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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 18 October 2016 43 05
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 18th October, 2016
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER
ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY
LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that I have received an adverse report on Statutory Instrument, Number 86 on the Plumtree Town Council Clamping and Tow-Away By-Laws, 2016 published in the Government Gazette in August, 2016.
INVITATION TO THE 2016 PRE-BUDGET SEMINAR
THE HON. SPEAKER: I also wish to inform the House that all
Hon. Members are invited to the 2016 Pre-budget Seminar to be held at the
ZITF grounds in Bulawayo from 2nd November, 2016 to 6th November,
- All Members are requested to confirm their participation at the seminar with the Public Relations officers who will be stationed in the court yard from 1400 hours during sittings or at Pax House during any other times. Confirmation of attendance should be done by Monday, 24th October, 2016.
Please note that Hon. Members from Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo and Midlands provinces are expected to drive to Bulawayo while those from Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West provinces will fly to Bulawayo from Harare.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir … THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUTSEYAMI: My point of order Mr. Speaker Sir is for the sake of clarity to the House and to the country so that we move on the same wave length. The fact that we are now doing our pre-budget seminar at ZITF grounds in Bulawayo when traditionally we have been doing such seminars in Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North. Is this position as a result of development in terms of how we are progressing as Parliament or it is an under-development as a result of the economic hardships that we are suffering as a country?
What is causing this shift for us to move from Victoria Falls to conduct our seminar at show grounds? What is happening Mr. Speaker
Sir? I thank you and just for the record, the agricultural show grounds in
Bulawayo. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order I was going to rule the Hon. Member out of order because what you raise has nothing to do with priviledge, it was a point of clarification and not a point of order but I will indulge you nonetheless.
The issue is that for some good reasons, I think, the hotels in Victoria Falls are fully booked during the period anticipated by Parliament and for that reason the only convenient venue is Bulawayo. You are not going to be in the open arena for the official opening but will be in an enclosure, one of the huge halls within the grounds and everything will be put in order so that you are as comfortable as possible. Let me assure you also that the hotels in Bulawayo will be more than willing to host the Hon.
Members of Parliament. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Hon. Eng. Mudzuri having sought The Hon. Speaker’s permission to speak.
I was going to say Hon. Vice President, how may I help you? –
[Laughter.] -
HON. ENG. MUDZURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, I seek your assistance to help this House to respond to Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga’s request pertaining the supplementary Mid-Term Budget, which was a bit confused by the statement from Hon. Minister Mushohwe to say which budget are we looking at? We request you to give a ruling or if not, when are you giving us a ruling?
THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you for that question. I thought – [HON. D. SIBANDA: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Deputy Whip, you are the last person to be put to order.
I was saying it is a good question but also it shows me that while we distributed the Standing Orders, you have not fully studied them. The Standing Orders state that at the close of a session, all motions that were before the House fall off and all those who might have put forward those motions will have to reinstate the motions. Just as Hon. Muderedzwa has done, so as soon as the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development reinstates that motion, a ruling shall be made accordingly.
You see, it shows that you have not read your Standing Orders at all.
FIRST READING
NATIONAL COMPETITETIVES COMMISSION BILL [H. B. 6,
2016.]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA) on behalf of THE
MINISTER INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE (HON. BIMHA)
presented the National Competitiveness Commission Bill (H. B. 6. 2016).
Bill read the first time.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
RECOMMITAL TO COMMITTEE STAGE
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES BILL [H. B. 15A, 2015.]
First Order read: Recommittal – Committee: Special Economic
Zones Bill, (H. B. 15A, 2015).
House in Committee.
*HON. CHAMISA: On a point of order Mr. Chairman. We would
like to see a copy of the Bill please.
Mr. Chairman, I just want to raise a point of order that I am not so sure if other members have copies of the Bill – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Do you have a copy of the Bill, the Special Economic Zones Bill?
