an opportunity to the Minister of War Veterans and War Collaborators to come into this House and respond on the condition, restoration and upkeep of the war shrines both in
Zimbabwe and outside the boarders of this nation.
HON. MPALA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE MOTION ON THE FIRST REPORT OF
THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS ON THE ORDER PAPER
HON. NDUNA: I move that the motion on the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which was superseded by the end of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament be restored on the Order Paper in terms of Standing Order
No. 152 (1).
HON. MPALA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. MATUKE: I move that Order of the Day, Number 10 be
stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES ON THE
ATTEMPTED JAIL BREAK FROM CHIKURUBI MAXIMUM
PRISON
HON. MATUKE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 9th February, 2016.
On the motion of HON. MATUKE seconded by HON. D.
SIBANDA, the House adjourned at Eighteen Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 4th February, 2016
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
CHANGES TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
THE HON. SPEAKER: Before I make the following announcements to the changes to Committee membership, I want to appeal to hon. members through their Chief Whips to stick to their Committees. We shall not allow in future, except for new members, where hon. members would want to change Committees each time we resume sitting. That is an affront to continuity in Committee work.
Having said that, Hon. Killian Sibanda, our new member, will serve on the Portfolio Committees on Budget and Finance as well as Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality; Hon. Mlilo will now serve on the Portfolio Committee on Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development; Hon. Mukupe will move from the Public Accounts Committee to serve on the Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce and Hon. A. Mnangagwa will move from the Portfolio
Committee on Women Affairs to serve on the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality.
PETITIONS FROM CONCERNED GROUPS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that on the 29th September 2015, I received a petition from the Women Alliance of Business Associations of Zimbabwe (WABAZ) imploring Parliament to urgently review the country’s mining legal frameworks and assess the level of under-representation of women in various mining boards.
On 8th October, 2015, I also received a petition from the Electoral Resource Centre imploring Parliament to ensure that the Executive aligns The Zimbabwe Electoral Act to the Constitution.
The two petitions have been referred to the Portfolio Committees on Mines and Energy and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs respectively in terms of Standing Order No. 183 of the National Assembly Standing Rules and Orders.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, with the leave
of the House, I move that the notice of presentation of Bill on the Order Paper for today, be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
– [HON. MUTSEYAMI: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Mutseyami, we all learn everyday.
SECOND READING
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY BILL [H.
- 12, 2015]
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am honoured to present the National Defence
University Bill that is aimed at transforming the now operational
National Defence College into a full-fledged National Defence University to this august House for the Second Reading stage.
Mr. Speaker Sir, national defence universities wherever you find them, are institutions of higher learning that specialize in professional military training and development of national security strategy. By their nature, national defence universities are not ordinary State universities but are hybrids of military and civilian institutions of higher learning as well as Government specialised agencies on issues of defence and security.
For purposes of clarity, Mr. Speaker…
HON. MUDEREDZWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
We stand to be guided, on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on
Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services, we were requesting that the debate on this Bill be deferred so that we are given ample time to carry out consultations as a Portfolio Committee. Mr. Speaker Sir, the Bill was introduced towards the end of last year and we were not given the opportunity to carryout public hearings and consultations. So, we are requesting the Hon. Minister to defer debate on the Bill so that we are given ample time to carry out consultations. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Muderedzwa, the Chairperson of
the Portfolio Committee, your point of order is taken except that the
Chair will allow the Minister to present the Second Reading stage of the
Bill and he will ask for the adjournment of debate to allow the Committee to proceed accordingly.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):
Thank you Mr. Speaker. This is just the Second Reading; it is not the
Committee Stage. Therefore, the Hon. Members, after this Second Reading, can proceed to do all the research that they want to do and come back to debate the Bill.
For purposes of clarity Mr. Speaker, the Constitution of Zimbabwe mandates the Defence Forces to protect and safeguard Zimbabwe its people, its security, its interests as well as its territorial integrity. This function takes into cognizance the widened scope of contemporary defence and security, which in itself, is multi-dimensional and multisectoral. In this regard, Mr. Speaker, the Zimbabwe National Defence University is envisaged to be a national strategic analysis and advisory centre that generates solutions to contemporary and diverse national security challenges that Zimbabwe may face at any given time through the provision of platforms for shared participation by the military, civilian and private sector players.
Mr. Speaker Sir, over the last decade, Zimbabwe has been threatened by the European Union and USA’s illegal economic sanctions and political interference that in turn have necessitated the establishment of an institution with the capacity to analyse national problems and develop a capable human capital base of experts, leaders and professionals as well as innovate and develop newer technologies that protect Zimbabwe, its people and interests.
The establishment of a National Defence University Mr. Speaker, is not in any way Zimbabwe’s own invention as this is an international trend that is evidenced by the availability of numerous examples of such universities globally. A distinguishing feature of all national defence universities, Mr. Speaker, is that they are established as military institutions with civilian and military staff complements but wholly administered by the military.
Examples of defence universities that quickly come to mind Mr.
Speaker, include the National Defence University of the United States of
America wholly administered by the United States Department of Defence, the National Defence University of China, which is administered by the Central Military Commission, the National Defence
University of Pakistan, which is administered by the Ministry of
Defence supported by the Higher Education Commission and the
Uganda University of Military Science and Technology administered by the Ministry of Defence. This aptly explains why the proposed
Zimbabwe National Defence University is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Defence and should remain under the ambit of the Ministry of Defence.
Mr. Speaker, in compliance with the national legislative requirements of the country, the Zimbabwe National Defence University
Bill, having been presented to this august House for the First Reading on
16 December, 2015, is hereby presented again today for the Second
Reading stage with particular emphasis on the Ministry of Defence’s administrative responsibility over this critical institution of higher and specialized learning and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education,
Science and Technology Development’s regulative responsibility of its academic programmes.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Zimbabwe National Defence University has five very important objectives which are to:
- be the national strategic analysis and advisory institution and a premier institution of higher learning for defence and security that fosters the achievement of national interest objectives through government ministries, departments and institutions;
- provide higher education and training in national policy and strategy formulation for military and civilian leaders to better address national and international security challenges;
- nurture and preserve the spirit of unity and patriotism in pursuit of sustainable moral, social and economic growth of the nation of
Zimbabwe;
- inculcate excellence in research, innovation, geopolitical economies, training and leadership developments; and
- input into the Zimbabwe National Security Council outcomes of research on issues of national defence and security;
In outline Mr. Speaker Sir, this is the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill presented to this august House for consideration, deliberation and subsequent adoption. Mazvinzwaka and munoda kutomboenda for military training kuti muve nediscipline pachikona apo – [Laughter] – Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: Mr. Speaker, we humbly request that
we be given three weeks to make consultations before this Bill is debated.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The request is accepted.
THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. DR. SEKERAMAYI):
I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th February, 2016.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
GENERAL LAWS AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 2A, 2015]
Amendments in Parts I, VI, XX, CIX, CXII, CXIII, CXIV, CXV, CXVI, CXVII and CXVIII put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
GENERAL LAWS AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 2A, 2015]
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL
AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGANGWA): 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
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGANGWA): Mr. Speaker, I move that the Order of the Day Number 3, be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(HON. DR. GANDAWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th February, 2016.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY
EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GANDAWA): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 14 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 15 has been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed.
HON. CROSS: On a point of order Mr. Speaker, we have got two objections to deferment.
THE HON. SPEAKER: My apologies, I did notice them.
HON. CROSS. On my side Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a statement on Order Number 5 on the national food and water situation.
HON. LABODE: Hon. Speaker, on Order Number 6, it is a report from the Committee that is part of the global reports….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Dr. Labode, the Chair did not recognise you. Let me deal with Hon. Cross.
HON. CROSS: I want to debate on Order Number 5.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, please go ahead.
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE
PRESIDENT
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. CROSS: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this
opportunity this afternoon. I want to draw the attention of the House to the circumstances which have changed since the President gave His State of the Nation to us. This is because I see an emergency situation as a result of the drought conditions which prevail in the country at this time and in fact throughout the region.
I want to bring to the attention of the House the situation regarding maize supplies, water supplies and the issue of livestock. Mr. Speaker Sir, on the 15th December, 2015, the Grain Marketing Board had in its stocks 150 000 tonnes of maize and they are distributing this stock at a rate of 10 000 to 15 000 tonnes per month, largely on a welfare basis to affected families in drought stricken areas. The private sector held on the 15th January, 2016, 119 000 tonnes. The total stock in transit on the same day was 90 000 tonnes largely in the form of maize from Argentina and Zambia. This gave us as total stock holding at the middle of January 2016 of 359 000 tonnes, which is two months supply at our domestic demand of 150 000 tonnes per month. If we assume the Grain Marketing Board stocks are used at the rate of 10 000 tonnes a month which is 200 000 bags a month, largely for the purposes of welfare, then stocks at the GMB cannot be considered as part of the commercial stock holding for the country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in addition to this situation, the United States and United Kingdom have both contributed to a special fund of US$100 million which is going to be used for income support for rural families. My understanding is that this is going to cover 300 000 families at the rate of US$35 per month for the next ten months. This suggests to me that the first point which we have to consider is that the welfare needs of about 500 000 families have been largely accommodated at this moment in time. This leaves in the rural areas about 200 000 families who are not covered by these welfare disbursements. The balance is 140 000 tonnes a month of maize that we require for domestic consumption.
Mr. Speaker, we convened a meeting of producers in the middle of
January and their estimate of the national crop this year was given at 200 000 tonnes. This suggest that if we allocate that on a monthly basis throughout the rest of the year there will be a supply of about 20 000 tonnes to local markets on a monthly basis. This leaves us with a demand for a 120 000 a month as a direct import requirement with immediate effect. That means we have to look at where this maize can come from and what is the logistics situation?
Mr. Speaker, the situation is extremely worrying, the total capacity of Beira at this moment in time is 20 000 tonnes week. The total capacity therefore, on a monthly basis is 86 000 tonnes. And if we can only get 86 000 tonnes a month through Beira, it leaves us with the shortfall of 40 000 tonnes a month which has to come from other places.
The other sources would be either Zambia or South Africa. Zambia is expecting a maize crop of roughly 2 million tonnes this year. Above Lusaka they have received fairly normal rains and below Lusaka, particularly the Southern area, the rains have been inadequate and the crop will be affected by drought.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in addition to that, Zambia is holding approximately 400 000 tonnes of maize in stock and they should therefore be able to meet the majority of their own requirements. Their dilemma as a country is whether to concede continuing to export from their own stocks to places like Zimbabwe or whether to suspend exports and leave us to our own devices. At the present moment in time, the Zambian Food Reserve Agency is limiting exports from their own stocks and the total capacity logistically, of taking maize from Zambia is about
40 000 tonnes a month. If we are therefore able to secure maize from Zambia we should be able to accommodate our domestic needs, providing we can bring sufficient maize through Beira.
We now have to look at the South African situation, Mr. Speaker because this has a direct impact on the regional situation for all maize importing countries. These would be Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of
Congo. All of these countries use the same infrastructure – the ports and the railway system of Southern Africa. At this moment in time, the latest estimate is that South Africa will have to import 7 000 000 tonnes of maize in the next 12 months. Mr. Speaker, that is 500 000 tonnes a month. The total combined capacity of South African ports at this moment is 4 000 000 tonnes a year, which means all South African ports are going to be operating at capacity just dealing with South Africa’s own requirements and the requirements of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi are simply not going to be able to be accommodated at South African ports.
Just to give members some idea of the total magnitude of the problem and this is very serious Mr. Speaker Sir; the total needs of
Southern Africa over the next 18 months is going to be 22 000 000 tonnes of grain. That is about 4 000 000 tonnes of wheat and the balance, 18 000 000 tonnes of maize; that is 1 200 000 tonnes of imports a month; that is 150 ships at sea at any one point in time. It is 40 000 railway wagons employed on the movement; it is 1200 locomotives and this is on top of all the other demands which are currently being made in Southern Africa. The total capacity of Beira Port is 1.5 million tonnes a year. The total capacity of Maputo is 500 000 tonnes as they do not have any bulk import facilities in Maputo. The capacity of South African Ports is 4 000 000 tonnes a year. That is 6 000 000 tonnes which you have got to put against the total import demand of 22 000 000 tonnes.
Mr. Speaker, this means that unless some kind of emergency arrangements are made for the coordination of imports and the prioritisation of import activity, railway movements, port activities and the arrival of ships; if this is not synchronised on a regional basis there is a very real possibility that individual countries will not be able to meet the domestic demands for maize in their own markets and the worst affected country in the region is Zimbabwe. We are going to have to import 2 400 000 tonnes of maize and wheat in the next 18 months. I say 18 months because it will be 18 months before there is any new crop in Zimbabwe derived from this coming season.
This means, Mr. Speaker Sir, that Zimbabwe is in a very precarious position. We are in a position today and this is the first time in my life that I have ever seen this situation, where we could physically run out of maize. I do not need to tell you the consequences; every
Zimbabwean knows we have not eaten if we have not eaten mealie meal. We have mealie meal on a daily basis. It is our primary staple food. If that product is not available on a ready basis throughout the country at any moment in time it will trigger social unrest on a massive scale. I think we have to take cognisance of this and recognise that an emergency situation exists.
I would like to suggest that as soon as possible, we approach
SADC and we ask the SADC Secretariat to set up a working group in
Gaborone to monitor the situation in the region to coordinate shipping, railway activity and procurement. Mr. Speaker, 22 000 000 tonnes of grain is not an insignificant volume on the international market. The other day we, in Zimbabwe, were offered 500 000 tonnes of white GMO free maize from the Ukraine. We expressed an interest in buying it because we now have a line of credit. Before we could buy that maize India moved in and bought the entire stock.
Mr. Speaker, we have to move on these matters. It takes three months to ship maize from Argentina or the USA to Zimbabwe. The other aspect of this is going to be the increase in the price. The other day I bought for my constituency one tonne of maize meal and I paid US$3.95 for a 10kg bag. The price of mealie meal in South Africa has doubled. It is going to increase dramatically here and this is going to have a serious impact on poor families throughout the country.
I would like now, just to deal with the water situation. I know the Minister responsible has made a statement on this matter, but I did not believe she briefed this House sufficiently on the urgency of the matter. The situation is that Gweru has four months water left in its dams. Let me just reiterate that Gweru, the third largest city in the country, has four months water in its dams. In Bulawayo we have already decommissioned one dam. We are preparing to decommission a second. So, out of the six dams in Bulawayo a third will be decommissioned before May.
Mr. Speaker, the problem in Bulawayo is that, as you decommission dams, you lose the capacity to deliver water because each dam has its own pipeline. If you are left, as we are, with just Insiza dam with a single pipeline supplying Bulawayo, we can only supply Bulawayo with 20% or 30% of its total demands. The Bulawayo City
Council has already imposed restrictions at 60% of free demand. Bulawayo has a good track record in terms of managing its water supplies, but Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you that if we do not do anything about infrastructure in Bulawayo, the very real danger is that Bulawayo could run out of water with dire consequences.
If you go to Matabeleland South the water situation for livestock is dire. I understand in Masvingo provinces also the Kyle dam is 25% full.
What is being done about ensuring that the irrigators in the low veld who are drawing water for sugar cane are being put on a restricted basis so that our cities, particularly in the northern parts and Masvingo, can have their basic water supplies protected. Previously, when the sugar companies were allowed to draw water on an unrestricted basis, it almost got to the point where we could not supply Masvingo.
Now, Mr. Speaker Sir, this points to a national emergency. It is my view that more than 3 000 000 people are going to be affected by water shortages this winter and for many of those families they are going to have to move to town to relatives to survive. They are not going to be able to find water for their domestic purposes in the rural areas. Our city situation is by no means good.
Finally, I just want to talk about the situation regarding livestock.
As you know my whole life has been in the cattle industry. I was the General Manager of the CSC in 1983 when we had a severe drought similar to this one. At this moment in time, I estimate that 3 500 000 herd of cattle are living in areas where there will be no grazing this winter and very little water. At least 700 000 head of cattle are going to die. Now, Mr. Speaker, that is a loss of US$350 000 000 in income to the poorest communities in the country. This represents a catastrophe.
In 1983 what we did was, we bought cattle on a survival basis from the producers, paid them a market price and we put the cattle on the CSC ranches at West Nicolson when we fed 280 000 head of cattle right through the winter on a survival ration. This year there is no institution with the financial capacity for that. Those cattle are going to die where they live and it will take us years to recover from this position. I understand at this moment in time that donkeys are dying in the rural areas. I have never, in all my life, heard of donkeys dying of poverty and starvation.
Mr. Speaker Sir, just one last thought for the House and that is the question of the situation in urban areas. When we talk about welfare needs and so on, I am representing an urban constituency and in my constituency, especially in Tshabalala and Sizinda, I have 17 000 homes. Mr. Speaker, I must tell you that a high proportion of the people in my constituency do not have food even for one meal a day. We are trying by all means to provide food on an emergency basis to these people.
The previous time when this happened in 1992 the country had a functioning GMB. We had money in the bank as a country. We were able to meet the majority welfare needs of the majority of our people. We had a railways which was functioning. Today, the railways cannot move more than 3.5 million tonnes a year. They just do not have the locomotives. We have 36 functional locomotives in the whole country. There is no way today, we can respond adequately to this crisis. I want to mention to Hon. Members that if they have not looked at the satellite images of Southern Africa in recent weeks, they should look at it on a regular basis and you will see how Zimbabwe is the worst affected country in the entire region and it is an El Nino factor. It could be that this situation is permanent. This is not something which is going to be short term. This is something which we are going to take on board as an ordinary, normal function of our daily lives.
My concern is that there is no declaration of an emergency. There is no international appeal to the donors for assistance. There is no coordinated approach to this matter. The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development seems to be completely at loss and you saw a day before yesterday that the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services did not have a clue as to how to respond to this crisis. I just wanted to give the House a briefing along those lines this afternoon, Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. NDUNA: I want to add my voice on the Presidential TenPoint Plan. Before I do Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to agree with my predecessor Hon. Cross on the issue of bolstering our defences to mitigate the effects of drought and the El Nino effect. The issues that I am going to touch on border on the President’s Ten-Point Plan which
are:
- Revatilising agriculture and agro-processing value chain;
- Advancing beneficiation and/or value addition to our agricultural and mining resource endowment;
- Focusing on infrastructural development, particularly in the key
Energy, Water, Transport and ICTs sub sectors;
- Unlocking the potential of small to medium enterprises;
- Encouraging private sector investment;
- Restoration and building of confidence and stability in the financial services sector;
- Joint ventures/public private partnerships to boost the role and performance of state owned companies;
- Modernising labour laws;
- Pursuing an anti-corruption thrust; and
- Implementation of Special Economic Zones to provide impetus on foreign direct investment which I believe after today is going to be brought to Parliament.
I touch on some of these issues that border on our agricultural system with a heavy heart. Everyday I criss-cross Chegutu West Constituency and my rural cnstituency which covers Wards 25, 24 and 28, the farmers in those wards ask me all the time and I share with them with a heavy heart when they say to me “hakusati kwanaya, mvura zvichadii gore rino” but knowing fully Mr. Speaker Sir, that the El Nino effect is now with us to stay. We need to be proactive in terms of drought mitigating factors. An example is where we got a facility of US$98m, that is, FoodFor-Africa that came in as a Brazilian facility for irrigation equipment. If we mitigate our situation utilising agricultural equipment for the benefit of this country now and for the future, we are in the right direction.
As I meet these old people and some farmers, when they ask me if it is going to rain or if it is not going to rain, I say to myself Zimbabwe in particular has got a very young population and Africa in general has got a vibrant population led by Zimbabwe in terms of her education system. It is time we stood up and looked at utilising the water bodies that are dotted all around us. I will give you some water bodies that are in Chegutu West Constituency that are not being utilised effectively for agricultural and irrigation purposes. They are John Binya Dam, Suri Suri Dam, Masterpiece Dam, Bexley Dam, Mupfure River and two others which I have not mentioned here. That is in Chegutu West Constituency alone and the constituency does not have a radius of more than 40km, let alone the other constituencies that have larger volumes of water bodies and bigger water bodies before we even delve into the issue of irrigation utilising borehole water. We need to utilise the water bodies that are dotted all around us for effective agricultural mitigation of this drought phenomenon brought about by El Nino.
We need to utilise the young brains of Zimbabwe for the good of this nation, for the good of our agricultural system, for the good of our grain. We can talk of importation and whichever way of mitigating the hunger and drought that is bedeviling our economy and our country but before we utilise the water bodies and the underground water which is in abundance in our nation, we have not done ourselves a favour. We are actually doing our nation a disfavour. We can speculate on the weather and such alike but it is not going to give us solutions until and unless we utilise and spend money on revatilising our water bodies and systems in order to irrigate and use what we have got to do what we can and to get what we want.
I also want to touch on the fuel system which is going to enhance our economic situation in this country. The fuel price fell from US$118 per barrel which is equal to 159 litres. It means globally fuel fell from US$118 per barrel to US$43 per barrel at the time when we should have gained 60% value at that time to our economy on the fuel aspect. We did not benefit a cent at that time, our fuel never went down. Madam Speaker, the barrel per litre of fuel – the barrel of fuel as we speak has gone down to even US$30 per barrel but we as a nation still have not benefited out of that. What it means is that we have more than 400 000 vehicles automobile traversing this nation everyday utilizing nothing less than 10 litres per automobile, which translate to about 4 million litres of fuel per day that we utilize in this nation. We still, as a nation, have not derived any economical benefit out of the fuel downward trend.
It is time we require the answers as to why we are not deriving any benefits, any notable benefit arising from the globalization of our nation into the global community. We utilize the same fuel that is utilized in the global community. How come as a nation we have not benefitted from the downward trend of the downward price reduction. Who is benefiting on the fuel reduction if not the nation and its economy? My suggested solution to enhance the good of our economy on the fuel front would be this way; we utilize about US$400 000 per day which accrue to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. If we reduce by 60% our fuel price and increase just by 10 cents or a cent; what that means is for the entire automobile that are traversing our nation each day, we can benefit a cent from each automobile. That translates to about US$400 000 per day. What that means per month is a US$1 500 000. We could hedge on that and use it as collateral and go to multinationals and look for money that can be borrowed to this nation utilising monies that we have gotten because of the downward review of fuel prices. But alas, we have not done so. Who is benefiting from this downward trend of this fuel reduction.
Assuming arising from the 60% reduction, we increase our fuel after reducing it by that much by 10 cents, we can also go to DBSA and go and get that US$150m loan that we have been talking about for a long time for the dualisation of the Norton to Kadoma highway. This is money for free, God given because the barrel of fuel has gone down globally. Here is an opportunity to get what we can arising from a Godgiven reduction in fuel. Madam Speaker, one wants the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to come and explain to us why we will not benefit as a nation from the reduction of crude oil price.
I will now touch on gold Madam Speaker. The issue of gold is really core and key to my heart. In my constituency alone, I have more than US$10 000 yields that deal in gold and I would urge the Government to start buying gold from each and every one that has got gold that has got access to gold including artisanal miners. Now since the devaluation of the rand or since the rand lost its value, what has happened is that South Africa is printing a lot of rands because they have got the capacity, it is their currency. They are utilizing that to get back on their feet by buying Zimbabwean gold from all those that the Zimbabwean Government would not care to buy from and that includes artisanal miners. South Africa has increased their buying power by 15% against our price that we are offering to our gold producers. What it means is that a lot of our gold is finding its way to South Africa – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, can the hon. member be heard
in silence. Please lower your whispers.
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, thank you for protecting me. A lot of our gold is finding its way to South Africa because the rand in South Africa has lost its value. They have taken advantage of that so that they can make sure that our economy here in Zimbabwe is used so that we can hedge their economy. So, it is time we woke up as a nation and buy gold from all artisanal miners. We are saying the laws have not been changed but the laws of the Mines and Minerals Act that was enunciated and enacted in 1951 has also not even been amended. It was done in 1966 and does not favour the black community. It does not favour the Africans, Zimbabweans so, this is why we are finding our gold going through elicit means out to South Africa in particular and anywhere else in general.
I will now touch on issues to do with school, primary education in particular. We are losing a lot of our future because firstly, we are not feeding our children at school. A lot of our African kids are not going to school because they are hungry. We are losing our engineers of the future today because we are not feeding our kids. The distance between home and school is 15 to 20 km and our kids are not going to school. As they also get there, they are not being fed, so they are not going there. There was feeding during the Rhodesian era but there is no feeding now in Zimbabwe. It is time we make sure that we start feeding our children at school.
On the issue of fees at primary level, our kids are being turned away from school because of non-payment of fees. What is the neteffect? What actually happens is that here is a child sent away, in particular this is prevalent in my constituency in Chegutu West. Kids are sent away from school but when the parents do get the fees and start paying, the monies are not deducted for the two weeks the kid has not been at school. When we talk of headmasters and schools being urged to go after the parent, it should be serious. Anyone that chases a child from school for non-payment of schools fees should be incarcerated, should be thrown behind bars for good because they are stealing and it is day light robbery from hard working parents who then pay that fees without deducting the monies for the time that kid would not have been at school – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order hon. members, you are no longer whispering, you are shouting. We want to hear what the hon. member is saying.
HON. NDUNA: Madam Speaker, I will not labour you with anything else other than that. Now let me conclude by saying; instead of school looking for revenue from school fees only, there is a downsizing of farms that is currently happening now. Some farm pieces should be given to schools so that we can embark on education with production once again. Where there is no fees, we mitigate the effect by producing in that land and paying fees for those kids that are disadvantaged and cannot have fees being paid for them – particularly in Chegutu West where David Whitehead is closed; if this programme can quickly kick start in Chegutu and in any other areas for the good of our people because we a Government by the people, with the people and for the people. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
(DR. GANDAWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th February, 2016.
MOTION
SPECIAL REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
HEALTH AND CHILD CARE ON PUTTING TUBERCULOSIS ON
THE POLITICIAL AGENDA: THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN SUPPORTING TUBERCULOSIS
COUNCILS IN ZIMBABWE
HON. D. TSHUMA: I move the motion in my name that this House takes note of the Special Report of the Portfolio Committee on
Health and Child Care on putting tuberculosis on the political agenda: The role of Parliamentarians in supporting Tuberclosis Councils in Zimbabwe.
HON. L. MOYO: I second.
HON. D. TSHUMA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Maám for
affording me this opportunity to make a special report of the Portfolio Committee and Child Care. I will quickly run through the special report
though it is a handy document. I will try to be as quick as I can.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Members of the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care together with the Thematic Committee on HIV/AIDS attended a two-day Workshop organized by the Ministry of Health and Child
Care (MoHCC) in conjunction with the World Health Organisation
at the Kadoma Ranch Motel from 31 July to 1 August 2015.The Workshop was held under the theme: - Putting Tuberculosis (T.B) on the Political Agenda. Members at the workshop also visited Kadoma General Hospital to appreciate the operations of the hospital.
1.2 Hon. Dr. Ruth Labode, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, gave the opening remarks in which she thanked the Ministry of Health and Child Care for spearheading the collaborative efforts that would give the Members of Parliament an opportunity to work with their communities on an informed platform and bring to the fore issues that affect the communities they live in and work with on TB, as well as ensure that people have access to appropriate medication.
2.0 WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
2.1 The Meeting received updates on the Implementation of T.B/HIV
Collaborative efforts globally and nationally.
2.2 Global Perspective
2.2.1 Globally HIV associated T.B remains a major public health concern;
2.2.3 One third of 35 million People Living with HIV (PLHIV) worldwide are infected with latent T.B;
2.2.4 Persons co-infected with T.B and HIV are 30 times more likely to develop active TB disease;
2.2.5 TB is the most common presenting illness among PLHIV including those who are taking ART;
2.2.6 TB is the leading cause of death among PLHIV accounting for 1 in
5 HIV related deaths; and
2.2.7 PLHIV face emerging threats of Multiple Drug ResistantTuberculosis (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug Resistant-TB
(XDR-TB).
2.3 Country Perspective
Zimbabwe like other 22 highly burdened countries in the world with the prevalence of T.B continues to be severely hamstrung by the dual T.B-HIV epidemic.
- There is HIV prevalence among 15 - 49 year group of 15%
(Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey 2010/11);
- The current estimation of T.B prevalence is 345/100,000 population; and
- There is 69% HIV co-infection in all T.B cases (Global TB
Report 2014).
2.4 HIV Epidemic in Zimbabwe
There is a national adult HIV prevalence (15 to 49 years) of estimated 15% (2013 HIV Estimates). The following have been identified as best practices in tackling the epidemic:
- There is need to set up set up coordinating bodies for effective
TB/HIV activities at all levels;
- The need to conduct surveillance of HIV prevalence among TB cases;
- Need to carry out joint TB/HIV planning;
- Urgent need to monitor and evaluate collaborative TB/HIV
activities;
- Establish intensified TB case finding;
- Ensure TB infection control in health care and congregate settings;
- Decrease burden of HIV among TB patients;
- Provide HIV testing and counseling;
- Introduce HIV prevention methods holistically;
- Introduce co-trimoxazole preventive therapy;
- Ensure that there is HIV/AIDS care and support;
- Make ARV’s accessible at all levels in Zimbabwe; and
- Escalate the Implementation of TB/HIV collaborative activities in
Zimbabwe.
2.5 It was observed that while significant milestones have been attained in strengthening TB/HIV collaborative efforts in the country, there is, however room for improvement in the following areas: Improving Anti-Retroviral Drugs coverage among TB/HIV co-infected, improvement of TB infection control and the need for mobilizing resources for the management of dual epidemics.
- GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE EPIDEMIC IN ZIMBABWE
- The Committees received an outline of the different types of TB.
3.2 Drug-resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB)
This is the type of tuberculosis (TB) caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that has developed a genetic mutation(s) such that a particular drug (or drugs) is no longer effective against the bacteria (See Notes).
3.3 TB Treatment in Zimbabwe
The following is an outline of the cost of treatment of TB in
Zimbabwe;
Drug susceptible TB – 6 to 9 months $31;
Multidrug resistant TB – 20 to 24 months $2571; and
Extensively Drug Resistant TB – 24 to 36 months $31000 In this regard, with the economic strains facing the country, prevention and control of the disease becomes key to TB management in the country.
4.0 ADVOCACY COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL
MOBILIZATION AND COMMUNITY TB
4.1 It has become imperative to note that the TB disease mostly impacts people in the prime of their lives, from age 15–50, decreasing their ability to contribute to their country’s economy and to support their families.
4.2 In this regard, there is need to have a broad set of coordinated interventions designed to place TB high on the political agenda, foster political will and increase financial and resource allocations.
4.3 Apart from availing the necessary resources, the following interventions should be done:
- partnership meetings, parliamentary debates on the epidemic, political events to highlight the problem, bilateral negotiations, petitions to relevant authorities, campaigns, mass media support and audiovisual and written communications on the subject matter,
5.0 TB LABORATORY AND DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES
5.1 The meeting received a presentation on the Laboratory and Diagnostic services that are provided which are key to the early detection and treatment of TB.
5.2 It was noted that; the geological spread of the system is as follows:
2 Reference Laboratory (NTRL);
5 Central/ National Hospital Laboratories;
10 Provincial Hospital Laboratories;
180 District/ Mission Hospital Laboratories; and
1000 Healthcare Centres/ Clinics Laboratories
5.3 The following challenges were observed with regards to laboratory and detection systems:
- That staffing levels are low;
- There are skills flight of (54% staffing levels) (which is a worrisome situation);
- In essence, the remaining staff is over-stretched;
- There is reduced intake of students into the field at Universities and Colleges;
- Generally, there is inadequate funding for most activities;
- There are challenges in infrastructure, with some labs constructed before independence which do not conform to current international standards;
- The preponderance to have obsolete equipment which face recurrent breakdowns and are expensive to maintain;
- There is donor fatigue with most activities either being scaled down or closed totally; and
- There is a skewed distribution of TB lab services.
6.0 INVESTING IN TB
6.1 In their presentation, the MoHCC highlighted that in eight lowincome high-burden TB countries (HBCs), domestic funding represents less than 7% of National TB budget needs. Despite the critical need for increased TB resources, donor funding for TB decreased by nearly 10% in 2014 (Zimbabwe Scenario). Again this situation is a cause for concern.
6.2 The TB programme is funded from GOZ, the Global Fund and many other partners.
6.3 The budgetary constraints in the economy continues to affect the revenue streams to the Treasury thereby affecting adequate allocations to the Ministry of Health & Child Care.
6.4 It can be observed that there is a funding gap which is used to determine if there is a difference between desired financial performance and actual performance.
6.5 There is need to improve domestic TB financing initiatives to avert the risk of foreign funding drying up. The National Aids Council (NAC) should also set aside a defined proportion of TB activities and financing.
7.0 PUTTING TB ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA-ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN SUPPORTING TB CONTROL
IN ZIMBABWE
7.2 Presenting a paper, Hon. P.D Sibanda delivered the major oversight roles of the Legislative arm which involves: Monitoring, investigating, enquiring into and making recommendations relating to any aspect of the legislative program, budget, policy or any other matter that may be considered relevant to the Government.
Since Parliament has a say in the budget process it can leverage its influence to allow for more resources towards TB programs in the country.
7.3 Parliamentarians are the voice of the poor and other vulnerable groups and should ensure that development plans are informed by the real priorities on the ground and, by adopting requisite legislation.
7.4 Parliamentarians face the harsh reality of lack of halfway houses for Multi Drug Resistant patients, lack of sufficient nutritional diet, lack of adequate awareness, lack of resources to transfer sputum from remote health centers to hospitals with laboratories for tests and lack of access to health facilities as some of the common challenges which were hampering the control of Tuberculosis in Zimbabwe.
7.5 In this regard, there is need for Legislators to constantly liaise with medical authorities in their constituencies to assist, where possible in dealing with challenges that they may be facing, to disseminate TB related information during feedback meetings. Legislators
should be catalysts for provision of required resources for health institutions and communities to properly deal with TB and access TB treatment, e.g. halfway houses, nutritional food, adequate laboratories, motor vehicles and other accessories.
8.0 WHO GLOBAL END STRATEGY
8.1 The Legislators were exposed to the Parliamentarians Global TB Summit which was founded in October 2014 following a meeting of parliamentarians from around the world who are committed to fighting TB. The Global TB Caucus is an International network of Parliamentarians who are committed to the fight against tuberculosis (TB).
8.2 The first meeting, held in Barcelona 2014, was the inaugural
Global TB Summit.
8.3 The Barcelona Declaration is an initiative of the Global TB Caucus. It is a representation of the worldwide political commitment to end the TB epidemic.
8.4 A second Global TB Summit is planned to take place in Cape
Town at the end of November 2015.
8.5 To show how serious the initiative is, by 29 July 2015: 488 Parliamentarians from 72 countries had managed to sign the
Barcelona Declaration.
8.6 Members of Parliament present, managed to sign the Declaration. They took up the challenge educate and engage their political colleagues about the disease and the Declaration and also urge them to sign up.
9.0 VISIT TO KADOMA GENERAL HOSPITAL
9.1 The attendees to the Workshop took time to visit the Kadoma General Hospital which put to light all the concerns that were raised during the Workshop. The Medical Staff led by Dr.
Munyaradzi, the Medical Superintendent took the Committee Members through the state of the Hospital and highlighted the following problems and observations:
- Erratic supplies of running water;
- The boiler is out of service;
- The hospital is in dire need of repainting;
- There is no air-conditioning in the main theatre;
- Since the year 2013, the mortuary has been down;
- The hospital has 5 ambulances and one service vehicle. The service vehicle faces frequent breakdowns to an extent that food is sometimes delivered in an ambulance;
- The hospital has no dental therapist;
- The hospital, up to the time of the visit had only received
US$10 000.00 from Treasury;
- The hospital tests up 500 sputum per month under very difficult circumstances;
- Of the $230 000.00 budgetary allocation to the hospital, only received US$10 000. 00 was released by July 2015.
- The generator has no switch changeover despite it having been paid for by the previous management;
- In the children’s wards, mothers sleep on the floor whilst attending to the children.
In summary, these are some of the problems being faced by the
hospital.
10.0 WAY FORWARD
The following observations were made as recommendations:
10.1 Parliamentarians as representatives of the people should spearhead community response to TB.
10.2 There is need to resuscitate well-known TB Centres such as Chest
Centre in Bulawayo, Makumbe Centre, Driefontain (Muwonde), Gwanda and others and close the long distances gap to health facilities that provide adequate TB testing and treatment facilities.
10.3 Government should move swiftly to reduce the exorbitant cost of 2nd line TB treatment.
10.4 The State should provide an enabling environment to allow for retention of staff. The human resource establishment was last reviewed in the 80s.
10.5 Government should warm up to its responsibility of providing domestic funding for TB.
10.6 TB among prisoners and artisanal miners should be a top priority issue and needs to be addressed with the urgency it deserves.
10.7 The health budget for TB at 7 percent is a mockery as compared to the devastating effects of the disease.
10.8 Capacity building programmes for Parliamentarians are the key to involving them as community advocates to the epidemic. The programme such as the Kadoma Advocacy Workshop should extend to all Members of Parliament and staff in Government Departments.
10.9 There is need to Screen Parliamentarians for T.B., as Community Leaders they become exemplary.
10.10 Committee Members should encourage others to sign the Global
TB Caucus Barcelona Declaration. An effort should be made to allow
Members of the Committee to attend the Cape Town Meeting.
11 ACTION POINTS FROM PARLIAMENTARIANS
11.1 Legislators should influence the allocation of sufficient resources for TB.
11.2 Members of Parliament should put TB on the political agenda
11.3 Parliament should closely monitor the disbursement of allocated budgetary funds towards TB.
11.4 Members of Parliament should push for revision of budgetary priorities towards health in general. The National Budget allocates only 8% of its recurrent expenditure for disease control
11.5 There is an urgent need to establish a taskforce to advance TB issues in Parliament. A Committee with a shared perspective should be set up to work out the modalities of operation.
11.6 Parliamentarians should be empowered with information to raise awareness on TB in and out of Parliament.
11.7 Initiatives should be made to integrate TB programmes into existing development meetings that are routinely held in
Constituencies.
11.8 More liaison needs to be made with Provincial Medical Directors (PMDs) and District Medical Officers (DMOs) to establish TB gaps and address them swiftly and appropriately.
11.9 The Committee should lobby the donors and Minister of Finance to invest more in TB programme
11.10 The management of DR-TB in Zimbabwe is an integral component of the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP). The aim is to provide the best possible outcomes for patients and the program through: - early detection of DR-TB cases.
11.11 Once the diagnosis has been made/established, there should be prompt initiation of appropriate therapy.
12.0 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee recommends that:
12.1 The Ministry of Health and Child Care should ensure that at least 40% of 2016 recurrent budget be allocated to the disease control line item, instead of present situation where the ratio is 6:1 in favour of curative services.
12.2 The Ministry of Health and Child Care must as a matter of urgency include in the 2016 budget the recurrent of mobile clinics, so as to improve access to:
- Early diagnosis;
- Early initiation of appropriate treatment;
- Monitoring and Evaluation of the treatment response.
12.3 The Ministry of Health and Child Care must ensure that National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe as the drug procuring and distribution agent for Government, is allocated adequate funds in the 2016 budget to be able to facilitate the continuous availability of drugs. This would reduce new strain of tuberculosis called Multiple-Drug-Resistant-Tuberculosis which is expensive and difficult to manage.
13.0 CONCLUSION
13.1 The Committee is of the opinion that there is need to include TB activities into the main activities of Parliament’s work and called for sustained action from Government to combat the disease. It is in this regard, that sustained lobbying should be made on the Executive to prioritize the disease while politicians should continuously foster synergies that will allow for the epidemic to be put on the political agenda.
13.2 The Committee through the Speaker’s Office is encouraging all Members of Parliament to sign the Barcelona Declaration attached to this report.
NOTES
Types of Drug resistance
Drug-susceptible: No resistance to any first-line anti-TB drugs (HRZE).
Monoresistance: Resistance to one first-line anti-TB drug. Polyresistance: Resistance to more than one first-line anti-TB drug other than isoniazid and rifampicin.
Multidrug resistance (MDR): Resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most potent anti-TB drugs.
Extensive drug resistance (XDR): MDR plus resistance to at least one of the fluoroquinolones, and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (capreomycin, kanamycin, and amikacin).
The burden of MDR or XDR-TB is not known in the country The last TB-DRS was conducted in 1994-95 and it found MDR-TB in 1,9% (95% CI 1,1-3,3) of new TB cases and 8,3% (95% CI 2,921,8) of previously treated cases
Based on this survey and the 2013 notifications, WHO estimated that the country had 820 MDR cases among all TB cases in 2014. This means that the estimated number of XDR patients in 2014 was around 89.
There are two main forces driving the DR-TB pandemic globally. The first is generation of DR-TB through mismanagement of patients being treated for pan-susceptible disease.
The second is ongoing transmission of drug-resistant TB in the community.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I have covered the report on tuberculosis in
Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. L. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the mover of this important motion which is putting tuberculosis (TB) on the political agenda and the role of parliamentarians in supporting Tuberculosis Councils in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker, the topic on tuberculosis is very important and needs everybody’s attention. Tuberculosis is highly infectious and a fatal viral disease that can be passed from one person to another, especially in overcrowded and poorly ventilated places when one person coughs, sneezes or spits.
The world is fast losing its battle against tuberculosis which has become the biggest infectious killer globally claiming about 1.5 million people in the world. It, therefore, requires the collective effort of all of us to fight the disease. It is, therefore, a global disgrace and a human tragedy that TB that is curable is killing so many people in the world when so many educated people are in the country. TB is common in Zimbabwe; it is everywhere as even Members of Parliament can also be affected.
