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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 27 July 2016 42-79

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 27^th July, 2016

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

PRAYERS

(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER

SWEARING IN OF A NEW MEMBER

THE HON. SPEAKER:  On 23^rd July, 2016, Parliament received communication from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on the election of the following member of ZANU PF party as Member of the National Assembly with effect from 24^th July, 2016, Hon. Martin Tafara

Dinha representing Mazowe North Constituency.

Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides that before a Member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament, the member must take the Oath of a Member of Parliament in the form set out in the 3^rd Schedule.  Section 128(2) states that the Oath must be taken before the Clerk of Parliament. I therefore call upon the Clerk of

Parliament to administer the Oath of a Member of Parliament to Hon.

Martin Tafara Dinha.

NEW MEMBER SWORN

HON. MARTIN TAFARA DINHA subscribed to the Oath of

Loyalty as required by the Law and took his seat – [HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear.] –

INVITATION TO A COCKTAIL PARTY

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I have to remind the House that Hon.

Members from outside Harare are invited by the General Manager of Rainbow Towers Hotel to a cocktail party starting at 1830 hours this evening.

*HON. MURAI: On a point of order. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to pose a question regarding the new Hon. Member, Hon. Martin Dinha.  My question is, is he the one who is standing trial for the value of $40 000? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order!   Hon. Murai, please sit down.  This is not a play ground.  Hon. Members at the back there, can you take your seats?  This is not a playground for small children, if you do not uphold your integrity as Hon. Members, we shall not allow that in future. Sit down, sit down please – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible intrjections.] – [HON. MURAI: Mr. Speaker, this is a serious matter which affects our economy.]

MOTION

LEAVE TO MOVE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE ON A

MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE: UNLAWFUL

RELEASE OF TWO SUSPECTS FROM POLICE CUSTODY

HON. CROSS: Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise with the indulgency of the House of Assembly to introduce a motion of national urgent importance which I hope can be debated later on this afternoon, at a designated time.

The motion states as follows:

Appalled by the behaviour of the Hon. Vice President Mphoko when he forced the police operating from Avondale Police Station in Harare, to release two men arrested on serious fraud charges on the 13^th July, 2016.

CONCERNED THAT in the course of this incident, he ordered his

security staff to assault a police officer when he resisted his unlawful instructions.

FURTHER CONCERNED THAT in forcing the release from

custody of these two accused persons, the Hon. Vice President was violating his position as Acting President – [HON. MEMBERS:

Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: I think it is high time we identify some

Members and they leave the House.  I need to hear what the Hon.

Member is saying and all of us need to listen.

HON. CROSS: FURTHER CONCERNED THAT in forcing the

release from custody of these two accused two persons, the Hon. Vice President was violating his position as Acting President, as well as the laws of Zimbabwe.

NOW THEREFORE, I call upon on this National Assembly to

condemn his behaviour in the strongest terms and call on the national prosecuting authority to order the re-arrest of the two suspects and their arraignment in court on charges that were laid against them.

FURTHERMORE, the Hon. Vice President to apologise to the

police in particular; to the nation at large for his actions and pay compensation as he deem reasonable to the officer whom his security details assaulted.  Thank you Mr. Speaker.

             THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of Standing Order Number 15,

for the motion to be placed on the Order Paper at 1715 hours, as requested, no less than 25 Members should rise and if they do rise and they are more than 25 Members, the motion is accepted.

All MDC-T Members of Parliament stood up.

THE HON. SPEAKER: In terms of Standing Order Number 15 (9), there are more than 25 Members that have accepted the motion.  So, the motion stands.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

HON. HOLDER: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  There is an issue

which I want to find out from you. The last time, I think three months ago, I raised a point of order and you were looking into giving us a response and I have not yet received any response or heard anything about that issue.  There were, 30 Members of Parliament that were expelled from here, the Committee Chairpersons were based on the number of seats that were here for different parties, but you never gave a ruling as to whether the Chairpersons of Committees were reduced from the opposition side or not?  I am still waiting patiently for the response.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Holder, I will look into the matter and we should have a response from the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, in our next session.

*HON. ZWIZWAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  My point of order is

with regards to the complaints which are raised frequently in this House.  Ministers do not seem to take this House serious because there are very few who are here.  There are Members sitting on the front row, which is supposed to be occupied by Ministers and we only have three Minister.

We have some Members sitting there like Hon. Chapfika and Hon. Mudarikwa, but they are not Ministers.  The Ministers are depriving us of this Question Time so that we could benefit and I remember Hon. Speaker, you promised that you would take some stern measures towards Members who are Ministers, who are missing from duty. You also promised to hold a meeting with His Excellency that Ministers are not taking their duties seriously and therefore, need to be reprimanded. May I conclude by congratulating Hon. Chamisa and Hon. Eng. Mudzuri for being elected Vice Presidents in the MDC-T Party – [MDC-T

MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes, the matter was raised by the Chair with His Excellency the President. We came up with a situation where if Ministers are occupied elsewhere, they inform Parliament. In this case, we are informed that His Excellency the President is dealing with matters affecting war veterans and their welfare. Therefore, the

Ministers have leave of absence. In their absence, Hon. Chinamasa as Acting Leader of Government Business will take care of all the questions where Hon. Ministers are not available.

HON. P. D.SIBANDA: On a point of order. My point of order is actually seeking clarification on the prioritisation of Orders of the Day. I am a new Member and some of the things I might not understand them. Yesterday Hon. Speaker, when the House adjourned the motion that was under debate is the motion by Hon. Dr. Mashakada seconded by Hon. Cross pertaining to the cash crisis in the country. When I look at the Orders of the Day today, I find the Order is on number eight and all the other Orders 1 – 7 are new Orders. I am not so sure Mr. Speaker, whether that is the right way or that the House has got to deal with the Order that it dealt with the previous day. Thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Member, your observation

is correct. You will notice that the motions that you are referring to are new motions and so they take priority in that regard.

*HON. MAPIKI: My question is directed to the Minister of

Environment, Water and Climate. What is Government policy regarding the sale of ivory where we have tonnes and tonnes in storage. When these are sold, the country may come out of the economic doldrums because we know that in 1987, Zimbabwe had promised that it would either sell the ivory or come out of the CITES grouping because of the difficult conditions set.

*THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Zimbabwe is a member of an

organisation called CITES which has the responsibility of overseeing the trade of ivory. As stated by the Hon. Member who asked this question, we have a nine year moratorium given which bans the sale of ivory in the whole world. This also affects Zimbabwe which is also operating under this moratorium. As a country, we are preparing for the elapse of the nine years so that we may start to benefit from ivory. As of now, Zimbabwe has 96 tonnes and if all this is sold, Zimbabwe stands to benefit about $9 billion. You can easily see that there is going to be some economic growth in the country.

As the Minister of Environment and other Ministers within the region, we have put our heads together to discuss the benefit from our flora and fauna. We are the only countries which have these wild animals but, unfortunately, these other countries that have killed their fauna and flora are now trying to thwart our efforts. The European Union is also pushing forward for the continuation of this ban. As Africa, we are planning to discuss this issue in September when we are due to hold a CITES conference so that we are allowed, at the end of the moratorium, to hold a once off sale so that we can benefit from the ivory. My plea to Hon. Members of Parliament is that when you go out of the country in other fora, please take the advantage of marketing the ivory because the money we obtain from that will lead to the development of our country.

*HON. MAPIKI: Minister, when Zimbabwe discovered that …

THE HON. SPEAKER: I hope I will not have to keep on repeating this; Ministers are addressed as Hon. Minister(s), the same way you address Members of Parliament.

*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you. Hon. Minister, when Zimbabwe

discovered that there was no material benefit of being in the

Commonwealth, we moved out of this grouping. Why do we not move out as Zimbabwe from the CITES because it is not helping and so that we are not bound by these archaic and diabolic rules? We want to benefit from our ivory and therefore if we move out, we will be able to dictate our own terms of selling our natural resources.

*HON. MUCHINGURI: I thank the Hon. Member for asking this question. It is true that when CITES was launched, it was an organisation which was mainly working on the conservation of natural resources and also talking of the sustainable utilisation of these natural resources. It was also concerned about the protection of endangered species. I agree with you that CITES has now been infiltrated by people who claim to be environmentally friendly and who have their own agendas. This shows that the countries where these people come from have killed their wildlife, and are jealousy and envious of our countries because we have conserved the wildlife. Therefore, they want to punish us and the Hon. Member has asked a question whether it is possible for Zimbabwe to get out of CITES. When you look at this issue, it will not help us much because unlike the Commonwealth which was not helping us in anyway, CITES benefits us in that we have hunters coming from countries outside Zimbabwe and these come in to hunt our elephants for a fee.  Non consumptive tourists can also suspend doing business with us because we would have pulled out of CITES. So, there are a lot of advantages than disadvantages of being a member of CITES.

We have noticed that we have support from other countries when we talk of trade in CITES. We held a Paris agreement whereby other countries were saying we should benefit from our natural resources by indulging sustainable utilisation. Even if we are a small country, we have our benefits and we need to have confidence in what we are doing. When the time comes for us to get out of CITES, we will inform them but at the moment we are still a member of that group.

*HON. ZWIZWAI: My supplementary question is, Hon.

Minister, you have said you are united with other countries which are members of CITES in Africa and you are all in support of selling your ivory. Last month we witnessed Kenya destroying ten tonnes of ivory and I am saying if we have a country which is destroying its stocks, what makes you believe that you will get the support to offload the excess ivory you have?

*HON. MUCHINGURI: May I please clarify this point. Zimbabwe is not Kenya and Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe. Kenya, is a sovereign state with its own rules and regulations. What we know is that in Kenya that is where we find these so-called green organisations. We gather that they were promised $300m as compensation for destroying the ten tonnes of ivory and as other members of the African continent, we greatly sympathise with what they did, burning all those tonnes.

Another country which had also been lured into destroying its stockpile of ivory is Botswana but they were suspicious and failed to destroy their stocks. For the time being we are manufacturing ivory products and exporting because what we know is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We are going to offload our ivory and we are going to benefit that. If I were to tell you the truth, Zimbabwe will never ever destroy its ivory stockpile.

HON. NDUNA: Thank you for your well crafted answer. My supplementary question goes as follows – we have seen Hon. Minister Chinamasa criss-crossing the world trying to make sure he is alleviating the problem that we have in terms of the US$10.5bn that we owe to the multinational lenders.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you please go to the supplementary

question.

HON. NDUNA: We have US$9bn in terms of our ivory, would it not be prudent or wise enough for us now to form a board which deals with lobbying, to make sure that we immediately lobby towards the selling of our ivory so that we clear our external debt using our Godgiven natural resources.

HON. MUCHINGURI: The Hon. Member may recall that two weeks ago, we held a consultative meeting as Ministers responsible for wildlife in SADC and this particular conference requires us as a region together to lobby. I am sure we are qualified to be able to represent our region adequately. The issue of coming up with another board, I do not think it will bring any other solution that may differ from what we are pushing as Minister responsible for wildlife.

