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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 27 JUNE 2013 VOL. 39 NO. 30
A t215225 27/6/13
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Thursday, 27th June, 2013
The House of Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two O’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING SPEAKER in the Chair)
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF HON. EDWARD
TAKARUZA CHINDORI-CHININGA
- MUNENGAMI: I move the motion standing in my name
that this House expresses its profound sorrow on the sudden, untimely and tragic death on Wednesday, 19th June, 2013 of Edward Takaruza
Chindori-Chininga; Hon Member of Parliament.
- MUSHONGA: I second.
- MUNENGAMI: Edward Chindori is no more, in flesh and blood but in his words and deeds will remain permanently in our memories to allow us to celebrate his life and death as part of an inevitable exit mankind faces. His death is a big blow to parliamentary democracy. But one might want to ask who Chindori was.
Edward Chindori Chininga was born 58 years ago. He completed his Ordinary Level education at Kabulonga Boy’s Secondary School in Lusaka, Zambia in 1976. In 1978, he obtained a Diploma in French Language at the University of Clement Ferran, France. In 1978, he completed the Diploma in Sales Management and Marketing (UK). In 1979, he obtained a Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management (France). In 1980 he gained a Certificate in Classic Cuisine and was subsequently attached to Aeroport Hotel in France on a year-long internship where he gained experience as Front Office Trainee Manager and as Night Duty Manager.
In 1981, he was appointed Assistant Conference Manager based at
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva,
Switzerland. Between 1981 and 1983, he was the Marketing Manager for North America based in Chicago Illinois, USA. In 1983, he became
Director for North America for the Zimbabwe Tourist Office in New York, USA, a position he served up to 1988.
Between 1988 and 1992, he was appointed Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Harare, Zimbabwe. He rose to the position of Director for Southern Africa in the Zimbabwe Tourist Office in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1992 and was subsequently posted to the Harare Office in the same capacity. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism in 1995 and served up to June 1997. He was appointed Minister of Mines, Environment and Tourism in June 1997 and later transferred to become Minister of Mines and Mining Development, a position he held until February 2004.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Guruve South
Constituency in April 1995, in 2000, 2005 and in March 2008 elections.
That is when I now came to know him when I joined the Mines
Committee. He served as the Chairperson of the heroic Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy from the inception of the Inclusive Government to the time of his death.
Mr. Speaker Sir, this committee which Hon. Chindori chaired became the talk of Parliament, if not the whole country, through its oversight role when it conducted enquiries into the diamonds, chrome, energy and the Mashava-Zvishavane Asbestos Mines.
It was this committee Mr. Speaker Sir, which even the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Zvoma here to my knowledge, will always remember because it put him on the world map when he presented a paper on
Zimbabwe’s Parliament’s oversight role in Europe. His paper was well received internationally when he eloquently spoke about the achievements of the Mines Committee.
It was through this Committee Mr. Speaker Sir, through the leadership of the late Hon. Chindori which, exposed, through its report and investigations, Mbada, the largest diamond producer which had lied that it contributed about 293 million dollars to Treasury when in fact only 4 million was remitted to Treasury.
It was this Committee Sir, which exposed that Government may have been disadvantaged through investments which were made in diamond mining by its joint venture partners. Hon. Speaker, Mbada and Canadile were supposed to invest $100 million each for a start but only $5 million was invested and this was revealed when ZMDC expressed reservations in its diligent report.
It was this Committee Hon. Speaker Sir, through the leadership of Hon. Chindori, which exposed the entire diamond chain of disorder; like the aborted auction sale which took place in Harare which shows the lack of coordination within Government institutions. It was again this Committee Sir, which became the first in the history of Parliament to invoke Section 9 of the Powers of Parliament to force mining bosses to come and appear before it.
