PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 9th November, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM CLAUDE KAHARO AND THE COMBINED HARARE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Monday, 2nd October, 2023, Parliament received a petition from one Claude Kaharo beseeching Parliament to urgently consider enacting a law that empowers the electorate to recall non-performers from Parliament and councils as a way of strengthening the performance of public institutions. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
I also have to inform the House that on Friday, 13th October, 2023, Parliament received a petition from the Combined Harare Residents Association imploring Parliament to align the Water Act, Environmental Management Act, Regional Town Planning Act and Urban Councils Act with Section 77 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe on the right to water. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.
HON. MARKHAM: Good afternoon Madam Speaker, my point of national interest refers to the meeting that the Zimbabwe Electoral had with the international observers on 17th August 2023, before the elections. They read out and advertised that sufficient ballot papers had been printed to the extend, on the Presidential ballot papers totaling 7.6% more ballot papers that were required were printed and ready for distribution. The same for the National Assembly ballot papers and Madam Speaker, for the local ballot papers, 3.5% ballot papers more than required were submitted in paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) they were ready for the elections come what may.
Madam Speaker, my request is why the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was ready 10 days before the election had an issue with ballot papers on election day? For the first time in the history of this country, we ran out of ballot papers during the election, despite ZEC telling us they had printed enough. Madam Speaker, my request is, in the national interest, could the relevant Minister or Commission…
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are out of order Hon. Hamauswa, please sit down.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam President, how can the ZEC continue – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we have order in the House.
HON. MARKHAM: How can the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission tell international observers we have 7.6 more and then fail by 1400hrs in the afternoon, rural and urban polling stations had run out of ballot papers? I request your ruling on an Independent Commission or a statement from the relevant Hon. Minister to explain what happened. Further to this, this issue amongst others were brought up in the SADC which has just recently been adopted. Can that SADC Report be laid on the table of this House so that we can debate it? I so move and I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we have Hon. Members – [HON. MAMOMBE: It is your right-side Madam Speaker.] –
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are out of order Hon. Hamauswa, please take your seat. Allow me to respond to Hon. Markham. Hon. Markham, I advise you to put that in writing and ask the responsible Hon. Minister so that he will bring a comprehensive copy to this House. At the moment, I cannot answer to your concerns. Put that in writing and ask the Hon. Minister to respond.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, may you rule on the SADC Report being laid on the table.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I cannot rule on the SADC Report.
HON. MARKHAM: Just on a point of clarity, are you refusing to rule or you are ruling that I must include it in my…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You know very well that I cannot do that.
HON. MARKHAM: Really? I do not know about that Madam Speaker. You are the Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You know very well that I cannot do that. Please may you take your seat – [HON. MEMBERS: Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.] –
HON. MARKHAM: Ko inini ndinobva kupi, wakakwana here?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order in the House – [HON. E. ZHOU AND HON. HAMAUSWA: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. E. Zhou and Hon. Hamauswa ndinokubuditsai panze monotaura izvozvo zvamuri kutaura kusvika svondo rinouya muchitaura. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – ZveFAZ izvozvo nezvaTshabangu ndokubuditsai panze monotaura.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that Order of the Day Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. MAHLANGU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. MAHERE: On a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MAHERE: Thank you Madam Speaker for recognising me. I just wish to place it on record that there is a misleading statement in the Hansard of yesterday which indicates that I walked in late and that the Hon. Speaker said that I should stop walking when he is talking. I just want to place it on record that it was not me Hon.Mahere who was late, and I did not walk in front of the Speaker’s chair. In fact, I was seated long before the Hon. Speaker entered and long before the Speaker’s procession came in. So, the simple point I wish to make is that, the entry in the Hansard is misleading, it is inaccurate and I respectively pray that the record be corrected accordingly – [AN. HON. MEMBER: Waitauraka uchinzi hoyo, waitaura nezvei.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mahere, I am sure the Hansard department has taken note of that.
HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for affording me this opportunity to add my voice on the NPA Report. Madam Speaker, let met begin by saying that even if we are legislators and are supposed to understand the Constitution and therefore be aware of the mandate of NPA, it would have been good if the report had actually outlined its mandate so that when we are reading the report or if anyone is reading the report, you do not have to look for the Constitution or go back to the Constitution and read what their mandate is.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, strong institutions are key pillars of advancement of democracy and justice. Strong as determined by the structure, skills and adequate resources. As an independent institution pivotal to advancement of justice, the NPA must be properly capacitated in terms of technical skills and tools to ensure effective delivery of justice and avoidance of corruption.
Madam Speaker, I applaud the NPA for partnering with other stakeholders like Transparency International Zimbabwe in addressing and benchmarking for the best practices in skills, technical knowledge, justice and fight against corruption through its specialised units focused on specific areas relevant to its mandate. Checks and balances enable the NPA to improve on the justice delivery system.
Madam Speaker, of concern to me on the presentation performance quarterly graphs, is that they do not show what happened to the pending cases of the previous quarter. It is assumed that the pending cases of previous quarter becomes the starting cases of the new quarter, but that is just being assumed. We do not know.
Madam Speaker, focusing on the inspectorate, training, complaints and anti-corruption unit, the role of awareness by the public for the complaints handling and anti-corruption reporting is critically important. The question is; to what extent is the public aware of this unit so that they can also go and complain and they know that anti-corruption is also available within the NPA? The role of awareness by the public for complaints handling, anti-corruption reporting is critical, but this awareness programme is not visible in our areas. Where I come from Madam Speaker, the degree of awareness is very low. People do not know what activities to report, where and how.
Madam Speaker, when I look at the graph of gender based violence cases, it shows good clearance of 70.66%, but it is one area afflicted by corruption and both cases prosecuted on and cases that are withdrawn before plea. I have been following cases Madam Speaker, where young girls aged 17 and below report their cases, go to court and they are represented by NPA. but at the end of the case you find that some of these girls are the ones who are actually convicted. They become perpetrators and the actual perpetrator becomes the victim. Like the case I just followed a few weeks ago, where a 40 year old man claimed to have been raped by a 17 year old girl who had actually reported her case and the case was turned around and we do not know why NPA stood on this case. So we are saying we have to protect the society by fighting this scourge of corruption and ensure justice for all.
Madam Speaker, it is good to talk about gender mainstreaming. In this case, in the report, it is demonstrating the NPA is employing more women than men on their figures, but it becomes window dressing if these women are not seen anywhere in decision making positions. If people have been following the report, there is where they quote these numbers and at the end, they quote two men who are actually leading the NPA and women are not seen there.
The high turnover of staff at NPA compromises service delivery. There is need to implement a competitive staff retention scheme to address welfare needs. We cannot afford to have new and inexperienced personnel all the time constituting a higher percentage of staff complement.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, it is important that Parliament pleads with Treasury to adequately support NPA in meeting its critical requirements so it can fulfil its mandate. Failure to do so opens the institutions to mediocre performance and failure to fight corruption and ensure justice. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the report on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year ended December 2022 covered several issues including governance, the mechanisms of combating corruption, prevention of corruption, the means with which the Commission was to engage and network with the stakeholders and implementation of its corruption prevention strategies as well as budgetary issues. The Chairperson of this Commission came up with a statement so appetizing to readers inasmuch as it shows, not only the establishment of ZACC but also the strategies that it has been using to fight against the scourge of corruption. Among this, the statement noted that the Commission had set up a committee to provide an independent review of cases submitted or referred to it.
Madam Speaker, this was a noble move by the Commission as you are aware that the public may not be acquainted with what corruption may really mean and how it should be handled. The issue of establishing the Committee to assess cases that are brought before the Commission was very important for the Commission to make in order to screen the matters that may really need attention by those responsible for combating corruption. The Commission also established a training manual for the year 2022, which had a tag line, ‘prevention is better than cure’. This is something that us, as legislators, must support that as a country, we must not only focus on raising areas where corruption is happening but we must also come up with legislation that tends to prohibit members of the public into indulging in corruption.
Madam Speaker, the number of cases referred to the Commission during the year 2022 were many but the Commission managed to send 134 dockets to the National Prosecuting Authority, which can only show us that the Commission did much. A lot of work was handled by this Commission during this year. It is commendable that the Commission managed to fulfil its mandate and give us a reason why it should consume part of the taxpayers’ money as it handled many cases. The Chairperson noted also that the ZACC deals with cases of high economic value. It also deals with profile people and the cases it handles are of national interest. This gives us the impetus Madam Speaker, to really support the ZACC not only in terms of financing its activities but also improving the conditions of service of its employees.
Madam Speaker, you know that if the person being investigated has got a fat pocket, that person is most likely to use his or her resources to conceal the crime of corruption, hence the need to ensure that members who deal with corruption cases under the ZACC have been provided with conducive conditions of service. The Commission also reported that 72% conviction rate was realised. I can only say this is commendable. We encourage the ZACC to continue on this path of ensuring that it handles issues effectively and it results in the conviction of those who would have been accused of corruption offences.
The Commission noted also that there was need to enact two Bills which include the Witness Protection Bill. This essentially is supposed to protect our witnesses who report corruption and also the public interest disclosure, thus the protection of whistle blowers and all these Bills were noted as very important in enhancing the operation of the ZACC.
The Commission noted that the Bills were very important in as far as they help to fight corruption and would also increase public confidence in the institution of ZACC. Madam Speaker, you will realise that the ZACC was established as an integral part of our Constitution under Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 Act and also is provided for under Sections 254 and 255 in the 2013 Zimbabwe Constitution. The main purpose or thrust of the Commission is to combat corruption, combat theft and misappropriation of funds, abuse of power and any other improprieties in both public and private sectors.
To elaborate on this, the Commission investigates and exposes cases of corruption in both private and public sectors and also promotes honesty, financial discipline and transparency. In this era where we are handling huge amounts of resources, be it financial resources or any other resources, it is important that the ZACC be supported by the legislature in ensuring that it carries out this important mandate because if a country is affected severely by corruption, severely by theft and misappropriation of funds and abuse of power, it will result in anarchy and lawlessness. It will also entrench poverty in our societies, hence the need for this commission to be fully supported by the legislature.
Under the governance of this Commission, it was clear in their report that the Commission had a chairperson by then, who is now the Prosecutor General and has also six commissioners, six managers and several staff members. The Commission in its establishment with such organogram manages to undertake various investigations that are of importance to this country in as far as corruption is concerned. It follows a system of all or most corruption cases to be easily reported, easily dealt with and concluded through the other arm of the Government which is the National Prosecuting Authority. I believe Madam Speaker, that this system of identifying corruption, investigating corruption and ending the process by having accused persons prosecuted, in some cases jailed will continue to make sure that our community is safe from corrupt practices and as legislators we must support this noble initiative.
It is also noted that there were a number of corruption cases that were reported mainly in Harare, Midlands and Bulawayo. These are the three towns that have huge number of corruption cases. If you look on the nature of corruption cases, Madam Speaker, it is mainly involving criminal abuse of office which is being perpetrated by public officials, who out of the 684 cases had more than 335 cases. Madam Speaker, this can only indicate to us that the focus for our corruption fight should concentrate in the public sector. It is in the public sector Madam Speaker, that we are having many corrupt people. Government must therefore, enact, compliance measures that ensure that public officials are prevented from abusing public resources, maybe through procurement procedures or through any other means that they are using to enrich themselves unfairly at the expense of the generality of the members of the Zimbabwean nation.
Madam Speaker, there is also indication that there was high corruption activities in local authorities. This informs the legislature that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Social Amenities may need to have some legislation crafted to ensure that councillors who get elected into office desist from corruption. I suggest Madam Speaker that workshops be carried out by the Ministry of Local Government or by the Portfolio Committee involved to ensure that they unearth the sources of corruption or the activities that actually lead to corruption in local authorities such that there can then be some initiatives to create laws to prevent such activities.
Madam Speaker, the report noted that asset recovery during the year 2022 amounted to USD29 million. This is a huge amount of money that if it had been allocated to services such as the provision of schools, clinics, boreholes and other important facilities in rural areas, it would have made a big change in our societies. It could have improved the lives of many poor Zimbabweans. It exhibits that we have got a lot of work before us Madam Speaker, to ensure that we block this leakage of these huge amount of resources that are pertinent to the survival of Zimbabweans. Exhibits were in the form of buildings, expensive cars and many other luxuries.
What we note Madam Speaker is that corrupt Zimbabweans, after siphoning money from either the public service or local authorities, take this money out of the country to build mansions. They do a lot of investments in other countries. It is not corruption money that they use in Zimbabwe, otherwise it may have helped in some way to create jobs and even to enrich their own families. It is actually money that they take out of the country so that it then benefits people of those host countries. So, it is something that we need to fight seriously on a united front and ensure that we end this scourge as it is draining the resources that are supposed to benefit us as a country.
On its prevention mechanisms, the Commission proposed some compliance checks, training programmes and there are awareness programmes to ensure that people are aware of the areas where corruption is happening, and that they are able to confidently report. I also propose that we implement some corruption prevention prizes whereby the people who report corruption end up being given some prizes for alerting authorities to take action. Such practice will encourage those people who have been sitting on the fence and saying we have been reporting corruption, but have not been able to benefit anything out of it. Such people will then be able to take part and contribute to the reporting and ending of corruption.
The report also noted that there was need for research in terms of how corruption has affected economic growth and I agree with this report in a great way. We need to ensure that we know the correlation between the corrupt practices and economic growth. We know that corruption has a tendency of affecting our economic growth and to hinder us from attaining our targets in terms of job opportunities and education achievements. So, we have got to ensure that we support research in this sector. We may actually need to come up with a fund to support a Master’s Degree and PHD thesis on corruption research, for instance on how corruption has affected our economy for a certain period of time maybe between this period and that period. Such research will be used as a starting point to further unearth other avenues that may help us to understand how to deal with corruption.
On the budgetary concerns, the report mentioned that out of what the Commission was asking in terms of funding, normally it was given 50% or less of what it was asking for and this tended to constrain the Commission to deal with as many corruption cases as it would have intended. It is my recommendation that in future, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission be fully resourced to ensure that it performs its duty more efficiently.
I also propose that in future, there be an indexation of the impact of corruption on economic growth and other economic targets. If an index is high, we know that our anticipated economic growth figures are likely to be lessened by a factor of the magnitude of the corruption parameter. So ZACC needs in some cases, to produce maybe in conjuction with the ZimStats, panel data to ensure that we have this data which itemises sector by sector corruption figures for which we can determine corruption hot spots. We must be able to digitalise corruption figures, so that we will be able to tell that for instance in the mining sector, the corruption index is so much and in the agricultural sector and education sector, the corruption index is so much so that we are able to estimate the transmission mechanism of corruption as a variable against economic GDP growth. We will be able to use quantitative methods to determine without financial loss what percentage of financial loss to government is possible for every one dollar that is transacted in a certain financial year.
So, this generally is what could be my recommendation as we tend to be more sophisticated in our follow up and research in terms of how corruption has affected our economy. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
HON. MARUPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to also add a few observations in accepting the report that we got from ZACC. It is a report that I believe is very comprehensive. It touches many areas that I believe if we are to go through the report, we will agree that the report tries by all means to touch areas that I believe some of them cannot just be read and we fail to add one or two words. For starters, I would like to appreciate the number of cases that were done by ZACC. According to the statistics and percentages, out of the 253 cases approved and brought before the Commission, a total 157 were investigated, making it 62% of the cases handled by ZACC. They referred 134, which is 53% dockets, to the National Prosecuting Authority and you would agree with me that in the NPA Report, it was actually felt that along the way, some of the cases were still under investigation and were not yet done or were still to be concluded.
I would also like to applaud the ZACC for the job well done. However, we still believe that more can be done if resources could be availed for them to execute their duty. It is very critical to appreciate that for them to perform and do their duty, they need resources that would make them cast their nets wide. They do many investigations that sometimes require them to spend a lot of time dealing with individual cases because some of these cases are high profile and by their nature, they also need not only time, but need resources.
When we are looking at the issue of resources we should also appreciate that by the nature of the cases, some of them would also require high expertise that would mean they involve officers or people dealing with the cases also understand and be in sync or in tandem with the cases they are dealing with. Taking note that nowadays we have got a lot of white collar crimes that are taking place world-wide, and as such, we need to also appreciate the need to have most of these people also trained in these areas. You will notice that as they try to conclude or as they go deeper into the investigations, along the way, some of the cases just fizzle out just like that probably because of lack of knowledge and expertise from the people who would be handling the cases.
It is very critical and prudent as an august House to embrace this report, and on the same token look at it with critical eyes to see that when some of these reports are brought before us, we try to analyse them and see where there are loopholes so that whatever recommendation that we make is going to benefit us as a country. We have noted with concern that along the way, maybe if I may use an adage of a farmer who will make a hyena midwife to a goat giving birth is what is happening sometimes and find ourselves recommending people who do not have the expertise to handle some cases.
I would actually recommend or suggest that when it comes to some of the office bearers, maybe it is critical that ZACC as an institution, should also try to be found in each and every corner of Zimbabwe. Having recommended that, it is also important that the awareness campaigns include or bring in the locals and take cognisance of the languages spoken in Zimbabwe because we have some cases that I believe are not investigated truly or actually taken into consideration probably because of language barriers because of probably distance as a barrier and the issue of culture is also very important. As a country, we have a culture of withdrawing when it comes to people participating in some of these investigations and being included or involved to participate as witnesses. As such, the Bill, I am sure is going to go a long way in assisting or making people getting to accept and embrace the importance of this organisation in our society.
On the same token, I would say having noted that a lot of these shenanigans are happening in the towns, maybe it is high time that we also try to come up with a mechanism that is going to make our towns habitable by probably creating or embracing organisations that are involved in some of these activities to take note of the damage that they do to society and the economy. We may then make them sign an agreement to say that once involved or be part of some of these illicit activities, they be suspended or there be a fine that is going to deter or make people realise the importance of not embracing or taking some of these issues lightly.
Lastly, I would like to commend the approach to business that I see in the report, especially when it comes to issues of governance because we see that they have included a plan on how they carried out their office work for the year. This, I believe is very important to follow and makes us appreciate and get to know, and probably make a follow up if we are to ask them to then give us a record or timetable of how they actually do or carry their day to day duties in their office. With this, I rest my case Madam Speaker.
HON. E. MASUKU: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the ZACC Report. I am sure we are all aware that corruption remains a significant obstacle to the achievement of national Vision 2030. That is why through Section 254 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, ZACC was established as a body with the mandate of investigating and exposing corruption in public and private sectors. I must therefore, from the onset, commend the Commission for their ongoing efforts to uproot this vice from the society. I must also hasten to acknowledge the adherence of the Commission to Section 257 as evidenced by tabling of the annual report to Parliament.
In that report Madam Speaker, I identified the following key issues which were striking; firstly, asset seizures and legal action. It is commendable that the Commission conducted multiple seizures and initiated legal actions involving significant amounts of assets and wealth valued at US$29 million indicating a high level of illicit activities and wealth accumulation. Secondly, compliance spot checks; I further acknowledge the Commission for conducting comprehensive compliance, assessments and spot checks in various public institutions, revealing several issues such as unprocedural sale and allocation of commercial and residential stands, non-compliance with procurement procedures, misuse of devolution and incomplete projects. These issues were noted in institutions like local councils, Government funded projects and other organisations.
Thirdly, impact of compliance checks; as a result, the compliance checks resulted in several positive outcomes including the resumption of abandoned devolution funds projects, including renovation of community facilities. The arrest of councils’ officials involved in criminal activities and civil forfeitures of assets purchased from the proceeds of crime. Additionally, diverted devolution funds were returned to the relevant councils, unlawfully seized were restored and capacity buildings initiatives were implemented in some councils.
Lastly, anti-corruption awareness campaigns; I was also encouraged by efforts of the Commission to enhance awareness through rural awareness campaigns to target the rural population which constitutes a significant portion of the Zimbabwe population. These campaigns aimed to mitigate systematic corruption, improve Government economic programmes and encourage reporting of corruption cases. The campaigns identified several key issues including the need of increased presence in remote areas. Corruption in the distribution of Government schemes, illegal land occupation and sales, corrupt allocation of land, illegal sale of natural resources and corruption in mining claims issuance. To that end Madam Speaker, having recognised the key issues identified above, it is crucial that we are cognisant of the following recommendations;
Strengthening asset recovery efforts, the Commission should continue its efforts to cease and recover assets acquired through illegal means. This may involve and enhance coordination with relevant authorities and international partners to track and repatriate assets hidden abroad. Improve institutional compliance, public institutions especially local authorities and Government funded projects ought to adhere to legal and administrative frameworks.
The Commission should work with these institutions to provide guidance training and oversight to ensure compliance with regulations and good practices. The Commission should continue to promote transparency and accountability in public institutions. This includes addressing issues such as the unprocedural sale of land, misuse of devolution funds and incomplete projects.
Training and capacity building initiatives should be a part of this effort. Lastly, Madam Speaker, investigate and prosecute corrupt practices. The Commission should continue to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption identified during compliance, spot checks and awareness campaigns. This will serve as a deterrent to potential wrong doers and promote a culture of accountability. Above all, the Commission must be adequately be funded in order to ensure that it can effectively discharge its mandate.
In conclusion Madam Speaker, corruption remains a challenge for our country and must be addressed. It is imperative that this House also joins in the efforts to ensure that corruption does not emanate among us. We all know that our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, is always saying that no one is above the law. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUSA NCUBE): I have got a short announcement to make. An Hon. Member missed her cellphone at the main entrance to Parliament building. Please kindly check among your belongings for the cellphone which has a black pouch and a blue lining on the edge.
HON. MAHERE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker, the report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission is of concern indeed, in light of the fact that Zimbabwe loses USD2.8 million to illicit financial flows and corruption every single year. We would have expected to hear more from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission concerning what they are doing especially in light of their constitutional prerogative. Section 255 of the Constitution makes it abundantly clear; they have an obligation to investigate and expose corruption. When all is said and done, we saw zero exposé reported in the 2022 report. This is not withstanding a plethora of corruption incidents.
The Ministry of Finance Prof. M. Ncube even reported in the operative period that a US100 million was lost every single month to gold leakages. The report is silent on all that. We are aware of the COTTCO scandal involving a former Hon. Member from ZANU PF, Hon. Wadyajena, there is absolutely nothing said in the report about these key important cases.
What the Constitution requires in Section 257 is that this report should include particular matters relating to improper conduct in the public and private sectors. There is not a single particular matter that has been reported in this report. All we hear is engagement and networking. This report is not meant to be a window dressing or box ticking exercise. We are supposed to ensure that they expose corruption. It cannot be the case that the incidence of corruption that are taking place in Zimbabwe should be investigated by ZEC, actually investigated by external investigators. We saw the same report in 2022 that went into detail around corruption and a number of other issues including an exposé on Kuda Tagwirei, we would have wanted to see some sort of s exposé attempt by ZEC to do something. The conduct we have seen on ZEC is that whenever corruption takes place at the high levels, they suddenly become incapacitated. They are making low level officials sign, that is what we hear in their report. They do not speak about the important corruption cases that are taking place and are robing this country of important funds.
On some of the data that comes out in that report, you will see that only 147 cases were referred to the police. That is done in a country that is losing US2.8, almost US3 billion. What is ZACC doing? Why are they being funded if only 140 cases are referred to the police? If you remember yesterday, NPA Report, the prosecutor is saying all these economic crimes that come before them, they have only completed 38%, a low clearance rate together with the inactivity on the part of ZACC is what is costing corruption. So, we see that the report by ZACC proves the inefficiency in their failure to attend to their constitutional mandate yet it does not stop there. If you look at the majority of, I believe it is part 5 where they are dealing with combating corruption, you can see that ZACC sits back and expects corruption to be reported to it, they are waiting for complaints to come to them. However, section 255 of the Constitution says that they are meant to be proactive and go and investigate but they completely failed.
What we see is that the sentiment exhibited by public that ZACC is actually captured right at the top and we are going to see that and when the 2023 report comes out, we expect ZACC to be attending to particular cases. We expect the 2023 report to cover the gold mafia scandal. They cannot shy away from important corruption cases that were exposed and reported by others because they are politically captured. So, we expect ZACC to do more. This report simply does not meet the constitutional standard.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mahere but next time you should avoid mentioning the names of the people who are not here and who cannot defend themselves.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I do not have much to say, but only to comment on the good work that was done by ZACC in terms of the structure of the report, the content and the ambiance. It is an example of how reports should be done. The issue that I may want to bring to light is, ZACC mentioned that they had a strategic workshop and in terms of their strategic workshop, they had specific objectives in terms of what they wanted to achieve. One area is where they wanted to carry out a national anti-corruption strategy, but unfortunately the national anti-corruption strategy was deferred. It was not implemented because of lack of financial resources.
They also wanted to decentralise the operations of ZACC to provinces, but I think they only managed to do that in six provinces. These are some of the issues where in terms of their efficiency they could have done more, but because of lack of resources they could not achieve what they had set for themselves to achieve in the strategic plan and as has already been alluded to by other Hon. Members, corruption negatively affects the ease of doing business. It affects the realisation of Vision 2030 and NDS1 objectives. It also affects service delivery across sectors. What I would want to implore on this august House is for us to support ZACC, to also support their request for further budgetary support from Treasury so that they are in a position to deliver on their mandate. In terms of the recommendations, I have also seen that they seem to be quiet on forensic investigations and the detection of cyber-crimes and because of technology what is happening these days, there is need for ZACC to also invest on cyber crime investigations and forensic investigations. I submit Madam Chair.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Yes, the ZACC 2022 Report is quite detailed. Also as mandated by the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Section 254 and 255 on their objectives which include to promote honest financial discipline and transparency, we see that in this report, there is quite a lot of detail on it. I will start on the 72% conviction to NPA, 72% of cases were convicted. That shows that much work was done particularly in as far as investigation is concerned because at times you see that a lot of other dockets, in some instances, they are then thrown out especially at the NPA level. So that is quite commendable in terms of its mandate to investigate such cases.
Madam Speaker, in their report they described what they call the system review checks. This is a corruption prevention approach that ensures that if the systems are checked, particularly in the public institutions, a lot of this corruption is actually avoided because at times if the systems of the institutions are porous, they will allow corruption to take place. So the report is stating that they have that as their prevention strategy to ensure it is minimised at prevention level than at combating.
Looking at their case by sector analysis, Madam Speaker, we are witnessing that there is quite a lot of challenges, particularly in the local authorities. This is purely an issue of land barons where we see 9.65% - I want to also recommend that as the legislators here, we have a task to ensure that, particularly in our Committees where we represent the relevant ministries, we also discuss and come up with possible measures and solutions that can minimise and reduce this cancerous thing.
Madam Speaker, on their report as well, I have seen that in terms of the staff complement, we see that 46% of the staff complement are women and we are seeing that they are actually exercising the gender balance, trying to balance within the institution. This is quite commendable and I am sure other Commissions also do the same. The report, Madam Speaker, also confirms that they are only in six provinces. Where I come from, Mashonaland East Province, there is no ZACC office in that province. This then gives a challenge of their feasibility because there are also cases that could have been reported or investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. I want to recommend that in an effort to drive or eradicate corruption, they have to be visible in all the provinces, even at district level, to ensure that we combat this scourge.
Also, I have seen that in their report, Madam Speaker, the Commission has got three departments which are the Corporate Affairs, the Corruption Prevention and Combating. It shows that they are working hard enough to make sure that we reduce this and also from their strategy, I see they have got their prosecution liaison which is actually a legal department within the institution that ensures that before the docket is sent to NPA, it is well done. I think this where we then see conviction rate. As such, I want to applaud the Commission on that. I just did a small research Madam Speaker, in terms of trying to benchmark the same in other regional countries around. I have realised that in terms of their human capital capacity, I think it is very low given that other institutions in Tanzania and Zambia have over two thousand manpower. If you see, the staff complement is very low in this institution. This will also affect the turnaround time of all the processes from investigation up to prosecution. The institution should also be equipped, particularly in terms of the resources to ensure that they have enough human capital to ensure that all the necessary investigation issues are dealt with,
I have seen also Madam Speaker, in terms of their asset recovery, where a building was recovered out of unexplained source of wealth. This shows that quite a lot of work is being done by this institution and it is entirely up to us the people of Zimbabwe, to make sure that wherever we are, we should report this corruption in public and private sectors. Also, Madam Speaker, I have seen that in terms of their expenditure, they were given an extra $1 billion by the Treasury to ensure that they can meet their mandate to deliver the duties as required by the law. We also want to applaud on that and to commend the Treasury because if we live these key institutions not well capacitated, the effects will be the rampant corruption in the society.
Without taking much, Madam Speaker, I would want to conclude. One scholar, Robert Klitgaard defined corruption with an equation where it says, ‘corruption is equals to discretionary power plus rent seeking behaviour minus accountability’. We need to make sure that us as legislators here, we need to hold people accountable. We also need to make sure that as Zimbabweans, we should not get into rent-seeking behaviours because this will lead to corruption. Madam Speaker, as recommendations, this anti-graft body should be well resourced with human and financial resources to ensure that it delivers its key mandate as required by the law. I submit Madam Speaker.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank Madam Speaker Ma’am. I also want to add my voice on the Anti-Corruption’s Report. I want to first acknowledge that the Commission has been able to comply with the requirements of the laws of the land to make annual reports which then enables us as parliamentarians to further interrogate the reports and make recommendations.
An analysis of this report reviews that corruption is now a cancer in our country. Madam Speaker Ma’am, this is a worrying revelation from the report. It exposed the magnitude of corruption in this country. When you check on their report, when they explained their findings through the urban and rural campaigns, you will see that corruption is involving people or officials who are supposed to be protecting natural resources, who are supposed to be champions of good values and corporate governance in our country. When you see chiefs and headmen being implicated in illegal selling of land, even in the rural areas and when you also read from the report, corruption involving Rural District Council officials – it is worrisome Madam Speaker. This why I concluded that, now we have a serious cancer affecting the Zimbabwean society. I have checked also on the report the Commission said – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Even when you also check on Pomona, it is corruption. It is another high level case of corruption. Madam Speaker, it is also worrisome to see even in urban areas where there is corruption in the medical facilities where people have to pay bribes for them to have access to medication. It shows a society that is rotten. A society where values are no longer existing. My recommendation is that the national leadership…
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order Hon. Member?
*HON. MATANGIRA: My point of order Madam Speaker is that there is no corruption in the rural areas. Corruption is found here in the urban areas. I ask the Hon. Member to withdraw. He is insulting the chiefs – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to reiterate and bring before you that, indeed in the report, the Anti-Corruption Commission carried out awareness campaigns in the rural areas and they got 69 reports of corruption in the rural areas, this is not a joke. This is something that is serious where as Hon. Members, we are not finger pointing. There are also cases – rural areas do not belong to ZANU PF or to any political party, neither do urban areas belong to a specific political party we are talking about Zimbabwe. We are talking about building a Zimbabwe that we want, a Zimbabwe that is free of corruption. A Zimbabwe that we want is a Zimbabwe where we are allowed to debate things as they are.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, there is need to make sure that we join our hands together without focusing on political affiliation because corruption is affecting everyone. Imagine Madam Speaker, you have to go to hospital and for you to access medication, you have to pay a bribe. As we all know we have economic challenges in our country, how then can we allow this situation to go where we have corruption within our medical systems? We also have corruption affecting even the education sector. For you to find a place for your children at ECD B, you also have to pay a bribe. This is contained in the report Madam Speaker. These issues revealed by the Anti-Corruption Report are so serious. They require Members of Parliament who are also serious. I am happy that even in the rural areas, people are now aware and they were actually complaining that the problem is not that we do not know that corruption is happening. They were saying the offices of Anti-Corruption Commission are centralised. They are found in provincial offices. So, there is need for easy access in terms of reporting. I recommend that the Anti-Corruption Commission should also use modern technology to find ways whereby they can report through their phones. During the election campaigns Madam Speaker Ma’am, we were using *265# to check our details on whether you are registered or not. Such kind of related technology can be used also to make sure that those in the villages are able to report corruption. Artificial intelligence - I received a message on my phone from Econet saying you can get assisted by artificial intelligence when doing your homework. The same technology can be applied to the Anti-Corruption drive and this will save our nation from the much-needed resources and from corruption. I also recommend the move taken by the Anti-Corruption Commission to decentralise its offices. This will also support the point that I have alluded to on easy access.
I also noted in their report that they are not focusing on arresting only but on prevention and they quoted that prevention is better than cure and I support this. This should also be supported by Treasury to make sure that we focus more on prevention and they say they do not enjoy arrests - yes, that is good but there is need for more support. To this end, they also through the urban awareness campaigns, introduced what they call Anti-Corruption Champions so that we have neighbourhoods that are free from corruption. As a champion myself Hon. Speaker Ma’am, I support this idea that we need more champions even in the rural areas. We need to establish more champions who will spread the gospel of anti-corruption in our country. They will also be able to report suspected corruption activities.
As I conclude, I would also want to see the Anti-Corruption Commission mentioning something about people with disabilities, that they should also be able to access their offices. I did not see it being mentioned in their report but we know we have a number of persons with disabilities in Zimbabwe and they are also affected by corruption. They need to be given space and support when they are reporting and also to be protected from corruption activities. I thank you for giving me this opportunity and I hope as a nation we are going to kill this cancer of corruption in our country.
HON. JERE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise to contribute to the report which was produced by ZACC. Let me commend the Commission for coming up with such a comprehensive report. This report has got everything that you expect of an annual report. The Commissioner started with the ownership of their own report, which is a commendable thing. The report also had a detailed coverage of the governance of the Anti-Corruption Commission, which is also a commendable issue. What makes this report more impressive is that it is informed by standards and it is following the IPSAS, which is also a commendable thing.
The report is also giving us details on the demographic structure of its employees, which is what is expected of a report in summary. The report at the end is giving us in summary, the financial statements of the Commission. Madam Speaker Ma’am, we should understand that a report is not an operational manual where you expect details of how the cases were dealt with and how they were concluded. It is a summary of the activities which took place throughout the period. So, this is a very well articulated report in as far as I am concerned when I was analysing it. The report is also giving us a strategic plan in as far as the Commission envisioned to do in the year 2023, which is quite commendable.
The cases which the Commission dealt with and handed over to NPA were summarised in numbers as these are the cases which were dealt with, which is what we expect from a report. Otherwise, if an annual report is to give details on how each and every case was dealt with, we could be having a 2000 page report. So, it is a summary of the activities that took place throughout the year.
I would also want to commend the Commission for being involved in the social corporate responsibilities in rural areas. Their visibility is very clear for all of us to see. The Commission is very visible in the way they are articulating their duties. I was impressed Madam Speaker Ma’am, two days ago when I was watching on television. The Commission partnered with the University of Zimbabwe and other universities with the thrust to try and catch them young. They want to catch these guys because as they go into business, they should understand the purpose and the responsibility of ZACC and what is bad about corruption. In their own report, when I saw them on television, they were talking about these things. When these guys are young, they are going to be the captains of industry and that is inevitable.
So, this report is an example of a report we should expect. Yesterday we were talking of another report, but this one is quite a comprehensive document which has got everything. With this report Madam Speaker, if I am interested to follow up on a particular case, it is very easy for me to walk into the ZACC office to get the details because it is very clear and it is talking about the number of cases which were dealt with and the conviction rate of 72% is commendable. What we should understand is, there is an issue of natural justice. You are only guilty when you are found guilty, but you realise in this country, especially these high-profile cases where one will be having maybe ten lawyers, it should be expected that they take long. If we can have a success rate of 72% in one year, it is commendable. The Commission did a wonderful job in the year 2022. On that note Madam Speaker, I submit.
HON. MADZIMBAMUTO: I have also taken note of the report by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and I have some observations which I also believe are very pertinent if we all agree that corruption is the number one cancer in Zimbabwe. It also then follows that the report itself must reflect, specifically speaking to the output. More particularly, if we consider that ZACC has taken a position that their drive is not for arrests. So, fundamentally, we are speaking to issues of prevention of the ZACC, the efforts that have been put in place to prevent corruption. If we are going to consider the status out there in our society, can we safely conclude that Zimbabweans fully appreciate the impact of being involved in corrupt activities?
I will give an illustration Madam Speaker. The report under item 3.2 speaks of assets recovery. It then goes further to talk about civil forfeitures which is a very interesting and new phenomenon, specifically in our jurisdiction and territory. The drive is not about arrests. It is a 72% conviction rate against what output. So, as a way of giving an illustration – you can convict 100 people and send them to prison at the taxpayers’ expense, but these individuals would have been convicted for corruption and amassed wealth at the expense of the country. The fundamental question therefore becomes, what is it that the country has recovered from these convictions? So, you have a 72% conviction. We measure it against that which would have been recovered so that at least we can track that there is significant progress.
Madam Speaker, I am very much disturbed to note that other Hon. Members have been submitting that there is a lot of work that was done when they talk of buildings that they said were recovered. With respect, this is a misdirection because there is a fundamental distinction between forfeiture and seizure. So, assets can be seized and I will give an illustration to further explain to the House. You can go to Beitbridge or Chirundu Border posts, ZIMRA has seized a lot of vehicles that are in those warehouses for years. That does not translate to an immediate benefit or does it translate to any benefit to the State because these are properties that are seized on condition of investigations that will be underway. However, we then need the report to clarify to us to say over this period we seized so much properties and after the conclusion of investigations, we then recovered or forfeited to the State so much properties valued at this particular figure.
Item 3.2 of the report clearly places a thumbsuck figure of USD $29 million. What about this USD$29 million? How much was recovered by the State? The report, fundamentally is silent. So, if the report speaks of items or buildings or trucks that would have been seized, that does not translate to a benefit to the State, but actually places a burden on the State because of the costs associated with keeping those items. It talks of Lamborghinis and all these high valued vehicles, it also speaks even to the issue that I earlier on highlighted with respect to 72% conviction rate. What we are particularly interested about in this House is to say, we had 200 people who were convicted of corruption and the State managed to recover unexplained wealth as a result of corruption at the tune of US$750 million. I think Zimbabweans would appreciate it much better to say there has been a recovery of wealth obtained through corruption rather than to say these people are going to prison because they are going to go to jail at the expense of the taxpayer. That little purse is continuously being strained without us actually focusing on the issues that matter.
Again, for the benefit of the House and this is so fundamental, we have only one case which is contained in the report of civil forfeiture the whole of 2022, one. I deliberately thought this is a very fundamental issue because before people speak about a 72% conviction rate, it is also fundamentally important that we appreciate that we have only one conviction. Maybe for the benefit of the House, I can further explain to say when we talk of civil forfeiture, we are saying you obtain for argument’s sake a residential stand valued at USD$25 000.00, but you buy that stand with proceeds from corrupt activities. After buying that stand, you then go on to build a double storey building even with other funds probably that you would have worked for. Now, the concept of civil forfeiture is to say, notwithstanding the value of the building now valued at USD$5 million but because there is USD $25 000.00 which we trace from proceeds of corruption, that property is then forfeited to the State as a USD$5 million property, notwithstanding the value that one would have bought that particular stand for.
The one case that the report is speaking to is exactly or rather falls on all four with what actually happened of individuals that bought a particular stand and built a house which was then forfeited to the State. For the benefit of the House, it is so fundamental that we know that the whole country, we have just one case. Madam Speaker, with respect, this is not something that really we can go to town and praise specifically this report. When we talk of a report being detailed and comprehensive, we are not measuring activity, but results. So, there can be a lot of activity, but the fundamental question becomes against what result, recovery and to what benefit have the Zimbabweans received from these arrests? How much money has been forfeited to the State? This Madam Speaker, is also important.
Maybe as a recommendation going forward, I did not hear the report speak to a framework in place, of how the Commission can expeditiously deal even with items that would have been seized. I gave an indication earlier on, you go to Beitbridge, Chirundu or even to another border post in Mutare. You will find vehicles there that would have been seized, some for more than a year and half. This is the crux. You have properties that are seized over a delayed period of time and by the time these properties are then auctioned by the State, they are sold for a song. The report again on this particular critical issue is silent. So, for us to justify to say we have a comprehensive report that meets all fundamental tenets that we can actually measure it against, we are looking for a clear report that will tell us there is a framework, to say if we have seized these trucks. Interestingly, it talks about 63 heavy duty trucks with 23 trailers, seven properties, and several vehicles including a Lamborghini and conducted five cases involving extraterritorial investigations.
You read from face value, indeed it appears as if there is traction, but you then go to the fundamentals that are very important to say what then does the report articulate in terms of a proper framework of translating these seizures to something that is tangible for the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe, to say indeed, there is a genuine fight against corrupt? The report is silent. So, if the report can be silent on this critical aspect with respect, it is my humble submission that more needs to be done because we cannot celebrate arrests, we cannot celebrate convictions. For us to effect arrests Madam Speaker, you would note it involves the police who are again on Government pay roll, State resources from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, there is the National Prosecuting Authority and those again are on Government pay roll, State resources.
They are taken to court, the Judicial Services Commission become involved, there are Judges, there are Magistrates again who are on Government pay roll, State resources are involved, then we secure convictions, at what cost? We are dealing with economic crisis, we are dealing with issues of criminal abuse of duty. We are dealing with issues of externalisation of foreign currency, we are dealing with fundamental issues whereby assets are illegally obtained, even outside the country. What purpose do that 72% conviction rate serve us when we cannot point out the exact amount of money that could have benefited the country out of those fundamental arrests and even in terms of the costs that could have been involved for these investigations?
The report Madam Speaker, speaks to extra-territorial investigations where we send our investigators to South Africa or to these others countries to say we are following up on properties that might have been illegally obtained and are in this country. Again, at a serious cost, the net effect Madam Speaker, should then translate to say out of all these efforts, the State managed to recover money amounting to USD850 million dollars, then we can give a thumbs up to the report.
As the report stands, with respect, I am very disappointed. It fundamentally ignores the issues that are important. When we are talking of economic crimes, when we are talking about the fight against corruption, the thrust Madam Speaker is with respect to recovery. We are not interested about sending someone to jail, they can go to jail for two years or three years, they could have stolen USD25million that should have benefited the country, they come back from prison, and they continue with that loot. That is not the purpose of fighting corruption. The purpose of fighting corruption is to send a deterrent measure to say you stole 20 000USD and build something which is not valued at USD5 million, we recover that thing worth USD5 million, that is the pain that should actually accompany economic crimes.
So, if we are going to discuss, somebody made reference to even issues in other jurisdictions, you go to South Africa or other jurisdictions in Europe, economic crimes Madam Speaker with respect, are taken very seriously because this is what brings up a country. At the same time this is also some of the things that can bring a country down and to scalpel all efforts for economic recovery with respect to our beloved nation.
So, Madam Speaker, as a recommendation and as I conclude, we want a report in future that we can relate to, that is measurable that answers to the critical aspect specifically with respect to recovery to say what has the nation benefited. It will be very disappointing as a way of example to say a particular Commission has received a budget of USD 3million and they have recovered 25USD, that will be very disappointing and a let down to the country. So, Madam Speaker, my contribution with respect to this debate is that this report fundamentally left the people of Zimbabwe down. It ignores the critical issues that Zimbabweans must hear. It fails to address the benefit, what the benefit to the ordinary Zimbabwean is to say we are fighting against crime.
As I conclude, the efforts really which this House going forward should then be looking into is a clear framework that is measurable and clear amounts that we say have been recovered so that we give a thumbs up to this report. As this report is before this august House for purposes of rating, it is a very fundamental disappointment. I thank you.
HON. MAHERE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I am extremely concerned with the data that is contained particularly in paragraph 3.1.6 of the report. There is continued reference in this debate to a 75% conviction rate. When you look at the data of the ZACC report, you will actually see that, that conviction rate is misleading. Clause 3 says 134 cases – [AN. HON. MEMBER: She is debating the second time on the same motion.] –
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: On point of order Madam Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: My point of order is that she has already debated before on this motion. She is now allowed to debate the second time.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mashonganyika, I was about to tell her that. Hon. Mahere, you cannot debate twice.
There being power outage
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Madam Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. CLIFFORD HLATYWAYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU seconded by HON. CLIFFORD HLATYWAYO, the House adjourned at Thirteen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, Hon. Senators, regarding Ministers, we are going to keep the list of apologies so that we see those who will attend next week and those who do not attend. Anyway, to those who do have questions without notice, you are free to ask the questions to the Ministers present.
HON. SEN. MAONDERA: On a point of order Madam President. Thank you for affording me the opportunity. Madam President, I think these Ministers are in the habit of absconding Parliament particularly when it is question and answer segment, they cannot continue to do that without censure. It is important that this august House now take the measures because they are provided for in our Standing Orders. Any Minister who blatantly absconds from Parliament without any reasonable cause must account for their attitudes.
We are elected representatives of the people and the only way the electorate can interface with the Government is through the electorate representatives. We are the electorate representatives of the people. So, if there are no Ministers and if there is not even a third or a tenth of the Ministers to ask questions, how then should the electorate account for their issues that affect them every day. There are a lot of issues that are affecting the electorate. I think we now need to apply the rules of the House without fear or favour. Thank you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Senator, I hear what you are saying. Since we are still starting, I do not think the number of Ministers who attended the last time was bad. Since most of the Ministers are not here, I take note of what you are saying that from now onwards, we need to find out why these Ministers are not coming to answer questions into this House. Today, we can continue with those who are here.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. We note that there are a lot of buses which are coming into Zimbabwe. Madam President, 60% of the disabled people use public transport, what is your Ministry planning to do to facilitate buses which accommodate those who are disabled?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. President of the Senate. I want to thank the Hon. Senator Shiri for that pertinent question. Indeed, this is a challenge that we face as the Ministry of Transport. Regarding buses, when we import buses, we have the Ministry of Industry and Commerce that looks into that. As the Ministry of Transport, we also ensure that these buses are licenced or given permits to use our roads. Indeed, to those who will be importing buses, we urge them to make sure that such buses have provisions for those who use wheelchairs and that they have proper sitting arrangement. We believe that this is a culture which we will continue propagating to people, even regarding buildings, this is the same thing that we urge those who are responsible for infrastructure development to ensure that buildings also have facilities which allow all the disabled to access such buildings. We are going to work together so that the people of Zimbabwe are able to use our public transport.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport. Coming to this building, we have noted that the road is now dangerous and there is a truck which overturned by the bridge which is along Old Mazowe Road which comes to this place. My question is, what efforts are being made to make sure that when Hon. Members come to this august House they are safe because the road is no longer safe?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President Ma’am. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for the question. She raised quite a pertinent question. Let me inform this august House that indeed when we look at the different roads, I want to believe that the road she mentioned is a bit narrow. Let me say that our purpose is that as time goes on, we want to create a road which will be convenient. We will have a road that links Bindura Road and this place will be a wider road, you will no longer use this narrow road, but you will use the road which goes to Bindura. I believe that it will be dual carriageway. We are in a process where our engineers have already planned. The construction of that road will be collaborating with other companies.
Madam President, we are not going to end there, but the road that was mentioned by the Hon. Senator will be rehabilitated from the Mbudzi interchange towards Kuwadzana roundabout. It will be broadened, then the road will continue to Kirkman Road and it will go to Harare Drive and to the Westgate roundabout. We are going to continue broadening the road so that it becomes a highway, which means that those who will be coming to Borrowdale will join the road along Harare Drive. I believe that when we do that, we will have good roads, at the same time we are going to work on the Chirundu-Harare Road.
The other road which we are working on is Lomagundi Road as we drive to Chirundu.
HON. SEN. MAGUNJE: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. We are gravitating towards a fourth revolution the whole world. I would want to know what is the Ministry’s plans towards our developmental stages so that we are not be quote unaware? You are aware that very soon, most cars will be electric vehicles and it also means that if we do not have plans in time, we may suffer huge employment opportunities. Our people will get out of employment because of the new inventions which will come in terms of the electric cars.
Also, you find out that in the motor industry, we have got filling stations and those filling stations if we take in electric cars, you find that service stations will not have a lot of customers. It means that they have to shift the technologies from petrol driven to electric driven. We are moving towards having driverless cars. If you look into the European countries and even in a few African countries, there are some cars now which are driverless…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: What is your question so that the Minister can answer? Thank you.
HON. SEN. MAGUNJE: My question is; what do you have in place so that we can catch up with the development which is coming?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank Madam President and let me also thank Hon. Sen. Magunje for the very important question relating to artificial intelligence at the end of the day, that is where he was going and also to appraise the august House that indeed, we are also having plans relating to electric vehicles. Under the purview of the Ministry, we have CMED and we are seized with it as we speak so that we have a number of our cars being electric vehicles and also buses, and we are endowed Hon. Madam President as a country through the availability of lithium in abundance.
We are saying in terms of value addition and beneficiation where we are also advocating for companies to start value add in terms of having batteries so that we do not just sell the lithium as it is. So, we are also moving towards the establishment of electric vehicles and where we are also giving incentives for companies to gravitate towards the use of electric vehicles. As we speak, within the fleet of CMED, we have a number of electric vehicles which have got a number of benefits in terms of environmental management and in terms of going green, and I am sure my colleague Minister will buttress that this is the desired way forward as a nation.
We are happy that you also talked about the advancement of technology and we are endowed in terms of fossil fuel as a country where we are having to import into the country fossil fuel, but there is no way you can just wake up and abandon the traditional. We want the contemporary measures to be in place, but we will slowly gravitate towards the introduction of electric cars with time. I want to thank the Hon. Sen. for progressive thinking that as a nation this is the desired position. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. We have a lot of carnage especially on the highways. What plans do you have because you find that a lot of cars have got accidents along the roads and all those pieces remain there for quite a long time without anyone to take care of them? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President. Let me also thank Hon. Sen. Mohadi for that very important question which is quite a worrisome issue within the Ministry , where we have seen an increase in terms of road traffic accidents, and for the past two weeks, we had an Indaba together with our stakeholders so as to try and see how we can reduce carnage in our roads. We are saying we have got scrap vehicles left, but I also want to appraise the august House that we have engaged CMED so that we tow such vehicles.
In terms of the obligation, it is up to the person, the owner, in the event that the owner survives or if it is a company so that they tow to a safer place. We have been seeing wreckage being left along roadsides which is not desirable and it causes accidents again. Once again, my appeal to the august House that wherever you see such malpractices, we are saying through the use of CMED, we are going to be patrolling and again through Traffic Safety Council doing the awareness programmes, but in the event that we wreck that to the nearest VID.
In terms of storage charges, we would levy the responsible owner of that wreckage so that when you collect your wreckage we will recover our costs, but the Hon. Sen. has raised a very important question which has also attributed to the increase in number of accidents that we are witnessing and it is also my humble plea that we must be responsible as the citizens so that whenever you have a breakage along highways, we must hasten and move with speed to remove such wreckages. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MAONDERA: Hon. Minister, we have seen one of the drivers of accidents are haulage trucks which they drive at night. What measures do we have to minimise haulage trucks and prefer the railways which can carry goods in bulk so that the roads are not overcrowded with the haulage trucks?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: No, it is a question on its own and we cannot take is as a supplementary question. That question is different from what you are asking. You can bring it on its own. Thank you.
+HON. SEN. MOYO: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. My question is on the Hwange to Victoria Falls Road. This road is in a bad state but the rehabilitation has since stopped, what is the problem? The rural roads are in a bad state, we do not have buses to service us as residents because the roads are bad. Bridges have been swept away and others are impassable. There is also a road from Plumtree to…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Member, I think my problem is, I do not understand Ndebele but to my understanding, you are talking of particular roads of which that is not a policy question. If you have a particular question, you have got to bring it in written form so that the Minister goes and researches on anything to do with that particular road. Do you understand that?
HON. SEN. MOYO: Madam President, why I was stating the road, I wanted to ask a question after that.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: After what now?
HON. SEN. MOYO: After that to tell the Minster to check on his policy to find out why that road has got a problem.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We need to help each other my Hon. Senator. If your colleagues can help you, which questions we allow to be asked in this House without notice. You have to ask that question with notice, which will give the Minister time to go to his Ministry and get information about that road.
HON. SEN. MOYO: Thank you Madam President. I will wait for responses on those two questions which I asked about rural areas.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Moyo for such important questions. I want to believe that going to Victoria Falls, indeed Hon. President, this is quite an important road. It starts from Beitbridge via Bulawayo, then proceed to Victoria Falls. This road is quite important to the country because our tourists who will be going to Victoria Falls use that road. We are talking of a distance of around 700km and something, those who will be coming from Mashonaland West, we join from Karoi via Binga-Cross-Dete, then we join the Victoria Falls Road, which is this road we are talking of 60 km which is in a bad state. This road was constructed in the 1960s and it is in a dilapidated state. So, we are working on rehabilitating the road. We want to make the road as good as the Harare-Beitbridge Road. Hon. Sen this is the plan that we have regarding the Beitbridge- Bulawayo-Victoria Road.
Indeed, most of our rural roads – we are talking of 60 000 km of roads. We have a big task but every year, we have been grading those roads. Now through the responsible line Ministry, we want to have a permanent and lasting solution so that when we have worked on a road it would have been rehauled to become new so that we can take about five or so years without attending to it. This is what we want to do. This is our plan. So, my request to this House is that as we go to our Rural District Councils (RDCs), this is where we come from, we have RIDA, please visit RDCs and RIDA, sit down with them, engage them. Some have tippers, some have graders and we can give you the fuel for the graders so that you can join the Road Rehabilitation Programme, instead of waiting for the Ministry or asking questions, you will be seeing progress in your respective areas. I thank you.
HON. SEN. R. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. I do not know whether this question needs a research or not. I would like to talk about the Plumtree-Tsholotsho-Victoria Falls Road. That is the shortest link as we attract tourist areas in our respective areas. That road has been on the drawing board for quite some time. I wonder whether the Minister of Transport has anything to do with that road. The other road Plumtree-Mpoeng Road…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: No, Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, I think this is the same thing that I told my Hon. Sen. Moyo, that if we have particular roads, we have to put that in written form.
HON. SEN. R. NDHLOVU: Thank you Madam President, I will put that in writing.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I do not know whether the Hon. Minister has something to satisfy the Hon. Senator.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President. What you have said is correct, let us follow that.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The Hon. Minister of Environment is here and he is going to present a Ministerial Statement. So, we have to be here so that we hear what is happening around the country.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NGEZI: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport. Do you have any plans of reviewing the work that is being done by companies that have been contracted to work on different roads around the country?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam President. I would also like to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Ngezi for such an important question. His Excellency has people in his office who are responsible for implementation of Government programmes. Indeed, we have seen that there are some who do shoddy jobs but the good thing is that Government does not pay before being satisfied that the job has been done up to standard. That is why you see that we monitor our projects and I believe in all the projects that are going to be done, as a Ministry, we do not sit on our laurels in our offices. We have Engineers responsible for every project that is in progress, which means that in every road rehabilitation project, you will not see us lying idle.
If a road is fixed and you find that there are potholes, these are the old roads I was talking about because even for a pair of trousers, when it is torn and you patch it, the patch will continue getting tattered and torn. This is the same with our roads. So, I believe that even in this House, this is one of the jobs that we do. We are Hon. Members who represent different constituencies; if there are any contractors who are not doing their job diligently, please let us know so that we help each other. We want to make sure that the budget is properly used.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you, Mr. President. May you allow me to ask my question to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. How far has the Government gone with the plans that were promised to this august House regarding the construction of flush toilets in rural areas and other peripheral areas?
Also looking at what is happening in schools, we thank the Government for providing young girls with regards to the provision of sanitary wear and sanitation accessories. However, we also need facilities that will enable our children to have privacy during their menstrual cycles.
On the construction of chiefs’ courts in their different respective areas, what progress is there and how far has the Government gone with that programme? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. GARWE): Thank you very much Mr. President Sir and thank you Hon. Sen. Chikwakwa for asking a double-pronged question regarding the first ablution facilities in schools and in rural households. In 2021, Government came up with technology that can be used to flush out waste using the water that people use for washing hands and bathing. This water put in tanks can be used to flash toilets like those in urban areas, the Cabinet also approved this. We then decided to build, but the funding for the construction of such facilities was delayed, so last week we made a follow-up to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning regarding the construction of rural toilets particularly looking at Cholera and other water-borne diseases which come from dirty toilets. We believe that when they complete this request then the issue of rural toilets will be taken into consideration. We also did trial runs to see whether this works. We went to Epworth and what was not there in the past two years was the funding for that project to be completed.
The second question concerns the construction of courts for traditional leaders in rural areas. We also sent our request to the Minister of Finance because we want to construct not just traditional courts, but accommodation for our traditional leaders and we are going to make a follow-up. Once we get funding, that project will immediately commence.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: I want to direct my question to the Minister of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare. What plans are there regarding pensions that are given to pensioners especially teachers who cannot go for pensions or retirement because of these meager pensions? We knew in the past that teachers would buy cars, but now they get one million RTGS and they end up suffering from hypertension because of these meager salaries pegged in RTGS. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. ADV. DINHA): Thank you, Mr. President. Indeed, plans will be made to review the pensions, but what they are getting is what they have been contributing. If the money was being deducted in USD they also should be getting USD pensions. Therefore, because they contributed to RTGS, they will also get in RTGS.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Mr. President, the question regarding pensioners is quite pertinent. We have got people who are pensioners, why, because they receive low amounts, do board buses to go and collect their pensions, and the pensions that they collect are less than the money they pay for bus fare. Some pensioners are unfortunate that they do not get their lumpsum whilst they are still alive. So, how can we help so that people get their pensions wherever they are?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR, AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. ADV. DINHA): Thank you very much Mr. President for that question. However, the question should be directed to the Minister of Finance. I thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I believe that question should be directed to the Ministry of Finance. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I think there is need for a point of clarification. The issue is that the Pensions Act is administered by the Public Service Ministry, not the finance Ministry in terms of the law. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): Probably, with your indulgence, let us give the Hon. Minister time to go and research further, but if you have something to say, you can Hon. Minister.
*HON. ADV. DINHA: Thank you very much Mr. President Sir, that is what I wanted to say. May you please give us the opportunity to go and look into the issue, then we will come with a Ministerial Statement to the august House. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Minister, please get comprehensive information.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President, my question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. It is my humble opinion to ask the Hon. Minister if at all he is postulating to come up with a policy that allows truck drivers to straddle the yellow line outside on the left side of the road so as to give way to smaller vehicles or to other motorists with smaller vehicles. I am asking this question because you get locked or jammed in almost half a kilometre of truckers on the highway, and the truckers will never give way to smaller vehicles. Whereas if one straddles as a trucker, the yellow line on the far-left side, there will be room enough for smaller vehicles to pass. Sometimes the accidents which do occur on our highways are due to impatience by smaller vehicles motorists or drivers. Is there any consideration in coming up with such a policy so as our roads or mostly the highways to be trafficable? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Mr. President Sir, let me also thank Hon. Sen. Zindi for that very important question. For those who have gone through the Highway Code, slow moving traffic must keep left. You find that this is on paper, but like she has alluded to, it is not being practiced. We are saying we also need to revisit the same modus operandi when it comes to driving. You find Mr. President Sir, when some drivers cross borders, they will respect that, but within the country, they do not. Mr. President, it is not necessarily the truckers, but even the small vehicles. If you are not moving in tandem with the designated speed limit, you must keep to your extreme left.
Mr. President Sir, we are saying during the course of last week, we had an Indaba again with Traffic Safety Council and other stakeholders. As we were mapping our way forward in terms of managing and reducing road carnage, we are advocating for road champions where we are going to be broadcasting. We are going to raise awareness, having the champions preaching the gospel of maintaining keeping to your left if you are not moving fast so that you leave the inner lane provided that we have got a dual carriageway. If it is not a dual carriageway, you see the way we are rehabilitating our roads and reconstructing our roads, it is a 12.5 metre road which can actually allow four cars in the same direction on the same road.
Mr. Speaker, you find that you will have such selfish drivers as alluded to by our Hon. Senator maintaining as if you are going to a wedding or a funeral procession. We are saying this is not going to happen anymore, we are going to have the Police, Traffic Safety Council and VID working together so that we try to reduce such malpractices. I want to thank the Hon. Senator to say, yes as we are also dualising our roads where we are not yet dualised, let us maintain our extreme left and we will continue preaching this. As a Ministry, we want to pursue that very noble trajectory. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have a supplementary question. I would like to add that since they are working on the law, why not put that law in the Highway Code so that when people take their drivers’ licences or have their lessons, at that very stage they are taught about the conditions and state of our roads. .
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. Indeed, that law is there in the Highway Code. Drivers who do not comply with road regulations should know that those who drive at a low speed should go to the left side of the road. This is the law they are taught whilst taking their drivers’ licence. People read, but they do not apply when they drive along our roads. What you are taught when you take the driver’s licence is what you need to do when you drive along our roads. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you for allowing me to ask questions. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Public Service. We are in a lean season, considering that a lot of people have harvested and those who did not harvest properly are being helped by Government, what is Government, through the Social Welfare, doing to help those who are in need of grain? How many tonnes are we targeting to distribute to the people? My second question is that there are people who do not pay for hospital bills or services. Is there an opportunity for those who cannot afford to be treated for free in public hospitals to get any assistance? In the past this was there where people would just go and get treated for free. I thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. ADV. DINHA): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I want to start with the first question which spoke about food security that many people for now do not have food. As a Ministry, this is what we are seized with. In the past few months, we were targeting the areas which are dry and which do not have food. Now we believe that in November, we are going to be distributing food to all districts without choosing because every district should benefit because people do not have food in this season.
In the next few weeks, we are going to be distributing maize throughout the country. We are waiting for funding from the Ministry of Finance for transportation of the grain and the Ministry of Agriculture to avail the grain. This is what we are waiting for so that this project and this programme is done as a matter of urgency.
The second question is that - are there any beneficiaries who are benefitting from Assisted Medical Treatment Order (AMTO), this is happening and we have a lot of people who need medical help and they come to our Ministry and they are assisted. I believe in that regard for those who approach the Ministry, they have been getting assistance from our hospitals. Some wanted to be treated outside the country and this has been done for some critical cases. This programme is there for the benefit of those who cannot pay for their medical treatment who are in dire need. When they approach the Ministry, they are going to get assistance. All those who have come to get assistance have been assisted. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing No. 67.
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: There are a number of supplementary questions that were supposed to come up and there are also three other Senators that I have written who were supposed to ask their questions, but according to Standing Order No. 67, the time for questions has expired. With all due respect, I am not going to allow an extension but for the three Senators who were supposed to ask their questions whom I had already recognised, we will have to carry forward your questions for next week to allow the Hon. Minister to give us a ministerial statement.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
THE MNISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. N. M. NDLOVU): Madam President, I am humbly honoured to address this august House on the deplorable state of solid waste management across the length and breath of the country and in all local authorities, be they rural or urban, but more conspicuous in the urban local authorities. It is a sorry state of affairs, and we should all take responsibility as Zimbabweans.
Our streets are infested with all kinds of waste streams, from PE and glass bottles, paper, plastics, and light bulbs to diapers and medical waste among others. Mountains of illegal dumps have become the norm, and in some cases, they sit right in the middle of roads in high-density areas, blocking traffic and water drains.
In Harare Metropolitan Province, the Environmental management Agency (EMA) has mapped over 2 000 illegal dumps of various sizes and we are still counting. Drainage systems are clogged and overflowing with litter. Sanitary lanes are now dump sites. Our highways are strewn with refuse. Hon. Members, this is the sad state of sanitation in our cities and towns. With this state of affairs, it is not surprising that year in year out we experience Cholera and Typhoid outbreaks.
Over the last five years, the Second Republic has instituted various measures in pursuit of a clean and safe Zimbabwe. His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa launched the National Clean Up Programme in 2018. Using the rationale of moral suasion, the programme urged all citizens to clean up their environs between 0800 hours and 1000 hours on the first Friday of every month. Various stakeholders took heed of this initiative. Our principals religiously led the nation in the Clean Up Programme.
During the same period, the Government in collaboration with partners, promoted the sound management of waste through national environmental commemorations, television and radio programmes, road shows, exhibitions and social networks, among others. We have taken the various local authorities to task, penalising them regularly for them to attend the crisis that is unfolding.
Further, notable strides have been made towards sustainable waste management through recycling efforts. Records at the Environmental Management Agency indicate that more than 72 recycling companies recycle 20 000 tonnes of waste per month. While this is commendable progress, still needs to be done to cope with the waste we are generating.
Madam President, while we acknowledge the above efforts, the sorry state of our urban and rural environs clearly shows that more must be done to attain a clean Zimbabwe. Self-introspection after five years of implementation of the various measures calls for a different approach. We have to ensure accountability by every institution and at every level.
Having noted the despicable and deplorable state of solid waste management, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa declared a State of Disaster on Solid Waste Management in Harare Metropolitan Province on 31 July, 2023 in terms of Section 27 (1) of the Civil Protection {Chapter 10:06]. Under the declaration, my Ministry through EMA was mandated to:
- Coordinate the use of materials and services made available by local authorities within the Harare Metropolitan Province during the State of Disaster,
- Endeavour to remove illegal solid waste dumps using a range of activities, include mapping, quantification, and clearing of illegal waste dumps and direct local authorities within the Harare Metropolitan Province to establish appropriately designed and designated waste transfer stations;
- Direct local authorities within the Harare Metropolitan Province, under its supervision, to undertake period collection, including sanitary lanes;
- Direct local authorities within the Harare Metropolitan Province, under its supervision, to install bins in streets and public places;
- Undertake, together with local authorities within the Harare Metropolitan Province, awareness campaigns through roadshows, radio and television programmes and specific sector cluster meetings;
Since the declaration, the following has been achieved to date: -
- Two thousand illegal waste dumps were mapped, of which 862 were cleared.
- Awareness campaigns continue to sensitise citizens on the importance of a clean environment;
- Some pole litter bins have been mobilised and installed in Harare;
- Further, a command centre has been set up to coordinate, monitor and report on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Programme.
However, the local authorities in Harare Metropolitan Province are yet to ensure regular collection of waste, mainly due to inadequate waste management equipment. Further, EMA must still be fully capacitated to deal with its new mandate through Statutory Instrument 140:2023. As I present to you today, Treasury has managed to release USD1.1 billion dedicated to the programme. The Statutory declaration was supposed to spun for three months ending 31st October, 2023 and His Excellency the President has seen the wisdom in continuing with this programme under the declaration and has since extended the implementation period to 31st December, 2023, through Statutory Instrument (SI) 219:2023.
Mr. President, Government after further deliberating on the state of cleanliness in the country, noted the continued failure to manage solid waste and additionally approved the following measures to curb the unsustainable accumulation of waste:
- that a Statutory Instrument (SI) be promulgated to make the National Clean-up Programme compulsory for Government ministries, departments, agencies, local authorities, the business sector, vendors, retailers and manufacturers.
-That local authorities should localise the SI by promulgation of the relevant by-laws;
-That funds collected by local authorities from residents for waste management will be ring-fenced to ensure that the authorities do not divert the funds to other uses, with EMA supervising the usage of the funds;
- That deterrent fines for public littering will be introduced and enforced and repeat offender charged with no option of a fine, but given mandatory community service;
-That road and rail authorities be compelled to ensure that road and rail servitudes are litter-free and to undertake regular clean-ups along the servitudes and at lay-byes;
-That public transport vehicles that dump waste along roads should be fined up to Level 8, with the responsible transport operator or owner also being liable;
-That all political parties should be compelled to mobilise their constituents to remove their campaign materials from the environment and ensure that it is correctly disposed of, with the assistance of local authorities;
-That awareness and education programmes be undertaken, starting with a re-launch of the National Clean-Up Programme to embed a mindset against littering and general disorder.
The Ministry has since developed a robust and all-inclusive national clean-up revitalisation programme, which we are rolling out in response to the Cabinet directive. As the first step towards implementing this directive, my Ministry has since drafted the SI and engaged all ministries through the respective Ministers in a letter dated 1st November, 2023. A meeting with all urban local authorities also took place to ensure the uptake of clean-up at the local level.
The 3rd November, 2023 National Clean Up was our key barometer to test the new thinking around the revitalisation of the National Clean-Up and I went to report that positive energy was noted. The Parliament, through the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality led by the Speaker, Hon. J. Mudenda, was a significant highlight that has to be replicated and consistently sustained. They came out in numbers, cleaned and made critical media statements. If this can be repeated across all Parliamentary Portfolio Committees, that would be a massive statement towards reshaping the clean-up narrative. Community mobilisation for clean-ups should spread to Rural District Councils, wards and villages. To this end, councillors and traditional leadership are critical pillars going forward.
A total of 2 056 (104% increase from last month) clean up exercises were done nationwide, with 67 857 (42% increase from the previous month) participants partaking in the programme, signaling marked improvement in stakeholder participation and collective action. A total of 2 398.79 cubic meters of waste removed from environment.
The observations were as follows:
-The mandatory clean-up approach resulted in more extensive coverage compared to previous programmes;
-Road servitude stretches of the highway being cleaned by InstaToll (Tollgates) are very clean; however, the observation was that areas beyond the livestock control fence are littered;
-Roadblock sites for ZRP are littered and there was no clean-up attending to any of these sites;
-Harare Province had the highest number of localised events, while Midlands had the least;
-There was limited participation at rural service centres due to late information dissemination of the programme; and
-There was a tendency for open waste burning in some instances. I think these were people trying to get rid of the waste collected.
I just highlight a few areas as I note going forward. We will continue to mobilise stakeholders through their associations, which include Residents Associations, Trusts, Churches, Business Communities, Transport Associations, Recycling Companies among others. We will endeavour to optimise rural participation, and to do this we will engage the National Chief’s Council and the Provincial Chief’s Councils for further cascading of the programme to villages. We will also liaise with local authorities to continuously collect waste, through following set waste collection schedules. I want to thank you Madam President for this opportunity to deliver this Statement before the august House. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Members, we are going to resume the Business of the Day. In case some might want to seek clarification from the Minister, before I excuse him. You are free to do so.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I would like to applaud the efforts of the Minister in attempting to build a livable Zimbabwe, our weather environment is pleasant. I have been to several places, Rwanda and Namibia and in those places, you do not see any litter on the ground. The situation is different here. Minister, there is a bit of a challenge that local authorities face with respect to managing solid waste.
Local authorities are not allowed to collect foreign currency, they do collect their revenues in ZWL yet all the filling stations where they collect their fuel need USD. The local authorities also try to queue up for forex at the auction floor and most of them are not very successful and their hands are also tied with respect to accessing foreign currency on the black market. So, they are left stranded between the horns of a dilemma as to what to do with respect to collecting waste.
My proposal Minister is, if you could assist local authorities to access foreign currency timeously on the auction floor that might help them to cut away more solid waste. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MAONDERA: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I stay in high-density suburbs here in Harare. I have seen an exercise where your EMA officials were working with the City of Harare collecting mounts of cabbages. However, the problem now is where they have collected, there are already mounts of cabbage, so are not creating a vicious circle that as you are solving this problem, you are creating another problem? Are we not curing the symptoms instead of curing the disease? Your Ministry should spend more time educating the communities and also capacitating, like what my colleague has said, local authorities with vehicles and fuel so that they collect garbage.
If you ask residents why they are dumping garbage, they say, yes, they appreciate your effort to clear the mounts of garbage, but after you have cleared the garbage, local authorities do not have fuel and trucks to continue collecting solid waste. My opinion is that may we continue to capacitate local authorities so that residents will have proper disposal of solid waste.
HON. SEN. MACKENZIE: Hon. Minister, I think this is a commendable initiative, in terms of the fines, what happens to those local authorities that are not cooperating? As Hon. Sen. Maondera has said, it becomes a vicious cycle not because of incapacitation, but because of willingness to participate and cooperate with the Government.
Secondly, you also mentioned that police roadblocks are characterised by litter yet you indicated that there are fine levels where people are supposed to be fined. Even if the police themselves are not responsible enough, who is then going to arrest those who are littering? I thank you.
HON. SEN. RITA NDLOVU: Thank you Hon. Minister. The problem that we have is that starting within this building, when you go right round, you realise that there is not even a single bin and you wonder where litter is going to be dumped. At the end of the day, we will even made this place dirty, there is a need to provide bins.
Also coming to the locations where we stay, I am not sure Hon. Minister what can be done as a way of making our places become clean cities? There are different ways that the Government is trying, but if you go to Bulawayo, for a city like Bulawayo, you will realise there is so much dirt in the city, people just drop litter anywhere.
In the suburbs where we stay, the garbage collectors, I am not sure whether they were contracted by local authorities or not, you will realise that the garbage collectors in Bulawayo do not have a specific time of collecting, even at 0500 hours they will be moving around collecting garbage. They also have specific garbage that they collect and they will tell you that you need to pay for any garbage collection. If you put too much garbage, they do not collect.
However, we thank the Ministry for the effort that they are making, but we further request that they not put specific policies on how people should dispose of any litter.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE, AND WILDLIFE (HON. N. M NDLOVU): I want to thank the Senators for the very critical points of clarity that they have raised. Hon. Sen. Zvidzai highlighted the challenge of foreign currency. We have engaged the four local authorities and I must highlight that none of them have brought the challenge of foreign currency.
We have even analysed that we subscribe to the principle of polluter pace, which is why we are now saying let us ring fence the funds that are collected for waste management so that they are deployed. We are then going to be able to assess their adequacy and we have realised that a huge amount close to 60% is diverted to other uses.
Local authorities, now more than ever before, are getting support from the central Government through devolution funding where we really expect to see them deploying more of those resources towards this crisis which is evident for everyone to see. You are even seeing smaller local authorities investing in dump trucks which is not reflected in these higher urban local. For Harare, I think they have around 45 refuse compactors, only five are functional. Some of them are small issues that just needed maintenance. Once they have a malfunction they are parked. For a city which we believe require not less than 200 dump trucks, the situation will obviously persist. I think it will relate to one of the issues, the vicious cycle that was highlighted.
While I acknowledge that they are part of operations that may need foreign currency, I think the problems in our local authorities especially urban local authorities require first a mindset shift. For them to prioritise the issue of waste management, I am happy to say that with the support that we got from Treasury with respect to this disaster, we have set aside funds I think up to 72 000 to repair 20 of the compactors that are down for the City of Harare to enable them to try and improve their capacity to collect waste. This is the major problem that we are facing.
Mr. Speaker, I have taken note of the issue of maybe the need to allow them to gain access to forests. I will really have to check if at all they do bid in the auction floors and we will be able to liaise with the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank on this one. The issue of resurfacing waste, I think we can all agree here. No one wants to stay with waste wherever they are. As long as waste is not collected, people will go and dump. The reason they are dumping it at the end of their road is because they do not want dirt next to their households. It is a given and the clearance of waste that we were doing was because of the directive that we got which should have correspondent with the directive that the local authority publishes a routine waste collection schedule and follows it to the end because it did not happen that is why we are seeing the waste resurfacing. I do not think it is really an issue of conscientisation of people. If the waste is not collected, it will find its way to the illegal waste dumps. That is why we are prioritising the repair of these refuse compactors and we hope that it will alleviate the problems in a way.
We have been fining the local authorities that are not playing the ball. We tried to work with them. There are a number of them with the capacity issue but also, we believe that their priorities are now well aligned. We have been sitting with them to realign and our desire is to see them prioritising in the next budget especially from the devolution funding acquisition of equipment that will enable them to manage solid waste.
We have engaged, I am happy to say the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Police have attended our meetings and we have highlighted the need first for them to erect bins where they know they have permanent roadblocks. They should have portable bins where the roadblocks are spontaneous because it is giving a very bad picture. I hope that going forward they will implement the measures that we have agreed.
I do not know what we have to do with Parliament. Parliament has a responsibility to put bins outside so that Hon. Members can dispose of litter. I am told there are no bins, maybe it is work in progress. Just as the local authority has a duty to make sure that they give residents bins which they collect, we expect that most of these authorities avail these bins. It helps us in managing especially litter that is left all over.
We all agree I am sure that the situation in our country is not something we can be proud of. I think the opening remarks, I think it was Hon. Sen. Zvidzai if I am not mistaken who was to compare our country with other countries. What was once a sunshine city has just become an open dust bin. We will be engaging our traditional leadership starting I think next week on Wednesday, we have a breakfast meeting with the Chiefs’ Council. We believe that if we have a whole of community approach to some of these challenges that are even affecting the image of our country, we will be able to address them decisively. Thank you Mr. President – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Minister for clarifying all the issues that were raised by Hon. Senators in the House.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS FOR THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Mr. President, I move that Order of the Day, No. 1 be stood over until the rest of the Order 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 DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS FOR THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETARANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Thank you Madam President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 14th November, 2023.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINSITER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA), the Senate adjourned at Sixteen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 8th November, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Members for your patience. We had an outage and there was some delay on activities. Let me start with the apologies that I have received.
Hon. Vice President, Gen. Rtd. Dr. Constantino, G.D.N. Chiwenga;
Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social
Welfare;
Hon. K. D. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Finance and
Investment Promotion;
Hon. R. Bila, Minister of Industry and Commerce;
Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Local Government and Public Works;
Hon. O. C. Z Muchinguri, Minister of Defence;
Hon. Amb. Dr. F. N. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
Hon. Z. Soda, Minister of Mines and Mining Development;
Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development;
Hon. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development;
Hon. M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises;
Hon. L. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community and SMEs; and
Hon. Prof. A. Murwira, Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
Some of these Ministers are out of the country and others are on national engagements.
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM THE NURSE AIDE ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE TRUST, THERESA NYAVA, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SANITARY AID ZIMBABWE TRUST AND HARARE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on Friday, 28th October, 2023, Parliament received the following petitions;
- Petition from the Nurse Aide Association of Zimbabwe Trust beseeching Parliament to enact the Nurse Assistance Council’s Act regulating all missions of nurse aides in Zimbabwe. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care.
- b) Petition from Theresa Nyava, the Executive Director of Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe Trust beseeching Parliament to enact legislation of menstrual health and Hygiene Management that provides free sanitary products and services to individuals in need. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committees on Primary and Secondary Education, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation and Technology Development and Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
- c) The petition from Sexual Morality Internship for Life Empowerment (SMILE) Foundation beseeching Parliament to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act and to repeal Section 41 of the Marriages Act amongst other things. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
- d) Petition from Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependence Forum and the (CWVHD) and REDREV Youth Empowerment Fund beseeching Parliament to amend Sections 23 and 84 of the Constitution to accommodate budgetary support for the dependence of the gallant sons and daughters of the soil who perished during the war of liberation. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee of Defence, Home Affairs and War Veterans Affairs and finally;
- e) The petition from the Harare Residents Association beseeching Parliament to align the Urban Councils’ Act, Rural District Councils’ Act and the Electoral Act with the Constitution on Gender Equality in terms of political representation. The petition has since been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing as well as the Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
HON. CHIBAYA: On a point of privilege Hon. Speaker. Hon. Speaker good afternoon
THE HON. SPEAKER: Did you say point of privilege?
HON. CHIBAYA: Yes Hon. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You have forgotten veteran politician. We do these on Thursdays and Tuesdays.
HON. CHIBAYA: It is a new Parliament.
THE HON. SPEAKER: It is a new Parliament with old Standing Orders. So, you can have it tomorrow. Thank you.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. MHURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. What is the Government policy with regards to the establishment of Zimbabwe Republic Police posts in areas which are in villages far away from major growth points or rural service centres? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do we have the designated Leader of Government Business? Hon. Mhona, please proceed and respond.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for raising that very important question. Indeed, it is also of paramount importance for the august House to know that we also have a listening Zimbabwe Republic Police. In the event that you require the services of any global police station, they are amenable and you have seen that in a number of stations, if you so require, that can be facilitated. So, if you have got such areas where you need extra security, the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is also willing to entertain such requests. Thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I should have announced that Hon. Mhona is the Acting Minister responsible for Government Business as Leader.
HON. SHUMBA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. What is Government policy on re-gravelling rural roads? There is the Rural Rehabilitation Programme. They are resurfacing roads, but they are not putting the gravel. During the rainy season, these roads are not accessible yet they lead us to critical public institutions like hospitals and clinics. So my question is, what is Government policy on regravelling these roads? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. I do concur with the Hon. Member. We have taken some time to rehabilitate our roads and we find that in the rural constituency where some of us come from, year in and year out, we grade our roads, but some of the roads are now weaker and they require re-gravelling first. So I do agree with Hon. Shumba that yes, we can regrade and at the end of the day, you find that upon rains, the road will be in a sorry state again.
Going forward, Hon. Speaker Sir, as a Ministry, we are busy through research and development, we are pursuing other contemporary measures to rehabilitate our roads where we can talk of nano particle technology where we can mix some of the said and some very important articles so that we have roads that are durable. You can see that it can take three, four or five years without attending to the same road.
So precisely, this is the way forward for the Ministry, but as the Hon. Member has alluded to, you have got four road authorities and you find that the road authorities are mainly found in rural constituencies – you talk of RIDA which was DDF before, and we also have rural district councils. We have also said and I can say to the august House, now we are thinking of going an extra mile as the Ministry where instead of waiting for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, we are saying let us reason together, do your compilation of the roads that you require to be graded and the amount of fuel that you require so that we start funding for fuel through your rural district council and through RIDA, so that you will also be in a position to rehabilitate your roads before the advent of the rains. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*HON. HWENDE: Murikuita zvekucheserana maquestion –[Laughter.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Is that Hon. Hwende?
HON. HWENDE: It is like a prepared question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Well, you must watch the House of Commons. They do have written questions. Where they get them from, is none of our business – [HON. MEMBERS: It is questions without notice.] – Yes, it still remains questions without notice.
Just a small reminder. If any Member comes after prayers please do not cross in front of the Speaker, you go behind. I have been very indulgent today.
*HON. KARUMAZONDO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question goes to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement. Minister, what are Government plans with regards to the delivery of inputs to cotton farmers, does the Minister know that date when these inputs will be delivered?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. On the question on whether I know the date that these inputs are going to be delivered, yes, I know when. Let me go on to explain that today we held consultations with about eight stakeholders of the cotton industry and we discussed how we were going to help cotton farmers this year. It was agreed that these companies would provide all the necessary inputs to the cotton farmers in each district through what is called Common Inputs Delivery Point and they are starting today giving Agricultural Marketing Authority…
Hon. Mahere having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Mahere, I have just announced that when you are late…
Hon. Mahere continues walking.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you stop walking when I am talking! I have just announced that when you are late, come through the other side, not in front of the Chair. Alright! I do not want to repeat the steps, so I indulge you for today. Thank you.
HON. MAHERE: Thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you and please take your seat.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, each entity or organisation will be responsible for certain farmers. They will take their list of farmers to AMA and AMA will work together with the councillor who will be the Chairperson, assisted by any appointee, by the Chief, followed by the village head, will agree on the quantities to be given to farmers. They have started doing that today. I believe that as we move forward, we hope that this year the system will be efficient. This year, we are expecting 270 000 hectares of cotton to be grown. I thank you.
HON. NGWENYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question is, the Minister just indicated that they talked to some companies for the delivery of the said inputs. I just want to know the quantities involved. I want to know the quantities that will go towards the scheme to each family. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Ngwenya. When you talk of quantities, your question must be quantified in written form because you cannot expect the Hon. Minister to start giving you the quantities now off his head. It is not possible. If you want to know the quantities, next week have a written question and you will be given the quantities. What we are stressing is more of policy than functionality.
HON. MAMOMBE: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: I was thinking that the Minister was on point. Please proceed.
HON. MAMOMBE: Thank you very much Hon. Minister for your response. My supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir is, what is Government doing in terms of ensuring that when distributing the inputs there is no partisanship? Thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank the Hon. Member for the question. I do not know where partisan distribution would come in when I say this is a contracted programme with eight contractors, COTTCO being one of them. We have said this goes to common inputs distribution points in the open, where the councillor for the area is the chairman. The chief’s appointee is the Vice Chairman, all the headmen and all the village heads are members. The Agritex is the secretary, the headmaster of the nearest school is the Vice Chair and everyone is involved for distribution. This is the lowest structure of elected Government distributing at ward level, the concillor. If the Hon. Member has suggestions on how we can improve this and avoid non-partisanship, I would really appreciate this in writing, indicating how this would be improved. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I was going to say, the supplementary question was a bit presumptuous because the programme has just started and if the Hon. Members from my right or left have any incidences of partisan distribution, please raise the alarm with the Minister and corrective action will be taken accordingly. Otherwise the inputs are for all Zimbabweans.
HON. MATAMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. My question…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
HON. MATAMBO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Leader of the House, Hon. Felix Mhona. What is the Government policy regarding the involvement of civil servants in politics, especially those in the military? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me also thank Hon. Matambo for that very important question which also gives us the platform to clarify. Mr. Speaker Sir, our Constitution is very clear, not only the Constitution but the Hon. Member has raised the question pertaining the appointment of public servants into politics. We are saying it is very clear, even from party positions. If you want to join politics, it is clearly stated that there is nowhere you can mix the two. You have to resign and be into politics. Precisely, you find that civil servants, if they join politics, even some of the MPs who were in Government, they resigned from their respective posts to pursue politics. It is very clear that when you are in politics, you will not still be serving under the Public Service. Precisely, this is the position Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. MATAMBO: Supplementary question Mr. Speaker Sir. We have seen the recent announcement by the President E. D. that Army General, V. P. Valerio Sibanda is an Ex-Officio member of ZANU PF. Is that not in violation of the Constitution like you have mentioned that when one gets into politics, he has to resign from the Civil Service? Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. A Member is allowed to raise a point of order. It is within the Standing Orders. Do not disabuse that.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for protecting me. The supplementary question is becoming too specific for a specific individual. I do not think that is fair. What we should be dealing with is the policy issue. The policy issue was explained by the Minister but if they have a specific issue, they do write a question to the Minister and the Minister will deal with that specific question.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Minister, did you want to say something?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want also to thank Hon. Togarepi for that follow up statement. Let me hasten to say to my colleague MP, my brother Hon. Matambo that if you go to the Constitution, you will be answered in terms of those who fall under the Public Service that I have alluded to and also those who are in the Police and the Army, their description. I am happy that there are a number of learned colleagues from your side. You can be guided accordingly to say, are the soldiers under the Public service? You can get that from the Constitution. However, to buttress what has been said by the Chief Whip, since it is now a specific question, we would be very happy to have it written and you will be answered accordingly. Thank you.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Acting Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mhona. Currently, people are having problems with electricity.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chibaya, normally you address the question through the Chair.
*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to Hon. Mhona, our Leader of the House for the day. In this country, we are having problems with electricity which is now impacting negatively on industry work performance.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, if you will indulge me. Hon. Mahere, we do not allow photo shooting in the House.
HON. MAHERE: Pardon me Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am sorry to interrupt you.
HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. In this country, we are having problems with electricity which is impacting negatively on production in industries and our household usage. Can you please tell this august House the plans that you have in place to address this problem so that it does not continue to recur?
HON. MHONA: Hon. E Moyo, the Minister of Energy is here.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Chibaya and myself are sharing some temporary blindness. Hon. Minister.
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. E. MOYO): Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Chibaya for the question. Yes indeed, we are going through depressed generation in all our power stations in the country at the moment. The reasons being: firstly, hydrological issues at Kariba Dam where our water levels have since gone so low that we now have depressed generation at Kariba. Our normal storing capacity in Kariba is 1050 megawatts but we are currently running between 250 and 300 megawatts and that is already a depressed capacity of generation. Secondly, coming to Hwange, which is our other major generation point, we recently commissioned Units 7 and 8 and those units have given us a combined output of 600 megawatts but two weeks back, Unit 7 tripped and that was two weeks before it was due for Class C maintenance. So, in an effort to reduce the time-out, we had to combine the inspection and repair works of the actual displacement Unit together with the Class C maintenance which is going to run up to the end of this month.
In place of that, between Units 1 and 6 which are also at Hwange, we are expecting to bring on board Unit 4 which was also out due to some faults that had developed and it will come on board on the 21st of November. That will add a bit on the generation of power. We are also working on bringing in more inputs into the country although they are a drain in our foreign currency situation, we are currently negotiating with our neighbouring countries and we have been able to raise our imports between South Africa and Mozambique. So, these are the measures that are being taken to bring our situation to normalcy.
However, in the medium to long term, the idea is to increase our solar outlay because our solar is the easiest of the fruits that we have. We are looking at different independent power producers who have presented their projects and some of them are currently on-going. We think that by the beginning of the first quarter of 2024, we should be able to reap quite significantly from our solar projects. There is also a programme to repower Units 1 to 6 in Hwange so that we improve generation because they have outlived their life-span. So the idea is to do some repowering so that we can increase the efficiency of production of power within those units and those efforts are under way. I thank you.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I see the proposals that the Hon Minister gave do not bare any timelines and water seemingly is vulnerable to seasonal variations. So, it means every year this time we will have the same problem. In as much as you proffer solar as a solution, it comes with system instability unless you are putting batteries. So, what is the plan that will make us secure within the medium and long term?
HON. E. MOYO: Thank you very much Hon Speaker Sir. I also want to thank my Chairman of the Committee on Energy. These things have timelines. In fact, we have developed a roadmap which has been adopted by Cabinet on how we are going to solve the energy issue through to 2025. That roadmap has timelines but unfortunately, I did not bring the roadmap. Had it been a written question, I would have done so to enable us to share the information because it has already been adopted. All these things we are talking about have timelines.
Then on the issue of solar, yes, batteries are very important as a storage facility for solar to avoid the inconsistencies that come with the absence of sun during the night. Technologies have been developed and just last week, there was an international solar alliance assembly where these technologies were on display. We made an arrangement with ISA for them to come to Zimbabwe in January to assist the country in terms of acquiring the storage facilities in the form of batteries and also to do feasibility studies, teach and power reports on the floating solars on Kariba. Whilst we have the hydrological issues in Kariba, we can still reap benefits from the dead water in Kariba through installing floating solar systems up there. The major question was timelines and those are available in our detailed roadmap. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Minister.
HON. ENG. MHANGWA: Follow up question Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Engineer, you should be engineered by the Standing Orders. You are not allowed to ask two supplementary questions unfortunately. However, since the Hon. Minister has acknowledged that you are the Chair, I am sure you can have further conversation beyond this session.
HON. MARKHAM: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker. My question to the Minister is pertaining to Kariba. Last year I followed the Zimbabwe River Authority website which is very accurate. Last year this time we had less water in Kariba yet Kariba was generating twice the amount of power that they are today. Can the Minister give us an explanation for that?
HON. E. MOYO: I think he is speaking about what happened last year if I heard him correctly. Last year we overused our allocation of water in Kariba. What happens is that the Zambezi River Authority has the responsibility of allocating water to both Zimbabwe and Zambia on a 50/50 basis. So, the expected water inflows in Kariba last year were about 30 billion litres. So, during the process of generation and when we had some issues in terms of our generation centers in Hwange, there was an increased generation to reduce the power supply deficit in the country and therefore, there was a level of over-use. But when I went through the records and following further discussions that we had last month in Kariba with our Zambian counterparts, it was clear that the matter was not as bad as it was reported. In fact, both countries at some occasion have overused the water, but when we overuse the water, there are penalties that fall. Therefore, the offending country has to pay a penalty and those penalties were paid.
For this year, we have been very careful not to overuse the water so that we are able to run our generators in Kariba up to the next inflows. Only 23% of the inflows into Kariba comes to the Zimbabwe and maybe 80% inflows come from the northern catchment area. The northern catchment area begins to experience those inflows between April and June. So, that is what we are trying to do to reduce so that we can ramp up our production of electricity at Kariba starting from April onwards. That is why I said at the moment we are at 250 – 300 megawatts production levels.
HON. DUBE: Hon. Speaker, I hear the Minister quite well and he is trying to inform this House the challenges that are being faced in the electricity generation, but I just need to understand, maybe we are getting things wrong. Only recently, the President of the Republic was addressing the nation that electricity is here, those that want to boil their water in the morning, afternoon and evening can do so. The electricity is here, where are we getting things wrong? Is the President okay or is something wrong? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Do not overstretch the English language. You must withdraw the aspect ‘okay’ because it means quite a lot in English.
HON. DUBE: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I might have crossed the red line. I withdraw, but we just need to – [HON. MEMBERS: Withdraw!] –
HON. E. MOYO: Let me give a bit of statistics. Assumptions are made on the basis of given statistics. Our installed production capacity in the country is above 3 000 megawatts and our expected peak demand is about 1 850 megawatts. When we look at the two statistics, it indicates that…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Zhou and colleague there. We are addressing a very important national issue here. You need to report back accurately and I want you to pay attention towards what the Hon. Minister is saying.
HON. E. MOYO: Assumptions and conclusions are dependent on given statistics and the statistics that I am going to give here are the statistics of the Zimbabwean situation in terms of power generation.
Our installed capacity in all our generation areas amounts to 3 050 megawatts and our peak demand is normally around 1 850 megawatts. Given the installed capacity versus expected demand, we are okay, but however, generation of power is not a constant phenomenon. It goes up and down depending on a number of variances, one of which is in our case, old equipment which frequently breaks down some of which has to do with foreign currency issues where sometimes it is difficult to get spares in good time and we experience long times of outages.
We are currently at around 1 300 megawatts, giving us about 500 megawatts power supply deficit in the country, which has been occasioned by the outage of Unit 7 which I alluded to earlier and is undergoing maintenance. The remaining 200 megawatts is normally accounted for through power imports. So, what was said was correct given the statistics in terms of power generation in the country. I thank you.
HON. MAHERE: I would like to ask a supplementary question to the Hon. Minister. When can we expect load shedding to end? Currently, both homes and industry are experiencing up to 23 hours of load shedding. He gave us the Ministry’s statistics, but the statistics we want is when the load shedding is going to end.
HON. E. MOYO: We are going to begin to experience reduced load shedding at the end of November when Unit 7 comes on board. However, on complete load shedding, at the moment I cannot give a timeline because we are working on repowering Units 1 to 6 and each time we are repowering these units, we are going to be taking one unit out at a time. Once it is repaired, we take another unit. It is going to take a little bit of time, but however, we are banking mainly on independent power producers that I have said are currently projects which are ongoing are up to about 600 megawatts. I cannot give that timetable, but we are working towards that. In terms of power import, we expect to eliminate that by 2025. That is how I can respond – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
HON. MUGOMO: Afternoon Mr. Speaker and afternoon colleagues. My question is directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You only greet the Chair – [HON. MEMBERS: She is in yellow.] – [HON. MEMBERS: It is a national dress.] –
HON. HADEBE: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. HADEBE: She is putting on a yellow dress and that is a regalia Hon. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, the yellow I see does not have the accompanying nomenclature. I thank you.
HON. KARENYI: On a point of order Hon. Speaker, I just want clarification.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have ruled.
HON. MUGOMO: Thank you Hon. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is the Government current position on re-joining the Commonwealth of nations in view of the UK Government continually blocking the re-admission of Zimbabwe into the organisation in spite of the things that have been said to date towards the re-engagement? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker and I want to thank Hon. Mugomo for the question. Indeed, Hon. Speaker, we want to applaud His Excellency for the re-engagement and engagement policy which has seen him extending his gesture for any country that is willing to engage Zimbabwe and like he always says, Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none. Precisely, this is what His Excellency is pursuing, and I am glad the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs would come to the august House and brief on the major milestones that we have achieved. I thank you.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. Mr. Speaker Sir, we have noted with concern the accelerated land degradation as a result of rampant brick moulding in peri-urban centres and some rural areas. What is Government policy with regard to brick moulding? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Speaker, and I also thank Hon. S. Ziyambi for that very important question. Precisely, he has asked about brick moulding which I think is very specific but we not allow as a nation the degradation of our land which is something the Hon. Minister is pursuing. We are not only talking about the degradation of land but we are also talking of littering our country which is also a policy that the Hon. Minister is looking into to see how we can safeguard and protect our environment. We will also look at those who are degrading in terms of not only of brick moulding. We also have some who are mining within restricted areas where we are talking of infrastructure being damaged. So, I commend the Hon. Member for bringing this very important question. I also want to say we are not targeting only a particular industry but this is the wake up call for us as Zimbabweans to continue maintaining our environment. I thank you.
HON. MAPFUMO: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. My question has been answered.
HON. C. HLATYAWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to ask my question to the Minister of Agriculture. Farmers who delivered their cotton to COTTCO are yet to be paid. What is Government policy in paying those farmers so that they can go back to the land? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Hon. Speaker and I thank the Hon. Member for his question. What happens is that companies that deal with cotton and the cotton farmers will have to make arrangements but Government will oversee that the cotton farmers have the necessary inputs and are paid in time. Government looks forward to cotton companies paying the farmers on time so that they can prepare for the next farming season.
I only know of COTTCO, these are the farmers that are behind in being paid. Government has 30% shareholding in COTTCO. We discussed about it yesterday and they said they still owe US$6.8m, and they have promised to pay their farmers before the end of this month as they are now able to sell the cotton. As Government, we are urging that farms prepare well for the season in terms of having enough inputs. We had meetings with companies that help farmers, like the Zimbabwe Farmers Union and others and these companies add up to eight, that we will be supervising as Government that farmers get the necessary inputs so that farmers are paid early if they deliver their cotton early. These are the measures that we have put in place as Government.
HON. C. HLATYAWAYO: My supplementary question is, when are they likely to be paid? I was suggesting that they be paid before the rains come. Farmers are worried about the non-payment of cotton delivered last year. The money is now being eroded by inflation and farmers are not being advised on the issue of payment, they are just assuming. Those companies that are representing farmers are not updating them.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Maybe you did not understand. We said COTTCO is the one that has been owing farmers and they said right now they have $6.8 million that they expect to pay the farmers before the end of this month. I repeat before the end of this month. It is not Government. It is the contractors that engaged the farmers and made contracts with farmers. Government is actually troubled by this. That is why we called them to tell us when they are going to pay the farmers and they assured us that they are going to pay before the end of this month.
We also need adequate information between all the contractors and the farmers so that we aggregate the information and see where there might be gaps in terms of information so that we ensure farmers are paid on time. So, if you may make a follow up written question. I thank you.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Ziyambi did you ask a supplementary question?
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: No – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! May we have order! Hon. Hwende please take your seat.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. To the Minister of Agriculture, I want to applaud you for all the effort that you are making in trying to pay all the outstanding cotton farmers, however I would like to know at what time or stage do you come up with the producer price of cotton so as to encourage other farmers to venture into cotton production. Thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: That is a new question, not a supplementary question.] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are not the Speaker. It is not a new question. May you allow the Minister to respond to the question. We want order in this House.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I thank Hon. Ziyambi for the question and the comment. Indeed, the role of the Ministry is to be able to facilitate the transformation of the agricultural sector and anything that we do, we will be willing to consider irrespective of colour, creed or political party.
It is in this context that the Government is pained by the delayed payments, which is why Government summoned COTTCO to understand why these delays are persisting when others have almost completed paying their contracted growers. We take their word as COTTCO that they will be able to make good on the outstanding $6.8 million paying by the end of the month.
Going forward, one of the aspects that has led to the decline in cotton production is lack of viability. Viability of a sector is under girdled by viability of the grower. Sustainability for the sector must begin to build on a viable grower. So, it is in this regard that Government is interested in pricing of cotton so that there is fair return for the farmers effort. Last year we introduced for the first time a grid differentiated pricing system that is sensitive to the hard work that farmers had put in and we had started at 40c a kilogramme which is comparable to other jurisdictions in the region. I look forward this year to better pricing.
I highlighted this afternoon the eight contracting companies that there are modalities that we have introduced for distribution of inputs. The extension monitoring system and using our own Zimsat satellite will substantially reduce the operating costs of cotton companies. My expectation and Government’s expectation is, this benefit will be passed on to growers. I therefore look forward to better pricing and an announcement at an appropriate time in due course. Thank you Madam Speaker.
*HON. HWENDE: Supplementary question Madam Speaker. Thank you Madam Speaker. My question to the Hon. Minister is, what is Government policy or plans with regards to paying cotton farmers money that can enable them to buy inputs so that they continue growing because right now the money that you are paying farmers does not give them the capacity to continue growing cotton? I thank you.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. That is exactly what I was explaining in English. I said today we had a meeting with eight contractors or companies that go out there in the rural areas. As we speak today, those eight companies will be interacting with the farmers out there in the rural areas that we represent. So, we expect the country to grow a lot of cotton. This year we are at 90 000.
*HON. HWENDE: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Hon. Minister, answer the question. We do not want to be given useless stories here. We want him to respond to the question.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! What is your question?
*HON. HWENDE: My question is, what is your plan with regards to paying farmers money that is valuable enough to enable them to continue growing cotton? I thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We want Hon. Members to ask questions whilst we are all listening. Let us not try to assist them.
HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I wanted to give a background of where we came from up to now, how the good price can motivate the farmers to grow. The Government does not set prices or conditions of how to pay. As Government, we receive from the contractors, the cost of growing cotton on a specific area, like a Pfumvudza plot. As for the farmers that we give inputs, that is when we state the price that we expect to buy, but the other private contractors agree on the prices they are going to pay. Government does not go into contract with farmers. Farmers get into contract with the private players. Listen carefully! Government does not set cotton prices. Government set cotton prices to the farmers that they give inputs and that is what I was referring to as 40c/kg because we gave them the inputs. That 40c, we will be subtracting the inputs that we have given them and I think it is a very good price. I thank you.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. I am afraid that this is an important question, but the Minister did not fully explain. What is happening is…
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hamauswa, the Minister explained clearly that the contractors who go to the farmers set the prices not Government. I thank you.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Madam Speaker, you did not understand what I was trying to say. Government has got some ways that it can use just like other governments, of providing inputs just like what they do to maize production. I raise this issue because it is very important. Agriculture is contributing a lot to our economy. Some governments subsidise…
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hamauswa, please be on point, do not go in circles.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: I am winding up. The Minister did not explain what Government does. He only said Government has 30% stake in COTTCO, but did not explain what Government does with that 30%. I thank you.
An Hon. Member having stood up on a point of order.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Butau, when someone stands up on a point of order, you cannot stand up on top of a point order. You have to sit down and wait for the Hon. Member to finish.
*HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My issue is very short. I am saying to the Hon. Minister, he said Government has 30% stake in COTTCO. The duty of Government is supposed to protect the interests of farmers. As I am about to take my seat, other governments subsidise and assist farmers. What is Government doing to ensure that there is viability? Last year in Gokwe, farmers grew BT cotton and they celebrated because they got very good yields on small pieces of land. That is what we expect to hear from Government. We expect the Minister to be clear on that rather than telling us that he does not know.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hamauswa, I understand what you said, but I hereby request you to prepare a new question with regards to subsidy for cotton.
+HON. NCUBE: Madam Speaker, the Hon. Member of Parliament who is wearing spectacles…
AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon. Member who is speaking is a doctor. The Hon. Member whom he is talking about is sick – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Why is he criticising those specs? You are a doctor, do not criticise those specs.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, may we behave honourably.
AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Can he withdraw his statement?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What did he say, I did not hear it – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Members, do not force me to send you out of the House.
AN HON. MEMBER: Madam Speaker, you said you did not hear what the Hon. Member said. The Hon. Member is criticising the spectacles which are won by the Hon. Member there, which means he is criticising the disabled team – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Withdraw your statement. What if he is disabled? Why are you doing that doctor? With draw your statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! May we have order. Hon. Member, if you are an Honourable Member, you must behave honourably. Please, may you withdraw your statement.
+HON. NCUBE: I withdraw Madam Speaker.
*HON. MUWOMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Mines. What is Government policy with regards to EPOs that are all over the country right now? Small scale miners are failing to access and peg land because of these EPOs.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me also thank Hon. Muwombi for that very important question. With your indulgence, Madam Speaker, I will relay the same question to the Hon. Minister so that he can appraise the House. Thank you.
HON. ZIKI: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands. - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please, may we have order. Hon Members sitting to my left side - please.
HON. ZIKI: I noticed the Minister has just gone out but I am sure the Acting Leader of Government Business is competent enough to answer this question. I want to find out if there is a policy to protect tobacco farmers on non-payment of their dues by tobacco contracting companies.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. Let me also thank Hon. Ziki for the question. Apparently, the question that he has asked pertaining to the protection of tobacco farmers which are contractual means that the moment you enter into a contractual arrangement, there are the dictates enshrined in that contract. I am sure in terms of the protection it will be well covered. However, in terms of late payments, with your indulgence Hon. Madam Speaker Maam, my colleague Minister who is the Minister of Finance can appraise us since we have got a model on that particular model. I thank you.
HON. MARKHAM: On a point of clarity on that issue Madam Speaker Ma’am. Madam Speaker, the Hon gentleman...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Markham, we do not have gentleman in this august House. It is Hon. Acting Leader of Government Business or Hon. Member of Parliament.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, I was referring to the Hon. Member who asked the question and not the Hon. Leader of the House. If people would listen instead of talking, they would understand what I want to say. The question is very important because the very same companies are the same companies that opened here and some of them with the assistance of indigenous funding by government and they have done exactly the same in Tanzania where they bought tobacco and did not pay the farmers yet they were sponsored by our government. Madam Speaker, I beg you to ask the Minister to give us a written statement on the tobacco because there are farmers who cannot farm because they have not been paid for last year’s produce. This also goes back to the question on cotton which is exactly the same. So, can I ask the Minister to bring a Ministerial Statement. I thank you.
THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Markham. Hon. Ostallos, please may you leave the House because you were playing….
HON. MAMOMBE: His name is not Ostallos. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Whatever his name is, it is the Hon Member who was switching on the mic whilst Hon. Markham was speaking. Please may you leave the House, may you leave the House
HON. SIZIBA: I am Siziba are you referring to me Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave the House.
Hon Markham, I will not ask the Minister to bring a Ministerial Statement but I advise you to put your question in writing so that the Minister will come with a comprehensive answer. -[HON. HWENDE: Inaudible interjection]-
Hon. Hwende, you do not tell me what to do, do you understand me?
HON. MAHERE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. - [HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Inaudible interjection.] -
Hon. Zhou please, we want order.
HON. MAHERE: On a point of order Madam Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to raise a point of order. You just chased out Hon. Siziba because he switched on the mic and he yelled when someone else was speaking.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mahere, you cannot tell me what to do. Go ahead and ask your question. It was not the first time that Hon. Siziba was standing up whilst other Hon. Members were speaking.
HON. MAHERE: It was a point of order my lady but I will proceed with my question. It is just fairness but I will proceed with my question. If I can be protected please Madam Speaker. My question is, what is government policy on increases in fees at State Universities and tertiary institutions?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Madam Speaker, I do not fully understand the purporse of the question, but I will attempt to answer it. It is Government policy to increase fees at State universities, but when it is necessary. In order for those universities to operate optimally and efficiently, there has to be increases. I am not sure whether there was a specific increase recently, but if there was, I would assume that it was occasioned by the need to make sure that our universities are providing sufficient services to those students who are going to those universities. I thank you.
HON. MAHERE: Just to supplement the question, the Hon. Minister might not be aware, but there have been increases in State university fees across the board and these increases are in United States dollars. Your Government has gone to the extent of chasing students out of examination rooms as they are writing. Does your Government in circumstances where half the population is living in poverty and a civil servant does not earn anywhere near US$700 or US$800, what justification could there be for such an increase? I thank you.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: I have listened to comparisons that the Hon. Member is making between what a university maybe charging and what a civil servant may be getting. That comparison is very inappropriate. What determines the amount that students should pay at a university are the requirements for the university to operate efficiently and optimally. If there have been increases they should be justified. Remember universities have to offer services ranging from students services, to teaching and learning infrastructure that should be top notch and that require those who go to those universities to pay commensurate amounts to make sure that our universities are well funded. I thank you.
HON. MHANGWA: As a follow up to Hon. Minister, is this a tacit acknowledgement that they have privatized tertiary institutions? Ideally, it is not the burden of the students to bear the full cost of university education. If this was the condition, many of us would not have gone to university including the Hon. Minister.
HON. PROF. MAVIMA: Again, erroneous assumption. Erroneous assumption is one that says whatever students are paying at this particular point in time is the full cost of what it takes to educate the students. In actual fact, at any one-point, State universities would receive State funding for various facilities and programmes. It is the same in Zimbabwe right now. We are basically saying when everything is said and done, what the student has to contribute is such that it has become necessary when the increases are made, it has become necessary for increases to be made so that we continue to provide good education at the tertiary level.
+HON. R. MPOFU: The road from Bulawayo to Kezi and Maphisa is too narrow. What plans does Government have in widening this road?
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I want to thank the Hon. Member for raising that important question which makes me to announce in this august House that we have got a number of roads which are now narrow and some have more potholes, which means that the road to Maphisa is very important. It has a history because it goes to some other areas where some heroes lost their lives fighting for the liberation of this country. We have other roads like Bulawayo-Nkayi and Bulawayo-Tsholotsho among other roads and as a Ministry, we are taking into consideration all these roads to make sure that they are refurbished.
Most of the roads were constructed more than 30 years ago, which means that these roads are dilapidated. Right now, we are not only filling potholes, but starting the reconstruction so that we can construct durable roads. However, it will take a long time because the funds that we expect to get from Treasury are being disbursed to other Government departments. I promise her that the road she has mentioned is one of the roads which we intend to rehabilitate. I believe that we are going to notify the Hon. Member when we are going to visit the area with a view to rehabilitate the road which she has raised.
+HON. R. MPOFU: I propose that we have a tollgate so that the road can be refurbished. I know very well that my country is under sanctions by Britain and there are a lot of roads like that, but Government is committed to rehabilitate those roads - shut up. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - I suggest that we put a tollgate so that the road can be rehabilitated urgently. The President is always saying the nation is built by its rightful owners.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before you sit down, I request you to withdraw the words ‘shut up’.
HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am, I withdraw.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I also want to thank Hon. Mpofu on the issue of the roads that she raised and also the sanctions that are disturbing us to improve livelihoods in our nation. It is one of the ways that we can build transformation. I think that this is a rightful view which we are going to be discussing with these companies and that will be considered as we engage with the Government.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development is doing a sterling job in upgrading most of our roads across Zimbabwe, we would like to applaud that. My question is that the rains are upon us now, we have just approached the rain season and we have got bridges which need to be repaired. For Example, if you go to Alaska-Copper Queen Road, there are two bridges where pupils cannot cross to go to school. What is Government policy with regards to fixing of those bridges to enable students to go to school during this rain season?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me also thank Hon. Ziyambi for that very important question relating to the rehabilitation of our infrastructure with specific reference to bridges. I do concur that yes, a number of our infrastructure relating to bridges are in a sorry state. Like I indicated earlier on that for some time, our roads and bridges were not being rehabilitated, but I want to thank again for the Government’s ERP2 programme which is running where we are addressing some of these concerns. Apparently, the particular road cited by the Hon. Member Alaska - Copper Queen, if you remember, we have been working on that particular road. We are progressing again, but relating to the issue of bridges, this is something that is long term. Where there is urgency in terms of accessing or if it is a crossing point, you will see us descending, and I will also say to the august House again, we have got provincial road engineers in each province and it will be also wise for us to then have their numbers in case where you think you also need urgent help. It is within your purview to get hold of them and they are accountable to you as representatives. Feel free anytime, there is PRE from the Ministry. They also have their respective staff in their respective districts who can actually attend to such very important infrastructure which requires urgent rehabilitation.
I want to thank the august House and that we have just passed through a Pre-Budget Seminar where you have seen that the Ministry requested close 7.3 trillion and in terms of the figures that we got, it was almost 10% of that, which means that in terms of the progress and the expectations of the House, that might not be addressed with the speed that they require. It is my humble plea as we gravitate towards budget deliberations so that you lobby for the Ministry to get adequate funding. Thank you.
HON. HADEBE: I am concerned about the impact of poor road conditions on the distribution of food aid in marginalised districts of Matabeleland. Reports indicate that private transporters are refusing to deliver food aid to these areas because of the risk of damaging their vehicles. This is leading to delays in the distribution of food aid which has a serious impact on vulnerable populations of our marginalised districts. I want to know what the Government is doing to address this issue and ensure that food aid is delivered in a timely and efficient manner. I expect the Minister to be very serious in answering these questions…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, you are out of order, please may you withdraw that statement.
HON. HADEBE: I withdraw the last statement Madam Speaker.
HON. MHONA: Let me also thank Hon. Hadebe for that question. Like I indicated that our roads are in a sorry state, we must also commend the speed at which we are trying to address the concerns given that we have got close to a 90 000 kilometre road network in this country. You find that a larger percentage is in a sorry state and there is no way we can wake up the following day having rehabilitated all the roads given the inadequacy of resources.
However, to address the question, surely it is also in the interest of Government to make sure that the vulnerable people get their food on time. It is also our wish as you know that according to the Chinese proverb, if you want to be rich you need to construct a road. Precisely, any destination, you need a good road which is an enabler to any given economy. Yes, we will continue so that every place is accessible. Like I indicated, this calls for a holistic approach where we are saying as Hon Members, let us all put our heads together so that we try to see how best we can resuscitate some of these roads Some of the roads just need re-gravelling or re-grading so the Hon. Members should work closely with their rural district councils or the Ministry so that we expedite the process of rehabilitating our roads. Thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
INTRODUCTION OF THE MONO CURRENCY REGIME AND MEASURES TO CURB PRICE SHOCKS AND INFLATION
- HON. MUTODI asked the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion to inform the House on
- When the mono currency regime would be introduced in the country; and
- What measures have been put in place to deal with price shocks and inflation that may arise when the mono currency is introduced into the country’s money market.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE): Madam Speaker Ma’am, thank you for the question. This requires a written answer and so, I move that we defer these questions until we have properly written answers which I will happily read to the House. Thank you.
HON. DR. MUTODI: On a point of Order Madam Speaker. I was asking if the Minister could read the question because we were not served with the Order Paper. None of us here has the Order Paper and I ask if he can read the question before he can answer the question. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sure the Order Paper is now being shared on your e-mail addresses and I am being advised that the Order Paper was sent in the morning to all Hon. Members of Parliament on your e-mail addresses.
*HON. MATSUNGA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, the problem is that there is no network in this Parliament. They have sent the Order Paper but there is no network. My appeal is to make sure that there is network. We are now going paperless and hence we expect network to be available. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. We really understand your issue but you are requested that early in the morning before you come here, you check your e-mail so that you see what is there. I am also being advised that Hon. Mutodi’s questions were not sent to the Hon. Minister of Finance in time. So, we expect the Hon. Minister to bring the answers next week. I think we are having a challenge Hon. Members in that we do not have Hon. Ministers in the House and Hon. Members do not have the Order Papers.
HON. MARKHAM: Madam Speaker, may I humbly suggest that while we are exchanging into the New Parliament that Order Papers be printed out for Members of Parliament to find access to the internet or to the WhatsApp group. Secondly, in the last Parliament, we have had an absenteeism of Ministers right from the beginning for all the five years during Question Time. Today I counted 13 apologies and yet we have 48 Ministers. We had a handful of Ministers and I counted 10 maximum and that is 28. Others did not even bother to apologise to this House. I am imploring the Chair that this does not continue for five years like the last House. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your concerns are noted Hon. Markham.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. We can blame that we did not receive the Order Paper but the ICT Department created a WhatsApp group. Most of Hon. Members are there and I am surprised if they are saying they did not receive the Order Paper, it was sent on the 10th Parliament WhatsApp Group. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Zhou. Hon. Members, let us understand that as Parliament, we are still in the process of moving and most of the things are not yet settled. Like what Hon. Zhou has indicated, it is very pertinent that we take into consideration the notices that are being posted in that group. If you are reading on that group, it will help a lot. Some of the things are to your benefit, which is not the Order Paper. Sometimes it is the issue of saying come and collect your bonusses rather than Order Papers only, hence it is very important for us to work together and bear with us.
HON. TOGAREPI: My observation I think we cannot do anything for these Questions with Notice. Why do we not postpone them and go to another section of business and proceed with work because the challenge is, Ministers do not have the documents and may be Parliament did not send to them and we do not have the Ministers as you can see. I think let us go to another part of the business.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAEKR: I hear you Hon. Togarepi. We will proceed with Orders of the Day.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE SECOND SUMMIT OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE FUTURE HELD IN MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I move the motion standing in my name that that this House takes note of the Report on the Second Summit of the Committees of the Future held in Montevideo, Uruguay from the 25th to the27th September, 2023.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
- SHAMU: INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Parliament of Uruguay, in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), hosted the Second Summit of the Committees of the Future from 25 to 27 September 2023. It was a befitting venue given that the Parliament of Uruguay is now at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI) application.
1.2 The Second World Summit of the Committees of the Future 2023 was held under the overarching theme- “BRINGING THE FUTURE TO THE PRESENT: THE DEMOCRACY OF THE FUTURE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND PARLIAMENTS”. In attendance at the Summit are 160 delegates representing the five Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Geo-political groups, namely, Africa, Arab, Eurasia, Grulac, Asia Pacific and Twelve plus 2. Additionally, the Summit drew participation from non-IPU Members such as the United States of America, representatives from leading technological companies and developers of applied artificial intelligence, academia and experts in the field of the future studies, specialised agencies and civil society to anticipatory decision making in the future.
1.3 The Parliament of Zimbabwe was ably represented at the highest level by Hon Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda and he was accompanied by support staff.
1.4 En route to Montevideo, Speaker Mudenda was met by His Excellency, Ambassador Meshack Kitchen in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the South American bloc, specifically Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Subsequently, the Speaker received a brief from the Ambassador covering various aspects of the Summit host nation, including its preparedness.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 The Summit continued on the trajectory as outlined in Helsinki, Finland in 2022 on the occasion of the First World Summit of the Committees of the Future held in Helsinki. Participating parliamentarians recognised the fundamental importance of incorporating the Future paradigm in present day use of AI. Accordingly, they reached a consensus on the need for sustained inter-parliamentary dialogue in order to address emerging global common AI positive impacts and attendant challenges.
2.2 The theme offered an opportunity to reflect on experiences and exchange views on the challenges and opportunities in embracing AI democracy equity, anticipatory decision-making and responsible parliamentary digital processes. Furthermore, the Summit sought to analyse the impact of AI on society in general as well as its impact on electoral processes.
2.3 As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in parliamentary processes becomes increasingly prevalent, it is necessary to establish ethical and operational guidelines that ensure accountability, transparency and human autonomy, while promoting sustainable development goals and protecting privacy, security and diversity. While AI has made significant technological advances in recent years, it has raised questions about its potential to replace human being parliamentarians in so far as its efficacious efficiencies are concerned.
2.4 AI can speedily analyse complex legislative issues, identify patterns and make predictions based on historical data. This speed allows for faster decision-making in parliamentary processes. However, human being parliamentarians bring experience, knowledge and the ability to consider ethical and moral aspects that AI may struggle with. They also provide a diverse range of perspectives and values, fostering debate and ensuring that multiple viewpoints are considered.
2.5 Regarding these Parliamentary processes, the complex relationship between AI and human autonomy needs to be taken into account. Human autonomy is already threatened by existing technologies. The use of AI tools could enhance or decrease human autonomy, depending on how they are designed and which domains they are built to cover. The human element is an essential aspect of democracy. Human being parliamentarians possess empathy, emotional intelligence and the ability to connect with constituencies on a personal level. These qualities enable them to understand the needs and concerns of the people they represent, making them more relatable and responsive. AI, while efficient, lacks the ability to empathise or understand complex human emotions, limiting its capacity to fully represent the interests of diverse population. It is thus imperative to protect human autonomy applying AI technologies.
3.0 OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE SECOND SUMMIT OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE FUTURE
3.1 The Second Summit of the Committees of the Future was officially opened on 25th September 2023, by the President of Uruguay, His Excellency, Luis Lacalle Pou. The other high-ranking dignitaries in attendance included Rt Hon. Beatriz Argimón, Vice President of the Republic and President of the Senate of Uruguay, Hon. Sebastián Andújar Alvarez, President of the House of Representatives of Uruguay and Hon. Duarte Pacheco, President of the IPU.
3.2 President Pou opened the Summit by underlining the centrality of AI and the metamorphosis of Science in various sectors of digital technologies. The State President challenged Parliamentarians to take a positive approach towards AI usage as well as reinforcing that the AI evolution, like water, will always find a way of navigating around rocky and mountainous terrains of human existence.
3.3 In her welcome remarks to Summit participants, Rt Hon. Argimon noted that the Summit provided a quintessential platform to introspect and exchange views on AI applications. Additionally, she shared the remarkable strides taken by Uruguay in embracing AI to the extent that she is convinced that as the country prepares for its elections in 2024, all political parties will embrace AI usage in their manifestos during the campaign trail.
3.4 The President of the House of Representatives, Hon. Sebastián Andújar Alvarez, focused on the positive transformative use of AI in socio-economic development, particularly in the areas of health, education, communication technologies and climate change future impacts. However, he also noted areas of negative concerns such as infringement of human rights, tempered transparency, accountability, creation of inequalities and intrusion of privacy and lack of empathy where AI is applied. Nonetheless, the House of Representatives President welcomed the opportunity to exchange views on this critical Summit regarding the use of AI currently and in the future.
3.5 On the other hand, Hon. Pacheco, the IPU President, underpinned the need for active participation of Parliaments in conversations around the Future given their hallowed legislative, representation and oversight mandate of being the institution of the voiceless electorate who cannot be privileged to be physically in the Parliaments.
3.6 Furthermore, the Uruguay Chairman of the Committees of the Future noted that AI should benefit humanity. In the same vein, there is need to renew trust and protect human rights and freedom as the global community embraces changes associated with AI application.
4.0 MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY
4.1 The Hon. Speaker met the President of Uruguay, His Excellency, Luis Lacalle Pou, on the sidelines of the Official Opening of the Second World Summit of the Committees of the Future. The meeting was orchestrated by Ms. Beatriz Argimón, State Vice President of the Republic and President of the Senate of Uruguay.
4.2 Speaker Mudenda congratulated the President of Uruguay for putting in place impeccable modalities for the excellent Summit which sought to evaluate mechanisms for the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the constitutional mandate of Parliaments.
4.3 Furthermore, Speaker Mudenda lauded President Pou for a well-received official opening address which contextualised the task before delegates in so far as the conundrum of AI is concerned.
4.4 Speaker Mudenda also applauded President Pou on the successful official opening of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Regional office in Montevideo, Uruguay. This is the first pilot scheme by the IPU. Its success will pave way for the future establishment of similar IPU Regional Offices in the other Geopolitical Groups.
5.0 OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE IPU REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE GRULAC GEO-POLITICAL GROUP
5.1 On 30th June 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, on the sidelines of the IPU Executive Committee Meeting, the IPU and the Parliament of Uruguay signed an agreement to open an IPU Regional Office for the GRULAC Geo-political Group in Montevideo. This was in line with the decision adopted by the Governing Council of the IPU on the occasion of the 146th Assembly of the IPU and Related Meetings held in Manama, Bahrain.
5.2 The establishment of this strategic IPU Regional office for the South American Parliaments had been mooted 15 years ago. Another regional office is set to open in Cairo, Egypt, to service Parliaments from the Africa and Arab Geo-Political Groups. These regional offices are pilot projects designed to deepen the IPU’s engagement with parliaments in the Latin American and Caribbean region and Africa as well as within the Arab region area by encouraging inter-parliamentary cooperation and helping the IPU to implement its global strategy through a visible localised regional presence.
5.3 Subsequently, the historic Official Opening of the Uruguay Regional Office took place on 26 September 2023 in the presence of Hon. Duarte Pacheco, President of the IPU, Rt Hon. Beatriz Argimón, Vice President of the Republic and President of the Senate of Uruguay and distinguished participants to the 2nd World Summit of the Committees of the Future.
5.4 In his address at the Commissioning of the IPU Regional Office, Hon. Duarte Pacheco congratulated Uruguay for its tenacity in leading the way in the long-mooted idea of opening up the IPU Regional office. He further indicated that he was now looking forward to the opening up of the Egyptian office.
6.0 WORKING LUNCH UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)
6.1 Speaker Mudenda attended a working lunch under the auspices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which ran under the theme 'USES OF THE FUTURE IN PARLIAMENTS: BUILDING A TOOL FOR ACTION'. The workshop was attended by several delegates from various countries in an effort to exchange the application of AI experiences for now and in the future uses relative to global Parliamentary processes.
6.2 In his intervention, Speaker Mudenda exhorted Parliaments to embrace the future as it is inevitable, using the analogy of former late US President John F Kennedy who envisioned that America should land an astronaut on the moon sooner rather than later, an inconceivable feat then in 1963. Indeed, that happened.
6.3 Speaker Mudenda further opined that Parliaments should ensure that MPs and their staff are not left behind in the trailblazing AI revolution. Within the scope of President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind, Speaker Mudenda advised on the need to ensure that there is accelerated capacity building for MPs and staff through anticipatory research so as to upskill all the demographic groups in the AI ecosystem. As Uruguay and Finland have taken the lead in designing paradigms for AI use within their Parliaments, Advocate Mudenda extolled other Parliaments to take a cue from the two pacesetting countries.
6.4 Additionally, the Speaker underpinned the need for collaborative efforts with the Executive so that the two organs of the State can walk side by side while implementing AI applications in their e-governance without leaving the judiciary behind. In the same vein, the Speaker called for an appropriate legal framework which should guide the Committees of the Future on how to manage the AI phenomenon as a tool for accelerated socio-economic development, which digital tools can be a double-edged sword where AI creates negative impacts.
6.5 Concomitantly, Speaker Mudenda conveyed gratitude to the UNDP for its continued support to the Parliament of Zimbabwe and accordingly appealed for more support for the hallowed institution of Parliament, especially within the purview of AI usage.
7.0 WORKSHOPS
7.1 The Hon. Speaker participated in two workshops which provided an opportunity to further interrogate, reflect and deliberate on the impact of the phenomenal development of AI as it impacted the human being autonomy in the digital world. The outcomes of these intense deliberations were captured in the Summit’s Declaration.
8.0 DECLARATION OF THE SECOND WORLD SUMMIT OF THE COMMITTEES OF THE FUTURE
8.1 The Declaration of the Second World Summit of the Committees of the Future was unanimously adopted after a few amendments proffered at the conclusion of the Summit. The full text of the Declaration is contained hereunder:
I - Awareness of the current context
- We are at a historic turning point. Rapid technological advances, intertwined with diverse political, social and environmental Phenomena, are resulting in profound, complex and uncertain changes. As artificial intelligence grows in capacity and becomes more deeply immersed in our society, we must face its potential for positive innovations and solutions, and also the threats and challenges it poses to democracy and society at large. As artificial intelligence evolves, it could act autonomously to solve novel problems with novel strategies beyond human abilities (referred to as artificial general intelligence or frontier AI). Many experts believe this is possible within five years. We recognise that this accelerated and potentially disruptive evolutionary phase of AI may generate problems of compatibility with our current knowledge and work models, values and democratic systems, and compels us to re-examine our governance approaches and regulations.
- We also recognize that our societies, while facing similar challenges, are also at different levels of development with regard to AI. Initiatives and solutions will need to build on lessons learned from across the globe, be inclusive, facilitate coordination and collaboration, and work towards common objectives while being tailored to specific needs and situations.
- We highlight the exceptional responsibility of large technology platforms concerning big data models, which evolve at exponential speed, and the need for corporate accountability and transparency as well as a willingness to collaborate with public actors.
II - Our commitment to democracy in the age of AI through anticipatory governance
- We acknowledge that AI challenges our democratic institutions in ways we are only just beginning to understand. Issues of surveillance, data privacy and even AI-driven “deep fakes” can undermine truth, justice, fundamental rights and democratic processes. We recognise the need for a nuanced and multidimensional approach that respects both innovation and human rights.
- Our conventional reactive mechanisms are being challenged and are ill-equipped to manage the rapid advances and risks presented by AI. To address this, we call for a paradigm shift towards an anticipatory stance in governance, focusing on proactive measures and responsible foresight, including long-term vision and taking account of evolving complex dynamics. These are essential in safely ensuring beneficial AI outcomes for our societies and preventing undesirable trajectories.
III - Integrating anticipatory capacities in parliaments for more effective decision making
- We welcome the fact that many parliaments today are taking steps to enhance their capacity to “enter the future” into the present (vision, imagination, prospection, aspiration, possibility analysis) in a rigorous and systematic way, and in doing so, that they are stepping up the leadership they provide in dealing with the future through proactive action with anticipatory and transformative capacity. In an era marked by accelerated, interdependent and disruptive changes, our governance institutions need to be able to anticipate. Parliaments can serve as focal points for collective intelligence-based knowledge creation to better understand the evolution of AI, discern potential hazards and recommend anticipatory and proactive local and international practices and regulations.
For parliaments to play their role, they need to build their understanding, knowledge and ability to integrate future-oriented methodologies and approaches in their work across the board. This is not a question of capacity, but also of political will and culture-shift. We call on parliaments to make this an objective and to develop strategies and look at all opportunities to begin transformation towards more Futures-literacy-oriented work.
- We recognize that Committees of the Future are key instruments and unique mechanisms to lead future-oriented transformation in parliaments. Unlike the traditional parliamentary ethos of reacting to change, Committees of the Future are designed to proactively anticipate, respond and be creative in order to transform policy. Committees of the Future can detect emerging challenges early and acting in an agile fashion, envision opportunities and ensure governance remains relevant and effective. We call on parliaments to consider establishing permanent Committees of the Future and to provide them with the necessary resources and mandate. We commit, wherever possible, to foster their growth, evolution, effectiveness and wider proliferation.
- Today’s challenges demand systemic, holistic and complex approaches. We call on parliaments to engage more strongly in inclusive and effective multi-stakeholder engagement and recall that Committees of the Future inherently promote inter- and transdisciplinary dialogues, integrating insights from various actors and fields to create collective knowledge.
- We underscore that policy decisions must be more evidence-based than ever and encompass diverse, comprehensive perspectives.
Committees of the Future serve as a critical bridge between scientific advancements and legislative processes. They ensure policies are informed by the latest research, making the knowledge underpinning governance more robust, evolving and dynamic. The work of Committees of the Future enhances understanding of the interacting patterns of threats and opportunities and of alternative futures, including visionary futures, which informs the work of other committees across and beyond their own policy areas.
- Well-informed citizenry and public engagement are also crucial in ensuring the effective future-oriented work of parliaments. Public consultations, participatory initiatives and outreach programmes foster an environment in which the public is both a beneficiary and an active participant in shaping future-focused policies. Committees of the Future are instrumental in facilitating such engagement. These Committees, with their dynamic ethos suited to networked action modes, can engage in fruitful exchanges with their counterparts, promoting collective solutions to shared challenges.
IV - Reflection on current AI regulations and the road ahead
- We advocate for a balanced approach to AI regulation, harmonising the need for innovation with ethical considerations. We
acknowledge the urgent need to build legal frameworks related to AI and recall the importance of keeping the human being at the heart of all initiatives. AI or any other -discrimination. International cooperation should ensure that global AI developments are equitable and universally beneficial, preventing potential “AI races” devoid of ethical and rights-based considerations. International human rights standards must be built into the process of developing new technology from the onset and be the starting point of any regulatory process.
- Across nations, foundational AI principles have started to emerge — transparency, fairness, human oversight and accountability
being the mainstays. Entities from the European Union to the Global Partnership on AI have laid the groundwork through frameworks that balance innovation with rights and safety. However, with the possible advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI), there is a pressing need to go further. This requires:
- Global harmonization of AI standards: AI by its very nature, defies national boundaries. Thus, a coordinated international set of standards, underpinned by a shared understanding of ethics and safety is paramount.
- Anticipatory regulatory mechanisms: We must not just respond to the present, but also prepare for the possibilities of the future. This involves anticipating future AI trajectories, potential applications, misuses and harmful side effects; incentivising beneficial applications; and pre-emptively creating regulatory buffers. We therefore call on parliaments to consider developing national digitalization and AI strategies including regulations for both current narrow AI and future forms of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) from an anticipatory perspective.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration: The multifaceted challenges of AI demand insights from technologists, neuroscientists, sociologists and anthropologists, as well as human rights, policy and legal experts, among others. We advocate for interdisciplinary committees that can offer holistic viewpoints on the AI regulatory landscape.
- Public involvement and literacy: As the ramifications of AI permeate society, a democratically engaged and AI-literate citizenry is essential. We recommend national programmes focusing on AI education and public consultations on AI policy decisions.
- Sustained human rights-based approach, gender mainstreaming and future generations: Any action and reflection on the future must take stock of lessons learned and address historical inequalities and discrimination. We urge all relevant stakeholders, in particular parliaments, to proactively ensure that AI does not impede the full enjoyment of all human rights by people, without distinction of any kind. Particular attention should be paid to integrating a gender perspective at all stages and levels of policies, programmes and projects related to AI. The voice of youth and the most marginalised populations must also be taken into account as well as the interests of future generations. This is our duty towards future generations.
V - Strengthening inter-parliamentary collaborations
- We recognise that current challenges related to AI require a collective and collaborative response. We encourage the facilitation of
platforms of exchange, coordination and networking among parliaments and committees of the future. This Second World Summit is a testimony of how such initiatives serve to amplify and enhance impact. An online interactive world map of parliamentary actions on AI issues, reports and draft regulations would facilitate such shared learning. We also call on the IPU to continue its engagement on anticipatory governance and building parliaments' use-of -the- future capacities, fostering the establishment of Committees of the Future in parliaments and integrating these issues into its current structures and debates with a view to catalysing parliamentary action.
VI - Appeal to the United Nations:
- We call upon the United Nations to spotlight the centrality of anticipation and foresight in parliaments through their main functions –
accountability, oversight, legislative and representative – in addressing the multifaceted challenges and opportunities posed by AI. The 2024 UN General Assembly and the 2024 UN Summit of the Future should prominently feature parliaments, including through the IPU as the global organisation of parliaments. Parliaments’ democratic mandate and future-oriented initiatives hold the key to sustainable solutions.
- We must aim to create a universally shared AI governance framework considering the accelerated, powerful, uncertain and
disruptive evolving nature of AI. This framework, which must take into account the interests of all nations, irrespective of their economic and social system, will have a dual focus: first, protecting human rights and humanity’s interests, safety and security, and second, harnessing AI’s positive evolution for the global good. An anticipatory AI global framework needs to address these challenges, and we call on parliaments to collaborate with the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and his Envoy on Technology to develop a UN Convention on Artificial Intelligence and design adequate global processes and structures to meet this objective and ensure its implementation.
VII - Next steps
- Through the plenary sessions and workshops, the consensus of the participants on the importance of continuing the initiatives of
Committees of the Future in parliaments, globally networking, became evident. A next step will be to propose and organise pathways for international exchanges and collaborations. There was also a consensus that Summits of Committees of the Future should continue to be held at least once a year. This was confirmed by the final message from the President of the IPU. Chile’s offer to host the Summit in 2024 was noted, with confirmation to be agreed upon during the next IPU Assembly in Angola.
- In conclusion, our democracies, while tested by the evolving context of AI, need to advocate for anticipatory capabilities to
strengthen anticipation, resilience, creativity, responsibility and wisdom, to navigate the complexity and uncertainty that the world is facing. Through unity, foresight, ethical considerations, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to human rights and democratic values, we pledge to champion a future where technology serves humanity. The global collaboration of our parliaments, the role of the parliamentary Committees
9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
9.1 Parliament should include artificial Intelligence and the Future in the Committee business. With the ultimate aim being the establishment of a stand-alone Committee of the Future, the Committee on Information, Communication and Technology should immediately include in its mandate and work plan the agenda of the Future.
9.2 Parliament should include AI and the Future in its 2024-2029 Institutional Strategic Plan as well as Monitoring and Evaluation framework. The Plan should give clear targets indicators and timelines.
9.3 Parliament should collaborate with the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) who are the Millenium Project mode in Zimbabwe. The Millenium project is a leader in research for the future. Mr. Simbarashe Nhokovedzo, who is a lecturer at HIT is supported by the Millenium project. He is currently undergoing PHD studies in the Future with the Finland Future Research Centre at the University of Turku in Finland.
9.4 Parliament should engage the Executive and establish working modalities on the AI and Future agenda.
9.5 Parliament should engage the UNDP local office to leverage on the engagement with the UNDP office of the Future who met the Hon Speaker in Uruguay. The engagement should result in crowding resources into the 2024-2017 Parliament Support Programme.
9.6 Parliament should conduct benchmarking visits to Finland and Uruguay to learn from their future ecosystem templates.
9.7 Parliament should sensitise all Members of Parliament on AI and the Future. Resource persons can be drawn from the register of Expert of the IPU.
9.8 Parliament should develop a detailed work plan for the Committee tasked with the agenda of the AI and the Future.
9.9 Parliament should conduct targeted training of the Committee tasked with the agenda of AI and the Future. The training should also cover support staff.
9.10 Parliament should send research and ICT staff on attachment to the Millenium project, the Finland Future Research Centre and other institutions of similar nature in order to build their skills.
9.11 Parliament should use various media platforms to engage and sensitise stakeholders about the AI phenomenon. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU (speaking…) I thank you.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to first of all thank Hon. Shamu for a detailed presentation in his capacity as Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade. He made the presentation on behalf of the Hon. Speaker of Parliament, who is a Member of the IPU Strategic Committee. The report on the Second Summit of the Committees for the Future is critical. It touches on the efficiency of Parliament and a deepening of our democratic State in Zimbabwe. I think the presentation is also in sync with the vision that we have as a country. If we check what is provided for under the National Development Strategy 1, one of the critical priority area is Zimbabwe embracing digital technology. I think this is where artificial intelligence is.
The report is saying as Zimbabwe, we need to embrace artificial intelligence and this enhances and improves on productivity, but personally I may not support being replaced by artificial intelligence as an Hon. Member. I think as a country, we need to come up with a national strategic plan in terms of where we want to go with regards to artificial intelligence. Whilst we can borrow here and there, benchmark here and there, we need a road map on artificial intelligence that is specific to Zimbabwe. There is need also for us to say, in as much we have got benchmarks there where we said within a period of five years, we should be in a position to be at that level. As a country, I think we have got our own limitations and one such limitation is budgetary support. If we are to reach the level of the Committees of the Future as mentioned, I think there is need for budgetary support.
With regards to the implementation of artificial intelligence, we cannot relegate or confine it to Parliament. I propose that we need to mainstream it, not only in the ministries, but even all the institutions given that artificial intelligence is going to assist us in terms of engendering productivity and enhancing production. For those of you who followed the presentations that were done at the Pre-Budget Seminar, one area that was echoed by quite a number of our Honourable Members was us as Zimbabweans to embrace artificial intelligence, not only on day to day activities, but even when it comes to revenue collection. I think this is an issue that came out that we need to embrace artificial intelligence. When looking at governance frameworks, they need to be in sync with our Constitution. You cannot parrot government frameworks on their own. There is need for them to be in line with our Constitution, otherwise I am very happy with the presentation that Hon. Shamu made. It was a well thought-out presentation which shows where we should go as a country, but in the process, whatever frameworks that we are going to get, we need to domesticate them. They need to be in sync with our Constitution. Otherwise, thank you so much. I fully support the recommendations, but we will continue to have our identity as Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. CHIGUWA: Thank you Hon. Shamu for the good presentation. I want to say it is a good initiative that as a country we should adopt for the future. I want to recommend that this be done quickly because technology moves so fast. That is why I am suggesting that whilst you are coming out with frameworks, you also consider that we have got marginalised areas in our country. So whatever frameworks you are going to propose, you must consider the marginalised societies which must fit in whatever framework that you come up with. This goes maybe to the Ministry of ICT and there must be capacitation and supporting infrastructure to ensure that when they start to roll-out whatever programmes that will assist our country to develop each and every one in this country, is going to be covered and is going to participate. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 2 and 3 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 4 has been disposed of.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
HON. MAHERE: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am. My sincere apology Unfortunately, as was highlighted by Hon Markham and a number of others on this side of the House ,we do not have hard copies of the Order Paper. I see a number of Order Papers circulating on the other side. We want to be able to participate usefully in the debate.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I can give you mine.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Forth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the Year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. NGULUVHE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Section 258 of our Constitution talks about the National Prosecuting Authority which is responsible for instituting and undertaking criminal prosecution. If we go further to Section 262 of our Constitution, it compels the Prosecutor General to present to the National Assembly the annual report of its activities through the relevant Ministry, which in our case is the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
I would like to commend the NPA for timeously presenting their annual report which covers the period 1/1/2022 to 31/12/2022. I take note of their highlighted concern on the issue of recruitment. There was a shortage and they recruited over 50 new officers. I think this was a good thing to be done. It is normally very bad for one to be kept waiting if he or she is the accused and they do not know when they will be prosecuted. We also appreciate the partnership between NPA and the Insurance Council of Zimbabwe who signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This actually assisted the new prosecutor to be trained and equipped in the fight against corruption. When I went through the report, I discovered that although the clearance rate of cases generally is around 68%. There are still over 60,000 cases to be done, so I therefore call upon the National Prosecuting Authority to speed up these outstanding cases. I then looked again in the report, and I saw that there is a special unit in the National Prosecuting Authority. My suggestion is that these units which are based in their headquarters here in Harare, should be decentralised so that every corner of the country gets the same service.
I then again checked in the report and discovered that under the economic crimes leaking was done, and only 38,38% of people were prosecuted. You are talking of people whom we might call economic saboteurs and get only 38,38% of prosecution. One wonders why we have such a low prosecution of such people. If our country is developed economically, we have to make sure that such saboteurs are prosecuted. My suggestion is that the National Prosecuting Authority, in the future, must actually bring the figures of the amounts of those who would not have been prosecuted. When I look at these economic saboteurs, currently out of 1000, we still have over 600 outstanding cases of these economic saboteurs.
I checked again in their report on the issue of drug-related cases. In their report, they indicated that the rate at which they get results when they are summed for analysis is very slow. Therefore, I call upon the National Prosecuting Authority to buy modern equipment so that this issue of delaying bringing results is resolved.
I also looked at their establishment and I want to commend the National Prosecuting Authority for their gender sensitivity. If you look at their establishment, by December 2022, their establishment stood at 61, and out of that figure, 374 were female and 287 were male. So, I think they are in the right direction as far as the issue of gender is concerned. I would suggest that the Treasury affords the National Prosecution Authority enough money so that they can recruit. They recruited last year 47 members and they are actually looking for 189 more, so I believe we should afford them the finance.
The issue of training workshops:- it is very important that they continuously train, and do research so that they move with the times of what is happening all over the world. Otherwise, if I look at those recommendations, I totally concur with what they have recommended. So, I would like to give a thumbs up to the National Prosecuting Authority. I thank you.
HON. JERE: I had the privilege to go through a report that was sent through by the National Prosecuting Authority. I am generally happy with what they have put in their report but I have got grey areas which I would want to point out to this august House.
To start with, their report was not put on a letterhead. It is just on a piece of paper that looks like a bond paper, so for proper corporate governance and impression management, they should address that.
I also had an analysis, there are some copies that I shared with you, if you have them for the purpose of my analysis, they put their report in four quarters. Their presentation was in a bar graph, the bar graph is not more incisive in the way they have dealt with cases that are pending. The report gives us the cases that were received in each quarter, like the first quarter they gave us the numbers, for example 43 000 cases were received and 28,000 cases were prosecuted leaving 14 271 pending cases. In the next quarter, the report is not showing us the balance brought forward of the cases that were not dealt with, so there is a gap which is in their report which they might need to look at and maybe re-submit to the House for consideration. You will notice that this continued to the third quarter and the fourth quarter.
I would also want to recommend based on that to also have footnotes to their report indicating some of the cases which might be prolonged because of various reasons which are not given. So, if you try to put the cumulative figures, you will notice that the success rate is changing in terms of percentages. So that is one area which I might want a report to also address.
The issue of staff turnover is quite worrisome looking at the centrality and importance of the NPA, the generality of the Zimbabwean people. They lost quite a number of people due to the issues of remuneration. This is an issue I am suggesting for the budget, the Ministry of Finance looks at its budget and makes sure that we retain these very critical and very important staff.
There is also an issue that was addressed by Hon. Nguluvhe about the equipment they are using. It is in their recommendation, we recommend that with where we are going, right now we are reading an issue about Artificial Intelligence. This is one area that needs to be equipped for them to be effective in their prosecution. If they do not have resources, it is a problem for the country and that is when we start talking of catch-and-release issues which might not be there because prosecution evidence is quite important for one to be prosecuted.
I would like to commend the NPA for the programme which they came up with in trying to retain their staff where they spoke about Government Mutual Employee Saving Fund in which they are giving loans to their employees. It is a very good initiative to retain staff. It is a very good aspect which we encourage them to keep on doing that.
In their report, I noticed that the report did not cover the issues of internal control systems which are very critical to any organisation when giving a final report because we would also want to appreciate their internal controls systems which are not even covered in the report. My humble request is for such things to be included in their report. Just as much as after recomputation of the copy which I was given, they have done a wonderful job because you will notice that in the last quarter, there is a 14% reduction of the prosecuted cases. This is quite commendable.
Overally, our expectation when getting a document of this nature into this august House, we expect some of the issues which I pointed out so that we will be able to see the direction which we are taking from such an influential organisation. They have put at the end of their report, some recommendations which I would want to agree with that they need to be looked at and considered for them to be more effective.
In conclusion, I would like to commend them for the job well done in the way they have prosecuted, and the reduction of cases by 20% in the last quarter of 2022. I thank you.
HON. SAKUPWANYA: Madam Speaker, taking note of the NPA report, Section 258 of the Constitution gives prime responsibility for the NPA to institute and undertake criminal prosecution on behalf of the State. The independence of NPA means that it is not subject to the control of anyone in the discharge of their duty. The Constitution even further highlights in Section 260, where it speaks to the independence of the Prosecutor General who heads the NPA. On this note, I would like to highlight the milestone in the appointment of Hon Justice Matanda Moyo as the first female Prosecutor General in this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-. The tone set by President Mnangagwa on gender inclusivity has been evidenced within the NPA report as their staff component comprises more than 56% of females.
Some of the main highlights in the report include high labour turnover, the shortfalls in training, lack of ICT equipment and the overall clearance rate of 68.37% and a general lack of funding to operate efficiently. I want to highlight specifically with regard to the specialised units and on this one, I am targeting the one on drug related crimes.
Considering the scourge that has befallen the youth in terms of drug and substance abuse, I also want to thank President Mnangagwa for setting up the national taskforce to deal with this problem. At the centre of it all is the National Prosecuting Authority as they are handed the responsibility of ensuring that action is taken against the illegal drug peddlers as swiftly as possible.
In this report, a clearance rate of 52.79% which is considered low has been evidenced in this particular sector and it is mainly due to the delay of results from the Narcotics Department under ZRP which at times can go on for months. This means that further support is needed to support even our ZRP and capacitate them with equipment as this is directly linked to the ability of the NPA to conduct its cases on time. Equipping the NPA and supporting it in this light saves our youth from the claws of drug dealers. To add on to that, adequately resourcing our NPA goes a long way in ensuring that these perpetrators of these harmful substances are not only brought to book but prosecuted based on sufficient appropriate evidence.
I want to take note of the positive development in the judicial system as it has included ICT in its operations. The electronic management system introduced in the courts is testament to our commitment to move towards digitisation as a step ahead in increasing efficiency within our court system. The NPA therefore must be adequately trained to continuously incorporate ICT developments which also helps within themselves as ICT keeps on being updated and the training must be continuous.
It is also important to equip the NPA with ICT tools adequate enough for the public prosecutors to do sufficient research that will ensure a water tight case. Doing so would also mean we have less complaints on the catch and release issue. I would not do justice to NPA if I left out the conditions of service. Currently, NPA is using JSC offices in most if not all provinces and at times as is the case in Manicaland, you will find four prosecutors sharing an office, this poses a security threat because we will be dealing with sensitive cases.
Residential accommodation for more staff is a challenge as most of them are lodgers. Transport is another problem as they do not have buses in a lot of provinces. Addressing these issues is in turn addressing the major challenge of high staff turnover. In spite of these challenges, I must applaud the NPA for carrying on diligently and playing a crucial role in curbing crime and corruption as per their mandate. I thank you.
HON. MAHERE: Madam Speaker, we have to say that we are quite concerned with the report that was brought by the NPA. They have got a constitutional duty to be independent and obviously to prosecute crime. What was lacking in the report is qualitative analysis especially around some of the very concerning statistics.
I would like to zone in to make the point on the economic crimes section. We saw very concerning figure of only 38% clearance. We all know that Zimbabwe loses US$2.8 billion annually to corruption. A special anti-corruption court was established to tackle corruption. So, there is really no explanation in the report from the NPA as to why they have got such a low clearance rate for economic crimes, particularly in light of the fact that most of the people who get to court or arrested for economic crimes are political elites. Hon. Members from the other side have also highlighted the scourge of catch and release, so what explanation is there for this very low clearance rate?
What was also missing from the report is an explanation as to why the NPA has a special unit in what they call the Office of the President. Constitutionally, they are meant to be independent and not subject to anybody’s control, especially not the Executive. So, we wanted to see in that report an explanation as to why trials take so long. We can only highlight one example of Mr. Job Sikhala, over 520 days of trial, what explanation is there for a simple alleged public order offence to be dealt with over such a long period. There was no explanation or report as to why trials are taking long. What we expect from the NPA is constitutional conduct like any other institution. They are bound by the provisions of Section 46, they have a duty to uphold the Constitution; to uphold the right of accused persons. You see the NPA report was manifestly silent on the rights of accused persons which they have a duty to uphold them. We would have wanted to see better qualitative analysis on that aspect. Just throwing in a few bar graphs, two sentences and recommendations that do not even address, for example, the law clearance rate on economic crimes simply does not make sense. The NPA’s report falls short of the Constitutional standard. Thank you.
HON. NDUDZO: I am indebted Madam Speaker, Good afternoon. The most conspicuous aspect of the report of the National Prosecuting Authority is that the mandate, work and success of the NPA evolves around the human element which in the main ought to be a properly qualified, trained and also subject to continuous training that must be rendered to our prosecutors. Madam Speaker, it is a point of concern that emerges from the report that our National Prosecuting Authority appears to be trapped in a vicious cycle of continuously recruiting and training new members of staff as has been noted in the report on pages 3, 15, 17 and page 24. The NPA is losing a lot of its experienced personnel through resignations.
Madam Speaker, people are coming into the NPA, there is a huge cost being incurred in training them at a point when they have attained some level of experience, when we can count on them to be of good service to the NPA, they are taken away through resignations as they move to greener pastures. Madam Speaker, as the National Assembly mandated to safeguard the Constitution and to support institutions created in terms of the Constitution, we must resolve to recommend, perhaps, the categorisation of the NPA in particular, of the prosecution profession as part of the critical skills that must be subject to certain safeguards so that we are able to retain experienced prosecutors.
Madam Speaker, prosecutors are not like light bulbs where you can mechanically replace one burnt light bulb with another. It is not just a question of headcount to say we have 700 prosecutors, and if five resigned tomorrow we can replace them. It takes a lot for one to be a knowledgeable and properly skilled prosecutor. Focus must therefore be on adopting measures that will assist us to retain our experienced prosecutors. We therefore, need to provide conditions of service which will retain our existing prosecutors, but also conditions of service which will motivate many to aspire to pursue prosecution as the ultimate profession of choice.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, we know that prosecutors are pitted in the courts against well paid private lawyers who are experienced private lawyers. We need to retain the experience that we have within our prosecution so that we are able to have personnel that can adequately serve the interest of the State in the fight against crime and in the fight against corruption. Crime and corruption get more sophisticated with the passage of time especially in this digital era where now there is cybercrime and there are more other sophisticated means by which people will try and avoid being caught for the crimes they would have committed. Some will seek political colour when they have committed crimes, some will seek to abuse other prejudices that exist in society so as to avoid crime. When the NPA is well equipped with experienced prosecutors, they will be able to see through the tricks and chicanery that may arise from those other sanctuaries that people may seek.
It is my respectful submission that we need to support the NPA and make sure that we create an environment that is conducive for the retention of our prosecutors. We have just received the report that was speaking to the Committees of the Future. It is clear that ICT is now at the epicentre of our lives, the report notes that we do not have adequate ICT facilities and connectivity for our prosecutors. The research is of critical importance in the discharge of quality services by our prosecutors. Therefore, we need to support that our prosecutors must get all the support they require in order to make sure that we continue to enjoy a country where we have control and we have got measures that safeguard communities and society against criminals.
I also note Madam Speaker, the challenges that have been outlined on page 17 of the NPA report. In my view, the challenges are well set out, but by no means insurmountable with support of this House, with support from Treasury. It should be possible for us to have an NPA that we all can be proud of to serve our nation and to serve our people. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I will just pick on a few points that I have here with regards to the NPA report in terms of appraising it, looking at it whether it is a report worth noting or not. I looked at quite a number of issues that are supposed to be in a report, to me an annual report as presented, should be a valuable source of information for this august House to be in a position to understand the operations of the NPA.
I am also saying we should be in a position to understand what took place during the year in terms of activities and also the expected future direction. I was also looking at the report as an instrument that can be used by Parliament to assess the performance of the NPA as in this case. We should have been availed with the strategic plan document so that whatever measurement that we are going to use it should be read together with the strategic plan document. Obviously, on a year to year basis they do their strategic plans and this is where they map out what they want to achieve in that year. The report should in a way also promote accountability and transparency. These are some of the issues I was looking at and when I looked at the report, there was supposed to be ownership and the official presentation. Literally, all annual reports are supposed to show the four words from the Minister and then the four words from the accounting officer, the structure of the organisation in terms of who is in there. You also get to know the organisational structure and all that. I saw all these were missing and then I looked at the issues to do with governance to say what are the risks that are involved when it comes to the day to day operations of the NPA.
These were not clearly captured and one area where quite a number of people have raised concern is the issue of corruption within the NPA and one would need to say given that, the issue of corruption is being raised, do we have safeguard mechanisms to ensure that we control and prevent the incidence of corruption.
The issue of staff attrition, this has been mentioned already but I think as the august House here, I have noted that about 189 positions that were supposed to be filled for two years were deferred and the major challenge that has been raised is the issue of funding. I think it is for us as the august House to make sure that we support them.
The issue of the economic crimes clearance has been highlighted but where I also needed to bring to the attention of the august House is, there is a statement where they say no revenue was received from the Courts Administration Fund as Treasury instructed the NPA to close the accounts. I am not sure if we are saying they are no more receiving revenue. If they are receiving revenue, where are they putting it because here it appears like they were told to close the account. Are we saying there is nothing that is going to the Treasury Account?
In terms of the challenges, they have highlighted quite a number of challenges but literally, all of them have got something to do with finance. So, what is coming out is for this august House as we debate the 2024 National Budget, I think there is need for us to support the NPA in terms of their requirements and maybe given their targets, they would be able to scale up on the crimes clearance rate. I submit.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I also want to add my voice to the debate on the report concerning the operations of NPA. I want to first highlight the issue of high staff turnover whereby the period under review, 41 public prosecutors resigned. This is a huge turnover. I would suggest that there is need for further inquiry as to why there is huge turnover. Of course, the report stated that there is need to improve the conditions of service, but possibly there is need even for Parliament to look further into this high turnover because as other speakers have said, it will have ripple effects where they also stated in the report that they train new staff and they also have to go through induction process and the continuous training requires a lot of funding.
This will also be a burden even to Treasury. So, there is need to find out what are the reasons behind this high turnover and this may also be a tip of an iceberg to what is happening in the civil service because this is also part of what the Government is giving to our civil servants and it is a reflection of the bigger picture of what is going on regarding the remuneration of the civil servants.
We also noted from the report that there is also a fund that was set aside where prosecutors or employees from NPA can borrow money and they said at a very low rate which was not also explained. It looks again that less than 30 members were willing to get the loans. So, we also need further explanation. The interest for the loan was not high. What was the reason for that? I also want to appreciate the role being played by development partners, specifically the civil society organisations, the international organisations like there is Transparency International Zimbabwe which also supported NPA through training of its staff. This also covers the gap when the Government is also failing to support its own programmes through its own resources.
Transparency International Zimbabwe came in and supported them and they acknowledged it in their report. TIZ also supported NPA for an awareness campaign that was carried out in December. This is where we also see progressive civil society and international organisations coming in to help our Government and we also need to continuously recognise their role and also to make sure that their operating environment is also conducive so that they also continue to support our Government. Unlike other reports which are also trying to overshadow the role of these organisations where we have seen they are being viewed from a political point of view but in this case, they are also development partners which are also a good development for our country.
The issue which relates to staff turnover which is the rate of the clearance of cases, we noted 68%. I think this rate, whilst it is more than 50%, but there is also need for improvement to make sure that the cases they deal with are cleared since we know that the accused persons are innocent until they are proved guilty. In this case, this rate is not really good.
I will conclude by taking note of another worrisome rate of cases that were before the NPA in terms of assets forfeiture where the section that deals with that will be dealing with money or property acquired through some proceeds that are deemed to be acquired through some actions of crime and there were four cases. These 46 cases involved 112 million. This is a worrying case Madam Speaker Ma’am where 46 cases – if you divide 112 by 46, it gives you two million per case. It then shows that the moment we reach 100 cases, it is a lot of money and it shows there is a lot of criminal activities that might be going on within our country and there are reports that we are losing billions of dollars through illicit financial flows in this country. There is need also to tighten the screws within our legal systems and make sure that in Zimbabwe we do not continue to lose such amounts of resources, especially when we are a country that is failing to deal with disease like Cholera and we are losing huge amounts of USD like this. I do not think this is really good.
There is also another worrisome case that happened when the NPA sent people to India, we read in the report that they were not fully supported and they had no adequate funding. It gives a bad picture where those people who are being sent by a public institution are found to be struggling whilst abroad. So, there is also need to make sure that as we are within the budget period, we need to push for adequate resources that will be given to NPA and other institutions that equally require funding rather than to send people and become a shame to our country. It does not give a good picture, especially when we are at a period where we want to improve the image of our country outside. Thank you.
HON. KAPOIKILU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I do not have much to add, but I am concerned about the prosecutors’ conditions of service. We have noted that our prosecutors get into public transport after work. That will make them interact with the accused; the chances of them interacting with the accused are very high, which is not safe for them. Secondly, it exposes them to corruption because they will end up negotiating with the accused. So, I suggest that prosecutors get private vehicles to minimise this.
Also, when it comes to high staff turnover, we are very concerned. I feel that the conditions of service for prosecutors must be improved and must match those of their counterparts in the private sector. Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. C. HLATYWAYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. C. HLATYWAYO, the House adjourned at One Minute to Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 8th November, 2023.
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): May I remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cellphones or put them on silent.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. A. SEN. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this report. Allow me to start by commending the able leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa for recognising that corruption is a cancer that has slowed down the progress of our country. Further, I must commend ZACC under the leadership of a capable woman, Commissioner Matandamoyo for taking the challenge of curing our society from this cancer.
Mr. President, the 2022 Annual Report tabled before the House allows us to get insight into how the Commission has intervened to address this issue. While some issues were of concern, the general outlook was positive. I will draw your attention to three key issues and conclude by putting forward possible recommendations that can be adopted.
Mr. President, firstly, we commend the Commission for achieving a significant 38% decrease in reported corruption cases – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order! An Hon. Sen. is debating yet other Hon. Senators are busy talking. May we respect the rules of the House.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: This notable reduction can be attributed to the robust anti-corruption measures that have been implemented by the Commission. It reflects the Commission’s commitment to combating corruption and its effectiveness in preventing and investing in corrupt practices.
Secondly, Mr. President, one observation of concern in the 2022 Annual Report was the concentration of complaints in Harare where 70% of the total 684 complaints were reported. This imbalance suggests that Harare as the capital city has more incidents of corruption. It is thus essential for the Commission to strengthen the implementation of its interventions to combat corruption at a national level effectively.
Mr. President, thirdly, the breakdown of the 684 complaints is also a cause of concern on these complaints; 48,5% were related to the abuse of office, 36,1% involved fraud cases and 68,4% implicated public officials. These statistics indicate that corruption remains a significant problem within the public sector and that abuse of office and fraud are prevalent issues.
To that end, Mr. President, it is my humble opinion that the following recommendations be adopted. There is need to strengthen training and capacity building programmes for public officials to create awareness about the consequences of corrupt practices, improve accountability and strengthen their understanding of anti-corruption laws and measures.
Secondly, there is also need to promote transparency within Government institutions and increase accountability for public officials. This can be achieved through the implementation of robust anti-corruption policies and whistle blower protection measures.
Mr. President, the Commission should foster greater collaboration with other stakeholders including civil society organisations to mobilise public support in the fight against corruption. Such partnerships can provide valuable expertise to address corruption effectively. The corruption should invest in strengthening its investigative capacity, enabling it to address cases more efficiently and expeditiously. Adequate resources and modern technology should be provided to enhance the Commission’s capability.
Mr. President, the Commission must be adequately funded to promote public awareness, and campaigns about the negative impacts of corruption and the importance of reporting corruption. An informed and engaged public can play a crucial role in the fight against corruption. I thank you.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE (speaking)…. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAONDERA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to debate on the matter pertaining to corruption. The Commission did a wonderful job indeed because they managed to discharge their duties using limited resources. Going forward, there is need for Government to direct more resources towards the Commission so that it can effectively discharge its duties. The other point is that the former chairperson of ZACC, Hon Justice Matanda Moyo, was re-assigned, so I propose that her position be filled as a matter of urgency so that the duties of the chairperson are carried out by a substantive office holder.
We also need a report from ZACC so that we know what is happening. The other request that I have Mr. President is that ZACC should partner with other security agencies so that there is need for collaboration. We do not want loopholes in the system where you find that when someone participates in corrupt activities evade arrest because of technicalities. So, there is need for collaboration between state security agencies and those who are experienced. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: First of all, I would want to congratulate Hon. Senators who are sitting in this very important august House, which is a very important legislative organ of our country. I would also want to draw our attention that the job that is before us is not personal, but for the benefit of Zimbabwe. Therefore, I would like to thank and appreciate the report given by ZACC so far.
The first point that I would want to thank ZACC for is the issue of the decentralisation of their offices from Harare and Bulawayo to provinces. I would further request that they decentralise further down to districts because the majority of our people live out there in the districts. The majority of our people who get corrupted are people who are uninitiated because they live out there in the outskirts of the country.
Secondly, I would want to applaud ZACC for their training exercises they are conducting. I noticed and realised that they were conducting training sessions with the International Investigation Commission which is almost like Interpol in the world in terms of corruption detection and control. I would want to applaud them for that. I would also want to applaud ZACC for their creation of anti-corruption committees in local authorities as well as in state enterprises. However, I would want ZACC to create a situation where they will be able to continue monitoring the work and the effectiveness of those committees so that they do not just end up being committees by name.
I would also want to thank ZACC for their collaboration in terms of the work they are doing with the Attorney General because we also know that the Attorney General ends up getting involved in the issues of corruption. I would also want to encourage ZACC to quickly bring the Bill that protects the whistle blowers because the ordinary person feels that they need to be protected for them to be able to report corruption.
Finally, I would also want to implore ZACC and the rest of the judiciary system to make sure that those people with ill gotten wealth are punished or their equipment, motor vehicles and houses forfeited to the state so that those who are tempted to participate in corrupt activities will be afraid of losing whatever they will have amassed. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MATAMISA: Thank you Mr. President for honouring me by giving me this opportunity to speak for the first time in the Senate. This is a very interesting motion that has been brought to this House by the Hon. Senator. Let me add my voice and say, yes, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has got a very important component in helping combat corruption in this country. I really applaud that. However, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission seems to be stifled by those in power, those yielding a lot of powers are fighting the result that should be coming out of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission efforts.
Mr. President Sir, it does not mean anything to put laws; offices to start with are manned by those who were erroneously selected, not all of them should be there. Interested persons should not be in the Anti-Corruption Commission, I am referring to politics. It creates a lot of problems; people will not know whether the Commission will be able to truly represent the needs of the nation or the needs of those in high positions.
The second issue I have is when you talk of public servants in the offices of Anti-Corruption or any other offices, I really feel sorry for public servants because these are the people who are being down-trodden by the powerful ones. They are lured into corruption by the powerful people, for example, our Ministers who are looting the proceeds of the nation. They are doing everything, they are abusing the public servants in their offices who are not well paid. From those meagre salaries they are getting once they are given a little bribe, they have to follow suite to do as the Minister wishes or whoever is looting the national resources whilst we are seeing, I am sorry Mr. President. It is as if I am debating against the wishes of others, but I stand here for the Zimbabweans. I am not standing in for myself or for those who are well fed, those who have large pockets that can never be filled; they take the wealth of this whole nation.
Mr. President Sir, for the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to be effective, let the laws of the nation be followed if the laws are not being followed or followed partially and it is well known that there is selection of the application of the law. When it is being applied, it is who you are, where you come from and your affiliation, so we are going nowhere. In every part of the society, there are leaders, so how do we expect the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to perform when it is composed of our sons and daughters, Ministers and people from the ruling party? Do you think they will be able to arrest those people who are corrupt? How can I arrest my father or mother? It is unheard of? I am really concerned as a citizen, as someone who is representing the voiceless. I am really concerned, I am sorry I have to say it as it is because I am here to represent the people.
Mr. President Sir, let me say that I can speak the whole day…
HON. SEN. SIPANI-HUNGWE: On a point of order Mr. President Sir. I think if we are here, we do not talk about parties, let us respect each other because if you provoke, I do not think it will be well with some of us. We will not allow that. We do not talk of speculations. The Hon. Senator is saying there are giants, referring to Ministers, big fish, ruling party, no! I think Mr. President, let us stick to our motion and debate peacefully. I do not know how to express this because if provoked, we will not allow that. As Senators, we are all elders here. Let us respect each other and our political parties – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Before the Hon. Senator resumes her debate, it is important that I point out that the selection for members of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption comes through Parliament. Members of Parliament, regardless of where you come from, you have a say over the selection. If the selection was not done properly, it means the Lower House and this House also failed. Let us stick to our motion. May the Hon. Member continue.
HON. SEN. MATAMBISA: Thank you Mr. President and I want to thank the Hon. Senator for airing her views. Yes, this is Parliament and it is your right to interject if there is anything you feel is going the wrong way. What I have to say is that as Senators, we are here to correct what the young ones leave out. We are here to polish up the work - we call a spade a spade. We have to correct the mistakes that were done before and move forward in the correct direction. When I talked of political parties, I also belong to a political party.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Member, go to the debate, you have three minutes left.
HON. SEN. MATAMISA: On the successes of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption, yes, it is doing its work. We have had just a few who have been sought after so that they get evidence on cases that have been done. My problem is that once the Commission has done its work, I am yet to see a person who was convicted or arrested, they are many, but we are not getting any tangible results. They are getting a budget, but they are not working. I am protected by the Chair. Thank you, I rest my case
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, I wanted to protect you, but I also wanted to educate you on how we debate in here, you stick to one language. If you are using English, you use English throughout and the same applies to all other languages.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I wish to thank you Mr. President Sir for giving me this opportunity to contribute this most important subject in the development of our nation. You might be aware as others Members are here that on the Transparency International Index of Corruption, Zimbabwe sits on No. 157 out of 180 countries. This does not speak well for us as Zimbabwe. It does not speak well about the efficacy of our institutions in the fight against corruption. The colorary of which is fighting for development.
Mr. President, if you look at the Public Sector in this country, you generally see that there are grades of corruption and the small fish around corruption is what is caught around corruption is what is caught, backed and cooked but the real cases of corruption around procurement for the public sector is huge and it involves what the previous speaker referred to. It talks to people in high offices. These are the people that when they engage in corruption, they affect the country in a major way.
Mr. President Sir, I suppose that for the good of the country we should all join forces from wherever station we are to fight the scourge of corruption because it is real that corruption is strangling our economy. Mr. President, we have got huge opportunities in this country particularly with regards to the mining sector. We have got the largest iron ore deposit in the world. I think Manhize is about 30 billion tonnes of iron ore and quality investors look at the corruption index and they decide whether their investment will be safe if it travels towards Zimbabwe.
We have got platinum in this country but we fail to get quality investors because of the perception that Zimbabwe is very corrupt. The perception that if you go in with ex-amount of money to invest, you need premium. So that premium funds corruption so that your bids and attempts at investing in a particular sector is accepted. It is important that all our institutions, the police, the law makers, we all have to understand that should we move Zimbabwe in the direction of where the President’s mantra indicates that we will be a higher income society by 2030, and if we do not fight corruption, this will be a futile expedition.
Development will certainly be affected and we will fail to reach our aspiration because of corruption. Let us fight it without fear and favour. Let us fight corruption across the political divide and let us not protect our own where they might have been corrupted.
Mr. President, with this submission. I hope that this Senate will join forces together and I think if we reason together and fight corruption to its conclusive end, Zimbabwe will be able to benefit from its endowments without hindrance. I thank you.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Let me remind Hon. Senators that as you may want to move out of this room, you may use these other side doors so that you do not cross the path of the one who is speaking and the President. When you stand up, you just check if you are not crossing over and then you use the other routes.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Mr. President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. GUMPO: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add a few words to the President’s Speech. His Excellency the President opened his address and expressed his pleasure that harmonised elections were successfully conducted under a very peaceful environment and congratulate the people of Zimbabwe for carrying out very credible elections that was emulated throughout the world to the disappointment of the detractors who had hoped for the failure of the elections.
This was a clear message that Zimbabwe is a mature country. His Excellency congratulated levels of Members of Parliament and those of local authorities that were elected by the people for a term of office. His Excellency also wished everyone a good term of office as a service to the people and advised members to guard against corruption and bad practices. Some of the key issues covered in his speech were as follows; many boreholes that had been identified had already been drilled. His Excellency announced that the mining sector has achieved a target of USD12 billion and likely to go higher during the current term. He also announced that devolution will continue to be a priority during the current term. The industrialisation of the economy will take centre stage in order to empower the population and also help SMEs who continue to demonstrate their capacity as they are already a force to reckon with as they continue to lead in most of our industries, especially commercial and manufacturing. They have proved that with the assistance of Government, they can be leaders in their own right.
Tourism and stakeholders deserve to be praised as they increase the earnings by 62% during the term. His Excellency the President, reminded all Members of Parliament during his presentation on the need to complete all outstanding matters on legislative agenda during the current year as well as carrying on with creating new laws that will help the country to move forward in order to serve the interests of the people and the country as a whole by creating enabling laws to suit the country’s development agenda.
The President emphasised that the country should embark on an extensive programme of infrastructure development that include the total road network, the power development, and then the industrial infrastructure development. He also mentioned that agriculture is key to food sufficiency and industrial promotion. He said all the key elements are a means to create employment for the growing population, especially the youth who are the future of the country.
The Mining Act featured prominently in the President’s Speech as it emphasised on value addition for all the mining products before they can be exported. Many developing countries have failed in their efforts because of exporting raw materials. The President said the country cannot afford to make the same mistakes that were made by our sister countries. This is why Zimbabwe decided to repeal the Mining Act, in order to correct the anomaly on this important industry.
His Excellency the President, touched on health and social services for the people, which will include affordable housing for the general population. That includes affordable medical schemes and facilities and a national health insurance for the population. He rounded up his speech by emphasising on the issues that need to be tackled during the term, such as the SMEs Act that will need to be re-visited; the Broadcasting Bill and the need to have more radio stations and the improvement of network throughout the country.
He said the War Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act needs to be revised. His Excellency emphasised on the peace and harmony in the country. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Thank you Mr. President. I rise to make my contribution to the motion on the State of the Nation Address (SONA), in which I will focus on the following four areas. First is the dam construction programme which is being undertaken by the Second Republic. Secondly, the welfare of war veterans and collaborators, thirdly, the women micro-finance bank and women economic empowerment and fourthly, the role of the youth in protecting the national heritage. It is my considered view that these are critical areas that underpin progress towards Vision 2030.
Let me begin by highlighting that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, His Excellency the President, E. D. Mnangagwa in his SONA, said that the Second Republic has begun the drilling of 35 000 boreholes and establishing village agro-business units. The august House is aware that Section 488 of the National Development Strategy (NDS1):2021-2025 stipulates that construction works and ongoing dam projects will be accelerated. This august House is also aware that the Government is constructing 12 high impact dams throughout the country, of which some are already completed and this includes those in Mashonaland East such as Kunzvi Dam, Machekeranwa Dam and Chivhu Dam.
This development is indeed welcome and these dams are set to effect significant change to citizens’ livelihoods for the better of the province. Regarding Kunzvi Dam located North-East of Harare, it is a USD109 million dam situated on the opposite side of Morton Jeffrey Water Works and Lake Chivero. This position is strategic as it is poised to supply clean uncontaminated water to Greater Harare. The Second Republic should be applauded for registering huge progress on this project which has been on the drawing board for a long time. Its completion will not resolve Harare water problems only, but will also trigger projects related to agriculture, fisheries, water and rural development.
The dam will further help ease problems of water shortages being currently experienced by residents in Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Norton. The project has been on the drawing board from as far back as the 1990s. Currently, Harare is supposed to provide water to approximately 2.5 million residents and an additional two million residents from neighbouring towns requiring 1 200 mega litres a day. The four reservoirs, Harare Dam, Seke Dam, Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame, located on the Manyame River greatly suffer from pollution. Completion of Kunzvi Dam must put finality to these challenges.
Coming to the Chivhu Dam, I would like to thank the Second Republic for this project. It is a game changer as it supplies water to the expanded Chivhu town. The dam with a capacity of 26 million m3 has huge potential of providing irrigation water for surrounding communities and has potential to irrigate up to 120 hectares. Local communities, farmers and horticulture producers in Mashonaland East are urged to make use of this new dam to scale up their agricultural production.
Section 301 of NDS1:2021-2025, stipulates that Government prioritise implementation of the Zimbabwe Horticulture Recovery and Growth (HRGP). HRGP pairs with Transformative Horticulture, Subsector under the Presidential Horticulture Scheme, covering 1.8 million rural households. This sector, with adequate water supply has potential to uplift the living standards of rural communities. In terms of water supply to urban dwellers, I would like at this juncture, to also applaud the Second Republic for the realisation of the plight of Chivhu town community by building a modern and bigger 450m3 per hour water treatment plant. This is now operational and delivering water to Chivhu town.
Mr. President, allow me to refer to another life-changing project, the Muchekeranwa, formerly Causeway Dam with a capacity of 75 million cubic metres. The dam has the potential to irrigate 20 250 hectares of land and supply water to the town of Marondera and surrounding farms, Marondera University of Agriculture, Science, and Technology for both domestic and industrial purposes. Other areas that are supposed to benefit from the dam are Svosve in Mashonaland East and Chiduku in Manicaland.
Mr. President, before I present to you what was said by His Excellency, in his SONA, about war veterans, I would like to thank His Excellency for giving liberation fighters their own Ministry led by senior War Veteran Ambassador, Hon. Sen. Christopher Mutsvangwa, speaking continuously on Section 84 of the Constitution on the rights of the war veterans and the liberation struggle. The following group of persons include: - those who fought in the war of liberation; those who assisted the fighters in the war of liberation and those who were imprisoned, detained, or restricted for political reasons.
In his address, SONA, His Excellency echoed the need for the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act to be amended to include Botswana as one of the countries that were key as a transit point and home to our liberation fighters. This is a good development.
In addition, the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill will enhance the provision of pensions and other services for war veterans deserving non-combatants and war collaborators. Health care delivery, counselling services, housing support, access to farming, land provision of residential stands and housing, land ownership, security of tenure, big commercial mining, and agricultural projects conducted by professionals from colleges of high-scale commercial bases. All will improve their welfare.
On the same note, the creation of investment vehicles such as the Veterans Investment Cooperation and the Veterans of Liberation Fund adds impetus to the full-scale inclusion of war veterans in the economy.
I have to add that the establishment of a stand-alone Ministry for War Veterans, the Ministry of War Veterans Liberation Struggle Affairs presents an invaluable opportunity for accomplishing this mission.
Mr. President, with regard to women's participation in the financial sector, it is of concern to note that women's empowerment and inclusion are still lower as compared to their male counterparts. The Zimbabwe Women Micro Finance Bank was created to address women's access to finance. Its establishment was long overdue. The idea of the Women's Bank was started in 1982 by the then Ministry of Community Development and Women’s Affairs. The bank is a milestone achievement, however, there are challenges that if not addressed can jeopardize the fraction of this noble purpose.
Improving women’s livelihood, inadequate collateral security requirements are too stringent for most ordinary women especially those from rural communities who have no property or title deeds. The interest rates are rather too high and the repayment period is too short. Women Micro Finance Bank has to be adequately capitalised, decentralised, and tailor-made loans for ordinary women are necessary to broaden the services provision. We will continue talking about it until we are heard as women.
Mr. President, as I conclude, I would like to highlight that this House will realise across the world, that young people are to preserve and promote the heritage, traditions, culture, and history of their nations. The ecology and bio-diversity underpinned the very essence of national sovereignty, inheritance, birthright, and legacy. I have in particular, to emphasize that our youth should be alerted that people disposed of their land are doomed. It is the land that provides space to grow crops, livestock, and food. It also provides sources of water and other raw materials for industrial purposes as we consolidate heritage-based teaching. Learning programmes under Education 5.0, we should be weeding out all dirt of coloniality in our knowledge systems. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 9th November, 2023.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA, the Senate adjourned at Twenty Eight Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 7th November, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just one observation. Hon. Members should come in before the Speaker’s procession. Whips, you should lead, more-so when we are the ruling party. Hon. Whips, can you make sure that this is corrected.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. DHLIWAYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
Hon. Members not having volunteered to debate.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Are you saying that you did not read that report? I think our Whips must help prepare the Hon. Members on the speech on the motions. I think some Hon. Members are mesmerised, totally. Chief Whip, please can you defer this motion to the end of our precedence.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I move that Orders of the Day Nos. 1 and 2 be stood over…
THE HON. SPEAKER: We are done already with Order of the Day No. 1.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I was outside, I move that Oder of the Day No. 2 be stood over until Order of the Day No. 3 has been disposed.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on the Report of Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
Hon. Members having taken time to respond.
THE HON. SPEAKER: This report was circulated.
HON. ZIKI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I had the opportunity to take note of this comprehensive report done by ZACC. This report entails their performance and how they met on all categories of the work before them. They accomplished around 67% on average of the cases that they were dealing with. Of concern to us should be their challenges; some of which is human capital in the institution. I would suggest that they be incentivised, incentives given to the officers to sort of curb this human resource flight. Before it is done, of importance is remuneration package. I think this is the reason why they are not retaining staff. There is also a suggestion of capacitation, but now we find people are leaving ZACC after they have been trained. So we will end up with an institution that is training officers for other institutions. So, my submission is that staff must be given incentives to attract better qualified members of staff. These are my submissions Hon. Speaker Sir.
HON. TOGAREPI: Hon. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SPEAKER: Before you adjourn, may I suggest that today, you should have had a Caucus meeting with your members so that you align the Members of Parliament in terms of what you expect of them. This should have been done yesterday.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Hon. Speaker, yes, we would have done that, but Parliament administration has bunched all Committees to the first two days of the week and last week there was Pre-Budget seminar, so we did not have any free room to meet. We are only going to have our Caucus tomorrow. We wanted to invite Hon. Ziyambi to come forward to try and help Members to understand these submissions, but we could not.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Is this group still there?
HON. TOGAREPI: Yes, it is.
THE HON. SPEKAER: If you are online, check all the reports that were on line. There is no excuse for anybody not to read these important reports which affect our lives and which affect the citizens of this country. So, what I may indulge you; I am not thoroughly convinced that Hon. Members did not read the report since this report was tabled, I think on the 23rd. It proves to me that he actually read the report because what he raised are some of the issues that were raised in the report. I think you take my point Hon. Chief Whip.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE OF ADDRESS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MAONEKE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa for his re-election through a fair, transparent and credible election. In the same vein, I would like to congratulate you Mr. Speaker, on your re-election as well. To my fellow Honourables, I say congratulations to you on your securing the mandate to serve our mother country Zimbabwe in your respective constituencies.
My understanding is that the State of the Nation Address sought to set the legislative agenda. It is constitutional and it was done within the framework of the laws of our country. It sought to clarify the roles the leadership had set our nation to chase up. It sought to unite us as we chase those roles. The State of the Nation Address as well sought to figure out whether all the set targets which were supposed to be done by the previous legislative agenda were done. It also sought to ensure that everybody cooperates.
Now that the road has been clarified and that the roles have been clarified to all of us, the State of the Nation Address sought for cooperation from all of us. The statement by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, as far as I am concerned, is a very rich statement as it indicates collective ownership and collective responsibility on the part of all Zimbabweans. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, means all of us have to play a role in one way or another. Nyika inovakwa is an indication that we all have got a role to play.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I had the audacity to go through the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency and make an effort to compare it with other state of the nation addresses in other countries. What struck my mind was another State of the Nation Address which was delivered in 1940 by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He delivered a State of the Nation Address after Germany had occupied Netherlands and Belgium, and they were now on their way to France, after France their next target was Britain. So, the British Prime Minister had to address the House. In his words, he went on to say, ‘I will say to the House as I would say to those who joined this Government, I have nothing to offer, but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask what our policy is. I can say it is to wage war by the sea, land and air with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask what our aim is. I can say victory, victory at all cost, victory however long and hard the road might be for without it there is no survival.”
I had to go through this statement in an effort to try and figure out validity, relevance, suitability and applicability of the State of the Nation Address which was delivered to us and I discovered that the State of the Nation Address delivered to us by the President is valid, is applicable and is suitable to our environment.
Allow me to refer to that State of the Nation Address as a social, economic and political campus indicating the direction social matters are taking, implicating the direction economic and political matters are taking.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let us look at the Mines and Minerals Bill. The President is emphasising the importance of beneficiation which you will understand is purification of the minerals. What we get from under the ground, from the extraction, is a mineral ore and the President is emphasizing the importance of beneficiation for several reasons, some of which include:
- Purification; which entails deriving maximum benefit. We are purifying and removing the impurities to get the best out of that ore.
- Purification entails creation of other industries involved in purification minerals, hence leading to creation of employment and increase in taxes that will add to our GDP.
Beneficiation as well creates additional value from the by-product that we drive as we purify the minerals. In the process of purifying the minerals, there are some by-products, not the main mineral that we were chasing after. We make use of the by-products for creation of employment and for creation of other industries.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the process of purification of minerals has got both backward and forward linkages. What I mean is that through the process of purification, we sell the minerals at better prices and in the process, we also pay the company the responsible prices in meaningful terms. Moreover, purification means or entails identifying the correct client for our product. This can also give us the advantage of creating better relationships for the consumers of our materials or our minerals.
Mr. Speakers Sir, let us look at the Education Bill, wherein the President emphasised the importance of Education 5.0 which, in my understanding, is an evolution. Every system that surrounds us at some point in time changes. Our education system has also evolved to answer to the aspiration and dreams of modern-day man. There are new needs in this environment which were not in existence prior to today. If you go to the ICT, there is new vocabulary in their dictionary. They now talk of Zoom, they now talk of Tele-Conferencing, they now talk of cognitive thinking. Our education system should answer to the recurring questions around those areas.
Mr. Speaker Sir, though I did not study history, I wish to refer you to a certain scientist who was so much of the view that human beings evolve. This scientist is very popular, his name is Charles Darwin, 1881 and 1882, he is the one who proffered the theory of evolution, wherein he emphasised that human beings evolve, they change. Using his words, he was saying human beings at some point in time, when the last time they were homo habilis, they evolved to become homo erectus. From there, they evolved to become homo sapiens, from homo sapiens to homo sapien sapiens, from homo sapien sapiens to the digital man that I am talking to this day in this fourth industrial evolution. Our education system should evolve, should change and should cater for these changes.
Let us look at the drug and substance abuse where the President emphasised the importance of abstaining from that drug abuse. As I was researching about this matter Mr. Speaker Sir, I got the shock of my life in today’s paper when I realised that last week, on the first of November, it was drugs day. They said it was celebrated in Mufakose here in Zimbabwe. They were actually celebrating and advocating for decriminalisation of drug usage. They want to keep using drugs and one of our local doctors commented, instead of discouraging the use of drugs, he was actually saying the Government should invest more in rehabilitation centres.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in the area where I come from, in Chivi, we are losing a lot of youths to drug abuse. Now we are seeing that the elderly people have joined. My wish is that the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health should join hands to fight drug abuse. We expect the police to arrest the perpetrators. We also expect the Ministry of Health to build more rehabilitation centres so that after discharge, perpetrators can be reintegrated back into society.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in my area where I come from, people are now addicted to drugs such as cocaine, crystal mirth, cannabis, some pharmaceuticals and alcohol beverages. Some of them are being imported through our borders and some through other illegal means. My wish is that the Ministry of Home Affairs arrests perpetrators to ensure that this kind of behaviour is controlled.
I had opportunity again Mr. Speaker, to look at the other Bill which was mentioned, the Medical and Services Bill. I am told the Leader of the Legislative Agenda could not finish this Bill. My wish is if possible, this Bill be finished as soon as possible. In addition to that, there is also the Water Amendment Bill. In Chivi where I come from, we have got several water bodies such as Magoba, Bangala, Muzhwi and Tokwe-Mukorsi. Unfortunately, in most growth points, we are running out of clean water. Well, in his wisdom, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe is proposing to drill around 35 000 boreholes across the whole country. Unfortunately, as we speak in my area, we have only been able to drill less than 20. My wish is that the Minister of Devolution, where possible, treats this matter seriously because we are running short of clean water; especially now that there is cholera outbreak. My wish is that the Minister distributes the drilling equipment equitably throughout the districts and provinces.
Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to refer to Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa as a visionary leader. I say so because I have looked at the number of projects that he has done in my area Chivi which includes drilling of the boreholes that I have mentioned, repairing of dams and repairing of roads. This is an indication that the President has got his nation at heart. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Maoneke. Can you switch off your mic please! Hon. Member for Chivi Central Constituency, I was listening carefully when you quoted Churchill and I was struck by the fact that you have got such a photogenic memory and you really quoted him word for word. I was also impressed by your reading of Charles Darwin and that goes to show that the breed of MPs that we have must demonstrate some sense of wide reading. Well done Hon. Maoneke – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. KARUMAZONDO: Thank You Hon. Speaker. Firstly, I would like to say congratulations to His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his resounding victory in the August, 2023 harmonised elections. I would also like to congratulate you Mr. Speaker and Madam Speaker, as well as all other Members of this august House on securing the mandate to serve the people of Zimbabwe. I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the electorate in Maramba Pfungwe for affording me this opportunity to represent them in the 10th Parliament.
I would also like to add my voice to the motion moved by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou on the SONA presented by His Excellency to this august House. I would like to take the challenge posed to us by His Excellency to accelerate the completion of matters outstanding from the legislative agenda of the 9th Parliament.
The Second Republic achieved many milestones and has set the tone for this 10th Parliament in terms of implementation of strategies to enhance and improve the livelihood of Zimbabweans. Through the combination of irrigation schemes and borehole drilling, my constituency played a role in contributing to the consolidation of national agricultural productivity and food self-sufficient. We benefitted 20 boreholes as part of the 35 000 boreholes initiative in the move to establish village agro-business units which are yet to go through installation so as to service the community. The successful implementation of the irrigation schemes through Saparanyambuya Dam led to Maramba-Pfungwe constituency contributing to the national wheat basket for the first time in history. I will be requesting the introduction of more irrigation schemes by dredging of unused dams which have suffered siltation and construction of weirs where it proves to be more economical than dam construction. One of the key infrastructure projects I would like the full support of Government in implementing in this 10th Parliament Mr. Speaker Sir, is the construction of Nyatana Dam. Key to His Excellency’s address was the significant improvement of power supply as a result of the commissioning of Hwange 7 & 8 units. He went on to add that deliberate investments are on-going for increased power generation. Nyatana dam has the capacity to generate power for Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces, once completed. It is therefore my wish that special consideration be put into supporting our efforts to see the construction and completion of this project, which will not only add to the electrification of the rural population, but will also add to the provision of water to the surrounding communities for domestic and agricultural use. This will encompass electrification and water and sanitation issues in the village, thereby transforming the livelihoods of the constituency of Maramba-Pfungwe as well as the nation at large.
Electrification of Maramba-Pfungwe constituency plays an integral role in the establishment, provision and use of ICT to schools, hospitals, district offices and businesses as well as the general community. Through electrification of Maramba- Pfungwe, we can ensure delivery of services such as lighting, heating, connectivity of telephone lines as well as internet access.
As it stands, the people of Maramba-Pfungwe struggle to get good internet connection with existing networks. Maramba-Pfungwe is the only district in Mashonaland East without a functioning telephone line. We would like to see the installation of ICT infrastructure in Maramba-Pfungwe. Students in schools cannot even speak of having computers before we provide them with electricity. Clinics cannot service the constituency adequately without power supply. Nyatana Dam will be able to adequately cater to Maramba-Pfungwe’s energy needs among other rural electrification initiatives.
His Excellency mentioned that priority is being given to projects that improve access and quality of education, health, roads and water sanitation. I would like to attest that I have seen the completion of the duplication of the Harare-Mutare Road stretch from Msasa to Melfort among other roads that were improved in Mashonaland East, not to speak of other major road networks countrywide. In Maramba-Pfungwe, the construction of Mrewa’s-Madicheche road has been moving at a very slow pace making hospitals, market places and other key amenities inaccessible to the residents of Maramba- Pfungwe. Public transport is nonexistent to service people in this area due to the poor state that the road is currently in. Other key developmental projects to be successfully implemented include the construction of Government schools in Maramba-Pfungwe which has no existing Government school; introduction of community information centers and supply of at least 3 ambulances at the UMP district hospital.
I would like to commend Government on the huge strides made towards decentralisation of service delivery including deployment of medical specialists to provincial and district hospitals. However, more still needs to be done, in Maramba- Pfungwe, healthcare system is servicing the district with 50% staff levels. There is need for pediatrician’s, general surgeons, gynecologists, physicians and nurses to add to the staff complement. There is also need to supply antibiotics and pharmaceutical drugs for chronic illnesses as the district is currently receiving painkillers only.
Part of the initiatives to be implemented in Maramba Pfungwe include, establishing vocational training centers to address issues to do with sports and recreational activities, SMEs and empowerment programmes for youths with specific attention to school drop-outs and those who fail to complete their education due to socio-economic challenges.
In closing, it is my wish to see the Government support in all the initiatives earmarked for Maramba-Pfungwe by ensuring that devolution funds are channeled to the constituency in time so that the district will manage to purchase a grader, tipper and borehole drilling rig to allow effective and efficient service delivery to my constituency.
Maramaba-Pfungwe inozivikanwa nekuvhota zvine mutsindo. I thank you.
HON. MUTANDI: Mr. Speaker, first allow me to begin by extending my heartfelt congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Cde. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for his resounding victory in the 2023 Harmonised Elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –. This mandate from the people reflects their trust and confidence in his leadership and I am sure I speak on behalf of everyone in this Chamber when I express our hope for a successful and productive term ahead.
I would also like to extend my congratulations to you Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of Parliament for retaining your positions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – your leadership in guiding the affairs of this esteemed institution is commendable and I have no doubt under your guidance, the 10th Parliament will be a vibrant and effective platform for addressing the critical issues facing our nation. May I also express my gratitude to the electorate for electing me as a Member of Parliament, as well as my party for giving me a chance to positively contribute towards the national Vision 2030 as a member of this august House – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –.
Mr. Speaker, as we gather here today to respond to the SONA presented by our President, we must acknowledge the collective responsibility we have to address the challenges and seize the opportunities outlined in his address. The President’s speech shed light on the progress and hurdles that lie ahead for our beloved Zimbabwe. Let us collectively reflect on these issues and chat a course for a brighter and more prosperous future for our nation.
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the ongoing efforts to improve our WASH, that is water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. These efforts are aimed at ensuring access to safe, clean and potable water for all our citizens. Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and these endeavours are vital for the well-being and health of our people. The Government must be commended for the ongoing borehole drilling programme which seeks to drill 35 000 boreholes in Zimbabwe. However, it is clear that more resources and attention are needed to accelerate progress in this critical area.
In the realm of infrastructure development, we must applaud the road rehabilitation programmes that have made significant strides. The construction of Harare – Bulawayo Highway and in Mutare, the Christmas Pass by-pass as well as the ongoing rehabilitation of the Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Highway, are major infrastructure projects that are essential for the movement of people and goods. These initiatives not only improve connectivity, but also stimulate economic growth. We must continue to invest in infrastructure projects like these to drive our nation forward.
Mr. Speaker, the President’s mention of gas infrastructure development is also of great importance. The efforts to capacitate Verify Engineering to supply medical gas and oxygen in Zimbabwe and the region are commendable, particularly in light of the global health challenges we have faced. Nevertheless, we must stress the need for additional funding to ensure the consistency of uninterrupted supply of these vital resources which are essential for our healthcare system.
The emphasis on value addition in the President’s address is a welcome development aligning with our goal of promoting economic diversification. To take this further, we should consider the establishment of canning and preservative factories in areas that produce tomatoes, avocados and other products. This will not only reduce post-harvest losses, but also create opportunity for value addition, job creation and improved livelihoods for our people.
In the mining sector, we acknowledge the ongoing efforts to transform it into a US$12 billion sector. However, it is imperative that we ensure women active participation in this industry. Legislative and other interventions should be put in place to break down the barriers that have limited women’s involvement in this critical sector. By empowering women in mining, we can maximise the sector’s potential and contribute significantly to our national economic growth. The high rates of informality in the economy underscore the need for a comprehensive strategy to formalise this sector.
This includes capacitating the Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank and providing more funds to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Small to Medium Enterprise Development to create safe work spaces for women. Furthermore, we should prioritise women and small and medium enterprises in tender processes as this will foster inclusivity and economic stability.
In conclusion, our President’s SONA has highlighted both our achievements and the challenges that lie ahead. It is our collective responsibility as a nation and as a Parliament, to address these issues, invest in critical infrastructure, empower our citizens and promote inclusive growth. Together, we can build a stronger and more prosperous Zimbabwe for all our people. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Mutandi. So far, there is some demonstration that indeed when you read, you can debate and I think you have got the capacity to do so. Please do the same for the other items that come on the Order Paper because I can tell, you have the capacity to do so.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
PRE-BUDGET RECEPTION
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just a reminder Hon. Members that the 2023 Pre-Budget Cocktail Reception is scheduled for today at 1800 hours at the Rainbow Towers at the Jacaranda Rooms located on the M-floor level. You should remain spick and span please.
HON. MPASI: Thank you Hon. Speaker for this opportunity to add my voice to the SONA presented by our visionary leader, His Excellency, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Let me start by congratulating His Excellency and generally, all Zimbabweans for the resounding victory in the recently concluded free, fair and peaceful harmonised elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – A second five year term accorded to our able President shows that our future as Zimbabweans is in safe hands – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]. Let me also extend my warm congratulations to you Hon. Speaker and your deputy for retaining positions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – We value your leadership in this world class Parliament.
Hon. Speaker, there are a lot of notable developments since the coming in of the Second Republic and we very much appreciate. I will however, dwell much on what affects Shurugwi North and nearby areas since that is where I come from. The first one is on roads construction. The Second Republic has made significant strides in roads construction and as Shurugwi, we have also benefitted. The road rehabilitation exercise is however still underway and it is our request that this ongoing exercise be speeded up and brought to completion at least before rains worsen.
Shurugwi is generally a mining town and movement of both goods and people is crucial, hence reliable roads in the area and around are key.
On agriculture and livestock production, Hon. Speaker, let me also mention that Shurugwi is not only rich in minerals but it is also endowered with good soil suitable for farming as well as climatic conditions suitable for livestock production. The Presidential schemes on both livestock and farming have significant numbers in my constituency benefiting. These include women, youth and vulnerable members of our society. This initiative must have impacted positively especially on youths who can no longer be idle through drug and crime rates.
His Excellency the President, in his State of Nation address, touched on drug abuse. We appreciate that our President is aware of the problems affecting our communities. Indeed, these problems are affecting Zimbabwe as a whole and Shurugwi has not been spared. This cancer has brought with it a sharp increase in crime rates. This becomes worse in Shurugwi where perpetrators move about with machetes and other dangerous weapons. We kindly ask for stiffer penalties.
On farmers and miners conflict. In Zimbabwe, we normally talk of conflicts between humans and wildlife. In Shurugwi, it is a bit different, rather it is conflicts between miners and farmers. We all need to eat and we need foreign currency coming from mining activities. We thus need to strike some sort of balance in this regard. My plea Hon. Speaker is that both farmers and miners be allowed to co-exist.
On backlog on mining rights, Hon. Speaker, we are a blessed nation as far as mining is concerned. One however needs to hold mining rights for them to mine legally. It is my humble request that the relevant Ministry clears its four-year backlog and assist citizens wanting to venture into mining. I thank you.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. All protocol observed. Mr. Speaker Sir, on behalf of Chipinge East and on my behalf, let me take this opportunity to congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces for his resounding victory in the recently held Harmonised Elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
He took bold steps to transform the economy, what a well-deserved victory after some reforms which catapulted the economy to an astronomical economic growth trajectory. Allow me Hon. Speaker to call it EDonomics at work – E. D. Pfee.
Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate you Hon. Speaker and Deputy Speaker for retaining our positions following uncontested elections. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – I would not have done justice if I do not extend the congratulatory message to my fellow Hon. Members in this House for the mandate to serve the sons and daughters of our great motherland, Zimbabwe. Congratulations Hon. Members of Parliament for your victory.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me take this opportunity to once again thank the President, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for according a National Hero Status to our father and founder of ZANU, Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole.
Hon. Simbanegavi having passed between the Member speaking and the Chair.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member just sitting down there, you cannot pass through the Chair and your colleague who is debating.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): My apologies Hon. Speaker.
Hon. Simbanegavi having made her apology while seated.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You make your apology whilst standing up, Hon. Member.
Hon. Simbanegavi stood up and made an apology.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Mr. Speaker Sir, let me also take this opportunity to once again thank the President, Dr. E. Mnangagwa for according a National Hero Status to our father and founder of ZANU, Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole. The President healed a long agonising pain that we the Ndau people bore for ages. This resonates well with His Excellency’s mantra, leaving no one and no place behind. Indeed, the moment you took over as the captain of the ship, you remembered us the Ndau people. You are waling the talk baba.
Further to that, the opening of the E-passport in our district town Chipinge, is testament of the President’s vision to ensuring that we achieve an upper middle-income status by the year 2030. The logistical problems of travelling and long waiting periods have since disappeared. We will appreciate if the VID offices follow suit and establish permanent offices in our district town.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also want to thank the President, and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for the 18 boreholes sited and 12 boreholes drilled in Chipinge East. Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker Sir, following the reports of the Cholera cases and reported cholera induced deaths in Chipinge District, on behalf of Chipinge East, I humbly request the intervention of the Minister of Agriculture to speed up the installation of already drilled boreholes and drilling of some new boreholes that we may reduce the loss of life due to this impending peril. Of the highest priority is Mt. Selinda Hospital in Ward 19, Marozva Village, and Village A in Ward 18, Daisy Hill in Ward 12 among others.
I also want to contribute on the State of the Nation Address. The State of the Nation Address set the tone and spirit the people of Zimbabwe have to adopt in order to achieve the short to medium term Vision 2030. His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s vision is to ensure that Zimbabwe becomes an upper middle-income economy by or before the year 2030. In a layman’s language, an Upper Middle-Income economy is an engine of economic growth where everyone has uninterrupted access to social utilities such as electricity, health facilities, clean water and education. These countries are major global economics engines with per capita incomes ranging from US$4 000 to US$12 000 per annum. This implies the majority will have improved quality of life. For this reason, His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa stresses inclusivity in his mantra; ‘Leaving no one and no place behind’. In his SONA, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa opined to the need to keep on an upward economic trajectory through Agricultural policy measures such as Pfumvudza among other policies. Truly, this has seen small scale farmers quadrupling their levels of productivity, particularly amongst those who have religiously followed the instructions in Chipinge East.
It is of utmost importance for this august House to further support His Excellency’s Presidential Schemes on Agriculture through advocating for more budgetary support. Moreover, it is my opinion that such schemes may be expanded to fruit trees and other plantations such as eucalyptus plantations. The eucalyptus plantations may be further utilised to practice bee farming of which one of the main outputs is eucalyptus honey which is in huge demand the world over. At one point when I was passing through some parts of Buhera, I witnessed a huge booming mango tree in the midst of a sudorific scorcher, yet I have heard a number of people from that place saying the area in not suitable for agriculture and I said to myself if these areas can sustain this one big tree, surely it is also suitable for 100 trees. Say each of our villagers spare at least a hectare to plant ecologically suitable fruit trees, surely we will have enough to kick start some fruit juice manufacturing industries in our rural areas. As long as we lag behind in terms of fruit tree plantations, then we will never imagine our fruit juice local production, an area we have competitive advantage as witnessed by our own Mazoe pride. I think this is even less costly than what we are committing to grains as a country given the fact that fruit tree plantations only pose some challenges at the beginning. Once they are established, they need less support.
This is therefore my request to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Forestry Commission and the esteemed Members of Parliament to promote fruit tree plantations in their respective constituencies. This may also be a mitigatory measure against climate change. It is also an important substitution trade policy measure. Currently we are importing more than 90% of 100% of juices that are consumed widely just because we are not producing sufficient fruits that attract the establishment of the industry.
Another hot potato is the medicinal marijuana farming sector. There is need for this august House to relook at the laws governing this sector with an intention to lessen restrictions in the sector, improving the ease of doing business and promoting medicinal marijuana production.
I see no reason of restricting entry into the specified agricultural sector. This is a multi-billion dollar industry. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare may see to it that pharmaceutical plants are set up for beneficiation, marijuana medicines production, once we have sufficient marijuana farms.
