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SENATE HANSARD 12 OCTOBER 2022 VOL 31 NO 73
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 12th October, 2022
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
PRE-BUDGET BREIFING SEMINAR
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that there will be a Pre-Budget Briefing Seminar on Monday, 17th October, 2022 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare in the Main Auditorium.
CHANGE OF DATES AND VENUE FOR PRE-BUDGET SEMINAR
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I also wish to advise the Senate of the change of dates and venue for this year’s Pre-Budget Seminar. The dates are now 21st October up to 24th October, 2022 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare in the Main Auditorium. All Members of Parliament are invited to the two events. The Hon. Senators are requested to confirm their attendance with the following Public Relations personnel on their contact numbers:
Ms. T. L. Manyemba 0772803810
Mrs. E. Huwa 0772359534
Mr. T. Kahlamba 0773055640
Mr. F. Muchimba 0776448686
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senators are reminded to put their phones on silent or switch them off.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: Thank you Mr. President. I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. SEN. WATSON KHUPE
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the passing on of the late Member of the Senate, Hon. Sen. Watson Khupe.
Question again proposed.
HON. MATHUTHU: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to add my voice on the motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Manyau on the passing on of the late Hon. Sen. Watson Khupe.
Mr. President, Hon. Sen. Khupe represented his constituency very well. He had all the attributes of a leader. I will always remember him for facilitating a donation of 25 wheelchairs in my constituency in Matabeleland South through the Bulawayo Rotarians. He had promised to assist in sourcing for more wheelchairs because my constituency was in need of more than 100 wheelchairs at that moment.
Mr. President, Hon. Sen. Khupe left a legacy of assisting those in need regardless of their religion, their status in life or their political affiliation. As Senate, we will miss his robust contribution on matters of national interest. To the Khupe family, I say it was not your loss alone but a loss to the entire nation. May his dear soul rest in peace. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. R. NYATHI: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion raised by Hon. Sen. Manyau on the demise of Hon. Sen. Khupe. Mr. President, life is so complicated; Hon. Sen. Khupe was very close to everyone. Every time he would approach people whom he wanted to open up to. That means he was not affected by his physical condition, he was as good as everyone else. He was very committed to his work even in Committees. If he was caught up with something in his constituency and was not able to get assistance, he would call me even when I was in Hwange, to say ‘I am calling others, I am not getting through to them, I would like to be assisted in a certain area’. This is why you see people saying a lot about you when you are gone. The late Hon. Sen. Khupe was a person who was very good. Even here in Senate, it was rare that a motion could be agreed to or withdrawn without him contributing. He loved his children. He would tell you that these are my children. He was a very free person in everything that he did when he was still alive.
Even in his constituency, they have lost someone who was popular and upright. We are grateful for everything that he has done. We have learnt a lot from Hon. Sen. Khupe from the way he used to behave; he was not a person who would treat others badly. You can even see now that these are things that Hon. Sen. Khupe taught us. This can happen in life; he accepted it because it is part of life. He taught himself that regardless of his condition, a person can still survive.
Mr. President, the reason I stood up to contribute on the motion about Senator Khupe is because we miss him. We know where he used to sit at that corner; every time we would see him sitting there. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. G. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President for allowing me to add my voice on this motion. Hon. Sen. Khupe was a free person. When we first came to Senate, he would greet us and talk to us; he was not selective. In this House, he would debate every motion. Hon. Sen. Khupe loved his job; he debated well in this House. Even when he passed on, when we went to Bulawayo, it showed that he was representing a certain group of people. There were many disabled people, which showed that he worked well with the people he was representing. Many disabled people came to attend his funeral. We want to thank him for the work that he was doing, of representing people living with disability.
In this Senate, we remember him because of his contributions. He was very committed to his work. With these words, I want to say thank you. May his soul rest in peace. Thank you.
*HON. SEN. MURONZI: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity to debate on this motion concerning the late Hon. Sen. Khupe. I was with him in two Committees, one on Gender and also SDGs where I was a member as well. Hon. Sen. Khupe lived with disability but he loved working. Whenever we went out, he would be part of it. We would go to Mukumbura and he would be there. He was a leader. Some people are born leaders. He represented his constituency very well, even contributing in Committees - he was number one.