It was Mr. Speaker Sir, this Committee which brought to the world, the untold suffering story of the Mashaba-Zvishavane mining community at a time when such voices were missing in action. This
Committee gave this mining community their voice in Parliament. And as stated by Mutumwa Mawere that although as a Committee we lost the battle, we did not lose the war. The Mashava-Zvishavane story became a reminder that change can only happen when people choose to act and through Hon. Chindori, we acted and this legacy will forever be secured in our world. Hon. Speaker Sir, it was again this Committee which almost brought Senator. Chinamasa down to his knees only to be saved by you Sir, when we wanted to charge him with contempt of court. It was this Committee through Hon. Chindori-Chininga which exposed how the issuance of chrome mining claims had affected the industry, and how political heavy weights were protecting the miners who were defacing the environment. Mr. Speaker Sir, I could speak on and on, on the achievements of the Mines Committee. I know this might take two days and you might be forced to extend the life of this
Parliament up to next week, but only to say because of Hon. ChindoriChininga, the Committee became a thorn in the flesh of the Executive and Minister Mpofu can testify to this.
In his speech on the eve of our independence, the then Prime
Minister, now the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His
Excellency President R. G. Mugabe said, “as we become a new people we are called to be constructive, progressive and forward looking, for we cannot afford to be men and women of yesterday. Our new nation requires us to be a new man, a new woman with a new heart and a new spirit. Hon. Chindori-Chininga was indeed very constructive and progressive.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Chindori-Chininga wanted to change the system not just to understand it. He knew what he wanted in life. He was focused and very outspoken about national issues, yet he was humble and non controversial. He was forthcoming in terms of his work and he knew his subject so well. Hon. Chindori-Chininga was one politician who worked so hard for his country. He could speak his mind out and could defend his thoughts without fear or favour. He respected his party’s leadership yet he could not be bullied around, no wonder why he was chucked out of COPAC.
Mr. Speaker Sir, Hon. Chindori-Chininga was a highly accessible and accountable person through the social media platforms. This allowed him to be invited and present papers to different foras both locally and regionally. As a Committee we looked up to him for guidance. He was like a father to us. He provided the needed leadership. We became a formidable force with the assistance of the Committee staff (Mr. S. Manhivi, Ms. A. Gutu, Mrs. C. Mataruka and of course, Tezvara Nyamuramba, the Public Relations officer). He could laugh, joke and even allowed us to mock each other about our different political parties. I remember one of his jokes when we argued about Hon. Kay better known as Baba Davie here and Hon. Haritatos also better known as Baba George. When we talked about them being whites that they should be chased away, he would say, “no comrades, Baba George is not white but Greek. So only Baba Davie should go”, such was Hon. Edward Chindori-Chininga for you.
What is worrisome to me Mr. Speaker Sir, even to many honourable members here is that, Hon. Chindori-Chininga, the gallant son of the soil, the Parliament hero, the Zimbabwean populace hero, was not granted national hero status. It brings me to the question of who a hero in a Zimbabwean perspective should be. Even here at Parliament where he excelled greatly, where he raised the name of Parliament high, where the clerk spoke highly of the good work of the Committee, where a bus was provided during our tours in the country, the administration of this august House found it not important to provide a bus to go and bury him because this has never happened before.
Surely Mr. Speaker, does it need the SROC to make that decision? Does it need this august House to make that decision just to provide a bus kuenda paGuruve. When the Executive declares someone a national hero, you rush to give us coupons but one of our own, a backbencher you refuse to give us a bus which is actually cheaper. Why Mr. Speaker Sir? I believe we need to change the way we do things here Mr. Speaker Sir.
Lastly, as we celebrate the life of Hon. Edward Chindori-Chininga, we would always remember the statement by Mrs. Margaret Thatcher as stated by Mr. Mawere that says, “society does not exist but individuals do”. This is also applicable to political institutions and if it is correct that individuals give society character and personality, it must be true that individuals also shape and define political institutions. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is often easy to assume that political institutions, the character and personality required to exist and survive; Hon. Chindori-Chininga did that. In his small way, he gave ZANU PF party a character and personality which was not known to them. He was appointed to be chairperson of the COPAC’s All Stakeholders Conferences.
