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SENATE HANSARD 17 NOVEMBER 2020 VOL 30 NO 05

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Tuesday, 17^th November, 2020

The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE

INVITATION TO A PRESENTATION OF THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY NUMBER 1

          THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that all Senators are invited to a Presentation of the National Development Strategy No. 1 (NDS1) on Wednesday, 18^th November, 2020, at Rainbow Towers in Harare, beginning at 0830 hours.

ANNUAL PRE-BUDGET SEMINAR

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to remind Hon. Senators that the Annual Pre-Budget Seminar is scheduled for 19 to 21 November, 2020 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare.

Please note that for both activities, only Presiding Officers, Ministers, Members of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, Chairpersons of Portfolio and Thematic Committees, Members of the Expanded SDGs Committee and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development will participate physically in the Jacaranda Rooms. The rest of the Members of Parliament will participate virtually from the Main Auditorium. A zoom link will be shared with Members in due course.

HON. A. DUBE: Thank you Madam President. I seek leave of the Senate to withdraw Notice of Motion Number 5, on today’s Order Paper which is in my name.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. SEN. MAVHUNGA): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 and 2 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS

Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.

Question again proposed.

HON. SEN. CHIMUTENGWENDE: Thank you Madam President for allowing me to endorse the Presidential Address to Parliament. I endorse the Presidential Address to Parliament because I see it as a record and a guide which will help us to do our part in the economic transformation of this country. The motion moved by Hon. Sen. Chirongoma and seconded by Hon. Sen. Dube is a very important one because without this guide and record, our contribution to the transformation would be very confused and disorderly. Not only is it a guide and a record, it is also a point of reference for the Members of Parliament (MP). In fact, each MP should have a copy combined with the speech or address of the previous session because together, these show how serious the Government is about transformation of the economy of this country.

They show that this country is on the right path as explained by His Excellency the President Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa. For a country whose economy had got into serious problems like this country had reached, there are only two things that can happen to transform the economy. One is a marshal plan or a huge loan from somewhere but we cannot get that. We have to depend on our own resources and we need the guidelines or point of reference as given by the President.

I think the President has done a wonderful job in presenting a clear message of what our role is because to transform an economy or society, each section has to make its own contribution and our own contribution is now very clear as to what it is; where it starts and how it goes. It is to pass these laws as quickly as possible. All the issues that we need to pass the laws on are not strange to us. Our President and our Government have these two speeches as a guide plus the National Development Strategies or plans, one of which is going to be explained to us tomorrow at the meeting. At this meeting, it will be clarified as to what the development strategy would work and what the role of the MP would be because as I said earlier, each sector of the population has its own role to play.

For the transformation of the society and the economy in particular to succeed, national unity is also very important and to solve all the other problems that affect the transformation negatively, they need to be solved. In solving those problems, national unity is important and the President has explained that.

We also need to thank the President for reacting very timely when it was shown by WHO that the world was going to enter into COVID 19. As a result, how it has affected us has not been as bad as it would have been. I thank you.

*HON. SEN. MATIIRIRA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me to debate on this motion which was raised by Hon. Sen. Chirongoma and seconded by Hon. Sen. Dube on the Presidential Speech by the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa.

We want to thank the President for the State of the Nation Address to the 3^rd Session of the 9^th Parliament. His speech was pregnant with the development of this country. The Presidents’ Speech is important for us as a country. Therefore, it needs us to work together. The President began by thanking us as Zimbabweans on the issue of COVID-19 that we were compliant. We want to thank him for working very hard so that the people of Zimbabwe could be protected from the COVID-19 issue and for the reduced numbers of infections. Mr. President, the President spoke on the development of the country as well as on the number of Bills which were passed and the remaining ones. We want to thank him for that because if the country does not have rules, there is nothing that will move forward. Among the Bills, there is the children’s Bill which must come to this House and be debated because I foresee the problem where the whole country has been shaken by what happened to Tapiwa Makore. We believe if the Bill comes to this House it will help us as a country. Women are facing a lot of challenges.

The President also spoke about agriculture and Pfumvudza. If we in this current rain season receive adequate rainfall, Zimbabwe is going to experience a bumper harvest. Many women from different parts of the country are busy preparing for Pfumvudza and the inputs have already been distributed, thereby showing the President’s commitment to adequate food security in the country. Let me end by saying that we acknowledge the speech made by His Excellency, the President which spoke to the prosperity of the country. From his manifesto, he is still focused on the development of the country. We support very much the SONA by the President. I want to encourage my fellow Members to be united and focus on the SONA so that we can work together for the prosperity of the country. Thank you Mr. President.