I think we cannot afford to delay. It is time to fire up all our economic engines as we push for Vision 2030. Effusive thanks goes to our beloved Amai Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa for a befitting great work in tree planting among other projects that are further parachuting our economy into greater heights,
Mr. Speaker Sir, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa commented on positive contributions by the mining sector to the national cake with growth rising from $2.8 billion in 2017 to the current $12 billion dollars industry. What an astronomical improvement in economic growth.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there is however a pending Bill that is before this House. This House must consider and bring it to finality. In bringing this Bill to a finality it is of vital importance that this House ensures that the permanent residents, our youths, women and men are fairly empowered. All those EPOs that have been lying idle for more than five years throughout the country must be scrapped. This House must ensure a fair determination of the maximum sizes of the claim that must be allocated to any juristic individual.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also feel an interrogation of what the permanent residents are contributing towards the multi-billion dollar industry must be carried out. It is one thing to have an improved output and another to ensure that the permanent residents have a fair share out of that output.
In my years of adulthood, I realised that while geographical borders are fixed, economic borders, economic territories may be extended into other people’s geographical territories like what other powerful nations are doing through their multi national corporations and other foreign economic agents. Big companies such as the platinum giants represent those extended foreign territories. It is our duty to see to it that our black majority gets a fair share out of these territories and also encourage our native business persons to extend our economic borders.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. The Hon. Member just sitting down now, the Standing Rules and Orders do not allow you to move in front of your colleague who is debating.
HON. GATA: My apologies Mr. Speaker, I am sorry.
HON. DHLIWAYO: Employment and taxes are not sufficient. We have to strive to be owners of our own resources. Let this august House strive to create more earners of profits, earners of rents and earners of interests rather than focusing on increasing the earners of salaries and wages. It is not enough to fight for employment, it is not enough to fight for taxes.
We cannot afford to see companies in the platinum group of metals mining sector moving at a snail’s pace to implement value addition while we lose an unquantified amount through exporting unprocessed ores. That is donating our jobs to other countries whilst we are fighting unemployment at home. How? If process A, B and C of the value chain is taking place in a foreign country X, it means employment that was supposed to take place in Zimbabwe is actually taking place in a foreign country X. It has been more than 7 years since the call to beneficiate and you hear some companies in the Platinum Group of Metals saying they are now about to implement the first phase. For how long Mr. Speaker Sir shall we continue to watch our PGM, our jobs, our incomes being donated to other countries? I call upon this House through its oversight role, to back our President and Commander-In-Chief of the Defence Forces Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa and the Minister of Mines and Mining Development to ensure that the companies in the platinum group of metals comply with speed to the beneficiation call as we all rally towards achieving an upper middle income economy, a vision that we cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to continue to lose jobs for our youths and to lose our export revenue because of slow progress. At this point in time, we may raise the beneficiation tax to recover part of the losses and or increase our community share ownership schemes. Further to that, all incentives in the mining sector given to investors coming from the rest of the world must be scrapped. Prior studies in this sector have shown that investment in this area have nothing to do with incentives. No one will fail to invest in a gold mine because a certain incentive has been scrapped.
God bless Zimbabwe, God bless our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. God Bless you Hon. Mr. Speaker and all Hon. Members of this House. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You reminded me of the olden days when Rev. Ndabanini Sithole spoke. Very inspiring indeed. When you started to speak about medicines, I was saying to myself, there is the munyai, to take me kwaNdunge when some people start shaking my seat so that I can go there and be strengthened – [ Laughter.] – Thank you very much Hon. Dhliwayo. We now call upon Hon. P. Zhou, Midlands Province and Women’s Quota. I think you requested that you speak while you are seated, I grant you that privilege. Please proceed.
*HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to also add my voice to the motion brought to this House by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. The debate emanates from the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President. Before I go further, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, President Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly, defeating the opposition. They were totally annihilated and right now they are fast asleep in their blankets. I also want to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir, together with your Deputy Hon. Tsitsi Gezi. The people who elected you back to those seats know that you are good at your work. I would like to congratulate you. I also want to congratulate the Hon. Chief Whip, Hon. Togarepi as well as all the other Members who were successfully elected into this august House. I would like to say congratulations.
In my debate, I would like to focus on the main issues that were of great interest to me from the President’s Speech. The theme that – nyika inovakwa nevene vayo will be the first point. Secondly, the promotion or uplifting of women by the Government led by President Mnangagwa. Thirdly, I would like to refer to the engagement and re-engagement policy by His Excellency. Finally, I will refer to my own opinions to proffer as suggestions to Government policy.
With regards to the mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, it is a great marketing strategy, it is also a great slogan and it is also great as a mantra. It does not matter it is an opposition support or the ruling party supporters like us, they are very motivating words. If you feel like opposing, it means there will be a problem. That is what has led to what we are seeing right now, where we see some empty seats in this House, but the most important thing is that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
On the issue of sanctions, the main cause of them being imposed on us was that we repossessed our land. We complained and suffered at the beginning, but we realised that, that is the biggest problem. The Second Republic led by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa realised that we need to come up with a solution because we are not able to access funding from international financial institutions. Essentially, I was saying they can keep their money whilst we proffer our own solutions. Starting from Harare going to Beitbridge, you will really enjoy travelling on that road. Look at your speedometer whilst you are driving instead of looking through the windscreen because you will fly out of that car. As you get to Beitbridge itself, you need to see for yourself and feed your eyes. As Members of Parliament, if we get time, we need to visit those places because that is domestic tourism. After all, we have the red passports.
If you want to travel by air, when you get to Robert Mugabe International Airport, you might as well think that you are in Europe or if you have gone to America, you might think it is Dallas Airport. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo without grants or lines of credit from international monetary institutions. I refer to the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, there are a lot of dams that have been constructed such as Tokwe-Mukorsi. That dam or lake has transformed people’s livelihoods.
With regards to engagement and re-engagement, Government policy also stems from the mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. With regards to engagement and re-engagement, it is Government policy stemming from the mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo
With reference to promotion of women and empowerment of women, most of us suffered with regards to getting education. We did not get adequate attention or support from the parents. That is how we grew up - we were oppressed although we were given the respect as mothers or women but we did not get equal opportunities for leadership positions. So, I would like to congratulate the Second Republic for promoting that aspect. For us, through the women’s quota, we thought we were only going to be in this august House for five years but I am glad that after the amendment that quota was retained and sixty women came to Parliament. It is always difficult to compete with men because they have power and the financial muscle. So, we would not get fair competition if we were to be pitted against them.
I therefore, would like to really appreciate the President for ensuring that we are in this House as women.
That was a visionary aspect because there was also an allocation to ensure that women below the age of 35 or the youths also learn from us the senior women so that they inherit whilst we remain behind but we expect it will be a mixture of ages in the august House as all of us will be in the House. We do hereby request our Hon. male colleagues to regard these Hon. female Members as our children so that they do not lose dignity out there. Although I referred to women, I would also like to make reference to the Youth Quota. The Youth Quota does not select in terms of gender, so the youth are also being groomed to be future leaders because it will be 20 of them coming through the Youth Quota.
I also would like to make a request with regards to Members elected through the proportional representation system. I request that they be united and work together because the PR Members do not always work well with the elected members for fear that the PR Member may be eyeing the seat of the elected member. So, both members need to be taught to work together in unity. I will give an example of where I come from in Zhombe. I go wherever I like because I work with Hon. Samambwa well. When I go to Silobela, I work with Hon. Nyevera well and if I go to Redcliff, I also work well with Hon. Moyo. If you have been elected through the quota system, do not be mistrusted. I think there is need for an induction for some constituencies. Some women are not allowed to venture into the constituency by elected Members. With regards to CDF, you are only asked to sign yet you will not be invited to any of the meetings and you are not aware of what is taking place. When I listen to Ms. Dingani talking, I always say I wish you knew what is happening on the ground.
With regards to the 30% quota system of councillors, we rejoiced very much because we used to fail to gain access. As the ruling party, we then realised that it will be reserved for the other parties but now this has changed. I was called yesterday by an Hon. Member who was crying because they wanted to distribute Pfumvunza inputs but there is no coordination between the representatives of council from the ruling and opposition parties. They both had different lists and the inputs have still not been distributed because of the impasse on who should get the inputs. We asked them to resolve the dispute because the inputs should be distributed. The female quota councillor was told that her area was to ensure that women get sanitary pads and nothing else. So, I hereby request Mr. Speaker, that such issues be addressed so that councillors are taught to work in harmony regardless of their political affiliation.
In addition, I would like to express my gratitude for the appointment of Permanent Secretary Ms. Nyemba, Women’s Affairs Mavis Sibanda, Skills and Audit Permanent Secretary Rudo Chitiga and closer to home, the Senate President Hon. Chinomona, the Deputy Speaker Hon. Gezi, Deputy Chief Whips in the National Assembly and the Senate. There is our Ambassador to Zambia Hon. Charity Charamba, if I was allowed to ululate, I would stand up and do so regardless of my aching leg. It means the President has seen the great works that we do as women. These are key appointments.
With regards to the engagement and re-engagement policy, it is very key. It is being used effectively by His Excellency the President, whether you like him or not, it is working, ukarwadziwa haupori. The cooperation between Belarus and China in Zimbabwe is so good, on social media you hear a lot of negative things about the Chinese, so who do you think is better, the Western people who actually took away our land or the Chinese who are bringing development to our country? I did some research on the relationships, I looked for statements by the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe. He said, the relationship between China and Zimbabwe is closely intertwined, dating back to the liberation struggle and he said they will not leave Zimbabwe, they will continue working with Zimbabwe to fulfill Vision 2030.
He said Zimbabwe and China are friends, partners, brothers and sisters. He also referred to the 2008 incident where Zimbabwe was taken to the United Nations to be sanctioned by the United Nations, but China vetoed that and it further strengthened the already existing relationships.
China has built this New Parliament Building, the President said, it is iconic, majestic and magnificent and I am very happy. Hon. Speaker, whilst we were at the old Parliament building, it really pained me that I may not be able to get into this beautiful building. So, I really want to thank the Almighty God who enabled me to sit in this august House whether it is a grant given to us by China, I am grateful.
I also would like to refer to the Manhize Steel Plant, the plant employs more than 2000, in addition to that, the steel that is being produced there gives foundation and impetus to industries in Zimbabwe. China has given us all the agricultural equipment including Haulage Trucks as well as centre pivots. So, I would like to applaud the Belarus President, Mr. Alexander Lukashenko for giving us a direction. I cannot refer to everything, but that shows us that we also have a way out.
Another aspect is that the First Lady, Dr. Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa is exemplary to us and I really would like to thank her very much for all the work she is doing. I thank you.
HON. MHURI: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. I would also like to support the motion raised by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon.
Tsitsi Zhou. I would like to start by congratulating His Excellency the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for the resounding victory in the 2023 fair, peaceful, and credible harmonised elections.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to say that the peaceful environment we saw before the elections, during and which we continue to witness is set by the people of Zimbabwe. I would also like to thank His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe for congratulating all of us in this Tenth Parliament. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir and your Deputy for your re-election to this Tenth Parliament. Likewise, let me also congratulate all the Hon. Members in this august House, as I am here, representing Shurugwi South, it is also in order in my view, to thank the people of Shurugwi South for giving me this opportunity to represent them in this august House.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I am really excited to be in this magnificent new Parliament Building as this is my first time to be a Member of Parliament and I also hope that this will not be the last.
Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to add my voice to the State of the Nation Address which was delivered by His Excellency on the 3rd October, 2023. The President told us to make sure we accelerate the matters outstanding from the agenda of the Ninth Parliament.
The President also talked about the need for us to work very hard as a country to guarantee agricultural production and productivity. He talked about irrigation development and farming equipment. Zimbabwe in the Second Republic, has been and is continuing to realise national food security. As we speak, Zimbabwe is now food self-sufficient.
The Second Republic is currently involved in the drilling of 35 000 boreholes for community gardens and the establishment of village hubs. To complement the Government’s efforts to be in line with the President’s vision, I am motivated to do more in the area I represent, we have started reconstituting and the rejuvenation of Village Development Committee as pronounced by the Traditional Leaders Act. This Committee will make it easy for the village hub of business unit when they are introducing our area to the developments. The people of Shurugwi, with the drilling of boreholes in our villages, and as we speak here, we have got our rural development team installing bush pumps in some of the drilled boreholes in our area. I had a good sleep last night as I was receiving information that the team is installing bush pumps in our area, thanks to the President of this Republic.
We have also witnessed the drilling of boreholes in schools and rural health centres. We however look forward to the electrification of some of the clinics like Gwanza, Gamwa, Mufiri and Mazivisa, just to mention but a few. However, we appreciate Government’s efforts in the rehabilitation of roads.
The vision of the President is also rural development through Rural Development 8.0 where we plan as a country, for industries in our rural set ups and to make this a reality, we are pushing for all our business centres to have water and electricity. We appreciate the good works of the President in this initiative. Chachacha Business Centre saw the drilling of four boreholes and we are working on putting a water system to serve the rural service centre as well as the surrounding areas and the nearby Zvamavande Rural District Hospital. We cannot thank the President enough.
In his address, the President also talked about road rehabilitation, re-development and re-construction. Shurugwi South is privileged in that one of the strategic roads which is the Shurugwi-Mandamabwe Road, was approved by Cabinet and from the information which we are having, real works should be starting anytime from now. This will definitely open up opportunities for our people and development will easily be implemented where there is a proper road network.
The President also talked about Vocational Training Centres. In my constituency, we currently do not have any. We however look forward to the construction of Vocational Training Centres to help in curbing drug and substance abuse and make sure that our youth are kept productive and busy. Let me, at this juncture, thank the President once more for being a listening President. In August 2018 to be specific, we lobbied the President, as a group of professionals under the Zimbabwe Construction Industry Council in Victoria Falls. It was just before the 2018 August elections. We were really surprised by the President visiting us as we were asking him to give us a chance in the Beitbridge-Chirundu Road. I can stand tall today to testify that significant progress has been realised and this in my respectful view, we did not disappoint the nation as well as the President.
We are also grateful to His Excellency, because he also listened to our plea concerning bringing sanity to the construction industry sector through the Construction Industry Bill which is part of the Bills which will be tabled in the Tenth Parliament. I am tempted to also talk about another Bill which we feel will also complement the Construction Industry Bill and address most of the country’s challenges in the built environment sector. Land barons, in my respective view, should be stopped. We need to enact the Geometrics Practitioners and Practice Act in place for all these illegal activities involving land to be stopped. This piece of legislation as seen in other countries, creates sanity as it brings regulation of the geo-spatial sector which includes engineering survey, mining survey, space scientists (the ones who introduced Zimstat 1, GIS, ICT, cartographers, mapping and other related spheres.)
Currently in our construction industry sector, experience is made up of professionals in the matters dealing with land. Land barons are taking advantage of lack of accreditation in the built environment sector and this therefore leads to the enactment of the Geometrics Practitioners and Practice Law so that we close all avenues for opportunists as work will be done by accredited people who will be held accountable. Our universities are doing a good job and we are witnessing many graduates, especially in the areas of innovation, science and development. Hon. Prof. Murwira introduced and is producing innovators and scientists, but when they graduate, these people cannot be recognised. There is need to regulate what they do so that they fill the gap where non-qualified persons are currently abusing.
The President’s vision talks about job creation and this also includes formal jobs which are regulated. Madam Speaker, this issue is in line with the vision of our President as well as the National Agenda 2030. Our country should be built by Zimbabweans and as earlier mentioned, we have people who are qualified to support this vision, hence the need for the regulation of the construction industry sector through the enactment of the Geometrics Practitioner and Practice Bill as well as the Construction Industry Bill.
I come from Shurugwi South. Shurugwi is a mining town and we are excited to hear about the Economic Empowerment Bill as well as the amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act which should be part of the legislative agenda of the Tenth Parliament. We look forward to the Shurugwi natural resources benefiting the people of Shurugwi in line with the devolution agenda. We also look forward to a friendly framework where investors work with the people of Shurugwi in development. This includes road construction since as you are aware, they also use the same roads, job creation, income generating projects, issue of sub contracts for our people and other life changing initiatives which will transform the lives of our people. I believe these Bills will bring with them an opportunity to address all these issues.
In conclusion, the President encouraged us to make sure that law is an instrument for development. Furthermore, Parliament was encouraged to be an institution of peace building, hope, national development and an entrenchment of constitutionalism and democratic practices in our country. As a Member of this Tenth Parliament, I commit to play my part in the enhancement of the vision of our President. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. God bless this Parliament. God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. SAKUPWANYA: Hon speaker, I want to congratulate His Excellency the President, for a resounding victory in the recently held 2023 Harmonised Elections. I would like to extend my congratulations to Mr. Speaker and the Deputy Speaker for your re-election as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, taking note of the speech by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, I want to highlight and appreciate the work done in the past five years towards the youth without which I would not be here. Implementation of the Youth Quota is a recognition of the leading age demographic in our population. I applaud His Excellency on his focused stance of implementation. It is that implementation mindset that makes me optimistic that we will indeed ensure the National Youth Bill will not only sail through under this 10th Parliament but implemented as well within our five-year term.
Agricultural season which success is marked by bumper harvest particularly in maize, wheat and tobacco, shows the seriousness of the Second Republic towards self-sufficiency. I want to thank and appreciate our President for the Presidential Inputs Scheme which works through the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme that ensures no one or no place is left behind. The climate proofing agricultural technique shows Zimbabwe is keen and is understanding on the effects of climate change and puts us as a shining example of an action-oriented society.
The timely distribution of inputs to prepared farmers is one of the key aspects that ensure a bumper harvest. As I speak, the programme has already been rolled out throughout the country for the 2023 -2024 season, giving ample time for preparation of the rains. While the Agricultural Ministry has hit the ground running, in that sense, more funds are needed to ensure inputs are accessible to the final users at ward level.
I want to appreciate His Excellency for recognising the youth through the initiated agricultural youth hubs that have been set for each and every province. Madam Speaker, I want to highlight that capacitation of these youth hubs are vital to ensure youth have the necessary skills to be productive and to maximize yields. This is in line with the President’s call to increase the capacity of our Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) to equip our youth with the necessary tools to tackle the world and build Zimbabwe within their various sectors.
Madam Speaker, I want to appreciate education 5.0 initiative, which focuses more on the Zimbabwean solution. The innovation hubs from which we have already seen fruits borne out of necessity are a masterstroke towards practical education. The COVID-19 era was one in which home-grown solutions were at the pinnacle to our survival during this deadly pandemic. Homemade sanitizers, PPEs and even the famous zumbani treatments through these innovation hubs was a show of faith in our ability as Zimbabweans to have solutions to our own challenges. In that light, I would also challenge those in the health and education sectors to analyse, formalise, patent and include our traditional herbs in the curriculums, especially for the basic illnesses. When one has a headache, stomach ache or even a basic flu, we should not be reliant on imported chemicals when our own forefathers had natural remedies to these illnesses which in turn had little to no side effects.
The initiation of Empower Bank for the direct empowerment of youth projects is another beacon of hope set in place by President Mnangagwa towards youth development. It is understood that nothing worth it comes without sweat and so we recognize the encouragement of youth to present bankable projects within which they will be assisted – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - It is my hope that the bank itself will be supported through additional funding and given more tools to access even the remote areas. I would like to highlight and emphasise that the youth are not only productive in the towns but even in the rural areas. It is my hope that we will see Empower Bank opening more branches particularly in the province of Manicaland where we only have one branch. This allows for accessibility of the youth and encouragement that we do not need to be in a town to be productive.
Decentralisation of this manner also ensures that we demystify the myth that the only way to earn a living is migrating to town. In this light, I want to state that the phrase ‘rural areas’ should no longer be associated with poverty, lack or a deplorable state – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Instead, the policies instituted by our Government have encouraged entrepreneurship, production and productivity from these deeply rich rural societies. The colonial mentality was one that made us the indigenous Zimbabweans think that dirt of the rural areas was a sign of hunger and the only livelihood for rural folk was that of a begging bowl and subsistence farming. It is the Zimbabwe of today that has shown us that the very dirt we used to frown upon holds vast minerals, rich commercial agricultural land and holds the key to economic powerhouse that Zimbabwe was always meant to be. It is therefore incumbent upon ourselves as elected leaders to create an environment where the true story of Zimbabwe is told.
Madam Speaker, as we have commemorated the anti-sanctions day on the 25th of October 2023, I want to acknowledge the engagement efforts led by President Mnangagwa with his foreign policy mantra of us being a friend to all and an enemy to none. The engagement efforts have yielded great interest for investment in our blessed nation. The efforts of engagement have meant that the calls for the anti-sanctions day is not only a day observed in Zimbabwe but the whole SADC region. It is my hope that we continue to amplify the calls for removal of these illegal sanctions as they stunt the growth levels within our nation. That we may continue to educate the youth on their effects so as to dissuade them from following false narratives spread by propaganda peddlers who have no good intentions towards the upliftment of our Zimbabwe.
I would like to thank the vision of President Mnangagwa for highlighting the need to tackle drug and substance abuse. In this light, the action of giving the youth a stand-alone Ministry, that is the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Centres is greatly applauded.
Madam Speaker, the youth of Zimbabwe have some of the most creative talents and have a lot to offer the global society. You will find that even using the common Facebook, or x accounts, youth from Zimbabwe are making waves that are at times quoted by internationally recognised celebrities. With all that access, they are not able to monetise their talent as the said social media accounts are not able to pay content creators directly to a Zimbabwe account due to sanctions. It is therefore our duty to ensure enough doors are created to harness the creativity of our youth.
On this note, we cannot ignore the technological developments taking place the world-over and Zimbabwe must not be seen lagging behind. When we mention ICT, we are not only talking about laptops and computers but we must delve into the conversations around AI while taking advantage of the traits of implementation as exemplified by His Excellency who is a leader that walks the talk.
Lastly, I would like to highlight the success of the recently held 2023 Elections. It is imperative that I mention, we are Zimbabweans first before we belong to any political party. For if Zimbabwe wins, we all win, but if Zimbabwe fails then we all would have failed. The peace and tranquility portrayed before, during and after the elections was testament to our democratic maturity that set the standard for even some western nations. I congratulate Zimbabwe under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa for leading in this regard. We must all hold our heads high for delivering a free, fair and credible election that has ushered all of us Hon Members into this majestic august House. I thank you.
HON. J. SITHOLE: My sincere gratitude to you Madam Speaker for according me this opportunity to make my contribution on behalf of the people of Chiredzi South. I want to congratulate His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and also Head of State and Commander-in-Chief for his outstanding leadership that saw him gaining another term of office in the just ended undisputed, clean, fair and credible harmonised 23rd August 2023 elections.
Allow me also to express my congratulations to you as the Deputy Speaker of this House. I want to say congratulations to the Chief Whip and his Deputy and to all my fellow Hon. Members of Parliament for having been trusted by the electorate to serve in the Parliament of Zimbabwe. Much has been said by my fellow colleagues of the House of Assembly who made their submissions before me.
We have witnessed magnificent transformation of our road infrastructure such as the state of the art Beitbridge-Harare Road and many other roads across the country. The construction of dams, upgrading power generation facility, construction of modern border post, launching of the first ever satellite system, insurance of the e-passport and upgrading of airports. When one takes time to evaluate the development that the 2nd Republic has successfully undertaken in a short space of time, honestly, one must understand that His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is a visionary man in the sense that he has successfully changed our plan and economy.
The noble idea to drill 35 000 boreholes across the country village by village must be a welcome move to all, water is life. Madam Speaker, from Chiredzi South Constituency with over 1 000 villages that live on less than 100 boreholes. His Excellency’s vision surely helped my constituency to access safe and clean water. I have a rural constituency and its inhabitants depend on water from unprotected wells like Runde River, Mwenezi and Limpopo. With this fast-spreading cholera disease, I wonder how my people will survive. I suggest that the programme of borehole drilling be prioritised to constituencies and areas which hardly have no safe water.
The Government had been committed to road infrastructure development starting with those that make us economically viable as a country. Madam Speaker Ma’am, in my constituency, I am humbly asking for repairing of roads to allow people to transport their goods across the whole constituency. Chiredzi South is located between rivers, Runde River and Chilonga River which make low bridges to cross. I therefore propose the construction of Runde Bridge at Chilonga crossing point. With the adoption of the 5.0 system by our Government, which promotes e-learning, I propose that Chiredzi South be considered in making sure that they have e-learning equipment and ICT gadgets such as computers.
Currently, there is no school in my constituency with such facilities. In my constituency, people depend on agriculture with sorghum as their major commercial crop. We had some challenges on the disbursement of funds towards the payment of this crop in the previous seasons. May I propose that the payment of this crops be done timeously so that farmers are motivated as they also contribute to the country’s GDP.
I wish to thank His Excellency for the establishment of irrigation scheme in my constituency which are solar powered. I also welcome the President’s call to the ratification of the Sugar Production Bill which I feel was long overdue. My constituency is bordered with wildlife in the lowveld, these are Gonarezhou and Malilangwe. The Parks and Wildlife Bill echoed by His Excellency is coming at the right time. With my constituency having suffered the worst life of wildlife human conflict, I propose that ratification of this Bill must not only look at the compensation aspect, but also promote the beneficiation of the surrounding communities.
This includes community empowerment programmes through wildlife and tourism. I would like to pass my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, the President Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa who has already fast-tracked the construction of the fence along Gonarezhou which is now complete and commissioned.
In conclusion, I would like to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his SONA that is very visionary and promise a lot of hope to the people of Zimbabwe as we move forward as a united nation. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. Thank you.
+HON. B. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. On behalf of the Vungu people, I want to congratulate His Excellency President, E. D. Mnangagwa for winning the elections on 23rd August, 2023, which is testified by other SADC countries through the overwhelming win. Let me also congratulate the Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Speaker. I want also to congratulate Members of the 10th Parliament for being elected in different constituencies.
I would like to add my voice to the State of the Nation Address (SONA), to the words that were said by His Excellency when opening the 1st Session of the 10th Parliament. The President spoke about the task that we have as Members of this august House. He said that we must not relax and sit on our laurels, but we need to complete the different Bills that were left hanging in the Ninth Parliament, which means that we have quite a big task of promulgating laws. The President also said that his leadership worked hard as the Second Republic in transforming the economy of Zimbabwe, working under harsh economic conditions, especially this era of sanctions.
The President also said that there are signs that there is growth of the economy through the mining sector. Looking at 2017, there was an economic growth which was around USD2 billion, now we are at USD12 billion, which is being generated from mining. This is a sign that the economy is growing. He also said that there is food security in the country, which means that Zimbabwe is developmental. We are not retrogressive, but progressive. His Excellency also spoke about the progress that we find in agriculture. He spoke about the plans that are being made in securing food and people’s livelihood through irrigation projects. There is horticulture, Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme happening in different communities and this is meant to benefit every Zimbabwean. No one is being left behind and people are being provided with resources. This is evident in that there is food security in Zimbabwe, no one is suffering and no one is dying of hunger.
On the same note, the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa, spoke about the empowerment of every district, where in every district boreholes are being sunk. We are talking about 35 000 boreholes in rural areas, which are peripheral areas where people have been viewed as being left behind, but this is transforming people’s lives, regardless of whether they are women or men. His Excellency also said that regarding devolution funds, he is going to increase the devolution funds so that the fund is used for road rehabilitation, building schools, clinics and health centres. He also said that the devolution fund is going to benefit schools to enhance the quality of education of our children.
Indeed, when looking at my constituency, the Vungu Constituency, there is Mpala Clinic which is in Ward 1. When you go to Ward 1, you will be surprised that this does not look like a rural clinic. I am saying this because what His Excellency is talking about is quite magnificent, it is happening.
I am going to look a Redcliff, Silobela, Gweru and Vumba; three constituencies. This road is a road which is quite amazing because of the development that we see. There is just a small portion of the road which is going to be completed very soon. This testifies to the President’s assertion that no one will be left behind.
Let me end by saying that His Excellency the President is a visionary; people’s person and has a vision to develop our country. With these few words, I want to thank you Hon. Speaker.
*HON. T. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion which was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. I would like to start by congratulating His Excellency the President for winning resoundingly the 23rd August, 2023, Harmonised Elections – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] - I would also like to congratulate you Madam Speaker for being re-elected to lead this august House. I would also like to congratulate all Members of Parliament who also won these elections resoundingly. It was not easy for us to win these elections, but it was because of our President’s developmental projects found in our
constituencies in different districts. Our people are farming and earning their livelihoods from Pfumvudza/Intwasa. The President spoke about other crops which we find in areas like Beatrice and Chikomba and indeed, in my constituency there is wheat which is benefitting the nation. We are even exporting wheat. In the past, we would queue for bread but now people can easily purchase bread. We appreciate His Excellency’s good work.
Let me also talk about the fact that His Excellency facilitated that we get inputs for our gardening projects. For example, in Seke where I come from, there is a lot of gardening happening. This means that people have enough food to cater for their balanced diet and we have no cases of kwashiorkor.
He also spoke about the sinking of boreholes. I come from Seke – Chikomba and in my constituency, we have got a number of boreholes. I believe that we will continue getting boreholes which will result in people participating in irrigation projects in their gardens. As women, we survive from that, and women are found fetching water and washing clothes. Distance is not a factor but I thank His Excellency because he provides and cares on what happens regarding the projects that are being run by women.
Let me end by saying that there are some schools and even clinics which were not completed. Some were constructed with maternity wards, which means there is no woman who is going to give birth at home or on their way to the clinic. We have facilities for those who are expecting. So, problems of the past are not going to be happening. Let me request those who assist us that clinics and schools which were not completed, should be completed.
His Excellency also spoke about devolution funds which he promised to increase so that the fund is used to complete clinics, schools and other projects which were not completed. I come from the 52 km peg and there is an incident which happened where some children died on their way to school. I want to request that we get a school nearby so that we do not have children walking long distances. In Seke, we are seeing a lot of road rehabilitation along our roads but we have a challenge of the tollgate where you find people crossing the tollgate four or five times paying the tollgate. I want to request that the responsible authority look at the issue of the tollgate. Thank you for affording me the opportunity to contribute.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 8th November, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON. TSITSI ZHOU, the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 7th November, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I wish to remind all Hon. Senators that Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, a Member must take his or her oath of Parliament in the form set out in the Third Schedule of Section 128 (2) which 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 Headman Moyo.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. SEN. HEADMAN MOYO took and subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took his seat. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 3 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I want to thank Hon. Sen. Kambizi for moving this motion on 3 October 2023. Firstly, I want to congratulate you Madam President and your Deputy, Hon. Sen. Rtd Gen. Nyambuya for being re-elected to the position of President of Senate and Deputy President of Senate respectively. Again, Madam President, I want to congratulate His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for being elected to be the President of this country for another five years. I also want to commend the President for the peace that prevailed during the harmonised general elections in August this year.
Looking at the speech by His Excellency, I was touched when he explained that the economy of this country is on an upward trajectory. This indeed is buttressed by a lot of tangible projects that were initiated by His Excellency, the President. When I look at the economy of this country, indeed it is growing in leaps and bounds, and this dovetails well with his vision of achieving an upper middle-class economy by 2030. The industrial sector in this country is growing in spite of the sanctions imposed on the country by the Western world. The illegal sanctions imposed on this country have isolated us, but the President has stood firm in driving forward the economy of this country.
A lot of industries were opened during this era of sanctions. One such project that quickly comes to mind is the tomato canning factory that was opened in Mutoko, Mashonaland East Province. The opening of this factory has greatly improved value addition to all the farmers who are producing tomatoes there. In Mwenezi, there is a wine making factory that was opened recently. All this was achieved during the New Dispensation. Again in Manhize, there is a steel producing plant that was commissioned by His Excellency, the President. The commissioning of Unit 7 and 8 in Hwange has lessened load shedding in this country and we are now better off in terms of load shedding when we compare ourselves to other countries in the region.
The new Parliament building was brought about through the initiatives of His Excellency, the President. The New Dispensation has brought about state-of-the-art border facilities at Beitbridge and Chirundu. During the just ended Pre Budget-Seminar held here in Harare, the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion announced that the country had procured Cancer and dialysis machines. This bears witness to the fact that His Excellency wants to improve the health delivery system of this country. Several of our airports have been renovated in order to meet international standards and this will, in turn, attract more airlines to this country. I can go on and on because there are a lot of initiatives being done. This shows that His Excellency, the President is working hard to overcome sanctions and we see a lot of progress. God gave wisdom to His Excellency, the President, so that he may lead this country to prosperity. Indeed, we are prospering as a nation. I want to support what was done by His Excellency which indeed demonstrates that we are prospering as a nation.
His Excellency spoke about the steps that he has put to uplift the livelihoods of Zimbabweans through agricultural produce and the devolution programme, but I am going to focus on the issues that I mentioned. Madam President, we saw that the President demonstrated that he cares about improving the economy so that by 2030, we attain a certain status of achievement. Indeed, ours was a poor nation with drought, but His Excellency came and constructed dams. We can speak about the dams that were constructed like Marovanyati, Tugwi-Mukorsi, Dande in Guruve, et cetera. Madam President, I cannot exhaust them.
In agriculture, it helps us to note that there are agricultural programmes based on irrigation in our dams for sustainable livelihoods throughout the year. For those who plant or who put different seeds, they are assured of such livelihoods. Our wildlife, domestic animals and the people would live well. The wildlife-human conflict will be eradicated. Through Pfumvunza Programme, we are going to see food security restored. The coming in of Pfumvunza through His Excellency, has alleviated hunger, and because of these programmes, we have eradicated hunger. This comes from the President’s initiatives and his Vision 2030 is ensuring food security. Through solar, I believe that livehoods are going to be improved, which means that in every village where there is a borehole, there is increased food security through nutrition gardens. People will be able to value add their vegetables through drying them for future consumption.
The President continued talking about other issues which are pertinent to women because we know that when there is drought, women are mostly affected. To us as women, the State of the Nation Address really resonated with our needs.
I want to talk about minerals. Minerals are quite abundant in Zimbabwe. In every province, we have a number of minerals. What really touched me is that there is a Bill that we anticipate to go through the august House, which is the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill which is going to help us. On minerals again, the President mentioned that there will be US$10 million which should be allocated to the small-scale miners. This is where women will also benefit. We noted that loans will be quite critical, especially if they are targeted towards women because as women, we face capital challenges. What we request is that we add value to our minerals and then we can make a lot of money.
His Excellency, in 2017, said that we had 2.8 billion income from minerals, but now we are getting 12 billion from such resources. Madam President, this means that if we were manufacturing lithium batteries, our rings and necklaces from different minerals and selling them on our own, then we could be making more money, probably over 12 billion. The request is that those in the mining sector should ensure that we value-add so that we can realise our minerals.
Finally, His Excellency spoke about the devolution programme which is meant to empower the ten provinces. He said that even the fiscus would play a pivotal role in empowering the different provinces. If this is done, it means through the Devolution Fund, different districts in provinces would benefit in a way where schools will be built and our children will benefit….
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Member, you are left with three minutes.
HON. MBOHWA: Thank you Madam President, our clinics and hospitals would be state-of-the-art. Our roads and infrastructure would be at a certain level Madam President, where traders will be able to use good roads. Thank you Madam and I thank His Excellency for the good job that he is doing in improving the economy of Zimbabwe and attaining the middle-class economy by 2030 is feasible through his efforts. I thank you Madam President.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
DEATH OF HON. SEN. CHIEF MAKUMBE
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is with deep sorrow that I have to inform the House of the untimely death of Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe on Thursday, 2 November, 2023. I invite Hon. Senators to rise and observe a minute of silence in respect of the late Hon. Senator.
All Hon. Senators observed a minute of silence.
PRE-BUDGET RECEPTION
THE HON PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform Hon. Senators that a reception in honour of the Pre-Budget Seminar will be held at the Rainbow Towers today at 1800 hours. All Senators are invited.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Madam President of the Senate. Good afternoon. Firstly, I would like to welcome Hon. Sen. Headman Moyo who has just joined us in this august House. Welcome Hon. Sen. Moyo. I would want also to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate and add my voice on this very important motion which was raised by Hon. Sen. Kambizi, seconded by Hon. Sen. Anna Shiri, on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Firstly, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for a resounding free, fair, credible and convincing victory on the 23rd of August, 2023 Harmonised Elections. I would also want to take this opportunity to congratulate you Madam President of the Senate and your Deputy Ltg. General Rtd. Nyambuya for being appointed again to serve this very important Upper House as the President and Deputy. Congratulations Madam President and also to all Hon. Senators, I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate you fellow Hon. Senators.
I want to applaud the Government of Zimbabwe being led by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for a job well-done during the past five years despite the effects of illegal sanctions by the West and its allies, the effects of Cyclone Idai and the Coronavirus pandemic, among others which have affected development. Despite all those challenges, the Government managed to make strides in developing Zimbabwe our motherland.
The President’s mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo using available local resources has paid huge dividends as a lot of development took place in the country. The Government managed to do wonders despite the challenges mentioned above. This new auspicious, magnificent and gigantic artwork by the Chinese Government is one of the great achievements by the Second Republic in a short space of time. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]- This shows that the President’s declaration that Zimbabwe is friends to all and enemy to none, is working as friends like China are coming in handy. Other projects such as Robert Mugabe International Airport which has been uplifted to world standard, the Beitbridge Border Post and Beitbridge/Harare/Chirundu Highway are products of good leadership by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Madam President, I want to talk about food security. The Government has constructed many dams such as Tokwe- Mukorsi in Masvingo Province, Marovanyati in Manicaland and Gwayi- Shangani in Matabeleland North among others, in a bid to mitigate effects of climate change. The country now has surplus irrigated maize, wheat and other crops, making the country food self-sufficient. The country has been importing wheat for many years but the emergence of the Second Republic has changed everything making sure that no one will starve as food is now in abundance.
The country’s Vision 2030 of an Upper and prosperous middle-income economy is already being realised before time due to hard work by the Second Republic. Since the country now has many water bodies, there is need for acceleration of more irrigation schemes, small, medium or large-scale without leaving any place or any one behind. There is also need for the Government to commence in earnest, its well-received nutritious gardens in each of our 35 000 villages in the country.
The rural community is very happy to the project which will leave most of them practicing farming as a business, as a garden on health, fish, vegetables and different fruits. This would enable them to get money to send their children to school and also upkeep of their families. In that vein, ZINWA and ZESA should also augment efforts by the Government in food security measures by making sure that there is affordable water and electricity all the time especially in the farming areas.
Madam President, the Government of President E. D. Mnangagwa managed to send a satellite named Zimstat 1 aboard a non-surrogate into the space for ease of predicting rainfall pattens and warn farmers if little rainfall is expected, like the 2023/2024 season which is an El Nino focused by the Ministry of Agriculture through that satellite.
Mr. President of the Senate, I want to acknowledge the good work by the Second Republic led by President E. D. Mnangagwa on the mining sector whose production has risen from USD3 billion to USD12 billion, which is a very huge improvement or development. This is attributed to production from small scale miners of gold and also miners of lithium. However, there is need for the country to beneficiate on its minerals to stop selling raw minerals. Investors who want to beneficiate our minerals should be welcome and engage including our own citizens. Small-scale miners also need Government assistance in the form of loans so that they can acquire equipment, protective clothing, gadgets and also be able to protect miners from accidents. Recently, we have witnessed some accidents occurring in small-scale mining areas.
On infrastructure, the Government is showing signs of revamping it before the expiry of Vision 2030. The roads, clinics and schools among other things, are being constructed in almost every corner of the country. However, more attention should be paid to rural areas and farming communities like Chiredzi and Mwenezi districts of Masvingo where schools are still very few and far away from the learners. Electricity and infrastructure in rural areas need to be improved as most rural areas do not have electricity and network for communication. Learners in rural areas are lagging behind their urban counterparts who have electricity and network all the time. The Government has started construction of provincial pharmacies, hence the need to increase drugs, especially in rural areas where many clinics are being built through devolution funds and Constituency Development Funds.
I also want to touch on ICT, that is on communication. On communication, the rural folk need more boosters for network coverage because many rural areas do not have network. It is a problem communicating in rural areas. When you need something from some parts of the country, you have got to drive to that area, especially in the Chiredzi border areas, they use South African and Mozambique networks instead of using their own country’s network. So, I think there is need for Government to look into this issue seriously, especially in terms of communication.
I think these are the few additions I had for the motion which was tabled by you, Mr. President and seconded by Hon. Sen. Shiri. I thank you for the time you gave me.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 8th November, 2023
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. MAVHENYENGWA, the Senate adjourned at Fifteen Minutes past Three O’clock p. m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 19th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
BILL RETURNED FROM HIS EXCELLENCY
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House
that on 31st August, 2023, I received the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill [H.B. 10, 2021] from His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe with reservations. In terms of Section 147 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Bill lapsed on the dissolution of the Ninth Parliament.
I have therefore directed the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to gazette a revised version of the Bill taking into account the reservations noted by His Excellency the President. The Bill will therefore follow the normal stages of a Bill in Parliament.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Nos 1 to 4 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day, No. 5 has been disposed of.
HON KARIKOGA: I second.
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. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. First and foremost, I would like to commend the President of the country for a resounding victory in the just ended harmonised general elections. The elections were free and fair. I would like to congratulate you Madam Speaker and Mr. Speaker for being retained to be the Presiding Officers in this House. I congratulate you. I would also like to congratulate all Members of Parliament who were elected by the people to represent them in this august House so as to develop the country. I would like to congratulate our Chief Whip, Hon Togarepi.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I heard the President emphasising that work from the Ninth Parliament should be completed during the life of the Tenth Parliament. In his address, His Excellency mentioned about agriculture. I will dwell much on issues of our dams which were a result of the new dispensation. We had water challenges in most of our areas, especially where I reside. As for me, I will add even the irrigation schemes. If there are dams, it is better because people can practice farming on small scale.
In my constituency Matobo, there is an irrigation scheme called
ARDA at Maphisa Irrigation Scheme. The President visited ARDA
Maphisa and noted that the area had fertile soil. He had a meeting with ARDA officers and they were tasked to allocate us a bigger plot. This was done through the intervention of His Excellency. As we speak right now, people are enjoying the benefits. No one is starving. There is another pipeline from Antelope Dam and this pipeline is also helping to irrigate the ARDA Maphisa Irrigation Farm. People are farming wheat and maize every season. They are sending these grains to GMB. This is also helping the farmers to have income and develop our country. All these are products of the new dispensation. Looking at what His Excellency has done for this country so far, I feel people should give him more credit because he is transforming people’s lives.
The wheat is also processed in Matabeleland South and I am proud to say we do not have bread shortages currently. Women are baking bread and scones in order to improve the nutritional diet of their families. This is through His Excellency, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa. There is also what we call Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, where people are now having bumper harvests and they have something to put in their granaries. No one is starving. Even though there is limited rainfall, this method of farming is trusted to bring some relief. By just adding fertilizer to the pits after receiving the few rains, the maize is able to survive and people do have some harvest. Even the elderly are able to plant after the land is prepared. For example, I myself deemed it fit to go and plant a few crops though I am partially disabled. I have also my portion that I farm for my children.
The President is introducing another programme of boreholes which will be drilled in every village. To be precise, 35 000 boreholes will be drilled throughout the country. It shows that our economy is improving and our country is developing as he says that the nation is ruled by its owners. If these boreholes are sunk in every village, women will benefit a lot because they will be able to plant their vegetables and they will have relish which limits cases of gender-based violence and poverty.
Now I will talk about electricity. There is an area called Hwange
Power Station which has Unit 7 and 8 being added to the national grid. This has increased our power generation and we will have more electricity in our country. At schools, children are now using computers with the aid of electricity and they will be able to utilise such resources. It is also an example that our education is improving. Businesses cannot be functional if we do not have electricity. I applaud the President for his efforts, even going to 2030. I have faith that no one will borrow from a neighbour because the President emphasised that we are supposed to develop ourselves.
Coming to mining, His Excellency said there was only 2.8 billion in 2017. As we speak, we have 12 billion. I know that the small-scale miners are developing well. That is an indication that our country is developing as well. Those who are imposing sanctions, it will not work. Those sanctions will not be effective because our President will have means and ways of trying to overcome those sanctions. We commend the President, Shumba, Murambwi.
I want to thank the Hon. President, there are about 60 women who came through the women’s quota, and I am one of them. It is a way of uplifting women from all over the country and we cannot leave anyone behind, we are proud of this development. We also have women who hold Ministerial positions. We are happy about that – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker Ma’am, the President of
the country is a good listener, he looks after everyone. As we speak right now, even the youths are also benefitting, we have one young person representing the youth from each province. We want to thank him for that.
His focus on Vision 2030 will enable our children to learn the history of the country. The youth are the future leaders, so, we commend the President for that. Again, talking about the disabled Madam Speaker, the President of this country looks after them from corner to corner. He says everyone should know that he or she is a Zimbabwean. Madam President, in the Senate, we have two representatives from the disabled community.
I would like to thank the President for allowing our First Lady to go around the country giving food to disabled persons. She is visiting vulnerable people in trying to uplift them. She is showing that she is a good mother. She leads by example, so we take a leaf from her so that we are able to follow suit. She is very humble; she goes everywhere, even to the Chiefs and she respects them. I want to thank the President, Shumba Murambwi for that and I want to thank our First Lady. We have been taught how to look after our husbands, if you see my husband, he is putting on a good suit. This is as a result of the First Lady. We commend the President for giving us the First Lady – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Let me come to the issue of war veterans. The President has given us a Ministry to cater for the war veterans of the liberation struggle. May the non-combatants also be catered for. Today is 19 October, it reminds me of another year when I was at war in Zambia. Just like today the 19th of October 1978, Hon. Nguluvhe is my witness; when the
British entered into a women’s camp at Mukushi. If I speak of that, I feel my blood running. On that day, most of our colleagues were bombed there at Mukushi. We wish that the repatriation of those who died there can be done.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mpofu, you are left
with five minutes.
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My request is that let us unite and develop our country because this country was fought for, let us defend it. This country belongs to our ancestors. Mbuya Nehanda was arrested and killed for this country. Our wish Hon. Members is that we were elected by the people, let us represent them and take care of their concerns. Let us take a leaf from His. Excellency and follow suit. Viva, Viva President Mnangagwa, son of the soil -
[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – [Ululation]
*HON. P. MOYO: Thank you very much Madam Speaker
Ma’am. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the State of the Nation Address which was presented by His, Excellency and the motion which was moved by Hon. Nguluvhe , seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. I want to congratulate His Excellency,
President E. D. Mnangagwa for resoundly winning on the 23rd August, 2023. I also want to congratulate the Speaker of Parliament and yourself, the Hon. Deputy Speaker for being re-elected into your positions. I also want to congratulate all Members of this august House.
I want to also congratulate myself for being voted for by the Mwenezi West Constituency.
From the State of the Nation Address which was presented by His Excellency, President Dr. Mnangagwa, we appreciate the good job that he is doing. We appreciate the vision of His Excellency and a lot of other things which have been transpiring in the past five years.
Developmentally, I want to talk about water. I come from Mwenezi, which is a dry area prone to droughts. I want to thank Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa for promising to drill 35 000 boreholes nationwide to benefit every family in Zimbabwe. Still on my constituency Mwenezi West, we anticipate receiving the boreholes. This will become handy because there is not much water in my constituency. We are drinking water from rivers and other unprotected wells in the area. His Excellency said that there will be boreholes for sustainable livelihoods where people can do irrigation projects and other projects which would sustain their livelihoods. We are used to the fact that tap water is only found in urban centres, but now we have tapped water in our rural areas. We would now have boreholes and we thank the President for not leaving anyone and no place behind. We can also do gardens where people can do small-scale vegetable farming. As a woman, I know the challenges of not having relish. When you do not have a garden, you struggle to provide for your family. Due to the President’s vision who initiated the project of gardening, we are going to see people having sustainable livelihoods.
He also spoke about Pfumvudza farming. I reiterate that I come from a drought prone area, region 5, but because of Pfumvudza, women are busy with Pfumvudza dry planting preparing for the rainy season. As their representative, I facilitated that they get small grain seeds because that is what we grow in our area. I want to thank Hon. President E. D. Mnangagwa, the inputs have already come. Our President is a visionary leader and we appreciate that.
There is also an issue of minerals. We walk on top of money in
Mwenezi. Zimbabwe is indeed endowed with mineral resources. In
Mwenezi, we have different minerals which are ready to be extracted. Looking at Ward 17, there is platinum. Our children are benefiting from those mines because they are being employed. Women also are participating in mining because we do not want to leave any one behind. As women, we also have to partake in national programmes, hence we thank the President for his vision. We encourage Mwenezi people to form cooperatives and it is allowed at law. When we have such minerals and walking on top of them, it does not mean that we already have them. So, we need people who are going to partake in small scale mining so that they improve their livelihoods. We request that small scale miners be given the opportunity to mine.
There is Sandawana Mine – I was happy when platinum was discovered there. When platinum was discovered, it broke a territorial dispute between Mwenezi, Masvingo Province and Midlands Province, but we came to terms that when a mineral is found in Zimbabwe, it is for all Zimbabweans. I appreciate that responsible authorities resolved that. The project is now creating employment opportunities for our children.
There is also an issue which emanated from the State of the Nation Address concerning conservatives. Some conservatives are in the midst of households. So, the wildlife-human conflict continues to rage on. You will find that in other areas, we used to see lions and elephants destroying people’s crops as well as killing animals and people. This sometimes results in livestock being affected by diseases from buffaloes. We therefore, request this to be resolved. We are not complaining that we do not need conservancies in our area, but the wildlife should be restricted to roam around so that there is no such conflict.
Through tourism, you would find that wildlife generates foreign currency and sometimes game meat. This should be done legally because we have our resources as a nation, even as Mwenezi West.
I want to talk about education; we are very happy with the Education 5.0 Curriculum. In Mwenezi, we have a factory that was commissioned two years ago. The factory is brewing alcohol from Amarula, those who are trained for that are now producing whisky from that natural resource. So, in Mwenezi, we are now producing whisky.
Hon. Members clap hands for us – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Our children managed to value-add the Marula resource, if abused it can intoxicate you but in Mwenezi, it is helping us to get better livelihoods.
Women and men produce their farm produce and sell it to companies, they can add value through processing and make a lot of money. So, I appreciate the Education 5.0 curriculum.
I want to thank His Excellency because in my constituency there was no school with boarding facilities but now, we have a low-cost boarding facility in Mwenezi. Our children would live in people’s houses and some men ended up taking advantage of the vulnerable girls, sometimes impregnating them but now I appreciate that we have two boarding schools, Maranda Secondary School and Nhikita Secondary School. This is all because of Education 5.0 and I am happy that school children are the ones who benefited, the girls benefiting first in getting boarding facilities as well as the boys. However, the Government should intervene so that we have more boarding facilities so that our children are well looked after.
We also have a problem that emanate from drug and substance abuse. Even where I come from in Mwenezi, this is a problem that we are facing as parents. Our children do not know that drugs are dangerous and not good for them. So, my request is that we need laws that are going to address the issue of drug and substance abuse. Some youths enjoy abusing drugs thinking that they will be intoxicated for a short while but this has long-term effects. So, we need to make sure that there is no peer pressure because when those who indulge in drugs meet with those who do not, they may end up influencing others to partake in drugs.
I want to thank His Excellency, President E.D Mnangagwa for the good job he is doing. As a woman, I believe that many of us who are here who came like me know that it was not easy to be voted for as an Hon. Member of Parliament. I thank the President who added women to the quota system, which is rare but because of the President’s vision, this is happening in Zimbabwe. When you educate women, you have educated the community and the nation at large. We are the ones who give birth, we are the ones who look after children, we are the ones who teach children and guide them even to be Members of Parliament. We thank his Excellency for his vision that as a person who was bred and taught by a woman, he understands the importance of women
We appreciate the President because we see a lot of women who were given powerful positions in Zimbabwe. We were seeing this in Rwanda, South Africa, and other countries but now Zimbabwe is following. We appreciate that His Excellency the President reveres our women and empowers them.
My fellow Hon. Members, being a leader means having leadership qualities; there are a lot of leadership qualities that came in the State of the Nation Address.
Let me now touch on the issue of sanctions. Sanctions were imposed on us and when you have not experienced them yet, you might not know what it is but this means that you cannot trade with other countries, you cannot do any business, you cannot travel to other regions or other countries. We have a lot of business people in this august House some of whom are professionals but for them to trade outside the country, it is quite difficult because of sanctions. So, I would like to request that the leadership of SADC, together with the guidance of His Excellency the President, sanctions be removed. I thank you.
HON. BUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to
take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for winning the general elections resoundingly -[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - Let me also take this opportunity to thank him for creating a peaceful environment that prevailed during the elections. There was peace during the campaign period before voting, there was peace during the voting day and there was peace after the elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would also like to congratulate our First Lady, Her Excellency Dr. A. Mnangagwa who is, as you might be aware, the founder and patron of the Angel of Hope Foundation and also the Ambassador of Environment and Tourism – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I want to congratulate her for her philanthropic work which has earned her a number of accolades locally and internationally. The mother of the nation is indeed making us proud and has become a source of inspiration to women in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Let me also congratulate you Madam Speaker and the Speaker of
Parliament for retaining your positions at the beginning of this Tenth Parliament. On behalf of the people of Gokwe Nembudziya and on my own behalf, I want to say congratulations, makorokoto, amphlope. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly as you diligently lead this august House in making laws that will continue to uplift the lives of the people of Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker Ma'am, let me also commend His Excellency, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for appointing women in key decision-making positions. I am referring to positions like the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of ICT, just to mention a few. In the same vein, let me applaud him for also appointing young and capable Deputy Ministers as you have seen them perform in this august House. Madam Speaker Ma’am, history was made by our gender sensitive President when he appointed the first female AttorneyGeneral this year. He went on to appoint the Prosecutor General who is also a female Member and we all know her track record. We know what she is capable of achieving. We also have a number of female ambassadors who have been appointed by His Excellency. We have a number of women who have also been appointed to chair and be Members of the different esteemed boards in Zimbabwe. We really appreciate His Excellency for giving these great women space to excel and to show what the women of Zimbabwe are capable of doing. Allow me to applaud our President for the quota system at
Parliament and at council’s level. This has increased the number of women in Parliament and in council. It has enabled women to voice issues pertaining to the welfare of women and also the children amongst other issues. I would also want to thank him for the zebra system in the Senate which has resulted in the continuous increase of women in Senate. My concern is with the 210 constituencies which are based on first-past-the-post system. In this Tenth Parliament, only 23 women managed to win the elections and this is a very low number considering that it is us women who have got the highest numbers in the constituencies, normally voting men into power. I am urging the women out there to stop the pull her down syndrome and start voting for women in the forthcoming elections. I am also urging the young, patriotic, educated and economic empowered women to go and fight in the constituencies. It is never easy, but it can be done. We need to compliment the efforts that are being made by our President, to increase women in Parliament by standing in the constituencies and winning. My Constituency, Gokwe Nembudziya lies in natural region 5 and
there is not a single river that crosses in this constituency. It is a dry area whereby if one decides to drill a borehole, one will only get water from about 70 metres going up to 120 metres. In most cases we use special drilling machines. The people in my constituency compete for water with livestock on these very few boreholes. The Second Republic has however begun to drill solar powered boreholes which have nutrition gardens attached to them. These gardens have gone a long way in promoting food nutrition and security at household level. I am looking forward to that, and because of these boreholes, Gokwe Nembudziya will never be the same because the President has also outlined that the scheme to drill 35 000 boreholes is going to continue.
I want to thank His Excellency for continuing with these people centred programmes under the illegal sanctions that were imposed by our detractors. These illegal sanctions have not stopped him from mobilising resources to improve the welfare of his people.
Let me turn to increasing agricultural productivity. Gokwe Nembudziya is not endowed by any form of any mineral. I have heard the last speaker talking about lithium and gold. In Gokwe Nembudziya, there is none. We only have the white gold which is cotton. Cotton is the only cash crop that has sustained the livelihoods of the people of Gokwe Nembudziya. I am however saddened to say that in the last three or four years, cotton production has had a number of challenges in particular, the low producer prices that are given to the farmers. The delayed payment to farmers by COTTCO in particular. As we speak right now, some of the farmers have not received their payments. They planted cotton last year during this time and now we are in October again, they have not received a cent. Like I have mentioned before that it is cotton that will make them send their children to school, it is also cotton that will make them bury relatives, marry and pay lobola for their wives amongst other needs that they have. So, spending a year without payment has put too much pressure on our farmers who become disgruntled.
As the payment of cotton has remained elusive to some of our farmers, I am urging COTTCO and other relevant stakeholders to work round the clock and come up with lasting solutions which can motivate the cotton farmer to produce more. We need cotton to be produced in Zimbabwe for the different important uses that it has. Cotton is also a foreign currency earner and therefore we should promote a conducive environment for its production. Amongst the challenges that the cotton farmers are facing, is the distribution of inputs that are not adequate. Cotton merchants just distribute the same amount of basal fertilizers and top-dressing fertilizers for different soils without carrying out any soil
test.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, you will appreciate that for a farmer to produce more yields, he or she needs to test the soil and get the correct amount of fertilizers or lime that he or she must apply to that field to get the correct yield. This is not happening Madam Speaker Ma’am. In addition, I would like to say that the cotton farmers need also to be equipped with tractors and other modern farming equipment to produce this labour intensive crop. When you go to my area, you find that the cotton farmers do not have tractors. They basically rely on cattle to plough their fields, and yet this is a very important crop which needs to be expanded in terms of production.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, wheat farmers and tobacco farmers are
producing a lot in terms of their yields. I am actually worried because the President has said nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. If the people of
Gokwe continue not to be paid good prices in time ….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Buka, you are left with
five minutes.
HON. BUKA: If the people of Gokwe are not given correct incentives, we will end up being unable to develop our own area.
Last but not least, Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would like to thank His Excellency for committing to the implementation of the devolution funds. I am happy because I know that part of these funds will be channeled towards improvement of the road network in the rural areas. The road that goes to Gokwe-Nembudziya Growth Point leaves a lot to be desired. The Kadoma Patchway-Sanyati-Nembudziya needs urgent attention, it needs a complete overhaul. Everyone who has used that road has cried, complained and I do hope that we will be able to get resources to work on this road. For one to travel 156 kilometers, one would need about four to five hours of trying to navigate on the ragged terrain. Members of Parliament who are here and have used the same road as me can witness the challenge that we have of this road.
Finally, let me express my condolences to the parents and relatives who lost five children in Buhera and Gokwe North due to the recent violent winds and thunderstorms. May their souls rest in peace. I also want to wish all those who were injured a speedy recovery. Thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I bring you
greetings and best wishes from the people of Murewa South
Constituency – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I would like to begin by congratulating His Excellency the President, Dr. Mnangagwa on his resounding victory in a free, fair and peaceful election. Madam Speaker Ma’am, I also would like to congratulate you and the Speaker for being re-elected as Presiding Officers of this august House. I would like to thank His Excellency, the President for an eloquent presentation of His State of the Nation Address – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Also, in the same vein, I would like to thank the First Lady, Her Excellency Dr. A. Mnangagwa for graciously gracing the occasion of the State of the Nation Address.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would also like to take this opportunity to now respond and contribute to the issues raised by His Excellency the President in His State of the Nation Address. His Excellency, Dr. E. D.
Mnangagwa, at the Official Opening of the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Zimbabwe raised several critical Bills and initiatives which were highlighted in his presentation. I appreciate that His Excellency the President showed his true commitment to address key issues facing our nation and I would like to provide my acceptance on the issues that were raised.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, may I refer to some of the outstanding
Bills which His Excellency alluded to, which came from the 9th
Parliament which hopefully will be brought before this Parliament. The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill; I acknowledge the importance of this Bill in ensuring the responsible and sustainable management of our mineral resources. It is crucial that the legislation balances the interest of both the agricultural and the mining industry to minimise the perennial conflicts between the two while promoting transparency, environmental protection and equitable benefit sharing.
Further Madam Speaker Ma’am, there is a need to arrest the pandemic of environmental degradation caused by miners who do not adhere to environmental standards and policies – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Safeguards should be put in place to balance exploiting our abundant God-given natural resources, whilst forcing environmental protections to prevent irreversible damage to the resource of our incomparable landscapes which drive out the tourism industry.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, Government should put in place measures to ensure that double pegging of claims is avoided as this is creating perennial conflicts which discourage investment in our mining industry. This calls for accountability by Government officials who in some cases corruptly allow double pegging to occur.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Public Finance Management Bill is important that effective financial management should be the bedrock of any nation’s economic stability and prosperity. I support efforts to enhance fiscal discipline and transparency, ensuring that public resources are utilised efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all Zimbabweans, leaving no one and no place behind. It is absolutely crucial that funds are utilised for the purposes intended and any deviations should have appropriate sanctions. This august House plays an important role in ensuring compliance.
The Medical Services Amendment Bill – access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right and I welcome efforts to improve our healthcare system. The Bill should focus on expanding access to affordable healthcare services, improving the quality of healthcare facilities and addressing healthcare worker challenges. In my constituency, many people walk up to 15 km to access healthcare facilities. Additionally, we have several clinics which are being built through self-reliance by communities, which remain unfinished. I call upon Government to provide funding for their completion through devolution funds so as to expedite completion of these healthcare facilities in my constituency.
The Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Bill – Civil society organisations play a crucial role in addressing various social issues. Any legislation concerning these organisations should ensure their accountability and transparency while safeguarding their ability to contribute social development. These PVOs should adhere to the roles for which they were licenced and should not go beyond their declared mandates.
May I now turn to the proposed new Bills which will constitute part of the agenda for the First Session of the 10th Parliament. The Climate Change Bill – Climate change is a global crisis and Zimbabwe must play its part in mitigating its effects. I encourage the Government to develop comprehensive climate’s legislation that addresses the emissions reductions, adaptation measures, access to international finance and mobilisation of domestic resources, carbon trading integrity and sustainable development. I urge the Government to prioritise the most vulnerable groups to the impacts of climate change, including but not limited to, women, girl child and people living with disabilities. Climate change is a cross-cutting issue which needs to be effectively mainstreamed across all line ministries as it causes significant threats to agriculture, water resources, energy security, public health and the achievement of Vision 2030. I am calling on the line ministries to emphasise the expedited establishment of the National
Designated Authority (NDA) as cited in Statutory Instrument 150: 2023, known as the Carbon Credits Trading (General) Regulations, 2023. The Carbon Credits Trading (General) Regulations represent a significant step forward in Zimbabwe’s commitment to addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This can also attract carbon investment and promote sustainable development. Climate change is also closely linked to environmental degradation and this Bill should help to protect ecosystems, conserve bio-diversity and safeguarding natural resources upon which Zimbabwe’s economy and livelihoods depend.
In Murewa South Constituency, we are experiencing significant deforestation, caused by indiscriminate cutting of trees, including in hills and mountains, which is partly caused by lack of affordable alternative energy sources for curing of tobacco and for domestic use. This requires concerted efforts to ensure that tobacco companies that contract farmers are obligated to re-forestate and rehabilitate affected areas.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the proposed amendments to the Parks and Wildlife Act and the associated Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund, protecting our natural heritage and mitigating human-wildlife conflicts are essential. I support efforts to strengthen wildlife conservation and management, while also ensuring that local communities benefit from their resources and compensated fairly when such conflicts occur.
The President also made reference to the proposed Competition Amendment Bill. Promoting fair competition is essential for thriving economy. This view should focus on fostering competition, preventing monopolies and protecting consumers. Ultimately, driving economic growth. The Economic Empowerment Bill; economic empowerment is
important for addressing historical inequalities. It is crucial that this Bill strikes a balance between redressing past injustices and creating a conducive environment for investment and economic growth.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. S. CHIKOMO): Hon.
Mangondo, you are left with five minutes.
HON. MANGONDO: The National Youth Bill - our youth are the future of Zimbabwe and we must invest in their education and employment opportunities. I encourage the Government that this Bill focusses on empowering our youth and addressing their unique needs, as idleness has been noted as a significant cause of the drug and substance abuses and mental health epidemics which we face as a nation and my constituency is no exception.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, Murewa South Constituency is largely an agricultural based economy, comprised of three wards in communal areas. Seven wards in resettlement and large-scale commercial farms as well as one ward in the urban area of Macheke. As such, there are thousands of smallholder farmers who need Government guidance and protection, especially in tobacco contract farming.
I would like to address the state of roads in Murewa South Constituency as a matter of utmost importance. The following key roads require the most urgent attention in Murewa South Constituency:
-Murewa to Macheke Road
-Zhombwe to Shumbahainyare Road
-Chamapango to Mukarakate Road
-Macheke to Dumaira Road
-Timber mills -Rufaro to Virginia also known as Settlers Road
The deteriorating state of roads in Murewa South Constituency has a direct and adverse impact on the daily lives of my constituents. People struggle with impassable roads, leading to difficulties in accessing essential services, schools, healthcare facilities and markets. The state of schools in Murewa South Constituency is deplorable and not aligned with the policy of Education 5.0 since most of these schools were built through self-reliance by communities and require devolution funds to be deployed to improve state of the schools to acceptable standards.
In line with the President’s speech and in line with Vision 2030, one of the levers that Government has to drive economic growth and development is through infrastructure and energy development. The energy and infrastructure sectors are a life blood of any upper-middleincome economy. Given the fact that these are very expensive projects, I would like to propose that Government establishes an appropriate framework to attract private funds so as to push the involvement of private sector resources to finance some of the big infrastructure projects. In this regard, I would recommend that the Government establish a public-private partnership unit as well as an independent power producer’s office. This unit and office should be saved as focal points for coordinating, facilitating and supervising PPPs and PPP initiatives in line with NDS 1 and 2 while reducing leakages.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would like to ask, with your indulgence,
that as I am running out of time, I have a prepared speech, if I could deposit this to the Hansard for ease of reference.
In conclusion, I would like to applaud the Government’s efforts to address these critical issues through various legislative measures and initiatives. It is essential that the proposed Bills are developed and implemented expeditiously in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people at heart. His Excellency, the President emphasised leaving no one and no place behind. Despite Murewa South Constituency being in close proximity to the capital Harare, it is in a state of underdevelopment and in dire need of the Government’s urgent intervention. I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue and collaboration and ensuring that these national initiatives result in tangible improvements for the nation as well as for my own constituency.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I would like to acknowledge the resilient people of Murewa South Constituency for electing me as their representative to this august House. I will endeavour to serve them and this nation to the best of my ability. I thank you.
HON. MANDIWANZIRA: Thank you very much, Madam
Speaker. I wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the ongoing address on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Let me start by congratulating His Excellency, the President for his massive victory at the polls on the 23rd of August. I would also like to congratulate the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. J. Mudenda for his re-election. I think that is a testimony to his great leadership qualities in this House. I also would like to congratulate you Madam Speaker for your re-election as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, of course, it speaks volumes about your ability and the great service that you do to our country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, allow me to also congratulate my colleagues who
are here, who made it into this Parliament just like I did. I must not just congratulate the people who are here without thanking the people who voted for me. I stand before you and in this august House as a third term Member of Parliament for Nyanga South – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This is not because I am the cleverest of the people from Nyanga, the most educated or the richest. It simply means I have favour from the people of Nyanga. I know that my name is Supa, but in reality, it is the people of Nyanga who are super and indeed, Nyanga is super.
Madam Speaker, allow me to turn to His Excellency’s State of the Nation Address. Before I go into the specifics of the SONA, I just would like to acknowledge and salute our President for his clear economic vision for taking this country out of its major difficulties to a successful economy.
I would like to compare our President to the former Chinese
Leader Deng Xiaoping who took over after the revolutionary leader Chairman Mao to lay the foundation for the economic progress that has made China the second largest in the world’s economy today. President E. D. Mnangagwa is our Deng Xiaoping. One who is laying the significant foundation for taking this country to greater economic heights. The success that has been scored by the Second Republic in turning around the economic fortunes of our country is there for all and sundry to see.
In his address to this august House, His Excellency, the President alluded to the growth of the mining sector from 2,7 billion USD in 2017 to 12 billion USD that it is today. That is an amazing growth in a short space of time and speaks volumes to the capacity of our President to turn things around and take us to the promised land as a nation.
This country will not succeed without food, without farmers and our President made it very clear in His State of the Nation Address that 35 000 boreholes are going to be sunk across the country. That is the foundation for food security, which is the foundation for economic enterprise in our rural areas. The people are not just going to grow food for themselves, they are going to have nutrition gardens in which they are going to grow food supplying into our supermarkets and selling to those that are not producing.
So, the President’s vision to create business people from our rural areas and villages is commendable. I would like to call on everyone in this country to step up and implement the President’s vision. I would like to start by making a call to the private sector that operates in our various districts that when it comes to considering community investment initiatives, those companies and mining houses must consider sinking boreholes in every village in support of the President’s
vision –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
The local authorities, rural district councils, as they receive devolution funds, must consider buying borehole rigs so that they implement the President’s vision to sink a borehole in every village. There is no point in waiting for His Excellency to use his office to go and mobilise resources to bring in the borehole rigs, we Zimbabweans must do it. The President simply sets the vision and we must implement that vision. Everybody must be called upon in my view, to be part of the
President’s vision to make sure that the 35,000 boreholes are sunk, not in the next five years, but in the next two years. We must just invite the President to come and officially commission his vision.
The President spoke about power generation. The investment has gone on to Hwange, Kariba to make sure that Zimbabwe has sufficient energy to power the industries that are now being built as a result of the vision and work of the President. The growth of the mining sector means the growth in demand for electricity. The campaign to sell Zimbabwe as open for business means investors must come in and invest in our country, but before they can invest, they need power and I want to applaud the President for the investments that are going into power generation, whether it is hydro, thermal or solar. However, I would like to call on the relevant Ministry to support the President’s vision by making sure that Zimbabweans, whether they are private, corporate citizens or are churches who invest in solar energy, be encouraged by incentives from Government. These incentives may be tax incentives to make sure that we are not crowding out the private sector and industry from the power that is available. Let us encourage Zimbabweans to invest in solar geysers, but any Zimbabwean who invests in solar geyser must get a credit from ZESA. So, I call upon the Ministry concerned to consider incentives to encourage people to use renewable energy. The articulation by the President on the need to increase our power capacity in this country has given the people of Nyanga hope. For the past ten years, there has been a project on the cards on the Gairezi River in Dazi area of Tangwena, to build a 30MW power station. That project was awarded to an Indian company in partnership with a local company, but up to today, the people are still waiting. I believe the impetus given in SONA by the President will make sure that those who are particularly responsible for the project will start putting their hands and energy into the implementation of that specific project.
When we talk about power, particularly solar energy which we have in abundance, it is something that I believe will be able to deal with the unemployment that we have among our youth who are coming out of universities and colleges. I believe this is an opportunity for development, for our young people to import the solar panels and necessary accessories for installations across the country. They must be supported by Government institutions like ZESA. They must be supported by Government institutions and parastatals in terms of the provision of funding or contracts that allow them to secure funding from banks. It is heartbreaking to see foreigners take advantage of our demand for power and they come and retail solar systems in our country when we have youth who are unemployed. I believe that Government, private sector and parastatals must come up and support the youth to implement some of these projects to create employment in our own country.
I am very proud of the actions by our President in making sure that we have grown a mining economy from US$2.7 billion in 2017 to US$12 billion today. One of the reasons why we have had such phenomenal growth has been as a result of the President’s strategic thinking that we cannot be a supplier of raw materials to industries outside of our country, and therefore the minerals being produced in our country must be processed before they can be exported. We saw that with lithium, copper and manganese. With lithium, it has produced even bigger investments because those companies that have been taking our raw lithium are now busy building plants in this country to beneficiate those minerals. I am very happy that Government has made available
US$10 million to help the growth of the mining sector.
I would like to call the Minister of Finance and Investment
Promotion to increase the funding to ensure that the indigenous Zimbabweans, the ones who are digging the chrome, lithium or manganese also have the ability to go to that fund and secure money to bring in small plants to start the beneficiation and that they can produce the concentrates. This opportunity must not be an opportunity for foreigners because if we do not put the funding to our people, the foreigners will take advantage of this good policy by our President because they will come with the money from their own countries and invest in that machinery, and that opportunity is gone. Therefore, our banks must not just wait for Government and say simply because Government has put a US$10 million fund, our banks must see the opportunity to support our people to go into beneficiation. We believe our banks must listen to the President when he makes SONA because when he made a policy pronouncement that crates opportunity, I believe the opportunity that was created by the President that we must beneficiate our minerals is huge.
What we should have seen would have been the consolidation of banks saying we are putting together a fund to finance those
Zimbabweans who want to bring in machinery to process the minerals.
They should have simply gone to Government to say, give us a guarantee, we want to support the President’s vision and policy pronouncement. I believe we all must come to the party to support the vision of our President and the direction that the Government is taking.
The President mentioned some of the legislation that will be before this Parliament, one of which is the Medial Aid Societies Regulatory Authority Health Professions Bill. This speaks about how our President is sensitive to the struggle of our people. As I speak, many
Zimbabweans are contributing to medical aid societies in the hope that when they get sick, they will not struggle to look for money to pay for doctors or for medical attention. The reality is that even as they are contributing to medical aid societies, they are still being asked to pay upfront and being asked to go and recover the money from the medial aid societies. The whole purpose of a medical aid system has completely lost its value and meaning because Zimbabweans are being asked to pay every month, but when you go to see a doctor, you must still pay. When you go to a pharmacy, you must still pay to get the drugs and they will ask you to fill a form so that you can claim from your medical aid society. You wait for that money forever. It never comes back, but you would have contributed. I believe our President is sensitive to this plight, and therefore he has said this Parliament must look into this kind of Bill. Our people need to be rescued from what I see as abuse by medical aid societies.
The President did mention the role of small to medium scale enterprises in his State of the Nation Address. I believe that this is where our solution is as a country. Therefore, as Government allocates resources and particularly as we now look forward to a new budget, resources must be made available for our young people to start business and fund their ideas and projects. We have an education system that is now creating entrepreneurs. As long as we do not provide the funding for those entrepreneurs, we have not done enough. I therefore, ask that the Minister of Finance makes specific allocations for small to medium scale enterprises, and that is where the bulk of the resources must go because that is where the bulk of industry is. In that way, Government will then have sufficient grounds to follow up taxes in the informal sector because we would have provided a basis why they need to contribute. In support of the President’s vision and desire to see a greater role of the small to medium scale enterprises, it must be followed with resources.
Government is not the only institution that must provide resources. We must see the private sector encouraging small to medium scale enterprises by directly sourcing from small to medium scale enterprises. That is what will transform our country because that is where the potential massive employment creation lies.
I wish to thank you for this opportunity and wish His Excellency good health as he leads this country to greater economic prosperity. I thank you.
* HON. JONGA: Thank you Madam President. Firstly, I want to start by thanking the President, Dr. Mnangagwa for the resounding victory. I want to say congratulations to His Excellency the President. Secondly, I would want to congratulate the Hon. Speaker, Advocate Jacob Mudenda and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Tsitsi Gezi for being elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively, to guide us and lead us as the National Assembly. I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate every Member of this House.
Please allow me Hon. Speaker, to go into SONA presented by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa. The President spoke regarding the allocation of resources and devolution to different provinces. The increase in the Devolution Fund means that we are now able to use such funds to build clinics and other community projects. Where I come from, there were few clinics but I believe that with the Devolution Fund, this is going to change. In the past, funds channeled to communities would not reach such communities but now I am glad that with the Devolution Fund and the increase in the Devolution Fund, it will benefit the actual beneficiaries, the communities which are targeted by the fund.
Madam Speaker, the roads we use in rural areas will also be rehabilitated because local authorities who are responsible of such roads will be empowered with the funds to rehabilitate the roads. I believe that in my constituency the roads are in a dilapidated state because they have not been rehabilitated for a long time.
Let me move on to education Madam Speaker Ma’am. Because we have been empowered to plan using the funds that have been allocated, our schools are going to be enhanced in terms of infrastructure. Looking at the boarding schools in different areas, in my constituency, let me inform the House that I do not have boarding schools. We only have two boarding schools, Dotito and Hondo schools in different areas. The funds should be used to increase the boarding facilities in my constituency. This will benefit our children because they can get the best education that they need.
The President spoke about 35 000 boreholes which will be allocated to different constituencies countrywide. In my constituency, I am one of the beneficiaries of boreholes which use solar power. These boreholes are found in Wards 16. 17 and 35. Such wards benefited from the Presidential initiatives which will culminate in the community using irrigation to create employment and income generating projects.
The President also, through the Pfumvudza initiative, is giving inputs. I just want to thank the President because Pfumvudza distribution of inputs as I am speaking has already started. The process of distribution of inputs has already started for those who have received their inputs, who are tobacco farmers and grain farmers. They have already been given their inputs.
I do not want to take much time. What we need to do as Members of Parliament, our councils and other stakeholders, is to unite so that we fulfill the mandate, ambitions and the vision of His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa. With these few words, I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. MAKOPE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, the President, Dr.
Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly the elections held on 23rd August, 2023. I want to thank His Excellency for creating a conducive environment before, during and after the elections. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Speaker of this House and the Deputy Speaker for being given another opportunity to lead this august House and drive that seat.
Madam Speaker, let me reflect on the speech delivered by His
Excellency on the State of the Nation Address, a number of aspects were deliberated in his speech. I also want to add my voice on some of the issues which were given by His Excellency. I want to commend on the commitment that has been shown by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in giving the people of Zimbabwe support in social services, particularly the education sector. In the education sector, we have seen a number of schools being built, especially in rural areas, using the devolution funds.
In the constituency where I come from, I have witnessed a number of schools, which include Negari primary school, Rufaro Secondary School and Chimbi. All those schools managed to get the funds from the
Central Government, the Government led by His Excellency, Dr. E. D.
Mnangagwa. We want to applaud him for that effort – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – On the same aspect, I want to appeal to our esteemed Government to again improve in some issues relating to the education fraternity. We have the Early Childhood Development (ECD), these are young learners, and they are still travelling long distances to attain the education. My appeal is to decentralise some of the learning centres from the mother schools so that our young learners can also get an opportunity to get education.
The constituency that I represent, Mwenezi North, is dominated by schools in resettlement areas. Most of these schools are satellite, they are not yet registered. There are a number of challenges faced by schools which are not registered. During the examination period, they ferry their learners to the mother schools where they can get these facilities; where they can create a ‘mini-boarding’. In those ‘mini-boarding’ schools, this is where we see a rise in the number of vice habits among our learners. So, it is my appeal to the Government to expediate the process of the registration of these schools.
I know the registration of schools demands a number of issues, cooperation of different ministries and departments. I know the Physical Planning Department, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and even the Local Authority have to come together and facilitate the registration of these schools. This probably creates a bureaucracy that will delay in the registration of our schools. That is one major challenge that we see.
In the area where I come from, we also have other languages which are still regarded as minority languages. We have a language which is called Pfumbi. It is a hybrid language between Ndebele, Venda and Shona. So, I appeal to the Government, through the Ministry responsible, to have a thorough research, work flat out and come up with this language as one of the national languages, like the other 16 languages which we have and regarded as one of our national languages recognised in all sectors of the social economic sectors.
I also want to commend on the efforts made by the Government in the erection of clinics across the country. In the constituency that I represent, we have witnessed the state-of-the-art clinic in Petronella section. Our appeal again is to have some more clinics in some of those areas, especially the resettlement areas because we still have a number of people walking long distances in order to get the health services. We need a clinic at Pambe areas, Chikwalakwala as well as Sagwari. Those are some of the areas where health services are in urgent demand.
On the same note, on the social aspect, I know the commitment of
His Excellency in supporting our senior citizens, the elderly as well as the disabled. So far, I think in all economic activities and policies which have been crafted, they are living these people, the elderly as well as the disabled. So, I think in our budgets, a social grant can also be given to these people, whom I think are not able to fend for themselves through artisanal mining and through farming because most of the economic activities or policies which have been crafted at the moment are looking up to the economically active group, leaving out the elderly who happen to be our citizens. Most of them, who are disabled is because of the liberation war in which they were involved. So, they still need the support of our Government.
Let me also commend on the mining sector, where we have witnessed an increase in the production of our minerals from 2.8 to 12 billion from 2017 to date. That is a great effort we have witnessed as a nation. So, I want to thank His Excellency in facilitating the environment to be very conducive for all mining players to come up with this high production. We need to maintain this high production, but probably, I have a suggestion that as a nation this is the time we should also invest in the knowledge of mining. I have been looking and comparing our nation with other nations, especially the Europeans, where they take mining seriously. They have mining as a subject, from ECD to tertiary level. This is again my suggestion to have mining introduced as a subject from primary level. Currently, it is being taught in schools, just as a theme subject within the main umbrella Science subjects that cannot give us in-depth knowledge of mining. If you look at those other nations that I have mentioned, even the Asian countries, they invested a lot in the knowledge of mining, how to extract, the processing and the value addition up to market level. Comparatively, if you look at the European countries, they do not have minerals like we have here in Zimbabwe. So, whose minerals are they targeting?
Definitely, they are targeting the African minerals, Zimbabwe included. Therefore, we should defend our minerals by processing them ourselves, value-adding as well as exporting them.
Madam Speaker, I want to mention the road networks. We really appreciate the Harare-Beitbridge Road, it is a state-of-the-art road and other roads in the nation where His Excellency and the Government have shown a lot of commitment to improving our road networks. We want to thank him for that.
On the same note, I want to appeal to our esteemed Government to also look into other roads, the dust roads especially in our rural sections where most of our rural dwellers are connecting in everyday lives. I want to mention the Turn P-Neshuro Road, one of the roads in my constituency. It is called Neshuro Road or Turn P Road; I always want to mention it as one of the emotional projects. This road has been put on the budget year in and year out. I remember in 2005, we watched on television seeing this road already surfaced and it created a lot of anxiety among our people. Since 2021, the road has been on the budget again, but up to now, we are still waiting for the esteemed Government to look into that matter.
This road is very important because it is the face of Mwenezi. It is the only road that connects the main Beitbridge-Harare Road with our growth point where most of the Government offices, Government schools and our general hospital are situated. So, we have a lot of expectations from our Government to look into that.
Madam Speaker, let me also appreciate the effort made by His Excellency in facilitating the Vision 2030 accelerator model type of agriculture across the nation. I have witnessed one in Bubi, Lupane Irrigation Scheme where we have witnessed together with the farmers in my constituency, a state-of-the-art irrigation scheme. In Mwenezi, we want to appreciate what has already been done by our Government. As we speak, there are people or companies which were given tenders to look into Murove Irrigation Scheme, Chizumba Irrigation Scheme as well as Zhawanda Pikinini Irrigation Schemes.
These irrigation schemes with other irrigation schemes that we are looking forward to having, are going to utilise the water in Manyuchi Dam which is lying idle. We have about 78% of Manyuchi water which is lying idle, currently they are using it for wildlife. Very little water is being used for irrigation in Mwenezana Estate and other small irrigation schemes available. So, I hope that our Government will look into that and expedite the process. Our farmers are eager and they are waiting to be allocated small plots in those irrigation schemes I have mentioned.
Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity again to thank even the Government officials who are also implementing all these projects in the constituency that I represent in Mwenezi North. I am very proud even to mention my C.E.O Mr. Chivanga, and the DDC Mr. Mutambara; these are the workhorses we are forced to reckon with. I really appreciate their efforts in supporting the Government and the President’s mantra of nyika inovakwa nevene vayo I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Makope, had
it been in my own will, I would have given you more time to present since you mentioned so much on Mwenezi which is where I come from.
HON. OBEY BVUTE: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I
would like to start by congratulating the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly the 2023 General Elections held in August this year. On the same note, I also want to congratulate the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Adv. J. Mudenda for being re-elected to preside over this House in this Tenth Parliament. I wish also to congratulate fellow legislators, myself included, for being voted into the Tenth Parliament.
Thank you Madam Speaker, for allowing me to pass a few remarks with regard to the SONA that His Excellency the President presented. I
wish to applaud the work and effort put in by the Second Republic to embark on a socio-economic development trajectory. Since 2018, we have witnessed for ourselves that His Excellency and the Government scored major milestones in infrastructure, particularly road networks, airports and border expansion projects, et cetera. For example, the R.G Mugabe International Airport is an amazing piece of effort done by our own Government which we must applaud.
There have been also efforts in agriculture, mining, environment, energy and education, just to name but a few. These efforts need to be thoroughly consolidated going forward, and the President’s SONA address bears testimony to this. For this to continue to bear fruit, I urge the Government to focus on basics and getting the job done. The nation is seeing the progress that has been happening under the Second
Republic. This will keep our country on the regional and global agenda.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the strides made in the introduction of
Education 5.0 curriculum is testimony of President Dr. E. D.
Mnangagwa’s determination to empower the people of Zimbabwe despite the sanctions imposed by the western world. There has been a paradigm shift in the education model that has moved from a knowledge based template to a more skills acquisition model. Through the use of continuous assessment model also known as CALA, though this system has shown a lot of challenges in the beginning, the benefits will surely outweigh the hassles in the long term as our children are taught to be innovative and to take advantage of the creative industries that lie ahead. Unlike during the generation of yesteryear, today’s children now have broader scope and learner pathways to choose from when they complete basic education. I would recommend for more private sector participation in creating twin arrangements with learner institutions, our typical basic school system at an early stage so that the children can get experience to interrogate their acquired skills that they are learning at the infant stage.
The textbook provision in terms of learner to book ratio needs to be addressed so that the negativity around CALA is minimised as most of the guidelines in CALAs are there in the updated curriculum textbooks but the schools have deficiency and do not have enough of these teaching and learning materials to tackle CALAs. Some of the phobia around CALA is because children share one book to five pupils as a ratio. The digital learning dimension which has been introduced in the new curriculum will also address this issue in the long run through the continuous supply of laptops and other relevant gadgets in schools. For now, more needs to happen to resource schools with more basic teaching and learning materials.
The President also touched on the aspect of the popular agriculture programme Pfumvudza/Intwasa which I must admit has been a revelation to modern Zimbabwe that we can boost our agriculture output by home grown initiatives that are sustainable and more ideal to our own circumstances as a nation. Pfumvudza is a very good idea which in my view just needs to be strengthened on the issue of monitoring and evaluation so as to realise its full potential. We also need to make sure that the vulnerable members of society like those living with disabilities, child headed families and elderly get prioritised on distribution. I have also tried to encourage this in Mutasa North where I come from. At this juncture, I must highlight that I am very grateful to the people of Mutasa North for having voted for the President overwhelmingly and also for having voted me to represent them in this Tenth Parliament.
I was talking about food self-sufficiency and this is very important to Zimbabwe as at one point we were the bread basket of Southern African. I am sure that these efforts that are happening in agriculture at this point are taking us back there at the apex of agriculture to feed the world. I will just make a comment on Command Agriculture that many people are not talking about but it is a programme that is also helping the nation on food self-sufficiency. My remark on Command Agriculture would be for the relevant Ministry to revisit the issue and price model to make sure that it rewards farmers and it carries on as a viable option. This will also make a viable enterprise for students who are leaving basic education to choose agriculture. I am encouraging Government to consolidate Command Agriculture and to keep that programme going. Tourism is one area SONA reflected on so much as a serious economic enabler and he made reference to a growth of 62% in international tourist arrivals during the first half of 2023. This shows great resilience after COVID-19 pandemic and we must applaud His
Excellency and his team for such splendid recovery effort. In Mutasa North, there is potential through the transformation of Honde Valley from being just a basic communal area to a fully fledged tourism destination. I would like to push this transformation during the five years I will be serving the people of this great area.
At this juncture, allow me Madam Speaker, to kindly invite Hon. Members to an upcoming athletic marathon event on 18 November 2023 which is an attempt to showcase the beautiful scenery, weather and tantalising views of Mtarazi Falls and the meandering Pungwe River. It is also a chance for Hon. Members and their families to come and exercise.
There was greater wisdom in my view in the deployment of resources to Unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Power Station to boost our electricity generation capacity. This was a game changer and evidence that our visionary leader is pragmatic. As a result, we are now witnessing stable power supply on our national grid. Indeed, going forward, the President hinted on the bias towards investment and promotion of independent power product (IPPs). This is fundamental so as to create sufficient power generation capacity to support these ambitious economic targets. In Mutasa North, there is also private-public partnerships that took advantage of the abundant water sources in the area where I come from and created mini hydro power stations which are now also feeding into the national grid. Credit goes to the Second
Republic for such spending initiatives.
Devolution of resources needs to be encouraged and I must commend the President for the highlights that it will be increased this time around. Road infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance is high priority in Mutasa North because we need transportation for the fruits like the popular bananas and avocados that come from Honde Valley. It is imperative that road network get maximum attention, without ignoring schools and clinics that also need serious attention on devolution. My call is for decent budgets so that we can realise meaningful progress in this effort.
I want to touch on sport and culture that was in SONA. While we appreciate our Government efforts in supporting all sports including the elite ones, we also need to put more effort and create more Peter Ndlovus and George Shayas, just to mention a few of this world through prioritising popular sport like soccer which unites billions of people worldwide. Soccer is Zimbabwe and Africa number one sport, so we need our stadiums back into shape to host international matches so that we remain visible on the international arena. It is my hope that sooner this item will get attention from the relevant Ministry. We also need to channel more resources in the creation of more academies to absorb children or school leavers who would have chosen this sport or chosen physical education as an employment avenue. A lot of our children at the moment are going overseas to study physical education and sport because our tertiary infrastructure and learning model is not taking physical education as a very special pathway to create employment. I would want to urge the relevant Ministry to consider investment and more for it so that our children who are not academically gifted can take this avenue to create wealth for their own families and for Zimbabwe.
In conclusion, I also want to appreciate the mantra - nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, brick upon brick and to wish the President and this Tenth Parliament success. I thank you.
HON. MAPFUMO: Good afternoon Madam Speaker Ma’am.
Greetings and congratulatory message from the constituency that I represent to His Excellency for the resounding victory in the just ended free and credible harmonised elections. Congratulations to you Madam Speaker and Mr. Speaker, for your re-election to chair this august House. Congratulations to my fellow Members of Parliament for being elected by the electorate to represent them in this House again.
Firstly, I would like to thank His Excellency Cde. Dr, Mnangagwa in his address, for recognising that water is life with the drilling scheme of 35 000 boreholes. This will go a long way in alleviating the water challenges, for example in the Constituency of Headlands that I represent where there is urgent need for boreholes in several villages as people are still sharing water sources with their livestock. These boreholes have gone further to industrialise our grassroots villages by increasing trade through the community gardens that are now being set up, whereby villages can now have horticultural produce since there will be no availability of water.
As Headlands, we thank the President for his initiatives as it is direct development to the masses at grassroots who do not have access to other developmental wonders being done under the new dispensation and NDS 1, now going into NDS 2 towards Vision 2030, for example, the airports, the highways and the Beitbridge Border Post to mention but a few. Normally, we get people at grassroots saying there is no direct contact with development under the new dispensation. I think this initiative of boreholes will give direct contact to those that do not fly or travel outside the country to access the new highways and the beautiful border posts.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the much-anticipated Climate Change Bill which will lead to climate proofing measures such as Pfumvudza is also a sanction basting measure, which we would want to applaud our President for making it a success. Headlands is primarily a farming constituency and hence, the speedy payment of farmers by GMB is of imperative importance, not just in Headlands alone, but I am sure fellow Hon. Members here will testify to that. In order for us to achieve our agrarian reform to be a financial success and with all players being happy to contribute towards food security, there is need for speed payment.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, allow me to take note of the irrigation schemes country wide which continue to put our trajectory towards an upper-middle income economy, His Excellency has made sure that it is brought to reality. For example, in Headlands, we have benefitted from these schemes with Muchekeranwa Dam ready for providing irrigation as half of it is in Headlands, the eastern side. These, however need to be capacitated so that the farmers and villages on the eastern side of Muchekeranwa Dam, that is in Ward 32 and 37, will be capacitated with irrigation equipment such as pumps, mainline piping canals and pivots to achieve an all year-round greenbelt.
We have other two mega water bodies lying idle in my constituency, that is Chinyudze Dam and the dam on the Mupfure River which I share boundary with Hon. Mangondo of Murewa South. This dam is huge and it can really assist in climate proofing challenges we are facing due to global warming. There is land to farm in Headlands where I come from. I intend to rollout agriculture projects for the youth using these water bodies. His Excellency, the President in his SONA speech, touched on climate change, global warming effects. Global warming is real Madam Speaker Ma’am and it is upon us to mitigate the effects of climate change. We thank His Excellency, the President for his astute leadership which brought about schemes such as Muchekeranwa, Tokwe-Murkosi, Gwayi-Shangani among many others. We need to do away with the saying, ‘if you cannot irrigate it do not plant it’. That is the situation we find ourselves in due to climate change.
His Excellency’s address in the SONA also touched on health. It is imperative for us to ensure that health access for all is easily available and affordable. For instance, in, Headlands where I come from, it is at its infancy, with a shortage of clinics particularly Wards 11, 34 and 38. I am positive that these critical health issues will be addressed as His Excellency, the President has made great strides towards decentralisation of service delivery as he alluded to in His State of the Nation Address.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Constituency I represent - thanks to His Excellency for the continued acceleration of the heritage-based education 5.0 model. In Headlands, preparation of the opening of Manicaland University of Applied Sciences Headlands Campus need to be expedited in order to achieve Science and Technology impartation of knowledge towards Vision 2030.
Devolution Funds have seen the construction of a school in Ward 38, giving easy access to education for the community. There is need for more classroom blocks at numerous existing schools in Headlands, for example Yorkshire in Ward 6, Musasa in Ward 11 and Nyamukamane among many others. However, Madam Speaker Ma’am, following the President’s mantra nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, people of Headlands have been busy with their own resources, there are classroom blocks under construction in Wards, 7, 11, and 37. This includes a completion of a classroom block that was initiated in 1991 and left idle, but it is now almost complete using our own resources as mwene we Headlands. Madam Speaker, allow me to touch on the issue of roads and connectivity with particular reference to the constituency that I represent in Headlands where our roads are in a dire state, some having been last attended to decades ago. Access to markets and easy movement is hampered. People of Headlands have been patching up here and there, but there is need for mechanised intervention in all our roads. Madam
Speaker, allow me, on behalf of the people that sent me here, to thank His Excellency and his visionary policies as one of our badly damaged roads which is the Ribe-Nyathi Mine Road is now among those on the ERRP. I will keep knocking for its timeous rehabilitation commencement.
Connectivity will increase business activity in the constituency I come from. Plans and discussions with the relevant Ministry on completing tarring of Headlands-Chiendambuya-Mayo Corner StoreNyamapanda Highway which is not more than 100km are underway, hence connecting Forbes and Nyamapanda Border Post. Madam Speaker, allow me to continue and say, with the increase in power generation, with the coming up of Units 7 and 8 in Hwange, in
Headlands we are in need of more transformers in various institutions.
Headlands farmers heavily rely on electricity throughout the year. The deliberate investments that are ongoing for the increase in generation capacity are highlighted by His Excellency in the SONA Address. We applaud His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in removing entry barriers for independent players, for the independent power producers to come on board.
I cannot debate on SONA Madam Speaker, without asking for a round of applause from the House for His Excellency for touching and not forgetting our gallant sons and daughters of the liberation struggle through the Act of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle and
Amendment of the National Heroes Act together with the War Victims
Compensation which will now include recommendation from the Chidyausiku Commission of Enquiry. On that note, Madam Speaker, the war veterans in the constituency where I come from, call upon the national Museums and Monuments to urgently look at the state of Makoni District Heroes Acre, Ruwombwe Mountain and the Chingaira historical sites for they define us as a people.
Madam Speaker, allow me to touch on another important issue of drugs. The drug scourge, with the coming in of the development of the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill, will go a long way in keeping our youths busy in talent identification and usage. His Excellency, in the SONA, mentioned the need for measures to turn the scourge of drug abuse strengthening relevant institutions for effective coordination and programming of activities being instituted. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo as his mantra says, and we all have a role to play to combat the drug threat.
Madam Speaker, as a contribution to His Excellency’s measures above, I have identified 50 hectares in my constituency which I propose that a National Drug Rehabilitation Centre that is self-sustained through agriculture be constructed, I stand to be guided – [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.] –
To end on a lighter note Madam Speaker, it would not have been enough to only speak at the outstanding New Parliament Building in Mt. Hampden for myself and fellow new Parliamentarians in this august House without having set foot in this historical Parliament Building. On that note, Madam Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity to speak in this revered House and on behalf of Headlands Constituency, I thank you.
HON. ZVOBGO: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. My name is Edison Zvobgo Jnr representing Masvingo Central. It is my earnest and sincere honour to stand in this historical building and speak to this august House for the first time – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Madam Speaker, I shall start by congratulating His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his re-election as our country’s President and to congratulate the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker on their re-election. I would also wish to extend my congratulations to my fellow colleagues here present on their election as representatives of the respective constituencies.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful for this maiden opportunity where I wish to acknowledge and applaud His Excellency’s speech which was meticulously presented and delivered. The speech touched on the pertinent matters of people’s livelihood and the economy, highlighting the positive growth across several financial industries including mining, agriculture, education and health sector, amongst others.
Madam Speaker, His Excellency’s speech is not mere political rhetoric, it is grounded on actual reality. The province from which I hail from, boasts of lithium deposits in Bikita, organised mining projects and massive borehole drilling undertaking, the Mutirikwi Hydro Power Station, His Excellency, the President has made mention of these projects from a nationwide point of view, but my electorate is a manifestation of these projects. The aforementioned projects Madam Speaker, have seen immense dire stream benefits for the population in the province, and in particular my area of jurisdiction. This is to be applauded – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
In addition, I would applaud the Government’s creation of a conducive environment for investment and the saying by His Excellency that we are open for business and that we are the builders of our own economy as well as that we are a friend of all nations and enemy to none. Madam Speaker, I am confident that by exploring value addition and beneficiation of our country’s resources, industrialisation will gather unprecedent momentum. I am also encouraged by His Excellency’s clarion call that this august House should be an institution of peace building, hope and national development so as to expedite the building modernisation and industrialisation of our great country – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Madam Speaker, in His SONA, His Excellency, precedes to lay down the national vision and strategy, and a careful analysis of the same reveals that it is all grounded in legislation. One can safely state that the President not only wants us to succeed but he requires us to do so.
Accordingly, the President’s vision for Zimbabwe’s future can only be achieved if the President finds in the legislature a vibrant, passionate and knowledgeable partner.
At this juncture Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to call upon my fellow colleagues in this distinguished august House to commence the hard work that has been set before us with your wisdom, knowledge and experience as well as that of the Madam President of the Senate. I have little doubt that the legislative agenda set before us can and shall be delivered in the life of this Parliament.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, you may be aware that I have some personal connection with this House. The late Julia Zvobgo was also a Member of this House representing the Zvishavane Constituency wherein she rose to the position of Deputy Speaker. In the same vein, the late Eddison Zvobgo Snr represented Masvingo South and was the leader of this House on several occasions. Both of them were greatly honoured to be members of this august House immediately after our nation’s independence in 1980. Indeed, Madam Speaker Ma’am, it was a time when giants walked these halls and sat on these benches. Our own President sat and worked here in this august House together with notable names such as the late Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda, Robert Mugabe, Edgar Tekere, Hebert Ushewokunze, Enos Nkala and so many others. These patriotic men and women did not always agree perhaps because as the late Dr. Zvobgo used to say, if two men always agree, it simply means that one of them is not thinking. Mr. Speaker Sir, while these men and women did not always agree, it is certain that they always pursued what they believed to be in our nation’s interest.
History provides inspiration and examples of what to do and what not to do. May I and my fellow colleagues, be inspired by this very same history and learn from it; to build where needed and unite
Zimbabwe in its quest to become a prosperous and wealthy nation. Madam Speaker Ma’am, may God bless this august House, may God bless His Excellency the President and may God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. CHINODAKUFA: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. I
would like to start by congratulating the President, Hon. E. D.
Mnangagwa for his resounding victory and secondly, the Speaker, Hon.
Adv. Mudenda and his Deputy for retaining their positions.
I am going to make my presentation on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa. I am humbled to address this august House as I commence my journey to serve and represent the people of Shamva North Constituency.
In this development journey, Hon. Members of Parliament, I will take this opportunity to applaud the strategic road map to positive economic growth delivered to us by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa in his SONA during the opening of the 10th Parliament, on 3rd October 2023. The completion of matters outstanding from the Legislative Agenda of the 9th Parliament as raised in the SONA is commendable priority which is not only to promote continuity in governance but accelerating completion of the projects.
I would also like to acknowledge the robust measures put in place by the Government and to enhance the guaranteed agricultural productivity including climate proofing which saw us realising national food security, the availability of water as a basic requirement of the agriculture sector and the 2nd Republic agenda to drill 35000 boreholes and establishing village agro-business units will bring a shift from rain fed agriculture, which has been affected by climate change.
