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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 13 NOVEMBER 2018 45 16
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 13th November, 2018
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMEMTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
CHANGES TO PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House of the following changes to the Membership of Committees, which I want to say should be the last;
- Karenyi to serve on the Portfolio Committee on
Transport and Infrastructural Development;
- T. Saruwaka to serve on the Portfolio Committee on
Youth Sports and Recreation;
- Mushayi to serve on the Portfolio Committee on
Public Service Labour and Social Welfare;
- Murayi to serve on the Portfolio Committee on
Mines and Mining Development;
- Chimbaira moves from the Portfolio Committee on Youth Sports and Recreation to the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services;
- F. Ncube moves from the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; and
- Sikhala moves from the Portfolio Committee Youth Sports and Recreation to the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services.
SPORTING ACTIVITIES
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to advise the House that all Hon.
Members interested in sporting activities are invited to a meeting tomorrow, Wednesday 14th November 2018 at 1200 hours in the
National Assembly.
INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE JOINT BUSINESS OF THE
HOUSES COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the inaugural meeting of the Joint Business of the Houses Committee will be held on Thursday 15th November, 2018 at 0900 hours in the Senate Chamber.
INVITATION TO A CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that there will be a Roman Catholic Church service tomorrow, Wednesday, 15th November, 2018 at 1215 hours in the Senate Chamber. All Catholic and non-catholic members are invited.
INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE ZIMBABWE WOMEN’S
PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS
THE HON. SPEAKER: I wish to remind all female Members of
Parliament that the inaugural meeting of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) will be held on Wednesday, 14th November, 2018 at 0830 hours in the Senate Chamber.
HON. SIKHALA: On a point of order, in terms of Standing
Order Number 68 (d)….
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have already passed that stage. Why were you not up standing until I called upon the Clerk to say something then you stand? Is that procedural?
HON. SIKHALA: My apologies Mr. Speaker Sir. But on a point of order, in terms of Standing Order Number 68 (d) as read with
Standing Order Number 69, I stand here on behalf of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services to give an expression that the way our Chairman and the Committee were treated during the Pre-Budget Conference in Bulawayo raised a lot of disenchantment among the group members. When all ….
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Please switch off your microphone. That matter should have been raised at the material time in Bulawayo and there was an open debate to that effect. The matter should have been raised accordingly.
Secondly, Hon. Sikhala has no standi because he was not a member then, according to the announcement we have made –
[Laughter.] –
MOTION
REPORT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION FOR THE
YEAR 2017
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission for the year 2017.
HON. BITI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise on a point of order. The report was not put in our pigeon holes. We are not able to debate but we are dying to debate. We kindly ask the leadership of Parliament and the Ministry to put the report in our pigeon holes.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Let me confer with the Clerk before I respond. Hon. Biti is correct. Hon. Members needed to have sight of that report and should have read it so that they can debate meaningfully.
As a matter of interest, who chairs the Committee on Justice? Hon.
Mataranyika, is it? Have you received the report?
HON. MATARANYIKA: No, I have not received the report.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Has your Committee debated that
report?
HON. MATARANYIKA: No, Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you.
HON. BITI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 14th November, 2018.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, would the scribers who are
writing the registers please do so quietly.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ADDRESS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the
Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. NYATHI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I stand to support the motion by
Hon. Kwaramba and seconded by Hon. Musabayana on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is my first time to come to the Parliament of Zimbabwe. I just want you to understand the feeling I had the first time I moved to this august House.
I felt that this building is intimidating; it reeks of an establishment and of power. Its systems are confusing, some may say archaic. Later, I realised that it can be a place that elevates equality, facilitates the power of people, esteems and properly funds a rich network of public services so that nobody is left in the indignity of poverty.
For too long, we have had politicians too willing to just go along with things. However, let me hasten to say in this new dispensation, all are called to give our best in order to lift the economy of our beloved country Zimbabwe. After all, this is the only country we call ours, our
God-given Zimbabwe – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, God in his wisdom, has made us Zimbabweans
because we are the ones with the zeal, the stamina, the fibre and all it takes to make Zimbabwe the best country under the sun.