+HON. SEN. S. MPOFU: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate on the SONA as presented by His Excellency, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa. I would also like to thank the mover Hon. Sen. Chirongoma, seconded by Hon. Sen. Dube. The problem that we have which the President mentioned is of COVID-19. It seems most of the people are not complying with the regulations that are in line with COVID-19 so as to curtail the spread of this disease. Right now, schools have been opened and students are seen walking along the roads without social distancing at all. That leads to the spread of the disease. There are schools in Matebeleland North where five students have been diagonised with COVID-19.

We were thinking the figures were going down but it looks like they are spiking, especially among students in Form 4, Grade 7 and Form 6. Where ever there are students failing to comply with regulations to control COVID-19, I implore parents to ensure that their children comply with the regulations. If we are not compliant to the WHO regulations – the First Lady has conscientised the public on this COVID -19 all over the country, but it seems people do not understand. Now it seems it is again on the spike.

We were not expecting a second lockdown but people should comply with the relevant regulations which have to do with COVID-19 so that they do not spread the diseases. It is sad that in Victoria Falls there are such people from Zambia who have been allowed to go and that will enhance the spread of COVID-19. People should be arrested and given deterrent sentences because they want to infect other people.

His Excellency further spoke about Pfumvudza which is very good because most of our people in the rural areas cannot afford to buy diesel. It is better because those who engaged in pfumvudza have already put seed down and they expect high yield. Inputs have been received by the rural communities and they have been encouraged to work with traditional grains. Even if we do not get enough rains, the traditional grains can survive and people can get food from those. They are very nutritious.

The President also mentioned Bills that are supposed to come into this House. It seems we are behind time with those Bills. I wish Ministers could quickly bring the Bills to the House so that we urgently attend to them. The Youth Bill - which is a 1986 thing and is no longer in align with what is happening today. Bills should be timeously brought here at Parliament and we should urgently attend to them. In the last session some of the Bills elapsed and they have to be restored on the Order Paper. I think I have said enough and want to thank you for the opportunity you afforded me.

*+HON. SEN. MALULEKE:Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to speak on the SONA as presented by His Excellency, Cde E .D. Mnangagwa. I also thank Hon. Sen Chirongoma seconded by Hon. Dube on the motion raised on the SONA in this House. He mentioned a lot of things especially on COVID-19 regulations compliance during the first phase but right now signs are that some people are forgetting but the President encouraged us to continue following the COVID-10 rules and regulations so that we can live together. He also talked about the Sugar Act Bill. He says in the past we were using the 1964 Act, an Act which was brought when I was in standard 5. Right now I am an old lady but they were using that old Act, many things which were hidden in the old Act was for people who colonised us. When the President announced the review of the Sugar Act, I now expect that things will move well because this is our natural resource and this will help us in the development of our country. Many things were being taken from this country and exported to other countries.

He also spoke about the issue of Bills that when Bills are brought into the Senate, we must look into them and make sure that we pass them. We are pleading with you Mr. President that the Bills that were talked about by His Excellency the President, sometimes the Ministers delay in coming up with the Bills into the Senate. We are pleading that the Ministers must come very fast with these Bills in time so that we work together and our country will move forward.

Many things which we discussed in this Senate are things that support the development of the country. Therefore, Ministers must attend to these things. Mr. President, His Excellency the President of Zimbabwe also talked about the issue of farming. If we do not farm, there is nothing for us. He was talking about farming and this includes cattle ranching, goats, poultry and crops. Our country produces more food and in my area which falls under natural region 5, which is the area of Chikombedzi. There are more wild animals and cattle. We are pleading that Ministers responsible to come to this Senate and address us because the wild animals and cattle are dying but there is no explanation. We want the Ministers to come and address us.

His Excellency the President also spoke about the Child Bill. The Bill will be explaining the definition of a child and the expectations of what the children must get from their parents or guardians. Mr. President, I thank those who talked about the issue of maize seed distribution. Seed and fertilisers are already in the process of being distributed and we are now waiting for the rains; that is the only thing which is delaying us. His Excellency the President also spoke about the girl child and women that they must benefit from this programme.