One of the roles of parliamentarians is to take action in order to stop this killer disease. Zimbabwe is said to be claiming 20% of the people out of the 1.5million people who die. TB requires a community approach that is every one of us including Members of Parliament, chiefs and clerks so that we can eradicate the disease. Members of Parliament should actively take action to combat it by reducing the TB and HIV stigma by educating people on symptoms and treatment of the diseases. Some of the roles of parliamentarians should be to encourage local clinics and Community Health Workers to raise awareness on the benefits of completing treatment.
Members of Parliament should encourage the establishment of support groups in the country so that they also fight the disease. We should also assist with TB case findings and conduct tracing. Mr.
Speaker Sir, as we speak many people die every day because we are not serious about combating the disease. Having said this, may I also refer the House to the Barcelona Declaration;-
‘We, the undersigned, as political representatives of various peoples of the world, recognizing that every man, woman and child should be able to live their lives free from the tyranny of disease, HEREBY DECLARE: this was a declaration that was made that the mover of the motion has already spoken about that tuberculosis (TB) has killed a greater number of people than any other infectious disease in human history and continues to be responsible for 1.5million deaths a year, often affecting the most vulnerable and that it should be a global political priority.
That the current rate of progress in combating TB is too slow, such that the disease will remain a threat to the social and economic wellbeing of millions of citizens around the world for centuries to come and that accelerating progress against the disease should be recognised by all governments to be in the interests of all.
The drug-resistant TB demonstrates a collective failure to address this disease properly. Mr. Speaker Sir, I know the paper was circulated before and that most of us have it. May I, therefore, thank you for listening.
HON. DR. LABODE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise to urge the Members of Parliament and to stress what my colleagues Hon. Tshuma and Hon. Moyo have just told you. Before I do that, I want to thank the leaders of Parliament who have signed the Barcelona
Declaration that is the Speaker of Parliament; the Deputy Speaker of Parliament; the Senate President mai Madzongwe and her deputy. Now that makes them part of the global caucus of parliamentarians against TB. I also want to thank Members of Parliament here as we managed to get 120 signatures that we will be sending to Geneva starting next week Monday. So, you may clap for yourselves – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
I just wanted to discuss a little bit about multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. This is a TB, we have all known that there is TB in our lives but it has changed because people could not endure long term treatment, they would stop and the TB bacteria became clever and started changing its shape which meant that now it could not be treated with existing drugs. Yesterday when we were treating it for six months, it cost something like $3 000.00, it cost Government because TB treatment has always been for free.
Now the minute it becomes multi-drug-resistant which is happening quite frequently and it is frightening, we now need $30 000.00 to treat a multi-drug-resistant person, can we afford it? We cannot, so what is our role? Our role is to ensure that everybody who is diagnosed with TB, we have to urge our relatives and people in the constituencies to say imwai mushonga, take your tablets on a daily basis. Why are people defaulting? They are defaulting because TB drugs cause gastritis. You need food to take them and people do not have food but the danger of that is, we cannot afford the other side.
In the past, when I worked at Thorngrove TB Hospital, every time you were diagnosed with TB, you were given beans, cooking oil and so on, for you to be able to take your tablets. So, as Members of Parliament, we have to urge our communities to take their drugs once they are diagnosed with TB. The danger is that, it is not only those who work in the mines that will get TB, even among ourselves here, people of my age and those with diabetes; all we need is one of us to have multi-drug resistant TB. Some of us will catch and we will die because only 50% of the people actually are healed.
This TB has become more dangerous than HIV by the way, because with HIV if you go on ARVs, you can be treated or maintain it and we are getting to zero zero but with TB we are not getting to zero. This is because TB is changing its shape in our bodies and becoming something else we do not know. One of the things that create a problem is our TB is 100% funded by donors but our problem is distances.
Somebody comes from UMP, Binga or Shurungwi and is diagnosed with TB, gets the first stock. For the next one, he needs about $5 for transport and does not have the money, he stops. By doing that now he is breeding that multi-drug resistance. You normally start feeling better after two months so you think you are okay when you are actually not okay. That is the time you need to finish your course.
The multi-drug resistant TB takes two years to be treated. Let us say you are working for a company like Delta for example, will they keep treating you for two years because you are now actually a danger to your colleagues within the company. So your job is likely to end. What is worrying also is; for that two years, six months you will be getting injections. How many of you here can endure that. In addition to that injection of six months, you will take 140 000 tablets in two years. The tablets also have side effects. This is the multi-drug resistant course. One may become deaf, develop blackish itchy rash/spots and this is why people end up saying okungasi kufa yikuphi, let me just die.
So, we have an obligation to ensure that we get our people treated. We urge them because the treatment is free. Our only problem is of access and I think that the Ministry of Health and Child Care is really making an effort because these drugs are being moved by the European
Union to the rural areas but the challenge maybe from the district to the rural health centre. As Members of Parliament, take it upon yourself that once in a while you go to the health institutions; ask how many TB patients they have and whether they are taking their medication. What they are now doing is that if you are diagnosed with TB, they call the person who lives with you and ask them to supervise the treatment.
So, I am really urging parliamentarians to say you are going to be the vanguards of this thing because it is a bombshell and as Zimbabwe we cannot afford it. We really cannot afford to go the multi-drug resistant way. Let us implement what is called the Direct Treatment Observation (DOT) strategy which means you the relative are the ones observing that the person is taking his TB medication.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity. Let me add on to what was said by the Committee regarding starvation in Zimbabwe. I will start by thanking the newspapers and radios for disseminating news from rural areas. Some the information which has been published by these media houses is information which is ignored by other agencies in those areas. When we look at TB, it is a very deadly disease and when you are taking the medication, you need to be taking your food. That is the only way you can be treated of TB.
If you take TB medication without food you may end up dying. I am looking at the situation in Zimbabwe especially the problem of starvation. I predict that there are lots of people who are going to die if no emergency measures are taken to have these people accessing food. Areas such as Masvingo, some parts of Mashonaland and Matebeleland, there is a lot of starvation. Again, in those areas that is where we have many people suffering from TB. We have people in Matebeleland at the border with Botswana, they go to these neighbouring countries seeking employment. When they come back, they could be transmitting the TB virus. Looking at these areas, these are areas where many people are starving due to the effects of climate change. So we need to look at ways to fight starvation in the country.
We have a situation in the country whereby 80% of the TB support programme is financed by a foreign budget. If these foreigners withdraw their help, we will die surely. We also have another problem of ZIKA which is a problem coming from Brazil. We therefore need to look for monies so that we can quickly put measures to control TB. Now, turning to the new pandemic called ZIKA. ZIKA is caused by mosquitoes and at times, can be spread through sexual relations. We therefore need to be very careful as Zimbabwe.
We also look at some of the causes of TB, especially in rural areas. In rural areas, people leave in houses such as huts which have no proper ventilation systems. What this means is, when there is no ventilation you then get lots of infections because the rooms are not properly ventilated. We have children who are learning in what were former tobacco bans before the resettlement programme. As a result, there is poor circulation of air and this poses a danger to the pupils in those bans.
We may use more money looking for treatment and yet, the best way would be preventing. We say prevention is better than curing because children who are learning from bans can also be affected by these viruses. We need to construct houses which have windows. When you look at areas like Mukumbura, there are a lot of huts where people leave. In these huts, people will also be using firewood creating more problems. I want to urge us as Members of Parliament to encourage people to build houses with proper ventilation.
We also have these small scale miners who go underground where there is poor or no ventilation. They carry gases and candles, and as a result, they get infected by these diseases because of the poor ventilation. We need to put more money. Let us invest on prevention of these diseases. I will turn back to rural areas; people are travelling 50 to 100 kilometers seeking treatment in the nearest health centres. There were clinics which were built but the problem faced is that in these centres there are no nurses and doctors, hence people have travel to travel long distances so that they can get treatment. Therefore, we appeal to Government to unfreeze nursing posts including resettlement areas. It may look as if we are punishing people for moving into these resettlement areas.
Mr. Speaker Sir, these people also face the problems of paying for transport in those areas. In the rural areas, we used to have health workers but because they were not paid, there was no motivation for them to work. Therefore, Government should be begged to unfreeze nursing positions so that these rural health institutions are staffed properly. We are talking of about US$30 000 to treat a person who has defaulted but can we pay that amount when we are failing to get the little monies for normal treatments.
Mr. Speaker Sir, whenever there is any supplier of medicines, we should continue dealing with that supplier so that people can access medication. We have donors who are not prepared to go into these resettlement areas because they are fighting a bitter war, their kith and kin where removed from these resettlement areas and hence they will not support any project in those areas. Therefore the Government should help these people.
I pay my gratitude to the media for disseminating information on what is happening in rural areas. They tell us of areas where problems are especially on health or on any other problems, even starvation. It is the media which is creating this awareness because if they do not do that we might have people dying and no assistance given to them. I thank you.
HON. MANGAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I also want to add my voice to this important motion from the Committee on Health and Child Care. I am really worried about this tuberculosis disease especially the publicity that it is receiving. I do not think the dangers that we get from this tuberculosis and the publicity that it gets tally. I accompanied my relative to a clinic two weeks ago and was asked to get tested on tuberculosis. He was told to wait for two weeks to get the results and we had to visit a private clinic where the diagnosis was done in one day. Why is it that it takes so many days for diagnosis yet this disease is contagious? I am really worried Mr. Speaker Sir, can the Committee take up the issue of the waiting period, it is long, it has to be short. The patient will be actually spreading the disease when he or she is not yet on drugs.
The other issue on tuberculosis is that it is assumed that most people know about it, yet it is not true. That assumption is actually killing people. Communities should be educated on tuberculosis. The Ministry of Health and Child Care should be allocated a lot of money in terms of publicity so that everyone has got the knowledge especially on the treatment part. I was actually worried and I have heard from the Committee that the cost for resistance drugs cost up to US$30 000 against US$3 000 for normal treatment drugs. When you visit these clinics, at times you are given drugs for three days, I do not know the reason why, maybe there is a shortage of drugs. Right now they are giving drugs that last for three days or three weeks, this will make people abscond because they cannot get money to go to the clinic after every three days. They are saying they are experiencing shortages of drugs in some of the areas, I think the Government should look at that to avoid cases of defaults. The Government should commence the programme of supplying food to these patients. May I hand over my form to the Committee? I thank you.
*HON. MUFUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, let me add my
voice to this debate. This is a very big problem especially when you look at what is happening in rural areas. We have very few people who can afford to get to the health centres. Most of these people cannot go for treatment in hospitals because they have no money. My request is that regarding this tuberculosis plague, people need to be educated on how tuberculosis affects health because there is very little difference between HIV and tuberculosis. There is need to educate communities and that we introduce a fund which will look at the treatment of tuberculosis. This amount will be used for the treatment.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in Muzarabani, people have to travel about 50 kilometers to get to the next treatment centre. Therefore, we appeal to the Government to have more nurses who are deployed into these rural areas to specialise on tuberculosis. We have workers who have been working in farms and have since retired. They used to work in tobacco farms, others were driving tractors, these people were negatively affected by tuberculosis because of the nature of their job. Now they are retired and they cannot afford to go to clinics or other rural health centres because of the expenses involved. Hence, we are calling on the Government to increase the number of nurses in rural areas so that people can be treated because this disease is as bad as HIV. I thank you.
HON. RUNGANI: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th February, 2016.
On the motion of HON. RUNGANI seconded by HON. MUKWANGWARIWA, the House adjourned at Sixteen Minutes past
Four o’clock p. m. until Tuesday, 9th February, 2016.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Why do you stand up after I have asked and put the matter before the House for Questions Without Notice, you should have done that before?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I have a point of order which is …
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, you should have done that before.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I did not know that was the motion that was coming.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You rise and get recognised.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I just have a point of order Mr. Speaker
Sir. I think it is a privilege that I am entitled to raise a point of order.
THE HON. SPEAKER: May you sit down. I am not denying you your privilege – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – Order at the back there. I am not denying you hon. member, your privilege. I am saying you should have risen before, that is all.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I was according you respect so that you complete the process that you were working on as my Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I thought you simply say, my apologies.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My apologies Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, you may proceed.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir, I
believe this is 2016 and we are in a new year of which this country has a lot of challenges. Today is the day that is bestowed upon this House to ask hon. Ministers of this country, the Republic of Zimbabwe, about issues to do with policies with regard to challenges and many other issues that people want to have answers to.
It must be noted today, that in this House as we speak, we have a full bench of Deputy Ministers who will not, at any given time, sit in Cabinet nor have access to be in acting capacity in their respective ministries as they will always stand as Deputy Ministers.
I sincerely request Mr. Speaker Sir, for us to consider the importance of having Ministers to respond to questions from the House. I thank you hon. Speaker and believe you will sincerely respond to this concern with the element that it deserves as compared to the period that we had where we had challenges. I thank you and the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Deputy Chief Whip, can
you take your seat? Sorry Hon. Members for the delay in responding to the point of order. I was consulting with administration. We have three names of Ministers who have sought apology. The rest, I am not aware of what is happening. My ruling is this, this becomes the last appeal. In future - in future means next week, we will then proceed with Contempt of Parliament in terms of Section 107 (2) of the Constitution. – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Hon. Maridadi having raised a point of order.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order?
HON. MARIDADI: No, it is an inquiry and I need your guidance. In the absence of the Leader of the House, do we have an acting Leader of the House that we can pose questions to, in the absence of other Ministers, like the obtaining situation now?
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Leader of Government business…
Hon. Chibaya! Can you focus your attention this side. I was saying to Hon. Maridadi, the Leader of the House is outside. He should be coming in any time. He should be able to help us.
HON. HOLDER: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is
directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services. Could you please update this House on what programmes are in place in order to feed the people and livestock that are starving?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Thank
you Mr. Speaker Sir. We have several programmes that are running at the moment. We appreciate that the number of people that we are attending to are on the feeding programme from last year. We have the numbers we got from last year ZIMVAG Report. I am happy to tell this august House that we did another survey, which started in January and it should be complete by end of this month, where we are going to find the additional people who need food aid compared to the numbers that we had from last year.
The numbers we had from last year were 1.5 million. This number has since increased. What we have been doing now is on an ad hoc basis, reaching out to people who are in urgent need of food aid. So the programmes from last year are continuing but over and above that, we have some ad hoc assistance that is going to the districts as we speak. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Deputy Minister, I think you did
not quite get the input of the question. The question is, what contingency plans are in place now?
ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. As we
speak right now, Government has managed to avail US$200 million specifically targeted at acquiring maize to address the urgent requirement because of the El Nino drought induced situation.
HON. HOLDER: Thank you Mr. Speaker. What I was trying to find out is that, we read in newspapers of the US$200 million which was allocated towards this, but till now, people are starving in their homes. I have watched on television where people are saying, they go to the bush to get derere in order for them to survive. I am trying to find out from the Minister when this is supposed to get to our different constituencies so that people can be fed. I have seen also cattle and donkeys dying. They cannot talk for themselves, and then we are the representatives. I only wanted to find out what is in place and when is this programme actually starting. It is not the allocation I am talking about, I am talking about when is the programme actually starting? Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Like I said earlier on, we actually have maize that is in GMB Depots countrywide. The scenario that is pertaining on the ground is we have had some logistic challenges in terms of availing and transporting the grain bags to the required people. We have since appealed to Members of Parliament in this august House and we are on record Mr. Speaker of doing that, asking Members of Parliament to assist us in the distribution exercise to get the maize to the people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.].
I gave a figure of 1,5 million people whom we are reaching out to. I have said that number has since increased. We are in the process of identifying the people who require ad hoc assistance. I can tell you that there are places like Hurungwe and Magunje that have received ad hoc assistance as we speak right now. What we require is, if there is input from the Members of Parliament, if they can come up with specific cases where there is urgent need, yes the Ministry is geared up to assist in that regard – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.].
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Deputy Minister, if you are not sure of the answer, why do we not defer that. Perhaps the Hon. Leader of Government may assist you because for you to say you have appealed to Members of Parliament, that sounds like a joke. What the questioner is saying is a national strategy – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes.].
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Mr. Speaker, the figures I am
giving you are exact figures. The initial figure that Government had availed in terms of maize was 45 000 metric tonnes, of which we have distributed 32 000 metric tonnes. Yes, we have appealed to Members of
Parliament to assist in the distribution process. That is a fact – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.].
HON. MLILO: My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is; what is the Government policy with regards to drought relief food aid being distributed in urban areas, seeing that in urban areas the poverty level and rates have increased with the high level of unemployment?
What mitigation or strategies do you have to combat the drought that is there?
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. On drought mitigation we have two programmes that we run as a Ministry. In the rural areas it is called Harmonised Cash Transfer and in urban areas it is called Public Assistance Programme. That programme is there and you find people on Public Assistance Programme benefitting to the tune of $10 per month. So, the two programmes are currently running but the people who they might want to be beneficiaries might not be on that programme because this is a special area in that the requirement right now goes beyond the initial people who were captured.
HON. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the …
THE HON. SPEAKER: This is not a supplementary?
HON. ZINDI: No, it is a new question – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Zindi, what is the problem? I said you will get the next chance once we have finished with supplementary questions. Why are you addressing yourself to the members across?
HON. ZINDI: Hon. Speaker, my apology to you for disrespecting you but I was responding to the honourable across the bench who was just interjecting during your ruling. I did not like it and that is why I reacted. It was natural for me to have reacted that way.
HON. SARUWAKA: My supplementary question to the Deputy Minister is, can he please share with the House what measures they are putting in place to make sure that the identification and distribution of the food is not done in a partisan manner. What measures have they put in place?
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. There is
a Committee that has always been there, the Inter-Ministerial Committee that comes up with the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report year-in, year after and that is non-partisan and that position holds.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Deputy Minister, the question is straight forward, identification of those people in need on the ground.
That is all.
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: There is a committee on the ground comprising the District Administrator, Social Welfare and community leaders who go out and identify the underprivileged. They cut across the political divide. So, that Committee is not partisan in anyway.
HON. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services. What is the policy in regards to teachers being recalled from vacation leave and the pending abolishing of the vacation? Also, what is going to happen to the temporary teachers who had been engaged in order to fill the vacant positions which had been created by the teachers who had gone on vacation, now that they are being recalled, are the temporary teachers are equally being recalled as well? So, what is going to be their fate and is this not breaking the labour law since it is the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services that has got to uphold the labour laws of the country? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Thank
you Mr. Speaker. The Hon. Member has asked a very pertinent question and very tropical at this point in time. After the audit on the Civil Service, we did realise that there were a lot of temporary posts which were being taken up in the teaching fraternity. This was as a result that every time that a teacher goes on leave, a teacher goes on a three months leave. Unlike other positions in the public sector, where somebody goes for a month on leave and you do not necessarily have to get a replacement, in that Ministry you need to have a replacement.
Mr. Speaker, that now strains the fiscus space because every time a teacher goes on leave for three months, you now need to have somebody coming in to replace. The position we have taken now in the interim is to suspend all teachers going on the three months leave. You need to appreciate this from a perspective that unlike other Public Service members who go on one month leave per year, teachers literally go on three months leave per year. After six or seven years, they then go on a term’s extended leave. I am giving this background so that Hon.
Members appreciate where Government is coming from.
So, the policy right now is, suspend all leave, see where the vacancies are, then revert back to the temporary teachers who are there if there are vacancies; once all teachers are on their posts. The Labour Act is very clear on that one. What we have now done is that exercise has gone through; proper communication went through to the teachers before they went on leave that that exercise was going to go through starting in January, 2016. That adequately addresses that point, so as we stand right now, there are no positions for temporary teachers in the
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
HON. ZINDI: May the Deputy Minister clarify on the position in terms of the law, in regards to the three months vacation, whether it is not a violation of that law?
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Mr. Speaker Sir, the point that
the Hon. Member is alluding to has been established by precedence. It was established by precedence from the perspective that in the past, prior to independence we had teachers coming from abroad for example United Kingdom, India and so on. It was a requirement that they be given time to go on extended leave. That is really on precedence. What we have now said is let us defer this in the interim, we defer this for now. Let us see how the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is structured. What numbers are in there and we take it from there going forward.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Deputy Minister, the supplementary question was: is that arrangement lawful, as simple as that. Is the arrangement lawful?
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. There
is no policy on cancelling. I made reference to a deferment and I believe at law, we are allowed to defer. So, we have not spoken about cancelling that condition of service.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can I help you Hon. Deputy Minister. I
suggest that you request leave of the House to find out the legal position
– [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I
take note and standing guided, can I please have that in writing and we will respond in detail – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Deputy Minister, do not criss-cross my ruling, I said, seek leave to go and research and come back.
HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: I stand guided and seek leave of
the House to go and research on this.
*HON. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Dr. Chombo. We all know that, it is lawful that if you fail to produce a driver’s licence, you are given a ticket that allows you to produce that licence within seven days to the police. My question is that, Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba of Police says that there is a spot fine. If you fail to produce your drivers licence you are supposed to pay a spot fine. What I want the Minister to explain to the nation is; what is the difference and what is it that we are supposed to follow? Are we supposed to stick to the seven days or we have to pay the spot fines? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR.
CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. I had to seek translation from my colleagues and I am sure the translation given to me concurs with what was said.
Let me try to restate what I understand she said. She said that Mrs.
Charity Charamba, ZRP Spokesperson, is demanding finds on the spot.
What has happened to the seven day period whereby an individual
would be allowed to seek or to bring in the relevant monies or drivers licence, if it is the offence that the individual has committed?
I want to seek leave of the House to go and double check so that I am sure. Double sure, like Shakespeare said; that is it still the law and then I will come here on Thursday afternoon and explain that point because it is a very pertinent point. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services, Hon. Matangaidze. What is Government policy regarding schools in resettlement areas whereby you have a school with a total student population of 700, but there is only one teacher teaching all these pupils from Grade 1 to Grade 7? What is Government policy regarding the pupil to teacher ratio in resettlement schools?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Thank
you Mr. Speaker Sir…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Dokora, I will ask the Deputy Minister and if you could assist because it is a double edged question.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): I thank the Hon. Member who
asked the question about a school with 700 learners and only one teacher and also talking about the teacher student ratio in the country. The plans which are there between the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education and also the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services is that the Public Service Commission has asked us to look at the number of children in the schools so that we have the total population of learners. The Public Service will then allocate teachers according to the student population.
We realise that if we were to do the pupil teacher ratio at the start of the term, the figures would be distorted because of late registration and late intake of the teachers. This would present problems in that in some cases we would have very large classes and few teachers.
Therefore, what is now taking place is; they are working on the pupil teacher ratio between the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services and my Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.
Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Dokora. If you look in our Constitution, which is the Constitution of the country it is stating that all the 16 languages that are in the Constitution are supposed to be used at par. What I want to find out from the Minister is; what happens when we have a situation whereby the teacher who is teaching in that district is not able to speak the language that is spoken in that area? What is the policy of the Ministry regarding such a situation? We have realised that this has caused a low pass rate, especially in such areas and most of the time it is people who are coming from Mashonaland who are deployed to teach in Matabeleland. I thank you.
+THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): Mr. Speaker I will try to answer in Ndebele. Our Constitution … - [Laughter.] –
The Constitution is as old as 2013. It is in that Constitution that the 15 languages plus one, which is sign language, are acknowledged. The education system is quite clearly much older than the Constitution which has just come in. As a Ministry, we have taken the necessary first steps and already we have slightly over 322 teachers who are under training through the Great Zimbabwe University in their various languages – Chichangani, Chitonga, Nambya and so on. Because we do not ourselves discriminate between saying are you a mother speaker of Nambya or are you a mother speaker of Ndebele to train to become a teacher in that particular area. We take a national outlook because those that qualify and satisfy the entry requirements of the sister Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education in these institutions proceed to register and we are happy ourselves to use those kinds of human resources. As part of a process the training of the 322 will add more teachers in the course of this year.
I want to hasten to add though, that to associate language and failure on a one-to-one relationship is misleading and is not educational in terms of an analysis of this phenomenon of pass rates or performance of learners. If it were true that it is on a one-to-one relationship, I would be getting 100% passes in those areas where the teacher is a mother language speaker of that area. We must disabuse ourselves of that conception. While I have a lot of sympathy for the infant school module where I am conscious of that fact that we must communicate to these children in as homely and appropriate language as we can, it cannot be done in a dramatic fashion. I particularly noted the use of the word
“ukuxhotshwa”. I do not think as a country we can actually say “abantu kabaxhotshwe” on account of language.
+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Supplementary. What
I am asking from the Minister is if he can explain, for example, if referring to pre-schools whereby the students are supposed to be taught in the language that they understand and there are no teachers who are speaking the same language and the parents are not happy with that development. My question is that if we have such cases whereby from Grade 1 to Grade 3 we have a teacher who is not able to speak the language that is being spoken in that community, should the teacher remain there or is supposed to be changed or what is it that the parents are supposed to do. I thank you.
HON. DR. DOKORA: I did say that the process was triggered in part by our accession to the new Constitution in 2013, and that the matter of training teachers while it resides in the other Ministry for us as the user Ministry we appreciate the fact that it is a process and I have indicated that as a line Ministry we have gone out of our way to look for resources to support those teachers and allow them to proceed along those lines.
In those areas where we have deficit for the infant school module, it is still far much better to have a trained human resource manning that class than to have a zero human resource or simply say to kids, stay at home. The trained human resources will find ways and means including the use of the English language in limited vocabulary range as they train and interact with the children in the infant school module. But to expect an instant solution over a span of two years, I think it is to be optimistic. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, I think as a former school teacher myself perhaps we could have a tete-á-tete. We did have a solution to that but I cannot speak from the chair.
+HON. T. KHUMALO: Supplementary. My question is directed
to Hon. Dr. Dokora. My question is that when you are saying that you are training the teachers at Great Zimbabwe University to come and teach in Matabeleland South, are you saying that you could not get people from Matabeleland South to go and train at Great Zimbabwe University?
+HON. DR. DOKORA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I think this question is supposed to be directed to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary
Education. On my side I have responded.
HON. DR. SHUMBA: My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and in his absence I would want to direct the question to the Leader of the House. Vice President, Hon. Mnangagwa. The country is currently facing a serious challenge of liquidity. Given that we are in an impecunious situation, what is
Government’s policy regarding curbing some glaringly obvious expenditure that relate to the entrapment of capital.
I will specify this Hon. Vice President – the importation of second hand vehicles mainly from Japan. Zimbabwe has over 6000 of these vehicles all over in homes, garages and so forth. If you look at an average price they range from $2000 to $50 000, if we average only 6000, you will find that Zimbabwe extract over US$4bn in wasted depreciating second hand vehicles from a country. What is
Government’s policy regarding that because I believe that it has an immediate impact in creating liquidity.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. E. D.
MNANGAGWA): I thank the Hon. Member for asking that pertinent
technical question. I think it is proper that he puts his question in writing. It is very involved and it requires statistical answers relating to what he has said. I therefore, request that the Hon. Member should put his question in writing and the relevant Minister or Ministries together, because the question cuts across several Ministries, will be required to do research and give a sound answer to a sound question. I thank you.
*HON. MAJAYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, my question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services. Is it Government’s policy for it to deduct pension funds from workers without informing the people concerned; only to discover that their money has been deducted?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank
you Mr. Speaker Sir, yes it is indeed Government policy that we should deduct pension money. I think what people need to know is that, there was a period, when people were not receiving a salary but an allowance, immediately after the dollarization era. So, at that point during that period, people were not getting their pensions deducted but it is Government policy for pension to be deducted. Right now, people are getting salary that has to go through. Adequate notification went through the APEX Council and they were notified that that process of pension deduction will be coming through. So, civil servants were indeed notified of that.
*HON. MAJAYA: My supplementary is, where was it publicized because even us we were not aware of it. Where was it publicized?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Your supplementary verges on disputing
the integrity of the Minister’s answer. The Hon. Minister has indicated that discussions did take place with the APEX Council leadership and they were informed accordingly. So, we cannot doubt that, if not then you can go to the union that you know and confirm whether that was done or not.
*HON. MASHONGANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My
question is directed to the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate.
Minister what is the Government policy on the drying up of boreholes. The people in the rural areas like in Mamhera - the water table is very low. So, we do not know what the Government is doing so that people get water. Some are getting water as far as 10km from their homes.
*THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND
CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Thank you Mr. Speaker for that
pertinent question. Looking at climatic change, our water tables are now very low. The Government policy is that it is everyone’s right to get water, that is why we sink boreholes but they are drying up because probably they were not sunk deep enough. So, my ministry is busy buying machinery, we ordered some so that we sink boreholes. I think this year, since we are faced with a drought, we are going to deepen boreholes and also sink new boreholes because we do not want people to suffer because our policy is that everyone should get water. I thank you.
HON. KANHANGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is
directed to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. Hon. Minister what is the Government policy on the sale of our soccer players to the foreign clubs and in that process, does Government receive any revenue? I thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE MINISTER OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE (HON.
HLONGWANE): Thank you Hon. Speaker, I thank you hon. member
for asking the question in respect of sale of players to foreign based clubs. Our interest as Government is around the protection of the rights of the players, when they get involved with the issue of contracts for engagement of their services, be it local or in other words movement of players from one local club to another local club or be it the sale of players to foreign based clubs; we have directed ZIFA through the SRC to strengthen the aspect of protecting players as far as their rights are concerned. We are also working together with the Footballers Union of Zimbabwe to enforce those kinds of protections to make sure the safeguards are in place, et cetera, as a way of protecting our players. By and large this is a question that falls firmly within the realm and purview of ZIFA and we think that they are working on the matter currently.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon Minister you did not answer the
question. When there is any transfer especially foreign, does Government get any revenue at all, that is the question?
HON. HLONGWANE: That is the second part of the question, I thank you Hon. Speaker. The question of the taxability of the income that is generated out of the transfers of players or the sale of players to foreign lands is not a matter that we have dealt with. I am therefore going to consider the suggestions that he has made and engage with the fiscal authority as well as the football community and look into the feasibility of how to structure an arrangement of that sort. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. MAONDERA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEKAER: What is your point of order?
HON. MAONDERA: My point of order is that I am happy the
Vice President is here and I know he is not the appointing authority but I think he can go and recommend the caliber of some of the Ministers because the number of those excused on sick leave is so many and I think we need people who have got a lot of knowledge about their ministries not to stammer on the asked questions. They will be wasting time and the nation wants to know what is happening. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. member, your point of order is
misdirected. We must applaud the virtue of humility. When a minister who is not omniscient, does not know, he has a right to seek leave of the
House to find correct information. So, I stand down your point of order.
HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I will direct my question to the Leader of the House Hon. Vice President and Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. The Constitution of this country is very clear that the Prosecutor General is independent. What is the Government position on his arrest given that no one should interfere with his prosecutorial roles? I thank you.
HON. VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I have heard that the hon. member has asked that question. Of course, he has exhibited his knowledge about the Constitution in relation to the Prosecutor General. The small extinction he has not got in his vocabulary is that when a case is in court, it is sub judice for debate. I thank you.
HON. CHAMISA: It is with a heavy heart that I have to come to an opposite conclusion with my learned colleague who happens to be the Vice President of the Republic. What is sub judice is not what is being asked. It is the practice which has nothing to do with what is under consideration of the court.
What is being asked by Hon. Chibaya is what we associate with- the practice of the infraction and perforation of constitutionalism. I think the Hon. Vice President knows that it is a very serious issue. Section 119 of the Constitution gives the power to Parliament to make sure that constitutionalism is respected, is a religion, is a practice and is a habit. What we are seeing is a negation of that principle. What Hon. Chibaya seeks to know is where does that leave us as a country when we begin to behave in a manner that causes breakdown of rule of law and constitutional order. That is his question. I think the Hon. Vice
President will do justice to us as Minister of Justice to give us a just answer. I know we cannot expect anything less than justice from the Minister of Justice. Thank you very much.
HON. E.D. MNANGAGWA: The hon. learned junior colleague of mine has spoken very well. He has said that I am the Minister of Justice and he has all that respect. I do not know why, if he respects me, he does not respect my advice that the matter currently, is sub judice and cannot be debated. Time will come when we can debate those issues. But for now, the matter is in court – which means that we respect the rule of law.
*HON. A. MNANGAGWA: My question is directed to the
Minister of Sport and Recreation. Which is the national sport because soccer is not performing very well and what is your Ministry saying in case they go for finals, our soccer team should play with neighbouring countries?
*THE MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION (HON.
HLONGWANE): Thank you Mr. Speaker. In Zimbabwe, we have got about 59 different sports. Out of these sports, we rank them. On top of the ranking is soccer, cricket, rugby and the rest.
It is true what the hon. member has said that at the moment, soccer is not performing very well when it comes to results based. That is what we are working on. Last week on Monday, we had a meeting with all the national quota systems so that we get some information why our sports are not performing very well. We are not performing well because of the arrangement that is there. This means that our National Sports Associations are not taking talents from the grassroots because they are not getting there.
Looking at soccer, the matches that take place on the grassroots level are spontaneous and are not organised. That is what we directed to ZIFA – we are saying that their structures should go down to the grassroots up to the wards. We have given them up to June to work on that so that each national sport code should organise their sport from the grassroots. We think that this is very important.
Secondly, it is very true that when we are going for international games, there are a lot of preparations that should take place. The preparations are different. Some of them mean that we have to play against other countries or even clubs, depending on what our technical team has chosen and which way they would want to take in order to prepare.
As a Ministry, we did not get any request from ZIFA or their technical team through SRC that they want to engage other countries before playing against Rwanda.
Hon. Hlongwane having walked back to his seat.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, I did not say sit down.
I just wanted you to speed up and to debate looking at me.
HON. HLONGWANE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. Our aim as Government is that when all national teams are going out, they should be adequately prepared. That is our policy. We support all the National Sports Associations – that is our desire so that they are adequately prepared.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me
this opportunity. I can see the Minister of Agriculture has gone out. I will now direct my question to the Leader of the House who is the Vice President.
As Members of Parliament in our rural constituencies, we are not like the local businessmen. Facing the challenges of hunger that we have, what is the Government policy – we have seen cattle dying in
Masvingo and being sold for US$20. In Chipinge, they are selling at US$15. In Manicaland, a bucket of maize is buying a cow. In the constituencies, the people are saying can we put our cattle together before it is too late so that the Cold Storage Commission can buy. Can we get maize with the importing price because as Members of
Parliament, we cannot get permits to import maize as millers so that the country will say there is no money because we are the Government.
*THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Hon. Member has asked a very pertinent question by giving us answers to help in the alleviation of hunger and I welcome the wise words. If we can have more people who can give us ways on how to curb this. I thank you.
*HON. CHAMISA: My supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir is the idea that I would want to proffer since the Hon. Minister has asked for more ideas to alleviate this problem. I do not know what Government will say on the idea that I have. All over the world, whenever a country is faced with drought and starvation, the country with the population that is suffering declares a state of disaster. When they have declared that problem as disaster, other countries will come and assist. I am asking whether the Government is in a situation to declare the state of disaster because we know that once that has been declared, the United Nations and its agencies will come to the rescue of Zimbabweans. I am glad our Hon. Vice President accepts ideas and he will readily accept my idea.
* HON. MNANGAGWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am very grateful to the idea that has been proffered by the Hon. Member. He has added on to what we have already done in alleviating the problem faced by the country and we are also saying there will be need for us to declare a state of emergency. This is in the pipeline and when we have set the date, we will declare that date as the idea proffered.
HON. MURAI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Would you first of all allow me to pay my tribute to Hon. Chamisa who has just turned 38 years? To Hon. Chamisa, I say happy birthday to you.
My question goes to the Leader of the House. Mr. President, may you please clarify on the issue of bonuses? The nation is still waiting for their bonuses since 2015. Should they continue to wait or it is now water under the bridge?
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE,
LEGAL AND PARLIMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the question is a concern, not only to Members of the House but is a concern to the entire public service because Government pronounced itself on this issue and said that we are going to pay bonuses to civil servants. The question is when and not whether it is going to be paid. I believe that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services have both made it public that they are committed to paying bonuses. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, my supplementary to the Vice President, Hon. Dambudzo Mnangagwa is, may you tell the nation in this National Assembly as to whether it is true or otherwise that regardless of civil servants, up to today, having not been paid their bonuses, outside the box, the Central Intelligence Organisation have since been given their bonuses in December?
HON. MNANGAGWA: I am aware that bonuses have not been
paid to civil servants. I am not aware of the particular payment which he knows and I am not aware that that has happened.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am not allowing any supplementary questions. According to my list, members of on my right, I am guided accordingly and the next person is Hon. Nduna.
*HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Dokora. We talked about hunger and starvation and the most affected are the school children. In my Constituency, Chegutu; children travel long distances to school. When they arrive they will be tired and cannot absorb education. Some of the children have since stopped going to school because they cannot travel on empty stomachs. As a Ministry, what steps are you taking to alleviate the hunger problems for school going children?
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DOKORA): I thank Hon. Nduna who has
raised this question. It is true that there is starvation and hunger in the country and Government is looking for food to distribute amongst the citizens of this country. As a Ministry, we are also aware of the fact that school children are facing starvation and at times they only have one meal per day and they spend the whole day without eating anything.
The only exception is learners in boarding schools who have their three square meals.
As the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we have asked Government to come and assist after we have noticed that the
Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Ministry of Education went to a meeting which was held in Brazil. It was related to feeding school children or learners in their schools. I will give a full report on this feeding scheme for the children. What I can probably reveal is that when Cabinet held its meeting, they accepted the idea that we hold a feeing scheme which will be called Zimbabwe School Feeding Programme. As I have stated, as per modus operandi, we will say in the near future. I thank you.
HON. A. NDEBELE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. In the usual absence of the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, I have a question for the Hon. Vice President. The World Bank’s EITI programme is a transparency initiative that affords nations to publicly declare what they earn from mining. I wish to find out from the Vice President what policy circumstances are blocking Zimbabwe from becoming a member of this initiative. While at that, could the Vice President also kindly furnish the House on reasons why mining companies in this country are not making public their accounts? I thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Member. The first part, he has talked of a company with initials which I do not know. I would have wanted him to tell me what the EITI stands for, then I would know whether I understand it or not. The second part that companies are not declaring their accounts, that is in violation of the Companies Act, they ought to do so, but the best thing is to state the companies which have not done so in violation of the law. Otherwise they are required to do so in terms of our law. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I have a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. With all due respect when we started this session I presented the aspect of Ministers having not been here but now, those few Ministers that we had way before we have even finished, have already left the House, midstream the question time. Where are we heading to Hon. Speaker?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, I get your point of
order. I think it stands and I will ask the Vice President and Leader of the House to respond.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to advise the House in response to the matter raised by the Hon. Member that the observation by the Hon. Member is apt and is well taken. I believe that it is necessary that Ministers should sit through until the end of the question time. So, I will advise my colleagues that they should observe that requirement in future. I thank you. –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.
SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
CORPORATE TAX AND DIVIDENDS FROM MARANGE
DIAMOND PROCEEDS
1.HON. MARIDADI asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development how much money Treasury has received ever since diamonds were discovered in Marange in terms of corporate tax and dividend.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA) on behalf of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON.
CHINAMASA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I will respond to the question from Hon. Maridadi on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development. Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Members, mining companies extracting minerals are subject various taxes and levies.
The following taxes and levies are charged on mining operations:
- Mineral royalties
- Corporate Income Tax
- Value Added Tax
- Customs duty
- Capital Gains
- Withholding taxes on technical fees, remittances, royalties, dividends, interest earned on local deposits
- Fees and charges which include among others; application fees, mining fees and charges, etc.
Royalties are levied in terms of Section 244 of the Mines and
Minerals Act, whilst the royalty rates are fixed through the Finance Act. Royalties are levies on the gross mineral value and withheld at source. Currently the royalty rate for diamonds is pegged at 15%.
The general corporate tax rate for all mining companies is 25%. However, proceeds from holders of a special mining lease are levied corporate income tax at a special rate of 15%. Revenues collected from the mining sector for the period from 2009 to 2014 are:
Year | Royalties | Corporate Tax |
2009 | 2,182,663.82 | 13,864,381.12 |
2010 | 52,016,767.99 | 61,247,469.19 |
2011 | 52,740,214.57 | 67,931,743.01 |
2012 | 157,101,422.41 | 30,764,627.94 |
2013 | 145,013,673.45 | 31,756,801.51 |
2014 | 191,886,368.73 | 58,438,700.43 |
Hon. Members, as for the diamonds, I am currently compiling it from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, that is the Minister of Finance, Zimbabwe Mining Development Cooperation and the Revenue Authority. From the foregoing, it is apparent that
Government’s take from the mining sector is collected by different arms of Government and when all the data has been availed to the Minister of Finance, he will make it available to this august House. I thank you.
HON. MARIDADI: Madam Speaker, what I seek to get from Government is the ball peck figure of how much money has been realised from the diamonds fields, whether it is $25 million in terms of corporate tax. Every money that is due to Government, excise duty, royalties, corporate tax, I want a ball peck figure so that when I explain to my grandmother in Mabvuku, I am able to tell her that since diamonds were discovered in 2009, Government has realised such an amount. All these other figures, yes fine. I do not want to necessarily break down but I want the ball peck figure so that we are able to see whether or not diamonds have made any difference to our coffers at all.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA) on behalf OF THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Thank you
Madam Speaker. I appreciate the follow up question from the Hon. Member but would like to say that following all the detailed information that I gave, the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development has concluded by stating that you should appreciate or you might have appreciated in the presentation that the sources are different and once the collection of the data has been done, he will come to this august House and provide you with the data that you have specifically said you wanted it said for the diamond mine. I thank you.
