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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 15 SEPTEMBER 2021 VOL 47 NO 85

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 15^th September, 2021

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

PRAYERS

(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. SPEAKER

APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS           THE HON. SPEAKER: I have the following apologies from

the Hon. Ministers: - Hon. Dr. C. D. J. N. Chiwenga, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care; Hon. M. Mutsvangwa,

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services; Hon. O. C. Z

Muchinguri-Kashiri, Defence and War Veterans; Hon. Mathema,

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. Coventry,

Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation; Hon. Kazembe,

Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. W. Chitando,

Minister of Mines and Mining Development and Hon. Dr. S. Nzenza.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

HON. KABOZO: I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to air my views in this august House.  My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.  What is the Government policy measure in place with regards to the old 100 USD notes?  I have noted with concern that the business community is now rejecting these old notes hence there is a public outcry, especially from the small scale miners.

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND

PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): Thank you

Mr. Speaker Sir.  I want to thank the Hon. Member and indicate that this particular concern was previously addressed by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development as well as the Governor.  A statement was issued to the effect that the old USD notes are part of the currencies that we are using and he issued a statement stating that all traders must accept them, including banks.  I am not very sure which particular banks are refusing to take deposits of the old USD notes.

The United States Embassy issued a statement to the effect that they are still a legal tender.  So the country of origin issued a statement, our Central Bank issued a statement as well as the Minister of Finance to that effect. I thank you.

HON. KABOZO: I would like to ask whether the Minister is aware that the most affected with this scenario are the small scale miners because sometimes they are issued with these notes when they go to the bank to make some deposits of the precious yellow metal.  What is the Government policy position to correct this anomaly?  I thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: That verges on a specific situation and therefore, the Hon. Member representing the small scale miners must ask a written question and in that question, give details of the problem.  I thank you.

HON. GONESE: My supplementary question is what measures

has the Government put in place to conscientise the business people and traders who are refusing to accept the old USD notes.  I

understand that obviously a statement was issued but what policy implementation measure has been put in place to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe are not inconvenienced.

HON. ZIYAMBI: I want to thank Hon. Gonese for the question which is not very straightforward.  The USD note is not manufactured by Zimbabweans.   When the country of origin issues a statement that it is acceptable and our Governor has also issued a statement urging all our financial institutions and traders to say that they should accept it, if you get it, go and deposit, it is a currency that we can use.  So, beyond that, perhaps if Hon. Gonese has other suggestions on how to ensure that we can urge traders to accept it, then he can forward that to the Ministry of Finance or the Reserve Bank so that they can take those on board.

However, my thinking was that when it happened the first time, the necessary statements indicating the policy position were issued. Beyond that, if there is any other suggestion that he feels will help alleviate the situation, I think they are most welcome by the monetary authorities. I thank you.

HON. NDUNA: My question is directed to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education insofar as it relates to examinations for the children who have started school. What is Government’s position relating to the examinations that are going to be conducted irrespective of the fact that schools have been closed but the examination dates have not been moved in respect of the

proclamation by Government, of the dates of the examination for the children both in primary and secondary school ‘O’ and ‘A’ level?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON E. MOYO): The examination

dates have only been given insofar as when they are going to begin and that is end of November for Grade Sevens. Mid December, we are going to have the ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels which are going to overlap into 2022. Insofar as the point that children have lost time, we are employing catch up strategies to ensure that the children do catch up and one of them is through blended learning where we are using different learning and teaching platforms. Inclusive of that is going to be materials that are going to be given to children and some of them have not been given those materials and e-learning so that they do catch-up.

Insofar as the dates, we are starting with Grade Sevens end of

November and then overlapping into 2022 for the ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examinations. We think our children would have been prepared for examinations by that time. I thank you.

HON. NDUNA: It also comes to mind and it is a fact that children are attending school twice a week if not once a week. Would it please the Minister to move the dates for the examinations a little bit further to allow the children to catch up both online and also physical interaction which has been hampered by attendance at school on face to face?

HON. E. MOYO: In fact examination classes are attending school every day. So in terms of alternating days, that is for nonexamination classes. The examination classes are attending from

Monday to Friday.

HON. KWARAMBA: As children are preparing for examinations, there is this thing called CALA. Would the Minister kindly shed more light on this thing called CALA? I thank you.

HON. E. MOYO. CALA refers to Continuous Assessment Learning Activities. Continuous assessment is not a new phenomenon in the education sector. It has always been there, albeit limited only to practical subjects. We are merely extending it to all the other subjects and the idea is not to punish children by examining them and looking for what they do not know but taking into account their performances during the course of the learning period so that we do not sacrifice – I said in this Parliament a few weeks ago that children attend primary school for nine years and then you subject them to one and half hours to determine what they learnt all in nine years of primary education. So we are saying let us take on board their performances from time to time so that they contribute a percentage to the final mark. I thank you.

HON. MOKONE: I would like to know what measures there are to make sure that children who are in disadvantaged areas where there is no network for online learning are not disadvantaged because you spoke about online learning.

HON. E. MOYO: Online learning is only one of the strategies. We also have modules and study packs that have been distributed to those schools which do not have network or signal for radio. We have also distributed some radios where you have a port for flash disk which have been loaded with materials that can be used for children to catch up whilst they are out there. I thank you.

*HON. NYABANI: In areas like Mbire, Rushinga, Muzarabani and Binga, there is only one teacher teaching Grades 1 to 7.  How are these children going to write examinations like the rest of the children doing online lessons?

HON. E. MOYO: That matter has been brought to our offices and we are dealing with it. The situation is not universal in all schools. Yes, there are schools which are in that kind of situation but there are others which are well resourced in terms of human resources.

Hon. Mbongeni Dube having passed between the Chair and the

Hon. Member speaking. 

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order!

HON. E. MOYO: Yes, there are other schools in remote areas that are disadvantaged in terms of human resources but there are others that are well resourced. What really determines that usually is the attractiveness and the provision of amenities and accommodation in those areas? So, we are specifically attending to that and we hope that our human resources deployment strategy is going to address some of those issues. I thank you.

HON. NDEBELE: Please allow me to check with the Minister how the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) process is going to capture private candidates or external candidates, now that it is going to be implemented so late in time before the examinations?          HON. E. MOYO:  With regards the private school candidates, they were advised to link up and connect with the schools where they are registered so that they can be given the necessary activities to undertake and take them to those schools for marking, recording and capturing of those marks for transmission to ZIMSEC.

^(v)HON. C. MOYO:  Supplementary Hon. Speaker.  Would it not please you Hon. Speaker Sir, that the Hon. Minister brings a Ministerial Statement articulating how the preparations are being done so that...

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I did not get the last part?

^(v)HON. C. MOYO:  If he can bring a Ministerial Statement so that Hon. Members can debate and I can also get a chance to debate.    THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, do you think you can

bring up an update on the preparations of the examinations?          HON. E. MOYO:  I think we can arrange that and then in the next sitting of Parliament, we can bring that up.  I think we need maybe a week because we need to check, consolidate and make sure that what we bring to the House is correct.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Including those schools where there

is one teacher teaching grades 1 to 7, therefore disadvantaging especially those grade 7 who are going to write the examinations.   HON. NDEBELE:  In that statemen,t could the Hon. Minister currently also include issues on the administration of CALA because I realise even school administrators in the form of headmasters themselves in my constituency are only going through the CALA training process at the very moment.  Thank you.

^(v)HON. WATSON:  My question also goes to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.  It is in connection with school associations and development levies.  I have done some research and the regulations for those bodies going back to 1998.  Is it not his

Ministry’s intention to update the regulations and the necessary regulations?  Thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO):  I am not sure if

I really picked up the import of the question.  If the Member could repeat it so that I can fully understand the import.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  The regulations that relate to school associations are outdated.  Are you going to update them so that they are current in addressing the issues affecting the education sector in the primary and secondary school division?