Hon. Sibanda having been greeting other Hon. Members.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Hon. Sibanda, this is not
time for the ritual of greetings. You do it outside the House. Thank you.
HON. NYATHI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am conscious that I am unworthy of the task which is imposed upon me, but following the faith and trust bestowed upon me by the people from my constituency, I will,
God willing, do my best. The task falls on me and those in this august House set to work for the people. Therefore, I must claim the indulgence of this House while I serve my constituency and my country, that the atmosphere be conducive to a working and not a jeering team.
Mr. Speaker Sir, at times I sit and observe with amazement the behaviour exhibited in this House. I wonder if our wives, husbands, children and even our constituents behaved the same, would Zimbabwe be governable? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Our ordination into our various offices is God-given and hence, there is need for us to individually look inside us and say, ‘am I fulfilling the dictates of my calling?’
I will not go to any length into the growth and history of the feeling in favour of the State of the Nation Address, it is well set out in a very able speech by His Excellency, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa during the official opening of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe on the 18th of September, 2018. I cannot expect to add anything to the very clear, lucid statements of my President, both in another place and in his speech to the country and Parliamentarians.
However, it may be said that this is no new desire on the part of the people of Zimbabwe, whether they have left this country or not, dreamt of better legislators who are not politically minded but people oriented and bear the solutions to our difficulties. Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to say to my dear Hon. Members, may I draw your attention on why the
State of the Nation Address by His Excellency was very important to the people of my constituency, Shurugwi North. He talked about the constitutionally enshrined provisions of devolution of Government powers and his double emphasis on the new dispensation and the mantra, Zimbabwe is open for business – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Mr. Speaker Sir, Shurugwi is at the centre of the Great Dyke and boasts of several minerals ranging from gold, platinum, chrome and many more discovered and undiscovered. For a long time, this small town helped to develop and grow countries like Germany, France and Britain as they siphoned our riches to their own countries whilst our town remained a lay-by of lights with no meaningful development, no employment and no faith in the offering of the future. I therefore would like to submit to this House that Shurugwi has embraced the President’s vision 2030 by opening industrial stands, opening resources and making it possible for all investors to come in Shurugwi. Shurugwi is rich in agriculture with its agro valued chains ranging from fruits, farming, farming products, fishing, cattle ranging, to name a few. We have taken advantage of command farming as introduced by His Excellency Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa. Our GMBs, Mr. Speaker Sir, records in the year 2014-2015, 800 tonnes of maize. In the year 2015-2016, we had 50 tonnes of maize. Year 2016-2017, after the introduction of command farming, we had two thousand tonnes of maize. Currently, Mr. Speaker Sir, year 2017-2018, we are now at a record of five thousand tonnes and more grain is still coming in. We say thanks for a great vision of our President Hon. Mnangagwa.
I therefore call upon all within the reach of my voice to come and invest in Shurugwi. We have already placed in tune systems that will help you do ease of business. Our road network, even in the rural areas have greatly improved. Already under the new dispensation, we should start to tar some of our rural roads. Mr. Speaker Sir, the President once said, I will hit the ground running but in Shurugwi we say, if the President is hitting the ground running, what must we do? We must hit the ground flying. This is the speed with which we are moving in order to meet our rapid result initiatives while working within the dictates of corporate governance. In this case, the impetus comes from this Parliament itself to do due diligence on the cross section of 27 Bills that were tabled for debate and enactment in order to expediently align our laws to the Constitution of the land.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we are all called to work when it is day time for the night cometh. One of the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon said in one of his verses, Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 Verse 10, ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going’, and Paul says, in 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 4, ‘For even when we were with you, we commanded you that if a man does not want to work, he should not eat’. Therefore, Mr. Speaker Sir, I am confident, all of us in whatever quarter of the House we sit, equally deplore the disruptive actions which only stop this House from fully functioning. I cannot forbear to quote. May I say Mr. Speaker Sir, to my dear honourables, let us be honourable and truthful in the way we talk and the way we conduct ourselves. Let us have the deportment that benefits our office. I am looking forward to a great day where we as Zimbabwean Parliamentarians, will teach the great and the small nations of the world how to run the Parliament business in harmony though with diverse backgrounds, with varied opinions and from different political backgrounds.
