- Version
- Download 119
- File Size 725.37 KB
- File Count 1
- Create Date April 4, 2024
- Last Updated April 4, 2024
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 4 APRIL 2024 VOL 50 NO 42
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 4th April, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE ACTING SPEAKER
PETITION RECEIVED FROM TATSIGIRWA MUSIMWA
THE ACTING SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): I have to inform the House that Parliament received a petition from Tatsigirwa Musimwa, requesting Parliament to call for a referendum and amend the Constitution and the Electoral Law in order to abolish partisan politics in Zimbabwe. The petition was deemed inadmissible and the petitioner was advised accordingly.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 7 be stood over until all the other Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. J. SITHOLE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PEACE AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission for the year 2023.
Question again proposed.
HON. KANUPULA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Allow me to first congratulate the Peace and Reconciliation Commission for having produced audited financial statements which have met the procedures set by the Auditor-General. Secondly, I acknowledge the role the Commission is playing in bringing peace and attempting to deal with legislation that is conflicting and resolving land related conflicts. The report shows that political conflicts are still high in the country constituting 47%. Understandably, this was a time when both Parliamentary and Presidential elections were happening. Capacitating POLAD will go a long way in ensuring and fostering co-existence and all-inclusive politics.
On land related conflicts handled by the Commission, it is evident that still in Manicaland and Mashonaland East, land issues remain. It is a fact that the land reform, land acquisitions, still have some issues pending especially in peri-urban Harare, peri urban Mashonaland East and Gimboki in Manicaland. Availing equal opportunities to the youths will assist greatly in resolving these conflicts involving illegal parceling of land and violent clashes on farms among many other issues.
In conclusion, I acknowledge the need to ensure that the land laws and the mining laws are harmonised to ensure that the ambiguity sometimes presented by some sections are resolved. A miner cannot just come and peg on any farm because he or she has a permit from the Ministry of Mines. Agriculture is equally important. But before issuing some permits, the Ministry of Lands must be consulted and the farmer must be heard. Mr. Speaker Sir, I am convinced in the Second Republic that Zimbabwe is on the right path to reduce political violence, and together we can. I thank you.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to thank you for according me this opportunity to debate. I want to thank the Commission. When first it was installed, we thought it was political, but the Commission is looking at various things. Firstly, I want to thank the Government for the Budget allocation for it to be able to do its work. It is very important in the lives of the people of Zimbabwe so that we unite. If we look at the issues that they are tackling, those of boundaries in different areas, I think in the times that we are living, the Commission is going to be busy. The Commission is visiting rural areas, setting up Committees which are uniting people when they face challenges.
When it comes to politics, the issues that were reported are very few, which means that our things are moving smoothly. What the Commission is doing is that during awareness times, people should be educated on how to vote after registering, and that people should vote for their party of choice freely. They also go further to ensure that a winner wins fairly. In other countries, people fight after elections because they would say the elections have been rigged. It is different in our case in this country. Those who cannot make it, is because they did not campaign well. For example, the 2023 elections, people who were not satisfied about the results were very few. Our courts were seized with few cases because there was awareness…
HON. MAMBIRIPIRI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MAMBIRIPIRI: Mr. Speaker Sir, it is common cause that when a report is presented and people are asked to debate it, they debate contents of that report. What the Hon. Member is reporting is not in the report at all. The report does not discuss elections, who won, who complained or whether there were any misgivings around the elections. It simply discusses peace and reconciliation and their efforts. The Member must stand guided. I thank you.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, I think if you say, must discuss peace and reconciliation, I think the elements that he is talking about contribute to peace. Hon. Member you can proceed.
*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for protecting me. I was saying, at first when the Commission was put in place, we thought that it was only political, but after reading and seeing its works, we see that it touches on a number of issues including political issues. What I am talking about is also included in the report. I encourage all of us to read the report. If the Commission continues in this trajectory, I think it should be given a lot of money because such Commissions face challenges that if they run out of funds, those countries which are against our unity will influence to separate people because of their tribes of Hutus or Tutsis.
Here in Zimbabwe, I think the Commission should be given enough funds because the colonisers, if we give them a chance, they can use such Commissions to separate us if they give them money. I want to thank the Government of Zimbabwe because this Commission is independent, and many of their reports on political violence are very few. If you look at areas like Masvingo, they are mainly looking on areas of drug abuse.
This Commission should also educate Committees that they have set up in different areas that people should be able to resolve their conflicts without the interference of outsiders. The Commission is not only talking about tribalism or racism, but is also referring to families if they are at loggerheads. I thank you.
HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for allowing me this opportunity to contribute to this very important discussion that is before the House. Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to register my utmost disappointment with the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission’s Report presented before this Honourable House for the reasons that I will submit. I pose it that the NPRC was the least effective of the Chapter 12 institutions supporting democracy, and yet perhaps the most important and relevant, given the ubiquitous nature of violence and conflict in our country.
First, the foreword by the Acting Chairperson makes reference to a peaceful election, and does not acknowledge what political scientists have termed, ‘the harvest of fear’, where known perpetrators for violence were intimidating citizens making reference to past electoral violence. The report also conveniently misses the role of shadowy security organisations such as FAZ that intimidated …
HON. MUTOKONYI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. MUTOKONYI: Mr. Speaker Sir, the Hon. Member poses that there is ubiquitous violence in Zimbabwe. I do not think that is the fact. There is no violence, there is no ubiquitous violence in Zimbabwe. So the Hon. Member should speak facts and not assumptions. Thank you [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Member, let the Hon. Member be heard in silence. When your turn to debate comes, then you can tell us the correct position.