HON. E. MOYO:  The House may wish to know that we are

currently regulating all our regulations and instruments to be in line with the amended Education Act.  So we are working on that so that anything that is updated, our Legal department is working on that and bringing on board the alignments necessary.  Thank you.

HON. MUNETSI:  My question is directed to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.  Is it Government policy that there is a disparity in the retirement of civil servants?

         THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA):  May I indulge

you Hon. Speaker, to get a little bit of explanation because I am not sure which groups he is referring to which may have the disparities that he is referring to.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Yes Hon. Munetsi, may you clarify

which segment or cluster you are talking about.

HON. MUNETSI:  Thank you Hon. Speaker.  You will

discover that if a police officer works for 20 years, he or she can go for retirement, but a teacher goes up to 60 or 65 years.  Why is there such a disparity?

HON. PROF. MAVIMA:  The police as well as the military

are governed by conditions that are different from the general civil service.  If someone joins the army for example, they have the option after 20 years to opt out.  The police, it is the same thing.  So at that particular point in time, they can retire.  I am sure there is a lot of wisdom in that because both services are services that require continual renewal, but you also realise that the option to continue is still there.

In the general civil service, I think we have given previously and even today the possibility of early retirement but the retirement age at the moment is 65 years. It is essentially the nature of the service that we are looking at.  You do not want the police or the army to be filled with people who are all in their 60s because of the nature of that service, though the option to continue is there as well in those services.

HON. MUNETSI:  Have you noticed that teachers who have

served up to 60 years are not well acquainted with this ICT issue and it affects the children.  What are you going to do with teachers and other people in the profession who go- up to 60 years and have no knowledge of ICT which is being introduced now?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  That is a new question altogether,

unfortunately.

HON. TEKESHE: My question goes to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.  Exchange rates determine prices.  In this country at the moment, our exchange rate is very stable.  I want to know why prices keep going up yet our exchange rate is very stable.

THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY

EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

(HON. PROF. MURWIRA): I wish to thank Hon. Tekeshe for this very important question which is basically a national moral question where it is very important that we take note that our exchange rate is stable.  As a people of this country, we really need to have discipline, be empathetic and have to be unselfish.  What we are saying is that if our fundamentals are right, all business people and citizens have to celebrate that by stabilising all issues including prices because industry utilisation in terms of capacity utilisation has gone up.  You can see that most of the products that are on our shelves are Zimbabwean products and this is something to celebrate.   So when prices of certain goods are going up against the trend of stabilising the economy, that is what we call indiscipline in the business community.  It is misinterpretation of capitalism where we are saying people cannot profiteer carelessly.  I think that kind of discipline is needed in a nation and Hon. Members can help us spread that message across the economy to talk about discipline for national stability and advancement.  I thank you.

HON. TEKESHE:  I would like to find out from the Minister if they are making supply and demand take its course and not fixing prices.  Are they able to supply the foreign currency which is needed in the country?  If not, why has the exchange rate remained stagnant because it is supply and demand that should determine the rates?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I thought the Hon. Minister answered the question when he spoke of business ethics and indiscipline.

HON. DR. KHUPE: The Minister spoke about indiscipline which is causing prices to increase every day.  The fact of the matter is that prices are increasing, so what is the Ministry doing to make sure that they monitor so that prices do not increase.  I think the Ministry can simply do that.  They must monitor to see whether prices are not increasing, looking at the fact that we have got a stable exchange rate.  What is the Ministry doing to monitor and ensure that prices do not increase on a daily basis?  He spoke about stability but there is no stability and indiscipline is still going on.  They must monitor to make sure that this indiscipline stops and prices do not increase because people are suffering.  Even if the Ministry increases salaries by 50%, it will be eroded by price increases.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Member, you are now debating.

Can you please allow the Hon. Minister to respond?

HON. PROF. MURWIRA:   I thank Hon. Dr. Khupe for her supplementary question which is re-emphasising the importance of a country that respects itself.  These prices are being charged by Zimbabweans who also go and participate in the auction system which is very open and is being conducted according to market forces.  Basically, within our national collective effort, discipline is very important so that what affects us must be of a nature which shows that we care for each other.  The issue here is that the Ministry is in the process of making sure that the way the money is supplied to the market in terms of foreign currency has actually stabilised and increased production.  Utilisation is around 96% on average which shows that the rest – let me give a small example in order to illustrate the point.  In fighting a long war for economic development, there are those who fight very small battles and spend their energy on small battles which might be the careless business people.  There are those who fight the infinite war which is a bigger strategy. I am sure those who are fighting the infinite war will win because on average the Zimbabwean economy is stabilising and going up. The rest can be little battles but they will ease out because as we speak, the amount of foreign currency supply in this country is at its highest since 1980. So, basically these are small curves on a rising curve. I thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, while you are upstanding. The kernel of the question is monitoring. What measures are you putting in place to monitor the price increases? That is the kernel of the question.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Hon. Speaker, we have the

Consumer Council and Competitions and Tariffs Commission in this country. These are policy instruments or legal instrument or entities that are monitoring prices every day. So in terms of Government, it is very clear. What we were addressing now Hon. Speaker, is the issue of saying now that the policy is there and the monitoring is happening, the only thing we can be looking at as an explanatory variable is the discipline. I thank you.

HON. MARKHAM: Mr. Speaker, buttressing on what you

have just said and the Minister’s reply, could the Minister explain what disciplinary action or monitoring are they doing as a policy, on companies that are taking money on the auction rate at Z$85:US$1? Are they sure that the product when it comes into this country is being priced at Z$85: US$1 or at the parallel rate? I do not believe there is any monitoring. Could the Minister explain the disciplinary policy on that?

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I wish to thank Hon. Markham for

further rising points of clarification on this very important issue. People are getting arrested, certain CEOs because of the issue of the punitive lines that are in Statutory Instrument 127 or 27. The people that are abusing the auction rate are being punished heavily in terms of funds by the RBZ and we believe that while the law is also taking its course in this way, national pressure including pressure from this House has to take place so that people know that a country is a country of people and together we need each other. However, as we try to implement these disciplinary measures, what we are seeing is that these are small explosions on a rising curve. This country is stabilising and the economy is improving and we are expecting that the economic growth rate of this country is going to be the highest in Africa and Southern regions. So, I ensure that the measures we are taking, we might not see the effects this week or next week, but we will see the stabilisation as we go forward towards December. I thank you.

HON. GONESE: My supplementary is, if the Hon. Minister can clarify why there is a backlog in terms of the supply of foreign currency in respect of business which would have bid for the currency and had their bids accepted yet they do not access the foreign currency. Others are unable to access foreign currency on the auction market. Is this not an indication that there is not enough in terms of supply and is this rate not an artificial one?

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I wish to thank Hon. Gonese for a

further question on this important issue. The thesis of Hon. Gonese is on the artificiality or whether the rate is artificial. It is not artificial as it is determined by auction and it is a weighted average that is determined by the Dutch Auction System. On issues of some people who might not be able to access foreign currency, that is very specific because there are rules for the auction, basically.

On the issue of whether there is enough supply of the USD, Hon. Speaker, I have just said statistically and this is true. This country has the largest proportion or sum of USD in the banks since 1980, about US$1, 9 billion plus but also when we look at glitches in the implementation system which was clearly explained by the RBZ, that if there is any backlog that might have been caused by glitches, this is going to be cleared by the end of this September. This has been clearly put by the RBZ, so all measures are there because what is happening is that no matter what, the trend is rising and anything that might be happening is just temporary. I thank you.

HON. B. DUBE: My supplementary goes back to the issue of discipline. What is being done to really effectively punish those who violate the system by accessing money through the auction rate and behaving in the parallel market manner, and at the same time we see them receiving again the following week on your list of beneficiaries? How do you reconcile that with the aspect of the discipline that you are talking about?

