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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 04 OCTOBER 2017 44-09

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 4^th October, 2017

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 CABINET MINISTERS

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I have received the following names of Hon. Ministers who have sought leave of Parliament:  Hon. Dr. Made;

Hon. S. Mbengegwi; Hon. Dr. Gandawa; Hon. Prof. Moyo; Hon. Dr.

Mlambo; Hon. Eng. Madanha; Hon. Dr. Sekeramayi; Hon. Dr.

Mushohwe and Hon. Mbwembwe.

Any other apologies that will come through the Papers Office will be recorded accordingly.  I have asked the staff to record the names of all Hon. Ministers and their Deputies who are absent without leave.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

HON. NDUNA:  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of privilege

Section 68.  I bring to the House a message from the people of Chegutu West in particular to the issuance of the registration that is currently going on.  They bring to you Mr. Speaker, their appreciation...

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Sorry, that can come through debate or question.

HON. NDUNA:  But the point exactly I have not made Mr.

Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  It is not provided for in the Standing

Orders.

HON. GONESE:  On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I have not finished with Hon. Nduna.  You get the point Hon. Nduna?

HON. NDUNA:  Mr. Speaker, would you want to hear my point

before I go...

THE HON. SPEAKER:  No, no.  You said you have a message,

we are not entertaining that.

HON. NDUNA: I did not get you clearly Mr. Speaker Sir, if you can come again.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Standing Rules and Order do not allow us to give messages from our constituencies. Thank you.

HON. NDUNA: May you then indulge me in asking as a question of policy?

THE HON. SPEAKER: Sit down. Order, the other name that has just come in seeking leave of absence is Hon. Chikwinya.

 HON. GONESE: I really welcome your directive that the Clerk of Parliament should record the names of all those Ministers who are absent without leave. However Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, 20^th

September 2017, which is two weeks ago in this very same august House, and I want to refer to the Hansard of that day on Wednesday 20^th September 2017 when we also raised a similar matter regarding Hon.

Ministers who have not been complying with the Standing Rules and Orders in the sense that they have not been seeking leave and you gave a ruling Mr. Speaker, that you would ask and I will read it. You actually said, “I will ask the Clerk of Parliament to draw up the list and from there the list would be brought into the House and the House will determine the way forward in terms of our Standing Orders”. That was two weeks ago on Wednesday, 20^th of September 2017.

Up to now, the Administration of Parliament have not furnished us with the list of those Hon. Members who were absent without leave and I would have expected that by now, there has been ample time for the administration to provide the necessary information so that due process would then follow. That is why I am rising to say it becomes pointless if each and every time that this matter arises…

THE HON. SPEAKER: You have made your point Hon. Member. The list was prepared. Unfortunately, you did not ask for it last week and that list had a letter attached to all Ministers quoting the

Standing Rules and Orders, quoting the Constitution, quoting what His

Excellency the President said. We said in that letter, that was the last warning. So, any Hon. Minister who is absent today is going to be charged accordingly in terms of the Standing Rules and Orders.

HON. CHASI: My question goes to the Hon. Minister responsible for the welfare of war veterans. I would like to check from the Hon. Minister where we are with regards to the specific benefits that now accrue to the war veterans and whether in fact during this Session, we are going to see a Bill being presented to Parliament in connection therewith and if not, when we can expect to see that Bill being presented to Parliament.

THE MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR WAR,

VETERANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER POLITICAL DETAINEES AND RESTRICTEES (HON. T. J. DUBE): I wish to

appreciate the question that has just been raised. I think this question is rather upside down. He should first start off by asking when the Bill to align the law to the Constitution will be completed and then we can go to the second part of his question.

As I speak now, the Act is already in Cabinet. I think any day from now it will go through Cabinet and come to Parliament. I am almost certain that it should come in within the next few weeks or so. The other question about the benefits of the war veterans was not quite clear to me which benefits the Hon. Member is asking about because all those who are entitled to pensions are getting their pensions accordingly. All those who are supposed to get their benefits for compensation which they sustained through incapacitation during the war are getting those benefits. I am not certain what benefits he is talking of. I thank you.

HON. CHASI: If the Hon. Minister does not mind, then he can give an indication of what benefits are indicated in the proposed Bill. I would have thought then that if he says that the Bill is coming to

Parliament then he does not want to preempt what is contained in the Bill but if he does not mind, then he may want to give us an indication of the proposals.

THE HON. SPEAKER: The Hon. Minister asked for

clarification, what benefits are you talking about. So, clarify so that the Hon. Minister can answer accordingly.

HON. CHASI: This is precisely why I had couched my question in the manner that I did to say, what are the proposed benefits that it is intended to give to the war veterans in view of the fact that the Bill is not yet in the hands of Parliament? Now that he says that the Bill is coming to Parliament, if he is so minded, he can indicate to us what the proposals are that are contained in the Bill.

HON. T. J. DUBE: As I have said, I will be preempting the whole situation if I started discussing the benefits which will be brought into this august House for discussion. I think we have to wait until this Bill comes to Parliament, then we can actually do justice to it.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. When one Hon. Member has been recognized, the others sit down immediately. Do not remain standing.

*HON. NYAMUPINGA: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. I want to know what Government policy is with regards to local authorities that hire a creature called Wellcash Debt Collectors to charge residents outrageous interests when collecting their debts, especially in view of the fact that people think that it is not lawfully registered. Women out there are facing challenges of losing their houses because of Wellcash.       *THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE): 

Thank you Mr. Speaker for the question that the Hon. Member asked concerning Wellcash.  I am very happy that my friends on my right, the ones who run the City of Harare – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible

interjections.] –

           THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order Hon. Khumalo please. Yes,

Hon. Member.

          *HON. MUNENGAMI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker.  It is very

surprising that when we are in this House, we will all be asking questions directed to our Ministers so that we get direction and clarifications back to our constituents.  We expect, the Ministers, when responding to questions not to do so on a partisan basis, they should respect us as Members of Parliament. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible

interjections.] –

          THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order Hon Member.  The Hon.

Member that I recognised, if you are speaking in Shona or any other vernacular language, stick to it. – [HON. ZWIZWAI: Ya chipedzisa nechirungu zvakanaka.  Wanga uchitaura uchimiksa, chitaura zvakanaka. Use one language only!] – Hon. Zwizwai, I will send you out now.

          *HON. MUNENGAMI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I was

saying just as Hon. Nyamupinga posed her question, we all do the same on behalf of our constituencies.  We expect Hon. Ministers to respond to our questions with respect so that we take rich responses to our constituencies.

          We do not expect an Hon. Minister to behave as if he is addressing a rally or down-playing the other party, before responding to a question, especially a party that has not posed the question.  He should be direct in his response to the person who posed the question because we also have questions pertaining to that.

          *HON. KASUKUWERE:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and also

Hon. Nyamupinga for such a pertinent question concerning what our councils have done in engaging Wellcash to get their outstanding debts.

          Yes, many of our councils are not able to get their outstanding debts so they are looking at ways of claiming the outstanding debts in order for the councils to function.  I am hearing that people are complaining of ill-treatment by these debt collectors.

          We are seized with that matter in Budiriro and other areas and it is very painful to the people.  I am going to investigate that issue.  Thank you.

          HON. ADV. CHAMISA:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker

Sir, my supplementary to the Hon. Minister Kasukuwere has to do with the legality of this initiative, considering the fact that we have strict parameters within which this kind of a thing has to work.

          I am saying this because just yesterday, I had a meeting with my constituents and they raised that – this I got through the Harare

Residents Trust.  There was $700 million which was owed by residents in Harare and I am told that the arrangement between Wellcash and the various companies – it is not just the city council by the way, even hospitals in Bulawayo and everywhere.  Wellcash seems to be everywhere but the arrangement is that there is a 10% benefit by the debt collectors, meaning that where there is $700 million they are going to get $70 million.  Is this legal?  Have you also investigated as a responsible Minister to protect the ordinary people who are exposed to the vagaries of these very dangerous parasitic institutions – that is the question Hon. Speaker Sir.

           HON. KASUKUWERE:  Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir,

I want to thank the Hon. Member for a very straightforward question in relation to whether it is legal or not.

          I believe first and foremost that debt collection is legalised in our country, if you borrow, you have got to pay back.  However, we now have to look at the contract – what does it entail on each party?  I think what the Hon. Member basically is talking about the collection amounts, the 10% that is due to Wellcash.  I am very happy that it has also been raised by an Hon. learned colleague who I think is in the right place to also assist us especially as he represents the people and the Parliament in terms of interfacing with the local authority.  The decision was made by the local authority.  It was also as a result of inability to collect its funds and they decided, therefore, to bring on board Wellcash.

