• Version
• Download 41
• File Size 308 KB
• File Count 1
• Create Date November 11, 2013
• Last Updated November 11, 2021

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 05 FEBRUARY 2013 VOL. 39 NO. 6

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Tuesday, 5^th February, 2013.

The House of Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(MR SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER

DEATH OF HON MEMBERS, JOHN LANDA NKOMO, SEISO

MOYO AND JABULANI MANGENA

MR SPEAKER: I have to inform the House of the deaths of the following hon. members;

2013. Hon Vice President John Landa Nkomo who died on the 17^th of January 2013.
2014. Seiso Moyo Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development and Member of Parliament for Nketa

Constituency on the 21^st of December 2012 and,

2012. Hon Jabulani Mangena Member of Parliament for Mberengwa North Constituency on the 30^th of November 2012.

I invite all hon. members to rise and observe a minute of silence in respect of the late hon. members.

All Hon. Members stood in silence.

ZIMBABWE WOMEN PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS

STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP

MR SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that all Members of Zimbabwe women Parliamentary Caucus are invited to a strategic planning workshop to be held from the 8^th to the 11^th February 2013 at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre. The bus leaves Parliament building at 0900hours on Friday 8^th February, 2013.

MDC-T CHANGES TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

MEMBERSHIP

I also have to inform the House that the MDC-T Party has made changes to committee membership whereupon Hon.  Tshuma moves from the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade to Media Information and Comunication Technology.

VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY

1. SPEAKER: I would like to acknowledge the presence of

Malbereign Girls High students in the Speaker’s Gallery. You are most welcome.

The Minister of Regional Integration and  International Cooperation having sat on the back-benchers row.

1. SPEAKER: Order, Hon Minister can you come forward and

assume your seat on the front bench.

THE MINISTER OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION: There are no seats.

1. SPEAKER: Honourable back-benchers can you open up for

ministers.

The Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment having entered and there being no seat.

1. SPEAKER: Honourable back benchers, may I request you once again please make way for the Ministers on the front benches. I do not have to ask you by name to stand up – [HON. MEMBERS:

Mutomba, Mutomba.] – [Laughter] -.

1. SPEAKER: Order! Order!

MOTION

PRESIDENTAIL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS

First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the

Presidential Speech.

Question again proposed.

THE MINISTER OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS: I move that the debate do now

adjourn.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 6^th February, 2013.

MOTION

REMITTANCE OF REVENUE TO TREASURY

1. F.M SIBANDA: I move the motion in my name that this

House;

NOTING that not all revenue generated and collected by various Government ministries, departments and agencies is remitted to Treasury.

CONCERNED that the Government has been unable to grant its workers meaningful salary increases and frozen the recruiting of staff and failure to carry out some of its original and international financial obligations.

NOW THEREFORE, calls upon all the Government Ministries’ Departments, Parastatals and other related bodies to remit all revenue accrued directly and indirectly by them to the Treasury.

FURTHER CALLS upon Government through the Treasury to facilitate adequate or reasonable remuneration to its workers, to enable the Government to among others:

• Motivate its workers
• Retain its highly qualified personnel
• Maintain high professional standards
• Improve their efficiency
• Become accountable and transparent
• Utilise each dollar for the good of nationhood (Zimbabwe) (vii) Prevent and control corrupt tendencies by whomever.

1. GWIYO: I second.
2. F.M. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for according me this time to discuss this imminent and very important motion. I need to give background to why this motion was crafted. Before I do that, I need to quote one old saying that says, ‘Give unto Caesar what belongs to

Caesar’. I want also to thank the Ministers of Finance and Public Service for the sterling work done to encourage civil servants and the general public to continue offering service to this great nation.

If these two Ministers or ministries were not strategic, we would be having chaos among our citizenry and our important development, particularly in the civil service.  The background to this motion is that we have to take cognizance of the fact that in 1990s when ESAP was introduced, Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries that adopted ESAP declined to levels beyond recognition. After a decade or so, Zimbabwe had an economic meltdown that it was even difficult to have food on the table.  There were a lot of disasters especially with unemployment and factories were closed. Consequently, professionally highly qualified people had to migrate. Unfortunately, these were called diasporans. To my little knowledge about this word - disporan means people with no state, stateless people.  Hence we had massive professionals in neighbouring countries. We have lost a lot of qualified personnel, therefore, this motion is not vindictive, but is persuasive and

encouraging the powers that be that we have to give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

Each ministry or parastatal has an obligation to pay its dues to Treasury so that Treasury plans accordingly. Each ministry and department is paid or given a budget that is adequate to prosecute its obligations.  I need to mention and thank ZINARA that has been an example of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  They have been distributing monies to nearly every department particularly in the road network, City Councils and so forth. This is an example of a parastatal that has honoured its obligations to the nation, though we are not very sure percentage-wise how much they keep on their own.

