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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 1 FEBRUARY 2024 VOL 50 NO 24

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Thursday, 1^st February, 2024

The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER

ADVERSE REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received Adverse Reports from the Parliamentary Legal Committee on the following: Death Penalty Abolition Bill, [H. B. 5, 2023] and Statutory Instrument 153 of 2023 published in the Gazette on 25^th August, 2023.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

          HON. TOGAREPI:  I am advised that the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is not here. I therefore move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 9 be stood over until Order of the Day Number 10 has been disposed of

HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.

          Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL OF ZIDERA BY THE US

GOVERNMENT AND LIFTING OF UNWARRANTED AND

ILLEGAL SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE

          Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the illegal sanctions unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe by the Government of United States of America.

          Question again proposed.

          HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to debate and to air my displeasure and bad experience that I have encountered because of these illegal sanctions.  Let me start by reminding this House that as Members of Parliament, together with the peace loving and hardworking people we represent and speak on their behalf in this august House. We have, for a long time, suffered the pain caused by these economic, inhuman, brutal and unfair illegal sanctions that have been forcibly imposed on us as a people of Zimbabwe by the colonisers and oppressors, together with their partners in economic and inhuman rights crimes against humanity to the innocent people of our motherland Zimbabwe.  As a result of this dragon and economic monster called targeted sanctions to the state-owned enterprises, other private players and certain individuals have caused the whole 21^st century young generation to be deprived and violated of their fundamental rights of innocent children as articulated in Section 81 of our Constitution.  Also, in Section 64, the economic illegal sanctions imposed on us are depriving and violating our rights to freedom of profession, trade or of employment through the brain drain as our nation is often used as a training ground for professionals by most of these countries.  Most of our people are left with no option but to work or serve their country because of these illegal sanctions. 

          Again, in our Constitution, what has been violated are the labour rights of our own people by these illegal sanctions.  Labour rights in Section 65 which says “every person has a right to free labour practices and standards and to be paid a fair and reasonable wage” yet another violation of rights through high inflation. Our Government has however been trying under unfavourable harsh and unfair economic conditions to fight poverty and unemployment through various ways of empowering its people as well as having salary adjustments from time to time.  These sanctions are a cause of concern in our day to day life.           The reason why I am quoting the violations of rights is that those involved in calling for sanctions will always preach about human rights often times. 

In Section 72 of our Constitution, economic and inhuman illegal sanctions have deprived and violated the human rights on unfair and uneasy access to healthcare services by our people.  It is so disturbing that we still have some people who do not see the negative impact caused by these economic inhuman illegal sanctions to our public health sector.  Factors being man-made high inflation.  There is scarcity of foreign currency to purchase drugs and even if we are to have the foreign currency our transactions have to go through third parties which makes it more expensive and we risk getting value for our money because of these illegal sanctions.  There is no doubt that these economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed on us by the colonial masters end up violating the rights of persons living with disability in Section 83 of the Constitution and that of our own elders in Section 82, which has not been made easy.   Thanks to our Government which is trying to assist the people, albeit under limited budget through the Social Welfare programme.   

          Madam Speaker, deprived and violated also are our rights as a country to borrow and access cheaper credit lines from International financial institutions such as IMF and World Bank.  We are also deprived and violated of our rights to fairly trade, participate or trade equitably on international markets simply because we are either barred or blacklisted as a country.  We are also deprived and violated of our rights through unfair and false media publications and misinterpretation of our good image and reputation as a country and its peace-loving people.  Thus, often reducing our local market investor confidence to the international community.  These so called economic and illegal sanctions imposed on us by yester-year by the then so called super power nations are a reflection of their desire for an authoritative and undemocratic regime change agenda and their deliberate intentions of undermining our sovereignty and once blood price gained independence.

          Madam Speaker, I am reminded that I was supposed to present or to air my view on this topic last year on the 28^th November, the day I was born.  I have emotions around that because if I am to revert to 1976, I am sure I was conceived around March and my father immediately left to go to fight in the liberation struggle.  From there my mother was left alone in the cold season without anyone to turn to up until November when I was born and only to come back in 1980.  I never enjoyed what my children are enjoying today.  They welcome me home every day and I share sweets with them.  So whenever I talk about this, I become so emotional and I hope you will forgive me for being angry and not forgiving these people. 

          Madam Speaker, our beloved one and only God given beautiful country Zimbabwe that we have is being used as a sacrificial lamb and as an example to any African country that intends to go the Zimbabwean way in as far as land redistribution is concerned.  The whole world knows very well that Zimbabwe has been a darling to many as a happy slave of these modern-day oppressors up until the year 1997 when we decided to finally economically liberate ourselves by taking back our land.  That is the only crime our leaders of this innocent country and its people have committed up until this day which caused these economic illegal punishments or sanctions to be imposed on us.  These economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed by the imposter are used as a nuclear weapon of economic mass destruction and sabotage with a deliberate intention to cause or inflict pain and political destabilisation which is the most common desired looting opportunity of our national natural resources by the greedy world capitalists and modern-day power-hungry oppressors hiding behind or preaching hypocrisy on democracy as they often claim that they are the world human rights champions, referees or adjudicators.

          Let me touch on the issue of the land. The right to agricultural land and for rural settlement found in Section 72 (8) and (7c), and (2) which now clearly stated that the former colonial powers had and still have an obligation to pay compensation for agricultural land compulsorily acquired for resettlement through and adequately fund for the purpose, and (2) says, if the former colonial powers fail to pay compensation through such a fund, the Government of Zimbabwe has no obligation to pay compensation whatsoever for agricultural land compulsorily acquired for resettling its people. Then (8) says, this section applies without the obligation of the former colonial to pay compensation for the land referred to in this section that has been acquired for resettlement purposes. So, why should we then be suffering for taking back our land?

          The other most violated rights of special people by these economic sanctions is of our war veterans. These people have been the most disadvantaged because they went to war to fight the people who decided to take our own land. When we came back, we decided again to share the land amongst ourselves which became a reason for them to punish us further with the sanctions. If our voices are not crying loud enough to be heard as a people of Zimbabwe, then  let me quote our very much supporting regional bloc SADC’s recent position in his statement, President João Lourenço of Angola as the regional body Chairman, reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Government of our nation Zimbabwe, in calling for unconditional lifting of these economic and inhuman illegal sanctions imposed by the West.

          Madam Speaker, if that did not make it enough of a collective international voice, African Union, through its Commission Chairperson, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahammat, on the 25^th October, 2023 said, “as AU, we demand for immediate and unconditional lifting of the inhumane illegal sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe”. However, their Chairperson acknowledged the subsequent engagements with the EU through genuine, free and fair political dialogue with the view to end these sanctions against Zimbabwe.

          Therefore, in conclusion Madam Speaker, I am in support of the motion raised and proposed recommendations by Hon. Dr. Mutodi to send a strong and aggressive delegation to the USA to ask them questions on why they have interests on our country Zimbabwe and why they want these sanctions to remain imposed on our nation while our innocent people are suffering. I propose that a delegation be sent to America and meet the political leadership and ask them real questions. I hope that delegation will include me. Thank you.

          HON. MUNEMO: Allow me Madam Speaker to define and add my voice on this motion moved by Hon. Dr. Mutodi on sanctions against Zimbabwe by the EU and USA. I would like to first define the word ‘sanctions’. According to Wikipedia dictionary, it says ‘threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule’. According to the Makerere Department of Political Science in Uganda, ‘economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by States or institutions against States or individuals. Economic sanctions are a form of coercion that attempts to get an actor to change its behaviour through disruption in economic exchange’.  I have again a definition in geopolitics which says, ‘economic sanctions in essence are punitive measures imposed by one or more countries against another in an effort to alter the targeted nation’s behaviour’.

          Madam Speaker, let me come onto the impact of sanctions imposed by the EU and USA on Zimbabwe. It is not a secret that Zimbabwe land reform has led the USA to impose illegal and unjustified sanctions under the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) of 2001. A lot of tightening was done by the USA that instructed the USA Executive Director to each international financial institutions to oppose and vote against any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe or any cancellation of reduction indebtedness owed by Zimbabwe to the USA or any financial institution. That is how it started.

          What the EU and USA wanted was not accepted by the Zimbabweans. The son of the soil has to reclaim his soil. In Shona, ‘mwana wevhu akange otora ivhu rake, ramadzitateguru ake’ – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Allow me to refer this to a biblical chapter from 1 Kings 21 vs 1, it reads - ‘sometime later, there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezerite who had a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden since it is close to my palace. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard or if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth”. I am much excited by the response that was given by Naboth. Naboth replied - ‘the Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers’. It touches me a lot – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

Let me now go to 1 Kings 21:12, ‘They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth in a prominent place among the people, then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying Naboth has cursed both God and King. So, they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.’ Madam Speaker, as Zimbabweans, we are refusing and should continuously refuse to be stoned by the US and Europeans. We should heighten our voice to deny their sanctions. 