HON. G. HLATYWAYO: Thank you for the protection Mr. Speaker Sir. The report also conveniently misses the role of shadow security organisations such as FAZ that intimidated citizens …
HON. MUGWADI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it will be a serious attempt to undermine the credibility of this House if we allow the Hon. Member to proceed, to disassociate herself with the truth. In fact, choosing to have an adversarial relationship with the truth by saying that this country has a shadow security organisation. The security organs of this country are defined properly in the statutes and the Constitution of this republic. We do not have shadow security organisations. If I were allowed to go further Mr. Speaker, without taking her, I am a Member of FAZ myself which is an affiliate but I am not a shadow security organ.
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate, I am a free and voluntary member of an organisation called FAZ – [AN HON. MEMBER: Mr. Speaker, that is not a point of order.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you put on your mic, I did not get the last words that you said.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me to reiterate my last point. I think the credibility of this House would have been seriously undermined if she proceeds by continuously electing to disassociate and have an adversarial relationship with facts. Like I said, I am a voluntary member of friends and affiliates to – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]- but being a member of that organisation called FAZ, I am not a member of any shadow security organisation and so are many people outside there. The security organs of this country Mr. Speaker Sir, are defined. I reiterate, they are defined properly, constitutionally and statutorily. I reiterate once again, in fact, the most interesting thing is that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections]–
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Members, there is only one Chair in this House. Can you proceed.
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker to the extent that I am not in a hurry, I may just need to make this very clear as long as the podium is till mine. I will reiterate my point in summary that – [HON. MEMBERS: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.]-
THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, please do not stand up for points of order when someone is debating on a point of order. Can you wind up Hon. Member?
HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, you are not easily hurried especially by the fewest in the House of the majority. I reiterate my point very peacefully and without being rushed that the security organs in this country are properly defined by the constitutional provisions of this Republic and the statutes. FAZ is not one of them unless the Hon. Member debating is able to point to us a statutory or constitutional provision creating the shadow so called security organisation that she is talking about, if she cannot, the Hon. Member must be shamed for electing to have an adversarial relationship with them.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please proceed with your debate but do not create new structures in this room. Stick to the report.
HON. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I am sticking to the report and what I am making reference to are issues that are raised in the report. The particular issue that I was referring to is actually alluded to by the various international observer missions.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, is that in the report? Please stick to the report.
HON. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker, peace is much more than just the absence of violence. But the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies, as experts in conflict management and resolution, the Commission – [AN HON. MEMBER: Hon. Mutseyami is taking videos]-
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Mutseyami, are you taking a video of what we are saying? Can you be honourable and give it to the Serjeant-at-Arms, the video that you are taking.
+HON. MUTSEYAMI: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker. My phone is here and it does not have any videos.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: It is not permissible to take a video.
HON. MUTSEYAMI: In terms of our Green Book hapana mutemo unondirambidza kutora video.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: It is not permissible to take a video. Serjeant-at- Arms, if you can direct Hon. Mutseyami somewhere so that we can continue with the debates.
Hon. Mutseyami handed over the phone to the Serjeant-at-Arms.
HON. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker. The point that I was making is that the Commission ought to have interrogated much more deeply, the issue of negative peace and positive peace to ascertain whether the 2023 elections were peaceful or not. On page 9, the report applauds traditional leaders for promoting peace and fail to acknowledge the fact that traditional leaders were often abused and reduced to political commissars of the ruling party. A case in point was the much publicised Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira’s contravention of Section 281 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe by participating in partisan politics and openly declaring allegiance to the ruling party. He further went on to disregard a High Court order that had rebuked him for his conduct and directed him to withdraw his statements. Various civil society organisations including New Zimbabwe Trust and Zimbabwe Peace Society also reported the partisan distribution of Government inputs and food aid by some traditional leaders.
On page 16 of the report, the Commission suggests that Zimbabwe had free campaigns. It is common knowledge that CCC had more than 140 rallies that were banned and violently disrupted.
I also wish to place it on record that the independence of this sensitive Commission was massively undermined by the presence of known ruling party activists such as the Spokesperson of the NPRC, Obert Gutu who openly supported ZANU PF. This seriously affected the credibility of the Commission and its standing in the public eye. The Commission also never publicly denounced perpetrators of violence despite reports that were made by stakeholders.
The Commission has failed to deal with past hurts including Gukurahundi where the CCJP/Legal Resource Foundation seminal publication “Breaking the Silence: Building True Peace -A Report on the Disturbances in Matabeleland and the Midlands 1980 to 1986” estimates that 20 000 people were killed. Other past violent epochs include the 2008 post-election violence where civil society organisations reported that more than 500 opposition activists were brutally murdered in cold blood. It is disappointing to note that whilst Section 252 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe gives full mandate to the NPRC to ensure post-conflict justice, national healing and reconciliation, NPRC’s constitutional mandate was even hijacked by some Government departments as in the case of the Chiefs’ initiative in Matabeleland.
The Commission had only 10 years since 2013, to conduct its business in line with the Constitution, and yet the Enabling Act was only enacted in 2018, five years later. Most of its time was spent on administrative issues, setting up offices, hiring staff, training Commissioners and staff and little time was spent on the core mandate of the Commission as provided for in Section 252 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Further, the Commissioners were constantly changed and therefore affected the effectiveness of the Commission.
Lack of adequate resources was also an inhibiting factor. The Peace Committees that were created were not adequately funded to conduct their work at community level
The Commission failed to undertake any activities that were aimed at establishing the truth of what happened in past and present conflicts. In South Africa and Sierra Leone, we saw public hearings under their Truth and Reconciliation Commissions being conducted, and yet no public hearings or public processes were conducted for the purposes of truth seeking in our case.
- No reparations were made to the victims of past human rights abuses.
- The Commission also failed to establish guarantees for non-recurrence through deliberately ensuring the existence of strong and independent institutions. Political violence also continues to ravage society with impunity
- Several Civil Society Organisations reported cases of abductions and political violence, and yet these were never investigated.