We have ZIMRA, the main collecting agent for Government. It has done massive work and has paid its dues to Treasury accordingly. I am so afraid, as I have already alluded to, that this motion is to induce reasoning and logical thinking than vindictiveness. It is alarming that Home Affairs is one of the most powerful and strategic ministries in this country. As I left Bulawayo yesterday, I was greeted nearly every 10 kilometres by roadblocks. We wonder whether the Treasury has ever received any remittance from the Ministry of Home affairs particularly on the networking of traffic police. They are making millions of dollars per day. I have taken statistics in Bulawayo that the commuter omnibus pay almost R500 000 a day.  Early in the morning the first team which reports for duty at 8am to 12pm, they pay R20 each. When a new team comes at 2pm, they pay again R20 each. This is tantamount to high corruption and these monies should be sent to the Ministry of Finance so that it plans accordingly.

I have also visited the Registrar General’s Department where they have sophisticated machines which produce very decorative passports where thousands of people a week queue for $257.00 passport per day. If you queue for $50 passport it will take 6 months. A lot of people opt for the express one. To my analysis, I have never seen where this department remits its finances to the responsible ministry. Where does this money go to and how do they manage this massive money. It would appear it is a Government within a Government. The budget of that department might be bigger than Lesotho in monetary terms. This is a million dollar question that I persuade this august House to investigate further so that we have sanity. The ministry which dishes out funds has to have enough resources so that teachers, nurses and rest of the civil servants have something reasonable when they go to their homes.

I have also done a little bit of research in the Ministry of Mines and

Mining Development. Particularly, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe where it is responsible for all parastatals that deal in monetary issues of mining. For example, we have Marange Resources which is a wholly owned Government parastatal. No wonder why people talk of Marange Resources rather than Marowa Diamonds in Zvishavane or River Ranch in Beitbridge. These latter ones are private and

Government only enjoys royalties and other administrative charges.

Marange Resources under the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe is 100% owned by Government. The people of Zimbabwe do not want to be poor. They want the resources of the country to be delivered to the rightful ministry. As I have said, give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

I am persuading this august House to take this motion peacefully, not aggressively and to push logic so that this House moves in unison. I am uncomfortable with demotivated workers, especially nurses and teachers who deal with brains of children, the moment they are demotivated, it makes our country retrogressive than progressive.  We need to retain highly qualified personnel in all Government ministries than use second rate people. Highly qualified people are in Botswana, South African, America and that is why they are called diasporans. The word diasporan is derogatory. We need our people here so that they can develop economically, politically and socially.

We have to improve on efficiency and maintain high professional standards and become accountable to the citizenry of Zimbabwe. Any parastatal that is being supported by other parastatals should be disbanded completely because it is a waste of resources and human resources. We need to utilise each dollar for the good of nationhood whether it is hospital, clinic or Ministry of Home Affairs.  We need to be cognizant that corruption takes two to tango and we have to be zero tolerant to corruption.  I have realised that certain motorist with unroadworthy vehicles entice police officers because these people are poorly paid and they end up accepting bribes.  So we have to prevent and control corrupt tendencies by whoever.  I thank you Mr Speaker Sir.

1. GWIYO:  In seconding the motion raised by Hon. Sibanda, I

just want to raise as a first point, the fact that the motion is speaking to this House but its intention is actually to remind the Executive that in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, all revenues collected by State agencies ought to be remitted to the national Treasury.  So simply what the motion is saying is that there is some element of breach on the part of the Executive, whether it is the Ministry of Home Affairs, Treasury or the Registrar's Office.  The fact is that there is laxity on the part of the Executive in terms of complying with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in terms of revenue collection.  So the motion is properly placed Mr Speaker, in that it is reaffirming what the Constitution of Zimbabwe requires in terms of funds that are collected by Government agencies.

Hon. Sibanda has already talked about the issue of spot fines by the police.  This matter has been talked about in this House in the last three years.  I want to mention the fact that there has been inaction on the part of the Executive especially the ministers responsible for the police to the extent that we ought to have been informed as this Hon. House that revenue which is being collected by the police is now being remitted to Treasury.  It was also raised in this House that there was a moratorium that had been given to the Police and the Registrar General’s Office.

Our concern through this motion is that the purpose of the moratorium, has outlived its usefulness because we are now in a multicurrency environment where the prejudices of the Zimbabwe Dollar are no longer recurring.  So it would have been high time that the revenues are remitted to Treasury.  So the motion is simply raising a pointer that there is need to have a paradigm shift on the part of one of the arms of the State so that it complies with what the Legislature would have raised in compliance with the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

I also want to talk about the plight of civil servants.  It is my opinion  that they are genuinely in need of a salary increase.  So the purpose of the motion is to try and increase the revenue collection, try and fill up the pot so that when the income is being distributed, it actually cuts across all civil servants.   I also want to add that, to a certain extent, the issue of ghost workers has not been adequately addressed.  These are some of the funds that the nation or Treasury is losing out by way of paying either non existent workers or paying non working people because it is two-dimensional.  So the issue of the ghost workers also needs to be addressed within the same vein.

