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SENATE HANSARD 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 Vol. 33 No. 75
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 12th September, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o'clock p.m
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
AMENDMENTS TO STANDING ORDERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to remind the Senate that Hon. Members should submit their proposed amendments to Standing Orders by the 18th September, 2024, in Office Number 464 on the Fourth Floor, Parliament Building. The report on the review of the Standing Orders was circulated to all Hon. Senators via e-mail and WhatsApp platforms.
APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have here with me, a list of Hon. Ministers who have tendered their apologies as follows;
- Vice President Gen. (Rtd) Dr. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga;
- D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development;
- Shava, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
- J. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare;
- M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion;
I do not have any other apologies other than the ones I have read
So, the turnout which I am seeing is actually very disappointing
To say the least, sad indeed.
The Ministers who are present are;
- Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome; Deputy Minister of Defence;
- M. Ncube, Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; and
- H. Moyo, Deputy Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs. Can we start with the Ministers that are present? And I am sure some other Ministers will join us later.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
HON. SEN. GOTORA: My question is directed to the Deputy
Minister of National Housing. We hear that there are several programmes that you are undertaking out there in terms of flats and other things. May I know Hon. Minister, when the Mutawatawa civil servants housing flats in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe are going to be completed and how the new occupants are going to be selected.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. M. NCUBE): I would like to thank the Hon. Senator for the pertinent question. Guided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 of 2013, the Government is obliged to ensure that every citizen has access to adequate shelter. Therefore, shelter is a basic need. As the Ministry, we provide shelter for work, housing and also social amenities. The Hon. Member has raised a very pertinent issue about civil servants’ accommodation. He is asking when we are going to finish the Mtawatawa Flats in Mash-East which is a rural area.
Mtawatawa Flats is a pilot project and is the first of its kind the whole country. There is no other rural area which has got the same project. The Mtawatawa Flats will be finished very soon. I cannot give the exact details because we had a few challenges in terms of resourcing the completion of the Mtawatawa Flats.
However, I would like to assure the Hon. Member that the Government and the Ministry are working tirelessly to make sure that our civil servants get decent accommodation. On other projects of housing, the President recently commissioned the Dzivarasekwa Flats which were meant for the Harare flat victims, but we also managed to accommodate some civil servants because the units were very few. Very soon, we will be commissioning the Marondera Flats which are for civil servants as well. We are working on building more high rise flats in Mabelreign, Beitbridge and Lupane for civil servants.
I would like to assure the Hon. Member that the Government is working with the whole Government approach to ensure efficiency in housing delivery. Thank you.
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: My supplementary question is that, the study in terms of household occupation, we stand at 58%. The study on the lodger occupied housing ownership stands at 32% country wide. So, what is your Ministry doing vis-a-vis the national policy in order to mitigate the gap which is quite wide? These schemes which we are talking about, for these houses, are civil servants going to get the ownership title deeds of these schemes that are already underway?
HON. M. NCUBE: Thank you for the question on how the Ministry of National Housing is going to bridge the gap on the shortages of accommodation. As I have said before that the Government and the Ministry of National Housing is working tirelessly to work on the backlog because we have a backlog of 2.5 million houses. However, the Ministry is working with the private partnership to bridge the gap. We have companies which are into housing construction. For example, we have CBZ, NSSA, Fidelity and many other companies which I have not mentioned here which are also into housing infrastructure.
On the schemes, the Government has got four or more schemes in terms of housing. We have housing guarantee fund. The housing guarantee fund is there to bridge the gap that the Hon. Member is talking about. We also have national housing fund which builds properties and houses for civil servants. We also have GP fund which builds Government property and the GP houses are mainly for Government. They are not supposed to be an individual property.
However, with the housing guarantee fund and the National Housing Fund, there is a point when a civil servant maybe he/she has stayed for two years, she is allowed to purchase the property. Then for Government full property, the civil servant will only be allowed to stay when he or she is working for that relevant department which would have been allocated that house. For Government full property, the civil servant is allowed to stay there when he or she is working for that relevant department which will be allocated that house.
HON. SEN. ZINDI: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of War Veterans. Of late, we have read in the press of war veterans’ children not attending school simply because Government has failed to pay the fees. What has been done about that?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE (HON. H. MOYO): The children of war veterans are considered for their education welfare. We have made a presentation to Government for them to be considered. Earlier on, the Ministry used to say they pay up to 18 years but of late, children are paid for up to any level he or she wishes to educate themselves.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Minister, I think the Hon. Member is asking what your Ministry is doing to ensure that the children of war veterans’ fees are paid.
HON. H. MOYO: Children of war veterans are guaranteed not to be expelled from schools for non-payment of fees.