          In the first instance, they actually pulled them out and then brought them back.  So we have got to interrogate this matter but I want to deal with this matter holistically – that is why I said I will look at it and at the right time, perhaps issue a Ministerial Statement to Parliament on the matter.  I thank you.

          *HON. CHINOTIMBA:  Hon.  Minister when councils are

formulating their budgets …

            THE HON. SPEAKER:   Order, order Hon. Member, you do not

address the Hon. Minister.  You address the Chair.

          *HON. CHINOTIMBA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  My

supplementary question is when councils are crafting their budgets, they come to you for guidance and approval.  Now pertaining to Wellcash, did you permit them to continue on their own without your intervention

– because there is no budget that is passed without your Ministry’s approval?

          What has gone wrong to allow councils, yes councils may be in the hands of the opposition or the ruling party.  We want you, as Minister, to control these stupid things.

          *HON. KASUKUWERE:  Thank you Mr. Speaker and I would

like to thank Hon. Chinotimba pertaining the need to deal with this stupid thing expeditiously.

          Firstly, when we accept council budgets, they would have been crafted after consultation with the public.  As I am speaking, our councillors are in a meeting with residents so that they agree.  Normally, they come up with an agreement that this is how much they should pay.  I think what we should agree on is that we should pay our dues and if we cannot, we should come up with a payment plan.  When I accept the

Council Budgets, I agree because I know it is not 100% correct but what I want to plead with this House is that we should convince our people to help councils.  However, concerning Wellcash, I am going to investigate and look for better ways of dealing with debts so that people will not be affected.  Thank you.

*HON. NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. This issue of Wellcash, I got sight of papers in Chegutu and we united as Chegutu community and barred Wellcash from coming to Chegutu.  However, what I want to ask is am I out of the law for barring Wellcash to get into Chegutu to include other debt collectors.  Am I at loggerheads with the law because I have said that people in Chegutu should not entertain Wellcash?

HON. KASUKUWERE: I want to thank you Mr. Speaker.  Our Hon. M. P from Chegutu is asking whether what he is doing is against the law or committing a crime.  If he is aware that whatever he is doing is above board, there is no problem.  What we are talking about is in Chegutu and he said that they sat down as Chegutu residents and agreed on the way forward.  What I do not know is what is actually happening in Chegutu.  If they do not engage in any criminal activities, they are not against the law.

          THE HON. SPEAKER: Did you want a point of clarification?      *HON. NDUNA: Yes Mr. Speaker Sir.  The Hon. Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, after sitting down with the people of Chegutu, after realising how the orphans and widows  were being harassed by these debt collectors who were selling off their property – these people did not have any court orders, so we said without any court orders, they should not be allowed to enter Chegutu.  United as we are, we said that people who do not have court orders should not be allowed to come to Chegutu.  Am I against the law because of what the people of Chegutu unanimously said?

             *HON. KASUKUWERE: I want to thank you Mr. Speaker once

again.  What he is saying is now clear.  If people do not have court orders to sell off people’s property, they are not allowed to do that and that is clear.  For them to sit down and come up with unity, it is not a crime but if that person is found to be in debt, there is a Government law which provides that if people are in debt, they should pay.

            *HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  My question is

directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services.  I want to know Government policy on the elderly and those who have retired and were getting pensions from NSSA that they are now supposed to be on BVR.  Those who did not register are about 17 000 and it means they are not getting their pensions.  I want to find out what Government policy is because it looks like we have now put people under debt.

          THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND

SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. MUPFUMIRA): Thank you Mr. Speaker

Sir for affording me this opportunity to respond to this pertinent question.  The issue at hand is that people who were getting their pensions from NSSA, we know that some of them are dead and some may be ghost pensioners.  Moving with time, we are engaging into biometrics so that with time, everyone who gets their pension from

NSSA is registered.

For the past nine months there was the exercise that we were doing of allowing people to register and outreach committees were going out and even to the media, educating people that by the 30^th of September, all the people should have been registered.  So far, over 170 000 people have registered.  Last week when we closed the programme, there were 27 000 outstanding.  By the beginning of this week, the number has reduced to 17 000, which means that people are still registering.  What is at stake here is that we should inform people so that they register.  NSSA cannot pay ghost pensioners, those who are non-existent.  So, it is up to us to ensure that anyone who does not get their money in October should come back and get registered so that we see their finger prints and eyes because we want to curb corruption.

We are not saying we are closed but we have given them a cutoff point of the 30^th September but it is up to them when they do not get their money, to approach us.  We are open and it is also open to existing members who are contributing but those who are getting pensions and have not registered, with effect from 30 September, if they will not get their pensions this month.  However, if you are not registered biometrically by the end of October, you are not getting your money and there is no going back.  We know that there are people who are getting money of the deceased people, so we want people to come and register. As legislators, we represent people, let us go and explain and encourage them to go and register.  If they do not register, we are not going to give them their pensions.  Thank you.

          HON. GONESE:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.  My

follow up question to the Hon. Minister is whether in view of the challenges that we have in terms of information dissemination, particularly in remote areas, in rural areas and in areas where there is no access to the electronic media; is the Hon. Minister satisfied that sufficient information has been disseminated to all the people in such a way that undue hardship is not going to be caused – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

          THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, that group there, you must respect your Chief Whip.

          HON. GONESE: Is the Hon. Minister satisfied that enough dissemination  has been done to ensure that everyone has been able to receive this information so that undue hardship is not going to ensue on innocent souls who may not have got the information but who will suddenly find themselves without pensions with effect from the beginning of this month as she has already indicated that the cutoff date was the 30^th September.

          HON. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you

Hon. Gonese.  We have done our best to ensure that communication is disseminated.  All our pensioners collect their monthly pension from somewhere...

           THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, please address the Chair.

          HON. MUPFUMIRA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, we have done our best to

ensure that the information is disseminated to all members of the public and we are also aware they receive their pensions from somewhere.  If they do not get it by the end of this month, surely they will complain and as I have said we are still registering but we need to have a cutoff point.  For 9 months, we have been advertising, so we need a cutoff point and any people who are not registered will come forward...

          Hon. Dokora having walked out of the House – [AN HON.

MEMBER: Dzoka iwe, akadya mbudzi.] – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

          HON. MUPFUMIRA: We all represent people in our

constituencies; it is also up to us to make sure that we inform our constituencies.  Even Hon. Members here, there are some members who are over 60 years of age, who are supposed to be on pension by now.  I urge them to go and register.  If they do not, they will not receive their pensions.  We are travelling throughout the whole country doing outreaches.  There is no exception Mr. Speaker and this is our cutoff point and we need to start off from somewhere. Genuine bonafide NSSA pensioners will come forward and will be accommodated but we cannot pay for ghost or dead members.  I thank you.

          *HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for according me this

opportunity to ask a supplementary question.  This programme is really welcome of eliminating ghost pensioners.  As a ministry, do you have plans to extend this biometric to workers because there is a report that says here in Zimbabwe, we have got 250 ghost workers in Government who are getting money whilst they are not there?  Are you going to call them one by one so that they can have fingerprints taken to confirm that they are still alive as you are doing to the pensioners?  Is it not that this programme is aimed only at pensioners and the poor who will fail to pay rent because they will have been denied their monies resulting in

Wellcash as debt collectors attaching their properties.

          *HON. MUPFUMIRA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Hon. Zwizwai.  This programme that we have started on pensioners will extent to all NSSA contributors as they are expected to be registered biometrically...

          THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, please stick to one

language that is the rule.

          *HON. MUPFUMIRA: We are looking forward that this programme which we have started with NSSA pensioners, will be extended to our Government workers.  We also want to reach the vulnerable, those who are over 70 and those who live with disability, we are moving forward with this programme so that everyone should be captured so that we know the number of people that we have who want to be helped.–

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Anyorwe veduwe kwete captured zvakaoma.

HON. MUPFUMIRA:  I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.   So we are looking forward that we have a data base for all civil servant and all those who are under Social Welfare including pensioners.

          *HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, I was listening as

Hon. Mupfumira was talking referring to the elders.  In my constituency, we had a meeting yesterday and there was an issue about old people that are 65 years.  Looking at our elderly people because we have long queues and they are forced to stand in these queues for long, are there any plans that the Government has so that the elderly do not join queues as some are sleeping in these long queues?  Do we have plans as Government to ease this burden of elderly people standing long in queues even to engage the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Chinamasa that the elderly be given preferential treatment or like what happens in other countries that they will be known where they stay and there are mobile banks that visit them there or there is a centre where they can go and get help.  Each country is measured by the way they look after their elders.  In Government, we also have people who are old and should also be looked after – [HON.

MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -

           *HON. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank Hon.