I must acknowledge Mr Speaker, the fact that the wage bill as a ratio to our Budget – in figure terms it appears fairly huge but the correct logic is that if you collect a small revenue, there is a likelihood that if you calculate your expenditure in terms of salaries, it would appear as if it is a huge percentage of the national revenue.  The fact that as a nation we are not collecting enough revenue is not also a justification for not paying workers.  It is not the problem of the worker.  Where the State or the nation is going to raise the revenue, is the problem of those who are in power because they gave themselves the mandate to properly represent the people and also fulfill the expectations of the workers.  On that score, I want to reiterate the fact that civil servants need to be paid.  The national leadership need to make sure  that all revenue, whether it is from Chiadzwa, at night, during the day or under water, the revenue must come to Treasury so that Treasury is in a position to pay the civil service.

I would like to end by way of making a comment as regards incentives.  Personally I would like to acknowledge the role that has been played by our civil service without necessarily preempting their relevance; it is only fair to say, a bird in hand is worth a thousand in the bush.  Without necessarily talking about those that may have left, I think the local civil service ought and need to be rewarded urgently, immediately and fairly.  Thank you Mr Speaker.

1. MADZIMURE:  I want to add my voice to this important debate but I will concentrate on the issues of improved performance of revenue collection.

Mr. Speaker, corruption breeds where the systems are put in place in a way that they can be easily compromised.  It is the responsibility and the main function of Treasury to make sure that all revenue that is due to the State is collected.  It must be collected efficiently and effectively.  That revenue must then be remitted to Treasury.  It will be the responsibility of the Treasury to make sure that all the resources that are collected by the State are then used in a manner that satisfies the country.

Mr. Speaker, if you look at the financial leakages that we now have in our revenue collection system - more than 30% of our revenue is being collected by several agencies who do not remit the collections to Treasury.  The problem is that in the absence of a system that makes these entities accountable, it opens up the system to a lot of corruption.  It is now quite clear Mr. Speaker, that no one can hold the Police accountable for the revenue they collect.  There is a temptation that the leadership of the Police will end up being corrupted by the system itself not that the people will be naturally corrupt, but, the fact is it is because the system that opens itself to manipulation.  If we are a nation that wants to grow, a nation that wants to establish institutions that are transparent and accountable, we as Parliament must ensure that it is possible that all the revenues collected go to the Treasury.

Mr. Speaker, there is also a provision that some of these institutions can retain a certain percentage.  What I propose is that where the money is accounted for by Treasury and then that percentage that must be retained by the specific department should be allocated that amount;  it will be better for us as Parliament to speak on behalf of those departments to say the Treasury is not remitting the money to those departments.

Mr. Speaker, if you see the figures which some of these departments are now collecting and the money is not remitted to Treasury, it shows you that there is a lot of individual interests that have grown in these institutions.  Mr. Speaker, corruption is now rife; to be honest with you, very few countries in this Southern Region would match Zimbabwe in the issues of corruption because of the systems that we put in place.

Also Mr. Speaker, I want the Government of Zimbabwe to start seriously considering the issue of removing the provision that allows people to use hard cash to pay for their fines.  This causes serious corruption.   Out of the amount that Hon. Sibanda was saying is collected by the Police, you find that they should have actually collected much higher.  Where there is corruption, the person who benefits is the one that corrupts the system; it is not the person who collects the money or the State.  You find that where someone was supposed to have paid

US$80, the negotiation will be that the recipient gets US$10 out of the

US$80, a person is bribed by a mere US$10, US$70 goes with that person who was supposed to pay a fine and the State gets nothing.  In some cases, they reduce the fine from US$80 you are asked to pay US$20 and you pay the officer US$10.  So effectively, it will only be US$30 and the State will have lost US$50.

Where people say we are not collecting enough revenue because people are corrupt.  It is not those corrupt people who are benefiting; it is actually the person who pays corrupt people.  It does not end up there, if you go to those who are supposed to be policing our environment, exactly the same thing happens, you are found transporting your cattle from Muzarabani to Harare, you are stopped and what you simply have to do is grease the person and you succeed.

It is important that the first starting point should be that all the money collected should go to Treasury.  The second thing is that we must reduce the use of cash at these points.  The same should apply to our boarders where we must use paper instead of cash.  I strongly feel that the issue of transparency, efficiency, accountability is very important and for that reason we must make sure that Treasury collects every cent and it goes to the State coffers.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

COLLECTION OF FINAL DRAFT CONSTITUTION AND

COPAC REPORT

MR SPEAKER: I wish to advise the House that copies of the Final Draft Constitution and COPAC Report are now ready for collection in the Journals Office, located First Floor, Main Parliament Building.