Let me descend on the overall impact of the sanctions on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has lost well over $42 billion in revenue over the past 19 years because of the sanctions. This includes bilateral donor support estimated at $4. 5 billion annually since 2001, $12 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, African Development Bank, commercial loans of $18 billion and a GDP reduction of $21 billion.  That means Zimbabwe was affected and is being affected much in its economic development. As a consequence, the significant progress that Zimbabwe had made in the development of infrastructure as health, education and other social service delivery systems have been severely reversed. This has resulted in the most vulnerable sections of the population sinking deeper into poverty. For instance, the proportion of the population in extreme poverty rolls in the aftermath of sanctions. To this end, Zimbabwe’s quest to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has also been severely impacted.

Further, these sanctions against Zimbabwe are affecting the smooth running of regional groupings such as SADC, the SADC Macroeconomic Convergency Target of Low Inflation, Sustainable Budget Deficit, Minimum Public Debit, Equitable Current Account Balances as well as the formation of a regional monetary union and the movement towards attaining the region’s industrialisation agenda are being compromised by Zimbabwe’s inability to meet most of the targets.   These are some of the effects of sanctions on the main sectors of the Zimbabwe economy.  In a nutshell, I am just going to take the headings on the effects of the sanctions on Zimbabwe’s main sectors. The first one is Zimbabwe has to access credit lines, but because of sanctions, it is no longer accessing credit lines.

Decline in balance of payment support – Zimbabwe’s balance of payment position has deteriorated significantly since the imposition of sanctions. The combined effects of the arrears situation and the sanctions have resulted in Zimbabwean companies finding it extremely difficulty to access offshore loans, thus crippling their operations. Currently, where the private sector manages to secure offshore financing, it is usually at punitive and at exorbitant interest rates.

The impact on the financial sector – due to the absence of balance of payment support, Zimbabwe balance of payment position has deteriorated significantly since the imposition of sanctions. These sanctions have led to Zimbabwe and the entire financial linkages with the rest of world being branded as high risk. The picture that is being given by the European Union on Zimbabwe is not a healthy one because if you are branded a thief, no one would want to lend or borrow his money to a thief. That is how the EU is treating us, yet it is not justified because we are saying, the land is ours. That is why our fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers went to war.

If these sanctions continue and if we do not lament with a high voice, Madam Speaker, it means we are economically, going to decline in the economic development. The impact of international financial transactions – Zimbabwe companies and individuals have found it extremely difficult to effect payments through international payment platforms as these sanctions are intercepted and blocked in the sanctions imposing countries, especially the US. As a result, there are many cases of blocked funds or failure to transact in the business sector and among individuals.

There is also an impact on investment and growth – the negative perception that has come with sanctions has negatively impacted on foreign domestic investment (FDI) inflows. This is so because investors tend to shy away from economies that are perceived as a risk.

The impact on the agricultural sector by the sanctions – agriculture is the backbone of Zimbabwe economy providing employment and income to over 60% of the population, supplying 60% of the raw materials required by the manufacturing sector and contributing 40% of total export earnings. However, the sanctions brought a myriad of challenges to the agricultural sector.  Specifically, they made it extremely difficult to access agricultural lines of credit and attract investment. This has resulted in lack of development, rehabilitation and modernisation of equipment and machinery, leading to a reduction in productivity. This has negatively affected the livelihood of households and the fight against poverty and hunger.

The market access for horticultural, sugar, beef and cotton, among other crops was also negatively affected. Horticulture was a foreign exchange earner and at one point was the second largest earner after tobacco. However, Zimbabwe lost most of its neat and lucrative markets for horticultural products, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Furthermore, Zimbabwe lost the preferential tariff quota export for crops like cotton and sugar to the EU.

There are a lot more effects that have affected Zimbabwe. They impacted on the mining sector, energy sector, tourism sector, health sector and the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Madam Speaker, I urge all fellow parliamentarians to heighten our voice because if we leave these sanctions like this, we are going to be led into a pitfall.  Otherwise without the presence of our steward leadership, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, this nation was going to be in a pitfall and in a shameless and sorrowful state.  His Excellency managed to come up with viable blueprints strategies like in agriculture, the Pfumvudza/Intwasa initiative which has proved to feed Zimbabwe across.

In conclusion, may the United States of America and the EU remove their unjustified sanctions against Zimbabwe.  I thank you.

HON. MAUNGANISO:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I would like to premise my contribution on a biblical base, Galatians 3 v 28.  Others would wonder why so because what we are grappling with is a problem that is offspring to globalisation.

Madam Speaker, I seek to underscore that globalisation is indeed a biblical phenomenon.  Galatians 3 v 28 reads, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.  Madam Speaker, in his wisdom, the Lord deeply does equal.  Politics, like religion, is analogous to a bank account and transferable from one generation to another.  What we are grappling with can be well articulated or enunciated in one vantage point which is the Marxist.  What we are grappling with is an ideology of accumulation via dispossession, an ideology of a capital monopoly via subjugation.

Madam Speaker, after the Second World War, what then transpired is, the world got into a recession. With the world in a recession, there is what was called feudalism that is being championed by a writer called Gramsci.  Madam Speaker, what transpired is, there was massive production in the United States of America whose main tenet was preaching and enforcing docility amongst the down-trodden.  It was indeed an economic issue as well as it was a cultural issue.  What then followed Madam Speaker, is boosting the hegemony of military and economic power and the United States of America would then condescend their cultural systems across the globe during which period the world experienced a cold war.

Madam Speaker, the cold war, even though some believed it ended, I believe it is still in existence, it was a continuous struggle between two ideologies, that is liberalism and socialism. 

Zimbabwe is in the state it is because in our international relations, America presents itself as a big brother, thereby decreeing and declaring statutes that must be followed hiding behind the notion of democracy whose main tenet is self determination.

Madam Speaker, in 1973 a writer, O’Connor, posited that the  notion of democracy as I have alluded to was an illegitimacy crisis in the mid-1970s and would be overtaken by the United States of America political right whose main tenet is conservatism.  An ideological counter offensive against regulation, income and wealth redistribution.  I am talking of monopoly being championed but by an internationally well connected, I would want to say, aggressor.  Why should I say an aggressor Madam Speaker, because one would position himself today in Ukraine, Gaza, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan and we would wonder whether what is happening and what has happened is a form of biblical retribution by armed gods of our time.

Madam Speaker, Thomas Freedman, in his best-selling book titled Lexus and the Olive Tree, written and published in 2000 that would become the guide book to globalisation, posited that the United States neo-liberal or laissez-faire approach should guide globalisation, but what is globalisation?  It is really a new phenomenon.  Madam Speaker, in my introductory remarks, I posited that it is a biblical phenomenon.  At one point Africa was globalised as a commodity via slave trade.  In another time, Africa was globalised as colonies, today they are again Americanised, if globalised as commodities that must bend to the whims and caprices of the White House.

Madam Speaker, for Thomas Freedman, the United States was perfectly situated not only for competition, but for its role as a hegemonic power since it was an elite society.  This would create a none hierarchical open democratised and a dynamic web based on the internet.  In one of his most enlightened times, President Julius Nyerere would posit the question of liberalism, open market society or open market approach to economics in juxtaposition with boxing.

Madam Speaker, the rules are the same. He would go on to say, even though the rules are the same, you cannot place in the same ring, a heavy weight and a feather weight because what would then ensue is murder.  I am trying here to underscore that what we are grappling with is as much an economic issue as it is a historical issue whose main target is accumulation by dispossessing.

Madam Speaker, what would then follow is that the United States of America, after the fall of the USSR, would become the only elite society that would determine what would happen not only in America but even here in Zimbabwe.  What surprises one is why today would the Americans be worried about human rights in Zimbabwe.  Our forefathers had to bear the brunt of a protracted armed struggle for the sole purpose of bringing home the right to self-determination.  But what was the reason we went to war for if it was not land? Madam Speaker, in 1979 at the Lancaster House Conference, the land question, I am made to believe our leaders took much time on the discussions.  The British and American governments then represented by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan would promise to compensate, not for land but for developments on land that had been stolen from our forefathers.

          Madam Speaker, I personally believe that we should not pay – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – but in his wisdom, His Excellency the President is generous enough to compensate.  Madam Speaker, that begs a response and it is simple, if one steals your car; goes on to pirate and maybe with the proceeds, happens to put mag-wheels on your car and tints the windows, upon recovery, should you pay or reward the person? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Madam Speaker, even when murderers go to prison today in Zimbabwe, it is not a prison but a correctional facility.  I think the President has demonstrated our will towards reintegration, good bilateral relations with the United States of America and the United Kingdom.  However, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo would say, even if Jehovah does it, we shall never bow down to your idols –[HON. MEMBERS Hear, hear.] -

          Madam Speaker, what we are faced with is a situation where Zimbabwe is incarcerated and illegally so.  The main purpose of incarceration is to demonstrate that one holds power over your rights.  One would ask, should a man in prison negotiate for his freedom without compromises?  Madam Speaker, it is so much to welcome the idea as raised by Hon. Mutodi but maybe the question that needs an answer is: what are we ready to compromise on?

          Madam Speaker, the effects of the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are well enunciated in the SADC permanent missions in Geneva - in their paper that was submitted on 19^th October, 2020.  It is not for me to repeat that because it is information that we can all access.  Maybe, what we should underscore as Parliament, is the idea that the untold suffering that is being caused by the illegal sanctions maybe far outweigh the genocide that America and its allies perpetrated against Japan – [HON. MEMERS. Hear, hear.] –  Why should they care about us today when they do not care about the people who are perishing in Gaza?  Madam Speaker, it is evident that what we are faced with is not a question of Human Rights abuses as claimed but a struggle for controlling new rules in Zimbabwe since that would be a trajectory to our rich deposits of raw materials. 

