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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 17 OCTOBER 2023 VOL 50 NO 7
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 17th October, 2023
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
CHANGES TO MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL STATUTORY BODIES
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that following the announcement made on Thursday, 12th October, 2023, the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has amended the membership to the International Statutory Bodies as follows:
Africa Parliamentary Union – Hon. Sen. Chief Makumbe is replacing Hon. Sen. Chief Ngungumbane;
SADC PF – Hon. Sen. Chief Matsiwo is replacing Hon. Sen. Chief Siansali.
MEDICAL AID SCHEME FOR MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform Hon. Members that they are free to join a medical scheme of their choice. For those who opt to join PSMAS which is the only medical aid scheme where Government complements Members contributions by contributing 80% while the Member contributes 20%, Hon. Members are advised that a representative from PSMAS is available in the Members Dining Hall to issue out application forms.
Furthermore, PSMAS has indicated that the waiting period of three months will be waived for Members who join before 25th October 2023.
WIFI AND E-MAIL CREDENTIALS FOR HON. MEMBERS
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that the Information Communication and Technology Department (ICT) will be issuing WiFi and e-mail credentials to Hon. Members. Officials from the ICT Department will be stationed at the Members Dining Hall from 1400 hours every sitting day this week.
TABLING OF REPORTS
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. K. D. MNANGAGWA): In terms of Section 12 (1) of the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18], I lay upon the table the reports of the Auditor-General being:
- Report on Appropriation Accounts and Funds Accounts in arrears as at 31 December 2021;
- Report on Appropriation Accounts, Finance and Revenue Statements and Fund Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022;
- Report on State Enterprises and Parastatals for the year ended 31 December 2022;
- Report on Local Authorities for the year ended 31 December 2022.
I also lay upon the table the following reports in terms of Section 309 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe read together with Section 11 (2) of the Audit Office Act [Chapter 22:18], Value for Money Audit Report on Monitoring of devolution funded projects by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY FOR THE YEAR 2022
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Prosecuting Authority for the year 2022.
Question again proposed.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Order of the Day, Number 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day, No. 3 has been disposed of.
HON. DR. MUTODI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SHONGEDZA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to debate. I want to thank the mover of the motion, Hon. Nguluvhe and the seconder Hon. Zhou. In his speech, the President touched on the issue of agriculture especially on the aspect of the Pfumvudza Programme which has helped a lot of people in the country who were not able to go to banks to borrow money due to lack of collateral for them to give people loans. Banks expect people to have collateral security. His Excellency the President went on to talk about minerals and he spoke about the issue that Zimbabwe raised around 9 billion from mining proceeds from 2017 to 2023.
Madam Speaker, he also spoke about tourism. The tourism sector contributes to the economy by bringing tourists to Zimbabwe. The First Lady also travels oversees to talk about her vision regarding tourism and also to showcase traditional foods which constitute to a balanced diet.
His Excellency also spoke about the War Veterans. It was deliberated and agreed that the war collaborators should also benefit because they contributed during the liberation war. Which means that the result of the Chidyausiku Commission and the report speak to the welfare of war veterans. I thank you.
HON. MAUNGANIDZE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Distinguished Members of this 10th Parliament; allow me to firstly extend my congratulations to the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – I further extend my congratulations to you Madam Speaker and the Speaker of Parliament for retaining your seats of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Allow me to also congratulate you Hon. Members of Parliament for winning in your respective constituencies. A special mention goes to the youth quota beneficiaries who made it to the history of Zimbabwe for being the first to represent the youth under this youth empowerment programme. I congratulate you.
Madam Speaker, my submission comes at the opportune moment in which His Excellency has delivered an eye-opening State of the Nation Address pregnant with wisdom and insight. His address is a testimony of the visible growth trajectory of our nation, both on political and social economic aspects. As a result, this 10th Parliament has an obligation to subscribe to and effect our full effort in ensuring that its betterment and poverty eradication goal is timeously achieved in line with the score and scope of the Vision 2030 Blueprint.
It is evident that the past five years have success stories in terms of infrastructural developments, food security, mineral exploration, foreign direct investment and debt resolution amongst other success stories as testified by the World Bank Report of 2022 that spelt out 5 to 7% trajectory. Madam Speaker, this 10th Parliament is encouraged to embrace the continuing progress of the 9th Parliament that has succeeded in Government programmes such as Agriculture 8.0, Education 5.0 among other Government programmes which require massive intellectual and financial support from this 10th Parliament.
The President, in his SONA on the 3rd of October, addressed and pledged to sustain and invigorate his Government funding of devolution and decentralisation to improve the quality of education, healthcare and social services among other obligations. It is therefore inherent that this House commits itself to fulfil its supervisory and oversight mandate in the disbursement and priority allocation of devolution funds in our respective provinces and local authority clusters.
Madam Speaker, I am particularly concerned by issues raised from the deliberations of the 9th Parliament on cases where devolution funds that have been commissioned, have not yet delivered to under developed districts such as Mwenezi and Chiredzi where I come from. The districts badly need not just devolution allocations, but special funding to cover development issues. The fact that they are predominantly resettlements means their infrastructure and services began only after the Land Reform Programme.
I urge this House and relevant Portfolio Committees to urgently look at the needs of ensuring the attainment of inclusivity trust enshrined in ‘living no one and no place behind’. This can be achieved by creating holistic quick fixes and approaches to special vulnerable districts in order to align the growth of the rest of the nation vision in the NDS 1 and Vision 2030.
Madam Speaker, allow me to applaud His Excellency, the President for giving special attention to the youth sector and has implored that this House develops and ushers in the National Youth Bill. The Bill provides for mechanisms to facilitate mainstreaming of the youth who are demographically the majority in social economic and political spaces as well as the sustenance of vocational training centres as hubs for youth participation in the building of our nation.
I further plead with this Parliament to prioritise this Bill as it attends to the youth who are the majority of our population – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Madam Speaker, we are equally concerned about the increasing number of drug and substance abuse amongst our youth. It is my submission that this House has a duty to ensure that the Government continues to avail funding for inter-ministerial, antidrug taskforce as well as ensure that the provincial rehabilitation centres are completed as soon as possible.
We applaud the efforts by the President for maintaining a tough stance on perpetrators of the drug crimes. We further submit that our judiciary system may tighten sentences to the drug lords or suppliers. We cannot let killers go unpunished. They should suffer the consequences of killing our future. We are the future leaders and we need to be sober for us to move the country forward.
Madam Speaker, we cherish the effort that the Second Republic has invested in the protection and emancipation of youth and women. I am today, a youth Hon. Member of this House and a living testament of how President Mnangagwa has committed to fulfil his inclusivity pledge. We further plead with the Government to keep its foot on the pedal in its fight against gender-based violence, child abuse, child labour and early child marriages by providing victim-friendly centres, which rehabilitate, educate and receive reports of abuse on tollfree numbers.