In conclusion Mr. Speaker Sir, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has been a major disappointment and a white elephant as it has failed to discharge its post-conflict justice, national healing and reconciliation role as directed by the Constitution of Zimbabwe for the reasons I have outlined.
Going Forward, Zimbabwe is in an urgent need of a genuinely independent National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and strong political will to deal with past hurts through:
- Truth telling to establish what happened
- Justice (both restorative and retributive)
- Reparations to victims/ survivors (individual and community levels)
- Guarantees for non-recurrence and commitment to a ‘Never Again” mentality
Transitional justice is central to the development of any nation that has undergone a violent past. The Commission missed an opportunity to put to rest the scourge of violence and establish a solid foundation for a peaceful society!
HON. KANGAUSARU: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this debate on the NPRC 2023 Annual Report presented to this august House on the motion of the Hon. Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. I want to pay particular attention on the need for more comprehensive and gender inclusive dialogue with marginalised communities. Whilst the report acknowledges the importance of such dialogues, I commend the Commission on all efforts they have made on this aspect. However, I believe there is a need to delve deeper to ensure a truly holistic approach to national healing.
My primary concern lies in the potential gender bias within the report. The experience of women and persons with disability within the marginalised communities are often overlooked. We must actively seek out their narrative and ensure their voices are heard loud and clear in the reconciliation process. Research by UN Women emphasises the importance of gender sensitivity approach to peacebuilding. When women are included in the dialogue, peace agreements tend to be more sustainable.
Moreover, women often play a crucial role in the communities together during the conflict. Their perspectives are invaluable to the healing process. The NPRC, in my view, should consider implementing the following few strategies;
- Training for facilitators ensuring officers possess the skills, competence and knowledge to conduct gender sensitivity dialogue. This include unconscious biased training and creating a safe space for all participants to share the experiences;
- Targeted outreaches; proactively reach out to women groups and disability groups within marginalised communities. Utilisation of female facilitators where appropriate and encourage participation; and
- Utilisation of local languages; conducting dialogue in the local languages spoken by marginalised communities to overcome language barriers and ensure a wider participation.
Achieving national peace and reconciliation necessitates a
comprehensive approach that incorporates the voice of all Zimbabweans, particularly those from marginalised communities. By prioritising gender inclusivity in these dialogues, the NPRC can ensure a more just, equitable and lasting peace for our nation. I argue the Commission to revisit its approach and integrate aforementioned strategies. Let us work together to ensure that the narratives of all Zimbabweans, regardless of gender or background, form the cornerstone of our national healing journey.
The NPRC is one of those Independent Commissions supporting democracy. The establishment of this Commission was the realisation of the social and political will and aspirations of the Zimbabwean to transition from a conflictual past to a harmonious future. I would want to acknowledge that the work of the NPRC in the year 2023 as recorded in its 2023 Annual Report, I am very pleased that the NPRC’s work in 2023 was anchored on all its encompassed themes; conflict prevention.
I want to applaud the Commission on its overwhelming strides in resolving 104 reported conflict cases out of 138 cases. Most of these conflicts have been instigated by early child marriages and abuse. Such efforts show the commitment of the Commission towards peaceful community committed to development. I want to further applaud the Commission that they also have included the mitigation of drug abuse driven by conflicts; human and wildlife conflicts, partnership with schools, ZPCS, traditional leaders, churches and community leaders will go a long way in the healing process of our nation.
May I conclude by acknowledging that according to Section 252 of our Constitution, amended 2013, the NPRC was given a lifespan of 10 years to have fulfilled its mandate. It goes without saying that the mandate of the Commission will be very crucial and critical, especially at a point when as a country we are focused on re-engaging and engaging. It is therefore, very crucial that our Government reconsiders the existence of the NPRC beyond its 10-year lifespan. It is my humble submission that like any other Chapter 12 – Independent Commission, the NPRC should exist for life as to ensure sustainable peace by resolving past, present and future potential conflict. I thank you.
HON. DR. HAMAUSWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the report. Firstly, I would want to…
*HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order. My point of order regards our debating ratio. Is it now 1:1 or 1:2?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: No, the ratio is 2:1. When we finish this debate, you can check if it was not 2:1.
HON. DR. HAMAUSWA: I would want to start by acknowledging that Zimbabwe is actually at crossroads. If you see the anger and exchange of words that emerged from this debate, it shows as a nation we really need to find each other as recommended by the NPRC. As the reason why the NPRC was actually established, if you see Hon. Members could not even allow each other to air their views which are the fundamental pillars of reconciliation and re-integration. You would find that if we need lasting peace, we must be able to allow even the victims to share their experiences, to pour out and the victors should allow a platform for the victims to actually cry out and lead to a point where we can talk to each other…
HON. S. ZIYAMBI: I think the Hon. Member should debate what is in the NPRC report.
HON. DR. HAMAUSWA: I will reiterate that the behaviour that we show here actually shows that we need to call for the extension of the tenure of the NPRC until a point whereby we can sit side by side as different political players and say what kind of Zimbabwe we want. Until we reach that point, we have no peace. Therefore, I would want to start with the conclusion that I was going to make that we have noted in the report that the tenure of NPRC expired in 2023.
Therefore, because of the existence of seizures which actually cause even future threats to our stability, we need to call for the extension of the tenure of the NPRC. But, what is the kind of peace infrastructure that we need as Zimbabweans? You find out Mr. Speaker, that when you check in the NPRC report, we acknowledge and applaud them on the concept of stakeholder consultation including even engaging Africa University for training its staff. It is something that we should give a pam-pam to NPRC.
However, there is a big segment which was left behind by the NPRC in their consultations. They did not consider political parties seriously. I would want to acknowledge the call by one of the speakers who spoke before me who said they need to strengthen POLAD, however I have a different view. We have a peace infrastructure that has worked before. During the GNU, we had an organ on National Healing and Reconciliation which actually worked well. Therefore, for NPRC to work, there is need to have a blend of the Commission and another platform where political parties that, especially those with members in Parliament, can actually be able to sit down and say what kind of Zimbabwe we want and be able to include other stakeholders.