I just wanted to raise a point of order because I did not get my Bill in the pigeonhole, save to say Hon. Speaker that I am very grateful that this Bill has come back to this House. Judging from the reason why the Bill is back in this House, I am so delighted that the President read what we contributed in the Hansard and took on board our vehement opposition to the Minister’s line of thinking, which we felt was in violation of the Constitution and the Labour Act. We are so excited that finally, wisdom has visited the Minister and he has brought this very important and progressive Bill with the necessary amendments.
I just wanted to make that point, having taken note of the fact that we cannot suspend our own laws and Constitution in certain zones simply because we want to make money. I think we are taking too far,
capitalistic tendencies. We should go back to basics and respect our people, labour and the liberation struggle, which was all about the dignity of the working people. I am very glad that this has been acknowledged as this is going to be a very progressive dimension going forward. Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Hon. Chair, I just want to acknowledge the comments by Hon. Chamisa and say that right from the outset, there was never any disrespect for labour rights. This is just one way of respecting labour rights. The previous provisions were not quite understood but they all served the same purpose. What is now happening is that we are probably speaking in the language that most workers understand. I am very grateful to him. On that note, I move the amendment standing in my name on Section 56 (1) as follows:-
- Deletion of the phrase “Labour Act [Chapter 28:01] and the” in
Section 56 subsection (1) of the Bill; and
- The insertion of a new paragraph after Section 5 subsection
(i) Paragraph (d) of the Bill to read as follows:
(e) One shall be appointed from the Ministry responsible for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.
Amendment to Section 56 (1) put and agreed to.
Section 56 (1), as amended, put and agreed to.
House resumed.
Bill reported with amendment.
Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI MUSHONGA: I would like to start by
thanking the President for the speech that he delivered in this House. In the same light with Hon. Chamisa, I will not speak to the Acts that the President brought in but I will speak to what I think were some of the expectations that we as Members of Parliament and the general public had in terms of where we are going right now. I think the tragedy or sad thing about what happens when the President comes in and makes a speech is the inability of having the President sit and listen to some of the responses that come from the House. I think it would make a huge difference if he was able to sit and listen to what Members of Parliament will be saying. I say so because I think when some things are said and then interpreted in the media, they look somewhat different from the intention of those Members that will have spoken. I will speak but I am a bit hesitant because I know that what generally happens is that words become misconstrued and not understood as spoken. I will however take the risk of speaking to those things in the hope that perhaps there are times when His Excellency does have an opportunity to look at the Hansard and be able to read verbatim, some of the things that we say in this House.
Mr. Speaker, when a President comes to the House, it is usually for him to speak within a particular context. I think we need to ask ourselves what the current socio-economic and political context is in Zimbabwe. What was sad for me on the day that the President came to address us is that usually when he comes and gives a speech, it does not matter whether you agree or disagree with him. There is a certain level of excitement and passion that comes along with his visit but I did not see that. I remember that somebody stood up and raised a point of order that the entire front bench was sleeping. The response from the Speaker was that it was disrespectful. I however think it could have been more because I do not think those Hon. Members were being disrespectful but what it meant was that there was a total disconnect between what the President was presenting as priority issues to the actual day to day issues that are affecting the people of Zimbabwe right now.
Mr. Speaker, I want to speak on two issues that I found a bit challenging about the speech. The first major issue is that this country has become a divided nation. Zimbabwe has never been such a divided nation to the level that we are this time. We are divided in a number of things. We are divided even at Cabinet itself. For the first in this country, we have a Cabinet that is at war with itself. We have a Cabinet that is divided. You hear a Cabinet Minister who comes and say this today and another one comes and says that tomorrow. It is not giving a sense that says these people are united.