Chamisa for his question and his comment.  He has touched on a very pertinent issue and it is one of the things that we were talking about this morning that we should engage the banks so that the elderly should be looked after well.  When we were growing up, we were taught that when we are in the buses, we should not seat down whilst the elderly are standing.  So, even in banks the elders should not stand in queues.   There should be a counter reserved for the elderly only so that they do not stand in the queues.

          Looking at what we have done so far, NSSA and certain banks have agreed that the elderly should not be charged when withdrawing their pensions. This means that we have our elderly at heart and that they should be given preferential treatment.

We should also teach all people to use plastic money to avoid queuing.  So, we are in the process of engaging internet banking service providers to reduce charges when people pay or buy.  People are being charged and losing a lot of money.  Hence, we are looking into the issue of the elders that they live well.  Right now, at the end of this month, October, NSSA is going to increase the basic pensions of people.  We do not want our elders to lose their money.  We have our elderly at heart.

+HON. MKANDLA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My Question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.  We have seen that the Public Service hired teachers. What criteria is being used by the Government when hiring teachers?  For example, Chibala Primary School where there are 187 pupils, there is only one teacher and a headmaster.  Thank you.

+THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

EDUCATION: (HON. DR. DOKORA): I really want to thank you Mr. Speaker and also thank  the Hon. Member for her important question.  I am as well touched by the absence of teachers in the system –

[Laughter.]-  We asked for 7 000 teachers at the beginning of the year. I have been granted authority as of April to hire 2 300.  So, that question relates to the gap between what I have been granted and what I need for now.  So, as the Public Service Commission, the employer and the Ministry of Finance had agreed to find resources, I will only be too happy to deploy to those areas that still have gaps.  I thank you.

+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr.

Speaker.  Hon. Minister, I want to ask that if you are saying that you are going to hire the 2 300 teachers, what is the policy that you are going to use according to districts so that it is clear whether the people who are hired are conversant with the local languages? I am saying this Minister, for example in Avoca, Insiza District, there is a headmaster there who does not speak the local language. So I want to know if those 2 300 teachers are able to speak in the local languages where ever they will be deployed?  I do not know whether somebody who is shouting is asking me not to speak in the language I am speaking because if they have, then I will have to deal with them directly.

HON. DR. DOKORA: I will respond in English directly…

HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: On a point of order! Hon. Speaker, there is somebody who is insulting me, Mashayamombe from there – [HON. MMASHAYAMOMBE: Inaudible interjections.] – Then deal with that particular issue directly.  Do not be a coward.  What kind of a man are you? You are sick.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order! Hon. Member, what is the insult, I did not hear it – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Order, order! Hon. Mashayamombe, stand up please and withdraw your

statement.

*HON. MASHAYAMOMBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  The Hon.

Member is the one who said that 80% of the Members of Parliament are HIV positive, hence she is the one who agreed that she has AIDS –

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! What exactly did you say to the Hon. Member?

*HON. MASHAYAMOMBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  What I

have asked is that the Hon. Member should withdraw what she said.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you answer my question! Order, order – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] - Order, order please. My question concerns what you said to the Hon. Member not what she said last week.

          *HON. MASHAYAMOMBE:  I said that the Hon. Member

should withdraw what she highlighted last week to the media that 7080% of Members of Parliament are HIV positive - [HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear.] -

HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA:  On a point of order ….

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order!  I am going to send a couple of members outside.  The matter was discussed here last week and I would like to believe that the Hon. Member made that statement.

Is that correct? –[AN HON. MEMBER: Yes.] – Who is saying yes?

HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, I

think that in a country where issues - [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] -  No, no, no Mr. Speaker.  I will not be intimidated in this House.  I refuse to be intimidated - [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible

interjections.] -

THE HON. SPEAKER:  My question is - [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] -

Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga approached the Chair. 

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order, order!  Hon. Member, can you go out now?  Go out straight away.  Hon. Minister Dokora, can you respond to the question?

THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA):  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I seek your indulgence to enable the Hon. Member to raise the question again seeing that the last few moments have not been very conducive.

+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: I understand that your

Ministry is going to employ 2300 teachers.  When you are recruiting, are you going to recruit teachers who will be able to communicate in the local languages, for instance if the local languages are Kalanga or Tonga - are the teachers that you are going to hire be conversant with the local language. As I speak in Avoca, Insiza District, there is a headmaster who cannot speak the local language?  I want to know how you are going to implement the policy of hiring the teachers.

HON. DR. DOKORA:  I have to unpack parts of the Hon.

Member’s question. The fact of a head of school in some particular province and district, the head of school is obviously not a direct employment into the post.  That is a promotional post.  In other words, they would not have come into the category of the employment that we are talking about now.  It is part of a process and then we have to look into other matters if they are issues that we need to follow through.

Secondly, we certainly expect that the engagement of teachers is sensitive to a number of the following criteria;  the level at which the teacher is expected to perform and there are three levels as Hon. Speaker you do know taking into account your own background.  There is the infant level which is from ECD A to grade two where it is important of course that the medium of communication be sensitive to how the children there learn.  The junior level school which is grade three to grade seven and then secondary level; the second element in this matrix is to say the specialisation is also important.  As you know, as part of the new thrust in the Ministry and in the curriculum framework is to say, at the various levels, do we have adequate specialists.  We then compose the employment of those persons on the back of what specialists we need in every cluster because these teachers will also be used to staff develop their colleagues as we go forward but the specific case, that we can look into.  I thank you.

+HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA:  I have a

supplementary question Mr. Speaker.  Minister, is it possible that after you have hired those 2300, you bring the report in Parliament so that we can see where the teachers you hire come from.  We have been talking about this issue for quite some time.  We would like to know since you are saying you want 2300, you bring a report to Parliament indicating where they are coming from and also in terms of the languages they speak.

HON. DR. DOKORA: I thought in my initial response, I made it clear that where matters of language are particularly significant is at the infant level.  Thereafter, grade three all the way to form six, we are dealing with the specialisation or the composition of the specialisation that are to be found in any given school.  That is important.  It is not as if we are just going to hire teachers on the basis of language merely.  No, no, no, that is not the issue.  You can have a whole school which is Ndebele speaking but perhaps there is nobody with Mathematics, Science or these other skills that we are looking at. It would not be helpful and it would not be educational for us to do that - that they are interested and wanting to understand at the infant level  because that is what I think is important, that I can deal with the Ministry’s officials.

*HON. MANGAMI:  I would like to know the criteria that is used when you are recruiting teachers because it seems that those who have just finished training are employed before those who trained a long time ago.  What criteria do you use?  Do you just recruit randomly or you consider the period that a person has been out of employment?  

HON. DR. DOKORA: Quite clearly, I need to get my Ministry to articulate that aspect but it is very true to say as I speak now that we have more than 19 000 unemployed teachers who are on the market. If we are hiring and the system takes those that graduated in 2013 and perhaps 2014 and so on, you might then find that of your group of 2013 or 2014, you do not have physics and chemistry teachers in those groups.  So you then take the physics and chemistry teachers who are coming from college straight away. Like I said, we are looking for specialisation fields. I hope it is helpful. I thank you.

          HON. BHEBHE: I am raising a supplementary question in

connection with the earlier question that was initiated by the first Hon. Member to ask the question. He gave an example that there are 187 students that are taught by one teacher. The Minister responded that they were granted 2 300 teachers. What are they then doing to rationalise because there are other schools with full complement and yet there is a school with only one teacher. What policy are they putting in place to rationalise the situation of schools that are vulnerable like the one with 187 students against one teacher?

             HON. DR. DOKORA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for that

question. We have been trying to live within the limitations that we have. If a new school or satellite school is expanding because generally the expansion is in the satellite establishments, we borrow teachers who are on the establishment of the existing schools and allow those to be redeployed to the new sites. If there are specific circumstances that appear to call for attention, we can be examining that.

          Just this morning, my team from the Ministry was actually in Mashonaland Central to look at some of the glaring inadequacies that we are trying to live with by looking at how we can leverage the existing human resources that we have with the gap between what we have and the need to cover everyone in an appropriate and professional manner. I want to believe you will appreciate that we do not want to abandon any child without a teacher but we must also not deplete the parent schools as we try to reach out to the new schools and the enlarging enrolments.

          *HON. A. MNANGAGWA: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. We saw you spearheading the construction of schools in resettlement areas. I want to make a follow up on how far you have gone because we have rural constituencies and the rains are coming. Are you starting with our constituencies like Chirumanzu-Zibagwe because pupils are learning from outside?

          *HON. DR. DOKORA:  I want to thank Hon. Mnangagwa for her

question concerning the construction of infrastructure in the education sector. There should be continuous construction of schools because the children have a right to enroll at a school of their choice. Then there is also the construction of schools through our bilateral arrangements with other countries led by His Excellency the President.  Like I said, we are going to invite you as Members of Parliament to go to Hatcliff and show you a pilot project that will be used on all upcoming schools.