You see in the report that NPRC received 105 reports in 2013 and this increased the log to 138 and 104 were successfully resolved. However, 47% of complaints were related to political conflicts, and these conflicts happened in Masvingo Province which was at the top with 27%. So if you see 47% of the reports going to NPRC and being political conflicts, it is therefore cause for a genuine and legitimate platform for political parties to actually sit down and discuss the kind of Zimbabwe which is good for everyone. In the report we also noted that the NPRC is now departing from function (d) as outlined in the Constitution, which defines the functions of the NPRC. These call for the NPRC to create a platform for national dialogue, especially for political parties. Therefore, without that, we are not going to have lasting peace in this country. If you check and take a cue from the international politics, the reason why the UN survived is because the bigger elements were involved. The bigger political players were involved. If political players are not taking part, we are not going to see the Commission doing its work.
There is an issue which was raised in the report by the Commission, that of early child marriages which is a major threat to the future of our young people in this country. Matabeleland South received the major complaints of teen marriages. This is causing school drop outs and it was reported that those who were accused of impregnating the teens in Matabeleland South chose to run away to South Africa. The two reasons are that they are running away from responsibility while others will be running away to look for work so they are able to meet the new responsibility as teen parents. This issue needs to be addressed because in the report it says some parents are actually happy to have their children being married even at an age lower than that required by the law. They do not report the issues to the police nor do they report to the traditional leaders. These are some of the issues which need to be addressed.
I also support the issue raised that during the elections, we have seen the NPRC doing some interventions. They promoted peace through some peace campaigns. They also engaged artists and it is a good initiative. However, we have also seen other artists’ work being banned on national television. It is also high time that the NPRC, when they are including artists, should be all-inclusive because they have actually noted the role played by artists to promote peace and reconciliation in this country. Therefore, I urge NPRC in future, if we are going to extend its tenure, when they are doing their reports on elections or interventions on elections to focus on preventive measures and monitoring the post-election period.
However, they are missing issues which are critical in the report. There is continued dispute of elections in Zimbabwe. It is something that is going to be addressed by the platform we are calling for. Political parties should have a platform to meet together. We cannot have a situation where election after election, we have continued disputes of elections. This is the issue which we need to confront as a people. World over, in terms of reconciliation, the starting point is truth and we need to tell each other the truth.
We need to say we have all messed up in this country. We are actually in a fractured country whereby we may be heading to a serious situation. We give thanks to our professional military because when there was ‘Restore Legacy’, we did not have a fully-fledged military rule, but we managed to go back to the civilian rule. However, if these issues are not resolved, the moment we are going to have a second ‘Restore Legacy’, we might not be able to speak in this House. Therefore, we need to genuinely ensure that we reach consensus and we are open to each other…
HON. MATANGIRA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. I think you can see that the peace and reconciliation we are talking about is just lip service because now he is talking of ‘Restore Order’, when we are debating peace and reconciliation. I think he should withdraw his statement.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Some Hon. Members have not read the full report. This report is not very long to those who have energy to read. If they can read, we cannot have a situation where when discussing…
HON. MALINGANISOA: On a point of order. The Hon Member is
inciting violence in a manner that subverts the Constitution. What
legacy is it that needs to be restored? The Hon. Member must withdraw
that statement.
HON. HAMAUSWA: In the report and in the recommendation,
they gave legislative recommendations, and one of the recommendations
which is given is to amend the Communal Land Tenure Act which is
part of restoring legacy.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon Member, can you repeat
what you said.
HON. HAMAUSWA: What I said is firstly, I acknowledged
the professionalism by our security sector. Secondly, I said if we do not
address the issues raised in this report, and done by the Commission, we
may actually have something that is worse than what we have. That is what I said and to prevent that Mr. Speaker Sir, we need an open discussion. I need – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]–
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are not addressing other Members, you are addressing the Chair.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Peace and Reconciliation. This is what I am saying Mr. Speaker Sir. We must be allowed to debate…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, it is the pessimism that you are expressing which other Members think it is not proper. Please stick to the report.
HON. MAPFUMO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I think even the Hansard can confirm that he did insinuate that there will be a second restore legacy. May he withdraw that statement?
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, can you please withdraw and move on.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, it is unfortunate that I am being forced to withdraw. I am giving a scenario mapping which is done by the NPRC. They did scenarios, yes, they taught – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are only left with five minutes. If you continue the way you are doing, then you are not going to debate anything.
HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I understand your situation. We are in a fractured nation and you are not free yourself Mr. Speaker Sir, because you are being forced by these people – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]–
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, order. Can you please withdraw what you have just said to the Chair.
HON. HAMAUSWA: I withdraw Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me conclude by…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: What are you withdrawing? Can you please state what you are withdrawing?
HON. HAMAUSWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am withdrawing that I included you from the people who are not free in this country, that I said you are not free.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please sit down. I will not allow you to debate any further.
An Hon. Member having stood up on a point of order.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please sit down. The Member who was debating is no longer debating. So, what is your point of order?
HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I witnessed a trend that when this side is debating, there is constant disturbance but when the other side is debating, this side is very professional. We remain quiet. My plea Mr. Speaker Sir, is to ask for stability. There should be order. We do not want unnecessary points of order which are intended to disturb or disrupt someone’s debate.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: It is very important that when we are debating, every Member should be heard in silence.
*HON. MUGWADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mine is a very small issue. I think the MPs should go back to the electorate after they have been voted into power. They are addressing us but we are not part of their constituents. We are representing other people.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I do not have much to say because I respect what the others have said, those who said the truth. I think Hon. Member, you have heard that –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]–
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order Hon. Members. I have just mentioned that an Hon. Member should be heard in silence but look at what you are now doing. Hon. Matangira has just started his debate and you are now interrupting. Let us avoid these interruptions. Hon. Matangira, please proceed.