I want to assure the Hon. Member that we have lobbied the EU and it is supporting us. The challenge that we have is the United States but we are happy that United States hunters continue coming to Zimbabwe – [HON. ZWIZWAI: To kill Cecil the lion.]- Well, Cecil was not the problem of an American, it was the problem of a Zimbabwean. What I want to assure Hon. Nduna is that we have very able-bodied young men and women Ministers in the region who have the capacity to defend our ivory. We have also engaged the chiefs and the communities who suffer living with these wild animals and there is a lot of sympathy. We are going to involve quite a number of Zimbabwean communities to participate at the CITES so that they also make their cases heard. I thank you.

HON. DHEWA: My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development. In view of the cash shortages, what measures has Government put in place to ensure that the small scale miners who produce gold have access to cash when they deliver their gold to Fidelity and also if these measures are actually adequate to avoid gold being delivered to the black market?

THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING

DEVELOPMENT (HON. K. CHIDHAKWA):  Thank you Mr.

Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member for that question.  Mr. Speaker Sir, the issue of cash which has affected all sectors of the economy also affected the buying of gold.  I want to advise this House that we have had discussions with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank Governor and agreed that we will put special attention to the allocation of cash for purposes of buying gold.

This we have done, Mr. Speaker, because we know that in order to provide liquidity, you must promote export and therefore, the need to promote exports becomes paramount, because it is the exports which then generate the liquidity.  We therefore decided that we would ensure that the small, medium and large scale gold miners are paid.  What happened at some point, Mr. Speaker, was that when monies were given to the various financial institutions specifically for the purposes of paying for gold, they then had diverted those resources to other activities, but we have corrected that situation and I want to assure the Hon. Member and this House that we will continue to monitor the situation in order to ensure that enough resources are provided for the purchase of gold.  Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

HON. S. CHIDHAKWA:  Hon. Minister, on the issue of cash in the country, since you dissolved the companies in Chiyadzwa, your reason was that there was nothing coming to the fiscas.  Is there anything now coming to the fiscas with those companies that you put together now?  Are we getting anything from those companies?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, the question does not arise as a supplementary.

HON. T. KHUMALO:  My question is directed to the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.  Vubachikwe Mine is under threat.  It has been operating for 112 years and the company took over, it has been operating for 10 years and it is about to shut down.  It is one of the biggest suppliers of gold in Africa.  What is Government policy to salvage that mine and recoup whatever monies we need to recoup?  Are we not going to meet another US$15 billion issue on the Vubachikwe

Mine?  Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING

DEVELOPMENT (HON. K. CHIDHAKWA):  I want to get more

into detail on this issue, but all I can say is that I have visited

Vubachikwe Mine.  I have seen not just the confusion on the ground, but also the confusion in the shareholding structure; the intense fighting that is taking place which has taken them to the courts.  We have also seen the very serious problems created on the environmental side.  I am aware that at some point, some cattle died as a result of drinking water that was poisoned.

So, we are aware, but it is just that when you have a matter that is before the courts, you can do so much as to protect the environment and so on and so forth, but in so far as the shareholding structure is concerned - which is the key to resolving the problems at Vubachikwe, we would have to still wait for the High Court judge to make a determination and after that determination, we can then go in and ensure that the actual processes of production take place.  I am aware of the situation.  We keep track.  Our Provincial Mining Director is aware of it and we will keep monitoring the situation to see what needs to be done, but you are right.  Thank you.

*HON. A. MNANGAGWA:  My question is directed to the

Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.  Cattle were affected by foot-and-mouth disease.  What is the Minister doing to heal these cattle because we have some herds of cattle with a cultural significance which were affected by this disease?

*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA):  Yes the foot-and-mouth disease is still affecting our herds of cattle and what has happened in Zimbabwe is that cattle are not allowed to move from a green zone to a red zone.  There is a law which prohibits the free movement of cattle from a dangerous area to a less dangerous area and therefore, we are not going to stick only to treating these cattle, but we need to restrict the movement of these animals from the highly infected areas to areas which are not affected.

What we are encouraging is that if these people in such areas want to benefit from their cattle, they should construct abattoirs in their areas so that cattle do not move from one region to the other, thus leading to the infection of such areas.

HON. CHIBAYA: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.  Deputy Minister, what is Government policy in respect of those serious criminal cases whose investigations take longer than the 30 days stipulated in the Police Service Charter?  Is there no need for police to communicate with the affected stakeholders where investigations take long?  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (HON.

MGUNI):  The complex issue around investigations is that the tasked team should do a thorough investigation in order to present a correct case and accurate case to the Prosecutor General.  It can go as far as it can, as long as people have not gathered enough evidence to prosecute those criminals.  I thank you Mr. Speaker.

HON. CHIBAYA:  Hon. Speaker, I am making reference to the case of a four year old, Blessed Muringo, from Mkoba who disappeared, Hon. Minister, on 12^th June, 2016 and there has been no communication to date from the police on the progress of the investigations.

HON. MGUNI:  Thank you Hon. Chibaya It is a very specific incident where we need to go - I am personally going to go and get the case number, if you make it available to me, so that I bring back a follow up to you as an Honourable in the House.

HON. HOLDER: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Chinamasa.  Government acquired a US$200m loan facility from AFREXIM Bank.  My question is the US$200m will be replaced with bond notes, is that money going to stay out of the country or is it coming into this country?

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  I thank the Hon. Member

for his question.  The question has been raised under Written Questions and I have an answer for him; if you could be patient so that I reply it when I reply to that question.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Which question is that?

                  THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Question 46 by Hon.

Majome, but I am at your hands, if you want me to give the answer and I will be excused from giving the answer later.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  No we will wait for the Written

Questions.

HON. MUZONDIWA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  My question

is directed to the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.  Several factors have been affecting farmers’ willingness to produce food crops, chief among them, lack of funding.  What strategies has Government put in place so far in increasing funding for food crop production in a bid to attain food security and reclaim the nation status of being the bread basket of Africa?  I thank you.

                  THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA):  Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member for a very pertinent question.  The issue affecting productivity, particularly in relation to maize is not only related to funding.  It is related to many things including the technical knowhow to produce.  Money alone will not do the trick; there are a lot of things that need to be applied in order to achieve the necessary yields.  If I can explain that the issues affecting productivity, particularly in relation to maize are four things.  The first one is obviously something to do with funding and if the funding is available, it has something to do with the tenure of the funding and the cost associated with that funding and the unstructured nature of that funding.

The second one is the issue of access to markets where a farmer has harvested and there is no ready market for him or her.  The third one, more importantly, is the issue of productivity which relates to the issue of viability.  The issue of viability in farming is the issue of productivity whether they are doing eggs, milk, chickens or maize.   The last one is the issue of climate change.  We do not believe that the responsibility of financing the growing of maize should only be that of Government.  We also think the private sector must also come in, and the users of the commodity must finance the growing of particularly maize, wheat or soya bean.  Therefore, on the part of Government we have approved the issue of contract farming in order to attract private funding. I am sure discussions are at a very advanced stage to come out with an industry position, both with the private sector and Government to make sure that we have put in place a package where the private sector will also chip in the funding of the growing of maize.  I thank you.

HON. NDEBELE:  Thank you Hon. Speaker.  Government is mooting a programme of command agriculture, which basically implies frog marching farmers – military fashion, to force them to produce maize.  That on its own marks a major policy shift and it is indeed an admission of failure..

THE HON. SPEAKER:  What is the supplementary question?

HON. NDEBELE:  The supplementary question is what extra policy measures has Government put across to ensure that ordinary farmers that grow maize are paid way ahead of corrupt Ministers, politicians and big names at GMB?  I thank you.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, Hon. Member, I think you have

not given any data of the corrupt Ministers and officials.  So, to that extent, withdraw that part of your statement.

HON. NDEBELE:  Perhaps let me say what waterproof and robust measures has Government put – [AN HON. MEMBER:

Withdraw.] -   

THE HON. SPEAKER: The first thing is to withdraw that

statement because there is no evidence.

HON. NDEBELE: I wish to recant that statement Hon. Speaker. –

[AN HON. MEMBER: Withdraw.] -   

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Recant is withdrawing – [AN HON.

MEMBER: Chachikoro.] –

HON. NDEBELE:  I then want to table the same question Hon. Speaker regarding what measures Government has put in place to ensure that ordinary farmers are paid by the national granary ahead of big names, some who are mere middlemen and not farmers.

HON. ZHANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question, although not agreeing with the connotation.  I am not aware of anybody who has jumped the queue in the payment process at GMB.  If the Hon. Member has such evidence, I will only be too pleased to investigate and report back to this House.  I am also happy to say that the payment process at GMB is up to date and I want to thank the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic

Development for having provided adequate funding to pay timeously all those farmers who have delivered the maize at GMB.  I can also report that to date, GMB has received more than 110 thousand tonnes which have been fully paid for.  I thank you.

HON. NDEBELE:  Supplementary question Mr. Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  You cannot ask two supplementary

questions because you are not the originator of the question.

HON. NDEBELE: Can I call it a point of order so that I am

technically correct.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Yes.

HON. NDEBELE:  On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

HON. NDEBELE:  My point of order is, if all is well at the national granary in respect to payment, what then informs the programme of command agriculture wherein the Government seeks to show up the production of maize.  Ordinary, everyone is a maize farmer here, there will be no need absolutely if all was well, something is amiss.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  That sounds like a new question.  I thought you said your supplementary question wanted to know about the water tight system to be put in place so that the farmers who deliver are paid timeously without prejudice.

HON. ZHANDA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker.  The system that is being used in payment of maize is very robust and very tight because the Ministry of Finance releases finance on the basis of maize delivered the previous week, with names and amounts well documented in that list. Therefore, there is no chance of any official at GMB to manipulate and jump, preferring someone who would have delivered at a later date than the other.  So it is very water-tight because the amounts are being released from the Ministry of Finance on the basis of a well documented list that is coming from GMB.  I thank you.

*HON. ZEMURA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I am directing my question to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Livestock), Hon. Zhanda.  This is in regards to resettlement areas.  There are small breeds of cattle in this area.  What is the Government doing to ensure that there is cross breeding so that we come up with marketable breeds of cattle in

Zimbabwe?

*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA): Thank you Hon. Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member who asked the question indicating that there are small breeds of cattle in the resettlement areas.  I am not sure which types of cattle the Hon. Member is referring to.  However, I want to explain by saying; we have exotic breeds such as Brahman, Simmental and Beefmasters, often referred to as beef-framed animals.  On the other hand, we also have indigenous breeds of cattle such as Mashona, Thuli and Ngoni which are small-framed animals.

However, if there is no inbreeding, these cattle grow very well, even in terms of weight.  What we intend to address on our indigenous small-framed animals is the beef-classification system, which favours big-framed animals.  However, we seek to repeal the Statute so that they can be classified in the same category.  Nationally, we are working towards the establishment of a semen collection bank which we intend to establish in Marondera at Grasslands.  We want to establish a bull semen collection station which will be used by farmers to collect big-framed cattle at a very low prize so that farmers can cross-breed their cattle.

Hon. Speaker Sir, there is also training on the programme of artificial insemination in all districts.  In other areas, the programme has already started.  In Murehwa, there are programmes which we rolled out but are not yet at a full swing.  Thank you.

HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir.  My supplementary question Hon. Minister Zhanda; you talked about improving the breed, which we appreciate.  However, earlier on Hon. Minister, when you had some visitations, I am sure this is still on your finger tips…

Hon. Mutseyami having been addressing the Gallery.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Address the Chair please.

