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SENATE HANSARD 03 SEPTEMBER 2019 28-71
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 3rd September, 2019
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF
SENATE
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE
STANDING ORDERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to
inform the Senate that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has circulated proposed amendments to the Standing Orders through the Members’ pigeon holes. Hon. Senators are kindly requested to make their submissions which should be deposited in Counsel to Parliament’s office by end of business on Thursday, 19th September, 2019 or email clerk@parlzim.gov.zw.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: May I
remind Hon. Senators to switch off their cell phones or put them on silent.
WINDING UP OF MOTIONS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also would
like to remind Hon. Senators that we are coming to the end of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, so avoid having your motions lapse by winding them up.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Mr. President, is it possible to carry the motions over?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You cannot.
That is why I am reminding you to wind them up.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that Order of the
Day, Number 1 be stood over until all the rest of the Orders on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPOWERED ENTITY TO ADDRESS
CHALLENGES AFFECTING PENSIONERS AND POLICY
HOLDERS
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for a legislative framework on pensions and insurance benefits.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TIMVEOS: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RAMBANEPASI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
CULTURAL VALUES ON ENDING CHILD MARRIAGES
Fourth order read: adjourned debate on motion on the need of the enforcement of the law on child marriages.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
DEVELOPMENT OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IN TOWNS
AND GROWTH POINTS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial shortages of clean and potable water in most towns and growth points.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. NCUBE: I thank you for this opportunity, Mr. President. I would like to thank Senator Wunganayi for moving this pertinent motion for non-availability of potable water. Water is life; there is nothing you can do in life without water. The mover almost said everything on this motion, I have just stood to concur and second the motion.
We go without water in our houses and drink unhygienic water as well and it makes people’s lives unhealthy. What measures is the Government taking to make sure people have got potable water in
cities.
Most of our dams where we should be harvesting water are now silted, including the rivers. Let us priorities people’s lives. When we talk of health, there is no way we can live in cities without water.
Talking about Parliament, it is a disgrace for a place like this to go without water. I am of the opinion that if there is no water, we should just close because our toilets should be hygienic and accessible.
When we leave this Parliament building without water, we go to our homes and also find out there will be no water as well. We have toilets in houses and these toilets should be hygienic. How many are able to maintain that hygiene without water? Let us take measures that will enable us to live a hygienic life.
There are vendors selling vegetables and other food products in the streets, how are they managing to do such things without water? Government should take measures to ensure that people have access to borehole water.
There are some places where people were resettled and there is no water. How do those people survive when there is no water? I have since observed that some towns have blair toilets now. The Government should take note of that. Some places here in Harare have gone for 10 years without piped water; that is not good at all. Water has many uses. Very soon the rains are coming, as a country, let us ensure that we harvest the water so that it does not flow to the sea.
We have talked about a lot of things here about water. In
Bulawayo and Matabeleland region there is the Zambezi Water Project which has always been talked about during election time. The
Government should implement what would have been talked about. If Government implements the Zambezi Water Project, it will improve the lives of the people of Matabeleland in various ways. People are now tired of this project, it has always been talked about on television and in newspapers.
Let us do things that make our people happy. We are talking of water which people use and cannot live without. The Hon. Sen. who moved this motion looks into everything so that we can access water and how to conserve the water. People who throw dirt into the water were talked about. That is not good, people should not do that. Water should always be clean. Even water that is used for irrigation should be clean. I thank you for the motion which was brought into the House, I second it. Let us debate and implement it. I thank you. *HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Madam President for affording me this opportunity to speak on a motion raised by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. It is an important motion that talks about clean portable water in urban cities. We all know that water is life, hence it is important to our health. If you look at the urban settlements, we are having difficulties in having sufficient quantities of water. If the water is available, it will have a stench smell. At times, it is dirty and one wonders what could be the cause. As I have earlier on stated, things can never remain stagnant. Gone are the days when things used to be good in the 70s and 80s when there were very few urban dwellers. The population has now increased. If we look at the water reservoirs, the question comes that - when were these reservoirs last constructed? Have new ones been constructed or we are still having the same old capacity of water reservoirs that we had?