*HON. SEN. ZINDI: Thank you Mr. President. Let me speak in chiShona so that I am well understood. We have read in mainstream media and social media that children of war veterans have been chased away from school because the Government has not been able to pay their fees. What measures are in place to ensure that their fees are being paid? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. H. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President. I think I made it clear to Hon. Sen. Zindi that children of war veterans are guaranteed not to be expelled from school for non-payment. Moreover, schools just opened, I think, just two days back and we have not seen any children who have been expelled so far. I thank you.
HON. SEN. PHULU: Supplementary Mr. President! Mr. President, in what way are the children of war veterans guaranteed not to be expelled from school? This is to say by which Instrument, policy or circular, in particular, are they guaranteed not to be expelled? What does the Ministry do if children are then expelled despite that guarantee?
HON. SEN. H. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President. Mr. President, whenever a war veteran’s child is expelled from school – either he/she or the parent approaches our ministry for facilitation. We used to have funding challenges from Treasury, but now things have come to normal.
So, I reiterate Mr. President, that children of war veterans are guaranteed not to be expelled from school.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you Hon. Minister. I am advised that Hon. Mavhunga, made a statement in the National Assembly on that issue. I am going to request the Clerk to ensure that Hon. Mavhunga comes to this Chamber and make the same statement that she made in the National Assembly to address this issue once and for all. Thank you.
We now have two more deputy ministers who have joined the Chamber, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Mazungunye and the Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training, Hon. Mupamhanga. So, the menu is now a bit bigger and that should satisfy our needs.
*HON. SEN. GWATURE: Thank you Mr. President. My question is again directed to the Deputy Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, similar to the one that was posed by Hon. Hon. Zindi. So, I will ask the other one that I had.
My question is, since we are now approaching the rain season whereby war veterans who benefited from land reform can actually utilise the land to their advantage and earn money to pay for school fees and other things; what measures are in place to ensure that war veterans in A1, A2 and in villages get inputs to use during this farming season? I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President. Thank you for the pertinent question that was asked by the Hon. Senator. Mr. President, we were assured by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement that this year, war veterans will get their inputs at once, but they have to liaise with our PFOs and also our DFOs. I thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Defence. Mr. President, we all know that the army is responsible for our security but where they stay in various areas, especially in lodging areas where they rent accommodation, it is very deplorable. So, my question is; what is the arrangement or plan with regards to providing accommodation to the Zimbabwe National Army personnel? Is there any liaison with the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities so that they may be prioritised on the list? I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara. We have been joined by one more deputy minister, that is, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Hon. Mnangagwa. Welcome.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE (HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD). MAYIHLOME): Thank you very much Hon. President of the Senate. I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for the very pertinent question relating to accommodation for the defence forces.
Yes, accommodating the Defence Forces has been a major challenge. I am sure Hon. Senators will recall that the last cantonment area that was built in this country…
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Order! Hon. Sen. Mlotshwa, switch off your mic please.
HON. BRIG. GEN. (RTD). MAYIHLOME: I think the Hon. Senators will recall that the last cantonment area that was built for the armed/defence forces was in the mid-90s - that is Five Brigade in the Battlefields area. Since then, efforts have been made to improve accommodation facilities in the old camps. We are also embarking on housing projects in certain cantonment areas, particularly Dzivarasekwa. We have houses and flats that we are constructing using our own resources as Ministry of Defence and funded by Government. We have flats and houses for non-commissioned members of the Defence Forces. We also have Cranborne West where we have accommodation that has been put up for officers up to field officers rank and we will try as much as possible to accommodate general officers and senior officers outside the cantonment areas.
We have accommodation facilities that are also being constructed at Imbizo. These will also be flats and blocks of houses. The challenge we face is that of inadequate funding from Treasury. It has been coming in drips and drabs, but I want to assure this Senate that in the next few weeks, we shall be commissioning the houses in Dzivarasekwa camp for the national non-commissioned members
We are also trying to rehabilitate the other cantonment areas like William Ndangada Camps in Birchnough and 1, 3 Battalion in Hwange. These are camps that were sat up in the early 80s and were largely based on asbestos, what we used to call misana yenzou, but they have outlived their usefulness. Some are broken and even their ablution facilities are in serious need of renovation. So, we entered into a contract two years back with suppliers of material, Turnall Asbestos in particular, to provide the materials and have sub-contractors rehabilitating those camps, but the medium to long term plan for the Defence Forces is to have our own construction brigade that will embark on providing accommodation, not only for the Defence Forces, but also for the general populace. The plans are at an advanced stage for the setting up of this construction brigade and we believe that we should be able to provide such accommodation by 2030. We should also be seeing that our soldiers or Defence Forces are fully accommodated.