He would be the first one to greet you happily. He was a very free man and he loved his job. So it is not only the Khupe family that has lost but all of us lost because there are people who when they depart, you really feel it, but for other people it is a day as usual. When it comes to Hon. Sen. Khupe, we were really pained by his death. When we went to Mt. Darwin, he was not feeling well but he would strive to do his work. I say Hon. Sen. Khupe, rest in peace. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 13th October, 2022.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE 7TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE AFRICAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK ON DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION HELD IN MOROCCO
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Delegation to the 7th Annual General Meeting of the African Parliamentarians Network on Development Evaluation.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this Report of the Delegation to the 7th Annual General Meeting of the African Parliamentarians Network on Development Evaluation. It is a good thing that as African countries, there are such meetings which bring together all the countries in Africa and gives an opportunity to each and every country to learn from the meetings so that we make sure that we implement what we have learnt for development.
I want to thank the Speaker of the National Assembly for he was the Head of the Delegation. You find that the people who accompanied him had something to contribute. He gave an opportunity to each and everyone to contribute. Mr. President, this helps because as a Member of Parliament and if you are given this opportunity, you gain confidence so that you do not disappoint. So I want to thank the Hon. Speaker for that. He tried to explain about APNODE, what it stands for because some other countries are not willing to join. The Hon. Speaker explained to the people so that they understand that at first it started with two groups like Casablanca and Monrovia which came together to come up with an organisation of African Unity. So from this group you find that there are 14 out of 54 people. So our Hon. Speaker was trying to explain to the people so that they understand because some have not yet joined up to now.
The Hon. Speaker did a very big job in teaching people because we understand at different levels. Some are quick to understand and others take time. So what he did really helped some people from other countries that have not yet joined so that they join. Our Hon. Speaker went further and spoke about our country and things that hinder development, like COVID-19 which stopped a lot of things during the lockdowns. He also spoke on climate change including droughts, floods and tornadoes which hinders on programmes that are in place because funds will be channeled towards those disasters. Those are some of the things he was trying to explain because here in Zimbabwe we were trying by all means to go ahead with development but it was hampered because of those disasters. He also talked about Africa which was often referred to as the “Dark Continent.” He encouraged that we should remove that stigma of being called the “Dark Continent” so that we work together in trying to develop the economies of our countries and come up with the African Continental Free Trade Area so that it progresses so that anyone or goods from African states can travel freely in Africa, which will help us as Africa to be united and work together for development.
He also talked about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine which he said should not affect us as Africa because some of our goods were coming from Ukraine but as people who have power in their hands, we should come up with ways and means to use our wealth for the benefit of our nations. This is witnessed because this year we have enough wheat to take us up to the next season, which is a very good thing. If we continue crying, nothing will come out. If there are challenges in other areas because we have our own minerals, we should work with those resources so that we come out of those challenges.
In conclusion, I want to appreciate such reports because at times we might not understand but when you send a delegation to these meetings, it really helps because we learn from others and other countries also learn from us about the good things that we do. Thank you Mr. President.
HON SEN. MATHUTHU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 13th October 2023.
MOTION
FOURTH REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON PEACE AND SECURITY ON THE BENCHMARKING VISIT TO THE PARLIAMENT OF RWANDA
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Fourth Report of the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security on the benchmarking visit to the Parliament of Rwanda.
Question again proposed.
HON SEN. MATHUTHU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 13th October 2023.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE 51ST PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE SADC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the 51st Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to stand before this august House. After this report was tabled, a lot of Hon. Members had time to study it and debate. As I wind up this report, I would like to thank all those who contributed on the report and all those who had time to learn more because reports sometimes are hard to understand. I urge Hon. Members that whenever there are reports of this kind, they should take their time and make more research so that they also contribute to the reports.
I now move that the motion that this House takes note of the report of the 51st Plenary Assembly of the SADC Parliamentary Forum be withdrawn from the Order Paper.
Motion, with leave, withdrawn.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF COUNTER TERRORISM HIGH LEVEL CONFERENCE HELD IN ITALY
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the report of the delegation to the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism High Level Conference on Parliamentary Support to Victims of Terrorism.