To conclude Mr. Speaker Sir, I will quote what Mai Mujuru said when she visited the Chindori-Chininga family, “why Chindori” and I am also saying “why Chindori”, my mentor, my leader, my father, advisor, why has God done this to you? Why die tragically? Why die after a successful meeting we had at the Rainbow Hotel on Tuesday? How can we as a nation, as a people, as a Government not give such gallant sons of our country national hero status? Why, why, why? As his mother said, “only God knows” and I will also say “only you the
Almighty know the reason why you did it.” I thank you.
- MUDIWA: Thank Mr. Speaker. I rise to express my condolences to the family of the late Hon. Chindori-Chininga. Edward Chindori-Chininga was a brave person who stood up to any type of evil forces. He was a very professional person who stood above partisan politics. He was very bold, especially on the issue of Chiadzwa diamonds. He raised the issue of lack of transparency and accountability to the highest tone.
Mr. Speaker, the late Hon. Chindori-Chininga expressed his concern on the way the relocation in Chiadzwa was done. He upheld that the Government of Zimbabwe should follow international standards when it comes to relocation.
Under his leadership, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on
Mines and Energy, is and is still the best Committee in this current Parliament. Zimbabwe and his family have lost an intelligent and fearless leader. May his soul rest in peace, I thank you.
*MR MAZIKANA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I rise to thank the mover and the seconder of the motion. The mover of the motion touched our hearts because he is talking about a person we knew very well. I worked with the late Hon Chindori-Chininga for many years. Having worked for the civil service, he was asked by Mashonaland Central politicians to contest as a Member of Parliament for Guruve. He contested but unfortunately, there was a dispute and he did not make it to Parliament that year.
I knew the late Chindori-Chininga as a man who knew a lot of languages. His other name was Takaruza. He would speak several
Zambian languages. Amongst the languages he spoke were English,
French, Shona and Chikorekore. In 1995, he became a Member of
Parliament. He represented Guruve South and I represented Guruve North. He had more experience in the operations of the Government and he would assist me as a Member of Parliament of Guruve North. He would advise me properly. I recall he helped me with the first project in
Southern Africa, that of rearing impalas. We had come up with Gonono Impala Range and we got support from SERAD, which is a French based organisation. The project is helping the people who live in the
Zambezi Valley in the Mbire area which was formerly Guruve North.
The late Chindori-Chininga was a conservationist. He encouraged the upkeep of faunas. We used to have meetings in both our constituencies. We used to have joint meetings. The late ChindoriChininga was a member of the ZANU PF Central Committee. He was also a member of the National Consultative Assembly in ZANU PF. Before he lost his life, the late Hon. Chindori-Chininga had embarked on some projects in his constituency. In the last six months, he had started small irrigation schemes. He has a heifer bull scheme which he was running in his constituency. Many would remember him when they see the bulls in his constituency and that they have received a lifelong gift.
He had farming at heart and he was farming in Mazoe. He was supporting the Zimbabwe Agrarian Reform. I would want to thank the Government for affording him the Provincial Liberation Hero status. I would want to say brother Chininga, go well, rest in eternal peace.
Remember the children that you have left in Guruve South as well as your family. To Linda and the Chindori-Chininga family, I say my heartfelt condolences on the loss of such an energetic man. I thank you.
- GWIYO: Let me also join other colleagues in expressing my sympathy to the Chindori-Chininga family. Mr. Speaker Sir, I had at one time, the privilege of discussing with the late hon. member, when I asked him the question that, why is it that in ZANU PF you are so brave and you can speak out. His answer was that during their stay in Zambia, his father had the privilege of associating with President Mugabe and the late Vice President Msika Hon. Joseph Msika. So, to him, he actually had a fair and father-son like relationship with the Head of State and that was his answer. Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not in my interest to discuss whether he was supposed to be a hero or not a hero. I am more worried with the problem that the issue of discussing a hero or not a hero is a
ZANU PF issue. As a member of MDC, I am more worried with the
ZANU PF tendencies that are creeping into the MDC. This is manifesting itself in the nature with which we have engaged so far in having stolen elections through and through in the primaries.