I would say for now this is what we have. When we request for this budget, we request that Hon. Senators also come and fight in our corner and assist us in pleading our case for adequate resources for funding the uniformed forces, in particular the Defence Forces, but that is not all, you should also recall that we have challenges in even accommodating our members when they are deployed because they do not move with their barracks, but when they are deployed on certain tasks, particularly along the border corridors, we require items like tentage or temporary field accommodation.
Those are challenges that we face. We wish that the nation understands that Defence Forces cannot fend for themselves. Defence Forces have to be provided for because at the end of the day, the security and the peace that we enjoy is because the Defence Forces are well motivated and doing their work instead of concentrating on finding means of survival. I thank you Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. SIBANDA: Thank you Mr. President. I understand what you are saying about the army in terms of their accommodation, uniforms and food. Why then are we observing these things where these armed forces are now involved in criminal activities? I thank you.
HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN. MAYIHLOME: Thank you very much Hon. Senator. This requires research because these are particular incidents which I cannot have accurate information on each and every one of them, but nevertheless, the Defence Force’s conduct and behaviour is guided by the Defence Act. So if any one of them is involved in any transgression of whatever kind, the Defence Forces are more than happy to deal with those cases. In fact, in the past, we used to encourage those hot heads to join the military because the military was for the hot heads, but nowadays the Defence Forces is for the disciplined.
We encourage those who go to church to come to the Defence Forces because we want a disciplined force. In any institution, there are bad apples and those bad apples, if they are known, we do not condone anything. I do not have the statistics but if the question were to be put in writing, we can provide statistics of how many of such bad apples are they currently, maybe either on remand or have been convicted for committing those offenses. So if the Hon. Senator has specific issues, I request Hon. President, that they put the matter in writing and then we do adequate research. However, we do not condone any indiscipline of whatever kind. I thank.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Sibanda, I hope you take up the challenge and put that question in writing so that you are given a satisfactory answer.
Also joining us is Hon. Sibanda, the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development. So the menu is getting bigger and better.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister of Defence for that clear explanation about the accommodation provision to our military, but I would like to appreciate that arrangement that indeed they want to remove the asbestos housing. It is very deplorable and you cannot expect someone who defends such a peaceful country to reside in such an area. Please, may we have timelines for when they are going to be removed? I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: My question was a follow up on the condition of service of the military. Like what Hon. Tongogara has said, I think it is refreshing to hear positive things coming from the Ministry of Defence because if the Defence Forces are disgruntled, that is a recipe for disorder. However, just yesterday, I gave a lift to some Colonel who was complaining about none availability of their promised motor vehicles three or so years ago as well as none availability of fuel coupons when they are using their own private motor vehicles. He just identified me when I gave him a lift. He was in uniform, but I just felt here is a chance for me to ask. Thank you.
HON. RTD. BRIG. GEN MAYIHLOME: Thank you very much Hon. President for the opportunity to respond. Let me also thank the Hon. Senator for the question and observation. Yes, conditions of service for the uniformed forces indeed particularly the army, are not up to the required standard including issues of vehicles and even personal issue items.
Issues of barrack equipment are in short supply. In the past when we joined the military ourselves in the 80s including your ‘housewife’, those who have been in the military know what I mean. Housewife was a kit which is not the marital wife. It was a kit that would assist you to live comfortably in the barracks. It included your shaving items and sewing and if you lost your buttons, you would be able to repair your uniform and such things as spoons and so forth. It was a package that would assist you to live comfortably. However, all those things are now a thing of the past because of inadequate funding over the years. Yes military vehicles tend to break down also due to wear and tear and because of funding challenges, some of these colonels since promotion have not been afforded their appropriate vehicles.
So, the Defence Forces, like every other institution, will get into a dilemma to say do we promote this person from Major to Lieutenant Colonel to Full Colonel or wait until he has a vehicle? So, it is a challenge that we are facing but we are working on a programme to procure vehicles, all the outstanding vehicles, including for members who are entitled to these vehicles on retirement. Some have gone without those vehicles. We even know instances where even one star that is Brigadier or Air Commodore’s, who have retired entitled to vehicles but have gone without. These are challenges that we face but like I said, let us fight in each other’s corner so that we all address these issues.
It is an issue that is current, we are progressing with the relevant ministry which is the Ministry of Finance. We are fully aware of those challenges; we know the numbers but we encourage the Colonel to follow the correct procedures of raising issues rather than to find that it is just being told to anyone, lest that information gets into the wrong hands. At the end of the day, we have national security to protect, you never know if next time he will be given a lift by somebody who is hostile to this country. It is appreciable when they tell maybe Hon. Senators but next time, they will tell somebody who is a foreigner and that does not auger well for the national security.