*HON. SEN. KOMICHI: Thank you Mr. President Sir. I would like to thank the delegation that went to Italy where they addressed issues on terrorism worldwide. The report they presented indicated that terrorism is rampant all over the world. If you go to Arab countries, Iraq, Iran and Syria, there is a lot of terrorism going on. Even in Canaan, there is terrorism. A lot of countries here in Africa; our neighbour Mozambique, there is terrorism. Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), even right in DRC, they are living with terrorism. Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Libya, they are affected by terrorism.
Of late, we have Ukraine, whose people are dying and the country is being destroyed. What is found in terrorism is very painful to us. The ordinary people are the ones who suffer. Wherever there is terrorism, two giants will be fighting but they will be fighting for something that does not concern the ordinary people in that country. You will find that where there is terrorism, people without anything to do with it are at the receiving end, especially children. Children are the ones who are really affected. Women are also affected. They also go to war but most of them will be looking after the family.
Many times where there is terrorism, it is men who perish and there will be a of lot widows and orphans. Other people will become victims of landmines and some can become disabled. Terrorism destabilises a country because there is political polarisation. People will be against each other. If we look at our neighbour Mozambique, you will find that people in those areas are now against each other. They hate each other. They cannot work together. If we go back to places like Cabo Delgado, when terrorism started, Mozambique was supposed to get investment worth billions of dollars from a Total company. If that US$64 billion was sunk in Mozambique in the form of gas mines, the people of Mozambique would be sitting pretty right now. That investment is no more and it is no longer being talked about. We pray that - may the Lord help us that the mine that we are sinking in Muzarabani, that spirit of terrorism would not affect us in Zimbabwe.
Looking at DRC, the mineral resources in Eastern DRC, those who write say that is where the world is. They have about 35% of the whole world in terms of minerals. So as a result, those who are mining illegally want to stay there because there is a scramble for mineral resources in DRC. I have seen that countries that are involved in terrorism, the natural resources are the triggers of those terrorism activities. Wherever there is terrorism, there are minerals involved, oil, diamonds or gas. If you look all over the world, you will find that where terrorism is, there are riches in terms of mineral resources. So, you wonder who fuels those terrorism activities. These are people who have a lot of money from the western world. They are the investors and they fuel terrorism.
If we come to Africa, it will leave us in a lot of troubles but in other countries, at least they can come back to shape. In Africa, we are really affected by terrorism and we have no means to come back in form. Terrorism leaves people destitute. You will be left with a lot of stress. Your confidence is taken away and opportunities for development as a person, you cannot do anything. There will be no future for the children in that country because of terrorism. Terrorism leaves a trail of disasters; a trail of poverty. For example, if you look at Libya. It is a country which was rich that if you get married you would be given a house and if you have a child you are given a car but now it is history. This country was an example in Africa where people benefited from their natural resources. Yes, he was a dictator but he looked after his people well.
Terrorism is being propagated. If you look at the map of Ukraine, you find the destroyed houses, the disabled that are being left behind and properties that are destroyed. Ukraine used to feed the world-over but because of terrorism in Ukraine, fuel in Zimbabwe is now expensive. We cannot get rice and flour but if you ask us the reasons behind the war in Ukraine, we do not know. Terrorism is troubling us and we feel the pain.
As leaders, we are mandated to sit down and make sure that Africa comes up with conflict resolution mechanisms that are home grown. We should believe in dialogue when dealing with conflict because potential conflicts are all over. I have cited Muzarabani. It can one day cause us some troubles in Zimbabwe. We should be united as Africa, starting with Zimbabweans then going over to SADC. We should have unity of purpose and we should put people’s interests upfront. We should have economic interests first and put aside political interests that give us challenges. I am appealing to the leadership of Africa that we should have peace, order and unity. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. NKOMO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 13th October, 2022.
MOTION
PROVISION OF FUNDS FOR COMPLETION OF DAM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the need for Government to provide adequate funds for the completion of dam projects.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MATHUTHU: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MKHWEBU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 13th October, 2022.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MATHUTHU seconded by HON. SEN. CHISOROCHENGWE, the Senate adjourned at Twenty-Six Minutes past Three o’clock p.m.