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SENATE HANSARD 14 JUNE 2023 VOL 32 NO 38
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 14th June, 2023
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
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform Hon. Senators to switch off their cellphones before business commences.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Orders of the Day Numbers 1 to 6, be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
MOTION
SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on sustainable healthcare system in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, I would like to thank Hon. Senators who made their contributions whilst debating this motion which was focusing on health issues making sure that everyone has access to health and access to affordable and accessible healthcare. I would like to thank the Government and His Excellency, the President Dr. E.D Mnangagwa through the Minister of Health and Child Care and the Vice President of this country, for the good work that they are doing. This is an effort to make sure that everyone has access to affordable health. There are a lot of hospitals and a lot of clinics that are being built around the country, hence I would like to thank them in that regard.
I would also want to implore the Minister of Finance to try by all means to fulfill the Abuja Declaration. If we do that, we will make sure that the money that is being allocated to the Ministry of Health and Child Care is adequate so that we are able to fulfill all the requirements of that Ministry, including allowances for staff.
It is my belief that the Minister of Health and Child Care will adopt the ideas that we discussed in motion to say how can we obtain funding for the Ministry of Health and Child Care so that everyone has access to affordable health in the country. I now move for the adoption of my motion
Motion that:
MINDFUL that creating a sustainable health care system is essential in Zimbabwe;
NOTING that the Government of Zimbabwe has emphatically declared its desire and aspiration to achieve universal health coverage;
CONCERNED that health services are not accessible by many people, particularly in the rural areas, due to inadequate funds that are allocated to the health sector;
COGNISANT that Zimbabwe made a commitment to honour the Abuja Declaration of allocating 15% of the national budget to public health;
NOW, THEREFORE, this House calls upon the Government;
(a) through the Ministry of Finance to honour the Abuja Declaration;
(b) to focus more on preventive public health intervention; and
(c) to disburse funds allocated to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, in particular the Ministry of Health and Child Care, expeditiously, put and agreed to.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on measures to combat human trafficking.
Question again proposed.
*HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to debate on the motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen. A. Dube on human trafficking. Mr. President Sir, the issue of human trafficking is quite a difficult issue which affects a lot of people and is of much concern that a person is forcibly taken despite the fact that the person would have been coerced with job promises.
We find people being taken out of the country and end up being sexually exploited without their consent, which is in contravention of different laws the world-over. This is very bad. We have seen our children being taken advantage of with some testifying that this also happened to them. We know Mr. President that because of sanctions, jobs are not enough for every young people but when they are promised jobs in greener pastures outside the country, they are sometimes forced to compromise but this is in violation of human rights.
In the past, I saw some people being repatriated to Zimbabwe. We have people who are here Mr. President and I would like to implore the Government to enact punitive laws and ways of ensuring that when emigrating, there should be proof that there really is a job for you. If the emigration of our people is done through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, after due diligence has been done, to ascertain proper accommodation, proof of a job and proof that the person has secured a job with documentary evidence being filed here. So, there is need for enacting laws that protect our people. With these few words, I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GIJIMA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 15th June, 2023.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. GIJIMA, the Senate adjourned at Quarter to Three o’clock p.m.