Certain things are discussed within and other things that can be discussed in public but yes, it is an issue that as Hon. Senators, you need to be aware of that we are facing challenges across the board, including on conditions of service. Not just conditions of service including maybe their remuneration, Defence Forces cannot go on strike, they commit themselves what we call the ultimate sacrifice. If you are told to go forward, there is no argument, there is no question of you disputing or refusing. This is why in Zimbabwe we enjoy so much peace because Defence forces are disciplined, they take instructions and orders.
So, when they have grievances or are disgruntled about their conditions of services, everyone needs to listen. We do not want a disgruntled force, otherwise we cannot be assured or guaranteed of our national security.
Thank you very much for allowing me to briefly explain some of the challenges that we face. I hope this will enrich our arguments when the next budget for 2025 is being considered.
HON. SEN. FANUEL: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to speak out. I would like to thank the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities that during the flood time, they built even houses for Mzungwale, and the houses are complete. Why are those houses not officially opened even to the beneficiaries?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES (HON. M. NCUBE): Thank you, Mr. President. I would also like to thank you Hon. Senator Rebecca Fanuel for the question of when we are going to officially hand over the houses for Binga flood victims.
Mr. President, the 37 units have been completed and guided by our Zimbabwe Human Settlement Policy, which says we should provide all the services before any occupation of any houses. The issue with the Binga Houses is that we are waiting to complete 20 toilets for the 37 houses which are now complete. However, the challenge were the resources to complete those ablution facilities, but I would like to promise the Hon. Senator that Treasury has availed the funds to complete the ablution facilities. I cannot say the exact date to commission the houses but it will not be the end of the year. I might say three or four months, the ablution facilities will be completed. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: It is common knowledge that if a house is not occupied it falls on its own. Are we not risking losing the 37 homes at the expense of only 20 toilets? Can we not have a better solution to it?
HON. M. NCUBE: Thank you, Hon. Senator Chief Siansali, for the question. The Ministry has a maintenance team on the ground and looking after those 37 houses. We cannot hand over the houses to the beneficiaries before we finish the ablution facilities because we are running away from open defecation where people will be going into the bush to relieve themselves and that will be a disaster. As the Ministry, we are trying to accommodate the people who were affected by the disaster of floods. It cannot be proper for us to hand over those 37 houses without the ablution facilities because there might be an outbreak of diseases such as cholera and other diseases if we can let them use the bush as their substitute ablution facilities. I thank you.
HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. We have the National Cup qualifiers currently underway and the Zimbabwe National Food Team is taking part. Sadly, we will only be able to watch it on television as no stadiums are approved to host international matches in Zimbabwe.
What is the Ministry doing to ensure that the country’s stadiums are upgraded to international standards considering that it has been quite a while since the stadiums have been banned from hosting international matches? This will help promote football in the country, a sport that has uplifted many underprivileged children to greater heights. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: The Minister of Sports is not in the House.
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: On a point of order! There is a motion already which has been presented.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator Chakabuda, unfortunately, no Minister is willing to put his head on the block. I have just been advised by the Clerk and Hon. Sen. Tshabangu has also confirmed that a motion is coming next week, which is going to cover all the issues which you have raised. We hope after the robust debate which will take place, the relevant Minister will come and respond. I think it is a very topical issue. It is embarrassing for us to go and be squatters in Uganda, South Africa, all over the show when we have got our own facilities in this country. I agree with you, hundred percent.
HON. SEN. TSHABANGU: I will pose my question to the Deputy Minister of Justice. Riding on the principle of effectiveness and fairness of the justice system, what measures is the Ministry taking to expediate the trial process and ensure timely judgements in the criminal cases so that victims can achieve closure?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MAZUNGUNYE): I want to thank the Hon. Sen. Tshabangu for that question. As Ministry of Justice, the matter you have raised is under the purview of the Judicial Service Commission where magistrates or judges or adjudicators have to deliberate on issues expeditiously, I agree. However, in that regard, it remains the discretion under the purview of the Judiciary or judges or adjudicators to deal with the matter. At times, as the Ministry, we cannot interfere with the Judiciary. The Judiciary is independent and has to exercise their discretion in dealing with matters.