When women decide to do projects, they show dedication in doing whatever they can for the prosperity of the country. Therefore, His Excellency the President really encouraged us as women to continue standing and work properly for the country and its prosperity for our future generation. Where there is no woman, there is no family. The speech by the President encourages us to work very hard.   I thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk about the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Chirongoma and seconded by Hon. Sen. Dube.

HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. ENG. MUDZURI: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18^th November, 2020.

MOTION

CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. SEN. AIR CHIEF MARSHALL RTD. PERRANCE SHIRI

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA : Mr. President Sir, I move the motion standing in my name that this Senate expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden and untimely death on Wednesday, 29^th July, 2020 of Hon. Senator for Mashonaland Central, Air Chief Marshal (Rtd), Perrence Shiri.

PLACES on record its appreciation of the services which the late Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation; and

RESOLVES that its deepest sympathy be conveyed to the Shiri family and the Mashonaland Central province.

HON. SEN. CHIMUTENGWENDE: I second.

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Hon. President. I am seeking your permission to read my motion because it is long and it has got some technical words.

THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Sen. are you asking for permission to have your motion stood over?

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I am seeking your permission that I read my speech.

THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I could not hearing you property Hon. Sen. Tongogara, it is because of this COVID-19 issue and masks. I understand you are seeking permission to read; you can.

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President. I thank you for the opportunity that you have given me to move the motion standing in my name which draws attention of this august Senate to Wednesday, 29^th July, 2020; the day in which an Hon. Member of the Senate Big Boy Benjamin Samson Chikerema popularly known as Hon. Sen. Rtd. Air Chief Marshall Perrence Shiri passed on.

When the sad news of his death became known on the fateful morning, the entire nation was shocked. Hon. Sen. Rtd. Air Chief Marshall Perrence Shiri, our untiring Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement was no more, plucked from our midst by the all pervasive inevitable global enemy number one, the Coronavirus.

Mr. President, indeed, not many of us were even aware that he had been taken ill because on the days preceding his untimely death, he went about discharging his ministerial duties with vigor and energy he always displayed on many a field-day when addressing our farmers about our agrarian reforms and the boundless possibilities and opportunities that existed in this sector to position Zimbabwe as a food self-sufficient country, and better still, to become the net exporter of food in the sub-region and beyond. Hon. Members will agree with me that the late Hon. Member had become a household name inspiring hope among our people and that our country would regain its position as the breadbasket of the sub-region and beyond.

Mr. President, the late Air Chief Marshal (Rtd) Perrance Shiri had impeccable credentials which could not be challenged or doubted by anyone. He was a product of the colonial era during which many Africans were displaced from their homes, their land taken away from them and dispatched to inhospitable regions by the white settler regime who prided themselves as our colonial masters in the service of their majesty in Great Britain. The suffering of our dear departed Hon. Member witnessed among his clansmen and women including the numerous sacrifices his own parents made to enable him to acquire an education inspired him to abandon studies and join the armed struggle for our independence when he was just over 18 years of age. The desire for national freedom and independence became deep rooted in his heart, soul and body.

In 1973, Cde Shiri, in the company of the a fellow school and classmate, our Hon. Vice President, General (Rtd) Constatino Dominic Guvheya Nyikadzino Chiwenga found his way to Botswana on his way to Zambia where many young men and women were swelling the ranks of recruits destined for military training in order to re-launch the armed struggled by our two main liberation movements, the Zimbabwe People’s Revoluntionary Army (ZIPRA) and the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). Cde Shiri received initial military training in Zambia and later on in Tanzania at the famed Mgagao Camp which was the bastion of the military national liberation movements.

After receiving his military training and posted to the war front, Cde Shiri rose through the ZANLA ranks to end up commanding the Tete Province during which many daring missions against the Rhodesian forces were carried out, including the 1978 blasting of the fuel tanks in the then Salisbury. Hon. Members may recall that in the build up to this year’s Heroes Day, the late Perrance Shiri narrated on our television how that military action was meticulously conceived and executed by a specialised ZANLA unit which he was instrumental in the selection of its members. The incident became a turning point in the history of the liberation struggle as it sent a strong message to the Rhodesians during the 1979 Lancaster House Talks on Zimbabwe that there was no turning back on the armed struggle. Until then, the war had been fought mostly in the rural areas where the majority of Africans lived, but now the tables had been turned against the whites as the war had now come to their doorstep in the cities under the title ZANLA Comes to Town.