MR CROSS:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this particular motion because I think it is extremely important.  I do not think there is a single member of this House who has not risked to travel on the roads of Zimbabwe and go through roadblocks.  Over the weekend, when ZANU PF held their Conference, the President made a very strong statement on these roadblocks and he calls for them to be closed down.  The roadblocks were withdrawn for two to three days but they are back with a vengeance. When I travelled from Bulawayo to Harare the other day, I came across 22 roadblocks.

Mr. Speaker, every roadblock is tasked with a responsibility of collecting money on behalf of the Police which is then used by the Police to meet their own needs.  I think this is a fundamental violation of the rules of good fiscal management and I think it is time to put this practice to an end.  I no longer think that there is any justification for this system which was introduced during the Zimbabwe dollar era.  I will strongly support this motion and ask the Hon. Members of this House to support the motion.   I thank you.

MOTION

RESTORATION OF THE SECOND REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE

ON THE CHALLENGES IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN

ZIMBABWE ON THE ORDER PAPER

43. MANGAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I move the motion in my name that the motion relating to the Second Report of the Portfolio Committee on Education, Sports, Arts and Culture on the challenges in the Education Sector in Zimbabwe which was superseded by the prorogation of Parliament be restored on the Order Paper at the stage at which it had reached in terms of Standing Order No. 43.  I thank you.
44. MUDZURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Education, Sports,

Arts and Culture.  When we conducted the …

1. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Mudzuri, we are not yet debating the motion. The motion moved by Hon. Mangami was to the effect that she is asking this House to accept the restoration of her motion on the Order Paper and I wanted a seconder to support that.  I thought you were not supporting that.
2. F. M. SIBANDA: I second.
3. SPEAKER: Hon. Mangami, can you move for the House to adopt your motion.
4. MANGAMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that the motion be adopted.

Motion put and agreed.

MOTION

RESTORATION OF THE MOTION TO AMMEND THE

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE ACT ON THE ORDER

PAPER

43. GONESE: I move the motion standing in my name that the motion relating to Private Members Bill to amend the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act which was superseded by the prorogation of Parliament be restored on the Order Paper at the stage at which it had reached in terms of Standing Order No. 43.

Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  When I introduced the motion in this august House, there was some debate, however, the Minister of Justice indicated that he wanted to respond to the motion and he asked that he be given sufficient time to do so.  Unfortunately, because of his busy schedule as the House is well aware, he is the lead negotiator for ZANU PF and it appears that he never got sufficient time to do so until we came to the end of the session.  As a result the motion was then superseded by prorogation.  I now seek the support of honourable members in this august House that the motion be restored to the Order Paper at the stage it had reached before it was superseded by prorogation.

1. MUSHONGA: I second.
2. GONESE: I now move for the adoption of the motion, Mr.

Speaker Sir.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

1. MATINENGA: Mr. Speaker Sir, with your indulgence, may I move that Notices of Motion Numbers 5 and 6 be stood over until all the other motions have been dealt with.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

DISSOLUTION OF THE SPORTS AND RECREATION

COMMISSION

1. CHITANDO: I move the motion standing in my name that CONCERNED by the poor performance of Zimbabwean athletes in all sporting disciplines at international fora;

NOTING that the inadequate resources being channeled to the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture are inadequate for the development of sports thereby depriving our athletes of national pride as well as a place among competing nations;

AWARE that various reports have been submitted to the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture over the incompetence of our sports governing bodies, in particular, the Sports and Recreation

Commission and its affiliates like the Zimbabwe Football Association;

NOW THEREFORE, this House calls upon the Minister of

Education, Sports, Arts and Culture to;

1. i) Dissolve the Sports and Recreation Commission; ii) Request the Ministry of Education, Sports, Arts and Culture  to provide Parliament with specific objectives and targets on how the nation will achieve success in all sporting disciplines; iii) Calls upon the Minister of Finance to allocate adequate  resources in the National Budget for sports development.
2. MUSHONGA:  I second.
3. CHITANDO:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I will start with a quotation from one of the renowned sport managers of a football club.  He once said you can have top stars to bring the attention; you can have the best stadium; you can have the best facilities; you can have the most beautiful projects in terms of marketing and all kinds of things but if you do not win, all the work that these people are doing is forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, Zimbabwe has seen a decline in performance in all sporting disciplines.  There is no sport in which there is joy, a smile or a win is witnessed.  As a nation, we should be concerned about what is really happening.  Both at individual and team sport. It all brings agony; crying and some people have hypertension because of the performance of our athletes.  Zimbabwe at one time was known in boxing because of Kilimanjalo, Langton Tinago, Stix Macloud, Alfonso Zvenyika and Emmanuel Nyika in Masvingo there, just to mention but a few.  What has really happened?

Yes, they might have died as Hon Zhuwao is saying but we should know that runofa, runosiya rumwe.  This does not mean that we do not have talent.  We should all say in boxing all these people have gone but there are still some other people who are shining and raising the flag of Zimbabwe in other countries.  In the United Kingdom, a country which we always hate so much, there is a Zimbabwean, Chisora who is going in the ring raising the Zimbabwean flag.