The efforts by the 2nd Republic to establish village agro-business units has already been witnessed in Mashonaland Central whereby 200 youths, 20 from Shamva district have been mobilised from all eight districts of Mashonaland Central to launch the first youth village agrobusiness unit at an identified venue in Bindura District. Whilst land is being identified in other districts, this will not create employment for the youths but promote skills and technology transfer, food security and rural industrialisation through value addition. Shamva North is largely a communal land area rich in land resources, thus making village agrobusiness a necessary empowerment initiative for all well-resourced communities in Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I commend the commitment by the 2nd Republic to increase resources disbursed towards devolution and decentralisation programmes. The priority being given to the projects which improve access and quality of education, health, water and sanitation has greatly improved service delivery in rural authorities. The devolution programme has awarded the grassroots and Shamva District not being left out from the opportunity to decide on the priority areas and hence promote a demand driven development. From the devolution funds, Shamva has seen the construction of Matala Clinic, Mupfure Clinic, purchase of a refuse compactor and a borehole rig, just to mention a few.
The significant improvement of power supply by the 2nd Republic Administration following the commissioning of Hwange Power Station Unit 7 and 8 is greatly applauded. The complement of Government initiative to achieve rural electrification supported the purchase of installation of the five transformers in Shamva North Constituency which are serving five schools, five business centres and the surrounding communities.
The positive side being taken by the Government to tame the drug and substance abuse through substance vocational training centres as hubs for local community development is indeed a sustainable measure to promote skills training amongst youths. Most of our youths have failed to proceed to tertiary education due to failure to attain the five O’level passes or dropping out of school amongst other reasons.
The growing of the youths will greatly benefit from vocational skills training and enterprise development. Low cost and accessible vocational training centres like Shamva Vocational Training Centre will facilitate rural industrilisation through establishment of business centres and entities by VTC graduates. I commend the call to private sector to play a part in support of our on-going initiatives for youth development and empowerment considering courses such as basic safe mining skills training, partnering with the School of Mines which is only found in
Bulawayo. It is a great need for the youth in mining zones such as Shamva, Mazowe, Kadoma and across the country.
We appreciate the Second Republic’s youth friendly initiatives seen by the establishment of the Ministry of Youth, Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. We embrace enhancement and participation of the small scale and artisanal miners through the establishment of the $10 million Mining Industry Loan Fund. The decentralisation of the Ministry of Mines offices to districts which are mining zones such as Shamva is indeed welcome. Shamva District appreciates the Fidelity Printers branch established at Shamva Country
Club which now has access to State market and artisanal miners.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to extend my gratitude to the President, His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa for encouraging continued unity of purpose as to appreciate our on-going quest to build modernised and industrialise our great motherland Zimbabwe. As Zimbabweans, we develop at our own pace using what we have to do what we can in order to build the Zimbabwe we want. Our Zimbabwe, our responsibility. I thank you.
HON. MUKUNGUNUGWA: Mr. Speaker, it is my singular
honour to be afforded this opportunity to speak before you in this splendid august House. I would like to congratulate His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, on his re-election into the supreme office of the Republic of Zimbabwe. It is indeed an indication of recognition by the electorate in his visible great work during his first term of office that built a greater mark of confidence. The mantra nyika inovakwa nevene vayo has been bearing fruits at the front towards the realisation of an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
I would like to take this opportunity to applaud Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker, for your re-appointment as the leaders of this august House – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – and congratulate all Members of Parliament in this House – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – As the Member of Parliament for Chivi North Constituency, allow me to make a reflection on the SONA presented by His
Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 3rd of October, 2023.
The President in his presentation challenged Members of Parliament to accelerate the completion of outstanding matters from the legislative agenda and tremendous robust measures leading to an upward trajectory of the economy in sectors such as agricultural productivity and irrigation development. Chidandimo area in Chivi North Constituency benefitted from nutrition gardening. Chongwe Water Pipeline was commissioned by the President after having been closed for more than 30 years, and is benefitting more than 3 000 households, seven schools and several business centres in the constituency. Pfumvudza is the game changer for households in realising national food security. However, to fully utilise Chongwe Water Pipeline to its full potential, more funding is required for the rehabilitation of the system and connecting additional wards to the pipeline.
The President in his SONA, went on to highlight the devolution and decentralisation programme promising to increase resources to be disbursed. The impact of the disbursements so far received cannot be over emphasised in Chivi North Constituency, with construction and opening of Hwanya Clinic in Ward 3, Ruhworuchena Secondary School in Ward 5, construction of Tokwe-Mukosi Secondary and borehole drilling. However, timely and meaningful amounts are hereby required so that the priority of Government, to improve access and quality of education, health, roads, water and sanitation is achieved – [HON.
MEMBERS: Hear, hear.].
Infrastructural funding, for instance, Chibi turnoff,
Mhandamahwe-Mufiri and Beitbridge roads have enabled improvement of service provision for commuters, investors and business community. The road construction and ERRP has created youth employment in the constituency and is greatly appreciated. However, Chivi North Constituency remains greatly being with busy roads that require upgrading such as Madzivadondo, Takavarasha-Chivi Growth Point and
Mukotosi to Chigwikwi roads requiring gravelling to be passable.
Road equipment is part of the deficit and is thereby needed to make road rehabilitation and construction to be realised, thereby enhancing connectivity. However, gazetting of the Tokwe-Mukorsi masterplan has taken too long in order for the district and nation at large to realise results from the magnificent infrastructure in terms of electricity generation planning for the area in and around the dam.
The President went on to highlight a number of Bills that this House is going to debate on. Hence, as parliamentarians, we have a task that calls on all of us to be patriotic and dedicated to contribute all our efforts to the building of our country through passing bills which support development. Mr. Speaker, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo mantra by His Excellency, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa challenges every citizen to be patriotic and exert maximum effort to build our dear motherland. The President challenges the 10th Parliament to finish off the Bills outstanding from the
9th Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, the President in his SONA on the new Bills to be debated in the 10th Parliament alludes to the National Youth Bill. Once enacted into law, this will curb the increase of drug and substance abuse need the youth as the Bill is stated with the provision of mechanisms that will enable mainstreaming of the youth in social, economic and political spaces as well as the sustenance of the Vocational Training Centres (VCT) as hubs for local community development. Mhandamabwe Vocational Training Centre in Chivi North Constituency requires lecture blocks, workshops for practical and staff houses in order to be able to accommodate as many youths and lecturers for the centre.
His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa was on point to mention the need for the Small to Medium Enterprises Act to be reviewed. Such firms have a significant contribution to the economy’s GDP, hence their existence should not be overlooked. SMEs need empowerment for growth through easy access to loans for business expansion as well as being given tax holidays and/or low tax rates to encourage them to formalise their businesses, hence a great trajectory in the country’s revenue base in the long term.
At this juncture, allow me to thank you for the time given to reflect on the State of the Nation by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I hope Members who are busy
on their cellphones find time to listen to the debates because these debates will also enrich their debates when their turn comes.
HON. MUNDUNGEHAMA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and
good afternoon. My sincerest gratitude to you Mr. Speaker Sir for according me this crucial opportunity to make my presentation for and on behalf of the people of Chiredzi East Constituency. Allow me firstly, to pronounce before this highly esteemed august House, the dignified message of congratulations to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe who is also the Head of State and Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, His
Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his outstanding State stewardship and his diligent and delivering servant leadership that saw him overwhelmingly winning another term of office in the just ended undisputed free, fair and credible harmonised 23rd August, 2023 elections –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Allow me also to express my solemn congratulations to the Speaker of Parliament and his deputy on the most befitting and timely re-election of the Speaker of Parliament. I wish also to say congratulations to the Chief Whip, his deputy and to all my fellow Hon. Members of Parliament for having been entrusted by the electorate to serve in the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe whose main agenda and developmental roadmap, His Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa in his God-given wisdom and acumen, has since outlined in his State of the Nation Address during the period of the Official Opening of the 10th Parliament.
Much has been said by my fellow National Assembly Members who made their submissions before me, vis-a-vis, the President’s SONA and awesome developments that the Second Republic has so far undertaken since its assumption of office in 2018. This is of course included, but was not limited to the magnificent transformation of our road infrastructure such as the state-of-the-art Beitbridge-Chirundu Road and many other roads across the country, the construction of dams, upgrading of power generation facilities, construction of modern border posts, launching of the first ever satellite system, issuance of E-passports and upgrading of our airports.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when one takes time in evaluating the majestic developments that the Second Republic has successfully undertaken in a precedingly short space of time. Honestly, one must start to understand that His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa huchi. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Huchi, yes in the sense that he has surely managed to transform our once dilapidated country and economy into a cut above the rest in the Southern African Region – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear,
hear.]-
Let me hasten to say that the idea to drill 35 000 boreholes across the country, village by village by His Excellency, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa must be a welcome move to all and sundry. Water is life and yes, it is. I come from Chiredzi East Constituency, with over 1 000 villages that currently live on less than 200 boreholes. The President’s vision will surely help my constituency access the much needed safe and clean water. With the land reform background, my electorate has never had enough of this precious resource. Their current sources of water are the unprotected wells, the Tugwi River and the Save River. With this eminent scourge of Cholera, I wonder how the people of my constituency will manage to survive, given the dire circumstances of water in the constituency. I wish therefore, to propose that the programme of borehole drilling be prioritised to constituencies and areas such as Chiredzi East which hardly have any alternative to clean and safe water.
Indeed Mr. Speaker Sir, our Government has been committed to road infrastructure development starting with those that make us economically viable as a country – that we appreciate so much. However, may I also take this opportunity to inform this august House that wards 1, 2, 24, and 22 of Chiredzi East Constituency hardly have pathways to connect them to the greater nation.
We are not asking for much, Hon. Speaker, we are only asking for gravel trucks that will allow our constituency people to move with their goods and services. Mr. Speaker Sir, my wards 1 and 24 are also still operating on quite a number of makeshift schools. These are schools that are found in Wards 1 and 24 of my constituency and geographically, they form almost 65% of my constituency.
In those two wards which have an approximate population of about 60% of my constituency population, there is no single clinic that is operational in those wards. I, therefore, propose before this august House that preferential treatment must be given especially in the establishment of such facilities so that our people benefit from them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my constituency depends more on agriculture with cotton as their major commercial crop. Just like what my fellow Member of Parliament from the Gokwe Constituency said during his presentation, the payment mechanisms, I propose Hon. Speaker that they be revised so that our farmers are motivated to continue growing this very precious crop because it is one of those commercial crops that helps them a lot on their livelihoods.
May I also propose that the payment of this crop be made timeously so that our farmers are motivated as they also meaningfully contribute towards the country’s GDP.
I wish to thank the President, Mr. Speaker Sir, for the establishment of the irrigation schemes in Wards 2, 4, and the Mkwasine Sugar Cane Estate. Our people in those wards are food secure and economically viable from that initiative. I, therefore, propose that since our region is drought-prone, more irrigation schemes such as the proposed Chegwito-Manhenga Irrigation Scheme, Mutapurwa Irrigation Scheme and Mufusirwa Irrigation Scheme be established so that our people are ring-fenced from the vagaries of climate change.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I welcome the President’s call to the ratification of the Sugar Production Bill which I also feel is long overdue. I also feel that the repressive colonial settler laws within the sugar industry be repealed and new farmer-friendly laws be enacted in order to have the industry grow.
In the same vein, it is again my proposal before this hon. House that another additional sugar mill be established in Mkwasine as a costcutting measure for the farmers there, thus also increasing their viability and at the same time promoting competitiveness within the sugar industry.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my constituency houses most wildlife conservancies in the lowveld. These are Gonarezhou, Marirangwe, and
Save Valley Conservancy. The Parks and Wildlife Bill echoed by His Excellency is coming at the right time.
Mr. Speaker Sir, my constituency has suffered the worst brunt of human-wildlife conflict, thus I propose that the ratification of this Bill must not only look at the compensation aspect but also promote beneficiation of the surrounding communities from the same sanctuaries. This must of course include community empowerment programmes through wildlife and tourism.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we have had the boundary fence established between wildlife sanctuaries and the surrounding communities. I also propose that this programme be expedited so that the issue of humanwildlife conflict is minimised.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to thank His Excellency, the President, for his State of the Nation Address that is visionary and promises lots of hope to the people of Zimbabwe. As we move forward as a united nation, being united even more by recognising the fact that we have one country to call ours, to love, to build, and to protect, and true to the Shona adage nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. I thank you.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 7th November, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU seconded by HON. KARIKOGA, the House adjourned at Twenty-Five Minutes past Five o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 7th November 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 19th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF
SENATE
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE:
I have to remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cellphones.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to
remind Hon. Senators that today is Thursday and it is question time. I have a number of apologies that have been submitted and are as follows:
Hon. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga, Vice President; Hon. K. D.
Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion;
Hon. M. N. Ndlovu, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri, Minister of Defence; Hon. F. Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. K. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Z. Soda, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Prof. Murwira, Minister of
Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. S. Sibanda, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. F.
Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Hon.
Garwe, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; Hon. Dr.
Masuka, Minister of Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural
Development; Hon. V. P. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon. Chitando, Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
In the Senate today, we have Hon. Minister Ziyambi, Minister of
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. Mombeshora, Minister of
Health and Child Care; Hon. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power
Development; Hon. Dr. Mavetera, Minister of ICT; Hon. Mupamhanga, Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training
Centres; Hon. Dinha, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. Mazungunye, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Hon. Ministers, you are welcome.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Social Welfare but in his absence, I direct my question to the Leader of Government Business. My question is about food relief. Our people mostly in Matebeleland South, especially in Beitbridge, have gone for more than five months without any food aid. I just wanted to know when they can get food.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA): Thank you Mr.
President. Government had stopped distribution of grains but I think now there is an allocation and there are tonnes of maize which are there, so the distribution is going to resume in the next few weeks.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I think Hon.
Senators are going to be monitoring that because apparently, there is a lot of hunger out there.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Mr. President. My question
is directed to the Hon. Minister of ICT. The country intends to have internet access at village level by 2030 through the extension of the fiber optic backbone and last mobile connectivity. In this regard, the Government, during the NDS1 period, targets to increase internet penetration rate from 59.1% in 2020 to 75.4% by 2025. Mobile penetration is expected to be increased by 100%.
May the Hon. Minister explain to this Senate, the key strategies that are being implemented by her Ministry to ensure the set target is achieved on access to internet?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Thank you very
much, good afternoon Mr. President Sir. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Kambizi for that very important question. Yes indeed, as a Ministry, it is within our strategy to make sure that we increase mobile penetration and also make sure that we reach 100% mark. We want to make sure that on the network penetration from now, we are on 65% and we want to reach 100%. How do we intend to do that? The first thing that we have managed to do and that we are trying to do is to make sure that we enhance our policy which is on infrastructure sharing. We have got a lot of telecommunication operators that are operating in the country but what we need now is the issue of us sharing all the towers that are there. What we have managed to do now is, we have got a tower relocation policy that we have put in place, where now we are realising that they start sharing the infrastructure and that will also minimise expenses and resources going elsewhere in such a way that they will be able to take the resources that they are using to build towers elsewhere.
Again, as a Ministry, we have a policy of getting funds from the Universal Services Funds. This is a fund which is coming up from a lot of other telecom players whenever we phone or whenever we use the Internet. This Universal Services Fund which is being managed by POTRAZ then also goes on and builds towers which will then enhance internet connectivity. However, we also have got Community Information Centres which are dotted all over the country. As of today, we have got more than 200 Community Information Centres and what we want now is for us to put to good use the Community Information Centres.
The use of the Community Information Centres is for us to have Internet coming up from all the areas so that people can be able to access the Internet. In the rural areas, we then realise that people are accessing the Internet through the Community Information Centres. However, when it comes to fibre connectivity, we are now looking at an issue of us having shared infrastructure and that way it can actually then be able to enhance what we want to do.
On mobile penetration, indeed you see connectivity. We have been engaging and talking with all the telecom players so that they see that there is a great need for them to continuously be providing good services to the public. We have got containerised information centres that we are launching now. We have already got some which are already stationed in different areas of the country. What we want now is for us to have access, but let me continuously assure you that it is something that we are seized with. We want to make sure that we move towards ensuring that the rural populace also access mobile Internet connectivity that we can have. So indeed, we will engage all these strategies so that we will be able to achieve this. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. Riding on Hon.
Sen. Kambizi’s question of the existing infrastructure. What I have personally experienced, and I want to believe most of us, I could put it to 50% to 60% will have to wait in order for you to access Internet. In other words, it is not only Internet, but network can be down. What is your consideration in order to enhance and strengthen the infrastructure so that we do not lose time, we do not lose whatever that we want to do in that time we are waiting either at the shops, banks and so on? What is your consideration in order to enhance and strengthen the existing infrastructure?
HON. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you very much Mr. President.
Let me also thank Hon. Sen. Zindi for that very important question. Indeed with the existing infrastructure, what we want to do is that, I think we need to come up with measures and ways for us to have, especially when you realise you do not have connectivity and probably electricity is not available. So what we need to do is for us to look for green ways for us to be able to capacitate these base stations and towers. We need to have more power coming through, even from generators and solar powered systems that will be put in place. That will actually ensure that at least we always have Internet access whenever we want it. You will also realise that, in the rural areas especially, the other challenge that we have is that we have schools through our national e-learning strategy that have got VISAT being used. You will realise that in those areas again, sometimes some schools will not even be able to access
Internet, what will be the challenge there?
The challenge is that we have got a policy that we have within our
Ministry to make sure that when we supply Internet, it is only for a year. It means that after that, they are not capacitated enough to then be able to sustain their operations because they will not be having internet. So then that becomes the problem. However, to be honest with you, maybe I will talk more on the technical side to say, you realise as a country we get most of our fiber overseas. We are not getting it locally because we are a land locked country, it becomes expensive for us as a country. So, what we then need to do is for us to continuously capacitate these telecom companies to make sure that they are quite efficient and also to make sure that at least they also come up with competitive rates which will make them sustain the operations and make sure they are always there to provide the network.
They have been complaining of late to say we are hoping that we could have tariff increases so that we can then be able to give a good service to the people of Zimbabwe. What we just need to do is for us to get on the drawing table and make sure that the consumers will not be crying foul and also even the telecom companies will also be feeling that it is quite a good and safe environment to be trading in. So indeed, we will continuously engage them so that at least they give the best connectivity that they have. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MAVHENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President.
My question is directed to the Minister of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training Centres. I can see the Deputy Minister is in here. I want to find out from the Hon. Minister Government policy on developing our rural youth so that they can also get some facilities similar to those found in urban areas such as stadia. What programmes do we have at the moment which are being done by the Ministry to assist our rural youth?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND VOCATIONAL CENTRES (HON. MUPAMHANGA): Thank
you Mr. President. At the moment, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training Centres is working on strengthening existing systems. As you know, the Ministry has recently split from the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture and as we speak, it is conducting strategic meetings in order to direct the Ministry in the years coming up.
In the rural areas, we have a number of VTCs and VTC satellite institutions to provide courses and skills training to young people in those areas. Further, we are also looking at implementing a number of programmes and consider programmes such as the National Youth Service as well as creating symbiotic relationships with the Ministries that affect the youth, such as the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and focal people in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality as well as the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. So at the moment, those are the issues that we are looking at. I would not like to pre-empty the results of our strategic meeting which will end on Friday, but we have a number of programmes to target specifically rural youths.
I thank you.
THE HON. TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON.
KAMBIZI): Let me welcome the Minister of Veterans Affairs of the Liberation Struggle and his deputy who I have not yet welcomed. Both of you are welcome in the Senate.
*HON. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Health, Hon. Mombeshora. There are allegations that there is a hospital in Mutare, Sakubva which is called Sakubva Eye Unit. There is a maternity labour ward. In that ward, there are allegations that women who go into labour are usually threatened that they may not be able to deliver without a caesarian section. Furthermore, there is an allegation that there are 13 to 15 caesarian operations per day at that hospital. Those people who pay for those operations are not given receipts. Given such a scenario, what can be done to rectify that because when people say that I am their Senator, I must bring that question to the Minister of Health and Child cARE? Where there is smoke there is fire. It means there is something happening. I thank you.
*THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you
Hon. Sen. Zindi, I have two issues here. Firstly, if you want to ask a question in vernacular, please do so without mixing up languages.
Secondly, the Question Time on Thursday is meant for policy issues. Hon. Minister, if you have any information about that allegation, you can respond.
*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON.
- MOMBESHORA): Thank you Mr. President. The question that was raised is pertinent because it is an eye-opener. However, I cannot respond at this moment because we firstly need to investigate. Under such an allegation, we need to investigate and I will bring the response after getting the details. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Minister of Justice. The Constitution of Zimbabwe is clear under Section 17 on gender balance. We are talking about equality of women and men in all spheres of the Zimbabwean society. It further mandates Government to promote the full participation of women in all spheres on the basis of equality. My question is, what measures has Government put in place to ensure that this provision is implemented in the Government, private sector and everywhere else ensuring that there is 50:50 participation of women? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. JESAYA): Thank you Mr.
President Sir. Thank you Hon. Sen. Mupfumira for the question. Indeed, it is Government policy and also the Constitution of Zimbabwe to afford a 50:50 balance in respect of gender in our country’s laws and systems. I need to assure the Hon. Members that Government is doing all its best in all sectors of the country to ensure that gender balance is accorded in all respects, especially in regards to the Constitution. It is being followed in all areas of Government. In that respect, there are measures or awareness programmes which are being availed in all sectors to ensure that all that is achieved in that regard. That would be a brief response in respect of that question.
HON SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. I appreciate the response by the Minister of Justice. My supplementary question is on his response in which he stated that Government is taking all necessary steps to ensure there is gender balance. What necessary steps can he make reference to, to ensure there is gender balance? This question has not risen only today or has been asked only today. It is a question that has always been asked and we do not have specific measures to ensure that gender balance is implemented. Thank you Mr. President.
HON. JESAYA: Thank you Mr. President. I think one key step that will be necessary is to make sure that women who have been marginalised are represented in all sectors. That is one key step that can be done and what the Government is doing to achieve that balance in all leadership positions and ensure that women are also included, either by way of quota system or other steps is for women to also be accommodated in those key roles in Government. Even to ensure that companies do hire more women in that regard. That will also assist in arriving at that gender balance, that is the Government policy. Those are the key issues that might be necessary to create that balance. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZHOU: Thank you very much Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. According to the National Disability Policy of 2021, there is provision for support to persons with disabilities including their children. So far, many doors of opportunity have been opened through the Disability Fund, but only those with disabilities are benefiting, whilst their off-springs are not having access due to lack of enforcement of the policy. What steps could be done to ensure that policy provisions are implemented so as to allow these children born to parents with disabilities to have access, especially to education support? I am talking about tertiary education support at universities and polytechnic colleges so that we break the poverty cycle.
My second question is on BEAM. There are many special schools catering for children with disabilities. They largely depend on BEAM funds and once this assistance delays in coming, these centres are dry of resources and provisions like food and other stuff. I understand that at the moment, schools opened early September and up to now, nothing has been done to disburse BEAM funds to those special institutions. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR
AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINAH): Thank you Hon
Members for the questions. In the case of BEAM, it is not just the disabled people who are being affected. The problem is with arrears in payment of BEAM amounting to 50 billion dollars. Fourteen million dollars will be released and the 36 billion remainder will be released later. The outcry is all over as the arrears are both for school fees and examination fees for students registered under BEAM. For the ordinary students, BEAM covers education from primary up to secondary school. However, for the disabled, there is a facility to complete tertiary education as well but that has also been affected by those arrears. Then on the issue of the dependants, there is US$50 paid at the official bank rate for the disabled dependants but it is also being affected by the arrears. The money is not being released.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Can you
please expedite payments because these issues affect the people in the rural areas and most of these Senators are coming from the rural areas.
So, it is an issue which is very close to their hearts.
HON. SEN. CHIEF MATHUPULA: My question is directed to
the Minister of Health. We have seen outbreaks or various places in the country being put on high alert due to the cholera menace. What is the magnitude of the problem that we have in the country pertaining to cholera and what steps has the Ministry taken to ensure this cholera outbreak does not spread to other areas and is contained in those particular areas?
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON.
- MOMBESHORA): Thank you Hon. Sen. Chief Mathupula for the question. Let me start by acknowledging that we have a cholera outbreak in the country but this outbreak started in February this year. It flared up and subsided to the extent that in July, some provinces were declared cholera free but in August around the 26th, we saw a flare up of cases, especially in Manicaland’s Buhera District. We have also seen a flare up in Masvingo, especially Gutu District and this is as recent as this week. It is not a very high burden to the country but to the districts affected and we have lost a few lives in those districts.
We have put a lot of measures in place especially preventive measures because cholera is a disease spread by poor hygiene conditions. In the areas concerned, we have also realised there is another element besides poor hygiene, which is religious beliefs where those affected do not seek medical attention in the health institutions. So, our responses are targeted to reduce the spread in the community through provision of clean water to drink. As we speak, we have deployed some rigs in Buhera District to drill some boreholes in villages affected which did not have safe water to drink. The boreholes are going to be equipped with solar powered pumps and tanks will be installed to ensure that people in the village access clean water. The other intervention is communicating best practices in terms of hygiene. We have deployed our environmental health officers in all the districts to engage community leaders, traditional leaders, church leaders as well as schools and teach basic hygiene so that people have knowledge that they should wash their hands before eating, boil water for cooking and avoid using river water because we have tested some of the rivers and realised that the water is also contaminated.
We also, on the curative side, set up some cholera treatment camps which are manned by our health staff. We have also deployed some doctors since most of the clinics are not manned by doctors but as from this week, we have asked the Provincial Medical Directors to withdraw some doctors from other institutions and these will then go round the clinics in affected areas to ensure that the quality of care is improved. We are also setting up what we call rehydration camps and these are tents set up for those with mild diseases and they just go there and get oral rehydration without using any intravenous fluids. We have also activated the Civil Protection Unit in all the districts to work with us to ensure that we are in control of the outbreak.
In short, those are some of the measures that we have taken as a
Ministry to ensure that the cholera outbreak is contained in the districts. Unfortunately, because of mobility, you will find that we have got almost 41 districts in the country that have reported cases but in some of these districts, the numbers are just as low as one or two people but we are insisting that the same measures be taken even if the numbers are that low. I thank you Mr. President. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MAVHENYENGWA: My follow up question to the
Hon. Minister is that, in Masvingo Province, there are also cases reported of Cholera, not only in Gutu District, but Bikita, Chiredzi and Zaka districts where people drink water from the rivers, especially those in Chiredzi who take water from Chiredzi River. I wanted to know if boreholes are also going to be drilled in those areas. We have Cholera in Bikita and we lost lives.
HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Yes, I appreciate your question. In
fact, the spread has been coming from Buhera and that is why Bikita was the first district to be affected followed by Zaka and Chiredzi. I have mentioned Gutu because Gutu has had the highest number despite it being affected late. We are instituting all these measures in all the districts. Unfortunately, some of the areas have had very dry boreholes, but we have requested our counterparts in the Ministry of Lands,
Agriculture and Water. They are responsible for the WASH programme and I am informed that they are going to drill about 30 boreholes. What they have asked for is to be told specific areas where these boreholes are to be drilled and that information should be coming from the Provincial
Minister of State and Devolution working together with the Provincial Medical Director. So, work is being done in those areas. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: My question was meant for
the Minister of Transport, but since he is not around, may we defer it to next week. May I now direct a question to the Minister of Justice? What is Government’s policy with regards to aligning of the Traditional Leaders Act with the Constitution? We have realised that there are some conflicts between the Traditional Leaders’ Act and the Constitution.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you
Hon. Sen. Chief, but that question should be directed to the Minister of Local Government. I do not know whether the Minister of Justice is able to answer that question.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): Mr.
President, that question should be directed to the Ministry of Local Government. However, as Parliament, we are mandated to ensure that our laws are aligned to the Constitution and we are expected to align those laws.
*THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon.
Senator, I do not think your question was responded to, the way you expected it to be. May you keep that question so that we have it responded to next week.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NHEMA: My question is directed to the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture. What is Government policy with regards to ensuring that as a country, we host soccer tournaments in this country because I understand we are going to be playing in Rwanda? That is demoralising and retrogressive to the sport.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORTS, RECREATION,
ARTS AND CULTURE (HON. JESAYA): I want to thank the Hon.
Senator for that question. As a Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, I am glad that soccer players were suspended, but the suspension or ban has been lifted and we are now able to compete at international level. With regard to hosting soccer matches as a country, we are unable to host soccer matches in this country. What I would like to inform the House is that the bureau has since lifted the ban and there is normalisation. We have not officially been informed with regards to hosting local matches as far as Rwanda, but if they inform us, we will come back to the Senate to inform you on that development.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: My question is directed to the Minister of War Veterans Affairs, but maybe let me first congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of War Veterans Affairs. We have quite a number of war veterans whose offer letters are being withdrawn. Sometimes being withdrawn because perhaps, baba or the one whose name was written on the offer letter has passed on and the children cannot inherit, then automatically withdrawn. These are some of the cases we are getting in Manicaland. So, my question to the Hon.
Minister is, what is his Ministry’s policy direction particularly when it involves war veterans who, by nature, were the ones who took up arms to fight the colonialists in order to liberate this country? With the principle of Gutsaruzhinji, we are now having the same war veterans’ offer letters, their children cannot inherit those farms which have been offered to their parents, what is the policy direction? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Mr.
President. I want to first thank the Senate as this is my first time to speak in this Senate as Minister of War Veterans. I appreciate your attendance and I will try as much as possible to be present when this debate is going on. Hon. Sen. Zindi also happens to be a war veteran and comrade in arms during the struggle. I totally sympathise with the plight of the war veterans as she has described. I am still new in the Ministry because this Ministry was there before, then it was shifted going to the Ministry of Defence and I am happy that His Excellency has seen it fit to restore the Ministry of War Veterans Affairs and I have a
Deputy Minister who is also a war veteran who happens to be here, Hon.
Mavhunga. I have raised this issue already with the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, as you know he is the one who administers all land affairs on behalf of the President.
We are slated to meet on this particular issue with his team and my team. Once it is constituted, you will appreciate that as a new Ministry, we have to start from zero, setting up the structure of the Ministry. We are in the process of doing so and we are happy that the President has appointed a Permanent Secretary, Mr. Clive Mphambela, formerly from the Ministry of Finance. I have already tasked him to start looking into this issue as we prepare for a meeting with the Ministry of Lands. I want to state that the Constitution is very clear, the land of the war veterans is sacrosanct, and if there is anybody who has been behaving in a wayward manner, then it is in contravention of the Constitution. Now that we have a line Ministry administering that aspect of the Constitution, we will ensure that we shall stick to the law of the Constitution. Where there has been deviance from what should normally have been declared in support of the Constitution, we will seek restitution and if there is any resistance, then we will have to read the law to those people who would have unfairly benefited from the land, particularly this deposition of widows and their off-spring, because somebody else has written an offer letter which abridges the original owner who is protected by the Zimbabwean Constitution. I thank you. HON. SEN. MOHADI: My follow up question is, you will find these widows will be owning land, and sometimes as people are now mining, if it happens that minerals are discovered in that farm, the widow is then chased away. What is Government policy regarding this issue? I thank you.
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. President. I
fully understand the import of the question that has been asked. Obviously, this one requires reconciliation between the rights of a farmer and the rights of a miner under our law. I think we are one of the unique countries in the world where by history, what is underground was deemed to belong to the State. Remember, originally the State of
Zimbabwe was a private company called BSA Company of Cecil John Rhodes. He was the owner of the land at that particular time. In historical fields between him and the increasing number of white settlers, I think there was a dispensation to say what is above the land can belong to the farmers who were white settlers, not of course the blacks who were dispossessed under the Land Apportionment Act. What belongs under the ground belongs to the State which was the company. So, we have this anomaly in our law and it turns to have a bias towards the miner against the farmer. So, this is what is at issue in our law and I think I have to find out what is the claim state of affairs with the Minister of Mines and the Minister of Lands in terms of reconciling that aspect of our history so that the rights of the farmers can also be protected.
This is an issue of the Constitution of the country. I want perhaps the Hon. Minister of Justice and the Ministers of Mines and Lands to also be able to have some input. In this particular instance, you will realise that it is not my Ministry that administers that aspect of the question that has been raised. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. My
follow up question is, we have been informed that there is a problem that children who are supposed to be beneficiaries of offers are being disposed of their land. As a Ministry, why are you not opening up channels to assist them because sometimes they are dispossessed of the offer letter and they do not even know where to go? May you inform them on the measures they can take so that war veterans’ children or beneficiaries who may be dispossessed of land seek help. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Hon. Senator for
that question. What I would like to say is, we are a new Ministry, we started working for, perhaps less than a month now. The President has since appointed the Permanent Secretary and we expect him to have assistants so that we start working. What I can promise is that we are indeed deeply concerned by that case. As we work on the issue of setting up the Ministry, we are going to ensure that we publicise this Ministry and inform them to bring their concerns. We have some of the concerns and we want them addressed, that is work in progress, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Mr. President Sir, I propose
that Question Time be extended by 15 minutes since we have a full bench of Ministers.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Mr. President Sir, may I go
on to ask a question as I am already standing up. Thank you Mr.
President. I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Child Care…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! You
asked for an extension of question time by 15 minutes and you got it. May I follow the order of the list of Hon. Senators that I had earlier lined up.
*HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: My question is directed to the
Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle. In Bulawayo, we have a problem. The provincial heroes’ acres have been there for years. Some of the tombstones are inscribed names on them and others have been destroyed. We went to the museum and we asked them to rectify that. Up to now, they have not complied. The other problem is that we dig our own graves as war veterans. Some of us are too old to do that.
What is the policy with regards to that?
*THE MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA): I am deeply
saddened by Hon. Sen. Ndlovu’s concern. Since we now have a Ministry, what I can say is, may those war veterans come to the Ministry. Since you approached me now outside the Senate, I have been informed that there are young children who have now been buried at that cemetery. We would like to ensure that the law where war veterans have been specifically allocated grave sites or cemeteries be adhered to. As you are aware, right now my deputy is busy writing all those questions coming up. We will look into those. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President. My
question is directed to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. The Deputy Minister is here. Our Government promised civil servants that besides their salaries, they will get material benefits such as houses. What is Government policy right now especially in the rural areas in terms of allocating them houses? I thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND
SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Mr.
President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa for that question. Firstly, as Government and the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, we already have houses in all the districts and provinces specifically meant for civil servants that they use when they start working. They are supposed to be provided accommodation in those districts but sometimes some of the houses are now too old and dilapidated.
The other thing is, now that Government has expanded, not all civil servants can be accommodated in those districts. Therefore, as a Ministry, we came up with another programme that says civil servants from Deputy Director downwards under such grades, are supposed to get housing loans to build their own houses. That programme is there. It is under the Public Service Commission since that is where the register of civil servants is kept. So that is where those funds are found. All civil servants, be it under the Ministry of Health and Child Care, nurses or teachers, are allowed to apply for those funds. Those funds are allocated in RTGS or Zimbabwean dollars. Those funds are availed according to their grades. Those in higher grades get higher funds. In short, I have said the funds are allocated according to their capability to pay back the loans.
So, what I can say is that at the moment they can get ZWL10 000 000, that is the lowest graded civil servant. This is available to all civil servants. This is supposed to help them to build their own houses so that they report to work freely.
*HON. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. If we say ZWL 10 000 000 as a Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, those are the funds available to the lowest graded civil servant and they have agreed to that figure, did they find that reasonable that you can construct a house using ZWL10 000 000. I suppose everything is being procured using United States dollars. The current exchange rate at the black market is around 7 200 or 7 500. If we divide ZWL 10 000 000 by 7 500, how much remains? We want to say Government must provide tangible benefits because at the end, they may end up squandering that money although they are expected to pay it back because the money is not even enough to purchase a stand. So, I am saying Government must provide tangible or reasonable figures. I thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING
(HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Zindi as well. I agree with you indeed, that figure is no longer enough to construct a house, but as you are aware, that is Government policy. That is what is available at that moment. It does not mean that we do not review all those things that have been put in place at some point. I can assure you that as Ministry of National Housing, we are taking measures to ensure that funds are increased to match the prices that have gone up. When that fund was put aside, it was in accordance to the prevailing rate at that time because the rate was around 2000. Indeed that figure was reasonable, but I agree with you that we need to review that figure so that our civil servants have better accommodation. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA: Thank you Mr. President. Allow me to direct my question to the Minister of Health. We faced problems with regards to COVID-19 in the past, and I would like to find out whether this pandemic will not come back considering the temperatures are going to change during this rainy season. The other issue is are there no side effects emanating from the vaccines because there are other ailments that are coming up and was suspecting it is because of the COVID vaccines and people are just wondering. I would like the Hon. Minister to assure us whether there are no side effects of the COVID vaccines. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON.
- MOMBESHORA): Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to respond. Thank you Hon. Sen. Chief for that question. The COVID-19 pandemic did not only affect us as a country, but many other countries. There was no treatment for it, but efforts were made to come up with the vaccines. In this country, many people got vaccines and it led to the decrease of the pandemic. There were three vaccines where the first vaccine got a lot of uptake. The second vaccine was almost in between and the third vaccine had the lowest uptake. We cannot say the pandemic is over right now, it is still there here and there, although cases of ordinary flu are now higher than COVID-19 cases. We still encourage people to take vaccines. We are now taking measures to ensure that we make use of the available vaccines because in about seven months’ time, the vaccines may expire. We are encouraging people to take up those vaccines.
I understand the concerns from the Sen. Chief that there is a suspicion that some of the ailments may be emanating from the vaccines. The vaccines that we administered in this country do not have any side effects. Be rest assured that there are no side effects from the vaccines. The vaccines that we procured from China use the traditional methods like the vaccines that we have such as measles and tuberculosis of inculturation of the virus itself. We refused some of the vaccines that were used overseas like in the United States of America, because we did not know much about them and we cannot say much about them. We were not able to research anything on them, so we did not accept them. There was not much information with regards to their side effects. The social media has been spreading fake news. We have seen on social media that in two years’ time, people who got vaccines will be dying,
not in this country. That is not going to happen, be rest assured.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN.
KAMBIZI): The extended time for time for Questions Without Notice has expired and let me acknowledge the attendance of Ministers since the commencement of the 10th Parliament that it has been encouraging. I would like to say well done.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion to the Presidential
Speech.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN.
TAWENGWA): Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th October, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN.
TAWENGWA): Mr. President, I move that Order of the Day, No. 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION
COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. I also rise to debate on this report by ZACC. In debating this report, I shall highlight the following areas: the success rate of ZACC, the urgent enactment of supporting legislation in fighting corruption, setting up of integrity committees, allegations of corruption in hospitals and in particular, Sakubva Eye Unit in Mutare, Inadequate institutional financial support, employees’ salaries and wages, and lastly effects of corruption in the whole economy as it affects service delivery. I will also suggest recommendations as a way forward in fighting corruption.
Mr. President, I also take this opportunity to congratulate ZACC for having recorded a 72% conviction rate in 2022 of the cases it had referred to the National Prosecuting Authority. I take this as a success rate given the constraints such as inadequate funding and lack of supporting legislation, I think they did a good job. I am sure that as we have been reading in the media and social media, you would hear of stories of staff resigning simply because of inadequate living wages, etcetera. Witnesses have been intimidated, however, the public and myself do call on government to expedite the enactment of the two critical Bills: Witness Protection Bill that seeks to establish legislation for the protection of witnesses and the Public Interest Disclosure or Protection of Whistleblowers that protects individuals who voluntarily come forward in order to give information regarding illicit and corrupt activities within organisations or companies of their employ. I do say urgently because this is the supporting legislation that will facilitate and even further the success rate that I have made reference to. These Bills are important in the fight against corruption as they will improve public confidence in the fight against corruption.
Sometimes witnesses have been intimidated in high profile cases, and if I am to quote Commissioner Makamure who at one time, was a facilitator in Gweru about a year ago, on the issue of whistleblowers of witnesses being intimidated to an extent that they tend to be hostile when they come to court to give evidence or to testify. This was quoted in an online article by The Chronicle, and if I am to give evidence of the source, it was the Chronicle website co-zwcdnam, which means it was in the morning when it was recorded by The Chronicle and it stated that, and I quote Commissioner Makamure’s words: “ZACC was pushing for whistle-blower protection law because a lot of victimisation for whistleblowers has been rampant. Witnesses turning hostile to the prejudice of successful prosecution of mostly high profile cases. Thus, enactment of whistle-blower and witnesses’ protection law will have provision for stiff penalties for victimisation of whistle blowers and witnesses in criminal cases”.
The introduction of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy that was subsequently launched by His Excellency the President, Cde E. D
Mnangagwa on July 11, 2020 led to ZACC’s conception of the Integrity
Committees in State Enterprises and one of the first such State
Enterprise to implement such a Committee is ZINARA. Integrity Committees in this sense is another strategy meant to fight corruption in parastatals. Integrity Committees are another strategy meant to actually fight corruption in parastatals. Integrity committees are intended to spearhead prevention of corruption and they are rather proactive than being reactive when dealing with corruption in organisations. These integrity committees have been devised to be part of the organisational structures and whistle-blow corrupt related activities as they take place in an organisation.
I then suggest through you Mr. President, that these integrity committees should be mandatory in all Government institutions, including the private sector organisations. It should not be a question of choosing wanting to be or wanting to set up an integrity committee in an organisation but it should be mandatory because this is a war against corruption. In my view, I would recommend that it should be mandatory.
Mr. President, I need to give examples. Hospitals, clinics and local authorities just to mention a few, we have heard of all sorts of corrupt activities that are taking place. Therefore, l may I use the word ‘adamant’, that these integrity committees have to be mandatory, perhaps it could be another form or way to nip this corruption in the bud.
As I earlier on raised a question with the Minister of Health, Hon. Mombeshora, I cited Sakubva Hospital in Mutare where expectant mothers are having to deliver through caesarian section even though they could have delivered through normal delivery without having to be opened in order to bring out the baby. Because of corruption or alleged corruption, until it is proven by some nurses who demand payment as a pretense to facilitate availability of a doctor, expectant mothers end up paying exorbitant fees directly to nurses and no receipts are issued for such fees that would have been paid.
Further to that, it is also alleged that there are now more caesarian section deliveries at this particular hospital that I have mentioned with 13 – 15 sections taking place in a day which never used to happen before. As I said earlier on, it requires some investigation in order to actually ascertain whether this is happening. As alluded to earlier on, where there is smoke there is fire.
What pains me more is the fact that it is the poor pregnant woman who suffers in these corrupt activities because the poor woman cannot afford to go and deliver in private hospitals. So, it is more of the poor who are being exploited until perhaps she is left with nothing because she is already poor. Hence, I urge the Minister of Health to institute some investigations at this particular hospital in order to establish the truth of what is happening at the hospital.
I would not have done myself a service if I go or conclude this debate without mentioning the civil servants. We all know civil servants cannot also come out clean in terms of corruption. Why am I convicted to say that? We know they are not earning more than say RTG$200 000.00. If you convert that to USD at about $6 000, that is about USD32.00. Then you ask yourself how then is the civil servant managing to pay rent, school fees, transport costs and cater for children going to school and so forth; obviously in my own thinking and visioning that kind of a situation, he must be engaging in some kind of corrupt activities and hustling.
The moment you leave your jacket on the chair and you go and hustle, to me that is already corruption because you are here from day one to day thirty receiving a salary. So, if you take off your jacket, put it on a chair, I come from Chiredzi and have an issue to do with my liquor licence that I want to renew but when I get in the office, what I see is the jacket because you have gone to do your hustling in order to make ends meet. To me, that is corruption. I do not support it but this is what is happening.
To this end, I call upon all of us in Zimbabwe; leadership and the common person that it should be our responsibility to deal with corruption and end corruption. It is a war that we need to deal with or fight in order to end it and it requires all of us.
As I conclude, corruption affects the whole economy and thus public service delivery is compromised. As I have given as an example, hospitals do not have adequate medicines. Toilets are leaking and not being repaired, no bedding, we do not have good roads and clean water, refuse is not being collected by local authorities. Salaries and wages are not a living wage that is born out of corruption. Even the collection of taxes which should be the source of revenue that should be brought back and ensure that there is service or adequate service delivery and also the salaries and wages cannot be collected all because of corruption.
My conclusion on that is to say, corruption takes everybody and it should take leadership and the common person that we should deal with because it affects all of us. I can give examples, we now have the terms ‘mbingas’, driving luxurious vehicles but there is no traceable business that I will be running. There is no traceable record of the taxes that I would have submitted with the taxman. This encourages others to also say I also want to be like a mbinga and the story goes on like that Mr. President. Hence, it must take all of our leadership and the common person to deal with corruption to stop these activities, share the cake equally and do what we are expected to do as citizens to pay our dues.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Your time
has expired.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: I was about to finish Mr. President.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I will give
you a few seconds to finish, and I repeat a few seconds.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President, as I conclude, I want to emphasise that the lifestyle audit, as a means, can also deal with corruption. Should it be institutionalised to both public and private sectors, the whole society must be accountable, especially the group that
I have referred to as mbingas.
In conclusion, I make the following recommendation: Urgent enactment of the two Bills, the Witness Protection Bill that seeks to establish legislation for the protection of witnesses and whistleblowers. integrity committees in all public and private institutions. Lifestyle audits should be mandatory in public and private institutions including individuals. There should be adequate remuneration for ZACC so that members of staff are not prone to bribes and also enable the institution to discharge its responsibilities without financial constraints. Workers should earn a living wage. Introducing anti-corruption subject in the school curriculum from ECD to tertiary institutions. Finally, the churches should also play a role in preaching the word that we should deal with and kill corruption. I thank you Mr. President.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN.
TAWENGWA): Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th October, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR
THE YEAR 2022
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN.
TAWENGWA): Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 24th October, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA), the Senate adjourned at a Quarter past
Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 7th November, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 18th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: May I start with apologies from the Executive; Hon. Dr. Gen. Rtd. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga, Vice President; Hon Soda, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Dr. P. Kambamura, the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. Amb. Dr. Shava, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. T. Moyo, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. Mhona, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development; Hon. D. Garwe, the Minister of Housing and Social Amenities; Hon D. Marapira, the Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon J. Ncube, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Province.
APPOINTMENT TO COMMITTEES
THE HON. SPEAKER: The Clerk and his senior staff have compiled detailed list of Committees. The list is very long. I shall submit it and it should appear in the Hansard. So, please if you can check with the Hansard tomorrow.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services: Hon. Chokururama J., Hon. Guyo P. , Hon. Hamauswa S. , Hon. Kwidini S. , Hon. Mambiripiri G. , Hon. Marange N. , Hon. Matema S. , Hon. Mavhunga M., Hon. Moyo D., Hon. Moyo F., Hon. Musweweshiri B., Hon. Muzondiwa E., Hon. Sagandira P., Hon. Samambwa E. , Hon. Shamu W., Hon. Siziva G. , Hon. Matewu C—to be Chairperson
Environment, Climate and Tourism: Hon. Kambuzuma C., Hon. Chikombo W. , Hon. Bajila D., Hon. Chinazvavana C. , Hon. Dambudzo B. I., Hon. Hadebe J., Hon. Hamauswa S. , Hon. Kanupula T. , Hon. Makope M., Hon. Mugomo M. , Hon. Murombedzi M. , Hon. Mutana T. H. M., Hon. Mutasa O., Hon. Ndlovu N. , Hon. Ngwenya S. , Hon. Nhari V., Hon. Nyakuedzwa A. , Hon. Shongedza E., Hon. Spencer T., Hon. Zemura L., Hon. Zhou P., Hon. Zhou Tafanana, Hon. Ziki R., Hon. Zvaipa I., Hon. Mamombe J—to be Chairperson.
Mines and Mining Development: Hon. Chikomo T. , Hon. Chivero A. , Hon. Chokururama J. , Hon. Gava A. , Hon. Gono E. , Hon. Guyo P., Hon. Karumazondo T. , Hon. Kudhlande P. , Hon Kuka J., Hon. Mazingaidzo L., Hon. Mahachi A., Hon. Makumire R., Hon. Mapfumo F. W. , Hon. Matinyanya M. S. , Hon. Maunganidze N. , Hon. Moyo F., Hon. Mpasi J., Hon. Musweweshiri B., Hon. Muzondiwa E., Hon. Nhatiso D, Hon. Nyevera J., Hon. Samambwa E. , Hon. Samson A., Hon. Tavaziva G. , Hon. Tobaiwa J., Hon. Zhou Tsitsi., Hon. Matangira R—to be Chairperson.
Health and Child Care: Hon. Bajila D., Hon. Chakukura A., Hon. Dumbarimwe T., Hon. Hlatywayo C., Hon. Kapoikulu S., Hon. Karimatsenga Nyamupinga B., Hon. Kwidini S., Hon. Mahlangu S., Hon. Matsunga S., Hon. Moyo F., Hon. Muchemwa W., Hon. Mukuhlani T., Hon. Murwira T., Hon. Mutandi G., Hon. Muwodzeri T., Hon. Ndlovu N., Hon. Ndudzo P., Hon. Nhari V., Hon. Pindukai T., Hon. Shongedza E., Hon. Tobaiwa J., Hon. Zhou P., Hon. Ziyambi S., Hon. Molokela D.—to be Chairperson.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs: Hon. Chikombo W. , Hon. Chikomo T. , Hon. Chakukura A. , Hon. Gumbo A. , Hon. Kangausaru C., Hon. Mahere, F., Hon. Maunganiso T. D. , Hon. Matambo J., Hon. Matema S., Hon. Mavhunga M., Hon. Mpasi J., Hon. Mudowo T., Hon. Mureri M., Hon. Musiiwa R. , Hon. Ndudzo I., Hon. Nkomo M., Hon. Samkange J., Hon. Shiriyedenga E., Hon. Zhou Tsitsi., Hon. Zvobgo E. , Hon. Mutodi E—to be Chairperson
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing: Hon. Butau David, Hon. Chibaya A., Hon. Chimbaira. G., Hon. Chiwa D., Hon. Cumanzala F., Hon. Gava A., Hon. Gumbo A., Hon. James B., Hon. Jonga W., Hon. Kanupula T, Hon. Kambuzuma C., Hon. Madzimbamuto W., Hon. Mahachi A., Hon. Makombe J., Hon. Makumire R., Mavhudzi D., Mutana T. H. M., Hon. Nhatiso D, Hon. Ndebele M., Hon. Nyakuedzwa A., Hon. Nyevera J., Hon. Mandiwandira S—to be Chairperson
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development: Hon. Bonda J., Hon. Chagwiza S., Hon. Chinodakufa 1., Hon. Dube F., Hon. Dube P., Hon. Jimu L., Hon. Karikoga T., Hon. Madzimbamuto W., Hon. Maseko S. , Hon. Masuku E. , Hon. Masvisvi D., Hon. Matangira R., Hon. Mhuri W., Hon. Mundungehama S., Hon. Murambiwa 0., Hon. Mutana T. H. M, Hon. Ngwenya S., Hon. Njanji M., Hon. Sagandira P., Hon. Sakupwanya S., Hon. Sihlabo V., Hon. Sithole J., Hon. Sithole S., Hon. Tasikani I., Hon. Zevezai C., Hon. Zhou Tafanana., Hon Maburutse S—to be Chairperson.
Public Service, Labour and Social Services: Hon. Chibaya A., Hon. Chihota C., Hon. Dumbarimwe T., Hon. Jaravaza M., Hon. Kuka. J., Hon. Magomo C., Hon. Makaza D., Hon. Mamombe J., Hon. Matambo J, Hon. Matara T., Hon. Maunganiso T. D., Hon. Mavhudzi D., Hon. Mpofu R., Hon. Sibanda L., Hon. Sithole J., Hon. Zemura L., Hon. Zevezai C., Hon. Mashonganyika D—to be Chairperson.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Hon. Bvute Obey, Hon. Chagwiza S., Hon. Chikomo S., Hon. Chimbaira G., Hon. Chinanzvavana. C., Hon. Dhanzi A., Hon. Hlatywayo G., Hon. Jere F., Hon. Kudhlande P., Hon. Majaya. B., Hon. Makwiranzou C., Hon. Mandiwanzira S., Hon. Mangondo N., Hon. Matinyanya M. S., Hon. Moyo P., Hon. Moyo S., Hon. Mudumi B., Hon. Mugomo M., Hon. Munemo L., Hon. Muwodzeri T., Hon. Ngadziore T., Hon. Nguluvhe A., Hon. Raradza E., Hon. Samson A. , Hon. Shiriyedenga. E., Hon. Ziki R., Hon. Shamu W. to be Chairperson.
Public Accounts Committee: Hon. Bvute Ozias, Hon. Chidziva H., Hon. Chiwanza C., Hon. Dhliwayo L., Hon. Hlatywayo C. , Hon. Kangausaru C. , Hon. Maburutse S, Hon. Makombe J., Hon. Mangondo N., Hon. Maphosa W., Hon. Markham R., Hon. Masvisvi D., Hon. Matewu C., Hon. Mudumi B., Hon. Mugwadi T., Hon. Mukungunugwa G. H., Hon. Mushoriwa E., Hon. Mutodi E., Hon. Mutokonyi V., Hon. Mutseyami P., Hon. Ndudzo I., Hon. Ndudzo P., Hon. Njanji M., Hon. Nkani A., Hon. Taruvinga F., Hon. Ziyambi M. K., Hon. Hwende C.—to be Chairperson.
Defence, Home Affairs, Veterans of Liberation Struggle and Security: Hon. Chibagu G., Hon. Chikwinya N. E. G., Hon. Chimbaira G., Hon. Kaitano K., Hon. Khupe T., Hon. Machingura R.,
Hon. Mazingaidzo L., Hon. Madzivanyika C., Hon. Mahlangu S., Hon. Makumbe T., Hon. Maoneke E., Hon. Mashonganyika D., Hon. Mudzingwa L., Hon. Mungani S., Hon. Murwira T., Hon. Musanhi K., Hon. Mushoriwa. E., Hon. Nyamuronda. R., Hon. Sakupwanya S., Hon. Sithole S., Hon. Nguluvhe A. —to be Chairperson.
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development: Hon. Buka F., Hon. Chari R., Hon. Chibagu G., Hon. Chikwinya N., Chitsamba J., Dube F., Hon. Gava A., Hon. Kabikira B., Hon. Matinenga M., Hon. Matiza M., Hon Maburutse S., Hon Makaza F., Hon. Molokela D., Hon. Moyo P., Hon. Moyo S., Hon. Mudzingwa L., Hon. Mukwada M., Hon. Sibanda. M. C., Hon. Ndebele S., Hon. Nyandoro B., Hon. Nyelele L., Hon. Mutandi G—to be Chairperson.
Transport and Infrastructural Development: Hon. Bonda J., Hon. Buka F., Hon. Ganyiwa B., Hon. Gumede M., Hon. Hakata G., Hon. Hwende C., Hon. Jimu L., Hon. Karenyi L., Hon Karimatsenga-Nyamupinga B., Hon. Karumazondo T., Hon. Makwiranzou C., Hon. Maoneke E., Hon. Mhuri W., Hon. Monga S., Hon. Muchemwa W., Hon. Mudekunye N., Hon. Mungani S., Hon. Musanhi K., Hon. Mutasa O., Hon. Ndebele M., Hon. Nyabani T., Hon. Sihlabo V., Hon.
Tasikani I., Hon. Tavaziva G., Hon. Tsvangirayi R., Hon. Kaitano K. to be Chairperson.
Higher Education, Science and Technology Development: Hon. Ganyiwa B., Hon. Gumede M., Hon. Guyo P., Hon. Jaravaza M., Hon. Karenyi L. M., Hon. Machingura R., Hon Mugwadi T., Hon. Makaza F., Hon. Makope M., Hon. Makuvire J., Hon. Marashe S., Hon. Masuku E., Hon. Matema I. D., Hon. Mhetu Z., Hon. Ncube M., Hon. Ndlovu N., Hon. Ngadziore T., Hon. Nyandoro B., Hon. Sibanda C.M., Hon. Mahere F. to be Chairperson.
Primary and Secondary Education: Hon. Butau Dzidzai, Hon. Chihota C., Hon. Chitsamba J., Hon. Gutsa D. , Hon. Hakata G., Hon. Majaya B., Hon. Maringazuva P., Hon. Marupi O., Hon. Matara T., Hon. Monga S., Hon. Mukomberi T, Hon. Mundungehama S., Hon. Musiiwa R., Hon. Muwombi J., Hon. Ndebele S., Hon. Pindukai T., Hon. Shiriyedenga E., Hon. Thompson B. T., Hon. Zvaipa I. Hon. Zevezai C, Hon. Murambiwa O.—to be Chairperson.
Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training; Hon. Chaimvura N., Hon. Chikomo S., Hon. Chivero A., Hon. Cumanzala F., Hon. Dhanzi A., Hon. Gutsa D., Hon. Marashe S., Hon. Maunganidze N., Hon. Moyo D., Hon. Mudowo T., Hon. Mushipe T., Hon. Ngadziore T., Hon. Raradza E., Hon. Sibanda Lovejoy, Hon. Tompson B. T., Hon. Zvaipa I., Hon. Ziyambi M. C.—to be Chairperson.
Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture: Hon. Bonda J., Hon. Butau David, Hon. Chaimvura N. , Hon. Chakukura A., Hon. Gono E., Hon. Gumede M., Hon. Gwangaba S., Hon. Jere F., Hon. Kwidini S., Hon. Linyani M., Hon. Matsunga S., Hon Mpofu R., Hon. Mukuhlani T., Hon. Ndlovu N., Hon. Nyelele L., Hon. Taruvinga F., Hon. Chiwanza C.—to be Chairperson.
Industry and Commerce: Hon. Chiduwa C., Hon. Chinodakufa 1., Hon. Chiwa D., Hon. Hungwe T., Hon. Kabikira B., Hon. Kademaunga M., Hon. Karikoga T., Hon. Linyani. M., Hon.Mapfumo F. W., Hon. Matiza M., Hon. Muringazuwa P., Mazhindu B., Mugidho M., Hon. Mhetu Z., Hon. Mhangwa L., Hon. Mugwadi T., Hon. Mureri. M., Hon. Musweweshiri B., Hon. Mutokonyi V., Hon. Ncube M., Hon. Ndlovu N., Hon. Samson A., Hon. Sibanda. Lovejoy, Hon. Mudekunye N.—to be Chairperson.
Information, Communication and Technology: Hon. Bvute Obey, Hon. Chigumbu D., Hon. Chinanzvavana C., Hon. Ganyiwa B., Hon. Gwangwaba S., Hon. Magomo C., Hon. Makaza F., Hon. Makuvire J., Hon. Mapiki J., Hon Maseko S., Hon. Mazhindu B., Hon. Mpofu R., Hon. Munemo L., Hon. Murombedzi M., Hon. Ncube M., Hon. Ndlovu B., Hon. Nyabani T., Hon. Kapoikulu S.—to be Chairperson.
Energy and Power Development: Hon. Butau Dzidzai, Hon. Chari R., Hon. Chigumbu D., Hon. Makumbe T., Hon. Mambipiri G., Hon. Maphosa W., Hon Marashe S., Hon. Mapiki J., Hon. Marange N., Hon. Marupi O. Hon. Moyo F., Hon. Mpofu R. A., Hon. Mugidho M., Hon. Mukungunugwa G. H., Hon. Mukwada M., Hon. Mungani S., Hon. Ndlovu B., Hon Sibanda Libion, Hon. Shumba T., Hon. Tshuma S., Hon. Mhangwa L.—to be Chairperson.
Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion: Hon. Bvute Ozias., Hon. Dhliwayo L., Hon. Dube P., Hon. Hungwe T., Hon. James B., Hon. Kademaunga M., Hon. Khupe T., Hon. Madzivanyika C., Hon. Markham R., Hon. Mukomberi T., Hon. Mpofu A. R., Hon. Mushipe T. T., Hon. Mutseyami P., Hon. Muwombi J., Hon. Ncube M., Hon. Nkani A., Hon. Nkomo M., Hon. Nyamuronda R., Hon. Shumba T., Hon. Sithole G. K., Hon. Tsvangirayi. R., Hon. Zhou Tafanana, Hon. Zhou Tsitsi, Hon. Ziyambi S., Hon. Zvobgo E., Hon. Chiduwa C.—to be Chairperson.
Parliamentary Legal Committee: Hon. Gumbo A., Hon. Mahere F., Hon. Mutodi E., Hon. Samkange J., Hon. Zvobgo E., Hon. Ndudzo I.—to be Chairperson.
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) has revised the membership to International Parliamentary Statutory bodies as follows:
Africa Parliamentary Union
Hon. T. Gezi, Hon. T. M. Karumazondo, Hon Sen. Chief. Makumbe, Hon. S. Matsunga.
OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and EU Africa Parliamentary Assembly
Hon. Gen. (Rtd.) Nyambuya, Hon. P. Moyo, Hon. Adv. Madzimbamuto
Pan-African Parliament
Hon. Chief. F. Z. Charumbira, Hon. P. Togarepi, Hon. Tafanana Zhou, Hon. E. Masuku, Hon. J. Hadebe.
SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF)
Hon. T. Nyabani, Hon. M. Mugomo, Hon. Chief Matsiwo
Hon. L. Karenyi, then there will be a nominee from the Zimbabwe Parliamentary Women’s Caucus, to be advised. I think they are meeting tomorrow to elect that caucus in the Government Caucus Room at 1000 hours tomorrow.
Association of Senates, SHOORA, and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World (ASSECAA)
Hon. Dr. M. Bimha, Hon. P. Mupfumira, Hon. J. Z. Timba, Hon. Sen Chief. Dandawa.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care and in his absence, I will redirect my question to the Leader of the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Why do you not allow the Chair to redirect the question accordingly?
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Okay, you can redirect me Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Ehe, ndichiripo. Please proceed –
[Laughter.] -
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Hon. Speaker, what is Government position regarding the targeted approach funds which were channeled to strengthen our primary health care and RBF funds which were channeled to primary healthcare as well?
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFARS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Can he explain further what exactly he wants to know about those funds? It is not very clear what he wants to know.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Zhou, please amplify your question.
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. RBF funds was a programme which was assisting our primary healthcare. They were given a figure when they do deliveries at institutions like clinics. They are no longer being given that money. What is Government’s position regarding disbursing those funds? Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: When you say deliveries, you mean of goods or of children?
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker, of children.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFARS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, the fund, to my knowledge, has not been existing over the last three years. If he can put that question in writing so that we can investigate the circumstances surrounding that fund and the Minister will then come and explain the background, as to what happened concerning that particular fund. Off head, I cannot give a definitive answer as to the status of that fund. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Zhou, are you so guided?
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Yes Mr. Speaker Sir; or we can wait for the Minister to come to the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: No, when you say you are so guided and you say yes, you cannot give an alternative, just write your question as advised and the Minister will respond accordingly.
+HON. NKOMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of War Veterans. Last year, there was a programme of vetting those who engaged in the liberation war, especially the war collaborators. How far have we gone with that programme so that we finalise that process?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WAR VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. SEN. MAVUNGA): Thank you very much for such a pertinent question Hon. Nkomo. Before the new law, the war veterans who participated in the struggle are the only ones who were recognised, but those who assisted like collaborators, detainees and those who went and were not trained, were not covered. After COPAC, with the new Constitution, Zimbabweans spoke and suggested that war collaborators, those who were not trained and those who were political detainees should be recognised. This culminated in a situation where, through the War Veterans Act, which recognised all veterans with the new law, others were also covered. This was covered in Chapter 17:12 of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act.
In this Act, everyone is recognised, so the issue now is the implementation of the new law. In implementing, a database of every stakeholder was created, and having done that, the vetting process followed. The reason being that it is not difficult to determine war veterans who were trained, but for war collaborators, political detainees, there was need for collaboration and confirmation by those who served together with the beneficiaries. This shows that a large number was left out in the vetting process, and we want to continue with the vetting process. The number of people is around 99 000, so we cannot just leave that number like that. There is need to carry out the vetting process and complete it.
As we approach the annual budget, as a Ministry, we anticipate to receive money to cater for that. For them to be recognised, we need to complete the process. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Is it clear Hon. Nkomo, did you understand?
HON. NKOMO: Indeed, I understood Mr. Speaker Sir.
+HON. MARUPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education regarding the state of affairs concerning teachers. We find that teachers who cannot communicate in local languages are deployed to teach in communities, particularly at elementary level Grade 1. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. If I got him correctly, he is asking about teachers being deployed in areas where they are not fluent in the mother tongue of that area, is that correct?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, that is correct.
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Indeed, the Ministry now has a policy of ensuring that, that should not happen. You cannot send a teacher to teach Grade 1 or ECD classes when they do not understand the particular language. The thrust is now that even the learners in ECD must be taught in their mother language and as they progress, you introduce the other languages. If something like that is still happening, I think it needs to be brought to the attention of the relevant authorities for corrective action to be taken. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Professor Murwira, opezulu. I think the other side of the coin will relate to the training of teachers. Perhaps you may complement the response of the Leader of Government business. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I wish to thank the Hon. Member for this very important question. You would know that since 2019, the policy for training teachers is now requiring all enrolled teachers at a Teachers’ College to learn three more languages other than their own. What this means is that a person or a teacher who graduates at the Teachers’ College is able to operate in areas where they are competent in terms of language, but what we are also doing is to increase the pool of Zimbabweans who are multilingual. It therefore means that this question, as we go into the future, will not become a question. I thank you.
*HON. P. ZHOU: My supplementary question is, how many years should teachers spend after training before their deployment because we have noted in the past that there are a lot of teachers who are trained and then they go spend a number of years without being deployed? Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You train them, but they are not employed. What is the response Hon. Minister Murwira?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. What we know according to our training schedules is that Zimbabwe still has a shortage of trained teachers. The issue which is there is the issue of posts that are released in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education that are funded by Treasury. As we speak, the last time we checked, we had around 15 000 to 20 000 vacancies and the teachers that we have trained are less than that in terms of the ones that have not yet been trained. However, there is also another thinking of saying I would rather be staying at home trained than staying at home waiting for nothing to happen in future, because when that position arises and you are not trained, nothing happens to you. So, it is a double-sided issue.
We will continue training Zimbabweans, but one of the most important things that we have done also is what we call the graduate employment programme. This means that graduates form consortiums like innovation clubs where they can put ideas together to start a school, but we fund the construction of those schools using what we call the Integrated Skills Outreach Programme. We have started doing that with colleges in Chiwundura. This year we have started constructing a school called Gangaragwe School. This is a school where our graduates that have graduated at Mkoba Teachers’ College will teach themselves as a consortium because Zimbabwe still has a shortage of about 3 000 to 4 000 schools.
It means that there is still need for many places for teaching. Section 75 (2) of the Constitution says, “any individual can found a school”. It might not be the term called ‘found’, but can actually have a school, and we are using that section to have our graduates start their own schools. We are providing the finances so that we can expand more schools in terms of the private school establishment. We believe that this will reduce the pressure at the available schools by doing this new approach to construction of schools. Our students from polytechnics and so forth are the ones who will build the schools while our trained teachers will teach at those schools. Parents would then not be inconvenienced by queuing for the few places available against a background of high demand. We believe that this will bring dignity to our people. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you for your citation Hon. Minister. I cross-checked your citation, it is quite correct.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I just want to know what is Government position with regards to brain drain as a result of those that have been trained yet are not employed?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Zimbabwe will continue training its people. We will train people and we are also changing the philosophy of why we go to school. We go to school to be trained to be able to do what we were trained for. We go to school in order to be able to use our knowledge and skills and attitudes to start new enterprises. We go to school not to be used by the ones who are already established in industry. We go to school in order to use ourselves to work for ourselves.
This is a deep philosophy which diverts from the philosophy of going to school to be employed by the colonial master, kuzvishandira, kwete kushandiswa. It therefore means what we are talking about in terms of brain drain, sometimes people call it brain drain. Brain drain assumes that the pot which is cooking people has stopped cooking. We will continue cooking our people in our higher and tertiary education institutions. Hativapedzi, ticharamba tichi trainer vanhu to the extent that these days what they call brain drain is actually brain circulation because we can still use our people wherever they are.
Sometimes we have been confronted with a question which says, why are you training them when they are going to the streets? They will not go to the street when they have the correct design of education. When the education trains them how to be able to make things; how to be able to form industries and how to be able to work for yourself, whereby our duty will be how to provide them with the correct policy environment so that they are able to do so. Also, how to provide them with the venture fund so that they have the finances. So, it tells us of a whole new philosophy of how we want our country to be today and into the future. We shall not construct people who work for other people. We will construct people who work for their country, for themselves.
It means therefore, that the question of employment and unemployment is going to change completely as we go into the future. Taigadzirirwa macolonial industries. Ikozvino tava kuzvigadzirira isu. Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question to the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education is that in countries like Cuba, they trained doctors and send them to Africa. They also trained teachers whom they send to Rwanda and Sudan. So, as Zimbabwe, looking at our educated children who are loitering, can we not find opportunities for them so that we earn foreign currency through that? I thank you
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I think I have gone deep into philosophy. We, Zimbabwe, with its high level of education which we are actually even increasing so that it becomes higher, we believe that we will become a source of export of expertise into the world. We have started this organised way of doing things with Rwanda and we believe we will be able to do it even more. We are in talks, for example, with neighbouring countries about this kind of approach whereby our people can be of use to those countries but also of use to us because we are basically exporting expertise.
So, what the Hon. Member is saying is very useful and very important and we agree because this is our policy. That is why we were saying we should no longer talk about brain drain. We talk about brain circulation. We will be able to train our people so that they are useful to us either locally or elsewhere and they will be able to do things and be able to be useful to the country. This idea, as we go into the future, is very important so that the debate of being employed and employ, and working and working for someone becomes a completely different issue. Thank you.
*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question concerns the issue of language barrier. We have children who do not go to school because they cannot communicate with others in school. They are deaf and dump. What is Government policy with regards to those children so that they can be able to learn alongside other children who are not deaf and dump and not to be isolated in their own learning centres?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We are in the process of making sure that we have total inclusion in the education system, leaving no one and no place behind. Zimbabwe has no brain to waste. We do not have that luxury to have any brain to waste. To this end, the Constitution talks about all the national languages that we have, including Sign Language and Braille. The policy now is to make sure that we have the capabilities that are necessary to enable us to teach all those kinds of languages. Our teachers’ colleges now, like United College of Education and Mutare Teachers’ College have been pioneering in this endeavour of inclusive education. We believe that we have to continue and even amplify and quicken the pace at which we are doing this in order, not only to comply to the Constitution but to be useful as a system of education.
The policy is that we will continue making sure that we enable training in all languages including Sign Language and Braille. We have so far developed what we called MSU National Language Institute where we are in the process of building capabilities to translate learning materials in all languages, including translating Science and Scientific literature into our local languages so that learning becomes easier for people who are differently abled. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: The significance of the question if I understood it well; you have these disadvantaged children in a particular area. Will they be able to attend classes despite their small numbers in that particular area? What policy is there to harness such types of disadvantaged pupils?
HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I think the most important issue as you say is that we want to make sure that in terms of inclusive education which is Goal Number 4 of the SDGs, we should be able to make sure that they go to school. However, first of all, we need teachers who are able to do that. So, we have tackled that at a systemic level by making sure that we teach inclusive education, but in terms of particular cases, it would be very important that as a Government, we ensure that education is available for differently abled people – that is the policy.
In terms of implementation and the speed of implementation, this is where we still need to do a lot of work, but the policy is clear, and the deeds have to be more amplified.
+HON. E. MASUKU: My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. What is the Government’s policy on the elderly accessing seed for Pfumvudza/Intwasa, because they cannot go for collection themselves?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Government policy is that the elderly, the vulnerable and child-headed families should be prioritised. In fact, they are the ones who should first receive the Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs.
There is a way of distributing these inputs to the vulnerable groups. The first thing is that in every community, the village head is responsible for training farmers and community members on Pfumvudza/Intwasa using his field. Secondly, he identifies the elderly and the vulnerable as well as child-headed families, which is why village heads sit in the committees which distribute these inputs.
So, if you have information regarding those who have not benefited from Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, my mobile number is 0772 169957. As Hon. Members of Parliament, you are free to contact me whilst on the ground and I will certainly assist you. Thank you.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Masuku, have you understood the Minister’s response?
+HON. E. MASUKU: Yes. However, on the same note, when these Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs are distributed, we need assistance in transporting the inputs. So, does the community pay for transportation or Government would have paid?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question regarding the distribution of Pfumvudza/Intwasa inputs.
Right now, we are busy preparing for the distribution of fertilizers and other inputs for this year. We are going to distribute herbicides to every household, which will be used when our crops begin to grow instead of the traditional way of cultivating. The rest of the inputs and the money for transportation are already catered for, we have engaged transport operators who are going to be transporting our inputs from the factories to the GMB depots. We also have money for transporting from the GMB depot to every other depot, so every farmer collects their inputs from their ward. No farmer should pay for transportation at ward level. The Councillor is the Chairperson who is responsible for distribution, and the local traditional leader will deploy someone who will assist the councillor. If there are a number of households in that community, then the village head knows everyone in their community and they are going to be involved in the distribution. The Secretary of the Committee is an Agritex Extension Officer and the headmaster of the nearest local school will consolidate the database of the ward. This is the list which will be submitted to GMB clarifying all the needs of the community, whether it is herbicides or any other input. The inputs will be distributed accordingly.
We also suggested that we want a young person and a woman from that community to be involved, so this is all inclusive. We do not want to leave anyone out, but if there is a specific area which you know has not been done, please kindly submit the name of the area then I can rectify that before end of the day.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon Member, did you understand?
+HON. MASUKU: Thank you, I would leave the rest to others.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: The most important thing is that if it is not happening, please communicate with the Minister and submit that information.
+HON MASUKU: Indeed, the Hon Minister explained, but it is not happening in our communities because he has said it in this august House, that we are going to explain to the people that this is what the Hon Minister has explained.
*HON. MATANGIRA: My supplementary question is; what was the circular given to Agritex and other stakeholders so that the elders and disabled benefit. I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for that question which seeks clarity. I believe maybe you did not understand me. Let me repeat what I said. Regarding the elders, disabled and child headed households who are being left out, I said these should benefit and be given inputs. I did not say that they must not be given. That is why I said let us dig holes, let us find grass for mulching and work on this. That is why I involved village heads who know their communities and the headmaster who knows what is happening in the village. These are people who would say that we are going to assist the vulnerable.
Then I explained that this is Government policy. So, when you say Agritex Officers are saying something else, no that is not Government policy. What I said in this august House is Government policy. I also said that when you hear someone saying that an employee of Agritex or any other person who is working for Government, that person is not Government. Let me repeat that my number is 0772169957. Please do not call, just send an SMS. You can even send a message whilst we are still here.
On the same issue, stealing Presidential Inputs should not happen. From Ministers to other junior officers, this should not happen. What is meant for the people should be set aside for the people. I thank you.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: I thought Hon. Minister, you were going to say that the biggest circular is you the Members of Parliament. As representatives of the people, go and give this feedback to the people.
*HON. MAHACHI: My supplementary question to the Minister of Agriculture is, what is Government policy concerning other Government departments? I heard what he said concerning Pfumvudza Programme, but there are other Government departments which are requesting people to pay $1 so that they can have their inputs transported. Where I come from, there was a meeting by the District Administrator and they agreed that transporters are not able to ferry the inputs because the money that they are paid by GMB is not enough, hence there is need for each and every farmer to pay a $1 so that their inputs can be transported. What is Government policy concerning this issue?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. If he had told me before we came here, I would have called the police. What you need to do is to use the number that I have given you. Just call that number.
*HON. TSHUMA: From what the Hon Minister has said, GMB does not have vehicles but it invites those with vehicles in a certain area to come and do the job of transporting seed and fertilizers from their depots to farmers. The problem comes on the amount of money to be paid to these transporters; it is very low. For example, the amount of money to be paid to transporters was pegged in June this year. From ten kilometers to a certain kilometer, this amount of money will be paid per kilometer per tonne. This is where the problem is emanating from. To avoid this problem Hon. Speaker, the Ministry of Agriculture when they are paying money for inputs must peg the monies in USD so that when the transporters are being paid, they get their payments while they are still valuable. It takes three, to five months before payments are done. When offered another job, transporters refuse to do the job. That is the problem we are facing Hon Speaker Sir.
HON. SPEAKER: Hon Minister, the Hon. Member is saying, what can we do?
*HON. DR. MASUKA: The area of Gokwe is different from other areas because of bad roads. For example, areas up to Chief Nenyugwa, we used to send Government cars for transportation of inputs to farmers. Currently, we are in the midst of buying lorries for GMB. The first batch of these cars are expected to be delivered before the end of April next year. We are going to increase the cars so that GMB will be able to transport grain and inputs on its own without engaging private transporters. We are saying transporters within a certain area where transportation need to be done are the ones who must be given the business of transporting inputs. If it is the issue of the amount of money being paid by GMB that it is too low and when the transporters get paid the money will be eroded by inflation, it is an issue Mr. Speaker Sir, I am going to raise with GMB and see how best we can help each other. In the next two weeks, as a Ministry, we will need a large number of lorries for transportation because that is when we start to transport inputs from GMB to different communities. I am going to discuss this issue with the GMB Board to solve the issue of payments to transporters and to make sure they are paid in time and farmers receive their inputs in time. Thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Before we proceed, I want to make an observation that it is my hope that this demonstration of commitment - the 10th Parliament appears to have been favoured with the highest degree of attendance by the Hon. Ministers and their Deputies - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is my hope that this demonstration of commitment to Parliamentary work will be sustained, not only for today but for the future.
Having said that, I encourage some of the Hon. Ministers who came after the prayers, others after thirty minutes, after we had started, please try your very best, I know you are very busy people to be here as we start proceedings. Well done Hon. Ministers – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
There was a request by Hon. Zhou. Hon. Zhou had asked a question earlier on and the Hon. Minister of Health had not arrived. With your indulgence Hon. Members, can he ask that question now because he seems to be burning. Hon. Zhou, can you proceed.
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What is Government policy on Result Based Financing programme that was making health service in the country accessible resulting in removing user fees; it was focusing on mothers and children. Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking that question. Unfortunately, I cannot give precise details concerning the question. I would need to give the Hon. Member proper details. It used to be practiced but there was a bit of complications in the administration of that fund. I want to give correct details to the question, with your permission, I will bring the answer next week, if you allow me Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. In any case, your response Hon. Minister is exactly the same with that of the Leader of Government Business who had requested the Hon. Member to write the question to allow the Minister to do some research as you correctly said and come back and present a researched paper on the question. The Hon. Minister of Health, I think mwana we n’anga. – [Laughter] –
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. I want to ask that since there is climatic change and this year, we are facing Elnino, what is Government policy concerning bringing transformers to revive irrigation schemes and also the disbursement of small grain seeds and selling of fake seeds?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also thank the Hon. Member for asking a pertinent question. Let me start by addressing the last question which he asked about fake seeds. This issue is about corrupt activities which are being done by certain individuals and it needs the Minister of Home Affairs to address it by arresting the culprits. Farmers must also buy seeds from reputable seed producing companies. They must not buy seeds from unregistered dealers. Some of these dealers put washing powder or other unrecommended chemicals so that their seeds appear legit. It is important for farmers to buy seed from reputable dealers because their seeds are well protected from worms and other diseases during planting and growth.
The second question which the Hon. Member addressed as the first question is about the preparation of this farming season where as a country, we are expected to experience Elnino and when we are going to receive normal to below normal rainfall. Firstly, it is about the farmer to know that now there is climate change. Mr. Speaker, those who work with farmers, the Agritex Officers must educate farmers about the issues of climate change in their different communities.
Secondly, we must know that with or without rainfall, we must harvest and we must have enough food, hence this idea is being done in two ways. At household level, how are we going to have enough food? At household level we introduced Pfumvudza/Intwasa. We dig holes and when rain comes, it fills these holes and we put manure then add fertilizer for the neutralisation of the soils. We then do mulching to protect the moisture during sunny conditions. We started this programme since 2020 and the tonnage increased. Those who were farming and not following Pfumvudza/Intwasa, their tonnage was extremely low. Pfumvudza/Intwasa helps a lot at household level. This year we have improved on Pfumvudza/Intwasa by introducing chemicals for weeding because men and women were facing hard times on weeding. Right now, the President said we must give weeding chemicals and spraying tanks to each household. This will prevent the weeds from competing with our crops.
A farmer must plough their crops according to their agro-ecological natural region not according to their preferences. If you want sugarcane while you are here, it is not feasible, but you have to get sugar from Chiredzi. If you want bananas, you must get them from the area where they are being produced. As Government, we must help farmers by disbursing seed according to the agro-ecological region. This season we are going to distribute seed according to regions. Those farmers in natural region 4 and 5, Government is not going to give maize seed, but small grains like sorghum, millet, cowpeas among others. In the event that a farmer in natural region 4 or 5 is used to consume mealie-meal from maize, there is a programme which was launched by Government where GMB is going to bring maize to farmers in this region and exchange with their small grains.
At community level, we are doing Zunde raMambo. The village Head, we will provide him or her with more seed and land compared to those received at household level. In the case of drought, community members request for help from the village head. The amount of inputs and land continue to increase in number and size up to the chief. If the village Head does not have enough food for the people, they will request from the chief. If the chief does not have enough grain, they will approach GMB. That is why we decided to improve strategic grains to 1.5 million metric tonnes.
On irrigation, we must utilise water from all dams and increase irrigation hectarage to 350 000 hectares. If there is rainfall or no rainfall, and if we plant under irrigation, we will be able to reach our target of 2.2 million metric tonnes of maize so that we have enough food security in the country. All those things are what we are doing as a country even if there is rainfall or no rainfall. Right now, we have a motto in the ministry - what we call Enough Food Security everywhere.
* HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon. Minster. My supplementary question was not answered properly. I want clarity on my first issue of fake seed. The minister said the issue of eliminating fake seed in the market is for Minister Kazembe to attend to by arresting the culprits. The Minster of Home Affairs does not arrest someone from nowhere, but it starts by investigations. They do not arrest without proper investigations. I want to know if there is a taskforce, which is going around looking for fake seed in the shops. If there is fake seed in shops, the issue is now reported to Minister Kazembe so that the culprits will be arrested. Thank you.
* HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for that question. I said that fake seed starts with the farmer. When you buy your inputs, know where to buy genuine inputs. We have a seed certification scheme where the quality is determined before seeds are taken to the shops. The germination percentage, type, quality and all these things are done through the grading process, but those which are sold anywhere else, this is something else and it is up to us as Government to work with police officers to prosecute people who cheat others.
Then regarding transformers, I just alluded to that talking about irrigation and it is not about transformers only, but irrigation done through the dams, boreholes and pipes that are used or the irrigation equipment. This is where we are enhancing the quality and the efficiency. Other issues like transformers, the relevant Minister is here, he can expand on the issue of transformers.
Lastly, this is quite a challenge, when we say we are 15.1 million in Zimbabwe, it does not mean that there are 15.1 households. In the rural areas, we have 1.8 million households. The people we distribute to are around three million, which means probably there is a young man in a family who has responsibilities, but who does not have his own home. So, what is transpiring is that we have three million beneficiaries out of 1.8 million households. This is 62% of the population. The other 38% is in urban areas. In towns, the President said that from this year, because there is hunger even in urban areas, those who find arable land can be assisted with inputs for peri-urban farming. That would be around 500 000 beneficiaries.
For the rural and urban populace which benefits from Government, it is 3.5 million, constituting all the people who are in need of inputs. That 15.1 million includes even day-old children. I thank you.
HON. MURAMBIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My question is directed to the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities. What is Government policy with regards to the assistance of those whose properties have been destroyed by natural disasters such as storms, floods, et cetera? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMMENITIES (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Murambiwa for that question. I think the question should be directed to the Minister of Local Government. However, the Ministry of National Housing, in terms of accommodating those who would have been affected by natural disasters, we have a policy whereby we can also allocate some Government flats and other accommodations to disaster victims. For example, we have houses in Binga that are under construction that we will allocate to the people that would have been affected by disasters in that area. We are also constructing flats in Dzivaresekwa which are also going to be strictly allocated to people that have been affected by floods, here in Harare. Thank you.
HON. NGWENYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Still concerning those floods, what is the policy position of the Ministry concerning – because she actually referred to houses that would be built or are being built but at the moment, many people have been affected as we speak, by these winds and floods? What is the Government position concerning those people who have been affected before?
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May be that question can be directed to the Minister of Local Government. If he is not in, the Hon. Leader of Government Business can respond.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I was looking at Hon. Moyo, you know he is an expert in that area because he has been in Local Government for a long time. I will just give a brief answer to that on the Government policy. With your indulgence, if you agree, I will refer to Hon. Moyo.
Basically, if we have a disaster, the Government has a Civil Protection Unit (CPU) that will be activated and it will assess the damage and recommend the help that is needed. Government will then be able, at that juncture, to mobilise resources towards what the CPU would have recommended on the basis of the disaster that would have happened. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. JULY MOYO): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Leader of the House for allowing me to supplement his answer. Madam Speaker, we have a contingency plan which is drawn and led by the Civil Protection Unit in the Ministry of Local Government. Every year, they make sure that by September, they plan in terms of how to deal with climate change-induced disasters which can be in two parts, either floods or drought. This can spread to not just people but also affecting animals and other economic sectors of this country.
So, that plan has several components. The first one is obvious, we do not want to lose life. If people survive a storm or a disaster like what we have had, then the issue of properties can be addressed in several ways. For the houses that are destroyed, which the Hon. Member has asked about, there is a quick reaction that can be done by either the Civil Protection Unit or the department of Social Welfare to provide tents. Right now, those two organisations are already working so that we can see whether we can provide tents. The tents are not made in Zimbabwe, so normally the Civil Protection Unit is empowered to work with donor agencies that are part of the civil protection system of this country.
Therefore, that is what is taking place and I know that a number of Members of Parliament will be concerned because disasters have already happened. The speed with which we do it definitely depends on the responders. The responders are also organised in such a manner that at the provincial, district, ward and village levels, including the traditional leadership and the councils, have to inform. However, Members of Parliament have the advantage that their voices are thicker or thinner and they reach central government much faster. I thank you.
*HON. TSHUMA: Thank you, Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Local Government. Last year, we experienced Cyclone Freddy which had thunderous rainfall that damaged schools, roads and other infrastructure. Those in the rural areas were affected and they…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, what is your question?
HON. TSHUMA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me rephrase my question. What are you doing as a Government, to correct the impact of natural disasters where you find some dams and some schools that have roofs damaged seeing that the rains have come?
HON. J. MOYO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. The plan is to make sure that we save lives first. The last two days, there have been a lot of reports of houses damaged. Fortunately, we have not heard of any deaths.
So, the next thing that the Government policy says is that once people are not dead, they should be given immediate relief and the first relief that we try to give is shelter and food. At the moment, both the Civil Protection and the department of Social Welfare in conjunction with National Housing come in for resilience.
Relief is when we say that people should be given basics like shelter and food, then the rest is something that we need to figure out how people can assist themselves. Different line ministries however, come in through the Civil Protection Unit and this is done after the basics have been done like shelter and food.
Furthermore, some of the corrections need bigger investments and quite large amounts of money which need a bit of time but this is what we desire as a Government to look at such issues. As Members of Parliament, let us assist our people as soon as possible, schools need to be attended to promptly. When we think of what should be done in schools, then in some cases, we need to provide tents whilst we are rebuilding the schools. For instance, after Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani, we had some learning and living tents during that transitional period when we were working on restoring their livelihoods.
Even in the case of artisanal mining, school children survived in that school after artisanal miners were mining under the school. Over 1000 people were affected and living in tents. So, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are also involved. So, it depends on what has happened but we prioritise saving lives and providing food and other basics for the people. I thank you.
HON. MUTANDI. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What is the Government policy on medical doctors who refer patients to their private surgeries? For example, expecting mothers are referred to their private surgeries when in actual fact, medical assistance can be rendered at Government hospitals.
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILDCARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you, Madam Speaker. Let me also thank the Hon. Member for asking that question. First and foremost, there is a distinction between Government and private. Those patients who are admitted in Government hospitals are supposed to follow treatment protocols in Government hospitals. However, we understand that some doctors who are working in Government hospitals have got private practice. It is allowed at a certain level, especially the consultancy to have private practice, but it is not allowed to transfer patients that you have seen in Government to your private practice; unless the patient has insisted that they no longer want to be treated in a Government hospital.
When such cases arise, the patient is requested to put in writing that they are leaving Government hospital against medical advice to go and get treatment elsewhere. So, my advice is that when such cases arise, where a Government medical practitioner is referring a patient to his private practice, please let us know so that appropriate and disciplinary action can be taken. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is that the Hon. Minister said that doctors are allowed to work for Government and also have their own surgeries. What I want to know is that teachers are also Government servants, but they are not allowed to do extra lessons whilst doctors are allowed to work both in Government hospitals and their own surgeries, why are teachers not allowed that same privilege?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani, teachers and doctors occupy different professions. Teachers belong to the Ministry of Education and doctors belong to the Ministry of Health.
*HON. NYABANI: All are Government workers, or maybe, I will direct my question to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Why are others allowed to work for both Government and private whilst others are not allowed?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Nyabani, that will be a new question and if you want to ask a new question, I will give you the floor.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government position with regards to the mushrooming of …
Cellphone rings.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, please may we switch off our phones.
HON. MUKOMBERI: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and the question is what is the Government’s position with regards to the mushrooming of unregistered learning centers especially in growth points and in urban centers?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Hon. Speaker, may I ask the Hon. Member to repeat his question.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker, my question is, what is Government position in tandem with the mushrooming of illegal or unregistered learning centers, some operating on residential backyards in urban centers and in growth points?
THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker, I wish to thank the Hon. Member for asking that question. Government policy is against illegality of any form. In this case, the setting up of illegal schools or learning centers as the Hon. Member has said is illegal, therefore, our policy is against such. Although, as we said, section 75 (2) of the Constitution allows the setting up of schools, it does not allow for setting up of illegal schools and I think the following section says ‘Government is mandated to close those schools that do not follow the standards as set out in the same Constitution’, I thank you.
HON. NDUDZO: Thank you Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Minister is not in.
HON. NDUDZO: In that case, I will use my opportunity perhaps to ask a question to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture if I may be allowed.
The Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (Hon. Ziyambi) walked into the House.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may ask your question now; the Leader of Government Business is back.
HON. NDUDZO: I am indebted Madam Speaker; I will revert to my originally intended question. My question is on the Government’s interventions, the policy interventions that we have in the conversion of what are presently satellite and makeshift schools that are largely found in the resettlement areas, where we have converted disused barns, we have made makeshift temporary structures and we have converted them into schools. With so many years having elapsed without actually converting them to proper schools where there is adequate infrastructure, facilities and amenities that will make sure that there is a proper environment conducive for learning unlike the current set up where ….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Ndudzo, ask your question.
HON. NDUDZO: My question is what are the policy interventions of converting satellite schools into actual schools? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. Madam Speaker, the policy of Government is that, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education can identify schools that they then can motivate for them to be built. What we have also done recently when the Second Republic came into place is, we now have devolution funds where we are saying Central Government should refrain from identifying projects and telling communities. Rather, the communities must identify the projects and through the devolution funds, build whatever they want. Through that avenue, communities can identify a school where there is a barn that has been converted to a school and come up with a plan to have that school built through the devolution funds and their Ministers of State. Then, that can also be done. Government has built a lot of schools in recent years. I do not have the figures at hand, but I can request the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to avail the number of schools that have been built. However, we are now doing it in two ways like I alluded to Madam Speaker. I thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Madam Speaker. Good afternoon Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is, in line with the heavy rains that were experienced a few days ago, some learners failed to attend their examinations as the rivers were flooded. There are also school headmasters and teachers who failed to collect examination papers in time for learners to sit for their exams because of the flooded rivers. What is Government policy concerning such incidences? I thank you.
*HON. MURAMBIWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. MURAMBIWA: My point of order is that the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education is here in the House. There is no need for the Leader of the Government Business to labour when the responsible Minister is here. I thank you Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Murambiwa for the alert. Some of the Ministers are still new and we are not yet familiar with them. Thank you.
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. GATA): Thank you Madam Speaker. In response to the question that has been asked, yes, the Ministry is aware that there are some schools that could not collect their examination papers because of the flooded rivers. The affected schools will liaise with the head office so that the children are accorded time to write their exams. I thank you.
*HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question is a follow up on the response by the Deputy Minister. The Minister told the House that the affected learners will be accorded time to write their exams, but the other candidates would have sat for their exams. Are the affected learners going to have a different examination from the one that was written because the questions would be now known to everyone?
*HON. GATA: I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. We know that the river would not be flooded for maybe three days. So, arrangements will be made for the affected learners to have their exams during the exam period.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon. My question is directed to the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise. The latest ZimStat figures state that 46% of employment in Zimbabwe is in the informal sector. What is Government policy to ensure that the Government realises the relevant or regulatory taxes from that informal sector? Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY AND SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (HON. MHLANGA): Thank you so much Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for posing that pertinent question. My answer to that is that at the moment, the micro, small to medium enterprises stand on a few pillars, about 12 of them. One of the pillars is the formalisation of that sector so that it begins to make meaningful contribution to the economy of this country. We also know that the micro, small to medium enterprises are making a contribution in terms of GDP goods and services that they are producing for the country.
We think that in those pillars, one of them being formalisation, we should be able to get to a situation where our micro, small to medium enterprises are also contributing to the Government’s economy through taxes and all the contributions that business is supposed to make in order for Government to tick. I thank you.
HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I bring you fraternal greetings from the people of Murewa South. My question is directed to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Hon. Minister, in view of Zimbabwe’s commitments in terms of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, what progress has the Ministry made in terms of accessing international climate funding?
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. M. NDLOVU): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I also want to thank the Hon. Member for the question. The Hon. Member highlights that as a country, we have also deposited our nationally determined contributions which are commitments towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions which is a global collective responsibility. As a country, Zimbabwe submitted its NDCs with a clause that these will be subject to accessing climate financing. I wish to highlight that this has continued to be a major setback globally because as a continent, through our African group of negotiators, we have said that all our climate actions depend on the availability of financing and there is not much progress, particularly friendly developed nations.
We are primarily responsible for the climate change we are experiencing today and we continue to negotiate as we will be doing the same end of November in the United Arab Emirates hoping that out of the conference this year, there will be a firm commitment to avail funding for climate action. I thank you.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT
DEPLORABLE STATE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE ( HON. M .NDLOVU): Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to address the august House on a critical matter of national importance, which is the deplorable state of solid waste management across the length and breadth of our country, virtually in all local authorities, be they rural or urban, but more pronounced in urban areas. Our streets are infested with all kinds of waste streams from Pet and glass bottles, paper, plastic, light bulbs to diapers and medicinal waste, to mention but a few. Illegal dumps have become the norm and in some cases, they sit right in the middle of the road in high density areas. In Harare Metropolitan Province, we have so far made over 2 000 illegal dumps and still counting. Drainage systems are clogged overflowing with litter. Sanitary lanes are now dump sites. Our highways are strewn with litter. This is the sad state of waste management in our citizen towns.
With this state of affairs, it is not surprising that year in year out we are now experiencing cholera and typhoid outbreaks. We are, to a large extent, responsible for the crisis we find ourselves in as a people. I wish to highlight that over the last five years, the 2nd Republic has instituted various measures in pursuit of a clean Zimbabwe. Among this is the National Clean-up Programme launched by His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D Mnangagwa in December 2018. The programme, using the rationale of moral suasion, urged all citizens to clean up their environment between 8am and 10am on the first Friday of every month. Various institutions and other stakeholders took heed of this initiative. Our local authorities, mostly urban, have been penalised countless times for failure to collect waste as well as failing to clear illegal dumps. Notable strides have also been made towards waste management through recycling efforts. Locals at the Environmental Management Agency indicate that there are more than 72 recycling companies that recycle 20 000 tonnes of waste every month. While the above efforts are acknowledged, the sorry state of both our urban and rural environs clearly show that more has to be done to attain a clean and safe environment.
I wish to advise that the main import of this ministerial statement is to update Parliament and the nation at large on the measures that Government has approved to curb the unsustainable accumulation of waste.
First, is that a Statutory Instrument being promulgated to make National Clean-up Programme compulsory for Government ministries, departments and agencies, local authorities, the business sector, vendors, retailers and manufacturers.
Second, that local authorities should localise this Statutory Instrument by promulgating relevant by-laws.
Third, that fines collected by local authorities from residents with respect to waste management be ring fenced in order to ensure that these authorities do not divert the funds to other uses and EMA will be supervising the usage of these funds.
Fourth, is that deterrent funds for public littering will be introduced and enforced and repeat offenders charged with no option of a fine but given mandatory community service.
Fifth, is that road and rail authorities be compelled to ensure that road and rail servitudes are litter free and to undertake regular clean-ups along servitudes and at lay-bys.
Sixth, that public transport vehicles that dump waste along roads shall be fined up to level 8 with respect to transport operator or owner also being liable.
Seventh, that all political parties should be compelled to mobilise their constituents to remove their campaign materials from the environment and that it is properly disposed of with the assistance of local authorities.
The last critical intervention is that massive awareness and education programmes be undertaken starting with a relaunch of the national clean-up programme in order to imbed a mindset against littering and general disorder.
It is therefore important that this esteemed institution, the Parliament of Zimbabwe, takes a leading role, particularly for my colleagues, Hon. Members of Parliament, to lead our respective communities in cleaning the environment and more importantly, in making sure that adequate measures are put in place to ensure that the environment continues to be clean. No effort will be spared in making sure that our local authorities play their part in garbage collection and general waste management.
Madam Speaker, our people deserve better than they are getting from the city authorities. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am happy with the statement that has been brought forward by the Hon. Minister. I would want to know what measures your Ministry, together with the Ministry of Local Government, has put in place in terms of action that will be taken if garbage is not collected so that we know that councils will be forced to collect refuse regularly because we see litter everywhere.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I would want to take this opportunity to introduce Members of the Speaker’s Panel who are going to take turns to Chair during this session and I will start with Hon. Machingura – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
*HON. P. ZHOU: I want to thank the Minister for the statement he delivered on this very important issue on refuse which is a hazard. We notice that our councils are not collecting garbage even from public places like bus terminuses, locations and so on. I note that there is a law that needs to be crafted to deal with the issue of garbage. So, as we craft this law, is the law also going penalise these councils also or just the public found littering so that councils also do their job?
HON. NGULUVHE: A suggestion to the Minister; is it not possible Minister that we ban the usage of these plastic papers because in other countries, they banned the usage of these plastic papers, especially the bags from supermarkets just to reduce plastics everywhere. We should also make sure that only khaki papers are used.
*HON. MANGONDO: I heard that Cabinet agreed that there should be a law that forces all councils to clean up all areas every month on the Clean-Up Campaign Day. We know that cleanliness is next to Godliness, but our problem even though we have a lot of laws, our challenge comes on implementation whereby laws are not respected. So, my question to the Minister is, what exactly are they going to do to ensure that our laws are upheld in the form of having people who will enforce laws to do with littering such as environmental enforcement law officers?
HON. MAPFUMO: My question to the Hon. Minister is regarding political parties’ campaign material that he said should be removed. What is the policy of the Ministry regarding some campaign material that was used and now seems permanent, specifically by the opposition? They have defaced mountains by using spray paints right on top of the mountain. How is that going to be cleaned up? Is there a particular law that mandates them to do so? Lastly, to avoid doing the same job twice in the highways, we have seen Intertoll picking litter alongside the roads. Most probably, if they are allowed and advised that it is not litter for them to actually deface those posters. Most probably they are afraid that they are not allowed to remove them from the side of the roads. If they are allowed, then we save ourselves doing the same job twice.
THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND WILDLIFE (HON. M. NDLOVU): I humbly thank the Hon. Members for the critical areas where they are seeking clarity. On the first question, I would like to assume Hon. Nyabani was referring to Harare, but perhaps it applies to other urban areas although my response might be slightly different for Harare.
For Harare, Hon. Members might recall that His Excellency, the President, in August, declared a state of disaster for the province, that is all the four local authorities, which then gave us the mandate as the Ministry through EMA, to come in and address the challenge that we are facing. This is why in my statement, I highlighted that we have mapped more than 2 000 illegal dumps. This was part of the process.
What we have realised is that out of the 42 refuse compactors that the city has, only five are operational. Clearly, they have no capacity to collect waste, which is why the waste is accumulating. While 42 may not be adequate, we believe that the City of Harare should be having not less than 150 such. We prioritised getting these waste compactors back on the road and we are utilising their devolution Funds. We have made arrangements with CMED to repair these waste compactors. It is a process that has been awaiting Treasury support which we are almost on the brink of getting. We will be seeking authority to extend the state of emergency so that we assist the city, clearly they are failing. It is our people who are bearing the brunt of these inefficiencies.
On the law to penalise councils who are not doing their job, I have highlighted that we have given them so many fines for not collecting waste and for not clearing dumps, but we need to address capacity issues. If, as a country, we are to collectively deal with the issue of waste, penalties are there and we will continue to penalise them. More importantly, the intervention we have made now is that if the local authority is collecting, for instance 10% of the total bill relating to waste management, that amount has to go to a separate account and they have to account for what they would have spent it on. It does not make sense that a local authority like the City of Harare can have just five refuse compactors working. Somebody has not been doing their job. They could not account so far, what they have been spending the monies collected from waste management on. Therefore, we have said, we need to supervise and know that these monies are spent in managing waste. Our principle has been that the polluter pays and if the residents have paid, they deserve to get a service.