HON. MARIDADI: Indulge me to say this. If you visit Botswana website you are able to see how much money the Government of Botswana realised last year, but what the Hon. Minister is telling me is that Government does not know how much money came from diamonds. That is what they are telling me. The Minister responsible for Treasury is not in the know of how much money has been realised from the diamonds. That is what the Minister is telling me. Is that correct? Does Government know or does Government not know? That is the answer that I want.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member that is the
answer which is coming from the Minister, that after he has used whatever way of coming up with that figure he is bringing into this House. So, can we please proceed with other questions?
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Minister has a duty to give a comprehensive answer. Specifically when the question was asked in October. This is now January. If the Minister is going to take more than four months to bring an answer, honestly, what will Parliament be doing to wait for a new answer; compiling data for more than four months from another Ministry. I think we are not doing this Parliament a good service.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think the
Hon. Minister who is giving answers is acting. Now that the substantive Minister is not here, can we please wait for him so that all those questions go straight to him. Can we proceed with other questions?
HON. MARIDADI: The question has not been answered, can it be answered by the substantive minister next week. Can it be deferred to next week?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member you have a
particular requirement so put it in writing again. The part which has been answered has been answered; the one which is not answered put it in writing.
HON. MARIDADI: It has not been answered, I am not going to write anything else, the question has been written and it has not been answered, I expect an answer. Thank you.
DISBURSEMENT OF 95% BUDGET ALLOCATION TO THE
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, GENDER AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
3.HON. CHIKUNI asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development when the Ministry will disburse the remaining 95% budget allocation to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and
Community Development to enable them to execute their mandate.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA) on behalf OF THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Thank you Madam Speaker. I have the honour again to represent the Minister of Minister of Finance and Economic Development to respond to Hon. Chikuni. I wish to respond to the question by firstly informing the House that Government prioritises support towards empowerment of women as a strategy to promote gender equality. To this effect, as at 31st October 2015, disbursements to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development stood at US7.1 million, representing 53% of the Ministry’s total budget of US$13.4
million.
The low disbursements on programmes are on account of the need for the Ministry to finalise the operational framework for the Women’s Development Bank, which accounts for 78% of the non-wage re-current expenditure.
Operations and maintenance
The budget provides for US$1 million for operations, of which US$300 000 is for service providers which is ring fenced, with a balance of US$700 000 for the other operations. As at 31st October, 2015 US$436 039 had been disbursed towards other operations against a budget of US$700 000 representing 62% of the allocation.
In view of the Government’s commitment to promote gender equality through empowerment of women, The Minister of Finance and
Economic Development, would like to urge his colleague Hon. Minister N. Chikwinya to expedite the finalization of the operational framework of the Women’s Development Bank to enable Treasury to avail the resources towards capitalization of the bank. I thank you
TOURS OF PROVINCES BY THE FIRST LADY
- HON. CROSS asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development whether the recent tours to the provinces by the First Lady were catered for by the state, and if so to state the expenditure incurred and also if the Minister could report to the House the extent and justification of such expenditure.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA) on behalf OF THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON.
CHINAMASA): thank you Madam Speaker. I seek leave of the House for a written response to this question, hence I ask for deferment. I thank you.
INCUBATORS AND ELECTRICITY AT RURAL CLINICS
- HON. KAUNDIKIZA asked the Minister of Health and Child
Care to state the Ministry’s plans to ensure that all Rural Clinics have incubators and electricity to prevent newly born babies from dying needlessly.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Member of Parliament for asking this question.
Currently, Rural Health Centres do not have baby incubators as baby incubators are used to treat critically ill new-born babies and are therefore operated by highly trained nursing staff and doctors and such personnel, is not yet in place in our rural clinics. However, we have in place Baby Corners where critically ill babies are resuscitated and timeously referred to either District or Provincial hospitals for specialised treatment.
We hope that all our Rural Health Centres will be electrified under the Rural Electrification program because this is a pre-requisite for the placement of incubators. I thank you.
*HON. KAUNDIKIZA: Minister, is it not possible for your
ministry to train health personnel to assist in these Rural Health Centres? Currently, nursing mothers have to travel fifty to sixty kilometers to referral centers. When these health personnel are empowered, they will then be able to assist nursing mothers within their communities.
*HON. DR. MUSIIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving
me the opportunity to respond to this important question on the training and empowerment of personnel in maternity.
As the Ministry of Health and Child Care, we would like to reduce the distance that is travelled by patients to health centres. We would like to have a clinic in every ward so that patients travel short distances.
Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to establish such centres. Not only that, most of these rural centres are not electrified and the incubators that the hon. member is talking about can only operate where there is electricity.
Therefore, we look forward to a time whereby we will be able to electrify these health centres and hence install incubators.
REVIEW OF VILLAGE HEALTH WORKERS’ ALLOWANCES
- HON. VUTETE asked the Minister of Health and Child care to explain the plans in place to review the allowances of the Village Health Workers which are currently pegged at $14.00 per month and further state the measures the Ministry is putting in place to improve their working conditions.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MUSIIWA): Thank you again Madam Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Vutete for asking this very important question.
Our Village Health Workers are our contact personnel with the population and are very important cadres. However, they are volunteer cadres.
Village Health Workers are Community Based workers who are volunteers. They work for two to three and half days a week. The $14.00 per month that they are paid is not coming from Government but is actually coming from development partners, the Global Fund and the Health Transition Fund.
Currently, there is no financial input for Village Health workers from the Government of Zimbabwe. At some point, there were plans for the Government of Zimbabwe to pay the Village Health Workers $70.00 a month but, due to budgetary constraints, the money was not available.
At the moment, the Village Health workers attend three refresher courses of two days per year. There are financial constraints to secure money to regularly conduct training to replace the Village Health Worker trainers when they resign. Currently, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is only providing uniforms, floppy hats, raincoats, bicycles and tennis shoes for the Village Health workers. I thank you.
PROVISION OF CD4 COUNT MACHINES
- HON P. MASUKU asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform the House on measures that the Ministry is taking to provide
CD4 Count machines in the children’s Ward at Mpilo Central Hospital.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
(HON. DR. MUSIIWA): At the moment, Mpilo Central Hospital has two big CD4 Count machines that have a very high turnover. They are adequate to provide the necessary tests for the whole of Bulawayo. What you are asking about is what we now call, Point of Sale CD machines within the pediatric ward , and that is not there at the moment.
However, it is also important for me to alert the House that the pressure we had before with the CD4 Count machines has actually gone down. Before, when anyone tested HIV+ we needed a CD4 Count to commence treatment but now the regulations have changed. We have moved to what is known as, Test and Treat. The moment we test and you are HIV+ we go ahead and commence you on treatment without the requirement of a CD4 Count.
It is the same with the pregnant mothers; we have what is known as Option B+, all pregnant mothers who test HIV+ are immediately commenced on HIV treatment without the need of a CD4 Count but we will then need to review the viral load.
Currently, the CD4 Count machines at Mpilo Hospital are adequate.
I thank you.
GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ERRANT MINISTERS
- HON. CHIBAYA asked the Vice President and Minister of
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs what action will be taken by Government in the event that a Minister disobeys a ruling of the courts, as is the case with Gweru councilors who were ordered to go back to their offices by the High Court and the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has defied this order.
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF
JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
MNANGAGWA): Madam Speaker, let me first express my profound gratitude to you for allowing us ample time to investigate the circumstances which gave rise to the question on which Hon. Chibaya seeks clarification. The crux of his question centers on what action will be taken by Government in the event that a Minister disobeys a ruling of courts, in particular in view of the case of Gweru councilors who were ordered to go back to their offices, as alleged, and as is further alleged that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing defied the same.
Madam Speaker, in my previous response on the 18th November, 2015 in this House, we clarified the position of law in as far as crimes against the administration of justice are concerned, with contempt of court of this nature being one of such crimes envisaged under Section 182 (2) (e) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]. As a way of refreshing your memory, this Section prohibits everyone from “knowingly contravening or failing to comply with any order of a court which is given during or in respect of judicial proceedings and with which it is his duty to comply”. Failure to adhere to the provisions of Section 182 attracts a “… fine not exceeding level six or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both…” such fine and imprisonment as provided for in terms of Section 182 (1) (b). Upon this clarification in my previous response, you tasked me to gather more information on this matter, which I executed as promised.
Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I would want to set the record straight and assert that it would have helped this honourable House if Hon. Chibaya had acknowledged that the case of Gweru councillors who were ordered to go to their offices, to quote him verbatim, is what is alleged, so that we dispense of our duty as Government to provide facts of what happened. Instead, the Hon. Member packaged the circumstances which formed the basis of his question as facts rather than allegations, or worse still, as a romantic figment of his exuberant imagination as peddled by the euphoria of the press. The High Court never directed or ordered the councillors to go back to their offices as wrongly captured by Hon.Chibaya. Therefore, the allegation that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing defied the order of the Court is false, given that such an allegation is predicated upon an alleged order that was never given by the High Court of Zimbabwe.
The question by the Hon. Member stems from the Provisional
Order that was granted by the High Court of Zimbabwe sitting in Bulawayo on the 1st October, 2015. The Provisional Order was granted as the consequence of the Urgent Chamber Application by the Gweru councillors who were applicants on the matter, with the Minister of
Local Government cited as one of the Respondents. This was an Urgent Chamber Application wherein the applicants sought the following temporary relief:
“That pending the confirmation of the Provisional Order the applicants are granted the following interim relief:
- That pending finalisation of this matter, all disciplinary proceedings against applicants that are pending before a tribunal appointed by first respondent are hereby stayed.
- That first and second respondent jointly and severally bear the costs of this application.”
Madam Speaker, while the learned Judge did surely grant the
Provisional Order, which in any event is temporary relief until confirmation of the matter, he did not make any ruling or determination on the suspension of the councillors since that was not the matter before him. What was before the learned Judge was a prayer for interim relief to stay all disciplinary proceedings against the Applicants. The prayer before the Court was for staying suspensions against Applicants, since it was the proceedings by the independent tribunal constituted by the
Respondent which were potentially illegal and irregular as alleged, given that no Act of Parliament was enacted to establish such tribunal as envisaged under Section 278 (2).
As we speak, the Provisional Order was complied with as no such disciplinary proceedings were commenced as was the wish of the Respondent as was stayed by the Court. In fact, the Respondent, who is the Minister of Local Government, as a law abiding subject, also awaits the fate of the councillors’ application pending confirmation of the same or otherwise.
With all due respect, if the order of the Court was to the effect that the councillors go back to their offices as alleged by Hon. Chibaya, would they not have made a follow up to enforce the order by bringing the alleged defiance by the Respondent to the attention of the Court, as the law itself frowns upon all those who are contemptuous of its ruling?
In any event, this Provisional Order, unless the Hon. Member is referring to a different order, did not deal with the issue of the restoration of the status of the Applicants as councillors, but with the temporary staying of disciplinary proceedings against the Applicants by the independent tribunal constituted by the Minister pending confirmation of the same.
In view of the facts I have outlined above and sound reasoning by the honourable Court, the Hon. Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing was never in defiance of the order of the Court and therefore as Government, we have no reason to be worried. Furthermore, we are happy and fulfilled that there are no lacunas or gaps in law to deal with erstwhile citizens who may want to defy court orders as Section 181 (2) (e) is adequate to arrest such mischief. Since Hon. Chibaya wants to know what action we will take as Government if such contemptuous mischief against the courts takes place, the Government will just invoke the laws in place through its relevant organs, in this instance, the executive law enforcement apparatus which are the police, will cause the arrest of such contemptuous person or persons and the judiciary will apply the relevant laws and determine accordingly as envisaged by our laws. I thank you.
POSITION REGARDING SUSPENSION OF THE ZIMBABWE
NATIONAL TEAM FROM FIFA WORLD CUP COMPETITIONS
- HON. NDUNA asked the Minister of Sport and Recreation to state the current position of the Zimbabwe National Team in terms of its suspension from FIFA World Cup Competition; and further state:
- the composition of the Zimbabwe Football Association Board and whether the leadership issue has been resolved;
- how many and how much coaches are owed by the Zimbabwe
Football Association; and
- the steps that the Ministry has taken to pay the dues owed by the
Zimbabwe Football Association to coaches’ institutions, workers and former workers.
THE MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION (HON.
HLONGWANE): Thank you Madam Speaker. Zimbabwe was banned from competing in the preliminary round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup scheduled for Russia, after ZIFA had failed to pay the former National Team ‘the Warriors’ coach, Joe Claudinei Georgini, also known as Valinhos. Valinhos was employed as a national team coach from 2007 and was relieved of his duties in 2008, due to the Warriors failure to qualify for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 World Cup. At the time of the termination of his contract, ZIFA owed the coach US$61 000.
Following vain attempts to get payment from ZIFA, Valinhos then approached FIFA who then ordered ZIFA to pay the coach or risk being expelled from the 2018 World Cup. ZIFA failed to pay the coach and FIFA evoked the decision in question. ZIFA, however, failed to appeal against the decision within three months. My ministry then sourced the funds to clear Valinhos’ debt which had accumulated to US$83 000 including interest and legal fees by the time the payment was made.
After making this payment, a delegation was sent to Zurich. In view of this development, my Ministry has resolved to focus its energy on the preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar in the middle east.
I am happy to inform the House that the ZIFA leadership issues were resolved on the 5th December, 2015 with the election which ushered in a new ZIFA Board comprising of the following members:- Dr. Philip Chiyangwa -President.
Mr. Omega Sibanda -Vice President.
Mr. Piraishe Mabena -Board member Finance and Administration.
Mr. Edzai Kasinauyo -Board member Development.
Mr. Felton Kamambo -Board member.
Two more members are going to be co-opted to the board from the Premier Soccer League and Women Football, respectively.
As Hon. Members may be aware, ZIFA debt was reported to be in the region on US$6 million. The accuracy of this figure is however doubtful. It is also not clear whether all creditors were correctly noted, as some might have been paid in the whole or in part, while others might not have been included.
It is for this reason therefore, that my Ministry urged ZIFA and they agreed to conduct a forensic audit of their creditors to come up with an accurate position on this matter. Therefore, my Ministry cannot state with certainty, how many and how much coaches are owned by ZIFA as a result of this background as submitted as an attempt to do so, given the situation highlighted may in fact misleading. However, I would like to assure the august House that this matter is receiving my Ministry’s undivided attention.
My Ministry would also like to state that it is not our responsibility to pay internal and external creditors of the National Sport Associations, ZIFA included. National Sport Associations are autonomous bodies administered in terms of their constitutions and they are legal entities in their own right. They are expected to exercise due diligence in the manner they run their financial affairs. I thank you. Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, Question No. 12
was directed to the wrong Ministry, accordingly the question is being redirected to the right Ministry for responds next week. We defer the question to next week.
COMPLETION OF THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX IN
MUTOKO
- HON. HUNGWA asked the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to explain when the Government complex in Mutoko will be completed given that it has taken too long.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.
CHINGOSHO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Hungwa for the question. Madam Speaker, the project like other similar projects in Siyakobvu, Mrewa and Hwedza were earmarked for completion in August 2006. However, due to hyper inflationary environment then, then during the Zimbabwean dollar era in 2006, progress was hindered. The scope of works for the project was to complete one double storey block to accommodate all the Government departments in Mutoko district to address the acute shortage of office accommodation. One of the aims of the project was to decentralise
Government’s activities to districts as exemplified by the construction of district registry offices in various provinces which are Manicaland; Buhera completed, Nyanga, outstanding, Masvingo; Mwenezi completed, Chivi completed …..
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, that is a report
of the Ministry, the question is when is the Government complex in Mutoko going to be completed.
HON. CHINGOSHO: I would like to indicate that the completion
of that project as I have indicated earlier on, it was supposed to have been done in 2006 but this financial year the project is on the Ministry’s budget, we hope if we get the money, it will be done and completed.
HON. GABBUZA: I want to know from the Minister, what
strategies are they putting in place to salvage the construction material which is at that particular site Mutoko because it is continuously damaged by weather elements.
HON. CHINGOSHO: I want to thank the Hon. Member for the
supplementary question. That problem was noted by the Ministry. It was reported and steps have been taken through our department of public construction to make sure that that material is taken care of.
HON. SARUWAKA: The Minister has indicated that in this year’s Budget there was an allocation of money towards the completion of that complex. Are you sure that the figures that were allocated if they are released are indeed enough to complete that job. Were enough funds allocated for this particular project in this financial year?
HON. CHINGOSHO: I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary questions. When we made our estimates as the Ministry, comparing with what was allocated, the funds are not adequate, so we might not be able to complete unless the internal measures we are taking are going to materialise, we will try to first of all give preference to the unfinished projects. That is the arrangement.
CIVIL PROTECTION POLICY
- HON. MASUKU asked the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to explain the Civil Protection Policy on mitigating challenges caused by veld fires.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,
PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.
CHINGOSHO): Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Member and I would like to respond to that by saying however, the issue of mitigating challenges caused by veld fires lies with the Environmental Management Agency which is mandated to mitigate against veld fires guided by the Environmental Management Act. I thank you.
RECOVERY OF MONEY PAID TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF
AN AMBULANCE AND TRACKERS
- HON. MASUKU asked the Minister of Local Government,
Public Works and National Housing to state whether the Bulawayo City Council recovered the money paid in advance in December 2013 for the purchase of ambulances and trackers and to further explain why they paid the amount in full before the delivery of the vehicles.
THE DEPUTY MINISER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,
PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.
CHINGOSHO): Madam Speaker on the issue of installation and the commissioning of the vehicle tracking and a fleet management system, council tendered out for the supply, installation and the commissioning of vehicle tracking and a fleet management system in 2010. The tender was awarded to Tracker Engineering Private (LTD). A company incorporated and its address duly incorporated. Its address of service was in Harare.
The contract price was US$501 500 and Council was supposed to pay a deposit of US$100 000 and the balance was to be paid within a period of 36 months. The deposit was paid in the sum of US$100 000 and Tracker then started requesting for extension and relaxation of certain clauses in the contract. Council acceded to some of the requests but turned down some of them. The company then disappeared and its e-mails were bouncing back. Their telephone numbers were no longer reachable. We took the matter to court and have since obtained a judgment which is ready to be implemented as soon as we locate them. Council tried to use the services of a tracking agent, but we reached a dead end. We will continue to search so that the US$100 000 deposit which was paid could be recovered. The purchase price was not paid in full. Council awarded the contract to Tracker because they had favourable conditions and a flexible payment plan. They had a good backup system and had promised to work with the council until the system was up and running.
Madam Speaker, on the supply and delivery of ambulances, council tendered out for the supply and delivery of four ambulances in 2010. The tender was awarded to Access Medical Corporation. The contract price for these ambulances was US$341 844. The terms of the tender were that council was to pay 60% deposit and the rest over 12 months. The 60% deposit was paid, which is US$203 106.40. The unit price of each ambulance was US$85 461 and the deposit paid was sufficient to pay for two ambulances. After paying the deposit the customer kept promising that the ambulances had been shipped, even requesting that council process the duty free certificate.
There were several correspondences between the supplier and council and they just vanished after realising that legal action was now being taken against them. Meanwhile, we had handed over the matter to our lawyers after realising that the supplier was not cooperating. Efforts to serve them with summons were unsuccessful because they were nowhere to be found. We will continue searching and using the services of private investigators to trace them. The contract price was not paid in full. It was 60% deposit.
It is important to note that all these contracts were in 2010 soon after the introduction of the multicurrency and council was operating on a cash budget. Council’s cash flows were not good and the idea was to try and buy these ambulances on credit and then pay in installments. All the other tenderers wanted cash on delivery and so we then opted for this tenderer who could give council terms. All the other tenders which
came after these were strictly cash on delivery to avoid further loss. I thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is, I would like the Hon. Minister to apprise this House as to why we now have this situation whereby these companies are no longer being seen or these land lines being contactable, but you gave us the impression that all procedures necessary to look into these companies with regard to credibility was done. Now we have this situation that these people cannot be tracked and we have even gone further to look for some investigation team to deal with the matter. What really caused these loopholes not to be observed before a tender was approved?
HON. CHINGOSHO: Madam Speaker, I agree with the member’s observation, but as I indicated due consideration and even scrutiny was taken by the Ministry but you cannot tell from their papers, from their submission. It looked as if they were favourable and on top of that they wanted to do that in terms, unlike other tenderers who wanted cash up front. So, it is something we did not predict as a Ministry.
HON MUTSEYAMI: My plea and prayer is for you to respond
to the causes of a failure to abide by principles of tendering. What caused that in your Ministry?
HON. CHINGOSHO: Thank you very much Hon. Member.
Madam Speaker as I indicated that all the scrutiny was taken and according to the consideration at that time, that tenderer appeared to be the best amongst others. All the tender procedure considerations were taken but it is unfortunate that this tenderer did not fulfill what we thought was required. I think all the necessary procedures were taken into consideration.
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
FINANCING OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND CHILD
CARE
- HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic
Development to explain how the Ministry intends to finance the
US$ 300 982 000 total appropriation to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, in view of the fact that the Mid – term Fiscal Policy Review indicated that government has disbursed only US11.8
Million while cooperating partners have contributed US$ 140.5 Million.
- The 2015 Budget provided for $300 982 000 towards financing
of the health sector as follows;
- Employment costs US$247.7 million
- Operations and Maintenance US$25.3 million
- Capital Expenditure US$28.0 million
- The US$25.3 million appropriation in support of recurrent expenditures focuses on increasing access and utilization of quality primary health care and referral facilities. This is being done through
- Strengthening maternal and child health services;
- Improving the availability of medicines across all public health institutions;
- Improving immunization coverage; and
- Scaling up anti-retroviral therapy coverage
- The main thrust of the 2015 Capital budget of US$28 million focuses on refurbishment of existing infrastructure and fixed equipment and the provision of water augmentation facilities.
- Budget support to Ministry of Health and Child Care as at June,
2015 amounted to US$164.5 million, broken down as follows
- Employment costs US$145.2 million
- Recurrent Expenditure US$14.7 million
- Capital Expenditure US$4.6 million
- The US$11.8 million alluded to by Hon. Chirisa relates to resources availed in support of targeted recurrent programmes, drawn from the overall recurrent support of US$14.7
- As at 31 October 2015, overall support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care had improved to US$277.5 million.
- The constrained fiscal environment is severely limiting
Government’s capacity to fund social service delivery, inclusive of the health sector
- Support from Development Partners amounted by June, 2015 to US$140.5 million, targeting the following programmes:
- HIV/AIDS prevention and provision of anti-retroviral drugs –
US$13.5 million;
- Maternal and Child Health – US$16.7 million
- Reproductive Health – US$7.3 million; and
- TB and Malaria interventions – US$103 million
COMPLETION OF THE LUPANE PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL
- HON. NKOMO MAIL asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to inform the House when the Ministry will avail the funds for the completion of Lupane Provincial Hospital.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND
COMMERCE (HON. MABUWA) on behalf OF THE
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT: In order to ensure equitable access to health services for citizens, Government has been constructing health facilities across the country.
- Construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital in Matabeleland North province started in 2003, with the contract being awarded to Zimbabwe Jiangsu International.
- The scope of the project entails construction of a 438 bed hospital comprising the following:
- Outpatient and casualty department
- Pharmacy
- Dental and eye unit
- Mortuary
- Laboratory
- Psychiatric unit
- Multi-disciplinary school and
- Staff accommodation
- Due to the economic challenges of the past decade, works were suspended in 2005. At the time of suspension, structures for staff accommodation, OPD, and pharmacy were at superstructure level with the rest of the other structures being at foundation level.
- The project is, therefore, one of the many projects that have stalled on account of resource constraints as the current estimated construction requirement of US$55 million cannot be met from our limited budgetary resources.
- Cognisant of our budgetary limitations, the targeted approach we are implementing in the health sector aims to revitalize services by ring fencing the limited resources towards a few targeted health institutions targeting rehabilitation and maintenance of existing infrastructure.
- As the cash flow improves, Government should be able to direct resources towards construction of the hospital which remains a priority project for the provincial capital of Matabeleland North Province.
MEASURES TO SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
HEALTH SECTOR
*6. HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to explain the measures put in place to ensure that the improvements that have been made in the health sector through the Health
Transition Fund are sustained given that the fund’s life span is coming to an end.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD
CARE (DR. MUSIIWA): The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) would like to acknowledge the important role the HTF played in assisting the Government of Zimbabwe in terms of improving the services in Maternal and Newborn Child Health and Nutrition in children less than five years of age. Over the past five years, the Health Transition Fund (HTF) has availed resources in terms of commodities and Maternal and Child Health Nutrition, drugs and medicines, health retention allowances and resources to carry out support and supervision in health facilities.
The support has strengthened health service delivery in the country and as the 2014 Multiple Indicator Clusters Survey attests to, we have seen an improvement in almost all maternal and child health indicators. The maternal mortality rate has gone down to 614 per 100 000 births from 960 per 100 000 in 2009/ 2010. Child mortality has gone down from 89 per 1000 to 75 per 1000 in 2014.
HTF is one of the programme that is assisting the
Government of Zimbabwe in availing resources for the MOHCC. From the period 2016 to 2020, the HTF is going to change into Health Development Fund, which is an even broader funding mechanism with the incorporation of other United Nations (UN) agencies and more partners.
Many donors have pledged to pool their resources into Health Development Fund. This will ensure that not only do we sustain the already supported programmes, but also look at other areas for improvement.
Other programmes which also support MOHCC in terms of maternal and child health go beyond 2015. UNFPA has approved US$95 million for the Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) which go up to 2020. The World Bank has approved a US$25 million three-year support programme under Results-Based Financing. The Integral Support Programme (ISP) for family planning, cervical cancer screening and genderbased violence programming goes beyond 2015.
All these programmes support maternal and child health over the above Government support from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
Questions With Notice were interrupted by THE DEPUTY
SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.
HON. MANGAMI: I move that time for Questions With Notice be extended.
HON. LABODE: I object.
Motion put and negatived.
On the motion of THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER
OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON.
- D. MNANGAGWA), the House adjourned at Twelve Minutes to
Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 2nd February, 2016
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 23rd December, 2015, Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the election of Hon. Killian Sibanda, member of ZANU PF party as a Member of the National Assembly representing Nkulumane Constituency with effect from the 20th December, 2015.
Section 128(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the 3rd Schedule. Section 128(2) states that the oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament.
The hon. member there, standing near the pillar, please may you sit down.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. KILLIAN SIBANDA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the Law and took his seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Order! Hon. members on my left
please.
HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. We were discussing
that this is a new year and we need to start things also in a very good way. We have not greeted you officially Hon. Speaker, this is the discussion that we were having to say, we need to greet our Speaker officially. I just want to take the lead and say, ngatiisei mawoko kuna Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.] –
LAUNCH OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Mackenzie. I have a few other announcements to make. I thank you for the greetings and I reciprocate and welcome you to this our sitting.
The first announcement is that I have to inform the House that the Hon. Chief Justice is inviting hon. Members of Parliament to the launch of the Anticorruption Campaign to be jointly hosted by all stakeholders in the administration in Zimbabwe on Friday, 5th February, 2016 at 0900hrs at the Harare Magistrates Court. If as many Members of Parliament can attend, that will be appreciated.
INVITATION TO THE INAUGURAL PROVINCIAL INTER-FAITH
DAY
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that the
Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province is inviting all
Members of Parliament to an Inaugural Provincial Inter-Faith Day, at the
City Sport Centre, where prayers for peace and prosperity for the Harare
Metropolitan Province will be conducted on Saturday, 6th February,
2016, starting at 0800 a.m.
ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY
LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: Further, I also wish to inform the House that I have received an Adverse Report from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill.
NON-ADVERSE REPORTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY
LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: Further to that, I have to inform the House that I have received non-adverse reports on the following:
- All Statutory Instruments published in the Government
Gazette during the month of December, 2015.
- All General Notices published in the Government Gazette during the month of December, 2015.
- The Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill and
- The General Laws Amendment Bill.
VACANCY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HON. SPEAKER: I would also like to inform the House
that, on 20th January, 2016, I was notified by the Zimbabwe African
National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) Party that with effect from 1st December, 2015, Mr. Criswell Mutematsaka ceased to be a member of ZANU PF Party.
Accordingly, Section 129 (1) (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe applies and it provides as follows. “The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he/she was a member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned, by written notice to the Speaker or the President of the Senate as the case may be has declared that the member has ceased to belong to it.”
The necessary administrative measures have been taken to inform
His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of the existence of vacancy in line with Section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act Chapter 213 as amended.
INVITATION TO A ROMAN CATHOLIC RECEPTION
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also have to inform the House that the Roman Catholic Church is inviting all Hon. Members who are catholics to a reception to be held today, 2nd February, 2016 at the Zimbabwe
Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Africa Synod House, corner Fourth Street and Selous Avenue, starting at 1700 hours. The reception is being organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. All Hon. Members who belong to the Catholic Church are urged to attend. Those members wishing to attend the reception please give your names to Hon. Majome, before 1530 this afternoon.
MATTER OF PRIVILEGE
HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My notice of motion has to do with Standing Order Number 68 (d), which is basically an issue to do with matters relating to a question of privilege. I am raising this Hon. Speaker Sir, particularly concerned that we have seen an increase in the number of Members of Parliament that are being expelled. I know some may not understand what I am saying but it is very important in the context of national interest and also public interest.
You may be aware that each time we have an MP who is suspended or expelled; correspondingly, we have to go to an election. That election costs a lot of money and that money which is being spend is actually wasted money in the context of bonuses that have not been paid [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- Civil servants that have not been paid. It is very important because this is a matter of privilege in the context of an MP who is seated there. I tell you Mr. Speaker Sir, most of our MPs right now are no longer able to transact the business that they were elected to do because they are so afraid. They tell us nicodemously and secretly that we are in trouble.
This is a serious matter of national concern. I am saying it is a serious matter of national concern on three aspects. Firstly, the cost factor, particularly when we look at our economy and the performance of our budget. The second one has to do with the stability of this House.
The stability of our politics, that clause was never intended in the Constitution to cause undue suffering and hardships to the country, to the individual MPs and to the constituents. We are perpetually talking about politics, literally leaving and absconding the responsibility to talk about development. Now, when we are in elections perpetually, these virtuous cycles of politics are affecting the virtual cycles of development. This is going to affect the country.
The third point which is very important is that we still have unfinished business of reforms to do with elections. We cannot continue to have people who come here masquerading as representatives of the people when they are in fact elected under murky, nebulous and foggy circumstances, where elections have not been held in a manner that is credible and legitimate. These are issues that are supposed to be debated on a point of privilege Hon. Speaker [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.].
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I hear the point of order and privilege raised by Hon. Chamisa. If we read very carefully Section 129(1)(k) of the Constitution, there is no way this august House or
Parliament in general can stop the activities of certain political parties who have representatives elected on their ticket to either cease to be members because of circumstances pertaining to their own political parties. This august House cannot intervene. So, I would urge Hon. Chamisa to secretly and nicodemously speak to his party – [Laugher] – to hold the galloping of these terminations of office by the party and perhaps, he could also influence other parties to act in a similar manner to stop. The reasons given by Hon. Chamisa are credible but unfortunately, are directed to a wrong platform as it were, but I accept the reasons given.
HON. CHAMISA: Hon. Speaker, thank you very much. I know the Standing Orders do not allow us to say anything after the ruling of the Speaker, but just to clarify that from a point of law, Section 129:1(k) gives powers to the Standing Rules and Orders Committee to then devise a mechanism that does not create floodgates when political parties approach the Speaker and Parliament to try and invoke that section. In that case, we still have as Parliament, the power to exercise certain jurisdiction and this is where Hon. Speaker Sir, if you agree with me,
you may need to exercise your mind. I know being an advocate you may appreciate this point. We cannot just allow a carte-blanche open check approach of victimising Members of Parliament on the basis of parochial and flimsy interests, that have nothing to do with national interests. Factionalism should not be allowed to be legislated. Factionalism should not bear and give fruits in Parliament. Let it end in parties but not in this
House – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – [HON. ZWIZWAI: And
you can see Mr. Speaker the beneficiaries are silent.] – [Laughter] – [HON.ZWIZWAI: They are saying ramba uchibaya Chamisa ... – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.].
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Right, I only wish that the Speaker of Parliament when so elected will become the leader of the various political parties but that is not the case. What can happen if you are not happy with Section 129:1(k), you then have to follow the due process of amending that section so that there is comfort zone for all that may be affected in the future. So, the ball is in your hands in terms of proposed amendment to Section 129:1(k) – [AN HON. MEMBERS: Let us amend izvozvi ...] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. NDEBELE: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the opportunity to
associate my name with this motion as well as the voice of the people of Magwegwe. Mr. Speaker, I may not have your attention but let me begin by welcoming you to your own House. Let me also add another feather to your cap that is rarely recognised. The fact that when you are in that Chair, you make it easy for new Members of Parliament, like myself to stand up and debate. It is the manner that you steer debate that encourages me to stand up at times and speak in this House. I know you understand matters of absolute privilege that come with one being a Member of Parliament. It is that absolute privilege Mr. Speaker Sir that I wish to take full advantage of. In moving this motion I intend to utilise hefty chunks of that absolute privilege as a Member of Parliament.
Hon. Speaker, I have not spoken in this House for quite a while but before this House went on recess, Matebeleland lost two academics, two iconic sons of Bulawayo and very important people in the service of Zimbabwe. We lost an academic in the person of Dr. Lawton Hikwa, soon to be followed by Prof. Lindela Ndlovu both of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). Over and above their duties in this institution, they had other national duties that they carried in a superb manner. I know Dr. Hikwa served in various capacities and he was also a member of the Media Commission. Let me thank His Excellency for appointing these two giant academics from Bulawayo. I also wish to extend to the Vice President of the Opposition who is a relative of Lawton Hikwa, my sincere condolences and those of my Constituency for the passing on of Lawton Hikwa. May their souls rest in peace – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Hon. Speaker, the issue of how Professor Lindela Ndlovu was haunted and frustrated by agents of this Government is an issue for another day but it only serves to illustrate the love lost between this
Government and the people of Matebeleland. I always think that this Government does not love us Hon. Speaker. I am saying this because a whole minister of Cabinet was sent at one point to South Africa to go and negotiate for the illegal stay of the people of Matebeleland in South Africa. The Government of South Africa was invited to flout its own immigration laws. Our people are living in South Africa, their law is if you work in South for five years, you must be granted a residents permit but this government sent a whole minister to negotiate that our people become illegal squatters. It is a fact that most Zimbabweans that live in South Africa are from Matabeleland. Some were frustrated as way back as 30 years ago and do not even have identity papers granted by this Government – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – a number of our people. This is exactly what I meant that when you are in the
Chair I am able to debate what I want.
I am speaking on issues from Magwegwe ….
HON. ZIYAMBI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. My point of order relates to the manner in which the hon. member is debating. Our Constitution does not allow hate speech – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – the import of what he is saying is that there is tribalism in Zimbabwe. He is insinuating that people from the Southern region are the only ones who are in South Africa and that is inciting hatred within our people. So, this august House cannot be used to promote hate speech – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member, perhaps if you could be more factual so that you do not raise emotive issues as we debate.
HON. NDEBELE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I will continue with
my speech but I realise that at the mention of old bones, it is old women that get concerned. Hon. Speaker when I stand before this House all the time, it must be remembered that I am a messenger; I am merely amplifying the voice of the people of Magwegwe because we cannot all be in Parliament. Unfortunately being a messenger Mr. Speaker Sir, has to be understood that at times the message that I am sent to run with may be unpalatable to some.
However it is my duty to this House; unbreakable commitment to the people of Magwegwe to express just what they have sent me to come and do – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – I would like to thank the President and his good lady for coming to this House to deliver the
Presidential Speech. It is not my intention Hon. Speaker to insult this House by mentioning the politics or economics of the wrong speech that was given initially but I believe as the Opposition, we made our position clear on that error or omission. The job was on all of us Mr. Speaker, when a wrong speech was issued. I find it even more perturbing that after the delivery of that speech, an Hon. Member moved a motion that we debate that speech.
Hon. Speaker, what I am trying to drive home is that there are certain Hon. Members here, that live for the moment, I do not do that, I will never do that again – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – so, in terms of Parliamentary traditions, since the wrong speech was obliterated from all Parliamentary records, it means anything relating to or incidental to, or connected therewith, was accordingly obliterated from Parliamentary records. What it means therefore, Mr. Speaker, is that there is no mover for this motion, I am the mover as well, so I will take as much time as I wish….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, I want to bring the Hon. Member back to the rails of procedure and what transpired here. In terms of our procedure, we received the corrected speech here, it was tabled accordingly. When that speech was tabled, there was no opposition to the tabling of the correct speech. So, it is unnecessary and out of order for the Hon. Member to refer to a matter that was procedurally attended to in this House without any opposition at all. I ask the Hon. Member to move and debate on the speech that was tabled as corrected by the Hon. Vice President Mnangagwa.
HON. NDEBELE: I take counsel from the Hon. learned Speaker.
Thank you. Hon. Speaker, every time I get home, I am at pains to explain to my daughter why I am not a Minister because some things may be good and not good for her, but this question keeps cropping up. Every time she wants to know and the answer that I have given her, as I have seen things play out in this House, is that in order to be a minister in this country my daughter, you just have to do something funny and you are appointed - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -. I
know Hon. Speaker you always chastise us to say…
HON MUDEREDZWA: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I am at pains again to correct the Hon. Member who was on the floor. Again, if he can read the Constitution of Zimbabwe it will reveal to him how the appointing authority appoints ministers and that privilege remains the privilege of the appointing authority. I would want the Hon. Member to kindly respect that and not go into the pedantics of trying to go outside the Presidential debate please.
HON. NDEBELE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I felt the urge to share some of the conversations that go on between myself and my daughter. Let me go into the import of that statement. I am fully aware as a Member of Parliament that a ministerial appointment does not make one infallible neither does it translate to the fact that they immediately become the domain of all intelligence. The point I was trying to bring across is that in articulating matters, members of the Executive need to speak from the same dashboard. They need to articulate the same issues regarding how we wish to take our country forward. It is a matter of collective responsibility, I think, when you are in Cabinet.
Hon. Speaker, when we look at the President’s Speech, a lot of it is centred on boosting economic recovery, but my understanding from what I have observed during question and answer sessions in this House is that his lieutenants may not be economically literate and at this particular moment, Zimbabwe requires stewards that understand the nuts and bolts of how economies run. For instance, Mr. Speaker, if you read the Auditor General’s report, it is littered from page one right up to the end with people stealing from this very Government and the stealing goes on under the very nose and the watch of our ministers. If people
are stealing in this manner, what it means is that our ministers do not understand the nuts and bolts of how economies work.
It is the truth. People are stealing from the public purse and one is tempted - Hon. Speaker, you always encourage us to go back to school, one is tempted to advise the University of Zimbabwe to craft some financial literacy courses specifically for our ministers because they leave these things to so called technocrats who are permanent secretaries. The same permanent secretaries who were sitting on those boards that were milking our economy - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear.] -
HON. HOLDER: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. Hon. Ndebele, I do not even know what he is talking about or which speech he is debating. I am lost. I need him to guide us. Which debate is he debating on – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. What Hon. Ndebele is saying is factual. You must read the Auditor-General’s report. I mentioned when we were at the Victoria Falls Pre-budget Seminar that we as Parliament must analyse the Auditor-General’s reports. It does not reflect well in terms of the financial house keeping in our various ministries and measures are being taken to address what is contained in these reports. We cannot sweep under the carpet things that are not right
– [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Order, order. May I urge members of this august House to read the
Auditor-General’s reports very carefully. They are put in your pigeon holes. Please read them so that we can take corrective action.
HON. HOLDER: Mr. Speaker…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Holder, I have not recognised you and you cannot speak after the Chair’s ruling.
HON. NDEBELE: I agree absolutely with the President on his position with regards to corruption. I implore the Executive to overhaul the system totally in order to deal with the culture of corruption. I thought at some point His Excellency would appoint an Anti-corruption Ministry and my thinking was that such a Ministry will save a much better and more urgent purpose than the Ministry of State for Liaising on Psychomotor Activities in Education. Like you always say Mr. Speaker, we do not rule but I am taking the privilege to delegate upwards. Maybe in future we could get such a Ministry. Mr. Speaker Sir, I have one question for you…
[Time Limit]
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise to move that Hon.
Ndebele’s time be extended so that he finishes his debate, bearing in mind that he had a lot of interjections disturbing his speech.
HON. MATUKE: I rise to object Mr. Speaker Sir because the Hon. Member was out of track for quite some time. So, I think we should give a chance to other Hon. Members to debate.
*HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me
the opportunity to make my contribution on the Presidential Speech. My colleague has made a presentation but he has not finished debating, so I am going to complete whatever he has said. When this speech we are debating was tabled, the wrong one was put aside and the second one which was put by the Vice President Hon. Mnangagwa, the President was not there. Therefore, we have to forget about the one which was not the correct one.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the President discussed irrigation and measures for saving people from starvation from the drought. We talk of areas like Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland where there is a lot of starvation. As of now we have people in those areas who are sleeping without any food. There is a lot of starvation and this is causing a lot of pain. What pains more is that Government seems to be neglecting these people because some of them are going for four days without eating anything. All they do is drink salted water and then if anything they have some grass soup and that is what the children feed on. The adults are really going hungry.
We are an independent country and we have been independent for
35 years and we know that starvation will always come into a country. It is up to the Government to take remedial measures and feed these people. When we look at what is happening now, people are starving but Government seems to be very slow in reacting and giving these starving people some food. As we discuss these things today I still have to come across some measures which have been taken so that food is transported where people can access it - such as taking it to nearer depots where it can easily be distributed.
What is happening is that we are starving and it seems we are going to 2017 on hunger. Does Government have enough money to buy food for feeding these people, yet it is having problems in paying salaries for civil servants who have not received their bonuses and even the pensioners who still have to be paid? We are saying what will Government do in order for it to alleviate all these problems, more-so if it is failing to pay its workers and pensioners. Will it have enough money to spare and buy food for the people who are starving?