Mr. Speaker, if you go into tennis, you would see that there was the Black family or the Black brothers and sister – they shone on the world international forum on tennis.  What has really happened to our tennis?  We used to see the National City Sports Center being filled by youths and people going to watch the Black brothers but today it is no longer a tennis venue.  It is now a venue for Makandiwa and the others.  In 1980 if you can still remember Hon Minister Mnangagwa, when we attained independence, you were not a player but we all had that pride of the Hockey Team which was composed of all the white ladies.  But, what has happened?  Does it really mean that Hon Mnangagwa when you came into power as ZANU (PF), when we attained independence, does it mean that the whites were the only people who had the talent and we had no talent?  What really happened? I am going to give answers to those questions.

Let us go to rugby and cricket – Henry Olonga, the Flower brothers – what really happened to our cricket?  Was it because of politics, hatred, racism which destroyed our cricket?  Today if you watch whenever Zimbabwe plays its cricket, the journalists do not have to go and watch the game because we all know the headline – Zimbabwe whitewashed.  That is the vocabulary for cricket.  What has happened?

You go to rugby; we used to be counted on the world cup of rugby.

What has happened?

Let me turn to athletics – the story is the same.  Whilst Zimbabweans were competing with the Kenyans and Ethiopians, you can talk of Chimusasa, Chimukoko, Julia Sakala and others, they were competing with the world known athletes but what has really happened?  It should be a big concern to this nation.  Mr. Speaker, these examples which I have just said shows that there is great work which we should do to address the sporting industry in Zimbabwe.

Mr. Speaker, in 1989, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe appointed an advisory committee on the organization of sport in Zimbabwe which was chaired by Tommy Sithole to specifically advise on the following issues:

• The current organizational structure and governance of sport in

Zimbabwe;

• The adequacy and otherwise of the above and having regards to the current policy of governance and the ideals and objectives sport should promote in Zimbabwe;
• The method of funding various sporting activities in Zimbabwe;
• The facilities required for the effective development of sport in the fulfillment of recreational needs of the nation;
• The merit of amateur versus professional status in sports;
• Methods of identifying, taping and developing sporting talent in

Zimbabwe;

• Sport equipment – its manufacture, procurement in Zimbabwe;
• The experience of selected countries in the organization and promotion of sport;
• Any other incidental and relevant to the above.

These were the duties which were given to the Tommy Sithole Advisory Board which was set by The President of this country, then Mr

Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

However, - [AN HON MEMBER: Inaudible interjections] - how can I remember the functions which were said.

Section 19 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act, this is the following as the objectives of the Commission.  After the President had set the Tommy Sithole Advisory Board – it advised him to set the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) which was given the following mandate and functions.

We are going to assess - I am saying we should be able to fire and dissolve the SRC from these benchmarks which were set in 1989 which the President himself, if he was really serious about sport, that is one thing.  We should say the President himself was not really serious.  If he was really serious he was going to evaluate the SRC on the functions and objectives which he set for the Commission but has failed to do so.

So we are saying:

1. The President should have evaluated the Sports and Recreation Commission according to Section 19 if it was able to coordinate, control, develop and foster the activities of sports and recreation.

Was it able to do that?  It failed dismally. But the President let it on a laissez faire state.  So we are calling this House to support the motion to dissolve the SRC because it failed to do the mandate it was given by the President.

2. To ensure the proper administration of organizations undertaking the promotion of sport and recreation. Was the SRC able to promote sport and management of sport in this country? – It failed.  So we are saying let us help vaMugabe and say, dissolve this.  If he does not see that there is need to dissolve, I am calling this House to help the President so that we can unblind him so that he will be able to see and dissolve this.
3. To promote the highest state of sportsmanship. If the President had set the SRC to promote the highest standard of sportsmanship, if we are saying there is Asia Gate – if they are saying there was so much scandal in our sporting activities and the President was watching, what was he doing?  We should ask.  There is something wrong if the President was not seeing it.  I am calling upon this

House so that you will also be able to help the President to see what he is not able to see.

4. To authorize national and international sporting and recreational activities. The other function of the SRC was to authorize national and international sporting and recreational activities.  The SRC did let the Zimbabwe National team go to Asia and play dubious games knowingly and they did not even inform this House or the person who set the Commission.  So what it means is that it is the right of every Zimbabwean to call for this House to dissolve the SRC.  I am not going to explain some of them but it is up to you to judge if the SRC was able to perform its duty according to the functions which it was set for.
5. To advise the government on the need of sport and recreation.
6. To endeavor and ensure that opportunities for sport and recreation are made available to all persons throughout Zimbabwe.
7. To endeavor to provide coaches, instructors and courses for sport either free or on payment of a fee.
8. To endeavor to ensure recreational facilities are established in such work places as the board considers and establish and operate establishments for accommodation of visiting teams and recreational clubs.

