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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 16 JULY 2024 Vol. 50 No. 70
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 16th July, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have a request for statements on matters of national interest.
HON. S. SAKUPWANYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon. My point of national interest is with regards to the 15th of July, 2024, the World Youth Skills Day and if you would indulge me, I would like to make a brief statement towards that day for the youth.
The 15th of July has been penned as the World Youth Skills Day as a way to recognise the need for our youth to be empowered in a manner that ensures the ability to contribute to society. This year’s theme is, ‘Youth Skills for Peace and Development’, and it pinpoints the trickle-down benefits of equipping our youth for them to be active in the economy.
A developing nation such as Zimbabwe, productivity towards Vision 2030, compels our working class to be competent, our entrepreneurs to be innovative and our businesses to be effective and efficient. At this base, the skills set for those pushing in the various industries is found within the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training. They have been tasked to ensure that our vocational training centres are competent enough to ensure that our youth have the skills that are necessary to contribute to society.
The massive developments towards Vision 2030 should be boosted by a young competent working class, for without the youth, we have no future to talk about. Drug and substance abuse standards are a hindrance towards achieving our objective as the youth fall prey to the scourge. The scourge is one of the main causes of this idleness. This only poses a threat to our society if the youth are not given the opportunity to be skilled and to have means within which they can contribute outside of the academic fora.
One of the best ways to tackle this is giving our youth something to do and this brings relevance to the day, that is, World Youth Skills Day. President Mnangagwa has not only pushed to capacitate our vocational training centres, but has reintroduced the youth service in Zimbabwe programme, formerly (NYS). The skills capacitation has not only been left to these institutions, but through Heritage Based Education 5.0, an introduction of innovation hubs and skills development has been inculcated into the curriculum. Zimbabwe has therefore created an appetite for an educated and capacitated youth demographic, standing with the mantra that no one and no place will be left behind as espoused by His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. KADEMAUNGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir and good afternoon to you. I rise to bring to the attention of this august House an important day on the calendar of the African Union. On the 11th of July every year, concerned Africans and indeed Zimbabweans, including this august House, pose to reflect on anti-corruption progress in their countries and communities. This year, the Africa Anti-Corruption Day on the 11th of July, 2024 was commemorated under the theme: ‘Effective Whistleblowers and Protecting Mechanisms, a Critical Tool in the Fight against Corruption’. As Zimbabwe, we commemorate this day while battling the scourge of corruption that has become endemic in our society in both the public and private sector, taking various forms such as bribery, extortion, influence peddling, nepotism, fraud, praying access and the illicit flows, of not only our natural resources, but also of proceeds of crime.
These various forms of corruption Mr. Speaker Sir, are bleeding the economy and derailing the country from keeping steady on a sustainable path to achieve the Africa Agenda 2063 and also the Global Sustainable Development Goals. Most unfortunate is that corruption is hindering Zimbabwe’s efforts to lift her people out of poverty, to feed, educate and provide healthcare and other basic services for the ordinary Zimbabweans. Ordinary Zimbabweans who us in this august House represent and whose interest we try to safeguard.
This day provides that necessary pause to assess any gains made so far and the viability of existing tools such as the Police Anti-Corruption Unit and ZACC and to also pause and reflect on the potential of new ideas. In keeping with this year’s theme on whistleblower protection, I would like to emphasise that whistleblower protection is absolutely required to safeguard the public and to promote a culture of accountability and integrity. The risk of corruption is significantly heightened in environments where the reporting of wrongdoing is not supported or promoted. I think currently, Zimbabwe does not have a comprehensive and stand-alone whistleblower protection legislation, rather provisions relating to reporting persons are found in various fragmented pieces of legislation, including the prevention of Corruption Act and the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
I therefore would want to urge this august House, Mr. Speaker Sir and the Government, to reignite the 2022- 2023 efforts towards a standalone whistleblower legislation and also just to encourage this august House to intensify the fight against corruption and to give political commitment to the fight and the end of corruption. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Perhaps you might need to engage the responsible Minister tomorrow about the whistleblower Bill, when it is coming to the House.
HON. KADEMAUNGA: I oblige Mr. Speaker.
HON. D. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I rise on a point of national interest, noting that over the weekend, the Government launched an outreach programme on Gukurahundi hearings. The hearings will be led by the respective Chiefs in Matabeleland. I note that Mr. Speaker Sir, this process has the potential to bring about national healing and reconciliation if it conducted in a good manner, devoid of political disturbances and submissive commentary. It has the potential Mr. Speaker Sir, to even heal the dead.
In this regard, I call upon this House to complement this process by developing legislation that will criminalise justification for Gukurahundi and also criminalise the denial that Gukurahundi happened in Matabeleland. Mr. Speaker Sir, in this regard, I call upon this House to establish a legislation...
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order. Switch off your mic please. If you listened very careful to the launch of the programme, it is an outreach programme where all those that feel they have to say something about the outreach programme are given the responsibility and opportunity to do so and what you are proposing Hon. Member is crisscrossing the outreach programme unnecessarily. In other words, you have ample time to state your case during outreach programme. Let us wait for the results of the outreach programme and obviously in terms of our processes, it is possible that the report may be tabled before the House if it pleases His Excellency, the President. Thank you.
HON. D. MOYO: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. I hope it will be done so that we have the freedom to forgive than command healing. Thank you.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of privilege.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of privilege?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Just sit down please. When we agree to certain procedures in the House, these procedures must be followed. Accordingly, you needed to had some conversation with your Chief Whip to register your name and you are going to be accorded that responsibility accordingly.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Much obliged Mr. Speaker Sir, mine is not a point of national interest it is appoint of privilege. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Points of national interest are points of privilege. You should have registered with you Chief Whip.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Mr. Speaker Sir, with all due respect, it has not been the trend so when address issues…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you sit down please and have some conversation with your Chief Whip. You can make that statement on Thursday.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I move that Orders of the day numbers 1 to 4 be on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order Number 5 has been disposed of.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Fifth Order Read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the Year 2023
Question again proposed.
Hon Mutseyami having been standing and making inaudible interjections.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can we have order please. Hon. Mutseyami.
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker, I think there is a mistake from the Clerk’s desk because it should be the National Cadastre System
THE HON. SPEAKER: Cadastre System, that is not what I have in my notes let me check. Hon. Chief Whip, did you say item number 5 is about the Cadastre System both the notes and the record.
HON. TOGAREPI: I am sorry Mr. Speaker, there was a mix up on the listing of the Orders from my side.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What are you standing over?
HON. TOGAREPI: All other Orders until Order Number 17 has been disposed of.
Hon. Chief Whip having remained standing.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You do not remain upstanding Chief Whip. I think I had put the question and asking for debate, therefore you need to adjourn the debate first.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker, my apologies once more, I move that debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday 17th July, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINES OF THE HOUSE
HON.TOGAREPI: I move that the rest of the Orders of the Day be stood over until Order of the Day Number 17 on today’s Order Paper has been disposed of.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
ADMINISTRATION OF THE NATIONAL CADASTRE
SYSTEM TO THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL
AND SPACE AGENCY
Seventeenth Order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the establishment of an Electronic Cadastre System and Mining Cadastre Systems.
Question again proposed.
HON. MHURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. First of all, let me thank you for giving me an opportunity to put this motion in this august House. I would also want to acknowledge the encouragement from Hon. Togarepi. This is my first time to put a motion. I want to believe that it will not be the last.
Let me thank all the Hon Members who added their voices to this motion. The motion received an overwhelming response from both ends of the House. However, there is only one point which I wanted to put across as clarity which was raised by Hon. Freddy Moyo. The Cadastre system is not going to stop the internal automation processes which we are currently witnessing in the various departments. Those internal automation processes are going to be complementing what the national Cadastre would seek to achieve. So this therefore means the internal automation processes will be responsible for feeding information into the national Cadastre. I thought it is necessary to just highlight that aspect.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me take this opportunity to move that this motion be adopted.
Motion that this House;
NOTING that the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, in his Budget Statement on 30th November 2023, indicated that the 2024 National Budget would cater for: a) An Electronic Cadastre system to be administered by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; and b) A Mining Cadastre system to be administered by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development;
CONCERNED that the establishment of the two Cadastre systems to be administered by two different Ministries carries heavy cost implications and will resultantly be inefficient as well as impracticable;
ACKNOWLEDGING that the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA) currently has the infrastructure and capacity to administer a National Cadastre system;
NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon Government to assign the responsibility of administering a National Cadastre system to the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency, as this would immediately bring a National Cadastre system into effect and inevitably reduce the burden on the fiscus, put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that all Orders be stood over until Order of the Day Number 9 has been disposed of
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE PETITION FROM THE CHILDREN OF WAR VETERANS AND HEROES DEPENDENTS FORUM
Ninth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the petition from the Children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependence Forum on the economic empowerment for war veterans and their dependents.