Our focus is not on anything else except our beautiful God-given Zimbabwe. Remember, we owe the future of this country not to ourselves but to our children and the generations to come. Therefore, our loyal team must show by everything we say, how true we intend to deliver our pledges and promises. Mr. Speaker Sir, we have no intention, we have no desire that our colleagues in the opposition should break with all their old traditions. We desire that they should preserve all the best characteristics of their Zimbabweaness by being constructive in the best interest of the nation. We hope they shall shake hands with us and contribute for the development of the country that will bury the animosity that has existed and that they will cooperate with us in securing prosperity for Zimbabweans under one flag and one National Anthem which, whatever maybe said of us has at all events, protected differences of race, differences of religion, differences of language and which will secure for all of those who are under it, the peaceful enjoyment of the industry and the blessing of ever handed justice. Mr.
Speaker Sir, therefore, I call upon all Zimbabweans, I mean true
Zimbabweans to rally behind the vision of our President Hon.
Mnangagwa in rebuilding our country.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker Sir, we say in fact, we are one people under one President, Hon. Mnangagwa. Let us have one word coming from one Parliament and if as we may hope and believe, this House accepts the working of one purpose. A story is told Mr. Speaker Sir, in Binga. A foreigner visited a school, he had a basket of sweets and placed it 100m away from a group of school children. He then said, if I blow my whistle, anyone who gets to the basket first gets all the sweets to oneself. When the whistle was blown, the children looked at each other, held one another’s hands, ran to the sweets, got there and shared the sweets equally. Stunned and amazed, the foreigner asked why they had done so. They replied, it is called Ubuntu. NgesiShona we say hunhu, izunu, which means, how can one be happy – [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Okay, it is called hunhu which means how can one be happy when others are sad. Ubuntu in the language means, I am because we are. Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to say to my dear Honourables, we are our brothers and our sisters’ keepers. Let us revisit our norms, our values, our beliefs and our artefacts. Let us be honest, kind and gentle with each other. Let us have the spirit of team work for the good of our country. Remember – how can one be happy when others are sad? I am because we are. May God bless the
Parliament of Zimbabwe, May God bless the President of Zimbabwe Hon. Emmerson, Dambudzo Mnangagwa, may God bless all the decision makers that make important decisions about moving this country forward and may God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you.
HON. MAYIHLOME: I rise to support the motion raised by hon. Kwaramba and supported by Hon. Musabayana. I would like to start by congratulating His Excellency the President of the Republic of
Zimbabwe and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa for the emphatic victory in the 2018 harmonised elections and his SONA speech which was as comprehensive as it was visionary. It was comprehensive because it covered all the critical aspects of our beloved country. From peace, social justice, democratic space, work culture and above all, it gave the markers and guidelines for the key sectors to drive the economic transformation. Peace, love and harmony are often times taken for granted and only appreciated when lost. As we celebrate peace, love and harmony, let us never forget the plight of those who brought about this freedom and glory, the veterans of the liberation struggle, some of whom are still living in abject poverty, earning very low pensions whilst lacking basic needs let alone the land for which so much sacrifice was made. Some are still to be vetted, 39 years after independence. Mr. Speaker Sir, the SONA speech was also visionary in that His Excellency, the President, clearly defined where this country is going and how fast as well as the role each and every one of its citizens has to play. He asked us all to embrace these shared goals in common unison across the board and across the political divide. A real statesman and in return, we are all expected to be patriotic to our father land.