Mr. Speaker, I will be able to say a lot of the functions were  set by the President for the SRC, which they were not able to do.  However, I will not be able to take all the other sports and put them to  evaluation as to why we are failing.  I will have to take one discipline  and I believe that some of the Members of Parliament will be able to  take other disciplines and debate but I will have to dwell much on  soccer.

Mr.  Speaker, first of all, the administration of football in this  country is in state of chaos.  I will first of all have to explain the state – let us look at the Premier Soccer League (PSL).  The PSL owns the clubs which form the board.  The sponsors of teams are the ones who are running the teams but if you look at countries like England where we have got a better league, the financiers of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are not the ones who are running the league.  But here you are seeing my good friend Twine Phiri is the one who is running the league.  So you see there is a difference.  It is the person who has got the administration and double interests in the affairs of the league.  We are saying this is where it is very difficult for us to go forward.

Whilst most of us will be glued to the televisions for AFCON, some of our colleagues will be mourning why we failed to qualify.  I would like to say when I watch AFCON, I truly remember one member who was so passionate about soccer – that is Hon. Mangena the late.  If he was here, I am sure he was going to support what I am saying because we went together to Angola with the warriors for the 90 minutes of agony which we witnessed there when we were beaten in only 5 minutes.

Mr  Speaker, it is more than 30 years after Independence and we failed even to host the AFCON when we were given the chance.  What was the reason?  In all the SADC countries which I have studied, it is only Zimbabwe where you have the Ministry of Sport bundled in the Ministry of Education.  You can not have books and sports together.  It does not work.  What works in other countries is that they have the Ministry of Sport and Youth and the Ministry of Education stands on its own.  If the President was really serious, there was only one time when he tried to do it but he only chose the wrong peg.  It was a square peg he tried to put in a round hole when he introduced a dog race in this country when Hon Kwidini was the Minister of Sport.  Hon. Mnangagwa still remembers that project which failed dismally.  The dog racing sport tried to change the whole idea of Rufaro Stadium into a dog race stadium and forgot about the most popular sport – football.  Mr.

Speaker, it shows a lack of vision.  The only thing which is sensible Hon. Members, I think, if we have got true people who have the love of the sport, I think, we should not talk of qualifying for AFCON; we should not talk of qualifying for the World Cup – it should be routine.  If we have people who have no sense, no vision – we will not be there – it will be year in and year out crying.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the problem is, thirty-two years of Independence,

VaShamu goes to Dembare and be called, ‘The Patron’ – a patron, a minister who goes to be a patron of a team which is still administering its activities under a tree.  Are you not ashamed?  You should just resign

– a team which is number eight in Africa; which does not have even a Club House; which does not have even a training house, a training ground; which goes to the Ralton and you say, ‘I am the Patron’.  It is not that you are interested in soccer; it is not that you are interested in the game of football but you are interested in politics there. Get out and we will be able to qualify.

Hon. Bhasikiti, get out of politics in football and let the people that are interested in football in so that we qualify.  The problem is, we are having people that are so much interested in politics that want to get the interference of politics into soccer…. – [MR. BHASIKITI: Honourable you have a point but you cannot speak my friend] - Thank you Mr. Bhasikiti, it is not a question of stealing mangoes here, it is a question of talking of a very important subject.

When we are talking of sport, the first thing a country should have is talent identification.  This country lost the opportunity to have a correct development of sports identification programmes.  The reason why we did it is that instead of building schools of excellence in sport, we were building brigades – Youth Brigades.  We were really keen on political violence instead of being keen to develop the child.  I think we should be able to set our goals correctly.  The nation is looking at us; the nation is looking at this House – why we are failing to qualify.  It is not the question of ZIFA why we are failing to qualify, it is the question that this Parliament, this Executive – from the President they are not really keen for this country to qualify.  I think, those soccer loving people of Zimbabwe should be able to choose their leaders whom they know are going to make them qualify because for thirty-two years we should be a nation that is always qualifying through the back door.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to rest my case by saying, sport is a very big business.  What we need is to create jobs; we should have to uplift the standard of our soccer; we should have investment in our sport; we should have capital and correct environment.  So we should introduce juice in our sport – if we are to introduce juice truly, the people of Zimbabwe are going to be happy.  We are going to qualify.  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

1. MUSHONGA: Mr. Speaker, sport is business – our sport can actually improve our tourism.  We are over fourteen million

Zimbabweans but we failed to make it to the AFCON Party whilst Cape Verde with only half a million people partaking compared to us – that is a shame.  We are watching from across the Limpopo whilst the party is going on in South Africa.

Zimbabweans are known for passing blame.  We blame everyone else except ourselves and this is very unfortunate.  We blame ZIFA – ZIFA which we know is bankrupt and ZIFA on its part is busy witchhunting the Asiagate Scandal and so forth.  As a result, we had a depleted Zimbabwean team that was thoroughly beaten in Angola and brought a lot of misery to my friend.