I want to indicate the fact that today we are crying about the loss of Hon. Chindori-Chininga. What is the future case of Hon. Mafa who initially was declared having won and all of a sudden was told that he had lost? Are we not also ashamed of creating problems when we are supposed to be an institution of excellence?
Mr. Speaker Sir, I also feel sorry that Hon. Chindori has departed without his promised laptop while we are all aware that the Minister of Information Communication Technology promised all of us laptops. I am worried and disappointed but it is my hope that this commitment will be fulfilled. I will be very disappointed to comprehend the fact that in the five years, the Minister of ICT succeeded in giving Chinotimba only a laptop. I am disappointed Mr. Speaker.
Let me also raise Mr. Speaker, the fact that we cherish some of the ideas that Hon. Chindori actually left to us. He was very clear. He was against the behaviour of people surrounding the Head of State, telling him a lot of lies. I can imagine and I am also getting worried that my own President, my Prime Minister is not receiving issues that are actually affecting us at the ground and it is not in the interest of our struggle for change.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me also take this opportunity to bring about two perspectives: we need to tame the road carnage but we also need to tame the political carnage both inter and intra. It is my hope that the issues that I am raising Mr. Speaker, it is fortunate that I have the freedom to do that in this Hon. House.
As I conclude, I want to express my deepest sadness in the loss of Hon. Chindori-Chininga and I also had an opportunity to borrow some of the issues that he cherished. On some of the issues, it will be a good thing to also see them going on as we pursue our struggle, the agenda for change. Viva freedom of speech! Mr. Chair, thank you.
*MRS. MATAMISA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I am rising to speak about the hero that has just departed. I also want to raise my voice to the Chininga family, saying we are crying together with them. I have known the man who was known as Hon. Chindori Chininga for a very long time. I used to hear about him on the news when he was still working in some ministries as alluded to by the earlier speakers.
The reason why I have stood to speak is mainly on the work that we worked together from 2009 when we were appointed to be part of the Select Committee of Parliament, to develop a new Constitution. That is when I learnt about the real personality of this man called Chininga. When we got to COPAC, to progress, we decided to have subcommittees which would feed into the main Select Committee. So, Hon. Chindori-Chininga was selected by his party ZANU PF to be the head of the Stakeholders Sub-Committee in which I was part of, as a member.
The leadership, Hon. Chindori-Chininga displayed was of high calibre. Hon. Chindori-Chininga, as the Chairperson of the Committee of the Stakeholders, was a pacifier of the group. He would quickly identify challenges and then resolve it before it would have had gone far. Hon. Chindori-Chininga in that Committee would accord every person a chance to contribute and everybody was being treated equally and contributions receiving equal status value. He had not undermined anyone’s views.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: Order hon. members, please switch
off your cell phones.
*MRS. MATAMISA: I am sorry Mr. Speaker Sir; I cannot even switch it off, it is new technology. Hon. Chindori-Chininga valued the contributions of hon. members who were in his Sub-Committee. Therefore, when the Sub-Committee would meet, whatsoever we would have agreed to would stand firm and none was able to change it. Despite his best conduct, that did not please his party ZANU PF because there was strong friendship since the team had bonded and was ready to do the will of the people, we had been representing here in Parliament and the wishes of our Principals. ZANU PF was never impressed and they rushed with his name to the high levels until ZANU PF removed Chindori-Chininga on the list of names of the Select Committee before we had finished our mandate to produce the Constitution.
That is one of the issues which worried us but we could not do anything as MDC since we had not been able to fight for someone in ZANU PF, if ZANU PF itself had failed to fight for its own people. Let me hasten to say, Hon. Chindori-Chininga was a friend even here in this august House and everywhere. If you would meet him, he would say how are you mother? Senator Muchihwa was his real mother and I was not but I had become his mother also. He would say mother, how are you? He would say, how is home? That was his personality. He respected others. In English they say, “respect is earned; it is two way and it is reciprocal.” That is what Hon. Chindori-Chininga would do. He started by respecting others and now we are respecting him even though he is no longer with us.