In other instances, we can have a situation whereby lawyers might come with postponements and that is their right. We also have to balance the two. So, judges or adjudicators do have the discretion and it is under the purview of the Judiciary which we cannot interfere with much, but we can interfere in that regard.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Finance. I happen to come from an area where there is serious black granite mining in the country and we believe we are making a lot of money for the State from our resources. There is a two percent levy which is in the current Finance Act. How is that levy going to benefit the rural district councils or communities where mining is taking place? For instance, if you go to Hwange, there is the same problem with coal miners and if you talk to the coal or black granite miners, they just do not listen, yet there is a Finance Act which, in my opinion, is very legal. When and how is that provision in the Finance Act going to be made use of and who is responsible?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION (HON. D. K. MNANGAGWA): Indeed, this same august House, in the 2023 budget, approved that the Ministry of Finance, in its revenue collection mandate, collects 2% from those mining black granite and the other types of granite, which pot of money would then go directly to the communities were the mining is taking place. It is supposed to be a special tax just for this particular type of mining. Treasury has indeed been collecting, but I must say the modalities of how it is to be disbursed to the communities have not been mapped out and it is something that we still are working on a framework for, but these have been ring fenced and the funds are available. At the appropriate time when the framework is in place, whether it is money that is going to the district councils or it is going to be a provincial or district council put in place, I am not entirely sure how that will be constituted. It is a discussion that is currently underway, but the law is enforcing that it be collected. The last leg is the allocation of such resources. So, the Hon. Senator can take comfort in knowing that we are indeed collecting. What now needs to happen is to map out how we then repatriate the funds to those particular communities.
*HON. SEN. BVUMO: My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs or the Minister of Justice who is here. In Mhondoro, there is a …
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator! Your question must be directed to one Minister. It cannot go to two Ministers because the Minister of Home Affairs is not here. So, are you directing it to the Minister of Justice?
*HON. SEN. BVUMO: Thank you Mr. President. I will direct my question to the Hon. Minister of Justice. In Mhondoro, we have a big problem of cattle rustlers and that has become the most topical issue in Mhondoro as we speak. We have Ward 2 in Mhondoro-Mubaira Constituency. We have two families; one Chipunza family, cattle were stolen and skinned at the kraal. Another family called Magen’a family under Chief Ngezi, their three beasts stolen and skinned close to the kraals. They are so brave and they write a note as they leave that you can consume this meat that is remaining – it is not poisoned. So, my question is, what is really happening. We used to hear that cattle rustlers are now being sentenced for 10 years and above but now this crime is on the increase. We are not getting any examples to ensure that they are deterred. I do not think this increase in these cases would be happening. So, I want to ask from the Ministry of Justice that is there any strong legislation to ensure that a person who is arrested and prosecuted for cattle rustling will deter any other potential thieves?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Second question is very specific. So, I am advising you to put your question in writing and direct to the Minister of Home Affairs.
+HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you. My question is directed to the Minister of Youth. As parents, I hope all of us we have children who have gone to school and graduated after three months or so. Tomorrow, there will be a graduation and yet after that they will not be employed. We have girl children who have now resorted to prostitution because of unemployment. So, before I go into my question, we realise that there are a lot of children who have resorted to drug and substance abuse because of lack of employment. Some of them have actually become thieves. As Ministry of Youth, what are the efforts to ensure that youths are employed?
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: There was no translation but I presume you have understood the question?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTERS (HON. MUPAMHANGA): I only understood the final part of the question. Translation came in late but if I am correct Hon. President the question has to do with plans that the Ministry and the Government has towards young people who are unemployed and some who are graduates as well.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Is that correct Hon. Sen. Moyo?
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Yes.
HON. MUPAMHANGA: As the Ministry of Youth, our chief role is to empower young people in Zimbabwe especially targeting those who do not make it through the traditional school path as well as those who are graduates as the Hon. Senator has mentioned. In that role, what we focus on is vocational training schools. In that we equip young people with vocational skills so that they are able to get employment or even create employment for themselves.
As for our graduates, there are plans in place that involve us coming together with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. We are already working on pushing our graduates towards the Ministry of Finance which has a National Venture Capital Fund which can help young people. We also have youth service in Zimbabwe whereby young people are given civic education, orientation as well as skills training and become a priority to be absorbed by the public sector.
Let me also say that vision 2030 as well as NDS1 mandates all ministries, departments and Government agencies to create pathways for young people to be able to enter and contribute to their economy. As such, we also have existing relationships with the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of allowing young people to start projects in agriculture. We are working on sensible modality with the Ministry of Mines. We are at advanced stages with the Ministry of Transport but this is more leaning towards projects that young people can start.
With youth service, we have a pathway which we have been mandated and other ministries have been mandated to absorb these young people after they have completed their course.
Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in terms of Standing Order Number 67.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. K. D. MNANGANGWA): Mr. President Sir, I ask that the question from Hon. Sen. Phulu be deferred to the next session so that I can prepare a comprehensive response. My apologies for that.