After the liberation struggle, Cde Shiri continued to serve his country in the military including the role he played in the integration process of the erstwhile warring armies which needed to be re-oriented into a cohesive national army. He would himself later on be deployed to the Air Force of Zimbabwe where he became our second indigenous Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander after the late Josiah Tungamirai. He passed the baton on to his successor, Air Marshal Moyo at the inception of the Second Republic.

Mr. President, thereafter, Hon. Members will recall his appointment as Minister of Government responsible for Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, a portfolio he carried with honour and dignity until his untimely death. He distinguished himself as a farmer before his appointment to the ministerial portfolio. No wonder the late Cde. Shiri became hands-on Minister of Government who was easily identifiable by his dress code of the blue overalls which he donned in the fields. His vocation was to ensure that Zimbabwe became food secure and to achieve that he will be remembered for championing three key interventions namely; mechanisation of our agriculture; modernisation of our agriculture; and the climate proofing of our agriculture. The Pfumvunza/Intwasa Programme our farmers are running with was his brainchild to ensure food security at household levels, and surplus for commercial marketing. That is the vision he has left for us and we are challenged to carry that vision forward as a lasting tribute to him.

Mr. President, the late Chief Air Marshal (Rtd) Perrance Shiri was not only a decorated soldier; he was also a philanthropist who had a soft spot for the poor and underprivileged members of the society. Before his appointment to the ministerial portfolio, Hon. Sen. Shiri retraced his footsteps to communities which had hosted him during the liberation struggle, to build schools and clinics for them. Through the Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Charity Fund which he founded in 2011, he was able to raise funds for the construction of Murongwe Primary and Secondary schools in Dande including a clinic. In recognition of his contribution to the liberation of Zimbabwe and humanitarian work, the late Hon. Member was awarded the following medals for his dedication, selfless and exemplary service to the nation;

1. Liberation medal for his gallantry and selfless dedication to the liberation of Zimbabwe;
2. Independence medal for his contribution towards the independence Zimbabwe;
3. Service medal for his immense contribution to the integration, formation and development of the Zimbabwe National Army during the first ten years of its existence;
4. Long and exemplary service medal for his exemplary service for continuous fifteen years;
5. Mozambique campaign medal for his contribution in the restoration of peace and stability in Mozambique;
6. Democratic Republic of Congo campaign medal for his contribution towards peace and the regard of humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo during operation Sovereign Legitimacy; and
7. Grant Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit Award for his eminent achievements and distinguished service to Zimbabwe and humanity at large.

Mr. President of the Senate, in the late Hon. Sen. Shiri, our country has lost a stalwart of our liberation struggle, a gallant son of the soil and an exemplary leader who was a true servant of the people. It is prudent and befitting that this august House takes note of the services that the late Hon. Member of Parliament rendered to Parliament and the nation during his tenure and to express our deepest sympathies to the Chikerema (Shiri) family and to the Mashonaland Central Province following his passing on. May his soul rest in peace. I thank you Mr. President of the Senate.

*HON. SEN. CHIMUTENGWENDE: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate for affording me this opportunity to support the motion presented very well by Hon. Sen. Tongogara. I knew the late Hon. Sen. Shiri for a long time since early 80s. We would always meet and discuss different issues. His history has already been spoken about and I am going to speak on his political career and his behaviour, ubuntu. Hon. Sen. Perrance Shiri was a hard working person. Every work that you could assign him to do or was assigned to do by the leaders of the country, he would do it very well. Hon. Sen. Perrance Shiri was a loving person to everyone and he had a zeal to do his work he would have been assigned to do.

This is witnessed by the way he worked as the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement that he was a person dedicated to his work. Moreover, what makes him best at his work is that he was very approachable and was a very loving person to everyone. He could meet people and discuss with them and assist in solving different problems affecting people. Even here at Parliament, he conducted his work very well. He was assigned as the Leader of the House in the Senate, which shows his commitment thast he was someone who could work with others.

When we spoke about politics, the whole of Africa and all the black people from the whole world have what we call potential and also the natural resources which are in Africa compared to other continents.

