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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 24 August 2016 42-86

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 24^th August, 2016

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

PRAYERS

(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER

ERROR ON THE ORDER PAPER

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  I have to draw the

attention of the House to an error on the Order Paper, where the Order of the Day, Number 37 was included when in fact, it was withdrawn yesterday, with leave of the House.

HON. GONESE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

HON. GONESE:  I notice that today is a Wednesday and in terms of our Standing Orders, it is a day for question time.  I have looked at the benches on your right, the people who are seated there, except for two, do not look like ministers to me – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – [HON. D. SIBANDA:  Endai kumabhenji enyu. 

Murikuda kutamba nebasa, hatidi zvemushikashika panapa.] – Madam Speaker, in terms of Section 107, which we have made reference to on diverse occasions, the provisions of 107 which are very clear and unambiguous, every Vice President, Minister and Deputy Minister must attend Parliament and Parliamentary Committees in order to answer questions.  I would like to be appraised as to why they have shown disdain for this august House by not coming to attend Parliament.

Incidentally Madam Speaker, in terms of the provisions of Section 141 of the Constitution which relates to public access to Parliament, we moved a motion in this august House that we must have live coverage of all sessions on Wednesdays when we have question time.  I notice today, we do not have live coverage and there are no cameras.  I do not know whether that is by accident or whether that is by design that today there is no live coverage from ZBC.  I do not know whether the Administration of Parliament are the ones who advised ZBC that there would be no question time because yesterday we adjourned to today.  There was no prior indication that there would be no session today.  I wonder as to why we do not have live coverage so that the people of Zimbabwe can have direct access to the proceedings of this august

House as provided for, in terms of our supreme law, which is the

Constitution of this country.

We have been informed that if there are any apologies, the office of the Chair would advise the House as to whether any particular minister has given an apology.  When you made your announcement, you only made it relating to the Order Paper, there was no announcement as to why Ministers have decided to absent themselves from the proceedings of this august House.  That is my point of order –

[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order.  The first point of order that was raised by Hon. Gonese – Ministers are still coming to the House.

They will come.  So, we will continue with the Ministers that are available.  Other Ministers have also given apologies on State business.

On the second point of order on the issue of coverage by the ZBC, we will continue to speak to ZBC so that they will continue to cover our

Wednesday business.

          Hon. Chimene having stood up.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Chimene, what is your point of

order?

*HON. CHIMENE:  Thank you Madam Speaker – [HON.

MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members.  I have given Hon. Chimene the opportunity to contribute, so please can we hear Hon.

Chimene.

*HON. CHIMENE:  Thank you Madam Speaker for protecting me.  The issue that is being discussed – I thought they would be saying

Hon. Ministers are on their way because time is not yet over.  Remember we had adjourned the House some time back and ZBC had taken advantage of our adjournment and said they would go to the Show.

Therefore, we cannot stop doing our work because ZBC is not around.

*HON. MURAI:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

*HON. MURAI:  Madam Speaker, the Minister is giving an explanation on the operations of the ZBC but that is not her business.

As far as we know, she is the Minister of State for Manicaland Province.  She is not giving us an adequate response and we would rather get a better response like the one that you gave us.  Therefore, I would ask Hon. Chimene to withdraw her response.

*THE ACTING SPEAKER:  I have already given a ruling and that stands – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon.

Members from my left side, my right side and from the back.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER

VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  I recognise the presence of lecturers and students from the Bulawayo Polytechnic in the Speaker’s Gallery.  You are welcome – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear.] – Order. Order.  Hon. Members from both the right and the left side, you are not allowed to do slogans in the House.

Hon. Chamisa presented his Notice of Motion regarding police brutality on citizens engaging in peaceful and constitutional demonstrations.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker.  We stand guided, naturally and normally when a person is giving a Notice of a

Motion, it must have been approved by the Speaker for it to come in this House – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – We do not know whether Hon. Chamisa’s motion …

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members!  Can you

allow Hon. Mandipaka to finish his point of order.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Madam Speaker, I was saying when you want to give notice, you normally hear the Speaker saying “I must have approved it first.”  We do not know whether this one is exceptional because it has been approved here.  I thank you.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Member, I have consulted with

the Office of the Clerk of Parliament and it has been approved that he can move the motion – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear.] – Because it failed to sail through on urgent matters as it was no longer an urgent issue.  So, we have allowed him to move the motion on the Order Paper.

Hon. Chamisa, can you finish.

HON. CHAMISA:  Thank you Madam Speaker for educating Hon. Mandipaka.  He needs a lot of education.  Madam Speaker just to say I have already articulated the mainframe of the notice and I do not need to belabour Parliament with the issues if this motion is going to be debated in Parliament.  I realise that Members have been running away from ideas and the debate and they shall debate this motion – it will be debated.  Thank you very much.

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA): I acknowledge the

use of computers or laptops to present your motions but it is the rules of Parliament that Hon. Member you are supposed to submit a signed copy of the notice to the Journals Office.

HON. CHAMISA:  It is there.

HON. MAONDERA: On a point of order Madam Speaker.  We

have agreed in this House that each time the Leader of the House is not available, there is an Acting Leader of the House and normally when he is not there, there is Hon. Chinamasa.  So we wanted to know who is the

Acting Leader of the House?  Is it Hon. Mandi Chimene who is the Leader of the House?

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  Order, Hon.

Member, there is no point of order here.  I think you are out of order.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

HON. CROSS:  Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Home Affairs whether it is Government policy to permit the Vice

President to come to a police station in Harare and force the Member-in- Charge to release two accused persons from detention?

THE DEPUTY MINISER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker.  I listened carefully to Hon.

Cross’s question and I am not aware of a matter like that one.  I would like him to write all the details so that I do the findings, then I will come back to him.  Thank you Madam.

HON. CROSS:  Madam Speaker, there is absolutely no reason why the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs responsible for the police in

Zimbabwe should not be aware of the incident that I am referring to –

[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections]-

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  Order, order Hon.

Members.

HON. CROSS:  It was the subject of the special motion I presented to this House on an emergency basis two weeks ago.  It was in the press and on social media and the Minister must be aware of the incident in question.  What I asked him was quite specific.  Is it the policy of the Zimbabwe Government to permit anybody of senior stature in our society to go to a police station and force the Police Officer-inCharge to release prisoners who have been held on detention for crimes in Zimbabwe?  Is it policy?

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  I have heard what

you have said Hon. Cross but the Deputy Minister has appealed to the House so that they can make investigations about the matter and bring an answer to the House with details.

HON. D. M. NCUBE:  My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.  What steps are you taking to weed out corrupt elements within the VID who are demanding bribes from learner drivers?  Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. J.M.

GUMBO):  Thank you Madam Speaker.  If I understood the question well, I think that it must be put in writing so that I can investigate but what I can state here is what I stated in the House last week on

Wednesday that as a Ministry, we put some measures to curb corruption at VID centres.  I did mention here that we put some toll free lines at all depots and we are also asking the public to assist us by bringing to book all those people who might have been asked to pay some money for maybe getting a proficiency driver’s licence or the real driver’s licence itself that is causing these problems.  So, if there are any specific cases that the Hon. Member who is asking has got, I will be very happy to receive that information so that we make further investigations.  I have appealed publicly and here in the House that corruption takes place between two people, so, you are also an accomplice if you pay the money to the examiner.  If that happens and you want us to actually stamp out that corruption, please assist us by immediately phoning us that this is what has happened so that we can make a follow up quickly.

So I want to thank you for that, but if there are any specific cases which you have, please let me know so that I can then make further investigations and bring the culprits to book.  I did mention here that between 2009 and 2016, we already had dismissed about 199 officials from the VID because of corruption.  However, we can only do that if you assist us by bringing to our attention any person who might be involved in that kind of a corruption.  I thank you.

HON. ZINDI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question is directed to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Hon. Dr. Gumbo.  In view of the fact that most drivers have accessed drivers’ licences clandestinely or through bribery, and sometimes without even reading through the Highway Code so as to understand the rules of the road and this has also come up in the media that this has been happening.  What is the Ministry’s policy to ensure that all drivers have to go for retesting in order to ensure that everybody who is a driver must have read the Highway Code so that they understand how to use the roads?  As a result of the human error that is causing so many accidents on the roads, what is the policy of the Ministry.  Thank you.

HON. DR. J.M. GUMBO:  I want to thank you for that follow up question which in a way does not arise, but is a very important question.  What I can say as a policy is that, there is no Government policy for retesting – but as if, legislators we feel that we must come up with a law or regulation to say that maybe after such a period, people must be retested; I think we can still bring it to the House and make that law.  For now, there is no Government policy which is asking for retesting.  I really appreciate your concern and I think it is something that we should think about and see if we can have a way out to retest people.  I thank you.

HON. SARUWAKA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question

is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs.  Hon. Minister, I understand that there is a policy that dictates that for the police to establish a road block there must be at least three of them.  No two policemen can set up a road block.  I would like to understand; how do you reconcile that policy with motor bike riders from the police who set up road blocks by themselves because normally, they will be two.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIR (HON.