HON. MUTSEYAM: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I am sure this

is still on your finger tips.  Whilst you are addressing the issue of increasing the stock, you have a challenge which you were told by farmers in Chipinge District when you had a visit recently.  This is about their livestock facing challenges on being affected by wildlife at a massive scale.  You assured them that you would come back to them with a response after liaising with the Minister so that the stock can be maintained and improved.  What is it that you have put in place as a Minister responsible for livestock so that the livestock in Chipinge is maintained and the issue of wildlife is managed so that we do not continuously experience this problem in Chipinge, Musikavanhu, Chipinge South and West and part of Buhera as a result of the Chiredzi Conservancy?

HON. ZHANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member, although I should be protesting because when I visited the area, he absented himself.  I do not know what he heard from the farmers because at these meetings, he was not there.  I agree with him that…

HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.  Mr.

Speaker Sir, I think it is important for the Hon. Minister to note that I do not preside on the constituency that he had a programme in.  Besides that, I was not invited to attend that event.  How can I know of an event where I am not invited?  The worst Hon. Minister, when this meeting was being conducted, there was sloganeering by other people attending that meeting.  How then do I attend those meetings?

HON. ZHANDA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  Unfortunately, it was not me who was supposed to invite him because I was invited in the area.  I admit the sloganeering which took place there was pamberi nekurima mombe, and I do not know about other sloganeering that was happening there – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The issue Mr.

Speaker is that I admit that I visited Chipinge for fact finding.

In actual fact, after he had raised the issue with me here and having promised that I was going to visit Chipinge, he absented himself.  However, the issue is that, yes, there is a conflict and it is not new between humans and wildlife.  It is an old conflict which needs to be managed.  I am in the process of consulting the Minister concerned to

see how best we can address the coexistence between humans and wildlife in that area.

Admittedly, yes, the fences were in bad shape and obviously there were allegations about farmers cutting the fence but I do not agree.  To a certain extent, I think both parties must learn to coexist.  We are in the process of addressing that with the Hon. Minister and we will soon be informing you of what measures we would have put in place.  Suffice to say that, what I discovered in that area is the issue of drought which is taking its toll.  There will be need for supplementary feeding, which we have taken up as Government and other cooperating partners.  I thank you.

HON. TOFFA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  My question is directed at the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.  What efforts has Government put in place in establishing a special audit body that will focus exclusively on the extractive sector as well as broadening – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - The role of Parliament in the mining sector?

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order, can we please whisper to each other so that we can understand what the Hon. Member is saying.

HON. TOFFA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  My question is directed at the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.  What efforts has Government put in place in establishing a special audit body that will focus exclusively on the extractive sector as well as broadening the role of Parliament in the mining sector to promote transparency and accountability, given the fact that Zimbabwe has lost millions of dollars in revenue from the mining sector?  Thank you.

                  THE MINISTER OF MINES AND MINING

DEVELOPMENT (HON. W. K. CHIDAKWA): Thank you Mr.

Speaker.  I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question.  We have not started putting in place a board for that purpose, but we have the National Economic Conduct Inspectorate which is responsible for investigations.   We have got the Anti-Corruption Commission which when things happen that are improper, we trigger the Anti-Corruption Commission.  However, what we have also done with the Minister of Finance, in respect of the diamond mining companies that were operating in Chiadzwa, the Auditor General appointed three companies that are undertaking forensic audits for the next two-three months to establish what exactly happened in Marange.

The point you make about a board, I think it is something that we can begin to look at particularly given the fact that the number of issues in the mining sector are significant.  What I need to put across to you is that in the Ministry of Mines, we have a Dispute Resolution Committee which looks at the smaller disputes, the fights between miners and farmers, miners and miners…

HON. DR. SHUMBA: On a point of order!  The issues relating to

the question that has been asked are in line with the issue that the Committee on Mines and Energy is seized with. So, I would like to protect the Minister by having the question withdrawn until the Committee has concluded its investigations and table its report in the

House.

HON. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir.  My

question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic

Development.  The question is also related to what the Minister of Environment and Climate Change spoke on, around the value of ivory in stocks.  The Minister referred to a stock worth nine billion dollars.  What policy interventions is he contemplating between his Ministry and that Ministry to ensure that 90 tonne stock is converted into the nine billion dollars that could deal overnight with Government debt?  I thank you.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Thank you Madam

Speaker.  I think if the Hon. Member had listened to the Minister of Environment, he would have understood that we have in stock 96 tonnes of ivory and not 90.  Of course the value may be debatable but the Hon. Minister puts it at, I think 100 000 per kg.  Now, if it is 100 000 per kg, clearly it means that we have 9, 6 billion worth of ivory in the country, sufficient to write off our debt.

So, this is the paradox of Africa, rich Africa, and poor Africans because the policies are coming from outside and imposed on us.  They do not have elephants but they become members of CITES to ban and stop us from disposing our own assets.  So, this is food for thoughts for all of us.  Here, we have on the table countries which have no elephants but which have a decisive say on how we should dispose our assets, because of that ban, because they are powerful nations, we are stopped to dispose of our resources.

So, we are not poor, our balance sheet is very good but it is the policies from outside which militate against our economic recoveries.  I thank you.

HON. MUNENGAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  The Minister

is saying the policies which they are implementing are imposed by the West, which is not true.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, if you are

talking about the policies of other countries to this country, the Hon.

Minister was answering to a question, and then he was in the process of explaining what happens.

HON. MUNENGAMI:  I am challenging that answer which he

gave.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  How can you challenge since

you are not a Minister and you have not been asked.

HON. MUNENGAMI:  He is wrong in answering that question, that is why I am challenging him because he is misleading us to say that  the policies were imposed by the West yet as a country, we have got our own policies.  We are a sovereign nation, we have got our own policies and he is saying we have policies which were imposed by the West.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Since that question is not originating from this, can you please bring in your own question concerning those policies, not taking it from the question that was asked by someone.  So, I am advising you to do that as the Chair.

*HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  The Minister

said there are countries which do not have elephants in their nations yet they are members of CITES who put stringent measures to us so that we do not sell our ivory. However, we are a Member State of the African Union, so we should craft laws which will enable us to sell our elephants as much as we want instead on relying on CITES.

HON. CHINAMASA: I thank the Hon. Member for the supplementary question.  I think I made the comment, Africa is rich but it has poor Africans.  Our obligation as Africans is to interrogate that which makes us poor when we have rich resources.   You also need to know that CITES was formed as an environment movement, to protect the environment.  When we are talking about environment, if everybody, even those who have no elephants, it is to do with climate change and everything else about environment.  Now, in that organisation, talking about environment are powerful nations without elephants, so they then isolate issues and try to drive and impose a ban on export of elephants –

[HON. MUNENGAMI: Ko imi munenge muchiitei?] - THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order!

HON. CHINAMASA: I think that the Hon. Minister of Environment, Water and Climate made it very clear that we are lobbying. It is not like we have thrown our arms in the air and doing nothing. We are lobbying and as she pointed out, the EU seems now to go along with our position. What remains is the USA. As you know, it is a superpower and generally, they use all sorts of   methods to dissuade other countries from taking a position which is contrary to their position. So, we will continue to engage those countries which are banning the export of ivory. We will continue to engage them  and that is part of the lobbying that we are engaged in. So, it is not like we are throwing our arms in the air and doing nothing but I think it is important because this information about the worth of  our ivory has only come to me recently. I knew it was very valuable but I did not know that we are sitting on ivory worth 9.6 billion. Let us even call it 5 billion, it is lot of money.

So, it is important that all of us individually, now that we have this information, whenever we engage the USA, Europe, Japan, all those countries which are against export of ivory, whenever we engage them, let us speak with one voice to say “lift this ban” so that we avail ourselves the benefits of our resources. I thank you.

*HON. MATANGIRA: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture. My question is, what is Government policy regarding agricultural farming contracts especially with regards to the percentage that should be given to the farmer?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I want to know whether Hon.

Members in front of your desk are sleeping or what is it? No, Hon. Members please! Order, order, you are disturbing me. What is wrong with you? Hon. Members, I think I have to see your faces because I do not want to see the back of your heads. I think you know the rules of this House. You are not supposed to pass between the Chair and the one who is debating.

*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Madam Chair. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture regarding Government policy on contract farming especially regarding the percentage which should be paid to farm owners so that they also benefit. If we have the former white owner, can he come and hold a contract with the new owner?

*THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

(LIVESTOCK) (HON. ZHANDA): Thank you for that question. When

Government talks of contract farming and if it is a genuine contract, it should not have predetermined percentages charged. It should be different from renting out the farm to somebody. When you talk of rental farming, it is not permissible by Government. Contract farming means the following things such as seed fertilizer and others and then the farmer will grow on his behalf. If it is a joint venture programme, we have two people - the farmer has his land and services. The outsider brings out inputs and when they have sold their proceeds, they share the profit accordingly.

When we are talking of the white man who comes in to do contract farming that person cannot just come because he used to own that farm. If he held talks with the new owner, they have to agree on sharing of profits. He should not force himself onto the new farmer but there has to be an agreement.

HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker.

My follow up question - is the Minister aware that the percentages are being given to farmers according to their agreement? It would look like we are actually reversing the land reform. Are you aware of that?

HON. ZHANDA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Matangira for the supplementary question. I am not aware of such arrangements. Thank you.

*HON. MAONDERA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am

directing my question to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.  The question is - since we have a problem in the availability of cash, what is Government policy regarding the payments done to Government departments so that we have point of sale machines? In Government, we have 90% of your departments which want service seekers to pay cash upfront instead of using point of sale machines.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Thank you very much

Madam Speaker. I thank the Hon. Member for his question. Let me just prefix my answer by saying that the cash crisis has been a very good opportunity for us. The flip side of any crisis is an opportunity and I am very grateful that this crisis presented itself at the time it did. It was like God-send because we were doing what no other country does – sing a hard currency US$ to finance domestic transactions; kutenga mazhanje, ipwa, magaka, neUS$. This is a valuable global currency and if you have US$ in your pocket, you can land anywhere in the world and it will be acceptable. That does not apply to other currencies.

Coming to your specific question, it has given us now an opportunity to move away from a cash based economy and a cash based payment system where all people and everybody who wanted to buy a house would carry cash in their brief case to go and pay for the house or where you want to buy a car you carry cash in your briefcase.  This will no longer be the same, we will not continue that system.  We are now encouraging the use of plastic money; the use of RTGs transfers.  I agree with you, we can only facilitate that system through point of sale machines.  We are going to do exactly what you are proposing.  We need of course to secure the point of sale machines and it is a process.

Already, the uptake of point of sale machines has been phenomenal.  While you are talking about a cash crisis, the cash is actually easing because of the corresponding increase in use of plastic money.  so, I am  very  pleased of that crisis because it has given us an opportunity to come up with solutions to that problem.

There is no way Hon. Speaker, that you can have cash to represent the bank deposits.  Currently, we have something like US$6.1 billion in bank deposits.  There is no way you can have physical cash of that amount.  Even in the United States, it is only 10% of virtual money and that is money in bank deposits.  So, we are going your route; we will be implementing it but it will take time.

HON. MURAI: Thank you Madam Speaker.  My supplementary

question to the Minister is, I think as a nation this is not the first time we have found ourselves in this quagmire.  We have been in this quagmire since 2008.  We agree in this House that cash is a national crisis at the moment.  What I want to propose to you Hon. Minister is, why can we not engage Dr. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, like we did in 2008, so that we can deliver to the waiting nation. – [ HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] –

THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member. I

think that is not a question to be answered by the Minister.  – [ HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –  Order! Hon. Members.  Can we have order please?