Question again proposed.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Firstly, I want to appreciate the report which was brought by the Committee, which is Chaired by Hon. Nguluvhe regarding the plight of children of war veterans. This issue is quite touching Mr. Speaker Sir. It really affects me. I believe that after any war, people should benefit, especially the war veterans, but I want to appreciate what Government has been doing.
I am not going to talk about what needs to be done, but there is a lot that has been done. There was a mobilisation fund which was given to war veterans, then there were a number of projects through ZEXCOM cooperatives and this was in the right direction. War veterans were then told to form their associations and to raise their concerns and through the Land Reform, 25% was ear marked for war veterans. This was done. We appreciate because even in the mining industry, there is a war veteran’s desk which addresses the concerns raised by war veterans and war veterans are assisted in different platforms.
We appreciate what Government is doing. War veterans are being considered that even in this august House, I see Hon. Shamu who is one war veteran who has been in Parliament for quite some time. We have Hon. Mashonganyika who participated in the liberation struggle and Chairs the Public Service Committee. We have other war veterans here, the Chief Whip, Hon. Togarepi who also participated in the liberation struggle. So we are saying that there were issues that were raised and there were steps that were taken.
Government also considers those who participated in the armed struggle, the war collaborators, those who assisted in different ways and are also considered in different ways. Therefore, the Government started the vetting process where all those different categories were also vetted. There are plans for those who have been vetted for their names to be published in the Government Gazette.
We appreciate the Government indeed for doing a good job, a lot of issues are going to be sorted as time goes on. Those who have been benefiting, we are going to recommend that Government raises whatever monies they are getting now.
Parastatals and Government departments should consider giving war veterans the opportunity even to be ambassadors of our country in other countries.
As the ruling party ZANU PF, there is a War Veterans League, I do not know whether other parties also consider war veterans so that there is a council of war veterans. This is where we believe that people should be genuine and they should consider war veterans’ positions of power so that there is evidence that their issues are being looked into.
What was raised by children of war veterans should be complimented and this should be fulfilled. Opportunities should be created. I know that there is a 20% farm allocation whose process is work in progress. However, there are council stands and I believe that we need to empower them with stands. They should get their 20% allocation in council stands. Wherever stands are being allocated, we need to think about war veterans so that they benefit also.
The war veterans should be considered even on commercial stands for businesses like tourism. There are new areas like Kunzvi Dam and Tokwe-Mukorsi; these are issues that we need to consider in tourism where a certain percentage is allocated to war veterans so that they can build their lodges and venture into joint partnership. This would be the incentives that motivate the war veterans because the money that they receive might not be enough.
There are minerals like lithium where war veterans should benefit from. Indeed, we know that they do not have money but when investors are coming, for example when mining lithium, if someone is required to have a company and with the ability to manufacture batteries, we know that war veterans do not have that capacity and I believe that the war veterans should have a quarter.
Investors who come, those who build factories, the land which should be allocated to war veterans to engage in businesses and their partners should come with capital to inject as start-up capital. For example, if it is in Kanyemba or Victoria Falls, they should be given an opportunity to get a portion of the stand even without start-up capital. This is their heritage which they will leave to their children.
War veterans in Shamva; there are some who were given horses and some were allocated fields of farming land. In 1963, when we started the protracted liberation struggle, some had land. In America, they are given money and a budget is allocated to them. You find that where America goes using NATO in different wars, whether it is Libya and other countries, there are some people who are given shares for mining oil and other things, which is an incentive to them.
So, I believe that war veterans should not just be given money but they should be given the opportunity to generate their own revenue. Even as I speak, there are coal mines in Hwange and other areas. War veterans should have shares, they should be allocated a portion.
We need to get investors, even children of war veterans should benefit from tangible heritage because at one point, we note that when we went for the liberation struggle, we were fighting for resources that are found in our land. So if you do not leave a heritage, it poses a challenge.
In the early 2000, there are some opposition parties which came into being. Some were giving people t-shirts and when people then pass on after giving their followers t-shirts, you find that the t-shirts cannot be worn. You cannot wear the t-shirt, whether to prospect for gold or for anything. When you die, the t-shirts will have no relevance. People will say t-shirt is for a political party, and so these are challenges where you find that it is as if it is a heritage of touts or rank marshals who will be ferrying people but when they die, they cannot leave that heritage to their children.
The children of war veterans should benefit from tangible things, for a heritage which will help them in the future. Even Members in this august House, if we do not prepare for our future, when we die, people will say that we did not leave anything for our families. The children will be saying our father passed away and left us nothing but poverty. So the issue of the well-being of war veterans is quite important. Sometimes you find that funeral parlours benefit from people’s monies. They collect their monies but at times fail to bury their families. You would find that war veterans’ children sometimes fork out their own monies to cover funeral expenses.
Indeed, I believe that the war veterans’ plight should be looked into. Their children should be given the opportunity to go for vocational training in different vocational training centers so that they attain skills for them to be able to fend for themselves and their families. War veterans should partner with innovation hubs in different universities where innovative projects are being run and indeed our war veterans should be looked after. War veterans in other countries are categorised according to the roles they played in different wars. Even here, our war veterans should be empowered. There are some who participated in the struggle but fighting against our liberation warriors in favour of the enemy. I thank you.
+HON. N. NKOMO: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker Sir. I am greeting you Mr. Speaker Sir.
+THE HON. SPEAKER: Good afternoon.
+HON. N. NKOMO: Hon. Speaker, I also thought of taking this opportunity to contribute to the motion tabled by Hon. Nguluvhe on the issue of children of war veterans. I would like to emphasise on the way that war veterans sacrificed, starting from leaving this country for other countries, compelled by the notion of liberating our Zimbabwe so that we all enjoy this freedom. Now that they had left Rhodesia, they returned with an independent Zimbabwe where we are today in which we are enjoying today.
We note that those who freed this country are supposed to be taken care of, especially when they go to hospitals for treatment. They are supposed to be given world-class service because they worked hard to bring us back this country. In relation to their children, when their parents left this country for the liberation struggle, they were not attending school, others were in hideout. Let us now give them the opportunity to return to school so that they can learn. Education has no age.
Again, we should recall that there are those who remained in other countries and failed to return home. We request that for those who lost their lives during the liberation struggle, there are parents who are still looking forward to the return of their children. These parents should be afforded the requisite support that they deserve. I thank you.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the opportunity to add my views on this very important matter of national interest, the issue of the welfare of our war veterans.
Mr. Speaker, the legislative framework is very clear, it is brilliant. We used to have the War Veterans Act and the Ex-Restrictees and Ex-Detainees Act, latter we combined them to form a new inclusive Act of Parliament called the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act. The Act is very clear Mr. Speaker, on what has to be done to our war veterans. First of all, there is a monthly pension or allowance given to our war veterans. Secondly, provides for medical aid cover for them. Thirdly, law provides for funeral cover in case of death of the war veterans and their dependents. Fourthly, Mr. Speaker Sir, the Act is very clear that when a Government gazettes land for resettlement, 20% of such land must be allocated to war veterans.
So the legislative framework is brilliant. So, what is the problem? I have heard the outcry and every Member who is standing up here is supporting, showing that there is an uproar, there is a lot of raucous and rank us. All legislators are conceding that something must be done for the war veterans. What the problem is Mr. Speaker, this is the multibillion dollar question.
The war of liberation ended in 1980. Today Hon. Speaker, for us to continue talking about the issue of the welfare of the war veterans, to me I think it defeats logic. It actually is substantially outrageous in defiance of logic. Why? What is the problem since 1980 up to today? We need to establish that Mr. Speaker Sir and for the avoidance of doubt, I fully support this motion.
Number one, Mr. Speaker, I am alive to the view that at some point, war veterans were given 35 mines to operate from. Some were gold mines and some were lithium mines and then what happened? Those mines were not conferred or they were not handed over to our war veterans. Why Mr. Speaker? It is public record that the current Minister of Defence, when he was addressing war veterans in Bulawayo, indicated that there were senior members from her Ministry who were stalling the progress of handing over the 35 mines to the war veterans. It is a cause for concern Mr. Speaker.
In 2015, Government struck a deal with a war veterans company called Hospital Industrial and Scientific Investment Private Limited. The deal was to construct hospitals across the country to cater for the welfare of war veterans, especially to deal with ailments whose treatment was not locally available such as kidney transplants and so forth that are normally conducted in India. What then happened Mr. Speaker? The deal fell through again. What is the problem? This is fundamental question? We cannot bury our heads in the sand as if everything is normal when our war veterans are living in abject poverty and continue to talk about this issue without telling the underlying problem. As you are sitting right now Mr. Speaker, our war veterans are being chased from the farms which they have been allocated, only on the pretext that they do not have the capacity to do production. For the avoidance of doubt, their inability to produce is as a result of not having enough capital equipment to kick start production.