          In conclusion, it is prudent that Parliament comes up with a strong delegation that will go and remind these Americans that we cannot be eternally asleep.  We are awake and they must unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions.  I so submit.

          HON. NDUDZO:  Thank you Madam Speaker and good afternoon to you. 

          THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good afternoon

          HON. NDUDZO:  Madam Speaker, I am indebted for the opportunity you have accorded me to add the weight of my voice to this very important debate that is pertinent to the livelihood of our people – the great people of Zimbabwe.  To borrow from the phraseology of the previous speaker, Hon. Malinganiso, who spoke of globalisation.

 In the context of globalisation, if we were to take Zimbabwe as a global village, we would look at the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act passed by the United States Congress in 2002 as a monster that we all woke to find one morning in the village, standing firm and tall at the centre of the village.  Madam Speaker, the speakers who have been privileged to debate before me have aptly described in very succinct terms, the severe and ferocious nature of the sanctions that are causing suffering on the people of Zimbabwe.

          The sanctions have been with us for the past 22 years and we have gone through the lives of perhaps three or four Parliaments.  In all those Parliaments, we have had great speakers rise to debate and present figures, give descriptions and illustrations that have driven the point on how damaging the sanctions have been to the economy and social fabric of our nation.  However, when a monster comes to your village, you go through phases.  Firstly, you go through a phase of diagnoses where you are trying to come to terms with how exactly the monster looks like? What are its harmful effects? You want to go through a phase where you are able to identify its bodily and facial features and the harm that it leaves in its trail as it moves from point A to B. 

          In my respectful view Madam Speaker, as a nation, we have done that very well in the past 22 years.  The reason why the sanctions were imposed was specifically for the people of Zimbabwe to suffer and that when they struggle to cope with the embargoes that would have been imposed on the fabric of the economy, they would then rebel against their government.  Every day that passes with the sanctions in place, you can actually see that there is an annual review of the sanctions by the United States administration, to make sure the loose screws are tightened so that the people of Zimbabwe will bear the full brunt of the intended objectives of the sanctions. That they must suffer and feel that they must effect regime change to be effected in their nation.

          However, what I consider to be conspicuously missing and has been lacking until the present day has been, for us as a nation, to also now sit down and say, in light of the sanctions, what are the measures that we are going to put in place in order to combat the harmful effects of the sanctions on our nation and population? – [HON. MEMBERS Hear, hear. ]- At the executive level, Madam Speaker, one would expect that at this juncture, we must formulate obvious policies and measures that spell out our approach, how we relate at a diplomatic level, how we relate at international forums, and how we utilise our membership of the various international organisations that we partner with such as the United Nations, to be able to put across the message and put across our displeasure and discontent with the continuation of the unilaterally illegally imposed sanctions against our people.

          More importantly, Madam Speaker, the people of Zimbabwe have entrusted this august House with the privilege and responsibility to make laws that will govern and guide the people of Zimbabwe.  If you look at other countries that have suffered from the scourge of US-imposed sanctions, countries such as China and Russia have not sat on their laurels and have continued to have conversations amongst themselves describing the harmful effects of sanctions. Still, they have also taken specific legislative measures that are intended to serve as counter measures to the effects of sanctions. 

          It is therefore, my earnest expectation that during the life of this 10^th Parliament, we are not going to sit in this august House and continue in the description of the monster, but we are also going to sit in this House and go through specific legislative measures that will speak in detail on what we intend to do through the instrumentality of the law against firstly, those who have been active in seeking those sanctions to be imposed on the people of Zimbabwe.

          Secondly, those who, through their conduct and behaviour continue to associate themselves and continue to promote and propagate the gospel of sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe. 

          Thirdly, we also need to make sure that our anti-sanction counter measures adequately deal with those who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the sanctions that are being imposed on the people of Zimbabwe. When people talk of regime change, they are not talking of a different group of people coming to take over the affairs of the administration of Zimbabwe. 

In this day and age, we no longer talk of colonialism, but we talk of neo-colonialism, we talk of an environment that is created in a particular state that will make the people of that country feel that they raise resentment against their Government and their people so that other imposter administration can come in to further the interests of the erstwhile colonial powers.

  As the 10^th Parliament, we need to stand strong, we need to stand firm and we need to come up with very clear legislative measures that we should debate.  We should be able to pass legislation that will speak to our will and commitment to make sure that we are not ending in the description of sanctions, but we are taking measures to combat sanctions.

          Madam Speaker, those who have been privileged to read a little about Marxism will know of dialectical materialism which posits that it is not the social consciousness of a man that determines his economic well-being, but rather it is the economic circumstances of a man that influences and determines his consciousness and philosophy. 

          The way our economy has been buttered, bruised, and subjugated, the way we have suffered as a people must, at this point, raise clear ideas and views that should mold the way we must come up with our Zimbabwean anti-sanction legislation.  If you look at the United States Congress, it has been so arrogant to the point of coming up with a piece of legislation that is country-specific to Zimbabwe's Democracy and Economic Recovery Act. 

          When you go through the Act itself, and when you go through the reality of what has been obtained through that Act, it is nothing but the antithesis of democratic and economic recovery.  What they have sought is to suffocate the democratic space in Zimbabwe and also to suffocate the economy of Zimbabwe.  With all that and the years that have passed, it would be a tragedy of unmitigated calamity if we allow time to pass without us not coming out clearly and debating with the ferocity that I know my fellow Members here are capable of bringing on critical topics if we do not come out and speak. 

          Out there, we have scholars of note, we have people who have written numerous PhDs, thesis that describes the great extent of the sanctions, but the distinction that we have is that whilst everyone out there has the privilege of speaking against the sanctions, people can march in the villages, people can go everywhere and speak about sanctions; we have the unique privilege of being able to come into this august House and put our ideas into law.   Once that law is agreed by the majority of its Members, it becomes a law that is binding on the people of Zimbabwe.  I am seeking that we go beyond the talk, we go beyond the mourning, but come up with specific counter and anti-sanctions legislation and measures.

          In that law, it will also be my expectation that Members of this Parliament who are privileged to be part of international forums, know that we are part of the African Inter-Parliamentary Union where some of our Members are part of. They must know that as they carry the flag in the name of Zimbabwe on those forums, it is important to make sure that the message of the sanctions that are bedeviling Zimbabwe is put across and is communicated at all available forums.  We must be able to make it a priority to always speak against the imposed sanctions.

          Sanctions were imposed so that Zimbabwe, in the world of nations, would carry the bad image.  As things stand, Zimbabweans are stigmatised.  We are looked at as if we are a pariah state, as if there is chaos, no democracy and as if we are in a medieval clave where everything and anything goes.  That has all come out as a result of the perception created when people look at a country that is looked at as lacking in democracy and measures for the economic well-being of the people. 

          You will recall that the former Secretary of the United States of America, Condoleezza Rice came up with what she termed, “the access of evil”.  In that “access of evil”, was the mention of Syria.  Today Syria lies in ruins.  There was Libya and we all know what transpired in Libya.  There was Venezuela, we know of the upheavals that visited the people of Venezuela. We are but one of the few remaining nations that were listed on that axis of evil. It means that more is being brewed. More will come our way and it is high time that we also take measures that are not limited to what has been proposed by Hon. Dr. Mutodi. We need to take measures that go beyond paying a visit to the US Congress. We also need to make sure that we have appropriate policies, diplomatic and legislative measures that holistically deal with the scourge of sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe.

HON. KAMBUZUMA: Thank you very much for according me time to add my voice to this important debate. I want to thank Hon. Dr. Mutodi for moving this motion that is calling on the US to unconditionally remove the illegal sanctions it unilaterally imposed on Zimbabwe and also thank Hon. Shamu for seconding the motion.

The people of Zimbabwe are a peace-loving nation. When our forefathers took up arms to fight against British colonialism, they were fighting against injustice. They were fighting to liberate the people of Zimbabwe from living in a country where there was no democracy. Harsh, severe and brutal exploitation of Zimbabweans was the order of the day. Vast tracts of fertile land were taken by the colonialists with small pieces of barren land allocated to the rightful owners of the land in the country, the people of Zimbabwe.

What is surprising here is that a country which boasts of being the city upon a hill, the beacon of democracy, and claims that its political systems were designed to defend democracy and justice for all is actually doing the opposite. Through ZIDERA, the US is breaching international rules as its inhuman actions stand condemned by the United Nations. The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US are a gross violation of international law and basic norms of international relations. ZIDERA is saying no to upholding of peace in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to development in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to equity in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is also saying no to justice in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to democracy in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to freedom in Zimbabwe. ZIDERA is saying no to the common values of humanity in Zimbabwe.

The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the US must be removed immediately to enable this country to peacefully move forward with development.

HON. TOGAREPI: I am going to contribute to this debate after the giants have contributed. I want to say I am touched and moved by the contributions of my fellow Members of Parliament. The depth at which they have discussed the effects of sanctions against our country is unparalleled and I want to say thank you fellow Hon. Members.