May I also express deep gratitude to the people of Zimbabwe in general and those of Umzingwane in particular for voting peacefully and wisely during the 2018 harmonised elections, which afforded me the chance to represent their hopes, aspirations and dreams in this august House. This is a responsibility which I shall take very seriously and I hope so will all Honourable Members.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the SONA speech gave us so much hope for the control of local resources. Umzingwane Constituency, in Matebeleland South Province falls under ecological region 4 and 5. Umzingwane is nevertheless the main source of water for Bulawayo. This constituency is rich in human resources and has well established schools and colleges, which have produced some of the best leaders and academics in this country. Umzingwane also hosts part of the UNESCO renowned Heritage and Historical sites, the Matopo Hills. We have gold deposits and other minerals like quarry stone. We have potential for wildlife, fisheries, horticulture, flower and fruit production as well as livestock and poultry. Most of the beef commercial farmers in Umzingwane used to trade their livestock at the Bulawayo showgrounds sale pens, but this has remained closed since 2015 even after the reasons for their initial closure are no longer valid. This has had a negative impact on prices for cattle and consequently, the livelihoods of many livestock farmers in Umzingwane and other constituencies that depend so much on the sale
of their cattle.
We also hope that as they consider the resuscitation of CSC, the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement will address this matter and also consider offering shareholding of CSC shares to livestock farmers in the region. While the Ministry is applauded for the strides made in assisting various commodity producers with command inputs and ensuring that they mechanise, mechanisation of the livestock sector has not taken off. Livestock farmers who are predominant in Umzingwane and the region require water infrastructure and pasture management equipment to maximise productivity and quality of their produce.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the Command Agriculture Programme and Presidential Input schemes have benefited all Zimbabweans across the political divide or region, which has seen production levels increase phenomenally. Umzingwane has tremendous potential to increase...
HON. J. SIBANDA: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker Sir, I can see there are Members of ZANU-PF who are walking out whilst a fellow member of ZANU-PF is talking about their President.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Chief Whip, there is an observation that members from my right are walking out and not listening to the debate. I am sure the Hon. Chief Whip has noted your concern.
HON. MAYIHLOME: Umzingwane has tremendous potential to
increase production in horticulture, cereals, fruits, livestock and dairy all under irrigation, if only irrigation infrastructure and value adding technology for export oriented produce could be addressed. Another challenge is the lack of well trained and experienced technical experts who lack exposure to modern agricultural technology which the agricultural college does not have. It is proposed that the Agricultural Colleges, especially the one at Esigodini be transformed and modernised into an Agricultural university specialising in organic horticulture and Livestock, especially small stock. We also propose that there be affirmative or quota system to afford locals to study and benefit from the institution.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we applaud the continuation of the Command
Agriculture schemes and the Hon. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement for his unparalleled zeal and energy to drive agricultural transformation. So far, even the region 5 Umzingwane farmers have delivered around 560 tonnes of maize to GMB. Our concern though is the suitability of one size fits all varieties offered and lack of in-built accountability to ensure that all those given such inputs actually deliver and are not perpetual food beneficiaries as well. In the Presidential Inputs Schemes, the packs could solely be for A1 and communal farmers, with commercial farmers being assisted through Government sponsored agricultural finance loans, which have an in-built mechanism for efficiency and accountability. Arex staff could be empowered to enforce such accountability.
Mr. Speaker Sir, we applaud measures taken by His Excellency over the last 11 months to provide clean water for all communities, especially the drilling of boreholes in rural communities, clinics and schools. We hope these measures will include piped water and modern sanitation services in all rural communities to replace hand-pumps and blair toilets which are less dignified. We nevertheless note that the present Water Act and associated Statutory Instruments deprived the local authorities and regions of tangible benefits from their water resources. For instance, in the case of Umzingwane, the control of the water infrastructure in Umzingwane had been under a 50 year BOT agreement with the City of Bulawayo and just before this lapsed, the New Water Act handed over everything to ZINWA. Admittedly,
ZINWA has opened up some water access points along the Mtshabezi and the Ncema pipelines for irrigation and other uses but ZINWA charges these establishments commercial rates, thereby putting water way beyond the reach of institutions like schools and irrigation schemes. Curiously, water rates in Bulawayo are cheaper than in Umzingwane.