If I look at a situation in Mwenezi – I am at Rutenga Growth Point. We require water because we have said we were dealing with water in cities and growth points. The reservoirs that were constructed are still
the same size, same applies to the pipes that were laid a long time ago. They either break down or they run short of water because of increased demand as a result of population explosion. There is need for the expansion of water reservoirs and tanks. Who is responsible for ensuring that bigger and larger reservoirs are constructed? We always blame the Central Government for having failed but what has the local government done? What has the local authority said? Have they taken up the matter with the superiors? They are given money for use at local government level, what is the money used for? If we look at sewer pipes, they are constantly broken down. Are there no funds disbursed from the National Budget to these local authorities? We always talk of devolution, pardon me, I am not good at English. Local governments are going to be given funding as a result of the devolution aspect of Government. It is going to cause other people grow large stomachs and forget to look at issues of water, sanitation and sewage, especially the construction of water reservoirs and other infrastructure. We should not constantly be blaming the Central Government but should look at the root cause.
We should see if the local government structures are doing their work properly. It is always good to learn from other people’s best practice but at times it may be detrimental to you. I looked at the small country called Israel. It is in a desert. When I listened to the radio broadcast, I realise that they had used wisdom in recycling the water from the sewerage. They observed that it was better for recycled water from sewerage for irrigation and gardening purposes. The same cannot be said about us when we water our loans and vegetable patches. The water that we are unwisely using for our gardening and loans is treated water which is more expensive as opposed to just using recycled water treated from the sewage for such purposes as is the case with the Israelis. The recycling of sewage water is a conservative measure and it is that same water they use for gardening and watering their loans.
We should have two different taps, a blue tap for portable water and green tap for recycled water for other purposes. I urge local government to use best practice, copy and put it into practice rather than having sewages being discharged into Lake Chivero causing pollution.
We need wisdom to come up with solutions because we are having dirty and contaminated water. As the august House, is it not better for us to call the local authorities and ask them what measures they have taken to alleviate the water problem and that of the constant breakdown of sewer lines. This is a good motion and I have decided to support it so that people can take in the wisdom of the Israelis too so that we can also benefit from their technology rather than lose the water from sewage. By using the recycled water from sewage, we may be conserving our drinking water. It also helps alleviate the population explosion that we have in urban areas without corresponding water harvesting and distribution infrastructure. Madam President, I have decided to share these few words with the House. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. SHOKO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON GENDER AND
DEVELOPMENT ON CANCER TREATMENT AND CONTROL IN
ZIMBABWE
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Gender and Development on Cancer Treatment and Control in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. MPOFU: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate. I would also like to thank all Committee members who got acquainted on how things are done here in Zimbabwe. We also have hospitals that attend to cancer patients which are Mpilo and
Parirenyatwa hospitals. It is however difficult for people to access these two hospitals from their respective homes on issues of cancer and other diseases because of lack of machines. All the machines that are available are down and many patients are told machines are down after being burdened by transport expenses.
Again, we do not have enough radiographers to operate those machines as most of them have left the country for greener pastures. What made me happy is that the VIAC Services department that looks into the issues to do with cancer is available in all the hospitals that we visited and the people who are able to operate the machines are available. What surprises me Madam President is that cervical cancer is a disease that is not being given priority but we realise cancer is now a problem in this country particularly because of ignorance. It is a request of the Committee that cancer services be made available in all wards so that people can easily access information and treatment on cancer because the disease is causing problems in various ways.
People should be conscientised so that they do not go to the traditional healers for cancer. If you go to the traditional healers you end up questioning your problem. It is however, expensive to get treatment for cancer. People should be subsidised for accessing these services because we notice that it takes long for people who have been diagnosed with cancer to get treatment. It takes a period of about 10 – 12 months for someone to get treatment. We therefore request that all provinces should have these machines.