Mr. President for this potential to be successfully achieved, it needs unity and have what some people call United States of Africa. If we are not united, Africa will remain the same as it is right now. It a continent which is marveled by other continents yet they laugh at us. The black people who are outside Africa are being treated unfairly like what is happening in America where they are being shot and they have now formed an organisation called Black Lives Matter.

Mr. President, Africa which is supposed to be the global base is not yet a global base. Africa is divided and it has about 55 countries in one continent with same people, same history, similar problems but they are divided. If we talk about the whole world, Africa is not counted. Some small countries like France, there are Security Council Members but we are not part of that because we are small countries. Big countries like South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt are not properly counted because they come from Africa. We are not regarded as fit to be given a seat in that organisation, so we are not included.

The idea of uniting Africa; we are not the first to talk about it. The founding fathers of Africa or the founding fathers of Pan Africanism, the likes of Marcus Garvey from Jamaica, Kwame Nkrumah from Ghana and Sekou Toure from Guinea and others were the first to talk about this. They said we must do what we call Pan Africanism which must be able to unite us as Africans and up to today we are still uniting and nothing else.

Mr. President, when the Organisation of African Union (OAU) was formed, many did not want that organisation to be formed but they were sort of forced and even today some of them do not want. Some are just there in the organisation but not participating vigorously.

On the issue of development, we used to speak with the late Hon. Sen. Shiri, that people do not understand that development does not end. Some think that if we do one or two things then development ends, yes we can do that but it takes time. It needs a lot of money, training, dedication and many other things. If you go to developed countries, even today they are still building new schools because the population will be increasing. What they built in the past have now become old, therefore those buildings need to be rehabilitated. So development is not something which you can say, we have developed and we are done but you continue developing.

When we entered the New Dispensation, some people thought that problems were going to end there and then. It is not like that, it will not end in the timeframe which you think as an individual. It is not bad to wish that things must fast track to end but it takes time to solve economic issues. If you look at case studies of other countries which had economies that had gone down and reached our level before the Second Republic, we see that when they took the decision to revive their economies it took time. I am not saying the economic recovery path must not take time but the nitty-gritties which we need to put attention to takes a long time and many people are needed so that there will be development.

Unity is also needed. These things also need money and money does not come overnight. Money is earned bit by bit. The late Hon. Shiri could articulate all those issues very well. In our province, we worked with him. He was one of the great leaders in our area. He even nominated me to become a Senator, it could have gone the other way. He supported me to become a Senator for me to be in this House and I also supported him to remain in his position, so we were helping each other.

Therefore, I support this motion. The role played by the late Hon. Sen. Shiri and the work which he did in Parliament, Government, province and the whole country and all the different positions which he held showed that he was a dedicated person and was a good performer. Thank you Mr. President.

*HON. SEN. FEMAI: Thank you Mr. President. I also rise to add a few words in testimonial as well as to appreciate the work that was done by the late Hon. Comrade Shiri. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to the mover of the motion Hon. Sen. Tongogara seconded by Hon. Sen. Chimutengwende. I thank you for moving the motion.

I once rose in this august House thanking him during his lifetime. Today I now posthumously thank him. I proposed that we should thank each other whilst we are still alive.   We mentioned the good attributes that each and every one of us has and not to only say it after the person has passed on because we do not know whether the deceased can hear what I will be able to say because no one has ever risen from the dead to then tell us of their experiences. If the expression of gratitude is done during the presence of the member, they will do much better and continue doing good because they will have been praised for doing good. That is what I initially said during his presence in his lifetime.

Today I now want to thank him by expressing my condolences.   For me to first come to know the late Hon. Sen. Shiri, it was through the Dynamos Football club. I was with Comrade Zvoma who was the Secretary of the club and I was the Chairperson. We were coming from Mutare after having played a match. We were very happy because we had won the match. When we got to Rusape, we got into a hotel near the bridge and had a meal there. I did not know Cde Shiri then. Cde Zvoma got out of the car and ran to hug Cde Shiri. He was not dressed in military attire but in civilian clothes. He appeared like an ordinary man. Cde Zvoma introduced me to Cde Shiri and I was shocked that the man we read in the newspapers had hugged Cde Zvoma. I then reckoned that he must be a man of the people. We greeted each other and from there on, we would pass perfunctory greetings.