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I wish to thank Hon. Dube for

further asking on this issue of discipline. In the Statutory Instrument 127 or 27, there are punitive measures that are there and in the press, there were people who were also complaining that these punitive measures might affect this and that. What is happening is that those punitive measures are being implemented on perpetrators and this is happening. If there are some people who might not have been caught, we will really be interested in that specific information so that they can get into the net. I thank you.

*HON. MURAMBIWA: My question is directed to the

Minister of Agriculture. What measures does the Government have concerning payments to cotton farmers for the last farming season? I asked this question in March and the Minister said that they would be done with payments by May but that has not happened. The farmers are mourning in the rural areas. My request is that the Minister enlightens us on when the farmers can get their payments? Thank you.

*THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE,

FISHERIES, WATER, CLIMATE AND RURAL

RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA):  Thank you Mr.

Speaker Sir. I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question on cotton.  Cotton is a very important product for Zimbabwe, for us to be able to achieve a middle income economy by 2030 and for that reason; the Government has committed to pay the arrears from last year.  What the farmers should get together from the banks comes to

Z$1.5million.

Let me talk about the arrears of 2020 - it amounts to Z$850 million and of that figure, the Government has paid Z$566 million.  The remainder is Z$290 million and that is for famers who grew cotton last season.  Last Wednesday, I met with the Presidents of the

Farmers’ Union and this morning, I had another engagement with them. I encouraged that all farmers who produced cotton last year should register with COTTCO so that we can pay them.  The Government apologises for the late payments but we have made a commitment to pay.  So farmers should assist us so that we can also meet their payments.  I thank you.

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

supplementary question is that, when you pay farmers their arrears, are you also going to take into consideration the value that it had last year and the value that it has this year considering the fact that the rates have fluctuated?  Are you going to look into that to ensure that they are able to buy whatever they would have managed to purchase had they received their money during that period?

*HON. DR. MASUKA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question.  From what I heard, he is saying that if the arrears then were sufficient to buy 2kgs sugar, are the amounts that we are paying going to be able to pay for the same product?  What we are currently looking at is how much the arrears are and that is what we are going to pay.  I thank you.

HON. T. MOYO:  Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. My question

to the Hon. Minister is; why are there delays in the payment of cotton farmers?  The Z$550 million he referred to, we read that in the press about three to four weeks ago but not even a single farmer has received that amount.  Why is Government not expediting payment to those cotton farmers?  Thank you.

HON. DR. MASUKA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, thank you and I thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question.  Government has released the money through the Reserve Bank to Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (COTTCO) to enable COTTCO to pay farmers.  If there are specific areas where this payment has not been received by farmers, I will gladly investigate the specific areas with a view to expediting the payments because it is Government’s view that once the money is released, it must be paid expeditiously so that farmers are not held back in their preparations for the season.  Thank you Mr.

Speaker Sir.

HON. MBONDIAH:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My

supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is; what mechanisms has Government put in place to ensure that the cotton that is harvested is processed locally?  We have material being sold outside the country rather selling the cotton in its raw form then we have more money when we add value to that cotton, so that farmers are paid well on time the following season.  I thank you.

HON. DR. MASUKA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and I thank

the Hon. Member for that very important question.  The context is, in terms of Vision 2030, this is for a prosperous empowered upper middle income society - 12 million people are involved in agriculture, two million people involved in cotton.  They can only have their lives uplifted if there is value addition and beneficiation, if they can get better value for their effort.  This is the context in which Government is increasing its shareholding in COTTCO from the current 37% to over 51% so that it can have better control and direction of this important transformation agent for the rural areas.

We also have a very robust cotton transformation strategy where we are looking at increasing production, that is area expansion.  We are also looking at increasing volumes per unit area, that is yield so that there could be farmer viability.  More importantly, each time we export lint, we are exporting jobs and value for this country and in that cotton transformation strategy, we envisage a system where we will be able to value-add through to cloth and clothes making within the country.  It is something that is dear to Government and something that we are pursuing with vigour as a Ministry.  So I thank the Hon. Member for highlighting that.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

       ^(v)HON. MUCHIMWE:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, my

question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care.  Is it now mandatory that the Covid vaccination is now compulsory in view of the fact that there are other entities that do not indulge in medication?  If people are vaccinated, I am sure that they are safe and the unsafe are the unvaccinated.  Why is it that now we are denied entry in Parliament because we were not vaccinated? Thank you Mr.

Speaker Sir.

THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY

EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA):  Hon. Speaker, I

did not quite get the question?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  The question was, is it now compulsory- [^(v)HON. MUCHIMWE: Inaudible interjection.] – I got your question and I am explaining to the Hon. Minister.  Is it compulsory to be vaccinated to the extent that Parliament does not allow members who are not vaccinated to come through for the sitting in person.

THE MINISTER OF HIGHER AND TERTIARY

EDUCATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you very

much Hon. Speaker and I wish to thank Hon. Muchimwe for that question.  It is one of the weapons that we can use to fight this terrible disease called COVID-19. It is very dangerous for anyone to impose themselves on people when they are not vaccinated because they are actually endangering the very same people they think they will be protecting if  they want to interact with them.

It is therefore very important and I want to thank you Hon. Speaker for not allowing any member who is not vaccinated to come to this House physically. So to clarify the issue, it is very important that the people who are not vaccinated stay where they are whilst those ones who are vaccinated can interact while social distancing.

^(V)HON. MUCHIMWE:  My supplementary question is COVID-19, to me and the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect Church is just a drop in the sea, we are not even affected.  Since this COVID-19 started, we have been kissing each other and shaking hands, we are not even affected by COVID-19. Why deny us entry into Parliament? Come to us, we will help you to eradicate the disease. I thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you bring your spiritual medicine to Parliament so that we see how it works.

^(v)HON. MUCHIMWE: Not spiritual medicine.

^(v)HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, my

supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that by putting restrictions on those unvaccinated or those that unvaccinated because of religion or other views, the Government is in a way setting a wrong precedence for it is actually encroaching into the rights of individuals?

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I wish to thank Hon. Mushoriwa for his question so that we can clarify the fact for that. Zimbabwe is its living people, when we are all gone and let us say for some reason all of us die, the person who will come here might not call it Zimbabwe because Zimbabwe is us.  It is therefore important to know that there is a limitation even in the Constitution that rights are exercised with limits.  The most important thing is that we have to believe as Zimbabweans that life is very important. Respecting people, you only respect people that are living and from this point, I think it is very important that we emphasize that scientifically we have found that vaccination is the best option. We are saying those who are vaccinated can get together and enjoy. Those who are not vaccinated can wait until they are vaccinated to come and enjoy with others while social distancing.

So, Hon. Members, without over emphasizing this point, those ones who are not vaccinated must stay where they are and not impose the virus on those people that are abiding by the rules of COVID-19. I thank you.

HON. MARKHAM: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I hear what the Minister is to portray.  There are two issues on Government policies that I would like to look at.  The first issue and it has been asked before, the undocumented people in this country in my constituency for example, they are many and they are being turned away unless they have a letter from the Member of Parliament. The issue of undocumented people, if we base on the arguments that the Minister is giving anyone in that queue must be vaccinated. It does not matter whether you have got the identity document nor not...

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are now debating,

ask a question.

HON. MARKHAM: My question is the undocumented are still being turned away in queues and it does not rest in what the Minister has just answered us.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and I thank Hon. Markham for this question which makes us be able to explain Government policy on undocumented people.  Hon. Speaker, coronavirus affects all people, those with documents and those without; no one is safe until all of us are safe.  Those ones with identity documents and those ones without, so Government policy as His Excellency the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa said, we want to project this policy.  Vaccination will be done on people with or without identity documents.  There are always ways to identify people which are different from the identity document.  When it comes to COVID-19, we want people to be vaccinated.  It should be very clear to the worker on the floor, front line worker, everyone in

Government, Parliament and Judiciary that people shall be vaccinated and the identity document is not a requirement for that.   If there are specific incidents where people are not clear, let it be very clear that vaccination will not be conditional in terms of identity documents.   ^(v)HON. MUCHIMWE: Supplementary.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Muchimwe, you originated the question and asked a supplementary question, you cannot ask another supplementary question in terms of our Standing Orders.