Madam Speaker, we need centres that are close to the people that are within the radius of five kilometres. A girlchild needs to be protected and constantly reminded about the side effects of child abuse in early child marriages. We also applaud our justice system for rendering stern sentences for child sexual offenders which will go a long way in ending the damage against young women and girls. A child abused is damaged emotionally.
Madam Speaker, the anticipated reviews of the 10th Parliament on Mines and Minerals Act, Small and Medium Enterprises Act must also ensure that the youth and young women like myself are active players, participants and benefactors to the Government support fundings, not only in mining and agriculture, but there are a host of other ventures which ensure that Zimbabwean youths are fully on track to the attainment of the middle and upper income society vision by 2030 and sustainable development goals. This will also help in the reduction of drug abuse.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate His Excellency’s encouragement for peace rendered to this 10th Parliament in his SONA Address and I strongly believe this House will be an institution for peace building, hope and national development. I thank you.
HON. MASVISVI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My name is Davison Masvisvi, Member of Parliament for Gokwe Central Constituency. Firstly, I take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for securing the mandate to serve and continue spearheading the development of our country for the next five years. The people of Zimbabwe have trust in your servant leadership. I also would like to congratulate you for also being elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the same extended to you Madam Speaker Ma’am for your re-election as the Deputy Speaker.
Let me also congratulate all Members of this august House for election to this highly respected House. The nation is looking up to us to contribute immensely and passing laws that set our country into a trajectory development. Thank you for affording me time to add my voice to the debate on the State of the Nation Address that was presented to Parliament by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 3rd of October, 2023. The address defined the 2nd Republic’s commitment to economic progress and development of Zimbabwe. It is with sincere gratitude to His Excellency for prioritising and driving the country towards Vision 2030, evidence of progress under the 2nd Republic is awash for all of us to see. Challenges from the illegally imposed sanctions have not deterred the 2nd Republic’s momentum to steer the country forward.
Under the leadership of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, the 2nd Republic has made immense strides in food productivity, the mention of the Government projecting to provide at least 35000 boreholes in rural areas and establishment of village business units is a welcome development that will transform the livelihoods of our people. In Gokwe Central Constituency, this thrust will consolidate agricultural productivity and food self-sufficiency.
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s determination to increase resources disbursed towards the devolution and decentralisation programme is greatly applauded. The effort by the Government to ensure that more resources are allocated towards devolution will see rural areas flourishing. The commitment by His Excellency the President were prioritising areas that include improving access and quality education will definitely see Gokwe Central Constituency’s woes addressed. Gokwe Central is in need of urgent classroom blocks for both secondary and primary schools and building of Science laboratories.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, it is also important to note that Gokwe Central Constituency will benefit immensely from the targeted, devolution and decentralisation programme as His Excellency in his Address prioritised improvement of road networks. The Gokwe/Mateta/Manoti Road is in dire need of attention because of its strategic placing. The road connects Gokwe to Nkayi and Lupane, and is important in the easier delivery of agricultural goods such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa presidential inputs and social welfare wares for the elderly in the constituency and neighbouring constituencies.
The President also touched on the Government’s commitment to industrialise and modernise the economy by transforming infrastructure in order to improve incomes and the livelihoods of the people. In Gokwe Central, plans of having an oil processing plant constructed at COTTCO Gokwe Ginnery are applauded. The project is at its initial stage and should be well supported. May I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude on behalf of the farmers from Gokwe Central Constituency for the Presidential inputs that are being extended to the farmers. I also make a call or plea for cotton farmers to be given attention too.
The SONA touched on a broad spectrum of sectors in regards to how the 2nd Republic is geared to deal with issues such as healthcare provision, housing, participation of youth in community development, empowerment of women, the welfare of workers, pensioners and the menacing issue of drug and substance abuse. This is testimony that His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa is engaged in creating an opportunity for the country to enjoy a people centered Government which listens to the concerns of the public.
The President of the 2nd Republic, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa quoted several Bills which will be tabled before this august House. All of which seek to ensure that we conform to the dictates of our own Constitution. Of interest is the Climate Change Bill which sets the agenda of ensuring that communities are equipped in mitigating effects of climate change including drugs and other shocks of climate change that are not limited to natural phenomenon.
I wish to thank His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, for his commitment to seeing a developed Zimbabwe under NDS1 and NDS2. In this trajectory, tinosvika chete. The President’s mantra Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, entitles every Zimbabwean to put the mind to the will and contribute towards the development of our country. God bless Zimbabwe and God bless us. I thank you.
*HON. NATISO: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. My name is Hon. Natiso from Bikita West Constituency. Firstly, I want to congratulate you Madam Speaker for being re-appointed. I congratulate His Excellency the President for being re-elected. I would also like to congratulate the nation for a peaceful election from the start up to the end of the election period and congratulate all Members of this august House for being victorious in the elections.
Secondly, I want to talk about the issue which was presented by His Excellency during his State of the Nation Address, regarding the abuse of drugs. I concur with His Excellency and we are going to complement his efforts in fighting drug abuse, whether in border areas and different ports of entry.
I would now want to talk about water provision. The sinking of boreholes which was mentioned by His Excellency, the drilling of 35 000 boreholes in different areas, which are going to benefit the community...
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Natiso, please may you repeat the statistics on boreholes.
*HON. NATISO: I said 35 000 boreholes which are going to be drilled in rural areas, which are going to benefit communities. This will help them in gardening projects, farming and drinking water. Where I come from in Bikita West, there is a cholera outbreak, drinking water has to be safe. I also appreciate the farming of wheat, which used to be imported but now we are producing our own wheat locally, which is enough for the nation.
I would now want to talk about fuel. In the past, we used to queue overnight for fuel but now fuel is readily available at all service stations. While on the same issue, I want to talk about Pfumvudza, the distribution of Presidential Inputs through the Presidential Inputs Scheme is benefiting communities. You will find that people are benefiting through Pfumvudza/Intwasa. In my constituency, Bikita West, people lost their livestock, particularly cattle. So, I would like to request that Government avails tractors to different areas in our constituencies.
Going to Mwenezi, I want to thank His Excellency because some things that are found in Mwenezi, like marula which was once discarded is now being used productively in Mwenezi. So, this is development which is coming through the marula fruit. Even in Bikita, we wish we could be supported on the guava tree. We produce more than 100 tonnes per year of guava fruit during the season. My request is that if we could extract juice from guava, then we can be productive. With these few words, I thank you. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
*HON. MURAMBIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Let me say good afternoon to you. I want to take this opportunity to
congratulate His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa for being voted for and for winning overwhelmingly during the 23rd August, 2023 election. Let me take this opportunity to tell this august House and the nation at large that in the elections that were held in August, they were peaceful, free and fair. I want to thank the nation at large for conducting peaceful and credible elections. Let me say that I congratulate you Hon. Deputy Speaker for retaining your position. I congratulate Members of this august House for winning the elections. Congratulations to every one of us Hon. Members.