We also said there is a loan that we were given so that we can build 17 schools.  I am happy to inform you that they will be taking 14 days to construct such schools. Those who deal with procurement procedures have been doing their work diligently.  In the meeting that we had yesterday, they said that they are in the last 14 days for the contracts to be signed by the companies who are to construct these 17 schools. I did not bring my list to show in which constituency they will be constructed.

There are 100 schools which Cabinet directed us to build. We did our topographical survey, the mapping of our schools even reaching

Zibagwe and other areas marking where the schools should be constructed. In other communities, you will find that the villagers have erected some infrastructure. We came up as a Ministry and said that instead of just 100 we are now building 166 because we are taking over what the parents have started. We are going to construct 166 schools and we are working with DBZ as our consultant. This year in November we would spearhead the project but these 17 schools will start within the next 14 days.

          HON. ZINDI: My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing. In view of the menace being caused by the touts at almost every bus terminus countrywide and particularly in major cities, what is the policy being formulated in order to deal with this menace?  We have lost lives as a result of these touts, so what it the Ministry doing in order to deal with this menace?  I thank you.

          THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS, AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE): 

Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to thank Hon. Zindi for a very important question.

          Regrettably indeed, we lost one of our citizens a few weeks ago because of touts pushing and jostling to try and get that person as one of their passengers.  Admittedly, this phenomenon has caught us unawares and not ready for it.  We have seen the emerging of kombis and also the rise in the number of young men and women, especially young men who work as touts, helping or pushing people into various modes of transport.

We have discussed this concern with the city authorities – [HON. ADV.

CHAMISA: Inaudible interjections.] –

          THE HON. SPEAKER: Pardon, you were saying?

          HON. ADV. CHAMISA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker, I was

requesting that there be silence.  We really want to hear the Hon.

Minister’s response.  It is a very important one but there seems to be some noise.

          THE HON. SPEAKER:  Yes, he is wearing the other hat as Vice President.  Can you put order with my colleagues there, that group of colleagues there?

          HON. KASUKUWERE:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, I was

responding to Hon. Zindi’s question where she asked on what we are doing?

          I was also responding that this morning, we even discussed this matter, as part of our consultations with the City of Harare.  Harare especially is badly affected and two to three things arise.  (1)  We still now have the old bus termini Market Square, Copacabana, Fourth Street which has now been closed (2)  Even those buses/kombis that we supposed to be loading from Mbare Musika have moved from there right into the city centre (3)  It has therefore created a challenge and a new paradigm all together in the urban centres.  We have now decided that

City of Harare must identify loading bays outside of the Central

Business District (CBD).

We will be moving to close down most of these centres where people were loading from within the centre of Harare.  Those travelling to long distances be it Bulawayo will identify a place just outside the CBD where we know that passengers or those of our citizens who are travelling to the western part of our country can get their transport and proceed.  The same goes for those travelling to Manicaland and these areas, I am pleased to say, are being identified and the City of Harare is moving.

          The transport operators have also come to us as they are aware of the challenges that have been created now.  I am happy to say that they are also prepared to support in the relocation and setting up of new areas where they can pick up their passengers and at least protect the integrity and safety of our people.  The touts have become a major challenge in our urban centres, if you go around the Copacabana area, you will actually be able to pass.  So we are addressing this matter.  We also want to bring on board now the urban transport system.  We will be running a trial programme just now with about 20 buses which we procured from China.  These should also help us in dealing with the menace in the urban centres.

          Lastly, we think that we must also bring back metered and well-run taxis to ply within the urban centres.  The current chovamubaiwa’s and Mushikashikas have caused us serious damage.  We have lost a lot of lives through accidents and if you see them reversing, they reverse at probably 40 to 50 km per hour speed going backwards and this cannot be right.  So, I want to appeal to all our leaders to help our Ministry and city council to achieve this objective.  I thank you.

          HON. ZINDI:  My supplementary question is based on the issue to deal with the issue of touts immediately.  Yes, I agree with the Hon.

Minister’s response in terms of dealing with the issue in the future but I am saying currently, what is it that the Ministry envisages in order to deal with the issue right now?  Do we have existing by-laws?  Do we have existing laws which can be enforced?  What is it that we can do in order to deal with the issue right away?  I thank you.

HON. KASUKUWERE:  Mr. Speaker, I agree the Hon. Member wants an answer and a solution today.  What I have provided here is a holistic response. We cannot afford piecemeal responses.  For as long as people are getting their transport from within the CBD, you cannot deal with the issues of touts easily.  It does not matter how many policemen we deploy in the CBD, we will not be able to deal with this challenge.  The only way we have to deal with this challenge is a holistic approach to this challenge.

          First of all, let us locate the markets and pick-up areas outside the CBD and that is what we are now moving to do.  So, Hon. Member, our response is holistic and we are going to do it right away.  I thank you.

          *HON. MUNENGAMI:  Thank you Hon. Speaker, my

supplementary to the Hon. Minister is his response that he wants to rectify the challenge.   I am saying that the Hon. Minister is not looking at this holistically in order to resolve it holistically.  By doing it piecemeal, he just wants to remove these people from the CBD to the outskirts.

You will recall that they have done it already …

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member, it

is a supplementary question.

          *HON. MUNENGAMI:  I wanted him to know that a rank was

constructed near Colcom and the point is those people returned to the CBD.  It is not about the people but the economy that is not performing well, if the economy was functioning well, then these people would not be troubling us.  What are you doing about the economy so that these people will not return to the CBD?  Touts and vendors come into the CBD because of hunger same as the Mushikashikas, the issue at stake is that of the economy.

           *HON. KASUKUWERE:  Thank you Madam Speaker, I want to

thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question.  He once cautioned me against dealing with issues in a partisan manner but that is where he has gone.

          I do not want to single out the council that is doing it – [HON.

MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order please let us

listen to the Hon. Minister’s response.

          *HON. KASUKUWERE:  The issue at stake here is that of

corruption, this is all as a result of corruption.  We have empowered urban councils and they should adhere to by-laws.  The Harare City

Council has municipal police who are no longer wearing their uniforms.  The people being referred to are party officials with offices and there are touts there.  People are vending and messing up the streets there.  I think it would have been proper for us to just accept my earlier response that we should remove the root cause by taking them outside the CBD.  So that people can board buses from clean and safe areas, that is what we are doing.

          The existing by-laws that are not being enforced – it is the duty of councils to enforce that.  The interruption of Government is when we see that things are not working properly.  Thank you.

           HON. CHIBAYA: I move that time for Questions Without

Notice be extended.

HON. RUNGANI: I second.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: For how long?

           HON. RUNGANI: Until 4 o’clock p.m.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Up to 4 o’clock, this is 15

minutes.

            HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question

goes to the Minister who is in charge of the welfare of war veterans, Hon. Tshinga Dube.  Hon. Minister, since the inception of your Ministry, it was anticipated that you were going to put in place a board of trustees to run the affairs of war veterans, mujibhas and chimbwindos, what are the impediments that are hindering your Ministry or

Government to constitute such a body?  I thank you.

           THE MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR WAR

VETERANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER DETAINEES

AND RESTRICTEES (HON. T. J. DUBE):  Thank you Madam

Speaker Ma’am.  I thank the Hon. Member Mandipaka for his question.

I have already mentioned earlier that we are bringing in the Bill to

Parliament for the alignment to the Constitution very soon.  All this is covered in this Bill, I am sure you will be able to get your answers when the Bill is brought in here.

            HON. ADV. CHAMISA: My question is to do with the treatment

of our war veterans.  In the context of the law that is coming, are you satisfied as a Minister and as Government that the way we are treating our war veterans, particularly as we embark on interventionist methods, to divide or take one side against the other, is appropriate and in line with the ethos and values of the liberation struggle?  In particular, considering that they have suffered for this country, they are people who deserve and merit our kindest of consideration as Government.  Are you satisfied or there is a lot that needs to be done on the part of

Government.

           HON. T. J. DUBE: Thank you Hon. Member.  This is a very

pertinent question.  I must say that it is a very clear indication of what is actually taking place.  This is not good for the war veterans or the people as a whole.  So, I am not at all happy, I am very disappointed but it is very difficult for as long as there are divisions within our people, this will continue because war veterans are part of the community.  That division is not initiated by war veterans – [AN HON. MEMBER: politicians] – yes, I agree with you it is politicians and so on.  Thank you.

           HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  Hon.