HON. SEN. PHULU: On a point of Order, that question has been pending since June. I would not insist on it but I hope the Hon. Minister will make a point in the next session than to have it lying on the Order Paper for another six or so months.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I am sure the Minister has taken note of that. Ministers must respond to questions which are with notice. In your ministries, you have got some persons who are designated to look at these questions. It is your responsibility to come into the Chamber and answer the questions.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE BENCHMARK VISIT BY THE ZIMBABWE PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS ON ADVOCACY ON ANTI-CORRUPTION
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the benchmark visit Report by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to add my voice to this debate tabled by Hon. Sen. Mbowa. Mr. President, I stand before you today to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Parliamentary Committee Caucus for their tireless effort in conducting and presenting the report on their recent trip to Seychelles.
This Committee has shown exemplary commitment to our Parliamentary duties and it is vital that we recognise their work which not only, enhances our understanding of international best practices, but also informs our legislative agenda here at home. Seychelles, Mr. President, is often celebrated as a beacon of progress and innovation provides us with valuable insights into various aspects of governance, economics and social development. However, what stands out the most, during our discussion about Seychelles in their admirable track record is gender equality and empowerment. As we are all aware, gender equality is not just a matter of social justice, it is a crucial drive of our sustainable development and economic progress. Seychelles has made significant strides in promoting the rights and opportunities of women, ensuring that they are not only participants but also leaders in societies. Their commitment to gender equality is reflected in various policies and initiatives that have been systematically integrated into their national development strategies.
Mr. President, from our discussions within the Committee, it was enlightening to learn how Seychelles has implemented comprehensive frameworks that support women participation in politics, business and community life. Their representation of women in Government bodies is among the highest in the region, serving as inspiring model for us as we strive to increase women representation in our own legislative assembly.
The Seychelles experience teaches us that gender equality is achievable when there is political will, public awareness and the necessary structures in place to support it. They have established mentorship programmes for younger women, encouraging them to take on a leadership early in their careers and have enacted policies that provide parental leave and affordable childcare to foster great work life balance. These initiatives do not only empower women, but they also contribute to healthier and more equitable societies. As we move forward, in our legislative responsibilities, I urge all of us to take lessons from Seychelles. Let us commit ourselves to fostering a more inclusive environment that champions gender equality. We must reassess our policies, ensuring that they meet the needs of all citizens regardless of gender. Together we can create a society in which women and men are given equal opportunities to excel and lead.
In conclusion, Mr. President, let us extend our gratitude to the Committee for shedding light on the potential lessons we learnt from Seychelles. Their efforts provide us with practical guidance and inspiration as we work to build a more equitable and just society for our people. It is my hope that we can take these insights to heart and implement meaningful changes that enhance the role of women in every sector of our nation. I thank you Mr. President. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity. Firstly, I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus Committee that visited Seychelles.
As the report was being given by the Chair, Hon. Sen. Mbohwa, I learnt some lessons from it. One of the lessons that I learnt is; Seychelles is performing well on the Corruption Perception Index because they have prioritised the fight against corruption by insisting on excellency of service, starting with the Legislative Board as an example, meaning that their Parliament is the hub of excellence as far as service provision is concerned.
The second thing that I learnt from the report is; women occupy the majority of decision-making positions in both public and private sector in Seychelles. This has led to a massive reduction in corruption because women are less prone to corruption than their male counterparts.
The third thing that I learnt is that Seychelles has invested much into advocacy and awareness of the negative impacts of corruption on the society. This advocacy and awareness has been particularly effective because they have targeted children and the youth. They have gone further to include this advocacy and awareness in the school curricula and this has worked.
The fourth lesson that I also learnt from the Seychelles is that the Seychelles Government has greatly reduced corruption by ensuring the ease of doing business, by ensuring that licences and other requirements of doing business in Seychelles are processed in the shortest possible time as sometimes Government bureaucracy can breed corruption.
The other lesson that I learnt from the Seychelles, which is the fifth point from the report that was tabled by Hon. Mbohwa; the Seychelles has also managed to drastically reduce corruption through stakeholder involvement and strategic partnerships. This has greatly assisted where there are complicated cases to be investigated and the Seychelles institutions may not have the capacity to investigate such cases.
There is also the sixth lesson that mandatory assert declaration has also assisted to drastically reduce corruption in Seychelles. The asset declaration however, comes to the protection of information to make sure that this information on asset declaration is not abused for other reasons.
Lastly, the other lesson is that the Seychelles Government also invested massively in prevention measures rather than remedial measures.