Sanctions are a hybrid warfare. This is a clear declaration of war against the people of Zimbabwe. Whoever mooted the issue of sanctions had nothing behind his mind. What they wanted was destruction of Zimbabwe. The only difference was the means. They did not come here with F16 fighter jets. They did not come here with nuclear weapons, but they did everything that could result in the same consequence - that could have happened had they bombed Zimbabwe.

Sanctions are illegal both in terms of the United Nations Charter, Chapter 41 which says that no country is allowed to put restrictions or embargoes against another. This was said towards developed countries of which the US, Britain and their allies are part of that world where the United Nations said you should not sanction other countries. They went on to do it on Zimbabwe. We have never demanded a piece of land or a square foot of another country. The whole of our life from the moment of independence in 1980, we never sought to take over another country. We never went to a country where we were not invited. The Americans, British and their allies would want to run the world.

I would like to put this into perspective. The reason why Zimbabwe is being attacked is about our land, the very land that we fought for. Millions of our people died in order for us to be free. The British and her allies never forgave us. They waited to say one day they would come back and fight us. We are the light of Africa. The same scenario where colonisers took our land, they took the African land throughout from Cape to Cairo. They did not want us to recover that land, the whole of Africa and Zimbabwe dared them. We were the first to take a strong position to take our land from the mighty children of the Queen – [HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - For that reason, they said we must suffer. One official in the American Government said that we will make the economy of Zimbabwe scream, with a serious intention of creating havoc in this country for our people to rebel against their government. It is a fight back for us taking our land. Why do they fight us?  They are not only fighting Zimbabwe; they are also fighting our ideas. What the Hon. Member said that when they say regime change, they are not talking about removing certain individuals in running the Government of Zimbabwe. They want to change the mentality, the view that Zimbabwe is ours and we have the right to this land. They want to remove that change.

          If today we would have people of Zimbabwe accepting that they can have anybody taking Zimbabwe, Americans will not put sanctions on us. Why, they are looking for puppets and we happen to be difficult to be termed as puppets and they cannot forgive us for that. They are afraid that the example set by Zimbabwe will go throughout Africa because these people are looting our resources. They do not want such type of people like the Government of Zimbabwe that says no, enough is enough. The land is ours, the gold is ours and it cannot be taken by someone for free.

          They do not want such type of people, they want the sell-outs like some in the Opposition who are prepared to sell Zimbabwe and they are prepared to go and invite sanctions that will disrupt the health system of their relatives, brothers and mothers will equally suffer. Those are the type of people the Americans and their allies would want to rule Zimbabwe. When we say no, we become enemies. Americans must know that we are not enemies of Americans and we do not hate the British, we do not hate any other nationality. We are saying, leave us with our Zimbabwe, leave us with our country. We will not go there and ask for an inch of those territories.

          This is the reason why we are suffering. I am so happy that among the Hon. Members who were debating, are young people whose minds have been emancipated, who can define who they are and understand why we are under attack. I thank you for that and I beg you and implore you to continue to defend the land of Zimbabwe. Never apologise for defending Zimbabwe. This is our country between the Limpopo and Zambezi. It is ours and we will not extend it beyond that. Those who hate us can continue doing so and we will never apologise. We need to defend Zimbabwe. This issue of sanctions is a deliberate move to destroy our will and it is the unfinished business to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle. 

          As a people, I concur with the mover of the motion that as a legislature and also taking a leaf from our President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, that we re-engage and engage. As Parliament, let us go and face the same House where ZIDERA was enacted. As the representatives of the people of Zimbabwe, we want to go and ask them as to what we have done to America when we took our land that was stolen. Records are there that these people stole our land, and we are only taking what belongs to us. The people of Zimbabwe are very religious and we sought to pay them for the improvement on the land.

          Otherwise like my other Hon. Members said, somebody steals your car and starts tinting it and so forth. When you get it, you take it with everything but we said no, for neighbourliness and good international relations, let us pay them for whatever they improved on the land that their forefathers stole from us. What a gesture and what holiness is beyond that? Otherwise we should have just gone there and do the unthinkable, but we are saying they can have what we can pay them for the houses that they built, dams they constructed and the roads they did. Let us give them and they should start a new life somewhere like many people who go to jail.    

          When they go there, they are rehabilitated and they are given skills so that when they go out of prison, they can go and start new lives in the society. Now, we give them some money and they will go out whether they want to go back to Britain or wherever they came from, they will have somewhere to begin their life from. What else do people want from us? We are not like them who have gone to other countries and destroyed - from Vietnam, Japan, Nagasaki, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Libya. They are using sanctions to destroy Zimbabwe. We are not like them because we are peace-loving people. We want to be good citizens of the world and they must remove sanctions.     

          I concur that we need to come up with a really thought-out law that we fight back ZIDERA. Sometimes being a good citizen, you are punished for that. Mwana anemusikanzwa, anozivikanwa kuti ane musikanzwa, unonzwa vabereki vachiti musiyei akadaro nokuti ibenzi. Asi mwana anoteerera akangoti kanganisei, achizivikanwa asingakanganisi anobva arohwa neshamhu. Zimbabweans do not need any square foot of any other place. We have not sanctioned anybody. We have not stolen any person’s property because we are Godly people. We respect the Bible and God gave each and every human being, every race, every people their place on the planet and we were given ours and we stick to that.

          We fought the British when they came to colonise us and we are justified through the Bible that when somebody takes your land and has taken your heritage, you are supposed to fight for it. You cannot sell out your heritage. We are like Naboth, we are just saying this is our land.  It is very critical that this Parliament takes this motion seriously.  No more talk shows, we do not want to continue talking.  As Members of Parliament and as representatives of the people, we would want to complement Government.  We would want to engage fellow Parliamentarians in the EU, we have to go and talk to them.  We want to go to Britain and talk to them.  We want to go to the United States of America and ask them the question, are we a territory of the United States of America?  Why are you coming up with a law that will govern how we are going to develop our country or our way of life?  How are you going to do that because we are a sovereign nation?  We need to go and talk to them.  I really agree with the mover of the motion that we need to go and engage them and seriously remind them that we are not a colony of any nation on this planet.  We are a free people, allow us to run our country.

          As a country at war, it is unfortunate to have some of our people supporting sanctions, going to these places to ask for sanctions. I want to remind this House that there was a motion that was moved to say, those who look for sanctions must never participate in the governance of this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We are too democratic as a people, too democratic for comfort.  Why would we even entertain an election with people who are sponsored to destroy Zimbabwe?  Why would we have an opposition that is totally, clearly and vehemently against Zimbabwe and allow them to participate in a democratic election, when they are sanctioning us?  We are a country at war and there are surrogates of imperialism who come here, go to an election with us, sponsored by the same people, we are too soft.  We have people who died for the freedom of Zimbabwe.  Some who have no limbs, some who could not even have kids, others whom we do not even know where they were buried trying to liberate this country.  Somebody goes to the same colonisers to say destroy this population, destroy these people in order to give life to themselves because they are sell-outs.  They are sell-outs, they are Judas Iscariots.

          I want to say when that time comes that we engage these people, let us not mince our words.  We are politicians, we are not Government.  Government has its own descent diplomatic way of saying things.  We represent the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe are angry.  The people we represent are angry that we are sanctioned for our country.  They are angry and when we talk to these people, we must show it on our faces.  We must tell them the way our people tell us at home.  They are fed up with these sanctions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -  We did everything so that we mend our relations with them, all to no avail.

In 2017, the New Dispensation; the Second Republic took a stance and a policy of re-engagement and engagement.  We engaged everybody in good faith but they continue to call us names.  Tinonyengerera chii, if they do not like us?  We continue to engage them in good will.  We do all the businesses that we do, we are the most honest people in the world but these self-imposed policemen of the world continue to impose sanctions on our people.  We cannot continue to handle them with kid gloves.  It is time that we say this is a war declared on us and on our economy.  The same people who sanctioned our country cannot come and do business here.  They should stop doing business here.  They cannot make money out of our lithium, our gold, diamond et cetera, while they use the same money to destroy our economy.  I think this should come to and end. 

I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity and above all, I want to thank the young Members of Parliament. Some of us who participated in the liberation struggle, war veterans who are here, when we go, our dream and hope is this country will never be a colony again. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – No one will sell it.  When that situation comes, when there is one of us who would want to sell this country, I implore you to fight and defend the blood that was shed for the freedom of Zimbabwe.  I thank you.  

HON. MUTODI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Tuesday, 6^th February, 2024.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that we revert to Order of the Day, Number 4.

HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

          *HON. MAPIKI:  Thank you Madam Speaker, I came not prepared to debate, I ask that this motion be moved to next week Tuesday.

          THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Noted Hon. Mapiki.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

          HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I move that Order of the Day, Number 4 be stood over until Order of the Day, Number 11 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.

          HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: I second.

          Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

GBV AWARENESS PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE     

Adjourned debate on motion on the 2023 commemorations to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.

          Question again proposed.