Yes, there is no money which this government is putting in soccer or in sports and the coffers are very dry.  In other countries, in order to avoid that, they encourage military institutions to be sports academies – the Police, the army can actually produce very good sportsmen.  This takes me to Zambia, in the last AFCON – their star players were military people because they have military institutions which nurture sporting talent.  Why can we not do the same in Zimbabwe?  Why can we not learn from our neighbours?

We know that the military – we have Black Rhinos and other teams – if they are properly managed, they can actually produce the

Peter Ndlovu’s of this world but we are not doing it as a country and we have ourselves to blame.  A small academy in Highfield has produced the Musona brothers who are now the pride of this nation.  They do not have a grant from government and we expect to do miracles when we are not funding it – nothing can stick on nothing.  If we as Zimbabweans want to excel in sport, we have to invest in sport and I totally support my friend, Hon. Chitando, that without investment in sport, we will always cry foul, we will always – the Zimbabwean style, ‘blame each other’.

We have also destroyed our sport by political interference.  Our dirty political hands have been seen in cricket and cricket has gone down; our political hands have been seen in soccer and our soccer is not thriving.  We call upon politicians to keep their dirty hands out of sport so that our sport can thrive.  It is not for anybody’s interest but for the future of this nation.  We have not done anything as Zimbabwe to train a future Coach for this country.  We are blaming Rahman Gumbo for failing to qualify yet we have never sent Rahman Gumbo for a single training in Brazil.  We have never sent him for a single training in Germany but we expect to succeed and you blame him for that – what is

that?

We need to start training our own talent.  Let us take Peter Ndlovu to Brazil; let us take Moses Chunga to Germany.  Let us train them for the future of Zimbabwe and stop this blame game and if we do that -

Zimbabwe will never have a Keshi like the Nigerians who is leading their team in South Africa.  I want us to look forward, put our political differences aside and prepare for this nation.  We are a great nation, we are the jewel of Africa but what are we showing for that - that greatness?  We have the most learned Cabinet in Africa, we have the most learned leaders in this country but we have no vision and a nation with no vision

is lost.

I encourage this House to adopt this motion and let us have a vision for our sport.  This is Zimbabwe – it does not belong to anybody, it belongs to us, it belongs to the past and to the future.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.       

1. BHASIKITI: I want to congratulate Hon. Chitando for bringing this motion which is quite an important motion. Perhaps, I may, for the benefit of clarity try to improve on the recommendations but first and foremost we should take it seriously that we need to develop sport in our country. The first take-off point is to separate sport from the academic disciplines. This requires a new department, a whole department charged with sport development to develop it at

kindergarten. Even the Grade Zero, their talents in sports have to be identified and developed at Primary and Secondary School level.

I think our main emphasis should be two-dimensional, that is, sport is also a great employer and one of the greatest empowerment fields. I know this is captured in one of the documents within the indigenization and empowerment policies that we need to empower our young people to develop their talents, to make a living out of soccer, netball, athletics and all the various sporting activities.

As Africans, I know, yes, there are some of the games which were introduced although it might not have been a matter of a race, game or sport but it was developing that group of people to excel in certain skills. We should look at what really develops the African child. We used to know that the Bushmen would run and make sure that they catch a lion or an elephant by just following it trotting. Those skills, athletic skills are quite rich in us and we can compete favourably if we develop them.

What I want to suggest is that, rather than say the Ministry of

Sport, Arts, Culture and we lump too many things in one ministry, let us be very clear and say we want this ministry to be a stand-alone ministry and it should be a requirement. Once we do that then we are also in a way enabling Treasury to direct resources to a specific ministry which has a specific mandate to develop our sports facilities and our sporting talents within the nation.

I think it is important that in every district we develop these sport academics. Let alone reduce from district to ward centres or areas where people would on daily basis be practicing and developing their skills. These skills are very important not only for physical fitness but in terms of earning a living from most of our people who are gifted in most of these disciplines.

So I will agree with Hon. Chitando that at least we now need a new focus. Yes, we cannot do all things at the same time. When we started after our independence, the most important challenge was to reduce and improve on the literacy gap and hence, His Excellency in his wisdom developed the intellect and built many schools to reduce the illiteracy level which was predominant amongst us. I thought Hon. Chitando would have credited that one. But now we are at another stage of our national development where we are saying now it is important to compete internationally in sport and develop it.

Now that we have developed all these other disciplines – academics we have done so well but areas where we need to develop, where we have challenges, is the sport. You can over burden what you call the Sports and Recreation Council. If you put a very good instrument in a wrong environment it will not work. So I do not want to blame the Sports and Recreation Council for trying its best in a wrong environment. The proper environment is a sporting ministry and it is from that ministry and department that those in the Sports and Recreation Commission can work favourably. Now they will be competing with academics who will be telling them the most important priorities are A,B,C when they are pegged at a G. So it is better we separate and then if we do that we will be able to develop our sport and realize the most important aspirations and dreams we have which have been rightly pointed out by Hon. Chitando.