Mr. Speaker Sir, when you look at The Herald, every other day you can be rest assured that The Herald is speaking to a particular war of Cabinet against each other. I do not care what it is about but you can read whether it is the columnist - I do not know whether others have read the columns that are in The Herald. For the first time that I have known and sat in this House, I have never had a time in which a State newspaper is taking on one of its own in the manner that is being done. I am not taking sides but what I am basically saying Mr. Speaker is that at the end of the day, it just says the centre is not holding, whatever the issue but the centre is not holding. The second one that shows us to be a divided nation is that for the first time, we have never had a time in which the history of this country has been so distorted and so contested.
I sit here Mr. Speaker; I did not participate in the liberation struggle. I knew that there were certain people who were said to have participated in the liberation struggle. These are the people that did a, b, c, d yet on a day to day basis, that whole issue is being contested to an extent that some of us are now wondering whether the war of liberation actually did take place. Was there a Chimurenga that took place because every day you hear so and so did not go to war, so and so was a prostitute and so and so was busy sending people to the front. So, what happened to the liberation struggle? The whole basis of a foundation of what we have always known and understood to be a foundation of this country is being contested and has basically collapsed. You therefore cannot build a nation on the basis in which the foundation is being destroyed on a day to day basis.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Hon.
Members, less noise in the House.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: So, you cannot build a
nation on the basis of a foundation that you are destroying on a day to day basis. Today I am not sure who is a proper war veteran. No one can tell me where a proper war veteran is because you are challenging every person that has been in the struggle - so and so was not at war. First, we were told Hon. Mnangagwa did not really run the group of five, then the next thing we were told that the former Vice President, Mai Mujuru was not in the struggle; she did not shoot down an aeroplane, Mr. Mutsvangwa was stealing women underwear. So, at the end of the day, who exactly participated in the war of liberation? I raise this because until and unless we go back to the fundamentals, we go back to a foundation of what this country is all about, you cannot achieve anything.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I say so and I say we now have a clear division, a divided war veterans, war veterans that cannot speak on the issues around where the history of this country comes from. Mr. Speaker, we are divided on the basis of gender. I have not been in this country and seen the level of abuse that I have seen women being subjected to until I came to this particular period of time.
I want to go back; you cannot have a person who was a Vice President of this country for more than twenty years and write in a State newspaper that the way that woman sits is a way that prostitute sits and you write in a proper newspaper. This is being written by somebody who was a civil servant or who is a civil servant. So, are you telling me that all those times that you used to go and brief the Acting President, you were busy looking between her legs and wondering why she is sitting in a particular manner? That is what we are now finding in this particular country. I am raising this issue because unless we deal with these fundamental issues, it does not matter what the President will come and speak because we have a country that is messed up, a country that has a distorted history.
Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to go to two things that I found problematic and thought they should naturally have been part of what we are going to deal with in this particular session. Mr. Speaker, there is the issue around devolution. Many times we have heard Members of Parliament here stand up and raise issues around devolution. Devolution is not just a principle. It is a way of life.
HON. CHAMISA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. Hon. Speaker, if you may allow us to listen to this very important contribution. Hon. Haritatos and the other Hon. Member who is my brother, I will not mention his name, if they may just spare us the noise that is coming from those quarters so that we listen to this debate. This is nation building, it is very important for our country. Those who want to do whispers, I am sure the bar is open; if they may be excused to go there and do what they know best. Thank you very much Hon. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon.
Chamisa. Less noise in the House Hon. Members. Those who would want to go and discuss, please have the privilege of moving out and go to do your discussions outside. Hon. Haritatos, I am talking to you. Hon.
Member, you may continue.
HON. MISIHAIRABWI-MUSHONGA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.
Like I said at the beginning of my presentation, I said I am hoping that the President will be able to sit and read through some of this. I think some of the attitude is an attitude that we have had over time where we do not listen to each other.