          HON. DR. MUTODI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Allow me to add my voice to the debate on the Gender-Based Violence, particularly looking on the legal issues that affect this particular subject.  Madam Speaker, this is not a subject which requires that any female Member of Parliament who rises in this House will come to support the cause of women in as far as Gender Based Violence is concerned or any male person or male Member of Parliament who rises in this House will come or give the view of his male counterparts.

          Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Gender-Based Violence issue should be well articulated by all of us, irrespective of our gender. We know that as Members of Parliament, we are an institution that represents the will of the people, male or female. Apparently, most of the Members of Parliament who are here will agree with me that the male Members of Parliament here present may have had more votes from the female constituents and even the female Members of Parliament have also got votes from male constituents from their respective areas, hence the need for us to adequately address this issue of Gender-Based Violence with fairness.

          The main crimes that we have witnessed associated with Gender-Based Violence Madam Speaker, include assault, murder and rape.  I will go into detail on these crimes one by one. On the issue of assault, an offence which is also associated with murder; we have seen the cause of this kind of Gender-Based Violence being infidelity.  It is critical that I mention that in the present age that we are living in now, there are more female married persons who engage in extra marital affairs compared to the period before the current dispensation. 

          Additionally, there are also more male persons who engage in marriages without knowing the ultimate consequences of the type of marriage that they are getting involved in. I want to remind the House that there is a provision in our law that a person can get engaged and marry a partner under Chapter 5.11 of the Marriages Act.  Under this Act, a male person commits to marry only one wife and must not be allowed to marry another woman in this entire life as long as the woman is still alive. 

Madam Speaker, when that happens, any male person who therefore, after engaging in such a marriage, goes on to engage a small house or what they call these days ‘a slay queen’ or any other beautiful lady that comes on their way, will have committed an offence. They must not propose to marry or live in with another woman or to enter into a civil partnership, with any woman. 

          Obviously, this will result in Gender-Based Violence because the woman whom you married under the Marriages Act Chapter 5.11, was convinced that you were going to stand by her and her alone.  It is therefore, apparent that Members of Parliament take note that there is another provision in our law that a man is permitted to marry more than one wife under the Chapter 5:07 of the Marriages Act.  Under this law, a man can marry many wives listed as wife number one, wife number two, to any number of wives he will marry.  There is an infinite number of wives that this law permits for a man to marry.

          It is obviously agreed that when you enter into such a marriage, your wife would have agreed that you are a polygamous man and you will be able to marry as many wives as you want.  I think this Act must be known amongst our people because this will then reduce the instances of Gender-Based Violence which have manifested through assault and through murder crimes. 

          It should be known to the women that when they allow themselves to be in a polygamous marriage or in a customary marriage which is called the Unregistered Customary Marriage which ordinarily allows the man to move on and marry more wives, they must not then be aggrieved when the man then moves on to get another woman if, in the first place, they would have agreed to be in such a situation.  We have seen that some men have suffered from being poisoned as women try to revenge on their actions of getting another wife or wives into their marriage. This is what I thought generally we would need to understand as Members of Parliament and also as members of the public who fall under our constituencies.

          The other crime that I also mentioned was that of rape.  I am sure it was discussed adequately here that we need to be able to follow our cultural values.  Our cultural values may not be written as law, but we follow our culture as humans, we have what is called ubuntu or hunhu or whatever it is called in our dialects.  We must dress properly, exercise proper conduct at work places in various areas of interaction as this will allow our society to operate in a normal atmosphere.   We do not support men who force themselves on young girls luring them with money, we do not support adult males who rape adolescent girls and so on.  That must be condemned in the strongest terms and I understand that His Excellency the President has made a Presidential proclamation that he has increased the age of consent for sex from 16 years to 18 years.  This should then be followed by a Bill that should be presented before Parliament to ensure that we synchronise the criminal court with the constitutional interpretation of an adult which is someone who is 18 years and above.  I would like to thank you Madam Speaker for this time.  I thought these were going to be important points of discussion as I addressed the House.

HON. S. CHIKOMO:  A pleasant afternoon to you Madam Speaker and compliments of the new season.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you and same to you.

HON. S. CHIKOMO:  With your permission Madam Speaker, allow me to add my thoughts on the debate and motion moved by Hon. Ndebele, seconded by Hon. Mutandi. 

This is quite an alarming motion seeing that research indicates a huge discrepancy of women affected versus the male on matters of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).  I thought as a woman, I am indebted to stand in solidarity with my fellow women and other Hon. Members who spoke before me.  I am quite intrigued and provoked on the global database, be it on the reports submitted by UN and also health surveys on GBV.  GBV is a violation of human rights and there is, of course, a rampant increase in GBV.  This should be put to an end.  His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa has always emphasised on women empowerment, enlightment and their contribution to economic growth.  For that reason,  women should be protected, not only because they are vulnerable jewels who contribute to the GDP – it is also very key to also note that their lives matter. 

Be that as it may, I understand that the debate delved into checking whether women or men are getting affected, but the main thrust of this motion is to make sure that there is rigorous increase in awareness in gender responsive laws, considering the provision of health for those affected by GBV matters.  Of course, there is also consideration of the psychological support and the legal aid to survivors of GBV.  Lastly, to also consider the mechanisms that should start at community level because there should be outreach programmes to be narrowed mainly to the victims of GBV in our communities, hence there is need to strengthen the legal frameworks by enhancing the existing laws and introducing the legislative matters on addressing GBV.  This will include either, stricter penalties for the offenders or perpetrators as well as the improved definitions because each and everyone has their own definitions of what it means to experience or to understand what Gender-Based Violence is, but there is need for a comprehensive legal protection for the victims.

Madam Speaker Ma’am, let me put it to you that there is indeed a lot of stereotypes around victims of GBV.  As Hon. Ganyiwa has already alluded, if one speaks out, it will be seen as shameful for a man to speak out.  Mind you, these matters do not only affect women at large, but men are also affected.  I suggest that every community or workplace must have a safe haven for the victims and also considering a friendly place for victims where we could have a social worker to provide counselling in handling such complex matters.  We have remote areas – I will give you an example of Mwenezi East Constituency where we have Mukorsi victims moved by the disaster that happened in 2008 and they were relocated to one-hectare schemes.  Not only the residents of Tokwe-Mukorsi were relocated by the scheme that is there to come – there is also an issue of residents – for instance in Macheke where there is an animal conservancy area.

I would put it to you Madam Speaker that there are many victims of GBV who are far away from local clinics and there could be many posts or police bases where they could report.  In enhancing this matter on GBV,  we should not only speak on these issues, but also act upon, hence creating police bases/places or mini posts or nearby clinics to assist the victims because some of these matters go for years and years without being attended to, leading to the escalation of such matters until they are uncontrollable.

As I conclude, let me state that the research and statistics indicate so many variables causing GBV.  My fellow colleagues have already alluded to most of them.  I will touch base on the matter of GBV on cultural practices or set ups where there is legal dis-cohesion.  With your indulgence, I will say this in Shona; mutemo unoti enda uno reporter kana wabatwa chibharo asi tsika dzedu dzoti enda kwatete uvake musha wako.  This is a discourse which proposes policy makers to take cognisance of such matters with immediate effect.  I will repeat, GBV matters.  It is a violation of human rights and it is a matter to be taken into cognisance with immediate effect.  I so submit Madam Speaker.

*HON. MUDZINGWA:  Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the issue being debated in this House.  GBV has broken homes. It is true that there is a lot of violence which is happening within families.  Hence most families have been destroyed because of violence.  Grandmothers are being sexually abused by their grandsons and most families are involved in disputes because of gender violence.  Long back when we were growing up, if you were to meet someone even of the opposite sex, you felt free because you felt secure as you felt the person was able to help you.  But these days if you have problems and you meet someone of the opposite sex, you get scared because many of them are now thinking differently.  I am talking on behalf of women and you wonder what it is we have done wrong.  All these men were birthed by women even all the male MPs in this august House.  We gave you life when we could have aborted you.  Is rape the thank you that you are giving us for giving birth to you?  Is hitting a woman the blessing that you are giving women for being there for you from pregnancy?  Women are suffering a lot because of men.  Even in the communities where we come from, we no longer understand the men within our communities.  We are even scared to sleep first while our husbands are still awake because we do not know what is in their minds and we may be murdered in our sleep.  All the men in this House - you are free to research and prove me wrong or right.  Women are scared to sleep for fear of being strangled during the night or to face other consequences.  What I am trying to say is that we want to thank our President Dr. E.D Mnangagwa for protecting women.  Most of the time he always speaks and encourages people to desist from Gender-Based Violence.  May all the men take heed of the voice of the President when he encourages everyone from engaging in Gender-Based Violence.

          Pregnancy is a sign or evidence of the good thing or happiness that transpired between a man and a woman yesterday.  If the evidence of our happiness is evident, why do you hit women and try to harm the child in the womb?  A woman is bashed and it does not matter whether the woman is very small and the man is big-bodied, you still see the big man throttling the small woman.  The woman struggles and begs the man to stop the violence but the man does not feel pity but continues being abusive.  I am pleading with all men to feel pity for your women and instead of hitting them, you should protect them.  I also want to say if it was possible, it is our prayer as women that men who are caught raping old women living alone or with a grandchild and sleeping in a thatched hut in the rural areas, should not be judged at the traditional courts but the issue should be attended by police officers and taken to the higher courts.  We lobby for a mandatory sentence just like the one given for stock theft.  Men should know that once you rape someone you will not get less than 10 years.  So, this Parliament should put in place such a law.  Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to air my views.