Questions without notice were interrupted by THE HON.

DEPUTY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order Number 64.

HON. MAONDERA: Hon. Speaker, through your indulgence, I am asking the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, to give us a Ministerial Statement, regarding the trip that he made with a begging bowl out of the country so that he updates us on what he got or it was just his face walking.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think it is part of his duty.  He is going to do that whenever he is ready. – [HON. MEMBERS: Now,

it is urgent] –

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

PROGRESS ON THE INTRODUCTION OF BOND NOTES

41. HON CHIRISA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to apprise the House on the progress that has been made to date in terms of processes involved in printing bond notes and their introduction.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): I thank the Hon. Member

for her question.  The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is finalising the signing of a tripartite agreement with the African Export/Import Bank (Afreximbank) and bond notes printers ahead of the introduction of bond notes in October, 2016.  Bond notes will be printed outside Zimbabwe on an agreement that safeguards the US$200 million Afreximbank facility.  Bond notes will not exceed the US$200 million guaranteed by Afreximbank since the regional bank has a reputation to protect.  Sensitisation of critical stakeholders and the public on how bond notes will operate is ongoing.  We are also encouraging the Honourable Members of this House to participate in the awareness campaign in their respective constituencies.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  Hon. Minister,

the bond notes are being printed in order to satisfy export incentives.  Is that policy not against the provisions of the new Reserve Bank Act which outlawed the involvement of the Central Bank in quasi-fiscal activities.

HON. MUKWANGWARIWA: The Hon. Member is now

smuggling a questi      on into this House which is before a Committee.

                  THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can we proceed with the

answers from the Minister please, so that the House may benefit.

HON. CHINAMASA: I thank the Hon. Member for

supplementary question. First, just to educate the House and the Hon.

Member in particular, bond notes when introduced, will have a twofold purpose. The first is as an export bonus scheme. The second is to stop leakages of hard US$. That is the twofold purpose because bond notes will only have territorial application but being one on one with the US$. It means that the bond notes cannot be siphoned off the market as is currently the case with the US$. I thought I should correct that. Thank you.

HON. D.P. SIBANDA: Like the Hon. Minister indicated that there is a dual purpose to the bond notes. Firstly, to incentivise production to exporters and so my question to the Hon. Minister is, is incentivising production to a certain sector a monetary policy?

HON. CHINAMASA: I do not get the issue. The RBZ is  banker to Government. So, when we are talking about issuance of bond notes, those are done by the RBZ but they could be in pursuance of a monetary policy and also fiscal policies. Export incentive is a fiscal issue. We want to look after the goose that lays the golden egg and the RBZ is merely implementing what we have directed it to do. I do not see any problems about that. I want to assure you and assure the Hon. Members that there is no way we can return to fiscal measures or policies being formulated at the RBZ. We formulate it at Treasury and then decide who the implementers of our fiscal policies are. It is not just the RBZ which has to implement but also ZIMRA. Those collecting taxes are implementing our fiscal policies. So, there is clearly no danger whatsoever in formulation of fiscal policies residing in the central bank.

HON. HOLDER: My supplementary to Minister of Finance is that this $200 million - is it coming into this country and kept by RBZ or is it out there or are we just getting a printed paper with the money staying out there?

HON. CHINAMASA: The $200 million is a guarantee facility. As you know, when the bond notes are introduced, they will be one to one with the US$, interchangeable and in fact when you go to the bank, you are banking in US$. To guarantee that will happen, that bond note will be translated into a US$ is the Afrexim guarantee facility. So, it is not a loan and it will come clear when I answer one of the questions on the Order Paper.

HON. HOLDER: I need to clear my conscience. I just wanted clarification because what the Hon. Minister is saying is it is a guarantee, on the other side, you are saying it is a loan. So there is a difference between a loan and a guarantee. What I want to know is that is that money there or not?

HON. CHINAMASA: The Hon. Member has not being listening

to what I was saying. Who said it is a loan? I did not say it. You are saying on the one side I am saying it is a loan, no. I have said it is a guarantee – [HON. CHIBAYA: Akadhakwa.] – and not a loan. It is a guarantee facility.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! – [HON. HOLDER:

Ashaudha kuti akadhakwa.] – Order, the presiding officer is the only one who gives order to another Hon. Member to withdraw. Hon. Chibaya, please withdraw.

HON. CHIBAYA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker, I withdraw the statement that Hon. Holder is drunk.

HON. GABBUZA: Bond notes are coming into effect in October and currently, we are in July. Government is also doing a lot of other policy measures to reduce the problem of cash. Suppose those measures come into effect and cash is no longer a problem and we have point-ofsale machines. Is the Minister likely to consider stopping the printing of the bond notes because we will have solved our problems in four months?

HON. CHINAMASA: I thank Hon. Gabbuza for his question but

it also reflects that he has not been listening to what I said in answer to previous questions. I said the bond notes are coming to play a twofold purpose, as an export bonus scheme but more importantly to stop leakages of US$. The way things are, if we brought in $2 billion today, tomorrow it will be gone. That is what I think we need to understand because of its appreciation and everybody is looking for US$. They will find ways to come and mop up, siphon and fish out our US$. That is the reason also why we are coming in with the bond notes.

Please get it clear, the bond notes are coming. Like I said previously, those who do not want to use them, are free not to. There is choice always. You know you refused to use the rand and no one came with a gun to your head to say use them. I want us to be very clear that it has a twofold purpose, as an export bonus scheme and also to stop leakages of the US$. The US$ we are earning is hard-earned currency which we cannot afford to let it go out, because people are coming to sell trinkets here and move out in suitcases our US$.

PLANS IN PLACE TO BOOST THE ECONOMY

42. HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to state the plans in place to boost the economy, indicating the products for export.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): The major constraints to

boosting economic growth have been lack of affordable long term capital for industry to retool and procure modern production technology, insufficient liquidity, deteriorating infrastructure, low productivity and lack of competitiveness and confidence.

To help address these underlying challenges, Government is implementing both short term, as well as medium to long term measures, including the following:

1. Boosting exports, as the major foreign exchange earner, through various production and export incentives, such as the 5% export incentive scheme and other support to gold producers; ii. Lowering bank lending rates, from as high as 35% to current levels of 6-15%; and iii.     Implementing the International Financial Institutions (IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank) Arrears Clearance Programme, to unlock more external funding.

These measures and incentives to boost exports are primarily aimed at the following top export earners;

• Gold (particularly the small scale producers) and
• Tobacco growers.

In order to consolidate the discernible gains made on the Arrears

Clearance Programme, Government is embarking on a Socio Economic Transformation and Financing Programme, which is anchored on the following areas:

1. Public Sector and State Enterprise reforms;
2. Enhancing agricultural transformation and productivity;
3. Promoting private sector growth and competitiveness; and
4. Infrastructure rehabilitation and development;

The successful implementation of the Socio Economic

Transformation Programme will stimulate an accelerated and sustained economic recovery that will go a long way in reducing poverty for the majority of Zimbabweans, in line with key objectives of the ZIM

ASSET economic blueprint.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: The Hon. Minister spoke of an intention to boost production but I just want to find out what policy measures the Government is putting in place to ensure that one of the major tools of boosting production is expanding the capital base through foreign direct investment and other forms of capital inflows. What policy measures is the Minister putting in place to ensure that all those factors that have been hindering the coming in of capital inflows and foreign direct investment are expunged from the economy?

HON. CHINAMASA: I am sure that Hon. Members have actually been participants in formulating of some of those policies which if adopted and implemented will go a long way to producing a conducive environment for foreign direct investment. I can just mention a few, the ease of doing business, I think you have participated in some of the workshops to see that we ease the doing of business. You will also have participated in some of the workshops to deal with reducing the costs of doing business. You may also have participated in deliberations on the indigenization law. As you know, the law has since been clarified by the statement made by His Excellency the President and what remains now is to amend existing legislation in order to align it to the policy pronouncements made by His Excellency.

All this about reducing interest rates, international engagements with creditors, the sum total of all these activities and initiatives is to create a conducive environment to attract foreign direct investment.

HON. ZVIDZAI: The Hon. Minister referred to gold as one of the key areas that will assist the ailing economy. May I know from the Minister the quantitative impact of the interventions in the gold sector on  the economy, particularly with respect the balance of payment situation in the country?

HON. CHINAMASA: Because of the fiscal interventions that we made in the gold sector, we have been able to move gold production from 13 metric tonnes in 2013 to 20.1 metric tonnes last year. This year all things being equal, we are aiming to achieve 24-26 metric tonnes and the measures we took were lowering the royalty rate we charge, decriminalizing the activities of artisanal miners and basically paying timeously for deliveries to Fidelity as well as paying world price to our gold producers.

As we sit, we are also in the process of negotiating facilities to provide basic equipment to artisanal miners. As I speak to you now, artisanal miners are now contributing 40% of gold production and we believe that we can do more. You must remember that there are five basic export items which contribute to the position on our balance of payments is tobacco, gold, platinum, ferrochrome and diamonds.  So, we have strategies to make sure that we increase production of all those key export earners.  Of course, we remain victim to the declining commodity prices and that in fact, has been affecting us mostly in the area of ferrochrome.  Gold is now beginning to pick up and we hope that it will remain on the upward trend.  Thank you Madam Speaker.

CLIENTS CASH REQUIREMENTS

43. HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic

Development to explain how the bank will meet their clients’ cash requirements in view of the fact that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced that it will hold 80% of all tobacco receipts for distribution to other banks while the receiving bank will retain only 20% of tobacco receipts.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Madam Speaker, offshore

tobacco financing facilities are mainly accessed through international banks.  Very few tobacco farmers have accounts with these banks.  The majority of our tobacco farmers have accounts with indigenous local banks which do not have access to offshore funding.  In order to spread liquidity across all the banks, when tobacco merchants drawdown on their offshore facilities, 80 % of their drawdowns are transferred to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Nostro Account.  The RBZ will use these proceeds to import cash and evenly distribute it across banks to pay tobacco farmers and make other national strategic payments.

Banks can either use the remaining 20% in their Nostro Accounts to also import cash to meet their daily needs or approach the RBZ for cash support.  This policy has gone a long way in evenly distributing cash across banks.

CASH CRISIS AT TOBACCO AUCTION FLOORS

44. HON. CHIRISA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to explain the cash crisis at tobacco auction floors where farmers are failing to get their cash with banks paying out US$500 instead of the US$1 000 limit set by the Central Bank.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Farmers at the auctions

have been equally affected by the current cash crisis in the country.  The Central Bank is however, ensuring that banks with tobacco farmers on their books get reasonable amounts of cash on a daily basis.  We also continue to encourage our farmers to embrace electronic means of payment to reduce demand for cash.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

HON. HOLDER:  I just wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister when tobacco is being delivered and the amount that is being limited to would be beneficiaries of the funds.  Now, are we not creating a bigger problem because someone will say to you, for your US$10 000 that you are receiving, I will give you US$12 000 in the account.  So, you transfer US$12 000 in the account and he takes the US$10 000.  Are we not creating a cash black market there?