He was a relative to those who had none. Chindori-Chininga never stereo-typed anyone. He would respect everyone. He had no problem with other people’s views but his problem was on those who did not have a vision of the future. I think Hon. Chininga already had a different view of things because he was seeing and living in a world of his own which is not the one we are in. What he had been doing could not reflect that he still had any relationship with ZANU PF. He had a different personality.
I do not want to speak further because I may disturb his travelling soul. At this point in time, I would like to say, may your dear soul rest in eternal peace. To your wife, your children and your daughters, we are with you as you mourn. May the good Lord console you during this difficult time? I thank you Mr. Speaker.
- F.M. SIBANDA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. I
need to join the other forces in celebrating the life of Hon. ChindoriChininga, but there is a flipside of his story that I need to elucidate to this House. Before I continue, I need to thank you Mr. Speaker, for I believe that, this is my benediction statement. As I took it yesterday, that when I started in 2008, I had a problem of crafting my maiden speech, hence I was taught to craft it. Today, it appears that it is the end of my history as a Member of Parliament because times change and people change. Therefore, it is my benediction to this august House.
This is so because for 120, years the Zimbabwean Parliament has not done a mammoth work that we have done constitutionally. This Seventh Parliament is the mother of all Parliaments since 1890 because referendums and constitutional dispensations, most of them were no votes. I remember very well that in 1923, a constitutional dispensation was undertaken to choose a Union of South Africa and also self government. The whites then chose self government.
In 1972, the Pearce Commission was also a resounding no. In 2000, there was a resounding no of the referendum but come 2013, we had a massive resounding yes. So, I need to thank this Parliament for the mammoth task that they did together with Chindori-Chininga.
Otherwise, we are the best Parliamentarians.
People might say we have not performed, but we knew we were performing, trying to reform the laws of this country of which we did holistically and successfully. Those that are going to continue as
Members of Parliament should take the spirit of Chindori-Chininga to implement what the spirit and letter of the Constitution of Zimbabwe is currently enacted.
The flipside of Chindori-Chininga was a freedom fighter; hence his character is contradictory to ZANU PF. He was a war freedom fighter based in Zambia, hence when Hon. Mazikana spoke here; he had a lot of resistance when he was to join the political party in his home area. He has a background of Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army (ZIPRA), under the leadership of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, Dumiso Dabengwa the suprimo intelligence officer, Nikita Mangena, Lookout Masuku, Jaison Ziyapapa Moyo and George Silundika.
So, he was never acceptable to ZANU PF because he was working under these leaderships of ZIPRA and ZAPU. He was doing what we call military reconnaissance. It is a technical word that is used in the military terms - reconnaissance, intelligence. You could gather intelligence in Zambia and you could come to Zimbabwe, gather intelligence and feed ZIPRA for better execution of the war. You can see that he was with ZANU PF, but the majority of ZANU PF members never accepted him holistically because his background was ZIPRA/ZAPU.
He suffered like me on identity crisis. ZANU PF thought that he was a Zambian but his heritage and ancestors are Zimbabweans of the korekore tribe. It is also ironical that as I speak, the moment you migrate to a certain country and when you come back to your homeland, you suffer what I call identity crisis. They will take you and accept you the way they want you to or they will choose whatever they want. One day you will be a frog when they need you. Tomorrow they will say you are bait, when they do not want you.
So, Mr. Chininga suffered identity crisis because for most of his life, he lived in Zambia. Mr. Speaker Sir, I am very saddened that a man of that magnitude and stature has been awarded the least liberation status, that a toddler could be afforded. I moved a motion in 2008 on who has to be conferred a hero status. Some of ZANU PF members supported that motion. That motion was certified here but implementation thereof is zero. So, inqobe yami, chitsvembu, my challenge is that those who will be coming in the Eighth Parliament, you should be strict with motions that are certified. When a motion is adopted, where is it transmitted to?
Is it transmitted to the Speaker’s Gallery or to the Clerk of Parliament and that is the end? I think with my studies, whenever a motion is tabled, it has to be certified and transmitted to the respective offices so that it has to be adopted. So, I leave this Parliament with a very big heart that whatever we did for five years has never been implemented to the spirit and letter. Only the constitutional dispensation that we did leaves us with great sigh that we achieved together with the late hero, Chindori-Chininga.