Hon. Nguluvhe has touched on the possibility of banning plastic. This was discussed at length. It is true that there are countries that have banned plastic because plastic is not bio-degradable. It can stay in our environment for centuries. It is a process that we are engaging in. We want to make sure that our industry is ready for this, but we are certainly beginning the process of discouraging its use. Added to this, we will be engaging the manufacturers of PETs, which is another emerging disaster and making sure that they put an incentive for people to pick those PETs just as Delta has been doing with the bottles.
As I was growing up, I knew that if I was broke and had three bottles, I could get something from the shops. We will be engaging the manufacturer under what we call the ‘extended producer responsibility’ where they need to follow their product, and if I can get 10 cents for picking one bottle of water from PEPSI, then I know if I have ten of them, I have a dollar. This is the approach that we will be encouraging them before compelling them to do.
We have been discussing the issue of environmental enforcement officers, these have to be from the local authorities. I have observed in major metropolitan provinces that when you park your car, hardly three seconds pass before somebody comes in the CBD to check if you have a parking disc. Surely these officers can be deployed to also monitor people who are throwing litter and just to monitor environmental compliance, our CBDs will be very clean. I think we have to be very firm and tough and our penalties have to be felt. In fact, I have said we need to explore the possibility of making it mandatory for those repeat offenders to wear those bibs and we will be writing in front that “I was throwing litter” and at the back “now I am paying the prize”. If that is made a policy, that embarrassment along will be a deterrent measure. That is our view.
An Hon Member having entered the Chamber without bowing
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): The Hon. Member who has entered, please bow.
The Hon. Member complied.
HON. M. M. NDLOVU: On the political campaign material, ordinarily this is a law that should be housed within ZEC. We engaged them because of our concern on what we are seeing on the environment. It was clear that this issue was completely omitted in the law, which is why they requested for now, that we issue a statement to political parties, but they will be instituting amendments to the Act to make sure that the political parties have a responsibility at law to clear their campaign material post the election.
We have engaged the road authorities through the Ministry of Transport to make sure that they take care of the road servitudes. When one wants to put a banner on the road, they are happy to collect the funds for that. So, we have said they should maintain our roads, be it highways or even local authority roads. So, they will urgently be reviving what they call maintenance units. The Intertoll is a maintenance arrangement as well. They will be resuscitating the maintenance units and each unit will be assigned roads that they will be monitoring and making sure that we are clearing litter. We are concerned that where we have our police road blocks, we are also seeing the emergence of litter dumping. We have also engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs to make sure that as a nation, we collectively address this issue which seems to be getting out of hand. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I hear what the Hon. Minister is saying, but there are some observations that I have made. When a company or business fails to look after the environment, be it health or litter, EMA issues a certificate or closes that shop. Now, we have these local authorities, I was wondering if the Minister can clarify whether they have powers to close such type of local authorities that they have failed because if you charge them, it is the same ratepayers who pay. So, it is not going to pain them. If you can look for some powers to close them so that we can replace them with better councils.
+HON. M. NCUBE: I need further elaboration from the Minister. What is your department doing on making our environment more safe and clean? Most of the departments do not take the clean up campaign as a serious exercise which was deemed necessary on each first Friday of every month by the President. For example, a building with more than 100 workers, when the clean-up campaign day comes, you find that only about five or ten workers out of the 100 are the ones that are concerned to carry on with the President’s programme. What are the measures which can be put in place to make sure that we enforce and comply with the President’s statute of the clean-up campaign?
We want to keep our places clean and make sure that we remove all the rubbish from our premises on every first Friday of each month. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Hon, Speaker. I want to congratulate you for being part of the Speaker’s Panel. We want to expose people who are responsible for littering. It happens in other countries but the issues of human rights come to play. I think that on Municipal officers’ duties, there are some shortcomings. I think that the Ministry needs to do a thorough research because in countries like China, there is a big population; we would expect them to be struggling with the issue of littering but they use the plastics for other important purposes.
Mr. Speaker Sir, if you look at turning plastics into fuel, then they make sure that it is inflammable also. I think it can also help us that we recycle the plastic material and introduce the machinery that recycle plastic and make sure that the machinery is duty free. We have got agreements or memorandums of understanding with India. We can get these machines from India and they can be put at poly institutions and we make sure that every institution’s first point of call is to take these plastics and feed them into the machines so that they can recycle the plastics.
We have had a lot of laws especially of clearing the broncleer but the arresting powers are limited. In China, they are manufacturing plastic products. If they have card boxes, they recycle to chalk boards. We urge the Government and the Ministry of Environment to come up with a policy that can have a solution to this issue. The issue of arresting is just a pill but we want to go to the root cause of this problem. Thank you.
HON. MUNEMO: Hon. Minister, what is your policy on such local authorities who are defying the orders of using the sunshine charges because they are continuing charging the residents but the residents are not receiving their service? This has been done for years. What is the policy on that? I thank you.
+HON. S. SITHOLE: Hon. Minister, my question is that this day that was set aside by the President for clean-up campaign, we have cleaned and campaigned tirelessly for the past few years. My suggestion is, is it not better that we declare it a public holiday so that on this particular day, people do not work but they will just be cleaning? People who own shops and other institutions are the ones that are a problem. The litter is coming from the big shops and people from the surrounding communities. The shop owners will be busy attending to their shops where this litter that is troubling us is coming from. Why do we not make it a public holiday?
I think as a Ministry, you should approach the President and inform him that we have campaigned for such a long time, now we want to make it a law and we rename it ‘public holiday or disaster’. We should close our shops probably up to 1400 hours so that we will be able to clean our environment. What we are witnessing is that there are laws that are being enacted but people do not obey the laws. I suggest that we close shops in the morning up to 1400 hours whereby we will be busy cleaning. I thank you.
HON. M. NDLOVU: Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish I had the powers that my Chief Whip wishes I had. I can say possibly, first quarter or second quarter of 2024, we will be bringing the EMA Amendment Bill, and I pray that my esteemed Hon. Members of Parliament will debate this issue so that we have a piece of legislation that allows Central Government to intervene when there is apparent failure on service delivery as we are witnessing currently in urban areas.
Hon. Ncube was essentially talking about making the clean up programme compulsory for all Government ministries, departments, local authorities and all businesses under them. We are even going further to our villages, communities and our rural service centers although these will be supervised by local authorities. I am sure it was an omission Mr. Speaker Sir, that accounting officers in these institutions will be held accountable for non-compliance. If it is a Ministry, that is the Permanent Secretary, if it is a parastatal, it will be either a CEO or Director General, a council CEO in the case of a local authority. This is to make sure that we hold the highest employee position in that institution accountable. We believe that this will go a long way in making sure that there is compliance.
We are exploring through the by-laws, the possibility of having punitive fines for shops where there will be litter in front of their doors or in front of their working spaces. It needs a lot of introspection on the part of local authorities because there is already a dispute in terms of who owns the space in front of the shop; it ordinarily belongs to the local authority and not the shop owner. We want to make sure that we go beyond these miner obstacles and make sure that people take responsibility. Those who might have travelled to other countries – I know of Dubai for a fact that for one piece of paper in front of your shop, you will pay a heavy fine and rarely would you see any litter anywhere within that area.
I think we need to have two approaches, one to persuade and another where we are very firm. On the issue of recycling, I am welcome to do more research. A lot of research has been done. I am sure if you remember in my statement, I highlighted that we are already recycling almost 20 000 tonnes of litter every month. However, that is not at the rate of our generation of the same waste, we certainly need to do more. I think it is more of a question of attracting investment.
I want to believe that equipment for recycling is duty free, but let me not affirm this position. I will also have to verify and if not, to urgently engage the Minister of Finance so that we encourage investment into this critical sector. For local authorities, we have not been empowered at law to follow their expenditure on what they collect for waste management, which is why this Statutory Instrument is introducing the ring-fencing of funds. It is the first time that EMA will be able to directly supervise the utilisation of funds collected for waste management, and the local authorities will now be able to be transparent to its rate payers.
On the suggestion that we make clean up day a holiday, it will not be an easy one. I can assure my Hon. Members here that the President wants this country to work. I think businesses should see cleaning as part of their business. They should know that they cannot operate in this country under a dirty environment. Two hours of the first Friday of the month between 0800 hours and 1000 hours has to be devoted to this clean up. I am sure my Hon. Members here will report to this Parliament that the measures we are taking in the next two months are beginning to bear fruit and that they have seen strong visibility of our people cleaning. If there is need to continue to improve on the programme, we are at the disposal of this House and we will come back and have this matter discussed further. I thank you.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move that Order of the Day Nos. 1 and 2 be stood over until Order of the Day No. 3 has been disposed of.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MATEMA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me, as my point of departure and with your indulgence, pass my condolences to the family that fell victim to a bolt of lightning on Monday evening in Buhera Central Constituency. That is the Hara family which lost four children; Mavis aged 11, Melinda aged 9, Michael aged four and Milford aged one year nine months. May their dear souls rest in peace. To the surviving parents, Mavis and Happison. It is my prayer that the Lord will grant them the fortitude to accept and to deal with this unfortunate incident.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces on the occasion of his re-election on 23rd August, 2023 on the back of a free and fair election, finding expression in the absence of a court challenge that we were accustomed to in the previous elections. I further congratulate the President on the victory of the people of Buhera Central Constituency and on my own victory occasioned by a clear and bankable campaign programme, birthed and mothered by the President on account of his clear, astute, forward focused, forward leading, forward looking, strategic transformational and servant leadership – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – without which my victory would not have crystalised into reality. The President taught us to serve and to collapse on alter of humility in our line of service, burdened and genuinely disturbed by the state of affairs in the areas that we serve.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am convicted to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the President delivered and I celebrate the clarity of thought and the direction of travel, which I have no doubt will see my constituency and Zimbabwe at large going up the scaffold of development that is sustainable in the context of the sustainability triangle. That is in the context of our society, economy and environment, notwithstanding the volatilities, uncertainties, complexities and ambiguities that are inherent in our operating environment.
One of the areas that got to my attention from the SONA relates to climate change. Climate change must be seen for what it is, for it is an existential threat, a threat in existence of human kind. On account of the causes of climate change, two schools of thought, one that says climate change is a result of natural systems while the other says climate change is a result of how we interface and interact with the environment in terms of carbon emissions. We should locate the climate change discourse with respect to its impact, both at the primary level and secondary level, with respect to the direct impacts and indirect impacts.
We should also locate that within the context of sustainable development goals. I would want to thank the President, in his presentation in the State of the Nation Address, he referred to the role that industry must play with respect to climate change; the role that industry must play with respect to energy, because climate change impacts on all those areas. The President was very clear that business must come on board in terms of supporting energy through the Independent Power Producers (IPPs). With the target of 1000 megawatts, IPPs are supplying less than 5% of that target, which is 1 000 megawatts.
As a country…
Hon. Ziyambi having approached the Chair.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. S. CHIKOMO): Order Hon. Member. You can go ahead.
HON. MATEMA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, post the Climate Summit of 1992 in Brazil commonly known as the Rio Declaration which was followed through by a declaration in Kyoto, Japan, popularly known as the Kyoto Protocol, followed up in Paris by the Paris Agreement, which gave birth to the Conference of Parties, to which Zimbabwe is a signatory, we are therefore, in that regard as a country, obligated to play our part and play our role with respect to reduction in carbon emissions.
An Hon. Member having entered through the door which is not permitted.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you cannot use that door.
HON. MATEMA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, as a country, we are obligated to play our part in terms of reduction in carbon emissions by virtue of having signed the Paris Agreement. In that regard, within the context of the sustainability triangle, Goal Number 17 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) speaks to partnerships to achieve the other 16 SDGs. So, Goal Number 17 becomes the anchor goal to achieve the other goals. In his presentation, the President made reference to the role that we need to play as individuals. The role that we need to play as business, as non-State actors or as Government.
It is against that background therefore, that this 10th Parliament should work tirelessly in terms of crafting laws that are consistent with the direction that we are taking on account of the obligation that we have on the basis of the Paris Agreement and the Conference of Parties. It is important that we must have a smart grid-riding on modern technologies so that we maximise on power generation, power transmission, power distribution and the retailing of the same. Smart technologies and fibre should support datafication of rural areas and therefore, supporting the growth of rural and local economies.
It is also important that I submit that climate change should be seen as a human rights issue on account of the many rights that it impacts in terms of food production, in terms of our access to health, in terms of our right to housing and even in terms our self-determination. This is the reason why SDG 13 speaks about climate action to achieve climate justice in our fight against climate apartheid. Climate apartheid is occasioned by the role that the Global North is playing in terms of carbon emissions. As Global South, we are contributing very little in terms of pollution of the environment, contributing very little in terms of climate change and contributing very little in terms of global warming, but we feel the greater part of the impact of climate change. So, in terms of the obligations that the Global North made on the basis of the Kyoto Protocol, we should, as Parliament, make the noise that is possible, and craft laws that will force the Global North to make do with their obligations.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe spoke about climate proofing with respect to agriculture and his acknowledgement of climate change impacts. This Parliament must be seized with mitigation and building adaptive capacities towards resilient economies and societies from a perspective of ecosystem services.
The President spoke about sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. It would be quite obtuse of this Hon. Member not to speak about sanctions during this anti-sanctions month as we draw towards October 25, which is our anti-sanctions day – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – This Parliament must look at sanctions for what it is. The illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe are a human rights issue in more ways than one. As they have infringed on the human rights of ordinary Zimbabweans, the capacity and potential of Zimbabwe to realise upward mobility have been curtailed in many respects.
However, Madam Speaker Ma’am, I must hail the President for his decision and for taking a bold decision to look inward for homegrown solutions. The Harare-Beitbridge Road is a smart example of the bold decision that the President took looking at internal resources that were mobilised. To this extent, the Harare-Beitbridge Road is almost complete on account of internally generated and internally mobilised resources. We do not owe any foreign Government even a penny and we must celebrate a bold decision that the President took.
Let me, in conclusion, thank the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for their swift response to a cholera outbreak in Buhera, in particular Buhera Central where many lives were saved. Madam Speaker Ma’am, I call this august House to amplify the anti-sanction calls, let us continue to beat the anti-sanction drums louder and louder. Let us, in our collective wisdom, do the needful and crystalise into reality that which the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa set out to achieve through the State of the Nation Address. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to thank you for winning and for being appointed to the Speaker’s Panel. I would like to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for protecting the Constitution. When we look at the Constitution, what he delivered on the State of the Nation Address shows that he reveres the Constitution.
The SONA address clearly shows the three arms of the State, that is the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary protecting the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
I want to congratulate the Mashonaland Central constituencies which performed extremely well during the elections. I also want to congratulate the Shamva South Constituency, we performed better than the rest of the provinces. In Mashonaland Central, in terms of protecting resources and our destiny as a people, we performed very well.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, Shamva South, when looking at other presidential candidates like Prof. Madhuku, Mr. Mwonzora and other candidates, they could not even perform like what Shamva South did.
I would also want to sympathise with Palestinians, yesterday a hospital with small children, 500 children was bombed and today thousands of Palestinians have died. On that note, let me also sympathise with the Moroccan people where we find some people who are going through challenges in that particular country.
I would want to thank Hon. Nguluvhe for raising an issue that is quite pertinent. What really touched me on that issue is that he spoke about drugs that have affected the whole country. You find that women are now living like widows whilst their husbands are alive. We have some illicit brews and drugs. We have one which is called kambucha which comes from Zambia…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member! You can only produce evidence after being authorised by the Chair.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. We have quite a worrying issue, an issue of concern. The boiling of diapers by the youths who consume water extracted from boiled diapers is dangerous because they will be intoxicated.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, we have the spinal cord, I do not know what it is called in Shona.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. CHIKOMO: Order! Hon. Member, some are saying the correct word is musana.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker. The backbone has muscles that enable a person to move and also to see whether the person that is near them is a woman or not. So, if these muscles come into contact with drugs, let us say alcohol content of 2%, the nerves will become loose if the person continually abuses drugs. As a result, if you are to greet that person, it will take them long time to respond as they will merely spend a long time staring at you because the veins would have become loose, as a result they will be malfunctioning. It will only be the next day when the victim of drug abuse will realise that someone was greeting them, so, they will now extend their hand in response to the greeting.
It can also happen at night that the same veins will not be able to connect when the wife requests for her conjugal rights, so, the veins will take longer to function. It may take two days for the veins to properly function. So, as a result, the family becomes disjointed as the man will respond to his wife’s request when the wife would have already gone to Bulawayo to buy some wares. These are the effects of drug abuse; divorce cases are on the increase because men are failing to perform their conjugal duty due to drug abuse.
A lot of the alcohol that is on the market in Zimbabwean shops is illegal, let me show you the evidence…
Hon. Mapiki showed the House a bottle of alcohol.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. CHIKOMO): Order, you can only show the evidence if the Chair has permitted it.
*HON. MAPIKI: I stand guided on that point. Let me also reiterate that the Constitution talks of security, provided by armed forces as well as food security. We also secure our country from poverty and drug abuse. We have a lot of countries that are dumping their drugs on us, some from as far as Asia, because there is easy market for United States Dollars in Zimbabwe. We also have drugs coming from countries such as Mexico, Afghanistan and our neighbour Zambia which is notorious for supplying skin lightening creams. It is another evil that has caused skin Cancer. The majority of women and men in Harare have light skinned faces with the rest of their bodies being very dark due to these creams.
So, it will then become difficult to know whether they are talking to white or black people, hence one wonders if they are talking to an American or an African.
I therefore, urge the Government to come up with stringent laws that bar the use of illicit alcohol and skin lightening creams. Anything with alcohol content above 2% should not be sold over the counter. The sale of an elicit brew popularly know as kambwa at dollar for two, which has 65% alcohol content should not be entertained at all, more so, when opaque beer only has 4% and is sold at a dollar each.
Madam Speaker, we are no longer sure of where the West is going to end in its efforts for regime change in Zimbabwe. You will recall that the Deputy President of Zambia was the leader of the SADC Election Observer Mission (SEOM) and he gave a damning report as he was furthering the interest of the West. As Zimbabwe, we could have walked into a war unaware, which is coming in the form of drug abuse by our children who are below the ages of 15, as they now abuse crystal methyl and other drugs. As a country, we must put our heads together and tame this challenge.
There has also been an advent of drinks whose alcohol content is understated and comes from other countries via Zambia as a distribution point. Our customs and excise officials should be vigilant because a few days ago, Zambia gave a communique to the fact that a Kambucha drink which was being sold in Zimbabwe did not have 0.005% alcohol content, but instead had 8.5%. This has led to members of the Marange Apostolic Faith inadvertently drinking alcohol due to this misleading information. Baby pampers are now being dumped everywhere, this makes it easy for them to be abused by people who smoke a by-product made out of the material of pampers.
We now have an environmental challenge as all these pampers are being dumped into Lake Chivero which might have led Members of Parliament to abscond because they will be under the influence of the substance that would have been dissolved in the water that they would have taken from this source. I therefore, conclude that the madness that we witness of people that speak ill of their country is being caused by these environmental issues which are not being properly managed.
As regards value addition as stated by His Excellency, the President, Madam President, we have 300 000 tonnes of ivory in Zimbabwe and we are on Appendix 2. We are not allowed to dispose or sell the ivory. When you sell it, it can give you USD200, but for trophies we can get USD eight thousand. You remember at one point, we were not allowed to sell diamonds and were supposed to join the Kimberly Process, but this could be done in ivory selling. When we go back to diamonds, you find that this is what was obtaining. When you sell the raw product, you will get less money, but when you sell the processed product, you will get more money.
The President also spoke about small to medium enterprises. This is what we are left with as Zimbabwe. When you look at councils, they are persecuting small to medium enterprises despite creating enough infrastructure for them. China managed to do that for their people. They constructed skyscrapers for recycling papers, buildings which house vendors and small to medium enterprises. The council is said not to have money, but they have money to evict and persecute small to medium enterprises. This is what we are saying that as black people, as Zimbabweans, we have seen it in Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda and in other countries. The small to medium enterprises do not refuse to close their shops, but they work towards developing the nation, like irrigation.
There is need to enhance irrigation projects. You will find that 200 litres of water in Israel can irrigate one hectare using drip irrigation. You would find that when we use such, we can be able to irrigate properly. Sometimes you might need a drum and a half using drip irrigation. As Zimbabwe, we need to embrace that technology. Looking at the fertilizers and the herbicides that we use, some like urea do not evaporate, but they accumulate in the atmosphere and disturb the ozone layer.
With regards to the issue of dry areas like Hwange, it is important to plant mangoes and other fruits so that we can extract juice from such areas and do beneficiation of such products. I want to thank His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for introducing factories which can process amarula, mawuyu in Mashonaland Central and tomatoes in Mutoko and other areas. Madam Speaker, let me say that, like what the President said, we need to unite, work together and work hard as MPs and Ministers. It is up to us to work together because the nation is built by its owners. I thank you.
HON. NJANJI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me add my voice in response to the SONA delivered by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the Official Opening of the 1st Session of the 10th Parliament. Before I go into the intricacies of my speech, let me start by proffering my congratulations to His Excellency for the majestic victory in the just ended free, fair and credible peaceful elections. Furthermore, Madam Speaker, let me also extend my profound congratulations to you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Speaker for being elected leaders of this august House, congratulations.
His Excellency highlighted in his SONA Address that Parliament should be, ‘an institution of peace building, hope, national development and the entrenchment of constitutionalism and deepening democratic practices in our country’. I am therefore indebted to faithfully represent the people of Mazowe Central who elected me to this august House. Madam Speaker, to that end, I would like to acknowledge the fruitful works that have been realised through the implementation of the NDS1 in infrastructural development. Major highways, border posts, ports of entry and airports have been given a world-class touch of modernity in light of Vision 2030.
In the same vein, under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP), we have realised the improvement of road network with Mazowe Central not being an exception. Madam Speaker, under the able visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa, the nation has remained food secure despite the ravaging effects of climatic change. The climate proofing way of farming, Pfumvudza has driven hunger away from millions of households. The welfare of communal farmers has remained stable despite threats posed by the new weather patterns. Thanks to pfumvudza. A crucial factor in the success of this programme is Government’s reliable consistent and timely availing of farming inputs to farmers. Mazowe Central is largely comprised of communal farmers and through Pfumvudza, the majority of them have remained food secure and managed to send their children to school using surplus proceeds from the harvests.
Madam Speaker, walking the talk in his mantra that no one and no place should be left behind, President Mnangagwa, under the Second Republic, has seen it that everyone has got access to education and medical services. Thanks to the successful implementation of devolution. Several schools and clinics have been built through devolution funds, and this is testimony to all inclusive policies by His Excellency towards development trajectories. Madam Speaker, it is undoubtable that President Mnangagwa is making notable strides in fulfilling Vision 2030. This is true…
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Members by the door there. You can go ahead Hon. Member.
HON. NJANJI: Thank you Madam Speaker. It is undoubtable that President Mnangagwa is making notable strides in fulfilling Vision 2030. This is true if one appreciates the ending of water woes through the Presidential borehole drilling scheme. Access to clean and safe water remains a basic need in both urban and rural areas. Larger parts of the country’s marginalised areas have perennially been stuck with water challenges with people and livestock engaging in warfare especially during the drought season. With a national target of 35 000 boreholes, water challenges will be the least of our worries as a country.
Let me draw this House to the greatest strategy of our time - drugs and substance abuse. There is no doubt that the scourge is a life threatening hazard destroying the moral facets of our communities with the youths forming the majority of the victims. I would want to appreciate the burden placed upon our shoulders as Parliament in expediting the amendment of the National Youth Bill. As His Excellency said, “the Bill provides for mechanisms to facilitate mainstreaming of youths in social, economic and political spaces as well as the sustenance of vocational training centres as hubs for local communities”.
Madam Speaker, more-so, I see light in expediting of the Sports, Leisure and Recreational Bill which might proffer numerous opportunities to our youths. I would like to recognise the main strategies that have been implemented for us to tackle this elephant in the room. More-so, I would like to commend the SONA presentation for its attention on the welfare of women. Women remain the pillars of our society and there are many homes being headed by women in the absence of fathers due to various causes. Empowering women is empowering the community. Therefore, I applaud the 2nd Republic’s stance on unveiling the Women Empowerment Bank in various programmes. This establishment of village of agro-business unit should also encompass women, thereby creating a pool of opportunities for them in the agricultural sector.
Madam Speaker, let me add that the acceleration in the reviewing of SMEs Act will aide women in business start-ups. Therefore, such highlights by the President, Dr. Mnangagwa, in the SONA are welcome as they project hope for the welfare of women as many of them are self-employed in the informal sector.
Lastly, let me acknowledge the selfless service being rendered by His Excellency Cde. President Mnangagwa in the transformation of Zimbabwe towards achieving an upper middle income economy, Vision 2030. The strides made so far are very commendable. If we achieve unity of purpose as legislators and work towards the fulfilling of each and every tenet raised in SONA, we will surely see the Zimbabwe we want. Hence the mantra nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, igonamatirwa nevene vayo. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Just for courtesy, I will introduce myself. My name is Hon. Sheillah Chikomo of Mwenezi East Constituency and it is a very great honour to be accorded a chance to lead this panel.
HON. KANUPULA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the President, Cde. E. D Mnangagwa for his re-election. I would also like to congratulate all MPs who made it through as all of us rode on the successes of His Excellency, President E. D Mnangagwa which he achieved in his first term in office.
The people of Harare South have mandated me to come to this august House to represent their interests during the five year tenure. We are grateful to the Government of Zimbabwe as people of Harare South for the construction of Simon Mazorodze interchange which reduces traffic congestion and beautifies our constituency. We note that the SONA by His Excellency the President is realistic on several fronts. That he is constructing roads in Hopley township and the face of that settlement has been dramatically uplifted in line with Vision 2030. We will ensure maximum regularisation of Hopley settlements so it matches with the infrastructure His Excellency has established in Harare South. In advancing the health situation, the government has constructed Stoneridge Clinic in Harare South. The present SONA clearly reflects an expansion of these institutions country-wide.
On job creation, the mantra nyika inovakwa nevene vayo is a true philosophy that has touched the grassroots. The Mbudzi interchange has employed more young people from my constituency and other surrounding constituencies including Churu and Hunyani constituencies.
Madam Speaker, my constituency has its own problems which from the vision applied in the SONA must be resolved. We seek to transform the housing situation in Harare South by embarking on unconditional organisation in Hopley, Alston, Eyecourt and Stoneridge with title deeds being issued in all areas with dispensation certificates in the same manner His Excellency did in Epworth. Erratic water supplies is another challenge in my constituency which is expected to be resolved. His Excellency and the Government are in the process of constructing Kunzvi Dam to deal with this matter as outlined in the SONA. We expect urgent completion of this dam to resolve the challenges which are being faced by the people of Harare South.
As I conclude Madam Speaker, Hopley township has phases which were established under the Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle Programme. We expect that area to be electrified during my tenure in line with the President’s vision. I intend to assist urbanites in the resolution of land acquisition challenges affecting several people in the southern region, particularly Harare South, Churu, Hunyani, Epworth South, Epworth North constituencies and all peri-urban areas in Harare Metropolitan Province. We will push the Vision 2030 and advance our people’s lives. I thank you.
HON. M. NCUBE: Madam Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered on the Official Opening of the 10th Parliament by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on 3rd October, 2023.
Before I make my contribution, allow me to firstly congratulate His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on winning the 23rd August, 2023 harmonised elections from which he got another five year mandate to lead this nation. Also, allow me to thank His Excellency for his astute leadership on holding a very peaceful, non-violent, free and fair election. This speaks volumes about his dedication and capabilities to lead our country to an unprecedented level of sound progress and prosperity. The people have spoken and given ZANU PF a fresh mandate to serve the nation as it is indicatively clear that we are the tried, tested and trusted party. Congratulations! Amhlope! Twalumba! – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
May I also take this opportunity Madam Speaker to congratulate you and the Speaker for your re-election as the presiding officers of this august House. Twalumba! Congratulations! Amhlope! Makorokoto to you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Allow me, at this juncture, to reflect on the SONA addressed by His Excellency. The President commenced his speech by congratulating all of us for securing the mandate to serve our people for the next five years. We could not have secured that mandate if we did not have Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa as our number one. Our mandate came as a result of the trust our people have for the President, Cde Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa and this trust comes from his hard work in transforming the lives of our people in his first term of office. In this regard, I thank the President for making our constituents trust us to lead them for the next five years.
Madam Speaker, the President touched on a number of projects and the progress so far made by Government since the beginning of the new dispensation. However, I would like to touch on a thorny issue which His Excellency touched on in his address, the increase in drug and substance abuse, especially among the youth. Drug and substance abuse is on the increase and this has become a cancer in our community. Our future generation is being wiped out while we watch. It is the wish of every parent to be buried by his or her children or grandchildren.
Alas, these days we are burying our kids ahead of us. It is a war and a national security issue which every responsible Zimbabwean must start combating now. The number of murder cases committed by our youth is alarming. Mental cases amongst youth is also a cause for concern. The number of suicides committed by youths due to drugs is also alarming, no one is safe. We are no longer safe as long as our children are not safe. What is more astounding is how the old and respected people are into producing, smuggling and selling these toxic drugs.
I was recently reading a story Madam Speaker, about a prominent footballer, Paul Pogba who has just been suspended from playing football because of drugs. Surely, if the drugs can ruin the career of a prominent player, what more about our kids in schools? I appreciate Government efforts in coming up with the Ministerial Taskforce to deal with the issue but as a nation, we need to tighten our laws and work together in fighting this cancer.
Madam Speaker, the President also touched on infrastructure and developmental projects that have taken place in our country. We have seen tangible evidence on power generation improvement following the commissioning of Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8. We have seen the rehabilitation of the road network and the upwards growth trajectory in the tourism industry among others. We have seen our mining sector registering significant growth in the past five years, from USD 2,8 billion to USD12 billion to date.
Tsholotsho South District is one of the districts which will be benefitting very soon. We have witnessed a lot of activities which are happening in the constituency. Sooner or later, it will be a mining hub as we have seen giant mining companies around the district prospecting minerals such as gold, diamonds and so on. We have a huge potential as a constituency for unparalleled growth if our resources are meticulously managed and utilised.
We have vast mineral resources such as gold which lie untapped and will certainly contribute to our economic growth with adequate support and good management of such wealthy. Our artisanal miners who are working tirelessly on the ground need to be better organised so that whatever they get is channelled to the market for the benefit of the State as compared to the reaping of such proceeds by greedy individuals who end up not remitting to the State. These are some of the leakages that need to be timeously plugged if we are to realise meaningful economic growth as a country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –
Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President in his SONA went on to outline the legislative agenda where he alluded to a number of Bills that this august House will be seized with, singling out some archaic laws that have to be repealed and those laws that need to be amended or reviewed. It is therefore our duty to ensure that these pieces of legislation are expeditiously considered in this august House.
Coming to my constituency, I have to thank most heartedly, the sterling developmental measures that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development embarked on in the construction of the 15 km Bulawayo-Tsholotsho Road. Government should avail more resources to complete the remaining kilometres. Resources permitting, I implore the Ministry to also consider Tsholotsho-Chefunye-Bulawayo road rehabilitation. This will definitely go a long way towards opening up my constituency for massive development.
Section 264 of our Constitution speaks to devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities in order to enhance local people participation in the exercise of State powers and making decisions on matters affecting them. It is in this regard that the President spoke about the increase of resources disbursed towards devolution and decentralisation programmes, giving priority to projects which improve access and quality of education and health. Devolution funds have empowered the people of Tsholotsho South through their local councils, as the President’s mantra goes; ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. As a constituency, we have constructed clinics, schools and dip tanks using these funds. I support the President’s call to increase devolution allocation as more funds are needed in Tsholotsho South to construct Nanda and other community dams in Wards 19, 16, 11, 10 and borehole rehabilitation across the constituency. These dams will enhance and guarantee agricultural productivity and improve incomes and the livelihoods of our citizens since our major economic activity is agro-based, suffice to say we have potential for agricultural production and we thrive to be the bread basket for Matabeleland North Province. In this regard, we stand to gain a lot from our agricultural produce where our farmers have the potential to provide food security for the whole district, hence we have witnessed a number of farmers at agricultural shows getting first prizes. I also thank the President for coming up with the Pfumvudza/Intwasa scheme which has seen most of our households benefitting.
The President showed commitment in liberalising the airwaves by opening 14 community radio stations around the country. In his book Decolonising the Mind, Ngugi wa Thiongo says “Language, any language has a dual character; it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture”. There are no better ways of promoting and advancing the use of all languages, let alone creating conditions for the development of these languages besides creating a platform where the users of these languages can openly and freely use the language and culture. I want to thank the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for opening the airwaves in these areas, as his mantra goes, leaving no one and no place behind. By commissioning radio stations in less developed areas, our Government is therefore making it a point that everyone gets informed and be heard in his own language. This project has not only enabled access to information, but created employment for our young people in the country.
Tsholotsho has serious mobile network challenges, especially Wards 10, 14, 15, 20, 18, 12 and 16 in the resettlement areas. In these wards, they use mobile networks of neighbouring countries like Botswana and South Africa.
Our President spoke about transformation and modernisation of our infrastructure as well as Heritage Based Education 5.0 Model. I would like to thank the President for the donation of 30 laptops in some schools in my constituency. This will enable our learners to be part of the global village, ICT village. We have witnessed the construction of milestone projects like the Tsholotsho School of Nursing which is at 80% and currently enrolling 22 students per intake. I urge Central Government to put more funds for the completion of this game changer project in Tsholotsho. Its completion will be significant to the President’s industrialisation of rural communities.
The Second Republic, through the President E. D. Mnangagwa, has recognised our people, the Khoisan community, by constructing a school and clinic in their locality. They are now learning their language and being considered for employment in the civil service. I thank His Excellency the President, Dr E. D. Mnangagwa for issuing national identity documents and birth certificates to the Khoisan and the installation of the Khoisan Chief, which is a way of integrating the Khoisans into the President’s vision of leaving no place and no one behind. This will also assist them to preserve their culture through their structures.
My constituency has part of the wards in the resettlement areas which have not been developed like others parts. I urge Government to put more resources on the infrastructure development in the areas such as Ward 12 Nhlabathi which is under the Forestry Commission land, hence the need for formalisation as well. Wards 14, 16, and 17 need water, schools, clinics and road network.
The President has shown us the framework and roadmap which we at the Tenth Parliament should follow to achieve the National Vision 2030. Let us all put our hands on the deck.
Allow me Madam Speaker to thank the people of Tsholotsho South for voting for me as a woman. I respect them for that and promise that I will deliver. Once again, thank you Madam Speaker for affording me this opportunity to debate the President’s Speech. Thank you, Siyabonga, twalumba, tatenda.
HON. DHANZI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to speak in this august House. My name is Auxilia Dhanzi representing Masvingo Province Women’s Quota. Firstly, I would like to extend my greatest felicitations to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr E. D. Mnangagwa for a resounding massive win in the 2023 harmonised elections. An election which has proven practically as one of its own to be the most peaceful election in the history of African elections. Thank you Zimbabweans for that.
In the same manner, I would like to also congratulate Mr. Speaker Sir, on his reappointment and the Deputy Speaker as well. Notwithstanding the Hon. Members who made it in this 10th Parliament, it is a great honour for me to serve in this House alongside my elected colleagues. I would like to believe that everyone here is dedicated to the same cause, unprecedented growth and complete representation to the people who voted us in. Let us all persistently strive for our country’s ultra-development as mentioned by His Excellency, E. D. Mnangagwa in his SONA speech.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to thank His Excellency the President for his leadership in implementing the quota system. Both the youth and the women quota have immensely improved. Now there is gender balance and equal representation in this House as one of the most important aspect reinforced by principles of democracy and seeing a balanced gender makes me happy.
I would also like to address the subject matter covered in His Excellency the President SONA speech. I applaud the youth Bill and I am keen on its adoption and implementation. I support that the Youth Bill is a tool designed to slay the beast of the day known as drug substance abuse as supported by his speech. Madam Speaker Ma’am, what we see everyday in our communities due to the abuse of drugs by the youths will assist us and these young ones need special attention in so far as the Bill will assist young people in regaining their bearings in the true spirit of progressive, advanced life. I suggest harsher punishments to drug dealers. Actually, they must never again see the light if we are to completely eradicate drug use in Zimbabwe. The Bill is equally entwined with the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill which aims to create an environment that facilitates the delivery of sport and recreation will shift youth attention from substance abuse. Madam Speaker, towards issues of substance development, youth should not be the missing link in this cycle of growth according to the nyika iinovakwa nevene vayo mantra.
Last but not least Madam Speaker Ma’am, peace should reign as stated in the SONA speech. I agree with His Excellency the President and thank him for raising such an important issue. This institution should be the one that fosters democracy, constitutionalism and national development not one where the people can demonstrate and do not care about the interests of the people who supported them. With these and those, I have put my prayers. I thank you.
*HON. ZEVEZAI: Thank you Madam Speaker. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker on their re-election. I also want to congratulate all Members of Parliament who were recently elected to this august House. I also want to congratulate myself for making it as a Member of Bikita East and the confidence that the people of Bikita East placed on me. I would like to thank all the Zimbabwean citizens for voting for His Excellency the President, Dr. Mnangagwa and for the returning of the country into such good leadership.
I want to thank His Excellency the President for all the work that he is doing especially in road infrastructure development. He is doing a good job and I am grateful for that. I am also grateful for the dam construction that he has undertaken. I would want to thank him for that.
Madam Speaker, may I also urge places like Bikita East to also have a lot of dam constructions because this is region 4 and 5 which has rain challenges. It is my fervent hope that when dam construction is being considered, Bikita East is also going to be considered. Bikita East is also benefitting from the Presidential inputs schemes and this has developed the lives of the people in my area.
I applaud the sentences that are going to be imposed on drug abusers and also drug manufacturers such that there will be deterrent sentences. I also urge that there be a construction of a place for children who are under 15 so that they have recreational facilities that they keep themselves occupied. Hence, they will not be prone to drug abuse. We want to thank the President for his programme with the youth that wherever there is mining that the youth be given a quota so as to occupy themselves. The youth are our future, the development of our country is in their hands. Thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me the opportunity to add my voice on State of the Nation delivered by the President. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the Hon. Speaker and his Deputy for being retained as Presiding Officers of this august House respectively. I also want to congratulate you for being elected as a member of the Speaker’s Panel. Whilst I am still on this trajectory, I would want to heartily congratulate our President for being re-elected President during the recently held harmonised elections where he scored a resounding victory which has never happened before. I am grateful for that.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate all the Members of Parliament who emerged victorious and made it to this august House. I also want to congratulate myself for being afforded the opportunity to be retained as a Member of Parliament.
I now turn my mind to what His Excellency the President said in his State of the Nation Address as regards the issue of irrigation. So, because of the dams that were constructed, when I cast my mind to the constituency where I come from, we now have a very big dam Tokwe-Mukorsi that is in Masvingo Province. We are grateful because it holds a lot of water and people are going to have a lot of projects as a result of the irrigation schemes. Therefore, as it starts working, the people that should be in irrigation schemes are going to emerge victorious and by so doing, we will eradicate hunger in Masvingo Province.
I want to thank His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa over the issue of drilling numerous boreholes numbering up to 35 000. This means that as a woman representative, I am quite happy about the programme that His Excellency, the President enunciated. I recall that in Chiredzi East where I hail from, if we talk of areas of Humani and Ankers Masapati, they do not have a lot of boreholes. When these boreholes will be drilled, I believe that they will drill some in those areas.
I will again look at Chiredzi North which was a farming area, it is a dry region. If I envisage that because of the President’s programme, we are going to have water in areas such as Ward 17 where there is inadequate water. As a woman representative and on their behalf, I am quite proud that women who voted me into this position are going to get water for irrigation of their cash garden products so that if they have these market gardens, they will sell their produce such as vegetables, onions and tomatoes. As rural dwellers, they will raise funds that will be able to sustain their children by buying them stationery as they go to school.
Furthermore, I would want to thank His Excellency, the President for the project Pfumvudza/Intwasa. If I look back at Chiredzi where I come from and if you were to look at the holes that were dug in this area, they are well-done so that one might lose control of their vehicle and veer off the road admiring the beauty in which these holes were dug. I am glad that the people in the communal lands have gladly accepted the Pfumvudza/Intwasa project. With the recent rains, people have already started planting small grains and they are going to germinate as a result of these rains that have fallen.
I would also want to thank His Excellency for the road infrastructure that has been improved. A typical example is the Beitbridge or Chirundu Road which is now very good. Ever since I grew up, I had never seen road construction, but my first experience was this particular road. It made me realise that our President was on to a very good project. A lot of people lost their lives because of road traffic accidents because the road was not wide enough, it was too narrow. If you now look at this particular road, people are now reckless and dying as a result of the goodness of that road and also because of over speeding.
They will be enjoying the good state of the road and they end up veering off the road. I therefore want to thank our President, His Excellency, for all the respect that he has bestowed on women. He respects us as women. We are grateful that to be in this august House, it is because of the quota system that was granted to us by the President so that we could represent women on this quota system without contesting against men.
The President observed that if we were to contest against men, they would emerge victorious because men have more money than us women. It did not end there because the President went further down. He also introduced the proportional representation for women councillors. As women, we should be grateful for what the President has done for us. He is trying the best he could to empower us as women.
Therefore, Madam Speaker, I cannot conclude my debate without thanking women who voted for me to be their representative. I would like to thank the women of Chiredzi North, East, West and South for electing me to be their representative once again. Therefore, I am also hoping that I will be able to discharge this responsibility thrust on me very well so that they can, in the end access potable water and good schools that are nearby so that children from ECD do not walk long distances, hence they will be able to go to these schools on their own.
Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Government for the devolution funds that we are receiving in the constituencies. I urge the Government to increase the amounts that are being disbursed because where I come from in Chiredzi, there are a lot of competing interests in that particular area, such as clinics that were not completed in terms of construction. It is our wish that these clinics could be quickly completed so that the residents can benefit.
There are also areas where learning centres are being built which can easily be accessed by ECD grades because they are still young. As a woman representative, I will be happier if these things could be quickly concluded. I therefore want to thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity that you have granted me.
*HON. SAMAMBWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me start by congratulating His Excellency, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for emerging victorious during the harmonised elections of 23rd August, 2023. He won this undisputed elections resoundingly. I would also like to congratulate the Members of Parliament that were elected by the constituencies to come and represent them in this august House, although some of them default attending Parliament. Let me also congratulate the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Mudenda and Hon. Gezi, his Deputy and all Members of the Speaker’s Panel.
Without wasting time, because I can see that a lot of people are no longer attentive, let me quickly go on with my speech so that people listen. Let me talk about what His Excellency said in terms of devolution. His Excellency said that the funds should be increased. Once these funds have been increased, our areas are going to be developed; schools, clinics and even the quality of water that we are talking about will be improved because the projects will be closer to the people as a result of more money being set aside. I will give an example of the little money that I was allocated for devolution in Zhombe. We managed to construct schools, hospitals, clinics and boreholes.
His Excellency the President talked about electricity. A few months ago, I went to South Africa. South Africa is in a sorry state in terms of load shedding. A lot of generators are being used now. People here are not grateful about what we have. They do not see what is happening in other countries. These shortages have become the norm in other countries. Our President did well. He planned well and ensured that we do not run out of electricity. I come from a rural constituency. We have electricity in our rural schools, clinics and even in homes. This is as a result of the leadership of Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Let me talk about road development and infrastructure. Our roads were very bad and were in a pathetic state, but even a blind person can feel that the roads are now very smooth. Those that have recently been constructed are excellent and others are yet to be constructed. A lot of money should be set aside for road construction. They have also gone into urban areas because our councils are failing to maintain these roads.
Let me talk about the issue of boreholes. In the communal lands where I come from, where there is no water, there is no life. Where there is no water, it is a problem for the women. If there is no water, women lose weight because of walking to fetch water every day. The boreholes that have been drilled are going to ease pressure on women. I know most of us here are from urban areas. There may be four or five Members of Parliament that are in the urban areas. In the rural areas, life is sustained by boreholes. I really appreciate the President and his understanding that water means life. People and livestock all depend on water.
Before I take my seat, let me talk about mining because we are sustained by mining in our constituencies. If you do not have a mine, as Members of Parliament, you should not win the constituency, we compete because of money. His Excellency the President touched on the issue of mines. Mines are what remain for us to sustain ourselves. There could be other areas that could sustain our economy, but with mining included. Therefore, we urge that mining be granted loans specifically for young miners because we are only left with farming and mining for sustenance.
A few years ago, we had hunger in this country, bread was expensive because we used to import wheat. I am grateful that His Excellency the President has now constructed several dams which enabled farmers to produce enough for the nation. I thank you.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 19th October, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. M. NCUBE, the House adjourned at a Quarter to Seven o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 18th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
APPOINTMENT TO THE CHAIRPERSON’S PANEL
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that the following Hon. Senators have been nominated to serve in the Chairperson’s Panel:
Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane Khumalo;
Hon. Sen. A. Dube;
and Hon. Sen. E. Kambizi;
APPOINTMENT TO THEMATIC COMMITTEES
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that the following Hon. Senators have been nominated to serve in the following Thematic Committees:
Gender and Development: Hon. Sen. Ndebele S (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka; Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane Khumalo; Hon. Sen. Chinyanga, B.; Hon. Sen. Fanuel, R.; Hon. Sen Kadungure, D.; Hon. Sen. Kambizi, E.; Hon. Sen. Katumba, M.; Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa, R.; Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, N.; Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, Rittah; Hon. Sen. Ngwena, M.; Hon. Sen. Rungani, A.; Hon, Sen. Shiri, A.; Hon. Sen. Tome, V.; Hon. Sen. Wunganayi, T.;
HIV and AIDS: Hon. Sen. Tongogara, A. K. (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Chakabuda, M.; Hon. Sen. Chief Khumalo, Hon. Sen. Chief Mapungwana; Hon. Sen. Chief Matsiwo; Hon. Sen. Chief Nyangazonke; Hon. Sen. Chief Nyamaropa; Hon. Sen. Chief Siansali; Hon. Sen. Dube, A.; Hon. Sen. Gwature, M.; Hon. Sen. Mohadi, T.; Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, M.; Hon. Sen. Nyathi, E.; Hon. Sen. Phuthi, M.; Hon. Sen. Zhou, I.; Hon. Sen. Hungwe, O.;
Sustainable Development Goals: (check chairperson) Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe; Hon. Sen. Chief Mapungwana; Hon. Sen. Chief Masendu; Hon. Sen. Chief Mathupula; Hon. Sen. Chief Siansali; Hon. Sen. Fanuel, R; Hon. Sen. Maondera, W; Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, N; Hon. Sen. Muzenda ,T. V.; Hon. Sen. Ncube, M; Hon. Sen. Tome, V.; Hon. Sen. Zhou, I.;
Human Rights: Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa, R. (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira; Hon. Sen. Chief Chitanga; Hon. Sen. Chief Masendu, Hon. Sen. Chief Mathupula; Hon. Sen. Chief Ngezi; Hon. Sen. Gotora, J. C.; Hon. Sen. Magunje, T.; Hon. Sen. Makamba, J.; Hon. Sen. Moyo, S.; Hon. Sen. Mupfumira, P.; Hon. Sen. Muzenda, T. V.; Hon. Sen Shiri, A.; Hon. Sen. Timba, J.; Hon. Sen. Tsomondo, B.; Hon. Sen. Zindi, I.;
Peace and Security: Hon Sen. Zindi, I. (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Chabuka, K.; Hon. Sen Chief Chireya; Hon. Sen. Chief Dandawa; Hon. Sen. Chief Matsiwo; Hon. Sen. Chief Ngezi; Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane; Hon. Sen. Chief Nyamaropa; Hon. Sen Chief Nyangazonke; Hon. Sen. Chinyanga, B.; Hon. Sen. Kambizi, E.; Hon. Sen. Magunje, T.; Hon. Sen. Maondera, W. R.; Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, Richard M.; Hon. Sen. Rungani, A.;
Indigenisation and Empowerment Hon. Sen. Moyo, S. (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Bimha, M.; Hon. Sen. Chakabuda, M.; Hon. Sen. Chief Dandawa; Hon. Sen. Chief Nechombo; Hon. Sen. Chief Nhema; Hon. Sen. Kadungure, D.; Hon. Sen. Makamba, J.; Hon. Sen. Matamisa, E.; Hon. Sen. Ncube, D. M.; Hon. Sen. Ndebele, S.; Hon. Sen. Timba, J.; Hon. Sen. Tongogara, A. K.; Hon. Sen. Wunganayi, T.; Hon. Sen. Zvidzai, S.;
Climate Change: Hon. Mupfumira, P. (Chairperson); Hon. Sen. Gotora, J. C.; Hon. Sen. Chabuka, K.; Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira; Hon. Sen. Chief Chitanga; Hon. Sen. Chitsamba, J.; Hon. Sen. Gwature, M.; Hon. Sen. Katumba, M.; Hon. Sen. Makamba, J.; Hon. Sen. Maluleke, O.; Hon. Sen. Matamisa, E.; Hon. Sen. Mohadi ,T.; Hon. Sen. Ncube, D. M.; Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, Rittah; Hon. Sen. Phuthi, M.; Hon. Sen. Tsomondo, B.
Indigenisation and Empowerment
Hon. Sen. Moyo (Chairperson), Hon. Sen. Bimha M., Hon. Sen. Chakabuda M., Hon. Sen. Chief Dandawa, Hon. Sen. Chief Nechombo, Hon. Sen. Chief Chikwaka, Hon. Sen. Chief Chireya, Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe, Hon. Sen. Chief Nechombo, Hon. Sen. Chief Nhema, Hon. Sen. Chitsamba J., Hon. Sen. Hungwe O., Hon. Sen. Ndlovu M., Hon. Sen. Ngwenya M., Hon. Sen. Nyathi E., Hon. Sen. Rebecca F., Hon. Sen. Tongogara A., Hon. Sen. Zvidzai S..
I think these are the Committees.
CHANGES TO MEMBERS OF INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I further have to inform the Senate that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has revised the membership to international Parliamentary statutory bodies as follows:
African Parliamentary Union – Hon. T. Gezi, Hon. T. M. Karimazondo, Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe, Hon. S. Matsunga.
Inter Parliamentary Union – Chief Mutshane Khumalo, Hon. Sen. Muzenda, Hon. A. Maunganidze, Hon. J. Nyevera, Hon. T. Karikoga, Hon. G. Ostalos Siziba, and Hon. J. Tobaiwa.
OACPS EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and EU Africa Parliamentary Assembly – Hon. Gen. Rtd. Nyambuya, Hon. P. Moyo, Hon. Adv. Madzimbauto.
Pan African Parliament – Hon. Sen. Chief F. Z. Charumbira, Hon. P. Togarepi, Hon. Tafanana Zhou, Hon. E. Masuku and Hon. J. Hadebe.
SADC Parliamentary Forum – Hon. T. Nyabani, Hon. Mugomo, Hon. Sen. Chief Matsiwo and Hon. L. Karenyi.
Association of Senates Shoora and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World ASSECA – Hon. M. Bimha, Hon. P. Mupfumira, Hon. J. Z. Timba, Hon. Sen. Chief Dandawa.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Madam President, I move that Order Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President for allowing me to say a few words on the motion that was brought to this House by the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary affairs. Mr. President Sir, firstly, I would like to applaud the Commission for the job that they did during the period under review especially when we consider that the country was just recovering from a period under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. President, the Commission had 253 cases that needed to be investigated during the same period and out of that, the Commission managed to investigate 157 case and 134 cases were referred to the National Prosecuting Authority. Due to limited resources during that time under review where resources were being diverted to cover COVID-19, I think in all honesty, the Commission did what any other commission would have done.
Mr. President, I also want to commend the Commission on the improvement on engagement between the Commission and the NPA that saw 72% conviction rate. For the cases that were referred to the NPA, at least 72% of them resulted in convictions. For example, I will talk of the former Secretary of Mines and Mining Development and the conviction of three senior officers from the Vehicle Inspection Department. These are high profile convictions and such convictions give confidence to our people.
Mr. President, the Commission also carried out awareness campaigns throughout the country, but mainly in six provinces. They carried out awareness campaigns totaling to 28 in rural areas and 16 in urban areas. That was quite a number, especially when you look at the limited resources the Commission had.
On the issue of decentralisation, it is not complete as yet, but the Commission is decentralising to provinces. As I speak, it has decentralised to six provinces although four are still outstanding. The aim is to have ZACC offices in all the provinces and if possible all the districts in the country to increase its visibility and reaction time to cases that would have been reported to ZACC.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Members, you are reminded to put your gadgets on silence or better still switch off your gadgets.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Mr. President, I was talking about decentralisation of ZACC offices. If we look at the cases that were reported by provinces, the numbers will tell a story. Harare alone where the head office is had 481, but if you look at other provinces that had not been decentralised, we will see that Mashonaland East had only eight cases, Matabeleland North, two cases and Matabeleland South, one case. It is not that cases were not there, but I think because it has not been decentralised to such areas, no wonder why the cases are quite limited, hence the need to accelerate the decentralisation process.
Mr. President, allow me to talk of the anti-corruption strategy. I will talk about three only and then I will give a comment at the end. One of the strategies is to increase public demand for transparency and accountability and rejection of corruption in Government offices, ministries, agencies and State owned enterprises. The second strategy is to ensure protection of whistleblowers and victims of corruption and to engage active participation in anti-corruption efforts by members of the public. Thirdly, recover assets and proceeds from corruption crimes, compensate damages afflicted on the State and corruption victim individuals and institutions inclusively.
If we look at these three strategies, Mr. President, it tells us that the Commission has an uphill task to make sure all these three strategies are carried out, hence I would like to make a few recommendations. Mr. President, there is need for the Commission to employ highly qualified and talented personnel to carry out this strategy.
When I went through the report, it also tells us that there are still a number of vacancies in the Commission that have not been filled. I feel that the Commission must engage the powers that be and be allowed to fill all the vacant posts so that work can go on properly
There is need for the Commission to speed up decentralisation of its offices down to the district so that its visibility is increased.
Mr. President, having pointed out these few things, I hope all Senators will agree with me, something is happening in the Commission that is worth talking about, especially when we look at the period under review where the Commission had to make-do with very little resources. I know we cannot end corruption abruptly, but at least we can reduce and get to a certain stage that is at least reasonable. On that note, Mr. President, I feel the report is worth adopting. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA): Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 19th October, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Minister of Justice for the report presented which covers our judiciary system or records, the process of how the dockets are processed through the prosecution system as the suspects await judgements. I wanted clarification because according to this report, there are 50 prosecutors that have since been trained in Manicaland and Masvingo only. Since in this country we have 10 provinces, what is going to happen to the rest of the provinces? Are there any plans to train prosecutors in the provinces? The reason being it is important that when someone is employed and they are told what they are expected to do, it is helpful and people tend to deliver better under such instructions.
The other thing Mr. President is, according to the report on Chapter 2, we need clarification when they say economic crimes, what do they mean because some of the crimes that are committed are not clearly stated?
The other thing is on Section 5, there is litigation on sexual offences. my opinion is, the Minister must explain clearly on this section because that has to do with a hot issue of rape in this country, gender based violence which applies to both women who are beaten by their men or the other way round. People continue suffering and they do not get remedy from that law. We need clarification because we have people who do not get remedy from this law. Anything that affects children also affects every parent in this country. Mr. President, with these few words, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to just add a few observations that I found in this report that was reported by the Minister of Justice on the National Prosecuting Authority. Mr. President, whenever we talk about NPA, we should put into consideration the issue of the budget. You will find that this Authority prepared its budget fully but unfortunately, the funding could not suffice for them to cover all the plans that they had. So, it becomes very difficult even to say this was not done or accomplished because they did not have the funding. Those who had a chance to look at their report found that according to the graphs that they had put on termly basis, they could not even cover any of their plans except that they carried over everything that they were doing. We hope that during the budget period, their outstanding plans will be catered for so they can be implemented to enable the Authority to carry out its duties.
The Authority also indicated the shortage of staff and said that many prosecutors had left the organisation and they do not know what transpired. They also talked about the trained personnel that was trained in Mutare and Masvingo. We would also want to know whether those 50 workers or trained staff were deployed to other provinces or not because the training venue might not matter a lot as long as they are covering all the provinces. Mr. President, I think with those few words, I would like to thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE PROVINCE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 19th October, 2023.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. I am pleased to contribute to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. May I also, on the onset, appreciate the movers of the motion, Hon. Sen. Kambizi and Hon. Sen. Shiri. May I also, like other Senators who have spoken before me, congratulate the President for wining thunderously and emphatically in the elections. The people of Zimbabwe have spoken and all dissenting voices must shut up. The country needs to move forward.
It is quite pleasing Mr. President that during the elections, our President Cde. Mnangagwa crisscrossed the country from North to South and East to West preaching unity and development. He also was emphatic in terms of violence. These were some of the most free and peaceful elections which we have experienced in years and we must commend the people of Zimbabwe. Under the President, Dr. Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe will always remain a crucible of peace, unity and development as epitomised by the work which has been done by the Second Republic from 2017.
Mr. President, His Excellency Dr. Mnangagwa was able to articulate his views clearly in His SONA. He outlined that the first pillar of development is agriculture. Zimbabwe has always been an agro-based economy. Thanks to the efforts by the Second Republic, we are now food secure. This has been one of the greatest achievements of the Second Republic which must be celebrated. It is important to continue investing in agricultural research, irrigation, extension services and climate smart agricultural practices.
The effort to drill 35 000 boreholes in villages will go a long way in developing nutrition gardens and establishment of village agro-business units (VBUs). The Government has already set up a number of VBUs and also school business units SBUs throughout the country, I think well over a hundred now. These registered rural development enterprises are meant to boost economic activity and improved livelihoods in rural communities.
There are typically one hectare plots equipped with irrigation systems, green houses and other agricultural infrastructure where villagers produce agricultural products which are then sold to ready markets. The VBUs programmes were launched by His Excellency the President at Jinjika Village in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South in 2021. Like I have said Mr. President, these have now been replicated in many areas of the country and they actually number over a hundred.
The second pillar which underpins our economy is mining. This sector accounts for more than 60% foreign currency receipts annually and 13% of the GDP. In terms of mining, as pointed out by the President, we are now a 12 billion dollars economy compared to 2.8 billion dollars in 2017. Our country has serious potential in this area and is a hedge of many other countries.
The President also touched on devolution. Devolution funds are a game changer with the potential to propel development in marginalised areas. The funds have allowed local authorities to implement various projects in their areas of jurisdictions such as schools, clinics and dip tanks. I therefore call upon local authorities to have investment ready projects so that the received funds can be deployed to mitigate inflation. Mr. President, for the development to be effective, we need to quickly operationalise provincial councils and metropolitan councils so that they can superintend over these funds.
Let me now turn to the legislative agenda as outlined by His Excellency the President. I will touch on only two very important outstanding Bills which were carried over from the 9th Parliament. The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill and the Private Voluntary Organisation Bill. The 1931 Mines and Minerals Act is now archaic. There has been a lot of transformation in the mining sector which might actually be captured by the new Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill to be tabled in the 10th Parliament. Artisanal miners need to be properly regulated and empowered. Disputes in the mining sector tend to be cumbersome to resolve. There is conflict between agriculture and mining activities. I hope and pray that the amendment will simplify and properly interrogate the interdependent relationships between these two important pillars of our economy, mining and agriculture.
The PVO Amendment Bill is now long overdue Mr. President. During the recent elections, we witnessed some of the activities of certain NGOs and PVOs. As a country, we cannot accommodate those actions of theirs which are bent on sowing seeds of disunity within our country. They need to be regulated. We remain strongly anchored as a country to the values and ethos of the liberation struggle and we cannot just allow outsiders to come through the back door using PVOs.
In his Address, the President alluded to the much anticipated Climate Change Bill. To quote the President, he said: “the much anticipated Climate Change Bill seeking to regulate regional gasolations and facilitate the low carbon development technologies should be thoroughly debated towards strengthening funding mechanisms”. Let me put this into perspective Mr. President. Tropical Cyclone Idai hit Zimbabwe on the 15th and 17th March in 2019. The experience had never been seen or recorded in our living memory in Zimbabwe. These rains caused catastrophic damage in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts destroying livelihoods, homes, road networks, schools and water points. An estimated 600 000 people were affected and many lost their lives. This illustrates graphically, the impact of climate change caused by greenhouse gases.
The most anthropogenic greenhouse gases are methane and carbon dioxide. The effects of human caused global warming are happening now and are irreversible for people alive today and will worsen as long as humans add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere which envelope the earth and stop some along the way to go through. Global temperatures, Mr. President, rose by 1,1℃ from 1901 to 2020. These are a lot of gases; they might seem less, but they are a lot. Sea levels are rising by 3 mm per year. Unless we take mitigatory actions now, the earth will continue to warm and the effects will be too profound to contemplate.
We need to act now in terms of the usage of fossil fuels, burning coal in power stations, recovering on some of the emissions, the use of diesel engines and transforming or moving to the usage of electric vehicles. We have to take action now, not later because generations to come are going to be subjected to some catastrophic weather phenomena; extreme droughts, highly intensive rainfalls and cyclones like Idai. Climate change is real and is here, and we are responsible for this earth we live on.
Mr. President, I would like to touch on something which affects us all as Zimbabweans, sanctions. The issues of sanctions are debilitating to our country. The sanctions are against the UN Charter Article 41, which precisely says sanctions can only be decided by the UN Security Council, but in this case, they were unilaterally imposed by the Americans, U.K and the E.U. We should all stand together as Zimbabweans to condemn sanctions because they affect all of us.
As we develop going forward in the Second Republic, let us be unsettled by sanctions so that the agenda as set out by the President can be fulfilled. We are now ready to govern and all the Arms of the State are ready to move forward; the Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive. Arguments which have since arisen in terms of our other colleagues have been overtaken by events. Let us all get together and correlate so that we can move the President’s agenda and vision forward, and in the end, we can achieve Vision 2030. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 19th October, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA), the House adjourned at Seventeen Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 17th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that following the announcement made on Thursday, 12th October, 2023, the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has amended the membership to the International Statutory Bodies as follows:
Africa Parliamentary Union – Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe is replacing Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane;
SADC PF – Hon. Sen. Chief Matsiwo is replacing Hon. Sen. Chief Siansali.
MEDICAL AID SCHEME FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform Hon. Members that they are free to join a medical scheme of their choice. For those who opt to join PSMAS which is the only medical aid scheme where Government complements Members contributions by contributing 80% while the Member contributes 20%, Hon. Members are advised that a representative from PSMAS is available in the Members Dining Hall to issue out application forms.
Furthermore, PSMAS has indicated that the waiting period of three months will be waived for Members who join before 25th October 2023.
WIFI AND E-MAIL CREDENTIALS FOR HON. MEMBERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the Information Communication and Technology Department (ICT) will be issuing WiFi and e-mail credentials to Hon. Members. Officials from the ICT Department will be stationed at the Members Dining Hall from 1400 hours every sitting day this week.
TABLING OF REPORTS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. D. MNANGAGWA): In terms of Section 12 (1) of the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18], I lay upon the table the reports of the Auditor-General being:
- Report on Appropriation Accounts and Funds Accounts in arrears as at 31 December 2021;
- Report on Appropriation Accounts, Finance and Revenue Statements and Fund Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022;
- Report on State Enterprises and Parastatals for the year ended 31 December 2022;
- Report on Local Authorities for the year ended 31 December 2022.
I also lay upon the table the following reports in terms of Section 309 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe read together with Section 11 (2) of the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18], Value for Money Audit Report on Monitoring of devolution funded projects by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Order of the Day, Number 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day, No. 3 has been disposed of.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SHONGEDZA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to debate. I want to thank the mover of the motion, Hon. Nguluvhe and the seconder Hon. Zhou. In his speech, the President touched on the issue of agriculture especially on the aspect of the Pfumvudza Programme which has helped a lot of people in the country who were not able to go to banks to borrow money due to lack of collateral for them to give people loans. Banks expect people to have collateral security. His Excellency the President went on to talk about minerals and he spoke about the issue that Zimbabwe raised around 9 billion from mining proceeds from 2017 to 2023.
Madam Speaker, he also spoke about tourism. The tourism sector contributes to the economy by bringing tourists to Zimbabwe. The First Lady also travels oversees to talk about her vision regarding tourism and also to showcase traditional foods which constitute to a balanced diet.
His Excellency also spoke about the War Veterans. It was deliberated and agreed that the war collaborators should also benefit because they contributed during the liberation war. Which means that the result of the Chidyausiku Commission and the report speak to the welfare of war veterans. I thank you.
HON. MAUNGANIDZE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Distinguished Members of this 10th Parliament; allow me to firstly extend my congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I further extend my congratulations to you Madam Speaker and the Speaker of Parliament for retaining your seats of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Allow me to also congratulate you Hon. Members of Parliament for winning in your respective constituencies. A special mention goes to the youth quota beneficiaries who made it to the history of Zimbabwe for being the first to represent the youth under this youth empowerment programme. I congratulate you.
Madam Speaker, my submission comes at the opportune moment in which His Excellency has delivered an eye-opening State of the Nation Address pregnant with wisdom and insight. His address is a testimony of the visible growth trajectory of our nation, both on political and social economic aspects. As a result, this 10th Parliament has an obligation to subscribe to and effect our full effort in ensuring that its betterment and poverty eradication goal is timeously achieved in line with the score and scope of the Vision 2030 Blueprint.
It is evident that the past five years have success stories in terms of infrastructural developments, food security, mineral exploration, foreign direct investment and debt resolution amongst other success stories as testified by the World Bank Report of 2022 that spelt out 5 to 7% trajectory. Madam Speaker, this 10th Parliament is encouraged to embrace the continuing progress of the 9th Parliament that has succeeded in Government programmes such as Agriculture 8.0, Education 5.0 among other Government programmes which require massive intellectual and financial support from this 10th Parliament.
The President, in his SONA on the 3rd of October, addressed and pledged to sustain and invigorate his Government funding of devolution and decentralisation to improve the quality of education, healthcare and social services among other obligations. It is therefore inherent that this House commits itself to fulfil its supervisory and oversight mandate in the disbursement and priority allocation of devolution funds in our respective provinces and local authority clusters.
Madam Speaker, I am particularly concerned by issues raised from the deliberations of the 9th Parliament on cases where devolution funds that have been commissioned, have not yet delivered to under developed districts such as Mwenezi and Chiredzi where I come from. The districts badly need not just devolution allocations, but special funding to cover development issues. The fact that they are predominantly resettlements means their infrastructure and services began only after the Land Reform Programme.
I urge this House and relevant Portfolio Committees to urgently look at the needs of ensuring the attainment of inclusivity trust enshrined in ‘living no one and no place behind’. This can be achieved by creating holistic quick fixes and approaches to special vulnerable districts in order to align the growth of the rest of the nation vision in the NDS 1 and Vision 2030.
Madam Speaker, allow me to applaud His Excellency, the President for giving special attention to the youth sector and has implored that this House develops and ushers in the National Youth Bill. The Bill provides for mechanisms to facilitate mainstreaming of the youth who are demographically the majority in social economic and political spaces as well as the sustenance of vocational training centres as hubs for youth participation in the building of our nation.
I further plead with this Parliament to prioritise this Bill as it attends to the youth who are the majority of our population – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, we are equally concerned about the increasing number of drug and substance abuse amongst our youth. It is my submission that this House has a duty to ensure that the Government continues to avail funding for inter-ministerial, antidrug taskforce as well as ensure that the provincial rehabilitation centres are completed as soon as possible.
We applaud the efforts by the President for maintaining a tough stance on perpetrators of the drug crimes. We further submit that our judiciary system may tighten sentences to the drug lords or suppliers. We cannot let killers go unpunished. They should suffer the consequences of killing our future. We are the future leaders and we need to be sober for us to move the country forward.
Madam Speaker, we cherish the effort that the Second Republic has invested in the protection and emancipation of youth and women. I am today, a youth Hon. Member of this House and a living testament of how President Mnangagwa has committed to fulfil his inclusivity pledge. We further plead with the Government to keep its foot on the pedal in its fight against gender-based violence, child abuse, child labour and early child marriages by providing victim-friendly centres, which rehabilitate, educate and receive reports of abuse on tollfree numbers.
Madam Speaker, we need centres that are close to the people that are within the radius of five kilometres. A girlchild needs to be protected and constantly reminded about the side effects of child abuse in early child marriages. We also applaud our justice system for rendering stern sentences for child sexual offenders which will go a long way in ending the damage against young women and girls. A child abused is damaged emotionally.
Madam Speaker, the anticipated reviews of the 10th Parliament on Mines and Minerals Act, Small and Medium Enterprises Act must also ensure that the youth and young women like myself are active players, participants and benefactors to the Government support fundings, not only in mining and agriculture, but there are a host of other ventures which ensure that Zimbabwean youths are fully on track to the attainment of the middle and upper income society vision by 2030 and sustainable development goals. This will also help in the reduction of drug abuse.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate His Excellency’s encouragement for peace rendered to this 10th Parliament in his SONA Address and I strongly believe this House will be an institution for peace building, hope and national development. I thank you.
HON. MASVISVI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My name is Davison Masvisvi, Member of Parliament for Gokwe Central Constituency. Firstly, I take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for securing the mandate to serve and continue spearheading the development of our country for the next five years. The people of Zimbabwe have trust in your servant leadership. I also would like to congratulate you for also being elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the same extended to you Madam Speaker Ma’am for your re-election as the Deputy Speaker.
Let me also congratulate all Members of this august House for election to this highly respected House. The nation is looking up to us to contribute immensely and passing laws that set our country into a trajectory development. Thank you for affording me time to add my voice to the debate on the State of the Nation Address that was presented to Parliament by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 3rd of October, 2023. The address defined the 2nd Republic’s commitment to economic progress and development of Zimbabwe. It is with sincere gratitude to His Excellency for prioritising and driving the country towards Vision 2030, evidence of progress under the 2nd Republic is awash for all of us to see. Challenges from the illegally imposed sanctions have not deterred the 2nd Republic’s momentum to steer the country forward.
Under the leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, the 2nd Republic has made immense strides in food productivity, the mention of the Government projecting to provide at least 35000 boreholes in rural areas and establishment of village business units is a welcome development that will transform the livelihoods of our people. In Gokwe Central Constituency, this thrust will consolidate agricultural productivity and food self-sufficiency.
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s determination to increase resources disbursed towards the devolution and decentralisation programme is greatly applauded. The effort by the Government to ensure that more resources are allocated towards devolution will see rural areas flourishing. The commitment by His Excellency the President were prioritising areas that include improving access and quality education will definitely see Gokwe Central Constituency’s woes addressed. Gokwe Central is in need of urgent classroom blocks for both secondary and primary schools and building of Science laboratories.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, it is also important to note that Gokwe Central Constituency will benefit immensely from the targeted, devolution and decentralisation programme as His Excellency in his Address prioritised improvement of road networks. The Gokwe/Mateta/Manoti Road is in dire need of attention because of its strategic placing. The road connects Gokwe to Nkayi and Lupane, and is important in the easier delivery of agricultural goods such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa presidential inputs and social welfare wares for the elderly in the constituency and neighbouring constituencies.
The President also touched on the Government’s commitment to industrialise and modernise the economy by transforming infrastructure in order to improve incomes and the livelihoods of the people. In Gokwe Central, plans of having an oil processing plant constructed at COTTCO Gokwe Ginnery are applauded. The project is at its initial stage and should be well supported. May I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude on behalf of the farmers from Gokwe Central Constituency for the Presidential inputs that are being extended to the farmers. I also make a call or plea for cotton farmers to be given attention too.
The SONA touched on a broad spectrum of sectors in regards to how the 2nd Republic is geared to deal with issues such as healthcare provision, housing, participation of youth in community development, empowerment of women, the welfare of workers, pensioners and the menacing issue of drug and substance abuse. This is testimony that His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is engaged in creating an opportunity for the country to enjoy a people centered Government which listens to the concerns of the public.
The President of the 2nd Republic, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa quoted several Bills which will be tabled before this august House. All of which seek to ensure that we conform to the dictates of our own Constitution. Of interest is the Climate Change Bill which sets the agenda of ensuring that communities are equipped in mitigating effects of climate change including drugs and other shocks of climate change that are not limited to natural phenomenon.
I wish to thank His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, for his commitment to seeing a developed Zimbabwe under NDS1 and NDS2. In this trajectory, tinosvika chete. The President’s mantra Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, entitles every Zimbabwean to put the mind to the will and contribute towards the development of our country. God bless Zimbabwe and God bless us. I thank you.
*HON. NATISO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My name is Hon. Natiso from Bikita West Constituency. Firstly, I want to congratulate you Madam Speaker for being re-appointed. I congratulate His Excellency the President for being re-elected. I would also like to congratulate the nation for a peaceful election from the start up to the end of the election period and congratulate all Members of this august House for being victorious in the elections.
Secondly, I want to talk about the issue which was presented by His Excellency during his State of the Nation Address, regarding the abuse of drugs. I concur with His Excellency and we are going to complement his efforts in fighting drug abuse, whether in border areas and different ports of entry.
I would now want to talk about water provision. The sinking of boreholes which was mentioned by His Excellency, the drilling of 35 000 boreholes in different areas, which are going to benefit the community...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Natiso, please may you repeat the statistics on boreholes.
*HON. NATISO: I said 35 000 boreholes which are going to be drilled in rural areas, which are going to benefit communities. This will help them in gardening projects, farming and drinking water. Where I come from in Bikita West, there is a cholera outbreak, drinking water has to be safe. I also appreciate the farming of wheat, which used to be imported but now we are producing our own wheat locally, which is enough for the nation.
I would now want to talk about fuel. In the past, we used to queue overnight for fuel but now fuel is readily available at all service stations. While on the same issue, I want to talk about Pfumvudza, the distribution of Presidential Inputs through the Presidential Inputs Scheme is benefiting communities. You will find that people are benefiting through Pfumvudza/Intwasa. In my constituency, Bikita West, people lost their livestock, particularly cattle. So, I would like to request that Government avails tractors to different areas in our constituencies.
Going to Mwenezi, I want to thank His Excellency because some things that are found in Mwenezi, like marula which was once discarded is now being used productively in Mwenezi. So, this is development which is coming through the marula fruit. Even in Bikita, we wish we could be supported on the guava tree. We produce more than 100 tonnes per year of guava fruit during the season. My request is that if we could extract juice from guava, then we can be productive. With these few words, I thank you. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
*HON. MURAMBIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me say good afternoon to you. I want to take this opportunity to
congratulate His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa for being voted for and for winning overwhelmingly during the 23rd August, 2023 election. Let me take this opportunity to tell this august House and the nation at large that in the elections that were held in August, they were peaceful, free and fair. I want to thank the nation at large for conducting peaceful and credible elections. Let me say that I congratulate you Hon. Deputy Speaker for retaining your position. I congratulate Members of this august House for winning the elections. Congratulations to every one of us Hon. Members.
Let me also talk about the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which was delivered by His Excellency, President, E. D. Mnangagwa who said a lot of things. He spoke about economic issues. He mentioned that our economy is growing because if we look at inflation, in the past, you will discover that there was hyperinflation but now the economy is stable. Through his guidance and leadership, we find that prices are now stable in shops.
His Excellency also spoke about farming and irrigation. Having listened to the speech, I noted that our economy is agro-based. When His Excellency spoke about irrigation and agriculture, then I thought about the people I represent in Zaka North Constituency. These people are real farmers. If they are given implements and inputs, then they can perform very well. In Zaka District, Zaka North Constituency is a very productive constituency which produces high yields. So, His Excellency spoke about irrigation and I saw it fit that when the Zaka people are empowered with implements and inputs, there would be no need for the constituents to look for food from other districts because they will be self-sustainable.
On the same note, His Excellency talked about the drilling of boreholes around the country and this is quite pertinent, especially looking at improving livelihoods. He promised to drill 35 000 boreholes and if such a high number of boreholes is drilled around the country, then people’s livelihoods would be improved. I say that in Zaka North, the soil is quite good and with enough rains, we can have high yields. For those who would be using boreholes, you will find that we can even have higher yields. Zaka is a district which was affected by cholera. With clean water through the drilling of many boreholes, the Zaka Community will have improved livelihood. Therefore, I appreciate His Excellency’s initiative which is quite pertinent and meant to benefit the people of Zimbabwe ensuring them of better livelihoods.
Let me now talk about Devolution Funds, an issue that was raised by His Excellency in the State of the Nation Address. His Excellency, the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, spoke about increasing the Devolution Funds because there are some projects that are still pending that were started using these Devolution Funds. In particular, Zaka North Constituency has some projects which are pending as well. If the Devolution Fund is increased, then we foresee development happening throughout the whole country.
On the same note regarding Devolution Funds, I want to talk about educational infrastructure. We have a lot of schools in and around the country including Zaka North Constituency. In Ward Six of Zaka North, we have Chiteva Primary School and Mukushi Secondary School, schools that were built using devolution funds. So, my belief is that if the fund is increased, then we can complete these schools because education is our heritage as Africans.
In Zaka North Constituency, there are some areas like Chigwagwa that need additional schools. As the representative of the people together with the parents, we are discussing with Ward 4 community, plans to build a school because you find some children walking for 10 km to access education. So, through the Devolution fund and the initiative by His Excellency in his State of the Nation Address, I believe this is going to help, communities and citizens are going to be happy and appreciate His Excellency’s initiative.
Furthermore, on the issue of education, His Excellency said a lot and as a Member of Parliament for Zaka North Constituency, I note that we have some Wards that do not have clinics, so I am going to make sure they have clinics in the shortest period of time. Ward 4 too does not have a clinic so we are busy building Chivaka Clinic. When we receive the Devolution funds, we are going to make sure they go a long way in the building of schools and clinics. We also have another clinic which is called Chinyazvuri which was built using Constituency Development Fund and the Devolution funds, but the project stalled because there was no more funding. So, when His Excellency mentioned Devolution Funds, I was really overjoyed, because the Devolution Funds came as a revelation that Chinyazuri Clinic is going to be opened.
On the same note, talking about road infrastructure, the President is doing a good job. His Excellency has done a lot of things in terms of road infrastructure, the Harare- Beitbridge Road is almost complete through His Excellency’s guidance and leadership.
Zaka North Constituency is a mountainous constituency and the roads are in a bad state, so by what was said by His Excellency regarding the Devolution Funds, I believe that Zaka North Constituency roads are also going to be fixed very soon. I foresee progress and development through our Rural District Councils and the DDF. The Member of Parliament will continue advocating for the construction and rehabilitation of the Zaka North roads.
Let me also talk about Energy and Power Development Madam Speaker Ma’am. His Excellency spoke about the Hwange units seven and eight. He said these two units were now operational which means that stability in terms of the provision of electricity has greatly improved, hence power cuts will be reduced.
In my Constituency Zaka North, we have schools, clinics, business centers that do not have electricity. So, from the State of the Nation Address, it means with the availability of electricity, we will proliferate down to Zaka North, Chiteva School, and Muroyi School.
We have a number of hospitals in Zaka North that do not have electricity, but from my own point of view and from the State of the Nation Address, I believe that electricity will be coming to Zaka North Schools, Clinics, Hospitals and even at our business centers. When people go to business centers, this is where they get their steel fabrication for farming and gardening tools. So, REA (Rural Electrification Agency) normally speaks about giving schools and hospitals first priority to get electricity. So people go to business centers to buy beverages and if business centers are connected to the national grid, then this improves people’s livelihoods.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, allow me to talk about tourism where we receive international tourists coming to see our tourist attraction. Tourism has improved by 62% this year and looking at our tourism, we also look at Zaka North Constituency Let me say that we have a mountain which has a shape of a map of Africa. This surprises a lot of people when they pass along the Jerera-Mabeza Road. Let me say to the Tourism Ministry and Portfolio Committee, when they come to Ward 33 in Beza, they will see that there is quite a marvel, a mountain with a shape of a map of Africa. This can be a tourist attraction which can bring foreign tourists and this might even provide an opportunity for the construction of hotels, conference rooms and entertainment facilities to entertain our tourists. I believe that Zaka North Constituency, especially in Ward 33, might benefit from employment creation which can come as a result of this tourist attraction. The local people will get sustainable livelihoods through this mountain which has the shape of a map of Africa.
Let me also talk about value addition and beneficiation which the President talked about. I also noted that when His Excellency spoke about value addition, there are many minerals in Zaka North Constituency. My counterpart from Bikita spoke about the other resources and when I was engaging the people from my community, they said they have the machines to process the natural resources there. In Zaka, there is water, electricity and intelligent young people. Why do we not create our local industry so that we have factories which process natural resources like mashuku?
I want to talk about the issue that was raised by His Excellency regarding war veterans who fought for the liberation of Zimbabwe. The life that we live now is better than the life that was there before Independence. We appreciate the good job that was done by those who went to war. I appreciate those who were supporting from the rear, the chimbwidos and mujibhas. His Excellency said that the welfare of such people is quite important and I also looked at myself as a person who was born during the struggle. Some of us did not benefit much from spending time with parents because our parents were fighting for the liberation of Zimbabwe. So, I believe that even children of veterans of the struggle should have their welfare looked at so that they will also be happy.
His Excellency also talked about Bills that should be debated in this august House and I believe that Members of Parliament, including yourself Madam Speaker, have a responsibility to push the legislative agenda for our country to progress well. I believe that our leaders should look at the welfare of Hon. Members of this august House so that they do their job very well.
Let me end by saying, thank you very much for the opportunity that you have given me to debate and I appreciate the good job that is being done by Hon. Members. I thank you.
HON. JERE: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. First and foremost, let me start by congratulating His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his re-election as the President of our great nation Zimbabwe. Let me also congratulate yourself Madam Speaker for being re-elected Deputy Speaker. Let me also congratulate our Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip for being elected to their positions. Let me also congratulate my fellow Members of Parliament for being elected to be the representatives of the people in the august House. I want to congratulate them.
Let me start by giving you a quote to summarise the speech by His Excellency because that quote defines the kind of man he is. One of the renowned business tycoons in the world, Bill Gates once said “show me an organisation with integrity and I will show you undisputed success’. What Bill Gates meant is that integrity is equal to success. The President in his address expressed a lot of projects which were done by the Second Republic successfully in the two-year period – I do not want to say four years because the other two years we were under COVID-19 restrictions and nothing was happening.
To define this man as a man of integrity, let me show you undisputed success to the people of Zimbabwe. I can start with the expansion of Robert Gabriel International Airport. There are so many projects which can take off, but is there anyone who can dispute that success? Our Passport Office, I was there last week, the process took five minutes from the start up to the end – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – That is integrity. The man is at work, and integrity is equal to success. If we talk of the Beitbridge Border Post, as people, at times we do not want to celebrate our own success but people outside the country see what the President has done for us. Our Beitbridge Border Post even amazed the South African President. He was there to see what his counterpart has done. We need to applaud our President.
His Excellency the President has so much appetite for development. It will be unfair for us to go without pointing out at one of the projects which he successfully completed, which is the Parliament Building. If you go to that magnificent building, even the Opposition Members were happy to be in that building. That is part of the work being done by a man of integrity; integrity is equal to success. Show me a man of integrity, I am putting it in my own way, then I will show you the success that he has achieved for our great nation and for his people.
Madam Speaker, our President in his speech, spoke about various projects which he has done and some of them which are near completion. He calls himself a servant leader but when I was looking at him and the work he has done for our great nation, His Excellency is a transformational leader. He qualifies all the four ‘Is’ for a transformational leader for what he has done for our country and his people. The President is an intellectual motivator. Just yesterday he was presiding on an innovation conferencing which he opened that very day. That is his appetite for innovation which qualifies him as a transformational leader.
Our President does not stop amazing me with the way he has managed to connect generations from his time as a liberation fighter, from what he has done for this country and to what he is doing for the current generation, the way he is bringing people and everything together. He is the right man to lead us, he is the right man to lead our country with his vision. Our President is a visionary, it amazed me how he came up with Vision 2030 with the environment dynamisms, with what is happening in our economy where there are a lot of uncertainties but one can sit down and come up with Vision 2030. That is quite amazing to describe such a man. I will not be surprised to see him coming up with NDS 2. He started with the TSP and moved on to NDS 1, which he is expecting to yield results by 2025. Then from 2025, I am not surprised to find him coming up with a national NDS 2, to then bridge the gap from 2025 to 2030 to achieve his Vision 2030.
Madam Speaker, what the President spoke about, they are there for all of us to see. Let me tell you a story which made me to feel so proud and sad at the same time. Three days ago, I was travelling from South Africa, I had a group of white visitors who were coming here. The way they celebrated our airports yet us Zimbabweans are failing to celebrate something which was done by our own resources and our own people, it is so sad. They were saying this is a beautiful airport and they were jumping around – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Madam Speaker, let me talk about the successes which were done by the President in my own constituency. I am from Murewa West Constituency which is 60 kilometers from here. That is where I am coming from. We had a very bad incident where one family lost two family members - a 12-year old boy and the other one was doing Form 2. They died from malaria. I had to go there this morning, that is where I am coming from. There are a lot of success projects which the President has done under the Second Republic.
Madam Speaker, when the President came into office, he spoke about nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, let us try to build Zimbabwe using our own resources. Those words were prophetic. In my own area that is where Kunzvi Dam is being built, it is now 45% complete. They are busy working on it. If I tell you, there are so many minerals which some of us have never heard of which are under exploration. The minerals are supporting the vision of the visionary, to support the words of a gifted and spiritual leader of His Excellency the President.
As I went around doing business around the constituency, there were issues which I want this august House to take note of. I hope as we will be enacting the various laws - I am concerned about the chronic diseases’ issues in my own area, especially hypertension. People are having problems in accessing drugs. My humble appeal to this august House is, if we can come up with a policy for those who are fifty years and above so that they will be able to access free medical aid. The old people are suffering yet they have worked for this country tirelessly. They need to be taken care of in terms of medication.
Last month I went to UK and I am happy that people are now starting to realise the great work that is being done by the President. For example, a group of ten people, eight of them were talking about the chronic diseases like hypertension. They were saying they were sending their parents money to buy medication but they were failing to get the drugs. It is a problem which I also faced in my constituency as I was campaigning. It is something that I would want to put forward, if it can be looked into. I know there is free medical access to those who are sixty years and above, but I am of the opinion that if the age group can be brought down to fifty years because our people are suffering. If we can start with hypertension, I know there are so many chronic illnesses but let us start with hypertension patients. It is a very big problem which you find in almost every household. Let us do this to complement what our President is doing to this great nation.
On that note Madam Speaker, a lot of things have been done but let me come to the last aspect of the Bills which the President has spoken about. He requested this august House to quickly look at them and make sure that they are enacted into law. What I want to appeal to the august House is that laws are very important. These are the tools for development which need to be used by someone who has got so much appetite for development, like our President. I do not think we have much work but it is a question of looking at those Bills in his SONA speech so that he will be able to execute some of the projects without being hindered by some of the colonial laws which we are currently using. One of them which I have got interest in, I have got three which I am going to talk about because they were so many. He spoke about 53 Bills, and five of them are already at a certain level of completion which this House will be looking at.
I am going to look at the Sports Bill. I have got a lot of interest in sports. It is so sad that in our country, we do not have a stadium to host matches. In his speech, His Excellency emphasised the importance of sports and one of them is health. It is something that I would want my fellow Hon. Members as we are looking at these laws, to look at quickly and put it into law so that we can have at least one international stadium. Sports are very important because if people are involved in sports so much, they forget about other things which are happening. At times we spend a day or a week discussing a sport which was played in 1996. It is something that can occupy people’s minds and it can also bring in what we call physical health or even mental health, when people are involved in sport. That is one of the Bills which I was looking at.
The next Bill, His Excellency was spot on when he was talking about the SMEs Bill. I am working on a model to improve relevance on SMEs. If we start from the law perspective, we will now be able to have a model that can be used to make sure that our SMEs, unlike the current situation whereby most SMEs only exist from zero to three or five years and they go under, it is because we do not have laws. You know we have got a ministry which is working on that.
So, we need to come up with laws which can help because there are different models which are used in different countries depending on what you want to achieve. It is one area which is very critical because 80% of African industry is hinged on SMEs. It is a very important Bill that we need to look at quickly to make sure that we get men at work productive, without these tools, they will not be successful in what they intend to do.
The third Bill that I also want to look at and pass my comment on is the Youth Bill - Drug Abuse. We are worried that we might end up looking for very old men in our communities to make sure that the next generations are made. Our young generation is dying because of drugs. They are stark even when they get into their bedrooms, it is very dangerous for a nation to have people getting stuck on drugs, especially the young generation. The future of every country is in the young generation. It is something that we also want to look at with the urgency it deserves to ensure that before we pass on, our kids have life. Our country will go under their noses. It is another risk which we have and we will not have a very good future generation to look into this. It is something we would like to thank the President for, with his mindset, he is a visionary man indeed. On that note, thank you very much for affording me this opportunity to air my own views on the things which are obtaining on the ground, including my own constituency.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Jere. I am sorry to hear about the death of two minors which you mentioned. My condolences.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am from Hurungwe East. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was delivered by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on the 3rd of October, 2023. I would like to congratulate the President for having won the election resoundingly. I would also want to congratulate you and the Speaker for the reelection and my colleagues in the House. I want to thank the President and the 2nd Republic for delivering on a number of promises in the 9th Parliament.
I stand before you today as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Hurungwe East Constituency wherefore, I am very excited and very happy. So, with the sense of responsibility and gratitude, it is both an honour and the privilege to address this august House for the first time in my life which I had never dreamt of. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the people of Hurungwe East for entrusting me with this mandate to represent the aspirations and their voices in this hallowed Chamber. We gather here today to reflect on the President’s State of the Nation Address delivered on 3rd October, 2023 during the Official Opening of the 1st session of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe.
This address by His Excellency, the President, outlined the Government’s priorities and vision for the nation in the coming years. It is an address that highlights the commitment of our 2nd Republic to take Zimbabwe towards the path of progress, development and prosperity. The President began his address by acknowledging the recent successful Harmonised General Elections which were conducted in accordance with our democratic traditions and practice. He congratulated all the elected Members of Parliament and Senators, recognising the immense responsibility that comes with serving our great nation.
The President emphasised the progress made in various sectors of our economy despite the challenges posed by illegal sanctions. He highlighted his achievements in agriculture and the growth of our mining sector and the measures taken to enhance power supply and road infrastructure. The impressive growth in the tourism sector and the development of our science and technology were also celebrated. We must appreciate the Government’s commitment to industrialisation, infrastructure development and the empowerment of small-scale enterprises which are essential for the improvement of the livelihood of our citizen.
The President’s remarks on decentralisation and improving access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation service underscore our commitment to bettering the lives of our fellow Zimbabweans. One of the most noteworthy initiative is the drilling of 35 000 boreholes which in particular, is significant in areas like Hurungwe East Constituency where I come from. Access to reliable water sources is essential for agriculture. Additionally, the establishment of village agro-business units will consolidate our national agriculture productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency.
Madam Speaker, as a representative of Hurungwe East, I am particularly heartened by these measures as they are directly benefiting our predominantly crop growing constituency where good yields are essential for the livelihoods of our people.
President Mnangagwa also outlined a comprehensive legislative agenda for this Parliament. He underscored the importance of concluding Bills from the previous Parliament and introducing new legislation, including measures to address climate changes, economic empowerment, health and empowerment of our youth, as we know, a majority of them are being affected by drug and substance abuse.
He also talked about women empowerment. As we prepare to deliberate on these Bills, we should be mindful of their potential impact on our people. Our duty as representatives is to ensure that these laws truly serve the best of our constituencies, promote transparency and uphold the rule of law.
The President’s address also highlighted the need to strengthen our partnership and cooperation with the international community, ratify important international agreements and conventions, amend laws that align with our constitutional principals and vital steps in this direction.
Furthermore, President Mnangagwa emphasised the importance of unity, peace and patriotism in building our beloved nation. He noted the progress made in various provinces, acknowledging the contribution of our local communities to our national development. In his closing remarks, President Mnangagwa expressed his belief in the strength and resilience of the people of Zimbabwe and emphasised the importance of unity and peace in achieving our national goals. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- He shared this commitment to the welfare of our citizens as exemplified by the distribution of computers and farming inputs like Pfumvudza. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that these promises are fulfilled and the welfare of our constituencies is in all our deliberations.
In conclusion, let me reiterate my commitment to serve the people of Hurungwe and all Zimbabweans with dedication, integrity and passion. I look forward to working alongside all of you in this Parliament for the betterment of our beloved nation. Together we can build a brighter and more prosperous Zimbabwe for the generations to come. Like the President said, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, igotongwa nevene vayo, igonamatirwa nevene vayo.” I thank you Madam Speaker. God bless Hurungwe; God bless Mashonaland West, God Bless Zimbabwe.
*HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am quite pained, even when we are here at Parliament, you would find that I do not like gossip, I want straight forward talk. It was really painful because during the liberation struggle, there were many battles fought in Guruve, despite that, there was no meaningful development in that area, but through the leadership of the President of Zimbabwe Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, there are many developmental projects which are taking place now. I speak about issues that I know, I am not a prostitute and I am not a person who is mentally unstable….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, may you please withdraw the words you spoke that you are not a- prostitute or mentally unstable.
*HON. CHIBAGU: I withdraw, please forgive me. Those who write lies, please remove what I said. I want to withdraw those words I said.
I appreciate Hon. President Mnangagwa and the fact that he won these elections resoundingly. We are now 43 years in independence, but from independence, we were in disaster and have been suffering in my constituency. President Mnangagwa has noticed areas like Mbire and he uplifted the areas. Some were saying that we were Hottentots or Bushmen and Nomads. In Dande, we have been recognised by President E. D. Mnangagwa and has even noticed the plight of the Mbire people. He has improved their lives.
So, as Zimbabweans, we must listen to our President because he is a visionary leader. As a country, if we listen to the words that were said by His Excellency, development is guaranteed in the country. We must desist from fighting each other and focus on building one another so that we will be productive. I also want to thank President E. D. Mnangagwa and I want to congratulate him for the resounding victory in the elections and as Zimbabweans, we did a good thing by voting for him. The Mbire people are now recognised as people. We have meaningful development which includes irrigation schemes, roads, mining projects like Eureka Mine, Jumbo Mine among other developmental projects. Now the road is busy with buses. From time immemorial, we were travelling to Guruve to get buses and when I came to Parliament, I would sleep at Guruve Centre to board a bus. Now, buses are plying up and down our road because of President E. D. Mnangagwa. His Excellency knows where he is going.
As representatives of the people, let us work together to build this nation because His Excellency is a person who cares for people and is a person who wants Zimbabwe to develop. Even the group that came last time as Parliament to the new mine, you will discover that there is a lot of mining that is happening. People are happy, they appreciate and now know where they are going. Even the opposition is now confused, they do not know what to say…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, please withdraw that statement.
*HON. CHIBAGU: I withdraw. Please forgive me. I would like to thank our President, as the residents of Mbire and Guruve we are prosperous in terms of development and food security. A lot of developmental projects are happening in our area. In the past, people used to call us Bushmen or Hottentots. In Kanyemba right now, there are many irrigation schemes that were done by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Everyone is happy in Kanyemba. I invite you to Guruve.
At Mushumbi Centre, a place which was used as a base by war veterans during the liberation struggle, there is a big irrigation scheme. There are many cash crops that are being farmed in this area including maize and wheat. In the past, we did not know about wheat because we used to survive on traditional foods. These meaningful developmental projects clearly show that the President of Zimbabwe is a gifted and talented leader
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, when you are speaking about the President, we do not refer to him as a son or child but we say President Mnangagwa and we end there.
*HON. CHIBAGU: My apologies Madam Speaker, I withdraw my statement. May the President continue to work hard and improve the livelihoods of all Zimbabweans. The President is working for the development of everyone without being selective. Those who undermine the President do not know where they are coming from or going. The car I was given by Parliament runs very fast on the tarred road all the way to Kanyemba because of the improved road infrastructure. All these developments were not there in our area but since the inception of the Second Republic, they are there now.
There is a lot of meaningful development in our area, we now have grinding mills. In the past, we used to rely on manual labour for grinding maize for meals. May God Bless our President.
Madam Speaker, kindly forgive your Hon Member. Let me conclude by saying May God Bless our President. Forgive me if I failed to present myself clearly. As Zimbabweans, let us unite and continue to work hard for the development of our country. Thank you.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to start by congratulating our Joshua of today, His Excellency, the Head of State and Government, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his resounding and undisputed victory in the just ended harmonised General Elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Subsequently, to the Deputy Speaker and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Adv. J. Mudenda, together with his counterparts, Hon. M. Chinomona and her Deputy Rtd. Lt. Gen. M. Nyambuya for re-election and appointment to be the Presiding officers of this Tenth Parliament. I say to you, congratulations, makorokoto, amhlope.
Madam Speaker, I am here to debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered on the 3rd of October, 2023 by the Head of State and Government, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I would like to start by thanking His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa who emphasised the need to expedite the implementation of Education 5.0 by this Tenth Parliament. This shows the commitment of the man of few words but more action, who is none other than the Joshua of our time, His Excellency the President.
Madam Speaker, on that note of Education 5.0, I think this Tenth Parliament is going to touch on many other issues regarding Education 5.0. on the education of both primary and secondary, as well as higher and tertiary, science and technology respectively. We expect this august House and all its Portfolio Committees to work on Education Bills such as Education 5.0 which encourages and promotes curriculum and syllabus that benefits the learners after completing their studies. It is high time that we tell ourselves the truth, which is about redefining an educated society from a highly literate society, as these two are often and for a long time been confused.
Madam Speaker, if we are not going to deliberately take the stance in making sure that we promote and advocate for the new curriculum in both primary and secondary education, we will face a situation of continuing to reproduce what I often term as eloquent, fluent English job seekers.
The President also touched on issues to do with SMEs and micro-economic support systems, development and legal instruments, flexible and affordable financial lending terms as well as provision of infrastructure facilities, paying special attention to the women and youths in particular, with the aim of integrating them into the mainstream economy. Madam Speaker, this is in line with the tabled the tabled Competition and Economic Empowerment Bill, hence working towards His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 of an upper middle-class economy under his mantra ‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
Madam Speaker, let me also touch a bit on agriculture. Our agriculture requires an urgent broad base support system working from a land audit final report which we should shift from and now focus on production audit in order to discourage the holding of unproductive land by lease holders. This is short-changing many Zimbabweans that are capable of contributing to our food security, food reserves and exports. We should know that we are not different from the hunters where we eat what we kill.
Now, because of climate change Madam Speaker, we should maximise all the productive land within what we call greenbelt areas like Mvurwi, Centenary, Banket, Chegutu and Marondera, to mention just a few under the Climate Change Amendment Bill. Madam Speaker, in making emphasis on making sure that we thoroughly focus on the production audit, it helps our reserves, it also helps other areas that are also not doing quite well in terms of farming.
Madam Speaker, this issue of people who have got land and not utilising it, is depriving other people who have got passion for farming. We are aware that most of the people are actually renting these places. Some are even renting up to 5 farms because they have got a passion and a calling for farming. Some of those who own those pieces of land are not doing anything, others are converting those farms into cemeteries.
Madam Speaker, let me turn to the accessibility and the required commitment, dedication and unconditional services to our respective constituencies. In as much as we are known as lawmakers, I strongly believe we are also Government developmental agencies and spokespersons of the people we represent. Largely across the country on political boundaries, people were not given enough time for public consultation on delimitation and consolidation of constituency proposal. Madam Speaker, since we are often told that we are the lawmakers, it means that as Parliamentarians, we can adjust or effect some changes to anything as we may see it fit as long as we have the consensus of the citizens we represent.
Madam Speaker, as legislators, we do represent all the people registered and nonregistered adult voters, school going pupils and the toddlers yet to be enrolled in school. This is undisputed evidence that we do not only represent the set threshold registered voters to form a constituency. Therefore, it is my hope that during this 10th Parliament, we will break the record of having been able to craft and come up with the law that uses census population, geographical and demographical space to come up with constituency and ward boundaries. This law adjustment proposal resonates very well with our current Joshua of today, His Excellency President Dr. Mnangagwa’s mantra, ‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
Madam Speaker, the current boundaries have created a political, social and culture discourse. I can give an example; in my constituency, there are 4 constituencies which share boundaries in a single ward. This has caused difficulties to regularly reach and meet up with the people we represent, especially when the legislators want to go around the constituency for consultations or developmental oversight. CDF distribution is unavoidable in giving of moral support such as attending and giving help during funerals, in disastrous situations such as outbreak struck areas, on damaged or flooded bridges and roads as well as schools damaged by wind or areas affected by hunger.