Let me go back to the issue of devolution. Mr. Speaker, devolution is just not a principle, it is a way of life. You cannot come here and want people to be part of a developmental process if people feel that they are alienated from those that are at the centre and making decisions. We hear this day in and day out; people outside Harare have problems with the fact that all decisions are basically made from Harare. It has created a sense of alienation. I come from the southern region; we are actually beginning to have situations where there is violence against particular ethnic groups because people are continuously saying if these people are not going to listen to us, we are going to physically deal with them so that they can listen to us. Right now if we do not see that as a sign of some of the problems that are going to be happening, we have a problem. We have situations because we are not dealing with issues of devolution where you are going into particular restaurants and shops, and people are beginning to organise themselves to boycott certain shops and restaurants because they are walking in and are being spoken to in a language that is not their particular language.
That speaks to the issues of devolution and issues that we will not be able to address the things that we put in the Constitution. This is because the structure that we had put up to deliver what we had put in is not being put into place. It is very sad Mr. Speaker that the President came in here and did not address the issue of devolution. The next point that I find problematic is the issue that we are not going back to be Bill on NPRC, the Bill on Peace and Reconciliation. The issue is that if anything happens and you do not address it, it will continue to fester. People had seen the NPRC as a way of beginning to address the past wounds, issues that are associated with Gukurahundi.
We come back to a new session and that issue has not been raised.
Unfortunately, the NPRC is the only Commission that has a sunset clause. It was given ten years. We already have gone through the past two/three years. So, it would mean that we are down to seven years, yet it has the fundamental issues that we need to discuss to move forward. So many times people in this House people have brought motions to discuss issues of peace and reconciliation. Sometimes, Members have walked out but walking out does not address the problem. The wound continues to fester. We need to put a close to it and finish it. Otherwise Mr. Speaker, it will be used for political purposes.
We need to say to ourselves, what is it that happened in the past that we want to close it. On that point, I want to point out that one of the biggest disappointments that happened is the fact that the person who was chairing that particular Committee... I can see the light, I am about to finish. When he passed a way, we also did not consider the sensitivity of that. I do not understand why we would not have made Cyril Ndebele a national hero. This is because that would have dealt with some of the fundamental issues that are in this place.
To close this up, I think we need to get the President to address all these issues to deal with the issue around succession. Succession has become a cancer in this country. No one works because everybody is waiting to see when Robert Mugabe is going to die and when he is going to get sick. We need to address - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- Yes, I am not saying I want him to die. I am saying the very fact that as a nation, we are now bound to waking up in the morning and people wanting somebody to die, is an indication that we have a problem.
The President should just come here and say 2018, it is not about us, and it is about that side Mr. Speaker. That is the side that bothers about succession. These are the people that are holding us to ransom. We do not care whether President Mugabe stays or not. We have an election to go and get rid of him. These are the people that we want to get rid of him in his party. Let him address it. We are sick and tired as a nation of being held to ransom over ZANU PF politics of not being able to choose a person that they want. The President should address that, close it so that this country can begin to work again. I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that
the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th October, 2016.
MOTON
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. WADYAJENA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that Order of the Day Number 3, be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. MUKWANGWARIWA: I second.
MOTION
MEASURES TO CURB VIOLENCE PERPETRATED BY POLITICAL
PARTIES
HON. MANDIPAKA: I move the motion standing in my name That
this House-
AWARE that Zimbabwe is a peace loving nation;
DISTURBED by recent acts of violence and terror on innocent people by opposition political parties;
WORRIED by vicious attacks on police officers and security agents;
CONCERNED by the looting and destruction of property and infrastructure in Greater Harare;
NOW THEREFORE calls upon Parliament to resolve to:
- Strongly condemn political parties perpetrating acts of violence on our nation;
- Calls upon the Government and the Zimbabwe Republic Police to arrest all those rowdy youths involved in acts of violence and to facilitate their prosecution;
- Asks the Minister of Home Affairs to make a statement on the state of affairs with regards to recent political violence and to assure the nation of its safety and security.
HON. MUDEREDZWA: I second.