We could save money by removing the Hon Vice President Mphoko from the hotel and the money so saved could be used in buying food for the starving Zimbabweans. We do agree that Zimbabwe is in an economic meltdown and we are very much aware of it but people are starving and we are told that there is no money to buy the food. As
Members of Parliament we need to work hard…
HON. MANDIPAKA: On a point of order. I stand guided. If my memory serves me right the Hon. Member who is debating now, I think he is debating on the Presidential Speech for the second time. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Member did not debate on the Presidential Speech. So you can proceed Hon. Mutseyami.
*HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for letting me
continue with my discussion. I was saying this Parliament has a lot of Members of Parliament and we have problems which we face as
Members of Parliament. Generally, each one of us as a Member of Parliament has a vehicle which he or she uses as a means of moving from point A to point B but the type of cars given to us were not the cars we were expecting but we are able to move.
We are told there is no money but my main concern is that people should be fed and yet we are told that there is no money. We are saying each Member of Parliament has a vehicle and Ministers are saying there is no money. If you have a new Minister, within a short period of appointment, that Minister is given money so that he buys a very big car and this is over and above the Mercedes Benz which he has. The Ministers who will have been removed from their offices will also take their official cars and buy them at book value but this new Minister, not only does he receive a new car, he is also given accommodation and domestic workers who are paid by the State. This member will also move from his own personal and private residence to Government residence. Is that a reflection of a country which has no money?
The President also talked about war veterans and he said he has introduced a Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees and we gladly accepted that ministry. These war veterans are the people who worked hard and sacrificed their lives for this country including my father John Salani Dhliwayo Mutseyami, he died a Major in the Army, he was a war veteran not a fake veteran but a genuine one. When we are saying we have no money, look at the war veterans; we are saying people are paid at the end of the month but what I know is that the war veterans have not received their January allowances and we are in February and still they have not been paid anything. These war veterans have families who look up to them. They should be paying fees for their children. We have some war veterans who are of ill health, they are sick and they are supposed to receive treatment in hospital but some of them owe these hospitals lots of monies. They also owe learning institutions monies for fees and we wish these people to be paid so that they can pay the monies that they owe these institutions.
When Ministers fall sick, they go out of the country where they receive treatment and we say the country has no money. The war veterans go to Government hospitals and they cannot afford the private practitioners who charge lots of monies for treatment. The war veterans cannot receive monies due to them and their salaries are behind by two months, how does a war veteran survive?
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Government should give priority to war veterans for the sacrifices which they took in liberating Zimbabwe so that they can live a normal life, take care and pay fees for their families. These war veterans are only taken into consideration when we are going for the elections. That is when they are paraded as a way of show off but when it comes to their needs, they are ignored. I am debating this looking at the Presidential Speech. The people who liberated this country, the war veterans will die and the time they die they will be paupers. Just this past weekend, I attended a funeral of one Gibson Chimhini a war veteran. When he died, the Government failed in all the things which he should have received. When he was ill, he needed treatment, medication and I would have expected this war veteran who went to the war a long time back and was trained in Yugoslavia and Russia to have received such. To my surprise, he was not given a military parade to honour this gallant son of Zimbabwe. They could have come to show the last respect for this war veteran but he was ignored. All his works were not taken into account. One would have expected that when a war veteran is being buried, mourners should have been taken care of but unfortunately, in the case of this war veteran, people were eating cabbages and vegetables, no meat and yet he should have been respected. So, Government failed in paying for his treatment and paying for his funeral.
Government also talked about the green fuel which is coming from
Chisumbanje and we have cane fields in that area also. The farmer is Billy Rautenbach who works together with the Government. In that programme, Government gets 10% and Billy Rautenbach gets 90%. I remember from 2000, ZANU PF came up with a policy, land to the people and we are the people they were talking about, the black indigenous who were supposed to benefit from that. As I speak about Billy Rautenbach, one white person and I am talking about the farms which were farmed by the Ndau people and these were confisticated from them. This was their livelihood and they are being given to one white man Rautenbach. Their fields and land were forcibly confiscated from them because we had armed uniformed police who were chasing these people of the Ndau tribe and 42 thousand hectares of land was taken from them and the indigenous were asked to go away. We are paying lip service to the indigenisation of land.
These people who were farming in these areas used to grow cotton and maize in the 1980s but some 35 years later, these people are being deprived of their land. They are being encouraged to work for this one white man as cane cutters and as cane crushers and this white man is working together with the Government. The people of the Ndau origin are in problems, they are crammed in small pieces of land that is given to them.
His Excellency also discussed corruption in his speech. Regarding corruption, let me look at the aspects which were taken by His
Excellency. We know we have established an Anti-Corruption Commission because His Excellency has seen that there are some loopholes and some weaknesses which need to be curbed. We know the former Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Hon. Chombo; when he was going through his divorce process with his first wife Miriam, we were told that he had lots of residential stands in almost every local authority and township in this country. He has commercial, residential and industrial stands. Hon. members, even if we are Mr. Moneybags, can you afford to buy all those pieces of land in every town? My feeling is that the President was not supposed to talk about anti-corruption but this person was supposed to be arrested and taken to solitary confinement and made to confess where he got all the monies to buy all those properties.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we have a project which was launched. When we were working on our inter-metropolitan roads from Plumtree and going to other big cities. We praised whosoever constructed these roads, and we commended that this was a very good road replacing a road that had been constructed earlier. This road was constructed during the period of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). To my surprise, this new road which we had hailed which we said was the best of the roads is now full of potholes, bath tub holes and at times mountains and poor construction, poor workmanship and I think we need to look at it. This
is a sign of corruption. I am wrapping up my speech because I have received a signal that my time is up, I have to conclude my speech.
Let me now talk of the education sector. The education system in Zimbabwe – we now have teachers in our schools who are given little money. It pains me to see that that is what we are paying these teachers and yet they are doing such a great service. Teachers are highly respected; even in the past, they were the people who were on the upper echelons of society in our communities but the current situation is that even the school children they are teaching now know that teachers are receiving very little money and the deductions too. Teachers have not been paid their bonuses also.
We are demeaning and belittling our teachers. We have Early
Childhood Development (ECD) teachers who work with little ones from 0700 to 1200 but even when we have inspectors coming in, the teachers show dedication and yet these teachers are forced to stay at school from 0700 to 1700 hours. The problem that we have is that we now have ad hoc inspections by these inspectors. If the teacher goes because the children have gone home, he is removed from the pay sheet. What we need to do is to work out the modus operandi in such a way that these teachers involve themselves in other activities in order to make more money as soon as the children finish school at midday. This will enable the teacher to live a better life. We are oppressing our teachers.
I also hear that teachers are now going to be given the incentive that if a lot of children in their classes pass; we should note that the performance of teachers is not the only determining factor on the success of the children. Let us talk of Chiendambuya, Uzumba and Kuwadzana schools. Children from these schools are coming from different backgrounds and environments. If we take a seven year old child who learns at Sakubva, Zimunya, Checheche and Mbare and ask them the same question, they will give you different answers confidently because of their background and culture. That is why we are saying, it is not fair if children fail that the teacher has his salary, incentive or allowance removed.
We need to look at the background of these children and where they are coming from because some of them are forced to go and work in the fields by their parents to augment the family income and these children have to assist their parents. I think Government should look at the reason why children are failing and not punish these teachers because it is not the teacher’s fault but the environment in which the child operates.
Can you imagine recalling a teacher who has gone on holiday overseas in Britain and say he should come and present himself. Mr. Speaker, thank you for the time you have given me. I would also want to thank the people of Msikavanhu who elected me. Thank you for the President of this country. We ask him to go and talk to his officials who are able to feed the people who are starving. Our cattle are dying because of this hunger. This has resulted in these beasts being sold at a price as low as US$20. Can you imagine this amount for a beast. We need these farmers and these cattle. This Government has no money to support these people. They should go and ask for assistance from the international community. They can be given maize, bulgur and other food stuffs for the starving people.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. There is a Ford Ranger
which is white in colour, registration ADL 9350 blocking other vehicles.
Please may the owner remove it.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
INVITATION TO A SOLIDARITY MARCH
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is going to be a solidarity march tomorrow organised by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development. This is to acknowledge and celebrate the decision of the Constitutional Court that bans early child marriages. The solidarity march begins at Africa Unity Square starting at 0900 a.m tomorrow.
*HON. MATUKE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on the Presidential Speech. It was a factual speech.
Before I make my contribution, I would like to thank hon. members from the opposition especially Hon. Mutseyami and Hon.
Ndebele. According to our African culture especially the Karangas of Masvingo, when we have the ancestral spirits coming in, they will come upon the members of the family and not outsiders. Hon. Mutseyami’s father was a war veteran who participated in the war of liberation until the war ended. He passed on after independence. Hon. Ndebele’s father was one of the Ministers in the 1980s. What is happening is, their parents – like I have given the example of ancestral spirits, they are coming upon their children and showing them what should be done. The fathers are saying to their children, please follow our path. From what they are saying, they are a mouthpiece of ZANU PF yet they belong to MDC. We thank them for their contributions. We know that spiritually, they are taking the stance of our party but they belong to the other party.
In his speech, the President discussed the power outages in this country. At the moment, we no longer have the blackout we used to have. The situation has improved. The President also promised that come 2018, we will have enough electricity in the country. Load shedding will be minimal.
The President also said that nobody will die of hunger in Zimbabwe. Right round the country, we can see lorries loaded with food stuffs going to different parts of the country and people are being fed. Yes, I do agree that they may not be enough but we take it that as time goes on, we will all be able to get our equal shares of these food stuffs.
Let me turn to irrigation schemes regarding the climate change. In his speech, the President said that he wanted us to have more irrigation schemes so that people may sustain their farming activities because the rainfall pattern is now distorted, this is very important, especially in my drought stricken constituency where 90% of the people will suffer starvation. Therefore, we welcome His Excellency’s suggestion that we construct irrigation infrastructure in these areas.
We cannot develop Zimbabwe by hailing insults and derogatory remarks at each other. We need to speak with one voice and aim at developing Zimbabwe.
I note that my predecessors do not seem to be contributing towards development but all they are doing is denouncing the development projects that have been undertaken by the Government. Nobody supports corruption, the President also denounced corruption in this country and we support the Government’s stance that, whoever is found guilty, through the Audit Report, should face the wrath of the law.
On the issue pertaining to the roads, we were very happy when the
Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development stated that the Beit Bridge to Chirundu road is going to be reconstructed and resurfaced. He was just reaffirming His Excellency’s statement on the road infrastructure as many lives have been lost along this road because it is narrow and busy. His Excellency also spoke about this road and we have been informed that tenders have been put up and will soon be awarded to companies to construct the road.
We also want to thank the President that when we look at our minerals, we should talk about beneficiation and value addition instead of raw materials because when we are exporting, not only do we export wealth but jobs for our people and thus impoverishing our nation. When we do beneficiation and value addition, we will be creating wealth for our country.
The President also spoke about the Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, former Political Detainees and Restrictees whose main responsibility is to take care of the welfare of war veterans. He is aware of the hardships that they endured since he was one of them and he remembers his colleagues after their achievements. We thank His Excellency for his foresight because he loves his country. I thank you.
*HON. MUKWENA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for according me
this opportunity to add my voice to the Presidential Speech. Our
President is a well organised man and we are all aware of the fact that Zimbabwe is there because of our leader. I am not convinced that he can deceive us after leading us through the Second Chimurenga war.
He led us as a nation when we attained our Independence in 1980; in 1983 that was when we first experienced economic war where there were white saboteurs who introduced sanctions. The President did his best to fight the enemies to the extent when ESAP (the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme) was introduced. Our enemies, from the west, pretended to help us but left us hanging.
Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to say that those members on your left side probably have forgotten the ‘stay away’ that they advocated for, together with their President Tsvangirai. That was when they destroyed our country’s economy by supporting the sanctions that were imposed by the whites. – [SOME HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - Our
President is a very good leader …
HON. CHIBAYA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, the hon. member is making reference to our party president, Dr. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai who is not a member of this august House and is not in a position to defend himself.
The hon. member is out of order and has to retract that statement.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! There is no
point of order, he is only making reference. You may proceed hon. member.
HON. MUKWENA: The President gave us a way forward as a
nation when he spoke about irrigation schemes. As a nation, we note the recent climate changes; this should help this august House to put our minds together in constructing dams and erecting boreholes. In the same vein, if we work as a nation, we will go a long way.
We spoke about hunger, we can say the Government and the
President have failed but no he has not. I was born on 3rd March, 1958 and have never encountered a heat wave. We only heard about it from India and Pakistan, that is where we learnt about heat waves. In our
African culture, we grew up knowing that clouds would rise from the east and we would receive our first rains after three days. I support the President.
The President also addressed the issue of mining and energy. Yes, there are plans on mines in Darwendale and plans to have energy from Hwange, meaning that the President is supporting the nation.
I will now touch on the issue of indigenisation; our indigenisation programme is moving forward. The only impediment in the indigenisation programme is because we are not united as a House. I will cite the war veterans as an example. Probably, most people are not aware of how the second struggle came about. I do not know if anyone was forced to join the liberation struggle but I went willingly. After the liberation struggle, we stayed for many years, there was no opportunity for us to raise our voice so that we could be recognised because we had gone voluntarily. As we live, a study was carried out that at least we should be granted pensions. If you look in this House, you will find that what is happening now should have happened long back. I do not know why it is being raised now. We were given pensions; our pension is not different from other Government workers. I do not know what people want to give us or where they want to place us, because from 1999, I do not know why they were not aware of it when they formed their party
MDC.
We cannot force anyone because we know the condition of our economy. This House is the custodian, not the people out there or the Executive but it all comes back to Parliament. I thank the President so much for he has put a plan for the war veterans. We are only getting challenges from those on the grassroots. There is the War Veterans Act, under the War Veterans Department. If a war veteran dies, the people in the ward are the ones who should take it up until it gets to the national level. We cannot blame the nation when they were not given the information. If a war veteran dies, he/she is given US$500.00 for buying food and a coffin. If you look at the money, it is enough to cover those expenses.
Furthermore, soldiers will go to the funeral to exercise necessary last respects of a war veteran. I do not know what went wrong in that case. The problem is with the people who are supposed to disseminate information upwards.
Coming back Mr. Speaker, I think we should win because our economy is performing well. Hon. Members on my left, I plead with them that they should be the first ones to say out a figure which should be given to the war veterans if they are serious. I am going to visit Chipinge South, Chisumbanje. If you look on the map, before independence, Chisumbanje was labelled State land. I know
Chisumbanje as State land before independence. We all know that ARDA is a State land. So, I do not know the people they are referring to who could not get into the land reform because the headman or the villagers are aware that they are illegal settlers on that land. So, we cannot fight our Government. We cannot blame our Government when it comes to State land. When it comes to schools, there is nothing that we can do in our education sector because of the state of economy which was caused by stay aways. Thank you.
*HON. MAHOKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me the
opportunity and even protecting my name. I would like to add my voice on the Presidential Speech, on that eloquently delivered mission. The speech delivered by His Excellency is very excellent and it is up to an individual who has the choice of understanding and giving his own interpretation on the speech. This also happens in religion whereby people pick particular verses in the Bible and live according to whatever they want.
As we look at the Presidential Speech, we see that it was a developmental speech. I will dwell on what pleased me and this is the issue of war veterans as enunciated by His Excellency. We thank His Excellency for introducing a war veterans Ministry because he had seen that war veterans had problems, especially in their welfare. War collaborators also had problems because we did not have a Ministry which was responsible for their welfare. We thank His Excellency for such a foresight.
The previous speaker talked about what happens to war veterans. Hon. Members, please be aware of this, when a war veteran dies, they should follow the channels to give the information to the relevant officials so that the proper assigned assistance is given to the war veteran. There is some assistance which is supposed to be given to these war veterans, but there are processes and channels which should be followed. A letter is written to the province, the province takes that letter to the national level. That is the state where we have the status board bestowed upon that war veteran because we heard that these war veterans are wrongly buried because information is not passed on properly so that these war veterans can be buried with the status they deserve.
We are elected into this House; we have the powers and the mandate from the people. We are here because of the war veterans. We should give these war veterans proper information. They should be aware of what their Member of Parliament is doing for their welfare.
Therefore, fellow Members of Parliament, be aware of the channels which should be followed when a war veteran passes on.
We also heard people talking about monies regarding the war veterans. I am a war veteran and we were paid our monies and this month we are going to receive our monies, we know the dates. I plead with you, if you are not a war veteran, do not talk of something you do not know. I am a war veteran and I am aware of all the circumstances and privileges which are due to them. We have people who speak with a forked tongue. They seem to love war veterans, yet the contrary is true. Let me tell you the pay day of the war veterans. The war veterans will be paid on 5th February, 2016. Please, Member of Parliament be a true representative. Do not publish falsehoods.
The previous speaker also said there is very little money in the country and this does not only affect war veterans ...
+ HON. D. S.SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I stood up to say we are all Hon. Members and address each other by saying Hon.
Member and we do not say you, you. I am asking the Hon. Member to use parliamentary language when she is debating.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I am not quite familiar with Ndebele but what I have heard is haana kuti iwewe in terms yekunongedzera munhu but it was in the middle of speech and there is nothing wrong with that.
HON. D. S. SIBANDA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker, I will speak in English for your benefit. The only person who debated talking about war veterans is Hon. Mutseyami and therefore, it is unparliamentary for the Hon. Member to refer to another Hon. Member saying iwewe. What I am asking for as the Deputy Chief Whip is for the Hon. Member to withdraw iwewe and address another Hon. Member as an Hon. Member. Thank you –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: In Shona, the way she
expressed using that honorific, it was used in general and referring to ‘you’ and not belittling an Hon. Member as you understand it. Iwewe is just ‘you’ in general.
* HON. MAHOKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I will continue on the issue of pay days for Government workers. Yes, the salaries for Government workers are very little and my suggestion is that deductions be made on the salaries of Members of Parliament. The monies so deducted should be added to the salaries of civil servants because these Members of Parliament also have privileges which they enjoy. I think in these problematic times, we need to share the burden by getting the deductions from Members of Parliament and distribute them to the civil servants. All the civil servants are receiving peanuts and I think [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - ...
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order at the back there. If
you do not agree with what is being said, your turn will come and I will give you the chance to debate. Please, let us hear the Hon. Member in silence.
*HON. MAHOKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for protecting me. I will now talk about health workers. We have nurses in Karoi who are working very hard but the problem they face is that there are no medical supplies and equipment to use for treating patients. We realise that when funds are distributed in the health sector, more money is given to urban health institutions and rural health institutions are given peanuts. I think this unequal distribution is very unfair for the health workers. We need to have an equal distribution for these medical supplies. We should also be cognisant of the fact that in urban areas we have a lot of health institutions, some of which are private. Also, the people in urban areas can work to these health institutions unlike in the rural areas where people have to be transported and part with a lot of money in the process.
The President talked about corruption. He said corruption was bad and is a cancer. An Hon. Member also talked about corruption and monies which were abused, and said Hon. Chombo did abuse certain funds. Now that he has this evidence that Hon. Chombo stole so much money to buy such properties, we therefore ask him to go to the powers that be and lead to the arrest of Hon. Chombo so that we have what is going to be seen as an example. We are a parliament of action because we are saying if we have an individual who has houses all over the country, and we have a witness to this effect, this individual is encouraged to go to the police and lead to the arrest and trial so that these funds are given back to the State.
Let me now turn to irrigation which was included in the Presidential Speech. Irrigation schemes are of a great help to all the people in the country. I get surprised by some of the Hon. Members who instead of indulging in constructive speech make remarks which are very adverse, yet they could be part of that problem. When the economy of the country sunk, it was during the time of the Government of National Unity (GNU), that is when the economy of the country was destroyed beyond redemption and also the sanctions were called for by the people from the opposition, MDC. During that period, the members of this party were also supporting corruption because they were saying it was one of the ways of getting these sanctions but it has been seen that these are the people who were letting us down. Hence, at the re-election the electorate supported ZANU PF and not the people who let them down.
With the end of the GNU period, ZANU PF is now doing it singlehandedly and they need to look for money to support developmental projects in this country. On the other hand, MDC went and called for sanctions which are destroying the economy of the country and lives of the people of Zimbabwe. When the MDC asked for these sanctions, they thought the sanctions were going to be targeted sanctions aimed at ZANU PF people only and then the MDC would develop. However, the sanctions hit everyone and I am glad that the electorate was able to see that the people who were on the wrong side were the MDC and the only organised party is ZANU PF. Hence, ZANU PF is making a clean sweep in all the elections which are being held.
Turning to irrigation which was stated by His Excellency, in my constituency we have already started implementing these irrigation projects because they are a way of fighting poverty and starvation. The hunger facing the country at the moment is caused by climatic change. For your own information, most of our national granaries in this country are full with food. Hon. Speaker, if there is a constituency which has no food, it means that particular Member of Parliament is not working for the people but is selfish. The method which is used in distributing the grain is that each family is given a bag of 50kgs, this maize in not given to put into granaries but it is for eating during that month.
Mr. Speaker, as Members of Parliament, we need to make follow up methods and ways of assisting our constituencies. We need to source for food from other areas where we can get food and support our people. We need to support these irrigation projects because they are very important in fighting starvation and the climate change. We need to utilise fully the mechanisation equipment which was brought into this country.
We are also appealing to the Government that more dams be constructed in our constituencies especially in areas like Hurungwe, we receive some reasonable rainfall. If we harness water and these dams are put in areas which have more rainfall, we can use this water for irrigation purposes and other developmental projects. We heard the previous speaker talking about the removal of people. I really enjoyed that and also very happy when I heard that an Hon. Member who is elected by the electorate that when he comes into this august House he talks bad of his country and Ministers who were elected on their merit, some of them are doctors and the President is very developmental and progressive.
The President was very careful in selecting these Ministers because of their academic prowess and ability to implement developmental projects. We also want to thank the Ministers for the progress they are bringing into the country. There was an issue of redistribution of land and removal of the Ndau people making way for Rautenbach to farm 42 000 hectares so that the country can get oil. I thank Hon. Mutseyami for giving me this valid information. When we talk about land redistribution, this is one of the best ideas taken by the Government of
Zimbabwe.
Whenever you go out of the country, you hear other people from those countries, praising President Robert for the Land Redistribution programme which he undertook. Even when you go to Britain where there is Blair, we have people who praise our President for the Land Redistribution programme. We have members who are younger than the President but the President is so intelligent than nobody can stand up to him. Even when he was in African leadership, he was a beacon of development, a beacon of justice and therefore Land Redistribution is a worthwhile exercise which should be taken up.
Therefore, if you have evidence that in your area you have a white man who is doing well, who is able to live with other people in peace, that white man will be able to retain whatever fields he has. Therefore, people in that area should tell us who that white man is and he will not be taken out of that land.
[Time Limit]
*HON. MANDIPAKA: Let me thank Hon. Mahoka for that
speech because she is so eloquently done. I move for the extension of her time.
HON. SARUWAKA: Mr. Speaker, let us allow other Hon.
Members to debate. I object for the extension.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Let me start by congratulating you Mr.
Speaker; because of your leadership we were able to get into the New Year in peace. May the good Lord give you long life? I also say congratulations to all Members of Parliament who were able to get into 2016 to come and represent the electorate who elected them.
Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me start by teaching on the roles and functions of Parliament. The first role of Parliament is to make laws for the country. The second role is to represent the electorate who elected us. The third role is oversight. I am starting my speech by making this explanation because not all of us are aware of the roles and functions of Parliament and Parliamentarians. We are debating the Presidential
Speech and when we are debating the Presidential Speech, please let us stick to what the President said. The President talked about the realignment of the existing laws with the new Constitution. In other words, we had the laws which were there in the past and which do not go according to the new Constitution. These have to be realigned to fit the current situation.
I will give an example of the Urban Councils Act. The existing law runs contrary to the new Constitution. I will talk of particular sectors, for example the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is using this law to eject members of councils in this country and this is out of sync with the existing law which I have just given. It is a law which is being abused by the Minister of Local Government. I know that most of our Members of Parliament will agree with me that the biggest sanction we have in Zimbabwe is corruption which is letting the country down. We look at a situation whereby as MPs who love their President yet we disagree on the way the country is developing and someone denying that the country is not developing because of corruption, it means that MP who is not blaming corruption is fighting the President because the President said that corruption is a cancer. Therefore, if you do not agree with the statement that corruption is destroying the country, I wonder where you are coming from and who you are representing.
We have received a report from the Auditor-General and it is pointing out at individual ministries which have abused those funds, which have indulged in corruption. What we should be discussing is how the culprits should be punished. Any one figure pointed in this report should face the wrath of the law because at the moment, no one has been arrested as yet. We had reports on PSMAS, people like
Cuthbert Dube. We have Minister Parirenyatwa who was paid US$100 000 and no arrest was made. So, I am saying with all those examples, as a country, are we developing our country or being retrogressive.
Hon. Speaker, there was a suggestion which was put across, that we set up an ad hoc committee which was to investigate corruption. We were told that as Members of Parliament we were not allowed to hold an ad hoc committee but Section 119(1) to (3) says as Parliament, we are allowed to oversee, as part of our role, Government ministries and we need to investigate the goings on in those ministries because of the powers vested in us of oversight.
I will now turn to the poor civil servant regarding the bonus. For the past 30 years, Government employees had been receiving their bonuses and after such a period, the bonus is now a right which should be received because this person will be expecting that bonus and even budget knowing that this money will be coming. Also, we have noticed that civil servants are receiving peanuts for salaries. I really sympathise with them and wonder how they are managing to live under such circumstances.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when we go to our constituencies we have ward officers who are usually referred to as youth officers. At times they range from 11 to 15 officers in each constituency. These youth officers have no particular role which they play in the development of the country and I am saying if we fire all these youth officers, the money so saved would be able to pay the bonuses for the civil servants.
We attended our Pre-budget Seminar in Victoria Falls and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development also discussed the youth officers and said we should do away with these youth officers and most of the Members of Parliament were for this idea. They supported this idea with the exception of those MPs who were sleeping. What I am saying is what was stated by the Minister of Finance and Economic
Development- [HON, MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
We know that in this august House we have no age limit hence some of the Hon. Members in this august House will be dozing off and as a result it would seem they will be hearing some of these things for the first time. We should pay civil servants and get this money from retrenching these youth officers.
Turning to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Zimbabwe needs FDI which is funding from outside countries, but unfortunately, no foreign investor can come into a country which is not politically stable. No foreign investor can come into a country which has violence, a country which abuses its citizens. Therefore, no foreign investor may come into this country. Let me explain further. We were told that we were supposed to be given money and our credit was supposed to be wiped off but there was a condition to it and that is we should state where
Dzamara went to. He just disappeared or vanished into thin air – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Mr. Speaker Sir, it is mind boggling that an individual like Dzamara can just disappear into thin air in such a country. What we are saying is, no foreign direct investor may want to invest in such a country.
HON. MANDIPAKA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I respect the Hon. Member who is having the floor but I think we have just been discussing these issues where we want to improve our economy and there is no way, Hon. Speaker, that Foreign Direct
Investment would come in a country where a member who sits in Parliament says there are murderers in this country. I think he has to correct his ways – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order please. Order at the back. Hon. Chibaya, let us hold our debate in a manner which does not ridicule anybody. I believe in this House, we only have presiding officers who should be respected. Hon. Chibaya, I am asking you to make a withdrawal of the word vagabonds. Please withdraw that term.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The problem we have is that people are not listening to the contribution being made by a member – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. TSHUMA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: No, you may not call for
another point of order. Order, please take your seat. May you resume your seat I am still talking. I have asked Hon. Chibaya to withdraw the derogatory term which he used, talking of vagabonds and killers. May you also withdraw the word “bhinya”.
*HON. CHIBAYA: I want to withdraw the statement that no
foreign investor will come and invest in a country which is full of murderers and killers.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibaya, may you
please withdraw your statement which you talked about the bad Government.
*HON. CHIBAYA: I did not say that the Government is murderous but I am talking of people with their monies. I said no foreign investor may come to this country and invest where we have people who are murderers and killers.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibaya, I do not think
that I am asking a lot from you just to withdraw that statement. I have given you a chance to debate but if you do not withdraw that statement, then you might as well sit down.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Let me take this opportunity to withdraw the word “bhinya” but I want to proceed by saying in this country our Zimbabwe...
HON. MANDIPAKA: On a point of order. We respect your chair.
The Hon. Member in my view insulted his own country in this august
House. So he should withdraw and state that this country is not comprised of murderers as he has earlier on indicated because that alone will deter foreign direct investment. I think he needs to withdraw that statement.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I have made a ruling that he
has withdrawn. May you proceed with your speech?
*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you for protecting my rights and
privileges. I will try to wind up my speech in the remaining five minutes.
In this country, especially during the election period, the people of
Zimbabwe were promised that 2 million jobs were going to be created. Unfortunately, after the elections, almost an equal number of jobs were lost and my point is that Government seems to have lost direction after promising people 2 million jobs – 2 million jobs are lost…
*HON. MUPFUMI: On a point of order. My point of order is that if an Hon. Member in this august House is saying Zimbabwe has lost direction, he is saying an inappropriate speech especially for a
Zimbabwean and a Member of Parliament.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I plead with
you let, us be serious in our business in developing our country and the constituencies which we are representing. In this august House, if you do not agree with what has been said by previous speakers, you will be given your time to make your contributions.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Mr. Speaker Sir, my five minutes have been taken over by Hon. Mupfumi but the economy of this country has shown that the Government led by ZANU PF is not able to take the country to greater heights. I am pleading with the President and his Government to resign. I thank you.
*HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me the
opportunity to debate on the Presidential Speech. I will also touch on the Ten Point Plan Mr. Speaker.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! May you resume your
seat. I am informed that you already debated on this Presidential Speech.
I may not give you another chance.
*HON. MUPFUMI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. I want to
debate on the Presidential Speech but before I do that, I would want this House to thank the President in the manner that he conducted business as the Chair of African Union and especially the speech that he gave in Morocco when he encouraged Africa that they should not be given direction by the Europeans. I also want to thank him for his determination and courage in showing that Africa belongs to African people and that they should not be intimidated by anyone representing the whites.
Coming back home –[AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible
interjections]-.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Who said rubbish?
[AN HON: MEMBER: NdiChibaya]. May you please withdraw?
*HON. CHIBAYA: I withdraw Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MUPFUMI: The President talked about unity in
Zimbabwe. He always talks about unity, unity and unity but I see some
Hon. Members in here who represent MDC-T saying that this country has chased away the Ndebele speaking people into South Africa. Looking into that, we see that the hate speech which is always talked about by the President is not being spearheaded because such things should not be talked about by the Members of Parliament.
HON. MUTSEYAMI. On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: It is prudent for the hon. member to be
advised that he has to speak in one language not in 10 languages as a procedure of this Parliament.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Hon
Mutseyami, it is for the Speaker to say that.
*HON. MUPFUMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. We know that
when the truth is being said, sellouts do not want that to happen. Our President, His Excellency, when referring to corruption...
*HON. MUTSEYAMI. On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? *HON. MUTSEYAMI: My point of order is that Hon. Mupfumi
should withdraw that Hon. Mutseyami is a sellout. Do I sell tomatoes?
What is he saying?
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. members I think we
should be mature and stick to business. Most of your point of orders are not meaningful, let us do business.
*HON. MUPFUMI: In his speech, the President talked about
corruption. If you look at corruption, where it is found, it is in the councils, it is prevalent there. In those councils that is where we find the members of the MDC, their aim is to remove the Government illegally. If we look at the report that was tabled in Mutare which is 100% MDC
Councillors, the auditor’s report said that the councillors took home close to US$1 700 000.00. Those corrupt activities are the ones which are being vindicated by the members from the opposition. Our President gave us the ten points which we should follow to go forward as a nation.
Our country can only go forward if all the people know what they do. We come to Parliament for the betterment of our country but we find that there are people who do not say the correct things. We come from different constituencies and provinces. They are problems there, we do not have water, people are hungry, and those are the things that we must talk about in Parliament so that our country will go further.
We see the people denigrating what the President has said. For things to go well, we expect that when a person comes to Parliament, you are a mature person who is representing the people that voted for you. You must talk of things that make the economy grow. I think we should act as mature people for the betterment of our country.
Coming to corruption, we have a road that comes from Plumtree to
Mutare. That road has not been done properly. If we look at that road - a Commission must be set up. ZINARA constructed that road in collaboration with G5 but G5 took all the money and went away and now ZINARA was left with a debt. The people that did not do their work properly took the money. That is why I am saying a Commission must be put in place expediently.
The President also talked about irrigation. Our country has many dams. We should continue to do irrigation schemes that are funded by Government so that people grow food so that we have food in our country. We are aware that we have a shortage of transport in this country. The President also talked about our transport system, we should get rid of commuter omnibuses. If you go to other countries, you see that they have removed commuter omnibuses from urban areas, they are only conventional buses. I think we should have transport that can ferry people to and from work. Looking at our civil servants, their transportation is not proper. For workers to come to work in time, they should have good and adequate transport, we must have enough transport to ferry our civil servants. With these few words, I want to thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. RUNGANI: Hon. Speaker Sir. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. D. SIBANDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 3rd February, 2016.
On the motion of HON. RUNGANI seconded by HON. D.
SIBANDA, the House adjourned at Sixteen Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 31st January, 2017
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 IN THE BUDGET ESTIMATES
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to draw the attention of the House to an error on Table Number II on page 11 of the Budget Estimates, the Blue Book where there is an omission of number 17, in terms of numbering of Votes. Vote number 17 is reflected as number 18 and consequently, the total Votes are reflected as 42 instead of 41 Votes.
INVITATION TO A CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also wish to inform the House that there will be a Catholic Service tomorrow, Wednesday, 1st February, 2017 at 12 o’clock noon in the Senate Chamber. All members who are Catholic and non-Catholic are invited.
MOTION
FINANCE BILL: BUDGET DEBATE
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that leave be granted to bring in a Finance Bill.
Question again proposed.
HON. DR. SHUMBA:
Introduction:
The Committee on Mines and Energy has an oversight responsibility over the Ministries of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. The Ministry of
Mines and Mining Development’s mandate is to formulate policies that ensure sustainable mining and marketing of mineral resources, regulate all mining operations by ensuring that all mining activities comply with statutory regulations and ensuring mineral beneficiation and value addition before they are exported. The Ministry of Energy and Power
Development’s mandate is to provide adequate and sustainable energy supply through formulating and implementing effective policies and regulatory frameworks.
The Committee conducted Post Budget Consultations with the two Ministries which showed that there was a reduction in budget allocations to the two Ministries against the 2016 budget allocations. It is disappointing to note that despite the importance of having reliable energy supplies and the tightening financial requirements by foreign power suppliers, the Ministry of Energy’s priority in the total budget has been declining over the past five years.
Ministry of Mines and Mining Development
Overview of Ministry’s 2017 budget allocation:
- The Ministry was allocated US$5.395 million which represent 0.16% of the total vote appropriation for 2017. In 2016, the
Ministry’s allocation constituted 0.18% of the total national budget.
- The overall allocation of the Ministry decreased by 9.54% from US$5.964 million in 2016 to $5.395 million in 2017.
Figure 1: Ministry of Mines and Mining Development’s budget Allocations (2012-2017):
- The Ministry’s allocation has been declining since 2015 and it is also important to note that the allocations have remained lower than those for other non- economic driving Ministries.
- In addition to the allocated amount of US$5.395 million, the Ministry is also expected to get about US$6.935 million from the Mines and Mining Development Fund. However, the viability of the fund is heavily affected by the high default rate in the payment of mining fees by mining title holders.
Economic Classification of the Ministry’s budget:
The Ministry’s budget is skewed towards funding current expenditures at the expense of capital expenditures. Of the Ministry’s
2017 allocation, 75% will go towards employment costs, 16.7% for the
Ministry’s operations and maintenance whilst 8.3% will go towards capital expenditure. Conventional wisdom requires that capital expenditure be increased in order to unlock new revenue streams and effectively contribute to the GDP while creating employment.
Figure 2: Economic Classification of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development’s 2017 budget Allocations:
Key Achievements in 2016
Despite 2016 being a difficult year for the mining sector, some major achievements by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the mining sector in general were noted. Some of these include the following:
- Increase in gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refineries. Gold production worth 15 318kgs as at 30 September 2016 compared to 11 397kg during the same period in 2015. Artisanal miners contributed 43% of gold production whilst 57% came from large scale miners;
- Increased contribution to the fiscus on chrome ores whose total sales accounted to US$9. 545 million (112 046 tonnes)
- Gazetting of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Act, Mineral
Exploration Marketing Corporation (MEMC) and Pan African Minerals University of Science and Technology Bills.
- Licensed 10 diamond cutting and polishing centres which will greatly contribute towards beneficiation and value addition of the diamonds
- Commencement of the Computerised Mining Title System (Cadastre) Project.
- Consolidation of Diamond Companies leading to the formation of
Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Cooperation (ZCDC).
(Oversight activities are currently underway).
- Enhancement of Security at Beitbridge Border Post through the installation of CCTV, XRF and Polygraph Machine (The legality and constitutionality of the use of Polygraph machines is awaiting legal opinion).
- Training of Small Scale Miners through outreach programmes
- Training of 25 Diamond Cutters in China
Measures with potential to affect the mining sector:
Unlike in the 2016 Budget where a number of measures aimed at promoting the development of the mining sector were outlined, the 2017 budget only outlined a few measures. The only notable measures include:
- Deferment of export tax on un-beneficiated platinum to 31
December 2017
- Supply of gold to Fidelity Printers and Refineries to have a zero rated VAT.
- Allocation of a portion of the $32.7 million for value addition and beneficiation under the ZIMASSET Value Addition and Beneficiation Cluster.
Key Priority areas for the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development in 2017:
Zimbabwe continues to rely on natural resources for its economic development, and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is central to this process and its priorities all contribute to this. These priorities begin with balancing the Ministry’s budget, to control expenditure and to support the overall government budget. Some of the key priority areas for Ministry of Mines and Mining Development for
2017-2018 fiscal period include the following:
- Beneficiation and Value addition:
The Ministry will focus on enhancing value addition of minerals through:
o Capacitating financially the local cutting and polishing industry and investing in modern diamond sorting technology; o Facilitating the resuscitation of closed iron ore mines smelters and acquisition of modern small to medium furnaces; o Enforcing implementation of Government policy for Base Metal Refinery and Precious Metal Refinery construction.
- Finalisation of various Acts which include: Mines and Minerals Amendment Act, Mineral Exploration Marketing Corporation
(MEMC), Gold Trade Act and Precious Stones Act.
- Capacitating Small to Medium Scale Miners through issuance of loans and equipment from the Mining Industry Loan Fund
- Resuscitation of ZMDC dormant mines such as Kamativi, Sabi Gold Mine, Elvington Gold Mine, Sandawana Mine, Shabanie and
Mashaba Mines and Golden Kopje Gold Mine.
Proposals with potential to raise revenue and contribute to economic growth:
The Committee on Mines and Energy is of the view that the 2017 National Budget should have also followed up on measures announced in both the 2016 Mid-Term Fiscal and Monetary Policy Statements to direct and coordinate responsible Government Departments to implement the proposed measures. The outflows of the measures are as follows:
- Reduction in mining fees and charges: The 2016 Mid-term Policy Reviews and Monetary Policy Statement underscored the need to reduce mining fees and charges, and accordingly recommended the review of mining fees and charges by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. The Committee is also of the view that the process of acquiring a mining licence is too cumbersome and does not dovetail with the ease of doing business policy.
- Reduction and standardisation of RDC charges: Both the Fiscal and Monetary Policy Reviews recommended the streamlining and reduction of RDC charges as well as ensuring that the charges are the same for all RDCs in the country. The Committee appeals for the expeditious implementation of this measure. No response in this regard has been forthcoming from Government.
- Removal of the 2% EMA fee: The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe highlighted the need to remove the 2% EMA fee and the Committee agrees with RBZ. To ensure sustainable environmental rehabilitation, the Industry is in the process of developing an insurance alternative for environmental rehabilitation.
- Reduction of Environmental Impact Assessment fees: The Committee is of the view that the EIA fees need to be revised downwards and applied on a sliding scale where the rate decreases as the value of the project increases. The Committee appeals to the Ministry of Finance to direct Ministry of Environment to implement the proposed prorated system.
- Review of electricity tariff regime: The Mid-Term Fiscal Policy
Review recommended the downward review in electricity tariffs for gold from 12.8c/ KWh, to 8c/KWh and to apply a commodity price linked electricity tariff for the mining industry. The proposed measure is yet to be implemented and the Committee appeals to the Ministry of Finance to persuade relevant authorities to operationalise the measure, however taking note that the sector is VAT exempted. Ministry of Energy and Power Development
Overview of Ministry’s Budget:
The Ministry of Energy and Power Development was allocated
US$6.288 million in the 2017 National Budget. The allocation to the Ministry of Energy and Power Development decreased by 7.67%, from US$6.810 million in 2016.
The Ministry’s budget constitutes 0.18% of the total budget for 2017 which is lower than its allocation in 2016 when it got 0.20% of the total budget. This indicates a slight decrease in priority accorded to the Ministry in 2017 maybe because Treasury views the Ministry as a revenue generating Ministry with potential to generate revenue for its operations.
The overall allocation of the Ministry will decrease by 7.67% in
- The decrease in the Ministry’s allocation is in line with the declining economic performance during the past three years. However, to compensate for the decrease in the amount allocated, the Ministry will be allowed to use statutory funds estimated at US$113.679 million.