          *HON. SAMAMBWA:  Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me the opportunity to add my voice to this motion.  I see that women think they are the only ones who are facing Gender-Based Violence.  Let me say that as men, we are also facing Gender-Based Violence but most of the time we cannot garner enough courage to come out in the open and report whilst women have the courage to talk.  Most men are being raped in cars and the perpetrators take what they have used, be it condoms which they collect for ritual purposes. This is another form of violence because it may cause failure to conceive for me as a man.

Madam Speaker, women may be physically abused but as men, we are being beaten every day. In most cases, we do not speak out because our fellow men will laugh at us.  If we closely examine every man in this House, most of them take blood pressure tablets and most of these conditions are caused by gender-based violence.  

Another form of violence happens when a woman lies to a man that a child is his. This is another form of enormous GBV which is being faced by men. A man can spend many years and a lot of wealth sending to school and taking care of a child who is not his.  I pray that in the event of a maintenance case, may the law allow us to conduct DNA tests first before awarding child support.

This is another form of gender-based violence affecting many men. If a woman is forced by her husband to do sexual intercourse, a woman will report the issue and the man will be sued. The same woman left her parents’ house and came to stay with the husband so that she performs her wifely duties, but in the event, that a woman refuses to engage in sex with her husband, it is unfair to the man but there is nothing which happens to the woman. May this issue of gender-based violence be treated equally between both men and women.

Also, the way some women and girls dress end up causing GBV. Some of them wear most revealing clothes which tends to affect all man because they tend to love what they are seeing. If a woman dresses improperly, they are abusing men. Madam Speaker another form of GBV we are facing as men is on wealth. If a man acquires wealth, a woman can start to behave improperly and end up demanding divorce and the wealth has to be shared. They leave the husband and proceed to start another family. Someone close to me is saying in some instance, a woman can kill her husband for wealth.

I pray to this august House that we must unite and fight GBV because it is something which we do not expect to happen to anyone. I also encourage all man to desist from sexual harassment. In some cases, most of them agree to sex and when their indecent deed is exposed by the husband or friend, they tend to hide under rape. This issue must be looked into because most man are serving sentences of crimes they did not commit. The voice of a woman is listened to more than that of a man. Thank you, Madam Speaker,

*HON. MURWIRA: Thank you Madam Speaker for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice on the debate being discussed in this august House. Madam Speaker, GBV means dispute between man and woman, boys and girls. Let me say that GBV happens mostly to women and the girl-child. There is sexual harassment happening whether you like it or not, you face it. As human beings, who have fallen in love first, it is also very important to agree when engaging in sexual activities.

There is also another form of gender-based violence in the form of wealth distribution. If there is a boy and a girl-child who are attending school, most of the time school fees of a boy-child is paid for first before the girl-child. There is another form of GBV in terms of freedom, a woman is not allowed to go to church or attend other community activities like clubs. This woman ends up being idle, not being able to stand on herself. Most women are denied access to resources or exposure to start their own business or even to access loans. Ministries must work towards the upliftment of women and even our country will prosper.

I also want to talk about churches. There are some religions which encourage GBV. You see an underage young girl getting married off to an elderly man. This girl might be 15 years old and pregnant. If possible, a committee must be put forward and go to these churches to educate people about GBV. This will help in reducing GBV. I agree that men are being physically abused, but when they are abused, they must go and report to the police officers. They must report so that the perpetrators are brought to book, they must not be shy.

In some cases, these men are the ones who might start GBV and they end up being beaten. Sometimes women end up using weapons to retaliate while trying to protect themselves. Sometimes a husband and wife fight each other to the point of death or during the fight, a child may be injured and the household end up being destroyed. In our communities, there should be committees which are set in order to represent women. These committees must comprise of people who have the capacity to help a woman and the youth must select a committee of people who are able to help them, not drug addicts or people who are not in a position to help others.

Let us unite as politicians and traditional leaders including religious leaders, let us unite and fight against gender-based violence.  As women, we are saying no to gender-based violence. Let us end GBV. If we face any form of GBV, let us go and report to the police. I also encourage the law enforcement agents to perform their duties diligently. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

HON. KANGAUSARU:  Madam Speaker, I rise today as an advocate for women and children to address a matter of great importance, that transcends political affiliations and demand our urgent attention. The pervasive issue of gender-based violence is in our beloved nation, Zimbabwe. Our commitment to sustainable development and the well-being of our citizenry must be unwavering and addressing the alarming statistics and ramification of gender-based violence is an integral part of this commitment.

As we deliberate on the state of affairs, it is crucial to recognise the indispensable role that the women play in the sustainable development of our nation. Education and health empower the women and the girl-child to contribute meaningfully to their family, community and the broader society. However, the shadow of Gender-Based Violence cast a dark spell over those opportunities denying the woman and the girl child the realisation of their basic human rights. According to Zimbabwe, demohraphic and health survey of 2015, the statistics are that one in three women aged between 15 years to 49 years in Zimbabwe has experienced physical violence and that one in four have faced sexual violence since the age of 15. These numbers underscore the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort to address this deeply rooted issue. Furthermore, the empathy on mobilising men and young men to support equality, Gender-Based Violence prevention through community mobilisation and the establishment of peripherals and coordination mechanisms at the district and community level, reflects a holistic approach to tackling this multi-faceted challenge.

In times of human crisis such as those triggered by the climate change, disease outbreak and economic hardship, the vulnerability of the women and girls to Gender-Based Violence is highlighted. The impact of climate change, coupled with social culture practice, affects women and girls. Forced long distance journeys for water collection expose the girl child and the women to risk of sexual violence and some women to trade sex for basic needs. It is disheartening to note Madam Speaker that even such challenging circumstance, women and girls with disabilities are three times more prone to Gender-Based Violence and harmful practices. These trends on the health system during crisis results in decreased availability of legal management of rape services, affecting timely access to life serving support, especially in the remote areas in the rural areas.

I urge this esteemed august House to prioritise the recognition of essential Gender-Based Violence services and establishment of community-based mechanism to mitigate the risk of Gender-Based Violence and sexual exploitation and abuse. The capacity building of humanitarian acts on Gender-Based Violence, preparedness and response is vital. I applaud responsible Ministry’s leadership in this regard.

In conclusion Madam Speaker, let us collectively commit to a Zimbabwe where every woman and every girl child can live freely from the shackles of Gender-Based Violence realising their full potential in contributing to the sustainable development of our nation. Our response on this crisis defines our character as a society and our dedication to the principles of equality, justice and human rights.

Madam Speaker, I would like to speak a bit as an advocate and as a pastor in this regard that the real essence or real predicament that we face now is because of men. As you have heard women crying saying, “please have mercy on us, please, tinzwireiwo nyasha!”, it is men who have run away from their role.

Madam Speaker, us as men, have a God-given role that each man should stand, but because we have run away from our original role, women do suffer because of that. If as men we return to our original state where we shall be able to protect the woman and the girl child, then the environment and the society that we are living shall be an environment which is conducive for all of us. The reason why us men are suffering is because we have removed the person that should be making us happy. As a result, we are violating them by beating.

Even in the Bible, it is said a man should not hinder or violate his wife because God will hinder their prayer. Some of the problems that we are suffering from as men, are because we have run away from our original selves and we are busy abusing the children and the women. The women are the ones who are suffering these days because men have changed from their original status. It is time now for every man in this House to return to God and accept him as his ruler and King. When you are ruled by God, you will be able to rule and guide the woman so that our women can be the perfection of beauty and the joy of many people. That is why you see a man who can take care of his wife – a few of us who can take care of a woman – every man will emulate and will love that woman, seeing her garnished. Our daughters garnished in similitude of a palace, polished like a palace, our daughters; but what are we doing as men? We are busy abusing and looking at them tichivaita nhunguru dzaibva, so to say.

Looking at them using our money and resources in order to take advantage and to see what we can do in order to feed ourselves on our children and our women. It is time for us to take the diamond and the money that we have and garnish our women. Every woman must be carrying a diamond on her. Every woman must be carrying a precious stone on her – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – And the very people who must do that are us men, we must be able to garnish our women, polish them and make sure that we honour and respect them, then we shall have peace.

The reason why we are not happy as men, the reason why we are suffering and the reason why we see Zimbabwe in the state that we are in now, is because we have digressed from our original state. We have not accepted the rulership and the leadership of God. If we do not go back to the leadership of God, we shall find ourselves, women now revolting. That is why women are now creating a mechanism for themselves to survive from a man that has run away from home. So, when a man has run away from home, the woman will say, if you attack a woman, you have attacked a rock and women are creating a mechanism to survive in an environment of a man that has run away from his position.