MGUNI):  Thank you Madam Speaker.  Thank you Hon. Member for the question that will drive clarification on the difference between a road block, patrol and a spot check.  These are three different things.

Usually, the motor bikes people are doing what we call patrols and spot checks.  They can patrol whether they are two and if they see suspicious vehicles, they have the right to stop them because they do not patrol just to go.  They have to identify something which is wrong and they have got the right to stop and make inquiries whether they are two or one.

You explained the policy of a road block correctly.  Road blocks are mounted and we call them permanent road or traffic road block where three or more police officers mann it.  We are doing this in a transparent way so that the public can report any other thing which is not in that form.

In a patrol as well, on top of the motor bike – it could be a BMW or any other car, two officers can be there in that car.  They drive it along the road patrolling and identifying unusual activities.  They can stop vehicles and search if they have to.  I thank you.

HON. SITHOLE:  My supplementary question to the Minister is to do with the policy position regarding the criteria that they use to determine the distance between one road block and another, because in some cases, it is less than 100 metres and in other cases it is 20 kilometers.  Do they have a policy position regarding the distance between the spacing of road blocks?  I thank you.

HON. MGUNI:  The policy is driven from United Nations. In a written document, it says, road blocks can be mounted within ten kilometers apart.  However, here in Zimbabwe, we do not have numbers of police who can manage to do every road block and it is not tourism friendly to mount road blocks after every ten kilometers. It is bizarre for the country.  We choose the correct spots where we think are hot spots where the road block should be and the other thing is that there is a secret as a Minister which they cannot tell me because the police are doing operational duties where they can mount a road block there and change it as they get information because they have got intelligence information within them.  So they have to mount as the country is being organised to rise. Some people may destroy properties, it maybe dangerous to other people’s lives so police have the right to make decisions to keep the country way in a peaceful manner.  I thank you.

HON. MUTSEYAMI:  On a point of order.  My point of order is to do with a question which was raised earlier on by the Hon. Chief

Whip, Hon. Gonese to do with the presence of Ministers in this House.  As we speak now, you alluded earlier on that Ministers were flowing in but right now we are 15-20 minutes into the programme and we only have two Cabinet Ministers, Hon. Tshinga Dube and Dr. Gumbo.  As I speak right now, we have about four Deputy Ministers who are entitled to answer questions.  We also have some former Ministers – [HON. MEMBERS: Laughter.] –  These Deputy Ministers do not stand in cabinet meetings.  Most of them here are former deputy and former

Ministers who cannot answer like Hon. Chasi and Hon. Ziyambi –

[HON. MEMBERS: Laughter.]-

THE HON. ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  Order Hon.

Mutseyami.  I will not entertain that point order.  Ministers are still coming to the House and those who are available will answer your questions.

+HON. MPALA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs.  What is Government policy on alien and grand children whose parents are dead?

+THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Hon. Member.  The question was, what is

Government policy on late alien’s children – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

*HON. CHIMENE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  Hon.

Bhebhe is eating in the House

THE HON. ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Bhebhe, Hon. Bhebhe. HON. BHEBHE:  Yes Madam Speaker.

THE HON. ACTING SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Member.  Stand there – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon.

Members.  Eating or drinking beverages in the House is not allowed.  Only water is allowed.  So, Hon. Member, you can go outside and eat whatever you are eating.

HON. BHEBHE:  I am quite sure if the Hon. Member is correct that I was eating, she should have told you what I was eating.  As you can see, I am not eating anything -[HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.]-

THE ACTING HON. SPEAKER:   Hon. Bhebhe, please go outside - [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.]-  We made a ruling yesterday – [HON. MEMBERS:  Aahh, nooo!.] – Order Hon. Members.  I should remind the House that you are not allowed to eat in you. Hon. Bhebhe our problem now is that we do not have evidence as for cameras to prove that he was eating in the House. So, it will be another Hon. Member’s word against the other one. So, please do not eat in the House.

+THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Hon. Speaker. Hon. Nyoni had asked about the late alien’s children and how they can be assisted to obtain documents.  She had not finished on how they can be assisted in obtaining documents. The Ministry of Home Affairs has a clear policy of how to obtain birth certificates.  Firstly, people should understand that a birth certificate is a document that is given to someone to do whatever they want to do with it. So, it is really important that we should try and find out if that child was born in this country because firstly what is required is that we want witnesses of the late deceased person to come and give evidence that the child was born there, and if it is in the rural areas we will need a village head or a chief who can come and witness for those children because they are now orphans.

In Bulawayo we have come across organisations that deal with such issues. They bring such children to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and we also try to assist them. Hon. Nyoni what is required is proof that the child was born in Zimbabwe that is how we can assist them to obtain birth certificates.  If the child is born out of the country then it will be difficult for us to do so.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER

SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES

THE ACTING SPEAKER: The ringing of cellphones is not

internet surfing. Please be reminded that if you are found in use of a cellphone that is ringing in the House you may be forced to move out of this place.

HON. NDUNA: I have got a supplementary question.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary Hon. Nduna.

*HON. NDUNA: Hon. Minister of Home Affairs, you said you

would want proof in the rural areas and village heads can be used as witnesses. What about in town? How can I get someone to come and assist? Can I call an MP or a councilor as a witness because they are so many children who are staying at home because they do not have birth certificates? Can I get the evidence and bring it myself to the Ministry of Home Affairs?

HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I see Hon. Nduna

was specific that in towns. As I said that in Bulawayo there are organisations the see to it that orphans are assisted. They are allowed to bring evidence with the help of headmaster and so on, but we cannot accept evidence from a councillor or an MP as such because they do not have proof of the child’s birth.

*HON. MANGWENDE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My

question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs. I would like to find out what is Government’s policy with regards to illegal mushishashika which has become a menace in the streets of Harare.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. I think the Hon. Member has seen the police improving some vehicles, and people coming here in Parliament asking the period how far we can detain a vehicle that is illegal which is there in our Act saying it should not be more than 24hours.   The police are trying very hard to bring order in the City of Harare, and we are working very hard day and night.

HON. D. M. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question

is directed to the Minister responsible for war veterans. What is the

Government doing to deal with the welfare of bonafide war veterans?

THE MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR WAR

VETERANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER POLITICAL

DETAINEES AND RESTRICTEES: (HON. T. DUBE) Thank you

Madam Speaker. The Ministry of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and Restrictees is doing everything in its mandate to fulfill the welfare of all those groups under it. There come sometimes, when resources are not readily available, but we are doing everything possible to do what we are supposed to do.

For instance we talk of fees for their dependents this has been done on times time, but all the same whenever resources get available we dispatch them accordingly. Thank you Madam Speaker.

*HON. S. CHIDHAKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My

supplementary to the Minister is that you are saying you are doing everything within your means to help war veterans. We are coming across war veterans who say that if you no longer want to support

ZANU PF, benefits and other entitlements such as farms are withdrawn.

Is it Government policy that if you leave ZANU PF you are no longer a war veteran?

HON. T. DUBE: Hon. Speaker, the Hon. Member has asked a complicated question and he has asked a number of unpleasant things that are happening to war veterans. Some of the questions may be directed to the Ministry of Lands because we as the Ministry of War Veterans do not have anything to do with land. All we know is that the land is taken care of by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.

Now I do not remember, what else did you ask? – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

HON. MAONDERA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order, order, Hon. Member, I do not

think there is any point of order here.

HON. MAONDERA:  My point of order is on something I have

observed in this House.

*THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Ok, you can raise your point of

order after the Minister has finished responding, if it has nothing to do with the question that he is answering.

Hon. Minister, the Hon. Member wanted to know whether it is Government policy to label some war veterans as being no longer war veterans because they left ZANU PF.

HON. DUBE:  It is not correct to say that if someone has allegiance to any other party, he ceases to be a war veteran.  Being a war veteran was acquired when they were vetted to have been war veterans.  It does not matter what happens later on.   One may join any other party but will still remain a war veteran.

*HON. MUTSEYAMI:  My supplementary question is; if I look at what has been asked as compared to your answer - we saw from last week that you broke history again where if one is no longer loyal to ZANU PF he/she is no longer a credible war veteran.  There are war veterans like Teurai Ropa Nhongo and the others who are being ridiculed in the newspapers.  What policy do you have in place as a Ministry to protect the war veterans like Joyce Mujuru so that she is not labeled a whore who went to the war of liberation to sleep with men?

- [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

*THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members. Hon.

Mutseyami’s question has been answered adequately by the Minister in his response.  He said if you are a war veteran, it does not matter which party you belong to, you remain a war veteran.  That is the question that you asked and the answer has already been given.

*HON. MUTSEYAMI;  No Madam Speaker, my question is on

the ridiculing of Mai Mujuru where she is being labeled as having gone to war to sleep with men.  Is that what happened?  You are now ridiculing her because she is no longer in ZANU PF?  - [HON.

MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

*THE HON. ACTING SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Mutseyami.  I

have already made a ruling that the Minister has answered the question adequately.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.  This afternoon Parliament of Zimbabwe was attacked by some rowdy elements who threw some stones and a car was damaged.  We also have some pockets of our citizens that are being instigated by other external forces, internal forces, civic and human rights groups to go on the streets and attack the police viciously.  As Parliament, we want to find out whether we are still safe in this country and whether Government still has the potential to keep us safe realising what is currently taking place?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI):  Thank you Hon. Mandipaka for your question.  Yes, we are very safe in Zimbabwe.  We have got a very strong Act to ensure there is peace and stability within our country.  We also have a much disciplined police force.  Actually, when we send our police to the United Nations, they enjoy appointing them as leaders in countries like Sudan, Algeria and other countries that are full of violence.  They like our police because they are well trained to curb violence.  So, I am assuring him as a citizen that we have to defend lives, property and other things.  Our police are there to do so and not only to defend anti-demonstrators but also the demonstrators who are in danger because there are some people who are annoyed by their demonstrations.  Our duty therefore is to defend everybody in the country.

HON. NDUNA:  I have a supplementary question.  We note with great concern that some members of the society have turned themselves into career demonstrators.  Do you have a data base of these people and what is it that you are doing with these people who go into incarceration, come out of it and go back to demonstrate and indulge in further demonstrations.

HON. MGUNI:  Unfortunately Hon. Nduna, we cannot fully

reveal the steps that we are taking but I will try to partially answer your question.  We have a very strong intelligence section that is gathering all the data base that you are concerned about.  We are now advanced because some people need rehabilitation.  We are not only arresting people but we have gone a step further and now go out to visit such people and rehabilitate them so that they fit well into the society.  We do not want people who endanger other people’s lives.

*HON. MAONDERA:  I want to find out from the Minister if he

also has a data-base of thieves that are stealing from parastatals like ZUPCO just like he is dealing with all these unruly people.

*THE ACTING SPEAKER: I think that is a new question Hon. Maondera.  Today, we are only looking at people who are engaged in rioting.

*HON. KWARAMBA:  I can see that the police is doing a good job but what I want to know is, some of the culprits who want to fight the police, is there a policy. What do you do with these culprits?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): I would like to invite all the Hon. Members in Parliament here, when they hear about the Police Pass-out Parade, they are welcome to come and see what skills the police are displaying to defend themselves. I have had a lot of people especially from them, that is why we do not take the media stories and bring them to Parliament. I am aware that if you try or attempt to beat up a police officer, a woman or man, they are well trained to defend themselves. So, they deal with those nhunzvatunzvas at anytime. Thank you.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA: My question was directed to the Leader

of the House but in his absence, I will direct it to the Minister of

Transport and Infrastructural Development, Hon. Dr. Gumbo. Zimbabwe agreed that we should use plastic money. Now that we are using plastic money because there is no cash, on the roads when paying our fines we are not able to swipe. We then hear that money has been stolen yet if people were able to use plastic money it would get into the fiscus. The Government talks about things that we are not implementing, for example, ZINARA should have those POS machines.

The visitors in the Speaker’s Gallery are in college and are forced to pay their fees in cash yet there is no money. Instead, they should be able to swipe. What is the policy of Government that we should remove people who are forcing students and commuters to use cash? We have the cards and instead of us swiping, people are asked to bring cash.

Where does the money come from when you are saying we should use plastic money?

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Thank you Hon. Chinotimba for that question regarding Government policy on the use of plastic money. Let me give an explanation which will help most of us. When you pass through the tollgates for ZINARA, you are allowed to make your payments using bond coins because they have an equivalent value as the US$. We also ask you as people’s representatives to advice your constituents that they can use these bond coins at the tollgates. If we are to allow you to use the POS machines at the tollgates, it may take a long time and the queues can be so long that you will end up getting bored.  We now have a policy which allows you to make a pre-payment where you get your ticket in advance.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA: Minister, when I am talking of POS machines, I am talking about any currency which we can use in our basket. I am saying now that we have said we have a policy which empowers us to use plastic money – because Government has said there is a liquidity crunch and therefore, let us use the available means of payment which are the POS. It does not matter whether we stay a long time at those tollgates but we will be doing the correct thing. Remember Hon. Minister, you said there was a theft that took place at one of your tollgates and because people are using cash, there is some chicanery which could be involved. We are now saying that since it is difficult to get money even the bond coins, will the Leader of the House please make a ruling or advice that these colleges and schools should make use of POS machines for payments rather than ask students to pay in cash which is lacking in this country.

*HON. MACHINGAUTA: My point of order is in connection with this question. The Hon. Member is repeating himself and wasting other people’s time. Therefore, we should be very direct.

*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Machingauta, thank you

for your point of order but it appears you are taking over my job. Hon.

Chinotimba, the Minister responded to your question but I will ask him to re-emphasise.

*HON. DR. GUMBO: As you have stated Madam Speaker, I had already responded but I was trying to give further explanation on the use of POS for payments at tollgates. At tollgates, we may not be able to use the POS machines because we will spend a lot of time at the tollgates but I am advising motorists to use prepaid facilities because we will save time. Government has also advised these learning institutions and other places that they should use these POS machines. We hope that as time goes on, there will be enough of these POS machines at every place where there are monetary transactions to be carried out. The RBZ and ZIMRA are working flat out to make sure that these POS machines are readily available wherever they are needed. The prepaid system is also used for ZINARA payments at tollgates. We also use bond coins and it makes life easier for motorists to move around in their cars.

HON. CHINANZVAVANA: My question was intended for the

Minister in charge of National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation, Hon.

Mphoko and in his absence, I will redirect the question to the Hon. Minister who is in charge of Government business today. Are there any measures that have been put in place by the Minister to hasten the quick return of the National Peace and Reconciliation Bill considering that it has a very short life span constitutionally? I thank you Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. There is no

Minister in charge of Government business today. So I will recognise Hon. Chibaya.

*HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question is

directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Mguni. What is Government policy regarding spot fines, with regards to somebody who is trying to be in contravention of traffic laws at a road block?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Hon. Chibaya. This is the third time this question has been raised where the spot fine goes up to $20.00. If somebody does not have $20.00 and driving a vehicle, the police have the right to impound that vehicle for 24 hours. That is exactly what is in the law which is written or they can give the gentleman or the driver or the woman a chance to organise for that fine to come. That is a spot fine. It is needed there on the spot. So, there is no way where it can be taken to court. It is only if it is above $20.00, they can issue a ticket so that the person can go to the Magistrate’s Court. It happens like that. I thank you.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA: My supplementary is the question which

I have just asked. I am saying an individual has money at the bank and this person wants to swipe. I advise you that the policeman should be given POS equipment so that when somebody has committed an offence at a roadblock, he will swipe and make payment. Therefore, we are asking that Government should provide these gadgets such as the POS machines so that you swipe and make your payment there and there, instead of fining somebody $20.00. That person leaves his car and travel to the nearest point of getting his money.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Chinotimba, your question has been responded to and you have been told that you can go and get your money at all the places where you think your money is and then you pay.

HON. GONESE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Will the Deputy

Minister of Home Affairs please tell us part of the Constitution he is quoting? We need to know which section of the law that he is using because we are learned lawyers and we need to be told where this section is coming from? Is it part of the Constitution or it is a Statutory Instrument? We want to know which part of the section which empowers law enforcement agents to impound somebody’s car and stay with it for some time?

          HON. MGUNI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Hon. Gonese is a

legal guru and he knows that the Traffic Act under Chapter 5 has got a Clause that states that the police can detain a vehicle for 24 hours. He is very much aware.

HON. MUDARIKWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question

is directed to the Minister...

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members, can the Hon.

Member be heard in silence.

HON. MUDARIKWA: My question is directed to the Hon.

Minister of ICT, Hon. Mandiwanzira. Hon. Minister, can you inform the august House the progress on the Telecel ZANET deal? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON.

MANDIWANZIRA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for a very important question. The latest is that the transaction was concluded to the extent that the full amount agreed for the purchase of the 60% was paid partially to Europe and partially to the lawyers representing the sellers. The amount of $24 million remains in the account of the sellers awaiting repatriation when money becomes available in the Nostro account. So we are working with the Central Bank to see how this can be fast-tracked given the current circumstances of foreign shortages, especially in the NOSTRO accounts. I thank you.  *HON. MUPFUMI: Thank Madam Speaker. I am directing my question to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. Thank you very much for the job well-done by the police...

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. What is your

point of order Hon. Chimanikire?

HON. CHIMANIKIRE: My point of order is that the Hon.

Member has inappropriately referred to the Hon. Minister as ‘Chef’ instead of Hon. Minister. I thank you.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Mupfumi, you address

Ministers as Hon. Ministers and Hon. Members as Honourables.

*HON. MUPFUMI: Thank you very much for the job well-done by the police in maintaining law and order. What is Government policy regarding people who demonstrate and call for the removal of

Government and yet Government was elected by the people and is ruling through an electoral mandate? Why are these people who are calling for the removal of Government by force not apprehended?