When this country was hit by Cyclone Idai, we were moving around with a Committee. We met him in Mutare; I greeted him and I did not notice that it was him. I noticed that he was dressed for the occasion. He was wearing overalls, suitable hats and gumboots. This attire befitted the terrain and the Cyclone which had hit the area. Some leaders who were there were not properly dressed. If there was need to pull people trapped by the mud, he would pull them without any difficulty. That is when I realised that we should have given him his recognition and praise. If we could find four Ministers who are in the same mould as Hon. Sen. Shiri, our country would have developed but alas, he is no more. If a replacement in the same mode could be found, things will work out well for us.

I would want to thank the new dispensation for recognising that he was one of the Commanders of the Army for a long time and he had been there and there had been peace and respect; he had to retire because he had worked very well. Unlike others, there would have been an uprising after leading for a few years. I would like to thank the new dispensation for his vision and realisation that the late Shiri was the man of the people and would work for the people. He was a servant of the people and we should emulate him.

As we were growing up and we were playing plastic balls, I would call myself Duster King – because he was a good football player and a good role model. We should have models like the late Hon. Sen. Shiri who should rise and step up in our society so that our country can be developed. May his Soul rest in peace.

HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Mr President for affording me this opportunity to support the motion moved by Hon. Sen. Tongogara and seconded by Hon. Sen. Chimutengwende. The history of the late Chief Air Marshal has been well chronicled by those who spoke before me. He has a rich chequered career, in terms of the duties that he discharged during his life-time. Let me say that the late Hon. Sen. Shiri would visit us in our constituencies in Mt Darwin. As has already been mentioned by the majority of the speakers, he was down to earth and humble, and he would never show off either as a Minister or a senior party official. He was a man of the people who easily mingled with the ordinary citizenry. As far as he was concerned, he was not the leader who enjoyed food from the high table but rejoiced in sharing any available meal without any protocol being observed. I would want to thank him for being an exemplary servant leader.

As has been already alluded to by Hon. Sen. Chimutengwende, the late Air Chief Marshal was one of the most senior ranking party officials in Mashonaland Central Province. At provincial level, he discharged his duties very well. He was a dedicated leader whose ambition was to see the development of Mashonaland Central. He led by example, I remember one incident when he challenged us by donating 20 herd of cattle to the cause of Mashonaland Central. He was an honest person who abhorred lying, ill disciplined and disrespectful people. He never brooked from remonstrating with them, there and then. Thereafter he would exchange handshakes with you to signify that the matter was now water under the bridge.

The late Hon. Sen. Shiri built Murongwe Primary and Secondary schools in Mt Darwin North as a token of appreciation for the support that he received when he waged the liberation struggle in the Tete province. These schools rank among the best constructed in Mt Darwin North. The late Hon. Shiri was raised up by well mannered parents, and this showed through his own good behaviour. Dande in Mashonaland Central were quite saddened when they learnt of the untimely death of the late Hon. Shiri. The people in Mt Darwin North, in remembrance of the memory of the late Shiri now want to rename Murongwe Primary and Secondary schools to Perrance Shiri Primary and Secondary schools. To that end, the community has already approached Pfura Rural District Council with this request. He received several medals in recognition of the good work that he conducted during his life time. Medals are never awarded to lazy people. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the parents of the late Shiri, his family and his clan on the loss of such a gallant son. We are together as we mourn his untimely death. As an august House, I would want to believe that we have learnt a lot from his servant leadership. In his last days he was appointed the leader of this House, but he never spent a lot of time in that position as he untimely passed on. I urge the children in Mt Darwin North to utilise the schools that he constructed to make Mashonaland Central a better place. I thank you.

+HON. SEN. M. NDLOVU: I would like to thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to deliberate on the current motion. I would also like to thank Hon. Sen. Tongogara for honouring our fellow Hon. Member after his untimely death. It is important that after the departure of a fellow Hon. Member we note his contributions to the development of our country. We need to appreciate his good deeds as a nation. Hon. Shiri was a humble man. You could not tell he was a Minister. We were close and every time he came to Bulawayo he would address me as a soldier. He would say soldier jump and I would say how high and he used to laugh. His death was really sad. It affected us that he just passed on without falling sick for a long time.