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me on my own behalf and on behalf of other Hon. Members in this august House to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Msipa family and the nation of Zimbabwe following the death of Cde. Cephas Msipa of the Midlands Province. That having been said Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to present a motion that is simply calling for peace in the nation.
HON. CHAMISA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. CHAMISA: I have a point of order on two aspects with respect to the query and observation we made Hon. Mr. Speaker Sir. To say that there was apparent violation of our Standing Orders and Rules, and I think it had dawned on the Speaker then – Madam Speaker Hon. Chinomona, that there was need to have due regard and consideration of the wording, in line with the Standing Orders. That determination is not made. It is our humble submission Hon. Speaker, that that determination be made first, to say that certain elements within that motion be expunged on account of violent language, particularly violating one of the political parties, because we are indeed an opposition political party. Certain allegations and averments were made unduly and also without the backing of the due process and that is the first point.
The second point is that we have motions, if you remember Hon.
Speaker Sir, I may have to hold on and wait while you make consultations.
Shall I proceed Hon. Speaker Sir?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, can you take your seat.
HON. CHAMISA: I did not finish my point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Gara hako. I am advised that
since there has not been any amendment to the way the motion has been set out, it cannot be debated at the moment.
HON. CHAMISA: Thank you Hon Speaker Sir. I hope that Hon. Mandipaka is going to respect your ruling. – [HON. MEMBER: Hear,
hear.] -
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order Hon. Mandipaka?
HON. MANDIPAKA: Hon. Speaker, it is unfortunate …
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Mandipaka, can you
approach the Chair?
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. D. SIBANDA: I move that Order of the Day Number 5 be
stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. CHAMISA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
HON. MANDIPAKA: On a point of order.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of Order?
HON. MANDIPAKA: Hon. Speaker, I respect the ruling that you have given in respect of issues that were raised by Hon. Chamisa. May it be put on record that the Speaker who handled that point of order did not say that she was going to make amendments? They only said they were going to look at the motion. That was corrected, they did not say they were going to make amendments.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, Hon Chinotimba. Order in the House Hon. Members.
MOTION
FIRST REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER
AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT ON HARNESSING BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the First Report of the Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development on Biotechnology.
Question again proposed.
HON. CHAKONA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. First of all, I just want to remind the House in terms of the central part of our debate with regards to Biotechnology. Basically, “Biotechnology refers to any technological process which uses living organisms or derivatives thereof to make or modify new products or to improve existing ones”. Biotechnology techniques that are applied include tissues, culture, vaccines, productions, genetic modification and fermentation.
Biotechnology involves industrial Biotechnology, medical Biotechnology, agricultural technology, bio-pharmaceutical and environmental biotechnology.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate that bio-technology empowers people. It is one of emerging technologies that improves and dwells much on socio-economic fundamentals. In that regard, I would like to say, if bio-technology is used properly, it actually guarantees nutrition and food security in line with the ZIM ASSET Blueprint. It is imperative that Zimbabwe improves on its productivity, especially in agriculture, where I would want to dwell my contribution on.
Agriculture at the moment is highly underperforming and one of the major reasons is something to do with the usage of technological means to improve on productivity. I would give an example of the South African agricultural sector; from 2008, they have been producing an average of 12 to about 14 million tonnes of maize from only 3.5 million hectares. This translates to a production rate of about 4.15 metric tonnes per tonne. If you look at the Zimbabwean average of maize production, we are actually producing 0.67 metric tonnes per hectare. This is 80 tonnes less than what
South Africa is producing. So, the national average for South Africa is 4.15 metric tonnes per hectare, whereas here in Zimbabwe we are producing less than a tonne per hectare.
In that regard, South Africa in early 2000, adopted bio-technology in the agricultural sector and their production has shot more than 10 times to what we are producing in Zimbabwe. Therefore, I would like to encourage that we heavily look at bio-technology as a means of improving on our productivity as well as adhering to the ZIM ASSET Blueprint on nutrition and food security.