Let me also talk about the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which was delivered by His Excellency, President, E. D. Mnangagwa who said a lot of things. He spoke about economic issues. He mentioned that our economy is growing because if we look at inflation, in the past, you will discover that there was hyperinflation but now the economy is stable. Through his guidance and leadership, we find that prices are now stable in shops.
His Excellency also spoke about farming and irrigation. Having listened to the speech, I noted that our economy is agro-based. When His Excellency spoke about irrigation and agriculture, then I thought about the people I represent in Zaka North Constituency. These people are real farmers. If they are given implements and inputs, then they can perform very well. In Zaka District, Zaka North Constituency is a very productive constituency which produces high yields. So, His Excellency spoke about irrigation and I saw it fit that when the Zaka people are empowered with implements and inputs, there would be no need for the constituents to look for food from other districts because they will be self-sustainable.
On the same note, His Excellency talked about the drilling of boreholes around the country and this is quite pertinent, especially looking at improving livelihoods. He promised to drill 35 000 boreholes and if such a high number of boreholes is drilled around the country, then people’s livelihoods would be improved. I say that in Zaka North, the soil is quite good and with enough rains, we can have high yields. For those who would be using boreholes, you will find that we can even have higher yields. Zaka is a district which was affected by cholera. With clean water through the drilling of many boreholes, the Zaka Community will have improved livelihood. Therefore, I appreciate His Excellency’s initiative which is quite pertinent and meant to benefit the people of Zimbabwe ensuring them of better livelihoods.
Let me now talk about Devolution Funds, an issue that was raised by His Excellency in the State of the Nation Address. His Excellency, the President, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, spoke about increasing the Devolution Funds because there are some projects that are still pending that were started using these Devolution Funds. In particular, Zaka North Constituency has some projects which are pending as well. If the Devolution Fund is increased, then we foresee development happening throughout the whole country.
On the same note regarding Devolution Funds, I want to talk about educational infrastructure. We have a lot of schools in and around the country including Zaka North Constituency. In Ward Six of Zaka North, we have Chiteva Primary School and Mukushi Secondary School, schools that were built using devolution funds. So, my belief is that if the fund is increased, then we can complete these schools because education is our heritage as Africans.
In Zaka North Constituency, there are some areas like Chigwagwa that need additional schools. As the representative of the people together with the parents, we are discussing with Ward 4 community, plans to build a school because you find some children walking for 10 km to access education. So, through the Devolution fund and the initiative by His Excellency in his State of the Nation Address, I believe this is going to help, communities and citizens are going to be happy and appreciate His Excellency’s initiative.
Furthermore, on the issue of education, His Excellency said a lot and as a Member of Parliament for Zaka North Constituency, I note that we have some Wards that do not have clinics, so I am going to make sure they have clinics in the shortest period of time. Ward 4 too does not have a clinic so we are busy building Chivaka Clinic. When we receive the Devolution funds, we are going to make sure they go a long way in the building of schools and clinics. We also have another clinic which is called Chinyazvuri which was built using Constituency Development Fund and the Devolution funds, but the project stalled because there was no more funding. So, when His Excellency mentioned Devolution Funds, I was really overjoyed, because the Devolution Funds came as a revelation that Chinyazuri Clinic is going to be opened.
On the same note, talking about road infrastructure, the President is doing a good job. His Excellency has done a lot of things in terms of road infrastructure, the Harare- Beitbridge Road is almost complete through His Excellency’s guidance and leadership.
Zaka North Constituency is a mountainous constituency and the roads are in a bad state, so by what was said by His Excellency regarding the Devolution Funds, I believe that Zaka North Constituency roads are also going to be fixed very soon. I foresee progress and development through our Rural District Councils and the DDF. The Member of Parliament will continue advocating for the construction and rehabilitation of the Zaka North roads.
Let me also talk about Energy and Power Development Madam Speaker Ma’am. His Excellency spoke about the Hwange units seven and eight. He said these two units were now operational which means that stability in terms of the provision of electricity has greatly improved, hence power cuts will be reduced.
In my Constituency Zaka North, we have schools, clinics, business centers that do not have electricity. So, from the State of the Nation Address, it means with the availability of electricity, we will proliferate down to Zaka North, Chiteva School, and Muroyi School.
We have a number of hospitals in Zaka North that do not have electricity, but from my own point of view and from the State of the Nation Address, I believe that electricity will be coming to Zaka North Schools, Clinics, Hospitals and even at our business centers. When people go to business centers, this is where they get their steel fabrication for farming and gardening tools. So, REA (Rural Electrification Agency) normally speaks about giving schools and hospitals first priority to get electricity. So people go to business centers to buy beverages and if business centers are connected to the national grid, then this improves people’s livelihoods.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, allow me to talk about tourism where we receive international tourists coming to see our tourist attraction. Tourism has improved by 62% this year and looking at our tourism, we also look at Zaka North Constituency Let me say that we have a mountain which has a shape of a map of Africa. This surprises a lot of people when they pass along the Jerera-Mabeza Road. Let me say to the Tourism Ministry and Portfolio Committee, when they come to Ward 33 in Beza, they will see that there is quite a marvel, a mountain with a shape of a map of Africa. This can be a tourist attraction which can bring foreign tourists and this might even provide an opportunity for the construction of hotels, conference rooms and entertainment facilities to entertain our tourists. I believe that Zaka North Constituency, especially in Ward 33, might benefit from employment creation which can come as a result of this tourist attraction. The local people will get sustainable livelihoods through this mountain which has the shape of a map of Africa.
Let me also talk about value addition and beneficiation which the President talked about. I also noted that when His Excellency spoke about value addition, there are many minerals in Zaka North Constituency. My counterpart from Bikita spoke about the other resources and when I was engaging the people from my community, they said they have the machines to process the natural resources there. In Zaka, there is water, electricity and intelligent young people. Why do we not create our local industry so that we have factories which process natural resources like mashuku?
I want to talk about the issue that was raised by His Excellency regarding war veterans who fought for the liberation of Zimbabwe. The life that we live now is better than the life that was there before Independence. We appreciate the good job that was done by those who went to war. I appreciate those who were supporting from the rear, the chimbwidos and mujibhas. His Excellency said that the welfare of such people is quite important and I also looked at myself as a person who was born during the struggle. Some of us did not benefit much from spending time with parents because our parents were fighting for the liberation of Zimbabwe. So, I believe that even children of veterans of the struggle should have their welfare looked at so that they will also be happy.