HON. MATANGIRA: Mr. Speaker Sir, this NPRC report has not left anyone behind. It never indicated who is the best or the least. It mentioned everything to do with the whole country, just like a friend mentioning to their relatives to live in peace. That is why we have different totems for people to marry. We have democracy which says if we do not have opposition, then the Government is not strong. The problem only comes when we say these two things are related. For NPR, it came out openly to say we have limited funds and as MPs, let us kindly support them for progress.
The problem which I mentioned before is on the issue to do with shoes and shoe brush to polish the shoe. The brush does helps shoes to shine but when the brush wants to become the shoe now, that is when we start to have problems. People start to have grudges…
*HON. MAMBIRIPIRI: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. The Hon. Member is mentioning issues to do with shoes and brushes which are not part of the report under debate.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, the Member is just giving examples. These are just practical examples. You can proceed Hon. Matangira.
HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I was saying shoes and a brush, a shoe is only won but a brush is there to clean the shoes. Democracy says the ruling party, just like what people were mentioning, does not work well if there is no brush that polishes it well. We do not have two teams which will go and have soccer match and avoid saying the referee was corrupt or so and so went to a traditional healer. The elections which happened recently, it was mentioned to an extent that I was even shocked to say these elections, can they come out clear without people shouting at each other?
In Mashonaland Central, we used to walk together with Opposition way back when the CCC was still vibrant before the intervention by Hon. Tshabangu. There was no violence or any negative things which happened, except for young people who were breaking the law. When we go on to the issue which was mentioned by the last Hon. Member, when he said land tenure which is being spoken about in the rural areas, way back, how did people used to live? Those brushes never tend to become shoes in rural areas. Now we come like pythons, exchanging colours to say let us kindly take title deeds, let us have security tenure – no, no.
As headmen and leaders, they have constitutional laws…
HON. MUTSEYAMI: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Matangira is debating well but the problem comes when he refers to people to shoes and brushes. Those are not good words. How can you refer to somebody as a brush? Mr. Speaker Sir, can he withdraw. It looks like he is part of the programmes that he might be having a different mindset. Can he kindly withdraw.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, have you referred to someone as a brush?
*HON. MATANGIRA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I used to stay with the Hon. Member in Chipinge. So, if I mentioned to say, did you hear the hyena crying and if he did not…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, if you did not mention anything to do with brush – Hon. Mutseyami, we will check with the Hansard as to what he exactly said and report to this House. Can you proceed Hon. Matangira.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I am only saying in this august House as we enter here, let us all come together. We must not mention anything to do with our political parties. Let us set aside our political differences. We have one President, we have one Government as a nation. We will then say let us all try to build the whole nation, regardless of our political affiliations. Those from the right side, they go and search for support from the left to come and join them, even those within the left side, they want to invite people from the opposite side. Let us kindly unite as the report implies that it is National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Let us take it with both hands. If we identify any mistakes, we have to invite each other and try to work together.
The former speaker, mentioned something to do with JOMIC, he said there used to be a Government of National Unity ….
HON. BAJILA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. The previous speaker Hon. Hamauswa made reference to the organ on National Healing and Reconciliation not on JOMIC. May Hon. Matangira stick to disagreeing with Hon. Hamauswa on the basis of things that Hon. Hamauswa said not what Hon. Matangira thinks he should have said.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Can you proceed Hon. and quote properly.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, but what Hon. Bajila does not know is that, I being the name Matangira, I am the headman of Hon. Hamauswa. Hon. Hamauswa mentioned things to do with Government of National Unity, which came after we had gone to the Constitution. He was not in politics yet. Then we used to have JOMIC that which Hon. Hamauswa mentioned. Anywhere, there is no problem, let me proceed. Honestly, national dialogue is what I mentioned, we must continue ……
HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker. Hon. Speaker, you have made a ruling. Hon. Matangira then repeated again false accusations that I referred to JOMIC and even JOMIC was there, but I did not refer to it. We need to respect the Chair, you told me to sit down, I did sit down, you told me to withdraw, I did withdraw. I tried though not to your satisfaction. Hon. Matangira must respect the Chair.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, you do not have to include what was not mentioned by others. Kindly be on point.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I once heard what happened in my rural area. I cannot say anything anymore. Let me conclude by saying this Parliament is respected in the whole nation. Let us all try to respect Parliament, respect ourselves, and everything will go on well. There is no opposition, there is no ruling party. We are all in here. We all know that these are from this side and these are from Mazhira, those are the Chiefs, we then respect each other accordingly so that we do everything in peace. We have only one President, His Excellency Hon. Dr. Mnangagwa. We are here to represent people not just to stand up to say I can shout and I can do anything for people to fight. I thank you.
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. HAMAUSWA: I second.
Motion put and agree to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th April, 2024.
MOTION
LAW FOR THE PROVISION OF LAND TENURE SECURITY
Nineth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need to enact a law providing security of tenure to all the land, including communal land.
Question again proposed.
HON. S. MOYO: Thank you for this opportunity to air my input on land tenure. This motion was moved by Hon. C. Hlatywayo appealing to the Government on amendment of the Communal Land Act [Chapter 20:04]. As mentioned by Hon. Hlatywayo on his motion that our Communal Land Act does not grant title deeds to the rural community folks, I really appreciate the struggle by our fathers who fought for our country to be independent. Meaning, we have all our freedom including our rural folks without any discrimination. Hence the limitation of title deeds to our rural community is against development in line with the national objective of our Constitution.