There is a common adage that says the good deeds that you do whilst on earth will follow you. This means that Hon. Shiri had a good relationship with Zimbabwean citizens. I would also like to thank his Excellency for appointing Hon. Shiri as a Cabinet Minister. This was a humble man who rarely put on a suit like other Ministers. He was always dressed in a humble manner. He used to attend funerals which reflects that he was a soldier at heart. Hon. Shiri was a caring person, a true patriot who knew what he fought for during the liberation struggle.

People might take it lightly but being a soldier is not easy. He went to different countries on duty representing Zimbabwe. Even though we did not recognise his contributions then Sen. Tongogara did a good job by honouring the late Hon. Shiri. I remember at one time when he visited Bulawayo and asked us whether we had tractors and we told him we did not have tractors then. Hon. Shiri then requested that we compile a list and submit it to his office so that he could assist us. Unfortunately, before he achieved that he passed on.

When Hon. Shiri was appointed the leader of this House, I almost walked from Bulawayo to Harare. I had missed a sitting then he called me so that I could come and deliberate on a Bill. He said that he wanted me in Harare and it did not matter which mode of transport I was going to use but he just wanted me in Harare. This shows he was a perfectionist who wanted to complete every task to his family, a family which gave us a national hero - and to His Excellency who recognised him as a national hero, a courageous and brave hero. I would also like to thank his family, Hon. Sen. Tongogara and all our elders who recognised him as a national hero. We are together with his family in remembering his good deeds and we will continue remembering him. I thank you.

*HON. SEN. SEKERAMAYI: Thank you Mr. President. I rise to support the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Tongogara about the Late Hon. Sen. Rtd. Air Chief Marshall Perrance Shiri. It is not easy to talk about the Late Hon. Sen. if you have not known him for a life time. The Late Hon. Senator is among our heroes, he left school as a young man to pursue the liberation of Zimbabwe after we had reached a stage where we agreed that we are our own liberators.

As has already been mentioned, he left the country and went through Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and later went to the front where he was operating from Mozambique. The Hon. Senator was one of the leaders who had a commitment to the liberation of this country, who wanted to see the children of Zimbabwe be molded as young students that they should leave their education and be taught how to use firearms and that was our intention as we were fighting.

He would do so in a humble manner. He never bragged about the power he yielded. He had the dignity that made people listen to him. He went through difficult times but as you all know, there were some who would abandon the liberation struggle as the going got tougher. He is one of the trusted leaders of the war veterans that were entrusted to ensure that things are right. He was a man of action, he was reliable in that in difficult situations, he would be send anywhere.

When we got our independence, he went and joined the Air Force and others joined the army. The majority of people in Air Force that time were whites and there were a few blacks who were serving tea and no black person occupied the position of a pilot. For us to have Zimbabwean pilots, men and women that could do operations, this was brought about by the Late Hon. Senator.   As a country, we lost a dedicated cadre because of the death of the Late Hon. Senator.

As Zimbabwe, we must be self reliant in terms of food security. We want to move away from the begging tag because if you are constantly receiving food relief from others, you present yourself as a poor person. The Late Hon. Senator committed himself to ensuring that the agriculture sector is revived and that we will be able to grow our own food and be self sufficient. We will also be able to sell surplus to other countries and we will become the bread basked of Southern Africa. We will be a country that will be reckoned with in terms of being self sufficient. No one was amazed that the late Hon. Senator was declared a national hero because everyone else knew. What surprised a lot of people is that no one was aware that he was ill; it came as a shock and to a complete surprise that he had passed on; that is how he passed on. You are all aware that we worked with the Hon. Senator for a very long time; I am not going to be too personal about it. He is one of our commanders. There will be a Zimbabwe Defence Forces delegation that will be going to Ethiopia, Egypt and West Africa. If the late Hon. Senator was present, one would know that Zimbabwe was represented by a strong man who speaks the truth about Zimbabwe; an honest man who stood for his country but when the Lord creates us, he also knows when we will pass on. The manner in which the Hon. Senator passed on hurts a lot of people. I want to say with these few words Hon. Sen. Rtd Air Chief Marshall Perrance Shiri, wherever you are, remember that the majority of people that you left on this planet, especially Zimbabwe, still love you and respect the work that you did and commend the efforts that you did as Minister of Agriculture. Wherever you are, rest in eternal peace, I thank you.

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Hon. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. CHIRONGOMA: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday 18^th November, 2020.

On the motion of the MINISTER OF STATE FOR MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE (HON. MAVHUNGA), the Senate adjourned at Ten Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.