Figure 3: Ministry of Energy and Power Development’s budget allocations (2012-2017):
The Ministry is not among the top 10 priorities of Government as judged by the share of the total budget allocated. Between 2012 and
2017, the Ministry’s allocations have been decreasing as shown in figure
Economic classification of the Ministry’s 2017 budget:
Figure 4: Economic classification of the Ministry’s 2017 budget:
Of the total allocation to the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, US$4 million will be for lending and equity and capitalization for repowering Bulawayo Power Station, US$1 million for capital transfer to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for solar and biogas projects, US$868 000 for employment costs whilst US$218 500 for goods and services.
Other targeted expenditures from the Ministry’s budget include maintenance – US$53 500, current transfers – US$30 000, Programmes
US$68 000 and Fixed Assets -US$50 000. This is totally inadequate.
Ministry of Energy and Power Development’s 2016 Budget Performance:
Out of a total budget allocation of US$6.81 million for 2016, only a total amount of US$920 984 was released and spent by the Ministry as at 30 October 2016. This amount released constitutes only 13.5% of the
Ministry’s 2016 budget. From the US$920 984 released, US$708 566 was for salaries and US$40 000 for current transfers.
The total amount of US$172 418 was released by Treasury for
Ministry’s operations for the whole period, an amount that falls far below the requirements of the Ministry. The operations of the Ministry were funded mainly by donations from Parastatals of which most of them are struggling to provide efficient service to the nation. The Ministry received a total of US$490 266 as donations to fund its activities in 2016. Most of the funds from donations were used for goods and services and maintenance. It is also disappointing to note that no amount was released for any capital expenditure.
Key achievements in the Energy Sector in 2016:
In 2016, despite the macroeconomic challenges facing the country, the electricity supply in the country improved as there was a decrease in the load shedding. It must be noted that this was against the backdrop of very low demand from the underperforming mining industry. The decrease in load shedding could be attributed partly to the different energy infrastructure projects aimed at increasing the supply of energy in the country that were implemented and are currently at different stages of development. Some of the major achievements in the energy sector include the following:
- Work at the Kariba South Extension began and the project is now 60% complete.
- Commissioning of the Dema Emergency Power Plant (Which is still under Parliamentary oversight programme).
- Operationalisation of mini-hydro power stations at Nyangani and Pungwe and construction has started at Kupinga, Hauna and Ngarura mini-hydro power stations.
- Government secured funding for the Bulawayo Thermal Power Station which will result in the improvement in generation capacity by an additional 60 MW.
- 200 domestic and 39 institutional biogas projects were constructed in 2016.
- Developed the Renewable Energy Policy.
- A draft Bio-fuels policy now in place.
- Initiated the National Solar Water Heating Programme
Implications of the 2017 Budget for the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and the Energy Sector in Zimbabwe:
The Committee noted that the Ministry’s budget allocation for 2017 is lower than its allocation in 2016. This will negatively impact on the Ministry’s activities in 2017. The following are some of the implications of the 2017 budget allocation to the Ministry’s operations.
Employment costs:
The amount allocated for employment is higher than the 2016 allocation. The increased amount is in anticipation of filling in of the three vacant posts in the Ministry. With no salary increase the amount will be adequate.
Goods and services:
The allocated amount is short of the Ministry’s requirements towards communication and domestic travel costs and may therefore negatively affect service delivery, monitoring and evaluation of the projects funded by the Ministry.
Maintenance:
The inadequate budget will affect maintenance of vehicles, availability of fuel and reduces the monitoring and evaluation trips. The situation will be worsened by the ageing fleet of vehicles which now requires frequent repair and maintenance.
Current transfer:
The amount of $30 000 allocated for current transfers is inadequate considering that the Ministry has subscription arrears of €24 000 for 2016 to IAEA. Zimbabwe is also a member state to the African
Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research , Development and
Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology ( AFRA) where its
2016 subscriptions are also in arrears of €9 637. The inadequate allocation will therefore entail that the debt obligations will remain outstanding and the country is likely to lose some of the benefits from its membership in these international organisations.
Acquisition of fixed assets:
The Ministry was allocated US$50 000 for the acquisition of fixed assets. If this amount is released in full, it will go a long way in ensuring that the Ministry replaces old and broken office furniture. However the
Ministry’s old and unreliable vehicles have not been taken into account. No funds have been allocated for new operational vehicles. This will negatively affect the operations of the Ministry especially in the
Provinces.
Capital Transfers:
Of the US$1 million allocated for capital transfers, US$400 000 for funding the institutional bio digesters and US$600 000 towards funding the solar electrification programme. The US$400 000 for bio gas digesters will enable REA to complete construction of 510 bio digesters at public institutions around the country whilst solar technology will be installed at 41 public institutions using the US$600
000 budget allocation.
Lending and Equity:
Treasury allocated US$4 million to Ministry of Energy and Power Development for equity and lending to ZESA. Although the amount is low considering that internal resources amounting to US$12 million is required for the repowering of Bulawayo Power Station, it will go a long way in funding the project which when completed will increase electricity generation in the country by 60MW.
Key Priority areas for the Ministry in 2017:
The Committee is happy to note that despite the low funding to the
Ministry’s operations, the 2017 budget managed to provide some funding allocations to the energy sector that will assist in ensuring that the Ministry achieves its set targets for 2017. The following are some of the key priority areas for Ministry of Energy and Power Development based on the 2017 budget:
Biogas Technology: The Ministry had plans to sustain the biogas digester programme in which it intends to construct 510 biogas digester units in various districts to increase awareness on the technology.
Upgrading of Bulawayo Thermal Power Plant with funding from India Exim Bank and internal resources.
Procurement of prepaid meters for both large electricity users and ordinary customers.
Small Hydropower Development:
The objective is to demonstrate the role of micro-hydro generated electricity in improving the living standards of rural areas. Funding from Treasury will be augmented by generation equipment to be donated by the Chinese Government.
Energy Conservation Programmes:
Studies done in the country proved that over 20% of the energy consumed in the country can be saved through demand side management
(DSM) measures. The Ministry intends to scale up the energy conservation programmes in 2017 to all provinces in the country.
Exhibition at Trade Fairs and Agricultural Shows:
The Ministry participates at Zimbabwe International Trade Fair
(ZITF) and Agricultural Shows annually to exhibit and enhance public knowledge on the Ministry’s functions and programmes. In 2017, the Ministry will exhibit at ZITF and the Harare Agricultural Show.
Implementation of the Mutare Peaking Plant: To urgently lower tariffs and reduce the importation of electricity.
Recommendations:
Mining and Mining Development:
Notwithstanding the supportive measures with potential to raise revenue and contribute to economic growth, the Committee recommends the following:
Allow royalty to be deductible as a tax expense: Government proposed to allow royalty as a tax expense in line with best practice. However the measure was not included in the Budget. The current situation where royalties are not tax deductible (which was effected in
2014 budget) has seen the total mining cost going up across all minerals. Important to note, as the case in most countries, royalties which are levied on gross revenue are considered a direct cost and hence must qualify for tax deductibility.
- Addressing foreign payment challenges: The mining industry has been faced by delays in processing of foreign payment requests for importation of critical inputs, resulting in production disruptions. The Committee therefore recommends that Government prioritise the mining industry in view of its importance in foreign exchange (liquidity) generation.
- Allow all gold supplies to be VAT zero rated: Whilst the Committee appreciates the decision by Treasury to allow all gold supplies to Fidelity Printers and Refineries to be VAT zero rated and recommends that Treasury considers allowing all gold sales to
Government authorised dealers or institutions to be VAT zero rated.
- Allow all the statutory fees collected by the Ministry to be submitted to the Treasury: The Committee noted that in the 2017 budget, Treasury allowed the Ministry to retain US$6.935 million from statutory funds. Whilst this is a noble idea as it will increase the
Ministry’s revenue base for its operations, it will also result in failure by the Ministry to significantly review downwards mining fees as this will have direct effects on their revenue.
To avoid the conflict of interest, the Committee recommends that all the statutory fees collected by the Ministry be submitted to the Treasury and the Ministry gets appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
- Speed up the crafting and implementation of a Minerals Value addition and Beneficiation Strategy: Our minerals continue to be exported in their raw form and thereby prejudicing the country of the much needed revenue and employment. It is therefore necessary for
Government to speed up the crafting and implementation of a Minerals Value addition and Beneficiation Strategy and other policies that support such.
- Treat diamonds the same way as gold: The Committee noted that despite the country being amongst the top diamond producing countries in the world, up to date, no significant earnings have been realised from the diamond mining. Diamond mining continues to be shrouded by lack of transparency. The Committee therefore recommends that Government should consider treating diamonds the same way as gold and auction diamonds through the RBZ for purposes of transparency and accountability.
- Finalisation of the new fiscal regime for the Mining Industry: Reforms are needed to address the fiscal mining regime with a view to simplifying the licencing process, streamlining all fiscal charges and reducing the effective tax in mining in order to attract investment and improve on production. The Minister of Finance should honour his commitment in the 2017 Budget of addressing the fiscal regime governing the mining sector.
- Come up with a Legislative framework for the Zimbabwe
Consolidated Diamond Company ZCDC: The Government should
come up with a legislative framework that clearly outlines the functions of this company because ZCDC has been into gold mining, it may spread itself widely with little profits. In addition, ZCDC should be allowed to operate and generate revenue to the fiscus.
- Seek Financial and Technical partners: Ministry of Mines and
Mining Development is prioritising the opening of ZMDC dormant mines in 2017. This proposal has been on the Ministry’s priority in previous years but nothing has materialised due to financial and technical challenges facing the Government. The Committee therefore recommends that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development should seek for partners who will bring in capital and technical requirements which will assist in the opening of these mines.
- Equitably distribute loans: The Committee recommends that loans to Small and Medium Scale Miners should be distributed equally among all the country’s mining districts. In addition, the fund should
also benefit women and youths in all the mining districts.
Energy and Power Development:
- The Committee observed that most potential investors in the energy sector are being scared away by a number of statutory fees that the investors are required to pay. When these investors compare these fees with what is obtaining in other countries in the region, Zimbabwe’s fees are higher than those in other countries in the region. The
Committee therefore recommends that the 2% EMA fee be scrapped and come up with an alternative insurance for environmental rehabilitation. The Committee appreciates the initiatives by Government in ensuring that the repowering of Bulawayo Power Station is funded; that include the closure of an agreement with the India Exim Bank to fund 85% of the project cost whilst 15% will be funded from internal resources. Previously, it has been noted that Government struggles to raise the 15% required under the Exim Bank agreement. It is recommended that the Government consider partnering with private investors under the PPP in order to raise the required fund. This will be a signal to the financing partners (Exim Bank of India) that we are serious about having the project started.
- It is of concern to note that for the past six years, the Ministry has not been able to get the whole amounts allocated in the budgets. This trend implies that the Ministry’s activities also suffer from the failure by Treasury to timeously release funds allocated in the budgets. For example REA last received funding of US$300 000 from Treasury in 2013 from an allocation of US$3 million whilst last year it did not receive anything from the 2016 budget allocation of US$1.2 million. It is therefore recommended that Treasury releases the 2017 budget allocations for the Ministry of Energy to be able to implement its planned activities in 2017.
- The Committee noted with concern the foreign payment challenges which have been faced by fuel importers in the country. This situation has caused panicking by fuel importers and the general public and has resulted in some hording fuel in anticipation of shortages and some service stations rejecting the use of POS machines and bond notes in favour of hard cash. The Committee recommends that Government prioritises the importation of fuel in view of its importance in the production value chain process.
- The Committee noted with concern that despite the country having some inland dams across the country with capacity to generate electricity such as the recently completed Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam, the country still faces electricity challenges. The Committee therefore recommends that Government should come up with a policy to ensure that major dams are used for electricity generation.
- Ministry of Energy and Power Development raised concern over the inadequate funding for goods and services which have negative impacts on monitoring and evaluation of some projects under the
Ministry’s portfolio. The Committee on Mines and Energy recommends that the Ministry’s provincial offices should be adequately resourced so that Provincial Officers will monitor and evaluate projects in provinces where they are stationed instead of the current situation where Officers from Head Office are responsible for monitoring projects in all provinces around the country.
- The Committee also noted that the failure by Ministry of Energy and Power Development to pay subscriptions to international organisations paints a bad picture of the country. It is therefore recommended that Treasury directs the Ministry of Energy to cut down on the number of delegates to international workshops and conferences and use the savings from this to clear subscription arrears with international organisations.
Conclusion :
While there is some provision of funds for capital transfers and for lending and equity participation totaling US$5million for the energy sector and US150 000 for the mining sector, it is the actual disbursement of the funds that will make a difference. If the funds are not availed as happened in 2016, then the provisions are a non-event and render the whole budget process meaningless. It is therefore important that Treasury identifies the low hanging fruits and prioritise them, in the actual allocation of funds to the Mines and Energy Ministries as they will also stimulate growth in other sectors of the economy.
As key economic drivers both the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development require more budgetary support in addition to authorising them to look for and adopt alternative structures of unlocking value for them and the entities under them.
It is therefore, important to note that the Committee on Mines and Energy oversights key economic Ministries that have a direct and immediate contributor effect to the National budget and the economy at large. Consequently, we believe that Treasury must unshackle the two Ministries by providing reasonable budgetary support that will lead to increased revenue.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you very much
Mr. Speaker Sir. I stood up to also debate on the Budget that was presented by Hon. Minister Chinamasa. Mr. Speaker, for my introduction, I want to start with the positive. I think it is always important to start with the positive. The positive that I found in this budget was obviously the issue around sanitary wear. I just want to thank the Hon. Minister, after all these years begging him to do something about sanitary wear; we see that he actually did something about it.
However, I want to raise two things that I learnt whilst engaging with the Hon. Minister and trying to get the sanitary wear coming. I think it is important for us as Members of Parliament to begin to think about the strategies of trying to get the Minister to do certain things. For a long time, the Hon. Minister refused to discuss sanitary wear because he felt menstrual issues were not right issues to discuss in public. He introduced me to a woman whom I want to celebrate today, Ms. Mhini.
She works in Hon. Minister Chinamasa’s Office. It took her two days for her to do what we have been asking the Hon. Minister to do for many years. Basically, she called the producers of sanitary wear to a meeting, to which I attended, discussed with them why sanitary wear was expensive and before I knew it, we agreed that we were not going to have the materials used to produce sanitary wear carry import duty.
Thankfully, today I had to use sanitary pads, so I went and bought them.
The reason why I am saying so is that we need to begin to change and see what will happen between today, if the Budget is passed on sanitary wear and the next two months. This is because those who are producing sanitary wear are going to import those materials free of duty, which means the price of sanitary wear will go down. If it does not go down, the pressure is no longer on the Minister of Finance and Economic Development; it is on the producers of sanitary wear. What we then expect the Hon. Minister to do is that, if sanitary wear price go down, it means the next Budget, the Minister will be able to provide a budget for free sanitary wear for the young girls in school today. It will also mean that we will have more companies coming in to produce sanitary wear.
This afternoon I was talking to the Hon. Minister of Industry and Commerce that; we need to get our trade attaches to speak to those that produce sanitary wear and not only bring sanitary wear that is already packaged but employ women and create employment in the production of sanitary wear which will be cheap and can be used by the majority of our people. That is what I want to celebrate. For the reason that I am born of a Ndebele woman, my mother always told me that if something good happens, you always say thank you.
So, I have a present for Ms. Mhini, which I am going to ask the Hon. Minister to take to her, just to thank her and say, that is what we expect on all women.- [Hon. Misihairabwi- Mushonga presented flowers to Hon. Minister Chinamasa for Ms. Mhini.] – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Minister for accepting to do this. In a typical and traditional way of thanking our males and men, we normally use the totem. I have this t-Shirt for him, it is called Mazvita and printed Shumba, thank you so much – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – [The t-Shirt is presented to Hon. Minister Chinamasa.] – Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. CHAMISA: On a point of order Hon. Speaker Sir. This is a very important development. We were just hoping that to ensure that there is no problem – we know that there is domestic violence these days, if you may write to Mai Chinamasa to alert her – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - that a t-Shirt has been bought and the Hon. Minister is going to be putting it on. Hon. Speaker on behalf of Parliament.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Mushonga’s
contribution – if you can recall last year, a similar topic was raised in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom and it centred on the dignity of the woman. However, having said that, in future, we will not allow presentations across the table. It can be done outside the House. Thank you.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI- MUSHONGA: I thank you Mr.
Speaker for allowing this to be the last time it happens. Having said that, which is why I said let me start from the positive – as we started this year, the Church which I attend, my Pastor and dad is Dr. Shana – at the beginning of each year, he speaks about the things that one needs to carry through the year. As he spoke on the first Sunday of the year, it became so clear to me that, perhaps this is what I need to carry through and I need to speak to as I debate this particular Budget. He spoke on issues of vision and provision. To some extent, that is what is missing in this particular Budget.
When you look at all the reports Mr. Speaker, that you allowed the Chairpersons to make presentations on, there is one thing that is clear in them, they all have a vision. Each Ministry has a vision where they look forward to doing particular things, but the problem comes with the provision. What are the resources that are being given to that particular
Ministry so that it can attain the vision that it would have articulated.
My Pastor said, “a vision without a provision is an illusion.” Unfortunately, that is what this Budget is all about, it is an illusion. There is absolutely nothing in it saying you are going to find this in the allocations around that Budget.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there are three things which I want to speak about because there is no point in going into the discussions around the Budget allocations because they are basically the same. You can talk about the Foreign Affairs Committee to which I belong, it is exactly the same thing and things have gotten even worse. You can talk about the
Committee on Justice, which fortunately holds on Parliament. Unfortunately, we did not have to look at the Parliamentary Budget, but one can be sure that it is the same. I think what we need to spend our time doing now is having a very frank, honest and not an abusive conversation. We need to speak on something that speaks to what are the fundamentals which are problematic. Why are we in the situation that we are in?
Mr. Speaker Sir, I must say, the state in which Zimbabwe is right now is a sorry state. It does not matter whether you are talking about the roads and potholes, it does not matter whether you are talking about the lack of service delivery where people spend years without water. It does not matter whether you are talking about hospitals where women are dying every other day because they cannot get blood for blood transfusion as they give birth. It is a whole range of things, it is about a crisis.
Mr. Speaker, if you go in your own car park, it speaks a story about what is here. I do not know whether you have been in the car park in the last two days but if you look at the kind of garbage and refuse, lack of refuse collection that is there in the car park, it speaks to what we are saying about this particular Parliament but that is true of every other institution. I think the question we need to ask yourselves is why? Why have we gotten where we are today? Why is it that when we spoke about a vision of creating 2 million jobs, we have created exactly the opposite 2 million people unemployed? Why is it that all the things that we have spoken about have not worked? Let us be honest as a nation and as a country. There is only one thing that has happened. Mr.
Speaker, the centre is not holding in a number of things and this is why I said I emplore on people to not see this as an abusive conversation but to look at the things that I am about to talk about.
Mr. Speaker, there is disunity in every other sector in this country, whether it is Government itself, we have a Government that is at war with itself. Last time when we did the Mid-Term Review, I raised a point of order because just days after the Minister who I have the greatest respect for and I want to be honest, I think if there is a hard working honest Minister in this particular Government, it is Minister Chinamasa – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - however, he is not going to produce as long as we have the kind of divisions that we are beginning to see which make it impossible for people to operate.
Let me just give you an example, I will start with your own House so that you can understand how the divisions that I am talking about can derail the whole process. On Sunday we woke up to this headline ‘I am sorry Kereke’. I just want to tell you a story behind this because I never did but I need to tell you today – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – yes, this is a Government paper it is not a private paper.
I used to be a member of the Budget and Finance Committee from the year 2000. You may have been surprised when I came back and I said to you, I do not want to be part of that Committee. We had been reduced as a Parliamentary Committee to wars that were personal. Every other meeting that we were having were stories that were being brought by the then Hon. Kereke to the Committee and we would spend hours debating those things. In one instance, the issue was about bringing Meikles for a discussion. I personally was taken on because I was now being accused for having been paid by John Moxon. I had taken it to the Committee to say I do not think it should be the
Committee’s business to be following personal wars. I am giving that as an example of saying it is not possible to have things happening in this country as long as the in-fighting, the factions, the issues around succession dominate the issue around this. It will not work. We need to deal with it, we need to address it.
Mr. Speaker, Parliament is only one; right now we have a Judiciary that is at war with itself, not with others, with itself. The whole debate around the Chief Justice and the way it is written not in private papers but in Government papers is indicative of the kind of disunity, the kind of disagreement that exist. I will not go to the twitter or to the social media but you can read the kind of problems that exist that disunity, you cannot convince me that against that disunity, we can run a country. I spoke about the Judiciary, Executive; I am not sure whether the Budget that the Hon. Minister brought in this House has the agreement of all his other Cabinet Ministers because it was not true of the last review. In fact we are beginning to read again in these newspapers, a lot of other of his Executive members challenging the whole basis of that process.
Therefore, I think we need to address that illness because until we address that foundational thing, we cannot build on a weak foundation because nothing will come through. I have my own thesis that I am going to put on the table. This is my thesis, “we have in this country a
President that has been taken into captivity,” and I will explain to you in what manner. Mr. Speaker, if you drive down Borrowdale two days before the President came, they were now fixing the road so the President in my opinion does not see what happens in this country and I have asked so many times in this House, let us have an audience with him.
Mr. Speaker, because of these divisions if I were to move to this House and say please can we have the President so that we can have a conversation with the President as a legislator, people will refuse. Some will say we will be said we are in faction A, some will say we will be said we are in faction B. So, what I am requesting my other colleagues on the other side who have no seats to lose is we are doing a petition and asking the President to meet with us, closed doors but we need to tell the President what is going on.
South African is talking about state capture; we are talking about presidential capture. That man has been taken in some corner where he is told things to do and things to say, where to go, what to do and what not to say. How do you explain that a whole President does not know that his Chief Justice is going to go away? We read in the newspaper, somebody wrote to the Chief Justice and said go away because the President said you do. The Chief Justice said that is not true. How do you explain a whole country to which an entire President does not know that his Chief Justice is going away? We have crisis and typically I am a woman, if I am not getting what I need in the bedroom you will see it in my face and neighbours begin to speak. We should not complain about Malema telling us that things are going wrong, our faces are speaking. Malema is tired, he is like woman who is not getting anything at home, who goes and ask to the neighbour, he gives her and supports her once and twice. The wife begins to say but where is my share I am not getting the stuff you used to give me, you complain. We want to see the Speaker supporting a petition to see the President so we can speak to him.
HON. MLILO: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MLILO: For purposes of time and for purposes of attention not to be taken away from this very momentous and very important Budget, let us have all people that are presenting reports dwell into the
Budget not into bedroom issues. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Mlilo I thought you were anxious to debate.
HON. MLILO: Thank you Mr. Speaker but I am more worried when the premise of the debate is therefore diverted and funny enough Members on my right seem to be very happy that the Budget has been diverted into the bedroom – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. I thought you wanted to
debate.
HON. MLILO: It was a point of order to guide other probably lost Hon. Members accordingly.
HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have some exhibits to show to the House. Could they be brought forward?
These will help me in my debate.
Exhibits of two blankets were brought forward.
Let me start by saying that Hon. Misiharabwi-Mushonga took two very important issues out of my mouth. The first issue that she took out of my mouth, is the fact that I believe that if there is a man in Government, who has his heart in the right position, who is honest and sincere, it is Hon. Chinamasa. I take my hat off to this man – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker, I say this for a number of reasons. If you are in the opposition, it does not necessarily mean that everything that comes from the other side is wrong. There are so many things that we oppose from the Government or ZANU PF but there are positives that also come from ZANU PF and the Government. Hon. Chinamasa is one such positive and it must be acknowledged.
Chairpersons of Portfolio Committees gave their reports and the over-aching concern by members of Portfolio Committees is the fact that money is not enough for the various ministries that they oversee. That money which is allocated to their Ministries is not even disbursed in some instances but however there is nobody in this country who knows more than Hon. Chinamasa, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development that money is not enough to go round all the Ministries.
Hon. Chinamasa knows it better than all of us here. One thing that Hon. Chinamasa does not know better than all of us put together though is how to grow the cake. That is what I am going to speak to - ‘how to grow the cake’ so that Hon. Chinamasa does not have unnecessary sleepless nights.
I am holding two invoices here. One is from a company which is called Qingshan Investments and one is from a company called Waverly Blankets. I bought these two blankets on the 23rd of January, 2017. I have here, a fiscalised invoice. What it means is that Hon. Chinamasa is able to collect his money from Waverly because they are fiscalised. I have another invoice here from Qingshan Investments which is hand written. What it means is that Hon. Chinamasa is not able to collect effectively from Qingshan because they are not fiscalised. They give Hon. Chinamasa what they want to give him but not what he is entitled
These are the blankets that I bought Hon. Speaker and I bring these blankets here for a reason – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - These blankets here are sold as double bed blankets –
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order!
HON. HOLDER: On a point of order, we are not hearing what the Hon. Member is saying. May he repeat what he has said – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - We are not the ones. We are trying to counter what he is saying – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I am telling the Speaker that I cannot hear because the noise is there at the front and yet you are now complaining that I am complaining.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Members, if you have
something to debate on the Budget, wait for your time. I called out if there was any debate and there was only one person. So, let us listen. If you have nothing to say, hold on.
HON. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker, this one is from Waverly sold as a double blanket and I bought it for US$30. This one here from Qingshan Investment is also sold also as a double blanket and I bought it for US$23. Both invoices are here. This one from Qingshan is a readymade blanket from China and this is the other one from Waverly manufactured locally. I have here a Statutory Instrument issued by the
Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Public Notice, “Importation of blankets, second hand clothing and second hand shoes.” Most importantly, on this Statutory Instrument, it says here under 1036; polyknitted fabric is currently imported in semi-processed form, hence undergoes very limited local value addition before transformation into a blanket which competes with locally manufactured blankets. I therefore, propose to increase customs duty on poly-knitted fabric from 10% to 40% plus US$2.50 per kilogram as shown on the table below and there is a table which is shown below here.
Mr. Speaker, I then followed up the two organisations and I discovered that when these blankets are imported into Zimbabwe from China, they are meant to be imported as fabric. They declare 0.40 cents per metre for this fabric and yet the total or actual value of this fabric per metre should be US$2.73. The Minister can check those figures. This blanket is then sold for US$26. So, there is no way that a locally manufactured blanket can compete with this one here. I will leave that aside – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
The way this Qingshan product is done is so sub-standard. You must wash it once for you to see how badly done it is. The reason I then went back to buy this blanket is because I had bought a blanket earlier on, when it was washed once, it disintegrated. I can give it to the Minister to see the thread just comes out just like that. It is so badly done - [HON. ZINDI: It is even torn under, there.] - This is a new blanket which has not been used.
Mr. Speaker, I then followed up this company and I discovered that when they bring in these readymade blankets, they declare at Forbes Border post, as fleece fabric which is going to be value added in this country. When a forty foot container was opened, it had readymade blankets; packed in that bag and ready for sale. That container, because they declare fabric at 0.40 cents per metre, the forty foot container was paid for US$4 700 but the actual value of that container is US$95 000. I have all that evidence.
Initially, when they were importing these blankets, they used what is called JJ Transport. JJ Transport which has trackers. ZIMRA can actually track from the time that it leaves Forbes Border post to the time that it gets to Harare. When I went to do my investigation, I was wearing casual clothes, a cap and some dark glasses so that I could not be identified. When they discovered that somebody was investigating, they then changed the transport company and they are now using a Mozambique transport company which does not have tracker and so you cannot track it.
I then phoned ZIMRA and I told them to track a particular truck that had declared US$4 700 at the border. We tracked it and we caught up with it in Marondera. When they opened the forty foot container, they discovered readymade blanket with a value of US$70 000. It had only paid US$4 500 at the border. Mr. Speaker, with this kind of thing, the Hon. Minister will not be able to raise revenue. Mr. Speaker, this Chinese company, I have invoices here of what they declare at the border and how much they make which I will favour the Minister with. In the past one year, the containers that I managed to track were 27. One container that declared the most amount was $6 700 and I have documentary evidence to that effect, yet it should have declared a minimum of $70 thousand. Minister Chinamasa has been prejudiced of over $25 million by this Qingshan Company in the past one year alone.
That company, Mr. Speaker, I am still doing my investigations to check whether it is registered in Zimbabwe, how it is operating and everything. Mr. Speaker, compounding this problem of not paying duty, Qingshan employs people who do not contribute PAYE. They are paid cash for their salaries and there are no records. So, it means the company is prejudicing Government in corporate tax, Pay as You Earn and excise duty at the border. With this kind of attitude in this country Mr. Speaker, we are exporting jobs to China because these blankets are ready-made in China. Here is a good blanket which is made here in
Zimbabwe of Waverly and it is a better blanket than imported from China. This company is struggling to pay salaries because they comply with the country’s corporate tax laws, they comply with the country’s labour laws and they comply with everything but what we are doing Mr.
Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – as Ministers are killing it. There is nobody Mr. Speaker, who is killing this country more than ourselves.
I then understand Hon. Misihairabwi when she says, Members of this side of the House would want to have an audience with the
President. The reason is that if I have an audience with His Excellency, I will give him a true picture of what is happening on the ground because I do not have a Ministry to lose. Mr. Speaker, President Mugabe is an individual, he cannot know about the potholes in Mabvuku, he cannot know what is happening at the border, he cannot know what is happening at the filling station in Samora Machel Avenue. This is why the President appoints Ministers because those are the people who are supposed to do the work on his behalf. When he appoints those people to do work on his behalf, they must work and give the President a true picture.
Mr. Speaker, if the President were to come here and sit in that Chair and ask Members of Parliament to tell him the truth, he will be shocked beyond measure because of some of the things that we will tell him that he does not know are happening. Mr. Speaker, there are people that have almost captured His Excellency. They have put him in a corner and they show him what they want him to see and they tell him what they want him to hear. At the end of the day, the person who takes the blame is not the Minister, It is the President because the buck stops with him.
Mr. Speaker, I want to go to another issue, the issue of this Parliament. If you look at the order of precedence of this country, there is the Presidency and I am talking of His Excellency and his two deputies. That office on the national presidency is followed by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and then the head of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice. In other jurisdictions, we had a Constitution like that some time back. In the event of the President being incapacitated, the Speaker of Parliament would take over for three months until an election has been done.
I also remember, growing up in Mabvuku, we would go to a field somewhere near Mutare Road and we then had Prime Minister and the President. When the President, Cde. Banana was not in the country, President of the Senate, Nolan Makombe would act as the President and we would hear those outriders, the motorbikes going to his farm. Mr. Speaker, today our Speaker of Parliament, a person who comes as second on the order of precedence of the country, when he travels, he does not have protocol, he does not have security and yet we have a Minister, who when he is travelling, has a lead car and backup car. Why does a Minister need board guards and security?
I am talking of a Minister of Local Government, a Minister of State Security. Who is going to kill a Minister of State Security, who is going to kill a Minister Local Government? The Speaker of Parliament is more important because he leads an institution of the State. A person becomes a minister because the President has just favoured you with that appointment and the President can disappoint you anytime. He can work-up today and say that I no longer want the entire Cabinet and he will appoint new members. The President can even appoint me as a Minister because he is allowed to do that – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Mr. Speaker, President Mugabe is under no obligation to appoint Minister Chinamasa, Minister of Finance. He is under no obligation appointing Hon. Zindi, Minister of Women’s Affairs. The President can even appoint out of Parliament because the Constitution allows him to do that.
If there is one person the President cannot appoint or disappoint it is the Speaker of Parliament. The position of Speaker of Parliament is a creation of the Constitution and not even the President can touch it. That is why I think Parliament should be given precedence. More money should be allocated to Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We are treated as Members of Parliament, it is because of the capture of the President even Members of Parliament we are treated as ugly cousins from the village by Ministers who think that they are superior. There is nothing superior about Ministers Mr. Speaker, because these people are appointed by the President and they can be fired anytime. What we are telling Ministers is that when you sit in Cabinet with the President, please tell him the truth and do not tell him what you think he wants to hear.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, because my time is almost up, let me talk about the Budget of Parliament which is very little. When a Minister is appointed, they get two vehicles, an off-roader which is now a Range Rover, autobiography and a Mercedes Benz E-class. Those they normally get within a week. When MPs are appointed, it takes three years for them to get a vehicle. Let me give you an example, Hon.
Mayor Wadyajena ...
THE HON. SPEAKER: When they are elected.
HON. MARIDADI: When they are elected, Hon. Mayor
Wadyajena, his constituency from where it starts to where it ends, it is
140 km of tattered and dust road. If you give Hon. Wadyajena a Ford Ranger and you tell him to go to his constituency, he only needs to drive to his constituency four or five times and the vehicle is buggered – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Ministers get fuel allocation for them to drive from their homes to the office. When a Minister is venturing just a foot outside Harare, they claim fuel separately. We know that when they claim fuel, they inflate the figures. When a Minister goes to Mutare sleeping at Amber Hotel, they will claim fuel for the furthest part of Manicaland, say Chisumbanje.
Time limit
HON. CHINOTIMBA: My point of order is that I move that the
Hon. Member’s time be extended by 10 minutes – [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Your point of order Hon. Chinotimba is
accepted, except that the maximum extension of time is five minutes.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. MARIDADI: Mr. Speaker, let me say I am so happy with
Hon. Chinotimba. This is the spirit that we want when we are talking about things that affect all of us, national issues, collectively we must be in unison.
Mr. Speaker, I had left a very important aspect when I spoke about these two companies. When I went to buy these blankets on 23rd January, the owner of this company is a Chinese lady called Michelle. I saw a Minister of Government sitting in Michelle’s office. Michelle knows about me because I approached and said, Michelle I know what you are doing and how you are prejudicing Government and that
Minister is helping you in that criminal endeavour. That Minister is helping you to evade paying Hon. Chinamasa but let me tell you, when it comes to the crunch that Minister will not be able to help you. There was a Minister who was seated in that office and Hon. Chinamasa, when you go for Cabinet, tell them that is what I said. You will see the Minister will start melting on his or her own.
Mr. Speaker, Ministers of this Government need to rise above corruption. Corruption is killing this country and that corruption is not perpetrated by somebody who comes from Mozambique or a poor person who comes from Binga North but by somebody who holds a position of authority and in the majority of cases these corrupt people are based in this capital of Harare. If we do a life audit you will be shocked with the number of things that you will see. Members of this Parliament, and I am one of them, struggle when we go to our constituencies. There is not a Member of Parliament in this House who has a constituency member saying, who would spend a day without receiving a call from a constituency member saying someone is ill or has died or school fees is needed – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Today alone, I received three messages: one is for a young girl who obtained 15 points at Tafara 1 High and wants to go to the School of Medicine but does not even know where to start in terms of fees. They are saying Hon. Member, please help us to be able to get her results, we owe $300 at Tafara I High School.
As I was coming into Parliament, I got another call saying Hon. Member, my mother was doing her laundry and something happened, so there is a needle lodged in her finger and needs $400 to undergo an operation. That is the life of a Member of Parliament on a daily basis, whether ZANU PF or MDC – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The perception which is created out there is that the Member of Parliament has so much money. He must repair roads, construct clinics, provide water and energy and bury people. There is not a Member of Parliament with the capacity to do that. Maybe Ministers would be in a better position to do that because they drive Government vehicles which are fueled, serviced by Government. Ministers get a huge fuel allocation but some of the Ministers do not even have constituencies so nobody will phone them. The only people who will call them are probably his wife and small house.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate Hon. Misihairabwi-
Mushonga’s motion. We would respectfully want His Excellency the
President of Zimbabwe, Cde. R.G. Mugabe to come and meet with us Members of Parliament, without the Executive and I will tell you Mr. Speaker, we are going to be very respectful. If we do not respect him as a person, we respect his office. He is going to come to this House and we will tell him like it is. After we have spoken to His Excellency the President, I am telling you half the Cabinet Ministers will be without jobs. Vice President Mphoko, I think they were in Cabinet and the President and Ministers were there in attendance. Somebody spoke about kubiwa kwemari Hon. Mphoko said in response imbavha dzese idzi referring to the Ministers. The President did not disagree. I am told he just smiled and chuckled. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for this time.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chiwetu should have come earlier to present his report for the Committee but because of some tragedy he had to be held back so I will allow him to give us the summary and recommendations of the report.
HON. CHIWETU: Introduction:
The Committee of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment has an oversight responsibility over the Ministry of
Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment. The Ministry of
Youth’s mandate is to develop, promote and implement policies and programmes for the empowerment of youths and indigenous citizens in order to achieve sustainable and equitable development. Post budget consultations conducted with the Ministry and their stakeholders who included Zimbabwe Youth Council (ZYC) and the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) showed that there was a slight reduction in budget allocations to the Ministry from the 2016 allocation.
Overview of the Ministry’s 2017 budget allocation:
- The Ministry was allocated US$17.192 million which represent 0.5% of the total vote appropriations for 2017 against a budget bid of US$39.405 million.
- The overall allocation of the Ministry decreased by 13.18% from US$19.801 million in 2016 to $17.192 million in 2017.
- In addition to the allocated amount of US$17.192 million, the Ministry is also expected to get about US$1.414 million from statutory funds. This amount although is still lower than the
Ministry’s requirements, it will go a long way in ensuring that the Ministry will achieve some of its set objectives.
- The Ministry’s allocations have been declining since 2014 as shown in figure 1.
Figure 1: Ministry of Youth, Indigenization and Economic
Empowerment’s budget Allocations (2012-2017):
Economic Classification of the Ministry’s budget:
In terms of economic classification, the Ministry’s budget is skewed towards funding current expenditures at the expense of capital expenditures. Of the Ministry’s allocation in 2017, 72% will go towards employment costs, 10% will be for the Ministry’s operations, 13% for current transfers whilst 5% will go towards capital expenditure. Figure 2 shows the expenditure breakdown for Ministry’s 2017 budget allocation.
Figure 2. Economic Classification of Ministry of Youth,
Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment’s 2017 budget
Allocation:
Key Priority areas for the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and
Economic Empowerment in 2017:
The Ministry is one of the Ministries which was selected to implement Programme Based Budgeting and in 2017; the Ministry prioritised five Programmes which are:
- Youth Development and Empowerment;
- Continuous Human Capital Development;
- Economic Empowerment;
- Further Indigenisation of the Economy;
- Policy and Management;
Key achievements in 2016:
In 2016, the Ministry recorded a number of achievements despite the unfavorable economic environment that prevailed for the greater part of the year. Some of the Ministry’s achièvements in 2016 include the
following:
- Developed a Zimbabwe Youth Empowerment Strategy for Investment that recognises the demographic dividend arising from the country’s youthful population;
- Expanded infrastructure in Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) through cooperation with indigenous companies;
- Empowered 50 000 youths through Vocational Training and Skills
Development;
- 152 indigenisation transactions and 36 Employee Ownership
Trusts were approved;
- Reviewed the National Youth Service to include skills training and entrepreneurship;
- Made significant progress towards the establishment of the
Empower Bank, a micro finance institution.
Comparison between Ministry of Youths’ 2017 Budget Bids and Budget allocations per Programme:
Overall, the Ministry was allocated 43.6% of the total bid it had submitted to Treasury. In terms of percentages, Policy and
Administration was allocated the highest as it got 76% of its bid whilst Economic empowering programme was allocated 42.6% of its bid. Indigenisation and the Continuous Human Capital Development were allocated 7.5% and 13.1% respectively of what the Ministry had requested from Treasury. Figure 2 shows the bids and budget allocation for the five programmes (Excluding employment costs).
Figure 3: Ministry’s 2017 budget allocation vis-à-vis Budget bids excluding employment costs:
An analysis of Ministry’s 2017 budget economic classification and their implications on the operations of the Ministry of Youth,
Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment:
The large variances between the Ministry’s bids and budget allocations for all the five programmes areas is a threat to the Ministry’s planned activities for 2017. The following are some of the implications of the 2017 budget allocation to the Ministry’s operations:
- Goods and Services: the Ministry was allocated US$1.221 million against a bid of US$2.387 million. The allocation falls short of the
Ministry’s requirement towards communication and domestic travel costs and may therefore affect service delivery, monitoring and evaluation activities by the Ministry as most of the projects funded by the Ministry requires constant monitoring and evaluation. The situation of poor funding is worsened by the absence of internet connections at the Ministry’s provincial and district offices which makes them rely on telephone for communication.
- Maintenance: the limited budget allocation of US$546 000 for maintenance against the Ministry’s requirement of US$1.241 million will affect the maintenance of vehicles, availability of fuel and reduces monitoring and evaluation trips. The situation is worsened by ageing motor vehicles which require frequent repair and maintenance.
- Current transfers: Treasury allocated US$2.261 million against a bid of US$14.62 million to the Ministry of Youth for current transfers to be channelled as support to Parastatals that falls under the Ministry.
The thin budget would entail that the National Indigenisation and
Economic Empowerment Board’s (NIEEB) debt obligations of US$11.148 million will remain outstanding in 2017 as the allocated budget will only meet employment costs. In addition, the inadequate budget allocation for current transfers will affect Zimbabwe Youth
Council’s programmes of establishing the targeted 20 business hubs
and common service centres since the allocated funds will be enough to establish only 10 business hubs in 2017.
- Capital expenditure: The Committee noted with appreciation that Treasury allocated more than the Ministry’s bids for capital expenditure for the Indigenisation, Youth Development and Economic Empowerment Programmes although it failed to allocate enough funds for the other two programmes. For the 5 programmes, Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment had submitted a bid of US$8.752 million aimed at funding the retooling of 42 VTCs and 18 business hubs during the year 2017 but Treasury only allocated 8.7% of the required amount. With this budget allocation it means that the planned targets for the two Programmes (Skills training and Policy and Administration) will not be met and the Ministry will therefore have to reduce the number of VTCs to be retooled.