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Mupfumi, you have asked the

question and I think you want the Minister to answer your question. May you please listen to the Minister?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker. The police are there to grant permission to demonstrators if they apply. After doing our risk assessment to see whether it is endangering or whether it is within the Constitution, we consider all those things. However, his question is solely directed to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs because the prosecuting authority is the one that can draft that that is treasonous, but the police are there to assess the dangers and risks that are caused by the demonstrators. I thank you.

HON. GONESE:  Thank you very much Madam Speaker.  My supplementary question to the Hon. Deputy Minister is very simple.  Has he ever read the Public Order and Security Act because in that Act there is no reference whatsoever to an application or to permission being granted and what it refers to is a notification to the police?  So, I want him to tell us as to whether he has ever read that Act.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Gonese, I will not allow you to challenge the Deputy Minister in this House.  You must just ask you question as it is.  Ask a policy question.

HON. GONESE:  Madam Speaker no, it is a policy question because…

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  No, it is not a policy question.  Ask a policy question.  Rephrase your question.

HON. GONESE:  Madam Speaker if you can bear with me.  I will

do…

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Gonese, can you rephrase your

question so that it can be policy.

HON. GONESE:  Alright, I will rephrase my question.  Is it not correct, Hon. Deputy Minister, that in terms of the Public Order and Security Act, Section 26, organisers of public gatherings are only required to notify the police and not to apply for permission?

HON. MGUNI:  Thank you Hon. Gonese you are correct.  Gatherings like weddings and other things, it is just notification.  We have got it in our Act, but now, what is needed, why do you notify the police – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –  THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order, Hon. Members.

HON. MGUNI:  You notify the police so that they are aware of such gatherings, then we will make a risk assessment that I talked about and see that this thing is it posing a threat to the people’s lives, to property and then we deny such things.  I thank you.

HON. MUDEREDZWA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My

question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.  I am asking this question against the background that there is an increasing number of street kids on our streets – street fathers, street mothers. I think there is a population now that is living on the street.  What is Government’s policy or what has been put in place by Government to ensure that these people are removed from the streets and they are rehabilitated?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE):  I thank

the Hon. Member for that question.  I know that this is a very touching subject.  Our country and indeed our Ministry has in place a Children’s Act which makes it criminal for anyone to subject any child to the vagrants of the street.  So, you find we have mothers and fathers who take their children on to the streets.  I need to highlight that that is indeed a criminal offence because children belong in schools and in the safe custody of family structures.

We have, as Government, put in place children’s homes where these children can be taken off the streets and taken into these homes.  We also have Non-Governmental Organisations, we have set up structures for children who are not supposed to be on the street.  So, the answer to the question that the Hon. Member has asked is, as

Government, we have put in place structures, we have a board that determines which kids can go into safe custody and can come up and grow up in the confines of those structured homes and families and it is illegal for people to use street kids for begging, for soliciting for food on the streets – as human shields for demonstrations.

HON. CHIMANIKIRE:  My question is directed to the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.  Hon. Minister, from time to time His Excellency has actually donated computers to various schools.  What is Government’s policy as regards to the distribution of computers to urban schools?  I thank you. 

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON.

MANDIWANZIRA):  It is true that His Excellency the President, Cde. Robert Mugabe, in his capacity as a digital champion, has initiated the computerisation of schools around the country.  This process is ear marked for all schools and not specifically rural schools.  So, the policy is that all schools must have access to computers resources permitting, but we are encouraging Members of Parliament in their constituencies to also facilitate in raising resources for the computerisation of schools in their constituencies.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

HON. NDEBELE:  Madam Speaker, until I am taught otherwise, I grew up to know of the group of 26 as a shadowy Zezuru formation whose construct was to counter the input of the late Hon. Joshua Nkomo in the then Cabinet.  I also know, Madam Speaker…

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  What is your question Hon.

Member?  I think I am interested in the question than the history.

HON. NDEBELE:  I am good at English Madam Speaker.  I know that their machinations as of now extend to denigrating and undermining the exploits of the ZIPRA Forces during the liberation struggle.  I, therefore, want to find out from Hon. Dube what his Ministry is doing to correct this?

          THE MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR WAR

VETERNANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER

POLITICAL DETAINEES AND RESTRICTEES (HON. T. J.

DUBE): Madam Speaker Ma’am.  Thank you Hon. Member for asking this question.  The truth is that we no longer have ZIPRA Forces, we have former ZIPRA and former ZANLA Forces.  To be open with you, I was one of those who were in charge of integrating these forces in 1980.  So, to now talk of ZIPRA Forces is not relevant.  There is no discrimination whatsoever between former ZIPRA and former ZANLA Forces.  They have all been integrated into the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).  Those who were not integrated, some of them are war veterans and are treated the same.  People who have not come forward to register…

Hon. Bunjira, having been eating something in the House.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Bunjira.  Can you please

go outside – [HON. ZWIZWAI:  They are just tablets.] – Hon. Minister, you can continue.

HON. T. J. DUBE: Madam Speaker Ma’am – [HON.

MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

            The Chief Whip for MDC-T (Hon. Gonese) approaches the Chair.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members.  Hon. Minister you may respond.

HON. T. J. DUBE: Madam Speaker Ma’am, the problem that we

usually face is that, some comrades did not register for vetting when they were called to do so.  Those who did not go for vetting, it means they were not registered as war veterans and as a result they remain outside the benefits of the war veterans.  However, all those who were vetted and found to be true veterans of the liberation war have no reason to think that they are segregated in any way because they get their pensions and constitutional rights according to the law.  So, it is not true that any group can be segregated in any way.  Thank you Madam Speaker.

Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE ACTING

SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.

HON. NDEBELE: If I have a follow up on what transpired before the expiry – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I think it would be an affront to common sense to then stop me on that technicality.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: The Standing Rules are not clear on

that point you have raised.  Anyway, I will allow you to ask the supplementary on my discretion.

HON. NDEBELE: Thank you Madam Speaker.  Just a quick one

for the Minister, a clarification on what then happens to those veterans who were not vetted back then.

HON. T. J. DUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker.  There is still

provision to carry out vetting if there is substantial reason to show why they were not vetted at the time they were called to do so.  Even today, if you know of a true war veteran who was not vetted, he can come to our offices; there is a special office to carry out this vetting.  He will explain why he did not come for vetting when others were doing so.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

PROCEDURES WHEN REQUESTING FOR A POLICE POST

1.  HON. S. NDLOVU asked the Minister of Home Affairs to explain the procedures to be followed by communities when requesting for-
2. a police post;
3. a registry of Births and Deaths Office.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): Thank you Madam Speaker.  The Community Policing initiatives launched by the Zimbabwe Republic have seen an increased community participation in policing endeavours.  When the community identifies the need for a Police Station, the community leadership should approach the Officer in Charge of the local police station with such a request.  The Officer in Charge of the station shall assess the need and make appropriate recommendations to the Officer Commanding

Province through Officer Commanding Police District.

The following are also considered when establishing the new post, base or station.

• Level of crime;
• Proximity of the area to the nearest police station;
• Population growth; and
• Infrastructural development and settlement.

The above factors, among others, will assist in determining whether to recommend the establishment of a police base, police post or police station.  In the event that the establishment of a police base is recommended, the Officer Commanding Police Province may approve it.  Where there is a need to establish a Police Post or Police Station, the Officer Commanding Police Province shall make recommendations to the Commissioner General of Police for approval.  Establishment of vital registration offices is the responsibility of the Public Service

Commission.  A number of factors are considered before arriving at such a decision.  Some of these factors include population density, accessibility to budgetary considerations and staff accommodation et cetera.

The community approaches the Registrar in the district with their proposal.  The proposal is then referred to the Registrar General for assessment and consideration before it is submitted to the Secretary for Home Affairs and the Public Service Commission respectively for their determination.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

ESTABLISHMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS OFFICE AT

MURAMBINDA

3.   HON. MANDIPAKA asked the Minister of Home Affairs to

state when the Ministry will establish an office at Murambinda Hospital to enable the people from Buhera to secure burial orders in the event of deaths of their loved ones, in view of the fact that people are currently travelling to Gaza Business Centre to acquire the burial orders, and that the hospital is prepared to give the Ministry an office to work from?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI): In year 2004 when the Public Service Commission established 206 sub offices throughout the country under the Registrar’s General’s department, Murambinda hospital was not identified at the time as one where a sub office could be established. However, we need to establish a sub office at Murambinda hospital as part of the decentralisation of vital civil registration, but it should be noted that any creation of new post ought to have Treasury approval.  As a Ministry together with your support, we will approach Treasury to establish an office at Murambinda hospital to bring service closer to the people.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  What is your point

of order?

HON. MANDIPAKA:  I cannot hear the response there is a lot of

noise.

THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA):  Order Hon.

Members, can the Hon. Member be heard in silence.  I think Hon. Mandipaka cannot hear the answer from the Minister because you are speaking loudly.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Thank you Madam Speaker it was

inaudible.