His Excellency also talked about Bills that should be debated in this august House and I believe that Members of Parliament, including yourself Madam Speaker, have a responsibility to push the legislative agenda for our country to progress well. I believe that our leaders should look at the welfare of Hon. Members of this august House so that they do their job very well.
Let me end by saying, thank you very much for the opportunity that you have given me to debate and I appreciate the good job that is being done by Hon. Members. I thank you.
HON. JERE: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. First and foremost, let me start by congratulating His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his re-election as the President of our great nation Zimbabwe. Let me also congratulate yourself Madam Speaker for being re-elected Deputy Speaker. Let me also congratulate our Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip for being elected to their positions. Let me also congratulate my fellow Members of Parliament for being elected to be the representatives of the people in the august House. I want to congratulate them.
Let me start by giving you a quote to summarise the speech by His Excellency because that quote defines the kind of man he is. One of the renowned business tycoons in the world, Bill Gates once said “show me an organisation with integrity and I will show you undisputed success’. What Bill Gates meant is that integrity is equal to success. The President in his address expressed a lot of projects which were done by the Second Republic successfully in the two-year period – I do not want to say four years because the other two years we were under COVID-19 restrictions and nothing was happening.
To define this man as a man of integrity, let me show you undisputed success to the people of Zimbabwe. I can start with the expansion of Robert Gabriel International Airport. There are so many projects which can take off, but is there anyone who can dispute that success? Our Passport Office, I was there last week, the process took five minutes from the start up to the end – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – That is integrity. The man is at work, and integrity is equal to success. If we talk of the Beitbridge Border Post, as people, at times we do not want to celebrate our own success but people outside the country see what the President has done for us. Our Beitbridge Border Post even amazed the South African President. He was there to see what his counterpart has done. We need to applaud our President.
His Excellency the President has so much appetite for development. It will be unfair for us to go without pointing out at one of the projects which he successfully completed, which is the Parliament Building. If you go to that magnificent building, even the Opposition Members were happy to be in that building. That is part of the work being done by a man of integrity; integrity is equal to success. Show me a man of integrity, I am putting it in my own way, then I will show you the success that he has achieved for our great nation and for his people.
Madam Speaker, our President in his speech, spoke about various projects which he has done and some of them which are near completion. He calls himself a servant leader but when I was looking at him and the work he has done for our great nation, His Excellency is a transformational leader. He qualifies all the four ‘Is’ for a transformational leader for what he has done for our country and his people. The President is an intellectual motivator. Just yesterday he was presiding on an innovation conferencing which he opened that very day. That is his appetite for innovation which qualifies him as a transformational leader.
Our President does not stop amazing me with the way he has managed to connect generations from his time as a liberation fighter, from what he has done for this country and to what he is doing for the current generation, the way he is bringing people and everything together. He is the right man to lead us, he is the right man to lead our country with his vision. Our President is a visionary, it amazed me how he came up with Vision 2030 with the environment dynamisms, with what is happening in our economy where there are a lot of uncertainties but one can sit down and come up with Vision 2030. That is quite amazing to describe such a man. I will not be surprised to see him coming up with NDS 2. He started with the TSP and moved on to NDS 1, which he is expecting to yield results by 2025. Then from 2025, I am not surprised to find him coming up with a national NDS 2, to then bridge the gap from 2025 to 2030 to achieve his Vision 2030.
Madam Speaker, what the President spoke about, they are there for all of us to see. Let me tell you a story which made me to feel so proud and sad at the same time. Three days ago, I was travelling from South Africa, I had a group of white visitors who were coming here. The way they celebrated our airports yet us Zimbabweans are failing to celebrate something which was done by our own resources and our own people, it is so sad. They were saying this is a beautiful airport and they were jumping around – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
Madam Speaker, let me talk about the successes which were done by the President in my own constituency. I am from Murewa West Constituency which is 60 kilometers from here. That is where I am coming from. We had a very bad incident where one family lost two family members - a 12-year old boy and the other one was doing Form 2. They died from malaria. I had to go there this morning, that is where I am coming from. There are a lot of success projects which the President has done under the Second Republic.
Madam Speaker, when the President came into office, he spoke about nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, let us try to build Zimbabwe using our own resources. Those words were prophetic. In my own area that is where Kunzvi Dam is being built, it is now 45% complete. They are busy working on it. If I tell you, there are so many minerals which some of us have never heard of which are under exploration. The minerals are supporting the vision of the visionary, to support the words of a gifted and spiritual leader of His Excellency the President.
As I went around doing business around the constituency, there were issues which I want this august House to take note of. I hope as we will be enacting the various laws - I am concerned about the chronic diseases’ issues in my own area, especially hypertension. People are having problems in accessing drugs. My humble appeal to this august House is, if we can come up with a policy for those who are fifty years and above so that they will be able to access free medical aid. The old people are suffering yet they have worked for this country tirelessly. They need to be taken care of in terms of medication.
Last month I went to UK and I am happy that people are now starting to realise the great work that is being done by the President. For example, a group of ten people, eight of them were talking about the chronic diseases like hypertension. They were saying they were sending their parents money to buy medication but they were failing to get the drugs. It is a problem which I also faced in my constituency as I was campaigning. It is something that I would want to put forward, if it can be looked into. I know there is free medical access to those who are sixty years and above, but I am of the opinion that if the age group can be brought down to fifty years because our people are suffering. If we can start with hypertension, I know there are so many chronic illnesses but let us start with hypertension patients. It is a very big problem which you find in almost every household. Let us do this to complement what our President is doing to this great nation.
On that note Madam Speaker, a lot of things have been done but let me come to the last aspect of the Bills which the President has spoken about. He requested this august House to quickly look at them and make sure that they are enacted into law. What I want to appeal to the august House is that laws are very important. These are the tools for development which need to be used by someone who has got so much appetite for development, like our President. I do not think we have much work but it is a question of looking at those Bills in his SONA speech so that he will be able to execute some of the projects without being hindered by some of the colonial laws which we are currently using. One of them which I have got interest in, I have got three which I am going to talk about because they were so many. He spoke about 53 Bills, and five of them are already at a certain level of completion which this House will be looking at.
I am going to look at the Sports Bill. I have got a lot of interest in sports. It is so sad that in our country, we do not have a stadium to host matches. In his speech, His Excellency emphasised the importance of sports and one of them is health. It is something that I would want my fellow Hon. Members as we are looking at these laws, to look at quickly and put it into law so that we can have at least one international stadium. Sports are very important because if people are involved in sports so much, they forget about other things which are happening. At times we spend a day or a week discussing a sport which was played in 1996. It is something that can occupy people’s minds and it can also bring in what we call physical health or even mental health, when people are involved in sport. That is one of the Bills which I was looking at.
