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SENATE HANSARD 26 FEBRUARY 2013 VOL. 22 NO. 13
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 26th February 2013
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m
PRAYERS
(THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPHONES
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT: May I remind hon. senators to switch off their cell phones before the commencement of business.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
+SENATOR MBAMBO: Thank you Mr. President, I would also like to add my voice to this motion that was brought before Parliament. I have a few things that I would like to add because a lot was said already.
The President spoke about empowerment. I know Mr. President, and that this is not the first time that this thing has happened. Those who used to rule us some time back, also had their own empowerment. At times I hear people saying that it is not proper for people to be given land. What I would like to say is that our colonisers distributed land to their children and after distributing land to their children, they gave them implements to use on the land. They were also given cattle; there was this thing that was called the Cold Storage Commission (CSC). They would take cattle and give them to their children, after giving them farms, they would give them about a 100 to 1000 cattle and out of those, they would be 50 bulls or so, those 50 bulls were not supposed to die.
So those 50 bulls would steer maybe about 1000 heifers.
These heifers would then belong to the person who was looking after the cattle, that was part of empowerment. Some of us have benefited from the land re-distribution but some people are not happy because they are saying, why were people given land yet they only have one donkey or they do not have cattle at all? But it is better to posses land and to be empowered.
So I am encouraging us as Zimbabweans to support each other and lift each other up. The President spoke about empowerment; we have now been empowered. We were given land and all those people who were given farms should see to it that they are assisted. If they are assisted, they will live better lives because this is some form of empowerment. Some people are saying the new farmers are doing nothing in the new resettlements, but these people need to be assisted by the Government just like what the President said. This is empowerment, we did not have anything long back and there was no way we could possess land. Now that people have been given land, they should be assisted; maybe people from AREX should be sent there to teach the people how to do farming and how to also carry out cattle ranching.
This is a very good thing and I am encouraging all Zimbabweans to embrace this.
The President also spoke about indigenisation, it is also another way of empowerment. Everything that is on land should assist people from Zimbabwe. They should own what is in Zimbabwe. I know that others were empowered long back before us, but now if we talk about 49:51 percent, that is a very noble thing. Here as I am talking, Chiefs were told that they should start another programme which will give them 10% ownership scheme. Some areas, people have started receiving money from mining companies from their areas. In some areas, nothing has been done but where I come from, Bubi district, which is under Chief Mtshane, in October, the President received a cheque from a certain company. People who were gathered there were told of the money; they celebrated, but now five months down the line, we have not received that money. It will seem as if they were talking of something that never happened. I feel if money has been given to the people, then it should be disbursed to the people quickly.
Still on the indigenisation issue, in some areas there are people who have a lot of things and they do not want to share with others. I am not talking about the 49:51 percent. I am talking about the mines. In mines, there are claims; people have pegged so many places. From Lupane, Gwanda and so forth, but that person is not using all those places; he claims that they are his and he is paying for them. I am appealing Mr. President, because people are not happy. People are holding on to claims that they are not using Mr. President.
The President said that people in Zimbabwe should benefit from the gold in the country. People are saying why should someone own several claims, yet some people have nothing. They argue saying that they paid for the claims. We do not want to forcibly repossess those claims but we are just pointing this out because this is one of the issues which the President spoke about. That is why Mr. President, I said I just wanted to add my voice. In Bubi district, people are still waiting for the money that they were promised which was for indigenisation. I have brought this before this Senate because it is difficult for me now to give the people in the Constituency answers. Mr. President, I would like to thank you and to thank the President for what he said.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27th February, 2013.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
JOHN LANDA NKOMO
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the tragic and untimely death of Honourable Vice President John Landa Nkomo.
Question again proposed.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS : Thank you very much Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to say something on this motion. I just –
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Order! You are adjourning
the debate.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS: I wanted to make a contribution on the motion.
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Could you take your seat?
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS: Thank you.
THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Hon. Deputy Minister, you may
go ahead.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS: Thank you very much Mr. President, I just wanted to give a few remarks on this motion. I would like to give my sincere condolences on the passing away of the Vice President, who in my humble opinion, was a gentleman. Throughout his political career, I never heard him use hate-speech or hate-language. I would like to believe that, that alone distinguishes him from some people who use language that is inappropriate.
The departed Hon. Vice President was a man who went out of his way to talk and act peace. It is important, particularly for my generation and even younger generations to take note of nationalists who have
Zimbabwe truly at heart and love to see this great nation move forward. I think it is an important lesson to my generation, those who were younger than him, those who are of his generation and those who are younger than my generation. We should all take note of the fact that, even if we differ politically, it does not necessarily mean that we have to fight. It also does not mean that we are enemies, have to despise each other, demean each other and at any available opportunity, decry one another.
I am pleased that, here was a man who was indeed a national hero to the extent that, throughout his life – I remember following debates for many years even before independence, I never heard him use hatelanguage, which to me, is very important. I put him in the same category with other great heroes such as the late Herbert Wilshire
Chitepo, the late Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo, Nikita Mangena, Lookout Masuku and Josiah Tongogara. That calibre of heroes whom you cannot deny their heroism, you can only but marvel at them and you can only admire them. I hope that as this country moves forward, particularly as we enter into an electioneering period, we are going to learn from the likes of departed heroes like the late Hon. John Landa Nkomo and try to play our politics peacefully.
I am pleased that, I, in the company of Hon. Chamisa and Hon.
Holland, attended the church service at the late Vice President’s Milton Park house on the eve of his funeral. I felt particularly honoured when hon. Chamisa called and requested me to accompany him for the church service. I had no problems whatsoever to agree to that arrangement. With those few remarks, I just want to emphasise that, it is important for us the living, to learn from the good works done by our departed heroes.
On that note, may his departed soul rest in eternal peace. Thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL
AFFAIRS: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27th February, 2013.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS, the Senate adjourned at Five Minutes to
th May, 2013.
Three o’clock pm until Tuesday, 7