Another observation is that uterus cancer should be looked at closely and should be prioritised but it is just like prostate cancer which is common in men. Some of our people have not yet been conscientised on the issue of prostate cancer particularly in the rural areas. We do not have prostate cancer awareness campaigns and we therefore request that they be put in place so that our people are conscientised. You hear people saying, I cannot urinate and they think that they have been bewitched when it is prostate cancer, which is common in men who are 40 years and above so that when they are diagnosed with cancer early, it can be treated. It is also important for women to have VIAC done on them so that when they are also found to be with cancer, they can be treated early as well. The Committee recommends that awareness be vibrant because cancer is one of the top killer diseases. The Minister should ensure that there is adequate budget for cancer and we therefore pray that our adults should be examined, diagnosed and if found with the disease be treated. I thank you Madam President.
*HON. SEN. CHIFAMBA: Thank you Madam President. most
of the things that I wanted to say have been said. Although I do not understand Ndebele much I could pick some points here and there. Cancer is not being treated the same way as HIV in terms of awareness and testing. There is need to have cancer testing for adults so that people can be treated. A lot of awareness is needed so that people are willing to be tested. Most of the time a person is diagnosed with cancer when the disease has already spread to other parts of the body and treatment will be expensive. Awareness campaigns should be done and be published in both electronic and print media so that everyone can access the information. That will encourage the people to go and get tested.
The issue of cancer is not talked about much, so for a person in the rural areas to make a decision to go and get tested – also considering the exorbitant bus fares, people do not travel to health centres for testing.
My request is that awareness should be done and this should be treated like any other disease that is being advertised. Maybe some day we will get a sponsor who will enable this awareness. If you look at men of ages 40, they already have symptoms of prostate cancer. I do not know, maybe it I because of the food that we eat nowadays, it is the same for women.
With these few words, I think there should be someone to sponsor advertisements to ensure that cancer testing is encouraged because if something is encouraged a lot a people end up deciding to go for testing. There was a song called Maloyi and it encourages people to go and find out more about it, so it is the same with cancer. People should be able to access treatment before the cancer spreads. Once it spreads, it becomes difficult to treat and the cost of treating cancer is exorbitant. I also think the cost of cancer screening and treatment should be affordable because most people cannot afford it, hence the call for a decrease on the cost of cancer treatment. I thank you.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. B. MPOFU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS
ON FAMILISATION VISITS TO POLICE POSTS AND BORDER
POSTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of th Thematic Committee on Human Rights on Familisation visit to
Featherston, Ngundu, Beibridge, Gwanda and Plumtree Police Stations and Border Posts.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President. I
want to add my voice to the report that was tabled by the Thematic
Committee on Human Rights on familiarisation visits that they made.
Madam President, what we heard in this report is sad because when we talk of human rights, we need to understand that the police are also human, like every other individual in Zimbabwe. When you get to areas where they have their offices and also prisons, the police are the ones who cook for the prisoners. I do not know where they even get the food to cook for the prisoners. It is a sad story. Madam President, we are talking about human rights but if you look at this matter, it means that the rights of the Police are being violated. So my request is that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should ensure that since this report has reflected this issue, they should ensure that the working conditions for the Police in their various police stations as well as the prisoners are addressed.
Nowadays, we hear of the Police ill treating civilians at road blocks; it is because of the ill treatment that they get from their different camps or offices. I think this also needs to be addressed. Human rights should apply to everyone in Zimbabwe, whether you are at work - wherever you are. Once we do that, I think everyone will be glad to know that they are protected by the so called rights, not that they should be for selected individuals. For the law enforcement agents, it is also important because they are the ones who protect us and ensure that we are safe in cases of chaos in the country. I thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Madam President. I do not
want to debate but I just want to ask if we can be supplied with the report. Some of us were not there when the report was read in the House. This will make it easy for us to follow up on the debate. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. RWAMBIWA: Thank you Madam President. I
want to debate the motion that was presented by Hon. Sen. Dr.