Referring to the cases of Masvingo, Bhuka area where over 300 people were deemed illegal settlers and removed from their homes because they have no title deeds, same as Chilonga area, title deeds protect the rural population which has little knowledge of statutes from any rural land barons. Urban areas are slowly running out of residential areas to accommodate residents living in the rural areas at a disadvantage as the Ministry of Lands uproots rural population under the guise of making way for urban development and leaving rural populations at a great disadvantage. It is the prerogative of Government to protect these rural folks by amending the Communal Land Act. It is important to note that the rural population needs the government's full protection from those who deal in unscrupulous land deals. Hence giving property rights to rural populations will put an end to land barons.
People in communal area also have the right to be treated the same way as landlords in urban areas. Urban Councils Act entitles the urban land-owners to have tittle deeds but none on Rural Communal Land Act. Rural folk fail to access loans for agro-development because they have no title deeds retarding their full potential in agro-business. Title deeds will ensure that they can access resources from financial institutions and help improve Zimbabwe's GDP. Mr. Speaker Sir, there is also need to align all legislative provisions governing land issues in Zimbabwe so that the rural population is duly safeguarded from abuse and manipulation.
Traditional leaders are entitled to allocate land, so is the Ministry of Lands and the RDC. But the three do not sit and decide on said allocation together. This leads to conflict. I will give an example of Schweppes Company in Matabeleland South. Ministry of Lands has given land to this company without consulting the traditional leadership and the community. This has led to a war between the company and the community. The communal land has been privy to traditional leaders only and this has been causing conflict between traditional leaders, rural districts and Ministry of Lands. Mr. Speaker Sir, providing title deeds to communal land-owners in Zimbabwe is important for several reasons:
- Security of Land Tenure: Title deeds provide legal recognition and security of land tenure to communal land-owners. It gives them formal ownership rights and protects them from land disputes, encroachment, or forced evictions. With secure land tenure, communal land-owners can invest in their land, improve productivity, and plan for the long term.
- Economic Development: Title deeds enable communal land-owners to use their land as collateral for accessing credit and financing. With formal ownership, they can engage in agricultural activities, start businesses, or invest in infrastructure development. This can stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities, and contribute to poverty reduction.
- Empowerment and Equity: granting title deeds to communal land-owners promotes social equity and empowerment. It provides marginalised communities, including small-scale farmers and rural residents, with equal access to land resources. This empowers them to participate in economic activities, make decisions about land use, and improve their living conditions.
- Investment and Productivity: Formalising communal land ownership through title deeds encourages investment in land improvements such as irrigation systems, infrastructure, and technology. With secure ownership rights, communal la-ndowners are more likely to make long-term investments, adopt modern farming practices, and increase agricultural productivity. This can enhance food security and contribute to the overall development of the agricultural sector.
- Land Administration and Planning: Title deeds facilitate effective land administration and planning. They establish a clear framework for land management, land-use regulations, and spatial planning. This helps the government in implementing land policies, promoting sustainable land use practices, and managing land resources more efficiently.
- Social Stability and Conflict Resolution: Formalising land ownership through title deeds can contribute to social stability and reduce conflicts over land. Clear property rights and legal recognition discourage land-related disputes and provide a framework for resolving conflicts. This fosters peaceful co-existence and social cohesion within communities.
- Investor Confidence and Economic Growth: Providing title deeds to communal land-owners enhances investor confidence in the country's land tenure system. It demonstrates a commitment to property rights protection and the rule of law. Investor confidence attracts domestic and foreign investment which can lead to economic growth, job creation, and improved living standards.
It is important for the Government of Zimbabwe to prioritise the issuance of title deeds to communal land-owners to promote inclusive and sustainable development, empower marginalised communities, stimulate economic growth, and ensure social justice. However, it is essential to implement the process in a transparent and fair manner, addressing any potential challenges and ensuring that the rights of all stakeholders are respected.
*HON. MATANGIRA: I want to applaud the Hon. Member who brought the motion about the issue of tenure and title deeds to this House, Hon. Hlatshwayo. We applaud ‘baba’ –
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: We do not have fathers and mothers here. We have got only Hon. Members.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you for redirecting me. We thank Hon. Hlatywayo for bringing such a pertinent topic to this House. When we grew up, if we watched a film on television until it produced inscriptions to say this is ‘The End’, we would remain seated. Mr. Hlatywayo came here and presented this wonderful debate –
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, we said you should refer to another Member as Hon., not Mr. Hlatshwayo. So you are supposed to rephrase and refer to him as Hon. Hlatywayo.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you. You did the right thing Hon. Hlatywayo. Looking at 1890, our country of Zimbabwe’s only survival way, we respected our traditional leaders, kings and village heads and they knew the boundaries to their areas of authority. The boundaries for these areas were not changed to date. We still know that the mountain Chemhari has a boundary with Neshangwe, and from Neshangwe going down the stream, it is Mambo Nyashanu’s area. These mountains and natural landmarks are still present to date.
After the liberation struggle, the south of our country, we have traditional leaders like King Lobengula and in the far north we have Mbuya Nehanda, in the east we have Chingaira and in the west we have other traditional leaders who were there, as well as leaders like Karigamombe who were reigning on the eastern side. Due to the different forms of artillery that was present, the war was fought when they refused to be treated as slaves. This was due to the weapons that were prepared during the Berlin Conference in 1894. They were told to go and take the land so that they could exploit it.
In his discussion Hon. Hlatywayo mentioned that there was Land Apportionment Act in 1890 after our ancestors were defeated in the war, and the black majority were driven to the reserves which were deserts. The weather was bad that they were impoverished and could even fail to pay the levies and taxies that were imposed upon them by the white people. They were abused and exploited by the white people. Where there were good soils and the climate was good, the areas were taken by the whites and distributed amongst themselves. They would look for areas where the land was good and where the land seemed to be bad, they would settle the blacks there.
Now, the Zimbabwean children denied that and said we want our land back which was taken during Lobengula and Mbuya Nehanda’s era. The spiritual warfare as we are blacks, as it is in the Bible in the book of Ezekiel wherein it says, the bones were commanded to rise on issues to do with the liberation struggle. Why were people fighting? People never fought for reserve areas, the places where people were taken to. People were taken there against their will. People used to fight for that very place which white people had taken.