This is not only depriving the people in Umzingwane the benefit from its
God-given resource but goes against the President’s pronounced policy that resources should benefit locals. We hope that the said Act and Statutory Instruments shall be reviewed to allow local community users especially households and schools to be charged as primary users.
In this new economic order, it is proposed that parastatals with regulatory authority should not be players especially where they do not add value and examples are many. They cannot be the referees and players at the same time. It is also hoped that the outstanding debts so unjustly earned to such parastatals be cancelled.
I want to applaud SONA as well for highlighting the need to repair and upgrade road infrastructure as well as the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructural Development for attending to two major roads in Umzingwane Constituency vis-a-vis Bulawayo - Old Gwanda Road and Esigodini-Falcon turn off as well as some internal roads within the district. We are highly encouraged that in the new order, road infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation gets top priority. However, more needs to be done especially on feeder roads and those connecting newly resettled farms. As we go forward, we also hope that the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development will look at the issue of spreading the toll fees to urban motorists. While the current user-paysprinciple seems fair and just, it fails to recognise that the majority of motorists who rarely pay toll fees, benefit from the same, if not disproportionately.
HON. SIKHALA: On a pint of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I think we must give respect to this House. This House is not a bedroom. Anybody who thinks that he or she wants to sleep must go out of the House and sleep at home. The Hon. Member seated there who is saying ah-h was asleep all the time when the debate was taking place.
The period and time to use this House as a bedroom is over. Those who want to sleep, please advise them to go home and sleep and come here when the sleep is gone. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Members, yes, we will ask the media to focus on those who are sleeping – [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.] -
HON. MAYIHLOME: Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to argue that the
urban motorists must share the burden of paying toll fees too if they are to continue benefiting from ZINARA funding for road rehabilitation and construction of bypass roads to ease congestion in urban centres. The multiplicity or entities responsible for roads in rural constituencies affect accountability, leading to possible duplication of efforts and finger pointing. When motorists travel from one point to another within the district, they care not about whether they are traversing a DDF road, urban authority road, rural council road or a ZINARA road. After all, the licencing office is just one, hence the need to streamline this area.
Perhaps ZINARA should just buy equipment and let agencies like
DDF and rural council to do the road maintenance. With the newly introduced Integrated Vehicle Management System, perhaps it may also no longer be necessary to replace licence plates each time vehicle ownership changes, thus conserving citizens’ hard earned income. We hope that the Integrated Vehicle Management System will also encompass vehicle road usage to curb and deter reckless breach of traffic rules and stop road carnage, where precious lives and limbs have been tragically lost.
Mr. Speaker Sir, top among priorities as outlined in the SONA is job creation for our young people. We wish to thank His Excellency, the President for this realisation and outlining what needs to be done in the various economic sectors about job creation. As a way of opening up opportunities to all Zimbabweans across all economic sectors, we urge the Ministries of Finance and Economic Development, Industry and Commerce and that of Higher and Tertiary Education to work hard to craft the country’s industrialisation policy. We need to be clear as to which direction industrialisation is taking because in my view, trying to revive the old industries may be a waste of time, instead it may be wiser to identify and vigorously pursue those sectors which can provide competitive advantages, like ICT and organic agro-tech-based processing. In that regard, incentives of free land and up to 10 year rates holidays and free innovation is the hub of new centres of higher learning as was the case in the Silicon Valley and Bangalore. These need to be considered for innovative industrialisation in conformity with the new policy.
His Excellency, the President has emphasised e-learning at our schools and youth empowerment centres and this cannot be achieved without networks, meaning that our people will always lag behind. We urge responsible ministries to speed up network installation and improvement in Umzingwane. Our school systems still produce job seekers instead of people who are ready to take on the world. We need graduates who know how things are done or done differently, not graduates who will only learn how things are used. Small wonder our graduates and school leavers find themselves selling airtime instead of inventing tools and gadgets for use in those sectors where the country has a comparative advantage.
I propose that we also start sending the selected young people on exchange programmes to countries like Germany, Brazil, India and
Israel to sharpen their innovative skills. If, as a country we need our own
Silicon Valley’s by 2030, then we need to start taking entrepreneurship and innovation more seriously instead of merely talking about it.