Sekeramayi. When we went on visits as the Human Rights committee, it was a sorry sight. We first got to Featherstone and the police station was clean. The cells were cleaned and it was smart. We asked who was cleaning the cells and they told us that there was no one to do the cleaning except the officers themselves. The cells and the toilets were cleaned, which means police officers are carrying out duties that they should not be doing. They need to get assistance to do that.
We further asked that if they have a female prisoner and it is during her menstrual cycle, what do they do about it. They said there is not anything much that they can do. What I request is that sanitary wear be availed in such areas, so they should be available in various police stations. The food that is consumed by the prisoners is cooked by the police officers. They only eat sadza in the afternoon and the evenings. In terms of relish, there is boiled kapenta. It is just boiled and it does not have any tomatoes or onions.
I think people need to be treated as people because this is a violation of human rights. Probably you are arrested for a crime that you did not commit. If possible, we need to have gardens for the prisoners. It is better if they are to grow their own vegetables. Even if there is no cooking oil, they can put tomatoes in their relish and it becomes edible. Their toilets do not have water, which means that a prisoner cannot go to the borehole to fetch water. The policeman has to go and fetch water from the borehole and gives it to the prisoner to flush the toilet. So I think the Government should avail funds to assist these police officers. Even the prisoners’ rights should not be violated. Prison is not for one to go and pay for a crime in such a way that it becomes painful but it is supposed to be a corrective measure so that when you return home, you are able to fend for yourselves through the skills learnt. I think if we are to address this issue, only then can we develop our country. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you Madam President. I just want to add a few issues that I think need to be addressed. I am a member of that committee. Wherever we went, prisoners are only allowed 48 hours before appearing in court. That is where the issue is - that if a prisoner has overstayed, they end up cooking for them and engaging in all those menial duties. Once they are arrested, they should be transported to the courts. We were not able to go to the prisons to check what the prisoners eat once they have been arrested because this was not planned.
In the various police stations that we visited, that is what we witnessed. In all the police stations, there was no water and there were no cleaners. The police officers have to do the work themselves. That is where the issue is and it needs to be addressed. What would the prisoners eat when they are in transit? If they are delayed to appear before the courts, they should be provided with food. That is what we requested that it would be good to have even to have a bucket of tomatoes; just one tomato is enough to put in their relish and the food becomes edible. After eating, they can then appear in court. We do not know what happens when they go to court and how they are treated.
Maybe as we speak right now, they are eating good food.
We do not know because I am referring to the areas that we visited. As a Committee on Human Rights, we need to make field visits and see how the prisoners are treated. We do not want to be told by you, Hon. Senators who have been arrested before. Those who were arrested, probably they were arrested when the situation was so bad. If you have gone to prisons of late, there is a family week…
HON. SEN. NCUBE: On a point of order! I think the Hon. Member is speaking outside what was said in the report. I think she should debate on issues that are in the report. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. SHUMBA: Thank you. I am debating what is in the report because we have the report and I am mentioning things that I witnessed with my own eyes. I am not adding my own perspectives, we may misinform each other that we were told by inmates that our food is not edible but we were told by the police. In Gwanda, we saw one inmate; you may think that we are misinforming the House but that is what is in the report. For us to see how inmates are treated, it requires us to take field visits to the prisons. I thank you.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN.
MOHADI): I think the Hon. Sen. is within the pretext.
HON. SEN. SHUMBA: I am talking of the things that I witnessed
HON. SEN. DR. SEKERAMAYI: I move that the debate do now
adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: It is my plea
that all female Senators are being asked to remain behind by the Chief Whips when we adjourn the House. I thank you.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON
INDIGENISATION AND EMPOWERMENT ON THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN
THE MINING SECTOR
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the Thematic Committee on Indigenisation and Empowerment on the implementation of the empowerment programmes in the mining sector.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MUNZVERENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 4th September, 2019.
On the motion of THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR
MANICALAND PROVINCE (HON. DR. GWARADZIMBA), the
Senate adjourned at Twenty Minutes to Four o’clock p.m.