^(v)HON. MUCHIMWE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

HON. DR. KHUPE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I appreciate very much the response from the Minister; we all agree COVID-19 is very dangerous. We saw it in Europe where they have got the best doctors and best medicines, they are dying in their thousands.  What the Minister is saying is very correct but what I would like to say to the Minister is; is it possible for you to go to the Apostolic Sect and educate them about the dangers of COVID-19 and the importance of being vaccinated?  I thank you.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Hon. Speaker, I wish to sincerely

thank Hon. Dr. Khupe for that intervention.  I think it is very important that all of us know that it is medicine that helps us.  Sadza is medicine, therefore any other medicine is good.  I thank you.         THE HON. SPEAKER: The Christian sects seem not to

believe in these vaccinations.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: His Excellency the President met

with the leaders of all religious sects and that is why I was really very excited at the intervention of Hon. Dr. Khupe, which I completely agree with.  It means we have to intensify our educational outreach and the answer is in the affirmative.  I thank you.

HON. MOKONE: My question is directed to the Minister of

Primary and Secondary Education.  With the recent spike in COVID19 cases in schools, what new measures are there to make sure that our children are protected in schools? I am asking this question because since schools opened, we have seen a number of school children testing positive to COVID-19.  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO):  What has

happened in terms of COVID-19 cases that have been found in the schools is largely a manifestation of community infections which have surfaced when schools opened and when screening was being conducted in the schools.

What we are saying to our schools is that they have to strengthen the standard operating procedures so that our children our protected.  Those who have been found to be infected have been isolated and are under the care of the Ministry of Health. Those not infected, we have to ensure proper wearing of masks, sanitization, social distancing and everything that goes with protecting our learners.   I thank you.

HON. MOKONE: We have seen some schools especially in

Beitbridge where I come from, Tongwe High School in Matabeleland South, they have run out of testing kits in schools. What measures are you putting in place to make sure that schools do not run out of testing kits?

HON. E. MOYO: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.

Schools do not really test; they screen using different tools like temperature checks, observations and so forth.  When it comes to testing, it is Ministry of Health that comes in to test.  In the suspected case of infections of COVID-19, those students are put aside and then the Ministry of Health is invited to come in and conduct the testing.  So, I may not really answer on the availability of test kits because that is the domain of the Ministry of Health.  I thank you.

HON. L. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  My question

goes to the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.  What is the Government policy on the regulation of school fees in the private schools?  Private schools have increasing fees from 350 USD to 789

USD.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO): The issue of fees

has been discussed quite a lot and the procedures for the setting up of fees is clearly defined, that is, the parents assembly meet to discuss, a budget is presented and 20% or more of the parents should be present in that meeting.  If the proposal is to the affirmative, then that is carried.

This applies to both Government and private schools.  In the event that regulations are followed in terms of the process of coming up with fees, we need specific information where that has occurred so that action is taken against those schools.  What is largely happening is that we hear about these things but there are no specifics and evidence to prove some of those things.  Where these have been proven, headmasters have been charged for that.

HON. T. MOYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Is it Government policy for schools where grant in aid is being operationalised for schools to chase away students who have not paid fees?

HON. E. MOYO: I think the Member is talking about grant in aid of tuition.  Government came up with a pilot project for the realisation of State funded education and some distressed districts were identified in the country where grant in aid of tuition was paid.  What has since happened is that due to inflationary pressures, some of those monies have become insignificant.  However, we have written to the fiscal authorities so that those fees are revised upwards.

We have been getting inquiries from schools saying, can we charge fees and things like that.  Our response is that – no-one in those schools should be charged any fees; it is the responsibility of Government and Treasury to look after those kids. So, those children must not be sent home for non-payment of fees, rather they should send Government home.  I thank you.

HON.T. MOYO: My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Energy and Power Development. Is it Government policy to practice load shedding?

        THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER

DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): The answer is; it is not

Government’s policy to do load shedding.

HON. T. MOYO: My supplementary question is that, may the Minister explain to this House why we have seen a schedule of load shedding? Can he give reasons for load shedding? I thank you.

HON. SODA: The reason as to why a schedule was provided to various consumer groups is for the purposes of planning. After the situation on COVID-19 subsided, there was some opening of the economy in terms of the level of economic activities. We have seen the demand for electricity going up and for the purposes that the general public gets informed as to when electricity would be available, obviously we have to ration the available power.

At Kariba Power Station at the moment, we are producing 900megawatts. Two units are out of service for 12 hours a day due to the rehabilitation of the dam wall that is currently being undertaken. From Hwange Power Station as of this morning, it was producing 403 megawatts, giving a total of 1300megawatts plus the small thermals, we are producing an average of 1400 megawatts from within the country. The region is also constrained. We normally get additional power supply from South Africa and Mozambique but because of the demand obtaining in those countries, we are not getting enough power from these other countries.

What we decided to do was to inform the public by way of giving them a schedule so that those who want to do irrigation know exactly when the power will be available so that they are able to plan.  Our situation has not deteriorated much than what it used to be two months ago but for purposes of good order, we have decided to inform the consumers so that they do proper planning.

Let me indicate that the situation we are in is temporary given that most of our wheat is now at maturity stage and the power that we had ring-fenced for agriculture will soon be available for domestic and other economic activities. We are in discussions with

Mozambique for the recently commissioned power plants to give us an additional 180 megawatts. We are also at final stage of discussion with Zambia to get an additional 100 megawatts. This is also a temporary measure whilst we are awaiting the completion of the expansion that is happening at Hwange Power Station through the additional 7 and 8 units and we would be expecting 600 megawatts to come through next year. I thank you.

HON. DR. KHUPE: I would like to request the Minister to tell us what is the current supply and demand and what is the deficit so that we know the extent of the problem. Yes, you have told us that you are generating 600 megawatts in Kariba but if he can just tell us what the current supply is against the demand and the deficit because there are power outages of 12 hours a day for four days a week. It means there is a serious problem. Can the Minister advise us?         HON. SODA: I had given the statistics in terms of the supply side to say we are generating internally up to 1350 megawatts but the demand due to the high economic activities, it is getting up to 1700 megawatts giving a deficit of around 350 megawatts but as of yesterday after there was a recovery of Unit5 from Hwange Power station which is generating 150 megawatts, our deficit has come down to 200 megawatts.

That schedule is the worst case situation but you will find that the hours will be reduced because of the interventions that are currently being undertaken, especially the recovery that was done through Unit 5 which is now back in service generating 150 megawatts.

HON. NDEBELE: Could the Minister kindly inform this House

as well as the nation, what practical steps he is taking to resuscitate the Gwanda Solar Project that is lying in limbo?

HON. SODA: Gwanda Solar Project has been embroiled in some litigation issues which we are still working on. At the moment, there is nothing that is happening with Gwanda Solar Project but after the court processes, we will resume the Gwanda Solar Power Plant.        ^(v)HON. KASHIRI: The schedule for load shedding seems to affect residents when they need the power most. Why is it that they cannot exchange with farmers who can irrigate at night?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister did you get the

question.  Your load shedding needs to be informed by where the greatest need of power is so that where the greatest need of power is, the people concerned can utilise that power.

HON. SODA:  Mr. Speaker, that schedule, when it was prepared to inform the public, there were a lot of considerations which were made, including a lot of consultations which were made.  So as far as we are concerned, unless there is evidence to the contrary, that schedule speaks to the demand that is obtaining from the various consumer groups, including agriculture and we think it was properly done in relation to the demands obtaining from the various consumer groups.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON.

SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.