The war went on and people went to Botswana, Zambia, Tanganyika and others went to Russia, and the Chinese said we are here to help you with weapons. Countries like Libya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique assisted and then freedom came. People used to fight for the land. Not only land of poor soil structures, no. Why would you want a title for something which is not good, which you were forced to reside at. Why would you want a title on such areas? It is very difficult; you cannot enter such areas. That is why they fought the war. They know what they died for. They said no, no. People from the west came like a python.
What I want to tell you Mr. Speaker is if you look at our country Zimbabwe and the wealth that we have, the chieftainship is different from that of Britain. The chieftainship for us is different from those of the western countries. When freedom came, people who were there said they had fought for this country and that is what our war heroes died for. Some were not properly buried and others were in mass graves, why? Simply because of those black people who were sell outs. You people who have a lot of farms, just sell to us as Government on a willing seller, willing buyer. No one came forward to give us good land for productive agriculture.
It took more than 20 years trying to negotiate to say, please what is your position. Other people used to say only if we knew that people only wanted to come and sit in offices and not go to the farms where we chased away their ancestors, we could have given them. What should we do? They said why can we not look for someone who acts foolish to say let us organise and have a certain political party for the whites –
HON. MUROMBEDZI: The Hon. Member has deviated from the contents of the debate of land tenure. He is not sticking to the debate Hon. Speaker.
*THE ACTING SPEAKER: It is okay Hon. Member and there is no point of order.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Some of the issues make me cry. Six people perished from the same family. What is it that they wanted? They wanted the soil. We must not treat each other like this. The history of this country must be mentioned by both political parties and that has made us come to this august House. There is need to talk about the liberation struggle. We could not be here had it not been for those that went to war and never returned – I think there is need for us to respect our liberation struggle. We would not have been here if it was not for those that went to war and never returned but we are unable to express…
HON. GWANGWABA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir, can the Hon Member stick to one language.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Matangira, please stick to one language.
*HON. MATANGIRA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, let me stick to my mother language. To speak in Shona does not necessarily mean we cannot speak in English. If we praise our ancestral spirits using English songs, it will not end well. We discovered that those whites wanted a Rhodesia Front with whites leading and we said no. People from the Svosve area said it was like going back into captivity where people were forced to be labourers if we started saying we want to have title deeds of our original place where we used to stay and we were chased away by the whites. They displaced them to those mountainous areas by the name Romorehoto in Mavhumachena and then they went and took back their land. The whole nation, people from both areas where they had poor soils went back to their ancestral homes. Even those people from the Southern and Northern sides also went back to their ancestral homes. This happened in all the four cardinal points. Even today as we speak…
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Hon. Member, you are left with only five minutes.
HON. MATANGIRA: All of us together with the traditional leaders, agreed that whatever is, should be. What is being said about title deeds is the worst thing ever because rural areas are our ancestral homes and there is no need for title deeds. Once title deeds are given, it will be easy to sell off the land and that is tantamount to giving back the land to the whites. Our traditional leaders keep our land and have the mandate to give land to people in their areas. They are not land barons. After all we took back our land and shared amongst ourselves and that is a very good thing. Vision 2030 is about progressivism. Let us all come together until 2028, under the leadership of Cde Mnangagwa. Those who want to engage in agriculture, come and join those who are already doing so. We cannot allow people to grab our land like what happened during the colonial era. We do not concur to that at all. That will not happen and we say no to title deeds for rural land. I thank you.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING SPEAKER
BLAST AT 1630 HOURS
THE ACTING SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that there will be some blasting by Bitumen at 1630 hrs. I also wish to inform the House that Old Mazowe Road from Westgate roundabout to New Parliament Building will be closed. Members are advised to use the Good-Hope Road and the detours to boulevard road towards Bindura Road.
HON. MALINGANISO: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. Profuse gratitude for granting me latitude to add my voice to the conversation occasioned by the motion raised by Hon. Hlatywayo. Perhaps it is by design just like Prophet Hosea had to address Israel on behalf of God when there was heightened religious apostasy. Perhaps it is by design that I came at a time when the previous speakers have all demonstrated that there is an attempt at cultural apostacy. Our people are becoming more American than they are Zimbabwean. There is evidence of an attempt at misdirecting our cultural compass. It is instructive that the Hon. Members from my side who debated from day one to date were informed by the legal principle qui facit per alium facit per se. He who commits a crime through the hand of another has committed it himself.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon Matangira spoke moments preceding this one, actually he articulated our history well. I believe as Hon. Mushoriwa said the other day, that everyone in Zimbabwe, especially Parliamentarians must be knowledgeable about our history. Mr. Speaker Sir, I laboured through Hon. Hamauswa’s debate pertaining to this motion, when he attempted to tell us that the motion only spoke of communal land. When I read it, it referred to all the land, including communal land. As such Mr. Speaker Sir, it is important for me not to repeat what Hon. Matangira has already said because he has chronicled a history that is painstaking. A history to which we must not again travel in flesh, but only in spirit.
My good friend, the Hon. Bajila gave us an example of the Ingonyama Trust in South Africa. My good teacher, Hon. Dr. Mutodi, would always say, ‘Do not copy from the book of a failure’. Mr. Speaker Sir, the highest gini-coefficients, the world over, not only in Africa, is posted by South Africa. What examples can we take from South Africa? Only now, have they started to talk about equality in terms of land ownership. Talking of inequality, there is inequality between families, inequality within families and there is always an issue of strongmen. We exist in a patriarchal society where fathers normally decide on behalf of their families and where chiefs decide on behalf of their kingdoms or their subjects. If we were to give title deeds to the Malinganiso family, who would administer or who would act on behalf of the family?