The next Bill, His Excellency was spot on when he was talking about the SMEs Bill. I am working on a model to improve relevance on SMEs. If we start from the law perspective, we will now be able to have a model that can be used to make sure that our SMEs, unlike the current situation whereby most SMEs only exist from zero to three or five years and they go under, it is because we do not have laws. You know we have got a ministry which is working on that.
So, we need to come up with laws which can help because there are different models which are used in different countries depending on what you want to achieve. It is one area which is very critical because 80% of African industry is hinged on SMEs. It is a very important Bill that we need to look at quickly to make sure that we get men at work productive, without these tools, they will not be successful in what they intend to do.
The third Bill that I also want to look at and pass my comment on is the Youth Bill - Drug Abuse. We are worried that we might end up looking for very old men in our communities to make sure that the next generations are made. Our young generation is dying because of drugs. They are stark even when they get into their bedrooms, it is very dangerous for a nation to have people getting stuck on drugs, especially the young generation. The future of every country is in the young generation. It is something that we also want to look at with the urgency it deserves to ensure that before we pass on, our kids have life. Our country will go under their noses. It is another risk which we have and we will not have a very good future generation to look into this. It is something we would like to thank the President for, with his mindset, he is a visionary man indeed. On that note, thank you very much for affording me this opportunity to air my own views on the things which are obtaining on the ground, including my own constituency.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Jere. I am sorry to hear about the death of two minors which you mentioned. My condolences.
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am from Hurungwe East. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was delivered by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on the 3rd of October, 2023. I would like to congratulate the President for having won the election resoundingly. I would also want to congratulate you and the Speaker for the reelection and my colleagues in the House. I want to thank the President and the 2nd Republic for delivering on a number of promises in the 9th Parliament.
I stand before you today as the newly elected Member of Parliament for Hurungwe East Constituency wherefore, I am very excited and very happy. So, with the sense of responsibility and gratitude, it is both an honour and the privilege to address this august House for the first time in my life which I had never dreamt of. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the people of Hurungwe East for entrusting me with this mandate to represent the aspirations and their voices in this hallowed Chamber. We gather here today to reflect on the President’s State of the Nation Address delivered on 3rd October, 2023 during the Official Opening of the 1st session of the 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe.
This address by His Excellency, the President, outlined the Government’s priorities and vision for the nation in the coming years. It is an address that highlights the commitment of our 2nd Republic to take Zimbabwe towards the path of progress, development and prosperity. The President began his address by acknowledging the recent successful Harmonised General Elections which were conducted in accordance with our democratic traditions and practice. He congratulated all the elected Members of Parliament and Senators, recognising the immense responsibility that comes with serving our great nation.
The President emphasised the progress made in various sectors of our economy despite the challenges posed by illegal sanctions. He highlighted his achievements in agriculture and the growth of our mining sector and the measures taken to enhance power supply and road infrastructure. The impressive growth in the tourism sector and the development of our science and technology were also celebrated. We must appreciate the Government’s commitment to industrialisation, infrastructure development and the empowerment of small-scale enterprises which are essential for the improvement of the livelihood of our citizen.
The President’s remarks on decentralisation and improving access to education, healthcare, water and sanitation service underscore our commitment to bettering the lives of our fellow Zimbabweans. One of the most noteworthy initiative is the drilling of 35 000 boreholes which in particular, is significant in areas like Hurungwe East Constituency where I come from. Access to reliable water sources is essential for agriculture. Additionally, the establishment of village agro-business units will consolidate our national agriculture productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency.
Madam Speaker, as a representative of Hurungwe East, I am particularly heartened by these measures as they are directly benefiting our predominantly crop growing constituency where good yields are essential for the livelihoods of our people.
President Mnangagwa also outlined a comprehensive legislative agenda for this Parliament. He underscored the importance of concluding Bills from the previous Parliament and introducing new legislation, including measures to address climate changes, economic empowerment, health and empowerment of our youth, as we know, a majority of them are being affected by drug and substance abuse.
He also talked about women empowerment. As we prepare to deliberate on these Bills, we should be mindful of their potential impact on our people. Our duty as representatives is to ensure that these laws truly serve the best of our constituencies, promote transparency and uphold the rule of law.
The President’s address also highlighted the need to strengthen our partnership and cooperation with the international community, ratify important international agreements and conventions, amend laws that align with our constitutional principals and vital steps in this direction.
Furthermore, President Mnangagwa emphasised the importance of unity, peace and patriotism in building our beloved nation. He noted the progress made in various provinces, acknowledging the contribution of our local communities to our national development. In his closing remarks, President Mnangagwa expressed his belief in the strength and resilience of the people of Zimbabwe and emphasised the importance of unity and peace in achieving our national goals. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]- He shared this commitment to the welfare of our citizens as exemplified by the distribution of computers and farming inputs like Pfumvudza. As representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that these promises are fulfilled and the welfare of our constituencies is in all our deliberations.
In conclusion, let me reiterate my commitment to serve the people of Hurungwe and all Zimbabweans with dedication, integrity and passion. I look forward to working alongside all of you in this Parliament for the betterment of our beloved nation. Together we can build a brighter and more prosperous Zimbabwe for the generations to come. Like the President said, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, igotongwa nevene vayo, igonamatirwa nevene vayo.” I thank you Madam Speaker. God bless Hurungwe; God bless Mashonaland West, God Bless Zimbabwe.
*HON. CHIBAGU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am quite pained, even when we are here at Parliament, you would find that I do not like gossip, I want straight forward talk. It was really painful because during the liberation struggle, there were many battles fought in Guruve, despite that, there was no meaningful development in that area, but through the leadership of the President of Zimbabwe Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, there are many developmental projects which are taking place now. I speak about issues that I know, I am not a prostitute and I am not a person who is mentally unstable….
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, may you please withdraw the words you spoke that you are not a- prostitute or mentally unstable.
*HON. CHIBAGU: I withdraw, please forgive me. Those who write lies, please remove what I said. I want to withdraw those words I said.
I appreciate Hon. President Mnangagwa and the fact that he won these elections resoundingly. We are now 43 years in independence, but from independence, we were in disaster and have been suffering in my constituency. President Mnangagwa has noticed areas like Mbire and he uplifted the areas. Some were saying that we were Hottentots or Bushmen and Nomads. In Dande, we have been recognised by President E. D. Mnangagwa and has even noticed the plight of the Mbire people. He has improved their lives.