From the above, it is safe to conclude that women play a pivotal role in the eradication of corruption in our society. Therefore, I also urge Zimbabweans to educate and empower the girl child for a corruption free society. I thank you Mr. President. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] -
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you Mr. President. I am grateful that the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus had a chance to visit Seychelles. I was just looking at one of the objectives of the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus which is to advance women’s policy interests and oversee legislation with a gender perspective lens. I was grateful for the opportunity that was afforded to our female parliamentarians to meet other women and build a strong network of women inside and outside Government around issues of common concern. I think the nation should also uphold the rights of women and the National Gender Policy is the main instrument that guides the implementation of gender sensitive legislation.
I am also grateful that in 2006 Zimbabwe signed the Protocol of the African Charter on Human Rights and the Rights of Women and at regional level the Government also ratified the African Charter that upholds the rights of women. It is time that women break the glass ceiling and work towards achieving their full potential. It is also a time that women realise their common worth as women and be treated as equal partners. I am also grateful that we have female legislators in the House and it is a time that women should claim their space even in these decision-making boards and I do not think the inclusion of women in decision making boards will compromise the governance quality but rather compliments a balanced leadership.
I am also grateful to the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus for the visit because having those shady democracies also eliminates all stereotypes based on patriarch and subordination of women. It is also time that we should emphasise communication for social change aimed at removing all practices that reinforce the inferiority of our women. As women in politics we also advocate for a legislated gender equity system accompanied by peaceful political environment that guarantees equal freedoms, especially violence against women during election times.
Women are not financially oiled to compete with their male counterparts and are normally elbowed out using financial stamina. As women selected on proportional representation, we sometimes face negative attitudes and discrimination and are labelled useless since we do not have constituencies. We should have our constituencies divided equally between men and women. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAVENGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th September, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAVENGWA): I move that Order of the Day, Number 2 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
HUMAN AND WILDLIFE CONFLICT
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on human wildlife conflict.
Question again proposed
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAVENGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday 17th September 2024
MOTION
REPORT ON THE 55TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HOSTED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF ANGOLA IN LUANDA
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of 55th Plenary Assembly Session of SADC Parliamentary Forum hosted by the parliament of Angola in Rwanda.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAVENGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th September, 2024.
MOTION
IMPROVEMENT ON SERVICE DELIVERY BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on challenges bedevilling local authorities in the provision of services.
Question again proposed.
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAVENGWA): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th September, 2024.
MOTION
SHORTAGES OF WATER IN CITIES AND OTHER TOWNS
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial water shortages in the cities of Harare and Bulawayo.
Question again proposed.
+HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion raised by Hon. Sen. R. Ndlovu. I am going to touch on two metropolitan provinces, Harare Metropolitan and Bulawayo Metropolitan.
Harare is a vast city which has got so many visitors coming in. My question is, how are the local authorities going to fix this problem of shortage of water? Water is so essential. It surprises me how we are going to fix this situation. What should the Government do about the issue of water?
First of all, the Government should check the source of the problem. We know that in Bulawayo they are facing a serious challenge of water. We used to drink water from the taps, but right now there are so many sewerages and the pipes are damaged. We noticed that the local authorities are not doing their work. Henceforth, we will check whether we do have engineers or not in these councils. We should have engineers in these cities and companies which will assist in drawing water from the sources, the dams and rivers.
Most of the time you find that residents pay their rates for water, but they would not have used so much water according to the charges that they would have incurred. However, we noticed that they are losing a lot of water from the damaged pipes. There are a few engineers because they have left for greener pastures since they are not remunerated very well in this country.
I then noticed that we should fix this problem, in Bulawayo we have got so many dams. These dams have a lot of water but the Government did not take note that when there is no rainfall, they should dig deeper into those dams so that they will be able to capacitate that water.
We have so many water bodies and during the rainy season, there is waste water coming and we want the chiefs to take note that their places are so clean before it rains. In so many rivers, you find logs and waste that goes into these water bodies. This water is supposed to be clean and we have so many engineers in the country who can identify certain water bodies where there is waste.
A lot of companies in the country use water, for example, the food industry uses water to cook food. Some of these industries and companies will end up shutting down because of short supplies of water.
It is very important that the Hon. Minister who is responsible for water, to engage stakeholders because the Government alone cannot fix this problem of water. So many people are coming from the urban areas looking for places to stay like Bulawayo and Harare. There are so many residential stands which are not fully developed and they do not have water in these urban areas. It is better to restrict people who stay in places where there is no water.
There are also no ablution facilities in Harare and Bulawayo’s residential areas where people are residing. This brings water pathogens and water diseases. So, the Government should put in place a mechanism to supply residents with clean water all the time. We hear that there is a pipeline coming from Zambezi that can assist in solving these problems.