It is time for us as Zimbabweans, it is time for the legislators of the Parliament of Zimbabwe to consider own homes and consider own affairs, to say, who am I? What did God create me for? I am a man of dignity, a man of integrity, I am a man of sincerity and I am a man of honesty. Then when we have that dignity, you will empower it to your wife and children. When women walk among us, they are precious stones, they are precious people. They are far beyond rubies, they are far beyond gold, but what is happening is as men, if I look at a woman, I look at the back and say ‘look at the legs instead of saying look at the people that God has given us’ because God said, ‘it is not good for a man to live alone, let him have a helper that will help him.’  Some of the problems that we are facing now are because we have not found a helper.  There must be a helper to help us and our children with us, growing up and becoming adults.  We thank the President so much that he has raised the age of consent to become 18.  In our days, in the olden days a girl would…

          *HON. MATANGIRA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

          THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. CHIKOMO):  What is your point of order Honourable?

          *HON. MATANGIRA:  My point of order is if someone preaches to us, the Holy Spirit will fall upon us.  I think this preaching will make our eyes start seeing spiritual things. 

          HON. KANGAUSARU:  I thank you very much Hon. Speaker.  There is a reason why God is bringing us into the House, that we may have the Zimbabwe that we want, a Zimbabwe of people that fear God.  When we fear God like our President Cde Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, I have seen him kneeling down and praying to God and asking God to guide him.  That is why you see he is a humble leader.  You cannot be a humble father if you are not guided by God.  We thank God for such men. There are men who are here full of this understanding, that God must be our ruler. 

There were two people, Madam Speaker.  There was Paul the preacher.  He said, “I have  fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,  I am ready to be delivered”  I have walked well, but there was another one called Saul the king.  He said “My son I played the fool,  I erred. I have sinned.  I have rebelled against God.”  It is our choice, Members of Parliament and leaders of this House, you  are great people.  Where you are going, you represent thousands of people?  If you go and deliver this message to say let God rule us.  Let him guide us and then he shall love our people then our people shall live in peace. They shall dwell in safe habitation as it was in the days of Solomon that each man dwells under his own fig tree happily. 

I pray that Zimbabwe becomes a place where all shall stay in peace with our women happy; rejoicing, no one raping another, no one fighting another.   Our women keeping the home, cooking our food, doing well,  an environment where we will be running our Zimbabwe and having our diamonds, gold and silver.  God bless Zimbabwe I pray.  I submit.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Kangausaru.  I thought Hon. Matangira was going to say Amen.

*HON. TSITSI ZHOU:  Thank you Madam Speaker for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which has been raised by Hon. Ndebele.  Hon. Speaker, let me thank the speakers before me including Hon. Kangausaru.  In his other life he is a Pastor, he preaches the word of God. 

There is a verse which says, women submit yourselves to your husbands.  We have women who are not submitting to their husbands whilst their husbands are still living, this causes disharmony.  Gender- Based Violence can be classified into three or four classes.  There is emotional abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse and I can add another, sexual exploitation.

Many women are looking down upon their men.  They expect men to provide beyond their capacity.  There are women who live competitive lives comparing themselves to their next door neighbours, striving for the lives their husbands cannot provide, forgetting that they are also supposed to fend for themselves.  They look forward to getting more groceries and expensive clothes which their husbands cannot afford.  The other thing is women expect to have more sexual satisfaction from their men.  Madam Speaker, women are pushing for sexual satisfaction up to many rounds, which men cannot do. 

The leader of our country is being troubled by drug and substance abuse.  Men are taking drugs which are affecting their manhood and they are not able to perform sexually.  When a man and a woman get married, there is a measurement of performance which a man can do.  As you grow older, it becomes less and less.  Such is the war that people are facing in their homes.

Madam Speaker, I am also a leader in women.  I operate in the Midlands Province meeting old and young women.  Other issues that are coming up are that women are taking their husbands’ jeans, cutting them into shorts and using them as pyjamas.  The way men and women were created is different, men are emotional.  Men are becoming violent because they are being sexually deprived. 

Madam Speaker, let me also touch on the issues of the boy child.  When travelling around the country, we have seen that parents, both fathers and mothers, no longer have time for their children.  We forget that children grow up and we do not have time to reprimand them.  We do not have time to teach them on how to look after themselves when they are grown up.  When a child reaches puberty, they do not know how to look after themselves and this is causing them to be abused by our domestic workers, so the boy-child is being raped and they suffer in silence. These are the things we should look at and make time to teach our children. 

The other issue Madam Speaker, due to sexual deprivation, people now engage in small houses or extra marital affairs that are bringing disharmony in the country. This is mainly due to the meagre incomes that people earn, and it makes it difficult to sustain two households.  So, when wives ask for school fees and other things that are required in the house, there is disharmony.

          This is also caused by today’s young women; they lack the requisite skills to ask for money.  Asking is very good and important but the way our young women do it leaves a lot to be desired.  They tend to forget that the men are the heads of the house and they are supposed to respect them.  Much has been said by those who debated before me, which was very profound.  The mover of the motion, Hon. S. Ndebele, requested the Government to come up with certain measures.  It shows that men are at liberty to report on what is happening but there are several ways of reporting.  I think we should come up with suggestion boxes in all public institutions such as schools and clinics so that people can make submissions and do not continue to be troubled.

          In some countries, we have seen that they have set up committees at village levels where people come together to discuss issues that affect them.  I think these village committees should also be there because some people are shy to engage in violence.  In some communities, the abusive person is either taken to the village chief or headman and this will reduce the cases.

          I also want to thank our First Lady, Dr. Auxilia Mnangagwa.  She opened an office with a toll-free number that should be known by everyone, both the boy and girl children and men and women alike.  She is the one who answers the toll-free number.  The tollfree number is 575, it is free and you do not pay to make the call to channel your challenges.  She will then send her officials to assist.  You can do it privately without anyone knowing.  I thank you.

          *HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Madam Speaker, I feel at home when you are there following Deputy Chief Whip’s contribution.  I think we should like leaders who represent all the people when we are in this House.  So, we should be inclusive whenever we are debating. 

          I want to thank the First Lady when she talks about the violence involved in Gender Based Violence (GBV) because she does not favour any side but looks at both sides.  The major issue that troubles us as a nation is of untruthful people.  When we look at the statistics, we will find cases of human trafficking where women are being lured outside the country for prostitution.  The main perpetrators of this crime are women against fellow women.  When there are vacancies, you will find that it is women who pull their fellow women down.  They are troubling themselves instead of airing and settling their differences.  I asked some of the women why this is so, and they said it was because they could not say it in public yet it was happening.

          When a young woman marries a widower who has children, you will find her violating the rights of those children.  You will often find the children being abused by the young stepmother.  When these issues are being talked about, people do not come up in the open.  Even in our homes, the wife’s parents and relatives are at an advantage and the husband’s relatives are abused.  So, we are saying we should remember that we represent a variety of people whenever we are addressing these issues. 

          Whenever you visit the avenues area at night, the streets will be full of naked women.  We have not heard about men but we only find women there.  The problem is, we are affected as men.  So, we are abused whenever we visit the avenues area, but we do not report that yet we are abused by what we see there. 

          On the issue of drugs, drugs affect everyone and there are also ladies who engage in drugs.  They drink beer and scientifically, it has been said that men should sleep with a woman for 21 days in a row so that they are not affected by prostate cancer and other stresses.  The same applies to women though at a lesser count.  So, when women do not sleep with men, they tend to become irritable.  This is in reference to those men who stay in South Africa for six months or more without physically meeting their spouses.  They are affected by certain diseases.  So, whenever couples copulate, aspirin is produced.  When the aspirin is not released, it causes pain in the woman’s body.  So, we should seriously look into this issue because it affects everyone of us. 

A woman becomes sick when she abstains from sex for a long time.  Some of the cancers that afflict women are because of that.  When a woman loses her husband, she will say I am still young but the relatives do not allow the widowed wife to see another man. Therefore, I propose that the law about that issue must be amended so that if she wants to be satisfied sexually, she should go ahead.

Most of our parents are living in abject poverty because their children are busy abusing alcohol and drugs. A lot of these young people do not take care of their parents, their earnings are wasted on alcohol and drug abuse.  Some of the parents include even Hon. Members of Parliament in this august House and some very important people whose children have become irresponsible because of drug abuse.  During church services, you find young ladies donating blankets to the pastor, yet their parents are living in poverty in the rural areas.  So neglecting parents is an abuse on its own. Our parents looked after the seven of you but the seven of us cannot even look after one parent.  These are some of the issues that we should look at which are troubling us as a nation. 

Children are abusing drugs to the extent that they spend days lying motionless.  The issue of drugs is also affecting a lot of men and women because a woman leaves his father and mother so that she clings to her husband, however, men nowadays are using Crystal Meth and Dagga which affects their sexual performance in the home.   Therefore, women in the homes are depressed because of the lack of sexual satisfaction that they are supposed to be receiving from their husbands.  So when it comes to these issues, let us come up with legislation that rectifies these anomalies in our family setups.

Madam Speaker Ma’am, I thought that the Government should come up with a law that women should be empowered so that they can go to vocational training centers where they can be trained.  Some of the things that are causing gender-based violence is because when you get home, a woman cannot even buy a box of matches.  As a man, when I look at her, I will start asking myself how I got married to this woman.  Vocational training centers should be opened for ladies. 

Drugs are the major cause of gender-based violence because children end up wanting to sleep with their parents which is a very shameless thing.  On the other hand, men are not being sexually active when their women want sex.  I am urging men and women to keep the fire burning as married couples.  Drugs can lead to impotency in men.  As I sit down, married couples should endeavour to sexually satisfy each other because this is a very big issue. If there is no sex in the home, we have a big challenge as a nation.  I thank you.