HON. CHINAMASA:  I do not think so.  This problem you are harping on about is temporary and is being sorted out in a variety of ways including promotion of the usage of money.  This promotion of the usage of electronic payment system is actually in line with the bank use promotion which is against money laundering.

As long as people are moving with huge cash, it means obviously that they can do other illicit things like smuggling and so on.  So, the problem is temporary and as I said, it has given us the opportunity to come up with long term solutions. 

HON. NDUNA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  Hon. Minister, I thank you for your answer. However, the issue of promotion of plastic money is being hampered by the lack of point-of-sale machines, in particular in other Government and quasi Government departments. We pay… - [HON. MEMBERS:  Wabvunzwa kudhara.] – THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is he saying?

HON. NDUNA:  Sorry, forgive me Madam Speaker, he just insulted me.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Member, it is because you were not in the House maybe.

HON. NDUNA:  My question has not been heard.  My question is, to what extent are you now distributing deliberately, efficiently and expeditiously the point-of-sale machines in particular to Government and quasi-Government departments?

HON. CHINAMASA:  Hon. Speaker, I thank you very much and I respect the Hon. Member for his question.  I had already given the answer, but I can repeat it - [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, I do not think

you can repeat it.  I think this is why we have a Hansard, but I have been appealing to Hon. Members to listen to all the answers.

HON. CHINAMASA:  So, the Hon. Member can follow my answer in the Hansard.

DISBURSEMENT OF CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT

FUNDS

45. HON. MUFUNGA asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to state when the Ministry will bring the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to Parliament.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  The Constituency

Development Fund, as we all know, was established in 2010 to support developmental efforts at constituency levels and compliment other programmes and projects launched at national level.

In the 2010 National Budget Statement, the then Minister of

Finance stated that the funds are meant for the construction of boreholes, repair of schools and clinics, purchase of generators, building of market stalls and other developmental projects as identified and prioritised by the local citizens.

An allocation of US$8 million was initially set aside for 210 constituencies, with each Member of Parliament given US$50 000 upon applying for these funds.

Following, Madam Speaker, alleged abuse of the funds by some legislators in 2011, disbursement of funds was halted to pave way for appropriate policy and legal framework to regulate the fund.

I am informed by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs that the Constituency Development Fund Bill is now in place and awaits consideration by the relevant Committee of Cabinet and by Cabinet itself before it is submitted to Parliament by the Hon. Vice

President as the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

CONCLUSION OF THE AFRICA IMPORT-EXPORT BANK

LOAN ON BOND NOTES

46.            HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Finance and

Economic Development to state:

1. The date when the US$20m Africa Import Export Bank loan to back up the bond notes was concluded and whether its terms were published by the Ministry in the Government Gazette within the 60 days as required by Section 300(3) of the Constitution; and
2. Whether the loan agreement has been referred to Parliament for approval in terms of Section 327(3) of the Constitution and also referred to the relevant Portfolio Committee in terms of the Standing Rules and

Orders, if not, to state reasons.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA):  Madam Speaker, I thank

the Hon. Majome for her question which addresses questions raised during Questions Without Notice, I am just repeating what I have already stated actually.

Firstly, I want to clarify as I have already done before that the

US$200m Africa Import Export Bank facility is not a loan.  It is a facility that works as guarantee.  Naturally, Government and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will ensure that whatever is done is compliant with our laws.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CROSS BORDER TRAVELLERS

ON IMPORT REBATE

47.            HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Finance and

Economic Development, why the Ministry is discriminating against cross border travelers aboard coaches with trailers by depriving them of the US$200 import rebate that plane, passenger car travelers are favoured with.

          THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Madam Speaker, I thank

you and I thank Hon. Majome for her question.  First and foremost, I want to make it clear that commercial consignments are not eligible for the travelers rebate and should pay duty.  In this regard, a traveler that carries commercial consignments cannot claim the travelers rebate.  As members will be aware, in the 2016 National Budget Statement, I highlighted the increase in formal transport carriers who transport and clear imported goods on behalf of cross boarder traders.

These transporters clear commercial transactions duty free through remission or rebate of duty facilities in connivance with residence of border areas or other travelers.  Notwithstanding the important role of transport carriers in facilitating trade; in most cases they transport underdeclared and unlicenced goods in contravention of the required standards thus undermining revenue to the fiscus, growth of the local industry as well as health and safety of consumers.  I thus propose that consignments transported on behalf of third parties shall be cleared under commercial importations as opposed to private importations.  This was affected through Statutory Instrument (148, 2015).

HON. HOLDER: Thank you Madam Speaker.  Hon. Minister, the

US$200 that is given to a person as rebate; when you cross the border, you will find that most of the stuff that you would like to buy across the border, you have to pay duty on it.  So, where does the US$200 rebate work if you still have to pay duty on it?

HON. CHINAMASA: Madam Speaker, I do not think I got the purpose of the question.  May the Hon. Member please repeat it.

HON. HOLDER:  Thank you Madam Speaker, what I am trying

to say is that you are given a US$200 rebate when you go out of the country to buy whatever you want to buy; you find most of the stuff that you want to buy will need duty to be paid.  So, where does the rebate work if you have to pay duty on whatever you are buying out of the country?

HON. CHINAMASA:  Thank you Madam Speaker, members of

this House misconstrue what a travelers rebate is.  You have to be a traveler not a commercial person.  If you are buying goods for resale, you are not entitled to a traveler’s rebate.  If you go abroad and you are coming  back, you buy some whisky and you buy this for your family for personal use, that is when you are entitled to a traveler’s rebate. Not when you are bringing in 200 shirts, 500 trousers and then you are entitled to a travelers rebate, you are not.  The abuse which had cropped up, is that some of the travelers, either retail shops or merchants, would just find people around there to say can I order 100 suits and as I come across the border I will assign 100 suits to A and 100 suits to B and so on and then he carries 1000 suits across the border, that is the abuse.   Rebate is only intended for travelers for personal use of the traveler in his or her household, not for commercial transactions.

So, you can see what was happening was that everything now was coming duty free and nothing coming into the fiscus and that is the abuse that we are seeking to stop.  I thank you Madam Speaker.

HON. PHIRI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question is, Hon. Minister, what extra measures have you put in place at these border posts so that the officers there are not putting more money in their pockets?  Where there is a shortage, history has taught us in Zimbabwe that wherever there is shortage, there is a lot of corruption in terms of bribery and so on.

THE HON DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is your question?  HON. PHIRI: What extra measures have they put in place to make sure that we are not putting more money in the officers’ pockets?

HON. CHINAMASA:  Hon. Speaker, clearly, the question is not arising from the previous question.  Be that as it may, what basically he is saying is he is raising a different issue of alleged corruption, that is how I read his question.  He is talking now about corruption.  The measures we have taken, we have introduced closed circuit television so as to enhance transparency at the border and the measure that is being complained about by the Hon. Member Majome is also intended to make sure that we do not have tax evasion.  We are also introducing a cargo tracking system because what has been happening was that tucks would come at Beitbridge border post and declare that their destination is Zambia, DRC or Malawi.  As soon as they cross the border, they would dump the goods in our territory.  So, we are introducing a cargo tracking system in order to make sure that we track that truck as it transit across our country.  So, those are some of the measures we are taking.  We are also taking measures to enhance electronic payment of taxis as well as accounting to both the Treasury as well as to the Reserve Bank on a daily basis and we are already getting that.  We have also taken measures to root out any corruption that may rear its head in ZIMRA.

Right now Madam Speaker, the House needs to know that we are carrying a forensic audit of ZIMRA to see whether or not there are any systems that need to be addressed and rectified.

INCENTIVES TO THE BANKING PUBLIC ON USE OF NON-CASH

TRANSACTIONS

48. HON. MAJOME asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Development what the Ministry is doing to give incentives to the banking public to use non-cash transactions, through reducing and removing the usurious bank transfer on electronic and non-electronic charges.

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. CHINAMASA): Madam Speaker, I did not

have the answer.  If the Hon. Member could agree that it be stood over until next time.

HON. CROSS: Madam Speaker, I think this question has been

answered to our satisfaction in the past.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do you have the answer to

that question Hon. Minister?

HON. CHINAMASA: I think it was answered in the past.

However, if the Hon. Member feels otherwise, she can always reinstate

it.

PLANS TO DESILT DAMS IN MUDZI DISTRICT

65.   HON. MUDYIWA asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate to state when ZINWA is likely to handover Karoi Water plant to Karoi Town Council so that the local authority provides water to the town.

                  THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Thank you Madam Speaker.  I

would like to thank Hon. Mudyiwa for the question requiring me to state plans in place to de-silt most dams that no longer hold water due to siltation in Mudzi district.

Madam Speaker, my Ministry deployed a team of engineers to the country’s ten provinces to identify, in conjunction with the District Development Fund (DDF), Social Welfare Department, District Administrators and local councillors, small dams and weirs that need to be de-silted under the Food for Work Programme.

As I speak right now, that exercise was completed and we now have a consolidated country report of small to medium dams that require urgent de-silting to restore their water storage capacities.

Madam Speaker, the Hon. Vice President, Hon. E.D Mnangagwa officially launched the de-siltation programme on the 22^nd of June, 2016 at Donganonga dam in Msengezi.  The de-siltation programme will include construction of silt traps upstream of each dam so that soil will be trapped before getting into the dam or weir to avoid future siltation of the water bodies.  The traps are installed in such a way that they only hold solid materials whilst allowing water to flow through.  The silt traps will be combined with wider catchment activities that include construction of contour ridges to avoid the erosion of top soil into water bodies, tree planting to facilitate in stabilising the soil and planting of vertiva grass on river banks.  This holistic approach to environmental protection is a panacea to the problem of siltation and deforestation whilst enhancing food and nutrition security in light of the current drought situation.

Madam Speaker, in light of the above, de-siltation and reclamation works on existing small dams across the country is at different stages of implementation.  However, lack of adequate working tools is hampering or slowing progress of work.

In Manicaland Province, de-siltation of Dekete weir in Mutasa district has been completed and now the community is working on construction of silt traps upstream of the weir.  The de-siltation of the canal taking water from Premier dam in Ward 20 in Mutasa is also complete.  De-silting works is in progress at Domborutinhira dam of Ward 19 in Mutasa district and at Chapungu dam in Buhera.  Barawara dam wall maintenance is also in progress.

Turning to Masvingo Province Madam Speaker, de-siltation of the Chilonga irrigation water abstraction point is now complete.  Desiltation works is in progress at Manjeru dam and dam number five of Marrivale Ranch in Mwenezi district.  Construction of Chirimigwa weir in Mwenezi district and rehabilitation of Vembe dam wall in Chivi district is also in progress.  Gulley reclamation works is in progress at Mabvute dam in Zaka district.  Chiredzi Sub-Catchment Council is providing vertiver grass for nurseries to various communities upstream of

Manjenjenje dam.

For Mashonaland West Province, identification of silted water bodies has been done in Karoi, Chegutu, Zvimba and Makonde districts.  De-siltation of Donga Ronga dam in Musengezi district, which I referred to as I was explaining the launch of the programme by Hon.

Mnangagwa, is complete.

For Midlands Povince, Matebeleland North and South Provinces and Mashonaland East Province, identification of silted water bodies has been done in most districts and lists have been submitted to the Provincial Administrators for confirmation so that de-siltation works start under the Food for Work Programme.