MEASURES TO CURB LEAKAGES OF GOLD DEPOSITS AT

PEACE MINE

4. HON. MPOFU asked the Minister of Home Affairs what the Ministry is doing to curb the leakages of gold deposits at Peace Mine in

Silobela, where no single gold smuggler has been arrested.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI):  I wish to put it on record that mines are patrolled by detectives from the Minerals and Border Control Unit and other sections of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.  I urge people to report any issues of smuggling as and when it takes place.  Also the incident of Peace Mine, the Ministry of Mines must investigate the production of gold through Fidelity and audit the present management to prove these smuggling claims so that the police can take action. A team of various experts has been dispatched to conduct thorough investigations this week, which was two weeks back and on Monday, that was the Monday of two weeks back and we are waiting for the report.  By now I think the report has been tabled in Cabinet and is coming out.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR JOTSHOLO POLICE STATION

8. HON. M. NKOMO asked the Minister of Home Affairs to inform the House:
9. When Jotsholo Police Station in Lupane West Constituency would be allocated a motor vehicle;
10. What plans are in place to construct police offices at Jotsholo Police Station.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI):  Thank you Madam Speaker.  We would like to thank the

Hon. Member for his concern about Jotsholo police station, in Matabeleland North Province.  It is our Government policy that all police stations are allocated motor vehicles to enable police officers to carry out preventive patrols and respond to scenes of crime on time.  However, due to resource constraints, not all police stations currently have motor vehicles.  For the record, Jotsholo police station has a

Defender motor vehicle ZRP 1648D, which is shared with Lupane

Police Station.  Currently, this Defender vehicle is undergoing a minor service in Bulawayo.  You will be notified when the service is completed.

b).  As alluded to in my earlier response, it is our desire, resources permitting – to see all our police stations and establishments given a facelift.  The Hon. Member should also note that police stations throughout the country are facing the same dilemma.  The obvious reason is that all police projects are facing financial constraints.  I wish to call upon the Hon. Member and other well-wishers to put their resources together and give our police stations a proper facelift as they are a priority in constituency development.

Just to give a small advice I also built one police station in my constituency, I was not a Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.  I was just an Hon. Member helping them so I had to bring cement, fencing, toilets, ploughs, and everything and now it is working and the police officers are supporting me.  Thank you 

PROVISION OF WATER IN MASHONALAND CENTRAL

PROVINCE

18. HON. KANHANGA asked the Minister of Environment,

Water and Climate to brief the House on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme in the provision of water for each district in  Mashonaland Central Province and furnish the House with an itinerary indicating when it will commence.

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI):  I want to thank Hon. Kanhanga

for his question.  Madam Speaker, going into the future, the Government of Zimbabwe through Treasury and development partners has prioritised the three provinces of Mash East, Mash Central and Manicaland in the WASH programming.  Currently these three provinces are not covered in the WASH programme.  Negotiations are underway with WASH donors for an expansion of the rural WASH intervention in these provinces that had missed out.

However, district level interventions continue to be spearheaded by the RADC’s technical arm for WASH, the District Water Supply and

Sanitation Sub Committee.  I want to state that Government did not fold its arms on the three provinces.  We appealed to our friend China and China was kind enough to assist in the drilling of 300 boreholes in the three provinces in the absence of the WASH programme.  I want to assure the Hon. Member that even if WASH programme has not been introduced, Government is making frantic efforts to make sure that water is provided to these other three provinces.  I thank you.

REMOVAL OF THE HYACINTH WEED TO PRESERVE

WATER

19. HON. A. MNANGAGWA asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate to explain how the hyacinth weed can be removed or eradicated in order to preserve water in all water bodies.

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Madam Speaker the infestation

of water hyacinth in our water bodies is an indication of increasing water pollution.  Therefore, the most effective manner in which the problem can be solved is through controlling the pollution sources such as nonfunctional sewage treatment plants and persistent sewer bursts within our urban areas.

However, the removal of the already existing water weeds can be achieved by using either biological, chemical, manual or mechanical means.  The mechanical way of removal is desirable but may be very expensive.  Mechanical control involves the use of machinery designed to cut, shear, shred, crush, press, lift, convey, transport and removing aquatic plants.  These machines are called weed harvesters and can cost as much as US100 000 per machine.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM AT MAVHURADONHA GORGE

20. HON MUFUNGA asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate to state the plans in place to construct a dam at Mavhuradonha gorge to supply irrigation in Muzarabani North and South.

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI):  I would like to thank the Hon.

Member for the question.  My Ministry’s mandate is to ensure that a dam is constructed in all rural districts, funds permitting.  Let me inform the House that ZINWA has taken up the concerns seriously and will be dispatching a team to undertake site reconnaissance of the area and an assessment and feasibility to have a dam built on that gorge will be conducted. Site feasibility depends on a number of factors, one of which is the total study of the catchment area which analyses the amount of water that can be harnessed by that particular dam.

Therefore, careful consideration and proper technical assessment is required before the site can be approved as a potential dam site.  This takes a lot planning and needs a lot of resources.  I thank you Madam

Speaker.

PROVISION OF BOREHOLES IN MUZARABANI

21 HON. MUFUNGA asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate to state the Ministry’s plans to provide boreholes in Muzarabani in view of the fact that the boreholes that used to provide water to this community were destroyed by floods in 2006.

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI):  I want to thank the Hon.

Member for the question.  My Ministry is currently planning to dispatch a team comprising of experts from the Ministry, ZINWA and DDF to conduct an in-depth assessment of the damaged boreholes.  The assessment is aimed at establishing the extent of damage incurred, equipment required for each boreholes’ rehabilitation and also inform how they can be flashed and sanitized before use by the communities.  The results of the assessments will enable the Ministry to prepare a detailed course of action towards rehabilitating the boreholes.

It is also important to note that in 2014/15 under Phase 2 of the China Aid borehole drilling programme; seven (7) boreholes were successfully drilled for the communities in Muzarabani/Mbire District from which water is currently being drawn.  I thank you Madam

Speaker.

SINKING OF BOREHOLES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

22. HON. SARUWAKA asked the Minister of Environment,

Water and Climate to:

1. state the initiatives the Ministry has taken to sink more boreholes and repair broken ones in rural communities in view of the fact that villagers are forced to walk long distances of up to 5 km to access safe drinking water;
2. provide a list of wards, indicate specific points and dates the

Ministry has sunk boreholes in Chipinge and Mutasa districts of Manicaland Province; and further inform the House under which programme these boreholes were sunk.

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): I want to thank Hon. Saruwaka

for the question posed.

Madam Speaker, in the past three years, my Ministry has drilled 1 700 new boreholes and repaired 10 800 and rehabilitated 33 piped water schemes for rural communities in an effort to reduce the distances that the communities have to walk to access safe drinking water.  Projects have been sponsored by DFID and SDC and the People’s Republic of

China.  Furthermore, the People’s Republic of China has a further 300 boreholes that are to be distributed to the three provinces of Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Manicaland.

For part 2 of Hon. Saruwaka’s question, Chipinge and Mutasa districts have been allocated 20 boreholes each under the China Aid borehole drilling programme.  Chipinge boreholes should have been drilled first before the Mutasa boreholes but because of security concerns in the district, borehole drilling was deferred to up until the security situation has improved.  Todate 17 out of 20 boreholes have been drilled in Mutasa district whilst the Chipinge district boreholes will be drilled in due course.  I want to stress that I was in Chipinge last week and I promised that once the rigs are done, drilling boreholes for Nyanga district, they are moving to Chipinge.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

*HON. MUTSEYAMI:  Thank you.  My supplementary question to Hon. Minister Muchinguri is that I heard you referring to new boreholes.  Is there any help being rendered to old boreholes because the water table is now low and the pipes that were being used are now not usable because they now have holes.  Are there any plans in your Ministry that these boreholes should be rehabilitated so that people would use them?

You also referred to security situation in Chipinge, what is the security situation?

*HON. MUCHINGURI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member for his questions on what should be done to help rehabilitate the boreholes in Chipinge which have low water tables now.  Normally, what happens is that there is nothing that we can do at the moment.  The water table in areas like Buhera, Muzarabani and Matabeleland is now below 100 metres and most of the time, we cannot drill boreholes which can go beyond 100 metrers.  So, we have made some order from ZINWA and if we have those rigs, probably we will be able to deepen the boreholes but at the moment there is nothing that we can do.  Also, those who have damaged pipes, the people should be free to approach DDF because we drill and then DDF does the repairs.  So if they are able, they can go and report to DDF and as far as I know, DDF trains people to maintain the boreholes in their areas.

On security, the information that we gathered is that the rebels from Mozambique were now getting into Zimbabwe and the people who help us, the Chinese from WASH, they were no longer there.  So, as Government, we ran around to help just the three provinces.  So the people expressed that they did not get enough briefing of the security situation there.  So, I went there and I promised people that we will go there after Nyanga drillings.  It is not that we did not say that there was no security.