*HON. KARIKOGA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and compliments of the new season.  I would like to add my voice to the issue of gender-based violence.  Gender-based violence problems came up from sanctions because financially, people are struggling, as a result, there is a lot of violence in the communities and the country at large. 

The other challenge is these days we have child-headed families who also end up getting into early marriages as well. Child marriages have caused a lot of problems in societies because these children have no one to teach them good morals and behaviour.  Someone said in the Apostolic Sect, some are married at the age of 15 years.  My question is how can a 15-year-old girl be able to sexually satisfy a man?

Madam Speaker, the other challenge that we have is that as parents, we accept the lobola of a child whom we have not taught what to do in a home. At the end of the day, we end up having challenges in our homes leading to gender-based violence. 

The other challenge nowadays is that married women are the ones who are more promiscuous.  They are the ones who engage in prostitution, and statistics of murders or gender-based violence are because of those promiscuous women.  Women nowadays love material things, though I am not putting the blame solely on women but men also have turned into drunkards.  Men spent most of their time in the beer halls drinking beer. This is troubling the men because it has lowered their life expectancy. Someone said if you see dark coloured men like me, it points out to some other issues like whether they are being sexually satisfied or not.

          I want to thank other Hon. Members who have spoken before me. As men, even in this august House, you may find that there is something that is lacking in some of us because of the way we were created by God. Generally, as men we do not talk that much, but in a minute a woman can say 20 000 words before a man responds. If you become talkative as a woman, men will find it difficult to accommodate you.

          Twenty years ago, when ZANU PF was in control of local councils, I remember in Kwekwe where I grew up, there was a youth centre which had social workers who would help men and young boys so that they will not end up in violent circumstances. It is my plea that if it was possible, the social workers should be returned in council facilities. The other thing is that we are leaving everything to NGOs to run our homes. It does not mean that before NGOs came, men and women did not fight in the homes. There were ways in our culture on how married couples would solve issues without violence.

I had an opportunity of attending the First Lady’s programme which is referred to as nhanga/gota. I had an opportunity to attend one such programme which was held at Chief Njelele’s homestead. I went to the boys’ section and what I witnessed, boys being taught before they get into marriage was out of this world. If all the young boys would get the chance of being educated on these aspects, I think everyone would know what it is that separates men from boys. I do not know what the girls were being taught, but if it was the same like what I witnessed, I think we can come up with a very good nation because of those teachings. My plea to the Hon. Members is that we should not wait for the First Lady to teach us such programmes, but encourage our communities to teach the young generation. For this domestic violence to end, I think it only comes through education and not through NGOs.

I want to thank Hon. Ndebele for bringing this motion and I also want to thank all the Hon. Members who have spoken before me. If we keep on talking about it, I think violence would end in the homes. I thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karikoga, please bear with me. The reason why I said put that other “word” in a polite manner, I am actually trying to protect you from your electorate. You know what will happen if they find out that you said that “word” in Parliament, 2028 you may not come back. I am sorry. Please forgive me.

*HON. MACHINGURA: I just have a few words to say.  Firstly, I want to thank all the speakers who debated on Gender-Based Violence. My prayer is that you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Members present, are protected on everything that has been articulated in this House. All this is like war to me and it is a war between men and women, boys and girls. So, I want to take you in an imaginary world. If today our country was going to be divided into two equal parts that men should go and stay on their own and women stay on their own, I do not know who it will be between men and women to first cross the boundary to the other side.

A man and a woman are very important people who should stay together in love bringing up their family. It is said that when God created everything else, at the end he said it was not good for a man to stay alone. So, he looked at everything and put the man to sleep. There is something that he took out of the man and he made a woman. When the man woke up, no one pointed out to him that there is a woman. When the man saw the woman, he said, “this is a bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” That is what he said which when he saw this person, he saw that they were the same thing created at the same time.

When did all these troubles start Madam Speaker? I will not go into much details, but I have two quotations which I want to point out. This is troubling the men because it has lowered their life expectancy. Someone said if you see dark coloured men like me, it points out to some other issues like whether they are being sexually satisfied or not.

          I want to thank other Hon. Members who have spoken before me. As men, even in this august House, you may find that there is something that is lacking in some of us because of the way we were created by God. Generally, as men we do not talk that much, but in a minute a woman can say 20 000 words before a man responds. If you become talkative as a woman, men will find it difficult to accommodate you.

          Twenty years ago, when ZANU PF was in control of local councils, I remember in Kwekwe where I grew up, there was a youth centre which had social workers who would help men and young boys so that they will not end up in violent circumstances. It is my plea that if it was possible, the social workers should be returned in council facilities. The other thing is that we are leaving everything to NGOs to run our homes. It does not mean that before NGOs came, men and women did not fight in the homes. There were ways in our culture on how married couples would solve issues without violence.

I had an opportunity of attending the First Lady’s programme which is referred to as nhanga/gota. I had an opportunity to attend one such programme which was held at Chief Njelele’s homestead. I went to the boys’ section and what I witnessed, boys being taught before they get into marriage was out of this world. If all the young boys would get the chance of being educated on these aspects, I think everyone would know what it is that separates men from boys. I do not know what the girls were being taught, but if it was the same like what I witnessed, I think we can come up with a very good nation because of those teachings. My plea to the Hon. Members is that we should not wait for the First Lady to teach us such programmes, but encourage our communities to teach the young generation. For this domestic violence to end, I think it only comes through education and not through NGOs.

I want to thank Hon. Ndebele for bringing this motion and I also want to thank all the Hon. Members who have spoken before me. If we keep on talking about it, I think violence would end in the homes. I thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Karikoga, please bear with me. The reason why I said put that other “word” in a polite manner, I am actually trying to protect you from your electorate. You know what will happen if they find out that you said that “word” in Parliament, 2028 you may not come back. I am sorry. Please forgive me.

*HON. MACHINGURA: I just have a few words to say.  Firstly, I want to thank all the speakers who debated on Gender-Based Violence. My prayer is that you Madam Speaker and the Hon. Members present, are protected on everything that has been articulated in this House. All this is like war to me and it is a war between men and women, boys and girls. So, I want to take you in an imaginary world. If today our country was going to be divided into two equal parts that men should go and stay on their own and women stay on their own, I do not know who it will be between men and women to first cross the boundary to the other side.

A man and a woman are very important people who should stay together in love bringing up their family. It is said that when God created everything else, at the end he said it was not good for a man to stay alone. So, he looked at everything and put the man to sleep. There is something that he took out of the man and he made a woman. When the man woke up, no one pointed out to him that there is a woman. When the man saw the woman, he said, “this is a bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” That is what he said which when he saw this person, he saw that they were the same thing created at the same time.

When did all these troubles start Madam Speaker? I will not go into much details, but I have two quotations which I want to point out. The book of Proverbs says “Whosoever finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord.” It is referring to a man and woman. The other one says “Houses and wealth, all those can be inherited from our parents, but a righteous woman comes from the Lord”. These are the quotations that I want to talk about. Today the troubles that we are facing, if we go back to the beginning, you find that it was not like that. Even children who were brought up in those houses were morally upright.

          The issue that I want to give you an example comes by the Spirit because the Spirit will bear things that we cannot believe. There are two kinds of spirits. There were two ladies who were sleeping with their children and the other child died and that one with the child who died wanted to take the child of the one who had not died. So these women went to the King and the King saw that it was difficult to come up with a verdict. The King in the end, through the wisdom of God said, “bring me a knife so that I cut the child into two pieces so that I will give each of you a piece.”

          The one whose child had died was happy that I can get my piece, but the mother of the child said no, instead, if you cutting this child, it means the child will die, rather give the child to this lady. So, on the issue of some ladies who say they do not have money, let us go to the story of Potiphar’s wife. She was married to a rich man and she was very rich and could do whatever she wanted. Therefore, because of the spirit that befell her, she was tempted by the boy who was in her house. She called her because she wanted to sleep with him, but Joseph refused and said no, everything in this house I can touch except you.

          This woman started behaving in a way to attract Joseph. Joseph realised that what this woman was trying to do was not proper, he was able to resist that. If we let that kind of spirit grow in us and we leave it unattended, it becomes too huge that we will not be able to solve it. I think we should go back to the beginning and kill the evil spirit that is befalling upon our people. I once boarded a lift where there were ladies. I had been given a lift and they started talking about their challenges. They were complaining about men and some of the women said ah, you are having these challenges because you have not become promiscuous. You should go out so that the man would behave.

          You find that those ladies who are not married are the ones who are now teaching ladies on marriage. I think we should tame them and fight against these evil spirits so that we can live well. Men and women can live well with their families without any violence, children respecting their children and parents respecting their parents. You find that people are fighting all over. If we go back to our background, you find that people are being given love portions. I do not know what we can do, but what I can only cry about is the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Thank you.

          HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

          HON. P. ZHOU: I second.

          Motion put and agreed to.

          Debate to resume: Tuesday, 6^th February, 2024.

          On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. P. ZHOU, the House adjourned at Twenty-nine Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.