It is true that an indicator or the litmus test for our excellence in sport can be identified already from the Kilimanjaros and from other outstanding sporting personnel we have across the different sporting disciplines. All it means is, we are not developing the majority of people to that level but we have the capacity. We have the potential to develop them to the Apex levels. So at this point it is important.

I know that the next Government on the day after elections, if it is properly guided by the empowerment models which has been propagated by those who are not ashamed of saying let us empower the African child. Let us empower the Zimbabwean person, the indigenous person to excel and compete favourably against all other races.  Then I know this matter will be taken seriously and will be implemented in the next Government. However, that Government will obviously remain under the leadership of none other than that of His Excellency and his party.

In ending my support submissions to this motion presented by

Hon. Chitando.  I think he will agree with me that should he find time, it would be important to relook at the presentations and the recommendations which he wants Parliament to endorse for the record that this House is seeking to have a stand-alone ministry on sport because we feel it is important. We do not want it to be lumped, neither do we want to keep on calling Hon Coltart to talk about these things when we know his fine brains in the legal fraternity will only help to structure the rules or guidelines which the sporting ministry can execute alone.

I submit that it is an important motion and we are all in support of this motion but we want this to be taken seriously as a stand-alone ministry.

MRS. MANGAMI: I also want to thank Hon. Chitando for the

motion he has just raised. In adding my voice to this motion, I actually go with some of the recommendations which he has made. To begin with, sport is there for competition or enjoyment. On enjoyment, I think the sporting activities have been successful. On the part of competition, that is where there are challenges which I think if the ministry as the committee has also recommended, if it is made to stand alone, I think enough resources might be channeled towards the activity.

I say so because very little has been given to SRC in terms of resources. If one has not been given resources or tools to perform, it is really difficult to execute the duty effectively and at times they end up pumping from their own pockets. For us to evaluate that they have failed when we have not given them resources, it would be really unfair. I believe if they are not given resources as they are now in order to make an evaluation on their performance, it would really be a bias. Apart from that, those that are involved in these sporting activities also need remuneration. Sporting facilities need to be looked at.

We do not have to look at sporting activities at higher levels alone, instead we should look at them even at grass roots as well. In the ministry not much is being done in terms of sponsoring sporting activities in schools such that parents are paying what is called sports fee. The government is not contributing anything in terms of finances that are used to sponsor sporting activities. I say so because NAFF and NASH are running sporting activities solely on their own. It is a parents’ sponsored activity. It will not go anywhere because parents’ resources are really limited.

I, therefore, recommend that there is no need to dissolve the Sports and Recreation Commission. I was actually looking at the second recommendation, to say the hon. member requests the ministry to provide Parliament with specific objectives and targets on the nation which will achieve its sporting objective – of course I agree with him.

On the last recommendation, where he indicated that in the next budget I think it would be advisable for our government to give enough resources to the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture. If we are going to be looking at the personalities involved in SRC then we could be misled. I understand on several occasions when we read in newspapers that some members within the SRC are actually contributing to some of the games that are being played.

I want to thank the hon. member for the motion and say if we can take up his recommendations especially the third recommendation and adopt it in the House for the improvement and betterment of sports.

1. GWIYO: I would like first of all to thank Hon. Chitando for bringing this noble motion in this august House. I am in support of most of the recommendations and the contributions made by a number of hon. members. I would like to come up with a specific one that I feel in order to have good sporting system in this country what we need is a change of mind set because if you can see what is happening in this country, sports is only considered important at higher levels especially at national level. At primary schools or at homes, it is not regarded as very important. It is only taken seriously at higher levels, national level and other competitions.

What we need is to have a change of mind set whereby we promote sport from the young ages of our children. If you go in town today, whether it is down town or up town, you see very few shops that sell sporting equipment like tennis and football kits. I think that is what we need to change. If you go to countries like Brazil, in every market or shopping mall you see that there are some sporting ware. You can buy some jerseys and soccer balls because sport is being promoted. In this country when you want to talk about sport, it is only when there is a competition. If you want to talk about camping, it is only when there is  a big completion like the Africa Cup of Nations  and World Cup that is when you see ministers trying to seek publicity by wanting to be patron of so and so.

We are not doing much to promote sport at the grassroots level. My contribution is that we need to start at the grassroots. We need to start promoting sport at village level and primary school level rather than just trying to hijack  things at the top. I think that is what we need to make sure that sport is being promoted in this country. It is not only enough to say that the Ministry  of Finance must allocate  so much money to the national team or  cricket national squad but what we just need as individual families is to promote sport at the smallest level so that it can develop.

We can not just develop into a soccer power house at the national level or secondary school level. We need to start at the lower level.

MS D. SIBANDA:  Mr Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

MRS MATIENGA:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 6^th February, 2013.

On the motion of  MS D. SIBANDA seconded by MRS MATIENGA,      the House adjourned at Six Minutes Past Four O'clock p.m.