People need to get clean water, but some departments embezzle funds that are supposed to be used to fix water challenges. If we are talking about the budget, the Government should intervene and make efforts to provide water in Harare and Bulawayo.
I also noticed that along Boulevard Road, there are so many residential areas, about 500 to 800 people are staying there. However, we see hundreds of people carrying water buckets going to look for water to far away places. For how long will people travel long distances in search of water? The person who does not have money will not have access to water because water is a source of life.
My appeal to the Government is that there should be plans and mechanisms in place, especially concerning engineers’ remunerations. These engineers are leaving the country because of the poor salaries they receive. We have all the resources in this country except proper supplies of water. It is so devastating.
In Matabeleland South where I come from, we have the same challenge of water. We have our water authority selling water to South Africa, so why not take this water that we are selling and supply it to our cities? Water is a source of life.
What I would like to add on this very important motion is that if you drive through Bulawayo and Harare without some money to buy water, you will die or you end up drinking dirty water. It would be better if the Ministry of Finance could increase the budget to that Ministry so that we have a lot of water bodies and sources. We request so much funding from this Ministry and the Government should assist us. It is better to get little for some other things but have plenty of water.
If you look at the Ministry of Agriculture, there are a lot of people who are now into farming and in these cities, we are now doing farming but it is dry. We request the Government to assist as the councils cannot work on their own. May we please drill a lot of dams so that we have a lot of water sources? I heard that in Shangani Dam, we will be greatly assisted. With these few words, I thank you but I just want to say, I am concerned with what is happening and would like to thank the Hon. Senator for bringing this motion.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity add my voice on this very important motion which was tabled by Hon. Senator Ndlovu. We all know that water is life and if we do not have water, there is no life. That is why this motion is very important. This motion was tabled focusing on the Metropolitan Provinces of Harare and Bulawayo respectively but as it stands, every citizen needs water.
Hon. Gutu explained the problems which arise due to lack of water in Harare and Bulawayo for us to debate on the issue of water. If we have outbreaks such as cholera, they start from Harare or Bulawayo due to lack of clean water. We all know that we have SDGs and if we look at SDG 6, it speaks to the issue of clean water that everybody in the country needs so that we all survive.
I would also like to say that when people realised that we are facing water challenges in these two metropolitan provinces, our own Government went on to build the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. It took long without any developments happening to the dam. After we got into the new dispensation and knowing that we had a water crisis in Bulawayo, that is when they continued with the construction of the dam. It is now on 79% completion. When the construction of the dam is completed, the water shortage in Bulawayo will have been resolved.
Moving on to Harare where we have Kunzvi Dam under construction from the two rivers, Nora and Nyaguwe, I think if the dam is completed which is about 55 km away, the water crisis in Harare will be solved. I want to thank His Excellency, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa because if things are being debated like this, he has a vision that we can solve water crisis if we complete projects. Like I mentioned before, water crisis is not only in those two metropolitan provinces. Right now, we have Semwa Dam which is also being constructed in Rushinga.
We also have Zimunya in Nkayi, Matebeleland North; Vungu Dam in Silobela, the Midlands; as well as Muchekeranwa in Marondera. This shows us that the impact of climate change was considered in this country. This is why our Government is trying its level best to ensure that these dams are constructed so that people will never face water crisis.
Everything which happens is a result of lack of water and that is why we have this motion whereby we have human and wildlife conflict, which is being caused by lack of rains. If we encounter things like El Nino, it means people and the wildlife will be searching for water and that is when we have encounters of wildlife with humans and you discover people being killed by wildlife because they will be trying to find a solution to the water crisis.
Mr. President, I personally see that these challenges which are happening due to lack of water, a lot was narrated way back. Now, we want the way forward. I was explaining earlier on here that people are building these dams so that all areas have sufficient water, not only focusing on Harare and Bulawayo alone. If we do such things Mr. President Sir, it means this country is going forward and we have wisdom. Our Government actually knows that the climate change is with us. Climate can change and you will not know how it will look like tomorrow. That is why we have such programmes which are being done by our Government to ensure that every citizen in Zimbabwe has got adequate clean water for us to survive to fulfil our SDG 6 which will have been fulfilled in our country. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Tuesday, 17th September, 2024.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): For the benefit of the House, suppose the Minister or any Hon. Member adjourns a debate to tomorrow and it is a Friday; let it be known that a Friday is also an official day for sitting. Suppose our quorum does not do us a favour, it means we have to come back on a Friday – just in case some did not know.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO), the House adjourned at Twenty-Four Minutes past Four o’clock p.m. until Tuesday, 17th September, 2024.