ORAL ANWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Question number 1 Hon. Murambiwa.  Hon. Minister Soda, do you have your answer to question number 1 so that you can table it with the Clerks at the

Table?

        THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER

DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA):  Mr. Speaker, the answers are not ready but will be provided tomorrow.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order.  Hon. Ministers and

Deputy Ministers, we are not through as yet.  May I make an observation Hon. Minister Soda?  Your questions, numbers 1 to 3, were deferred since August 18, 2021.  In terms of our Standing

Orders you should have given the responses by now.  Are they written somewhere because you need to read them and then submit to the

Clerks at the Table?

HON. SODA:  Hon. Speaker, no wonder why I had said I could provide them next time because they are not printed but I have them here as a soft copy.  I could give the responses if it is appropriate, Mr. Speaker.  If I can proceed to give the responses and then bring the printed copies tomorrow, Mr. Speaker Sir, with your indulgence.

THE HON. SPEAKER: You can email them now to our e-mail address and they will be recorded.  Do you have the e-mail address?

HON. SODA:  I can obtain it and do like you have indicated.

Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Please approach the Clerks-at-the

Table.

Hon. Soda promised to submit the responses to the Journals

Office.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Question No. 4.  Hon. Hamauswa.

Question No. 5 Hon. Hamauswa and Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Hon. Hamauswa, you are not there.  Clerks-at-the Table, strike off those questions.

POLICY REGARDING OPERATIONS OF NGOs

8. HON. TSUURAasked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House what Government policy is regarding the operation of NGOs who are duly registered under the laws of Zimbabwe, but are being banned from operating on a directive by a Provincial Development Coordinator.

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND

SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): The question Mr

Speaker Sir was, what is Government policy regarding the operation of NGOs that are duly registered under the laws of Zimbabwe but are being banned from operating on a directive by a Provincial

Development Coordinator?

In response, there is a procedure for registration and monitoring of Private Voluntary Organisations Act [Chapter 17:05], and the policy on the operations of Non-Governmental Organisations of 2003.      We have noted as the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare the list of organisations that the PDC has approved to operate within Harare Province.  However, we are meant to believe that this decision was based on the policy for operations of humanitarian organisations of 2003 and not on the PVO Act [Chapter 1705].

Your attention is further drawn to the provisions of the Private

Voluntary Organisations Act [Chapter 17:05] which mandates the

Ministry to register, regulate, suspend and deregister all NonGovernmental Organisations.  The statutes (PVO Act) is enforced and operationalised through the PVO Board that regulates the operations of all Non-Governmental Organisations.  Sections 9 and 10 of the said

Act reads thus:

        Section 9 - Registration

1. The Secretary of any private voluntary organisation which is required to be registered, shall lodge with the Registrar in the prescribed manner, an application for such registration together with the constitution of the organisation.
2. A private voluntary organisation which lodges an application in terms of subsection (1), shall at its own expense publish in a newspaper circulating in the area concerned, a notice containing the prescribed information and shall submit proof to the

Registrar that such notice has been published.

3. Any person may within the prescribed period, lodge with the Registrar, an objection to the grant of the application setting out the grounds on which such objection is made; and the Registrar shall submit any such objection to the board for consideration.
4. The Registrar may require any private voluntary organisation which has applied for registration to supply any further information in connection with its application which he may deem necessary.
5. Where the Registrar is satisfied that the requirements referred to in subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4) have been complied with, he shall submit the application together with the constitution of the organisation, any objection to the grant of the application and any further information supplied in connection with the application to the board and the board may:-
   1. after considering the application, grant it and direct the

Registrar to issue to the organisation concerned, a Certificate of Registration, subject to such conditions as the board may impose; or

1. reject the application if it appears to the board that-
2. the organisation is not bona fide operating in furtherance of the objects mentioned in its application for registration; or ii.        the organisation does not, in respect of its constitution or management, comply with the provisions of this Act.

6. Where the board rejects an application for registration wholly or in part, the Registrar shall notify the applicant organisation of the rejection, and inform it of the grounds upon which the rejection was based.
7. The registration of an organisation under this section and the objects in respect of which it has been registered shall be published by the Registrar in the Gazette.
8. Where a registered private voluntary organisation wishes to change its name or add to or alter any of the objects in respect of which it is registered, the Secretary thereof shall apply to the Registrar for the Certificate of Registration thereof to be amended accordingly; and the provisions of this section shall apply mutatis mutandis as if such application were an application for registration.

Section 10 – Cancellation or amendment of certificate         1.      The board may at any time cancel any Certificate of Registration:

1. on any ground other than a ground referred to in subparagraph (v) or (vi) of paragraph (b) of subsection (5) of Section 9 upon which he could have rejected an application for registration by the organisation concerned; or
2. of subsection (5) of Section 9, upon which he could have rejected an application for registration by the organisation  concerned; or
3. if any remuneration or reward, which in his opinion is excessive in relation to the total value of the contributions received  by the organisation concerned, has been retained or received by  any person other than a person for whose benefit the contributions  were intended; or
4. if the organisation has failed to comply with any condition

of

its registration; or

1. if the organisation has ceased to function as a private voluntary organisation; or
2. if he considers that the objects in respect of which the organisation was registered are merely ancillary or incidental to the other objects of the organisation or
3. if the organisation, unless a certificate or exemption has been granted to it under section 7 -
4. has failed to submit any report or return in accordance with section 15; and ii.   thereafter, having been requested by the Registrar to rectify such default, has failed to do so within three months after receipt of such request.

2. The board may, at any time, direct the Registrar to amend a

Certificate of Registration –

1. for the purpose of correcting any error therein or by varying the conditions attaching thereto; or
2. by the deletion there from of any of the objects in respect

of  which the organisation in question was registered, if in the opinion  of the board the organisation is no longer bona fide operating in  furtherance of such objects.

3. Before cancelling or amending a Certificate of Registration in terms of subsections (1) or (2), the Registrar shall cause written notice of his intention to do so to be given to the Secretary of the organisation concerned and shall afford him a reasonable opportunity of showing cause why the certificate should not be so cancelled or amended.
4. If the Secretary of a private voluntary organisation receives a written request from the Registrar to lodge with him for the purposes of cancellation or amendment of any Certificate of Registration granted to such organisation and without reasonable excuse, fails to comply therewith within ninety days of the receipt of such request, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level three or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one month or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
5. The cancellation of a certificate of registration under this section or the deletion therefore, of any of the objects in respect of which the organisation in question was registered, shall be published by the Registrar in the Gazette and shall take effect as from the date mentioned in such publication, whether or not the certificate has been lodged with the Registrar in compliance with the request made under

(4).

Similarly, section 15 of the same Act mandates the Registrar of PVOs by stipulation. Thus, the Secretary of every registered private voluntary organisation shall be responsible for ensuring that books, accounts and records are kept to the satisfaction of the Registrar and shall, within the prescribed period, render to the Registrar the prescribed reports and returns and such additional information as may be required by the Registrar.

Pursuant to the provisions of the said section, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare took the stance to publish and advertise 459 dormant organisations to comply with the PVO Act.

It is therefore the prerogative of the Registrar of PVOs, working with the PVO Board together with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, to suspend any errant NGOs from operating in the country. The quoted provisions of the policy on operations of nongovernmental organisations, section 5.1.1 (2) relating to the support of the PDC is required at two levels;

1. At registration, where the support of the Provincial

Development

Committee is required, conforming to the PDC’s resolution and approval for organisations to operate in the province. The PDC is guided by its Provincial Development Plan which the organisation can contribute to. The letter of support should be attached to the application for registration to the PVO Board which is duly constituted in terms of the PVO Act Chapter 17.05.

1. The Provincial Development Committee’s resolution can also

be  sought when the organisation intends to commence its operations after registration or as it expands its operations from one province to the other. The same statute provides that all stakeholders who discover a PVO is deviating from its mandate and in breach of the conditions of its registration, must refer them to the Registrar of PVOs for compliance investigation and for further management. I thank you.

FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF RIMUKA PRIMARY

SCHOOL

9.   HON. CHINYANGANYA asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to inform the House when funds to complete Rimuka Primary School are going to be availed.

         THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. E. MOYO): In our

operations, we are guided by the Ministry’s mandate of providing equitable, quality, inclusive, relevant and competence-driven primary, secondary and non-formal education at all times. Provisions and funds therefore, have also been made for extra space within our schools with also 17 new schools being constructed (11 primary and 6 secondary). We have also completed 950 classroom blocks within existing schools and rehabilitated 139 classrooms and Rimuka Primary School is amongst them. This has all been done in a bid to decongest our schools and encourage social and physical distancing.

        HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME: What is the

future of pit latrines in our schools seeing that they are intensifying the construction of primary and secondary schools?

HON. E. MOYO: We are transforming our infrastructure in the schools and we are slowly but surely phasing out pit latrines. I am sure Members have read what the Ministry of National Housing is doing. They have come up with new designs, which we are hoping to roll-out to all schools, funds allowing. Thank you.

REVERSAL OF ILLEGAL SETTLEMENT IN COMMUNAL AND

A1 SETTLEMENT AREAS OF UMZINGWANE

18.      HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME asked the

Minister for Local Government and Public Works to inform the

House-

1. when the Ministry is going to stop and reverse illegal settlements in Communal and A1 settlement areas of Umzingwane.
2. why the district devolution fund for Umzingwane District for

2021 has  not been released.

        THE MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND

PUBLIC WORKS (HON. CHOMBO): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, my response is, Cabinet took a position to resolve challenges related to dysfunctional settlement and a Committee has already been set.  The Ministry has already received reports from Districts of all dysfunctional settlements covering both urban and communal lands.  The report will inform the process of regularising, demolition and relocation of all affected people, depending on the suitability of the areas in question.

In Umzingwane, the areas affected by illegal settlers are Wards 20 and 5 where people settled themselves and established an urban settlement in communal and resettlement areas in the Mbalabala area, 40 kms from Bulawayo; Ward 19 of Godlwayo area where people settled themselves and were given eviction notices; in Wards 1 and 2, people were settled next to the cantonment area of the Zimbabwe National Army, the people need to be resettled to safe areas.

On Question 17 (b), thank you Hon. Mayihlome for asking that important question.  However, it is not true that devolution funds for Umzingwane Rural District Council have not been released.  The Local Authority was allocated Z$150 841 500.00 for the financial year 2021 and out of the total allocation of Z$30 168 300.00 will be used for Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme 2 (ERRP2) and this money will be accessed by the Local authority through ZINARA.  To date, cash amounting to $37 286 000.00 has been released to the Local Authority.  The balance will be released during the remaining course of the year as funding from Treasury improves.  I thank you.

HON. BRID. GEN. (RTD.) MAYIHLOME:  Thank you Mr.

Speaker Sir.  The import of this supplementary question is that in 2020, out of Z$23 million that was allocated, only Z$5 million was released to the Local Authority.  In 2021, out of Z$150 million, so far less than Z$20 million has been released and we are approaching October.  I do not see how the bulk of the money will be released in the remaining two months.  This is going to be a perennial practice of under allocating the people of Umzingwane.

The perception out there is that the Government does not care about the people of Umzingwane or the President does not care about the people of Umzingwane.  We want to understand the responsibilities that who now should carry the cane for failure to release this money?  Is it the Ministry or the Local Authority?  If it is the Local Authority, what action is being taken against them to ensure that funds are released on time?  If it is the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, why Umzingwane only for two years in succession?  Other Local Authorities are boasting of buying construction equipment yet we are not hearing that in Umzingwane because the funds have not been released for two years in succession?

What is the explanation Hon. Speaker Sir?  Thank you.

HON. CHOMBO:  Thank you Hon. Mayihlome for that

follow-up question and thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I hear and agree with Hon. Mayihlome that not all the devolution funds have been released but not only to Umzingwane Rural District Council but to almost all the Local Authorities.  They have not been able to access all their devolution funds.  Luckily or unluckily, our Financial Act speaks to that - at the end of the year, there is no rollover of whatever has not been disbursed.  What happens is that whatever has not been disbursed to the Local Authorities is reverted to Treasury.

What we do as Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, we only transfer the money that we receive from Treasury and we try by all means to impress upon the Ministry of Finance and

Economic Development to release the budgeted funds.  As you know, sometimes our coffers run dry mostly because of unforeseen programmes that encroach during the financial year.  We have made it a point to try to pressure the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to make sure that they release the five percent (5%) that is set aside for devolution and they are doing their best.  I think that by the end of this year, you will notice a big difference.

As has been stated by Hon. Mayihlome that it seems like the Umzingwane are being short-changed;  I do not agree with him although I agree with him but it is not only them.  They have been short-changed because they have not received all five percent that has been set aside for them to receive.  They would have budgeted for it yet they do not get to enjoy the budgeted for funds.  As I stated, my

Ministry will do its best to make sure that the funds are released.  The Z$30 million is not much and I will do my best to make sure that you get a chunk of it before 31^st December, 2021.  I thank you.    HON. I. NYONI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question is on the people of Umzingwane who settled themselves illegally.  What is the Ministry doing to ensure that all these people are moved and do not resettle themselves illegally somewhere else but they are legally resettled?  I am asking this question because I have a similar problem in Bulawayo East where we have people who illegally settled themselves and are called squatters.  I thank you.

HON. CHOMBO:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and thank you

Hon. Member for the follow up question.  Did I hear you correctly that they settled legally? – [HON. I. NYONI: Illegally!] – Illegally, yes we have that rampant across the country where people have taken it upon themselves to settle themselves illegally.  There is a Cabinet Inter-Ministerial Committee that was set up to make sure that they address the dysfunctional settlement issues that are cropped all over the country.  We have been going through the 10 Provinces to make sure that we identify where all those dysfunctional settlements are.  There is a programme that is being drawn up to make sure that we identify who settled those people there.  Was it the land barons?  Was it the Local Authority or was it us Ministry of Local Government and Public Works?

First and foremost, we have to identify a place to move those people to and the cost of moving them is going to be borne by either one of them, that is the land baron, Local Authority or the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.  If they settled themselves on that ground, then it means that they will bear the cost of moving but the central Government is trying to make sure that all those people who illegally settled themselves on those dysfunctional settlements are well settled.  We will try to do that before the onset of the rain season.  I thank you.

 ^(V)NDUNA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My supplementary question to the Hon. Deputy Minister Chombo relates to the seven courts of the land from the Magistrates and not limited to the chiefs’ court. Would it please the Minister before eviction, to get a court order before they unilaterally evict people who have settled on areas that they are now allowed because two wrongs do not make a right?  Taking the law into their own hands is called self trading. Would it please the Minister to give allowance of the jurisdiction of the court processes to evict what is called statutory tenants, people that are settled without any permission or any orders before they evict them? Would it please the Minister to get a court order before they take the law into their own hands?

HON. CHOMBO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir and Hon. Nduna for that follow up question.  I hear you, but my Ministry has gone all the way to make sure that they get the requisite court order before we do any evictions or demolitions. What happens is that those people that settled themselves illegally, they tend to ignore those court orders and it will seem like we go in without notice.  We even give them 48 hours after giving them months of notice.  If you have any that we have done demolitions or evictions without those court orders, I will be very happy if you can bring them to my attention, I thank you.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH

NOTICE

REFURBISHMENT OF A TRANSFORMER THAT SERVICES

DEKETA PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1. HON MURAMBIWA asked the Minister of Energy and

Power Development to explain to the House;

1. When the Ministry will refurbish a transformer that services Deketa Primary and Secondary School as well as the Business Centre in Ward 21, Zaka West Constituency which was destroyed sometime back.
2. When the electricity poles that were damaged will be repaired in Ward 29, in the Zaka West Constituency.

THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA):  On Deketa Primary School,

there are no transformers in stock.  They shall be available year end 2021.  In Zaka West, Ward 29, 29 poles are to be repaired by end of October, 2021.

INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS IN ZAKA

NORTH CONSTITUENCY

2. HON. MAVENYENGWA asked the Minister of Energy and Power Development to explain to the House when the Ministry will install electrical transformers at the following places; Nhema Clinic Ward 10, Govo Primary School ward 11 and Chitate Primary

School Ward 4, in Zaka North Constituency.

THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER

DEVELOPMENT (HON. SODA): A transformer will be installed at

Nhema Clinic at the end of October, 2021.  Both Govo and Chitate Primary Schools will be supplied with transformers at the end of

2021.         PACKAGES FOR FORMER DAVID

WHITEHEAD AND SCOTFORD TEXTILES EMPLOYEES

7. HON. CHINYANGANYA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House when former employees of David Whitehead and Scotford Textiles who were retrenched some decades ago are going to receive their packages.

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA):  Employees were

terminated under the 2015 Zuva Judgment.  The matter was referred to a labour officer at our Kadoma Labour Court in terms of Section 93 of the Labour Act [28:01].  Conciliation was done and the matter is now before the Labour Court for confirmation of the draft ruling made by the labour officer.  The adjudicating authority ruled that employees should be paid cash-in-lieu of their leave days and all the outstanding retrenchment packages.  The company’s Human Resources Manager said he is still compiling bank details of the employees who are due to be paid their packages as some of them are unreachable since they left the company.  In terms of Section 13 of

the Labour Act [28:01], an employer is supposed to comply with the law and honour the termination agreements by paying everything that is due to the employees.  As for the Scortford Textile the case is currently not before the Ministry.  However, our offices are open for assistance and enquiries.

Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE

TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No.64. 

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. MUTAMBISI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that we stand over all the Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper until Orders of

the Day, Nos. 16, 24 and 25 have been disposed of.

HON. MPARIWA:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

SECOND REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE

ON THE ANALYSIS OF VOTE 8 FOR THE MINISTRY OF

LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31,

2017 AND 2018

Sixteenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the

Second Report of the Public Accounts Committee.

Question again proposed.

HON. MPARIWA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.  Let me begin by thanking Hon. B. Dube who is the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee in this particular report. I will not be long on the floor due to the fact that the issues that were identified by the Attorney General in the report and stressed by Hon. Dube and other members of the Public Accounts Committee, are a matter of critical importance and therefore, even though the Minister could not come to respond to the report Hon. Speaker Sir, my humble submission is actually for the House to adopt the report.

Secondly, for the Executive to implement the recommendations as recommended by the Committee, what we have done merely after the critical observations and oral evidence is that we compiled those recommendations. Hon. Speaker Sir, it will be a waste of resources if those recommendations were to go unimplemented because there is money that has gone in through efforts of the Attorney General’s office and through the public hearings by the Committee on Public Accounts. My humble appeal Hon. Speaker, through you is that, can we have the recommendations of this report implemented by the

Executive so that we have accountability and we have transparency?  We cannot continue with witnesses who refuse to come and interface with committees of Parliament. To me, I think it is a breach of the proceedings. It is actually demeaning the weight of Parliament and in future, we need to hold to account such behaviour by officials, of not wanting to come and give oral evidence. I thank you Hon. Speaker for this opportunity.

HON. B. DUBE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. With your permission, I move that the report be adopted by this House.

Motion that this House considers and adopts the Second Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Analysis of Vote 8 for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, put and agreed to.

MOTION

COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S

DAY

Twenty Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the proposal for the Executive to declare a specific day to celebrate women’s achievements in the development and liberation of the country.

Question again proposed.

HON. P. ZHOU: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to the aforementioned motion which was moved by Hon. Madiwa and seconded by Hon. Mpariwa. Hon.

Speaker Sir, a proposal was to make International Women’s Day a public holiday or a national holiday for Zimbabwe.  We have

International Women’s Day which falls on the 8^th of March.  In my opinion, we would celebrate women’s achievements in Zimbabwe on the 27^th April, the day Mbuya Nehanda died.  Moreso, because we have built a monument in Zimbabwe in honour of her unique leadership skills in the First Chimurenga War of liberation in

Zimbabwe. So, even if we celebrate international women’s day and we do not have a national holiday on that day.  I am actually adding on to that motion that it will be more significant to celebrate on an important date when we know our hero met her demise on 27^th April, 2021.  As we remember the day she was killed, we will be celebrating other women who made good achievements in Zimbabwe.  We will be celebrating achievements and the importance of women in the society before and after the colonial regime.

Mbuya Nehanda is an example of many women who played

critical roles in the society.  Another notable example is that of

Lozikeyi, Mzilikazi’s wife who also showed immense courage and unique organisational skills.  So for that, I second that women have a special day whereby the whole nation celebrates the importance and existence of unique people like women.

I want to repeat that it was proposed that the international day be a public holiday. I am further proposing that 27^th April be set aside or be the chosen day for commemoration.  Yes, we celebrate with the whole world on international day, the 8^th March but we will not be having a public holiday.  However, on the 27^th April, I am proposing that we really have a public or a national holiday for Zimbabwe whereby we celebrate females.

In conclusion, we can celebrate the international women’s day on 8^th March but I think it is of more significance that we celebrate on 27^th April, the day our heroine, Mbuya Nehanda met her demise.  I propose that day be called Nehanda Day.  I thank you.

*HON. TSUURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Madiwa and seconded by Hon. Mpariwa, that Zimbabwe should recognise the work that is being done by women.  The women folk should be celebrated and appreciated because of the role that they play. We have got various other holidays that we have like the Heroes and Independence Day, so the women should also have a selected day on the calendar that they are celebrated.

Women do a lot of important chores in the country and in the home, for example when a woman is pregnant, she goes through a lot of hard times until she gives birth nine months down the line.  After the child is born, the child might be prone to illness and the women will spend sleepless nights attending to the ailing child.      It is important therefore that these important roles that the women play be celebrated.  If the man is not feeling well, the woman is the one who looks after the husband whereas when the woman falls ill, she is told to go back to her parents.

In some instances, if a woman gives birth to only girls, the man will demand that she falls pregnant as quickly as possible to ensure that they can conceive and deliver a son whilst she has not yet fully recovered from the previous birth. I thank you.

HON. N. MGUNI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I would like to thank the movers of this motion.  I would want to agree with all the Members of Parliament who debated.

Women are very important Mr. Speaker Sir but I would like to think that those women like Mbuya Nehanda and Lozikeyi that fought for women in their days fell as heroes and I feel they are well catered for on the heroes day but this particular one where we want to celebrate, it is an ongoing celebration that does not centre on those that have gone but even those that are still to come.  So, I would suggest that this be a day where we are just celebrating. We will remember our heroes on Heroes Day, therefore I propose that this be a different day that is an international women’s day for every women living and not living in this country.  I thank you.

*HON. KWARAMBA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.  I

just want to add my views on this matter that is in this House with regards to women.  I know a lot of women do a lot of various activities in the homes and in the country.  These women can be referred to as managers. For a husband to go to work, he would have come out of the hands of a woman.

A man is born from a woman’s womb, for nine months they carry, even biblically, Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus.  Even Mary Magdalene was the one chosen to see Jesus rising from the tomb.  Therefore, we should have a special day to commemorate the lives of women.  This day should be there to commemorate the work done by women; anyone called a mother that is important in one’s life.  Women should have a day designated for them to celebrate their lives and men should help celebrate the lives of women.  We should be at home teaching our children how important the woman is.  There is no country that is built without a woman, Mothers are there to bring peace and an end to the violence that would have arisen. A woman’s words will reprimand and everyone listens. Women all over and even in Zimbabwe should be celebrated and acknowledged for the work that they do. I thank you.