Minister, we have had so many questions towards you to include myself, I have directed questions to you regarding the welfare of war veterans.  Many times, you have pointed out that you are crafting a policy and that you are working on it.  It is almost time now, your term is coming to an end – [HON. MEMBERS: Aaa!] – We have hardly seen anything but the war veterans out there are suffering.  What is it that you are pushing so hard, just one thing in the Executive to spruce the minds of the Executive to understand the level of suffering that the war veterans are going through out there, so that if you speak on this forum today, they will appreciate that one of our Ministers, a war veteran is doing this, which will last maybe in December.  What is it, just one?  Thank you.

           HON. T. J. DUBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am.  Hon.

Ma’am, I have only been a Minister for War Veterans for less than two years, but I think the Hon. Member appreciates that we have been through this war for 37 years.  If you are blaming me for the two years, I accept the blame, but if you are blaming me for – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections] –

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, can

you please listen to him.

          HON. T. J. DUBE: But if you are blaming me for the 37 years since the war ended, when these issues should have been handled, then I think you are addressing them to the wrong person – [HON.

MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

              *HON. ZINDI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  My supplementary

is in connection with the welfare of war veterans.  I once asked in this House about the board of war veterans which was last appointed in 2002 to 2003 to date, which was supposed to deal with the war veterans welfare.  I asked and I was told that in the last session I think, when it was starting.  I want to find out how far is the progress now in putting the board in place, may be that board can deal with the divisions that are coming up.  What has been put in place to deal with that issue?

          HON. T. J. DUBE:  Hon. Speaker Ma’am, I think this issue about the board has been asked many times.  Even today, I have answered something about it that there is a process and it does not depend on the Ministry of War Veterans.  It is a process which follows all the law making processes.  We went to the Cabinet Committee stage; we complete this stage and went to the Cabinet and from the Cabinet as we know it has to come here.  This delay has not been a cause by the

Ministry of War Veterans, we completed this over a year ago and the

Cabinet chose a sub-committee made up of some Ministers – [AN HON.

MEMBER: Who are there?] – I think they were about six Ministers –

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, Hon. Munengami,

please.

          HON. T. J. DUBE:  It was the Cabinet and the President who appointed a Ministerial Sub-Committee which was chaired by the two Vice Presidents and 5 other Ministers.  This was done I think in

November last year but we only went through this paper recently, about two weeks ago and the paper is now going through to the Cabinet and should be completed, I think any time as I have just pointed it a few minutes ago, where almost all these questions will be answered including the board and so forth.  I can rest assure members of this august House that very soon they will be debating this.

           *HON. MAONDERA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question

is directed to the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development, Hon. Muzenda.  My question is that what is Government policy concerning the installation of pre-aid metres because people are losing out money to officials and unofficial people who are charging US$250 to US$300 to install ZESA prepaid metres illegally.  What is the Government policy concerning that so that people do not lose their money to bogus ZESA workers?

          *THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. MUZENDA): Madam Speaker, I

want to thank the Hon. Member for his question.  The prepaid metres, yes, we have a challenge there but they are coming.  They will be  enough just to save a few.  We once said in this House that people should know how these things go by.  The law says that ZESA employees should not be given money, so,  as a Ministry we are pleading with you that if they are asked to pay, they should report to relevant people that they are certain people who are asking for money.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

          *HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  My

supplementary to the Minister is that we have laws in this country and even in local authorities that allow the sale of prepaid metres but when people buy these prepaid metres, they are supposed to be calibrated by the City of Harare.  What is hindering ZESA from doing that so that people get prepaid metres so that we avoid the issue which Hon.

Maondera has alluded to?

            *HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  What is

causing  delays in calibration to take place is that there are standards that should be followed.  So, all our prepaid metres imported into this country go through a test to see if they meet ZESA requirements and standards.  We have had challenges that some of the prepaid metres which find their way into the country are not up to standard.  So, I see that this calibration is supposed to be monitored to see if it has been done properly.

          Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.

DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64. 

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

JOBS TO YOUTHS IN GOKWE-NEMBUDZIYA

CONSTITUENCY

1. HON. WADYAJENA asked the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment to explain to the House when the 4 500 jobs will be available to the youths of Gokwe Nembudziya Constituency, considering that the Ministry has been registering five hundred youths per ward through youth officers.

          THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH, INDIGENISATION AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (HON. TONGOFA):  Thank

you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to respond to this very important question from the Hon. Member.  Madam Speaker, it is not correct however, that youth officers have been registering youths in order to give them jobs.  By way of background, sometime in April 2016, the Ministry of Youth, Indeginisation and Economic

Empowerment facilitated the formulation of the Zimbabwe Youth

Empowerment Strategy for investment by young people.

          The strategy outlines a youth empowerment model with three areas of intervention which are the Zimbabwe Champions and Heroes of the Economic Empowerment Revolution for Youth Entrepreneurs

Development Programme, the ZIM ASSET, and the Empower Bank Youth Financial Inclusion.  The ZimCHEER, identifies, acknowledges and celebrates innovative enterprising and resilient young entrepreneurs who are contributing towards the transformation and growth of the

Zimbabwe’s emerging economy and creating employment.  Through the youth officers, the Ministry has so far identified close to 39 thousand entrepreneurs from across the country, including 195 from Gokwe-

Nembudziya District who have together created 93 692 jobs.

Hon. Speaker, once the youths are identified by the youth officers, the plan is to assist these young entrepreneurs through the Zimbabwe Youth Council in the provision of market linkages, value chain development as well as support for management, human capital development accounting and legal services.

Empower Bank Youth Financial Inclusion Initiative, Hon. Speaker established with the support from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will provide tailor made financial inclusion and support to some of these entrepreneurs who have in the past not received adequate support from the traditional banking sector.

Being business eco-systems across various sectors of the economy, the anchor companies guarantee a conducive environment within which entrepreneurs can be natured for growth.  These companies will secure value chains within a given business enterprise to enable businesses to become more effective, efficient and competitive.  Effectively, there will be established a network of entrepreneurs who become the empowered society or business persons growing our economy.

Madam Speaker, the entire process is in response to His

Excellency, the President R.G Mugabe’s consistent pronouncements that indigenous Zimbabweans must establish their own companies to judiciously exploit their natural and human resources, and employ other Zimbabweans in the process.  It is therefore, not correct that the Ministry has been registering youths so that they are offered employment.  In fact, the Ministry is unable to provide 4 500 jobs per constituency.  The correct position is that the youth officers have been identifying and collecting information on local level entrepreneurs with the objective of assisting them to grow their businesses.

It should also be noted that the Ministry is involved in a number of activities at ward level.  In addition to gathering data related to youth economic activities under the ZimCHEER programme, the Ministry is also working with the District Development Fund through the Youth

Build Zimbabwe programme on road construction projects in rural areas.

The project will combine ward based National Youth Service Training and Integrated Skills Outreach Programme (ISOP) so that young people will actively participate in economic activities.

 Only recently, the Ministry was also mandated to establish demonstration plots for soya bean production across the country through its network of Vocational Training Centres and working in conjunction with other Ministries.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, Ward Youth Officers are therefore busy collecting information required for various programmes that the Ministry is undertaking.  In all these engagements, our Ward Youth

Officers have made it clear that their role is to assist youths to conduct meaningful economic activities and develop them to become employers.

At no time has youths been promised jobs. Thank you.

HON. WADYAJENA: The Hon. Minister said it is not a fact.  How can it not be a fact when I represent Gokwe-Nembudziya.   What I have asked here is reality on the ground.  He must answer my question.

May he please answer my question, it is a specific question.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: He has answered your

question.

HON. WADYAJENA: He did not answer my question.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your question which was not answered?

HON. WADYAJENA: He said it is not a fact, what I wrote here.

So, how is it not a fact?  Can he prove that this is not a fact?

HON. TONGOFA: Probably Madam Speaker, let me read the question. The question says, “to ask the Minister of Youth Indigenisation to explain to the House when the 4 500 jobs will be available to the youths of Gokwe-Nembudziya Constituency, considering that the Ministry has been registering 500 youth per ward through Youth Officers”.

So, we were not registering for employment.  We were registering youths who are involved in businesses so that we know what they are doing in order that when we are providing funding, we know who requires what and who deserves to get that funding. So, that is what we are doing.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, where is the

question being confused and the answer from the Minister according to the question?

HON. WADYAJENA: Madam Speaker, you were listening

yourself.  He is now telling me the youth officers are registering for opportunities.  On the ground they are registering saying you are going to be employed.  So, that is what I have asked – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.]-  Hon. Matambanadzo, you cannot help the

Minster to say what he wants to say, you are not the Speaker.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon.

Wadyajena, you address the Chair, I am the one who recognised you.

HON. WADYAJENA: Look at what Hon. Matambanadzo is

doing.  What is his problem? Are you paid by the Minister of Youth?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Wadyajena, please

behave yourself?  It is only myself who can see what Hon.

Matambanadzo is doing, that is my duty.