So, as Zimbabweans, we must listen to our President because he is a visionary leader. As a country, if we listen to the words that were said by His Excellency, development is guaranteed in the country. We must desist from fighting each other and focus on building one another so that we will be productive. I also want to thank President E. D. Mnangagwa and I want to congratulate him for the resounding victory in the elections and as Zimbabweans, we did a good thing by voting for him. The Mbire people are now recognised as people. We have meaningful development which includes irrigation schemes, roads, mining projects like Eureka Mine, Jumbo Mine among other developmental projects. Now the road is busy with buses. From time immemorial, we were travelling to Guruve to get buses and when I came to Parliament, I would sleep at Guruve Centre to board a bus. Now, buses are plying up and down our road because of President E. D. Mnangagwa. His Excellency knows where he is going.
As representatives of the people, let us work together to build this nation because His Excellency is a person who cares for people and is a person who wants Zimbabwe to develop. Even the group that came last time as Parliament to the new mine, you will discover that there is a lot of mining that is happening. People are happy, they appreciate and now know where they are going. Even the opposition is now confused, they do not know what to say…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, please withdraw that statement.
*HON. CHIBAGU: I withdraw. Please forgive me. I would like to thank our President, as the residents of Mbire and Guruve we are prosperous in terms of development and food security. A lot of developmental projects are happening in our area. In the past, people used to call us Bushmen or Hottentots. In Kanyemba right now, there are many irrigation schemes that were done by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Everyone is happy in Kanyemba. I invite you to Guruve.
At Mushumbi Centre, a place which was used as a base by war veterans during the liberation struggle, there is a big irrigation scheme. There are many cash crops that are being farmed in this area including maize and wheat. In the past, we did not know about wheat because we used to survive on traditional foods. These meaningful developmental projects clearly show that the President of Zimbabwe is a gifted and talented leader
*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Chibagu, when you are speaking about the President, we do not refer to him as a son or child but we say President Mnangagwa and we end there.
*HON. CHIBAGU: My apologies Madam Speaker, I withdraw my statement. May the President continue to work hard and improve the livelihoods of all Zimbabweans. The President is working for the development of everyone without being selective. Those who undermine the President do not know where they are coming from or going. The car I was given by Parliament runs very fast on the tarred road all the way to Kanyemba because of the improved road infrastructure. All these developments were not there in our area but since the inception of the Second Republic, they are there now.
There is a lot of meaningful development in our area, we now have grinding mills. In the past, we used to rely on manual labour for grinding maize for meals. May God Bless our President.
Madam Speaker, kindly forgive your Hon Member. Let me conclude by saying May God Bless our President. Forgive me if I failed to present myself clearly. As Zimbabweans, let us unite and continue to work hard for the development of our country. Thank you.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to start by congratulating our Joshua of today, His Excellency, the Head of State and Government, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his resounding and undisputed victory in the just ended harmonised General Elections – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Subsequently, to the Deputy Speaker and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Adv. J. Mudenda, together with his counterparts, Hon. M. Chinomona and her Deputy Rtd. Lt. Gen. M. Nyambuya for re-election and appointment to be the Presiding officers of this Tenth Parliament. I say to you, congratulations, makorokoto, amhlope.
Madam Speaker, I am here to debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered on the 3rd of October, 2023 by the Head of State and Government, His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa. I would like to start by thanking His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa who emphasised the need to expedite the implementation of Education 5.0 by this Tenth Parliament. This shows the commitment of the man of few words but more action, who is none other than the Joshua of our time, His Excellency the President.
Madam Speaker, on that note of Education 5.0, I think this Tenth Parliament is going to touch on many other issues regarding Education 5.0. on the education of both primary and secondary, as well as higher and tertiary, science and technology respectively. We expect this august House and all its Portfolio Committees to work on Education Bills such as Education 5.0 which encourages and promotes curriculum and syllabus that benefits the learners after completing their studies. It is high time that we tell ourselves the truth, which is about redefining an educated society from a highly literate society, as these two are often and for a long time been confused.
Madam Speaker, if we are not going to deliberately take the stance in making sure that we promote and advocate for the new curriculum in both primary and secondary education, we will face a situation of continuing to reproduce what I often term as eloquent, fluent English job seekers.
The President also touched on issues to do with SMEs and micro-economic support systems, development and legal instruments, flexible and affordable financial lending terms as well as provision of infrastructure facilities, paying special attention to the women and youths in particular, with the aim of integrating them into the mainstream economy. Madam Speaker, this is in line with the tabled the tabled Competition and Economic Empowerment Bill, hence working towards His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 of an upper middle-class economy under his mantra ‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
Madam Speaker, let me also touch a bit on agriculture. Our agriculture requires an urgent broad base support system working from a land audit final report which we should shift from and now focus on production audit in order to discourage the holding of unproductive land by lease holders. This is short-changing many Zimbabweans that are capable of contributing to our food security, food reserves and exports. We should know that we are not different from the hunters where we eat what we kill.
Now, because of climate change Madam Speaker, we should maximise all the productive land within what we call greenbelt areas like Mvurwi, Centenary, Banket, Chegutu and Marondera, to mention just a few under the Climate Change Amendment Bill. Madam Speaker, in making emphasis on making sure that we thoroughly focus on the production audit, it helps our reserves, it also helps other areas that are also not doing quite well in terms of farming.
Madam Speaker, this issue of people who have got land and not utilising it, is depriving other people who have got passion for farming. We are aware that most of the people are actually renting these places. Some are even renting up to 5 farms because they have got a passion and a calling for farming. Some of those who own those pieces of land are not doing anything, others are converting those farms into cemeteries.
Madam Speaker, let me turn to the accessibility and the required commitment, dedication and unconditional services to our respective constituencies. In as much as we are known as lawmakers, I strongly believe we are also Government developmental agencies and spokespersons of the people we represent. Largely across the country on political boundaries, people were not given enough time for public consultation on delimitation and consolidation of constituency proposal. Madam Speaker, since we are often told that we are the lawmakers, it means that as Parliamentarians, we can adjust or effect some changes to anything as we may see it fit as long as we have the consensus of the citizens we represent.
Madam Speaker, as legislators, we do represent all the people registered and nonregistered adult voters, school going pupils and the toddlers yet to be enrolled in school. This is undisputed evidence that we do not only represent the set threshold registered voters to form a constituency. Therefore, it is my hope that during this 10th Parliament, we will break the record of having been able to craft and come up with the law that uses census population, geographical and demographical space to come up with constituency and ward boundaries. This law adjustment proposal resonates very well with our current Joshua of today, His Excellency President Dr. Mnangagwa’s mantra, ‘leaving no one and no place behind’.