Madam Speaker, rural constituency re-delimitation and urban constituency consolidation will enable and help Parliamentarians to represent all people from the respective constituencies well.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the reason why our citizens felt that there was less consultation regarding the delimitation is that, if we compare the rural constituency, some are stretching as far as close to 200 kilometers embedded roads in some instance with difficult accessibility to other areas. Some constituencies even have about 9 or 10 constituencies like the one I represent in Gutu East.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the consolidation proposal in the urban set up, we strongly believe that considering the geographical location, if the urban constituency Member of Parliament wants to meet up or to go about on any consultation to his or her constituency, if we are to consolidate for example Glen Norah-Highfield constituency, it is easily accessible. You may only need two meetings, one in Gwanzura and one in Glen Norah Stadium, and you will have already met up with your people that you present.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Take your seat Hon. Member. You are debating SONA and you have to be very careful that you debate that which was stated by His Excellency, the President during SONA. What you are now debating is a matter that is very mute because section 161 of the Constitution regarding delimitation is gone. If you would want to raise the issues, perhaps before the 2028 Harmonised General Elections, you may move a motion so that the delimitation be looked into but even then, you will be out of context because the delimitation is done every 10 years. It means you will have to fight hard to be back in Parliament so that in 2033, you may raise the issue accordingly before the delimitation exercise commences because we will have concluded almost 10 years accordingly. The Hon. Member should stand guided accordingly. That is Hon. Ganyiwa.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You have five minutes to conclude.
HON. GANYIWA: Okay I will conclude.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. You do not say to the Hon. Chair, okay I will conclude. You say I will conclude Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. GANYIWA: My apologies Mr. Speaker Sir. I will conclude in less than five minutes. Let me go back to the issue touching on the Micro Economic Support System Developmental and Strategies through the legal framework or through crafting legal framework, flexible and affordable financial lending terms to the SMEs in support or in complementing the Competition and Economic Empowerment Bill, hence working towards His Excellency’s vision of attaining the 2030 upper middle economy.
Let me conclude, Mr. Speaker Sir, by making an emphasis, especially on the issues from the constituency I represent. I come from Gutu East where we have water bodies with water just flowing through without being utilised. Hence, we look forward to using small portions for irrigation schemes. We can achieve food self-sufficiency for our people if we are to get some irrigation schemes along Nyazvidzi River as well as the additional secondary schools. We have got about 89 schools, but we do not have secondary schools that are close by.
I thank you Hon. Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to present my debate. Thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: I would like to thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Honourable. You can remain standing. Acting Chief Whip, I see your numbers are few here. Can you send a word around to your Hon. Members that when you are here in Harare and the House is sitting, even if you do not have to speak, you are required to be inside in attendance. The other half, more or less, is not here and they will receive coupons at tax payers’ expense, that is unacceptable. They have to be in attendance here and listen also. You do not have to debate, but listen to what others are saying and learn from what they are saying to find out to what extent what they are saying could be applicable at the constituency where you stay.
Also, I see only one Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Hon. Moyo. Where are the others? They have to be here as well so that they can understand the dynamics of issues coming from the various constituencies and learn to apply that information where it is applicable.
The Clerks who do the attendance lists are alive to that. People, especially from the ruling party must lead by example. You do not come here for five minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes and then you disappear, that is improper. You have to be here all the time. I hope your gadgets are working there to see who has come in and has gone out after 10 minutes and did not come back. Use those gadgets and we will apply the Standing Rules and Orders accordingly. Do we understand each other Acting Chief Whip? Thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address which was presented in this House. Firstly, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly in the peaceful elections. I also would like to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir and the Deputy Speaker for being re-elected into this House. This means that you are doing a good job. I want to congratulate the Hon. Members for being elected into the 10th Parliament.
I want to talk on the State of the Nation Address which was presented by His Excellency, the President, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa. I want to touch on a few issues because most of the issues have been touched on by previous speakers. Firstly, I would like to touch on the issue of electricity supply in the country. The President spoke on Unit 7 and 8 at the Hwange Power Station. Through the new dispensation, we have a reduction in load shedding. This has resulted in an increased supply of electricity to the nation. Looking back, there was not enough electricity supply and we suffered constant electricity supply cuts, but since the coming of the Second Republic, there has been a reduction in electricity power supply cuts. I would like to commend the Second Republic for a job well done.
I believe with his vision, all these programmes are interlinked. Electricity is linked to health issues, which means that if a hospital has electricity, then a lot of things are going to happen. There are some hospitals which need to be refurbished and some which need to be recapacitated with machinery. People do not so that people do not walk long distances to access healthcare because they would have the health care in their local areas.
I want to go back to the State of the Nation Address, the President said no one and no place should be left behind, which means that with electricity, everyone is going to benefit from the President’s initiative and developmental programmes. Looking at Mt. Darwin North, where I come from, Ngoma Clinic, Negomo and Chimbudzi clinics were built during the New Dispensation. When the President says that the nation is built by its owners, indeed I saw local community members working towards the construction of these clinics. They contributed to the building of the clinics.
I also want to look at Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which speaks to cultivation and ensuring you have food security. People in Mt. Darwin North grow millet and everyone is food secured. The GMB Kamusenzere or Dande Store is full with the small grain crops such as sorghum and those into poultry keeping can use the sorghum as poultry feed. I would like to thank His Excellency the President for introducing this programme which speaks to cultivating for food security. Indeed, it is easy to lead people who have food security. Looking at this programme and Vision 2030, I believe that we will achieve the middle-class economy. In the Bible, it is written, obedience is better than sacrifice. When we are told to cultivate our land so that we have food, you may not do that but you queue for fertilizer and other inputs. We need to teach people to work hard and do what we are told to do so that we have food security in the country.
There is an adage which says water is life and the President introduced the borehole drilling programme around the country. There are 35 000 boreholes that are to be drilled because His Excellency says no one and no place would be left behind.
Looking at the laws which are supposed to be passed in this House, it reflects that His Excellency values our culture as Africans and Zimbabweans as a people. On the Road Rehabilitation Programme, when we were growing up, we only knew that there is Masvingo necarpet, meaning that the road was well constructed and tarred. Now, with the coming in of the Second Republic, most roads have been constructed and are now tarred. In Mt. Darwin North, on Independence celebrations, His Excellency the President talked about the rehabilitation of Mukumbura Road. That is a busy road with more traffic and many accidents but we know the President will not forsake us and will not leave anyone and any place behind. This satisfies me knowing that the captain of the train, His Excellency, knows what he is doing as the leader of Zimbabwe…
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please mention that the train of Zimbabwe, not just a train.
*HON. MUNEMO: I am sorry Mr. Speaker Sir. Indeed, I am happy because of the good things that are being done by His Excellency.
I now want to talk about education. The children we see Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to catch them young. This means that we need to teach children from a tender age. His Excellency demonstrates his ability by introducing 5.0 curriculum, which means young children are taught life skills and vocational skills from a tender age. Instead of a student failing ordinary level and remaining idle, His Excellency is saying let us empower the young ones with different vocational skills, whether it is electrical engineering, mechanics or any other vocational skill. This will take them away from the streets and drug abuse. This means everyone is moving forward, no one is going back.
Last month in Goora where young people are being taught skills by the National Youth Service, we saw a lot of activities being done by the children. There is brick laying, poultry and layer chickens producing eggs. These are programmes being done by His Excellency…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, the Hon. Member who just came in through the door on my far left, may you stand up. Are you an Hon. Member? Where is your tie! Go and be properly dressed for the House.
The Hon. Member left the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, proceed.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was talking about young students who are at Goora Vocational Training Centre and there were 40 students who were about to complete their studies. It looked like the scholars were well behaved. They were moulding bricks and also kept point of lay chickens and broilers. That alone attested to the fact that in our country, we have children who remember where they came from and use their hands to make a living. So the President’s 5.0 programme shows that he is interested in our young people’s future.
Lastly, to all Hon. Members here present, let me just say that all the President is doing and what he has been saying is now up to us to implement. We have to go back to the electorate and relay the message from the President so that Vision 2030 can be achieved. If as MPs, we fail to do anything without implementing the President’s vision, we will have failed because in Shona they say, chako wega mukonde wesadza. What this means is that whatever the President says, we should implement so that we get results. There is another idiom which says, rume rimwe harikombe churu, which means this work has to be done by everyone if we are to achieve Vision 2030. There is yet another idiom which says, chinosakadza tauro hakusi kugezeswa asi kusvinwa. The way we treat our country shows us where we are going. If we neglect it as if it is not our country, it means we are not going anywhere. Let me conclude by saying we need to continue supporting our President in all the programmes that he has in store for this country. That alone will positively impact our lives. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: But I did not feel kusvinwa kwacho Hon. Member. Can you explain further?
*HON. MUNEMO: It means compressing and twisting to force out water or wringing.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Oh, okay, thank you very much.
*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to congratulate you and your Deputy for retaining your positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. I also want to congratulate His Excellency, the President for his resounding win which did not warrant a rerun. If I was allowed to sing, I would have done so to congratulate the President Cde. E. D Mnangagwa. As MPs, we are also proud to be here because things were tough out there, but the President stood by us and helped us campaign until we won. Congratulations to all who were chosen to lead this country for the next five years. We are here today because of our good leader President E. D Mnangagwa, a leader who takes care of his own and shelters us. He spoke well and all the people heard and resultantly voted resoundingly. The most important thing that happened here is that there was peace during and after the elections, and that is commendable. Some countries are suffering because of war. Their presidents attempt to instill peace within their countries, but no one listens. Our people listened and to date we are still enjoying a peaceful environment, a month after the elections.
Our roads have been rehabilitated and we now drive smoothly to Beitbridge, Mutare or Plumtree border posts. All the major roads are in a good state and they are well lit during the night. I am not sure where the President is copying this from, but he is implementing good things in Zimbabwe. During his address, he said we are wheat sufficient meaning we will not run out of bread as the flour is ours and we are no longer importing. So, we can have our tea with bread or buns without any worries. Zimbabweans are now taking farming seriously. Even though it is not the season for maize, you can see green mealies being roasted and we are eating mealies throughout the year. This shows that something good is happening in our country. Many agricultural activities are being carried out through irrigation schemes. Our children used to go for greener pastures, but currently I do not know if there are still any going to look for greener pastures as we now have them here in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as a PR MP, I was chosen by women to lead in the women’s quota. I felt what the President was speaking of when he said there were 35 000 boreholes which will be sunk village by village throughout the country. The amazing thing is that we have resources but those who are lazy will be left behind but the important thing is that people will work hard. As women, our lives have been made easier as we now will not have to fetch water from afar. We are learning a lot because in the past, we saw women receiving vegetables, seeds and so on, and now we are reaping from such projects. We thank President E.D. Mnangagwa and we hope this will continue.
Looking at the issues which concern us, the issue that our children are abusing drug substances; the President spoke about drug substance abuse which is destroying families, our young people and the future of Zimbabwe. Looking at our young people who live on the streets, it is a sign that the drugs that they are taking are dangerous. Our hope is that people will take heed of the President’s advice that those who sell or trade in drugs and other illicit substances should be arrested and prosecuted. As representatives of this august House, we are going to advocate for the prosecution of those who sell drugs. We appreciate the President’s initiative in the spate of these drugs.
We thank the President again for the different mining initiatives. In the past, we knew that our mountains were for wild animals and forests but now our mountains are producing minerals. God has opened our eyes to realise that we are indeed blessed with minerals such as lithium, diamonds and gold. This is good because this is taking away poverty improving people’s livelihoods and the locals are now living better lives.
I want to end by saying that there were a number of Bills and laws which are going through this august House and laws which are being amended. You find that some people were personalising some things but we have inheritance laws regarding wills and inheritance. These inheritance laws are going to benefit the nation. If someone receives inheritance from their parents or spouses, then this is going to be respected according to the law. You find that sometimes spouses would not benefit from their late husbands’ estates because of different cultures but the inheritance law is correcting that.
Th Mineral Bill and other Bills, the President wants the people of Zimbabwe to be developmental. He wants Zimbabwe to be proud. He also spoke about value addition of different products. The First Lady went to showcase value addition in different countries in the Arab nations…
THE HON. SPEAKER: She went to Spain.
HON. ZEMURA: Yes, Spain. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, where she prepared our Zimbabwean food and people really enjoyed the food. So, we saw our food proliferating into the world through the First Lady’s efforts.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SPARE SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. DHLIWAYO, the House adjourned at a Quarter to Five o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 17th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
ISSUING OF WIFI AND EMAIL CREDENTIALS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to remind the Senate that the Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT) will be issuing WiFi and e-mail credentials to Hon. Senators. In order to expedite this business, officials from the ICT Department will be stationed at the Members Dining from 1400hrs every sitting day this week.
MEDICAL AID SCHEMES FOR HON. SENATORS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also have to advise Senate that Members are encouraged to be on any medical aid scheme of their choice. For those who opt to join PSMAS which is the only medical scheme where Government complements the Member by contributing 80% while the Member contributes 20%, Hon. Members are advised that a representative from PSMAS is available in the Members’ Dining Hall with application forms. Further, be advised that PSMAS has indicated that the waiting period of three months will be waived for any member who joins before the 25th of October, 2023.
APPOINTMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: In addition, I have to inform the Senate that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has appointed the following Members to serve on International Parliamentary Statutory Bodies as follows:
African Parliamentary Union
Hon. T. Gezi, Hon. T. M. Karumazondo, Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe, Hon. S. Matsunga.
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane Khumalo, Hon. Sen. Muzenda, Hon. N. Maunganidze, Hon. J. Nyelele, Hon. B. Nyamupinga, Hon. T. Karikoga, Hon. G. O. Siziba.
Joint Parliamentary Assembly and E. U. Africa Parliamentary Assembly (OACPSEU)
Hon. Gen. (Rtd) Nyambuya, Hon. P. Moyo, Hon. Adv. Madzimbamuto.
Pan African Parliament
Hon. Sen. Chief. F. Z Charumbira, Hon. P. Togarepi, Hon. Tafanana Zhou, Hon. E. Masuku, Hon. J. Hadebe.
SADC Parliamentary Forum
Hon. T. Nyabani, Hon. M. Mugomo, Hon. Sen. Chief Matsivo, Hon. L. Karenyi.
Association of Senate Shoora and Equivalent Council in Africa in the Arab World
Hon. M. Bimha, Hon. P. Mupfumira, Hon. J. Z. Timba, Hon. Sen. Chief Dandawa.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022, presented to this House in term of Section 323 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Madam President, I move for the adjournment of the debate on this motion to allow Members to read the report and then we can debate it later. We distributed the copies last week. I submit, it is still very early to hope that everyone has managed to go through it. So, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Madam President, I rise that this House takes note of the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022, presented to this House in terms of Section 262 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. I submit Madam President.
Madam President I think it is the same story. I do not think Hon. Senators have gone through it and also maybe if the Clerk can advise the sent report.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have the advice here.
HON. ZIYAMBI: Thank you. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am now hereby being given information that the reports were distributed electronically in your gadgets by the administration. I think Hon. Members will have to check in their cellphones. Maybe just ask management to check whether it was done so that they make sure it is distributed and you go through and understand it. You will have to debate it tomorrow. I thank you.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Madam President for according me this opportunity to respond and contribute to the President’s State of the Nation Address which was presented by His Excellency, President Mnangagwa on 3rd October, 2023 at the new Parliament building.
May I start by congratulating His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, for being re-elected as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.. I would also like to congratulate you Madam President and your Deputy, Hon. Sen. Nyambuya, for also being re-elected into this esteemed office. May I also congratulate all Members of the Senate who have been elected into the office and hope that we will be able to execute our mandate diligently.
Madam President, His Excellency challenged the 10th Parliament to accelerate the completion of outstanding matters which were not finished in the 9th Parliament and also to new business for this Parliament, to give impetus related to climate change when the 10th Parliament is called to review the Water Act, the ZINWA Act, Plant and Breeders Act and the much anticipated Climate Change Bill will be introduced. The Parks and Wildlife Bill is being amended while the Human and Wildlife Relief will be set up to offer monitory benefits to affected victims of wildlife and human conflict. Enactment of the Bill should be expedited to accelerate the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme which will contribute greatly towards universal health coverage. When passed, these Bills will further demonstrate Government’s long standing commitment to Vision 2030.
Madam President, His Excellency in his address talked about the Parks and Wild Act being amended, whilst the Human and Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund will be introduced. Zimbabwe faces serious human wildlife conflicts that threaten safety and livelihoods. Over the past 10 years at least over 200 people have been killed and several injured and a lot of property destroyed. Latest statistics state that Zimbabwe has around 100 000 elephants and yet the parks area is for 50 000 elephants. Zimbabwe has the second largest elephant animal population second to Botswana which is the highest at 130 000. The two countries constitute over 50% of the world’s wildlife population of elephants.
It is also important to understand the drivers for each landscape from ward level to national and across the border. Some of the drivers are increased human and wildlife population. I have already noted that we have more than double what as a country we can keep for elephants alone. The drivers if not managed, will lead to pressure resulting in wildlife and human conflicts and also blockage in certain corridors, especially Matabeleland North where Matabeleland North alone has over 61 000 elephants and thus, decrease the habitat for the elephants.
There is increased frequency of animals moving out into the human territory causing more conflict. People are killed and a lot of property is destroyed because there is an increase in the human wildlife conflict. As a nation, our response is on developing, passing and enacting laws and policies that support a good relationship between human beings and wildlife. It is important to monitor drivers so that we reduce pressure, especially in areas most affected by wildlife. Responses must be well informed and backed by appropriate means and operational infrastructure to make sure that we manage the situation. Some of the cooperating partners include CAMPFIRE, a PVO whose mission is to promote and facilitate rural district councils, their communities and other public and private agencies to implement and support activities conducive to the development of communal areas through sustainable and unlimited natural resources in the communal areas, these also assist with policing. There is a lot of poaching which goes on in the areas where there is a lot of wildlife. Therefore, our own law enforcement agency, including CAMPFIRE, can also assist in enforcing.
The Climate Change Bill should, among other issues, regulate greenhouse emissions and facilitate low carbon emission. This should be thoroughly researched and debated with a view to strengthening appropriate institutions and funding mechanisms. Climate change is a reality and is with us. There is need to build capacity for all sectors to be able to adapt to changing climate which potentially affects many sectors. Our communities are strongly affected by climate change. We need an inclusive orderly approach where we do not leave anyone behind. In the debates and discussions, there must be wide consultation of all the affected communities. We have all recently witnessed the heat, unbearably high last weekend where temperatures in Harare were over 44oc. Also, there is a lot of gas emissions which come from motor vehicles and other industrial issues. This requires adaptation strategies that include participation in climate change to cope with the demands that cause common effects to humans. We understand that last week there was a lot of dehydration, people fainting and collapsing because of the effects of the tremendous heat due to the climate change which we have.
Seasons have changed Madam President. Some time ago, before we came to know about the phenomenon of climate change, we would even predict the season. You would know by 15th October or November, the rains would come, but at the moment, we do not have that capacity because the climate has changed a lot. We build resilience, we enhance predictions, innovation and use of technology to ensure that we are prepared for climate change negative impacts. We are all aware about the storms and the cyclone which affected many areas. We also know about the recurrent droughts which have occurred in Zimbabwe and other countries in the world, especially in the region, those are all as a result of climate change.
We need to adapt strategies which will make sure that whether there is a drought or cyclone, we are able to manage the situation without loss of people and property. Thus, the Climate Change Bill is timely and must be informed by thorough stakeholder consultations so that we come up with the real issues which need to be managed. The Bill also seeks to come up with low carbon emission technologies. I know Madam President that at the moment, we have carbon tax which is collected and this is supposed to be given to EMA to manage their programme. Unfortunately, Madam President, this has not happened. The money has been collected and it is with the fiscus, but has not been given to EMA. Thus, they are not able to do some of the things which they are supposed to be doing. They need to be given their money so that they are able to do whatever they can to manage the climate change issues.
The Bill should effectively respond to the negative impacts, some of which them I have stated already. They affect mainly our vulnerable members, women, children and the physically or differently abled which we sometimes call disabled. I am saying differently abled because some might be visibly physically disabled while some might be mentally challenged, it is just that we are differently abled. We all have some disability of some sort. Some of the funds or technologies which are going to be used should assist all the vulnerable.
In his address to the nation, the President set out our legislative agenda which also included the issue of National Health Insurance Bill. This, if it is to be introduced, will alleviate and make health services available to most communities which, at the moment, are unable to access because of financial constraints. We hope when the Bill comes, we should be able to debate it and make sure at the end of the day the masses benefit from the National Health Insurance. It should be set out in a way that it is not only for the formal sector, the informal sector must also be brought into this.
We know our people are used to clubs, societies and so forth; the Health Insurance should cover people in rural and farming areas so that they also benefit as far as medical situations are concerned. However, more needs to be done. There are new challenges coming up. We are still coming out of COVID. We know we have recurrent Cholera and other waterborne diseases. We have a lot of other diseases which are non-communicable. We need to have this Bill so that people are able to access health services in their own areas, not the situation whereby people have to come to the big cities to get assistance. We need to have insurance which covers all aspects of the sector so that people can be assisted.
I commend Government for introducing innovative ways of raising more money from local resources to fund healthcare delivery. For instance, the AIDS levy, mobile health levy and NCD taxis. However, many of our people are not covered by the health insurance and face out of pocket expenditure in accessing healthcare, something that the proposed Bill would address conclusively. The National Health Insurance will be a welcome addition to the National Social Protection Framework which we already have. This should build on other existing social protection mechanisms already in place.
National Health Insurance Bill presents an opportunity for us to guarantee every Zimbabwean access to defined essential basic package of healthcare without facing financial hardships or falling into poverty due to prepayment mechanisms that come with Health Insurance at the moment. With this implementation, all will be able to access basic healthcare. We have an opportunity to infuse into the Bill, mechanisms that will widen the pool of financial resources available for health while creating room for greater efficiencies in spending through the pooling of both resources and risks.
Madam President, we have an opportunity to increase the resources available to health spending given the global regressions externally. Despite the support which we get from international organisations or donors, the high level of self-employment or informalisation of our economy, community health insurance schemes can successfully run at community or village level informed by the communities’ means and deeds. Examples of these are present in the continent and there is no reason why we cannot be able to come up with such a scheme. Madam President, the proposed Bill is quite timely and the right enabling conditions for success of such insurance schemes exist in our country, including strong Government commitment to cover the poor, favourable institutional and policy environment, and high literacy rate among the population. There is a lot of stakeholder support for such schemes and Madam President, it just shows that our President is determined to ensure that there is access to health service delivery.
In his statement, the President talked about trying to expedite the development funds using own resources so that we look at the key issues affecting especially the rural population. We are talking about infrastructure such as the roads, clinics and schools with what I might call climate change has done overnight. We got reports that roofs were blown away from schools and clinics in the areas where we come from and having such a fund would facilitate and expedite recovery of the locals so that school children can also learn under conducive conditions.
Madam President, I can only speak a bit and leave the rest to the others. I think the key issues which affect the ordinary people have been, to a certain extent, highlighted in my report. Thank you for allowing me to make a contribution to the speech by His Excellency the President, Cde. E. D Mnangagwa.
HON. SEN. NYATHI: Good afternoon Madam President. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde. E. D Mnangagwa on 3rd October 2023. Before I debate on this motion, allow me Madam President, firstly to congratulate His Excellency Cde. E. D Mnangagwa on winning the 23rd August 2023 harmonised elections which saw him given another five year mandate to lead this nation. Congratulations, Amhlope, makorokoto. In the same spirit Madam President, also allow me to congratulate you and the Deputy President of the Senate on retaining your position in this august House. Congratulations, Amhlope, makorokoto.
Mr. President, I wish to be brief as much has been said by other Hon. Members on what the President said in his speech. He did congratulate all of us for having secured the mandate to lead the people of our motherland in our constituencies for the next five years. We were not going to secure that mandate if we were not being led by the President. People gave us this mandate after realising that we were followers of Cde. Mnangagwa whom they trusted from his first term of office. If the President had not worked hard to challenge the lives of our people in the 9th Parliament, most of us here would have lost this mandate. In this regard, I thank the President for making our constituents trust us with power to govern for the next five years.
Mr. President, about the matters outstanding from the legislative agenda of the 9th Parliament, the previous Parliament managed to work on 69 Bills. Imagine all this work was done when the country and the globe were battling with COVID-19 in all sectors. We could not have achieved this without the visionary, dedicated and inclusive leadership of President Mnangagwa. Parliament took unusual steps in making it possible to continue executing its mandate. At some point, it was so difficult that some of the public consultations or certain Bills were done through radio stations and other media related platforms. All these were made possible because of the innovations by the Second Republic led by His Excellency, Cde E. D Mnangagwa. My request to Government departments and partners and those responsible to teach the citizens about laws should do justice by coming to Matebeleland South Province and teach our people about new laws enacted by this august House.
The President talked about the measures our Government is putting in place to enable improved agricultural productivity including irrigation development so as to realise national food security. I am not sure if Zimbabwe has sufficient wheat because of these measures brought by our Government. In addition to the above, the President initiated the drilling of 35 000 boreholes across the nation.
As Beitbridge, we are grateful to the President for remembering our region 5 through the irrigation in Insiza District and the number of boreholes across Matebeleland South was not enough. Our communities were given agricultural inputs last year which saw a number of farmers taking their produce to the GMB. My appeal to the Government departments and officials is to accelerate the installation of some boreholes for those communities to benefit from the Presidential Project.
The President said Section 264 of our Constitution speaks to the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities in order to enhance local people’s participation in the exercise of State powers and making decisions on matters affecting them. It is in this regard that the President spoke about the increase of resources towards devolution and decentralisation programme giving priority to projects which improve access and quality of education.
Devolution and Decentralisation Funds has empowered people in Matebeleland South to determine how to develop their areas through their local councils as the President’s mantra goes - nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo; unlike in the past where people in Harare always decided how and when a clinic in the rural areas of Gwanda, Insiza, Beitbridge or Plumtree could be built. The Second Republic, through the leadership of His Excellency Cde. E. D Mnangagwa, has empowered these rural areas to make decisions and prioritise things that affected them. Mr. President, through devolution and resources, our communities have benefitted from construction of clinics such as Sweet Home Clinic, classroom blocks at Sabhabha Primary, Nkwame Secondary, Zhapani Primary, Maboshe Primary and Artherstone Primary Schools. I want to thank the President for prioritising access to health and education. There is no better way of promoting and advancing the use of all languages, let alone, creating conditions for the development of them except creating a platform where the users of these languages can openly and freely use the language as the medium of communication.
I want to thank the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for opening the airwaves in these areas as his mantra, ‘Leaving no one and no place behind’. By commissioning radio stations in less developed areas, our Government is therefore making it a point that everyone gets informed and be heard in his or her own language. This project has not only enabled access to information, but created employment for our young people in Matebeleland South.
Lastly but not least, our President spoke about transformation of infrastructure. We from Beitbridge, can testify to that. Last week the President of South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Ramaphosa also testified how modernised, transformed and beautiful our border has become. Our Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare Highway is also a testimony to the President’s call. We are happy to have such infrastructure in our province – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – As Matebeleland South, we request the Government to work on mobile phone networks in other parts of our province which do not have networks. Thank you, Mr. President for giving us this opportunity to debate the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). I thank you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. TAWENGWA), the House adjourned at a Quarter past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 12th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to recognise the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery, of teachers and pupils from Mahombekombe Primary School in Kariba. You are most welcome. Thank you, you may be seated.
WIFI AND EMAIL CREDENTIALS FOR HON. MEMBERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also wish to remind the House that our Information and Communications Technology Department (ICT) will be issuing WiFi and e-mail credentials to Hon. Members. In order to expedite this business, officers from the ICT Department will be stationed at the Members Dining Room from 1400 hours every sitting day this week.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker, I rise that this House takes note of the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022 presented to this House of Parliament in terms of Section 262 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the report was circulated to Hon. Members this week. So, in order to give them an opportunity to read it so that they can debate, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th October, 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2022
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise that this House takes note of the Report of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for the year 2022 presented to this House of Parliament in terms of Section 323 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker, this report was also circulated the same time as the one for the National Prosecuting Authority. So, I move that the debate do now adjourn to enable the Hon. Members to read it.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th October, 2023.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I want to encourage Hon. Members that these reports having been circulated, I would want you to read them thoroughly, look at the recommendations that have been proffered in those reports and be prepared to debate them so that we do not simply have to rubber stamp the two reports.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
Hon Mashonganyika having been called by the Chair to debate.
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: Mr. Speaker Sir, today I am not feeling well. I will debate next week. Let the others debate on my behalf.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I hope the clinic has attended to you.
HON. MASHONGANYIKA: Yes.
THE HON. SPEAKER: We wish you speed recovery and thank you for your attendance.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. It is my singular honour to be afforded this opportunity to speak before you in this magnificent august House. First and foremost, I want to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his reelection into the greatest office of the State of Zimbabwe. It is indeed a signal of his great work exhibited in his first term of office that built a greater degree of confidence in the majority of Zimbabweans. In his stewardship of the nation towards achieving Vision 2030…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you tilt the microphone towards you.
HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I also want to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir and Madam Deputy Speaker for your reappointment and reelection as the leaders of this august House. At this juncture, allow me Mr. Speaker Sir, to make some reflection to the SONA address by His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, made on the 3rd of October 2023. The President spoke about a vast number of developmental projects and strides made so far since the beginning of the new dispensation; inter alia, power supply improvement following the commissioning of Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8; the road network rehabilitation; tourism industry on a growth trajectory, registering an increase of 62% in international tourist arrivals in the first half of 2023; the foreign exchange rate stability through fiscal and monetary policies in place and a greater degree of industrialisation and technological breakthrough; the mining sector registering growth from USD2.8 billion in 2017 to USD12 billion to date; the growth in food security through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Rural Development, to mention but a few. All these developmental strides are a testimony of good governance under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the President in his SONA went on to highlight a number of Bills that this august House is going to debate on, hence as parliamentarians, we have a mammoth task ahead that calls for us all to be patriotic and dedicated to contribute all our efforts to the building of our country through passing Bills which support the developmental trajectory that our visionary President is leading us to – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Mr. Speaker Sir, the nyika inovakwa nevene vayo mantra by His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa challenges every citizen to be patriotic and exert maximum effort that one can to build our dear motherland.
I relate the nyika inovakwa nevene vayo mantra to the old time Castle Larger advert that says, ‘It’s you who make Castle great’– [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – As such Mr. Speaker Sir, it is us Zimbabweans who make our own Zimbabwe great, for a nation is best built by its own people. The President challenged the Tenth Parliament to finish off the Bills outstanding from the Ninth Parliament and focus on the new Bills. Among the new Bills to be debated in the Tenth Parliament, there exists the National Youth Bill. This shall be useful to curb the increase in drug and substance abuse among the youths as the Bill is targeting provision of mechanisms that will facilitate mainstreaming of the youths in social economic and political spaces as well as the sustenance of the vocational training centers as hubs for local community development.
Mr. Speaker Sir, through this trajectory, the President challenged the private sector of the economy to play their fundamental part in supporting the ongoing initiatives pertaining to youth empowerment and development at large. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I propose that the vocational training centres located in urban centres be funded or empowered to undertake outreach programmes to train the youths in their areas of residents, the grassroots, as most of these do not afford to be staying in towns for skills training at such vocational training centres. In particular, Masvingo South Constituency, the constituency that I represent, is associated with a number of youths who need such hands-on skills to support rural industrialisation. As such Mr. Speaker Sir, centres such as Masvingo Vocational Training Centre and Mushagashe Training Centre be funded to undertake outreach programmes to train rural youths in their areas of residence. This will support the rural industrialisation trajectory through skills training of the youths such that they will be equipped to use the resources around them to come up with factories for production in the rural areas.
Mr. Speaker Sir, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa was on point to mention the need for the Small to Medium Enterprise Act to be reviewed. Such firms have a significant contribution to the economy’s GDP, hence their existence should not be overlooked. SMEs need empowerment for growth through ease access to loans for business expansion as well as being given tax holidays or low tax rates to encourage them to formalise their businesses, hence a great trajectory in the country’s revenue base in the long term.
The 10th Parliament was also challenged by the President to consider amending the Lotteries and Gaming Act for the purpose of its alignment to the Constitution and the incorporation of corporate governance measures as provided for in the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act. This stance is greatly plausible since corporate governance good practice is topical globally. Even in our country, corporate governance issues are topical. I would propose that all entities, both public and private, be aligned to good corporate governance which I have summarised in the acronym FATALS (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, Assurance, Leadership and Stakeholder engagement). This model calls for all entities in Zimbabwe, both private and public and all government departments, to practice the FATALS model in their governance such that they are well aligned to the developmental trajectory insinuated by the President. Mr. Speaker Sir, at this juncture, allow me to thank you for the time given to reflect on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I thank you.
HON. MASUKU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for emerging victorious in the just ended harmonised elections. Allow me also to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir and our Hon. Deputy Speaker for retaining your positions in Parliament. Makorokoto, amhlope. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate the President for the sterling SONA which provided invaluable insights and motivation as we begin the life of the 10th Parliament. What was striking to me was his allusion to the fact that Zimbabwe is closer now more than ever before, to the attainment of Vision 2030. Reflecting on that, I can confidently attest to the fact that Matabeleland North in particular, has become food secure as a result of measures put in place by the 2nd Republic under the enabling leadership of His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.
Mr. Speaker Sir, countless irrigation schemes meant for the general citizens have been set up in the province and across the entire nation. Thus, ensuring that every household is food secure. I cannot over emphasiSe the critical role that the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme has played in strengthening food security in Zimbabwe. I must commend the President for spearheading transformative water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in line with Sustainable Development Goal No. 6. Access to clean water is not only a fundamental human right, but also a key driver of public health and women’s empowerment. In the Matabeleland region, critical national projects such as the Gwayi-Shangani Dam construction holds the promise of transforming the lives of our citizens. Upon completion, this infrastructure will not only provide access to clean and safe water, but will also directly impact women’s lives. Women who often bear the primary responsibility of fetching water will find relief from the burden of long journeys to secure the essential resource. This will in turn empower them to allocate their time and energy towards more productive and economically uplifting activities. Thus, contributing to the broader development of our region.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as we move forward, we must ensure that women are actively involved in the planning and decision making processes related to water infrastructure projects to ensure that their needs and concerns are addressed to further advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Matabeleland region and beyond.
In the mining sector, as mentioned by our Head of State in his SONA, significant strides have been made towards meeting the US$12 billion target. However, it is essential that we ensure that women are actively involved in the mining industry not just as labourers, but also as decision makers and entrepreneurs. Women’s participation in this sector can be strengthened through processes that promote gender equality, provide training and support for women in mining and address issues of gender-based discrimination and harassment that women may face in these male dominated fields.
Mr. Speaker Sir, regarding devolution, this gender has the potential to uplift marginalised communities but it must include mechanisms to strengthen women’s participation and decision making at the local level. Empowering women in devolved governance structures can lead to more inclusive and gender responsive development. It is vital to ensure that women have equal opportunities to participate in the decision-making process, access to resources and benefits from the fruits of devolution. Addressing issues of gender based violence and discrimination in local governance in crucial in realising the full potential of devolution in empowering women in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker, I was encouraged by the President, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa when he observed that one of our goals this session was to pass the National Health Insurance Bill. It is my hope that this Bill will prioritise women’s health and empowerment, ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare with a specific focus on maternal and reproductive health. It is paramount. We need to guarantee women’s access to comprehensive health services including family planning while addressing maternal immortality concerns and eliminating healthcare discrimination.
Further, during this budget circle, I believe we will advocate for adequate funding for healthcare infrastructure, tailored training and healthcare professionals, and targeted awareness campaigns for women’s health issues are essential components to strengthen women’s health and empowerment.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, while we celebrate the progress made in food security mining and devolution, we must not forget the imperative of strengthening women empowerment in these areas. We must work diligently to address issues related to women’s health, participation in mining sector and their involvement in the devolution agenda. Only through a concerted effort can we ensure all citizens regardless of gender benefit from the progress and development of our great nation.
The President used to say ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa nevene vayo. Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe ngabanikazi balo’. Thank you.
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Please, next time do not pass in front of the contributing Member of Parliament.
HON. MUGWADI: I start by introducing myself as Hon. Tafadzwa Mugwadi from Buhera West Constituency and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you Mr. Speaker on your uncontested election and of course, appointment as the Speaker of Parliament. I hope that some of us who used to watch you discharging your duties from that Chair when we were outsiders will have a lot to learn from you in the course of the 10th Parliament.
In the same vein, Mr. Speaker, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and of course, a great African statesman, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa on his election as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on the 23rd of August, 2023.
I say Mr. Speaker, that even as I congratulate my fellow colleagues, Hon. Members, and accept my election into this House, I do so appreciating very well that singularly and as an individual, I did not matter on my election but had it not been a very excellent track record of our leading light and our best foot forward, President E.D. Mnangagwa’s first illustrious term of office, we might not have made it if he had not done it well – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – So, on his account, we were elected and once again, I congratulate him for having us in here otherwise as the saying goes, a good turn deserves another. We have it.
I must say Mr. Speaker, that a long time ago as I grew up, I did not for any single second think that one day I would be a member of this House, not as a by-stander or as a member of the gallery, without taking anything away from those in there but as an Hon. Member of Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to say and rather commend the President on his speech delivered on the occasion of the opening of the 10th Parliament, the State of the Nation Address. In his speech, the very first paragraph, the President makes mention of the general elections we had on the 23rd of August, 2023. He correctly and rightly qualified them as free, fair and very credible. Not only that, but also probably the first general elections to not be contested after the results had been announced – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is a befitting feature of the Zimbabwean elections, at least going by the recent trends.
You know Mr. Speaker that our colleagues from the opposition bench have never developed a habit of accepting electoral outcomes but for the first time in 2023, they accepted no wonder why there is no contestation of the outcome of the general elections of 2023 at any court of law. I want to acknowledge their maturity in doing so – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The rest of course is hullabaloo and bus stop arguments and bar talk, of course, anyone is free to do that. We are a free democracy; we can say anything elsewhere but in principle, the outcome of the general elections of 2023 which saw the election of President Mnangagwa and ourselves are not contested anywhere. So, we do not have at law, a contested election in Zimbabwe for the first time.
I must also say Mr. Speaker that in his speech, the President referenced and assured us that his Government is going to deliver to the 35 000 villages of our nation, boreholes to ameliorate water challenges. Coming from Buhera West, you know very well that climatically and geographically, my constituency lies among those areas where water challenges are perennial because we do not receive good rainfall. In fact, our rainfall patterns are erratic. My constituency as I am speaking right now, I do so with a particular family without which if I do not mention, I would not have done it well; the Mvurwi family which has lost seven members of the same family in the past few weeks out of a pandemic of Cholera which has affected my constituency.
I am so happy and wish to commend that on its first sitting, the Cabinet acknowledged that reality and measures have been put in place and processes have begun to ensure that we are one of the first priority in terms of receiving those boreholes. I want to commend the President and his Cabinet for that. Having leadership acknowledging that reality, at his level shows exactly that we have a leader who is ready to govern to detail and ensure that we provide timely responses to challenges that are with us.
I would want to implore Government departments responsible for disbursing those facilities to also act urgently the same way the President and his Cabinet have acted in response to that reality. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not good for me as the Member of Parliament or for us and my colleagues, I am sure they will speak for themselves. I am sure we are four, it is not good to have running battles with Government departments simply because they are failing to ensure what the President has spoken is transformed into practical realities on the ground. I would want to say Mr. Speaker, that we are counting the days and if those facilities which have been deployed by the President as relief to the challenges that we are facing delay to drill the boreholes, I am referring to relevant Government departments now Mr. Speaker, we will seek to engage them through this House publicly. I know that the leader we have does not want to be betrayed by deliberate actions of failing to action things in time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the President on his speech regarding the heritage-based education. It is a very emotional issue, the 5.0 education. Why do I say that? No one had given us a chance when the pandemic of COVID-19 confronted our nation and society.
Everyone and some Parliaments elsewhere, I am sure the British Parliament in particular and members speaking about us as a nation saying that if the pandemic knocks its doors in Zimbabwe, those people are going to die like cockroaches with no one to bury them because they will all be dying, the country’s medical systems are dilapidated and everything is down. Through the stewardship of our caring President, powered by institutions of higher learning which he had started transforming to institutions of higher learning, we started producing masks as a nation from our polytechnics and universities to ensure that our nation was saved from COVID-19. We started manufacturing sanitisers here in Zimbabwe while other countries were importing. We went further through the innovative capabilities of our institutions of higher learning, allow me to call them institutions of higher learning, to take from their innovative capacities to save our nation. That is testimony of how much, as a nation, we must take seriously the heritage-based education 5.0. In the same vein, speaking on behalf of my constituency, I was listening very carefully yesterday when the Minister of Education was talking about sending children back home on account of not having paid fees.
He spoke eloquently that it should not happen. I stand here to say when the President said that we must deepen and engender 5.0 into the best education, he also meant exactly that our children must not be sent back home for failing to pay fees because they do not pay fees, it is parents who pay fees. When they do not have, the nation must not suffer from the tragedy of children being sent back home by teachers and headmasters because at the end of the day, it is the nation that looses because we will not be able to benefit from their innovative capabilities assuming they were supposed to go to tertiary institutions one day.
I wish that once again, this House assists the relevant Government departments and ministries to ensure that these directives are interpreted correctly on the ground so that there are no incidences where some teachers or some headmasters still send children back home because they have not paid fees or that some children are failing to sit for their examinations because they have not paid fees. We would have lost as a nation because not having does not translate to having no capacity; the nation will stand to benefit from them one day.
I must commend the President’s speech on the obsolete-colonial law. I commend so proudly knowing fully well that I am now much more proud as a Zimbabwean. I am not only a Zimbabwean, but I am now a Zimbabwean who fully belongs to the nation of Zimbabwe and we control everything. We are the only country from Cape to Cairo that has done everything to ensure that we complete the process of decolonisation. The question of obsolete laws is coming against the background of a majestic giant decision of land reform which the previous President and of course President Mnangagwa, has championed’ it was a process on decolonisation.
The renaming of our roads is a process of decolonisation. The installation of Mbuya Nehanda statue which is not far away from this House, was a process of decolonisation. Now we are here to remove those colonial laws which have become irrelevant to an independent sovereign state of Zimbabwe. I am so proud, other countries are not that brave to take those bold decisions. I am proud to be a Zimbabwean where some decision can be taken between Cape and Cairo.
Mr. Speaker Sir, finally, I want to comment the President’s speech on youth empowerment. I am a young person, 36 years of age and not so far away from my fellow young people who are still youths, that is those between 35 and below. The President talked about the tragedy of drug abuse in our nation, I believe that if we heed the President’s call to develop and pass legislation that transforms our society or develop our nation, we can ameliorate the problem on challenges of drug abuse in our nation. We are losing on those young people when they engage in drugs. I still believe that the enforcement of our laws is not exactly what we would anticipate.
Mr. Speaker, I know what it means to, we normally refer to that as kustika, allow me to use that for lack of a proper word to use. I do not know whether those responsible for enforcing regulations do not also know that or cannot also see that this young person akatostika.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish that the law enforcement agencies could be robust in enforcing laws on drugs like what they do in other countries using breathalyzers and so forth, with a desire to make sure that those who are found wanting with regard to the law, are taken to where they deserve and that becomes a deterrent measure against those that would seek to behave the same some other day.
Mr. Speaker, without further ado, I want to thank you for this opportunity. It is my hope that as my parents see me standing in here today, they are proud of a son that they sent to school with nothing, but today he is here. I hope those who are also being sent to school with nothing and insufficient things will also have an exemplary person to copy from. Only education can transform our society and transform our situations and ourselves from who we were and who we thought we shall be vis-à-vis what we are now. Otherwise Mr. Speaker, thank you once again for making it.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Bvute, I was watching and trying to see whether there is a script you were using. I did not see it and yet you articulated so well. Well done – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for having won resoundingly the just ended harmonised elections. These elections we all know were free, fair, transparent and credible. I would also want Mr. Speaker Sir, to congratulate you and the Deputy Speaker for having been reappointed to your seats.
In his address, His Excellency highlighted on a number of developmental issues that are being undertaken by the Second Republic. Notably, we have seen the transformation of agriculture, particularly the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme which has gone a milestone in alleviating the problem of hunger in Zimbabwe.
We all know across Zimbabwe, particularly in Makonde Constituency where I come from, many people have benefitted from the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme and as it stands right now, there is quite a number of people whose lives have changed as a result of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme. The President has highlighted that this will continue and we all know that as it continues, it will alleviate people’s problems and hunger in Zimbabwe.
Turning on to the mining sector, the President also highlighted that the mining industry has grown from 2.7 billion in 2017 to 12 billion in 2023. This also alluded to the fact that the artisanal miners were given an opportunity to showcase and mine in various areas. In Makonde where I come from, artisanal miners have also contributed significantly in the growth of the mining industry. We would like to applaud the President’s vision in empowering the young people by giving them an opportunity to mine in various areas in Zimbabwe, but however, I would want to think that as we move forward, there is going to be regularisation and registering of those artisanal miners so that they do their mining legally.
The President also highlighted on the historical Education 5.0. We have seen a lot of youngsters being innovative enough by having been given an opportunity to showcase their skills from primary level to university level, which means the teaching of Science education starting from primary level has gone a long way in equipping skills to even academically less gifted children in our societies. This has also seen innovative hubs being developed across all State universities in Zimbabwe.
In Mashonaland West Province where I come from, there is Chinhoyi University of Technology which has set up an innovation hub and which has also set up an industrial park where there are a lot of projects that are being undertaken. This is promoting students and equipping them in Mashonaland West Province and Zimbabwe at large.
The President also spoke about drug abuse. We all know that this has become a menace in this country. Youngsters have been affected by drug and substance abuse. We have seen that we have drug lords who are supplying drugs in Zimbabwe and this has affected a lot of our youngsters. The President has highlighted that we have to take stern measures to alleviate the problem of drug abuse. So, we commend the President in initiating ideas or coming up with programmes that will alleviate the problem of drug abuse in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, climate change indeed is real in the world as we all know. Surprisingly in Zimbabwe, we have conserved our forests, waters, fish and our natural resources, but we are at the receiving end and we are suffering because of climate change. I think the Climate Change Bill will address the problems of climate change in Zimbabwe as we would want to benefit from those countries that are polluters of our world, especially the developed countries. We have El Nino this year. Drought is looming and we are being affected as a result of climate change, so it is real that it is there. I would like to applaud the President for coming up with such innovative ideas and a Bill to really address the issue of climate change.
The President also spoke of human trafficking. We all know that in Zimbabwe we have a lot of people who are being lured to go and work outside the country, especially in the Middle East. Some of the scammers flight their job opportunities in newspapers, WhatsApp groups, Facebook and Twitter and many of our women, especially young women, are attracted by those people. They will eventually be afforded an opportunity to go and work outside the country, but when they get outside the country, but when they get outside the country, they will find out that it is different from what they would have expected and they are taken into slavery. They are also driven into commercial sex workers outside the country as a result of human trafficking. So, the President has spoken about that.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the President also talked about the War Veterans Bill and the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill to include Botswana as a transit camp. I think this is commendable because there are people who were not recognised as having been liberation fighters because they would have passed through Botswana or trained in Botswana as a transit camp. We have to applaud the President for having done that.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in my conclusion, the President’s mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo bears testimony to the development trajectory that is happening in this country. We have seen this country growing from 2017, an upward growth that we all have witnessed. We will stand as Zimbabweans, shoulder-by-shoulder, brick upon brick, to build our own country. No one in the world would come to Zimbabwe and build Zimbabwe for us. It is only us Zimbabweans who can build our own country. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. NHARI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion that was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Tsitsi Zhou. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to speak on the issue of drug and substance abuse which was mentioned by His Excellency. Our children have perished due to drug abuse. Government should arrest all those who are selling drugs and those who are abusing these drugs. In few years to come, the current generation of the youths would have perished because of the drug and substance abuse.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would want to touch on the issue of provision of potable water that His Excellency has alluded to. It is true that the drilling rigs are not enough. In Chirumanzu, Midlands where I come from, we only have one drilling rig at our council offices. I am appealing to Government to increase these rigs so that our councils are able to drill more boreholes, especially in resettlement areas. In these resettlement areas, there is need to increase schools as well as clinics. Because of this situation, parents are forced to enroll their children at non-formal boarding schools where they will be staying alone. This has exposed children to sexual abuse and some engaging in drug and substance abuse.
His Excellency talked about Pfumvudza, where the country has witnessed agricultural growth. Pfumvudza has been beneficial to widows, orphans as well as the elderly as they cannot afford to buy the seed from the market but because of His Excellency’s Pfumvudza Programme, they now have enough food.
Mr. Speaker Sir, His Excellency also talked on the issue of mining. I am appealing to Government to monitor all those that have been awarded mining claims, to see whether they are not abusing them. Many lives have been lost through improper mining practices. His Excellency, in the new dspensation, talked about industrialisation and reindustrialisation. In Chirumanzu, we have Dinson Iron and Steel Company which has employed two thousand people. We are expecting this company to employ 10 thousand more people, which includes more women and youth and a few men. We are grateful that as women, we can now have employment. There is a town which is going to be constructed around this company. It will increase job opportunities for other people who are not employed by the company.
On the issue of roads rehabilitation, I would want to thank His Excellency the President for the Harare-Beitbridge Road which passes through my constituency Chirumanzu. I am appealing to the Government to deploy police on the road to curb accidents that are happening due to speeding as a result of the good condition of the road.
I would want to thank His Excellency for appointing women to Cabinet posts, especially the youths – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Mr. Speaker Sir, it would not be fair for me to conclude my speech without thanking His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for giving us a First Lady who supports women in development programmes. The First Lady has facilitated free screening of cervical and breast cancer.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the First Lady has a programme on nutrition where she is educating us on the nutritional value of traditional foods. This has seen people from Zimbabwe participating in international competitions of cooking indigenous foods. Those who were on television this week witnessed a police officer saying, ndadya rupiza. This is a sign of the great work the First Lady is doing for the development in the country. I thank you Mr. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRPERSONS OF COMMITTEES
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members allow me to make this important announcement in the leadership of our Committees in the National Assembly. Names of the Committees that will fall under these chairpersons will be published in our Votes and Proceedings of the National Assembly, but the names of delegations to Regional and International organisations will be read at an appropriate time before adjournment by the Hon. Deputy Speaker, as I have to proceed to meet an Egyptian delegation in the next few minutes.
I have to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has appointed today the following Committees and their Chairpersons. The names of Committees will appear in the Votes and Proceedings as the list is very long. However, I think it is important that you know the Chairpersons of the Committees, which are as follows:
NAME OF COMMITTEE |
CHAIRPERSON |
SEX |
PARTY |
1. Justice, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs |
Hon. E. Mutodi | M | ZANU-PF |
2. Local Government, Public Works & National Housing |
Hon. S. Mandiwanzira | M | ZANU-PF |
3. Mines & Mining Development |
Hon. T. Matangira | M | ZANU-PF |
4. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Rural Development |
Hon. S. Maburutse | M | ZANU-PF |
5. Public Service, Labour & Social Welfare |
Hon. D. Mashonganyika | F | ZANU-P |
6. Foreign Affairs & International Trade |
Hon. W Shamu | M | ZANU-PF |
7. Defence, Home Affairs, Veterans of Liberation Struggle and Security |
Hon. A. Nguluvhe | M | ZANU-PF |
8. Budget, Finance & Investment Promotion |
Hon. C. Chiduwa | M | ZANU-PF |
9. Women Affairs, Community, Small & Medium Enterprises Development |
Hon. G. Mutandi | F | ZANU-PF |
10. Transport & Infrastructure Development |
Hon. K. Kaitano | M | ZANU-PF |
11. Primary & Secondary Education |
Hon. O. Murambiwa | M | ZANU-P |
12. Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture |
Hon. R. Chiwanza | M | ZANU-PF |
13. Industry & Commerce |
Hon. N. Mudekunye | M | ZANU-P |
14. Youth Empowerment, Development & Vocational Training |
Hon. M. Ziyambi | M | ZANU-PF |
15. Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) |
Hon. I. Ndudzo | M | ZANU-PF |
16. Public Accounts | Hon. C. Hwende | M | CCC |
17. Environment, Climate, Wildlife, Tourism & Hospitality | Hon. J. Mamombe | F | CCC |
18. Health & Childcare |
Hon. Molokela | M | CCC |
19. Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services |
Hon. A. Gumbo | CCC | |
20. Higher Education, Science & Technology Development |
Hon. F. Mahere | F | CCC |
21. Information, Communication & Technology |
Hon. D. Chigumbu | CCC | |
22. Energy & Power Development |
Hon. Engineer L Mhangwa | CCC |
In terms of our proportionality in terms of the outcome of elections, ZANU-PF is heading 15 Committees while the opposition is heading 7 Committees. As I indicated, the Regional and International delegations will be read out by the Hon. Deputy Speaker. Please be around so that you know where you have been placed. Before I depart for my next assignment, I would like to call upon Hon. Tawanda Karikoga to take the floor.
HON. KARIKOGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. It is my singular honour to contribute to the debate on President Mnangagwa’s State of Nation Address. May I also take this opportunity to congratulate the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for having secured the mandate to serve the people of Zimbabwe. I quote words of wisdom of Athea Gibson who said, “winning it once can be a fluke, winning it twice proves that you are the best”. Your victory is a victory over those who imposed illegal sanctions against us. A victory over those who begged for imposition of illegal sanctions. It is a victory over those cults such as wapusa wapusa.
Madam Speaker, I want to commend the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for ensuring that our elections were free from violence and also that our elections were credible, free and fair. Maintaining a peaceful environment pre and post-elections is what most countries the world-over are praying for. In our President, I can safely say that we are properly led and we have leadership in this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I am also thankful to the people of Gokwe-Mapfungautsi Constituency who voted for me to represent them for the second time. Ndinokutendai abiyeangu!
Madam Speaker, the wisdom in implementing devolution and decentralisation programme is the complete package in ensuring that rural development takes shape. Increase in resource distribution shall also indeed improve the quality of our people, education, health, roads and water sanitation in our rural constituencies.
The 10th Parliament looks very exciting on the legislative agenda. The National Youth Bill will also empower and promote youth development and also ensure that hatisisina mayouth ano sticker …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Karikoga, please may you use one language.
HON. KARIKOGA: Thank you. In my constituency Gokwe-Mapfungautsi, we are well known for cotton production. We are primarily cotton farmers and we do it with pride. We are proud cotton farmers, and ensuring that our cotton farmers are paid on time and at good rates will definitely increase cotton production and the forex income to our country.
As I previously mentioned that we are cotton farmers, we are grateful that the 2nd Republic has begun the drilling of 35 000 boreholes across the country and establishing village agro-business units thereby empowering our villagers. We are very grateful about this move.
The establishment of US$10 million mining and industry loan fund will also empower our artisanal miners and this will also ensure the growth of small-scale miners in my constituency in Gokwe-Mapfungautsi.
In conclusion, I wish to say congratulations for the re-appointment of our Speaker of Parliament and to you Hon. Deputy Speaker. We say Presiding Officers like what they call you when you are not around, allow me to say it; they say Presiding Officers manyama. Thank you.
I also wish to say that from where I stand, the struggle of today is not altogether for today, it is for the vast future too. I say to my fellow Members of Parliament, let us proceed with the great task ahead of us. It is time to build our country. ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa nevene vayene’.
HON. HUNGWE: Thank you Madam Speaker for according me this opportunity to present my first speech in this 10th Parliament. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly on the 23rd August, 2023 elections. I want to congratulate Mr. Speaker, Hon. Jacob Mudenda on his re-appointment. I also want to congratulate all Hon. Members for making it to the 10th Parliament.
My name is Tasara Hungwe from Mberengwa East Constituency. Mberengwa East Constituency has total voters of 30 000 and borders Zvishavane-Ngezi Constituency, Mwenezi North and Mberengwa Central. It has a growth point called Mataga where I stay and has several irrigations within the constituency namely; Chawora, Chamakudo, Muchipisi and Mukwakwezi to name a few. On this one, I want to thank the President for providing us with winter wheat inputs. We are expecting a bumper harvest of wheat this year from our irrigations – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
There are some challenges from my constituency also namely; water, poor road networks and clinics. There is a challenge of mobile networks in some parts of my constituency in areas such as Bonda and Mabika areas. There is no reliable running water at Mataga, Musumhe, Mbuya Nehanda and Dubukwa Training Camp.
After saying all this, I am very positive with the direction being taken by the Second Republic. On roads, there is an issue of graders which were acquired through devolution and we have two of them at our rural district council; one tipper and backhoe loader which we acquired using devolution funds. I want to applaud the Government and the President for that. We hope our road network is going to improve.
On water, we are happy that the Presidential borehole scheme has already started and almost four boreholes have already been drilled. We are waiting for another round of the drilling scheme. On that one also, we are happy that our Rural District Council also acquired one rig, a brand-new one a few months ago using devolution funds, it is on the ground. All these complements are being done by the Second Republic.
I now want to move on to SONA, I would like to make some few comments and contributions. I want to first thank His Excellency the President for various measures he has put in place to improve the lives of elderly people. The first one being Pfumvudza, this year they are targeting around 3.5 million households. All this is to make sure that there is food security in this country. So, I want to applaud the Government and the President for that. I call upon all Hon. Members and all stakeholders to put all their differences aside and be united for all these programmes to be successful.
I also want to thank His Excellency the President and Government for improved electricity supply. I would like to appreciate the fact according to statistics this year, the winter wheat at national level, we are expecting around 400 000 of tonnes from the 90 thousand hectares which will create surplus food in terms of flour. I am also impressed by the price of US$520 per tonne given to farmers this year. I want to applaud the Government for that. In his speech, His Excellency touched on the mining industry. I am happy to say that I am from Mberengwa where there are gold mines and we have discovered some new minerals. We are discovering a lot of new minerals from our areas, the likes of lithium. There is a rush for lithium daily, we thank God for that.
We are now anticipating that there are going to be more industries which will be doing the beneficiation of those minerals. I pray that we maintain our stance on beneficiation and in import substitution. We should also appreciate the high economic activities being witnessed through all the sectors of the economy. His Excellency is walking the talk on road rehabilitation as what some previous speakers said that Beitbridge to Harare Highway was refurbished. Any economic activity needs connectivity on both transport and ICT technologies. So far we are in the right direction. We should not ignore the fact that we are under sanctions.
Madam Speaker, I also want touch on the currency; personally, I support the use of our own currency. I urge the relevant Ministry to continue creating policies which promote the use of our Zimbabwe dollar in our daily expenses. I do not support the use of multi-currency which happens to be creating uncertainties in the economy from an ordinary person’s point of view. There is no more significant transactions in RTGs. You will find that you can go for a week without trading in RTGs personally. So, let us fight to bring back the confidence which is disappearing daily.
I want to thank His Excellency the President for showing continuity in all his appointments at ministerial levels. Most of our Ministers in Government retained their posts, so I want to applaud the President for that.
On the legislative agenda, I noticed that the President spelt out on the Bills to be concluded during this first session, like the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill and Insurance Bill which were outstanding from the Ninth Parliament. This shows that there is continuity in the Second Republic. I wish all policies which were crafted in the Ninth Parliament to continue to the Tenth Parliament so that there is continuity for flow of Government and projects. Also notably is the National Youth Bill to curb drug abuse by our youth.
Let me end by urging all Hon. Members to unite for the good of the development of our country to become an upper middle income by 2030. I also urge all political parties in Zimbabwe to put Zimbabwe first before self-interests. We are one and let us not try to take our own country for granted. We do not want to be carried away by some small issues from political parties. Remember we were elected to deliver, our mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ should click in every Zimbabwean, every leader and everyone should come on board and walk the talk. I thank you.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY SPEAKER
APPOINTMENT TO INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I have to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has appointed the following members to serve on International Parliamentary Statutory Bodies:
African Parliamentary Union
Hon. T. Gezi, Hon. T. M. Karumazondo, Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane, Hon. S. Matsunga
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Hon. Sen. Chief Mtshane L. Khumalo, Hon. Sen. Muzenda, Hon. N. Maunganidze, Hon. J. Nyevera, Hon. B. Nyamupinga, Hon. T. Karikoga, Hon. J. Ostalos Siziba
OACPC-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and EU Africa Parliamentary Assembly - Hon. Gen. Rtd. Nyambuya (Deputy President of the Senate), Hon. P. Moyo, Hon. Adv. Madzimbamuto.
Pan African Parliament - Chief F. Z. Charumbira, Hon. P. Togarepi, Hon. Tafanana Zhou, Hon. E. Masuku, Hon. J. Hadebe.
SADC Parliamentary Forum - Hon. T. Nyabani, Hon. M. Mugomo, Hon. Chief Siansale, Hon. L. Kore.
Association of Senates Shoora and Equivalent Councils in Africa and the Arab World - Hon. M. Bimha, Hon. P. Mupfumira, Hon. J. Z. Timba and Chief Chitanga.
*HON. BUTAU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I will debate in Shona so that my constituency understands that I am delivering a message.
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President Cde. Emmerson Mnangagwa for his resounding victory in the just ended harmonised elections. I would like to thank our province, Mashonaland Central for doing us proud for having the highest number of MPs who retained 100% Members of Parliament and Councillors for the ruling party. We want to congratulate our province Madam Speaker.
Furthermore, I would like to congratulate the Mt Darwin District for doing us proud for having voted for its Members of Parliament and Councillors. I would like to congratulate Mt. Darwin constituency for electing me as their representative in this august House.
I will then move on to His Excellency, the President’s State of the Nation Address. We had a resounding victory. President Emmerson Mnangagwa talked about the support that is being given to agriculture. I am happy about the President’s work that he is doing in supporting the work of agriculture. I know in Mt. Darwin we rely on agriculture. The entirety of Mashonaland Central relies on agriculture. I am quite happy that despite the fact that the rains have not yet started, I am made to understand that the Grain Marketing Board depots are now full to the brim with farming implements that were given to us by the President Cde. Mnangagwa. I also want to implore that those who are at the Grain Marketing Board depots to ensure that upon receipt of such implements, they quickly distribute them to the farmers so that they timeously reach the farmers because at times the Grain Marketing Board in Mt Darwin delays in the distribution of those implements and seeds. That hinders His Excellency’s agricultural programme because the implements reach their intended beneficiaries, the farmers, way into the farming season.
Furthermore, I urge the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to come up with a legislation that enables our cotton, tobacco and maize farmers that once they have delivered their produce, they be paid better producer prices so that they can make a living out of it. The payments should be done timeously. By so doing, the programme will be a success. I plead to this House to help me to applaud His Excellency the President about the 35 000 boreholes to be drilled countrywide. I am grateful for His Excellency’s support in that direction.
Looking at ZINWA, let there be legislation that ensures that leadership in those areas is consulted about the boreholes that are to be drilled. Some of the boreholes were drilled without the knowledge of the leadership and at times there was wrong siting and the holes did not produce water. In the end, a lot of dry holes were sunk. Statistics will then record that the boreholes were drilled, but the majority of them will be dry holes. This is because the relevant Minister is not monitoring these programmes properly…
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please withdraw that statement that the Hon. Minister responsible for the drilling of boreholes will not have done their work properly.
*HON. BUTAU: I withdraw Madam Speaker. Can someone assist me with the correct name for ZINWA?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, may you look for other words to describe what it is that you want to convey.
*HON. BUTAU: I wanted to say that there were some employees employed by ZINWA who were anti-ZANU PF programmes. They were not supporting the wishes of our party ZANU PF – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, I withdraw.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Let me assist you. You said there were some people in ZINWA who were not discharging their duties properly which resulted in derailing the President’s effort.
*HON. BUTAU: Let me go to mining. His Excellency the President has mentioned that mining should be promoted. Kudos to His Excellency the President. He said there are no more makorokoza, a derogatory term used to those who would be looking for gold, but that they are now called artisanal miners. I am grateful to His Excellency for that. The youths in our areas can now be employed because of mining. We are asking the relevant department responsible for artisanal miners that they be assisted in getting protective and safety clothing so that they do not lose their lives. The majority of them die because of the dust emission from where they will be mining without protective clothing. Others also are being entombed in mines because of the collapse of the mines. We urge Government to do something to improve the artisanal miners’ safety and their mining environment.
Still on mining, His Excellency, President Mnangagwa spoke about the programme where loans are going to be disbursed to those that are in the mining sector. It is our plea that this particular programme also cascades to….
*HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order Madam Speaker. May the Hon. Member who is debating refer to His Excellency with his full title His Excellency the President.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon. Butau, if you are making reference to the President of this country, refer to him with his full title. That shows the complete title and respect that goes with his office.
*HON. BUTAU: I thank you Madam Speaker. I stand guided on that point. I would like to thank His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa once again for the programme that he spoke about that he is going to encourage development and enhancing of schools and roads. I am very grateful to His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I would like to express my gratitude because as we speak, only 2kms is left to be completed as planned. That same road is being tarred and I want to thank our President for that development in the rural areas. On a point of order - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, can we have order.
*HON. BUTAU: Madam Speaker, let me just conclude. My sincere apologies Madam Speaker, we are new in the House and still learning. So, as we err, we will be learning. [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- Our President spoke on the issue of supporting women. I would encourage the Minister in charge of women empowerment to ensure that women in the rural areas are involved in programmes that make them self-sustaining through projects so that they do not just wait to ask for everything from their husbands. If they are able to do projects and earn a living for themselves, it will eradicate early child marriages and reliance on men to fend for them. I thank you.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
APPOINTMENTS TO THE SPEAKERS PANEL
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the following Members have been appointed to the Speaker’s Panel: Hon. R. Machingura, Hon. M. Ncube and Hon. S. Chikomo.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Firstly, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, on the resounding victory after the election. I also want to congratulate the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate J. F. M Mudenda and yourself Ma’’am Gezi on your reappointment to steer this august House as well as all the Parliamentarians who made it through to this House.
The President, Cde E. D Mnangagwa in his State of the Nation Address at the official opening of the 10th Parliament, spoke on various issues of note. He spoke on resource mobilisation for devolution funds. Our leader is a listening President and he has seen that for development to happen, it has to get closer to the people, thus he came up with the devolution agenda. I think we need to clap hands for the President for that noble idea. A lot of projects were implemented and completed through the devolution funds. In my constituency, Marondera Constituency, a lot of schools were built to completion, the likes of Kesera Primary School. We also had drilling of boreholes at Masomera township, which was also solar powered in Marondera East Constituency and various others in the Marondera District as well as the country at large.
The President did speak on disability when he said the agenda of the 10th Parliament should include looking at reviewing of laws, particularly the Disability Act. This shows that the President is driving the agenda and moving with his mantra that we should not leave any one or any place behind, including the disabled.
Madam Speaker, the President did speak on various Bills that need to be reviewed, particularly the Water Act, the Zimbabwe National Authority Act and the Plant Breeders Act. This is in relation to Marondera East Constituency which is an agro-driven constituency with rich soils and water bodies. So, it is of much importance to look into these various Acts in terms of reviewing given this climatic change that is already happening. This period, we anticipate normal to below normal rainfall and as such, it is very important that as a Government, a lot needs to be done, particularly in the areas of irrigation.
Allow me to comment on the works that have been done by the President, Cde Mnangagwa. In Marondera East, we are very fortunate that we have got a big dam that was built by the 2nd Republic, the Muchekeranwa Dam. In the same constituency, we do have the Marondera University of Agriculture and Technology. As such, we need to utilise these resources. The President, the last time when he came to the constituency, first he came and commissioned the Muchekeranwa Dam and secondly, he came and commissioned the Muchekeranwa Irrigation Scheme. At commissioning the dam, he clearly said that it is not a project if we just build a dam, but it then becomes a project when we start to utilise the dam in terms of fisheries and so on. I also want to commend the President, Cde Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa on that.
In terms of his speech on the State of the Nation Address, the President did speak much on the infrastructure that has been brought by the 2nd Republic, particularly the coming in of Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8 which alleviated the power challenges, particularly to us in the farming community. The farmers are very grateful because they managed to do their winter wheat crop and harvested without power challenges. Previously, there were a lot of power challenges and I want to commend the President on driving the economic agenda of taking Zimbabwe into the future to the Vision 2030 through the policy and the strategy of the NDS1 of 2021 – 2025.
Madam Speaker, I also want to speak on the NDS1 strategy which is driving the country to 2030. In Marondera East Constituency, we have actually taken the same policy and implemented it at ward level particularly on the key pillars that we saw and thought they should drive the constituency towards vision 2030. Of note, we created the committees which are going to drive; the economic growth, the food security and nutrition, infrastructure and utilities, and social protection where we look on the aspect issues of the disabled, elderly, less privileged, child headed families including cases of disaster within the ward.
The fifth one is going to look on the digital economy whereby we say that now we are in the digital era, and for us to complement the Government policies, we said let us have these systems and structures at ward and constituency level so that we can set the parameters and targets, thus achieving the national economic growth. I also want to commend the President, Cde Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa on coming up with a robust policy that is taking Zimbabwe into the future.
Madam Speaker, the President did also speak of the enactment of the Economic Empowerment Bill. It is very important that given our mantra that ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa nevene vayo’, it is us who can create or build this nation to greater heights. That Bill is also going to make sure that it includes the locals in terms of the economic opportunities that may arise in the country.
As such, I want to thank the President on that and in particular, in Marondera East Constituency, like I said earlier, it is agro-driven and is going to benefit quite a number of people in the constituency. I would hasten to say, from the current statistics in terms of the agricultural produces, the country has a target of slightly above 400 000 tonnes of wheat. Of that, Marondera East Constituency is contributing much to those figures.
I would also want to thank the President through his strategies that the country managed to achieve food sufficiency in terms of wheat and grain sufficiency. We are still facing challenges in terms of milk production. I understand the country requires around 1,4 million litres of milk per annum to ensure there is sufficient milk and currently the figure is around 700 000 litres. So, there is much needed in terms of dairy business in the country and Marondera East contributes much to that because we also have a lot of dairy farmers who are working flat out to support the Government to achieve milk sufficiency.
I will come to issues of rural industrialisation. Our President is very clear that we need to drive rural development and industrialise the rural communities. As such, it is very important for us together to have and understand that the rural community, which is were we have the largest population and the drive of creating industries, for example, we are growing a lot of maize and wheat. As such, the industrialisation should start by creating the small milling companies around those farming communities so that people in the rural communities will be able to buy their flour and bake their bread.
Madam Speaker, if you check the current situation is whereby the industries are only found in the urban centres. The wheat is harvested from Marondera and it is driven to National Foods here in Harare or other industries and milled. The millers do their job and sell the product back in Marondera. We are going to make sure we also complement the Government efforts through making sure that us as the legislators, we come up with the policies that will enhance rural development particularly rural industrialisation.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the President also did speak in his keynote address that the tourism sector in the first quarter of 2023 has risen by above 62%. This is quite commendable and we actually want to appreciate the President in doing so because what has made this to happen is a lot of other things and one of that is the infrastructure that has been built in the country. If you look at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe …..
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Mutokonyi, you are left with five minutes.
HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Madam Speaker. If you look at Robert Mugabe International Airport, it has been modernised and it has been made a world-class airport. As such that has driven the growth in terms of the tourist attraction. We have got a lot of national airlines flying into Zimbabwe, it is because of the infrastructure that has been brought in through the national development strategy and by the Second Republic. I also want to commend the President on that including the border infrastructure, the road infrastructure and this is what enhances the economy and this is what drives the economy into the future.
To conclude Madam Speaker, I would want to say we as the Parliamentarians, we would want to once again express our loyalty, to express our allegiance to Zimbabwe. To make and get known that the people of Zimbabwe are here to serve Zimbabwe and as the Parliamentarians of Zimbabwe, we would also want to thank again His Excellency, the President for his keynote address that has given us direction to take Zimbabwe forward. I thank you.
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you very much Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to congratulate His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for a resounding victory. I also want to congratulate our Speaker on his reappointment. I also want to congratulate you Madam Speaker on your reelection to be the Deputy Speaker. I also want to congratulate our Government Chief Whip Hon. P. Togarepi on his reappointment to be our Government Chief Whip. I also want to congratulate Hon. Tsitsi Zhou on her appointment to be the Deputy Chief Whip, I also want to congratulate Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi on his appointment to be the Leader of this august House. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the address by His Excellency evidently highlights the vision and the headway that the country is on under the New Dispensation. I am sure you all agree with me that this year’s SONA has set the tone of legislative agenda that will help facilitate the implementation of programmes and projects that will enhance the livelihoods of people and communities in the country towards Vision 2030. He also outlined the milestone that has been chronicled by the New Dispensation. Clearly the address by His Excellency the President, demonstrates the Government’s commitment and serious determination for legislative and economic progress and as reiterated by His Excellency, can only be achieved if we are united and peaceful.
During the speech by His Excellency the President, he highlighted Bills which must occupy Parliament schedule during the First Session of the Tenth Parliament and implored legislators to put all hands on the deck and deal with these critical pieces of legislations as a lot of work lies ahead. Good laws and policies are one step towards achieving a prosperous Zimbabwe. In this regard the SONA by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, charter the nation in the right direction and this can be only achieved with practical action on the ground and that is implementation.
Madam Speaker, our economy has been on an upward trajectory recording a positive growth rate across all sectors. With continued unity of purpose as echoed by His Excellency, we can accelerate our ongoing quest to build a modernised and industrialised great motherland Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the mining sector as alluded by His Excellency, there is an upward growth trajectory. Our mining sector grew from US$2.8 billion in 2017 to the present US$12 billion and is propelling socioeconomic development and growth to enhance the participation of small scale and artisanal miners. Government established the US$10 billion mining industry loan fund whilst the rolling out of more gold centres will be prioritised.
Investments in the lithium sector are pleasing and encompass extraction through the value addition. Sitting on the country’s largest lithium ore reserves estimated at 200 million tonnes, the Sandawana Mine a subsidiary of Kuvimba Mining House is in my Constituency, Mberengwa West. The mine is expected to provide impetus to lithium production and significantly contribute to the national vision of a 12 billion mining economy by end of this year.
Zimbabwe is ranked the sixth largest lithium reserves globally and represents one of the Africa’s biggest producers of the commodity. The Sandawana lithium processing plant will add to the Star Lithium Mine in Buhera, setting the country on a pedestal to advance the global energy transition through the supply of lithium and related products.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, on agriculture, His Excellency the President indicated that the robust measures put in place by Government to enhance and guarantee agriculture productivity including irrigation development and climate proofing resulted in the country realising national food security. Zimbabwe is now wheat self-sufficient, the drilling of 35 000 boreholes and establishment of village agrobusiness units is set to consolidate national agriculture productivity and food self-sufficient.
The President echoed milestone in the energy sector and power supply. It has significantly improved following the commissioning of Hwange Power Stations Units 7 and 8 whilst arrangements have been made to guarantee stable supply from existing power stations. The deliberate investments are ongoing for increase power generation capacity including removing the entry barrier for independent power producers. In this regard, we would like to acknowledge His Excellency the President for replacing transformers in my constituency for Matawo Primary School and Mavorowondo Primary School and clinic and also Masase Hospital Water Works.
Madam Speaker, modern and efficient infrastructure is the cornerstone for economic development. Road transport is the dominant means of transport in Zimbabwe with 80% of traffic and trade by volume utilising this resource. In Zimbabwe, mining and agricultural exports are a major source of foreign currency and driving force for economic development. These exports are largely exported by road.
In this regard, road transport is therefore supposed to be uplifted for economic and social development in any country. This has a significant implication on development and the economic development of any nation. That is the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads to accessible standards. This will help to enhance connectivity. The Government continues to upgrade the road network across the country. His Excellency has been in the forefront of the country’s road rehabilitation push aiming at improving infrastructure and boost economic growth.
In my constituency Mberengwa West, Kuvimba Mining House is contributing immensely to the developments in the district. They are undertaking road construction starting with Sandawana, Zverenje and Mangena Road to West Nickleson Road. They are also planning to relocate Sandawana Primary School to a more ideal site where children can concentrate on their studies without interference from the mine.
In terms of infrastructure development in my constituency, I would also like to show gratitude to His Excellency, the President for the construction of a bridge at Phoenix, Mwenezi River that was swept away. The bridge was constructed through Public Private Partnership with World Vision. His Excellency emphasised that Government continues to accelerate implementation of the Heritage Based Education 5.0 model aimed at producing goods and services for our country’s socio-economic needs. This science technology and innovation thrust has scaled up science-based education from primary level up to the institutions of higher education. Since the adoption of Education 5.0, local universities and polytechnics have become centres of innovative business ideas as they contribute to addressing national interest issues and effectively responding to social challenges.
Through improved access and utilisation of advanced knowledge and technology, more than 16 universities have been established. His Excellency the President underscored that physical consolidation measures and reforms have ensured positive fiscal outcomes that are critical for budget sustainability and lasting micro-economic stability. Complimentary fiscal and monetary policy have positively impacted on the attainment of prevailing stable micro-economic environment.
He stated that going forward, the 2nd Republic remains resolute in implementing measures that ensure confidence in our domestic currency. Our devolution, His Excellency the President highlighted that the 2nd Republic will increase resources disbursed towards the devolution decentralisation programme. Devolution was identified as a pillar to achieve an Upper Middle-Income Economy status by 2030 and it is a fundamental strength in alleviating poverty and regional inequalities. There are some of the noteworthy highlights of the Zimbabwe SONA. I thank you.
HON. DR. MAKWIRANZOU: Thank you Madam Speaker. First of all, just allow me to ride on the previous protocols that my colleagues have given. Madam Speaker, from Mutoko, I bring you congratulations to our President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for being elected President of Zimbabwe. I also congratulate you Madam Speaker Ma’am for being re-elected and appointed as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. In addition, I also congratulate Adv. Mudenda for being re-elected and appointed.
The people of Mutoko congratulate all the Hon. Members of Parliament who were elected to represent the various constituencies in our great and God-given Zimbabwe. Our motherland Zimbabwe is truly blessed, not only does it have a large amount of natural resources but it has also been blessed with wise leadership headed by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa. We have received the news from the SONA that 35 000 boreholes have been successfully drilled and we have received the news with happiness. Our people are now using water from the boreholes for drinking, for animal husbandry and for irrigation of their Pfumvudza plots and mapuno gardens. Mapuno means tomatoes in Mutoko. Mutoko is blessed with a huge amount of natural resources which include granite, gold, lithium, among other natural resources.
We would like to resonate with our President. He has said that we are open for business so that we can create employment in the mines. We also wish to see that large miners are encouraged to have social corporate responsibility by funding Government supervised community trusts. They are taking from us but they are not giving enough. Therefore, we appreciate the USD10 million fund and we hope that this will empower our people.
Our President read out five Bills which were left uncompleted by the 9th Parliament and these Bills include the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, Public Finance Management Bill, Medical Services Amendment Bill, the Insurance Bill and the Voluntary Organisation Bill. We want to assure our President that with your leadership, we will complete this legislative work. In addition, we are aware that there are many other Bills. In the President’s State of the Nation Address, he pointed out 10 Bills, but I am aware that they are over 54 Bills, that we have to work on. The 10 Bills he alluded to were the Disabilities Bill, the Administration of Estates Amendment Bill, the Legal Practitioners’ Bill, the Inheritance and Succession Laws General Amendment Bill, the Repeal of Water Authority Act. Mutoko is a dry area Madam Speaker Ma’am. It is merely small earth dams. Therefore, I am proposing that these small earth dams be desilted during this dry season, so that when the rains come, we can have more water. Madam Speaker I quote “mombe dziri kufa kumusha uko”.
We are also aware that there was a sixth allusion Bill by His Excellency, the Plant Bidders’ Act and the seventh one is the Climate Change Bill to regulate gas emissions. We require that in this Bill, we be treated fairly. When I say ‘we’ I mean Zimbabwe and other under- developed nations. What we contribute to the gas emissions is minuscule compared to what the industrialised countries contribute. So, we are saying that we should not be pressured to reduce gas emissions to the extent that we fail to industrialise. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
The eighth Bill alluded to by His Excellency was the Parks and Wild-Human Conflict Bill. I just want to quote the villagers in Mutoko “mapere apedza mbudzi nevanhu kumusha kuno”. The ninth Bill is the Postal and Telecommunications Amendment Bill, again I quote “manetwork anonetsa kuno kwaMutoko”. Finally, the tenth Bill is the Construction Industry Council Bill. I am from the built environment, I am an engineer by profession. This Bill will protect and standardise construction by having all practitioners in the built environment registered just like the doctors are registered. So, we really welcome and appreciate the incision with which His Excellency made us to look at this problem which we have of contractors and other service providers in the construction industry.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, we are aware that there are many Bills as I have said, may be up to 54 but again, I want to assure you and I can also speak for my colleagues. We will work diligently to make sure that we enact these Bills timeously. We will also be particularly drawn to the Youth Bill and the SMEs Bill because these two Bills greatly affect the future of our country. They affect the employment of our youths. In Mutoko, we want to banish unemployment – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We want to banish unemployment by working on our land, providing food security and by working on our mines exploiting our God-given resources. No man, no woman, no boy or girl should be drawn to drugs. They are drawn to drugs because they have nothing to do. This is why we must work on our land and on our mines. In addition, we want to propose a very high custodial sentence for manufacturers and purveyors of drugs – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
The President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa mentioned heritage based education 5.0 agenda. In Mutoko, we are open to any university. We appreciate that the universities under the 5.0 agenda will bring innovation. Not only will they bring innovation, but they are also heritage based. If I can just explain what we mean by heritage based, it is not a force law, but it is ‘s’ for svosve. This is heritage based, we know svosve, we do not know snow here in Zimbabwe. So, we are inviting any university which wants to establish a campus in Mutoko, so that we can benefit from the innovation that education 5.0 brings.
In conclusion, the President, in his State of the Nation Address, gave us a very clear direction and he also invigorated us to achieve Vision 2030, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. I thank you.
HON. MAUNGANISO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would, like thank all who came before me. It is my single honour to congratulate His Excellency the President on the occasion of his re-election. Let me also congratulate Mr. Speaker and yourself on the re-election to lead this House. I could not have been more proud, listening to the State of the Nation Address (SONA), by His Excellency, the President because that was the speech of a man, especially awake to the realities of our nation because he has been there through the vicissitudes of time, from the colonial era throughout the struggle for independence. He is a man who knows exactly where we are and exactly what needs to be done for our economic emancipation – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Madam Speaker, I address this House with a heavy heart following a disaster in my constituency. Six homesteads were engulfed by a veldfire. In a compound, a total of about 20 single roomed houses were destroyed, together with the belongings of the owners.
Let me dwell much on the programme which is a product of climate proofing by His Excellency the President, Pfumvudza/Intwasa that is actually a big achievement in the nation dating back from 1980 because it seeks to empower all as the President’s statement, leaving no one and no place behind.
Madam Speaker, where I come from, the constituency is predominately a farming area. What I have discovered is that in his quest to empower all, I think there could be a legislative framework to also cater for the former farm workers because these are receiving Pfumvudza/Intwasa, but they have no land on which to practice. It will go a long way if there is a legislative framework that allows them to own a piece of land. I am sure that will go a long way in complementing His Excellency’s efforts to feed the nation. Resultantly, food security will be an undertaking.
Madam Speaker, the President spoke of the Youth Bill. Indeed, it was timely when our youth went, through an education system that I believe was much aligned with the Bantu Education System which only produces labourers and not inventors.
Madam Speaker, the President launched a programme of innovation hubs. In Mashonaland West we have two, one at the University of Chinhoyi Technology and another at Gwebi College. A proliferation of such undertakings would aid the President’s initiatives to recover our economy. We have so much potential, but unfortunately our education sector forces every one of us to be an academic. Every passing year when Ordinary Level results are published, about 30% of those who would have sat for exams actually make it. It would appear as if when the Lord made us, only 30% of us were supposed to be academics all for white-collar jobs.
Madam Speaker, it would go a long way if our education sector is revolutionised in a way that seeks to nurture life skills that will go a long way in creating or empowering individuals that will create employment instead of educating people to look for jobs.
Madam Speaker, where I come from, the conflict between humans and animals is especially evident and I would like to applaud His Excellency the President for seeking to emancipate the humans that are always at the receiving end. Whilst it is of paramount importance to safeguard wildlife, I feel it is also important as the President has noted, to actually look at the human side because all wildlife we so much cherish, is especially valuable if humans are alive.
In my constituency, we have the Darwendale Dam, we have the Biri Dam, a lot of people could benefit if fisheries were allowed to be run by locals. I am sure this is especially in tandem with the devolution agenda where resources within a community ought to benefit such a community – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, this is not true in my constituency. We happen to witness strangers arriving in our place to claim what should benefit us.
Madam Speaker, allow me to commend the President on his quest for infrastructure development as housed in the NDS 1, roads are now world class. Driving from Beitbridge to Harare now takes only four hours, it used to be seven.
On that note, allow me to bring to the attention of the House, the abuse of the road commonly known as the Gabriel Robert Mugabe Highway that runs from Norton to Murombedzi. The road was constructed to ferry a maximum of 10 tonnes, but today, our Chinese friends are abusing it as they traverse on it with 38-tonne trucks, it is becoming a death trap.
We understand that their produce goes a long way in buttressing our efforts to build our economy, but a cost-benefit analysis would make it evident…
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order! Madam Speaker, I think the Hon. Member is debating very well, but I suggest that he does not mention a particular group of people. Many other people use the same road. His idea is very correct, but mentioning one particular group is like targeting them. So, may the Hon. Member generalise because it is everyone who uses that road.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sure you have taken note of that Hon. Maunganiso.
HON. MAUNGANISO: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I withdraw. Madam Speaker, a cost-benefit analysis of what is being brought to the economy…
An Hon. Member having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member!
HON. MAUNGANISO:… and the damage being done will bring it to light that the efforts to develop are actually derailing the quest for development. I would have thought it was wiser if the same material could be transported via a much more commercial route, that is the Chegutu-Norton Road.
Madam Speaker, the President spoke of a lot of Bills especially the one about ZINWA. I think it is specially prudent on such a Bill by this House because it would benefit the economy in a broader way. The dams I have mentioned have water that runs perennially but we have sectors of Zvimba that are not able to irrigate where there are fertile lands. I would want to commend the President for noting that and I would want to urge the House to pass such a Bill. I thank you
+HON. FISANI MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to congratulate His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for winning the 2023 Presidential election. I would also like to congratulate the Hon Speaker, Advocate J. F. Mudenda, yourself the Deputy Speaker and all Members of Parliament for being elected.
I would like to touch on several points on the President’s Speech when he opened the Tenth Parliament. The President touched on the issue of mining especially gold mining. I would want to add that from my area in Matabeleland South, people actually earn a living through gold mining. I would like to urge Government to remove EPOs. They are now all over. They have taken over and there is no piece of land where people can continue to earn a living.
The President also spoke about the US$10 million that will assist the youth who are starting mining businesses. We were happy about that and even the locals were happy that people would be assisted and by so doing, they will actually reach their targets through the assistance from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. Now that the money has been availed because the President spoke about it, we are now awaiting disbursement of the funds. Most of the times when people are promised such large figures, maybe the people in Matabeleland South are shy, they end up not receiving the funds. Now that I am representing Gwanda South Constituency, I am hoping that we will also get a share because I heard the President talking about those funds here in Parliament.
I would also want to say to our gold miners throughout Zimbabwe, they really need assistance and advice on how they can carry out their mining businesses so that a lot of accidents will be avoided. I say so because the Ministry of Mines has realised that the miners need to be educated on how they can carry out their businesses and how they can be assisted in trying to raise funds on their own.
The President also spoke about agriculture. I am happy that the Second Republic has seen to it that people do not go hungry in Zimbabwe. I would like to thank the President for that. Farmers in Gwanda South Constituency and throughout Zimbabwe still need help so that people can actually survive on farming. In my constituency and the surrounding resettlements, I realise that they were given vast pieces of land to farm but they do not have proper implements so that they could reap a lot of grains, but there is also need for machinery for farming and also machinery for drilling boreholes for them. The President spoke about the issue that boreholes were going to be drilled throughout the country.
Our President Hon. Mnangagwa spoke about farming where he spoke about several groups or what I would call irrigation groups. The President assisted us a lot on that and we are very happy. When it comes to dams for irrigation, the President assisted us a lot because now we can irrigate and our livestock can also get water from there. Now we have water, we no longer have any complaints on that. We are very happy about what our President Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has said because he said a lot of dams are going to be built throughout Zimbabwe.
Madam Speaker the President spoke about education. I thought it was very important for us to look at that because there are people who were resettled in some of these areas. You will find that there are few schools or if there are schools, you will find that maybe there is only one classroom where children utilise that one classroom from Grade 1 up to Grade 7. I thought it was important for me to mention that since we are here in Parliament, our President Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa said it was very important for us to see to it that our education system is upheld.
The President also spoke about something that is very dangerous. He spoke about something that is happening in our constituencies. He spoke about these elicit drinks that are being taken by people. He spoke about it and we thought it could also assist people to live better lives because this is really damaging especially for the young ones because come to think of it in the next five years, what is going to happen to the youths? When he spoke about these dangerous drinks, I thought it was really important for the youths to think about it.
The other thing that I wanted to touch on, I do not know what I can call it in vernacular language, but in English it is called the rehabilitation centres. I am happy that people should be sent for rehabilitation so as to make sure that people get rehabilitated.
The President also spoke about roads. The road from my area to Beitbridge is being constructed and because of that, I would like to thank the President Hon. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
I would also like to touch on the issue that we still need dust roads. Even in the urban areas we need these roads to be resurfaced. The last item that I would like to touch on, Madam Speaker is that in Gwanda South, we are very happy that we have seen some development in our area because of the good leadership of Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa. I foresee that for the next five years, there will be development and we look forward to seeing that development.
I am new here in Parliament, but I can see what the President has done. That is why I volunteered myself to come and represent people here because of the wonderful works that he has been doing. I offered myself to represent the people from Gwanda South because the President said ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo. So as someone from Gwanda, I thought I could also bring the concerns of the people of Gwanda and for that I thank you Madam Speaker.
HON. KAITANO: Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate our President His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for winning the just ended elections in a fair, credible and very peaceful environment. I also want to congratulate you Madam Speaker on being elected to be the Deputy Speaker of this august House as well as congratulating Hon. Adv. Mudenda for being elected the Speaker of this Parliament. My congratulatory message also goes to all Hon. Members of this august House for making it to the 10th Parliament. May God bless us all.
Madam Speaker the mantra that says nyika inovakwa nevena vayo in my view is not a mere…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member at the back, please switch off that microphone. Thank you.
HON. KAITANO: Madam Speaker the mantra that says, nyika inovakwa nevena vayo is not a mere statement, but rather a rallying call to build our own nation as a people. There is nobody who is going to come from any part of this world to build our dear motherland Zimbabwe. If we do not build it ourselves, nobody will come and do that for us.
The mantra resonates very well with myself at a very personal level. It resonates very well with the people of Zimbabwe in general, and with the people of Mudzi West Constituency in particular. In His address, His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa talked about the measures the Government of Zimbabwe has instituted in order to enhance and guarantee agricultural productivity, including irrigation development among other programmes.
Mr. Speaker Sir, these programmes such as Pfumvudza/Intwasa and the various irrigation schemes have undoubtedly and indeed, increased production of agronomic crops, especially maize and wheat. I therefore, call upon the relevant Government ministries and departments to unreservedly push through these programmes in order to ensure that the Vision 2030 goals with regards to food security as contained in NDS1 are achieved.
The mantra of leaving no place and no one behind has been welcomed by many Zimbabweans, more so in rural areas in Zimbabwe and Mudzi District is not an exception. As a people, we applaud the inclusivity leadership of our dear President. It goes a long way to show that our President is a caring President and for that, our people are thankful and our Zimbabwe is indebted to such visionary leadership. Our administrative district of Mudzi, being one of the driest districts in the country, is so excited to know that its request for the building of Chipara Dam, muted and designed in the 1950s is now under consideration through the wise visionary leadership of His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. Mr. Speaker Sir, the dam will surely provide water for substantive commercial irrigation schemes in order to achieve food security as enunciated in NDS1. This dam is indeed, a key enabler to the achievement of the targets set forth under Vision 2030. I understand this dam will provide water to the whole of Mudzi District as well as parts of Mutoko District.
The drilling of 35 thousand boreholes, a borehole in each village and the subsequent establishing of village agro-business units reverberates very well mostly with our people in rural Zimbabwe as its economy is predominantly agricultural in nature. As you might be aware Mr. Speaker Sir, Mudzi and Mutoko Districts are well known for their massive farming of horticultural products particularly tomatoes, notwithstanding the fact that our people are using water from small wells and from a few non-perennial rivers and small dams.
Having solar powered boreholes is the real deal and a game changer Mr. Speaker Sir, towards the establishment of sustainable agro-based SME businesses in rural Zimbabwe, Mudzi District included. I therefore, pray that the Ministry and Government agencies and departments spearheading the drilling and equipping of these village boreholes expertly and expeditiously push through this programme up to the end for all Zimbabwe to benefit from this critical and well thought of programme.
I also urge all villages and village heads to embrace this programme because water is life. If we had our way Mr. Speaker Sir, we would have requested that the drilling rig be stationed in Mudzi West Constituency which has about 368 villages and roll out this programme until the end. However, we are cognisant of the fact that there are many parts of Zimbabwe which require this precious water for their livelihoods. Mr. Speaker Sir, the President also spoke about the extraordinary growth in the mining sector, which grew from USD2.8 billion in 2017 to the present USD12 billion and how this phenomenal growth is driving economic growth as well as socio-economic development among our people throughout the whole of Zimbabwe.
As Mudzi District, we are grateful to His Excellency for the notable progress in the construction of a gold center in Makaha area of our district. This gold center will indeed enhance the participation of small-scale and artisanal miners in exploiting this revered precious mineral. Our country Zimbabwe is undeniably endowed with abundant mineral resources and as a nation and as a people, Mr. Speaker Sir, we can use what we have in our hands to drive economic growth and social development towards the achievement of the national vision, Vision 2030.
When Moses was asked by God of what he had in his hand, according to Exodus Chapter 3, he answered that he only had his shepherd’s staff in his hand. The almighty God used that which he had and shepherd’s staff was used by God to perform many miracles and delivered people from some bondage. Mudzi District has both gold and lithium deposits in its hand. Mr. Speaker Sir, we pray that our people increasingly become participants and beneficiaries of these mineral resources. If there is one programme that has been impactful towards socio-economic growth and development in Zimbabwe, it is the disbursement of devolution funds to local authorities.
We are so thankful to the President for these devolution funds have gone a very long way towards infrastructural development. Mr. Speaker Sir, in Mudzi District, classroom blocks have been built, clinics have been built, bridges are being constructed and renovated and dip tanks for the health of our livestock are being constructed. The impact of these devolution funds Mr. Speaker Sir, has made us believe that if this fund is increased, it will surely see the accelerated development of many areas, especially rural Zimbabwe. I therefore pray Mr. Speaker Sir, that those districts in Zimbabwe which were heavily disadvantaged during the colonial area may have an increased share of disbursements of devolution funds, and Mudzi District falls into this category.
Like the consideration done on Binga District, Mr. Speaker Sir, Mudzi District deserves a special consideration in terms of accelerated development in its physical infrastructure, its local economy as well as the social fabric which also includes high standard of health and educational facilities and services alike. Mr. Speaker Sir, in his SONA Address, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa displayed an understanding of matters affecting our people. He showed his responsiveness to the needs of Zimbabwe.
With regards to education, his address was and remains spot on and very relevant to the people of Zimbabwe. We are therefore proud of having such a listening and a visionary leader. The Heritage Based Education 5.0 Model which has scaled up Science, Technology and innovation at all levels of education is beginning to bear fruits as we have witnessed local production of oxygen at a commercial level as well as other important products necessary for the very existence of humanity.
In order to ensure that no place and no people are left behind, we urge the two responsible line ministries of education to ensure that all districts of Zimbabwe, including Mudzi District, are part of this thrust towards enhanced education in Science subjects, thus, leaving no place and no one behind. In my constituency of Mudzi West, Mr. Speaker Sir, we appeal to the line ministries to invest more resources (human, financial and infrastructural) towards improving the level of education obtaining in the constituency. Our two A Level schools are still predominantly subject based and we desperately need at least one boarding school in the constituency.
In conclusion, Zimbabwe remains focused and resolute in seeing through its own development agenda. Zimbabwe is unperturbed and remains collected and calm even in the presence of shenanigans by our detractors. May God bless this great nation of Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. PINDUKAI: Tendayi Pindukai is my name and I am a Member of Parliament for Guruve North Constituency in Mashonaland Central Province. Madam Speaker, I would like to start by extending my congratulatory message to His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E. D Mnangagwa following his winning the harmonised elections on 23rd August, 2023. To that effect, I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Hon. Speaker and to yourself Madam Speaker following your reappointment. This shows your commitment towards servant leadership.
Let me start by acknowledging and also reflecting on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) made by His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E. D Mnangagwa on the official opening of the 10th Parliament at the new Parliament Building in Mt. Hampden. I am motivated to reflect on the Government’s commitment and putting measures that almost transform our lives through support systems to enhance food security in the country. His Excellency alluded to this when he put forward his motion of the pillars of NDS 1 on food security through the introduction of the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Model which has almost transformed our rural areas. This is a success programme as in Guruve North Constituency, we have witnessed a number of families who are now food self-sufficient in various ways. They are even managing to send their children to various schools as a result of such a programme.
I would also want to urge Government to consider improved resource capacitation to the newly established rural industrial development agency to enhance equipment in various arms of government at local level so that productivity and inclusion in all areas can be recorded so as to accelerate the attainment of Vision 2030. Rural industrialisation and irrigation development through the construction of dams as well as mechanisation of different irrigation schemes in our rural areas is also commendable. Madam Speaker, as I address this august House from a constituency that is Guruve North, we have quite a number of irrigation schemes that were resuscitated such as Siyalima, Nyamuseve and Kachuta. There has also been construction of dams and we have Dande Dam, one of the bigger dams which is currently under construction. We also urge government and line ministries responsible to expedite the completion of such a life changing water reservoir as it also supports the downstream industries and the livelihoods of people through irrigation schemes. Our livestock also benefit from the water reservoirs.
It is also encouraging to note that the President also spoke about power supply and the significant measures that were also taken by government towards improving power supply in our motherland. In his speech, he also mentioned the commissioning of Hwange Power Supply Units 7 and 8. It is encouraging to acknowledge that even from our grassroot levels, we have programmes where government is working with private players establishing climate smart solutions in terms of power generation. In Guruve North Constituency, we have such a plant by the name Guruve Solar Plant that is also generating two to three megawatts electricity daily and feeding into the national grid. This is commendable and we urge government to accelerate this current initiative into various districts so that the power outages could be a thing of the past.
Hon. Speaker, climate smart solutions are very innovative and also as we are actually being affected by the changing environment and as we move towards green energy, climate smart solutions are key. They also attest to the initiatives by Government.
Madam Speaker, economic empowerment has also been witnessed. We also reflect on the President’s SONA as we noted that the President Cde E. D Mnangagwa spoke about the phenomenal growth in the mining sector which is also very key as we noted the growth from US$2.8 billion from 2017 to US$12 billion to date. We look forward to supporting the initiative so that the mining sector also contributes more. On the same issue we noted that there was a facility that was availed by government from my constituency. We have quite a number of artisanal miners who we look forward to contribute towards the phenomenal growth.
The President also spoke about the Heritage Education based 5.0 Model which we feel is responding to the current needs of our people from our grassroot or rural communities and this is commendable. The Heritage Based Education 5.0 also champions the production of goods and service. However, we also urge the Government to consider including, accelerating or closing the gap between rural and urban schools so that the Education 5.0 Model can also be realised from the grassroots levels.
In particular, I would like to submit that from my constituency, Guruve North, we have quite a number of areas which are still lagging behind in terms of Advanced Level education. I am sure this is also another platform that feeds into the production of goods and services. We still have quite a number of learners traveling long distances to schools.
I would submit that we also work with the line ministries to make sure that the areas have got such schools. Madam Speaker, the country is best built by its people as always, the mantra by His Excellency the President, Cde. Dr. E.D Mnangagwa. It is true and a commitment towards the attainment of Vision 2030 as an empowered prosperous middle-income economy society by 2030. We also appreciate the bringing in of the ERRP, which resulted in most of our major roads being rehabilitated.
To that effect, we urge our Government and line ministries to also consider other roads which are within rural districts so that they can also be rehabilitated, especially during the onset of the rains. In my constituency, we have another road which is also a road that services almost six wards and a Grain Marketing Board. As we talked about food security, it is also good if that road is also looked at, it will help access the GMB which is where we store our food and inputs for our farmers, that is Guruve-Kachuta Road.