Mr. Speaker Sir, given the slow pace of the programme owing to resource challenges, I urge Hon. Members to complement this programme through mobilising communities to actively participate in the programme and also bring to my Ministry’s attention the dams that require de-silting to avoid gaps in our programme.  I humbly request for the support of Hon. Members in lobbying Treasury and other financial institutions to prioritise funding for the de-siltation programme to be a success.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

HON. GABBUZA: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I thank you Hon. Minister for a very elaborate answer.  However, would it not be cheaper to construct a new dam than to de-silt because the quantity of silt that has to be removed is more than the amount of earth on the dam wall?

HON. MUCHINGURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. It is the wish of my Ministry to build more dams, financing permitting.  However, because we already have dams and the funds are available through the Food for Work Programme, we are taking advantage and this will benefit the country.  As it rains next season, we are hoping to harvest as much water to serve the livestock and also for farming operations.

Thank you Hon. Speaker.

HON. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. Speaker  Sir.  I wish to thank the Minister for putting together a very comprehensive programme of de-siltation of water bodies in all the catchment areas.  However, my question is, from the study and research that has been done by her staff, what is the root cause of this major problem?  What we need to do is to make sure that we vaccinate against that incident more than curing the problem.

HON. MUCHINGURI: Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to thank the Hon. Member for that very fundamental question.  The reason why we have silt in our rivers and also our dams is because there is no proper master plan on resettlement, hence people end up  illegally resettling themselves around dams.  It is also because when they do not put condo-ridges in place, that silt end up in rivers.

Also, because of climate change, people tend to do stream bank cultivation and because of that reason, as they tamper with the environment in these areas, the silt remains in rivers which is why we are saying it is critical to grow trees and vertiva grass to make sure that silt does not end up into these river bodies.  So, we have done extensive research and Cabinet has set up a number of committees that will address the issue of a master plan to make sure that people are properly settled to avoid settling them on wetlands and also on top of mountains.

However, I must emphasise that it is important to make sure that we construct condo ridges to stop any silt from getting into our rivers.  I thank you.

*HON. MAPIKI:  What measures are you taking concerning the Chinese who are being given licences to mine in the name of de-siltation in dams and rivers?

*HON. MUCHINGURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I wish you

would know that as soon as I was appointed as the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, I was confronted with these people who were doing mining in rivers when it had been abolished by Cabinet.

Immediately, with the strong order from Cabinet, we stopped that practice.

Now, on the issues of alluvial gold mining, it is done by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development. So, there is no one who just does things on their own  but when it comes to de-siltation, it is the responsibility of my Ministry.  Like I said earlier on, ZINWA and DDF are responsible for that.  I thank you.

HANDING OVER OF KAROI WATER PLANT BY ZINWA

66.        HON. BEREMAURO asked the Minister of Environment,

Water and Climate to state  when ZINWA is likely to handover Karoi Water plant to Karoi Town Council so that  the local authority provides water to the town.

                  THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI):  Regrettably, Mr. Speaker Sir, Town Councils have demonstrated a lack of capacity in managing water and wastewater treatment plants and the associated reticulation systems.

This lack of capacity poses a serious health threat to the citizens of Zimbabwe as they are exposed to polluted and unsafe water for domestic use.  The environment has not been spared in this regard as we continue to witness an increase in nitrates, irons and other pollutants from the discharge of raw sewer in our water bodies by towns and city councils.

Mr. Speaker Sir, to substantiate my argument, a case in point is that of Gweru, Marondera, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza and Redcliff Town and city councils that are severely polluting rivers and habituating their areas through discharge of toxins and raw sewer into the environment.  Gweru is a point where the entire raw sewer is being deposited into the rivers.  So, you can appreciate the challenges that we are facing with councils.

It is from the above background Mr. Speaker Sir, that my Ministry through ZINWA, has deemed it noble not to hand over any more water and waste water treatment facilities to towns and city councils until we are fully convinced that they have the capacity to run these facilities for the good of the nation and the environment.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker Sir, these councils to whom facilities were handed over such as Gwanda Town Council and Beitbridge Municipality owe ZINWA approximately US$15 million for water supplies.  This is unfortunate situation is hindering ZINWA’s performance and service delivery to the nation.  I thank you.

Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 64.

HON. MUKWANGWARIWA: Mr. Speaker, I am kindly asking

your permission that Questions with Notice be extended by 15 minutes.

HON. CHIRISA: I second.

HON. CROSS: Mr. Speaker Sir, how does the Minister implement the National Constitution which provides for the devolution of power to local authorities in the context of her statement this afternoon?  There is a direct contradiction of the National Constitution.  Is it the right of the

Karoi Town Council to control its own affairs and not the Central

Government Department?

HON. MUCHINGURI: It is indeed a fundamental right of the citizens of Zimbabwe to enjoy water and that responsibility to ensure that water services are provided lies within ZINWA.  When city councils act, they act on delegated powers from the Ministry of Water.  This is precisely what the situation is as it stands in the absence of the powers which he has alluded to.  The challenge that people must appreciate is that water, because of climate change remains a concern.  When there is a national concern, the Ministry of Water always takes charge even in any city, council or local authority.   ZINWA is always requested to come in and source for funding even building up dams.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like to remind the Hon. Member that yes, whilst it is also a responsibility that when the time comes that the issue of decentralisation is put in place and given that also we are convinced that the councils will be responsible, we will be able to present those responsibilities to the relevant councils.  I thank you.

HON. ZVIDZAI: Mr. Speaker, I want to preface my question with a few facts.  In 2007, I was the Mayor of Gweru. The Minister of Water and ZINWA took over all water delivery competencies in all local authorities in the country except Bulawayo and Masvingo. In 2009, because of failure to provide good quality water, we had the disaster of cholera which killed 4 000 people and affected 100 000 people this incompetence was at the hands   of ZINWA.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, the Minister refers to Gwanda, Beitbridge and Plumtree as local authorities which are delivering this competence. The truth is that today Gwanda does not deliver water and it is ZINWA that does it. The water in Gwanda is the most expensive water in this country at US$1.25 per unit. When in Harare and other local authorities it is 45 cents. In Beitbridge we have got a similar problem. In Plumtree we have got suburbs that go for months and months without portable conveyed water. All this is under ZINWA and the Ministry of Water.

So, Mr. Speaker, the Minister is being very sparing with the correct information in this House. The question is, when that happens what should the Ministry be doing? They are busy charging these local authorities penalties and using this money to buy furniture for offices, beautiful cars et cetera. The Ministry has not done well. What is the Ministry dong to correct the situation than to take away a competence that rightfully should be in the hands of local authorities as per the Constitution of this country? The Constitution is not a choice matter, it is a must matter.

                  THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): Thank you Mr. Speaker. I need

to correct certain facts. I will start with Beitbridge which he is referring to - that as we speak there is crisis in Beitbridge and ZINWA, we have had to mitigate to make sure that there is water in Beitbridge. This we did by taking water from other dams to make sure that Beitbridge is well resourced. The same for Gwanda, we have had to take water from Mtshabezi and todate we have not been able to pay the contractors who did put together the piped water schemes, even the dam.

They are not paying - even Bulawayo, it is not paying. I want to state that had it not been for the Government that sourced resources under the ZIM Fund programme, Bulawayo as we speak would be having a crisis. I want to say if you are from Bulawayo, those from Bulawayo  - the vegetables that you are consuming are contaminated, because Bulawayo has been depositing water into Umguza. So, you need to appreciate sometimes the problems that are posed by these councils.

For Gwanda you need to appreciate also that consumers do pay Gwanda City Council for the water resource and they do not remit it. So, they are using that resource equally like Gweru. That is what they have been using and that is what they use to buy luxury cars also as city councils.

These facts I do have and I can present them to Cabinet, which is why we felt as Government that the people of Zimbabwe have a right to enjoy clean water. It is their fundamental right - where they are problems we chip in and it is unfortunate, that most of these cities are run, are managed from the other side, that is MDC.  . So, these are some of the challenges that we are having and ZANU PF is frantically working to make sure that the people of Zimbabwe enjoy clean water and enjoy vegetables that are not contaminated. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS:

Hear, hear.] -

HON. CROSS: Mr. Speaker Sir, I just want to say this …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON.MARUMAHOKO):

Order, order please. Order Hon. Member is that a supplementary question?

HON. CROSS: No, Mr. Speaker

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: No, I will not allow you. Order please!

REQUIREMENTS TO GET FIREWOOD LICENCES

67. HON. BEREMAURO asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate the requirements needed for a farmer to get firewood licences.

                  THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI): I would like to thank, Hon. Beremauro for the question.  The requirements for any farmer to be issued with a licence to collect firewood are as promulgated in the statutes of the law in Section 6 of Statutory Instrument 116 of 2012 that controls and regulates movement of timber, including firewood. The steps to be followed are as follows:

 The farmer must prove and show to the Forest Officer in his/her

1. district that he/she has a sustainable source of the firewood;
   • Farmer must lodge an application with the local Forest Officer to
2. enable inspection of the source;
   • During the process of inspection, the local forest officer consults
3. with the local traditional leadership;
   • The farmer’s application is forwarded to the Provincial Forestry
4. Extension Manager for approval;
   • The farmer whose application has been approved gets the licence;
   • The farmer will need to be issued with a permit to move the
5. firewood where applicable.

However, Mr. Speaker Sir, as a new requirement for sustainable  forest utilisation and development, farmers are now required to present an afforestation plan which fully demonstrates to my Ministry and the

Forestry Commission how the farmer intends to replant the hectares he would have cut down for fuel and firewood. I wish to sensitise Hon. Members on the need for us to protect our trees and take part in tree planting programmes. In light of Climate Change, trees are the panacea to the majority of environmental challenges threatening mankind today. Also, it has been scientifically proven that for every human being to survive, one requires a minimum of eight trees in one’s lifetime for oxygen.

I therefore humbly appeal to Hon. Members to embark on massive tree planting programmes in their constituencies to avoid extinction of mankind. I thank you.

HON. MUSANHI: Minister what is your Ministry doing to encourage the farmers and locals to entice them to grow trees?

     HON. MUCHINGURI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Under my

Ministry is housed the Forestry Commission which takes care of the social aspects of tree planting. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has not been assisting us financially. I want to assure Hon. Members   that we are negotiating with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development which has been collecting funds from tobacco farmers, for us as Forestry Commission to have access to that funding so that we are able to start introducing tree planting within the respective areas.  I want also to state that we are working also with

UNERP which is coming in with resources to assist the Forestry

Commission.

HON. HOLDER:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, my supplementary

question to the Hon. Minister is that there are areas like Shabani, Zvishavane and Mashava where there are mines around, what policy or mechanism are you putting in place to stop this firewood transportation into towns?  You find that the farms around there are affecting people who are staying in the townships like Mandava, Maglazi, Kandodo,

Highlands and so forth.

HON. MUCHINGURI:  We do have a law in place which forbids

people to illegally cut trees, but I want to say that our responsibility is not only to stop people.  What we are also trying to do is to encourage people to engage into renewable energy, where we use solar energy and biogas.  So, we are going all out frantically to make sure that we promote the renewable energy programmes. Over and above, we are also going to be launching the elephant grass which can be converted into charcoal.  Communities can grow this grass and we will be able to harvest it three times.  They can sell it to a company that we are going to establish to make sure that charcoal will be available for the benefit of communities and also those that are in towns.  I thank you.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

                  THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, WATER AND

CLIMATE (HON. MUCHINGURI):  I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 9 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.