*HON. SARUWAKA: Thank you Hon. Minister for the great work of sinking boreholes that you are doing in Mutasa.  However, I would like to understand what expertise you have in your Ministry to help you in siting these boreholes and the criteria used for the points chosen?

I ask these because in some areas your teams are having to move from one point to the other after failing to get water, thereby increasing the costs of the programme.  In terms of criteria, some places are targeted yet they serve very few people ahead of points where more people can benefit for  example, at DC Mutasa the borehole was initially sited at the ZANU PF offices which fortunately, did not produce water and they had to be moved to two other points before successful rigging was done.  I just wanted to find out how experienced they are and the expertise that you have in sitting where water is –[HON. MEMBERS:  

Inaudible interjections.] –

*HON. MUFUNGA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  Here we are talking about Government issues and not parties.  So, I do not see where ZANU PF comes in.

*THE ACTING SPEAKER:  If you are asking questions, you should remain in line with the question that has been asked.

*HON. MUCHINGURI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I thank the Hon. Member for his question.  I want to say that the Hon. Member should be aware that in our Ministry we have expert engineers who go and site the areas where boreholes should be sunk.  The problem that we have down there is that some have their choices and confuse the people from the Ministry. At times we even go to mountains where there are no roads.  We give a contract to a company which we give instructions to follow on the ground whilst we are in our offices. We are sometimes given a list from the RDC who give us points where boreholes are supposed to be drilled.  At times we tell them to go and seek assistance from Members of Parliament. So where these boreholes are drilled – we are given a list and we send technical teams.  At times they cannot locate the places and at times it is costing us.  So, there are very few areas which have that problem.  So what they are talking about that boreholes were drilled at ZANU PF offices, I am not aware of that because I work from the office.  If he has the information, he should submit it to us.

HON. NDUNA:  I have a supplementary question.  I want to thank the Minister for a well elaborate answer. My supplementary question goes as follows, what is it that I as a Member of Parliament is meant to do in order to access borehole drilling from your Ministry in particular in areas that border around health institutions, schools, community and public areas aware that I come from a place that was infested with

Cholera in 2008/9 because of lack of water.

             *THE ACTING SPEAKER:  The Minister had sort of answered

that part of your supplementary question but I will allow her to explain.

I will give her a chance to repeat herself.

          HON. MUCHINGURI:  Thank you Hon. Speaker and I want to

thank the Hon. Nduna for his concerns in ensuring that water is available in his constituency especially in his objective to ensure that there are no diseases that come as a result of shortages, people drinking water that is not safe.

The procedures that I can recommend him to take are that we do have catchment areas within each respective province and I would recommend that he either approaches those offices or he can write directly to the Minister responsible for water or he can also approach ZINWA who will be more than happy to take on board his concerns and where we do have resources, we will be happy and ready to assist.  I thank you.

MEASURES IN PLACE TO SOURCE FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF

PENSION TO FORMER CIVIL SERVANTS

26. HON. MAHIYA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services to explain the measures the Ministry has Ministry put in place to source for funds for the payment of pension for former

civil servants which currently has been put on hold.                                                                                    

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR 

AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Madam

Speaker, I thank the Hon. Member for his question.  The correct position is that there are no pension payments that have been put on hold.

Pension payments are being made as usual every month in line with the approved budget.  However, there is a backlog on the payment of lump sums caused by the need to maintain expenditure on pensions within the budget approved by Parliament.

 

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PLAN INTERNATIONAL ON MAIZE

DISTRIBUTION

27. HON A. MNANGAGWA asked the Ministry of Public

Service, Labour and Social Services whether they are aware of

allegations levelled against Plan International, in terms of maize distribution where issues of favouritism and bribes exchanges are

alleged_. 

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE LABOUR 

AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE): Thank

you Madam Speaker.  The Ministry is not aware of the allegations levelled against Plan International that the Hon. Member has made reference to.  Plan International is a registered Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO number 3/2006), operating in the areas of relief, education, health and livelihoods development focusing on rural communities.

Currently, in the area of humanitarian relief food aid, Plan

International is assisting vulnerable food-poor households in Midlands Province District of Mvuma. So far, the Ministry has not received any negative reports regarding the operations of the organisation.

Our Provincial Office has also confirmed that they have not received any complaints or allegations against Plan International in its operation in the food relief programme.  The Plan office in Kwekwe, which covers Mvuma was engaged by the Provincial Social Services Officer and they claimed ignorance on the allegations.

Nonetheless, the Provincial Social Services Officer has presented the issue to the Provincial Administrator, Midlands to allow the District and Provincial Drought Relief Committees to investigate this matter.  Our investigations would be greatly facilitated if the Hon. Member would provide specific information on where the reports are emanating from.  Feedback from the envisaged investigation will be shared with the

Hon. Member.

HON. NDUNA:  I have got a supplementary question Madam Speaker:  Thank you Madam Speaker Maam.  I need to ask the Minister as a follow up on exactly what is it that you are doing to make sure that mine houses, NGOs, the opposition does not use food distribution as a tool of coercion in order to skew the votes in their direction.  I say this because it is also happening in my constituency.

HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I

thank Hon. Nduna for that supplementary question.  The answer to Hon.

Nduna’s question lies in the way we have structured the food distribution committees.  The drought relief committees comprise of Government Administrators, at district level comprise of the DA, councilors, social leadership and headmen in their structure.  From that perspective, we are very clear that the committees we have put in place are apolitical.  Unless if Hon. Nduna has specific examples where people are interfering with politics in food distribution, we will address those issues.  By and large, I think the structures we have put in place are transparent.  I thank you.

HON. SARUWAKA:  My supplementary question is relating to the response by the Minister where he is saying that the committee is made up of councillors.  I want to know what action his Ministry is taking on DAs who are refusing to work with elected councillors in this committee.  Can you respond to that?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.

CHINGOSHO): Thank you Madam Speaker. Again I will request Hon. Saruwaka to give me the specific examples relating to the issues he is raising. What I have given you is the structure that the DA has to work with the councilors, he has to work with the drought relief Committees as set and agreed. He has to work with the social welfare officers. So if there are specific examples, please – by all means, let us know.

BUILDING OF TUCKSHOPS IN UNDESIGNATED AREAS

28. HON. TEMBANI asked the Minister of Local Government,

Public Works and National  Housing to explain;

1. When the government is to take action against those who are building big tuck shops in undesignated areas, especially high density areas;
2. If government is aware that these illegal tuck-shops are not inspected for safety and do not comply with rules and regulations considering the lack of social amenities.

THE DEPUTY MINIDTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,

PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.

CHINGOSHO): a) Hon. Madam Speaker. I would like to thank the

Hon. Member for bringing the issue to the Ministry’s attention.

However, let me inform the Hon. Member that our local authorities are Planning, Development and Land Authorities in their areas of jurisdiction, hence the issue of illegal tuckshops being built on undesignated areas should be urgently dealt with by the respective local authorities. As you might be aware, the Ministry – through Local Authorities is in the process of dealing with such illegal settlements, including structures built on undesignated areas.

1. b) Madam Speaker, all local authorities have health departments whose sole responsibility is to ensure such premises of tuck-shop owners are inspected for public health and safety. However, the ones highlighted by the Hon. Member have a need to be inspected, notwithstanding the fact that they are illegal as they also pose a threat to the communities they operate in. The Ministry, guided by the 2014 inventory of facilities and social amenities which was produced by ZIMSTATS will ensure

that all the necessary social amenities are rehabilitated and additional ones are provided. Let me assure this august House that the Ministry will continue to monitor the enforcement of by-laws so that unscrupulous operators of tuck shops from undesignated areas are dealt with immediately. May I also take   this opportunity to appeal to you Hon. Members that it is also your responsibility as local leaders to educate perpetrators of such malpractices on the importance of observing the law and of the implications of the failure to comply with the provisions of the same. I thank you.

HON. NDUNA: I have a supplementary.

THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your supplementary?

HON. NDUNA: My supplementary borders on these tuckshops that have been established by individuals, but there are places that have been grouped. Vendors have been grouped into certain areas by councils in particular where I come from, without any ablutions blocks without any amenities or any supporting structures that are going to make sure that they do conduct their business in a healthy manner. What is it that you doing for those vendors that have been pushed into the peripherals of the economy by the local authorities where there are no supporting health structures?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,

PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.

CHINGOSHO): Thank you Hon. Member for the question. First and foremost, I would like to point out that local authorities are planning authorities. They do not just dump people where they set people – those are supposed to be designated areas. The question of saying there is no provisions of toilets and so forth, that is a process.  What we know is that local authorities are in the process of making sure that where the people are, they have got adequate facilities. Anyway, what I want to say on your question is something that we have to find out from the

Ministry. Thank you very much.

HON. MUTSEYAMI: Hon. Minister, are you disagreeing on the fact that across the country – in places like Harare here, Mutare and we have areas like the Federation Halapi in Dangamvura, we have places here in Harare, where people have been given stands and they have resided whilst there are no sewerage works, roads or water but already people are staying there. Are you not in agreement in this situation, regardless of the set up of the Local Government having the responsibility to plan before resettling people or before any allocation of stands?