I am also motivated to reflect on the legislative agenda as put forth by His Excellency, Dr E.D. Mnangagwa on the Youth Bill. We are expecting that with such a Bill being expediated, this will result in our youths also getting an opportunity to enrol and also get the necessary skills so that they can meaningfully contribute to our nation. It is also good to acknowledge and appreciate that the President also challenged us as well to look at the Veterans of Liberation Struggle Bill that will also be brought in. I am sure, as we reflect on that, we had a programme where we went around in our respective areas where our collaborators were also vetted. By this time around, we look forward that the coming in of this Bill will result in the vetting process being finalised.
As I conclude, I would like to commend Government initiatives in improving the livelihoods, especially of those in rural areas through rural industrialisation. The strategy will undoubtedly support and also create a market or eco-system for the support of our rural people. I thank you.
HON. MAPHOSA: Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to stand before you. First of all, I need to say congratulations to our President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa and the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. J. Mudenda and yourself, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My name is Wilson Maposa from Chimanimani West Constituency – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
It is my singular honour to be addressing my fellow Zimbabweans. This Parliament debate session comes after a well successful, peaceful and fair election. Hon. Members, now we have been given the chance, for the next five years to work for our constituencies. The President has talked about projects which he has done within the country. I need to talk about energy; Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8, which is a major infrastructure.
Some of the people are just talking about units 7 and 8, but have never been to Hwange just to appreciate what we are talking about. Yes, the President said we need to generate electricity, now as Members of Parliament and the people who lead the country, we have generated electricity, but there is another part which is being left behind. After generating electricity, we need distribution. We also need to check what is there in the distribution before we waste resources from generation.
A few years back, I was so disappointed when I went to Binga. By profession I am an electrician, so I went to Binga when I had been given a job to resuscitate a distribution line. I felt very angry to say Government is generating electricity, but the line had been down for about four to five years. So, I went to ask the people who had done the billing from ZESA to say the line had been lying idle for the past 4 to 5 years and asked them how much they were making per month. They told me a lot of money. I asked myself what the MPs were doing at Parliament.
Government is wasting a lot of money in generation, but no one talks about the distribution side. So, I am appealing to the Minister of Energy and you, Hon. Speaker, yes, the President has put units 7 and 8 and we are generating electricity. If you generate electricity you cannot store it in a granary like grain, and the minute you generate, it has to be distributed and all our lines should be up as a nation. I would like to thank the President who has put it there, but it is all up to us now to make a follow up so that we do not lose money in energy. We are talking of mines and so on. All these things are being backed up by generation.
I also want to thank the President and Government on the state of art of Gwayi-Shangani. I have been at Gwayi-Shangani. Some people just see the picture, but sometimes if you have got the chance, you need to go and appreciate what we are talking about. I hope one of us one day you can spend your money just to go and appreciate, not just to watch on television and photos. You must drive and go to Gwayi-Shangani so that whenever you stand in front of people and talk about Gwayi-Shangani, you can defend your country and also defend your Government. Gwayi-Shangani, the moment you want to draw water from it to Bulawayo, I pray there is going to be a green belt along the way to serve our nation.
It is also going to be serving people along the way. Once the water goes to Bulawayo, a lot of people are going to benefit, and they will get some jobs. My appeal is, whenever we are talking about energy, let us try to make a follow up on distribution site. Whenever you go to the district engineer for ZESA, you need to know what you are talking about, that is where we are missing a lot. ZESA is being generated in Kariba and Hwange, it is not going anywhere, but it is only transmitted in one line after spending billions of dollars in generation. That is a lot of money. I want to thank His Excellency the President, this Gwayi-Shangani has been on the drawing board for years back, but now the Second Republic has managed to take off. I am also appealing to people from the opposition; they sometimes talk without visiting the site. Just go and appreciate what we are talking about as Government in the Second Republic. It is very important to have information than just to talk of something that you do not know. I also need to thank the President for all this.
Coming to the roads, Government has managed to work on the roads using our own resources without borrowing money from outside the country, this is showing us that the Government is making efforts, we are using our own resources. If I may also pass this message to my fellow Members of Parliament and everyone who is here today.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the President; where I come from Chimanimani West, it is a difficult constituency, one part is in region one or two and the other part is in region four or five, and it is another dry area. It is very difficult and I am appealing to the Government to have more dams; dip tanks and irrigation needs to be resuscitated. It is very difficult to lead people who are hungry.
I want to thank the President about the Pfumvudza, Intwasa, we learnt this last week and I think people at home have started preparing for Pfumvudza. I want to applaud the President and Government because this is a noble idea. We do not want to lead hungry people.
In conclusion, the President said ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”. I just want to thank everyone who is here, the ball is in our hands now, and we need to work hard for our country in order to be re-elected in the next elections. We must not be afraid of the opposition who claim that we are not doing anything. Others have never been to Gwayi-Shangani and Hwange. The moment you get to Hwange 7 and 8, you can appreciate and say to yourself, let me be quiet, even some of our friends here have been there. The moment you go there, you will come back a changed person. I want to thank the President and the Government.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. KARIKOGA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th October, 2023
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU seconded by HON. MUNEMO, the House adjourned at Eleven Minutes past Six o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 17th October, 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 12th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
Hon. Sen. Zindi having stood up with the intention to go out of the Chamber whilst the Hon. President of Senate was calling for notices of motion.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator, I thought you wanted to give a notice of motion, you should wait until I finish.
Order, we have Cabinet Ministers in the House, let me take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of ICT, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, the Minister of Provincial Affairs in the Office of the President and Cabinet and the Minister of State for Harare.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: My question is directed to the Minister of ICT, Hon. Mavetera. What is Government policy regarding boosters in outlying areas like Mwenezi, Chikombedzi and Chiredzi because such areas have not been having communication boosters for a long time? It is difficult to communicate with people in such peripheral areas. What is Government planning to do regarding the issue of boosters in those areas which have been left out since independence? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Good afternoon Madam President. Let me thank the Hon. Senator for the pertinent question. Indeed, you were focusing on Mwenezi which is quite a specific question but I am not going to be specific, I am going to speak regarding Government policy concerning boosters. As Government, we have plans to work on tower relocation, working with technical people like Econet, NetOne and Telecel. The plans that we have include taking boosters to places which have been left out for a long time and we are going to be adding network coverage. We have been using 4G technology but now we are going to 5G because there are areas which were under 4G coverage but now with 5G coverage. We have plans to work on satellite base stations which will provide satellite connectivity. That is the plan so that the rest of the country benefits from network providers. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MAKAMBA: Thank you Madam President. My question is directed to the Minister of ICT. Let me say congratulations Hon. Minister as a person who works in an industry which falls under your Ministry. His Excellency saw it fit to appoint you the Minister of ICT. There are provinces with many radio and television stations and there are some which do not have, for example in Mashonaland Central. Manicaland does not have any, is there any policy regarding the allocation of radio stations to a province …..
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order Hon. Senator. I do not know which Minister you are asking that question, the Minister for ICT is not responsible for radio stations but the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services. That falls under the purview of a different Ministry. May you ask a question which is relevant to the Ministry of ICT?
*HON. SEN. CHIEF MANYEPA: My question is directed to the Minister of War Veterans. I believe that mid-last year, there were people who were interviewing people who contributed towards the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe. The detainees, restrictees, collaborators and some were asked to open accounts and we were told to buy lines and phones regarding that. I wanted to find out how far the programme has gone so far?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. MAVHUNGA): Thank you Hon. President. Let me congratulate you for being appointed the President of Senate and I want to congratulate other Hon. Senators for being given the mandate to represent people in this august House. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Manyepa for asking such a pertinent question regarding the welfare of war veterans and collaborators. Indeed, that question is a question which is at the heart of His Excellency, the President. During the first days of the 2nd Republic, His Excellency decided that it was pertinent to review the War Veterans Act so that the welfare of war veterans is considered.
In that regard, the law was brought to the august House and the law was covering war veterans, war collaborators, restrictees and detainees through the War Veterans Act [Chapter 17:12]. That Act then speaks to identifying those who are collaborators and the database of war collaborators was created. There were so many of them and then there was a vetting process which looked at how the different members contributed because war veterans and those who trained outside the country knew each other. Those who were collaborators were collaborating in different ways. Some were collecting information, buying clothes, and some were doing different duties.
So, for vetting to be done, that had to be done in the areas where these people were operating from and this was tedious and time consuming. The vetting process was done and those who were outside the country who were in training camps and some in refugee camps who are non-cadres were also put in the database. Through the new law, non-cadres and war collaborators were added to the database and the total number of people was not vetted, but there are other new people who had not submitted their names and they submitted later. Now we are in the process of requesting for money so that the rest of the people who were not vetted, proper processes and due diligence be done. I thank you Madam President.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Madam President. I have a supplementary question. Hon. Minister, I am satisfied, but in rural areas people do not know what is happening. Some are asking questions where they are and there is no feedback which is going to the communities. So, it is important that communication is done so that people have relevant information. Are there any plans for such communication to be done?
*HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): Thank you Madam President. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for that pertinent question. Indeed, such programmes are there, but for now our Ministry as you are aware, had offices at the provincial offices although we have decentralised to districts. We have plans of disseminating information using our structures so that everyone becomes aware of the programme, so please be patient. We are going to bring information to the stakeholders. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: Thank you Madam President for affording me the opportunity to ask my question. Before asking my question, let me thank Government. We know that there are people who have chronic diseases like liver, cancer and our Government hospitals are treating people with chronic diseases for free, we appreciate that. My question is to the Minister of Heath and Child Care and if he is not available, to the Leader of the House. We have people who have liver problems who go through dialysis. They travel long distances from rural areas like 100 kilometres for them to be treated. Some go to Parirenyatwa Hospital and some to Sally Mugabe Hospital for dialysis twice or thrice per week. Is there any plan to have places in districts and provinces where people can access dialysis machines? We need machines in provincial hospitals and district hospitals. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINENT (HON. MATUKE): Let me start by congratulating our Senate President for being appointed and voted for and indeed, it is good that women continue holding such high offices. The question that was asked is quite pertinent. The Government of the 2nd Republic did a lot of projects especially in hospitals. Before addressing the question that you asked, Government has invested a lot of money to assist those who cannot pay for their medical services, but the Government, through the Department of Social Welfare, is taking people to India and other places. Last year, thousands of dollars were channeled towards the treatment of such people. Indeed, it is Government policy to continue bettering our hospitals.
Our hospitals are dilapidated. We have hospitals like Parirenyatwa, Sally Mugabe and Mpilo. The machines have deteriorated, but new machines are coming in. The Government is addressing that. The question that you asked regarding diseases like liver and diabetes, these are chronic illnesses and this is an important question. We are looking forward at receiving new machines to treat the people in district and provincial hospitals. I thank you for that question because it is going to encourage the Ministry to reach out to such hospitals so that people do not travel long distances to access health services. Thank you.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President. I also want to congratulate the new Ministers who have been appointed by the President to be office bearers. I wish you well in your endeavours – [HON SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – My question is directed to the Leader of the House because the Minister of Home Affairs is not around. What is the Government policy on mushikashika vehicles which are causing accidents in the CBD, by driving through red robots and careless parking? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. MATUKE): Thank you very much. I think it is quite an important question raised by Hon. Sen. Tongogara. For the past three weeks, there was an operation to clean up all those vehicles. As I am standing here, the operation is still ongoing. I think more than 2 000 vehicles were impounded by the police for various reasons. That operation is going to continue until the city is clean; until everything is in order. It is just a matter of time; the police are taking care. The operation is ongoing. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Madam President. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your re-election together with your Deputy, Hon. Sen. Nyambuya and everyone else in the portfolio of Ministers. I congratulate you all and all Hon. Senators.
My follow-up question is, I would not know whether through you Madam President, Leader of the House would agree with me in the sense that what I observe personally is more of lack of enforcement by the police to ensure that there is order in the cities other than the blitz. Yes, the blitz has dealt partly with the problem because we have had so many blitzes but still, there is the problem of lack of discipline by drivers, motorists, particularly kombi drivers, the mushikashikas.
We have also seen buses, like ZUPCOs joining in. They stop at non-designated places for embarking or disembarking of passengers. All the other buses that have joined ZUPCO, which were invited in order to enhance the fleet of the ZUPCO, have also joined. My observation is that there is lack of enforcement. This happens right under the nose of the police officers standing right next to that bus stopping at undesignated places. What would you say? Would you concur with me that it is not the blitz only that can deal with that problem because we have had so many blitzes? On lack of enforcement, what could be done in terms of ensuring that the police do their work? Thank you.
HON. MATUKE: Thank you Madam President. I am sure it is a good contribution, but not really a question, to increase the enforcement so that we come up with an environment where our traffic will behave in a way which we can respect as a nation.
Also, do not forget that urban centres, enforcement is not only coming from the police, the city councils are also part of that force. The police come in when they think they need to augment or supplement the services which were supposed to be done by the city fathers. So that blame can be shifted to the city fathers. Police, yes can enforce, but they will be just assisting the local authorities. They have by-laws to control traffic and when they fail, then police will come in to assist. So, everything will be done to make sure that there is peace in towns in terms of traffic. Thank you.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF SENATE
VISITORS IN THE SENATE GALLERY
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to recognise the presence in the President of the Senate’s Gallery, of students from Mahombekombe Primary School, Kariba. You are most welcome. - [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
+HON. SEN. NYATHI: I would like to thank and appreciate your coming in as the President of the Senate for another term. I would also like to welcome our Ministers and my fellow Senators whom we are meeting for the first session on the Question and Answer segment. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Energy and Power Development. My question regards schools that do not have electricity. What is the Government planning to do with regards to electricity in schools since children are now learning online? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. MATUKE): Let me also respond in Shona. This is quite a pertinent question. The issue of electricity is an issue which is being addressed. The Government is looking at a situation where schools without electricity have solar energy so that they can receive the same education that is being received by other children. They are examined by the same board regardless of where they come from, hence they should be assisted in that regard. So, the Government is seized with the solar power provision matter because with the coming in of the Second Republic, these are key issues that we are going to address in the five-year mandate that we have been given by the electorate. These also feed into Vision 2030. So, such schools are going to be receiving solar power and they are going to be at par with those in urban areas. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you, Madam President. The people from my constituency have highlighted challenges that they are facing with Continuous Assessment Learning Area (CALA). Children are given CALA, which has to be researched on the internet and requires other accessories, which require money; the CALA is quite voluminous that children are working up to midnight, as a result, they do not have time to rest. The CALA was brought into the system whilst teachers were not well equipped and trained. As a result, parents have been burdened with teaching children at home more than the teachers do at school…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator! May you please rephrase your question for clarity purposes?
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: I wanted to explain so that I contextualise because these are questions that are received from the electorate. My question therefore is, how are we going to be helped as parents for CALA to be palatable taking into cognisance the issue of researching using electronic means? Some of the parents do not have electricity and hence do not have access to the internet.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Let me start by thanking Hon. Sen. Zindi for that pertinent question. Indeed, as a Government, we find such complaints coming regarding the Continuous Assessment Learning Area (CALA).
As a Government, we have deep-rooted programmes. We set a date in May, this year under the programme Curriculum Review which every parent, student, and all the stakeholders in education go to their nearest school to submit their inputs regarding CALA and other curriculum issues. CALA falls under the competence-based curriculum and this curriculum at the moment ended on the 30th of September last year and parents brought their submissions. After bringing their submissions, this was done in line with Section 141 of the Constitution which says that before implementing and reviewing anything, we go to the people. So, the consultation process was done and let me promise this august House that Government is left with a short period of time.
We gave a task to consultants who are reviewing and analysing everything that was said by parents including CALA. In the next two weeks, I am going to receive a comprehensive paper which indicates the needs of the parents. I cannot say that we are going to remove CALA, but we follow what people want. So indeed, for Grade 7 pupils, they have a lot of work doing CALA. So, multiplying 5 by 6 you get 30 which is quite voluminous for children and it is a burden to them.
When we receive feedback from the consultations that were done, the Ministry is going to convene a meeting where we will give feedback to stakeholders. The feedback that we are going to give will be drawn from the views of the people. In the past, we know that when we were going to school, there was only one project at secondary as well as university level, but you find pupils doing 30 projects which are quite tough. We are going to implement the views and contributions of the people. I thank you.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Allow me to congratulate you and your Deputy for being reelected as our President and Vice President respectively in this august House. Also allow me to congratulate all the Ministers and Deputy Ministers that are here today and all of us who were elected to this House.
My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. There are a lot of natural disasters that are occurring and a lot of schools have been destroyed by wind or heavy rains. As a result, our children are learning and studying in the open. What can be done so that those classroom blocks are be repaired quickly?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDCUATION (HON. T. MOYO): I wish to thank the Hon. Member for the question concerning the natural disasters and calamities that are affecting our schools, particularly the issue of classrooms that are being destroyed by wind and storms. Our Ministry has got complementary funding to the tune of US$5000 for primary schools and US$10000 for secondary schools. These are funds that are availed by development partners and I would not want to name them. If they write letters to our Ministry, we are in a position to assist those schools that would have been affected by natural disasters. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Allow me to ride over all the congratulatory messages that came across. In the absence of Minister of Foreign Affairs, I will direct my question to the Leader of the Government Business.
It is envisaged in NDS1 that Government will implement international cooperation programmes to improve international relations. In that regard, may the Hon. Minister favour this august House by explaining the strategies or programmes being undertaken by Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve diaspora participation in national development of this country? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): Thank you very much for that complicated question, but I will make an attempt to try and answer the Hon. Member. If I hear you well, you are trying to find out how our diasporans can participate in the national development of our country. It is a question which I can attempt to answer because it is not for Home Affairs but Foreign Affairs.
His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa has come up with a programme that whenever he goes out of the country, he engages our diaspora community in every country. He has never failed to meet a group of our diaspora communities. Recently he was in New York and he met quite a number of our citizens there. That alone is giving our diasporans enough space to engage with Government so that they can develop whatever they want.
There are a number of programmes where His Excellency is trying to assist our fellow citizens who are not in Zimbabwe by encouraging them to invest back home. The programme is ongoing and that was the initiative of the President and it is going to help the diasporans to have space in the development our nation. I thank you.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Madam President for giving me this opportunity to ask my question. Let me start by saying congratulations Madam President for being reelected to the position of President of Senate. You were not in the House when I congratulated you.
My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs and in his absence, I will redirected it to the Leader of the House. Cases of robberies and murder are increasing everyday in our beloved country, how is the Ministry addressing issues of public safety and reducing crime rates in Zimbabwe?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. SEN. MATUKE): The issue of robberies and theft are common in every country. As for Zimbabwe, I am sure you have seen a lot of road blocks which the police are mounting to curb the increase of robberies. In a number of cases when robbers come to Zimbabwe, most of these robbers go back to hide in the neighbouring countries. Everything is being done to try and curb the increase of thefts and robberies in our communities. I want to give a good example where they have had several contacts with police officers and in most cases you have seen them in gunfire exchange. Our country is quite alert that there is an increase of robbers and the police is doing everything to make sure that they reduce the rate of robberies. Thank you Madam President.
*HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Let me start by congratulating you for being re-elected as the President of Senate. I want to thank His Excellency the President for empowering women. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. I thank His Excellency the President for giving us this Ministry since Independence in 1980. We live in rural areas Hon. President. We do not see the significance and relevance of this Ministry. We hear people in Harare saying that they have received loans and other things. When we go to the Women’s Bank which is said to benefit women, we submit papers, but it seems as if us as leadership are not doing anything.
My question to the Hon. Minister is, when is this going to change and when are women in rural areas going to be empowered? I live in Mashonaland East in Murewa. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA): I want to congratulate you for retaining the position as the President of the Senate. I also congratulate the Deputy President of Senate, Chiefs and the Hon. Ministers in this august House.
The question that was asked by Hon. Sen. Chinyanga is quite pertinent. It speaks to the empowerment of women through Government programmes. That is why the Ministry was established. This Ministry was given SMEs which includes small businesses, cooperatives and informal sector - the vendors. There is one thing that I am proud of, Zimbabweans are organised. The Government policy is that no place should be left behind or anyone who is left behind in Government projects and initiatives. My Ministry is happy to assist women with capital, including some who might not have collateral. That is why the Women’s Bank was formed in 2017.
Madam President, the bank was formed in 2017, but there was insufficient money to assist in capital financing for women in consortiums and different businesses. Government saw it fit, so that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has officers at ward level who would teach and empower women because when a woman has an idea, it does not necessarily mean that the project is successful. I appreciate that Government has such officers. These officers could not access different peripheral areas; sometimes we are told to reduce gender-based violence, early child marriages and abuses at school. It is important to empower the Ministry with resources so that we empower DDOs in every district.
The President values the Ministry even women and girls. We received vehicles to give to our DDOs so that they will be able to access different areas. When they receive telephone calls, they should be able to reach all corners of the country. Some are getting bicycles so that Government programmes succeed. The commitment of the President and Government is high. There is also SEDCO which is doing a good job in empowering women through loans. The Ministry indeed needs quite a substantial budget. As we go towards the budget process, may I urge the august House to advocate for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to be given a substantial budget. This should be emphasised so that the bank gets capitalisation.
We do not end there by complaining that we are not capitalised, we are not going to work, the painful thing is what the Hon. Senator said and it is something that I have heard also. The Women’s Bank generated a lot of interest and people opened accounts, they wanted to get loans so that they start their businesses. Not all those who applied got loans. The big issue is that we faced many challenges. We were affected by COVID-19 pandemic and it reversed a lot of programmes. As we approach this year’s budget, we need a lot of capitalisation.
When the bank starts programmes working with partners, the Women Macro Finance Bank of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Agriculture got 600 tractors which are going to benefit women farmers. We are going to ensure that women are empowered so that they can pay back even the loans. Government policy is that we should permeate every corner of the country. There is no peripheral area which is going to be left behind.
Let me invite Members of this august House that on the 14th of October, 2023, we will be in Chiredzi, the whole country. Women will be show-casing their projects. This is a United Nations calendar programme which is meant to commemorate and celebrate the job that is being done by women in rural areas. Many of us come from rural areas. We are going to capitalise them through funding, training them on technical skills making sure that they can do their jobs, making good food, beneficiation and valuation and promoting the growth of peripheral women and this will also help those in urban areas. I went to Murehwa in Magaya Village and there is a centre of excellency, a centre where abused children in the community can go and find shelter including those who want to learn digital skills. We have financial inclusion which needs girls to be empowered for them to be on line, and to establish markets where they sell their products. We have a lot of centres like that, Shelters for Women and Girls. We have safe markets in Masvingo, there is a crèche and there is a clinic for women who have different health challenges. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Hon. Minister, you spoke about what has been happening in the past. These are projects that have been running for five years and so we cannot talk about the past. Women’s issues need a workshop. Please organise a workshop for leadership and female parliamentarians so that such issues are addressed. The other issue is that of funding. You are new in the Ministry and we sometimes do not understand the funding. We need to know how much is needed in 2023 and how many beneficiaries are there? We need statistics whether it is in Murehwa, Chiredzi and other areas. Such statistics need to be given to the august House and there should be a breakdown of the funds.
These are public funds and Parliament should get a report regarding the utility of the funds and tangible projects which Parliament should be aware of looking at what beneficiaries are doing. Perceptions are quite important because sometimes people might feel that these projects are meant to benefit leaders only, but these are community projects which are meant for the communities.
Sometimes you find that some have three cellphones in towns and they receive funding. My supplementary question is, what do you plan to do Hon. Minister? We want to know the different strategies. We have no confidence in what has been obtaining. Thank you.
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Madam President. I want to thank Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira. Indeed, what he is saying, women are the majority in gender community development and SMEs. So, my point is that I have found a lot of good that has been done in the Ministry. What we have started, as a new Minister, the most important thing is to listen to the people. The big job that I am doing since I started is that stakeholder consultation should be the first thing. I spoke about SMEs and we have spoken to their leaders looking at their aspirations. Zimbabweans are patriotic people who love their country and who want to see progress.
We also spoke about cooperative movements. We want to understand the challenges they face. We spoke about cross-border traders who are very organised. Some go to South Africa, Zambia and other countries. They have structures. We also spoke about the Chamber of Women in Mining who also have their concerns. We met women in agriculture and SMEs in agriculture. What you spoke about Hon. Senator, let me clarify that what you said is quite important so that we convene a meeting with Hon. Members of Parliament and traditional leaderships, having leadership workshops with different stakeholders concerning the protection of the girl child.
These are issues which are in our plans. When we are going to Chiredzi, I would like to request your presence Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for you to come and see the Mutewo value addition in Chiredzi. We have women who benefited from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. I believe that when you are saying that you are not aware, I believe visibility might be the issue. When I went to women in mining, the Zimbabwe Chamber of Women, people were given prices for exporting. These are women who were taken and empowered by Government. So, we are going to move together so that you come and see what Government is doing towards the empowerment of women and SMEs. I thank you.
Questions without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order No. 67.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that time for questions without notice be extended by 15 minutes.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: I second.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The time is extended by 20 minutes.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Madam President. My supplementary question is that we appreciate the Women’s Bank and what has been done so far. Is it possible for the Hon. Minister of Women’s Affairs to bring a breakdown of the allocated budget in the previous year and how money was used in the ten provinces? I believe this will help us when we receive such a report of the past year in the annual budget. It will remove the perception that nothing is moving because we would have received statistics. Thank you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I believe your question is that you want statistics. Is it possible Hon. Minister?
HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Indeed, it is possible Madam President because where there are statistics, I believe that you will see because you have evidence.
HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President. I would like to congratulate you and our Ministers. My question is directed to the Leader of the House. Mr. President, we have seen at robot-controlled intersections, particularly in Harare, small children some of whom are visually impaired and others sitting on wheel chairs knocking on people’s cars asking for assistance. Do we have any policy to deal with that sort of community? If yes, why do we make that sort of thing continue? Thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. MATUKE): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Mackenzie for such an important question. I am sure we cannot let police arrest our vulnerable members of the community. We would rather try to assist them in a manner that would give them dignity. In most cases, those people whom you see around the streets, most of them are child-headed families. Some are orphans. All the same, we are discouraging people from roaming the streets, begging for food and whatever resources and begging from motorists or anyone. We all know that Government has got almost one or two homes in every province that can accommodate the vulnerable children so that they receive education and have enough food.
I think through the Department of Social Welfare, a lot is happening to try and convince those vulnerable members of our communities to go to those homes. A good example is Chambambati which was established by the First Lady. We had almost at one stage cleared all the vulnerable members of our society who were loitering in the streets to that home. The problem is they are used to roaming around, normally they would find their way back into the streets. The position is, we will try to advise the Department of Social Welfare to make sure that consistently, they go to the streets and try to persuade those vulnerable members of our society to go and get Government support from quite a number of homes we have throughout the country. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. The first question is, we still have students who sat for ‘O’ Level examinations, whose results were suspected to have been fraudulent as a result of stolen or cheating. Some have been held for years. Havana maresults asi vakanyora. Can we have a final determination whether they have been nullified for them to move forward?
The second one, we have people in the Ministry who are teachers. Umwe anondo sevenza kuBinga, murume ari kuMasvingo, do you not have a policy that assist them to work at the same school or nearby schools? You know what happens if husband and wife are separated for long. Ndiri kuvona ivo pachavo vachitsvakana, kuti iwe uri kuBinga ini ndiri kuMasvingo, can we swap. Minister you may be aware and I know you are aware, vanhu varikutengesa nzvimbo US$1 000, kuti chiuya pano pendiri toinda kuMinistry tondoti, tinoda kuswapa. We cannot have such a society, ndibhadhare kuti ndigare nomukadzi wangu kana nomurume wangu, just because the Ministry cannot see the need to move these couples nearer to each other. Is there no policy kuti mubatsire vana, corruption yanyanya? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President for this opportunity. Also, I want to thank most profoundly Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira for the two questions.
Regarding the first question of results that were withheld mainly on the basis of suspicion that they might have cheated during examinations; in 2022, we experienced massive leakage of examination papers, which happened in our schools, particularly, Matabeleland South was the epicenter. That is where the leakages started. People were selling examination question papers throughout the country. Some of the questions were sold online and people made money out of that. That is against the law. Investigations were done, whereby Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had to engage members of the CID and CIO. There were suspects and one of the recommendations that was done for those suspects was to withhold their results.
I appreciate the concerns made by the Hon. Member that determination has to be given and also that we need to give a time frame for the investigations. So, I want to promise this House that we are going to look into this issue. I am yet to look at the results of their investigations to establish the students that were affected. Maybe I will also invite the Hon. Member to give us the names of students who did not receive their results so that Ministry officials may establish why they have not been given their results. If it is related to examination leakage, then we should be able to give determination.
For the second question, it is a priority for Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to practice de-centralisation in terms of recruitment. Currently we have centralised recruitment, where someone is deployed in Matabeleland North and the spouse is placed in Manicaland. Obviously, one of them would want to join the other. The policy is very clear. The policy is that we encourage couples to teach at the same school. As soon as we have proof that they are legally married; they have a marriage certificate, we are able to assist. The Human Resources Department can easily assist that couple so that they work at the same school. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: Thank you Hon. President. My supplementary is on the aspect of proof of marriage, having a marriage certificate. Is it that the Ministry and Government does not recognise our culture on customary marriage because so many marriages we have do not have marriage certificates but they will be married customarily? Are we now Europeans on that issue? I thank you.
HON. T. MOYO: Thank you Hon. President. I wish to thank our esteemed chief for that question. Our Zimbabwean laws do recognise customary marriage. As long as there is proof that the couple is married customarily there should be no hurdles as to why the couple cannot be teaching at the same school. So as long as there is proof, Hon. President, then we should be able to assist.
*HON. SEN. RUNGANI: I would like to congratulate the Senate President for coming back, Ministers and my fellow Senators. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
What is Government policy in growth points and rural areas looking at the pegging of stands by Rural District Councils in rural areas where people have been inhabitants for a long time?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET (HON. MATUKE): Thank you Hon. Senator for the pertinent question. The Government policy is that no one should be left behind. When Rural District Councils, through urban sprawl crowd into rural areas, they are bound to negotiate with people who live in such areas. The law directs them to engage the affected people incorporating them into the council plans.
However, since the question is directed to a specific area with that specific challenge, may the Hon. Senator put that question in writing so that the question will be taken to the relevant Ministry, and the Minister responsible will look into the issue to decide. The law says that there should be a consultation and an agreement with the inhabitants of such an area. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: If you have a specific case where you are aware that some people were displaced and not given an alternative area to settle, may you put it in writing and the relevant Minister will attend to that question.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of ICT, Hon. Mavetera. Allow me to say congratulations to all the Ministers here.
Hon. Mavetera, as we commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child, you are an inspiration to all the girls out there. I want also to applaud your Ministry for availing WiFi gadgets to institutions including organisations who have persons with disabilities across the country.
Now that the airtime has lapsed, what is the Ministry's position in renewing the internet services, especially to the disability constituency?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Thank you very much Mr. President. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the Hon. Madam Senate President. The first time I stood up, I did not manage to do that. Let me also thank Hon. Sen. Shiri for that very important question.
Indeed, our Ministry has got a programme where we are training people with disabilities. We are imparting digital skills not only to them, but also to the rest of Zimbabwe. You will see within the next two weeks, we are also going to make sure that we even train the elderly making sure that they are also abreast when it comes to digital skills training.
It is our policy to make sure that we only avail just for one year, which is an initial seed that we give to every group that would want to empower themselves. However, we are going to look specifically for people with disabilities to see if we have got any other SOS’s that can be able to assist us and we may also engage POTRAZ to see if they can be able to assist you. The policy is that we can only be able to give you this seed data for only one year, however, since it is a request that you are giving, we will see if we can extend it. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. BIMHA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to start by congratulating you and Madam President for being given the responsibility to lead for another term. I would also want to congratulate every Senator and Chief in this august House.
My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. The Government, through the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, is doing a good job in road infrastructure development, especially roads that link big cities and towns. However, after servicing roads, we find huge vehicles with abnormal loads using such roads and damaging them.
We know that in the years that we have gone through, people were carrying goods using goods train, so even in business, it meant that cost of production will be reduced. So, may the Hon. Minister clarify regarding the resuscitation of the National Railways of Zimbabwe through the railway system. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): I want to congratulate you Mr. President, Ministers and all new Senators in this august House. Let me thank Hon. Sen. Bimha for that pertinent question. Indeed, our roads have been transformed and we have abnormal load trucks moving on the new roads. We are going to introduce weighbridges so that we know the weight of the different vehicles that will be using these roads. For example, those who are into lithium mining will know that when you look at the weight of lithium in a wheelbarrow, it is quite heavy than you think and this damages our roads. This is how we are transforming our roads. We are going to be charging such extra loads through weighbridges. Government policy is that such extra loads should not be using roads.
I appreciate the coming back of the Second Republic under the leadership of His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa through initiative of rehabilitating the railway lines where you find that some railway lines were not operational but now, we are looking at servicing that industry with new locomotives. We are going to get new locomotives as Ministry of Transport, which means that loads which are not supposed to use roads are going to be using the railway line.
Our railway lines are not damaged that much. On roads, there are potholes that develop but on railways lines, we call them cochins. These are only 10%. Out of the 2600 railway lines in the country, it is only 260 that we are working on. We are going to repair them so that our railway lines will be operational very soon thereby benefiting the growth of businesses when they transport their goods.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS.
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th October 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE PROVINCE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA), the Senate adjourned at Six Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 17th October 2023.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 11th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I have the following apologies from Members of the Executive: Vice President Dr. Chiwenga; Hon. J. G. Moyo Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, he is out of the country; Hon. Prof. M. Ncube Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion also out of the country; Hon. S. J Nyoni, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, in the country but on national duty in Victoria Falls; Hon. R. Bila, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, he is attending to a foreign delegation from Egypt; Hon. Chitando, Minister of Local Government and Public Works is out of the country on national business; Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri, Minister of Defence and Security, on national business; Hon. Brig. Rtd. Mayihlome Deputy Minister of Defence and Security, again on national business; Hon. Z. Soda, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, national duty; Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, on national duty; Hon. Dr. T. Mombeshora, Minister of Health and Child Care, also national duty; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development, out of Harare and Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, out of the country.
A special welcome to our Hon. Vice President Col. Rtd. K. C. D. Mohadi. Thank you for coming.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Do you still belong to the right?
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: We occupied the whole House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. Minister Mhona. What is Government policy with regards to motorists that are being arrested for reflectors? The vehicles might have in built reflectors but they are required to put extra reflectors. What is Government policy?
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank Hon. Zhou for that pertinent question. Indeed, we have unscrupulous road users. Because of the ongoing programme, the police are searching for items like reflectors. Vehicles that come into this country must have reflectors that we in this country can recommend. So, when they are stopped on the roads, those are the things that the police will be searching for.
Still on that similar matter, I also would like to say Mr. Speaker, we have realised that there are some people who put extra lights or spotlights on their vehicles. Such people will also be arrested as we work in close collaboration with the Minister of Home Affairs, including motorists that may not have their number plates. They must obey the road regulations. I thank you.
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question is that, indeed the Minister has to ensure that our licencing meets the SADC standards. Some of the vehicles that come from South Africa may not have those reflectors, which means they breach the regulations that we expect. Do you not think it is retrogressive because we are opposing the SADC standards?
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Hon. Member for the question. The Hon. Member talked about the drivers’ licence meeting the SADC standards and also referred to the reflectors. Indeed as SADC, there are things that we agreed to synchronise and I believe as SADC, we will harmonise, be it the signs and regulations and all others. We expect to have a harmonised road regulation system. Indeed, some of those vehicles may have reflectors that may not be visible at night and sometimes may be visible. The intention is to preserve life. That is the reason why we ensure that we have those reflectors to show whether it is the front or the rear side, this is additional security. I believe we will discuss with the Minister of Home Affairs so that we may not be retrogressive. Indeed, we agree that we are human beings and if there is an outcry with regards to this matter, it means we have to look into it with the Minister of Home Affairs. I thank you.
Microphones having failed to switch on.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: ICT, what is happening to the gadgets? ICT!
*HON. MUSANHI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question is, in this country we obey some of the SADC Protocols that we are signatory to. In this country when the traffic lights are not working, it is almost impossible to navigate. Is it not possible for us to invoke…?
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. Do not codeswitch. Stick to one language. We would want to promote the mother tongue.
*HON. MUSANHI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Is it not possible for us to invoke the four-way vehicle regulation? I am referring to the law that is pertinent to the SADC region about the four-way stop. That is very helpful because the car that comes first is entitled to move first. Can that not assist us and ensure that street kids will not start controlling traffic? I thank you Mr. Speaker.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister Prof. Murwira has started allowing that Science must be taught in vernacular just like what the Chinese, the Russians, South Koreans and others do. So let us try by all means to promote our mother tongue.
*HON. MHONA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Member, Hon. Musanhi for bringing up that important question. It is true Mr. Speaker that if we do not obey the road traffic regulations at places such as the intersections, what should be done to ensure that the vehicle that comes first should proceed first? That is what we are trying to do through the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to ensure that we do not start obeying road traffic regulations when we cross Limpopo. We should obey those road regulations in this country. That knowledge must be imparted to everyone.
We should respect each other at the road traffic intersections. Sometimes we have motorists who drive against oncoming vehicles. We will try, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that we campaign and the motorists to obey the road traffic regulations that are also found in the SADC region. It is true that we need to obey the same law whereby motorists respect the vehicle that reaches the intersection first.
Microphones having failed to switch on.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: ICT, your gadgets are not working there.
HON. MANDIWANZIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of ICT. It is in connection with public statements that have been made by the Hon. Minister and officials of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, particularly with regards to the licencing of a service by Mr. Elon Musk for the Star Link. The question becomes implied specifically given what the European Union did yesterday in that it wrote to Mr. Elon Musk expressing its disappointment and discontent with regards to one of Mr. Musk’s channels which is X previously known as Twitter, where the EU was complaining about misinformation that was being peddled via twitter. Given the concerns raised by the EU regarding one of Elon Musk’s channels, I wanted to ask the Hon. Minister of ICT through you Mr. Speaker Sir, if there is consideration by the Ministry to equally express concern to Mr. Musk, particularly with regards to the content disparaging of our leaders, our President and sometimes of our own political parties on X, here in Zimbabwe and whether the action by the EU will be considered when deciding whether to licence Star Link? I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MAVETERA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me also thank the Hon. Member for the important question. Indeed, as Zimbabwe, we have got a policy which is quite clear that we want to engage as a country and also, it is within our means to ensure that we allow anyone wanting to come and trade with Zimbabwe to do so openly. Star Link is a company that has shown interest, but we are still waiting upon POTRAZ to be guided by the regulations which guide us in this country. We need to follow all the procedures and protocols that we are supposed to adhere to as a country and that is what we are waiting for. However, as for now, they have not paid any fees though they have shown interest. So, they have not yet adhered to our rules and regulations.
Then concerning the issue of the X space, yes indeed we have all the policies such as the Patriotic Bill that guides us and ensures that we adhere to each and every regulation in the country and any other organisation that would want to come and trade with us is also guided by making sure that they adhere to that. So concerning that, we just want to say the moment Star Link adheres to those regulations, it will be able to come and trade with us and also be in line with the Patriotic Act. I thank you.
HON. MANDIWANZIRA: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for her eloquent response to my question. My supplementary question is, what the EU has done is to warn Elon Musk that if X continues to fail to regulate the content, they are going to incur a penalty of 6% of their revenues. So my question is that, we continue to be bashed even by people locally and those who are outside on X and there are no consequences. Will the Minister consider consequences that will include billing them or charging them a penalty on their revenues because of its problems? I thank you.
HON. DR. MAVETERA: Thank you very much Hon. Mandiwanzira for that follow up question. I am sure as a country, we are governed by the Cyber Protection Bill and it also entails such acts and if ever they are going to act like that, we will adhere and use the Cyber Protection Bill to also take charge. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, you may also want to look at Section 61 of our Constitution which is the supreme law of the land, which will also speak to your answer.
HON. MURAMBIWA: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. What is Government policy with regards to the Grade Seven pupils after they have completed writing their final examinations? Are they forced to continue going to school or they have to stay at home?
THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Hon. Murambiwa for the question. It is Government policy to ensure that after students complete their Grade Seven examinations, they continue with their studies. This has emanated from the fact that if we allow students to loiter around not going to school, it means they are going to be under the influence of drugs and substance abuse. So we want to make sure students are kept busy in schools and so that they concentrate on Form One work whilst they are still in Grade Seven.
HON. MURAMBIWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. What exactly will the children be learning, because we are saying they have completed primary school course. Is there a set syllabus they will learn during that period?
HON. T. MOYO: Hon. Speaker, I appreciate the supplementary question from Hon. Murambiwa. When students have completed their Grade Seven examinations, that is not the end of the learning session. We are advising schools and we have written to them directing that Grade Seven teachers can give some Form One lessons to their students so that they keep them busy concentrating on school work. If they are allowed to stay at home, a lot of things do happen and some of the parents will be going to work and have very limited time to monitor their children. So, that is the basis of our policy to ensure that they continue with their studies. That is an induction to Form One work and that is why we are emphasising the importance of students having to be kept busy in their schools. I thank you.
*HON. ZEMURA: My question is directed to the Minister of Finance or in his absence, the Leader of Government Business. We have a lot of bank notes in the form of the $50 bond notes which suddenly we were told were no longer in use. Is there no way of announcing and making people aware in advance? Some of the people run small markets that they find it difficult to accept these notes.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. MNANGAGWA): Given the technical nature of the subject, allow me to answer in English – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, you can try and if you think you are in trouble, go to the technical language.
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: At the moment, the law says we use the multi-currency system and it runs up to 2023 when it shall be reviewed. However, the business community is found in trouble because the banks are not settled, they cannot lend money that goes beyond 2025 since they are not sure which currency will be used then.
What I want to assure the nation is that as a nation, we are looking into that but the Zimbabwean currency is here to stay and 2025 was suggested by industry and stakeholders. They required Government to specify when the multi-currency regime would come to an end. We decided to benchmark it on the NDS1 and that deadline is approaching, industry and its stakeholders have approached us to clarify on that position. The Ministry of Finance is saying we can leave it open but how best can we address that request.
On another note, we also have ZIG which is another way of restoring value. It is an alternative. The local currency that is being rejected can actually be used to purchase the ZIG which is valued at gold stored at the RBZ. We thought our plans with regards to our currency as a country, everything is in place. We have considered all the reports that are coming from all the stakeholders. The money will still be in use and people must not panic. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: My supplementary question to the Minister is that many people, especially in rural areas, cannot afford to purchase ZIG. Most of the people only have local currency and are in the rural areas, what are they going to do? ZIG can only be afforded by people with a lot of money, what is going to happen to people who are rejecting the local currency?
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Hon. Member, one ZIG is valued at $0,06c. If you look at how the ZIG is pegged, it is one milligram of gold, which means the ZIG has been made in such a way that it is affordable to everyone. This arrangement will be clarified to people when the banks open such accounts but the people who reject our local currency, as Hon. Members, let us make those reports to the Financial Intelligence Unit. If you are not aware of them, come to the Ministry because we want to know who is not accepting the local currency so that we may investigate. We continue to use the multi-currency regime and no one should reject the local currency.
*HON. NYABANI: We want to know, for example, for people in Nyanhewe in Rushinga, where can they access the ZIG?
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. ZIG is electronic money, which means that when you have RTGs or USD in your bank account, the banks will come up with a system where one can easily change or transfer your money from RTGs or Nostro and be able to buy ZIG just like how we use Inn Bucks or Ecocash. That is how we want ZIG to operate. At the moment, ZIG has not spread in the country and is operating on the equivalence of the available gold at the RBZ. The more gold reserves increase the more ZIG increases.
HON. MUKUHLANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My follow up question to the Deputy Minister is in relation to the comments that he made that the ZIG is backed by gold reserves. My question is why are we not backing the Zimbabwean dollar with gold reserves?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you please repeat your question?
HON. MUKUHLANI: The question is why, if ZIG is backed by our gold reserves, why are we not backing our Zimbabwean dollars as well to induce trust in the Zimbabwean Dollar?
HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I had mentioned earlier on that it is a bit technical, but ZIG is not a currency, it is store valued; similar to the way we had our gold coins, we have tokenized these gold coins into a digital token.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, address the Chair please.
HON. K. MNANGAGWA: My apologies Hon. Speaker. The ZIG is a tokenized coin which should be differentiated from our currency. As Zimbabwe, we only have one currency and it is the Zimbabwean dollar. What ZIG is then becomes a store value similar to what we have with the gold coins, which means that the ZIG does not earn interest at the same time similar with the gold coins. It provides an avenue for both the Central Bank and our agencies to mop up liquidity, but for our agencies as well to find a store value. So, in that regard, we cannot to answer the Hon. Member’s question, it is because we are talking about two different instruments. I do not know if I have been clear in my response to the Hon. Member.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I should have announced this at the beginning, please help us by identifying yourself because most Members are new, so that it is easier for the Hon. Ministers and myself.
*HON. BUTAU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Hon. Deputy Minister of Finance. The gold coins did not publicly circulate, especially in the rural constituency that we represent. This ZIG we are discussing here, how do we access it? People in the rural constituency, some of them do not have bank accounts and have never seen the coins. Some do not even know they exist. So, how are the rural electorate going to benefit from these gold coins? Most of the shops in the rural areas are the ones that are rejecting the local currency in favour of the foreign currency. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
* HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Those who refuse to accept local currency are against the law. On the ZIG, the people in rural areas, I can say, I am here in Harare and I have never accessed gold coins in the banks, but those who wanted it have accessed it. These measures that we put in place are meant for some people who may want to transact in huge local currency and are not sure of the value or the consistency of the use of that money, which is why they were given that as an option. So, the ZIG is an alternative, instead of taking your gold to your house, you will now keep it in the bank and you access it through your phone and your card. That is where we want to get to use the gold that we mine in this country. As we increase our gold reserves, it will also be increased. Once the banks work on the platforms, US dollar codes will be accessible even in the rural areas. They will be able to go and get the cards from their banks. We will be working in collaboration with the Reserve Bank, Government and Commercial banks. I thank you.
*HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. I direct my question to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Masuka; my first question is …
THE HON. SPEAKER: You ask one question only.
*HON. MUTOKONYI: My question is the Government has offered funds to the youths, most of the youth got land around 2015. My question is, most of those youths who have not been given offer letters, what is Government policy with regard to giving the youth offer letters? I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): There is an issue here where people were given land and they were not given offer letters. That means they settled there illegally. So may I have the names of those people so that we investigate who gave them the land? If they were given that land legally, we will then regularise, but if they settled there illegally, the law must be applied to ensure that they do not repeat that.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Mutokonyi, did you hear what the Hon. Minister said? Please present the names of those people to the Minister.
*HON. MUTOKONYI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. We will bring the names.
HON. MASVISVI: My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development. Hon. Minister, what are your plans on the payment to transporters’ dues so that they resume the transportation of inputs from GMB depots to the farming community?
THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I thank the Hon. Member for the question. Ordinarily, I would say that this question should be directed to the GMB because it is a business transaction. However, because it is a question of national interest as the rainy season is almost upon us, a lot of people are expecting inputs to be moved. The GMB has made Government aware of the challenges that they are facing paying transporters. We have engaged Treasury and we think that there will be a resolution shortly.
To those that are transporting inputs to the various wards, be patient with the GMB, you will be paid shortly. I also directed the GMB last Thursday that they avail Zimbabwean dollar fuel through PetroTrade and Agricultural Marketing Authority to alleviate – [AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of order. Hon. Speaker Sir, we cannot hear him properly. Can he please raise his voice?]
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Okay, he will repeat what he has said.
HON. DR. MASUKA: I thank the Hon. Member for the question. Ordinarily, I would have said this is a specific business transaction between the transporter and GMB for which GMB and the transporter ought to resolve. However, the question is of national interest because we are moving inputs that are to be used for this season and largely under the Presidential Input Scheme.
I know that the GMB has approached Government and indicated that they are having challenges paying transporters timeously and they have requested for support. We have engaged the Ministry of Finance, and Investment Promotion to expedite the raising of funds to support this parastatal, the GMB. In the interim, I have directed the GMB to access Zimbabwe dollar fuel facility through PetroTrade and the Agricultural Marketing Authority to alleviate the plight of these transporters. To the transporters, I say be patient with the GMB. We are mobilising resources to enable payment. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
*HON. MUCHEMWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I represent people from Uzumba in the rural areas. I want to thank the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, Climate and Rural Development for the Pfumvudza Programme. However, we are facing challenges with the prices of fertilizers. If our farmers want to increase their hectarage for farming, they cannot afford to buy the fertlisers on their own. If the Minister could clarify on this issue. I thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker. The Presidential Input Scheme known also as Intwasa is not the responsibility of the Minister. It is a Presidential Input Scheme and not a Ministerial Input Scheme. What farmers are given are fertilizers and seed. This year we will also be given chemicals that kill weeds. For those who want to increase their hectarage on crop production, we buy the fertilizer from countries such as Russia. As a result, this fertilizer comes with the price from the country we import them. When the war between Ukraine and Russia started and when we had the COVID-19 outbreak, it was difficult to transport those inputs and as a result, there was an increase in prices where a tonne of fertilizer cost more than US$1000. More recently, a tonne of fertilizer now costs US$750, meaning that the price of fertilizer has decreased and we hope that this means it is more affordable to our farmers.
As for the fertilizer that is manufactured within the country, manufacturers have to import some of the raw materials from outside the country, thereby resulting in the prices of fertilizer being high. For example, let us say for every hectare of land, we can expect to harvest about five tonnes of maize and fertilizer makes up 36% of the total cost of production. It is the most expensive input. The Government is looking into how the price of fertilizer can be reduced, but right now fertilizer prices on the international market continue to decrease. We are also encouraging those that import to also decrease the price of fertilizer. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
*HON. KABIKIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me begin by congratulating His Excellency the President for his re-election into the office. My question to the Minister is, I am one of those who benefited from His Excellency’s constituency borehole drilling programme. After the drilling was completed, there were no installations. Our constituents would want to know when the installations will be done because currently people do not have clean water? I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Question time is for policy questions and not grievances. What is Government policy on A, B, C, or D not grievances. That is a grievance.
*HON. KABIKIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me rephrase my question. What is Government policy when it comes to provision of potable water to people in rural areas?
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member for the question. His Excellency’s Vision 2030 is for Zimbabwe to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030. It means to reach there, every person would be having access to potable water in the country. Women and girls in rural areas would not be travelling long distances to fetch water. This is the first stage. Every thirty-five thousand in a population should have water. For all these thousands to have water, there are several things that should be done Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, there are experts who should go and survey places for borehole drilling.
If the Hon. Member’s constituency is at this level of drilling, that means they are now even far ahead of other areas that are queueing for the same programme. The Government will revisit those areas that have been drilled to assess the amount of water in the boreholes so that they can assess whether it is only enough for household use and we install the boreholes. Another assessment would be to see whether the water is more than for household use and see whether we can use the water for gardening as well and other businesses.
The Hon. Member’s constituency is among the 20 thousand areas that have been attended to out of 35 thousand areas that are supposed to be attended to so far. I thank you.
*HON. TSHUMA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question to the Minister of Agriculture is, what steps are being taken to assist those in areas that have salty water in their boreholes which is not suitable for drinking and even for gardening? The water is hot and such areas are found in the western side of our country that is from Midlands to Matabeleland North? I thank you.
*HON. DR. MASUKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. When we went to that area for borehole drilling project, after drilling 60 meters, we get to the coal level and the water that comes from that place is not potable. We have now decided to look for nearby rivers and weirs for water catchment and harvesting so that together with the experts, we can use that water for our livestock and other household chores. We had not yet done the underground survey of the country so that we know which areas have such kind of water underground but because of His Excellency’s borehole programme, we now know. We will look for means and ways on how we can assist them.
You are also encouraged that whilst the drilling is still on and that has been identified, you must urgently contact us for assistance. You should not wait until you come to this august House so that you inform us. That is His Excellency’s intention. I thank you.
*HON. ZIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have a supplementary question on the response by the Minister on the issue of fertilizer price. Are there any plans in place to increase the producer price…
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, what is your name?
*HON. ZIKI: My name is Richard Ziki. I represent Hurungwe Central.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Ziki, when the question has been asked and passed, we do not go back. That is in respect of our Standing Orders. You should have asked a supplementary question in line with the question of water. Therefore, there is no supplementary question on that one.
*HON. ZIKI: Thank you.
*HON. MAHACHI: Hon. Speaker, my name is Admire Mahachi, I come from Mutare North constituency. My question is directed to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. I would like to find out government’s policy on irrigation because I have noted that the dams which have been constructed are not benefitting the surrounding community for example the Osborne Dam.
THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: I encourage you not to mix languages. Irrigation is English so please stick to one language.
*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. A. MASUKA): Thank you for that important question Hon. Member. We have been talking about Pfumvudza and how we deliver inputs for Pfumvudza, now you are referring to irrigation, but I am happy with the question. The issue that you raised is that the dams that have been constructed are not benefitting surrounding communities through irrigation, for instance the Osborne Dam. The residents of Mutasa think the Osborne Dam is not functional yet that is not true. The Osborne Dam was not constructed for the people in Mutasa. Rather, it was built so that the water can be channeled to the Middle Sabi. That is where the water is going. However, the coming in of the Second Republic relooked at the issue of the Osborne Dam and decided that the surrounding communities should benefit first from that water. We then came up with the idea that the dam is not the only benefit, but everywhere we have a dam, we should have drinking water, irrigation, fishing projects and electricity for the communities in that area. As far as the Osborne Dam is concerned, we are through with our research on how the community should benefit. We are at the stage where we can have irrigation schemes in Middle Sabi, an area of about 6000ha. The next stage is to identify which households will benefit from the water and how they will be allotted the water. We are not just looking at people located where the dam is, but also communities along the path that take the water to Middle Sabi. They will all get a portion which is in line with the Vision 2030 Accelerator Irrigation Scheme which states that we should be able to have small irrigation schemes of about 200ha. That is how far we have gone with our plans for the Osborne Dam.
We also have dams amounting to over 10000 horse power. Most of them have water, but they are not being used and that is why we came up with this programme that a dam itself is not a project, but the use of water is. So those are the five areas that we have covered.
*HON. PRISCILLA MOYO: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. Students on BEAM are being sent home when Government does not pay the fees in time. What is Government doing so that these children are not sent home since it is known the money will be paid by Government? At the end of the day, some of the parents will be forced to pay the fees to ensure their children are not sent away from school. So it means the fees is being paid twice because when BEAM comes, that child will be covered again.
*THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. T. MOYO): Thank you Hon. P. Moyo for the question. It is true that most students, despite being on BEAM, were being sent away from school. We have now put in place a law that ensures that anyone who sends a child away from school because of fees whether on BEAM or not will have committed a crime. They will have breached the children’s right to education. Our Constitution does not allow pupils to be sent away from school. Those schools are double dipping because they make the parent pay and they will also take money from BEAM when it eventually comes. We now have district command centers and this was advertised in all newspapers last week. Those living in Rutenga, Mwenzi where the Hon Member comes from, there are people waiting for that phone call reporting anyone who will have sent children away from school. We are using a Statutory Instrument of 2000 which gives penalties for sending children away from school. The school head can be charged for breaching the children’s right to education. Should anyone hear of any school still sending children away from school, please quickly let us know.
*HON. PRISCILLA MOYO: Thank you, I am so happy with the Minister’s response. What measures has Government taken to let the parents in the rural areas know so that they are aware of the centers and communication details when they want to report the cases?
*HON.T. MOYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. What we have done is that we have gazetted in the papers, but it is not enough because those in the rural areas do not have access to newspapers. We are thinking of sending Government officials so that they meet with parents and the teachers who are committing the crimes so that they know that when they chase away school children, they are committing a crime.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Those who want to ask questions, you should register your names with the Chief Whips so that I know that those who will be standing up want to ask supplementary questions.
*HON. CHIKWINYA: My supplementary question is, if I give birth to ten children and do not have money, does BEAM cater for those ten children or there is a limit on the number of children that can be paid for?
*HON.T. MOYO: Madam Speaker, I think we have to clarify this. BEAM caters for parents who cannot afford. It is not given to anyone who gives birth to say that now you have ten children and BEAM takes care, but only to those families that are struggling to pay school fees for their children. If a mother has ten children and they cannot afford, she should approach the school and fill in forms for all the ten children and Government will pay. For those who are capable, they should pay fees for their children for the smooth running of schools, but schools should not chase away children from school for non-payment of fees. If all parents do not pay, it means the school will come to a standstill.
*HON. MUNEMO: What is the Government policy when looking at children who should benefit from BEAM? It looks like in all the schools in rural areas, all the children are under BEAM, so there is no development in schools. For example, most toilets are dilapidated because parents are not paying school fees and schools do not have money for development projects such that schools face closure by health officials. So, what is Government policy because it looks like everyone now is under BEAM?
*HON.T. MOYO: It is very true that in some places, you find that the whole school is under BEAM and what it means is that the SDC at that school is sitting down and doing a proper job. There is what we call Grant-in-Aid. For example, where I come from in Gokwe-Chireya, in all the primary schools in Gokwe North, children are not paying fees and those children are not under BEAM because they are benefitting from the Grant-in-Aid. What parents pay is levy and sports fees.
So, when they have their annual general meeting, when they agree to build a library or teachers’ quarters, each and every child is supposed to pay say $5. It is true that in some schools, all the children are under BEAM and the BEAM fees do not come in time. We encourage that the BEAM money should be disbursed timeously. We are going to meet with the Ministers of Finance and Social Welfare so that the BEAM funds do not take long and schools do not struggle to develop. When they take long to disburse those funds, it means all the development work stops. We do not encourage that as Government. In areas where parents are able to pay fees, people should pay fees, but in areas where they cannot afford, the Government should allow those children to learn for free.
HON. MUKOMBERI: My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion. What measures do we have as a country to encourage small to medium enterprises to also register in paying taxes and avoid tax evasion? Most of these firms usually evade taxes through providing separate records, a set of records with understated profits and another record for their own consumption. This record with understated profit is meant to pay a low tax than they should pay. What are the measures in place so as to improve our revenue as a nation?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. MNANGAGWA): I would like to thank the Hon. Member who raised the question. Our small to medium enterprises have actually become the larger part of our economy, hence the realisation that if they continue untaxed, we lose out on a lot of tax revenue. What we are doing as Treasury, through our institutions as ZIMRA, is firstly moving from your more manual systems to what will be dubbed TaRMS. This will be the new ZIMRA system that will ensure that – when it comes to SMEs you have two types.
You have those who are informal, but in formal structures. So, they are trading informally, but are in formal structures and those who are trading informally and also in informal structures, I would say mobile, I think the first step is to cater for those who are trading informally and have informal structures; just to make sure that we have everybody captured. This new system will make sure that from an inventory perspective and reporting, everything is more aligned and is less dependent on human personnel. There are continuous engagements between the SMEs themselves, the big retailers and our officials to come up with the best model to make sure that we garner the maximum benefit in as far as tax revenue is concerned.
What we have realised is the evasion of taxes from the SMEs sometimes is not a result of wanting to evade but it may not be as easy for the SMEs to pay these taxes. The easier it is for small traders to pay their tax, the more they will actually come and pay. So, these are systems that are being put in place, with time being the first step and continuous engagements are ongoing. So, this is something that Treasury is continuously cognisant of and is actually in the process of coming up with frameworks that evolve with the market as it evolves. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I want to ask the Deputy Minister of Finance if it is possible; there are tuck shops and small SMEs that operate downtown, is it possible to connect their machines to ZIMRA? The shops downtown do not pay taxes. Is there anything that can be done to link their machines to ZIMRA so that you can monitor their profits and are made to pay tax? I once witnessed this in other countries, so I think we can do it in our country as well.
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker, are these swipe machines?
*HON. NYABANI: These are machines that they use to record their inventory so that they can calculate how much profit they have made and the value of goods they have sold.
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: The fiscalised devices are connected to ZIMRA. The question that was asked by the first Hon. Member is that they are SMEs that can be accessed by ZIMRA and there are other SMEs that cannot be accessed by ZIMRA. They have other products that ZIMRA can monitor and with other products, they develop a separate book that cannot be accessed by ZIMRA. That was the Hon. Member’s question. On fiscalised, the machines are connected to ZIMRA.
*HON. NYABANI: My worry is that we buy goods downtown, those people do not pay taxes. They do not pay taxes, especially foreigners. As a Ministry, you must supervise those SMEs downtown because they are making a lot of money. ZIMRA must go and supervise these SMEs.
*HON. K. MNANGAGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. ZIMRA officials will be visiting those places and there is a taskforce in place that is working with Immigration. These are the tuckshops and SMEs that the Hon. Member is speaking about. We will now encourage ZIMRA to have a look at those SMEs.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Let me advise Hon. Members that when I am sitting on this seat, I will be the Speaker of Parliament. So if you are addressing me, do not labour yourself by calling me Hon. Deputy Speaker, you just say Madam Speaker, or if there is any woman that is not me, it is Madam Speaker and if it is a male Mr. Speaker.
HON. CHIWANZA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I just wanted to add my supplementary on the submissions made by our Hon. Deputy Minister of Finance. In their deliberation to try to make sure there is no leakage and tax collection, I think it is no secret that our market is now heavily informalised and a lot of people are employed in the informal sector. I think there must be harmony between Government and our tax to make sure that we do not bracket everybody. Being a person who started in the informal sector myself, I know that sometimes the relationship between the tax man…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is the question?
HON. CHIWANZA: It is a submission.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is question time.
HON. CHIWANZA: I am giving a submission to the question that was raised.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is question time, you must ask a question.
HON. CHIWANZA: Madam Speaker, can I then say as a question, can the Finance Ministry find a way to harmonise their relationship with the informal sector not to put everybody in the same bracket?
*HON. MUDEKUNYE: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Finance and Investment Promotion. I see that we are only targeting taxes from the formal sector. A 2% was once introduced. Do we have innovative ways that work in our country that are different from other formalised countries? Our country is now highly informalised. We must devise ways like taxing gold panners and so on. If a person is selling oranges, how can we get tax from them because for them to have bank statements, we are using what other countries have been using which are not applicable in our country. Are there no other ways or means? I have given an example of 2% tax, if someone is using transport, then you will take that from fuel and we take our money from there.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. MNANGAGWA): Thank you Hon. Member. These are some of the ways that we are looking at. As I have alluded to before, when we talk about informal and small traders, they are two. There are those who move from place to place and there are some who have addresses whom we know where to find them. Those are the ones who get to council so that when they go and renew their licences, they will pay their taxes there. If it is mining, it will be difficult to follow those who are into mining, but when they are rectifying their inspection certificates, that is when we can get them. I think all the ministries involved should come together and engage each other on how we can get hold of those people. We know that our law is in the SMES and those informal sectors. Thank you.
HON. OBEY BVUTE: My question is directed at Hon. Minister Mhona. Let me first begin by commending you on the wonderful job that you are doing with our roads. Would Government consider it as policy to use concrete as the basis of making our roads? I note that we have a significant Import Bill related to bitumen whereas concrete is used in our neighboring countries, there is a mixture of cement and three-quarter stone of which is readily available. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me hasten to thank Hon. Bvute for that very important question. Indeed, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development under the Research and Development, is pursuing that narrative, but the preliminary results are indicating that it is more expensive to use concrete, but you find that when you are rehabilitating a road, especially on intersections and shoulders, it is ideal to use concrete. So, I want to commend and thank the Hon. Member that yes indeed, as a Ministry, we are amenable to such very important suggestions and we will continue on that trajectory to ascertain whether we can go the route of using the concrete. I assure this august House that we will come forth with the results. Thank you.
HON. NGWENYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question refers to dust roads in rural areas since we are fast approaching the rainy season. I have observed that our rural areas such as Gokwe North and other areas have a lot of potholes which have developed into dams in our roads. Are there any plans being done by the Ministry of Transport to merely grade those roads so that they are movable? Thank you.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me also thank Hon. Ngwenya for that important question. Indeed, with the advent of the 2nd Republic, we must commend His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his wise leadership. He introduced Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme 2, which is running and we are saying as we gravitate towards the rainy season, we are witnessing that Treasury is now seized to have a budget towards that regard so that we rehabilitate our roads. I want to appraise the august House that we have got four different road authorities and mainly in the rural constituencies we have got RIDA, which was known as ARDA before. We are saying if the road is not under RIDA, it could be under Rural District Council and the major roads will be under the Ministry of Transport which is the department of roads.
So, because of the ERP2, we are no longer saying this road belongs to this particular road authority, but we have taken ownership in terms of administering and routine maintenance of our roads so that our roads are trafficable. I want to assure the Hon. Members that we have been grading roads year in, year out. We are also moving towards a new innovative way of rehabilitating our roads where we are going to be introducing non-technology pieces of equipment and in terms of issues to do with rehabilitation of gravel roads where we can use our earth roads and mix with other attributes so that we have a durable road that we do not grade each and every rainy season.
These are some of the initiatives that we are taking as the Ministry of Transport. I want to assure Hon. Members that above all, we are liaising with ZINARA so that we also get fuel because in most instances, we have equipment within the Rural District Councils where they have got graders, but they do not have fuel. We also need to think outside the box where we cannot just wait for the Ministry of Transport, but as Members of Parliament, come forth, present your roads that you think are very important and if we can avail fuel, it then becomes quicker so that we do not need to wait for Hon. Members to have the funding of roads from their own pockets which is not sustainable.
As we move towards the rainy season, let us be innovative as Members of Parliament – whether the grader is there belonging to RIDA, approach the Ministry so that we reason together and make sure that we avail adequate fuel to have the roads graded. In the long term, that is when we are pursuing other sustainable methods of rehabilitating our roads. Thank you.
*HON. MACHINGURA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Minister of Transport when it comes to the Import Bill. The money that is used to buy bitumen from outside, I wanted to suggest that the good work that he is doing, the roads that they are rehabilitating are very good, but those that have been rehabilitated are in the past. There are potholes that are developing and it requires a lot of money. Is there a way that the roads can be maintained before it goes bad? Thank you.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Machingura for your question, but before the Minister responds, I want the newcomers to learn that when we want to ask a question, we should go straight to the question instead of going into statements. We should ask questions like- what is government policy on roads that have been constructed so that they will be maintained so that we do not have potholes et cetera, so that the newcomers will learn that we do not go round and round giving suggestions. I think this is clear. Thank you.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would also like to thank dhodha rekhanye, Hon. Machingura, who has raised a very pertinent question. It is true that most of our roads are overused. When you try to mend this pothole, you would find that another one emerges. That is why the President is looking at a total rehabilitation, not just to mend the roads. You find that most of the roads, if we do not rehabilitate them completely, the foundations are no longer strong. They will easily crack when heavy loaded trucks use such roads, but we cannot do it all at once. We have about 88 to 90 000 km of our roads, but you will find that when we are constructing new roads, we will not get those challenges. That would not stop us from mending the roads, we are carrying on despite those challenges.
I also inform this House that each and every province has a resident Engineer who is in charge. You should have their numbers. If you come across a challenge of potholes, you should let them know so that they attend to that. It is not worth coming here with questions, instead you should come with testimonies that the roads are being rehabilitated. I thank you.
HON. DR. MAKWIRANZOU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question to the Minister of Transport is that he mentioned about repairs of roads. I would like to know if Government has plans or policies regarding repairing or rehabilitation of the Harare-Nyamapanda Road. That road is getting damaged by over-loaded trucks carrying granite. I thank you.
HON. MHONA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to thank Hon. Dr. Makwiranzou for that very important question. As you have alluded to earlier on, it is a specific question, but I will hasten to address the question which is of national interest and also to appraise Cabinet that indeed we have got an investor who has earmarked that specific road. It is going to start from E. D. Mnangagwa, which is known as Enterprise at the intersection of Samora Machel and Enterprise, which is E. D. Mnangagwa. That is where we are going to be widening the road up until Nyamapanda Border Post. Also, the border post will be rehabilitated, just to mirror what we have at Beitbridge and also that we are going to do that at Chirundu and Forbes border posts as well.
So, I want to inform the Hon. Member that we are on the final stages now regarding the concession agreement, where we are going to be having tollgates and the investor is going to be collecting his funding through tolling. We are happy that such kind of models is what we are desiring as a Ministry so that we lessen the burden on the fiscus. If possible, we can have such a number of concession agreements in a manner that would enhance the Ministry to move and execute with speed in terms of rehabilitating our roads.
Therefore, I want to assure the Hon. Member that yes, we are from the same province and within the next few months, you will see us descending heavily on that particular road and it will be a marvel to see. I thank you.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My follow-up question - we want to know the Government policy and the Ministry’s technical approach when it comes to the dualisation of our roads. Thanks to the Ministry and Government for the dualisation of Beitbridge Road, but at the moment, there is what we call detours; the temporary roads that the public will be using whilst the construction is taking place. We see these detours being abandoned later after having to transport the gravel to construct these roads. We see them again being covered by the top soil. Is it not a waste of resources after the same detour would have already compacted, which we can capitalise on resurfacing when we are dualising? The last one is about…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please ask your question.
HON. GANYIWA: My question is, what is the technical approach from the Ministry regarding those detour roads? Are they to be abandoned or new ones to be constructed?
HON. MHONA: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me also thank Hon. Ganyiwa. By the nature of the name detour, it means it is a temporary road. This would not have been earmarked in terms of proper planning. It is just a leeway so that we allow traffic to maneuver easily. He has talked about dualisation; as we speak, we have got our major highways, our trunk roads – he has talked about Beitbridge. We also have Bulawayo and Mutare, those are the roads that we are currently seized with in terms of dualisation, but I want to also buy into his suggestion to say, yes some of the detours are compacted and they are navigable, but at the end of the day, we abandon them. Just to say in terms of planning, scoping, these are not permanent roads. You will find that even those that we want to continue dualising will then revert to such detours. So, it is not basically a waste of resources, but it is also to allow traffic to maneuver whilst we are working on the major trunk roads. I thank you.
HON. MUSA NCUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would have loved to ask this question in my mother language, but for the interest of others, allow me to ask it in English. My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs regarding the issue of drugs and dangerous substances. Madam Speaker, we are no longer safe as a country. I want to find out from the Minister of Home Affairs, what measures has the Ministry put in place to address the issue of the influx of drugs on the streets? These drugs have found their way into the rural areas. The number of mental cases has increased in hospitals due to drugs. Madam Speaker Ma’am, the drug dealers are arrested two days and the second day they are released. I want to find out from the Minister of Home Affairs on whether we have an instrument or a policy regarding the drug dealers. We cannot let the drug dealers destroy our future generations.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that we add 30 minutes more to Questions Without Notice.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to thank Hon. Musa Ncube for the very important question on drug and substance abuse. Government is very much seized with the issue of drug and substance abuse. In fact, His Excellency set up a Committee that is chaired by the Minister of Defence to look into this problem, with a view of ensuring that the Cabinet Committee comes up with recommendations to ensure that we tackle this issue.
It is not an issue that is isolated to Zimbabwe alone but it is a problem that is worldwide. However, as a country, we are dealing with it through that Committee; the Deputy Chairperson of that Committee is actually here, Hon. Machakaire.
The Hon. Member asked what the Ministry of Home Affairs in particular was doing. The issue of substance and drug abuse is cross-cutting, it is not only confined to what the Ministry of Home Affairs can do but everyone else including all of us who are here. We must all be advocates ensuring that we eradicate the issue of substance and drug abuse. All of us here, one way or the other, may know who the drug peddlers are. So, the responsibility is on all of us to come forward since we now have a Committee that is dealing with it to proffer solutions to that.
Of course, the Ministry of Home Affairs, through Immigration and Customs, ZIMRA, are looking into ways of tightening the way drugs come into the country. We have got a lot of leakages. They are also strengthening the enforcement laws. We are going to have a Committee that will look at our laws with a view of ensuring that we review them and see whether they are still relevant to the environment that we are living in. So, the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Drug Unit, are looking into ways of ensuring that we deal with the drug menace. You are aware that only a week ago, there was a consignment that they managed to recover from someone, it was a cough mixture that was not allowed to be used in the country.
So, we are tightening up to ensure that we deal with that issue but most importantly, we have a Committee that was appointed by His Excellency to ensure that we deal with that specific issue. However, the call is, everyone else should ensure that we deal with this matter decisively. It is a real threat to our future, the majority of our youth have been affected hence I want to thank the Hon. Member for raising such a pertinent issue. It allows all of us as Hon. Members to go out there and ensure that we conscientise our constituents that we have a real existential threat that is coming from drug abuse. I thank you.
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. As a follow up to what has been said by the Hon. Minister, my question is with regards to those that are already affected by drug and substance abuse who are living with it in our communities. What is the Government policy with regards to those people who are living or have been affected by drug and substance abuse?
HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Ziyambi for the question regarding those who need rehabilitation. Now that COVID-19 is under control, we are identifying those COVID isolation centers around the provinces with a view of converting some of them so that we can make them rehabilitation centers for drug addicts.
Over and above that, we also have rehabilitation units within our prisons, Mlondolozi and Chikurubi, we are using those. Within our hospital institutions, Harare hospital and Parirenyatwa, we also have those institutions. However, we want to remove some of our children from mental institutions and set up rehabilitation centers within our provinces where they can be rehabilitated and taken away from drugs. We are very much aware that it is not prudent to take them away from society and put them in prisons but rather, if we create these rehabilitation centers that would help.
Like I have alluded to, we have a committee that is looking into this matter and any Hon. Members who have brilliant ideas that can help to ensure that we solve this particular problem, are at liberty to get in touch with Hon. Machakaire who is the Deputy Chair of that Committee and the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. T. Moyo; Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hon. Sen. Mutsvangwa are also part of that Committee including myself. We are ready to receive all the information that can help to ensure that as a nation, we eradicate this scourge. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Supplementary question. With reference to drugs and substance abuse in communal lands, the ordinary man believes it is the abuse of dagga. What is meant by “substance”? What are you referring to when you say substance? I have brought a sample of this type of beer and no one is being arrested. I was going to make reference to it when debating the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President. This beer has 65% alcohol. It is being sold for $1 for three. Wives have become widows when husbands are still alive due to consumption of this substance. If these substances area a menace to the community, we would want to make sure that tomorrow all retailers supplying them are arrested because we do not want anybody to use this substance. If they are not arrested tomorrow, it means you are condoning the sale of this substance.
*HON. ZIYAMBI: I would like to thank Hon. Nyabani for the rather lengthy question which is more of an explanation. I said this issue is spreading across the country and it may affect the young people. He has said that men are no longer behaving like men because they have lost their virility to this substance commonly referred to as “kambwa”. The other issue that has now become a cause of concern is that we now have shops that are sprouting up, some people are using the boot of their vehicles and some of them no longer know that for one to sell beer, they must have a liquor licence. Beer is now being sold everywhere. The Ministry of Home Affairs is now seized with moving around to ensure that if it is a grocery shop, any retailer selling liquor must be arrested. If you are selling liquor, you must be selling liquor that is legal, because some people are smuggling some types of alcohol through our borders.
In Zvimba, I was shown a substance which if mixed together with maize chemical and sprayed at the edges of the fields, rats and other birds die. So, the Ministry of Home Affairs is ensuring that people are compliant and that the goods that they are selling are legal. In terms of our law, we say anyone below the age of 18 years is not allowed either to buy or to be found inside a beerhall. Some of the children that you find holding these beer bottles are below the age of 18, and you wonder who would have supplied them with this beer. I urge all of us to be vigilant citizens and arrest these people that are doing illegal activities. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: The problem that we have is that if people are arrested today, they are released tomorrow morning. The committee that has been put in place should look into the issue whether Government departments are doing their work diligently because some people are arrested today and only to be released the following day. So, they may be in the habit of bribing police details. Secondly, is there a law that bars the sell of alcohol which is beyond 5%. Do we now have a law that bars the sale of substances such as “tumbwa”?
*HON. ZIYAMBI: The Hon. Member posed many questions, but nonetheless, I will endeavour to respond to the best of my ability. On the question that people are being arrested today and only to be released tomorrow, our Constitution says that once a person has been arrested, they have a right to be allowed on bail. They can give surety or pay a deposit so that they can be tried whilst on bail, it is part of our laws. It is permissible. The problem is that the person who has caused this person’s arrest is now afraid to come forth. Yes, we are still looking into it and we would want to come up with specialised courts that will deal with, such as issues of those that deal in illicit drugs so that their cases are fast tracked.
Secondly, you asked whether there is a law that prohibits the sale of liquor above 5%. I had already touched on that, but the challenge that we face is that the person who sells liquor is supposed to be licenced. These types of illicit brews that you make reference to are not manufactured in Zimbabwe. I am saying these people should be arrested. If these liquor forms are being brewed in Zimbabwe, the majority of them do not have licences. If they are not licenced, they must be arrested because those issued with liquor licences have certain rules that they have to follow and they should not flout the law, because they are not allowed in terms of conditions of the licences that they were given.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I will direct my question to the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation. We have Vocational Training Centres in the country. What is Government policy on Vocational Training Centres so that the facilities can be put to use and train our youths in various skills instead of them engaging in drug abuse?
*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH, SPORT, ARTS AND RECREATION (HON. MACHAKAIRE): Thank you Hon. Nyabani for your question. I would like to thank His Excellency the President for establishing a department that looks into the welfare of the youth in this country. We have a large number of youths. If you look at the number of children that start Grade 1 who go through to complete their Grade 7, we have a high number but if you look at those same children, the number that completes Form Four is greatly reduced. This shows that many children are not completing their education. As a result, the Government created a department to look into Vocational Training Centres. Extensive research has been undertaken so that the Government is able to help those children so that they can be trained in different skills such as carpentry and electronics. With time, the Government will be going around different areas and rehabilitating our Vocational Training Centres so that they can become operational. The problem of drug abuse amongst the youth is as a result of the youth not having anything to do. If we come together as a country, we can overcome this drug problem by ensuring that our youths receive training and can become employed and self-sufficient. I thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: My supplementary question is that since those youths coming from the rural areas do not have money to pay fees to those Vocational Training Centres as most of them have their school fees being paid by BEAM until they reach Form 4, what is Government’s plan when it comes to fees for these Vocational Training Centres? Will the youths be paying fees or will they be going around engaging in Government projects such as building schools where they will be given some allowances so that they can complete their training?
*HON. MACHAKAIRE: Thank you Hon. Nyabani. It is our wish as Government that there be free education for our children, but we will look into the issue that the fees be affordable to those especially in the rural areas. We are grateful that we have our President who has the nation at heart. We will definitely look into this issue and try to ensure that as many of our children receive training so that this benefits our nation Zimbabwe.
+HON. B. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Are there any measures that have been set aside by his Ministry to complete these roads that were under construction before the onset of the rainy season? Looking from where I come from, Vungu and Maboleni, this road was not completed. There is a small stretch which needs to be attended to. Paying particular attention to the President’s mantra of leaving no place and no one behind, in Vungu we are lagging a little bit behind because our road has not yet been completed. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.
*THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. MHONA): The Hon. Member spoke about areas that have roads that have not been completed. It is true I was once in Vungu and I saw it for myself. I would like to inform the House that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development is seized with the matter. The Hon. Member said no place should be left behind as our President has been constantly saying. The Hon. Member mentioned a specific area and it would have been more proper to put the question as a written question. As Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, we visit different areas looking at the state of our roads. Many Members of Parliament can attest to the fact that the Ministry has been in their area. I would like to appeal to the House that the budget allocation of the Ministry be increased so that the Ministry has enough funds to look into the resurfacing of all roads.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, let me take this opportunity to inform the new Members of Parliament that when asking questions for Questions Without Notice, they should be on policy issues. When you want to ask questions about a specific issue on a specific area, you have to go to Papers Office and submit your question for Questions With Notice. This will enable the Minister to research on the issue and bring to this House a comprehensive response to the question. I thank you.
Hon. Tafanana Zhou having stood up for a supplementary question.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sorry Hon. Zhou, the extended time for question time has expired.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MUKUHLANI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by His Excellency the President. Let me start by congratulating His Excellency the President for winning and being elected to lead the nation of Zimbabwe. Once again, the result came not as a surprise to many of us because this is a Government that is people centric and a Government that is geared to leave no place and no one behind. As such, the people of Zimbabwe befittingly elected him to be the leader of this country. Let me again Madam Speaker, congratulate Advocate Mudenda and yourself for being re-elected as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of this House. In the past five years, you have led us wisely and we have learned from your wise counsel as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Madam Speaker, the SONA by the President of the country is historic in many ways. The last time that he addressed this House, we were emerging out of the COVID-19 pandemic in which post COVID he pronounced major infrastructure initiatives to this country. Not only did he lead us out of the pandemic but he also initiated major economic and social programmes to develop the country of Zimbabwe. In his SONA on the 3rd October, the President presented Government priorities from a broad spectrum of portfolios, chief among them, industrialisation and modernisation of the economy, stabilisation and consolidation of the economy, increase in agricultural productivity, infrastructural development and investment in our national railways.
Madam Speaker, he spoke also to the effect of our education. Madam Speaker, let me comment on the areas that the President mentioned and spoke about in his Address. In so far as industrialisation is concerned, I will go historical. The generation of Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, Chaminuka and others have a legacy of fighting the colonial masters. The generation that followed has a legacy of having brought the independence of this country. Madam Speaker, as spelt out by the President in his SONA about industrialisation, it is for this generation to work to industrialise Zimbabwe. We have it upon our shoulders to leave a legacy of industrialising this country.
I will speak to an industry that I am familiar with Madam Speaker. It is an anomaly that 43 years after independence, we still import 99% of our medicines. We need to have legislative framework and regulatory framework that allows the pharmaceutical industry in this country to be able to produce medicines that are affordable and accessible to the people of Zimbabwe. It augurs with what the President has mentioned with industrialisation and modernisation of our economy. To that effect, the President spoke about the National Health Bill which touches on the availability and affordability of medicines. Madam Speaker, health is a right not a privilege. We therefore, as a nation, have to provide national health insurance to our citizens to make access to health and access to medicines easy and affordable.
Madam Speaker, the President also spoke about the legislative agenda and I will dwell again on an area that I am too familiar with, the area of sport. He spoke about the Sport Integrity Bill which deals with issues of malpractices, unfairness, match fixing, corruption, bullying and other vices that we find in the industry of sport. He also touched on the sport industry, on the Sport, Recreation and Leisure Bill. Madam Speaker, not so long ago, Zimbabwe cricket hosted 10 countries in Zimbabwe with an audience of 200 million viewers globally. That speaks to an industry that has capacity to build, employ and to bring revenue to this country. Not only that, I have spoken of 200 million viewership, that means we have got power in marketing our country from a sports tourism point of view. I want to thank the President in his wisdom to bring about the Sports, Recreation and Leisure Bill which seeks to enhance the position of sport in the economy.
Madam Speaker, the President also spoke of a phenomenal growth in the mining industry from $2 billion in 2017 to $12 billion to date. What a phenomenal growth that we have experienced. He also spoke of a $10 million facility for the artisanal miners. What is important Madam Speaker is that as we cherish this growth in the mining industry, it is important and imperative that the $10 million facility that the President has availed through Government for artisanal miners, that health and safety for artisanal miners becomes a priority. It is not good that we have our artisanal miners who continue to be trapped in mines as they work to contribute to the fiscus.
Madam Speaker, the President also spoke on consolidation of the economy, stabilisation of the economy and I believe many of us are aware of the fact that prior to elections, we had run-away inflation, which Government timely intervened and stabilised the currency.
Madam Speaker, earlier on, we spoke on the need to use our own currency. There is no nation that has developed without using its own currency. There is no nation that has developed without using its own language. I want to commend the President for the effort that he put prior to the elections to stabilise the currency, but having said that, unscrupulous business practices are still on the rise within the economy. It is important that such vices are dealt with and are dealt with precisely. I have spoken about the mining industry which has recorded phenomenal growth, but what is also important is to deal with the leakages in the gold industry and in all the precious minerals of this country so that we can continue to grow. The President spoke about increased agricultural productivity. I stand here as testimony of a son of a peasant farmer. Pfumvudza has changed lives. It is meant to be an economic empowerment to alleviate poverty and to make food security a reality to our people. Here is a problem Madam Speaker, the same names that we see receiving Pfumvudza year after year is not progress. We need to see progression from the good will that the office of the President has extended to the people of this country. When pfumvudza is given we must see different names and a change in terms of the economic status of the recipients of Pfumvudza. There must be a change in their welfare status in our society. It is not that the President will continue to feed and to give inputs to the same people without change. There must be a recorded progression that we see from the recipients of Pfumvudza.
The President spoke about Education 5.0 which speaks to the issue of Science and Technology. In 1947, at the inception of the new India, Jawaharlal Nehru spoke of nuclear Physics and nuclear Science. In 1997, fifty years after the independence of India, a long time after he had gone, India set in space their first nuclear war head. Madam Speaker, it is the same spirit that the Second Republic has come up with Education 5.0, which seeks to deal with issues of science and technology. The world has moved and we must move with it. We cannot be left behind.
Madam Speaker, it is important for our nation to be part and parcel of the growing world in the field of artificial intelligence. We cannot continue as a nation to be a consumer of goods and services, we must be a producer and a player. We must contribute to the well-being of the world. We must be part and parcel of the world economy. The President also spoke about climate change which is affecting the world. Africa and the rest of the world, Zimbabwe included; we have been at the receiving end of climate change. We have been good stewards to the climate. We have kept our animals, forests and fisheries, but we are at the receiving end of climate change. As we speak, our summer season is threatened by Elnino, but we are no polluters at all. It is important that the Bills that are tabled in this Parliament that relate to climate change are expedited so that we take part in protecting the climate, the world and our heritage.
Not long ago in this august House, we spoke about the scourge of drug and substance abuse which the President also highlighted in his SONA. The issue of drug and substance abuse is more of a health issue than it is a legal matter. We need a health delivery system that speaks to issues of mental health and is equipped at primary healthcare level and at clinic level that can deal with issues of drug and substance abuse. In his speech, the President also spoke about an increment in devolution funds which will look at road development in the remote areas of our country. It also talked of education and health. Madam Speaker, our health is premised on a proper and sound primary healthcare system. Today what we see at our tertiary national hospitals is because we have a weak primary healthcare delivery system. I want to thank the President in his wisdom that he has increased the devolution funds which is going to help in building new clinics, equipping clinics and making sure that our primary healthcare is delivering. We should also decongest our healthcare centers, our Parirenyatwa, Harare Hospitals, Chitungwiza hospital, UBH and Mpilo Hospitals.
In conclusion the President said nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, which is a clarion call that does not speak to any religion or any political party, but speaks to Zimbabweans in their entirety in all walks of life. The clarion call is that for those who are with us we will stand rooted together in developing the country. We will stand shoulder to shoulder in developing our nation. As he made this clarion call he makes it at the backdrop of illegal sanctions that have been imposed on this country for over two decades. For those that do not believe that sanctions are actually a reality, I come from a background of cricket where we have not played England for the past twenty years and those are economic sanctions. Economic sanctions in themselves are an abuse of basic human rights. I thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to debate.
*HON. TSHUMA: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. Let me start by congratulating you for being appointed again to lead this august House, yourself and Hon. Adv. Mudenda. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate our President Cde. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for winning the election in a fair, credible and very peaceful environment which silenced our enemies.
During his SONA address our President touched on a lot of pertinent issues to do with our mineral wealth, making of laws, and other issues that help our people to live peacefully in the four cardinal points of the country. I will speak more in relation to where I come from because most of the issues have already been debated by those who spoke before me.
There is the issue of human-wildlife conflict in this country especially in Gokwe Kabuyuni where I come from. There are two national parks which are Chizarira and Chirisa national parks. It is in these parks that the human-wildlife conflict is being experienced and the President spoke about it at length. The President said there is a fund that is being put aside to assist those that are going to be involved in human-animal conflict that might lead to the loss of their relatives, limbs, crops or livestock due to attacks from wild animals.
It is a good vision that the President has, but as Parliament, we also have a duty to encourage ministries that are responsible for the management of wildlife to also look at other issues such as the funding that is going to be put in place to assist the victims of human-wildlife conflict. We should not only be assisting those that will have fallen victim. We should be proactive and ensure that we protect the people from these wild animals because year-in, year-out we are experiencing these problems. For example, this year we have lost two people who were trampled to death by elephants. We have livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep that are being devoured by lions.
In my constituency, three to four wards have been heavily affected and this attack by animals is now rife, especially the time when people are about to harvest their crops. These animals come to these settlements. So, we urge those that are responsible for the upkeep of these animals to ensure that electrical fences are put up because in the past, we used to have such infrastructure in place to separate the boundaries between the communal settlements and wild parks. The fences have been vandalised and some of them were no longer working because the solar powered fences could not be repaired as they had outlived their lifespan. As a result, they could no longer be used and resulted in the attacks to the people.
We must support His Excellency’s vision through deeds so that when they say they want us to control this menace of human-animal conflict, the Government departments should be looking into it so that when they embark on empowering the people through Pfumvudza, we score a success as the animals will not come and destroy our crops. The areas that I talked about; wards 32, 27, 2 and others are already starving as a result of the animal-human conflict.
Furthermore, the residents and those people that we represent now believe that the animals are now more sacred or special than people. Those found poaching are either arrested, shot or killed, but if wildlife like elephants, hyenas and lions were to leave the national parks and encroach into human settlements, they are not being killed. Animals have now more rights than human beings. What makes me happy is that His Excellency the President is talking about the need to come up with the Parks and Wildlife Act. I want to believe that it will help in reviewing laws that are now giving more rights than the humans because we represent people and not animals. If crops and people are now being destroyed by animals with impunity, then it means we are failing in our duty to properly represent our constituencies.
These are the problems that they are crying foul about. I say so because there are some people that are from the Parks and Wildlife who work with our RDCs who have put in place guards that are armed. So, they shoot warning shots because the shotguns that they have cannot even kill a guinea fowl. We are putting the lives of these guards in danger if they are armed with shotguns and there is nothing much that we are trying to protect. We are saying that they can only kill a problem animal. An animal that has killed a human being is classified as a problem animal. Once there is this problem animal, that is when they put it down. In majority of cases, they do not find the rogue animal and in the end they kill a different animal altogether.
We are not eradicating this problem, so I am appealing to Members of Parliament that when this Act comes maybe through an amendment in this House, we ask that the amendment be to an extent that it places more importance on the lives of humans instead of animals. If both animals and human beings are important, there should be proper demarcation of boundaries to protect the animals from the people. They can put bases where trained guards can be stationed so that they can be in a position to drive away animals in these problems and that it does not take long for them to timeously attend to problems that the people will be facing, because it is taking a long time for them to react. In the meantime, the crops and livestock will have been killed.
Seeds were given to the people so that they can grow vegetables in their gardens through the programme by His Excellency the President. At harvest time, a number of villagers had their harvested crops being attacked by elephants in the temporary storage areas. It is a problem that our people are facing. This was also echoed by Hon. Nguluvhe that he is experiencing the same human-animal conflict. I observed and I believe that these are not the only two places that this problem is. Several Members of Parliament will speak to that subject. I once again reiterate that when this amendment comes before this august House, we must ensure that it is looked into so that people can be protected and His Excellency the President’s vision of eradicating hunger is achieved.
I also want to thank the President for drilling of boreholes across the provinces. He said that he wants to ensure that 35 000 boreholes are drilled. It will make life easier for people in rural areas by accessing water. By so doing, the people’s lifestyles will improve and they will do gardening. It will enable people to access clean water for humans and animals. Water is a problem, like in my constituency, we have salty water. Water supply from ZINWA is limited and for someone to drill a borehole, they go as deep as 300m. It is expensive even for the Government to drill boreholes because at 40m which is the average in other areas, you can get water. It costs US1500 to drill 40m. As a result, the villagers end up drilling shallow boreholes where the water cannot be used for drinking or cooking because it is salty.
I am urging the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance to assist so that such places have small to medium dams constructed in their areas. This is economic as compared to drilling boreholes. I also urge ZINWA to complete their projects and not leave them halfway once they have started working on the projects. I had two boreholes sunk in my constituency under the Presidential scheme. As we speak, ZINWA has been promising to come and ensure that solar units and pumps are put in place. This will not help much because they do not complete their projects.
Lastly, I would like to talk about the issue of Pfumvudza. We are very grateful to His Excellency the President for this programme which avoids starvation. We are pleading with His Excellency that as Hon. Members, we have youths in our constituency who are strong and energetic. During the Presidential scheme, they must be given inputs such as fertilizers and seeds so that they can also produce for themselves and the market. They will also be able to look after themselves and their families and improve their lives. They also will be able to contribute to the bread basket of the nation. I thank you.
HON. M. NKOMO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa on 3rd October 2023.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the President and the Second Republic for delivering on a number of promises in the 9th Parliament. In this SONA, the President spoke about the increase of resources disbursed towards devolution and decentralisation programme, giving priority to projects which improve access and quality of education.
Hon. Speaker Sir, in Lupane District, schools like Simunyu Primary, Kwarayi, Ndubo, Thokozoni and Sibomvu Secondary as well as Malube, Mucheni and Khumbu have infrastructure built using the Devolution Fund. Section 75 (1) (b) of our Constitution provides that; “Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to further education, which the State, through reasonable legislative and other measures, must make progressively available and accessible.” In this regard, Mr. Speaker Sir, through the devolution and decentralization funds, education has been made accessible in areas around Lupane. I want to thank the President for prioritising access to education in our rural province for education is the only inheritance we can leave as legacy to our children. To better empower these learners through access to education, I strongly recommend for recruitment of more teachers in these rural areas, prioritising indigenous qualified teachers.
Hon. Speaker Sir, in Binga, clinics were constructed in areas such as Malaliya, Sinamunsanga, Zambezi, Chipale and Kalungwizi after years without these health facilities. In Hwange, we have Leona clinic completed and Mashala clinic at roof level. In Lupane, we have Pupu clinic. All these were built using devolution funds. People in those areas are grateful for the Government gesture in not leaving them behind.
Hon. Madam Speaker Ma’am, Devolution and Decentralisation Fund has empowered our people through their councils to determine how to develop their areas, the President mantra goes; Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. Unlike in the past where Harare always decided how and when a clinic in the rural areas of Hwange, Binga or Lupane or Tsholotsho could be built. The Second Republic, through the leadership of His Excellency President E. D. Mnangagwa has empowered the rural areas to make decisions and prioritise things that affect them. I therefore, Mr. Speaker Sir, support the increase of resources for Devolution and Decentralisation Fund in the Tenth Parliament, by the Second Republic.
Hon. Madam Speaker Ma’am, water is life, Section 77 of our Constitution speaks to right to food and water, that “Every person has the right to safe, clean and potable water; and sufficient food”. The President in his SONA, talked about the drilling of 35 000 boreholes set to consolidate national agriculture productivity and food sufficiency.
Madam Speaker, as you know Matabeleland North is Region 5, hence the challenge of water and food sufficiency. However, the President’s borehole drilling programme has seen a number of our communities benefiting and accessing clean water. This has not only helped our people, but also our livestock which are now getting drinking and dip tank water. These boreholes have also become a source of water for our nutritious gardens for most farmers. More than 20 boreholes were drilled in Lupane, Binga, Hwange and Tsholotsho under the Presidential Scheme. Besides drilling for villages, this project also benefited Government Departments such as schools, clinics and the veterinary. This project, together with the Gwai-Shangani Dam, is a game changer in Matabeleland North as far as water and food supply is concerned. I fully support the continuity of President Mnangagwa’s borehole drilling project. Let the project penetrate into all rural areas of Matabeleland North.
The President spoke much about the increase in drug and substance abuse, especially among the youths, which I want to debate jointly with his statement on sport as an integral part to job creation as well as promotion of healthy lifestyles. As a woman and a mother, I share the same concern with the President on drug abuse by our youths. You will remember that the 21st National Youth Day was this year hosted by Lupane District and the President talked about drug abuse again.
Drug abuse is on the increase and is now spreading into the rural areas. What may be different is the drug or substance that the youths are taking in different locations, but toxicity is the same. Old people and business communities are into the selling of these drugs and substance for quick money. They are taking advantage of these children and what is more heart-breaking is the ignorance and corruption level by some law enforcement agents. I want to urge the nation to support the President and Government in punishing those individuals found producing and selling the drugs.
I am happy that in the 9th Parliament, you had introduced Parliament Sports Club in which Honourable Members and Staff of Parliament could go for sports every week and travel to various constituencies to campaign against drug and substance abuse. Madam Speaker, such programmes should continue in support of President Mnangagwa’s call against drug abuse.
The other cause of the increase in drug and substance abuse among the youth is chasing or returning of children by school authorities for non-payment of fees. School authorities in rural schools are defiant of Government policy of not returning learners for unpaid fees. The children mostly affected are the vulnerable; the double or single orphaned, child-headed family, those living with old, chronically ill or disabled parents or guardians. A milestone achievement has been realised in the access to information, media and broadcasting services through opening Community radio stations; Twasumpuka FM in Binga. Lyeja FM in Hwange, Lupane State University and the other one in Umguza. Our people, Mr. Speaker, are using their own languages to broadcast. This is in line with Section 6(4) of our Constitution which reads, “The State must promote and advance the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe, including sign language and must create conditions for the development of those languages.”
Madam Speaker Ma’am, there is no better way of promoting and advancing the use of all languages, let alone creating conditions for the development of them except creating a platform where the users of these languages can openly and freely use the language as the medium of communication. I want to thank the President and the Second Republic for opening airwaves in these areas as is mantra; “Leaving no one and no place behind”.
Access to information is a right and that information should be accessed in the language that a person understands. By commissioning Radio Stations in less developed areas, our Government is therefore making it a point that everyone gets informed and be heard, in his own language. This project has not only enabled access to information, but created employment for our young people in Lupane, Binga, Hwange and other districts that have benefitted.
Lastly, I want to speak to the matter of human wildlife conflict which the President alluded to. Matabeleland North is wildlife infested, the Hwange National Park, Chizarira National Park and the Victoria Falls city are all full of animals. Our people are losing lives early as a result of wild animals. Hunger in most parts of Matabeleland North is contributed by elephants eating in the fields of our people without compensation. I am happy and in agreement with the President’s idea of compensating victims of the human wildlife conflict. Even though nothing can buy back life, but what the affected family can get may sooth their loss and give them somewhere to start from.
Once again, Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate the President’s State of Nation Address (SONA).
HON. SPARE SITHOLE: I rise to add my voice on the State of the Nation Address which was delivered by His Excellency the President on the Official Opening of the 10th Parliament. Firstly, I want to congratulate the President, His Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his resounding victory in the recently held harmonised elections. I also congratulate you Hon Speaker Sir, your Deputy and all Members of the National Assembly.
In his State of the Nation Address, His Excellency gave all of us as Members of Parliament, to accelerate the completion of the 10th Parliament Bills. He highlighted to the nation that our economy has been on an upward trajectory, recording positive growth rate across sectors, even against the background of the illegal sanctions imposed on us by our detractors who thought when they impose sanctions on us, they thought we were going to fail to strive on our economy and to develop our country Zimbabwe. As Zimbabweans, we are using resources of our country, so we have challenged them.
I would like to urge Members of Parliament to participate in the enactment of laws that will improve the quality of life in rural communities because when we enact these laws and united like we are today, the communities which elected us will have quality life in our rural communities. I want to urge Members of Parliament that during the time of our outreach and public hearings, we should emphasise on targeting rural communities as well since focus has mainly been in towns during the previous Parliament.
I would also like to thank the 2nd Republic for providing free dip and tick grease for the cattle farmers in my district Insiza which is more affected by unknown livestock diseases. Cattle are both national herd and a village wealth symbol. Therefore, we must have more boreholes close to the dip tanks. This is because most of the dips have no boreholes close and no water to supply to those dips. That is why we are being affected with these diseases mostly in Matabeleland where I come from, region 5, where the rainfall is not much. Therefore, we must have more dip tanks, boreholes or dams for us to thrive in livestock production and growing of the national herd.
In Matabeleland South, when ZINWA and DDF drilled boreholes, they say they are supposed to drill up to 40 meters. All those 40 meter drilled boreholes are dry. I hope that they should drill up to 80 meters instead of drilling two boreholes in a village which are 40 meters deep each. I think one borehole which is 80 meters deep can work well in Matabeleland in a village. They drilled three boreholes, each 40 meters and all of them got dry. So, it means it is a loss to Government and I feel that they should drill one borehole which is 80 meters or 100 meters and the community will have enough water.
Madam Speaker, I propose the enactment of the National Livestock Herd Bill and Insurance Bill that will protect the rural farmer from the mass loss of livestock through current unknown diseases. I also refer to such diseases that are prevailing now and similar disaster or loss that has wiped out cattle in the district. For example, in Insiza District, some parts of Chiweshe and Murehwa and other parts of the country.
Under the health sector, I also propose free medical service to those affected by silent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart problems. I urge the Members of Parliament during budget time that we must support the budget allocation of the health sector because of these silent killer diseases which should be treated for free to those who fall victim. I do not want to take much of your time Hon. Speaker and I want to thank you and God bless the 2nd Republic of Zimbabwe.