HON. WADYAJENA: Can you please call him to order!

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You cannot send me to do

anything here. I think the Minister is correct because he explained to this august House why they were registering youths.  So, maybe you heard it from another person, now you had a chance to ask the Minister, who is giving us the real answer why they were registering youths. So, where is the problem?

HON. MLISWA: Before I got up Madam Speaker, other Members of Parliament tried to just follow my stammering and it is not fair because that is the way I was born.  Can you just reprimand them?

My question to the Hon. Minister is that in line with what the Hon. Minister has said that they were on a fact finding mission to identify youth from what they were doing.  He went on to say that they identified

195 youths with entrepreneurial skills whom they are going to empower.

I would like to know, that first of all the fiscus has no money to even pay the youths, where are you then going to get the money for the 195 youths to be empowered in the manner that you see fit.

HON. TONGOFA: We have been promised the money by the Ministry of Finance, they promised us about 10 million.  Yesterday, we had the deputy governor at our function and they said they have put aside money for the women’s bank and money for the youth’s bank.  So, that is where the money is coming from.

HON. MLISWA:  I think Hon. Minister, you cannot honestly stand and tell these people you are promising the youths, it is not proper.  I think let us deal with the facts on the ground.  If there is no money in the fiscus, let us not lie to the youths that Hon. Chinamasa...even this Parliament is underfunded but we are coming to work.  So, it is important that as an Hon. Minster, he must tell the youth the truth that we are going to stop this programme because we do not have money until we get money from the fiscus then can we roll out the programme.  We do not want Ministers who are lying to the youth, no wonder why mishika-shika haisikupera, ma touts haasikupera, they are now coming into town because they have been given empty promises with the

Ministry of Youth that there are jobs.  So, you cannot blame them.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Give them the fund so that

they start their business.  So, it is the duty of the Minister to do whatever they are doing.

HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  I wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister whether this programme is being rolled out to specific provinces and others have been left out.  It is news where I come from, I have not heard about it.  Thank you.

HON. TONGOFA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I just want to probably draw you back to a day when I came to this august House and launched the ZimCHEER magazine.  This is the magazine with the youths. We are identifying youths who are engaged in meaningful projects and we want to – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.]

-

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order!

HON. TONGOFA:  We want to reduce the delinquencies which occur when we give loans to people who are doing nothing.  So, we want to prioritise people who are already doing something.  To us, it is a low hanging fruit because they are doing something and they can increase the chances of employing more people.  We are doing this country-wide.  It is not only in Midlands.  I have got the list here.  For those in Midlands, it was not in Gokwe only but it is the whole province

– we have been going there.

ENGAGEMENT OF YOUTH OFFICERS IN POLITICS

2. HON. WADYAJENA asked the Minister of Youth

Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment to explain to the House whether youth officers are allowed to engage in politics and to further state whether or not they can invite political figures to officiate at Government events.

          THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT,

INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT (HON. TONGOFA):

Madam Speaker, youth officers are not supposed to act in a partisan manner in the exercise of their duties as enshrined in Section 200 (3) (a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) of 2013.

          Youth officers’ duties mostly include mobilisation of communities to engage in developmental activities so as to meet the Ministry’s and

Government’s objectives.  These developmental activities include National Youth Service Programmes, Vocational Training,

Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programmes and Youth Entrepreneurial Projects.  Thus, youth officers are compelled to work with and invite various stakeholders who include among others; Councillors, Members of Parliament, Chiefs and even Ministers to events they organise.  Besides, Chiefs, Councillors and Members of Parliament are politicians.  Youth officers therefore find themselves working with politicians from different political formations but in their official capacity as Councillors or Members of Parliament.

          The Minister recently instructed the youth officers to approach and explain the Ministry’s mandate, their duties and coordination role in community development to local Members of Parliament so that they understand what youth officers are doing.  This is because Members of Parliament influence the allocation of Ministry requests for resources if they understand what the Ministry is doing.  In these engagements, Madam Speaker, youth officers are under instructions not to act in a partisan manner.  I thank you.

          HON. SARUWAKA:  My supplementary question to the Minister

is, if I rewind or help the Minister to remember this that all the youth officers were engaged in a partisan manner.  They were engaged soon after the 2008 run-off.  The list from my constituency is of people who actively participated in the campaign as polling agents for a particular party – ZANU PF in this case.  I am wondering how on earth will they operate in a non-partisan manner when they have been engaged partisanly.  There were no interviews that were done openly.  I remember during the audit for civil servants, the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services then reported that they could not handle the youth officers because they are partisan or are a political animal.  So, I am just wondering how on earth you are trying to claim that these youth officers can behave in a non-partisan manner when they were engaged partisanly.  Youth officers are ZANU-PF members.  How can they serve everyone when they are recruited from ZANU-PF only?  – [HON. MUNENGAMI:  Nhasi kuGlen View uku pane zvaitika.  I can give an example.] –

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Munengami, we should

follow the procedures of this House - hakusi kudhibha kuno.

          HON. TONGOFA:  I do not know the history of what the Hon.

Member is saying.  What I know is that instructions are given to the youth officers by the Minister.  They are supposed to be non-partisan.

That is what I know.  I think the Hon. Member knows the history better

– [HON. MUNENGAMI: Isu tiri three tose tine masupplementary.] –      THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Aaah! We do not do it that way.  Hon. Munengami, what is wrong with you? – [HON.

MUNENGAMI:  Sorry mhani.] –

          *HON. MACHINGAUTA: My supplementary question to the

Hon. Minister is; if there is evidence that the youth officers have positions in political parties, that they move around wearing political party regalia or like what happened in Budiriro today that they were moving around with a ZANU-PF vehicle beating people, what steps will he take with regards to this?

          HON. TONGOFA:  Youth officers are just like anybody.  They have got their rights when they are not at work to support whichever political party they want to support.  I do not know what the Hon.

Member is saying but they are free to do activities which they want –

[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjection.] –

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members!    *HON. MACHINGAUTA:  I have another supplementary question Madam Speaker.  These youth officers – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

 THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, can we have order Hon. Members?

            *HON. MACHINGAUTA:  Youth officers, as the Hon. Minister

has said, if we look at the Constitution of the land on Section 200, it says that they are not supposed to hold any position within a political party  whether they are at work or not because they are now Government employees –[AN HON. MEMBER:  Inaudible interjections.] –

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, I do not

want to send you out.

          *HON. MACHINGAUTA:  If we look at Section 200 of the

Constitution, it further says that since they are now Government employees, they are not supposed to hold any position within a political party but I am surprised that the Minister is saying that when they are not at work, they are not supposed to get a salary or they have retired but at the moment, they are still on the Government’s pay roll.  Section 200 says that they are not supposed to hold any position.  I do not see where the Minister is getting lost.  What do we say if the Minister is going against the Constitution of the land?  We find them with party regalia, they hold party positions, they shout slogans and force people to attend rallies.  What is the Minister doing with these people in his Ministry?

          *HON. TONGOFA:  Madam Speaker, I did not say that they

should hold party positions.  I said they can support any political party that they want.  They are not hindered.  On the issue of positions, I do not know.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  The Hon. Member asked

about party positions. 

            *HON. TONGOFA:  I do not know anything about that – [HON.

MUNENGAMI:  Inaudible interjection.] –  

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Munengami! Hon.

Munengami, I do not want to send some people out of this House.  I think we have to behave.

           *HON. TONGOFA:  Youth officers are not supposed to hold any

political party positions but wearing a t-shirt does not mean you have a position.  If you see them wearing t-shirts, it does not mean that they hold any position.  It is just like anyone else putting on a t-shirt.

          HON. GABBUZA:  In terms of the youth officers’ mandate, is

there a policy on the way they must be distributed because some wards have more and others have almost nothing.  In terms of qualifications, some do not even hold a single ordinary level subject.  Some have ordinal level subjects and others are too old –[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – In terms of their mandate, how are they supposed to be structured?

*HON. TONGOFA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Earlier on, I said that the history of how they were distributed is not known to me. You will find that some wards have three and if there is a vacancy we are not replacing. If one leaves the area or is discharged from duty we are not replacing anyone. So, in other areas there will be more whilst in other areas they will be few because others are dying and some are retiring.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I just want to help the Deputy

Minister following the response which you have just given. I think as a Ministry, you should  be fair throughout because some areas have youth officers while others do not have. You should find a way of redistributing.

          *HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question to the Deputy Minister is that - I was born Prosper Chapfiwa Mutseyami but Hon. Matambanadzo is referring to me as big headed. Is it a problem to have a big head? Can I change the way I was created by God. I want Hon.

Matambanadzo to withdraw.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think we have to behave like

Hon. Members in this House.