Activities/measures with potential to raise revenue and contribute to economic growth:
- Appropriation of US$4 million for supporting various empowerment programmes which include an allocation of US$1 million towards the Youth Development Fund in support of community outreach training services and establishment of agricultural, manufacturing and service production hubs and US$500 000 for the modernisation and retooling of machinery and equipment in VTCs. This will improve the entrepreneurship skills of graduates from the VTCs as the retooling of machinery will entail hands on training for youths in the VTCs.
- Increased high skills training and programme activity support to Ward Officers: If the Ministry successfully implements this programme it will enable Ward Officers to carry out extensive monitoring and evaluation of projects implemented by youths in their wards and reduce projects failure rates, production/project costs and increase output levels. This will improve revenues collected by
Government.
- Increased monitoring and evaluation of Youth Projects: More should be done if the youths projects are to effectively contribute to tax revenue. There is need for continuous monitoring of projects funded by the Ministry instead of relying on information from the youths themselves. Depending on youths to declare production figures is not sustainable and this could lead to distorted information on production levels. Without adequate information it would be difficult to effectively plan for successor projects which have potential to contribute more to revenue generation.
- Retooling of machinery and equipment at the VTCs around the country: In 2017, Ministry of Youths should prioritise the retooling of machinery and equipment at selected VTCs so that they become attractive to potential learners. This will make the VTCs justified to charge fees above cost recovery rates and generate funds for rehabilitation of other VTCs around the country. This will reduce pressure on Treasury funds which can then be channeled to other productive sectors of the economy.
Recommendations :
- The Committee on Youth, indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment notes with concern that in the past financial years, the Treasury has failed to disburse the whole amounts allocated in the budgets. For example, in 2016, VTCs did not receive anything from the allocated amount of US$214 000 for goods and services. If this trend continues into 2017, this will affect the Ministry’s activities. It is therefore recommended that Treasury timeously release 2017 budget allocations for the Ministry to be able to implement its planned activities in 2017.
- The life blood of any country’s development lies in the participation of the youth in the economy which in itself underscores the essence of youth development. Support of the youth whether financial or non-financial should be guaranteed by the budget for example through the provision of concessionary loans to the youths , enhancing youth skills training, effective administration of the National Youth Council and of course entrepreneurship. It is
therefore recommended that Treasury reconsider the Ministry’s bid for the Human Capital Development Programme where it only allocated 13% of the Ministry’s bid of US$10.038 million for this programme and increase the allocation to maybe 50% of the bid.
- Skills Development is one of the priorities in the country’s National Youth Policy. In light of this, the country has established a number of Vocational Training Centres for training young people on life skills around the whole country. The Vocational Training Centres are a hub of the Integrated Skills Outreach Programme which reaches out to communities imparting livelihood skills to the youth. It is therefore recommended that Government ensures that facilities at these VTCs are of high standards by providing adequate funding for continuous retooling of machinery and equipment so that trainees are exposed to modern technology that will enhance efficient production. One option of funding the VTCs would be through making follow ups on Economic Empowerment Plans for companies operating in areas where the VTCs are located and negotiate with the companies
to adopt the VTCs for them to be exempted from ceding part of their ownership to the communities.
- Post Budget consultations with Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment revealed that the amount allocated falls short of the bids which the Ministry had submitted for some expenditure items. In some cases in 2016, the Ministry had to rely on donations from private companies to support its operations. In light of the tight fiscal space, it is recommended that the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment reprioritise activities for 2017, intensify efforts to generate income through its farming and VTCs and continue to engage more financial institutions to support youths projects and economic empowerment programmes.
- The Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment revealed to the Committee that the Ministry’s motor vehicles are old and now require frequent repairs. The Committee recommends that the Ministry be allowed to use a portion of the allocated maintenance budget of US$760 000 budget to purchase new vehicles to avoid the current scenario where a lot of money is being spent repairing the old vehicles.
Conclusion:
Unless measures are taken to meaningfully empower youths to take central role in the socio-economic development of the country, they may be a source of social, economic and political instability. Our Government should view young people as an asset for national development and national cohesion as opposed to an expense or a liability. This perception of young people as an asset should be derived from the role played by the Zimbabwean youths of 1960 to 1979 who liberated our country through a protracted armed struggle where young people sacrificed all for the independence of our motherland hence the enormous respect should be accorded to the youths in this country today.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the former speaker from the opposition for the way he was articulating issues which reflects a mature Parliament. We know that we can scold each other but when we get into Parliament, we should do the work of
Parliament. When we scold each other, we should do it outside Parliament. My interjection is a point of order, but I just want to thank this Member of Parliament for Mabvuku Constituency for the first time. We clash here and there with Hon. Maridadi and he knows that we argue a lot. Today, I want to thank him for the first time because what he was talking about is about building the nation. It is not about Tsvangirai or
Mugabe. It is about nation building.
We once requested the House to allow Hon members carry out investigations and they said there is an Anti-Corruption Commission. This one is not a member of Anti-Corruption but he did his own investigation, and he saw that this is what is killing the nation. We admonish Minister Chinamasa for giving War Veterans, a paltry $18 million which is not enough, but where does he get the money from. We should thank the Hon. Member irrespective of which party he comes from.
So, this issue of political factions should stop so that we build our nation. I have stood up to thank the Hon. Member though I will stand up and comment on the Budget. All those who will stand up to contribute should not get lost, but they should follow what the Hon. Member has showed us. Thank you.
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. For the first time, I have been impressed by the debate coming specifically from Hon. Maridadi and why do I say so? He has spoken at length about the welfare of Hon. Members of this august House. Whilst I also aknowledge that out Minister of Finance and Economic Development is a hard working man and tivape sando dzavo, I also wanted to say this is reflective of the Government of President Robert Mugabe. It has very good Ministers.
Mr. Speaker, I was looking at Section 119 of the Constitution that talks about the role of Parliament. If you look at the role entrusted by this nation upon Parliament, it is a very important role, very critical and very necessary for this nation to tick. Now, for anyone to suggest that we are less important than the Executive, that is a misnomer. I want to strongly believe that what the Executive does, what the Judiciary does and what Parliament does, these things are equally very important for the smooth running of the nation and so when it comes to the welfare of Members of this august House, we want to seriously take a relook and say, are we giving enough to Hon. Members for their sustenance? Are we providing enough for Hon. Members so that they are able to conduct their day to day duties in various constituencies? So, it is incumbent upon this Government to also look after Hon. Members of Parliament in terms of welfare. It is very important and it is very critical because we play a significant role in the whole process of running this country.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am at loss to hear from Hon. Misihairabwi, in fact, I got worried to hear that the President is now in captivity. I failed to make sense out of it because I thought, for someone who could fly to Ethiopia, come back, go to his House and go to his office - I wanted to believe that he is still in his senses and can actually perform for the betterment of this country. So, I was surprised to hear the sentiments by Hon. Misihairabwi.
Mr. Speaker, I also heard Hon. Misihairabwi talking about divisions and factions – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, I seek to be protected because I am debating. When they were debating, we were quiet.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order. Can we have order
Hon. Members?
HON. TOFFA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Thank you
Madam Speaker, I just want to…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. Could
you please allow me to hear the one I have acknowledged?
HON. TOFFA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I just wanted to help guide the Hon. Member, Hon. Mandipaka. When Hon. Misihairabwi spoke about the President being in captivity, it was a figure of speech.
In Shona, I think it is called madimikira – [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MANDIPAKA: Madam Speaker, that is why I initially indicated that I failed to make head or tail of what she had said because I thought and I am entitled to my thoughts…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. Could
you please allow me to hear the person who is debating? I do not understand what he is saying because of your noise – [AN HON.
MEMBER: Because he is saying nothing.] - No, how can you say that?
HON. MANDIPAKA: Madam Speaker, I am saying, when I
heard Hon. Misihairabwi saying the President is in captivity, I failed to make head or tail of that statement because I thought perhaps he is just a man who in all his senses is able to travel to other countries, come back and go to his home. So, I failed to make head or tail of it. Be that as it may, Hon. Speaker, I would like to get back to the welfare of Hon. Members of Parliament. I pray that for this financial year, Members of Parliament should get their Constituency Development Funds (CDF).
Why do I say so? The impression that is created by people who we represent is that we have everything. Even the Budget, they think it is within our control. They think it is us who are going to splash the money for development. Given that scenario, Madam Speaker, we cannot take from our little coffers and cater for the entire constituency unless Government provides a Constituency Development Fund which we will take to the people and cause the development we want to take place. So in other words, I am supporting the debate by Hon. Maridadi that the welfare of Members of Parliament should be taken seriously, especially this financial year because it is important for Members of
Parliament to be catered for so that they discharge their duties in earnest.
Madam Speaker, you have heard about Hon. Members who represent constituencies deep down in the rural areas and I am one of them. We have bad roads to the extent that at the expiry of five years, I will be having no Ford Ranger at all. So all it means is that if perhaps we get two or more vehicles, we will be able to access rugged terrains. After the expiry of five years, perhaps I might not be coming back into Parliament, I will be able to look good to the constituents, look good to the people because we want to continue portraying a positive image of the Parliament. We cannot be destitute after leaving this Parliament. So, Madam Speaker, we pray that the budget for this august House is going to be raised so that we are catered for. I thank you.
HON. CROSS: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to try this afternoon…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, order.
Would you please lower your whispers? We want to hear the Hon.
Member who is debating.
HON. CROSS: I want to attempt this afternoon, Madam Speaker, to just summerise the Budget position as I see it today in Zimbabwe. I think the first fundamental issue is that the country is generating insufficient revenue to meet the fundamental needs of the country. So, I think the first thing we have to do in respect to the Minister, is to discuss with him how we can increase the amount of money which is available to the exchequer in the present situation.
A more fundamental issue which we have to discuss, but in another forum perhaps, is how do we get the country growing again? How do we get the economy expanding again? I think that is an important and fundamental issue, but for today I think the issue is how do we increase the revenue to the State.
The Minister will know that I have brought to his attention now for three years the fact that average customs revenues to the exchequer were are 5% of the total cost of imports. Now Madam Speaker, we imported last year more than $5 billion worth of imports. It seems to me incomprehensible that we cannot collect more than $380 million from $5 billion of imports. If you simply look at one item which is motor vehicles which drew $1.4 billion, Madam Speaker, the average duty on an imported vehicle is 60%. Just that one item on our import bill should generate twice as much customs duty as we are collecting. We can look at Hon. Maridadi’s example this afternoon and see how the leakages occur. I want to say to the Hon. Minister, the situation at our border post is chaotic and corrupt. You can see that in the charges that are levied against Mr. Pasi, the Commissioner General for ZIMRA - if the highest post in ZIMRA is involved in corruption to that extend, to what extent is that corruption as we go down the line. One of the most sought after positions in the administration is that of Customs Officer at Beitbridge.
I want to tell you, these people are making millions on the side. I can bring to the Hon. Minister’s attention; I have brought to ZIMRA’s attention time and time again, importers who are importing goods they are not paying duty on and selling at full value here. I think if we tighten up our administration on our borders and pay close attention to what we are doing there, we can at least double customs revenues immediately.
The second point which I want to raise this afternoon is what I have made in the Committee and the Hon. Minister is aware of this. We are paying US$1.36 a litre for petrol in Zimbabwe and US$1.20 for diesel. Madam Speaker, in 2016, the average cost of refined fuel on the international market was 32 cents a litre. If you take the average price of fuel in South Africa, it is about 85 cents; it is the same in Zambia. In Mozambique it is cheaper. Madam Speaker, we have to ask ourselves, why we are paying 25cents to 30 cents a litre more for fuel in Zimbabwe than in our neghbouring states. I want to tell you that the reason is corruption. I can provide the Hon. Minister with a breakdown given to me by a member of the fuel industry. I can tell you Hon. Minister that on average, in 2016, we paid 74 cents a litre for fuel in bulk at sea when the world market price was 32 cents. Now, who is getting that money, US$400 million a year?
This has two impacts in Zimbabwe. The first means that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is having to provide US$1.2 billion a year, more than US$100 million a month for the purchase of bulk fuels when that bill should be US$50 million. I want to know and the Hon. Minister needs to know where this leakage is taking place. The other mystery to me, is that all our fuel purchases are conducted through Singapore, why?
What on earth is in Singapore that is not anywhere else in the world?
Madam Speaker, the other thing that concerns me is that on pipeline tariff charges between Beira and Harare at the moment averages 8.7 cents a litre where the cost of running the pipeline is US$1.5 million; who is taking the additional US$60 million? Madam Speaker, if we could eliminate these corrupt practices in the operation of our fuel industry, which I think we can do that at in the stroke of a pen, it will be very simple. The Hon. Minister could double the revenue he is receiving from the fuel industry without effecting pump prices. These two items, customs duties and fuel levies alone could generate an additional US$800/900 million a year. If we give the Hon. Minister another US$900 million a year, he would be able to solve all the problems which are confronting him today in respect to budget allocations – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
The third item I want to raise with the Hon. Minister is the issue of cigarettes smuggling. Madam Speaker, you know that South Africa had complained on continuous occasions about the volume of smuggling into South Africa. We ask the question why? It is simple, I talked to a
Marketing Executive in British American Tobacco (BAT) and he said South African prices are 40% higher than they are in Zimbabwe. Why are they 40% higher, because South Africa has a much higher excise duty on cigarettes. Let us adjust the excise duty in Zimbabwe to the same level as South Africa, it is quite simple. It will increase revenue to the Exchequer and eliminate the justification for smuggling.
Madam Speaker, coming to the question of individual allocations in the Budget, I just want to raise a couple of issues. First and foremost, the allocation to the Auditor-General, I am a member of the Public
Finance Committee and I can tell you; if there is one department in Zimbabwe that is working well, competently, honestly and doing a professional job, it is the Auditor-General – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - Last year we have increased her responsibilities from 130 state institutions to over 300. We doubled her workload, but we reduced her budget. I do not see any justification for that. I would just say to the
Hon. Minister, these institutions of oversight such as Parliament and the Auditor-General need specific and close attention. I think we underfund these institutions at our peril – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
My other concerns Madam Speaker, are the reduction in the allocation to the Ministry of Health and Child Care and I think this is an extremely serious development. Perhaps, most importantly this afternoon is the reduction in allocations to the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education. Madam Speaker, we have reduced the allocation to this Ministry by a third. The allocation to state universities is down by 50%. I cannot see how we can operate our universities in this kind of situation. I am told that even the salaries of professional staff at the universities is now under threat and to put the burden of funding our universities on the backs of already overburdened students is simply going too far.
Madam Speaker, I believe that the Hon. Minister is going to do a Budget review in March. I do not think we can do much about the Budget in its present form today or in the next few days. However, as we pass this Budget, what I would do is urge the Hon. Minister to consult on how we can increase the amount of revenue coming into the Exchequer under present circumstances without impacting on the quality of life in Zimbabwe.
The last point I would make Madam Speaker is a question on how you fund the budget deficit? This is a mystery to me because the budget deficit budgeted for in the present Budget is US$400 million and I believe it is going to be bigger than that. In 2016 our budget deficit was US$1.1 billion, 22% to the Budget, which is completely unsustainable. I think the Hon. Minister is a magic man because he funded those deficits from almost nowhere. I do not believe that is possible today. I just want to warn the Hon. Minister, that if there is any attempt to print money to cover the budget deficit, it will have serious consequences. Thank You Madam Speaker.
HON. CHAKONA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development for the Budget that he presented under very difficult circumstances. However, there are certain issues that I think I need to highlight to the Hon. Minister in line with our theme as Parliament; that we are trying to harness local resources in trying to buttress revenue for our nation. The first thing that I would like to highlight is the issue of the retail sector, our shops. Madam Speaker, VAT is collected at source, what it actually means is that if a manufacturer manufactures anything, when they sell that product they charge VAT and then it is bought by the wholesaler, the wholesaler also puts VAT and at the end of the day the retailer also puts VAT on it. Surprisingly, most retail shops for indigenous people are not VAT registered. So, what it actually means is VAT is – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Members
particularly those at my right, please you are making too much noise.
HON. CHAKONA: What I want to highlight to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is that VAT is collected at source from the manufacturer and the wholesaler. When it comes to retail shops which are mostly run by indigenous people in the rural areas, they are not VAT registered and hence they pay VAT to the wholesaler and that VAT is collected by ZIMARA. What is happening now is that ZIMRA is also following up with those unregistered shops in the rural areas penalising them for VAT and also penalising them for statutory taxes. What is happening is that most indigenous shops are now closing because the amount of money that they are being penalised far exceeds even their monthly or annual sales.
Madam Speaker, mark ups in retail shops are merely 10% or 15% and at the most 20%. You actually find out that a rural business operator has to travel from wherever they operate from to the wholesaler to buy their goods. They incur transport costs and operational costs whilst bigger shops OK, Pick and Pay and so forth do not incur all these expenses. It is the manufacturer, the distributor who actually come and distributes their goods at their shops. So, in essence what they are simply doing is that if they put a 10% mark up it is basically their money because they have no distribution costs which the small operator is incurring.
So, I want the Minister to review this policy on small to medium operators who are in the rural areas that they pay their VAT at the point of purchasing their goods not to be followed to their operational areas because they are not VAT registered and they do not have to be vindicated.
Madam Speaker, ZIMRA is also affecting and closing mostly small operators especially SMEs and when I look at it, the SPB in 2016 issued tenders close to almost US$3 billion and these were won by mostly local enterprises. If you go to check, they charge VAT to state enterprises or to Government after winning the tenders, surprisingly none of these companies pay meaningful VAT back to Government. They are simply just collecting and they are not paying. Madam Speaker, what is disturbing is what we have noted that when ZIMRA follows up trying to collect VAT or tax from these companies, they are shielded; they actually go to Ministers offices for protection. So, they do not pay any VAT or any corporate tax and that is how we are losing money and Government is losing money. They charge tax to
Government and to state enterprises and at the end of the day that money is not paid back to Government and it is affecting revenues.
Madam Speaker, I also just want to highlight that there is a lot of duplication of roles in Government, for example, in ICT we have got Power-Tel which is owned by ZESA, we have ZARNET which is owned by the Ministry of ICT and then we also have Net-One and TelOne. All these are companies that are offering almost similar services and yet they are state enterprises, they have got boards, management and infrastructure, they are also competing on infrastructure doing almost exactly the same thing and I would recall that Tel-One had a loan approved by this Parliament of US$98m wanting to upgrade their infrastructure. Net-One is also doing the same thing; they are also approaching Government wanting to borrow money to improve on their infrastructure. That infrastructure is almost the same.
Madam Speaker if you look at the fiber network roll out in this nation, we have got almost 5 companies all doing exactly the same in this nation. They are all importing fiber network and they are all building infrastructure between Harare and Bulawayo. Right now I think we have got more than 5 to 6 fiber networks between Harare and Bulawayo and it is 5 trenches all going the same direction. That fiber is imported at very high cost and the nation is losing foreign currency and revenue which is supposed to be used in this nation.
Another issue that I just want to highlight which the Minister has to take note of, is the issue of data centres. Tel-One built a very robust data centre at Mazowe and they also have their data disaster recovery centre here in Harare. They are even looking for companies to rent space on that infrastructure. Surprisingly, the Minister of ICT also wants to build a data centre at the Central Computing Services at the same cost of
US$6m which Tel-One spend that money. In the Minister’s own Budget Statement, he actually allocated US$8.5m to the OPC for the construction of a data centre. That will be a third data centre in Government doing exactly the same thing.
Madam Speaker, suffice to say the University of Zimbabwe spend another US$6m for a high performance computer which is almost the same as the data centre that we are talking about, an intelligent computer that they have put at the cost of US$6m and it is running right now at the University of Zimbabwe. That computer has managed to link all the universities and they are using it only as an intelligent tool not even to warehouse data. So, these are all duplications that are happening within
Government and draining the fiscus of the much needed revenue. I think there is need to harmonise the way Government is operating so that it knows what the right hand is doing and the left hand is doing.
Something that I may also want to highlight is the issue Ministries.
We have got four Ministries of Education. We have got the Ministry of Psychomotor, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and Ministry of Sports and Culture. If you look at all these Ministries, they are almost duplication whatever they are doing – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - You even find out that the programme on “stematisation” was taken from one Ministry and is running in another Ministry and because the other Ministry does not know what to do so they actually have to overlap their roles and go to the other Ministry.
Suffice to say is that there is a very critical component of the Higher and Tertiary Education that is being continuously ignored which is the Science and Technology Department. For a nation to develop it needs science and technology development. If you look at it during the
Smith regime to bust sanctions in 1965 they had to establish a Department of Science and Technology in the Prime Minister’s office and that department was the one that was responsible for the industrialisation of Rhodesia from 1965 to almost 1969. That is the department which brought about the industrialization that we are talking about - reviving and so forth and the value addition and beneficiation that we are talking about in present day ideologies.
Madam Speaker, I think if we have to establish a Ministry that has to be a stand alone, it has to be the Ministry of Science and Technology so that it looks at how we can develop science and technology in this country. It is very disturbing that SIRDC is now in the Office of the President and Cabinet and it is receiving very little financing when in actual fact, it is supposed to be the institution which drives industrialisation in this nation. It is supposed to be the institution that should be speaking highly of the value addition and beneficiation and doing all the research and development.
It is very disturbing that there are certain researches that were done and were even established to a greater extend. Let me talk about the biodiesel plant which even has a plant that is sitting in Mt. Hampden and it is rotting. That is technology that we have invented in this country. What is simply lacking is just the operationalisation of that particular plant. These are institutions that we need to fund and get them off the ground and ensure that bio-diesel is commercialised in this nation. If you listen to them speaking, there is very little that is required for them to operationalise that plant. We are continuously ignoring financing that organisation and nothing is happening.
At the University of Zimbabwe, the department of Nanotechnology has invented an albino lotion which no other country in this world has come up or invented. It is there. The only problem is that it has not been patented. That is the only problem. They are failing to raise money to patent or trademark that particular lotion so that it can be sold worldwide and commercialised.
Basically, we are talking of millions and millions of dollars and we are talking of an invention that has happened at our own university and the department of Nanotechnology is simply asking for a paltry US$6 million for them to buy a set of equipment that enables them to do the analysis of data here in Zimbabwe. At the moment, they are basically taking all their experiments to South Africa. What it actually means is that whatever they have discovered and found here in Zimbabwe is now taken to South Africa and the South Africans will know the results before we even know them. These are not patented or protected, hence the South Africans can take those experiments and make use of them or even commercialise them.
I am appealing to the Minister of Finance to seriously look at some of these discoveries and entities that we think very little is required and we can sacrifice as a nation to actually give those Ministries and Departments to run and commercialise.
Madam Speaker, I do not want to labour you with a lot of data, I thank you for giving me this opportunity.
*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Members who debated before me on the budget. I also want to thank Minister Chinamasa for the budget presentation.
However, I would also want to add some things that Hon. Maridadi left out as he was on the floor referring to Ministers. Issues to do with corruption are shameful amongst Ministers. When the President arrives at the airport, all the Ministers rush to the airport to welcome him. There is no Minister who tells the President that people are dying of hunger, they only back-bite other people. We want to build the nation and not go and welcome the President and not telling him the truth of the matter on the ground. Our Ministers should work hard and they should not be corrupt.
Yesterday I interacted with the Police Commissioner, Cde. Chihuri and I asked him whether the police officers are corrupt and he said it is not only his officers who are corrupt but even Ministers, ZIMRA and many others are also corrupt. This was shameful to hear and I said this man is now talking.
Today, if we look at the budget, each Ministry has its own allocation. There is no way we can say there is no money in this country because money is available in this country. This nation is richer than South Africa that we talk about. We spend a lot of time doing improper things.
If you look at Civil Servants, they are 315 000 to 515 000 in numbers. It was said that if there is no money, we will give them stands – where do we get all these stands to give them? During war time, there was a man called Julius Misihairambwi, he would always say when we were hungry that we would have enough when we get home at Monomotapa Hotel. That is what he used to say to encourage us. Right now, how many war veterans have been to Monomotapa Hotel? There is none. The same thing is being said by Hon. Chinamasa, Hon. Mupfumira and all those who have to do with the Civil Servants. Where are you going to get all those stands? That is destroying our country.
We have to take the whole of Mazowe to accommodate all the Civil Servants. We should not lie. We should just tell the people that there is no money. It does not kill us to say the truth. Whether political parties can come and complain, but the truth is that there is no money.
That is the first thing.
Hon. Chinamasa said that he wanted to give Civil Servants stands – that is very painful to hear that. Now, it seems the Civil Servants are now seen as more superior than the War Veterans. War Veterans are living in shacks. We used to stay in shacks during war time and up to now, even war veterans who have been allocated land, it is being taken away. They do not consider War Veterans. That is why I stood up that this year all the war veterans who have children who completed form four, up to now, they do not have their results because Minister Dokora is saying that if a person is transferring to another school, they should be given a transfer letter which shows that they are clear of debt. So, none of our children proceeded to ‘A’ level because the budget that was allocated to the war veterans was like a spite on them that why did you go for war.
If you compare with other war veterans in South Africa, Namibia and even in America, they have war veterans but they are respected as people who worked for the people. I am talking about the budget of the war veterans. The $18 million is nothing and it is in the Blue Book. It does not get to us, so there is no money. It is not only that I am a war veteran but I am pained. If I did not go to war, probably it was better but I was also affected together with my family. If I die, I will leave my family in trouble because of the budget that we are allocated. The President always says that give these things to the war veterans but our voices are not heard.
I am pleading with Parliament that when we are passing this
Budget, we should make sure that war veterans are given their money. That is the only way people would know that we did not fight for a political party but we fought for the country and the country is the one which is represented here. Madam Speaker, I am of the apostolic sect and I wanted to say, peace be with you because I wanted to hear if you would say Amen. If you do that, you will be agreeing with what I am saying. The issue of houses that are to be given to civil servants, we should also look at the issue of war veterans.
If we look at other people as if they are not people, it will haunt us in years to come because our children will ask why we went for war, which is not good. The children of civil servants will be coming out of beautiful houses and ministers’ children as well. I wonder if everyone could be a minister. That is why I believe what the Clerk of Parliament used to say, that we should declare our assets. It is very important because if one becomes a Minister and all of a sudden, they are rich, where did the wealth come from because we all went to war and fought together. How is it that you are now more wealthier than I? Where did you get the wealth?
Minister Chinamasa, it is not only on our side but even on the opposite side. If one is appointed as a Minister, you would find that Mangoma was now owning a filling station. When I am talking like this, I am not talking on behalf of a party but am talking as a citizen of Zimbabwe.
Thirdly, coming to ZIMRA, Minister Chinamasa, that is very painful. If ZIMRA is not investigated properly, it will kill our country.
There are no other avenues of getting revenue besides ZIMRA. What
Hon. Maridadi was referring to is very true. Trucks are coming in loaded. They would pass through the border and offload the luggage in the industries and no revenue is coming in. Like what Hon. Maridadi has said, we are pleading with you Hon. Chinamasa that there should be investigation on imports and exports.
The issue of incentives, Hon. Chinamasa, we do not have anyone making follow-ups. Why do we not engage people to investigate who owns those companies and to who do they sell the items to. We grow macadamia and we sell them for $1.50 or $2 and pay tax from that. These macadamias are exported to China and we are just given money but we have not sent people to China to find out how much they cost and who are the buyers there. No one is going to Egypt or China and we have not sent anyone to German to go and make a follow up. We are only given peanuts therefore, our economy will not grow. You then give those people $5 incentives whilst they are stealing from us.
Madam Speaker, I have stood up to thank Hon. Chinamasa but the issue of war veterans should be investigated. There are some people who left their families and forgo all so that we are free. Some of them had to forgo a lot but you will find that those who did not lose anything are the ones benefiting. Most of them are now mentally challenged because of staying in the forests. You can say Hon. Zindi is crazy but the doctors said that we should visit psychiatric doctors because the gunpowders gave us problems. Therefore, you should give us money.
Hon. Zindi having stood up on a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Zindi, if it is a point of order, I am not taking it and I am sorry, I am being told that you debated on this Budget.
HON. DR. CHIMEDZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to debate on the Budget allocation of the Ministry of Health. Let me thank the Minister of Finance for the job he is doing...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Dr. Chimedza. I am wondering why Hon. Members are all sitting close to the Minister when there is a lot of space here. Could you please proceed?
HON. DR. CHIMEDZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. First of all, let me acknowledge the job by the Minister of Finance, working under a very tight fiscal space to come up with these proposals he has put on paper. But, let me draw his attention to the budget of the Ministry of Health and maybe before that, a little background on what is happening in the Ministry of Health. In 2016, you are all aware that Harare Hospital closed theatres because they did not have money to continue operations. We are also aware that Mpilo Hospital closed theatres because they had no money to continue operations as well as Gwanda Hospital; the list is long on what has been happening. The drugs that we are using especially in the public sector, 98% of those drugs are actually from donor communities; they are not from the Government of this country.
Right now, we have a problem with typhoid, something that can be prevented. We are still battling and grappling with HIV, there are new diseases that have come to the fore - the cancers and the noncommunicable diseases. In short, the disease burden of this country has increased over the years.
However, what we have seen is less prioritisation of the Ministry of Health and Child Care. It has moved from what it used to be, second to fifth. The Abuja Declaration states that we should have at least 15% of our total budget allocated to the Ministry of Health but we have a paltry 6, 7% being allocated to this Ministry. I think we are very clear that, what it means when we say a theatre has been closed; it means people are going to die. Diseases do not stop because manyimwa mari, the diseases do not stop because tamboshaya mari yekutenga mushonga. So, when we say Harare Hospital has closed, it means our people are dying. When we say Gwanda Hospital has closed, it means vanhu varikufa.
So, when we then sit and allocate in terms of priority, toziva kuti mari hapana but we are saying of the money that is there, why not prioritise the Ministry of Health pane iripo yacho iyoyo –[HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- What we are seeing is a relegation of the Ministry of Health and Child Care to a very less important issue. The Ministry of Defence is important, Education is important but if you do not get these things, you will not die. If you do not have your health you will die.
We have stood and said we have a policy where people who are 65 years and above are treated free, children who are under five are treated free, and those who cannot afford are treated free. However, when they go into these hospitals they are going into empty shelves. You go into a hospital, you are told there are no drugs, you cannot have an X-ray done, maybe you have a nurse who can write a prescription for you to go and buy. So, it is actually more expensive for you to go and buy. It is actually more expensive for you to be poor because you have to pay for everything that is supposed to be provided by Government. The
Constitution says every citizen of this country has a right to health.
We also have a situation where we have trained nurses and the nurses are in the streets selling tomatoes. Now, we have trained doctors and they are also finding it difficult to get employment, not because our hospitals are full of doctors, not because our hospitals are full of nurses, but because we have frozen uptake of these cadres; they cannot be employed. The establishment of the Ministry of Health and Child Care was put in 1980, meaning the number of employees that are required by the whole Ministry; we put and decided in 1980. If you look at 1980 and 2017, the disease burden has changed, the population has changed. The situation has totally changed and we are still sticking to that because we have no money. I think we are not doing justice to ourselves Hon.
Minister of Finance.
Yes, you may say the fiscal space is tight but it is a life and death issue we are talking about. I will give you a very good example. Every one of us here is a potential patient; you do not decide where you get sick. Sometime in 2008, one of my colleagues, a professor, very well to do, sold his own private jet- that is how much he had. We had a congress in Victoria Falls; he decided to take a short-cut, not to use the Bulawayo road, I think the road that goes in Kadoma to Victoria Falls and he had an accident. He was put in a scotch cart drawn by two donkeys by a certain old man who was the first man to come to the accident scene. He was carried to the nearest clinic where they did not even have paracetamol or a bandage. He was then moved 70 km away in a cart drawn by a donkey and this is a very well-to-do medical professor with all the resources that some of us think because we have resources, it will not affect us but you will one day wake up in a hospital where there is nothing and this will be your first point of call for you to survive.
So, when we do these things we must be aware that we are not making a budget for someone else. We are making a budget for this country and ourselves. For the Ministry of Health to be the fifth on the line, for us to be closing theatres, to be closing hospitals, to be putting nurses in the streets, to be putting doctors that we have already wasted money on, in the streets - when the ratio of one doctor is to almost 10 000 patients, what are we saying to ourselves, to our people?
So, Madam Speaker, I am proposing and I am sure the Hon.
Members will support me; we have to re-look at the allocation we have given to the Ministry of Health. No one else from anywhere else is going to do that for us. Yes, we have had partners coming in but we are demonstrating that we do not think that our health care is important. People will only come to assist you when you show seriousness in what you want to do and with this, we have shown that it is a priority but not as important.
Madam Speaker, I am urging the Minister of Finance to reconsider the allocation of the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Previously, most of the money that has been allocated to the Ministry has not been disbursed. So we are talking of a phantom budget where you allocate money, plan on that money and the money never comes to you. Besides that, the money that has been allocated here is little, the money might not even come. So, can we re-look at this and really prioritise, let us put our money where our mouth is. I think health is important for all of us, whether we are rich, poor, yellow, green, whether we are opposition or ruling, health is important to all of us –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- We should all support this budget when this re-allocation has been done. I thank you.
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Thank you so much Hon. Speaker for allowing me to also add my voice to the budget. Madam Speaker, let me state that I am actually impressed by the way that Hon. Members are converging on the issue of the budget, realising that this budget is not about a ruling party or an opposition party. It is about our nation that we jointly stay in as Zimbabweans. So, it is important that when we debate, we debate about the real issues that are affecting us. Madam Speaker, when I listen to my colleagues as they are debating, everyone seems to be sympathising with the Hon. Minister and Economic Development saying that he is operating within a tight fiscal space, continuously saying there is no money. How do we say there is no money when we have got a Government that is charged with the responsibility to create money for this nation? I will come to that at the end, but I am not really going to deal much about figures. I am going to look at fundamental principles that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic
Development, as he is walking out, is supposed to look into in order for the fiscal space to be increased.
In addition to other issues that have been said, especially by the last speaker, I believe that we have mentioned other areas of the Budget that need consideration. I believe that Hon. Speaker, if those are not considered, I think it is high time as Parliament that we stand up and reclaim our teeth and stop this Budget from passing, unless those things are revised.
On figures, I will only speak about the budget of Parliament. Madam Speaker, when we are talking about Parliament, we are talking about this arm of Government that has got the responsibility of oversight. It is the representative, it is the bastion of democracy…
The Hon. Minister Finance and Economic Development having not returned to the House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member. I
do not know whether the Hon. Minister is hearing you because he is supposed to respond but he has just gone out. Anyway you can proceed.
Hon. Dr. Gumbo having indicated that he is taking his notes.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are taking his notes?
Okay.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I was saying
that when we are talking about Parliament, Parliament is the bastion of democracy. It is the voice of the voiceless. The people down in Lunga, Binga North, when I am speaking, they are hearing their own voices.
Therefore, I cannot overemphasise the importance of this institution of
Government called Parliament. When I was looking at the budget that Parliament was given, compared to – let me just look at only one area of the Executive. The Office of the President and Cabinet, this was given about 663% more than what the whole institution of Parliament was given.
It is this same Parliament that has got the responsibility of oversight over the whole Executive. How do you oversee your richer cousin when you are poor? Therefore, what I am simply saying is that unless the Ministry of Finance and Economic; unless Treasury rationalises the budget of Parliament to the amount that Parliament had stated in order for us to entrench our democracy and in order for us to entrench the spirit of transparency then this budget should not be passed.– [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
When we are talking about the budget of Parliament, we are not simply talking about Parliament. We are not reducing it to the allowances or salaries of Hon. Members. We are talking about the capacity of Parliament to discharge its responsibilities properly. Therefore, the $50 million or so that was spoken of as the budget that we require as Parliament, unless Treasury allocates that amount of money, I suggest that as Parliament, we should not allow this budget to pass.
Hon. Speaker, if you look at the theme of the budget for this year, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is talking about productivity. When we are talking productivity, we are talking about growing the cake. When we are talking about growing the cake, we are talking about improving the welfare of the citizens of this country; we are talking about the capacity to create and generate employment for our people. We are talking about the capacity to reduce the levels of poverty that our people are going through.
Therefore, we begin to ask ourselves questions like, why is it that productivity is not increasing. If you look at our economy Hon. Speaker, since about 1998, it has been on an uninterrupted downward slide. Since about 1998, our economy has been going down with the exception of during the time of the Government of National Unity (GNU), when it slightly went up but again it continues to go down. We are not improving, our economy continues to decline but we have got a Government that has been there in perpetuity looking at an economy that is declining. Do they really understand the problems that we are facing as a nation that we need to deal with? Those are the issues that I am going to speak to Hon. Speaker.
When we are talking about question of productivity, we are talking about issues that will address our negative current account balance. The difference between what we import and what we export. Why are importing? We are importing because we do not have those goods that we are importing from outside; we are not producing. What is the other reason why we are importing? We are importing because if we have those products here, they are being produced at a very high cost such that we are not able to buy them even as a people that are resident in this nation.
We are talking about issues of competitiveness. Our goods are not able to fairly trade with other goods produced in other economies, but what is the problem? The problem starts with access to capital, both domestic and foreign capital. Most of our industry is not able to access loans, either internally or externally. When they access loans internally, the loans are just too expensive and why is it so? The reason is that the capacity of our access to capital is being seriously reduced by expenditure of the Government. The Government is over-borrowing from the domestic market, leaving the private sector without any room for them to access cheaper loans. What else makes us to suffer from this is the fact that we are not able to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the Government has not been able to deal with those issues in a proper way.
I have said that since about 1998, our economy has been continuously going down but how have we been responding as a Government? Let me talk about issues that were said by a colleague, issues of duplicity. Look at the size of our Cabinet, we do not really need to call a rocket scientist to come and see that the size of our Cabinet is not commensurate with the size of economy. My colleague spoke about the four Ministries that are in the education sector - Higher and Tertiary, Primary and Secondary, Psychomotor and Sports and Culture. If we were sensitive to the size of our economy and the size of our cake, we would only have one Minister running all those Ministries. You know what that means Hon. Speaker; it means that we have made three Permanent Secretaries redundant, numerous directors and all the perks that are attached to those positions. That would mean that we are reducing Government expenditure.
Let us look at how much Cabinet Ministers get in terms of vehicles. If a Cabinet Minister is fired today and a new one is hired tomorrow, they will get a new Mercedes Benz; at what cost? So, if we fire three Ministers in the education sector and we have one left, it means that we have saved all those costs that are associated with running around those Ministers that we have in Cabinet.
Let me also look at this, we have got the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development but we also have this other funny Ministry called Macro-Economic Planning. It is a funny Ministry. We have another funny Ministry called Investment Promotion and whatever it is called. Hon. Speaker, we do not need four Cabinet Ministers to run those portfolios. We simply need two or three people to mann desks in the
Minister’s office and we reduce all the expenditure which is associated with all those Cabinet positions that we have, but have we been able to respond to the size of our cake as a Cabinet, no. I think when my colleagues were calling for the President to come to Parliament; these are the issues that the President needs to know because if we tell Hon.
Chinamasa he will not be able to tell the President. Even if he tells him, he will ignore or reverse whatever decision takes like he has done on issues of bonuses. So, we need the President to come here and make him also understand that the size of cake is not commensurate with the size of expenditure that is taking place in Government.
Let me look at foreign travels. Hon. Speaker, I know that people are sensitive when it comes to speaking about the Office of the
President. I think the Office of the President is accountable to the people of this country and we need to talk about it. Is the amount of foreign travels that the President of this country undertakes commensurate with the level of the economic activity that is taking place on the ground? Why is the President going out each and every week to attend summits and conferences? – [HON. MEMBERS: A-ah.] – Why does he need to do that? You can go hang; I am going to say it again. Hon Speaker, I do not mind …
THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we have order in the
House please.
HON. P.D. SIBANDA: Hon. Speaker, our economy is shrinking but we have got a President that rarely spends a week in his own country. How much money does the President utilise each time that he goes outside the country. Last time we were talking about the outbreak of typhoid in this country. People that were talking about it were saying we need about a quarter of a million to deal with typhoid, the challenge that we had. What were we doing? We were already throwing out our begging baskets to foreign countries to assist us with $250 000 but it was the same week that a whole plane flew from Harare to somewhere in the Middle East to pick up the President, take him to China and then to Dubai and fly him back to this country. At what cost was that flight?
Hon. Speaker, we can talk about these small figures that we have here but the reality of the matter is that we do not have money and the Government that we have is not sensitive to how we can grow the economy. The behaviour of the Government is not commensurate or sensitive to how the economy of the country is declining. Therefore, it is my belief that rather than the Government continuously finding scapegoats and trying to blame everyone except itself, it is high time that the Government looks in the mirror and take the necessary steps to reduce its consumption of the little available resources. We can then take those resources and throw them into the critical areas that are going to resuscitate the economy. If the Government cannot do that and expect that the people of this country will continue to live in an economy that cannot support its hospitals or tolerate a Government that cannot fund its higher education, I think Madam Speaker, we will be expecting too much from our people.
We, therefore, call upon the Government to ensure that it becomes sensitive in the manner that it spends these meager resources that we have, so that we can be able to share the resources and put them in critical areas where they are required. I believe we can do better with a smaller Cabinet of about 20 – 25 Cabinet Ministers rather than the 60 – 70 Ministers that we currently have. What role are they really playing? If we can put each Minister to task and ask them to tell us what they are producing for this country, the majority of them are doing nothing. They are on holiday.