+HON. BHUDHA-MASARA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for

giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion to do with mothers that was brought into this House. The motion is a very touching one because homes are built because of mothers but we sometimes look down upon them. When someone succeeds in life, you only remember of the woman behind the success at the end. Even when you look at how we work in our rural areas, when you go to the fields when the mother is not there, there is nothing that is done.        There is a lot that mothers do but they are not being recognised as mothers. When you talk of the liberation struggle, we only talk of male characters and we act as if there were no women who participated in the war of liberation. We have the 21^st February Movement, the youth now have their day. There is a date when we celebrate the birthday of the late former President. The sculpture of Mbuya Nehanda was done only now after a very long time. Why are we not being recognised as women? When you look at South Africa, they have a Women’s International Day, why can we not have the same day in Zimbabwe?

I want to support the motion that was brought by one of us for 27 April to be a day recognised as a holiday. I thank you.

^(v)HON. NDUNA: Everyone is born of a woman and it is clear that man is singular of men and women is plural of men and it should be recognised as such –[HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- My discussion will border on celebrating the woman everyday that we deal with vending, everyday that we deal with health issues, everyday that we deal with drug abuse and child abuse issues, everyday that we deal with water and sewer reticulation; everyday that we deal with housing, everyday that we deal with our minerals and mining and mining claims, especially of our ubiquitous amount of mineral wealth, every day we deal with the schooling for the girl child and every day we deal with farming – we should celebrate the womanhood in all those days.

A good example is where we celebrate Mbuya Nehanda and

Sekuru Kaguvi and Lozikeyi is in Section 72 (7) (c) of the

Constitution which says “people of Zimbabwe should be able to assert their right to land which was formerly taken away from them by the erstwhile colonizers without any compensation”. Now because of the agrarian reform programme of 2000, that land has come back, it should go back to Mbuya Nehanda, Lozikeyi and Sekuru Kaguvi in the same way it was taken without any payment from Sekuru Kaguvi and Mbuya Nehanda because we allowed the Mbuya Nehandas of today. As we celebrate womanhood, it should be every day. If we address the housing deficit through giving back land to those people who are the descendants of Mbuya Nehanda, we are going to be addressing and celebrating womanhood.

Chegutu Hospital is supposed to cater for 300 000 patients where it was designed to cater for 20 000, if we expand that infrastructure or health delivery system, we would be celebrating womanhood. It is enhancing the capacity of our health care delivery systems that are going to see us as celebrating womanhood every day. Formalising the informal sector should celebrate the womanhood. It is my clarion call today and going forward that every day we live; we should be celebrating women. The capacity of water, especially in the urban sector, women have had a torrid time carrying buckets of water on their heads. If we capacitate our local authorities that they provide optimum safe potable drinking water, we will be celebrating womanhood. Optimum electricity and sufficient renewable energy, if it is given to the nation, we would have celebrated womanhood. If you empower a woman, you have empowered a nation, if it is given a woman, we would have celebrated womanhood in its entirety. I want to thank you for giving this opportunity for celebrating this motion that was advanced by Hon Madiwa and seconded by Hon Mpariwa.          Thank you so very much. You have heard me speak in the manner that the people of Chegutu West would have heard me speaking. I thank you.

HON. MADIWA: Let me thank all Hon Member who

contributed to the motion I raised on having a public holiday for women. Let me also thank those Hon members, I know we have a lot of Hon Members who wanted to debate on this motion. Let me thank them inasmuch as they did not get the opportunity because of time. I now move for the adoption of this motion

Motion that this House:

MINDFUL of the important significance that Public holidays, national monuments and historical artifacts and the naming of public assets play in the country as symbols of cultural identity;

ALSO MINDFUL that public holidays contribute immensely to national identity as they reflect national values, vision and aspirations of the citizenry on issues that reflect gender equality, equity and demonstrate national commitment to constitutionally shared values and principles;

CONCERNED that there is no public holiday set aside to commemorate achievements, contributions and the role played by women in the cultural, political, socio and economic development spheres of the country;

ACKNOWLEDGING that the country has recognized specific holidays to honour the roles played by some groups in the society, for example the 21^st February movement, National Youth Day, Workers

Day and Heroes Day and Defence Forces Days;

COGNISANT that the International Women’s Day commemorations are held annually on the 8^th of March to honour the role played by women in the struggle for the emancipation and their contribution to their respective Nations in the past, present and future and yet in Zimbabwe this day is not a formal public holiday;

REALISING that other countries in the region have set aside public holidays that are related to their historical background and economic development including women’s achievement;

FURTHER COGNISANT of the critical roles played in the first and Second Liberation War by women such as Nehanda Nyakasikana, the spiritual leaders and others.

NOW THEREFORE, calls on this August Assembly to urge the Executive to emulate other countries in the region by declaring a specific day to celebrate women’s achievements in the development and liberation of the country, put and adopted.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. MUTAMBISI: I move that we revert to Order of the Day

No. 25 on today’s Order Paper.

HON. MPARIWA: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

RESUSCITATION OF THE ECONOMY THROUGH DOMESTIC

RESOURCE MOBILISATION

Twenty-Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on the motion on domestic resource mobilisation for the repayment of debts and resuscitation of the economic sector.

Question again proposed.

  HON. DR. KHUPE:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir.

First of all, I would like to thank all Hon. Members who debated this very important motion on methane gas in Lupane, Lubimbi area, which is estimated to be 40 trillion cubic feet and is also estimated to generate billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.  At the same time, it is expected that it is going to produce a lot of fertilizer so that we stop importing fertilizer from other countries.

I would also like to urge the Executive to start implementing recommendations from this motion Hon. Speaker Sir, so that we become part of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).  This is going to assist in that there is going to be information in the value chain beginning from the point of extraction to how revenue gets to Government and to how revenue is ploughed back to the communities.

I would also like to urge the Executive, even if the Minister did not respond to the motion- that they look for a big investor who is going to invest in this lucrative methane gas because it has been on the cards for a long time and it has seen a lot of ribbon cutting yet nothing has happened.  This project Mr. Speaker Sir, has got a capacity of generating more than 9 000 megawatts of electricity.  Remember earlier on during the question and answer session, where the Minister was talking about a deficit that we have, hence the outages of about 12 hours and four days every week.  So once this project is started, we are going to deal with our energy crisis such that we will have enough energy for the country and we will be able to export to other countries and earn more foreign currency.

I therefore move Hon. Speaker Sir, that this motion be adopted and that the recommendations be implemented thereof.

Motion that this House;

MINDFUL that domestic resource mobilisation is essential in ameliorating the burden of repayment of overdue debts and bringing about normalcy in the resuscitation of the economic sector in the country;

ACKWOLEDGING the inalienable rights of the people to better living conditions through the utilization of their country’s diverse mineral resources such as the untapped lucrative coal bed methane gas which still lies untapped in Lupane, yet it can generate millions of revenue to the State;

COGNISANT that the natural methane gas reserves in Lupane which were discovered several decades ago have the potential to strengthen the economy of the country in a very short time by boosting the energy generation capacity;

FURTHER COGNISANT that Zimbabwe is not a party to the

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a global standard for the good governance of mineral resources which seeks to address the key governance issues in the extractive sector;

NOW, THEREFORE, CALLS upon the Executive to;

1. Expeditiously find a reliable investor to convene operation on the methane gas resources on a Build-Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
2. Prioritise the engagement of locals in this project in view of their background knowledge of the prevailing conditions in the area.
3. Consider joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as a matter of urgency in view of the benefits that can be accrued along the value chain starting from the point of extraction right up to where Government generates revenue put and agreed to.

On the motion of HON. MUTAMBISI seconded by HON. MPARIWA, the House adjourned at Eight Minutes past Five

O’clock p.m.