These war veterans are not asking for handouts, but they are asking for empowerment so that they stand on their own. At some point, there was what we called the Agricultural Mechanisation Programme, which benefited a few and the elite. Where were our war veterans? If you have got five war veterans in that list, tell me and I will stop debating. -[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
HON. MUDUMI: On a point of order Hon. Speaker Sir. I rise to say the Hon. Member should not lie that the war veterans are being chased away from their farms. I thank you Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you repeat what you have just said.
HON. MUDUMI: I said the Hon. Member should not lie in this august House that war veterans are being chased out of their farms.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Member, you are also out of order. You cannot say your Hon. Member colleague is lying. It is unparliamentary. You can withdraw that one.
HON. MUDUMI: I withdraw the word lie Hon. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon. Madzivanyika, your statement should not be so general, unless you have got examples of war veterans who have been chased away or removed from their farms, then your statement is complete. Otherwise, the point of order may be sustained.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have got hundreds of them which I know. It is not professional to name them here. We want to protect their confidentiality.
Hon. Chokururama having said kunyepa
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you withdraw that statement? I have just cautioned another Hon. Member and in less than two minutes, you make the same mistake.
HON. CHOKURURAMA: I withdraw the statement.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, hundreds of them have been displaced! You make it worse now. That is a hypothetical statement. I think if you cannot mention them, you need to withdraw the statement. Otherwise, you are misleading the House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Let me quote from the Herald Newspaper right now which I am in possession of…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, in terms of our Standing Orders, you cannot rely on newspaper articles. Even if it is a public media house, you cannot rely on it because you need to verify what is stated in that article again. So, if there is nothing, you better withdraw that statement.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I withdraw Mr. Speaker.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you, you may proceed.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you. All this what I was doing was to try to express…
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What is the point of order all about?
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you so much Mr. Speaker Sir. If the Hon. Member has agreed that he has withdrawn what he has said, then whatever he is going to say now, definitely falls off. I thank you.
THE HON. SPEAKER: What the Hon. Member has done to withdraw the statement is correct. That aspect of his contribution and therefore, he can proceed accordingly.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: It is worrisome to realise that the pensionable amounts being given to war veterans as of now, are way below the poverty datum line. Let me be specific, the amount in USD120.00, that is a mockery of our liberation war fighters. So, my issue on where the problem is, because as Parliament, we cannot sit here and continue to say we need to work for war veterans without understanding what the problem is today. Let us take the bull by its horns as Parliament to solve this thing once and for all. We cannot have successive Parliaments talking about war veterans since the eighth, ninth and right now we are in the tenth Parliament and it is about war veterans’ affairs. I do not think it is sustainable.
May I know who the problem is? That is what we can deal with. The problem are leaders in Government and ruling party…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Member, you need to understand the procedures of petitions. The august House is responding to a petition of the children of war veterans and the war veterans’ dependents. Therefore, the issue is alive because it has come from the affected people, the children of the war veterans. So, you cannot complain that you have been debating this issue for time immemorial because you are responding to a current petition.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: That is understood Mr. Speaker. In Shona they say, kana zvichidai pamuti munyoro, ko kuzoti pamuti wakaoma, meaning that if this happens to the liberation war fighters, the ex-political prisoners, the ex-restrictees and detainees, how much more to the general pensioners of society? How much more to the unemployed of society? How much more to the orphans of Zimbabwe and how much more to the elderly and other vulnerable groups of society? Thank you.
An Hon. Member having stood to make a point of order
THE HON. SPEAKER: The point of order has been overtaken by his winding up.
^^HON. T. NDOU: Thank you so much for this opportunity to say a few words regarding war veterans and their children who went to fight for this country so that we will all be liberated. Still on the issue, I would like to thank our Government being led by His Excellency, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. We saw it critical to put in place programmes that will improve the lives of our liberators. I say may His Excellency the President continue to support war veterans and their children including dependents.
Yes, a lot has been said by the previous speakers on projects that are being done to improve the lives of war veterans. Yes, we might have other challenges but programmes that are assisting our liberators who went to Angola, Mozambique, South Africa umkondowesizwe, we have liberators and this included children, women and girls who went to fight for their countries. What I like us to know is that after the liberation, our liberators from the Southern Africa saw it critical to give different presents to these liberators including land for them to be able to farm. True, some of these people were taken to school and some of them are now lecturers. I am also one of those that went to the liberation war when I was 20 years. When I came back, I got a scholarship and right now, I am a Member of Parliament. Most liberation war veterans’ children went to school through scholarships, which is a great move. Still on this issue, there might be other laws that we need to change, for example, when a war veteran’s child reaches 18 years, they no longer get assistance. We visited different provinces such as Matebeleland North, Matebeleland South, Bulawayo, to Mashonaland West.
We have noted that when they finish their ordinary level, they no longer get assistance to get to university. We need to have this law changed so that it allows these children to get assistance up to university level. If the children fail to get assistance, it will be difficult for them to get health services because they will not have money to pay for the services. There is need to increase the assistance to the children, not to only say they are only assisted up to 18 years; there is need to go beyond 18 years. We need to celebrate these liberators. I would like to thank the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for ensuring that the lives of war veterans are improved. We also need to ensure that some of these laws that are meant to improve the lives of war veterans are followed because we are all targeting vision 2030 of leaving no one and no place behind. Let us ensure that dependents and children of war veterans get education, which is the move that our President is driving at. Let us ensure that we uplift these children and also that programmes like mining and farming are supported enough so that they bring results. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I would like to thank those who have spoken before me and I am very happy to have this platform to talk about this important petition that was brought in by children of war veterans. Mr. Speaker, I will start by highlighting Section 23 and Section 84 of the Zimbabwean Constitution which define veterans of the liberation struggle as those who gave themselves to the freedom of this country…
THE HON. SPEAKER: You said Chapter?
HON. TOGAREPI: Chapter 23 and Chapter 84.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Are you sure or you mean section? It should be Section 23 and 84.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for the correction. I wish I was a learned friend; I would quote it correctly. Mr. Speaker, those two sections speak to the people who fought for the freedom of this country and these are the ex-combatants, we call them war veterans today and war collaborators, then ex-detainees. With the coming in of this Constitution, we did not include the group that we call cadres, those who were recruited and did not get their chance to come to the front to fight for the freedom of this country. The Constitution says it clearly that these people must be looked after to the extent that befits people who gave their lives for the freedom of this country. So this petition speaks in part to that, but we are talking about the children of war veterans raising issues.
In my view, Madam Speaker, if we look at the historical background of those who fought for this country - they sacrificed everything, their chance to go to school, the opportunity to get jobs and even farming or any other things that could have generated income for them to look after their children. Hence, you find their children today are born of parents who did not get an opportunity to get economic value for them to look after their children. That will then cascade the poverty they gave themselves by going to war to their children. If the parent had no money to send the child to school, it means the child who is born of that parent will not go to school and the child that will come after that will also not go to school and it will be a chain of people who did not get an opportunity.
Putting everything into a perspective, you look at Government effort since independence. Immediately after the war, there was demobilisation that was given to all war veterans. After that, there was money that was given to war veterans. There were heifer schemes, there were tractors given to them. These will never be enough in my view, but nobody must stand up in this important House and lie that Government has done nothing for war veterans.
The resources that are distributed and given to war veterans, war collaborators, ex detainees are coming from the same pot.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Togarepi.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: The Speaker made a ruling to the effect that to say an Hon. Member is lying is not parliamentary. Since the rule has been made, I call upon the Hon. Member who is debating to withdraw the statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Madzivanyika, is he referring to you or to someone else?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Anyone because he was referring to this august House. Whoever he is referring to, as long as he has said this in this parliamentary House, he must withdraw. A ruling has been made.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: My understanding is that he is just talking in general, saying we must appreciate. That is my understanding.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, a ruling was made to whomever because if he quotes the words this Parliament, for someone to rise in this Parliament to say that nothing was done, is lying which is unparliamentary. A ruling has been made Madam Speaker. He must withdraw.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will ask you Hon. Togarepi to withdraw the word lying, but my understanding is that he is not referring to you or somebody else.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, if Hon. Members in this House are somebody, then I withdraw, otherwise from my understanding, Hon. Members do not lie. So if somebody is lying Madam Speaker, he is not honourable, but I withdraw if that will please the Hon. Member. Unfortunately, I will keep it to myself at this moment so that I debate.
Madam Speaker, the same pot that finances our war veterans, teachers, nurses, Members of Parliament included, is distributed by this House and when we debate encouraging Hon. Members to allocate enough resources to look after veterans of the liberation struggle, the other side of this House refuses. They stand here refusing. It is there in the Hansard. We can bring it. They refuse to support war veterans for political reasons and today they come here and have crocodile tears running down their cheeks, pretending that they love war veterans.
HON. GUMBO: On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon. Member must confine his debate.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am yet to recognise you. Please may you take your seat? Order Hon. Togarepi. What is your point of order?