             *HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary question is that if we

look at the word ‘youth’, we are looking at someone who is 35 years and below. In my constituency, there are youth officers who are 64, 68 and 59 years old. Is there a law which regulates the age limit of youth officers?

          *HON. TONGOFA: Thank you Madam Speaker. If a person is

employed, there are ways of leaving that employment. If you get to the age of 65 years, then you retire. It does not mean that being a youth officer you are supposed to be a youth. You are doing work that involves the youth. They get into employment as youth but we cannot chase them away before they reach their retirement age.

          *HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of clarification. My point of

clarification to the Minister is that when they got employed, they were youth but this programme was launched in 2009 and the people that we are talking about are those who are 65 years old. Do you mean to tell me that this programme is now 20 years since it was launched?

          *HON. TONGOFA:  I did say that I am not aware of the history and I am not going to answer it –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]. That question should be directed to the employer. It is not under my purview.

          THE MINISTER OF LANDS AND RURAL

RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): I seek leave of

the House that we skip Question Numbers 3 to 22 and we deal with

Question Number 23.

          Motion put and agreed to.

INTRINSIC VALUE CHARGE ON RESIDENTIAL AND

COMMERCIAL STANDS

23. HON. MANGAMI asked the Minister of Lands and Resettlement to explain to the House why local authorities charge intrinsic value on both residential and commercial stands given that one would have purchased them and will continue to pay rentals.

THE MINISTER OF LANDS AND RURAL

RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): May I start by

thanking her for asking this question. I regret to state that the administration of local authorities and the land which they administer does not fall under my Ministry. This question will best be addressed either by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National

Housing or the Ministry of Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage. I thank you.  

INTRINSIC LEVY VALUE OF LAND CHARGE TO

PROPERTY OWNERS

12. HON. MANGAMI asked the Minister of Local Government, 

Public Works and National Housing:

• to explain to the House why Local Authorities continue charging intrinsic levy value of land on the property owners and to state the criteria that is used to establish the intrinsic value of land.
• to explain to the House why intrinsic value levy payment on plan approval is done, considering that it affects the development of the infrastructure. – [HON. MEMBERS:  Haapo, aripi?  

Hoo mudhara wedu uyu.] –

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order but why are you 

doing that?  One of these days I will send you out, and do not blame me  for that because you do not behave like Hon. Members of Parliament.

          THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,  PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. 

CHINGOSHO): Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the Hon.

Member for asking the question.  However, let me inform this august  House that intrinsic land value is charged when selling unserviced  council land.

          Intrinsic land value is determined through valuation of land by the  valuations and estates of local authorities in line with market values and  local policies.

          Levies and taxes are charged to ratepayers and this is permissible  in terms of the Urban Councils Act where local authorities are permitted to levy on ratepayers properties.

          (b)  Intrinsic land value is payable when local authorities sell unserviced land.  Plan approval is done when a person starts a development after buying a stand.  Plan approval fees relate to the actual value of the building to be constructed.  I thank you.

          *HON. PHIRI:  My supplementary question pertains to someone who has settled their debts.  Now we have Africans who were disadvantaged, who bought their stands a long ago.  What is the Ministry doing to help the disadvantaged people in order to empower them to acquire title deeds, especially in urban areas?

          *HON. CHINGOSHO:  Thank you Madam Speaker, the policy

states that in order for someone to be able to acquire title deeds, they should not be in debt.  What is happening is people will be staying there but owing in rates, you cannot obtain title deeds if your account with council is in arrears.

IMPORTATION OF GMO KITS BY PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

13. HON. DR. MATARUSE asked the Minister of Primary and

Secondary Education to inform the House;

(a)    Whether Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) kits that  are being  imported for use by many primary and secondary schools in

Zimbabwe are regulated by the National Biotechnology Authority.

(N.B.A);

          (b)     What the Government Policy is with regards the importation of GMO kits and the Ministry’s response to the proposal by the NBA to regulate all GMO kits imported into the country.

          THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY 

EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA):  Thank you Hon. Speaker and

I thank the Hon. Member for raising the question.

• The Ministry does not have GMO kits in schools. The only 

Kits that are known to us as the education sector are ECD kits for infants (ECD A to Grade 2).  These are in the form of building blocks and toys but they come as a kit in a box.  For secondary level, we talk of science kits, not GMO material – but if the Hon. Member has other knowledge which is not privy to us, my door remains open.

• The same matter on the second part of the question. Again it  is an area that is really not familiar with the workings that we engage in everyday but I thank the Hon. Member.

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Do you have a supplementary question Hon. Member?

          HON.  DR. MATARUSE:  I want to clarify something to the

Hon. Minister.

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Do you want further

clarification from the Hon. Minister or you want to clarify that again to the Hon. Minister?

          HON. DR. MATARUSE:  Yes, he wants that clarified.  Hon.

Minister, you stated that you have science kits for the laboratory experiments.  So there are kits that contain GMO materials which are used in their biology class science experiments.

          HON. DR. DOKORA:  When I speak of science kits, I will be talking about for instance, things like beakers which are glassware material and test tubes – this is what I am talking about.  When I talk of kits for the infant level, I am talking about wooden and plastic material where the children do some construction work because these things are set out like some jigsaw puzzle for them.

          I am trying to be helpful and I hope it is truly helpful but if he has further information, I am always available.  We can talk at my Ministry, I thank you.

            HON. MLISWA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker. My point

of order is that we are here to work and the Ministers were here and they too are paid to work.  So, when they are not found here, what does it really say about how we conduct our responsibility and duties.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon.

Member.  It is unfortunate that the timing for asking this question is not relevant because even the questioner is not in the House.

            HON. MLISWA: But I had not finished because I also wanted to

touch on the questioner as well.

              THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, Hon. Mackenzie is not

here and so on.  So, who are we going to blame now? Whilst I go along with what you are saying that Ministers should be here, Members of Parliament should also be here.

          HON. MLISWA: That is why I am saying this is a waste of tax payers’ money because the Executive is not here, the Members of Parliament are not here, how can we move the country forward in a situation like this when the country is looking up to us to be able to move it forward.  It is really sad, it is a disgrace and I do not think we are conducting ourselves on the duties the way we should be.

             THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What Hon. Mliswa is saying

is very important to everyone to the Ministers and also the Members of Parliament who put their questions on the Order Paper but they are not attending Parliament.  Some people just come here for five minutes and go out.

          Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.

 HON. MAJOME: I move that time for Questions with Notice be extended.

           HON. MLISWA: I second.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We are extending up to 5

o’clock p.m.

DATE OF BIRTH FOR MR. TOBAIWA MUDEDE

22.   HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Public Service,

Labour and Social Services to inform the House when the Registrar General, Mr. Tobaiwa Mudede was born; and further explain if he is above 65 years and why he has not retired from the Civil Service.

          THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG.

MATANGAIDZE): Thank you Madam Speaker.  We seek the indulgence of the House and the Hon. Member to have this question deferred to next week.  We only saw it on the Order Paper today.

           HON. MAJOME: On a point of order Hon .Madam Speaker.

Hon. Speaker, I want to raise an objection.  This question is of strategic national importance.  It has been on this Order Paper for a very long time.   I have difficulty being satisfied with the response that ‘we have only seen this question now.’  I want to believe that ministries can see the Order Paper   and that they have Parliamentary Liaison Officers.    The very reason why these questions are put on notice is so that they prepare.  I want to think that with respect, this does not show sufficient respect for Parliament.

           THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I heard the Minister

appealing to you and to the House as well.  Yes, you are complaining but they have been appealing to the House and everyone that if it can be deferred once and for all – [AN HON. MEMBER: On condition that it will be on number one next week] – They are not the ones who put up the Order Paper.  Thank you.

          HON. MAJOME: On a point of privilege Hon. Speaker.  Whilst I do understand that it is not the Hon. Ministers who are responsible –

[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –

             THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, can we have

silence in the House.

          HON. MAJOME: In light of the fact, as you rightly pointed out that it is not the Hon. Ministers who are responsible for ordering questions on the Order Paper, may I, on a point of privilege, request that since this question – I did comply with the procedures and I am entitled to get my answer today, but because I understand that the Hon. Ministers are not ready and they want time, May I request that the question also be given precedence on the Order Paper next time.

               THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hope our administration is

taking note of that.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

RECORDED COMMERCIAL CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN

HARARE

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. MUPFUMIRA): Thank you Madam Speaker.  I

want to thank you for the opportunity to give a Ministerial Statement on the recorded commercial child sexual exploitation in Harare.  Indeed, it had been reported that this vice is countrywide.

           Madam Speaker, allow me to acknowledge with thanks Hon.