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,

PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.

CHINGOSHO): I want to thank the Hon. Mutseyami. I do agree with you to a certain extent. For example, in Chitungwiza, there is an area where the Ministry is planning to settle people properly through the local authority. You will find that people just move in on their own, these are the issues we are saying the Ministry is trying to look into and reverse such movements. People are not supposed to move in a place before it is properly planned. I thank you.

SERVICING OF WHITECLIFF RESIDENTIAL AREAS

29. HON. MUKWANGWARIWA asked the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to state when the

Ministry intends to service the Whitecliff residential area in view of the fact that prospective residents in this area are already paying their leases to the Ministry.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT,

PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON.

CHINGOSHO): I would like to thank the Hon. Member for asking the question. However, let me inform this august House that Whitecliff Housing Scheme is one of the projects embarked on by the Government to accommodate people that had been displaced by Operation Restore Order. Under the project, a total of 8 000 residential stands were created and the Government managed to construct 434 core-houses. Each beneficiary was required to pay monthly rentals which currently stand at $40 per month.  Those who occupied undeveloped stands were asked to pay $50 annually towards rentals, as it is Government policy that a tenant occupying Government property must pay monthly or yearly rentals until the value of the land is determined and is disposed of to the sitting tenant. The lease agreements for those occupying residential stands are renewed annually. The Ministry considers this project as an Aided Self Help Scheme where the beneficiaries pool their resources together for the servicing of their stands and in this case, the beneficiaries occupying 2000 square metres stands have so far been contributing as well as those occupying smaller stands (300-500 square metres) respectively. So far, the water reticulation system covers about 1 200 stands of the targeted stands.  I thank you.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR MANOTI POLICE STATION

2. HON. O. NCUBE asked the Minister of Home Affairs to state when Manoti Police station in Gokwe-Kana Constituency will have a motor vehicle.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  Unavailability of resources is preventing the smooth running of police operations and such effect is the shortage of motor vehicles.  It is the wish of the Ministry, that whenever resources are available, Manoti and other needy stations should be provided with motor vehicles to ensure smooth running of police operations.  In the meantime, the station is being assisted with transport from neighbouring police stations and we hope that we will get the resources to equip our police stations with motor vehicles.  I thank you.

VEHICLE FOR RUSHINGA POLICE STATION

5. HON. MASHANGE asked the Minister of Home Affairs to explain why Rushinga Police Station has operated without a station vehicle for the past ten years.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  Mr. Speaker Sir, the police station was allocated a brand new Land Rover, registration number ZRP 1578D on 7^th November, 2011.  Unfortunately, the Land Rover got involved in an accident in 2012.  Owing to economic challenges the country is facing at the moment, no replacement has been made.  However, the Police Command in Mashonaland Central has devised a strategy which has seen Rushinga Police Station getting assistance from ZRP Mt. Darwin, Madziva, Dotito, Criminal Investigation Department and Mt. Darwin

District Headquarters in attending scenes.  Once the economic situation improves, resources will be made available and Rushinga will be allocated with a vehicle.  I thank you.

VEHICLE FOR GLEN NORAH POLICE STATION

6. MAONDERA asked the Minister of Home Affairs when

Glen Norah Police Station will be allocated a new and reliable vehicle for them to effectively execute their duties.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  Currently Glen Norah Police Station’s vehicle is undergoing repairs on suspension and complete engine overhaul.  However, we have plans to purchase new vehicles as soon as funds are available.

SUPERVISION OF POLICE PATROLS IN RESIDENTIAL AND

INDUSTRIAL AREAS

7. P. MASUKU asked the Minister of Home Affairs to –

• explain the mechanism that is in place to supervise police on patrol in residential and industrial areas at night;
• inform the House whether the Zimbabwe Republic Police has patrol vehicles on our major highways during the night until midmorning.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  The issue of police presence, both in the residential and industrial areas is something that the Zimbabwe Republic Police takes seriously.  Police deployments on foot and cycle are always done and influenced by crime patterns.  It is the duty of each and every Station Commander to supervise patrols in his/her area of policing.

In this regard, there are several strategies set up by the ZRP to increase police presence in residential, industrial and new resettlement areas.  Members of the public are free to approach the local police stations and assist in devising strategies that enhance Community

Policing schemes, such as the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, Home

Officer’s scheme, Business Against Crime Forum of Zimbabwe (BACFOZ) and the Crime Consultative Committees.

(b)  Police patrols along the highways are conducted even during the night.  It is however, a common fact that the ZRP is operating with inadequate resources and we would appreciate it if Government would allocate more resources to boost the depleted police fleet to reinforce our current fleet for highway patrols.

INFORMATION ON CRIME STATISTICS FROM POLICE

STATIONS

9. HON MAJOME asked the Minister of Home Affairs what the

Ministry is doing to ensure that Members of Parliament get information on crime statistics from police stations in their constituencies, particularly in view of the failure by Mabelreign, Marlborough and Avondale police stations to avail information on crime statistics on gender based violence to the sitting Member of Parliament for Harare

West, instead of referring the sitting Member of Parliament to Police

General Headquarters for answers which never come.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  Mabelreign, Marlborough and Avondale Police Stations did not fail to provide information on crime statistics on gender based violence in their areas but correctly referred all requests for such information to the appropriate office if the Member wanted a written copy.  It is important for the Hon. Member to note that every police station has a Crime Consultative Committee (CCC) which is meant for police and the local community to interact and share information on crimes of concern peculiar to that community and devise strategies to curb the crimes.  The Hon. Member can interest herself in such programmes.  Also in the Officer in Charge’s office charts are displayed for public members to acknowledge.

VICTIMISATION OF THE AVONLEA COMMUNITY BY

AVONDALE POLICE STATION PISI UNIT

11. HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Home Affairs why members of the PISI Unit at Avondale Police Station  have taken the

Avonlea community to task for co-operating with an MDC T Member of

Parliament i.e. myself on the police post issue, and what measures he will put in place to ensure the residents are not so victimized and deprived of their police post.

THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON. DR. 

CHOMBO):  We are not sure what the Hon. Member refers to by

“taken Avonlea community to task”, police are apolitical and do not interfere with activities of political parties.  If the Hon. Member has a record of police officers who approached people in Avonlea, she is free to take that information to the police so that proper investigations can be conducted into the matter.

Any members of the public who have complaints against the police should approach the Officer-In-Charge of their local police station who are expected to record their complaints and address them.  Complaints are also addressed at District, Provincial and at Police General Headquarters.  I want to assure the House that no one will be prevented to access any police station, post or base.

PLANS IN PLACE IN SUPPORT OF WAR VETERANS’

CHILDREN WITH SCHOOL FEES

14. HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Former Political Detainees and

Restrictees to state the plans in place to support the War Veterans’ children with school fees.

 THE MINISTER OF WELFARE SERVICES FOR WAR

VETERANS, WAR COLLABORATORS, FORMER POLITICAL DETAINEES AND RESTRICTEES (HON. DUBE):  Mr. Speaker Sir

and Members of the august House, I wish to express my profound thanks to Hon. F. Chirisa, a Proportional Representative member for raising the question concerning my Ministry’s plans to support the war veterans’ children with school fees.

In response, I wish to place on record that the payment of school fees for war veterans and their children is a Statutory Obligation deriving from the Constitution of Zimbabwe (No. 20) Act 2013, Sections 3, 23 and 84 as read with the War Veterans Act Chapter 11:15 of 1997 and the War Veterans (Benefits Scheme), Regulations 281 of 1987.  The provisions of this Act and the delegated law will continue with little or no change to the new Veterans of the Struggle (Benefits)

Act which is presently under draft for alignment to the new Constitution.

My Ministry, established in April 2015, has been in existence for just over one year to date.  At inception, the Ministry inherited arrears amounting to US$19m dating back to Third Term of 2013.  Because Treasury has never been able to fund the full school fees bill, this backlog has now grown to US$22m.  During 2015, Treasury availed US$10m for the 2^nd Term and 3^rd Term.

This year, Treasury availed US6m on 5^th April, 2016, two days ahead of the meeting with the President.  The Ministry was compelled to use part of this money to host the President’s meeting with the war veterans on the understanding, agreed beforehand with Treasury that this would be reimbursed.  This has not been done due to current economic challenges.  The Ministry was therefore, able to pay two batches of school fees covering arrears for the First Term 2015.  This left a third batch amounting to just over US$1.3m which is ready for payment as soon as the money used for the meeting is reimbursed.