HON. GUMBO: The Hon. Member must confine his debate to the petition which was presented before this House and confine his response to that petition. Coming here to make accusations against other Hon. Members on this side is unparliamentary, is unhealthy and does not help or assist the petition which is before the House. So he must withdraw that accusation. We are here debating and giving our responses to a petition which we believe is so pertinent to the history of this country, you cannot make allegations against us. We are also children of war veterans.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Please may you take your seat. Hon. Togarepi, please may you debate the motion.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am just brining to the attention of the House that it is everyone who is here who allocates resources to everyone who receives Government resources. It is this House. Next time when we are doing the budget, let us all sit together and agree and allocate enough resources that will go and look after war veterans. I expect every Hon. Member, the same Hon. Members who are raising this issue to ensure that we allocate enough. War veterans must be looked after and must be looked after by Government. Government only gets money from Parliament.
Madam Speaker, I also want to raise an issue of protecting the legacy of the war veterans. Their children are a living testimony of those people born out of these freedom fighters. One thousand years from now or any other period from now, we should not find people refusing or failing to defend their country because their country at one point failed to look after its freedom fighters. So, the children of war veterans must be looked after by this Government through the Vote that comes from Parliament.
Madam Speaker, somebody referred to the Second World War and those people who went and fought in Burma, Manicaland and up to date there is a place called Burma. The land that was given to those people was given because of their contribution.
I also want to say for the protection of their economic rights; children of war veterans, the land that was given to war veterans must be declared a heritage. When they went to war, they fought for land which was the major reason, hence their children must have this land in perpetuity. Those who will start history one thousand years from now should be reminded by those farms to say these people who stay on this farm are beneficiaries because their parents gave out their lives for the freedom of Zimbabwe.
I also want to raise an issue that war veterans, according to the Constitution, must be respected and anyone who refers to a war veteran must not refer to an individual, but to the board of those people who gave out their lives, ex-detainees, war veterans, ex-combatants, war collaborators and cadres. Anything that you say or you have a problem with must never be in the same bracket and demonise these very important people in the history of our country.
The Constitution says, we must give them respect and I am happy that across the political divide and the House on this issue, I hope and pray that it is not politics, people are saying it from their hearts. From today going forward, everybody in this House must respect the war veterans. When you see them, I expect you to salute them, to give them way, be it in a queue at the bank; when you see them here as Hon. Members, they have a plus on them that they gave you the freedom to be in this House. You would not have been here but because they fought for the freedom of everyone even sell-outs, you find them in this House.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order! It is disturbing Madam Speaker to hear an Hon. Member saying there are sell-outs in this House. I think that is unfounded. He must withdraw that statement.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Togarepi, there are no sell-outs in this House.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I never said there is a sell-out. I said sell-outs can come and be part of this House which is the freedom we got from war veterans. I never said there are sell-outs. Unfortunately, there are, I am sorry but Madam Speaker, I am sorry if there are sell-outs. I am saying sell-outs have got the freedom to be in this House.
*HON. ZEMURA: On a point of order! When people wear white clothes, they are called mapositori. If you are evil, then you remain evil – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Togarepi, you are left with five minutes.
HON. TOGAREPI: But I think you are going to indulge me because some people are responding to people who are not here. Sell-outs are not here, but some people represent them, so I hope they are going to allow me to say a few words.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order! Hon. Togarepi should withdraw the word sell-outs. In this House, there are no sell-outs. He must withdraw – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! What exactly did he say?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Hon. Togarepi said we should salute and respect war veterans because they were the ones who allowed us to come to Parliament, even sell-outs, check from the Hansard.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: We will check in the Hansard.
HON. TOGAREPI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to conclude. Madam Speaker, I want us all to respect those who gave out their lives to the freedom of this country. Those who also gave us the freedom to be in this House. This was a prison for the colonisers to make decisions on our behalf, but today we have freedom of association, political affiliation and everything. This is what I am talking about when I say we are all free because the war veterans gave their lives for our freedom.
So, it is important that when we put aside resources, let us think about war veterans and their children because they did not get a chance to go to school or to get economic power, their children will be lost in poverty if we do not put aside resources for them.
So, the next time we do the National Budget, let the budget have an element where we empower children of veterans of the liberation struggle. It is very important and I hope all Members of this House will defend that budget, which will include the livelihoods of war veterans and their children.
I also go along with the quota system, it should be applied to their children so that they also get an opportunity to get land and go to school on scholarships, which is very important. The law is there and I agree with somebody who said the laws are there, but the main culprits would be this Parliament. So, Parliament must, in the next budget, ensure that they fulfil what has been raised in the petition.
HON. MATEWU: I rise to add my voice to this petition by children of war veterans. Madam Speaker, the war of the liberation struggle began in 1965. We need to appreciate the reason why our forefathers and war veterans fought for the liberation of this country.
Madam Speaker, the racial inequalities that were sustained by the Rhodesian regime, and the socio-economic situation that was faced by the black majority which was ruled by the white minority are the ones that exacerbated and forced our grandfathers, fathers and those who fought for our liberation struggle to take up arms.
Madam Speaker, I rise because it pains me, my grandfather is a decorated war veteran of this country. I want to thank us all for an unpayable debt to the gallant sons and daughters who died for the freedom that we so enjoy today.
I want to pay tribute Madam Speaker, to those war veterans who lost limps, some who were burnt and not to be known, who died for the freedoms we are enjoying.
My concern, Madam Speaker, is that 44 years down the line, we still talk about how we can pay a debt to those who fought for this country. We have had 44 budgets in this House since 1980 – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – It is inconceivable. It is grotesque that the Government has failed war veterans for 44 years. They have failed them Madam Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. MANANZVA: On a point of order Madam Speaker!
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Matewu. What is your point of order?
HON. MANANZVA: Madam Speaker, the whole object of debating is not to mislead the House or to play a blame game – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – protect me Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order!
HON. MANANZVA: The whole object Madam Speaker, is to construct not to try and play a blame game. Madam Speaker, if we are to put things correctly in the proper context, in 1994, war veterans were honoured. So, it is not true that war veterans were undone by this Government. This Government remembered war veterans until such a time when the House had two sides. Since then Madam Speaker, war veterans have not been recognised as was posited.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Honourable. Hon. Matewu, please do not mislead the House – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – No, we have a war veteran who stood and said a number of issues about what was done for war veterans. Even if you allege that the Government has failed, but a lot of good things were also done by Government. Let us discuss what needs to be fixed if we are serious about progress.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I hasten to say it is with great sorrow that we still debate this kind of motion today. Moving on, Madam Speaker, the children of war veterans need to be recognised because their parents did not have the opportunities that we have today. Their parents sacrificed to go into the war, most of who never came back. This is why I rose to support this motion. What we need moving forward are practical solutions. What we need to do is to bring closure to this issue. The 11th Parliament must never mention the words ‘war veterans’ in such a motion.
Madam Speaker, what can we do as Parliament to ensure that those children of war veterans are respected? The Constitution is clear Madam Speaker – primary education must be free at the point of delivery. Every child is entitled to free basic education. So, what I call upon is that children of war veterans must have free tuition fees, paid for by the Government, including subsidised secondary school and university tuition. Children of war veterans must have subsidised education from primary level to tertiary level – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
A special fund in the same way, Madam Speaker, we have the micro-finance bank for women, we must also have a micro-finance for war veterans. – [*AN HON. MEMBER: Madam Speaker, I just want to understand if any of the war veterans still have school going children? This is in view of the fact that the liberation struggle ended 44 years ago!] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! May we have order in the House. Order, order! May we have order please! The Hon. Member just posed a question that - do war veterans still have primary school going children? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Hon. Members, may we have order!
My response to you Hon. Member is, yes, some war veterans may still be having primary school going children because men are prone to having babies during their octogenarian age. You may proceed Hon. Member.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker for … - [HON. P. DUBE: On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am!] –
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order. What is your point of order!
HON. P. DUBE: Madam Speaker, I refer you to rule Number 65 (3), ‘In raising a point of order, a Member shall cite the Standing Order, rule of procedure or practice which has been allegedly breached’. It would seem like Hon. Madam Speaker …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Member, we have taken note of that. Thank you. – [HON. P. DUBE: Let us not breach the rules please.] – May you allow him to finish? Hon. Matewu, you may proceed.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the point that I was trying to drive home was that we have micro-finance institutions that are Government entities such as the Youth Empowerment Bank. It would be nice and a good gesture for the children of war veterans to have a special micro-finance institution that is backed by Government that would be responsible for providing capital so that children of war veterans may start their own businesses. This would be a good way Madam Speaker, of empowering the children of war veterans and their dependents.
Madam Speaker, there should also be a policy through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works that states that for every time a local authority is disbursing their stands, there should be a small quota reserved for the children of war veterans. Madam Speaker, this would not be a freebie but would speak to us recognising that we have done so little for our war veterans and their dependents since Independence.
Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to make it abundantly clear that we are very grateful to the war veterans who fought for the liberation of this country. Madam Speaker, to say that Members of this House have never or have not supported the war veterans in the budget, I remember every time we come to this august House, Hon. Members on this side rise so this august House can give money to the war veterans. So, we shall continue Madam Speaker, to advocate for more money to be allotted and awarded to the war veterans. It is unfortunate, Madam Speaker, that in the last budget, Members on this side were not in the House when the budget was passed.
So, we would have expected the Hon. Members on your right to have given money to war veterans in the last budget and not to stand up and pretend they are the holier ones when it comes to this issue when they are equally not representative of the war veterans because the members on the right belong to the governing party, which should be the ones that are advocating for the welfare of those children. Madam Speaker, we thank you and I thank the children of the war veterans for bringing this motion. They can be very assured that we will support any motion and will also support the allocation of money to ensure that their needs and welfare are taken care of. I so thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
*HON. CHIBAGU: My gratitude goes to Hon. Nguluvhe who raised this motion. If we are seated in this House, we should not be making a lot of noise like we are doing. We should all be development prone. Our ex-combatants who started the war of liberation from 1963 up to 1978 are people who were suffering. They suffered but they fought hard to ensure that our country is returned to our control. They were uneducated and they observed that the land was now being returned to the whites. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans. Whites have got their own country but you continue to want to support them.
As the owners of this land, let us ensure that the type of the life that we live, our ex-combatants and their children are taken care of because they dedicated their lives to the struggle for this country because our parents were being oppressed. So, the white man cannot come and tell us how to behave. When you see us being quiet, do not think that we are fools, we know. Now we are going to tell you the truth. All the people that fought for the war veterans should not be taken as doormats. These are people that suffered a lot to ensure that they overthrow the white minority regime, the elderly people and the women remained behind when they were protesting in the war of liberation.
I thank you Hon. Nguluvhe for the motion that you have raised. It quite pains me for these people to continually oppose instead of you coming on board and everyone wants us as Zimbabweans to work well with the same objective. You should not be raising unnecessary and frivolous objections. Give me a chance and let me add a few words –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: May we have order Hon. Chibagu.
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My point of order is that I want to thank the Hon. Member for her contribution. She is an elderly Hon. Member and I respect her very much. I am going to use vernacular language so that she understands our language. I respect the Hon. Member on the floor but I urge her not to say you, my children in Parliament. We are supporting the motion and we are on the same side. May she not address us members as her children.
*HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you my child, give me the opportunity, excuse me my children and Members of Parliament, let me now be given the opportunity to then say my children, I am grateful, you have said something but you are very naughty. If you were people who know what they were doing, you would want to continue defending the indefensible. We came here as Parliament so that we can build the life of Zimbabweans and our development as Zimbabweans and you should know where we are coming from and where we are going. You should not continue defending things that are useless. In conclusion, let me end by saying we are in Parliament, let us behave like Hon. Members –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] -
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, may Hon. Chibagu speak to the debate please!
HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Chibagu.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, I call upon you to add some few minutes to the Hon. Member who was speaking.
HON. T. NYATI: I second.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, allow her to finish, I plead with you Hon. Members.
*HON. CHIBAGU: We are development oriented and we are not just here for rhetorical questions and just to enjoy sadza and be satiated, it means nothing. We want Zimbabwe to be developed as sons and daughters of our country. You do not know where we are coming from and where we are going …
HON. MATEWU: Point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, please…
HON. MATEWU: It is a point of order.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a point or order emanating from where?
HON. MATEWU: From your ruling. Last week on Tuesday, I made a point of privilege in this House referencing to the welfare of Members of this House and you ruled that you would give us an answer last Thursday. So, my point of order has risen in that you have not given your ruling in terms of the welfare, particularly the allowances of Members of this House. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you for reminding me Hon. Matewu. I will give the ruling on Thursday.
+HON. B. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to add my voice to the motion which was brought by Hon. Nguluvhe, regarding war veterans and their dependency. Before saying a lot, I would not have said much before saying who these war veterans are. War veterans are men and women who, after realising that our country has been colonised, took it upon themselves to go and fight for the liberation of our country. I am saying this, so that all of us in this august House understand that we do not just add our voices for the sake of it without understanding who had colonised us.
It is crucial that all of us are not found in any of the days speaking good about the colonisers. Allow me to use the Bible, one of the 10 Commandments says, ‘honour your mother and father, so that you will live longer’. This does not refer to your mother and father only, but any elderly person older than you or who is of the same age with your mother and father. This refers to all of us in here. Where we come from, we have war collaborators, so we need to know who they are. It is not right for us to just come here and say petty things.
I would like to thank the Government because previously, war veterans have been getting assistance, although at times, there are shortcomings here and there. No wonder why their children and dependents are saying you need to continue to look into the welfare of war veterans and their dependents. If possible, there will come a time when Government will come up with institutions that will give them money to improve war veterans and their dependents’ welfare. During the war, there are some who did not come back and for us in this House, there are some of us here who know that we have war veterans where we come from. We need to know how these people are living. I have my brothers and sisters that I have not met but because I am here today, what they say is similar to what they do. May be sometimes it was going to assist develop our country.
If it was possible, on top of what they have been allocated, I know their children are taken to school. My plea is that if possible, in health facilities, they need to be known in health institutions so that – like what I said, respect your mother and father. Then they get health assistance because we are in this august House today as free people because of them. I would like to use foreign language. The other day I heard people saying look after them today and they will look after you tomorrow. When they went for war, they wanted to liberate us so that we will look after them tomorrow. Therefore, I encourage our Government and all of us here to work together to ensure that war veterans’ welfare is improved in every aspect, especially economically. We know that our country has mineral wealth. We need to work together and ensure that what they are allocated is enough to support their activities. I can say much, but I would like to end this debate with that our liberators and their dependents need to be taken care of, especially us who represent those people out there in this Parliament. We need to assist Government to see to it that these war collaborators are taken care of. I thank you.
HON. HADEBE: Thank you Hon. Speaker. It seems we have forgotten heroes of our nation, the ZIPRA Veterans demand justice, they suffer…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hadebe, which motion are you debating?
HON. HADEBE: I am debating this one, let me carry on. During the Gukurahundi Genocide, the properties of these brave men and women were confiscated…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Hadebe, you are out of order. Please may you approach the Chair?
Hon. Hadebe approached the Chair.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker for affording me an opportunity to add my voice to such an important motion. It is quite a pity that in 2024, we were talking about the welfare for war veterans. It is my wish that in the next Parliament, we should be talking about…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I plead with you that at the moment, we have this new city. If there is someone who comes talking about war veterans in this new city, we will discuss about it, and have a motion on it. We should not talk about the time that is elapsed. If there are new issues that arise, we will always talk about it. The land issue came later on after the Independence and it is still a topical issue.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Madam Speaker, I cannot raise a point of order on what you have said but I am just asking on a point of privilege.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You cannot debate over my ruling or my advice.
HON. CHIGUMBU: The point I make in this context, you did not understand the contextual issue of that point. I am saying at this point in time, we should be talking about us who have not been to the war of liberation. How best can we still maintain the objectives that led them to prosecute the liberation war? It is my considered view that as Members of Parliament, we are looking at the symptoms and not the cause of the problem. The problem why we are now talking about it today mostly in line with their children is because certain things were not done for their parents. If certain things had been done for the parents, we would not be talking about the children of the war veterans.
Madam Speaker, if we do not address this issue, next Parliaments are going to be talking about grandchildren of war veterans. We should meet this issue in the bad context and also address the problem why we should now be talking about war veterans and the welfare of their children. It is my belief that if the children of the war veterans had their welfare taken care of, they should have been able to look after their children well without this motion arising.
The honour was on the Government of Zimbabwe. It is quite sad to note that today my father who is a liberation struggle hero, who is in Chiendambuya but does not have anything to talk home about but we have boys who call themselves mbingas of the whirlwind. They come here at Parliament and pretend to love the war veterans. It is quite a mockery and a bad practice. The money that they fought for is out there; we now have dealers and wheelers who are taking all the money that is supposed to be given to war veterans.
So, when we are talking about the welfare of war veterans, we should not just look at the signs and symptoms. We should go to the root cause. What has caused this? We are in this predicament because as a country, we are not implementing what the war veterans had fought for. The objectives were not to fight for a particular party. The war veterans were there to fight for Zimbabwe.
What is the country of Zimbabwe? It is that it includes those that are on your right and those Honourable Members that on your left. This is what is called Zimbabwe. It is quite sad, Madam Speaker, that the issue of war veterans has now been politicised, it now belongs to a political party. So, we sit down today and talk about what should be done to the welfare of the children of the war veterans but you find that some of these children that may be in the opposition may not be getting this welfare assistance. We have other war veterans who supported other political parties, which is their right to one man one vote which they fought for and freedom of choice in an election of those war veterans that fought in the war.
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, I would want to ask the Honourable Member not to misrepresent facts. Can I just clarify on that? We have war veterans who are with those people in the other side of yours who are earning an income or a pension because they were war veterans. There is no segregation, so he must not lie. Misrepresentation of facts that if you are supposed to benefit, you will not benefit because you are from a political party, is wrong and must not be entertained.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chigumbu, you must not mislead the House.
HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am not misleading anyone.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You have said that war veterans on the opposition side are not receiving their welfare. He says they are receiving it. What if there is evidence to show that they are receiving?
HON. CHIGUMBU: I withdraw. I know of people that were on the opposition who did not receive, but I am grateful for what the Hon. Chief Whip has pointed out. What is important is that he has said that they should or they are entitled to such benefits.
It is a problem, that is why you saw that those on the right would want to paint us as people who were not part and parcel of the war of liberation. What you observe in this august House which would want to make us the bad boys and peers as if we are not concerned about war veterans, it shows that the manner in which they are addressing the issue of war veterans…
HON. MALINGANISO: On a point of order. We are debating a petition that was brought before the House, not that who is more aligned to the war veterans. We cannot waste time in this House trying to grand stand on stuff that does not exist. What exists does exist, what does not, does not.
HON. CHIGUMBU: The issue that I was raising is that as a country, there are certain things that we need to do to alleviate this problem. First and foremost, Madam Speaker, is to ensure that what the liberation war heroes or veterans fought for be done in Zimbabwe. What they fought for was the issue that we were seriously oppressed, the colonialists had taken all the economy and it was owned by a few hands. The issue did not end after the war of liberation, but we have with us a lot of them that have several farms when war veterans do not have any. So there is nowhere that we can talk about multiple farm ownership before we address the issue of war veterans
HON. MUDZINGWA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order? - [AN HON. MEMBER: Mbuya garai pasi.] –
HON. MUDZINGWA: Mbuya vako ndiani, mbuya vako vakambopinda muno?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member, who said ‘mbuya’ – [HON. MEMBERS: NdiRopa.) – Hon. Members, I repeat who said mbuya, please stand up and withdraw your statement. You are lucky because I did not personally observe who it was that had offended. I said please withdraw your statement, you should just stand to withdraw your statement and we would proceed.
This is unbecoming behaviour which is not expected of Hon. Members who understand the rules and regulations and Parliamentary procedure. There are no grannies here, we have Hon. Members of Parliament – [AN. HON. MEMBER: Ropa unodherera uyu] -. Hon. Mudzingwa please proceed.
*HON. MUDZINGWA: Madam Speaker, I am quite hurt, it was not easy to fight in the war of liberation. It used to hurt everyone. People are now taking advantage of this motion whenever the subject arises. They would want to drive their political agendas when this topic is raised instead of looking and redressing the problem. It is quite painful when we are talking about war veterans’ welfare. Do not use it as a way to drive political mileage. I heard that they are war veterans who joined the CCC, go and ask them if they are real war veterans, there are no war veterans who joined the opposition.
- HON. MEMBER: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are you not aware that you do not raise a point of order within another point of order. These are the real war veterans that are speaking and they are saying let us debate issues that pertain us. I believe you have heard what the war veterans are saying.
*HON. CHIGUMBU: I thank you Madam Speaker. I urge you to protect me, because if I am giving my point of view, of which anyone who has different points of view has got a right to debate in this august House; I am supporting the motion of war veterans. I am hurt by this, statement because there are people who are stealing whilst war veterans are sleeping on empty stomachs in the rural areas. This is paining me a lot.
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, there are young people who have several mines whilst war veterans have nothing. If we do not redress these imbalances, what difference are there between us and the way the Smith Regime did things? Blacks were put in Tribal Trust Lands and whites where living in fertile lands. The war veterans are suffering whilst there are ‘mbingas’ who are driving posh cars in the city. Going forward, let us see to it that that the purpose of the liberation struggle has been implemented.
Secondly, we are looking at the issue of the Government, if the Government is coming up with programmes for war veterans, it should not be used as a campaign tool, it will take us nowhere in trying to address issues concerning war veterans. Whenever we go for elections, our fathers are made to attend rallies in the rural areas, telling them to go and register as zvimbwidos…
*HON. MATIZA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
*HON. MATIZA: My point of order is in connection with what is being said about elections. We do not know what he is talking about, he has gone off topic.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, I agree with you he is going off topic. I wanted to comment that he must stick to the issue of war veterans. Let me remind you that you are left with 5 minutes.
*HON. CHIGUMBU: I thank you Madam Speaker. The children of the war veterans must also be rich, just like the people we are seeing. What we must agree is on how to solve the welfare of war veterans so that we will not keep debating without any action being taken. The Government said the war veterans’ health should be catered for by the Government. Is this happening? They must not pay for their children’s fees. Our Government owes the war veterans. Sometimes the Government will say they do not have money. Some will then say if the Government would look at issues of corruption, then that money that is being diverted to corruption will help in alleviating the plight of war veterans.
As I conclude, when we discuss the issues of war veterans, it is not a funny game, we must separate it from politicking. It is not an issue of soliciting for votes. There are people who died during the liberation struggle. Where I come from in Murewa, that is where the first base was established. This issue pains me a lot. The first day my father did not sleep at home because the whites were looking for him, because the liberators had held a pungwe gathering there.
I plead with this august House that when we discuss issues of war veterans, we must not be partisan. It is not an issue of tribes. It concerns Zimbabwe as a whole. We must not push others out as these war veterans fought for all of us. I thank you.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity. The issue of the welfare of the war veterans and their children is an important one. I would want to thank the majority of the speakers who came before me, which means that the majority of the points that I wanted to raise have already been raised.
We cannot talk about the petition that was brought by the children of war veterans without looking at their parents. For them to be now referred to as children of the war veterans, we cannot talk about the welfare without including the welfare of their parents. Those that are still alive and those that are deceased, their prayers, wherever they are, are together with the parents’ prayers so that they can have more days on this planet.
Madam Speaker, it would appear as if it is a joke in this august House when we talk about such a topic, but we would want to take you back as an august House so that you know the foundation that will lead you to understand the importance of the welfare of war veterans and their children. In 2015 Madam Speaker, if you allow me, in Mutumba Six, there is a foreign heroes’ trust that looks at war veterans who lost their lives. Remains of Comrade Soweto who came from Mt. Darwin were recovered. There is a granite near a certain area in Mt. Darwin and there is a village nearby. I am one of the people that provided transport to those that would then carry his remains.
There was an old woman that was being assisted by the community. She had eight children, so the bones are the only things that remained, of her eight children. So when we talk about the welfare of both those that lost their lives and those that came back after the war of liberation, we should treat it with the dignity and the seriousness that it deserves.
Madam Speaker, all those that fought for the liberation struggle and lost their lives did not have conjugal rights, they did not get land, but this led to us being in this august House. As an august House, what we can do is to put our hands together and become apolitical so that there is no left hand side or right hand side so that these issues are properly tackled.
The onus lies on us as an august House and as a country to ensure that the lives and welfare of war veterans and their children are much better. Those that came back said to their fallen heroes, I will leave you here but once we are liberated, I am going to come and collect your bones and bury you at our home. The soil that we have, Madam Speaker, do not be surprised, it hears.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mapfumo.
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member was debating very well up to a point pataurwa kupaparika. Honestly, how can he say kupaparika to Hon. Members of Parliament? I think the Hon. Member must withdraw the word kupaparika.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Mapfumo, please use another word instead of the words that they are unstable.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Madan Speaker, I am not going to behave like they were doing. This is an issue that is quite painful and I will proceed and say…
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order Hon. Mapfumo!
HON. MAPFUMO: I withdraw Madam Speaker. I withdraw the word kupaparika.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Order Madam Speaker!
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mapfumo! What is your point of order Hon. Mutseyami?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: Let us proceed Madam Speaker. I thank you.
*HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Madam Speaker. As I have already said Madam Speaker, the soil that we are standing on is a living creature. It hears and it also sees. Let us come up with tangible things that we can do in order to commemorate. They need for their lives to be looked into as a people. The foreign war veterans should be given adequate support in order to ensure that their welfare is taken care of.
Looking at financial and material support, it has been a long time in this House, but the Government has been taking steps to redress the welfare of these people. In our constituencies, we meet war veterans. Some of them are disabled and some of them do not even have a piece of land where they can build their homes. They neither have goats nor chickens. Their welfare is deplorable.
I thank Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing such an important and pertinent motion. There are a lot of people in this country who are suffering and their children are being left out in some of these programmes. As an august House, we should put our minds and heads together and ensure that they are given projects and that they have quotas in the mining sector so that their livelihoods are developed. Rome was not built in a day. It is a process and not an event. That is why they are still carrying out vetting sites to see where they trained and where they operated.
Government is trying to ensure that, so that there will be a proper database that shows the number of these war veterans for them to be assisted properly. With these words, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Government of His Excellency the President, Cde E. D. Mnangagwa, for opening their eyes and ears in order to ensure that war veterans and their children are empowered. I thank you.
HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank you for granting me this opportunity. Before I debate, I want to point out that in the communal lands where we come from, when it is this period, children get the remaining cereals and they play house. As they play house, they will be fathers. Even in this august House, we have leaders, but what I see is that we behave as children that are playing house because this issue that is being debated which concerns war veterans and their children’s welfare should be taken seriously. When one has raised a point, one should not just rise and oppose what has been said. What it means is that the one opposing would be wanting to waste time so that these the war veterans who fought for this country will not achieve their objectives because of people who will be arguing.
If we are discussing the issue of war veterans, it would please those who will speak without any objectives but it hurts those who suffered because of the liberation struggle. We know how painful the liberation struggle was, the losses that we suffered yet we see other Members straying. At the end of the day, we say it is not their fault because even during the war of liberation, we had sell-outs.
So, I am of the view that our Government is seriously looking into this matter so that the war veterans and their children can get assistance in terms of development. Despite the little that they are getting, our Government is going further to improve their welfare and offering them free medication.
In all the communities, we have war veterans who, if they require any form of assistance and if it is granted, people will start murmuring and start thinking that it is a select group forgetting that for you, wherever you are, if it were not for these war veterans who prosecuted the struggle and victory was achieved, no one would be in this august House.
If you look back during the pre-colonial era, how many could have raised their heads that we could be in this august House today? Today, we are in this House courtesy of the blood that was shed by the war veterans so that this country would become independent and we have freedom of everything.
Some young men and women left this country and went outside the country to prosecute the war of liberation so that this country could be liberated. If it were not for these liberation war heroes who liberated us, the political parties that you refer to would not be in existence. Why could this country not be liberated without anyone prosecuting the war?
Whenever this issue of war veterans is being discussed, I become emotional. It is my plea that when we discuss this important issue, we should not politicise it. We should be national in nature and developmental so that war veterans can get assistance and that if they die, their children would also point out to the walls that were bequeathed to them by their parents.
This motion Madam Speaker, if you look at the communal lands where we reside, there are some people who when they see war veterans look down upon them as if they are not mentally sound. However, what the war veterans did was to liberate this country so that you could enjoy the freedom in this country and the education that you have and that you acquire all the material wealth you have today.
There are those who were collaborating with the war veterans. These people know how difficult the war of liberation was, how emotionally draining it was because they went through it. There is no place in this country where the war of liberation was being prosecuted. The warfare was nationwide. So, wherever you are people, you should respect the war collaborators, be they female or male, war detainees and war veterans should be given their due respect.
I know some came here who are failing to respect us the leaders of this House, yet it is assumed that those who come to this House are knowledgeable people who know the rules and procedures of the House. However, you find that amongst us, some are raw, meaning that some of the people who are in this august House are not honourable. If they are mature in their approach, they should know the objectives for coming to Parliament. Why should you want to divide the nation when the issue of the war veterans is being raised because you believe that you now mourn more than the bereaved? You now love the war veterans more than the war veterans themselves.
Madam Speaker, when we talk about the issues of the war liberators and others try to bring in racial cards or tribal cards so that you then disrupt peace in the country, it is not good. In our communities, there is a proverb that they use to show that men are not organised. They say that this man has no brains at all. Having no brains at all means that the man does have the brains but he is just disorganised. I am saying so because the issue that has been raised here was brought up by the children of the war veterans and my thinking is that there are a lot of things that they would want to see attended to but they can only be attended to if we do not become argumentative. Instead we become united, work with a common purpose in looking at the grievances of the children of the war veterans.
As contained in the motion, it cannot be set right by standing up because you want to show off. You can show off without anything being corrected. If the children of the war veterans, my thinking is, we would want to see a lot of things attended to but they can only be attended to if we are not argumentative, become united and work with common purpose in addressing their grievances as contained in the motion. This cannot be set right by just standing because you want to show off. You can show off without anything being corrected.
The children of war veterans have voiced an opinion and want certain things to be addressed. I would like to applaud His Excellency the President’s Government that the majority of these grievances are being addressed. The President is aware of the corrective action that needs to be taken. We may sound like empty gongs and it may not help anything. Let us allow the President to correct what needs to be corrected for the war veterans…
*HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am grateful for the Hon. Member’s contribution. She said that we are useless. So, it means that the petition is in vain. We can assist so that the petition goes well. May she withdraw that?
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Understood! Hon. Samson, when a motion is being debated, we debate issues that can be corrected. Please proceed.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker for setting me on the right path. My issue was that in this august House, if we should put our heads together, we will be able to address the grievances of the children of war veterans. We should not be argumentative. We should agree when one raises an opinion, this will enable us to correct issues.
Furthermore, I would like to thank His Excellency the President, Hon. Mnangagwa, for his vision. As liberation war veterans, we were given a minister who is responsible for the affairs of war veterans.
Hon. Mananzva having stood up.
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order! The Hon. Member who has just risen, please resume your seat. You uttered twice, whenever there is mention of the President you say aaaah aaah. I am not recognising you so that you can then respect the importance of this august House. Please resume your seat. You may proceed Hon. Samson.
*HON. SAMSON: I would like to reiterate and thank the President of this country, His Excellency Hon. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, for his vision in giving us a minister who is responsible for the war veterans’ affairs, thus looking for war veterans’, detainees and restrictees.
So, we are looking forward to the Government Minister looking into all these grievances, ensuring that solutions are given so as to eradicate the suffering of war veterans and their children so that these problems are quickly eradicated. The Hon. Minister will be solely responsible for the health of war veterans.
*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. TSITSI ZHOU): Hon. Samson, you are left with five minutes.
*HON. SAMSON: Thank you Madam Speaker. In conclusion, I would want to urge this august House that when we discuss issues to do with war veterans, we should be constructive. We should not hurt the spirits of the people that suffered because of the liberation war. We should not deepen or open fresh wounds of those who failed to come back to Zimbabwe, who were left in the battle fields. There are a lot of remains that need to repatriated or reburied.
It is our wish that these remains be collected and reburied. Maybe some of the arguments that we make are caused by the spirits of the dead. If their remains are reburied, we then see where these other spirits are coming from because spirits come from different areas. I urge those that are going to discuss this issue in this august House, not to cause fresh scars. I thank you.
HON. SHAMU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for allowing me to contribute to this very important motion. The petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe from the children of War Veterans and Heroes Dependents Forum calling for the economic empowerment of Zimbabwe’s war veterans and their dependents is a very clear petition. It is very clear on what needs to be done.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, what I will do is to focus on health. I am aware Madam Speaker Ma’am, that the Minister of Health and Child Care is in the process of crafting a National Health Service Policy which will obviously cater for the nation as a whole, including war veterans and their dependents.
Before then, I was going to appeal to the Hon. Minister of Health and Child Care that he takes an immediate step to announce that war veterans and their dependents should be accorded free medical care. I feel that this should be done as soon as possible. I will show you Madam Speaker Ma’am, why I think this is an urgent issue that they should be getting free medical care in all health institutions in Zimbabwe. I am saying so because we have noted that a number of war veterans and their dependents are failing to access medical care because they cannot afford it – especially when it comes to special attention, special diseases and special processes of medical care.
Therefore, I am calling for the issuance of a Statutory Instrument that gives direction to the request I am making now. I feel that the Statutory Instrument will remove any element of ambiguity or doubt on the part of all those who will be involved in the process of providing medical care in various institutions. The legal framework will ensure that there is authority in the implementation of a Government position. It will also make it criminal for anyone who is found denying free medical attention to a war veteran and their dependents. Therefore, the law would, as a result, take its course.
Secondly, Madam Speaker, I would also want to appeal to the Minister of Health that if he could revisit a position that was taken some years ago that Government should construct a war veterans’ hospital. The idea then was focusing on either Victoria Falls or the area near the National Heroes Acre. I say so because the war veterans now need much more serious attention. We have gone through over 40 years now of independence, obviously age is catching on. Some war veterans who might have been injured are suffering from serious wounds. Their situation continues to deteriorate. Some people will say, where will the money come from? It is a good question! I feel Madam Speaker, that the problem could be resolved by recommending to Government to approach Mutapa Investment Sovereign Fund, which is currently being administered by the Former Reserve Bank Governor, Dr. John Mangudya. Despite supporting various economic ventures, that fund could be directed to support this very important medical facility which will obviously, in the long term, continue to give that kind of service to those who would have retired even from the national service.
Madam Speaker, just to buttress my point, two days ago, I spoke to Cde Sadat Kufamadzuba, his home name is Benson Nicholas Kadzinga. He is a survivor, he survived the bomb blast that hit the car of the late Chairman of ZANU, Herbert Chitepo. That bomb blast killed him on the spot together with his bodyguard, Silas Simbiso and the child from the neighbouring house. This tragic event Madam Speaker, took place at 8 am on the 18th March, 1975 at Number 150 Muramba Road, Chilenje South in Lusaka, Zambia. Cde Sadat who was sitting at the back seat of that blue Volkswagon was seriously injured, but he survived.