Motion put and agreed to.

 

WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

PLANS TO FOSTER DISSEMINATION OF MARKET

INTELLIGENCE IN AGRICULTURE

9. HON. NDUNA asked the Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services to state plans that have been put in place to foster the dissemination of market intelligence in agriculture and mining among others, through ICT as part of initiatives to revive the economy.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER

SERVICES (HON. MLAMBO): Thank you Honourable for the

question.  The Ministry, through programmes such as establishment of Community Information centres (CICs), awareness campaigns, ICT infrastructure deployment and establishment of provincial office is disseminating information meant to impact on agriculture, mining, education among others.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) is a powerful tool for socio-economic changes in developing and developed countries alike.  Access to market information in other communities in and outside Zimbabwe would enable citizens to share experiences and help decisionmakers to link macro-economic policy-making to grassroots initiatives.  ICTs would also avail information relevant to agriculture production, mining, processing, marketing, food, transport and storage, education, healthcare, disease control as well as environmental management, to mention a few.

In pursuing the objective of ICT awareness throughout the country, the Ministry is establishing CICs with the initial target being to have at least one (1) CIC in every administrative district in the country.  If the rural community has access to ICTs, their awareness, for example, agriculture, mining, education will be increased and they will participate effectively in the socio-economic development process.  To date, the

Ministry together with its ICT stakeholders, has put in place nine (9)

CICs and the tenth, Gokwe CIC is near completion.  These CICs are

Epworth, Maphisa, Mubaira, Mupandawana, Murombedzi, Mutoko,

Rusape, Muzarabani and Sadza Growth Point.   At Sadza, a bigger structure was built to replace the original smaller room.  What is left is to beef-up the equipment.

In each of these CICs, there is internet which has become a global invaluable access and communication tool for society.  Internet has collapsed distances and time, making it possible for people to access and send information, including disseminating market intelligence remotely, or while domiciled in one’s locality.

The Ministry has so far established four (4) provincial offices in its point of presence initiatives.  The offices were established in Bulawayo, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands.  Whilst these offices were opened to support Public Finance Management Systems (PFMS), they also act as referral for any ICT application challenges that the surrounding community may face.  These offices, apart from supporting ICT programmes at provincial level, also act as important collection point of data relating to agriculture, mining, education and healthcare technology uptake for socio-economic development by the community.  This in a big way help revive the economy.

ICT awareness campaigns, is another way that the Ministry and the parastatals that are under its purview, are using to educate the citizens on the relevance of ICTs in economic development.  The campaigns include e-Tech Africa Expo and Conference where exhibits of some applications like e-Hurudza, e-Education and e-Commerce will be show-cased.  The Ministry also hosts the ICT Achievers Awards, a platform that is meant to honour those who excel in ICT innovations for economic development.  This platform encourages competition which brings with it the much needed innovations.  The Ministry, with its stakeholders, also organises workshops that bring with them diverse applications like the one which ran on 6^th April, 2016 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on ICT Solutions to Secure Documents.

The Ministry is also working in partnership with some innovation hubs and colleges in encouraging young innovators to come up with some e-applications that are useful in our society.  These applications cover a range of areas that include agriculture, mining, poultry and education among others.

PROVISION OF NETWORK SERVICES TO AREAS IN

GOKWE-KANA CONSTITUENCY

10. HON. O. NCUBE asked the Minister of Information

Communication Technology, Postal And Courier Services to state when NetOne Pvt Ltd would provide network services to the following areas in Gokwe – Kana Constituency:

1. Mateme;
2. Maboke;
3. Msala;
4. Manoti;
5. Marapira;
6. Paradza; and
7. Marimasimbe

 

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFROMATION

 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER

SERVICES (HON. MLAMBO): Thank you Honourable for the

question.  NetOne is cognisant of the situation in Gokwe-Kana Constituency and is leaving no stone unturned to avail network in the areas.  A Mobile Cellular Service request was received from Hon. O.

Ncube and is currently under serious consideration.  So far, there are at least ten planned and surveyed sites in the area.  The sites are as follows:

1. Sauringwanda
2. Msala
3. Mbungu
4. Moboke
5. Marapira
6. Chehanga
7. Nyaje
8. Kana
9. Marimasimbe and

Resources are currently being mobilised to set up base stations  which should see affected areas getting network.  NetOne is also approaching sister companies that have towers and infrastructure in these areas to put up their base stations.  This is in line with the policy of infrastructure sharing that has been promulgated by the Ministry of

ICTPCS.

PROVISION OF E-LEARNING EQUIPMENT TO SCHOOLS IN

GOKWE-KANA

36. HON. O. NCUBE asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to state when the Ministry will provide E – learning equipment to the following schools in Gokwe – Kana

Constituency;

1. Mbungu Secondary School;
2. Marimasimbe Secondary School;
3. Mateme Secondary School;
4. Lukukwe Secondary School;
5. Kana Secondary School;
6. Njanje Secondary School;
7. Choto Secondary School;
8. Batanai Secondary School;
9. Mkoka Secondary School; and
10. Selima Secondary School
    6. THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA): It is the thrust of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to promote E-learning in all schools in Zimbabwe.  The new Curriculum Framework for Primary and Secondary Education: 2015-2022 provides for the teaching of

Information Communication Technology (ICT) from Early Childhood Development to Advanced Level.  For this reason, syllabi for ICT for infant, junior primary and secondary levels were developed.

7. Further, the Ministry through its Curriculum Development and Technical Services Department has made strides to come up with an e-learning solution for our schools. This will see our schools getting a variety of appropriate digital content.  All the above mentioned schools in Gokwe-Kana Constituency and beyond will benefit from the current initiatives that are underway.  However, the provision of hardware equipment for e-learning is a shared responsibility.  While the Ministry can play a part in providing hardware equipment, schools and other partners including Hon. Members can assist where possible.  The ratio of computer tools to learners is recommended at the UNESCO benchmark of 1:8.  Since E-learning software solutions may be centrally accessible and we did initially an agreement to use MS 365 Suite.; we have since invited TelOne, ZarNet and E-learning to provide a Proof of Concept (POC) that demonstrates connectivity at the most efficient, cost effective and non-disruptive thresholds.  Once the POCs are signed off, schools can then become connected within the radius of their cluster points.
8. More information will be made available as we develop this frontier in the immediate future. Members can contact the District Schools Inspectors who will gladly indicate areas they can be useful in the massification of ICT tool presence and utilisation in schools.

MEASURES AGAINST RUVHENEKO PRIMARY SCHOOL

HEADMISTRESS

37. HON MAONDERA asked the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education what measures are being taken to bring to book the Headmistress of Ruvheneko Primary School in Glen Nora, Mrs.

Chigabo who was implicated in a recent audit by the Ministry’s auditors.

THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA):  Issues to deal with financial management in schools are matters of concern to the Ministry.  For this reason, we instituted an audit of our schools in order to bring transparency in the use of the funds that are collected at school level.  In 2015, the Ministry managed to audit 1 697 schools.  In some cases, there were reports of abuse of school funds by heads of schools.  As a matter of fact, where there were allegations of abuse of funds, thorough investigations were carried out.  With respect to Ruvheneko Primary School, audit was carried out and the initial report indicated that there were some irregularities in the handling of funds.  The concerned head, as procedural, is given an opportunity to respond.

SUBSTANTIVE HEADMASTERS FOR SCHOOLS IN MUDZI

38. HON. MUDYIWA asked the Minister of Primary and

Secondary Education to explain why:

1. One secondary school out of 35 registered and satellite schools in Mudzi District has a substantive headmaster while the rest are in an acting capacity;
2. What Government policy is regarding the period one should be on

an acting capacity as school head; and

1. Whether these acting headmasters get an acting allowance and at what rate.
2. THE MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

EDUCATION (HON. DR. DOKORA):  The Ministry considers

leadership at school level as vital to the day-to-day running of the school.  As such, the majority of our schools are under substantive heads.  Satellite schools are schools that are under a registered school and the head superintending over a satellite school is the particular satellite school.  This phenomenon does not apply to schools in Mudzi district.  It applies to all schools in the country.  So, by their nature, all satellite schools are under a head of an established school.

10. There are indicative periods for acting in posts. All members who have requisite qualifications are free to apply whenever such posts are advertised.  More often than not, it is the function of budgetary control as institutional fitness.
11. Issues to do with acting allowances are not under the preview of Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. However, as a Ministry, our responsibility is to indicate to the Public Service

Commission members who are in acting capacities.  The Public Service

Commission, as the employer determines allowances and rates.

STATUS OF GWANDA-MAPHISA ROAD

55. HON S. NCUBE asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development To clarify the status of Gwanda – Maphisa road, in view of the fact that documents at Matobo Rural District Council indicate that it was tarred in 2006, while the situation on the ground is that it is still a gravel road.

                  THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, Gwanda- Maphisa road is 58 km long being a gravel road.  It was last graded in 2015.  The road is in fair condition and is due for regarding before the end of this year, 2016.  The information in

Matobo Rural District Council documents of the road being tarred in 2006 is incorrect, but there certainly are plans to resurface it at some stage.

PLANS TO COVER POTHOLES ALONG BEITBRIDGE-

MASVINGO ROAD

56. HON B. TSHUMA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, whether there is an emergency plan to cover the potholes littering the Beitbridge – Masvingo road especially between Beitbridge and Rutenga as these potholes are a death trap.

                  THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, the potholes between Beitbridge and Rutenga are being attended to with the aim of resurfacing the worst section.  Please be advised that the road from Beitbridge to Harare has been awarded to a developer on a Triple P Concession for dualisation and rehabilitation and work on this very busy road is expected to start towards the end of the year.  I thank you

PLANS TO RE-GRAVEL THE HEADLANDS-MAYO ROAD

57. 57. HON MAONDERA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development what plans are in place to re – gravel the

Headlands – Mayo road which is in a very deplorable state.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, 18 km of the Headlands – Mayo road was surfaced between 2002 and 2005.  This surfacing project was stalled because of funding constraints.  The Ministry is now pursuing the engagement of the private sector in road development through public-private partnership or build operate and transfer concessions.

Headlands – Mayo road is also lined up for grading in July and August this financial year (2016), to make it trafficable since it is in bad state.   I thank you.

COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION WORK ALONG KAROI-

BINGA ROAD

58. HON BEREMAURO asked the Minister of Transport and

Infrastructural Development to;

1. Explain why it has taken the Ministry more than 25 years to complete construction of Karoi-Binga road;
2. State when construction is likely to resume.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, it has taken the Ministry a very long time to complete the construction of the Karoi-Binga road because of financial constraints.

The Ministry is now pursuing engagement of the public-private partnership or build, operate and transfer concessions.  Karoi-Binga road is one of the targeted roads and tenders are to be floated this year (2016) for this road and others.  I thank you.

COMPLETION OF KAROI TOLLGATE

59.            HON BEREMAURO asked the Minister of Transport and

Infrastructural Development to explain why it has taken construction of Karoi Tollgate six months before completion and when it is likely to be completed.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, the construction of the Karoi Tollgate has taken six months before completion because of inconsistent release of funds for the construction works.  The matter has been discussed with ZINARA and it is hoped the funding will improve.  The tollgate is targeted for completion by the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year, 2016.  I thank you.