That is my contribution Hon. Speaker and on the budget of Parliament, I will insist that unless it is increased to $50 million, then Parliament should not pass this Budget. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
*HON. CHINANZVAVANA: Thank you Madam Speaker for
giving me this opportunity to make my contribution on the Budget
Speech. I would like to thank Hon. Chinamasa, Minister of Finance and Economic Development for crafting such a budget under difficult conditions. He has no alternative but to craft this Budget. During the fiscal statement he alluded to the fact that we may not have a Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review. Let me say this may present some difficulties because the Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review was a mechanism which we used to check the progress of the Budget. Whenever there were any adjustments to be made, we would make them but this House has been deprived of that oversight role.
Madam Speaker, let me talk about the amount allocated to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. It has been allocated the highest amount in the Budget which is more than $800 million. When we look at the Budget, about 98% of the amount will be going towards salaries. When we talk of education, we are saying 25% of our Budget should be allocated to education yet a bigger portion has been put towards the payment of salaries. I think we are going beyond the set down policies. If we are saying 98% should go towards salaries, is 2% going to lead to any development. We know we have had a lot of rain this season which has caused a lot of destruction especially to schools. How are we going to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure when we have set aside only 2%? We also know that our country needs some additional schools but are we going to afford to do that when we have set aside only 2% on the Budget.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Dr. Dokora has set out a new curriculum to be followed. Are we going to afford the rolling out of this new curriculum when we have only set aside 2%? Are we going to rely on donor funding to roll out this new curriculum? I feel this is against our dignity and morality, and yet we know we have to invest on our youngsters because Zimbabwe will have a brighter future if we work on the education of our children.
Still looking at Primary and Secondary Education, we have the vulnerable groups who are supposed to benefit from the BEAM but because of the amount which has been allocated which is just 2%, are we going to be able to pay the fees for the vulnerable groups? We think some of these monies should have been allocated to schools. Let us know that the education of our children is not a social right but it is a right and we need to put more money into BEAM because among the vulnerable, we have the orphans, poor and disabled who should benefit.
I will now turn my attention to tourism. We know that tourism is a revenue earner and the amount allocated to this amount especially looking at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, we are not going to benefit anything if we do not go out there and invite tourists from other countries. We need to put more money on advertisements in other countries. We should have put an amount of more than $5 million because we need to have travel tours. When we have embarked on them, we will benefit from what we will have ceded because visitors will definitely come.
We need to look at the amount allocated to the Ministry of Environment and Water where we talk of climate change. We have seen and we are observing that definitely, there is climate change. A typical example was last season where we had drought. When we put our money on the Budget, are we aware of the fact that tomorrow we may need more money? This year, we have been lucky because we have had more rains, but this has led to flooding and soaking off our fields. We need to put more money into this Ministry. I have got a feeling that the budget was under allocated because we need to concentrate on climate change. This is because climate change is the life line of our country Zimbabwe.
We need to take some mitigation priorities in fighting this climate change. I will not repeat what has been said by my colleagues, but when we look at the $30 million which was allocated to the other Ministries, we know that this was meant for Parliament to be able to print the Hansard and clean our houses, but there will not be any programmes or projects to be undertaken by Parliament if it has been allocated a paltry $30 million.
HON. HOLDER: Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to this noble debate. I want to start off my debate with two quotes. One is from Warren Buffet. It says ‘honesty is very expensive, you do not expect it from cheap people.’ The reason why I quoted this is that I wanted to say to the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic
Development that he is an honest man. He is telling the truth that we are in a crisis. There is no money and 99% of the money is going towards wages.
Secondly, I also want to quote from Martin Luther King Junior. He said, ‘the day we become silent on things that matter, our lives end.’ We want to talk about the Budget that has been allocated. There are several things that I think we need to put our attention to. We went to a PreBudget Seminar in Bulawayo and we spoke about growing the cake. We went to the Victoria Falls and it is the same story. We should always try and encourage. Instead of crying all the time to say we are not getting enough, we need to encourage the Minister on how to promote and get more money into the fiscus.
I was happy with the way Hon. Maridadi contributed. He came with facts and he mentioned exactly the facts. You find that the reason why these things are happening is that Parliament is not carrying its oversight role because it is under-funded. There is negative publicity and the Executive do not respect parliamentarians the way we respect them. The idea of us Hon. Members who are here is to highlight and try and show the Minister a different prospective of where to get more money into the fiscus.
We are looking at the issues like the Mines Department. There is a whole lot of chaos going on in Chiadzwa. I am a member that belongs to the Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee and I am a miner by profession. What I have seen there is not pleasing at all simply because I can see there is going to be lack of transparency and accountability towards the fiscus. Mr. Speaker Sir, what I wanted to say is that $6.81 million was allocated to the Energy Department but, when the Kariba South Extension started being put into place, the quote if I remember then was $354 million. It has gone up by almost twice and I think $500 or almost $600 million.
It is a good concept but the only problem is that it is overpriced somewhere somehow and something has happened. Somebody has managed to get their fingers into the cookie jar. Mr. Speaker, if we look at the Media and Broadcasting where it was allocated $3.6 million, that allocation in order for us to meet the digitalisation target is not adequate. I think we need something like $140 million. Although the President has gone to China and concluded the mega deal, it is not clear exactly how it is going to benefit on the digitalisation programme. We need to come clear and see how we are going to benefit on that.
The second issue is that Trans-media has got so many digitalised stations all over the country. Is it not easier for a policy to come out where they can rent out part of these base stations to these network firms and get some fiscus in order for them to complete the digitalisation programme? This is the infrastructure sharing which I think instead of having Net-One, Econet, Telecel and Tel-One boosters all at the same station, they could share one infrastructure. That is a lot of money that is going to waste. I think a policy should come up where part of the booster can be rented out by individual companies.
Mr. Speaker, on the Mines Department, as I spoke that there is a lot of chaos going on in Chiadzwa, I did not hear anything about Shabani/Mashaba Mines which would bring in a lot of income to the fiscus through taxes and exports. A lot of stuff has been exported and yet 90% of this country is actually based on asbestos from the sewer pipes, the roofing and so on, but nothing has been allocated to resuscitate this mine.
Mr. Speaker Sir, going back to Parliament where the budget was only $30 million; it is inadequate for us to carry out our oversight role when we are under capacitated as Members of Parliament that we do not have adequate fuel to travel to our constituencies to assist in identifying how Government could get funds. Mr. Speaker, I think the Parliament budget needs to be expanded. That way, we can combat corruption because that is where the root of corruption is that nobody is there to check on us. As there is a saying that goes, ‘when the cats are away the mice get out and play’ and this is what is happening.
When Members of Parliament go and attend oversight roles, you will find that they will attend, but most of the issues that they need to identify and bring to this House, because of being underfunded, there is a problem. I think we have to review the Parliament budget. We need adequate resources to carry our oversight role. Yes, we have a year and a half to go whilst we are still in Parliament, but this is not just for us, there are also future parliamentarians that will come in and if we are going to carry on with the same trend where we do not have coupons, we do not have proper allocation and our allowances are down, you will find that we are easily corruptible. We are given something and told to keep quiet.
I have noted there were some Committees that were very vocal but have been silenced. I do not know what is going on there. People are no longer talking and pointing out facts to this august House. I am sure maybe brown envelopes have passed through them. That is corruption. Mr. Speaker, the reason why I talk about this, when we want to clean up, we need to start cleaning up here in Parliament first, where if we are given adequate resources and Parliament is funded adequately, we are able to carry out our oversight role.
I was happy that Dr. Chimedza mentioned the issue of health. I am not in the Health Committee, but I will tell you one thing I know for sure. Health is normally number one priority. If you are not healthy, you cannot do your oversight role, you cannot be a representative, you cannot be a leader, you cannot be a Minister and you cannot do anything. So, it is important that our health department is empowered first. It is important that those areas we are able to get funds from – the mining sector - to empower the mining sector properly and deregulate some of the issues that are in the mining sector that are hindering it from growth. I think also the Ministers of Mines and Mining Development sometimes have the wrong concept of measuring the success in the mining department. They are now measuring it with what they are collecting, which is the fiscas, instead of measuring it from the magnitude of the type of mining that is happening in this country.
Mr. Speaker, just on a quick note, I have been to Zambia and the type of mining that is going on in Zambia, it is a hive of activity and here, we are playing doll house. The machinery is passing through Zimbabwe and going to Zambia and they are mining a commodity - we are not even mining copper, but they are mining copper with machinery that you have never seen before. All they do to us is they give Hon.
Joram Gumbo a big headache of leaving potholes in the road from Beitbridge up to Chirundu.
On our way to Kariba to go and see this Kariba South Extension, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to say the road is damaged. There is no road there. There are big potholes and that is caused by machinery that has gone to Zambia, that has gone to mine. They are benefiting from our roads. They are benefiting from the access resources. Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about small scale miners, we have been talking about empowering them.
I sometimes wonder and say to myself, are the people telling the President the truth because what we see is different to what we hear and we can see that the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic
Development is battling to put money into the fiscas. There are so many loopholes. The amount of smuggling that is taking place between the borders and the main towns is totally unreal. I was shocked because I mine in Mberengwa, but you will find that there are buses moving on a road where I think the modern cars would write on the dash board ‘no road’. The road between Mberengwa and West Nicholson is a road used for smuggling. The road between the borders, I think Chikombedzi and so on, is used by smugglers. What is contributing more to the smuggling is the availability of the police during the day. At night, all the buses and trucks and everything starts moving at night because they have gone off the road.
When a person passes the border there, Mr. Speaker, he has to pass maybe 26 to 30 roadblocks and every roadblock is a toll gate because no one will be convicted. A brown envelope is passed and the vehicle passes. People fly with Fast Jet to South Africa to buy goods and the goods are brought in by those people called usiphatheleni - what have you brought for us. That is what it means. And they deliver to your door step.
I heard a story where an old lady from Zvegona had her wardrobes and kitchen units confiscated which her daughter had sent from abroad, but she had no idea of how these things had been brought in. She was just told go to town, you will meet usiphatheleni there. That is how corrupt our borders are. So, I think if the Minister of Finance and Economic Development could actually come up with policies where we can look into and try and curb the smuggling, I am sure more money will get into the fiscas.
Mr. Speaker, on those few notes, I would like to thank you and I hope the Minister of Finance and Economic Development will take my advice into consideration of allocating also some money to Shabani Mashava Mines. I thank you.
*HON. MAHOKA: I want to thank you for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this budget. Firstly, I want to thank the Minister of Finance and Economic Development for coming up with a budget. We know you had a lot of problems in trying to come up with the budget. It was very difficult, but I can see that it is like it is only his baby because if he had other people to help him it would have been easy. Even if you look at his face, you will see that he has changed because he is toiling for the nation on his own. The issue that I want to talk about concerns this Parliament. It is difficult to conclude that Parliament is being funded or whether it is included in the budget, I do not think it is there.
I am troubled when I think about Members of Parliament and even the staff of Parliament, if you look at them, they are here in this House – if you take a look at them, what they are wearing does not give us pride, if we have visitors seated in the Speaker’s Gallery – even those who work in the kitchen wear more descent clothing than our own Parliament staff. Let us begin from there, that we want our Parliament staff to look good, wearing beautiful suits and ties. Some of them look as if they would have taken belts from dresses and use as ties because the money they are paid is pathetic.
I move to the Hon. Members of Parliament themselves, it is pathetic, even a herd boy is much better. Some Members of Parliament are now hitch-hiking on other people’s transportation because they are too poor to purchase fuel. They are even unable to service their cars. Hon. Minister, I think the Members of Parliament vehicles should be serviced by Government because they are unable to do that out of their own pockets. If there is bereavement in the constituency, people look forward to receiving help such as food provision from their Member of Parliament yet the salary you give to your Members of Parliament is not adequate. Let us emulate other countries such as Zambia and Tanzania which are poorer than us, our country is very rich but have loopholes which I earlier own referred to that you are not receiving any help. The loopholes are too many.
Hon. Maridadi gave an example which is evident here where the papers have been provided. If we were to multiply the 17 cars by 95
000, what amount do we get, of which it is not the only one, there is also
ZIMRA and Anti-Corruption Commission. Anti-Corruption Commission hunt for someone they dislike or that the individual does not relate well to my grandmother, that is who they choose to persecute. It should investigate and persecute every individual who engages in corrupt activities so that we know that it is Anti-Corruption. This way, the Hon. Minister will be helped fully. I think the Anti-Corruption Commission should not be allocated any funds because what it has done in this country is not tangible.
I move on to tourism, I am not happy about this Ministry because the money you allocated to this Ministry is pathetic and is already finished before allocation. If you look at the debt they have, the money is non-existent at all. Of this money, are you expecting the country to market itself without allocating any monies? Hon. Minister, you are an Hon. Member, would you expect to win an election without prior campaigns? You campaign first so that you show yourself to the electorate what type of a leader you are so that people will choose you. We want our country to be marketed, so we are requesting you Hon. Minister to add on to the allocation so that our country can be marketed fully. When we marry off our children, we charge a lot of money because we look back at the education we would have given her and her outlook, it is not possible to obtain nice looks when one does not have adequate cosmetics and soaps to clean themselves. Our country should be allocated such marketing strategies and the Hon. Minister should have a relook at the allocation before we can move on.
On the issue of roads, if our visitors come, we welcome them at the Airport and immediately they are on pot-hole infested roads, how will they view us in future? I wish you could allocate adequate money on the roads so that our visitors will view us with respect as a respectable nation. It is unfortunate that the roads are in a worst scenario because
the bridges in the rural areas have been swept away. These bridges need to be reconstructed. The maize which is being distributed in rural areas has led to some people walking a distance of 15km. For example, people in Ward 14 in Hurungwe East walk 14 to 15km to receive maize allocations because there are no bridges to transport the maize to where these people live. Therefore, the allocation of funds to the roads should be revisited in order to improve the lives of people.
In agriculture, the farmers in this august House are happy because their tobacco is doing well and our Government is at peace because cash will soon be trickling in. The allocation to Agriculture should be revisited. It should be given more money to purchase tractors for tilling the land so that farming becomes easy for farmers and the Government will improve revenue through agricultural produce. Our plight as a country will be reduced.
I would also like to talk about health. Hon. Minister, I would have loved to see you moving around the country before the budget allocations are made so that you will have an overview of the condition of service in our health institutions. Let us champion the provision of health to the people. If you take a look at nurses in hospitals, they are pathetic here in Zimbabwe. It is not practical to expect them to do their usual work of health provision to the public, they are now operating their private health provision institutions so that they obtain some extra money for their upkeep. If you visit a hospital and pay a fee of say, US$2, you will be told that there are no drugs. Those who are suffering from chronic diseases and those which have spread across the world in recent years, are dying without attention because we wait for donors to receive drugs yet our own budget had reduced allocations. I am requesting that the budget allocation for the Ministry of Health and Child Care be revised upward.
Hon. Minister, on Home Affairs, police officers from urban areas are better than those working in rural areas. Even if we were to call two police officers from outside, you will see that they are looking well but those in the rural areas do not have decent clothing as their uniforms will be visibly tattered on the back. In the same Ministry, there are no vehicles to attend to urgent cases. We are fast approaching the tobacco selling season and many women will try to commit suicide after their husbands will have taken all the proceeds from tobacco sales without accountability. In such cases, the vehicles to attend such events are not there. I am requesting that the budget be revised upwards in terms of allocation to such causes so that vehicles for rural use by police officers will be purchased. Most urgent and serious cases are met with in the rural areas and vehicles which are durable like land cruisers should be purchased for that purpose other than purchasing cheap quality cars which are quick to break down. Police officers should also be cautioned that these cars if purchased should be driven by seasoned drivers and not reckless drivers who cause accidents.
I am not referring only to staff of Parliament, but all civil servants. Even if you take a look at those who preside over court cases, the magistrates, it is pathetic because they wear faded suits and they loose their dignity. It is fortunate that they wear gowns like the ones they are wearing here in Parliament, they cover up the shabby look but when they take off the gowns when they get out of the court room, they are a laughing stalk Hon. Minister. The salaries should be increased even if we know it is not adequate. We cannot say our country Zimbabwe does not have money, there is a lot of money in this country. We have artisanal miners or korokozas to whom we spend a lot of time chasing them through our police officers, can we not just legalise their activities and equip them with technical expertise – [HON. MEMBERS:Hear, hear.] – so that they will bring in revenue as well instead of them running away and playing hide and seek with the police. This is what we want to see.
Coming to toll gates, it is now a laughing stock because you pay money at the toll gates but you take about six hours to get into Harare from Karoi because of pot holes. The roads that lead to our borders should also be repaired so that we pay toll gates willingly.
On environment and climate change, we welcome the rains and this year we have received a fair share. On the other side, it came with some troubles as well. Before we passed the budget, there were other places which are in a sorry state because of the rain. In other places, it has alleviated hunger because the money that was allocated last year to farmers has assisted them. With these few words, I want to thank you. I think your head should not grow big but you should just add a little bit so that we go further properly.
*HON. SARUWAKA: Thank you for giving me an opportunity
to contribute. I will start by thanking Hon. Chinamasa because of the budget that he crafted. It is clear that out of the budget, 95% was allocated to salaries and only 5% is for infrastructural development and other related issues. We know that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has a formula which has been set aside. The formula says, 70% of revenue should go to capital and operational costs and 30% is for salary payments and yet the National Budget is skewed. There is an anomaly which has to be rectified – 95% salaries and 5% developmental.
As far as we are concerned, the crafting of the National Budget should lead as an example to the Council and other related institutions.
Therefore, in the same vein we are saying, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is fighting a war with local authorities saying they are spending more money on salaries and yet the case should be that the National Budget should be leading by example. More money should be allocated to development and less on salaries. The big chunk is being taken by salaries.
I am of the idea that salaries should be allocated to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Services in order that we know that the budget is aimed at paying salaries and that Ministries are given a real amount which is aimed at development. At the moment, it is a skewed percentage which has been presented as if it has been allocated for development and yet it is only being used for salaries. Therefore, next time when the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is making allocations, he should put a straight line which divides monies for salaries and development. The salaries should be directed to the right coffers, to the Ministry of Public Service.
On the spot fines that are being collected by police at road blocks, I think that these monies should be put into the national coffers so that there is development. When this idea was put in place, there was a problem that was existing, there was hyperinflation. As far as we are concerned, the situation has since changed and yet the policemen are still collecting fines. This money is being put into the police coffers. As a result, we can say that the police as if that is their main function. I am suggesting that it would be progressive if this money is put into the national coffers. Now that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is now a fund raising organisation, they are now engrossed in this business such that they are now spiking cars, stopping them so that they collect money.
A terrible accident happened on the road next to the ZANU PF HQ when policemen wanted to collect money from the motorist. It is my feeling that if the money is channeled to the national coffers, we may see a reduction on the road blocks because at the moment, they are now abusing this money by buying teargas, button sticks and spikes which they are now using as fund raising tools.
My colleagues have also talked about the paltry amount which was allocated to the Legislature – Parliament. We are saying, as the Minister who is coming to solicit for support from Parliament, definitely, you should take some steps to look into their problems and give Parliament an allocation which is equivalent to the amount they need for their operations. Therefore, we request that you raise the amounts asked for by the leadership of Parliament, the Speaker and Clerk of Parliament.
I think there is no seriousness on the budget of the Ministry of Sport because if they value sport, they should allocate more money to this Ministry. I am sure that the Minister is aware that sport is an industry which can be a money spinning venture. Looking at the amounts earned by sport in countries like Brazil, Britain, Spain or any other countries, sport is a money spinner. If we invest more money in this Ministry, we can generate more funds for the nation because at the moment, we are reacting to a situation. When a team is about to go out of the country, that is when we see the Ministry or the Minister of
Finance chipping in – giving money to these groups that will be going out. I think this is not right. We need to definitely allocate more monies so that these sports can be developed and we would avoid running around at the last minute like headless chickens.
We need to develop the sporting talent given to our sports persons. Let us support them financially. I wish the Minister would look into these issuesand develop our country. I thank you.
HON. J. TSHUMA: Mr. Speaker Sir, may I take this time to also thank the Minister of Finance for labouring so hard to come up with the Budget for our nation.
We are all aware that we are not in a rosy position per se but under the circumstances that we are in, I think that the Hon. Minister must be commended for a job well done although I will then ask, probably for his indulgence in reviewing some of the things that I think are of importance right now.
The first one that I want to speak on is the issue of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. Mr. Speaker Sir, that Ministry has been allocated a paltry $14 million in total. That is the money they had been allocated for technical use, for their operations. The remainder of the money like what other Hon. Members have alluded to, goes to employment costs. Why I am looking at the education sector with that kind of critical eye Mr. Speaker Sir, in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, we are looking at a very critical component that we have introduced.
We have introduced the issue of ECDs where we have our little children going to school. When they go to these schools, there is no infrastructure at all to deal with their needs. We are talking of small children who are going to school where the toilet system that has been put there was for juniors who are way older than what these children are. If we look at the health implication, it means my child is going kunobata chamber kuti agone kuita whatever business they want to do because there is no proper infrastructure for that small child.
Therefore, it speaks to the issue that the Ministry should have been given more money so that while we say we are adopting the issue of the ECDs, let us create an environment that will enable our children to go and learn in a clean and healthy environment. I want to appeal to the Minister that, let us review the Budget of the Ministry of Education because we cannot depend on donor funding for them to look at such issues like that. We must remember that already we are tied down because donors have always been of the idea that whatever money they bring, they must take to the rural area. They are not coming into towns at all. The World Vision, the UNICEF, you name them all, are going to the rural areas and it is not even adequate.
That is why the Hon. Minister of Finance needs to make an upward review of the money for that Ministry so that we sort out the issue of infrastructure for our children. We are not going back on that curriculum change, it has been done and as the House, let us support that by making sure that our children are going to school and find proper infrastructure which is going to support their purpose of being there and learn in a clean environment. It is very important that we look at it from that angle.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to look at the pertinent issue of how to harness or get revenue into our system. It does not need a rocket scientist to know that Zimbabwe has got vast mineral enrichment, plenty of it. What we are lacking now are the ways of sitting back, look at proper ways of adding value to that and give us money so that we do not come here and always say that hakuna mari, hakuna mari yet we have all those kinds of minerals. The other day I was doing simple permutation of mathematics and I discovered that the minerals that we have here in Zimbabwe can easily make us all millionaires, the 15 million of us, if they are properly extracted and put into play. Why are we failing to have those minerals work for us? It is because, like what one Hon. Member has said, the Minister is not being helped. There are some people who are sleeping on duty in their offices when they are supposed to be helping to make sure that things move for our country. For how long are we going to protect these people? For how long are we going to let them compromise our status as a country?
Yesterday, we were called all glorious names - the breadbasket of Africa, this and that of Africa. We were the darling of the world but today, because another person decides to sit in their office and sabotage, we are in this mess. It is important that the Minister goes out of his way to make sure that he plays the chief whip of the whole Executive system because at the end of the day, the headache comes to him. If the Minister is not telling the President the truth about what is happening all over elsewhere, he is not helping himself either. We are saying, we need to make sure that, for example, we have the makorokozas, those people are extracting a lot of gold. The problem is they are arrested everyday. What do they do now? They go to the illegal buyers of that gold and it goes out of the country. Why are we not saying, let us open up for these people to come in and bring that gold for the benefit of the country? Why are we chasing after them? That is clear money that Hon. Minister Chinamasa can use and have less headaches.
The next issue that Hon. Chinamasa has to look at is the issue of the doctors that are now said they are not going to be employed. How can we honestly do that? They have been trained and after we train them, we say we cannot employ you, what are we doing? All because Minister Chinamasa does not have the money to do that when we have got a lot of things going for ourselves.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I sometimes say that if God had Monday meetings in the mornings, he will be laughing at Zimbabwe to say “these people are very stupid. I have given them everything but they still suffer.” Look at us now, we have solar for free. It is there for almost 80 percent of the year, we have solar but up to today; we cannot even harness that energy to help us to say we are going to cut on coal bills and the Kariba expansion bills. We need to get panels, put them in our land, get the solar, that energy and reduce our costs. We cannot do that as a nation. Honestly speaking, where are we going?
I want to encourage the Minister of Finance to look at ways of trying to get this money. The money is there. God gave us everything but we are not reasonable. Tirikuda kunyeberana tichifadzana nenhema, it cannot work. Let us be honest to each other and stop corruption please. Let us stop corruption. I hope that while we speak to the Budget, we will also have people like the Minister of Lands going out there to check if somebody has two farms. Please, take one away from them and give the other so that we are productive.
Our economy is either agro-based or mineral based. Hon. Made is going to smile if people are working hard on their land and producing. Today, he has a headache because you will find a farm that is lying idle because I took two farms - for what? I cannot even work on one but I have two. It is wrong and we should not hide behind our fingers. It is wrong, it should never happen and we say it here in this august House. We are not fighting anybody but we are saying for once, as Zimbabwe, let us do proper things. Let us do things that when we retire from this House, people are not going to point fingers at us and say, what the hell were you doing there? We want to retire dignified. We want to leave this Parliament and make sure there is progress for our future generations. That can only happen if we become truthful to ourselves.
I hope when the Minister looks at this Budget, he will review just those two areas that I asked for, especially the education system so that he puts more money to have infrastructure for our children. Also the health sector so that doctors and nurses that are jobless can come back and start working and we can start getting medicine in our hospitals. One of the Honourables here, gave a good example of one professor with all the money even a jet but he had to be carried 70 km in a donkey cart. When he got to the hospital, there was no medication - what abomination is that? We do not want that Mr. Speaker Sir. Let us be honest people, let us serve our nation diligently so that at the end of the day we are not going to be called fools.
With that contribution, I hope the Hon. Minister of Finance and
Economic Development is going to be kind enough to review that Health, Education and Parliament, we are facing problems. We have no money for constituency visits and allowances to just help somebody who is suffering in my constituency, it has to come from my pocket. So, capacitate us as Members of Parliament so that we do our job.
+HON. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to add my voice on what has been said by others. I will focus more on the health issues taking into consideration that ever since I was elected a Member of Parliament there is one thing that really disturbs me and that is the issue of sanitary ware and Ingutsheni Hospital.
Ingutsheni Hospital caters for those with disabilities for example the mentally disturbed. If we look at Chapter 2 of our Constitution,
Section 22 is very clear Minister when it comes to the disabled people. When I look at Ingutsheni Hospital, we realise that there is no clothing, medication, food and even when we look at the infrastructure – the building needs to be repaired. There is a shortage of medication which becomes a challenge even to the staff members. They have said it over and over again that they need assistance at the hospital.
Hon. Minister, it is stated in the Constitution that those who are living with disabilities are supposed to be catered for fully. We wish that you assist us the same way you assisted on the issue of sanitary ware. I would also want to thank you Hon. Minister with the effort that you are putting like what Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga did. If it is possible visit the Ingutsheni hospital and see exactly what is happening.
As one of the members of the Budget Committee, I will look at the gender mainstreaming expenditures. We have policies that cater for women so that they are not violated. There are issues to do with shelter, where single mothers are supposed to benefit. Most of the times, if someone does not have shelter, the people who are always troubled are women and they are not catered for. When it comes to education, yes, you have allocated some amounts but it is not enough and most of the times it is the women who are troubled on how to assist their children. I have been to Mpilo Hospital where I observed mothers nursing their babies clean the wards. I know that when you deliver a baby, you should just concentrate on feeding the baby but it is a different thing at Mpilo. This means that Mpilo Hospital does not have enough funds to pay for cleaners to clean up the maternity ward. These are some of the things we are not in agreement with especially as women. Yesterday we went around police headquarters and spoke to the Commissioner
General where we realised that you have given them some funds but they were even complaining that the funds were not enough to buy things like stationery. So, they are also requesting that you consider their allocation.
Yes, we say that the police here and there are getting funds especially on the roadblocks but yesterday when we visited them as a Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services I had first hand information. We toured the factory where their uniforms are done but it is a very small room. However, if they are given more funds, they can build a more spacious room to do their uniforms.
Hon. Minister, the army is also complaining with the issue to do with their uniforms, almost three quarters of them put on old uniforms.
They have their hospitals in their camps where there is no medication. The salaries that they get are not enough for them to do everything. I will also touch on the Prison Services who are also complaining over the issue of medication and everything that can sustain them.
I am also in the Committee on Foreign Affairs where we send people to be our ambassadors in different countries. I had an opportunity to go the Zimbabwean Embassy in Botswana, when I left that place I was deeply hurt after hearing the state of our ambassadors who are staying there. Their cars are not road-worthy and I would like to ask the Minister that whatever that they are doing in their Budget; they should try and cater for the staff in our embassies for they reflect the image of country. If only the Budget could cater for them, they will be able to pay for the fees of their children back at home.
HON. MLILO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I would like to thank Hon. Maridadi for his contribution. There is no place where we can go to as a nation if as Members of Parliament we do not have a unity of purpose and are not patriotic.
There are so many things that need to be improved in the Budget and I will start on the Vote of Parliament. The allocation that was given to Parliament is too little and I will not take time on what others have already highlighted. On the issue of the cars that are given to the Members of Parliament. I have realised that the cars that are given to the Members of Parliament, they are taking them under the loan system and the end of the day they pay for those cars whilst they are working for the country. It will be a good thing if the Government could say that the Members of Parliament should be given that car using the book value at the end of the life of Parliament. We realise that when they are using the loan system to deduct the payment of the car, the MP will not be able to cater for his day to day expenses. For example, I indicated that if a Member of a constituency has bereavement, it comes back to the MP to assist their constituents.
I also want to talk about health. I have always said it is better for me to have a medical cover than to invest in a funeral policy. Health issues are very important. Health is a security issue. I realise that there are so many diseases and most of our hospitals do not have the required medication. Most of the times, those who go to the hospitals seeking medical attention, end up dying due to lack of medication.
There is also the allocation that was given to education. The money that was allocated to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is not enough. If we take Bulawayo, there are so many locations for example Cowdry Park where I represent. Most of the constituents that are there, for example at Cowdry Park Primary School, there are only two classrooms. During the rain season, pupils are affected a lot. Hon. Minister we kindly request that you increase the budget that was allocated to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education so that the money allocated to them will be able to assist, especially in building the classrooms so that pupils are protected against bad weather.
I would also want to add my voice on the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly on the policemen. There is no much difference when we compare it with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary
Education. There is need for us to empower the Ministry of Home Affairs. If you look at, for example at Cowdry Park, there was a lady who was murdered. The main reason is that there are no resources to build a police camp in order to deploy more policemen so that they can maintain peace and order in that area. My wish is that if the Minister, could increase the Budget that was allocated to these Minitries - things like police camps, hospitals with enough medication and schools with enough stationery. If only the budget is increased, it will assist a lot.
I would also touch on the budget allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development. You will realise that we have been practicing the Command Agriculture but most of the rivers are silted, especially with the rains that we have been receiving, people have been complaining that the rains are destroying their crops but a few months back we were crying saying we need more rainfall. If only we could prepare in time, during such a season we will be having enough time to save that water. We also need enough inputs in order to produce enough yields. I would like to urge the Minister to assist in the Ministry of Agriculture.
On the Ministry of Mining, it is good that we have artisanal miners but like what Hon. Tshuma hinted, that is what is said most of the times, especially Hon. Nduna normally says this. If we look at four months back, most of the artisanal miners were arrested and the gold that was brought to Fidelity Refiners was affected. We get most of our funds from the gold that is brought by artisanal miners. We want to urge the Government or even our President to come up with a policy that says artisanal miners are not supposed to be arrested. Instead we can should put buying points where there are artisanal miners so that the Government can buy that gold.
We have been talking about the issue of working together so that we bring improvement in our country. I want to urge all our Members of Parliament, especially from the opposition, let us work together so that the bond notes can work efficiently. At the end of the day when we are using the bond notes, people from the Reserve Bank will go and buy the gold that is being mined and it will assist in improving our country. We realise that Zimbabwe is rich in mineral and other issues that can be
tried.
It will be good Hon. Minister if we sell our minerals using the intrinsic value. Yes, we might not be having enough money to mine the gold but if we know that in such an areas, there is this amount of gold, why not sell it to the people who want to mine it. I know we cannot be poor as a country if we know that we are so rich in the minerals. Let us know all the minerals that we have at intrinsic value and save others for the future so that our children can use them as well.
Hon. Maridadi highlighted that there are so many leakages and loopholes; yes they are there but if only we can increase the allocation to the Ministry of ICT, which is the same Ministry that can be used to bring infrastructure especially in closing the loopholes. If we look especially at the border post, we realise that most of the loopholes are created because of lack of good infrastructure. If we increase the allocation to the Ministry of ICT, I know they can put many systems that can improve even the modules of the Government and it will indicate that whatever funds were transferred to ZIMRA at the end of the day were transferred to which bank.
I will also touch on the Ministry of Local Government, I also believe the money that allocated to them was too low. We realise that in urban areas it is now more like in rural areas. For example, they have got lack of water or electricity. If only we can allocate more funds to them so that we can improve our infrastructure. By so doing, we will attract even people from outside to assist with FDI so that we can improve our economy. Hon. Minister, when you meet as Cabinet try to encourage each other on the ease of doing business so that it is not something that is talked about but something that is also implemented. Last year we had so many workshops on the ease of doing business but up to now there are no fruits that are tangible where we can say this was after people trained on the ease of doing business. If we implement most of the things that are taught on the ease of doing business, we realise that it will improve our infrastructure so that it can attract more people to come and work in Zimbabwe. To all the Hon. Members who are present for the improvement of our country, it is good to always put economy first and put aside politics and if we can work together as Zimbabweans, we will realise that it will assist us a lot.
HON. K. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. First and
foremost, I want to thank the Minister of Finance on the Budget that he presented. I was happy with the amounts that were allocated to Agriculture and Mining. Agriculture is the one that will help in improving our industry as most of the things that are done in the industry come from the agriculture. Everything that is done in the Ministry of Mining helps a lot in developing our country. I will also say even the incentives that were given to exporters, will assist in attracting most of the people to export.
I also want to add my voice on the issue of the incentives that were given to the Diaspora. I want to ask the Minister to check on the incentives that were given to the Diaspora especially the neighbouring countries. What will happen is that most of the people will start making business using the incentives that is being given. For example, someone will send $50 000.00 and come back to collect the incentive and go back again to the country and send so that they keep on getting the incentive.
At the end of the year, they would have managed to spin the money and make business out of it. There are also tax incentives especially in the economic zone. Yes, it is correct for him to improve on the FDI because of the incentive that is given to the tax.
Let us also take note Hon. Minister, and be cautious that some of the countries especially the foreign investors; when they come to Zimbabwe, they should put up infrastructure where they will be conducting their business. If they do not do that, what will happen is if they stay for five years, because of the incentive that they have been given and they are renting, after five years they will move out of the country and they will look for the incentive somewhere else whilst they have not paid their tax in Zimbabwe. But if we encourage them to build infrastructure or to build somewhere where they can conduct their business, we know that person is there for a long time. Our minimum wage is higher than in other countries but if you go to countries like Malawi, they will tell you that their minimum wage is $30.00. Therefore, most of the things that we produce will be too expensive compared to other countries. If we reduce Statutory Instrument 34, we realise that we will be protecting our own industry. I would like to urge everyone of us to view it that way.
Since this year, Parliament has asked that all MPs be given the Constituency Development Fund. Some of the Members of Parliament who spoke before me highlighted that there are other problems that the
Members of Parliament are facing, for example the PCICs whereby the Members of Parliament are supposed to rent the PCICs and to pay the person who is manning the PCICs. The coupons that we are given as Members of Parliament are allocated based on the distance that I cover from my House to Parliament. This brings a big challenge to us as Members of Parliament. If only the allocation of fuel coupons is increased so that we are able to travel even to our Constituencies. If only the Minister could have a re-look on the allocation that was given to Parliament, and if all the Members of Parliament could be given a certain allocation in allowances so that they can be able to travel right round their Constituencies.
There is also an issue on the ease of doing business. The Member who spoke before me highlighted that it should not be something that is just spoken about and not being implemented. Most of the people have actually realised that the issue to do with the ease of doing business is something that is spoken about and not being implemented. I will give an example of something that I saw in Binga. If you want to see that the issue to do with the issue of businesses is floating; there were those who where fishing. They buy licences for example from the council and from the National Parks. At the end of the day, one person is holding two licences. We realise at the end of the day that even the person who wants to buy the fish will have to hold two licences, at the end of the day and this will go on and on. Everyone who is involved in that will have to have two licences, one from the National Parks and the other one from the Council. What are we saying about those who are not able to buy all those licences? At the end of the day, one person is holding three licences. This is affecting so many people. People are requesting that why can we not have a one stop center whereby someone can acquire their licences. I do not think it necessary for buyers to acquire licences but sellers. For example, in any shop, you cannot expect those who are coming to buy, the customers to acquire licences to buy whatever products they need so that they can resale them. Those are some of the things that I would like to ask the Minister to have a relook at. My wish is that when the Cabinet is sitting, if they can discuss on issues like the cashflow that we have, for example, in our army they have civil engineering. Why can we not have such projects like the refurbishment of roads done by those qualified professionals who are within the army? At the end of the day, that money is paid to the army or the State and it will help in improving our economy.
Lastly Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister of Finance that if all the collections that are being done, for example, funds that are collected and retained by the police or the courts and any other statutory funds, why do we not keep all the funds in one place kept by the Treasury.
With these few words Mr. Speaker, I thank you.
+HON. BHUDA-MASARA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving
me the opportunity to add my voice on the budget which was raised by the Minister where he highlighted how the budget for 2016/2017 is going to be operated. I think I have great praise for the Minister because he is a dedicated man and has shown the dedication by sitting through the debates until so late.
Hon. Minister, Zimbabwe is a very rich country with lots of natural resources and that can even be put into financial terms. We have lots of wealthy coming from the mines. When we attended the Pre-Budget Seminar in Bulawayo, Minister, you informed the gathering that the Botswana economy relies mainly on mining, especially diamonds.
Unfortunately, we did not hear about the amount which was raised by Zimbabwe through the sale of diamonds. We do not know how much we are earning from platinum and yet other countries are benefitting from diamonds, platinum and even gold. Mining is the cash cow of many countries.
As a Committee, we visited Chiadzwa on our oversight mission. There was a lot of disarray and no straight forward production. You could not take stock of where we are coming from or going, yet we had members of the police force guarding that area. We were saying what were they guarding? We are persuading and asking you Minister to play an oversight role on mining activities especially of diamonds and check on how much they are bringing into the fiscus.
Let me now turn to the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Why should such an important Ministry be put on Vote 5? I know we put emphasise on the importance of education but despite that fact, I still think the Ministry of Health and Child Care should have been allocated more money. Again, we look at areas like Victoria Falls which is a tourist hub but the health facilities are so bad. We are supposed to be working hard so that we have tourists coming, they can benefit and this can only happen if we invest more money in tourism especially regarding the health sector.
It is pathetic that the people of Zimbabwe in Victoria Falls cross the border and go for treatment in Zambia when they fall ill. Zimbabwe has lots of educated people yet instead of getting this top of the range equipment on health being found in our Government hospitals, they are instead found in private health institutions. I think as a Minister you should look at this and create a balance between health and education.
These are essential areas in the development of the country.
Hon. Minister, I will not practice tautology and repeat what has already been said. Agriculture is the mainstay of the development of Zimbabwe. In other words we say, the Zimbabwean economy is agrobased. I know we have had lots of rains and I think more than we thought we would have but we have a lot of Ministries which is unnecessary and we are now talking of the seed for agriculture. We are reacting after an incident has happened rather than being proactive. That is why the President saw it necessary that he has three ministries all talking about agriculture. Please, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, play an oversight role and make it a point that when we talk about agriculture, the seed, farming equipment and fertilisers come to the farmer on time.
I will make my last contribution regarding the welfare of Members of Parliament. When we are talking of these Members of Parliament who are performing the same things, they should be given CDF whether one is the Senate, Proportional Representation or National Assembly because people are now questioning the authenticity and necessity of proportional representation, Members of the National Assembly and Senate because they are saying if they are so important and necessary, why are you not allocated the CDF. We needed to be treated at the same
level.
I will talk about our national roads. You are talking about the Beitbridge – Harare – Chirundu Road. It is on a priority list because you have allocated funds for it. When we look at the road from Bulawayo to
Victoria Falls, it is a death trap. It is full of potholes and very dangerous. We are asking ourselves what number it is on your priority list because it may await the completion of the road from Beitbridge to Chirundu. The road to Victoria Falls goes to one of the Seven Wonders of the World and hence, a tourist attraction. We need to put it on our priority list because Zimbabwe is not poor. Zimbabwe is rich. Zimbabwe has highly educated people but our only problem is that Government workers especially those in different ministries lack supervision and perform as they want.
HON. DR. MUKANDURI: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development for crafting this budget for the year 2017. I will just zero in on three issues. The first one is the Vote for the Ministry of Higher Education. Hon. Minister, our education is highly rated in the region and world over because it is an area where Government was putting a lot of funds so that the quality of our education is not compromised. This financial year, I noticed that the Vote was reduced by US$100 million and that has consequences for the students and also for the lecturers.
Let me move on to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. When we had our Pre-Budget Seminar in Victoria Falls, we debated on the issue of ZISCO and we thought that we had put our issue to the Minister. The Ministry is not well funded and ZISCO is not going to be resuscitated. The Minister said that the budget’s theme was to concentrate on the productive sector. Unless we resuscitate ZISCO Steel, I think as a country, we are not going anywhere. This is because ZISCO is one of the backbone industries of our country.
Lastly, I now come to the institution of Parliament. In theory, we had some scholars. We had Dicey and the Montesquieu. They talked about the separation of powers. In theory we have the Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament as the institutions of the State. We feel that they should be treated equally the same but, it would appear that Parliament is a small brother. The big brother who controls the purse can manipulate Parliament. So, we really feel that the Vote for Parliament this year should be upgraded to the level for which the bureaucrats had bided for. I think it was around US$48 million if not US$49 million.