The august House may also be pleased to know that soon after the

President’s meeting with war veterans, Treasury appropriated an additional US$6m towards 2^nd Term school fees.  This appropriation is yet to be funded by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.  The Ministry presently has received 14 500 applications for the 2^nd term school fees of which 7 000 have already been processed for payment but are awaiting funding.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to assure this august House that the

Ministry only pays school fees when the money is availed.  I am sure the Hon. Member who asked the question is aware of the fiscal challenges that the country is going through.  From a managerial and administrative perspective, the Ministry is instituting concrete measures to eliminate fraudulent claims, double dipping and ghost beneficiaries.  To this end, starting 1^st Term 2016, we introduced a new application form that requires, among other things, the school head to fill and sign a portion of the form dealing with the school fees.  Secondly, the Ministry has stopped paying any monies directly to parents.  Instead, the Ministry now only pays to the institution providing service.  Thirdly, all cash payments have been stopped and instead the Ministry now only transacts electronically into bank accounts.

Fourthly, the Ministry is now intrusively involved in monitoring progress of all children that are receiving Government support.  This means if a child is registered as being in primary school, we expect that child to complete Grade 7 and prove it at the end of seven years.  The same goes for secondary, higher and tertiary education.  This eliminates the problem where in a few cases, a child would be receiving support for Form 4 for 14 years, for example.  This intrusive management is intended to eliminate such cases and it is working.

Finally, the Ministry pays a maximum of US$700.00 per child, per term or semester.  We are in the process of consulting like ministries in the education sector to bring the upper limit down, in a graded way for primary and secondary education thus differentiating the two from the tertiary limit.  Through these measures, we are hoping to significantly reduce the school fees bill.

Thank you Mr. Speaker and members of the august House.

FEEDING OF GLEN NORAH RESIDENTS

23. HON. MAONDERA asked the Minister of Public Service,

Labour and Social Welfare when the Minister is going to feed hungry residents with maize in Glen Norah just like what is being done in rural areas. 

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND

SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MUPFUMIRA):  Thank you Hon.

Maondera for the pertinent question.

My Ministry together with other Government agencies and ministries is seized with the food mitigation.  In line with the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment report for 2015, we had initially targeted the eight rural provinces.  However, due to the El Nino induced drought, the food mitigation programme is now scheduled to commence in urban areas.  Since we already had statistics for vulnerable people who are currently on public assistance in urban areas, distribution shall start with those beneficiaries.  Our distribution will cascade to all other affected households in a systematic approach using the existing Government district structures.

The district offices have been tasked to conduct a snap survey to ascertain urban needy households, with assistance from Treasury.

Distribution in urban areas is expected to commence on Friday, 17^th June, 2016.  The House will be updated once the program is in full swing.

CONDUCT OF TRADE UNIONS BUSINESS

24. HON. CHIWA asked the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to inform the House what steps the Ministry is taking to ensure that trade Unions conduct their business as provided in their constitutions.

 THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND

SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MUPFUMIRA):  Thank you Hon.

Chiwa for your pertinent question.  In the past when Trade Unions submitted their applications for registration, our laws did not have the enabling provisions for the Registrar of Labour to monitor their operations as articulated in their Constitutions.  We rectified this legislative anomaly through Labour Act Amendment Number 5 of 2015.  The new provision allows the Registrar to monitor the activities of Trade Unions and Employment Councils. Such oversight role curtails abuse of dues, whilst balancing interests of both employer under NECs.

My Ministry is, however, currently spearheading a labour law review process with social partners to tighten ends observed in the Labour Amendment of 2015.  The new law will discard provisions which hinder progression in the labour market whilst strengthening provisions which promote workplace harmony and enhance productivity.

MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT ZIMBABWE SUGAR

MILLING WORKERS UNION COMPLIES WITH ITS

CONSTITUTION AND LABOUR LAWS

25. HON. CHIWA asked the Minister or Public Service, Labour

and Social Welfare to inform the House what measures the Ministry is taking to ensure that Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union (ZISMWU) complies with its Constitution and the Labour Laws in the elections into office of a substantive committee to replace the interim committee that was left in place by the Administrator.

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND

SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. MUPFUMIRA):  Thank you for the

follow up question.  In the spirit of freedom of association, employers and employees must enjoy independence at the workplace with minimum interference from policy makers.  Indeed, the Administrator left an interim committee in place, after an investigation revealed massive abuse of union dues by the Executive.

My Ministry has only taken steps to mediate where necessary in order to maintain harmony.  The election into office of a new executive remains the prerogative of the employees.  My Ministry will only avail itself to monitor elections as and when the workers instigate such elections to authenticate their new Executive.

My Ministry remains at the disposal of the employers and employees for capacity building and technical support.  I thank you.

SERVICING OF GLANARY AND RYDALE RIDGE AREAS

 

30. HON. MUKWANGWARIWA asked the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to state when the

Ministry would service Grenary and Rydale Ridge areas in Zvimba East.

THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):

Mr. Speaker Sir, it is true that Grenary and Rydale Ridge belong to Zvimba Rural District Council and are in the process of providing housing to the people within and around Zvimba and Harare.  In the case of Grenary, housing provision is divided into 5 phases.  It is only phase 1 and 2 where the land developer was granted a parallel development permit, hence the beneficiaries are constructing their structures.  In the case of phases 3, 4 and 5, the responsible Local Authority is currently working with Mr. Omar who is the land developer, to provide services in terms of all the necessary Municipal Services.

For Rydale Ridge, the responsible Local Authority is working with Manatsa Manatsa, the land developer, again to provide the requisite services.  However, the other part is occupied by Housing Cooperatives which are struggling to provide the same services to their members.

TITLE DEEDS FOR NYABIRA RESIDENTS

 

31. HON. MUKWANGWARIWA asked the Minister of Local

Government, Public Works and National Housing to inform the House when the residents of Nyabira Township in Zvimba East would get their title deeds for the 99 houses that were built by the Government and occupied in July 1994.

THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):

The tenants at Nyabira township who occupy the 99 houses in question are renting the properties so they cannot be granted title.

PLANS IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THE FILTHY STATE OF CITIES

IN THE COUNTRY TO CURB THE OUTBREAK OF DISEASES

33. HON. A. MNANGAGWA asked the Minister of Local

Government, Public Works and National Housing to inform the House what the Ministry has put in place to address the filthy state of cities in the country in order to curb the outbreak of diseases.

THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):

The Local Authorities are currently capacitating their operations through the acquisition of new plant and equipment for refuse management.  A survey was conducted in May, 2016 to assess the amount of waste being generated and characterize the content of the Municipal Solid Waste.  The information gathered is being used to produce a new integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan that will effectively address the challenges being faced.

Mr. Speaker Sir, in an effort to improve the state of cities, all Local

Authorities’ Health Departments are directed to carry out the following:  Licencing, carrying out routine monitoring and inspection of business premises in accordance with the provisions of relevant legislation.

• Enforcing the provision of waste receptacles in business premises to address the sanitation state in sanitary lanes.
• Monitoring public gathering places such as bus termini and market places to ensure that basic hygiene conditions are maintained.
• Playing an active role in control of illegal vending activities by alerting relevant enforcement wings.
• Monitoring illegal structures with a view of alerting relevant enforcement arms.
• Routine monitoring of water, sewer and trade waste discharges with a view of taking immediate remedial action.
• Disseminating health education/promotion in community to prevent disease outbreaks.
• Having an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan which is operational and activated in the event of an outbreak.

STEPS TO MAXIMISE ON LIGHTING STREET LIGHTS USING

SOLAR ENERGY

34. HON. A. MNANGAGWA asked the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to inform the House steps that the Ministry has taken to maximize on lighting our streets using solar energy.

THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):  I

am glad to inform this august House that our urban Local Authorities have entered into agreements that will see the implementation of the solar street lighting project.  Already a number of the Local Authorities have started the implementation of the programme as highlighted by the recently launched solar street lighting programme in Marondera between the Local Authority and ZESA.  In the case of Harare, the project has already commenced, starting with the CBD with a target to install 14000 solar streetlights by December, 2017.  This has also seen a number of Local Authorities following suit.  All these projects are being funded through Public – Private Partnerships.  Local Authorities have already carried out due diligence to ensure reliability of the installed infrastructure and to ensure a mobile and sustainable business model subsists.  A Cabinet decision on the use of renewable energy has given the programme traction and impetus to its implementation.

CURBING OF ILLEGAL CAR PARKS AND GARAGES ALONG

WEDZA ROAD

35. HON. G. K. SITHOLE asked the Minister of Local

Government, Public Works and National Housing to state what the Ministry is doing to curb the sprouting of illegal car parks and garages along Wedza road, opposite Unit B Section in Chitungwiza considering that the structures are very close to the highway?

THE MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC

WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. KASUKUWERE):

Let me inform this august House that we have a concept plan for the whole of Chitungwiza.  Urban Development Corporation (UDCORP) came up with the concept plan under instruction from my Ministry.  Chitungwiza concept plan is already being implemented and any illegal car parks and garages along Wedza road will face the wrath of the law and the situation will be dealt with.

             Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE HON. ACTING

SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.

          On the motion of HON. RUNGANI, seconded by HON.

CHINOTIMBA, the House adjourned at Thirteen Minutes to Five

o’clock p.m. until Thursday, 8th September, 2016.