MEASURES TO IMPROVE TECHNOLOGY AT THE VEHICLE

INSPECTION DEPARTMENT

60. HON P. MASUKU asked the Minister of Transport and

Infrastructural Development to explain the measures in place to improve the technology used at the Vehicle Inspection Department in order to curb corruption particularly on Provisional Driver’s Licence tests.

                  THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

The Ministry has a zero tolerance policy to corruption in line with the aspiration of ZIM ASSET.  In this context, the Ministry has implemented the following proactive strategies to curb corruption at the

Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) –

1. VID depots are grouped into three categories, that is small, medium and big, respectively for purposes of analysing their performance and the strategy helps the Ministry to monitor performance per each depot and be able to identify the existence of wayward behaviour through daily, weekly and monthly returns and reports analysis.  This strategy has demonstrated its effectiveness from 2009 to current where 32 officers were fired when it surfaced from the analysis  on the returns that corruption was taking place at 13 VID depots namely:

Eastlea, Belvedere, Chitungwiza, Gweru, Mutare, Chiredzi, Bindura,

Kadoma, Victoria Falls, Zvishavane, Nyamapanda, Chinhoyi,

Marondera, which issued 199 driver’s and provisional licences to undeserving applicants and were cancelled by the Ministry.

2. We have erected conspicuous notice boards at all VID depots and introduced on 6 March 2016, three toll free numbers (08013121 – 3), informing members of the public to phone the supplied numbers if they have been asked for consideration or a bribe by VID officials in order to pass a driver’s licence or a provisional licence.  The toll free numbers are also displayed at the rear of all VID vehicles.
3. All depots have suggestion boxes strategically positioned for

Members of the public to air their views as a feedback on service delivery.

4. We have dedicated multi-skilling strategy for all our officers, that is, every officer is trained as both an examiner and an inspecting officer.  This strategy helps to remove pre-arranged corrupt practices and predictability from officers on duty in that the manager at any given time can reshuffle officers from driving examinations to vehicle inspections or vice versa.
5. We have a three-year transfer policy which helps in mitigating

against over- familiarisation of officers with members of the public which has high propensity for corruption.

6. In line with advancement in the global village, VID as a learning organisation will in the near future move towards automation of its services which will help to reduce direct human interface, therefore reducing corruption.
7. It is from best practice that we monitor and evaluate effectiveness of the above strategies for continuous improvement. Any reported case of corruption is investigated in order to get to the bottom of it and appropriate action is taken as indicated in item one (1) above.
8. My Ministry intends to commercialise Vehicle Inspectorate

Department as a strategy to improve the quality of service delivery and eradicate corruption given that it will be easy to motivate diligent performers and weed out unruly elements without going through the bureaucratic process.  I thank you.

PROGRESS ON RESURFACING OF GURUVE TO MAHUWE

ROAD

61. HON. KANHANGA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to apprise the House on the progress made on the re – surfacing programme of the Guruve to Mahuwe road particularly on the 7km stretch of broken tarmac between Makombe and

Camperdown_.

                  THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry intends to re-gravel and grade the narrow mat section of Guruve – Mahuwe road which is in bad shape and grade the rest of the gravel road.  The Ministry is financially constrained, hence at the moment is not in a position to resurface the 7 km stretch from Makombe to Camperdown.  The gravelling and grading should make the section trafficable, until funds to surface the section become available.  I thank you.

REHABILITATION OF THE CHIMOYO-CHIWONDE ROAD

62. HON MUFUNGA asked the Minister of Transport and

Infrastructural Development to:

1. State when the Ministry is going to rehabilitate the Chimoyo – Chiwonde road in Muzarabani.
2. State when the Ministry is going to construct be following bridges in Muzarabani that were destroyed by floods in 2006;
3. Bridge at Hoya river; ii. Musingwa bridge; and iii. Chimoyo bridge.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO):

Mr. Speaker Sir, Chimoyo –Chiwonde road and bridge fall under the jurisdiction of Muzarabani Rural District Council whom I believe are mobilising resources for the needed works.

(b)         The Ministry is currently mobilising resources to the tune of US$515 000 required to carry out repair works on Hoya bridge.  It is the intention of the Ministry to start work on this bridge before the end of 2016.

To construct a bridge across Musingwa river, the Ministry needs US$2 500 000.  Considering limited resources, the Ministry will start works on Musingwa bridge after completion on needed repair works on Hoya bridge.

I also regret to advise that currently there is no provision for the reconstruction of the Chimoyo bridge.  I thank you.

RESURFACING OF ROBERT GABRIEL HIGHWAY AND

INKOMO-DARWENDALE-TRELAWNEY-BANKET ROADS

63. HON MUKWANGWARIWA asked the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to inform the House when the following roads would be resurfaced:
64. Robert Gabriel Mugabe highway from Norton to Murombezi and
65. Inkomo-Darwendale-Trelawney-Banket road in Zvimba East.

THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT (HON. DR. GUMBO): (i) Mr. Speaker Sir, the preparation for work commencement are currently under way for the re-sealing and re-surfacing of Norton – Murombedzi road.  Delivery of materials by our suppliers has already commenced.

Delays have been due to procurement challenges.

(ii)         Mr. Speaker Sir, the road is segmented into two.  Inkomo – Darwendale road is pothole infested and requires urgent resealing and pothole patching which will be done as soon as funding from ZINARA is availed.  As for Banket –Trelawney  road, rehabilitation and resurfacing is required and there have been plans to do this for a long time.

However, Treasury has not been able to fund this and other roads on the national programme.  When funding gets provided, this and other roads will be constructed as required.  I thank you.

WATER FOR NJELELE SUBURB

64. HON. MANGAMI asked the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate to:
65. state when Njelele residential suburb in Gokwe will have water for domestic use;
66. explain how the Ministry intends to end water problems in Gokwe town;
67. explain how the Ministry’s plans on gulley reclamation in Gokwe and the surrounding areas especially the gulley at the court building.

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

Mangami for the question.

1. Madam Speaker, Njelele residential suburb was not developed as pr the norm, where the concerned local authority is supposed to service residential areas with water and other amenities before occupation by beneficiaries. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has nonetheless, engaged the beneficiaries to mobilise resources for the servicing of the area with domestic water supply from Gokwe Water Supply Station.  Local authorities should however, ensure that stands are serviced with water and sanitation provisions before occupation by beneficiaries, especially in cases where the beneficiaries would have paid for the stands to the local authority.
2. The Gokwe Water Supply infrastructure is currently being rehabilitated to improve output of drinking water supplied to the residents of the town and all works are expected to be complete and commissioned by end of July, 2016. The project is being supported by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) as part of the 14 Small Towns Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project.  The town is however, also affected by declining groundwater levels due to poor rains, resulting in low recharge.  Some boreholes had water levels of around 60m at the time of drilling, but the water level is now below 10m.

Madam Speaker, the Government of Zimbabwe ratified the United

Nations to Combat Desertification (UNCCED), as early as 1997.  The

Convention seeks to address Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD).  In line with the mandates of the convention, my Ministry has developed a National Action Plan (NAP), that specifies the country’s targets for restoring degraded lands and proposes a programmatic approach with an array of solutions to the different drivers of land degradation, ranging from proliferation of invasive alien species, poor land use practices, veld fires and gulley erosion, amongst other causative factors.

Madam Speaker, it is very important to know that gulley erosion in Zimbabwe is mainly through mechanical and chemical means.  The Environmental Management Agency has over the years, successfully dealt with gulley erosion due to mechanical means in soils with a stable structure, while chemical erosion on sodic soils, which are dispersive, unstable with a poor structure have been a serious challenge in the country.  These soils occupy 15% of the country, which is equivalent to 58000km².  The catchments mainly affected include Save, Sanyati and Umzingwane, with Gokwe and its surroundings included.

In light of the sodic soils challenge, Madam Speaker, my Ministry has mobilised the necessary financial resources from the Global

Environment Facility (GEF) through the World Bank and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to pilot the development of a toolkit providing guidelines on how to rehabilitate gulleys on sodic soils through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).  This project, which is being implemented under the flagship programme of the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project (HSBC), was officially launched by the Hon. Vice President Mphoko on the 26^th of March, 2015 in Hwange.  The project aims at addressing biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation, whilst enhancing community livelihoods.

The best practices from the 5 Year Pilot Project will be scaled up to the rest of the country to solve the complexities associated with these sodic soils, notwithstanding that reclamation will not happen overnight, but that it is a process that takes several years.  Lessons learnt from the Chireya Gulley in Gokwe North occurring on sodic soils will thus assist in up-scaling gulley reclamation programmes in areas with similar challenges.

Madam Speaker, my Ministry is taking corrective action to promote sustainable land management practices through reforestation, restoration of soil productivity and reduction of soil and gulley erosion through sustainable land cover management, organic farming and agro-forestry in partnership with relevant ministries such as Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development and the Department of Mechanisation.  Such practices lead to improved rain infiltration, increased water storage and availability, more biomass and improved food security, which in turn will reduce pressure on land and the need to convert forest to cropland.  The various tree planting campaigns currently underway across the country are also expected to reduce soil erosion by increasing soil binding potential.

In conclusion, Madam Speaker, gulley reclamation is a collaborative responsibility, where stakeholders such as communities and Government departments are expected to participate.  I therefore urge Hon. Members of Parliament to promote gulley reclamation programmes in their constituencies.

MOTION

LEAVE TO MOVE ADJOURNEMENT OF THE HOUSE ON A DEFINITE MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE:

UNLAWFUL RELEASE OF TWO SUSPECTS FROM POLICE

CUSTODY

     HON. CROSS: I move the adjournment of the House on a definite matter of public interest…  

HON. MUDARIKWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker, there is no quorum in the House in terms of Standing Order Number 56 (1).

[Bells rung.]

          An objection having been taken that there being present fewer than

Seventy (70) members, the bells were rung for Seven Minutes and a

Quorum still not being present, THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER adjourned the House without any question at Twenty-three Minutes past

Five o’clock p.m. pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order Number

 NOTE: The following members were present when the House adjourned: Hon. Bunjira R; Hon. Chibaya A.; Hon. Chigudu M.; Hon.

Chikomba L.; Hon. Cross E. G.; Hon. Dziva T. M.; Hon. Gabbuza J. G.;

Hon. Gava M.; Hon. Holder J.; Hon. Kazembe K.; Hon. Machingauta

C.; Hon. Madanha M.; Hon. Mandipaka O.; Hon. Maondera W.; Hon.

Maridadi J.; Hon. Mataruse P.; Hon. Mguni O.; Hon. Mpariwa P.; Hon.

Mpofu M. M.; Hon. Muchenje F.; Hon. Mudarikwa S.; Hon. Mudyiwa M.; Hon. Mukwangwariwa F. G.; Hon. Mukwena R.; Hon. Musabayana

D.; Hon. Murai E.; Hon. Mutseyami P. C.; Hon. Rungani A.; Hon.

Sansole T. W; Hon. Saruwaka T. J. L.; Hon. Shumba D. K.; Hon. Sibanda D. S; Hon. Sibanda Dubeko P.; Hon. Sithole G. K.; Hon. Toffa J.; Hon. Tshuma J. and Hon. Zvidzai S.