HON. MARUPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for having won the elections and I congratulate the Speaker and his Deputy for having been elected into their respective positions, my colleagues in the House for also having won the elections and lastly, my constituency Gwanda South for having voted positively. I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the pragmatic and practical speech by His Excellency that I believe it is a speech that came from an able President who has his country at heart, a President who would like to see continuity as a leader. Taking a cue from the past five years, under the 2nd Republic, we have seen a lot of infrastructural development that he emphasised in his speech.
I was so much attracted and fascinated by his emphasis in drilling 35 000 boreholes across the whole country. I believe it is from a leader who has looked back at his background that he grew up walking long distances to fetch water and hence in his leadership, he wants the people to have access to a life that has water nearby for the adage, “water is life” to be fulfilled. While this is so from where I come from, I am waiting eagerly for the boreholes to be drilled because with our African background and belief that water is fetched by the girl child, I do believe that the distance travelled by the girl child to fetch water is going to be reduced – [HON. MEMBER: Hear, hear.] - Now that I come from region 5, which is dry and receiving minimal rainfall, what we saw happening under the Second Republic, under the able leadership of His Excellency, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is not going to bring water to the communities around the dam itself but is going to be a belt right up to Bulawayo, where I believe people will get probably to understand what the President is having at heart for the people of Zimbabwe. With that said and done, we also have this similar project in Gwanda South, the Thuli-Manyange Dam that I believe is going not only to provide water but to provide food in the form of fish; to provide employment in the form of the irrigations that are going to be established around that area. Noting that a lot has happened under the Second Republic when it comes to irrigation projects.
A lot of Bills were tabled and the President is really concerned in speeding up aligning Zimbabwe’s economy with the other international economies. Hence his emphasis on seeing Zimbabwe reaching the middle-income economy status by 2030. As such, repealing some of the Acts such as the Frederick Taylor Act is something that I believe was long overdue for it is an Act that celebrates the Pioneer Column Day, when instead we are supposed to be celebrating the Heroes and Heroines Day for those who lost their lives and those who sacrificed their lives for us to be in this independent Zimbabwe today. Its repealing, to me is really exciting because it contains the celebration of the Commonwealth Day, when in fact we are supposed to be emphasising the celebration of the 18th April, for it came with the freedom that we have, as you can see us filled in this House today – [HON. MEMBER: Hear, hear.] –
Let me say and emphasise that by bringing and including a visit into the Mining Act Bill, the President is concerned with aligning some of these Acts with his vision and with the Constitution of Zimbabwe for we have seen what has happened in mining in the past years and as such, he is concerned that the artisanal miners should also be given space. Hence the allocation of a loan that is going to empower them. On the same token, what is going to be added, I believe when we debate it is going to add value to the Act by seeing into it that there is transparency, recognition of the communities where mining activities are taking place. The President always emphasises that no community should be left behind when it comes to the development of this country. On the same token, he emphasises that whoever is engaged in any mining activity in an area where there has been a mineral discovery, culture should be respected and as such, we have seen a lot of activities disturbing the livelihood of the communities that for long have identified and occupied communities that they have called places of their birth.
Without dwelling much, I believe some of the things have been discussed and touched by my fellow Members. Once more, I would like to thank the President for his speech. To me, being here for the first time, was the most welcoming speech because what he touched on is what brought me here. Thank you.
*HON. NYABANI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I would like to add my voice on the issue that was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe, supported by Hon. Zhou. His Excellency talked about good education. The President’s words were good and when Ministers look into the system of education we have in the country, they should also take into consideration pupils in Rushinga. At the moment, Grade 7, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level pupils are travelling long distances in order to write public examinations. We urge that such schools be upgraded to become examination centres so that school children do not walk long distances to write their examinations. We also wish that network be upgraded so that children in rural areas can also do online lessons like what those in urban centres do.
Health matters is something that the President talked about. He talked about the need for provision of sufficient doctors and provision of drugs and adequate nurses so as to improve health of the people and save lives. I always think of Rushinga, hopefully that we will have sufficient drugs, doctors and nurses. As Hon. Members of Parliament, we are no longer going to act as funeral parlours ferrying bodies from Parirenyatwa Hospital to bury them. We are only going to ferry those who die in the local areas due to the non-availability of drugs. If medication and medical staff are readily available in our constituencies, it will be a welcome move.
On the issue of the state of roads, His Excellency promised that the state of the roads is going to be improved. When I first came to Parliament, we used to complain that ZUPCO buses are no longer travelling and reaching certain areas, so now it brings to mind that once good roads are there, ZUPCO buses will be available and reaching all areas.
Madam Speaker, the President talked about the industries. I am glad that once the industries are booming, it means that goods are readily available. Foodstuffs, farming inputs, animal stock feeds, drugs and other things will be affordable because the country will be producing on its own. Unemployment will also be a thing of the past and the country will now be developing.
His Excellency spoke about building houses for the people, I was quite happy about that development. The majority of people, myself included, I once bought a stand in Chitungwiza in 2008, up until now I have not yet done any construction because the stands were being sold fraudulently. So, if the Government intervenes on the issue of residential stands, we will no longer loose our hard-earned money due to these land barons. We will not also have people building in wetlands, right now in Cameroon, people are having problems of floods, so if this happens in our country, some houses will be swept away. Therefore, if the Government builds houses for people, we will not have people building in undesignated areas.
Madam Speaker, I was very happy to hear His Excellency saying you are the representatives of the people, you shall be legislating laws and doing all that you were sent to do by your people, so it is my desire that for Members of Parliament’s welfare to be looked into so that we are able to execute our duties diligently. Members of Parliament end up having chronic diseases like hypertension due to difficulties and challenges back home. It is my plea therefore, that the welfare of Members of Parliament be looked at.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, His Excellency spoke about sports. Sport unites people, people who are fighting when they watch soccer together, at the end of the match, they will be united. It is my desire that our stadiums at schools be of high standard and the school curriculum should include various sporting activities. It is not only the academics that are giving people a way of life, but also sports. I thank you.
HON. ZIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I would like to start by congratulating His Excellency, Hon. E.D Mnangagwa for a rigorous and very vibrant campaign which brought him to a resounding victory. I would also like to congratulate all of us here in these new positions as a result of either appointment or contestation - I say to you all congratulations.
Coming to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, I would like to thank the President for his visionary leadership which has seen a huge change of the nation from the advent of the Second Republic. He has done more than 7000 projects and most of the projects covered every aspect of the economy, but most importantly, the commissioning of the Hwange Power Station’s Units seven and eight; a feat done by a country under sanctions which is quite commendable – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
We have also seen the growth of the mining sector; we have the biggest lithium mine coming up. We also have steel works in Chimwizho which is anticipated to employ more than 10 000 people, which is quite a feat also. Together with that we are also expecting the resuscitation of ZISCO Steel. All these projects have come through the mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’.
On the issue of boreholes – we are very grateful about the promise made by His Excellency on drilling boreholes. Where I come from, as a DCC Chairman, I have five constituencies which I retained. We have had boreholes started in one of the constituencies, but we would want these now to cascade to the other four constituencies. We are glad some of them have been equipped with solar units and community gardens are already working.
Education – we have a dire situation in my constituency and I would like to believe the situation is the same in some other places as well. Our population growth is at a faster rate than we can build school infrastructure. In some new resettlement areas and the farming communities, we have the need for schools in order to cut the distances being traveled by the children.
Some of the infrastructure, in terms of development, the situation is quite dire. Some of the kids are learning from under the trees and it is very pathetic. We are glad about the Constituency Development Fund which I would request that it be increased so that we are able to construct reasonable structures.
Whilst on the issue of schools, we also have a challenge of non-registration of these schools as alluded to by the previous speaker earlier on. Most of these schools need to be registered from satellite schools to proper examination centers. We would also want assistance from the Ministry on the speedy registration of these schools.
I come from an agricultural background and we are the biggest producer of tobacco, but now we are having challenges with some contractors, of not paying the farmers on time. Right now, we have farmers who have not been paid for the season before the previous one. This is quite a problem. We had mooted as farmers, coming up with an auction system or auction floor for Karoi because we are having these contractors working in cahoots. We tried to engage them, but they are not very keen on an auction system. It is like TIMB is protecting the contractors. We are pleading with the powers that be, that if this comes as a directive or a request from high up for us to have an auction, I am sure that is the only way we can help our farmers. We have farmers who have not been paid for quite a long time.
Coming on to devolution funds, this has come at a good time. This has been the salvation for most local authorities. Most local authorities could not buy capital equipment, but now this has been realised. We have seen the purchasing of capital equipment by these local authorities. Here comes the challenge with these local authorities. It is my humble submission that there be a supervisory role from Government which scrutinises how service delivery is done for those local authorities who do not do any service delivery yet are collecting rates and taxes and have sewage flowing all over. I think it is not right for us to continuously look at the decay of our local authorities on our watch. I would suggest that commissions should take over from these non-performing local authorities.
Hon. Nyabani having passed between the Chair and the Hon. Member speaking.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Nyabani, you may not cross between the speaker and the Chair.
HON. ZIKI: Because some of the items I had listed here have already been spoken about. I would like to mention something on the producer price of maize. As alluded to by the Hon Minister, fertilizers are expensive and farmers are saying the producer price is falling a little short of a productive viable price that would make them to just break even. I would ask for the review of these prices continuously and timeous payment of such so that the portion of their RTGS is paid timeously whilst it is still valuable.
I would like to conclude by promising on behalf of all the Hon. Members here that what the President has asked for, we are up to the task to deliver on the outstanding Bills of the Ninth Parliament. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. S. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 12th October, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI seconded by HON. S. SITHOLE, the House adjourned at Thirteen Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 11th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDING RULES AND ORDERS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Section 151 (1) of the Constitution provides that Parliament must appoint a Committee to be known as the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders for purposes of supervising the Administration of Parliament, formulating Standing Orders, considering and deciding all matters concerning Parliament and exercising any other functions that may be conferred or imposed on the Committee by the Constitution or by Standing Order or any other law.
Section 151 (2) of the Constitution provides that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders must consist of the Speaker and the President of the Senate and the following Members of Parliament: the Deputy Speaker; the Deputy President of the Senate and two other Ministers appointed by the President; the Leader of Government Business in each House; the Leader of the Opposition in each House; the Chief Whips of all political parties represented in each House; the President of the National Council of Chiefs; two Members who are not Ministers or Deputy Ministers, one being a Senator appointed to the Committee by the President of the Senate and the other one being a Member of the National Assembly appointed by the Speaker.
In terms of Standing Order No. 14 of both the Senate and the National Assembly Standing Orders and the provisions of Section 151 of the Constitution, I therefore, inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders shall consist of the following;
DESIGNATION NAME
- Speaker - Hon. J. F. N. Mudenda
- President of the Senate - Hon. M. M. Chinomona
- Deputy Speaker - Hon. T. Gezi
- Deputy President of the Senate - Hon. Rtd. Nyambuya
- Minister of Finance - Hon. Prof. M. Ncube
- Minister appointed by the President - Hon. O.C.Z Muchinguri
- Minister appointed by the President - Hon. Sen. M. Mutsvangwa
- Leader of Government Business - Hon. Z. Ziyambi
National Assembly.
Leader of Government Business - Hon. Sen. L. Matuke Senate
- Leader of Opposition - TBA National Assembly (CCC)
- Leader of Opposition – TBA Senate (CCC)
- Government Chief Whip - Hon. Togarepi National Assembly (ZANU PF)
- Chief Whip (CCC) - Hon. Chibaya
- Chief Whip Senate (ZANU PF) - Hon. T. Muzenda
- Chief Whip Senate (CCC) - Hon. N. Mlotshwa
- President of the Chief’s Council – Hon. Chief Mtshane Khumalo
- Member appointed by the Hon. Speaker – Hon. P. Zhou
18 Member appointed by the President of the Senate– Hon. M. Bimha
National Assembly
19 Member ZANU PF - Hon. K. Musanhi
20 Member ZANU PF - Hon. P. Moyo
- Member ZANU PF - Hon. F. Buka
- Member CCC - Hon. S. Mahlangu
SENATE
- Member Chiefs’ Council - Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira
- Member ZANU PF - Hon. O. Hungwe
- Member Chiefs’ Council - Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane
26 Member CCC - Hon. J. Timba
The above list of Members complies with Section 151 (2) of the Constitution and Standing Order No. 14. The above Members are therefore duly elected Members of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.]-
INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE CSRO
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also wish to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders will have its inaugural meeting on Thursday, 12th October, 2023 at 1000 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Committee members are expected to attend. I thank you.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President, but I seek your advice. When the debate was interrupted, I had gone through almost three quarters of my motion. Should I start from where I left and proceed?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You can continue from where you left.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President. When debate was interrupted, I was talking about the Bills that the President had mentioned and had given priority to be quickly dealt with during the 10th Parliament, and I was about to talk about the Parks and Wildlife Act. This one is being amended while a Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund is being set up to offer monetary benefits to victims in the communities. Like I said, the Bills add up to around 60 or so, I cannot talk about them all although I have the capability and energy to do so.
I would like, at this juncture, to touch on a topic which is dear to my heart, a topic with which I have a sentimental attachment to, which is sport, and myself being a sportsman. His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa highlighted that a Bill is going to be brought before Parliament during this session, known as the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill. The purpose being to create a regulated and fair sporting environment. Sport these days is an important industry which creates jobs and wealth and more importantly, a form of a healthy lifestyle. Sport also unites people and even the worst enemies as people come together to support and cheer their teams at whatever level.
Madam President, here at Parliament, we have our sports club with a number of disciplines like football, netball, volleyball et cetera. The club has done wonders to the health and wellbeing of legislators. It also unites legislators despite political differences. To this end, I would like to urge Hon. Members to support this Bill when it comes to this House. I also want to encourage the Ministry of Sports to ensure enough sporting infrastructure, particularly in the rural areas.
As I conclude, allow me to urge Hon. Senators in this august House to wholeheartedly participate in the enactment of laws that will improve the lives of Zimbabweans. Allow me also to quote His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe when he said, “Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatirwa nevene vayo. Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo.” Allow me once again to quote from His Excellency when he said, “This august House should ensure that the law is an instrument for development. Parliament is encouraged to be an institution of peace building, hope, national development and entrenchment of constitutionalism and deepening democratic practices in our country. In all our activities, let us safeguard our values and traditions as unique people of Zimbabwe.” Thank you once again for affording me this rare chance to address this august House.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: Thank you Madam President for affording me this opportunity to second a motion raised by Hon. Sen. Kambizi, on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. Allow me to extend my congratulatory messages to His Excellency for being unanimously reelected as the President of Zimbabwe. Congratulations Madam President and the Vice President Hon. Sen. Lt. General (Rtd.) Nyambuya, for being reelected to lead the Senate and to all the Senators, congratulations.
As we all go paperless, I will be using my tablet as Parliament is now distributing everything electronically. Mr. President, allow me to respond to the State of the Nation Address presented last week by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. For all intent and purposes, the President’s address is a true reflection of the state of our beloved nation as looked at from the eyes of all patriots. The key achievement of the 2nd Republic is evident for all to see.
As per the President’s speech, the importance of infrastructure to the economy needs no debate. To that effect, the 2nd Republic, through the visionary leader of His Excellency, has walked the talk when it comes to such economic enablers as road infrastructure. This has seen acceleration of numerous key roads being attended to in both rural and urban areas. I can give an example of our world-class Parliament in Mt. Hampden, our world-class border post at Beitbridge and one of the best international airports, our own Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
The negative effects of drug and substance abuse remains a prime concern to the nation. This remains so, particularly given that the future of our nation, the youth, continue to be at the receiving end of the scourge. Once again, the visionary leadership of His Excellency has seen fundamental policy thrusts towards combating this scourge. To this day, the fight against drug and substance abuse has become a topical issue on the streets, in townships and at all gatherings to reduce the demand, particularly by our youth.
This was followed by a clear administrative structure inclusive of the recently announced national coordinator to facilitate the smooth implementation of interventions. Mr. President Sir, allow me to point out the fact that the 2nd Republic’s policy thrust and development trajectory has been all embracing and that the youth benefitted immensely from the Government programmmes and projects. The Empower Bank, youth in mining, agriculture, Pfumvudza/Intwasa, Skills Development, Education 5.0 as well as the constitutional amendment that allowed youth participation in the political life of their country and communities remain indelible marks of the Second Republic. In the field of disability, the President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind has paid dividends. With the education and employment of persons with disabilities being amplified, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which is the Government’s economic development blueprint has made disability a cross-cutting issue. This ultimately means that persons with disabilities are now being planned for. Of course, with their full and active participation in all sectors of the economy, rather than being considered as objects of charity.
The legislative agenda put forward by His Excellency must breed confidence to embrace ourselves as representatives of the people as well as the generality of the society. Key among this vast array of legislative instruments to be tabled before this House, is the Persons with Disabilities Bill that seeks to further consolidate the social inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.
The Disability Bill will help us to underscore that persons with disabilities are very important in terms of development, who also make the disability constituents realise that they are human beings. The Persons with Disabilities Bill will be an opportunity for Parliament to emphatically deal with empowerment of persons with disabilities and make them included more in decision making and policy implementation in the country. The Bill will be an opportunity to make the country treat persons with disabilities as citizens with rights and responsibilities and put to an end the scourge of ableism, which has seen certain non-disabled people continue to treat persons with disabilities as second-class citizens or objects of charity.
The Bill will be an opportunity for Parliament to give effect to our Constitution, which speaks to disability issues as both national developmental and human rights issue. The Bill will also be an opportunity to domesticate and give effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights to Persons with Disabilities, which the country ratified in 2013. The Bill will be a glorious opportunity for Parliament to come up with measures ensuring social protection, education and poverty alleviation for persons with disabilities. It will be a way of ensuring that the dignity of persons with disabilities is restored and that they are protected from all forms of abuse. In keeping with the mantra, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, persons with disabilities stand ready to contribute towards the building of the country and we are happy that the Persons with Disabilities Bill will give effect to this.
The footprints of the Second Republic on the disability front remain visible for all to attest. For the first time in the history of this country, Zimbabwe has distinguished itself among the family of nations as one of the most disability inclusive nations – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] - This has even seen the Second Republic defying all odds by appointing its administrative hierarchy persons with disabilities, who now occupy influential positions in Government as Chief Directors, Directors, Deputy Directors, and Managers among other key portfolios. More significantly, the appointment of a High Court Judge with a disability is a clear testimony to the trust that the Second Republic has vested in the vast abilities and capabilities of the once despised segment of society– [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
On behalf of persons with disabilities that I represent here in Senate, allow me to convey our heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency for affording National Hero Status to one of our gallant and patriotic sons, the late Dr. Joshua Malinga. May his soul rest in peace. He was laid to rest at the National Shrine on 15 September, 2023. This way of doing things serves as an inspiration to persons with disabilities that they are part and parcel of society and that their contribution to national development is highly cherished on an equal basis with others.
It is worth my mention that persons with disabilities have enormous potential to provide the significant contribution to their communities through education, work, art, politics, sports, spiritual development and social activities. More so, in keeping with the provisions of Section 22 of our own home-grown Constitution, persons with disabilities are now enjoying State funded education. Pursuant to inclusive agenda, all tertiary education institutions now accommodate persons with disabilities, with a number of polytechnical colleges such as Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru among others are enrolling students with disabilities in various grades. The same applies to universities where most of them now have disability resource centres to facilitate the learning of students with disabilities. This further assures them of some space within the broader economic and political processes that the Second Republic has opened to all.
Mr. President, allow me to emphasise that persons with disabilities continue to enjoy available political will to include them in national governance institutions. Of course, this political will may not be unchallenged with administrative apparatus still not convinced that persons with disabilities should attain equal status with able-bodied counterparts. As a representative of the disability constituency in Zimbabwe, let me call upon both the National Assembly and the Senate to work hard in ensuring total inclusion of persons with disabilities in all State institutions. On this note, it is rather regrettable to note that discrimination, sabotage, black-mailing and administrative exclusion continues to characterise the lives of persons with disabilities promoted to higher positions across Government ministries, departments and agencies. Well, Rome was not built in a day, so they say. We still must maneuver through the main administrative and bureaucratic, rigidity and resistance; of course, this time about a stable ship of abundance and well pronounced political will to treat disability as a development issue.
Illegal sanctions that were imposed on us by the West have had a negative effect on persons with disabilities who must struggle to acquire assistive technologies which are mostly manufactured outside the country at a higher cost. Mr. President, I therefore stand in support of the State of the Nation Address as presented by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
As an institution charged with providing an oversight role to the Executive arm of the State, I call upon all Parliamentarians to leverage upon this servant leadership displayed by the Second Republic and help in the removal of all bottlenecks that continue to stand as obstacles to the national agenda. Once again, thank you very much Mr. President for affording me this opportunity – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
*HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to debate in support of the State of the Nation Address which was delivered by His Excellency the President, E.D Mnangagwa.
First of all, I want to congratulate His Excellency the President, E.D Mnangagwa for being voted as the President of our nation with a majority win. I would also like to congratulate our Hon. President of the Senate, Hon. Sen. Mabel Chinomona, the Hon. Deputy President of the Senate and all the Hon. Senators for being voted into office.
Mr. President, in the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, I noted a number of pertinent issues. Firstly, the issue of drug and substance abuse by our youths, men and women. His Excellency noted that this is a critical issue and that if it is not addressed properly, it would have adverse effects, particularly to our mothers who are the custodians of children.
In light of this, His Excellency emphasised the need for vocational training programmmes. When young people are engaged in vocational training, they are empowered with professional skills, they can do welding, mechanics and they will be kept occupied so that they do not engage in drug abuse. Therefore, as parents, we need to urge our children to go to school for vocational training so that they are empowered to deal with life challenges.
As Hon. Members, if we work towards vocational training colleges being established in every district and every province, then this will remove our young children from the streets and from abusing drugs. These young children are taking illicit drugs and His Excellency was very clear on vocational training as a way of empowering the young people and taking them off the streets.
Looking at 2017, I believe there was a contribution of around 2,8 billion compared to this year where 12 billion was raised, meaning that our small-scale miners are working and contributing towards the fiscus so that Zimbabwe’s economy improves, hence we should empower our youths to partake in small scale mining.
Mr. President, His Excellency the President is doing his best and he spoke about war veterans. In his SONA, His Excellency talked about the welfare of war veterans, those who are now old, some who are disabled and need assistance that their lives should be improved. So, this is also an issue that as Hon. Senators, we should work towards the implementation of this so that our war veterans get free medical health because these are the people who sacrificed their lives fighting for the freedom of Zimbabwe. His Excellency has not forgotten about them.
The President also spoke about water and sanitation where he talked about the drilling of about 30 000 boreholes which he anticipates will be drilled around the country so that those who are into farming can benefit. The President said boreholes will help farmers in rural areas and life will be easier when 35 000 boreholes are sunk around the country.
Hon. President, His Excellency also spoke about power or energy provision. Looking at electricity, in the past few years, we had a challenge of electricity but now you find that people are stocking their meat in their fridges because power outages are a thing of the past. Power is available and we appreciate that His Excellency supported the issue of provision of energy and indeed, this is happening; people have access to electricity most of the times. Therefore, I would like to thank His Excellency for resolving the issue of electricity.
Furthermore, I would also want to mention resources that were mentioned in the State of the Nation Address, for example in hospitals, schools, et cetera. His Excellency said nyika inovakwa nevene vayo and that no one should complain about the bad state of roads. The President said that we need to continue working together and that Parliamentarians should also work hard to implement and support the vision of His Excellency so that resources are provided throughout the country. This is my submission on the State of the Nation Address, I thank you.
HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to say a few words regarding the State of the Nation Address which was presented by His Excellency, the President. Before I begin, my name is Alice Dube from Tsholotsho, Senator for Matabeleland North. That is where I come from.
I want to thank Hon. Sen. Kambizi for moving this motion regarding the State of the Nation Address and Senator Shiri who seconded the motion. Let me start by congratulating His Excellency, the President E. D. Mnangagwa for being voted into office because the people of Zimbabwe believe in him and they appreciate the hard work that he is putting in. Let me also congratulate Hon. Sen. Mabel Chinomona who was voted into office as President of Senate and her deputy, Hon. Sen. General (Rtd) Mike Nyambuya. Let me say that I wish you the best and may God bless you.
Mr. President, I will talk about the issues that I noted in the State of the Nation Address in my mother tongue and I believe that the people in my area noted the good things that were touched on by His Excellency regarding devolution and economic empowerment in different provinces where people participate in the development of their areas. His Excellency spoke about the devolution fund that it should be increased so that it meets the needs of grassroots people so that their livelihoods are improved. This also was taken positively by the people. I come from Tsholotsho and we have a lot of wild life. We have dense forests and our people are happy because resources will be coming back into the community. I want to thank such a faithful President for the good job.
His Excellency also said that the Government of Zimbabwe, during the Second Republic, has been working diligently particularly in different sectors of the economy despite the biting illegal sanctions which were imposed by Western nations. Government has been working hard to improve the economy of Zimbabwe and all sectors have been improving steadily.
His Excellency spoke about farming because when we look at our economy, it is agro based and Zimbabweans are hard workers. We also note that His Excellency has been providing water, like what the previous Senator said that we anticipate that 35000 boreholes are going to be sunk around the country so that we cut the distances that people walk to fetch water. Where I come from in Matabeleland North, there are many boreholes which were sunk under the Presidential initiative particularly in areas like Binga where we have 75 boreholes which were sunk as a result of the President’s initiative. The President says things that he implements and that is why people have confidence in him and his leadership. It is not easy to sink 75 boreholes in one district, but this happened in Matabeleland North and I can attest to that.
The President also said that there is growth in terms of income that is coming from mining. In 2008, there was US$2.8 billion and now we have reached US$12 billion; which means that Government is working hard and the people of Zimbabwe are working hard. We have US$12 billion that has been raised through mining and His Excellency desires that Zimbabwe should have an upper middle-class economy where everyone can stand on their own feet having adequate resources instead of relying on aid.
The President also spoke about electricity and now people have access to electricity. The President went to Hwange Power Station where he commissioned Unit 7 and 8, which contributed to the national grid where people have access to electricity and there is no load shedding anymore. People can now stock their fridges, but in the past people were losing a lot because of power cuts.
His Excellency, also touched on health issues. He mentioned that he is going to deploy specialist doctors in every provincial, district, and community hospitals. People have been travelling from Binga or Plumtree to seek medical attention in Harare or Bulawayo and His Excellency wants to correct that. He is going to deploy specialist doctors in all corners of the country. Let me thank His Excellency because in Matabeleland North, we needed a provincial hospital and we now have Lupane Provincial Hospital which was established by the Second Republic under the guidance and the leadership President E. D. Mnangagwa. As you are aware that specialist doctors are going to be deployed in different areas, many people are going to have access to medical attention.
The President also congratulated the incoming Members of Parliament in both the Lower and Upper Houses and he urged Members of Parliament to work hard so that the laws which were carried over from the Ninth Parliament are completed because every country should have its own laws. He also commended Members from the Ninth Parliament for the good job they did during the life of that Parliament.
His Excellency, said when looking at the tourists who come to Zimbabwe, there is need to look at it from a point that there is an influx of tourists who are coming to Zimbabwe. Tourists can witness the peace that is prevailing in Zimbabwe because when you talk about Zimbabwe, you find them referring to it as a difficult country, but the reality is that Zimbabwe is a country with peace and people move freely around the country. I thank His Excellency for that.
His Excellency also thanked the countries which contributed to the independence of Zimbabwe which worked with Zimbabwe during our quest for independence. He commended such countries, some which are near and others which are far. He also commended Botswana which housed our freedom fighters who went via Botswana whilst going to Zambia and other countries for military training. We have such countries which were looking after non-combatants and young people. His Excellency wishes that Parliament should enact laws which will cater for the contribution of such people who were in refugee camps and some who did not train and others were still young enough to receive military training. This is quite commendable.
Many people were happy when they heard of this, some were saying that His Excellency has a good heart because when he looks at people who were trained and some not trained, he is saying there is need for compensating such people. In the past, we did not hear about people who were not trained militarily, but His Excellency is saying that even those who are not trained are going to be compensated, and because of that, we thank His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. Also, His Excellency, in the Second Republic, has done a lot of good deeds. In his SONA, Zimbabwe from now will be Canaan because looking at 2018 to date, you would find that we went through different challenges like COVID-19 pandemic. You find that for almost two years, people were locked down and there was not much production. Despite that, you find that there was a lot of development in Zimbabwe. God willing, His Excellency will continue doing the best.
Looking at Gwayi-Shangani, where I come from, this is a big project, a project which is being emulated by many people. This project started in 1912, a lot of people tried to work on the project, but through the Second Republic, the project has taken off. You would find that pipes will be linking the project to Bulawayo and irrigation projects are going to be established. The Second Republic, through His Excellency the President, who is a hardworking President - someone spoke about the Beitbridge Border Post – our children work in South Africa, you will not find young people who work in Bulawayo, there are a few. Most of our children go to South Africa and some end up wondering whether they are still in Zimbabwe or in which country because of the beauty of the Beitbridge Border Post. The border is quite beautiful. It is a magnificent view and my desire is that Hon. Senators should have an opportunity to go and see the project because some will not even recognise whether it is the UK or some other country, but this is Zimbabwe.
Looking at the passport offices, if you apply for a passport today, you will get the passport on the following day. Mr. President, I went to the Passport office and I thought I was in a bank because the infrastructure and the furniture is different. Even in rural Binga where people think it is backward, we find that the Second Republic established an airstrip through the President’s leadership.
He also spoke about MPs and urged MPs to work hard to develop Zimbabwe. He said that this country is built, developed and prayed for by its people, the owners of Zimbabwe….
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator, you are left with five minutes.
+HON. SEN. A. DUBE: Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank His Excellency for the State of the Nation Address. Indeed, people are happy with the State of the Nation Address because it speaks and resonates with the people. With these few words. I thank you Mr. President - [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 12th October, 2023.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Eight Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 10th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER: The two Honourable Members there! Do not hide. Yes you, can you leave the House. The lady who is looking back, can you leave the House!
The Hon. Member left the Chamber.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. SPEAKER: Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the Member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the Third Schedule. Section 128 (2) 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 the Member of Parliament to Gladys Kudzaishe Hlatshwayo, Brian Leslie James, Sekai Marashe and Allan Norman Markham.
Order, order! There are additional ones – Hon. Toffa and Hon. P. D. Sibanda. Please be upstanding. Where are you? Order, order! Can we witness the ceremony with the greatest decorum. We will take the first four first.
NEW MEMBERS SWORN
HON. GLADYS KUDZAISHE HLATSHWAYO, HON. BRIAN LESLIE JAMES, HON. SEKAI MARASHE, HON. ALLAN NORMAN. MARKHAM, HON. JASMINE TOFFA and HON. PRINCE DUBEKO SIBANDA subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the Law and took their seats – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ISSUANCE OF WIFI AND EMAIL CREDENTIALS TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that our Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) department will be issuing Wi-Fi and email credentials to Hon. Members. In order to expedite this process, officers from the ICT department will be stationed at the Members’ Dining Room from 1400 hours every sitting day this week.
VACANCIES IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that on the 3rd of October 2023, I received a letter signed by Mr. W. Sengezo Tshabangu who signed off as the interim Secretary-General of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) political party notifying that the following Members ceased to be Members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) with effect from the 3rd October 2023. The names were written as follows: Pashor Raphel Sibanda (Cowdray Park); Ereck Gono (Lobengula Magwegwe); Nicola Jane Watson, (Bulawayo South); Desmond Makaza (Mpopoma Mzilikazi); Obert Manduna (Nketa); Mlilo Sitabile (P.R); Jasmine Toffa (P.R); Janeth Dube (P.R); Evidence Zana (Youth Quota); Morgan Ncube (Beitbridge West); Velisiwe Nkomo (P.R); Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North); Bright Moyo Vanya (Lupane East); and Febion Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi (Mabvuku Tafara).
Accordingly, Section 129 (1) (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe applies as follows as it provides that ‘A seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the Member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or she was a Member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned by written notice to the Speaker or President of the Senate, as the case may be, has declared that the Member has ceased to belong to it’. The law has indicated in Section (1) (k) and the related previous court rulings on similar matters that they do not require me to adjudicate, but compels Parliament to only action notification upon receipt of a letter of the recall.
Accordingly, 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 the vacancies in line with Section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act, Chapter 213 as amended.
HON. CHIBAYA: On a point of clarification.
THE HON. SPEAKER: There is nothing to be clarified – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. CHIBAYA: On a point of clarification Hon. Speaker. I want to put the record straight that as CCC leadership, we have not recalled anyone. -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, do you want to hear him or not? So keep quiet.
HON. CHIBAYA: Hon. Speaker, I want to put it on record that as CCC, we did not recall any Member of Parliament. As CCC, we do not have that position of Secretary-General. Hon. Speaker, we wrote a letter to you on 11th September notifying you that all correspondence comes through the office of our president, Advocate Chamisa. Hon. Speaker, after seeing those recalls on social media, we wrote another letter again to your office, explaining that as CCC, we do not have that position of Secretary-General. Hon. Speaker, I do not think it is proper to action or even rule in favour of Tshabangu. Hon. Speaker, it is not proper to only read the letter from Tshabangu and ignore the letter we left at your office. Hon. Speaker, I do not think that if anyone wrote a letter purporting to be ZANU-PF secretary-general, you are going to effect that letter. - AN HON. MEMBER: On a point of order…. -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, order. When a Member raises a point of order, that Member is allowed to raise the point of order. That does not mean you have been curtailed, but I want you to wind up. Hon. Member, what is your point of order?
AN HON. MEMBER: Hon. Speaker, my point of order is that we are not here to discuss political party structures.
HON. CHIBAYA: Hon. Speaker, I am aware that Parliament is going through the induction process, so she is still learning.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, in other words, you are saying my ruling to call her to make her point is wrong? Withdraw that statement.
HON. CHIBAYA: Hon. Speaker, I am actually supporting your ruling, but it is okay, I withdraw my statement. In terms of Section 129 of the Constitution, only a party which sponsored Hon. Members to come to this august House has the right to recall its members. However, in this case, Tshabangu is not a member of our party CCC nor is he our Secretary-General, a post that does not exist in our party. Therefore, Hon. Speaker, as CCC and as Organiser of CCC, I said earlier on that we did not recall any member. We do not know which party Tshabangu belongs to, but our Members will remain in this august House because we did not recall them from being Members of our party. Unless Hon. Speaker you want to collapse Parliament and even Government itself, because we cannot allow a situation whereby a person who is not a Member of our party can recall our Members. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It must not be political. This is Parliament and not ZANU PF Headquarters – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes!] – Hon. Speaker, I withdraw the last part of my statement - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I stand with my submission that as CCC, we did not recall anyone from this august House. I thank you.
HON. SPEAKER: If you listened very carefully to the last part of my statement, I said I cannot adjudicate on that issue you raised. There is a forum, I go by the letter that I received first and foremost. Thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Ko ya11 September?] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections and shouting 11 September!] – Order, order Hon. Members! Hon. Members, in the letter that I referred to, the credentials in terms of the contact details of this writer and CCC is free to engage that person - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections and singing.]
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Speaker, I have…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. D. P. Sibanda, please sit down – [ HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
The Sergeant-at-Arms walked into the National Assembly accompanied by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police on duty and ordered recalled C.C.C Hon. Members to go out. C.C.C. Hon. Members refused to go out. - saying that -[HON. MEMBERS: This is not police, it is Parliament.] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
Hon. Members broke into song.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Hon. Speaker, I do not want to cause any commotion, neither do I desire to become the subject of attention. I simply wanted to say peaceful words before peacefully exiting out of the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I would have allowed you to do that if you had not contested what I told you. Hon. P. D. Sibanda, I hear you. You publicly disowned the ruling of the Chair when I asked you to sit down and you vehemently said you will not sit down and your colleagues joined you. You started a commotion. You did not listen when I asked you to sit down.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I am prepared to apologise for that Hon. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: I advised you to sit down.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: It is unfortunate, you are abusing your left position in this House in that manner, it is quite unfortunate and I do not think that is good for this country at all. Firstly, you made an injudicious ruling and then secondly, you want to defend that loft position by not allowing me to express my views. Honestly, Hon. Speaker, that kind of governance should not be allowed especially in Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is quite unfair Hon. Speaker. Unfortunately, you have turned this House into a House of chaos. I have got no obligation to follow any rule of this House. I am telling you, I am being honest, I am being sincere Hon. Speaker, I have got nothing to lose – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – It is sad Hon. Speaker that you are contributing towards the downfall of this country. Apparently, this might be the start of your own downfall Hon. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - I am really sad to say this; that today here in Harare in the Parliament Building, two people from Binga will look at each other and talk in the manner that we are talking now -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- I never anticipated to get that from you Hon. Speaker. Your people anticipated something better from you than what we are seeing here, where you are being used by ZANU PF - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
Members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police walked into the House - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
SPEAKER’S RULING
DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR BY MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, you have witnessed for yourself that after my ruling, Hon. Chibaya requested to explain their position, which was allowed in terms of the identity of the writer of the recall letter. Now, it is not proper that the ruling of the Chair be debated. It cannot be debated because it is final. Anyone who is unhappy with the ruling has a right to approach the various levels of our court system and the issue will then be resolved there.
If the Chair has ruled in a manner that is contrary to the Standing Rules and Orders, then the tribunal will decide accordingly, but we cannot allow a situation where the authority of the Chair is disabused. You saw for yourself when Hon. Chibaya had explained himself, there was Hon. Mahere who wanted to speak and I asked her to sit down and she sat down. Then Hon. Prince Dubeko Sibanda took the floor and I indicated that he should not take the stand and address the Chair. He refused and Hansard will confirm that he said “he will not respect my injunction”.
Now, we cannot allow such a situation where in the end, we had to bring in ZRP, the police force to eject them because they made this House ungovernable and we have lost more than two hours of taxpayers’ money without doing anything. It is therefore my ruling that the Members concerned who caused the commotion for the past two hours or so will not be allowed to sit in this House for the next six sittings and that they will forfeit their salaries for two months. So, I rule – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]. We proceed with business.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
HON. NGULUVHE: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move the motion standing in my name that a respectful address be presented to the President of Zimbabwe as follows:-
May it please you, your Excellency the President:
We, the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe, desire to express our loyalty to Zimbabwe and beg leave to offer our respectful thanks for the speech, which you have been pleased to address to Parliament.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.
HON. NGULUVHE: Let me begin by thanking you for giving me this opportunity, to move this motion on the State of the Nation Address that was presented to Parliament by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa on the 3rd of October, 2023. Firstly, I would like to congratulate all the Hon. Members of this House for having been elected into this august House. Secondly, I would like to congratulate you Mr. Speaker, for also being elected once again as the Speaker of the National Assembly. On the same note, I want to congratulate Hon. T. Gezi for re-election, the re-election for both of you is a result of your suitability and confidence to lead this august House –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
Hon. Speaker Sir, I rise before this esteemed august House to present a motion on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency. The address exemplified the Government’s unwavering commitment to economic progress and development. It is a great honour and privilege to be the first speaker to debate on the State of the Nation Address.
First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D Mnangagwa, Members of Parliament, and the Zimbabwean people for the successful, transparent, credible, free, fair and peaceful elections. I would also like to specifically congratulate and express my gratitude to the people of Beitbridge East Constituency for once again putting their faith and trust in one of their own sons as their representative. I assure them that I will fulfill the three main roles of a Member of Parliament, which are representation, lawmaking and oversight, to the best of my ability. I want to promise them that I will always be there for them, as we say in my vernacular language, ndolivhuwa zwanda mavuni.
Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to express my gratitude to His Excellency for his bold stance on prioritising development towards vision 2030. Despite the challenges posed by illegal sanctions, His Excellency has steered the country towards progress. His commitment to leaving no one behind is evident and commendable. His consistency and programmatic approach are praiseworthy.
Hon. Speaker Sir, under the leadership of Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, the Second Republic has made significant strides in infrastructure development, resulting in job creation for the unemployed. In my constituency, many of our people were employed in the upgrading of the Beitbridge Border Post and the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road. The impact of these developments can be seen in the quality of homes being built in Beitbridge. Additionally, the Pfumvudza programme has greatly increased food production, making many households self-sufficient.
I would like to once again applaud His Excellency, President Mnangagwa for his vision, from the Transitional Stabilisation Programme to the National Development Strategy 1. His clarity and consistency prove beyond any doubt, his commitment to the people of Zimbabwe. Despite facing sanctions and misinformation, His Excellency remains steadfast in his dedication to taking Zimbabwe to the land of milk and honey. He is our own Joshua who will take Zimbabwe to the land of milk and honey despite sanctions, attacks on exchange rate, misinformation and propaganda that the Government is facing.
Hon. Speaker, I want now to dwell on the State of the Nation in brief. Thank you your Excellency, for a clear and comprehensive legislative agenda. During the address, His Excellency emphasised the pivotal role of law as an instrument for development. As Members of this House, it is incumbent upon us to actively participate in enacting laws that enhance the quality of life for our people and contribute to the progress of the nation. In this regard, I rise on a motion to urge this House to expedite the passage of the Youth Bill, as outlined in the 2023 State of the Nation Address. This Bill is long overdue and will provide a comprehensive framework for promoting the development and empowerment of the youth in Zimbabwe. With over 60% of the population under the age of 35, it is crucial that we prioritise their needs and aspirations.
Hon. Speaker Sir, while the Government has already shown its commitment to youth development through various policies and programmes, the lack of a legal instrument to hold stakeholders accountable has hindered their effective implementation. Therefore, the enactment of the National Youth Act is necessary to strengthen relevant institutions, enhance coordination and ensure the successful implantation of youth policies.
Hon. Speaker Sir, it is worth noting that several African countries have already enacted similar legislation to prioritise youth empowerment and engagement. Countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Kenya have established laws such as the National Youth Commission Act, Namibia National Youth Service Act and National Youth Service Act respectively. By emulating their example, we can provide a binding legal framework to hold duty bearers accountable and effectively implement international youth treaties, national youth policies and programmes.
One critical aspect that the Youth Bill addresses is the pressing issue on drug abuse among our youth which has become a significant concern in our society. This detrimental problem adversely affects physical and mental well-being of our young people. The Youth Bill goes beyond merely addressing the symptoms of drug abuse. It recognises that youth empowerment is a powerful tool in preventing and combating this issue.
With the enactment of the Youth Bill, we can establish standards, principles and procedures that will guide the implementation of comprehensive youth policies. The Youth Bill will ensure that the objectives outlined in Section 20 of the Zimbabwe National Constitution are upheld. Additionally, it will empower the Ministry of Youth to establish various youth boards responsible for addressing youth concerns and facilitating their effective resolution.
Hon. Speaker Sir, furthermore, His Excellency rightly emphasised on the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in our economy.
These enterprises play a vital role in job creation, economic growth and innovation. To further support their growth, His Excellency announced a review of the Small and Medium Enterprises Act. Involving youths in the SMEs sector can be a game changer in turning around the fortunes of the economy. First, the burgeoning SMEs sector not only enables youth to navigate the challenges of everyday life but also has great potential to create jobs for young people. This means that this is an area with huge potential. Finally, the SME sector is fraught with ambiguities where young people are earning a living but giving up on their aspirations due to the challenges in the sector. Once the review of this Act is done, the ambiguities and challenges are addressed and the potential for youth in the sector is unlocked.
Hon. Speaker Sir, Zimbabwe’s banking sector is currently dominated by commercial banks and a few recently established micro finance banks. To that end, His Excellency announced that Parliament is expected to approve the Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies Bill to provide for the administration and management of Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS). SACCOS are key in responding to the difficulties that SMEs, a considerable number of which are owned by youths, face in obtaining funding. Through SACCOS, a link can be established where rural small businesses can access credit and costs that are affordable. This will positively contribute towards improved access to loans and financial well-being of our citizens, especially those living in rural areas.
Mr. Speaker Sir, furthermore, sport is integral to job creation as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyles. In this regard, the Second Republic is currently developing the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill to create an enabling environment for sport and recreation delivery. Through the Sports Integrity Bill, Parliament is expected to assist in the creation of a regulated and fair sporting environment. Allow me to note that Zimbabwe has a huge potential of transforming sports into business enterprises that can turn this country into a booming economy. Members of this august House are aware that the sports industry is a significant source of job creation, offering employment opportunities in various sectors. From professional athletes, coaches and referees to marketing, event management and facility operations, the industry provides a diverse range of careers. Given the huge talent base in this country, the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill will naturally foster the enabling environment for sports and related businesses in the country.
His Excellency also highlighted the significance of the support and solidarity received from progressive nations during our struggle for political independence. In recognition of this, the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act will be amended to include Botswana as one of the countries that had transit camps during our liberation struggle. It is essential that we acknowledge the contributions of all those who played a part in our struggle and this amendment will help redefine the category of non-combatant cadres to include these individuals; this is important. The improved enumeration of war veterans and collaborators will result in enhanced delivery of welfare benefits and services, payment of disability compensation, military retirement benefits, pension payments along with medical care and access to various other welfare programmes.
Mr. Speaker Sir, His Excellency emphasised the importance of combating human trafficking. The National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons has already been launched, but it is crucial that we amend the Trafficking in Persons Act to operationalise this plan effectively. The Amendment Bill is meant to strengthen the nation’s existing laws on the matter and detail assistance to victims of human trafficking as well as repatriation steps. It will align with the guidelines of the Palermo Protocol. On another note, the use of biological weapons during our liberation struggle caused immense harm to both combatants and civilians. The proposed Biological Warfare Bill will criminalise the use of such weapons, aligning our legislation with the Convention on Biological Warfare.
Mr. Speaker Sir, before I conclude, I would like to touch on specific areas concerning my district and constituency. I would like to acknowledge that His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, in his State of the Nation Address addressed all the issues that the Second Republic is currently working on. I am pleased to note that the Government will be allocating more resources towards the devolution and decentralisation programme with a focus on projects that improve access and quality of education, health, roads, water and sanitation.
In my constituency and other areas in agro-ecological regions 4 and 5, there is an urgent need for improved access to water and sanitation. I strongly appeal for the construction of dams in Beitbridge East to safeguard livestock, especially considering the unpredictable seasons caused by climate change. It is worth noting that Beitbridge East currently lacks any dams. Furthermore, I believe that supporting irrigation development, particularly in citrus production is crucial as our environment is conducive to such projects and there are already successful citrus initiatives in the district and across Limpopo. Additionally, livestock farmers should be empowered and provided with necessary inputs to enhance productivity and add value to their activities. I encourage the Government to explore investment opportunities in leather manufacturing industries in Beitbridge. I also propose that the Presidential Input Programme consider including stock feeds and livestock vaccines for our farmers.
In line with the Public Health Policy of the Ministry of Health and Childcare, it is stipulated that a primary healthcare facility should serve a population within a 5km radius. This policy aims at reducing the distances travelled by the sick population and improve overall health. Therefore, I appeal to the Government to allocate more funds through devolution for the development of infrastructure, particularly clinics and schools thereby reducing walking distances. Furthermore, with Beitbridge receiving approximately 5 000 people daily in transit, it is crucial to ensure that the hospital, originally built as a district hospital, be well-equipped with adequate medicines, drugs, equipment and ambulances to cater for the needs of all individuals. Additionally, I strongly recommend deploying specialist doctors to the hospitals. To better cater for the healthcare needs of the rural population, I urge this House to initiate medical aid facilities to benefit rural people. I would propose they be called the Presidential Rural Medical Aid Scheme. This can be established from taxes on pharmaceutical companies and their outlets.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in Beitbridge town, the increased population has resulted in a shortage of adequate schools. Consequently, unregistered schools have emerged which are not only expensive but also pose challenges in terms of maintaining an appropriate student-teacher ratio. To address these issues, I propose the establishment of more Early Childhood Development (ECD) schools and low-cost boarding schools at each ward center, which will facilitate a smoother transition for students from primary to secondary education. Currently, the entire constituency has only one boarding school, namely Tongwe Government School. Furthermore, Beitbridge District lacks a vocational training center. Hence, I appeal for the establishment of at least one VTC in each one of our two constituencies.
I would also like to acknowledge the Government’s efforts in combating drug and substance abuse, particularly among the youth. However, special attention should also be given to Beitbridge due to its proximity to the border where drugs are often smuggled. Mr. Speaker Sir, we welcome the opening of the passport offices in Beitbridge. However, through the decentralisation programme, I appeal for the establishment of more central registry sub-offices to issue primary documents for those residing far from town.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Second Republic for the improvements and upgrades made to Beitbridge as a town. I hope that with the commitment to industrialisation and modernisation of the economy, factories for processing our raw materials can be established at our strategic borders. We have a railway and a good road network, thanks to the visionary commitment of His Excellency to upgrade the Harare-Beitbridge and Beitbridge-Bulawayo Roads, making Beitbridge a suitable area for industries. The upgraded border post also presents opportunities. The Government should consider establishing citrus, beef beneficiation projects and power generation in Beitbridge East. This will not only improve incomes and the livelihoods of our citizens, but also decongest larger cities.
Mr. Speaker Sir, road authorities such as DDF and RDC require increased budgets to repair roads which will attract public transport operators. Bad roads have led to some operators pulling out or charging exorbitant fares. The Lutumba to Tshikwalala Road, including the bridges at Lutumba and Bubye River need rehabilitation to enable traveling through to Chief Sengwe’s area in Chiredzi South. I urge the Ministry of Transport to consider fare fees for locals who do their shopping in Mussina when charging motorists at our border. A formula can be developed for Beitbridge residents to prevent misuse by people from outside Beitbridge. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance should promptly allocate a percentage of funds collected by ZIMRA to develop the town.
Lastly, I would like to address the issue of conflict between animals and humans under the Parks and Wildlife Act. Beitbridge is under siege from increased elephant herds which threaten crops and human life. I appeal on behalf of my constituency for more attention and lasting solutions to be implemented.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I conclude, I would like to urge the Hon. Members of this august House to support and debate this motion. Let us work together in the spirit of national unity, progress and development for the betterment of our beloved Zimbabwe. I move this motion for consideration and support of this House. Thank you, Tatenda, Twalumba, Zikhomo, Ndolivuhwa, Ngiyabonga.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. My name is Tsitsi Zhou, Proportional Representation Member from Midlands Province. Allow me to ride on all protocols observed by Hon. Nguluvhe. As I am taking the floor for the first time here in the august House, allow me to start by congratulating His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa for his reelection as the country’s President. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Zimbabwe who voted for him. A special thank you to the people who voted for each one of us who is here as an elected Member of Parliament, be it through the Proportional Representation like myself. Indeed, the process involves rigorous screening and voting in our own internal processes.
I am grateful for the opportunity and I also congratulate each one of you including you, Mr. Speaker Sir, on your reelection and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Gezi, which clearly indicates or evidences gender equality by the Executive. Having said this, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the congratulatory message to all of us from His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, which he personally delivered during the SONA, which he personally delivered in the magnificent New Parliament Building of Zimbabwe. The extended lifespan of the Women’s Quota 60 seats, ten of which are young women and the introduction of the Youth Quota puts Zimbabwe on the global good record of political inclusion of women and youths. This is highly commendable.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as I sat and listened to His Excellency deliver the SONA, I felt challenged and happy to be part of the 10th Parliament which has been charged with responsibilities to make laws that support development agenda of the Second Republic. We have been challenged by the Executive to complete the outstanding Bills left by the Ninth Parliament. I challenge Ministers responsible for these Bills to do their part and also the Tenth Parliament to, in unison, do as expected by both the President, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwean populace.
As I stand here as a Member of Parliament, my constituency, the women from Mberengwa to Gokwe, the eight administration districts of the Midlands Province expect me to perform and I am constantly reminded that I am here to deliver. Therefore, no one should derail these processes. I encourage all of us to understand the vision of His Excellency, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe should be an upper middle income economy by 2030.
I would like to applaud the Government for the positive growth rate across all sectors of the economy despite all odds and this includes the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to single out the growth rates that have been recorded in the mining and agricultural sectors during the past five years. We specifically celebrate these two sectors as they are the backbone of the Zimbabwe’s economy.
The Midlands Province, which is at the center of the nation has vast mineral deposits that include chrome in Lalapansi, Shurugwi, Zvishavane, Mberengwa, Inyala and Neta areas of Mberengwa. Gold is in all the admin districts as well as platinum, and now we have the new discovery of lithium deposits in Mberengwa area of Sandawana. The Government has created a conducive environment for investment and the President is always saying, Zimbabwe is open for business and that Zimbabwe is a friend to all and enemy to none which welcomes all investors who want to invest in Zimbabwe. The improved relationship with the United Kingdom is going to be appreciated and I urge the United States and the European Union to come on board so that there is mutual benefit from abundant resources in the great Zimbabwean nation.
I expect all sectors of the economy to improve as seen in the agriculture and mining sectors. The Second Republic has provided seed and fertilizers at household levels through the Pfumvudza/Intwasa initiative which has seen beneficiaries being able to sell maize to the Grain Marketing Boarding, including the household income. You will agree with me that the Zimbabwean economy will continue to grow in response to the mining and agricultural sectors as the industry is expected to feed into the supply chains of these economic gains.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to remind this august House that nyika inovakwa nesu vene vayo. Let us in unison be reminded to be patriotic and build our great Zimbabwe. God bless His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. God bless you all. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, your confidence as a fresh person is encouraging. I think the others should take after you as well. Congratulations also for having been appointed the Deputy Chief Whip.
HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me to add my voice to the debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered by His Excellency the President, Cde. E.D Mnangagwa on the Official Opening of Parliament. Mr. Speaker Sir, let me acknowledge firstly, that we accomplished a credible, free and fair election which ushered not only himself, but also the Members of this august House. I would like to congratulate the President on his victory during the August 23 Presidential Elections. The elections have ushered in youngsters from our communities and this gives us confidence that this Tenth Parliament will be a fascinating period and the nation stands to benefit from the debate that will come from these young and energetic MPs.
His Excellency touched on the issue of food productivity and he said that his Government was going to provide at least 35 000 boreholes to enable agro-based activities in various communities and at village level. This commitment by His Excellency is plausible as it will also deal with the cholera outbreak that has been witnessed in areas such as Buhera, Zaka and Bikita constituencies where I was also elected.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Your Excellency also touched on the issue of the mining sector growth which he said had grown from $2.8 billion to $12 billion over the period 2017 to date. This is commendable as it is proof that the Second Republic has bolstered Zimbabwe as a favourable investment destination in the agricultural and mining sectors as witnessed by the growth percentages and trajectories. The growth trajectories in the agriculture and mining sectors will guarantee job creation and increase per capita incomes and generally our Gross Domestic Product. It will also ensure that Zimbabwe is not over populated as we continue to generate resources at a faster rate compared to the rate at which our population is growing. This is a commendable effort from the Second Republic. What is now required is to ensure that the Government develops a stronger currency so that our incomes are not eroded due to exchange rates driven inflation and other inflationary pressures.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the President also touched on devolution which he said his administration will increase resources towards and decentralisation of programmes. The issue of private cities is of major concern in most developing countries which are called low income countries. The effort by Government to ensure that more resources are allocated towards devolution will curb rural to urban migration, usually people migrate from rural areas to capital cities, being Harare and Bulawayo, thereby putting pressure on basic amenities. This commitment by His Excellency will enable this country to overcome problems associated with urban setups.
Coming onto the legislative agenda, His excellency quoted several Bills which will be tabled before this august House, all of which seek to ensure that we conform to the dictates of our own Constitution which we have generated ourselves. We also operate under the international best practices. Of interest are the Competition Amendment Bill, the Economic Empowerment Bill, the Standards Bill, the Sugar Production Bill as well as the Technical Regulations Bill, which will promote government industrialisation, efforts and competitiveness of our local industry.
The SONA also touched on a broad spectrum of sectors, how the country was going to deal with issues such as housing and healthcare provision, participation of youths in community development projects, the welfare of workers and pensioners. This is proof that His Excellency, President Mnangagwa is giving this country an opportunity to enjoy a people centered government which listens to the concerns of the public.
Lastly, I wish to thank His Excellency for his commitment to ensure that Zimbabwe continues to support the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty which protects human existence by discouraging nations from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. His Excellency has given confidence to Zimbabweans that Zimbabwe will continue to support a peaceful resolution to conflict globally and the cooperation of nations for relative and not absolute gains. Zimbabwe will therefore continue to oppose the acquisition of hegemonic powers by powerful states, cold war, in order for the world to achieve international peace and security. This peace is the bedrock of the war and wars that are happening in the Gaza Strip where the Hamas and Israelite armies are fighting for territorial control. If one of these countries had been given access to nuclear weapons, it would mean that the human existence was threatened in that part of the world.
Back at home Mr. Speaker Sir, the President‘s mantra - nyika inovakwa nevene vayo should be supported by every Zimbabwean and every MP as this gives us the opportunity as Zimbabweans, to contribute with our own minds and efforts to the development of our own country such that the generation that we are going to pass on this country will be proud of us as people who worked tirelessly to ensure that Zimbabwe was a better country to live in. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute my thoughts to this very important debate. May I Mr. Speaker, take this opportunity to congratulate you, having been retained as the Speaker of Parliament in this great country called Zimbabwe. In saying so Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to also convey the same message to your deputy, including those that are deputising here.
Mr. Speaker, let me thank Hon. Albert Nguluvhe for moving the Motion on His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for the State of the Nation Address and extend the same expression of appreciation to Hon. Tsitsi Zhou for seconding this very important motion.
Mr. Speaker, the legislative agenda set by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and indeed, Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is most welcome. It indeed guarantees the revolutionary people of Zimbabwe that we are on the right path – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] We would like to ensure that following our achieving political liberation, we have been indeed, able to carry the revolution to its logical conclusion, which is the emancipation of our economic liberation. The law identified for review resonates very well with Zimbabwe’s Economic Development objectives and indeed, the Vision 2030.
In my contribution Mr. Speaker Sir, I will examine a few of these laws beginning with the Climate Change Bill. The Bill aims at facilitating and encouraging the development of low carbon emission technologies. Indeed, Zimbabwe is part of the global village and must develop technologies which enhance economic development while giving impetus to matters related to climate change adaptation and resilience. These technologies can be harnessed from our local innovation and industrialisation drive. For example, vehicles can be equipped with environmentally friendly mechanisms such as the catalytic convertors which can be manufactured in Zimbabwe because we have platinum in abundance.
Mr. Speaker, we already have universities with well-developed science and innovation hubs. In Mashonaland West, we have the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Bulawayo - the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) which can contribute to the industrialisation drive. Local talent should therefore be utilised for this in line with the mantra Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
Mr. Speaker, the Economic Empowerment Amendment Bill is the key as it speaks to our country’s development through value addition and beneficiation of our abundant natural resources. Our creative input is essential so that we include provisions that address unemployment especially among the youth; poverty and stop the ever-rising cost of living. In other words, Mr. Speaker, the law must lay a framework for creating such tenable alternative livelihoods. I personally am very encouraged that His Excellency the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa has set the pace by appointing young Ministers and Deputy Ministers in key ministries – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-
Turning to the Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commerce Bill, once again it is also very key. We need to assist Government efforts to do away with, or reduce the use of physical paper money by identifying the efficient fair and sustainable ways of transacting electronically. This takes away the needless fluctuations in transacting rates formatted by unscrupulous members of our society who hold money or get involved in dodgy business practices that create fake demand for currency. At the end of the day Mr. Speaker, the new Bill must restore and build market confidence for attracting new investments into Zimbabwe.
The Sugar Production Amendment Bill is worth mentioning in the context of economic development. Sugar is key as a household product. It has, in recent years, assumed greater importance because of ethanol which is blended with fuel, making it economic for motor vehicles and industrial use. This whole area of sugar production, its export and blending needs redefining and proper regulation because sugar is now a strategic product.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker Sir, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has spoken much on industrialising and modernising the economy as well as transforming our infrastructure in order to improve incomes and livelihoods of our people. As Parliament, we need to embrace the code from His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa to ensure that our Bills and laws do serve our people. I thank you Mr. Speaker.
HON. BVUTE: Mr. Speaker, may I begin by congratulating you on your re-appointment to this august House. May I also extend the same to Hon. Tsitsi Gezi. In the same spirit, I would like to congratulate our President, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa on his re-election. It was an illustrious victory, that has ushered this Parliament and ushered us into office as well. I would like to comment on the State of the Nation Address.
I begin with devolution. I was very encouraged to note that he has continued in the same realm of ensuring that funds are equitably distributed across Zimbabwe. In his first term, we noted the impact that he had on smaller communities when they had the ability to harness and control resources at local level. It is our wish that as he continues on this drive, a lot more localised development will occur in arrears that had otherwise been forgotten. We have noted with particular happiness that Zimbabwe has become self-sufficient in the field of wheat production.
This can only be attributed to His Excellency’s policy that is localised and encourage the farming of wheat in Zimbabwe. In that breath, I noted in his speech, he has indicated the desire to continue to invest significantly in agriculture. This can only place and pivot Zimbabwe at the center of agricultural production. The climate agricultural programme Pfumvudza has proved not only to be a success, but has proved to be an instrument of alleviating poverty. He enunciated in his speech that his Government will continue to support it and more importantly will continue to encourage the development of smallholder farmers and progressive development into agricultural zones that are not only small in nature, but corporatised by virtue of creating small scale business in the various villages that they have been earmarked for water development.
I noted with particular interest, his mention of the mining sector, for many there is a belief that the figures spoken are not necessarily those that reflect what is on ground. As Member of Parliament for Goromonzi North, I can effectively and efficiently say that we house the largest lithium mine in Zimbabwe which speaks of His Excellency’s vision to ensure that the mining sector continues to grow, not only grow, but continue to provide the inputs that are required to provide jobs to our people –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
To date Acadia Lithium mine has employed no less than a thousand people in my constituency, that speaks of development and that speaks of His Excellency, the President’s vision for our nation. His Excellency, the President also spoke about the state of our economy. I noted Hon. Mutodi mentioned the vagaries of the estranged, I think given his desire to continue to target inflation and more importantly to control Government spending money released on to the local market; I am confident that this Government will continue to succeed in beating inflation, but we created an environment that will allow for the prosperity of our people.
On the various Bills that he indicated as part of our legislative agenda, of particular interest to me as one who participated in sport and saw the value of sport and its ability to not only harness communities, bring about development but more importantly, allow for the circulation of money. It goes well that part of our legislative agenda is to ensure that sport is placed in its role of importance as a medium for growth and development –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- His Excellency, the President spoke in his speech, about the need for Zimbabwe to be developed by its own people and various speakers prior to me have eloquently said “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”. I can attest that there is no greater mantra that has been bestowed upon us, than that of us believing in ourselves and our ability to change our fortunes, but more importantly, to work together to ensure that every single Zimbabwean has the ability to contribute positively to Zimbabwe. It is my hope that this Parliament will take on that mantra and every single one of us will be an agent for change and development in our constituencies. Noting and remembering given the sanctions that exist in Zimbabwe, it is imperative that each and every one of us is at the forefront of ensuring success in various areas that we have been given to lead.
The events of this afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir, in which you had to deal with an unfortunate situation, speak of the need for all of us to be re-educated on the need for patriotism, but above all, on the need for us to ensure that country comes first and our people’s needs must come first.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I trust and believe that this august House moves forward, adequately and eloquently carry on the vision of His Excellency the President and ensure that our people arrive at the promised land which is a better Zimbabwe. I thank you for this opportunity to speak Hon. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Bvute. I was looking for a script from where he was reading and I became convinced that he must be a witchdoctor – [Laughter] - because I could not see it. Well done for raising the banner like your colleagues who have spoken before you. This is much appreciated and I am sure the Chief Whip is very happy about the standard.
HON. S. SITHOLE: Sorry Hon. Speaker, I will speak tomorrow.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we should dwell on what we uphold is the virtue of humility. I am happy that you want to keep the banner high. So, I agree you will speak tomorrow.
HON. NDUDZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. Mr. Speaker. Perhaps before I add my voice to the remarks already made by my colleagues in this august House, it is perhaps most befitting that firstly, I congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on the occasion of his reelection to continue as the President of Zimbabwe, the Commander-in-Chief and the head of the Government and the Head of our nation in what in my respectful view perhaps will pass as one of the most free, fair and most peaceful election on planet earth –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-. Mr. Speaker Sir, in the same vain, it is most befitting that I also congratulate you and indeed the Hon. Deputy Speaker and Members who were duly elected to be part of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
In respect of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) as presented by His Excellency to this august House, allow me as a representative of the people of Wedza North Constituency, a largely rural and agro-based constituency, to dwell on just but one aspect of the presentation by His Excellency. It relates to the agricultural productivity that has phenomenally grown in our nation to a point where Zimbabwe is now self-sustainable in terms of food production.
Your Excellency, I wish to applaud the policies, programmes and all the measures that have been put in place by the visionary leadership of His Excellency and his Government to make sure that of all things as Zimbabweans, we fully utilise the natural resources that we have; land, water and human capital to ensure that as a nation, we are not dependent on anyone else for providing our people with their food requirements. In particular, records have been broken in the production of cereals, mainly maize and wheat. In my respectful view, it is incumbent upon the ministries established by His Excellency, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance to ensure that they continue to provide material support to our farmers so that they remain motivated and have sufficient incentives for them to continue to produce for the nation. In particular, as and when our farmers deliver their harvest to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and to the other markets, it would be important to make sure that arrangements are in place so that they are promptly paid for them to be able to continuously farm and produce for the nation and make sure that they make that contribution to the growth of our economy. –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Additionally, it is my view that there is need to support our farmers with the necessary infrastructure, particularly the road infrastructure so that there is ease of access to the markets. Often at times, we have farmers who are excellent in their production, who produce perhaps what may compete and stand out when compared to what comes out in any part of the world. However, sometimes farmers struggle to access the markets because the infrastructure may not be as good as the produce that the farmers would have produced for the nation. So, one hopes that everything would be put in place to make sure that the livelihoods and good efforts of our farmers are rewarded by the measures that are put in place to support this good work and efforts.
In conclusion, I also wish to add the little weight of my voice to the applauses that have been given by my fellow Hon. Members to the vision as enunciated by His Excellency. When the history of this nation shall be written for future generations, if there is one thing that will conspicuously stand out in the message that has been packaged and delivered to the nation by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, it is the clarity of thought, clarity of trajectory in terms of how we can build our nation. It is on the firm mantra of nyika inovakwa nevene vayo. We are masters of our own fate. The responsibility to build Zimbabwe for ourselves, for our children and for future generations, lies squarely on us and on our shoulders. We must spare more resources or effort to make sure that we run with everything that we have to bring that vision of His Excellency to fruition. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: I am sure all of us will be encouraged to do what he has encouraged us to do. Tiite zvinodiwa nenyika yeZimbabwe.
HON. MUDUMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me to congratulate you for being re-appointed and re-elected to this august House. It is my first time here and the first contribution. I would want to congratulate the Hon. Members here for being elected to represent our people and our constituencies. Allow me to also congratulate our great leader, ubaba President Mnangagwa for being re-elected to be the leader of this country and leading our Zimbabwe to glory. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
An Hon. Member having passed between the Speaker and the Member on the floor.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, you cannot pass between the Chair and the Member on the floor. You can wait until he finishes, or if it is urgent you can come this way.
HON. MUDUMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to reflect on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, firstly on the Youth Bill. We have been facing the scourge of drug abuse in our constituencies. It is our hope that this Bill is going to address a plethora of challenges and empower our young people to be masters of their own destiny through the various empowerment programmes that the Government is going to initiate.
I would also like to appreciate what the President said concerning the 35 000-drilling project for 35 000 villages. We believe that this is going to address the key challenges of our rural population, particularly in Masvingo North, which is mainly agro-based and is in need of water. We need to irrigate our lands and create sustainable business practices for our villagers back home.
I would like to reflect again on the Bill focusing on small to medium enterprises (SMEs). We have seen other countries like China developing through its SMEs which have become exporters and producers. We hope and believe that through our President’s vision, we are going to see our SMEs, particularly the youth and women being included in the financial system. We have seen that a lot of our people have been excluded from the banking sector, financial systems of our country because sometimes it has been difficult to just open an account for the rural population.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like also to comment on the agriculture production. Our President has got a great vision and we have seen mainly in our constituencies that we are now self-sufficient in terms of maize and wheat. I would also want to request Government to further consider increasing the number of depots for easier access for our rural folk so that they can easily sell their produce to their nearest G.M.B. This has the net effect of decreasing their overheads, which will then remain reasonably low. It is my clarion call that we should have more depots in my constituency of Masvingo North. I thank you.
*HON. NKANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My name is Andrew Nkani, I represent Chakari Constituency in Mashonaland West Province. First and foremost, I would like, on behalf of my constituency, to congratulate you Hon. Speaker as well as to thank you for affording me the opportunity to also contribute to the pertinent motion raised by Hon. Nguluvhe, seconded by Hon. Zhou, on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa.
Chakari Constituency has sent me as its emissary to convey our congratulations to His Excellency the President for his resounding victory during the just ended August harmonised elections in which he did very well nationwide. Chakari vows that it will never leave the President until the end of time.
Secondly, I would like to thank His Excellency the President for the peace that prevailed before, during and after the elections. We are still enjoying that peace. In his keynote address during the State of the Nation Address, His Excellency the President placed a lot of importance on agriculture, which ensures that the country has bumper harvest which is critical for the sustenance of food security and the general security of the nation.
We have had three consecutive years of bumper harvest and we have become self-sufficient in maize and wheat production because of the programmes of His Excellency the President. The President has introduced the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme which has uplifted the lives of the majority of the rural people. Whilst still on the same programme, Hon. Speaker Sir, we have a perennial problem of the delay in delivery of inputs to the farmers. This has led the farmers to pool financial resources so that they can pay transporters to ferry the inputs from the GMB. The delay is occasioned by the Ministry of Finance’s failure to timeously pay the transporters. A question then arises - is there payment needed for people to pay for the transportation of these inputs? The answer is no, but the farmers will resort to this pooling of resources together in order to expedite delivery of the inputs. On this point, I appeal to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Investment to timeously pay the transporters so that inputs are quickly delivered to the farmers before the onset of the rainy season.
Hon. Speaker, we have another challenge in that it is not all the farmers who are relying on the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme. As I speak, there are farmers who have not yet been paid by the Grain Marketing Board for their produce. This problem will hinder the progress that has been made in the agricultural sector as all the farmers will be looking forward to payment in order to sustain themselves and their families. The same challenge is being experienced by COTTCO; we constantly hear an outcry in our constituencies about the delay of the payment to the farmers.
As I speak, Hon. Speaker, there are farmers who are not yet paid by COTTCO but are expected to go back to the fields this season. We urge Treasury to timeously pay COTTCO so that our farmers are able to go back to the fields.
On the issue of water, His Excellency the President said that 35 000 boreholes should be drilled throughout the country. Nothing of that sort is taking place in Chakari. We thank His Excellency the President for remembering that his children are entitled to clean potable water. On making inquiries, I was informed by DDF that the rigs had not yet been paid for in order for them to carry out this assignment.
I will now talk about devolution. Devolution is the power that has been given to local governments so that they look into programmes that should be carried out in their areas. Five percent of this amount comes from the National Budget which should be given to these local governments. I believe that 20% of the budget should be set aside for devolution so that the leaders that are in those areas can quickly look into the problems that need to be addressed in certain areas of their jurisdiction.
We have the issue of roads in the rural areas, it is my view that the devolution funds should be increased as alluded to by His Excellency, the President and this will go a long way in ensuring that local authorities can quickly repair and maintain rural roads. At the moment, we have problems especially in my Constituency in Chakari, on the road from Golden Valley to Sanyati, you will find four or five vehicles that have their springs broken. The road was in the budget three or four times, but up to now, nothing has been done about that particular road. If devolution funds are to be increased, the local residents would quickly go and do the work because we use the road on a daily basis.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there is the issue of CDF funds. The CDF funds should be increased especially in rural constituencies. Let me say that in our African culture, if one has purchased a plough, he or she has a right to use the plough before it is borrowed by someone else. It is in the rural areas that more votes are being harvested. A lot should be given to the rural areas – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]
In conclusion, we have a good programme where the President has introduced ZUPCO buses that came from Belarus and other countries. These buses are breaking down and they are only being used in urban centers. We are only seeing them in the urban areas. We once spoke about it in this House, but we were told that there is need to manufacture buses that are suitable for rural terrains because the ones that had been purchased can quickly deteriorate if they are in the rural areas. I would like to propose that before they manufacture buses that are suitable for the rural terrain, these ones that we have should go and depreciate in terms of value, whilst servicing the communal lands. Thank you Mr. Speaker.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon, Member. Well-spoken vernacular language. What a joy to listen to. Why are you not clapping hands for him? It is a good rendition of how vernacular language can be used. It helps us support the need to use our vernacular language such as Ndebele, Kalanga or Venda. If we have the recognition of our mother tongues as your headmaster, I will be very happy indeed, but as you debate, do not refer to me as Hon. Headmaster.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE ON STANDING RULES AND ORDERS
THE HON. SPEAKER: Section 151 (1) of the Constitution provides that Parliament must appoint a Committee to be known as the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders for purposes of supervising the Administration of Parliament, formulating Standing Orders, considering and deciding all matters concerning Parliament and exercising any other functions that may be conferred or imposed on the Committee by the Constitution or by Standing Order or any other law.
Section 151 (2) of the Constitution provides that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders must consist of the Speaker and the President of the Senate and the following Members of Parliament: the Deputy Speaker; the Deputy President of the Senate and two other Ministers appointed by the President; the Leader of Government Business in each House; the Leader of the Opposition in each House; the Chief Whips of all political parties represented in each House; the President of the National Council of Chiefs; two Members who are not Ministers or Deputy Ministers, one being a Senator appointed to the Committee by the President of the Senate and the other one being a Member of the National Assembly appointed by the Speaker.
In terms of Standing Order No. 14 of both the Senate and the National Assembly Standing Orders and the provisions of Section 151 of the Constitution, I therefore, inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders shall consist of the following;
DESIGNATION NAME
- Speaker - Hon. J. F. N. Mudenda
- President of the Senate - Hon. M. M. Chinomona
- Deputy Speaker - Hon. T. Gezi
- Deputy President of the Senate - Hon. Rtd. Nyambuya
- Minister of Finance - Hon. Prof. M. Ncube
- Minister appointed by the President - Hon. O.C.Z Muchinguri
- Minister appointed by the President : - Hon. Sen. Mutsvangwa
- Leader of Government Business - Hon. Z. Ziyambi
National Assembly.
- Leader of Government Business - Hon. Sen. L. Matuke
Senate
- Leader of Opposition - TBA
National Assembly (CCC)
- Leader of Opposition – TBA
Senate (CCC)
- Government Chief Whip - Hon. Togarepi
National Assembly (ZANU PF)
- Chief Whip (CCC) - Hon. Chibaya
- Chief Whip Senate (ZANU PF) - Hon. T. Muzenda
- Chief Whip Senate (CCC) - Hon. N. Mlotshwa
- President of the Chief’s Council – Hon. Chief Mtshane Khumalo
- Member appointed by the Hon. Speaker – Hon. P. Zhou
18 Member appointed by the President of the Senate– Hon. M. Bimha
National Assembly
19 Member ZANU PF - Hon. K. Musanhi
20 Member ZANU PF - Hon. P. Moyo
- Member ZANU PF - Hon. F. Bhuka
- Member CCC - Hon. S. Mahlangu
SENATE
- Member Chiefs’ Council - Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira
- Member ZANU PF - Hon. O. Hungwe
- Member Chiefs’ Council - Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane
26 Member CCC - Hon. J. Timba
The above list complies with the requirements of Section 151 (2) of the Constitution as read together with Standing Order No. 14. Thus, the above Members are duly elected to serve in the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders.
INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE CSRO
I also wish to inform the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders will have its inaugural meeting on Thursday, 12th October, 2023 at 1000 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Committee members mentioned above are expected to attend.
Just a reminder, please be punctual for the seminar tomorrow so that we can start early and finish early and quickly move to this august House.
HON. TOGAREPI. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MAPFUMO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 11th October, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. MAPFUMO, the House adjourned at Thirteen Minutes past Six o’clock p.m.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 10th October, 2023
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: How are you Hon. Members - [HON. SENATORS: We are fine and how are you.]-
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
ISSUANCE OF ICT CREDENTIALS
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am here to inform the Senate that the Information, Communication and Technology Department (ICT) will be issuing WiFi and e-mail credentials to Hon. Senators. In order to expedite this business, officials from the ICT Department will be stationed at the Members’ Dining from 1400 hours every sitting day this week.
VACANCIES IN THE SENATE
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to inform the House that on the 4th of October, I received a letter signed by Mr. W. Sengezo Tshabangu, who signed off as the Interim Secretary-General of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) political party notifying me that the following Members ceased to be Members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) political party with effect from 3rd of October, 2023:
NAME PROVINCE
Helen Zivira : Bulawayo
Gideon Shoko : Bulawayo
Siphiwe Ncube : Bulawayo
Felix Magalela : Bulawayo
Tendai Sibanda : Matabeleland North
Joel Gabuza Gabbuza : Matabeleland North
Anastasia Moyo : Matabeleland North
Mativenga Godfrey Madzikana : Masvingo
David Antony Chimhini : Manicaland
Accordingly, Section 129 (1) (k) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe applies. It provides:-
“That a seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the Member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or 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 law as indicated in Section 129 (1) (k) and related previous court rulings on similar matters, do not require me to adjudicate but compels Parliament to only action notification upon receipt of a letter of the recall. Accordingly, 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 the vacancies in line with Section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] as amended.
According to this announcement, if the Members are here, can they please leave the House.
Recalled Members left the Chamber.
MOTION
PRESIDENTAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: I move the motion standing in my name; that a respectful address be presented to the President of Zimbabwe as follows: —
May it please you, your Excellency the President:
We, the Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe, desire to express our loyalty to Zimbabwe and beg leave to offer our respectful thanks for the speech which you have been pleased to address to Parliament.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I second.
HON. SEN. KAMBIZI: Thank you Madam President for giving me this chance, a very rare chance to move this motion on the State of the Nation Address that was presented to Parliament by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 3rd day of October, 2023. May I start by congratulating His Excellency, the President for being reelected as the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. I would also like to congratulate you Madam President and your Deputy Hon. Sen. Nyambuya, for also being reelected into this esteemed office. That alone is a sign of confidence and capability of the President to lead this country and for the two of you to lead this august House.
May I also congratulate Members of the Senate for being elected into office and hope that we will be able to execute our duties diligently and to the best of our knowledge for the betterment of the people who elected us into this office. Madam President, it is my singular honour and very rare privilege to move such an important motion on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency. An address that came after we conducted free, fair, credible and very peaceful harmonised general elections. Allow me to congratulate the people of Zimbabwe for the manner in which they executed their constitutional right to select their leaders from the President up to the last councillor in a very peaceful manner.
Now that these elections are over and gone, I would like to urge all Senators to work together for the good of the nation and also remind Hon. Senators that we need to hit the road running because we have a lot of work ahead of us as laid out by His Excellency in the legislative agenda. Madam President, allow me to speak on some of the issues that were highlighted in the SONA. His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe stated that our economy had grown on an upward trajectory, recording positive growth rates across sectors and of course, notwithstanding the draconian illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by our detractors.
Allow me once again Madam President, to applaud His Excellency the President and the 2nd Republic for coming up with a robust measure to enhance and guarantee agricultural productivity, irrigation development and climate proofing which guaranteered national food security. I am quite thrilled that the Government has already embarked on drilling 35 000 boreholes and the establishment of village agro-based units meant to consolidate national agriculture productivity and food self-sufficiency. It is a fact that Zimbabwe has always experienced prolonged droughts. I am happy that the President highlighted the need for more investment in irrigation development as one of the key mitigation strategies against climate change.
Madam President, I come from a province where production of cereals and many other crops are very good, so as other provinces. I however want to thank His Excellency the President for the dam construction programmes taking place throughout the country. A few examples are the construction of Dande Dam in Guruve, Mashonaland Central Province, construction of the Gwayi or Shangani in Matabeleland North Province, just to mention a few. These will provide water for both consumption and irrigation, thereby guaranteeing food security.
I would like to turn to the mining sector which has become an anchor of our economy. The State of the Nation Address, highlighted that the mining industry had become a USD12 billion economy and no doubt, creating employment and wealth through upstream and downstream industries. Zimbabwe is blessed with more than 40 minerals and almost every province in the country has one or more minerals. Some of the minerals in this country are on demand globally, for example, platinum, lithium and gold just to mention a few. I am sure Hon. Members in this House have all heard about lithium batteries and electric vehicles. Zimbabwe has commenced making batteries from lithium.
Madam President, our country Zimbabwe is in the world’s top ten producers of lithium. So, it is important that as a country, we ensure that the lithium, platinum and gold sectors are well supported so that the country is able to generate more revenue and wealth. In addition, it is important that we value-add these minerals by, for example, setting up of the lithium battery manufacturing companies. This will go a long way in creating jobs and wealth for our people. I was pleased to hear His Excellency, the President talking about the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill that will be introduced in the First Session of the 10th Parliament. This Bill is critical in addressing a lot of challenges faced by the mining industry such as double allocations of mining claims, mining disputes and environmental degradation among others.
It is important that we create a robust industry through a strong legal framework. This will, in turn, attract investors and sustainable mining practices. His Excellency touched on artisanal and small-scale miners. This is one of the most vulnerable sectors in the mining industry. Almost every year we hear of industries and deaths of artisanal miners who engage in unsustainable mining practices. A couple of weeks ago, there was an accident in Chegutu District, Mashonaland West Province where artisanal miners were lost in Mashonaland West Province. Such mining disasters can be prevented if the artisanal miners were formalised and taught on sustainable mining practices.
I was also happy to hear His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, talking about establishment of the USD10 million mining industry loan fund and the rollout of more gold centers. I am quite hopeful Madam President, that the loan fund will be distributed to include women in mining and youth in mining who have often been forgotten. His Excellency spoke of increasing resources disbursed towards devolution and decentralisation programme, giving priority to projects which improve access and quality of education, health, roads, water and sanitation to our people, a clear sign that His Excellency the President has people at heart. He also stressed his administration’s commitment to industrialising and modernising the economy and transforming infrastructure in order to improve incomes and the livelihoods of the citizens of this country, what a caring President.
I will now switch and talk about the issue of road infrastructure in this country. His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa talked about enhancing connectivity by upgrading the road networks across the country through domestic resources. His Excellency walks his talk and as I speak right now, Harare, Masvingo,Beitbridge highway is almost complete. Kanyemba, Mahuhwe, Harare Road in Guruve in Mashonaland Central is under construction. Emergency road rehabilitation phase one and two is currently going on. Improvement and widening of roads being done throughout the country; pothole patching, expansion and rehabilitation is taking place, for example, Bindura-Harare highway. Good road networks are critical because they promote business and enable our people to move from point A to B cheaply.
I happen to come from an agricultural province, Mashonaland Central, where there are farmers like all other agricultural provinces such as Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Midlands and Manicaland. The farmers rely on road infrastructure to market their farm produce. Without a good road network, it becomes difficult for farmers to realise much from their produce due to high transport costs. On the other hand, road networks also promote tourism.
The SONA also outlined that the tourism sector was experiencing a boom, with an increase of 62% on international tourists’ arrival. We have various tourist attraction centres such as Victoria Falls, Hwange National Parks, Vumba and Gonarezhou, just to mention a few. Hence, the need to upgrade the road networks so that the country generates more revenue.
I will now go to the legislative agenda as laid down by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, which must be the Parliamentary schedule during the First Session of the 10th Parliament. On this one, I would like to advise fellow Hon. Senators in this House to tighten their belts. His Excellency the President spoke about the need to conclude outstanding Bills from the Ninth Parliament. These are Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, Public Finance Management Bill, Medical Services Amendment Bill, Insurance Bill and the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill. The President emphasised that these need to be concluded during the First Session of the 10th Parliament, hence the need to tighten our belts.
The President, His Excellency, Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa also spoke of obsolete laws that should be repealed under the Repeal of Laws General Amendment Bill. These are Fred Clayton Act, Servicing of Documents Act, Settled Estate Leasing Act and War Marriages Validation Act. His Excellency also spoke of new Bills that would constitute the business of the First Session of the 10th Parliament. The Bills are quite many, they are up to about 60. I will mention just a few that were stressed by His Excellency. The Legal Practitioners Amendment Bill (2023), which seeks to streamline the registration process for foreign legal practitioners, Inheritance and Succession Laws Amendment Bill (2023), which aligns inheritance and succession laws to the Constitution and international best practices.
The President also called upon the 10th Parliament to review the Water Act, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority and Plant Bidders Act so as to give impetus to matters related to climate change adaptation and resilience. Other Bills are Climate Change Bill, seeking to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate more carbon development technologies with a view of strengthening appropriate institutions and funding mechanisms.
The Parks and Wildlife Act….
Hon. Senators who had left the Chamber after the recall announcement returned to the House.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, I am seeing Hon. Members who were on the list as having been recalled, walking into the House. I do not understand what is taking place. Hon. Members, can anyone shed light.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: We as CCC, do not recognise the signature, so we are at a point where our leaders of CCC have not recalled anyone.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is not me personally, who is recalling you. That matter cannot be resolved here, handiro dare racho. What was done wrongly should be done outside and be corrected, then we are also given a letter that, it was not supposed to have been done and I think the courts are there to do that. We do not know who is who in your party.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: You mentioned in your announcement that the person that has communicated to you claimed to be from CCC.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Yes.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: Meaning that you do not know whether they were from CCC or not?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We receive letters as usual.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: Meaning anyone from the street can write a letter and say that we are from CCC - [HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] – I seek your protection Hon. President.
THE HON. PRESIDENT: Can we have order Hon. Members.
HON. TIMBA: Meaning that anyone in the street can write a letter, you receive it and you come and announce it here that they can claim that they are from ZANU PF and that they are recalling the following Members of ZANU PF and you just read it out. Is that what you are suggesting?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is not our duty to verify who wrote this and that. We do not know your membership. Go to the courts and clear your names.
HON. TIMBA: Hon. President, with all due respect, we are not a banana republic. We have institutions, when we came into Parliament, names are given to you by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) that these are the persons from ZANU PF, by name, province and that communication comes to this institution. We communicate with you as parties not just CCC, that the following persons are the leaders of the party in Parliament, whether it is a Chief Whip or Leader of the House. That communication comes from us as political parties. You cannot pretend that you do not know the people from ZANU PF or people from CCC.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: So, what are you saying?
HON. SEN. TIMBA: What I am saying is that it is important that when you receive a letter, you are not supposed to read a letter which comes from the street without you verifying whether or not that letter is coming from a party represented here in Parliament.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: No, excuse me Hon. Member, it is not the duty of the Presiding Officers to check validity. That is the work of the courts. Can you please go and make clarifications with the courts? What I want is to have Members of Parliament who have been allowed to come here and sit. I just enjoy a full House; it is not that I enjoy your being recalled. For me to know who is writing and who is not writing, please let it be clarified by the courts. I would not be able to let you in this House when you are not cleared, I cannot do that.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: I understand Hon. President. My point is, surely when you have received a letter, you do not know who has written that letter, you have our leaders who are known to you and introduced to you. Is it not fair for you to come to us and say we have received this letter coming from your party, please can you confirm whether or not it is coming from your party?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: The matter is not for debate.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: Madam President, can I confirm that you have also received letters from our own president? Can you also read the same letters to this House?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: Section 129 (k) of the Constitution says, ‘If the Member has ceased to belong to the political party of which he or she was a member when elected to Parliament and the political party concerned, by written notice to the Speaker of the National Assembly or the President of the Senate as the case may be, has declared that the Member has ceased to belong to it;’ So, this matter is not for debate here, it is not on the agenda of this House – [HON. TIMBA: But you brought it Madam President.] – that was an announcement. It was not on the agenda.
Can I please explain to you that this matter is not for debate in this House [HON. TIMBA: Madam President…] – you can go to the courts and clarify this and after that everything will be okay – [HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order! You are allowed to talk only when given the floor and not just to shout.
HON. SEN. TIMBA: Madam President, I would just like to make one point before I sit, that you are taking responsibility of collapsing Parliament of Zimbabwe.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Ah no! why collapsing the House? We were busy when you were outside, so please bear with me, that is not my duty. May you please take your seat. I do not want to call anyone to eject you. We are mature people especially in this Upper House. Hon. Sen. Timba, we have to learn to respect each other, I do not want to debate this because it is not on today’s Order Paper.
HON. SEN. M. SIBANDA: I want to get clarification, with all due respect…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order! How can you get clarification from me as though I am the one who is recalling you? – HON. SENATORS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, order! Can you please go and clarify this matter at the courts? We are not resolving anything in this House. Serjeant-at-Arms, may you please escort these Members out of this House.
HON. SEN. SHOKO: Madam President, allow us to speak about this issue. You see, let me just explain.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am not allowing you.
HON. SEN. TOME: I have not been recalled, so I thought maybe I could explain something.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You cannot explain anything concerning this matter, in this House. Do you understand me? We can talk to each other outside there, but not in this House.
HON. SEN. SHOKO: Saka handeyi panze. Handeyi panze monotaura nesu then mozodzoka moenda nebasa renyu mberi because pane tsamba yakanyorwa musi wa 3 October. However, a letter which was written before is the one that is being read. Let us go outside and discuss and resolve the issue. Let us go and discuss with the people that you are evicting from this House, because if you do not do that, then we are not leaving this House, this is discrimination despite the fact that an official letter was written, but then you go ahead and read a letter which was written before.
HON. SEN. TOME: Our President wrote a letter to the Speaker of Parliament explaining that Tshabangu is not one of us. I insist that I need to explain.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: No.
HON. SEN. TOME: With all due respect Madam President, may I be allowed to say a few words?
An Hon. Senator having tried to sing.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Who is that one singing? Singing in the Chamber is not allowed. Can we have order in the House? Were you not at the Induction Workshop? Singing is not allowed.
Business was suspended for fifteen minutes at 3:14 p.m. and
resumed at 3.00 o’clock p.m.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE adjourned the Senate at Twenty-Five Minutes to Four O’clock p.m.in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 121.
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 3rd October, 2023
(OFFICIAL REPORT)
MEETING OF PARLIAMENT
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE: I wish to remind all Hon. Senators that Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his/her seat in Parliament, a Member must take his/her oath of Parliament in the form set out in the third schedule of Section 128 (2) which 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. Sen. Christopher H. Mutsvangwa.
NEW MEMBER SWORN
HON. SEN. CHRISTOPHER H. MUTSVANGWA took and subscribed to the Oath of Loyalty as required by the law and took his seat. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear].
OFFICIAL OPENNING OF THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 10TH PARLIAMENT
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform Hon. Senators that at Twelve o’clock noon today, His Excellency, Cde. E.D. Mnangagwa, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe will declare the cause of his calling Parliament to meet.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE accompanied by Hon. Senators left the Chair at Twenty-Five Minutes to Twelve o’clock noon to hear the address by His Excellency the President in the National Assembly Chamber.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE, being seated in the Chair, was pleased to address Parliament as follows:
Vice President, Hon. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. C. G. D. N.
Chiwenga;
Vice President, Hon. Col. (Rtd.) K. C. D. Mohadi;
Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Advocate J. F. N. Mudenda;
President of Senate, Hon. M. M. Chinomona;
Chief Justice, Hon. L. Malaba;
Honourable Ministers of Government;
President of the Chief’s Council, Chief M. Khumalo, and other Traditional Leaders here present;
Honourable Members of Parliament and the Senate;
Senior Government Officials;
Service Chiefs;
Fellow Zimbabweans here at home and in the Diaspora;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Comrades and Friends.
It is my singular honour to address this august House as we open the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Zimbabwe. The Session comes shortly after we successfully conducted our credible, free, fair and peaceful Harmonised General Elections, in accordance with our democratic traditions and practices.
Honourable Members of Parliament, may I take this opportunity to congratulate you all for having secured the mandate to serve the people of our great motherland, Zimbabwe, in your respective constituencies for the next five years.
I challenge you to accelerate the completion of the matters outstanding from the legislative agenda of the Ninth Parliament. Much work lies ahead.
As you are aware, our economy has been on an upward trajectory, recording positive growth rates across sectors, notwithstanding the illegal sanctions imposed on us by our detractors.
The robust measures put in place by Government to enhance and guarantee agricultural productivity, including irrigation development and climate-proofing, saw us realise national food security. Zimbabwe is now wheat self-sufficient. The Second Republic has begun the drilling of 35 000 boreholes and establishing Village Agro-Business Units. This is set to consolidate national agriculture productivity and food self-sufficiency.
Our mining sector grew from US$2.8 billion in 2017 to the present US$12 billion, and is propelling socioeconomic development and growth. To enhance the participation of small-scale and artisanal miners, Government established the US$10 million Mining Industry Loan Fund, while the rolling out of more gold centres will be prioritised.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate:
The Second Republic will increase resources disbursed towards the Devolution and Decentralisation Programme. Priority is being given to projects which improve access and quality of education, health, roads, water and sanitation.
My Administration is committed to industrialising and modernising the economy as well as transforming our infrastructure in order to improve incomes and the livelihoods of our citizens.
Power supply has significantly improved following the commissioning of Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8, while arrangements have been made to guarantee stable supply from existing power stations. Deliberate investments are ongoing for increased power generation capacity, including removing entry barriers for Independent Power Producers.
To enhance connectivity, we continue to upgrade the road network across the country through domestic resources. Similar initiatives are being implemented with regards to rail infrastructure, with focus on recapitalisation, rehabilitation and refurbishment.
The tourism sector is on a growth trajectory, registering an increase of 62% in international tourist arrivals during the first half of 2023.
My Government continues to accelerate implementation of the Heritage Based Education 5.0 Model, aimed at producing goods and services for our country’s socio-economic needs. This Science, Technology and Innovation thrust has scaled up science-based education from the primary level up to institutions of higher education. More of our young talented boys and girls are registering patents and running viable start-ups.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
The fiscal consolidation measures and reforms have ensured positive fiscal outcomes that are critical for budget sustainability and lasting macro-economic stability. Complementary fiscal and monetary policies have positively impacted the attainment of the prevailing stable macro-economic environment.
Going forward, the Second Republic remains resolute in implementing measures that ensure confidence in our domestic currency.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
May I now turn to the legislative agenda which must occupy the Parliamentary schedule during this first Session of the Tenth Parliament.
The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill; Public Finance Management Amendment Bill; Medical Services Amendment Bill; Insurance Bill and the Private Voluntary Organisation Bill, which were outstanding from the Ninth Parliament, must be concluded during the First Session of this Parliament.
Obsolete laws such as the Fredrick Clayton Trust Act; the Service of Documents Act; Settled Estates Leasing Act and the War Marriages Validation Act should be repealed under the Repeal of Laws (General Amendment) Bill.
New Bills which will constitute the business of the First Session include the Persons with Disabilities Bill and the Administration of Estates Amendment Bill.
The Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to streamline the registration process for foreign legal practitioners. Also on the agenda will be the Inheritance and Succession Laws (General Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aligns inheritance and succession laws to the Constitution and international best practice.
To give impetus to matters related to climate change adaptation and resilience, the Tenth Parliament is called upon to review the Water Act; the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Act and the Plant Breeders Act.
The much-anticipated Climate Change Bill seeking to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate low carbon development technologies should be thoroughly debated towards strengthening appropriate institutions and funding mechanisms.
The Parks and Wildlife Act is being amended whilst a Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund is being set up to offer monetary benefits to victims of human wildlife conflict in communities.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
The Second Republic aims to fully exploit, value add and beneficiate the country’s abundant natural resources.
In this regard, as industrialisation gathers momentum, Parliament must expedite the consideration of the Competition Amendment Bill; Economic Empowerment Bill; Standards Bill; Sugar Production Amendment Bill and the Technical Regulations Bill. Ratification will also be required in respect of the SADC Protocol on Industry and the Inter-African Coffee Agreement.
Through the Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commerce Bill, Parliament will assist in the establishment of a framework promoting fair, accessible, responsible and sustainable online transactions. The long outstanding Postal and Telecommunications Amendment Bill must be concluded.
Government is committed to providing modern and affordable human settlements for all Zimbabweans. In this regard, the Zimbabwe Construction Contractors Council Bill seeks to establish an authority that will bring sanity in the built environment. Parliament is expected to consider the alignment of the Housing Standards Control Act and the Housing and Buildings Act.
Government has made strides towards decentralisation of service delivery, including deployment of medical specialists to provincial and district hospitals. The Medical Aid Societies Regulatory Authority, Health Professions Act; Family Planning Council Act and the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act will be brought before this august House.
The enactment of the National Health Insurance Bill must be expedited to accelerate the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme towards Universal Health Coverage.
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare is expected to bring the National Productivity Institute Bill; Pensions Amendment Bill; Occupational Safety and Health Amendment Bill as well as the Human Resources Practitioners Bill for consideration.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
Government is deeply concerned about the increase in drug and substance abuse, especially among the youth. Measures to tame the scourge by strengthening relevant institutions for effective coordination and programming of activities, will be instituted.
Over and above this, Government is developing the National Youth Bill, which will be considered during this Session. The Bill will provide for mechanisms to facilitate mainstreaming of the youth in social, economic and political spaces, as well as the sustenance of Vocational Training Centres as hubs for local community development. I challenge the private sector to play a part in support of our ongoing initiatives for youth development and empowerment.
Meanwhile, women play a critical role in nation building and their contribution to economic growth should never be overlooked.
Equally, viable and profitable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises have a far-reaching impact on our economy as a whole.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Act will be reviewed. Additionally, Parliament is expected to approve the Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies Bill to provide for the administration and management of Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies.
The mainstreaming of Community Radio Stations attests to the Second Republic’s commitment towards accelerating media reforms. In an endeavour to further open up the airwaves, the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill should be finalised and amendments to the Zimbabwe Media Commission Act passed.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
Sport is integral to job creation as well as the promotion of healthy lifestyles. In this regard, the Second Republic is currently developing the Sport, Leisure and Recreation Bill to create an enabling environment for sport and recreation delivery. Through the Sports Integrity Bill, Parliament is expected to assist in the creation of a regulated and fair sporting environment.
Parliament should also consider amending the Lotteries and Gaming Act for the purpose of its alignment to the Constitution and the incorporation of corporate governance measures, as provided for in the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
Our political independence came about through the support and solidarity of progressive nations in the region and beyond. Hence, the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act will be amended to include Botswana as one of the countries that had transit camps during our Liberation Struggle. “Non-Combatant Cadre” will be redefined to acknowledge those who played a part in the Struggle, under this category.
Similarly, the National Heroes Act will be amended to redefine categories of heroes, namely: National Hero; Liberation War Hero; and Liberation Hero. Amendments to the War Victims Compensation Act will now include recommendations from the Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry Report.
As Zimbabwe strengthens its cooperation with the international community, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which seeks to complement the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, is expected to be tabled for ratification. Furthermore, radiation safety will be strengthened through the Radiation Protection Amendment Bill.
Biological weapons, which were used by the minority racist white settler regime during our Liberation Struggle, harmed both combatants and civilians alike. The Biological Warfare Bill will criminalise the use of such weapons by giving effect to the Convention on Biological Warfare.
To date, Government has launched a National Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons. To operationalise the Plan, this august House must amend the Trafficking in Persons Act.
Other pending amendments include those that relate to the Immigration Act; Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act; National Archives of Zimbabwe Act; Private Investigators and Security Guards (Control) Act; Official Secrets Act; Unlawful Organisations Act; Censorship and Entertainments Control Act and the Births and Deaths Registration Act.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Madame President of Senate;
In concluding my address, I wish to commend both the National Assembly and Senate for championing the diligent discharge of business in the last Parliament.
Let me once again take this opportunity to urge all Parliamentarians to wholeheartedly participate in the enactment of laws that will improve the quality of life of our people. ‘Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo, Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhulekelwe ngabanikazi balo’.
This august House should ensure that law is an instrument for development. Further, Parliament is encouraged to be an institution of peace building, hope, national development and the entrenchment of constitutionalism and deepening democratic practices in our country. In all our activities, let us safeguard our values and traditions as the unique people of Zimbabwe.
With continued unity of purpose, we can accelerate our ongoing quest to build, modernise and industrialise our great motherland, Zimbabwe. This weighty obligation is on our shoulders. We must deliver and lift more of our people out of poverty and into prosperity.
With these remarks, it in my distinct honour and privilege to wish the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Zimbabwe success and hereby declare the First Session of the Tenth Parliament of Zimbabwe officially open.
God bless you.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE resumed the Chair at Sixteen Minutes to One o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
TABLING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform Hon. Senators that the Senate has this day attended upon the President of Zimbabwe in the National Assembly Chamber. The President was pleased to address a joint sitting of the Senate and the National Assembly. I have, for purposes of greater accuracy, obtained a copy of the Presidential Speech.
I lay upon the table a copy of the speech, which the President of Zimbabwe has been pleased to deliver this day. For the information of Hon. Senators, the speech will be printed in the Votes and Proceedings and in the Hansard.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE adjourned the Senate without putting any question at Sixteen Minutes to One o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 10th October, 2023.