We applaud the creation of NSSA which provides pension cover to workers who had none at all. Given the current infrastructural funding challenges in the country, I opine that NSSA Act be reviewed to cushion the unemployed and ease the burden on the fiscus. The law could also be amended to allow the employed to save and join sectoral pension funds. In addition, the NSSA Act could be reviewed to provide for the authority to invest in long term public infrastructural development like roads, water works, railways and power stations. Real estate funding could then be left to sectoral pension funds.
I wish to applaud measures being undertaken by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in trying to find other ways of funding public infrastructure, for example infrastructural bonds payable in US$ just like in countries like Republic of Korea and Ethiopia.
Nevertheless, better strategies are required to widen the tax base, for instance higher presumptive taxation for luxurious accommodation not financed through mortgage finance but at the same time giving incentives to those who transact through the banking sector. However, banks need to be called to order to start earning their incomes from interest and not bank charges as per international standard practice and remove unjustly bank charges.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I wish to conclude by applauding the President for recognising the diversity of product range in the tourism market. However, we want to emphasise that this drive to increase product diversity and ranges, should be accompanied by appropriate training and skilling in tourism. It is common knowledge that it takes a long time for tourist markets and destinations to be developed. Therefore, I propose that more incentives to this sector be given and that Government assists in training tourism marketers, especially in languages and cultures other than English.
Mr. Speaker Sir, in our case, the roads also need to be attended to.
It is noted that artisanal miners contribute so much to the GDP.
However, we note that there is lack of harmony with other sectors of our economy. As a way of concluding, I want to say, God bless Zimbabwe and God bless the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. God bless the Parliament of Zimbabwe, God Bless Umzingwane. I thank you.
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Firstly
I would like to support Hon. Kwaramba’s motion which was seconded by Hon. Musabayana. I would like to congratulate President E. D. Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly in the elections. I would also like to congratulate you together with the Speaker for being nominated to lead us in this House. I am a lady who was elected by other ladies and in my condition, they did not discriminate me. I would also like to thank my party, ZANU PF which did not mind that I am disabled.
Looking at agriculture, you know that Matabeleland is a region that does not get rains. I am happy now because we got Command Agriculture in the form of cattle. Even disabled people were given cattle, although the cattle were not given to me directly, but they were given to other disabled ladies as well.
I am happy about that. In Command Agriculture, in Ematojeni, there is a place which is called ARDA Irrigation Scheme but there was drought there for so many years. The President, before he was elected to be President and when he was Vice President, introduced Command Agriculture in Matabeleland.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, I am here standing in front of you and I would like to thank all the Hon. Members who are here. You are here because of other people that we left in the bush and some of them are still alive. The President was speaking of war veterans of this country and some of them fought for this country were it not for them, some of us would not have been here, but we should remember those people and we should improve their welfare Madam Speaker.
I know we are here and some of us are educated and some are not but we were elected by Zimbabweans. However, when we are seated in here, we must all represent our people, those who voted us in. We want development for our people and we want unity.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, there are certain things that are happening in hospitals. When we talk of health, there is a hospital that is called Old Antelope, that is where I was born. We ask that if the Government could send someone to this hospital to see how women are being treated there. Women are suffering it has been said that everyone with cancer should be treated freely – where else can we get a leader like E. D. Mnangagwa. I like E. D. Mnangagwa because he does not discriminate against anyone. He does not look at which political party you come from but he unites us because if we discriminate each other against political parties, people will laugh at us.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the President also spoke about disabled people. He said they should be treated like any other normal person because anything can happen to anyone; just like what happened to me Sister Rosy, and also that women should be given equal opportunities with men.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, every woman should know that she was elected to this Parliament and she is representing everyone and she should not be discriminated against on party lines. We were sent here to work and not to play. I get very hurt Madam Speaker when people come here to play. I say so because some are debating and some are laughing – when are things going to be fixed for this Parliament? No one is going to fix it but we will have to fix it on our own. Today someone has been here for only 11 months but a lot of things have happened but for 38 years, there are some who were in Government, we would like to know what they did. Why should you seek to remove a plank from someone’s eyes and yet you cannot remove it from your own eye? This time around we want to fix things and we do not want people who are not interested in fixing things.