Madam Speaker, the current boundaries have created a political, social and culture discourse. I can give an example; in my constituency, there are 4 constituencies which share boundaries in a single ward. This has caused difficulties to regularly reach and meet up with the people we represent, especially when the legislators want to go around the constituency for consultations or developmental oversight. CDF distribution is unavoidable in giving of moral support such as attending and giving help during funerals, in disastrous situations such as outbreak struck areas, on damaged or flooded bridges and roads as well as schools damaged by wind or areas affected by hunger.
Madam Speaker, rural constituency re-delimitation and urban constituency consolidation will enable and help Parliamentarians to represent all people from the respective constituencies well.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the reason why our citizens felt that there was less consultation regarding the delimitation is that, if we compare the rural constituency, some are stretching as far as close to 200 kilometers embedded roads in some instance with difficult accessibility to other areas. Some constituencies even have about 9 or 10 constituencies like the one I represent in Gutu East.
Mr. Speaker Sir, the consolidation proposal in the urban set up, we strongly believe that considering the geographical location, if the urban constituency Member of Parliament wants to meet up or to go about on any consultation to his or her constituency, if we are to consolidate for example Glen Norah-Highfield constituency, it is easily accessible. You may only need two meetings, one in Gwanzura and one in Glen Norah Stadium, and you will have already met up with your people that you present.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Take your seat Hon. Member. You are debating SONA and you have to be very careful that you debate that which was stated by His Excellency, the President during SONA. What you are now debating is a matter that is very mute because section 161 of the Constitution regarding delimitation is gone. If you would want to raise the issues, perhaps before the 2028 Harmonised General Elections, you may move a motion so that the delimitation be looked into but even then, you will be out of context because the delimitation is done every 10 years. It means you will have to fight hard to be back in Parliament so that in 2033, you may raise the issue accordingly before the delimitation exercise commences because we will have concluded almost 10 years accordingly. The Hon. Member should stand guided accordingly. That is Hon. Ganyiwa.
HON. GANYIWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE HON. SPEAKER: You have five minutes to conclude.
HON. GANYIWA: Okay I will conclude.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order. You do not say to the Hon. Chair, okay I will conclude. You say I will conclude Mr. Speaker Sir.
HON. GANYIWA: My apologies Mr. Speaker Sir. I will conclude in less than five minutes. Let me go back to the issue touching on the Micro Economic Support System Developmental and Strategies through the legal framework or through crafting legal framework, flexible and affordable financial lending terms to the SMEs in support or in complementing the Competition and Economic Empowerment Bill, hence working towards His Excellency’s vision of attaining the 2030 upper middle economy.
Let me conclude, Mr. Speaker Sir, by making an emphasis, especially on the issues from the constituency I represent. I come from Gutu East where we have water bodies with water just flowing through without being utilised. Hence, we look forward to using small portions for irrigation schemes. We can achieve food self-sufficiency for our people if we are to get some irrigation schemes along Nyazvidzi River as well as the additional secondary schools. We have got about 89 schools, but we do not have secondary schools that are close by.
I thank you Hon. Speaker. Thank you for allowing me to present my debate. Thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: I would like to thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Order Honourable. You can remain standing. Acting Chief Whip, I see your numbers are few here. Can you send a word around to your Hon. Members that when you are here in Harare and the House is sitting, even if you do not have to speak, you are required to be inside in attendance. The other half, more or less, is not here and they will receive coupons at tax payers’ expense, that is unacceptable. They have to be in attendance here and listen also. You do not have to debate, but listen to what others are saying and learn from what they are saying to find out to what extent what they are saying could be applicable at the constituency where you stay.
Also, I see only one Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Hon. Moyo. Where are the others? They have to be here as well so that they can understand the dynamics of issues coming from the various constituencies and learn to apply that information where it is applicable.
The Clerks who do the attendance lists are alive to that. People, especially from the ruling party must lead by example. You do not come here for five minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes and then you disappear, that is improper. You have to be here all the time. I hope your gadgets are working there to see who has come in and has gone out after 10 minutes and did not come back. Use those gadgets and we will apply the Standing Rules and Orders accordingly. Do we understand each other Acting Chief Whip? Thank you.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for giving me this opportunity to debate on the State of the Nation Address which was presented in this House. Firstly, I would like to congratulate His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa for winning resoundingly in the peaceful elections. I also would like to congratulate you Mr. Speaker Sir and the Deputy Speaker for being re-elected into this House. This means that you are doing a good job. I want to congratulate the Hon. Members for being elected into the 10th Parliament.
I want to talk on the State of the Nation Address which was presented by His Excellency, the President, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa. I want to touch on a few issues because most of the issues have been touched on by previous speakers. Firstly, I would like to touch on the issue of electricity supply in the country. The President spoke on Unit 7 and 8 at the Hwange Power Station. Through the new dispensation, we have a reduction in load shedding. This has resulted in an increased supply of electricity to the nation. Looking back, there was not enough electricity supply and we suffered constant electricity supply cuts, but since the coming of the Second Republic, there has been a reduction in electricity power supply cuts. I would like to commend the Second Republic for a job well done.
I believe with his vision, all these programmes are interlinked. Electricity is linked to health issues, which means that if a hospital has electricity, then a lot of things are going to happen. There are some hospitals which need to be refurbished and some which need to be recapacitated with machinery. People do not so that people do not walk long distances to access healthcare because they would have the health care in their local areas.
I want to go back to the State of the Nation Address, the President said no one and no place should be left behind, which means that with electricity, everyone is going to benefit from the President’s initiative and developmental programmes. Looking at Mt. Darwin North, where I come from, Ngoma Clinic, Negomo and Chimbudzi clinics were built during the New Dispensation. When the President says that the nation is built by its owners, indeed I saw local community members working towards the construction of these clinics. They contributed to the building of the clinics.
I also want to look at Pfumvudza/Intwasa, which speaks to cultivation and ensuring you have food security. People in Mt. Darwin North grow millet and everyone is food secured. The GMB Kamusenzere or Dande Store is full with the small grain crops such as sorghum and those into poultry keeping can use the sorghum as poultry feed. I would like to thank His Excellency the President for introducing this programme which speaks to cultivating for food security. Indeed, it is easy to lead people who have food security. Looking at this programme and Vision 2030, I believe that we will achieve the middle-class economy. In the Bible, it is written, obedience is better than sacrifice. When we are told to cultivate our land so that we have food, you may not do that but you queue for fertilizer and other inputs. We need to teach people to work hard and do what we are told to do so that we have food security in the country.
There is an adage which says water is life and the President introduced the borehole drilling programme around the country. There are 35 000 boreholes that are to be drilled because His Excellency says no one and no place would be left behind.