Heroes are never declared by the living but heroes are self declared. The living only pronounce after you have died. So, I am urging this august House that heroism is never bought. 0Some are born leaders and for others leadership as acquired but heroism is self made by characteristics and by your way of doing things – by being honeót, transparent and kind minded. I urge this House to take cognisance ïf all what I have said together with what Hon. Munengami said. I wish this Hon. Hero to rest én peace. I thank you.
THE MINISTER OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. It is unusual for miniSters to speak on motimns, but this is an auspicious occasion ánd I wish to associate mySelf with the words expRessed on behalf of the departed late Edward Khindori-Chininea.
Mr. Speaker Sir, there are four words which qre important when we zemmmbeR tie life /f thd late Chinlori-Chininga. There$is tranqparency and accouîtabili|y. Mr. Speaker Óir,"the late ChindoriChininga espoused these qu!lities in their fullest extent. You will recall that the last report that he presented to this Parliament is a report which attacked the opaque nature in which, in particular, our diamond industry was being managed or mismanaged. What Edward Chindori Chininga stood for was transparency and accountability? The corollary to this is impunity and entitlement.
Again, Mr. Speaker, for those who associated with him, they will appreciate, know and accept that this was a person who did not tolerate impunity and entitlement. This Parliament, this country is the worst for his passing but whilst we mourn his passing, let us all rejoice in the sense that we had an opportunity to know Hon. Chindori-Chininga during his lifetime. We were enriched by the discourses we had with him and we must say with humility, that God has taken him but obviously to his family we must extend our sincere condolences.
- MUNENGAMI: Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir. As I stand here to move for the adoption of this motion, I just want to say Hon. Chindori-Chininga was a principled man. I also appreciate the principles which are being shown by the hon. members here present. However, I feel that this is not the platform for us as Members of Parliament to settle our grievances within our political parties. It is very unfortunate Hon. Speaker. I think as hon. Members of Parliament, we have got platforms within our political parties to air our grievances, not in this august House.
Anyway, I would like to thank Hon. Mudiwa for being the seconder. Hon. Mazikana, maita henyu Honourable nemashoko akanaka amataura. Hon. Gwiyo and Hon. Mai Matamisa nemashoko akanaka avataura. Hon. F.M. Sibanda, thank you very much for the input, history and information which you actually gave us. Minister Matinenga, thank you very much.
I do not know Hon. Speaker, if you could allow me to sing a song which Hon. Chindori Chininga once asked me to sing tiri mucommittee. Just a short one and I hope vana amai muchandibvumirawo. Kambo kechechi yeRoma. Tibvumirane vanokagona. Mundiregererewo panzwi maybe ndinga failure.
Hon. Members broke into song ‘Mariya naMarita’ led by Hon.
Munengami.
Thank you very much. Now I move for the adoption of the motion in respect of Hon. Chindori-Chininga.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Mr.
Speaker, this Seventh Parliament, on this particular day, at this particular hour, ends on a very somber note when one has regards to the moving tribute to the Hon. Chindori-Chininga and particularly, the last song ably led by Hon. Munengami.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it was the vain anticipation of some of us that maybe, the Constitutional Court would be able to sit and determine the various constitutional applications which were placed before it before this Seventh Parliament’s life comes to an end, but that has not been possible. Those constitutional applications which would have been relevant to a further sitting of this House are only going to be before the court, I am told, next week Thursday, 4th of July, 2013.
On that account, Mr. Speaker, may I thank the members who have come to this House this afternoon. May I thank the members who have contributed to making this Parliament possible and I wish that a number of them would be able to come back in the next Parliament. For a number of us, today would be our ‘last supper’. May I then consequently move for the adjournment of the House.
THE ACTING SPEAKER: It has been a joy to work with you hon. members.
The House accordingly adjourned at a Quarter past Three o’clock p.m. sine die.