We are here because we want to create employment. Madam Speaker, we should create employment – people from Britain should come and create employment here. Our children should work - what else then would I want. I think that is enough for now. I have only one wish that we should start asking ourselves why we were elected into this
Parliament – no one was elected to come and insult someone, but we are all children of Zimbabwe and I say long live to Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa, long live ED and you must also lead the thick headed people Hon. E. D. Madam Speaker, when I speak like this I feel something. Some of us are educated and we treat it as if it is something to go by. Some of the people who fought for this country are Grade Zeros but they have brought us freedom in this country.
Many people died during the war but some people came here to play Madam Speaker and I say no, no, no. I just want us to unite and rally behind the leader that was elected by the people, because there are no two bulls in the kraal. If there are two bulls in one kraal, they will start to attack each other. In this kraal there is only one bull. If the bull that was elected is still there, we should just follow it. Madam Speaker we want unity and peace and I say long live Hon. Mnangagwa, long live my President. Thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.
HON. CHIKWINYA: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order in terms of Section 68(d) read together with Section 69. Madam Speaker, Hon. Rossy Mpofu is in Parliament for a second term. She sits exactly at the same point where she is and I raise the point of order on the basis of what happened when she was coming to debate. I do not think Parliament has no capacity to instill mechanisms that can assist people that live with her condition so that she can debate from where she is – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Any member who is sitting here can fall into that condition at any time, it must then not take away your ability to debate. I want to move that Parliament intervenes by putting in mechanisms that allow members who have that condition to be assisted to debate from wherever they are. It became a safety hazard to the Hon. Member that almost got tripped when Parliament has got an Information Communication and
Technology (ICT) Department that can put in place enough mechanisms that will make people with such a condition to debate in comfort. Thank you – [AN HON. MEMBER: I second.]-.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member, your
concern is noted.
HON: KWARAMBA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I do second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 14 November, 2018.
HON. NDUNA: Sorry Madam Speaker, before he comes in I have got a point of order. Madam Speaker my point of order arises from my point of privilege after the debate by Hon. Rossy Mpofu Hon. Speaker
Ma’m. I just want to second Hon. Chikwinya but in this way Hon.
Speaker Ma’m. I have often said if you point a figure at one, you have got four others pointing right back at you. My point exactly is that as a House that makes rules and laws for the good governance and order of the people of Zimbabwe, it is us who are supposed first and foremost to make laws that also deal with housekeeping issues in the National Assembly.
Why do I say so Madam Speaker is that we are going to be debating the 2019 National Budget in a few days to come and as we do so Madam Speaker, I ahead of time make a clarion call that all materials that are used by those that are differently abled be imported duty free
Madam Speaker, aware that this country has got more than 1, 5 million who constitute 10% of our population. I ask ahead of time that it be taken note that, we have with us materials that are supposed to be used by those that are differently abled like Hon. Mpofu and that as it might be Hon. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -. I seek you protection Hon. Speaker.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Nduna, order. I have already said his concern is noted and what you are now doing is debating and that is no longer a point of order; please may you sit down.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker and I have already said may those materials come in duty free Madam Speaker.
MOTION
ABUSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF VENDORS
HON. MUTSEYAMI: I move the motion standing in my name
that this House:
CONCERNED about the absence of holistic solutions addressing the issues of vendors, urban poverty and illegal urban settlements in
Zimbabwe;
ALSO CONCERNED with the total disrespect and abuse of the constitutional rights of vendors and other neglected groups eking out a living in Zimbabwe demonstrated by heavy handedness and the violence unleashed against vendors in recent weeks by State authorities:
NOW, THEREFORE:
(a). condemns the wanton attack and lawlessness unleashed to vendors by State Authorities;
(b). demands the provision of alternative sustainable income generating infrastructure for vendors; and
(c). calls upon government to craft and implement a national employment policy.
HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I second.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Madam Speaker, as I will be debating this motion - at most times I did my research, I will be dwelling much on putting reference to my notes. In our country, Madam Speaker, we became independent in 1980 and at that time we had stables for vendors where they would sell their wares mostly in the urban dwellings.
As we progressed with our independence, we had an increase of our population and by then, we had an awash of industry in most cities across the country – Mutare, Harare, Bulawayo and Gweru. As we speak, our country is estimated to be having a population of about 14 million people, but as we have progressed to today, we have lost almost 80% of the formal industries that we had during the time then. Against that situation, the country has experienced a higher population. With this population, mostly we look at the urban dwellers in terms of their upkeep as opposed to the rural dwellers.
Urban dwellers, mostly in whatever they are expected to have, they survive on cash and the situation we have today, about 92% of our population in this country is not formerly employed. There is a high rate of unemployment and people by virtue of us being human beings; we have to look for other alternatives in order for us to survive. You would find that poverty is one of the most serious challenges that we experience almost throughout the whole world. The UNDP report in 2013 was speaking to a situation of having 30% of the world’s population who are living in poverty and amongst that, as we look at that estimate of the percentage, we have as well people in our country.
In our country Zimbabwe, ZIMSTATS indicates that 38% of our urban households are living in poverty and most of these people who are living in poverty are classified as poor and they have to eke out a living. Now, when we look at the aspect that these people need to survive, what is it that they are doing in order to survive? People are engaging in the informal sector industry, they are into vending, they are vendors.
Most of these vendors, their targets of potential buyers are found in the CBD, be it in Harare, Bulawayo or Mutare. To make matters worse, we have had a situation whereby Government was promising all these people 2.2 million jobs during the last election and it never happened. Now, we go into this new election which has been disputed left right and centre in this country and of those who have disputed that election, it is us, the Commonwealth and the European Union. They have disputed that election and they have put recommendations of what is best which will give best results for this country not to have a disputed result. If
you go to the website everything is there and clear. You can read it through and through.
You would find that we have a population of people who are so much into what is going on in this country. Take for instance the MDC party. Its president had more than two million votes while the ZANU PF party had more than a million votes and of those millions, all these people are above 18 years of age and they are the people who are meant to eke out a living. They are first time voters, they have a potential in most cases to do the best on their own, but they cannot access employment.
Madam Speaker, my appeal is that this country must put in place markets, stable wares in the urban areas so that we manage.
HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order, Madam President.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Order Hon. Members,
order.
HON. TOGAREPI: The mover of the motion is deliberately misrepresenting. He is saying the MDC candidate got two million and ZANU PF got one million. I think that is a misrepresentation which should not be allowed - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, I think on
that one you must withdraw and put the record straight - [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Madam Speaker, I have said it very clearly, the MDC party candidate got more than two million votes and the ZANU PF candidate got more than one million. I have not said anything - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, you must
withdraw that. That is not true, you must withdraw that. Put the record straight Hon. Mutseyami
HON. O. MGUNI: On a point of order, Madam Speaker. I think the mover of the motion must respect and oblige to what the Speaker ruled. I thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, I told you
to withdraw that statement.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: The results are very clear Madam
Speaker. I will have to - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Let me re-phrase it - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - The ZANU PF presidential candidate….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mutseyami. I
told you to withdraw that statement and put the record straight - [HON.
MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Madam Speaker, you are disturbing my motion. You are disturbing my motion - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I told you to withdraw that statement and put the record straight - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.] -
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Madam Speaker, it is very clear. I said the ZANU PF presidential candidate had more than one million votes - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Yes. Two, four million -
[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
HON. KWARAMBA: On a point of order - [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] -
MDC Hon. Members sang a song – Chamisa mai mwana.
ZANU PF Hon. Members chanted slogan – ED pfee, ED pfee.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, order!
Hon. Members having continuously behaved disorderly, the Hon. Deputy Speaker abruptly adjourned the House at Eight Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.