Mr. Speaker, this is a question my good friend Hon. Bajila must grapple with. However, as he said, even if you read the Bible, it says, ‘In the beginning, God’. Perhaps there is a leaf for us to take from 2 Peter 3 verse 17 which says, ‘Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error and fall from your secure position’. But what is our secure position? Our secure position is our current state, where nobody, especially in the communal areas is allowed to sell because the land is owned by all. We cannot afford to give everyone a title deed.
Mr. Speaker on Saturday, March 16th this year, the Hon. Speaker of Parliament Adv. Jacob Mudenda, in delivering an animated keynote address on ecological conservation, reminded us that we must, like our celebrated ancestors, be able to envision a future, and inspired, I would underline the need to conserve. The question to arise is, whether or not we are taking a leaf from Sekuru Kaguvi, Mbuya Nehanda, King Lobengula, their cahoots, their successors, both departed and alive, who for envisaging a future for encompassing and daring to do the right thing in serving the black fraternity would become the heroes of a protracted armed struggle, to liberate, not only themselves, not only us, but the extensible future generations. All, we serve a mere appendage of the not so invisible third force, which is the project of imperialism as housed in neo-colonialism, against whose machinations President Nkrumah warned his audience on May 24th 1963 in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Mr. Speaker Sir, if neo-colonialism existed prior to the commencement of the armed struggle, it is therefore instructive that neo-colonialism has also evolved through the vicissitude of time. Mr. Speaker Sir, I therefore, suspect that the intention to hand title deeds, be it to communal land owners or communal lands custodians or agricultural land is a neo-colonial tool to reverse the gains of the revolution. Maybe the question to ask is, are we seeing the way our predecessors saw or thinking in a manner they did? Are we in the very relay race, kindling that they envisioned or we are in some sense and albatross to the fulfillment of the cause for which they sacrificed their precious lives? Are we remembering heroes in graves unmarked who perished so we enjoy these freedoms?
African wisdom has it that what an elder see seated on a flat plain, a child cannot see even when standing atop a mountain. In his book, ‘Things Fall Apart’, Chinua Achebe said of the young, that we are the suckers that will grow when the old banana tree dies, but is there a possibility Mr. Speaker Sir, that a banana tree may bear lemons? I pose this question because we are a people with a unique tradition, a people with a defined culture. Why are we investing so much energy in trying to detach or delink from our traditions? Perhaps there is a possibility that banana suckers may bear lemons for the motion before us is one that is, especially bigger than its face value, bearing the likelihood for inspiring consequences disproportionate. This I say in view of the profuse illegal parceling of both communal and agricultural land across the country.
One will therefore ask, if people bear this audacity to parcel out communal land against existing statutes without title, in whose hands would land be, should it happen to have title deeds? Perhaps in the hands of the erstwhile colonisers because we exist in a word of the free market economy, the neo-liberal world where the highest bidder secures more. I am inviting us to resist and desist from arriving at a place of issuing title deeds. Mr. Speaker Sir, our wisdom of past is vast and enduring, surviving the test of time. They say chawawana batisisa midzimu haipe kaviri. We must guard jealously against anything that bears the propensity to reverse the gains of the revolution particularly title deeds.
Mr. Speaker, since we crossed the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, us the descendants of Murenga the son of Tovera, land belonged to all and it existed without title. The issue of title is a foreign phenomenon as Hon. Matangira has alluded to. We must like Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi, their successors will be able to conserve land for future generations. King Lobengula never had title. Mr. Speaker Sir, Ngugi wa Thiong’o argued persuasively that decolonising our minds is the prerequisite of true liberation. Perhaps we must ask ourselves what is true liberation if it is not delinking from the erstwhile coloniser in truth and in spirit in mainstreaming our rich diversity and inclusive traditions where communities co-owned the land. What happened to our traditions? Why are we so keen on cutting that sacred umbilical code?
Mr. Speaker Sir, in certain instances, direction matters more than speed. Perhaps in future when our people are as civilised to a level of not selling what their ancestors shed blood for, we can talk over title deeds. Mr. Speaker Sir, if we go to Seke, Domboshava and if we go to Zvimba where I come from especially Kutama, the suggestion is we are not as mature yet. We must decline the invitation to give title deeds to communal lands.
Nelson Mandela said our deepest fear is not inadequacy but power we wield beyond measure to the extent of asking ourselves in our case, who are we to be Africans, who are we to champion collective will. Who are we to hold firm to our traditions? Who are we to be Zimbabwean but the actual question must be who are we to serve as surrogates of the imperialists?
Mr. Speaker Sir, at 1 Kings 18 Verse 21, Prophet Elijah invited us to not waiver between opinions. Joshua 24 Verse 15, Joshua would say “as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord”. Mr. Speaker Sir, as for me and by my colleagues, I mean every progressive Zimbabwean. We will rather argue in the spirit of leaving no one and no place behind. We relook into the A-1 Model so to cater for the great majority of our people that are on the waiting list with special emphasis on the former farm workers because land belongs to us all. Land must not be a tool of inequality, a tool of furthering the interest of neo-colonialism or a tool of dividing us. It must unite us – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - I so submit Mr. Speaker Sir. I thank you
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. BAJILA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th April, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. KAMBUZUMA: I move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 1.
HON. BAJILA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2023
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): I rise to give notice that That this House takes note of the Report of the Judicial Services Commission for the year 2023, presented to this House of Parliament in terms of section 253 and 323 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. I thank you.
On that note Hon. Speaker Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th April 2024.
HON. BAJILA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir. Is the debate we are adjourning about the ZEC Report that the Minister referred to or the JSC Report that you referred to? Which report are we adjourning?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): With your indulgence Mr. Speaker Sir, I move that this House takes note of the report of the JSC for the Year 2023. That is the debate we intend to adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 9th April 2024.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE), the House adjourned at Twenty-Eight Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 9th April, 2024.