Looking at the laws which are supposed to be passed in this House, it reflects that His Excellency values our culture as Africans and Zimbabweans as a people. On the Road Rehabilitation Programme, when we were growing up, we only knew that there is Masvingo necarpet, meaning that the road was well constructed and tarred. Now, with the coming in of the Second Republic, most roads have been constructed and are now tarred. In Mt. Darwin North, on Independence celebrations, His Excellency the President talked about the rehabilitation of Mukumbura Road. That is a busy road with more traffic and many accidents but we know the President will not forsake us and will not leave anyone and any place behind. This satisfies me knowing that the captain of the train, His Excellency, knows what he is doing as the leader of Zimbabwe…
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please mention that the train of Zimbabwe, not just a train.
*HON. MUNEMO: I am sorry Mr. Speaker Sir. Indeed, I am happy because of the good things that are being done by His Excellency.
I now want to talk about education. The children we see Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to catch them young. This means that we need to teach children from a tender age. His Excellency demonstrates his ability by introducing 5.0 curriculum, which means young children are taught life skills and vocational skills from a tender age. Instead of a student failing ordinary level and remaining idle, His Excellency is saying let us empower the young ones with different vocational skills, whether it is electrical engineering, mechanics or any other vocational skill. This will take them away from the streets and drug abuse. This means everyone is moving forward, no one is going back.
Last month in Goora where young people are being taught skills by the National Youth Service, we saw a lot of activities being done by the children. There is brick laying, poultry and layer chickens producing eggs. These are programmes being done by His Excellency…
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, the Hon. Member who just came in through the door on my far left, may you stand up. Are you an Hon. Member? Where is your tie! Go and be properly dressed for the House.
The Hon. Member left the House.
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Member, proceed.
*HON. MUNEMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was talking about young students who are at Goora Vocational Training Centre and there were 40 students who were about to complete their studies. It looked like the scholars were well behaved. They were moulding bricks and also kept point of lay chickens and broilers. That alone attested to the fact that in our country, we have children who remember where they came from and use their hands to make a living. So the President’s 5.0 programme shows that he is interested in our young people’s future.
Lastly, to all Hon. Members here present, let me just say that all the President is doing and what he has been saying is now up to us to implement. We have to go back to the electorate and relay the message from the President so that Vision 2030 can be achieved. If as MPs, we fail to do anything without implementing the President’s vision, we will have failed because in Shona they say, chako wega mukonde wesadza. What this means is that whatever the President says, we should implement so that we get results. There is another idiom which says, rume rimwe harikombe churu, which means this work has to be done by everyone if we are to achieve Vision 2030. There is yet another idiom which says, chinosakadza tauro hakusi kugezeswa asi kusvinwa. The way we treat our country shows us where we are going. If we neglect it as if it is not our country, it means we are not going anywhere. Let me conclude by saying we need to continue supporting our President in all the programmes that he has in store for this country. That alone will positively impact our lives. Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: But I did not feel kusvinwa kwacho Hon. Member. Can you explain further?
*HON. MUNEMO: It means compressing and twisting to force out water or wringing.
*THE HON. SPEAKER: Oh, okay, thank you very much.
*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to congratulate you and your Deputy for retaining your positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. I also want to congratulate His Excellency, the President for his resounding win which did not warrant a rerun. If I was allowed to sing, I would have done so to congratulate the President Cde. E. D Mnangagwa. As MPs, we are also proud to be here because things were tough out there, but the President stood by us and helped us campaign until we won. Congratulations to all who were chosen to lead this country for the next five years. We are here today because of our good leader President E. D Mnangagwa, a leader who takes care of his own and shelters us. He spoke well and all the people heard and resultantly voted resoundingly. The most important thing that happened here is that there was peace during and after the elections, and that is commendable. Some countries are suffering because of war. Their presidents attempt to instill peace within their countries, but no one listens. Our people listened and to date we are still enjoying a peaceful environment, a month after the elections.
Our roads have been rehabilitated and we now drive smoothly to Beitbridge, Mutare or Plumtree border posts. All the major roads are in a good state and they are well lit during the night. I am not sure where the President is copying this from, but he is implementing good things in Zimbabwe. During his address, he said we are wheat sufficient meaning we will not run out of bread as the flour is ours and we are no longer importing. So, we can have our tea with bread or buns without any worries. Zimbabweans are now taking farming seriously. Even though it is not the season for maize, you can see green mealies being roasted and we are eating mealies throughout the year. This shows that something good is happening in our country. Many agricultural activities are being carried out through irrigation schemes. Our children used to go for greener pastures, but currently I do not know if there are still any going to look for greener pastures as we now have them here in Zimbabwe.
Mr. Speaker Sir, as a PR MP, I was chosen by women to lead in the women’s quota. I felt what the President was speaking of when he said there were 35 000 boreholes which will be sunk village by village throughout the country. The amazing thing is that we have resources but those who are lazy will be left behind but the important thing is that people will work hard. As women, our lives have been made easier as we now will not have to fetch water from afar. We are learning a lot because in the past, we saw women receiving vegetables, seeds and so on, and now we are reaping from such projects. We thank President E.D. Mnangagwa and we hope this will continue.
Looking at the issues which concern us, the issue that our children are abusing drug substances; the President spoke about drug substance abuse which is destroying families, our young people and the future of Zimbabwe. Looking at our young people who live on the streets, it is a sign that the drugs that they are taking are dangerous. Our hope is that people will take heed of the President’s advice that those who sell or trade in drugs and other illicit substances should be arrested and prosecuted. As representatives of this august House, we are going to advocate for the prosecution of those who sell drugs. We appreciate the President’s initiative in the spate of these drugs.
We thank the President again for the different mining initiatives. In the past, we knew that our mountains were for wild animals and forests but now our mountains are producing minerals. God has opened our eyes to realise that we are indeed blessed with minerals such as lithium, diamonds and gold. This is good because this is taking away poverty improving people’s livelihoods and the locals are now living better lives.
I want to end by saying that there were a number of Bills and laws which are going through this august House and laws which are being amended. You find that some people were personalising some things but we have inheritance laws regarding wills and inheritance. These inheritance laws are going to benefit the nation. If someone receives inheritance from their parents or spouses, then this is going to be respected according to the law. You find that sometimes spouses would not benefit from their late husbands’ estates because of different cultures but the inheritance law is correcting that.
Th Mineral Bill and other Bills, the President wants the people of Zimbabwe to be developmental. He wants Zimbabwe to be proud. He also spoke about value addition of different products. The First Lady went to showcase value addition in different countries in the Arab nations…
THE HON. SPEAKER: She went to Spain.
HON. ZEMURA: Yes, Spain. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, where she prepared our Zimbabwean food and people really enjoyed the food. So, we saw our food proliferating into the world through the First Lady’s efforts.
HON. TSITSI ZHOU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SPARE SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2023.
On the motion of HON. TSITSI ZHOU, seconded by HON. DHLIWAYO, the House adjourned at a Quarter to Five o’clock p.m.