Another advantage of bio-technology is bio-medicines. Bio- medicines have become very important in our nation and also the world over. The continuous research in bio-technology has produced a number of vaccines that have eradicated a number of diseases, for example influenza in the early 1900 was cured after enough research into the correct vaccines to cure such a disease. Of late, there is also the issue of Ebola virus, which has also been to a greater extent reduced or eradicated as a result of bio-technology. This proves that bio-technology plays an important role in bio-medicines. As we speak right now, there are also clinical trials regarding HIV/AIDS treatment. That is why we encourage bio-technology researches in Zimbabwe.
Other countries have adopted Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In Zimbabwe, we are not at all considering any research related to GMOs. I therefore, encourage that we take advantage of bio-technology to continue researching into GMOs.
Another issue is to do with the socio-economic development which relates to obviously agriculture, health, energy, environment, industrial development, employment and increase in export receipts. My submission is that, if we seriously consider bio-technology we will obviously improve on a number of areas, especially to do with our environment. There is a lot of environmental degradation that is taking place in this nation at this stage, relating to cutting down of trees and wild fires. If we are to adopt bio-technology, some of these will obviously be reduced and we can see an improvement on our ecosystem.
Bio-technology plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the nation. The National Bio-technology Authority of Zimbabwe (NBA) was formed in early 2008. The major role of the NBA was to look at issues to do with bio-safety and bio-security. Bio-safety basically means the NBA will be focusing on how the bio-technologically produced products are safe to our people, the nation and safe for consumption.
On bio-security, it is imperative that as we research more on GMOs or bio-technologically produced products, we also look at the security of our people and look at how secure any other product that is being produced is secure to the people of Zimbabwe.
In that regard, the NBA superintends over all these researches and findings. The findings of the NBA have not been seriously considered for adoption by our Government. Some of the research findings that we have discovered as a nation through the NBA have a very positive impact on the country’s economy and sustainable development, especially to do with food security. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development has not seriously considered these findings to ensure that there is an improvement in the production of food in this country – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): Order in
the House Hon. Members, less noise please.
HON. CHAKONA: My recommendations are that, the Government of Zimbabwe is supposed to resource the NBA so that it further researches into food security and how we can improve productivity in our agricultural sector.
The other thing is that as a nation, as much as we want to by-pass GMOs, we are consuming GMOs on a daily basis in our country. It is therefore, imperative that we consider seriously the findings of the NBA in so far as adopting the technology is concerned.
Another recommendation is that the NBA is simply an authority. With the adoption of STEM in high schools, we also think that researches relating to bio-technology be disseminated to institutes of higher learning like universities, so that they can research into the type of crops that can be grown in our nation and which can actually ensure food security in our country. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to our report. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that
the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 19th October, 2016.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER
NON-ADVERSE REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MUTOMBA): I have to
inform the House that I have received a Non-Adverse Report from the
Parliamentary Legal Committee on the Special Economic Zones Bill [H.B.
15B, 2015]
Consideration Stage: With leave, forthwith.
CONSIDERATION STAGE
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES BILL [H.B. 15B, 2015]
HON. CHAMISA: Sorry Hon. Speaker, no objection but just to say, a very important development has just taken place. Our Vice President, our opposite number Hon. Mphoko is in the House and we must make special acknowledgement of his presence; but also to take the opportunity to remind him that it will be good to also grace us tomorrow for the Question and Answer Session. Hon. Mphoko, we are waiting for you. You are our President and we want to raise these fundamental questions and we just hope that you will come. Thank you very much.
Section 56 (1), put and agreed to.
Bill, as amended, adopted.
Third Reading: With leave, forthwith.
THIRD READING
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES BILL [H.B. 15B, 2015]
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHAMISA): I move that the Special
Economic Zones Bill be now read for the third time.
Motion put and agreed to.
Bill read the third time.
On the motion of the MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, the House adjourned at Half-past
Three o’clock p.m.