All along, he has been receiving medical treatment at Bindura Hospital where he would have to travel all the way from Mount Darwin. He was telling me two days ago that his health is deteriorating. He had a medical examination taken and he was diagnosed with kidney failure. That complication will mean to say that this icon freedom fighter would require to travel from Mount Darwin to Harare for dialysis attention. If you take into account the costs of boarding a bus from Mount Darwin to Harare and then you add on top the cost of dialysis attention, it means Cde. Kufamadzuba will never be able to access the needed medical attention.
Madam Speaker, I have said this just to illustrate to this Hon. House the dire state of affairs that the sons and the daughters of Zimbabwe who indeed offered the highest sacrifice for the liberation of our motherland are facing, especially when we are talking about health. Health is indeed fundamental to the wellbeing of a human being, for one to enjoy all the facets of life, you have to be healthy. Therefore, I am hoping that in the context of this debate, we would want to proffer suggestions that the Minister should look at and be able to come up with some of our proposals that can be implemented immediately. Some may be looked at on medium term basis and others long term.
May I conclude Madam Speaker by thanking Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing this motion before this House and to underscore my total support for the recommendations thereof.
+HON. ROSE MPOFU: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to add my voice pertaining to the issue of war veterans and the children of liberation fighters who brought this petition to this House. The motion was raised by Hon. Nguluvhe and I want to applaud him for his great mind and the Committee that he is Chairing. Even though I am not feeling well because I am asthmatic, I feel that I should add my voice to the motion. Emotions rise within me when I hear about such issues.
Before I talk about the children of the war veterans, I want to go back to the war veterans. When we refer to war veterans, what are we referring to? It is food for thought for someone to end up deciding to be a war veteran and lay down his/her life for the country and stand before the white settler and say, I am fighting for this country and it is better for you to shoot me in the chest whilst I am defending my own country. I was around 15 years of age in April, 1977 when I joined the war of liberation. Whilst at that tender age, you do not know when or whether you will come back or how long you will spend fighting. You will be filled with emotions to go and fight the people troubling your elders and so, you are moved to go and fight for your country. You will not be aware that you are going to a tough world. I do agree with others who mentioned that war is not for the tender aged as it is not a small issue.
The remains of war veterans were regardless of who was passing away but what I know is that only black people were dying. Death did not choose whether you were male or female. People just died. Those who were in Zambia and Mozambique know what I am talking about and they know the emotions that are stirred when we talk about this issue. You took your arms to go and face the enemy who was well armed. The blood that was shed during the war of liberation was for the liberation of the country. Every one of us in here has a relative that perished during the war. That unifies us in this House because we were elected by people that could assist the Defence Committee led by Hon. Mayihlome who was selected to be a Minister; a proposal that came from Hon. Nguluvhe. We support all those in that Committee and the Bill should also be supported.
Going back to the war veterans, though there were not enough funds, Government demobilised people and gave them remuneration every month. When Government changed, each individual war veteran was given an amount of $50 000 so that they could fend for themselves and their families. But in their minds, the issue of socialism still rang and the moment they got the money, they shared with everyone and did not keep any for themselves and their families. I want to remind you that we are supposed to be united in this fight. As we look at the blood that was shed during the war of liberation and the struggles that the war veterans are facing now, everyone gets sympathetic towards them. In 1980 when this country became independent, each and every party became independent. Each and every political party became free and everyone was free. A lot of political parties were formed.
My request Madam Speaker, is for all of us to unite and speak on one issue of assisting and developing our country. Our war liberators, if they had not gone to war, we would not be here in this House. Before the war of liberation, there were few black people in this Parliament but now that we are ruling ourselves, we are forgetting our liberators. We are free to speak and no-one is questioned. In this House, we speak freely as we are protected by Parliamentary privileges. So, we need to unite. No-one knows that we do not have money as our country has been hit with sanctions. We are able to purchase what we want in our shops freely despite the sanctions. The issue of sanctions affects both opposition and ruling party and they spare no-one. Even our grandparents in the rural areas are affected. We want to be united and support peace. We support the motion of the war liberators.
I want to thank the Government and the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa for his courage. He is showing that he is a leader with a vision. He is a good listening President who is loving. He does not discriminate people. Let us all unite despite having different opinions. We are one and if we want to build anything, we have to be united and understand that we are developing our country. This is the land of our forefathers. There is no-one with a British ancestor here. We have one ancestor and we are all children of Zimbabwe who are supposed to defend our country. I love you all in this House though we may vary in opinions, but we are all supposed to support this Bill. We are supposed to have a fund, allocated a budget and dedicated especially to the war veterans. We also need to proffer solutions to create funds that can be set aside for the war collaborators and liberators. The President has even converted our gold to the Zim dollar - the ZiG.
We are supposed to celebrate this currency. We are not supposed to continuously yearn for foreign currency but we should support our own currency. We want to support our projects. If we love our currency, it will also promote our currency and investments. I would wish the war veterans could receive free medical attention at hospitals. All the war veterans are perishing and dying and their number is diminishing. The moment they die, they will not resurrect. We are supposed to leave behind our legacy, which is our blood which will always protect our country. When Nehanda was executed, she professed that her bones would live again. What was she talking about? Her spirit knew that the war veterans would take up arms and fight so that they would bring back her head, which was taken by the settlers.
We are supposed to be one and love each other. Though we might vary in opinion, we are supposed to go back to one point of understanding. My wish is for the children of war veterans to benefit and get free medical treatment. I would wish our Government to create Vocational Training Centres and train all the dependents of the war veterans in different trades so that they can be able to assist in the economy. The President said we should not leave any place or anyone behind. So, the children of war collaborators and their dependents are not supposed to be left behind. By the time we get to 2030, we should be a developed country and everyone should be developed and capacitated. We can say that even though we have our various opinions in politics, we have one thing in common and that is to defend our country. That is why we call it the motherland.
A lot of Members of Parliament have said that and I also feel that I should add my opinion that if we create vocational training centres, this will open opportunities of employment and they will not be idle. They will also be able to practice the various trades. I am speaking in Ndebele because I did not manage to go to school. There are people who laugh at us saying we are not learned and stupid. A war veteran is the one who assisted in the liberation of the country. If you see them wearing torn clothes, you are supposed to assist them. People should assistance war veterans. I can go on and on but I have hope in our President because he is a good leader. Whatever we mentioned here, it will be taken into account because the President is a listening President. There is nothing that is impossible to fix.
With these few words, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to debate.
+HON. F. MOYO: I would like to add my voice on what has been highlighted in our motion today regarding children of war veterans. War veterans left everything in their lives to go and fight for the liberation of our country. They did not know how long the war would last out there but they gave their all, not knowing that they would be killed or maimed in the process. We are lucky to have some who came back alive. No wonder why we are talking about their children. Some died in the process. We need to respect and honour them. They are respectable people.
As a child of a war veteran, I was surprised to hear that you can get a liberation war veteran on the other side of the House. How can one go and fight for this country and then come and take it back to the colonisers? That is unacceptable.
+HON. D. MOYO: I rise on a point of order. I would like the Hon. Member to focus more on the issue at hand and not to say on the opposition side there are Hon. Members opposing this petition. It is everyone’s right to do what they want which is freedom of association. If only the Hon. Moyo could do what is honourable. There are so many parties in this country and everyone has a right to join a party of their choice. May the Hon. Member correct that?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Moyo mentioned that he was surprised to see children of war veterans from the other side according to the interpreter.
+HON. F. MOYO: Let me proceed with the issue at hand. We are talking of a great issue that focuses on the importance of taking great care of children of our liberators. I would like to thank the Hon. Nguluvhe for bringing this motion to this House. I also agree to the issue highlighted by previous speakers who have indicated that it is critical that children and dependents of war veterans get assistance regarding health issues because these are children of parents who brought independence to this country.
If possible, this august House and the Portfolio Committee led by Hon. Nguluvhe, the moment we conclude this issue, we need to have a database of children of war veterans in this country so that it is easy to realise how many children need help. What I would want to add on this issue is that they need to get their portion on every project that is being undertaken in our country. In every sector of the economy, they need to have their portion and they need to be taken care of because they are children of parents who committed their lives to go and liberate our county. If possible, we need to continue to talk about this issue so that when we are crafting our budget, we consider them.
One Hon. Member indicated that it is critical to have these children taken to school to the level that they desire to get to. My wish is that we continue to take care of these children including those who were left by their parents when they went for war so that they are also given an opportunity and love that we got from our parents. This is in reference to those that went for war. They need to get the love from all the people in the country by getting everything necessary for their upliftment. I felt that it is critical for me to also add my voice on the importance of taking care of issues being brought by these children.
Madam Speaker, I continue to say it is critical that these children are given what they deserve and get the love from Zimbabwe and see the importance of the task that was taken by their parents when they left this country to liberate Zimbabwe. With these few words, I would like to thank you for this opportunity in adding my voice on this petition. Thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 17th June, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Twenty-Three Minutes to Six o’clock p. m.