So, we feel that the Minister should review the Vote for the budget because some of the legislators who are in this 8th Parliament are still owed money for allowances for the 7th Parliament and this does not augur well. Not only that, in this 8th Parliament, legislators are not getting their allowances, fuel coupons and a number of allowances. We feel that the Minister should look into this and consider that the bid for Parliament is upgraded to the level for which it was bided for.
Hon. Minister, in terms of comparison, Zimbabwe is one of the SADC countries and one of the 14 countries in the region. When we travel abroad or in the region, we are like destitutes because our counterparts are well catered for. Even if we put on our ties and suits, they are not comparable to us because as the Hon. Member from Karoi has mentioned, we are like destitutes in the region and yet our country is very rich. This is why I was saying the Executive takes Parliament as a small brother and we do not want that treatment.
We want to be treated equally because the Executive and the Ministers have two if not three vehicles. They travel throughout the country and do not have any fuel problems because they control the purse. So, Hon. Minister, Parliament should not be used like a rubber stamp where the budget passes through Parliament. We want to scrutinise it. In fact, we have the feeling that even the Ministers should come and defend their budgets here in Parliament. We go Vote by Vote quizzing them because we see a lot of allowances being put on the Vote sand this is an extra burden to the fiscus.
On the issue of Constitutional Development Fund, we really want this fund to be given to the Hon. Members this year. It is very important, but we are not sure because there should be a legal instrument. We were told that there should be a Bill to deal with (CDF) and this has never come to Parliament. We wonder whether we are going to get the CDF because the issue of the legal instrument is going to be used as an excuse so that MPs are denied the CDF for them to develop their constituencies. That is the fairest manner for the development of the country because each MP will concentrate in his/her constituency and countrywide, resources are distributed fairly.
So, I honestly appeal to the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development to consider the Vote of Parliament. We are a small brother in practice because we are treated like that. In fact, we are treated as a kindergarten brother. We feel that, that should be upgraded to the level for which the bureaucrats had bided for, US$49 million. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to
add a few things. Firstly, I agree with the former speakers. I want to look at Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services. I plead with you Hon. Minister that you should look at projects that are within the Ministry of Home Affairs. We have a building which was built in 1999. Up to date, that building has not been completed; it was almost 75% complete. For that building to be completed, they need about US$2 million. It is a good building for the CID Headquarters which is now dilapidated. Hon. Minister, I think you should look into that issue so that, that building is completed as a matter of urgency.
On the issue of building, through you Hon. Minister, I think the Hon. Member should not disturb the Hon. Minister so that he should listen and note down what we are saying. The building that we are referring to, we have flats which are being renovated so that the police officers can use. These flats were built in 2011 and were 70% complete but they have stopped. For the flats to be completed, they are looking at about US$3 million. Hon. Minister, I think you should look into this issue urgently. On that same issue, what I want to plead with you is that if we get this money for completion, it should not channeled to the
Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
This money should be channeled straight to the Ministry of Home Affairs and we supervise because already, the Ministry of Home Affairs has builders, painters and everything in their Ministry. If we channel this money to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, before they embark on the completion of a project they say they want to purchase vehicles and other equipment including cell phones and already, US$1 million is used to purchase these before the start of the project. So, in order to stop this bureaucracy, I think this money should be channeled straight to the Ministry of Home Affairs and be monitored until after completion of a project.
If you see the houses that police officers and their families are staying in, they were condemned. They are supposed to be brought down. We have raw sewage flowing and you find children playing in the raw sewage. Some drink the sewage because they will be young.
Someone even said that the children are now immune to diseases. Hon. Minister, I think we should look into the issue of these houses and flats so that the police have better housing.
I will go to the other issue of the Ministry of Welfare Services for
War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and
Restrictees. Right now, there are debts dating back from three years. War veterans are unable to pay school fees for their children. There are no funds to pay for school fees for the children of the people who fought for us to be free, but you find that the children of a few, those who are lucky such as Ministers, who do not know how a gun operates are going to good schools. Their fees are being paid and they are even going on holidays. Some of them did not engage in the war and some were even on the side of Ian Smith. These are the same people you could find being given the task of presiding over the funerals of war veterans and yet they were working with Ian Smith only because they are Ministers now.
Hon. Speaker, money should be channeled to the war veterans. I am pained when I see war veterans, when they die; the money they are allocated to buy coffins and blankets is too little, less than $500 to bury a war veteran because there is no money. They are supposed to go and get burial policies - for what? The fact that they fought for our freedom means that they should be buried by the State. The Government should put in place resources so that our war veterans will have decent burials.
If you look at people who are accorded the heroes status and are buried at the National Heroes Acre - the casket that is there, the ZUPCO buses that ferry all the people going to the National Heroes Acre, the food that is eaten and Government officers that will be there, even the flowers that are put there, if you add that money it will be around US$10000 or more, but for those who were on the war front, who have died in Rukangare; because there is no money, the coffin is made at
Checheche. The coffins are made from ceiling boards and the funeral
car is hired for US$100 that would have been contributed by family members because the money to bury that war veteran is supposed to come from Mutare and it will take about four days for the money to get to Checheche. There is no mortuary and so the body cannot be kept waiting for four days until that money arrives. The Guard of Honour is not even present because of poor communication. They are just put there in a coffin worth US$40.
The Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees should be allocated more money so war veterans do not receive pauper’s burials. The Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees should look into that issue. Right now we have war veterans who need medication. Money should be channeled there so that war veterans get their medical requirements not only from Mutare General Hospital. If their ailments need attention at Avenues hospital, should they die because they do not have medical cover?
I am pained when I see how war veterans are being treated. I am a child, but I know that our fathers who fought for this country are crying that they need fees, decent burials and access to medical treatment. Are you not hearing their cry? The Ministers are the ones who are buried in coffins that are worth US$6 000 and some of them, their coffins are even imported. We should allocate more money there. I will not say much because I am pained when I think of how war veterans are being treated.
Thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I feel
honoured to respond to the very constructive contributions made by Hon. Members across the political divide. Of the three budgets I have presented, I think this has been the most constructive debate that I have undertaken and I think it is due to the process that we started last year.
We started a process last year with the Pre-Budget Seminar, the involvement of Members of Parliament - the meeting we had after the Pre-Budget Seminar when we discussed what should go into the 2017 Budget and I am happy to say that to the extent possible given the circumstances, I have been able to incorporate a lot of suggestions that came from Hon. Members. But I want Hon. Members to also understand that the situation we find ourselves in and I think that all Hon. Members who have contributed understand where we are, we have a situation where above 90% of revenue is going to wages. What this means is that there is no money for operations, capital formation, service delivery, repair the roads and fill up the pot-holes. This is basically the naked truth. We now need to focus our attention on how to get us out of that hole, how do we do that? There are two routes that we should follow and we are following. One is to basically cap expenditure where it is and where possible to reduce it so that we reduce the proportion of revenues going to expenditure. Our own projections were that we will be able to do so over a three-year period by 50%. If we can reduce the proportion of revenue going to expenditure to something like 50/ 55%, a lot of the complaints that are being raised here will actually be taken care of.
Another route to be followed simultaneously is that we must grow the cake. This is why the theme of our Budget is to ‘increase production.’ Mr. Speaker Sir, our biggest challenge right now is that we have low production across all sectors of the economy. As long as we are in that situation, it means we have no revenue base to support our expenditure. In fact, if we increase the revenue base, the wage bill will take its proportion within a bigger cake. Currently, that is a solution which is eluding all of us. However, I am happy to say that we are now beginning to focus our attention to the issue of production. I want to say that the contributions which Hon. Members made are addressing that
issue.
I have noted the contributions and reports of the Portfolio
Committees, but I just want to take common themes that run across all Portfolio Committee reports and I seek to address these comments. All complaints point to the fact that there is underfunding across all Government ministries and I agree. The contributions by Hon. Members are basically to say, please increase expenditure, give more money to Health, Education, Defence, Home Affairs, War Veterans, and so on. I wish I could do that, but all my money is going to wages. I have very little left to do all the things that you are asking me to do, which is why it is important that we should work together to increase the productive sectors. In fact, all the people who come to see me are adding on to the expenditure pressures on the fiscus. There is very little advice on how and where I should get the money or what we should do.
We must also bear in mind that when we are growing the cake, it is not a one day wonder, it is a process. Sometimes we lack that patience to understand that it is a process to make the productive sector or supply side respond, it does not respond overnight. If you are going to open a closed mine, it is not a one day thing and if it requires US$20 million, you need a long process through either raising a loan, argue on how and whether to justify that loan to whoever will be lending you. Whatever we are going to do on the supply side, I want us to understand that it is not a one day wonder.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our difficulty has been that the revenue we collect has been declining, largely through a combination of factors, companies closing, downsizing, commodity prices of our minerals declining worldwide and our overreliance on the export of primary products. All these things cannot be corrected overnight. On company closures, I want to correct a bit on the contributions made here. Yes, jobs were lost, but some jobs were created through the informal sector. When you see houses coming up in all our urban centres, that is the outcome of the informal sector; they are built for cash and are luxurious structures. What it suggests is that, those people created jobs for themselves and sometimes for their relatives but they are not paying taxes and unless you locate them, it is very difficult to collect taxes from the informal sector. We are currently working with ZIMRA to come up with new strategies on how to reach out to the informal sector economic players who are contributing greatly to our Gross Domestic Product. So, I want to emphasise that, whilst jobs were lost in the formal sector, they were created in the formal sector.
The tobacco and cotton sectors as we know, are composed of people who regard themselves as informal players. I always chide some of them when I ask ‘where are you employed?’ They do not say ‘I am a tobacco farmer,’ they will say ‘I am not employed but ‘I am growing tobacco.’ There is that mindset that does not appreciate and realise that in fact growing tobacco, whether it is one hectare or two hectares, you are already creating employment for yourself, family and relatives. We have enjoyed production figures in the tobacco sector and gold sector, the artisanal miners who are now contributing 45% to gold production. I think as of last year, we produced something like 23 metric tonnes, we fell short of our target by one tonne and of that, 45% is produced by artisanal miners or makorokoza – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – we cannot say those people are unemployed. We pump out about US$15 million from Fidelity per week to pay those artisanal miners. They may not dress the way you think people with money should dress, but clearly they have got money.
We are implementing measures to grow the economy through the provision of incentives to enhance productive sectors. All across my Budget in 2017, we are basically looking at those who produce for export. We have come up with a diversity and a variety of incentives to encourage production because that is the way to go. If you look at the Budget also, we have come up with incentives to attract investors into the Special Economic Zones. Through the discussions we have been conducting with would-be investors, I am confident that once the Budget is approved, we should be able to get somewhere. I said to the would-be investors into Special Economic Zones, look at the incentives that I have given, if you think there are any additional incentives that you think of, please come to my office and we discuss and agree on whether we should grant you those further additional incentives. All the reforms that we are conducting on ease of doing business, these are all expected to improve the country’s competitiveness.
Mr. Speaker Sir, our biggest problem is that we are too expensive a producer. Our wage structure not just in Government, all the wages that we are mourning about, they were contributions to that effect about what we pay in Government. We do not compare with other countries. We are too high. These are United States Dollars and not Zimbabwean dollars that we are talking about. In Ethiopia, it is US$100 per month for an engineer coming from university. This is also similar to Tanzania.
If we compare ourselves with respect to competitiveness, where would an investor go? To Zimbabwe where you have to pay US$500 and Ethiopia is paying US$150. Right now in Tanzania, they are spending 40% of revenue towards wages. We are at above 90%. Let us understand those comparisons and we will see where we should be. It is all very well to be populists. I also want to be a populist. I wish I could because I would just be promising everything that you ask I will just give and of course, I will not deliver. That is my problem. Other people just promise because they are not brought to account whether to deliver or not. In my case, I cannot promise that which I cannot deliver. I cannot say that we are going to give you money which I do not have and which I know we are going to create over a period of time. I thought I should emphasise that the process of enhancing the supply side of our economy is not an event but a process.
I want to thank Hon. Maridadi for his illustration of what is happening in our economy. The only disappointment I had and I was telling him is that I was expecting him to surrender or donate the blankets to me – [Laughter.] - He should have followed Hon.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga’s example. At least I have a t-shirt. I could be having two blankets to take home. I want to say to all of you and to Hon. Maridadi that through ZIMRA, we are doing all that we can to address the issue of corruption. We have started with audits. These were done. We are now pursuing to try to rid ZIMRA – of all those people who were accused of malpractices. We are also introducing cargo tracking, scanning and fiscalisation. We have had some challenges on fiscalisation largely to do with importation of machines but it is a problem that we are handling. We hope that given the dispensation that we have given to ZIMRA, we can secure fiscalisation machines as soon as possible. Hon. Maridadi illustrated the difference between a fiscal and a non fiscal receipt. My disappointment is that even the biggest operators do not have fiscalised gadgets. That needs to be corrected.
I must admit that we put in the Budget an allocation but sometimes we are unable to fulfill that allocation. You will find that across the board, there will be under-disbursements. This is so because we run a cash budget. Sometimes the words that are used are inappropriate. Treasury must release so much money; it is assumed that I have got a bucket of money which I can just release. At that time you say that I must release, I will not have the money. I will have to wait until revenue comes in, - in order for me to meet the wage bill. We cannot pay piecemeal. For instance, if we are looking at the army, we must pay everybody. I have to wait until I have enough money to pay everybody in the army, education sector and so on. That is what a cash budget means.
I acknowledge the revenue leakages in the economy which is making it difficult to meet revenue targets to fulfill source requirements by Ministries.
I would also need you to understand that disbursements are only possible after fulfillment of non-discretionary costs. I am a prisoner of the employment costs. I believe, in terms of image, it is not a good image to say that we have failed to pay wages. That is the truth. I become a prisoner of the wage bill which is why I speak repeatedly that we must do something to reduce the wage bill.
I agree with the comments made that recurrent expenditure is crowding out capital expenditure; that is true. What I think Hon. Members should understand it that I have been borrowing from the market to meet the wage bill. That also is not good. It crowds out lending to the private sector and businesses so that they grow, they are productive and that they can pay taxes. It is a situation I would very much love to get out of – borrowing to pay wages. It means you are eating what you do not have. You are eating into tomorrow. That also is not a good situation. We have been funding all capital projects from borrowing and not from the Budget. You can think of Kariba South, you can talk about what we are going to do at Hwange 7 and 8, you can talk about Tokwe-Mukorsi, Gwayi-Shangani Dam; it is all borrowing but at least when I borrow for capital projects which are going to create the wealth in future, I am happy. I do not feel happy borrowing to pay for consumption.
With respect to Civil Servants, which is also a recurrent item. We are engaged in civil service reforms, rationalisation, we have been engaging the Apex Council. I was a bit sad when Hon. Chinotimba was casting aspersions on one of the options that I gave to the Civil Servants. It is not true that we are talking about a million stands. Civil Servants in total are about 350 000. Do not think about Harare only. You must think about all of them across the country in every city, town and every growth point. We can create those stands. The beauty of this option is that it has a ripple effect on the economy. That is how other countries like China have been doing it; infrastructure development.
You expand your cement industry, you create a lot of jobs in industry which manufacture bricks and construction materials right across the board. You create jobs through those land surveyors who will be able to survey the land. You create a lot of jobs for those who do the developments that is, putting roads and sewers. So, it has some ripple effect. It is not like I am borrowing to give money for consumption. We will be borrowing to create capital for our country and to create real jobs and not like what we are doing currently. We are paying people in the Civil Service and because there is no money for operations, we are paying them to sit in their offices. I want us to understand that.
What I am saying is, while we are collapsing some jobs, we will be creating real jobs and the real jobs are basically to go the housing way, infrastructure way, whether we are talking about roads, putting up sewers, water reticulation sewers and so on. That is where real jobs are created and I can borrow with a clear conscience, if we are going to do that but I would not want to be a prisoner of the wage bill. We then feel constrained to move into the future because we are bound by the present.
I want us on this wage bill, Mr. Speaker Sir, that I think we all understand that when we started in 1999 and because of the strikes that happened, we had two million jobs in the formal sector. Those strikes collapsed companies and that trend continues. Currently, we have now about half a million formal jobs. Of that half a million, the big chunk of them are Government. Government depends on the private sector for its livelihood. If taxes are not paid and taxes are paid by the private businesses, if private businesses are not flourishing, do not expect that we have revenue into the fiscus. Right now, the private sector needs a lot of revenue into the fiscus. Right now, it needs a lot of nurturing and nursing and some of them have not paid wages for months, you ask them. If you go and ask them, they are not paying and some have not been paid wages. Some also have not been paying and for a lot of companies, they have not been paying bonuses at the moment, yet they are the tax payers. Those are the questions that I think we need to be asking ourselves and to see that there is a paradigm shift in the way we look at things.
Corruption, I agree Mr. Speaker Sir, it is endemic and I think that it has become a cancer. When it is endemic and is a cancer, when the body politic is now cancerous, who comes with the scissors to cut the cancerous cells? That is the problem but we are doing everything in our power to address this issue, both at ZIMRA and across the board to stop leakages from our economy. Misuse of public resources, this was also something that came through repeatedly. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is something that clearly, we are seeking to address.
Let me Mr. Speaker Sir, highlight some of the points that came out from the Portfolio Committees. There was the issue of the unallocated reserves in 2000 and I was surprised that it was 106. I am going to propose an amendment because there was some error that was done. I am going to propose an amendment to increase the Vote of Parliament by the unpaid allowances from last year, $9 million. The $10 million is already there. That will bring the Budget to $49 for their Vote – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The amendment will also address the issue about a mistake, maybe it is not a mistake but whoever did it, in the Estimates, the Vote to Universities was reduced by 50 percent. That was never the intention and is going to be corrected.
What it means is that, by correcting it, it will reduce the amount in the unallocated reserve by the amount that is going to go towards collection of the allocation to the Universities. Let me make it clear, in my conversation with the Minister responsible for Higher and Tertiary Education, I am engaging everybody, every Minister, every Department to understand what is going on and I pray and plead with colleagues and with whoever I interact with, it is not out of malice. It is to understand how our money is being used and to see whether we can correct anything that may emerge as anomalous. With the universities, I know they collect tuition fees. I just want to understand and I ask this question, where is the tuition fees being applied to and to what purpose.
I have a reason as Minister of Finance and Economic Development to ask questions and I expect to get honest answers. If I do, I am a reasonable person, we can then move forward. I would not want colleagues or any Departments to feel defensive because we then cannot correct anything. We cannot continue to do the same thing and hope to achieve a different outcome – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Let us understand what we are doing and if it needs corrections, let us correct it honestly. Let us have a constructive dialogue so that we can move forward but no one should feel defensive when we are trying to find solutions to our problems.
I understand Mr. Speaker Sir, that the allocation to the Ministry of Health is not 15 percent as required by the Abuja Declaration. It is around 8 percent or so, something still very low. I also know the state of hospitals, the conditions, I know that but I have to take care of this from the 3 percent of revenue, that we must understand; which becomes an impossible task. Which is why I came up with the levy on airtime, the five cents per every dollar of airtime and I am going to monitor it to see whether it generates enough resources for the Ministry of Health. This is now going to be ring-fenced to purchase drugs and to purchase medical equipment.
I think I have already discussed the issue about the proportion of employment cost to revenue expenditure that I think is a matter we are currently addressing. I agree with the observation Mr. Speaker, for the need to fight corruption and that more should be done in this area.
Coming to the issue of retention funds, to me it is no longer a problem, frankly. I directed in the 2016 Budget that all retention funds should now be open accounts at the Reserve Bank as part of the consolidated revenue fund. I know all those that have been complied with. All the retention funds, I know how much money is in the retention funds, certainly, the accounting general knows. As Minister, I have right to read any of those pension funds. If there were huge amounts, I would not be having any qualms to read any of those. I want to assure Hon. Members that all the retention funds are now housed at the Reserve Bank as sub-accounts of the consolidated revenue fund but we have continued to allow the retentions for different and good reasons.
So, there was an issue which was raised with respect to retention funds that there maybe one or two who may still be running parallel commercial bank accounts. Clearly, this is a matter I will go into and if I discover any, which are still operating accounts with commercial banks, we will certainly proceed to close them. With respect to the request that we continue to support vulnerable members of the community, yes we are going to continue doing it. I am very pleased with the way we did this season, especially in the agricultural sector. The support we gave in the Presidential input scheme, the support we are giving to the Command Agriculture, the support we have given to the cotton input scheme. I think heavens also smiled on us; so far the indications are that it is going to give me different problems. When I look at the maize crop, if it matures, it means we are going to have problems on harvesting, meaning we need more combine harvesters. We are also going to have lots of problems on storage, it means we need to look at our silos; we need to rehabilitate starting now. We may also need to consider acquiring some driers, and then there will be problems about transportation logistics to get the maize from the farmer to GMB, not to talk about finding money to buy the maize. So, far I think that I feel proud and I think Dr. Made feels proud too that in the last season,
we acquitted ourselves with respect to maize and wheat farmers. We paid in time, in two weeks time; most farmers were able to get back into farming because we had paid them promptly. So, our headache now is to find money for the 2016-17 maize crops.
I agree that there should be policy consistency. So far, I think if we are honest, there is no longer any dichotomy over policy. I think that is something that is now behind us. As I see it, we are quite in unison in the way we pronounce our policies. With respect to capacitating SEDCO, we have made a provision for it, US$2 million, but we have also said any taxes from SME’s is going to be ring-fenced to capitalise SEDCO. So, any presumptive taxes are going to capacitate SEDCO.
We are going to capitalise women’s bank with US$10 million, it is a micro-finance bank. I am also going to give an equal amount of US$10 million to the youth bank. All this is recognising that the new economy now are SME’s and that they should have access to funding.
With respect to honouring our regional and international obligations, we will do so, we will try but when we are looking at priorities, sometimes they fall into insignificance when we look at some of the pressing priorities that we are facing. So, I want again to thank the Committee on Lands, Agriculture for commending Government for supporting agriculture. I want to say, maybe I am not presumptuous, as we go into 2017-18, I would want to extend the support we give to 1,7 million households and not to confine it to vulnerable households so that we can build agriculture so that it becomes the anchor of our economy and consequently drive industry and manufacturing and other sectors around it.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we are also hoping to extend it as has been requested to other strategic crops such as soya beans and wheat. In particular soya beans, we should avoid importing soya beans for our cooking oil. We are aware that companies that manufacture cooking are importing crude oil; we should move beyond that and have our own soya beans, our own cotton seed to do that. I am happy, Mr. Speaker Sir, Dr. Made and I were sent pictures of the current cotton crop, and I wish I had brought the pictures here. I have higher expectation that we will get a higher cotton output. If we do, it means we will have more cotton seed to feed into the cotton oil companies.
One issue which we have been discussing with Dr. Made, I am talking about agriculture here, it is live stock production. We have been discussing what exactly can we do to support communal A1 and A2 live stock production particularly in the area in Matabeleland provinces where the key livelihood source is livestock production. I am sure we should be able to come up with an answer soon.
I have already discussed the rehabilitation of our silos and we are working very hard to provide the necessary resources. There was also mention of the army worm and I am happy with the intervention that was made by the Ministry of Agriculture. It has been a difficult challenge but I think teams have been deployed country wide to identify, map out and manage areas where the army worm has been sighted. Our biggest challenge to the revival of agriculture is availability of fertilizer. Our national requirement, all things being equal should not be less than
300 000 metric tonnes. It should be always be above and we are going
to work hard to ensure that we have these quantities way before the beginning of the agricultural season.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me now address the issue on Mines and Power Energy. I just want to say that we are working very hard to reduce the mining fees which are charged for claims, for what have you. We have been working hard with the Ministry of Mines and we hope that we should be able to do so. It is part of the cost of reducing business and we hope that we should be able to succeed.
A question was raised about diamonds, we have been consulting, and both consultations are not yet complete that we treat diamonds in the same way that we treat gold. In other words, the Reserve Bank should have a say in the marketing of diamonds. In other words it should buy it straight and market it when the market is favourable and also for transparency and also with a view eventually to built a reserve. As you are aware Mr. Speaker Sir, we are hoping we can go into the future to build a gold reserve so that we can anchor any future currency that we may decide to introduce into the future.
The fiscal regime, I hope that we should be able to produce it this year. It has taken longer than I thought. Again still on diamonds, I want to assure Hon. Members that in my discussion with Minister Chidhakwa, right now, he is focusing solely on bringing back diamond production. In fact most of the meetings that we had including this morning are basically focusing on how to restore diamond production. To do that we had to find an accommodation with those diamond companies that took us to court and we had one such meeting with one of the companies to see whether we can resolve the disputes amicably so that we do not lose the opportunity, I have not had any meaningful revenue from diamonds since I became Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
In my 2014 Budget, I had anticipated projected 13 million carats but I have not been lucky to get anything more than 2 million. So, we need to address that issue and address it, we will. The issue about mining fees and EMA fees, those will be addressed in the context of the ease and scope of doing business. We want to do it intelligently; we do not want to do it arbitrarily and then perhaps end up undermining the very institutions which were being supported by the fees and not from the budget.
The Bulawayo Power Stations - as you are aware, we borrowed money from Exim Bank. I signed for US$87 million from Exim Bank. It should be implemented and I think should start commencement this
year.
On the Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, I want to emphasise that we are capitalising the Youth Bank, which they prefer to call Empower Bank. We are going to give them US$10 million in terms of capitalisation. With respect to Hon. Chinotimba, I want to emphasise that, let us create real jobs. Let us not be in this situation where we pay for people to sit in their offices. At times I listen to Minister Chimene and I wonder whether she knows that her civil servants have no transport to go to where they should go to work. There is no money for transport or fuel. All the money, we are paying wages. So, when you see them sitting in their offices, you may shout as you may, they will not get to Checheche. I just want you to understand.
Hon. Mandipaka, yes, I understand and I think I need to be potted with respect to conditions of service. Yes, we have difficulties but in very difficult circumstances, we have been able to do the Parliamentary car scheme and I do not think Hon. Members appreciate how difficult it has been to put those schemes together. I remain alive to the need that the life of Parliamentarians should be made comfortable. Where it is within my power, I will not hesitate to do so. –HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Hon. Cross, I get what you said. What we should do at border posts; what we should do to stop leakages – you also drew my attention to something I did not know about the cost of fuel on the ICs, which you say it is 32 cents per litre and we are buying it at 74 cents. Those are issues I that I am going to the Minister responsible to understand why that is so. With respect to importers who are not paying duty, clearly that is corruption.
What I want to advise Hon. Members is that we put up a hotline at ZIMRA which you can dial and report anything amiss that you think is going on at ZIMRA. I was interrogating Hon. Maridadi, to say your information was very accurate and clearly it is like an insider, where did you get the information. He said he reported on the hotline, ZIMRA responded and they intercepted the truck. If people can report and not just complain, identify yourself because if we had to track the corruption, you need to identify yourself so that you become a witness. Now, if you give us anonymous information, generally some of the information is malicious. Munhu haamufariri, wondomunyepera kuti ari corrupt iye asiri. I want to encourage Hon. Members, basically to use this facility to report on any corruption that they say is taking place within ZIMRA.
I think I have already responded on the issue of allocation to universities. It is going to be corrected without fail. All I have indicated is that we need to engage each other. I need information; when I ask for information do not refuse to give me the information so that we can engage each other rationally and meaningfully.
Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga, she should have been an actress in my view, not an Hon. Member of Parliament. She has put a lot of drama in this House. The last time I presented my budget, she threw me used underwear but I think this time around, this is a better gift. I want to say to her, she is right. A vision without a provision is an illusion. Again, she is looking at it as an event. She does not understand the many processes that we have engaged to create the resources to fund the vision.
We need money, right now we do not have money but we cannot say because we have no money we cannot have a vision. What makes us work hard is a vision. That is what makes us wake up in the evening to do some work. We have a vision but we realise we have no money to fund that vision. So we have to work backwards and say what can we do to get that money. This is why we are giving support to agriculture.
The policies that we are introducing in manufacturing, mining, and road construction, I am hoping that the dualisation – at least I was signing some papers to allow importation of equipment by the contractor to come into the country. That is what we are doing to create the resources to fund the vision and we need to understand that.
When the agricultural season is looking as it is, I am happier even when I know I have no money. I know tomorrow I am going to have money and the resources will be used to fund the vision. I have already mentioned basically that 2 million jobs, maybe 1.5 million formal jobs were lost but according to the FinScope Survey of 2012, it found that 5.7 million jobs had been created in the informal sector by 3.5 million small businesses, some one man or one woman businesses but they were able to create 5.7 million jobs and that is the contribution that makes this country tick. This is why we need to nurture and nurse it.
She went on to talk about visions and so on. Clearly there is nothing, I must say this. There are no divisions in Government that militate against my work. What people need to understand is that whenever you are taking a different route and when we are talking about reform, we are talking about change. Change may mean turning left, right or making a u-turn. There has to be a discussion. Now, that discussion and the disagreements is not division. Basically, people are coming from different perspectives; whether the move being undertaken or being proposed is the right move, for me I entertain it which is why I say that I want all of us to put all our ideas on the table. The way the debate today has been undertaken gives me confidence that we are one in trying to change the economic fortunes of our country.
So, let us not read everything as division or as undesirable. We need debate first and once we take a position, then we must move in unison. I want to say this clearly that there is no division that worry me or that inhibit my work or progress on my work. Of course, she used strong words about the President being in captive, under capture and so on, it is not true. I think I can speak clearly –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- confidently about our President, he is not a prisoner. He understands the situation we are in. He also understands the imperatives, what we need to do. A lot of the things that we do is because he has prodded us to do them. Now, obviously it is because he understands what is there and there is no way we could make reforms which are not cleared by the Head of State. Please, let us be very clear. All the things that we do, he is briefed both outside and in Cabinet. So, I want us to understand that my President is not a captive.
Hon. Maridadi, thank you very much. His presentation was superb. My only complaint, like I said was that –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- I wish he had donated the blankets to me but otherwise that is how we should investigate and prod these issues. That is the only way they can be corrected. I want to emphasize the hot line is there. So, these are issues that we are looking into with respect to fiscalised gadgets. We going to emphasize and work very hard to get these introduced, all this with a view to growing the cake but from the information we had from Hon. Maridadi, it means the cake is very big and someone is eating it unlawfully. The cake is already big. If we can account for all these cakes which are being eaten by mice, we should be able to be okay.
With respect to conditions generally, one of the issues that we were looking at is conditions of service right across the board whether we are talking of Ministers, civil servants, we are just looking at everybody. Who is getting a Government car? Right now, it is an issue which we are looking into. In the past, about five years ago only the permanent secretary in the Ministry or equivalent grade could get a Government car which would be serviced and fueled by Government. That benefit was extended and we are looking into that. We moved away from a loan scheme to make every one drive a car as a personal car, owned by the Government, repaired and maintained by the Government, fueled by Government and so on. That is not sustainable and so, those are some of the issues we have to look at. Can we not limit those entitled to the official personal vehicles and let those we think deserve be given loans to buy their own cars so that they can themselves maintain their own cars and so on?
I have already I think mentioned the issue about CDF. We are going to give about $50 000.00 per each constituency. Life style audit is easier said than done. What it will mean is that we will introduce intrusiveness into people’s lives and this is also where corruption can take place because they will choose who to target. A lot of us are living beyond our means and we show that by having a fleet of cars, a luxurious three story building for my residence and so on but then the targeting can be very much personalized, which is something that I am aware of it. It can be used, in other words with discrimination not to everybody.
Hon. Chakona, I heard you and it is a matter that I am going to look at; the issue about indigenous shops which are not VAT registered which might have paid their VAT at the wholesalers and are now being pursued. It is a matter that I will look at and I will refer to ZIMRA so that they give me some response. I agree with you about the duplication in the telecom industry. You need to know that we took already as Cabinet a decision to consolidate. Certainly, to consolidate the fiber optic infrastructure so that we have one company that is responsible for fiber optic infrastructure but it is a process. It is undergoing and we hope that it should be concluded. I agree with you on the multiplication of data centres. I agree with you that SADC, the Research Unit can do much more but I want us all to understand that the issue about
Ministries, whether it should be about one, two or four Ministries is not the prerogative of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Hon. Chinotimba, I think I did respond to him with respect to the bonus issue. I want to assure him and to assure civil servants that it is doable and it will do wonders to our economy overnight through creation of real jobs and I have already mentioned some of the jobs that will be created. It is called forced savings and I was carrying comparisons. I got so impressed with Ethiopia when I went to Addis Ababa. I asked my colleague there to invite me. So, I went there last week to spend a week there. I was told that they are putting up Renaissance Dam which when complete will generate 6 000 megawatts of electricity. Who is building it? They are not borrowing from anybody. The civil servants were asked to buy bonds using their 12th cheque not 13th cheque. They go and subscribe to the Infrastructure Bank, the bond which is building the Renaissance Dam. At the end of the day, if it is complete the country can sell the electricity and redeem the bond.
Those are some of the options that I am also looking at. It is capital formation which will be beneficial to the wealth creation of the country. We finished in December Tokwe-Mukorsi but we do not want to do what has happened with all our dams, whether Biriri or Osborne, gets silted after 30 years but no irrigation or anything for which it was intended. So, we need to concentrate and try to give focus on development projects which creates wealth, jobs and production.
I understand the issue about war veterans and it is an issue which that is also very dear to my heart. I know Hon. Mutseyami made a spirited contribution over this issue. I was not aware that you are a child of a war veteran. The only surprise was now how did he come to be in the opposition now. I was asking myself that question and you still need to give me the answer because he should have properly brought you up to remain in the revolutionary party.
I took the contribution by Hon. Chinotimba about macadamia nuts. You know the issue he raised, as long as you are using a middle person, you are not able to go to the ultimate market, people will short-change you and there is nothing you can do about it. You will need to build the critical mass because to be able to go to the source market it is very expensive. You need to go direct to China, travel many trips to Israel or Germany and know who is buying the macadamia nuts, and be able to promise that person to say I can supply you this quantity if you give me the order. Then be able to come back to Zimbabwe and muster and produce that quantity in order to gain access to that market. There is no other trick. If you abuse the middlemen before you have secured your own market, you will find that the macadamia inoora uinayo.
That exactly is what happened to that industry after the land reform because the markets were closed in Europe and I think they are currently still closed because they said they do not want to buy any produce from contested land. This is why you find now the middlemen here are
Chinese businesses. Ah well, Hon. Dr. Made says they are now opening up but initially they said they will not buy from contested land.
Obviously, they realised it is now irreversible and they want the product, and they find that other markets are getting the product so they have to bend over backwards to accommodate us.
Hon. Dr. Chimedza, I share with you the sentiments you mentioned about the Abuja Declaration that we should be giving 15% but I have given you the answers. It is no good for my heart when I know that we cannot hire doctors and nurses that we are training very expensively because we are unable to reduce the wage bill to accommodate the necessary personnel. We cannot make decisions on who is a priority and who are not. All we need to do generally Mr. Speaker Sir is just to agree as a country to give priority to our health and education. Once we have those priorities, we make sure that everything else may suffer but at least let us be a proud people to say in Zimbabwe education and health are excellent and so on. Just like Cuba, it has gone through hardships to a point where sometime food was a problem but everybody testifies worldwide that it has the best health and education system – [HON. MUTSEYAMI: And cigars.] – Sure.
Hon. Sibanda, I think I have already responded to issues of which Ministries, what and so forth, it is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. The responsibility of the Ministry of Finance is to find resources to fund the entirety of Government. You are quite right, our problem is production which has being going down and it is incumbent on all of us to make a contribution to production in our own small way.
I thank Hon. Chinanzvavana and agree with all that you have said about the need to give more resources to education but I have already told you the reasons why that is not so. Hon. Mahoka, I share again the sentiments with you but I just want you to understand that you need to produce more tobacco so that we can have more production and exports. From there, we should be able to have more revenue into the Exchequer. Already being a tobacco farmer, you are already creating employment for our people. If you can employ even more people the better and tobacco is unique in that it is labour intensive. So, I thank you for that.
Hon. Mahoka, you are also saying tourism is too little. The roads too little, what we have spent for agriculture is still too little. The health and police vote is too little. I agree with you but we still need to take the right measures to grow the economy so that we are able to fund all our needs which is why I agree with you. I am surprised that makorokoza are still being arrested. I am really surprised because we have long since taken a view and I hope that; maybe we need legislature. It is a matter that we all agreed that we should decriminalise the activity of artisanal miners but that is not to say, Hon. Nduna that you can pan anywhere. We need to understand each other. When we say do not pan in Angwa River, we arrest you. So, we need to have that kind of understanding. When you pan in Mazowe River and we have prohibited it, we arrest you – [HON. MAHOKA: Ndomune mari manje.] – Zvino manje ndozvinonetsa, we end up without rivers and that is a problem. So, we need to choose our priorities.
I think with respect to tollgates, the Minister of Transport is looking at how we can raise more resources to rehabilitate our roads through erection of more toll gates on those roads which do not have tollgates. There has been a debate which was started by Hon. Minister Kasukuwere that we should consider tolling on urban roads. It is a debate, but let the debate continue and we see whether or not we can conclude the issue.
Thank you Hon. Saruwaka for your support. I have already responded to the issue about the retention funds. I agree with you on sport that we need conversation on how to make our sport an industry so that it can create employment. What is on my mind is to consider incentives that we can give to private sector companies to support the development of sport. That is what is generally happening elsewhere. So, if you have any ideas on what incentives we can give to private companies who may want to build stadiums, promote sport among the youth and among all sections of the population, please come to me and we discuss.
Thank you Hon. Tshuma for your support and I have responded to the issue. The big issue is about makorokoza. I have also responded about us not hiring nurses and doctors. Hon. Sibanda, I cannot agree with you more. There are no contributions that you have made about conditions of hospitals that I do not know. Hon. Mlilo, thank you for your support. I think I have done what we could with respect to conditions of service, especially with the car loan scheme. We look at other ways to improve the conditions of service for our Hon. Members.
Hon. Sibanda, you make the point about tax incentives in our Special Economic Zones. I have already responded to the Diaspora remittanances and the incentives that we are going to give. Talking of incentives Mr. Speaker Sir, let me say that I have been discussing with my colleague the Hon. Minister of Agriculture that from this year’s crop, we want to extend the incentive scheme to cotton farmers as well. Hon. Masara, I thank you for your contribution. I have already said that the diamond sector is as good as dead. We are working on it on a daily basis to revive that sector. I hope that by the time I give my 2018 Budget, I will have a different story to tell.
I thank you Hon. Dr. Mukanduri for your support and for the comments that you have made which I share. Hon. Mutseyami, thank you very much. I think what you need to understand about uncompleted budgets it is not just at the police. The whole PSIP projects are a sorry state. The reason was that we started everywhere in order to show presence. So, we would just start to get to foundation and so on. We decided that we are going to do Tokwe-Mukorsi and we completed it but that was forced on us because of the threat on the dam wall. We had to divert resources from Gwayi-Shangani to put to Tokwe-Mukorsi because it was now threatening the dam wall.
So, this time we should focus on Gwayi-Shangani. I have been having a lot of discussions on that matter. I hope that some of the investors who have come to me, we can conclude some. The incomplete projects, I have asked for a list right across all Ministries so that we know which ones are incomplete and we can move forward thereafter.
The complaint you made about children of war veterans is well understood. I will endeavour to do whatever I can to correct that position.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me conclude. The issue of transport and roads is a national disaster exacerbated and worsened by the heavy rains that have pounded our roads. The amount necessary to rehabilitate goes into billions of dollars. I have to sit down with the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to see what we can do to come up with a financing model for the rehabilitation of our roads. It is a matter that I have already started a discussion with him both in urban and rural roads. We made some small disbursement of US$40 million to address the issue of potholes, but when I see the damage, it will not go very far. It is a drop in the ocean. So we have to look, see and come up with a financing model for our road infrastructure.
This discussion about tolling is part of that effort to see whether we can raise the necessary resources. The other issue is that you cannot talk about the condition of roads without talking about rehabilitating the railways. A lot of the heavy traffic that traverses our roads should not be on the roads, but on the railways. We cannot force those heavy loads onto the railways without first ensuring that we have rehabilitated the railways. To rehabilitate it, we are looking at US$600 to US$700 million.
We have all explored and we are open to Joint Ventures, BOTs and so on, but it is easier said than done. When the investors come and I tell them that they are free and whether they want a BOT, Joint Venture etc. We have a Joint Venture Act, which is the legal framework for that. At the end of the day, what I think we need to understand in Zimbabwe is that people do not bring their money here. We have not received equity investment in this country. Even the so called investment, when you go behind it, it is a loan. They come to Zimbabwe and form a Zimbabwean company and they go and borrow outside. That borrowing is a risk to the country. It is a country debt.
You may call it whatever investment and so on. The only difference is that the person who has formed his company here invariably from Europe or China is able to raise capital in his home country, but he brings it here as a loan. When it is a loan, you are paying the principle amount and you are paying the interest. I know of an investment – I thought it was an investment. I visited it, I toured it and then I was asking the question how much it cost, how have you financed it and then it turns out it is a loan. I further asked at what interest rate – 18%.
Now I know in Europe, in the First World, they have got negative interest rates. So, you can see that clearly, we are being taken for a ride which is why it is important for us to create the necessary environment to attract real capital which comes as equity and not a loan. As long as we keep on financing our capital, projects and our businesses through loans, we are further burdening the country as such. Mr. Speaker Sir, with these remarks, I therefore move that the motion be adopted.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill ordered to be brought in by the Minister of Finance and
Economic Development.
FIRST READING
FINANCE BILL [H.B. 3, 2017]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA) present the Finance Bill
[H.B. 3, 2017]
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA), the National
Assembly adjourned at Nineteen Minutes past Eight o’clock p.m.