Members of this august House, in particular, Hon. MisihairabwiMushonga, who moved a motion and debated on the subject.  The swift movement of this House and the subsequent outcries, point to a House working flat out to deliver on the mandate to the people, we thank you.  It is our fervent hope as a Ministry that this House embraces and supports some of our recommendations which we will table.    Madam Speaker, following the publication of an audio recording on Star FM Radio Station, regarding children said to be engaging in transactional sex, we led a delegation to launch an investigation of the case through engaging the Radio Station and Katswe Sisterhood which had sponsored the programme.  I wish to categorically state that my Ministry has been working well with Katswe Sisterhood. There has been collaboration and complementary efforts with the organisation.  The Minister went personally to the office of Katswe to engage them and we are working together.

          After these initial investigations, our officers and the Katswe representatives went and removed 73 children to date from Hopley and

Epworth.  From the 73 children, 54 were from Hopley and 19 from Epworth.  After the removal of the children, the Ministry hosted a dialogue on the 25^th of September, 2017 after a Cabinet directive.  The Minister reported to Cabinet and a directive was given that we need to set up a national taskforce, which is responsible for the creation of an environment that is responsive to the needs of children so that they are prevented from being sexually exploited for commercial or any other reason for that matter.

          The following Ministries relevant for child protection were nominated to be part of the taskforce, Ministry of Health and Child Care,

Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Home

Affairs, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Ministry of Rural Development Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage and the Ministry of Local Government.

           Our Ministry is partnering with the Zimbabwe Republic Police

(ZRP) and other partners have been carrying out night assessments in Epworth, Caledonia, Mabvuku and the last exercise was done on the 1^st of October, 2017.  Since the first blitz, no children have since been identified.  The exercise will be rolled out to all the 10 provinces of the country and is being treated as an urgent matter.  All the identified children were initially placed at a safe house where a one stop service centre was set up by our Ministry.

          The children have been profiled by social workers within the department of Social Welfare. Profiling is part of the needs assessment, which is an initial stage towards a holistic rehabilitation approach.  The services that these children are receiving range from therapeutic, psychosocial sessions, medical assessments, education and other special needs required by the children.

          Our staff have been providing other basic needs of the children like accommodation, food and cleaning.  To date, our Ministry has engaged other organisations to offer their specialised services to the children and they are as follows:

• Zimbabwe Republic Police, Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) who are assisting with referrals for age estimations for children without birth certificates to the Ministry of Health and Child

Care;

• Childline Zimbabwe which is offering individual counselling services to all the children on an ongoing basis;
• Mavambo Orphan Care is assisting in the identification and training of additional community childcare workers in the affected areas;
• Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) is providing medical examinations;
• Family Support Trust (FST) is offering medical examinations and psychosocial support;
• Child Protection Society is training children and caregivers on child rights and child safeguarding. They are also providing funding for tracing and reunification.  The organisations also donated sports kits.
• REPSSI is offering group therapy programmes.
• Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWA) donated food and toiletries.

FINDINGS FROM THE ASSESSMENTS CARRIED OUT 

From the needs assessments that were carried out, 71 girls were school drop outs due to financial hardships in their families.  Two girls from Epworth were in school and are sitting for their O’ level this October.

Health

• Medical examinations were conducted by partners.
• From the 73 children, 28 were not sexually exploited, the rest of them had been sexual exploited.
• One of the girls is on Anti-Retroviral Treatment

IDENTITY

Twenty five (25) girls do not have birth certificates.

IDENTIFIED POSSIBLE CAUSES OF CHILDREN BEING

COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED.

Through engaging the children the following were noted to be the causes of commercial child sexual exploitation;

• Poverty
• Coercion by caregivers
• Lack of supervision
• Dropping out of school
• Peer pressure
• Drug abuse
• Orphanhood
• Abandonment by parents or caregivers due to the above, children have resorted to performing in dance groups in beer halls by making themselves even more vulnerable.

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

Our Ministry with the assistance of child protection partners has been offering rehabilitation programmes for all the children.  These programmes have been done through the following outlined

activities;

• All the identified 73 children were removed from risk to a place of safety (Domboshava Training Centre).
• The children were all profiled, which is a needs assessment exercise.
• 15 children who were not yet sexual exploited were removed from Domboshava and placed in children’s homes in Harare.
• Management of their rehabilitation process is being done from these homes. These children are in need of care as they were exposed to immoral behaviours.
• The children are receiving ongoing counselling and psychosocial support.
• The 2 girls that were enrolled in school were reunified with their families since they had registered to sit for O’ level examinations in October 2017.
• 10 girls who are above 18 years were taken to Ruwa National Rehabilitation Centre for vocational skills training.
• Family assessments are being carried out for all the children to assess risk and to provide social protection support services to the identified vulnerable households.

At the moment, Domboshava Training Centre is housing 46 children.  These will be placed in ideal homes soon after the final assessments and identification of suitable homes.

Challenges

• Inadequate resources to meet the demand for social protection services for example Public Assistance (PA) which is a monthly allowance for vulnerable families, has not been funded since 2015 and in 2017 an allocation of US$150 000 was done by Treasury.

In commending Treasury for this disbursement, we must highlight that it has not been adequate.

• High caseloads for Government social workers, who currently have a social worker to child ratio of 1:14 000 children in the country.
• There is an urgent need to establish more Government schools in new urban settlements such as Hopley, Caledonia and Stoneridge, as thousands of children live in these areas.
• Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) only pays fees for children enrolled in Government schools leaving out children enrolled in private colleges in these settlements.
• BEAM has arrears dating back from 2014 amounting to US$87 256 828, yet the number of children requiring assistance continues to grow. In 2017 BEAM programme was only allocated US$10m.

There is need for increased allocations to this programme.

• Sprouting of unregistered public places of entertainment such as shebeens, have hindered operations of social workers and the police who should inspect these places as a child protection measure, there is KwaAnthony in Hopely, Booster in Epworth and in Hatcliff, Zvamada, all these places need to be visited.
• Sprouting of unregistered public places of entertainment such as shebeens, have hindered operations of social workers and the police who should inspect these places as a child protection measure.
• Mobility of social workers is currently hampered as the Ministry has a serious shortage of vehicles to carry out inspections.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. There is need for more resources to strengthen the social protection programmes such as Public Assistance, Food Deficit Mitigation, BEAM and Harmonised Social Cash Transfers.
2. There should be social services at schools, clinics, police stations in all new settlements.
3. Recruitment of more social workers for effective service delivery in preventive and curative programmes.
4. Enforcement of registration of all unregistered public places of entertainment operating in the areas with assistance from the local authority and Zimbabwe Republic Police.
5. All Government Ministries and Partners to verify registration status or organisations before funding them.
6. To facilitate birth registration for all the children who do not have birth certificates.
7. Procure vehicles for the Ministry to carry out regular patrols and inspections across the country. I thank you Mr. Speaker.

HON. MLISWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir, there is no quorum in the House in terms of Standing Order Number 56.

 [Bells rung.]

Notice having been taken that there being present fewer than 70 members, the bells were rung for Seven Minutes and a Quorum still not being present, THE HON. TEMPORARY SPEAKER adjourned the

House without question put at Twelve Minutes past Five O’clock p.m. pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order Number 56.

NOTE:  The following members were present when the House adjourned:Hon. Bhebhe, Hon. Chibagu, Hon. Chikuni, Hon.

Chinanzvavana, Hon. Chingosho, Hon. Chitura, Hon. S. Dube, Hon.

Gabbuza, Hon. Gangarahwe, Hon. Gezi, Hon. Goche, Hon. Gonese,

Hon. S.Gumbo, Hon. Holder, Hon. Hungwa, Hon. Kadungure, Hon.

Kanhanga, Hon. Kaundikiza, Hon. Khanye, Hon. Machingauta, Hon.

Machingura, Hon. Madzinga, Hon. Mahoka, Hon. Majaya, Hon. Majome, Hon. Makoni, Hon. Mandipaka, Hon. Mangami, Hon. Mapiki,

Hon. Matambanadzo, Hon. Matangaidze, Hon. Mataruse, Hon.

Matimba, Hon. V.M. Mawere, Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga, Hon. Mkandla, Hon. Mliswa, Hon. L. Moyo, Hon. B. Mpofu, Hon. M.M.

Mpofu, Hon. Mtingwende, Hon. F. Muchenje, Hon. S.M. Muchenje, Hon. Mudyiwa, Hon. Muguti, Hon. Mukwangwariwa, Hon. Munengami,

Hon. Musanhi, Hon. Mutseyami, Hon. Alice Ndhlovu, Hon. N. Ndlovu,

Hon. Nduna, Hon. Mail Nkomo, Hon. Nyere, Hon. Paradza, Hon. Phiri, Hon. Rungani, Hon. Saruwaka, Hon. Shava, Hon. Shongedza, Hon. Uta,

Hon. P. Zhou.