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SENATE HANSARD 16 OCTOBER 2024 VOL 34 NO 06
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 16th October, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I move that Order of the Day, Number 1 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
EQUIPPING OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS TO ENSURE COMMUNITIES PRACTICE, PRESERVE AND RESPECT CULTURAL PRACTICES
Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the demoralisation of cultural and our traditional values by western influence.
Question again proposed.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity for me to add a few words on this motion brought by Hon. Senator Muzoda, which was taking us back to the time when we were still young. Mr. President, I want to speak about our culture and traditional values and how we can revive them. We survived a peaceful life without disturbances and our children also lived happily. If you look at the way we raised our children, we did not give them cereal porridge like cerelac. We gave them sorghum and porridge with herbs to strengthen their immune systems. Even when growing up, they would grow up with a strong immune system. Currently, children do not have strong immune systems such that diseases are prone to attack them because they have weak immune systems.
Secondly, if you take a closer look; if an infant passes on, there was no time for people to gather for a funeral. Nowadays, for an infant, they slaughter a beast or a goat which did not happen before. What we knew was that the child was only buried by only a few old ladies. No males were allowed at the graveyard. This was done so as to prepare the life of the young woman so that in future, she would not face any troubles. However, everything has changed nowadays.
In our tradition, people did not make use of the hospitals because they did not suffer from ailments a lot. They understood that if one had a headache, they would look for certain herbs or a root to cure that ailment. Even the diseases that are attacking people these days, they would use herbs and roots. Males did not suffer this much, however, some of the males are failing to perform their conjugal rights. They are failing to satisfy their women. The cause of this is that people are taking sexual enhancements which only assist them to a certain extent. Our traditional people knew the type of foods for consumption. They took drinks like maheu to strengthen themselves but all these are no longer available.
Let me also talk about the way we preserved our grain after having harvested. We did not have dust insecticides to protect our grain. We would dig a pit and have a granary storage and people would pour their grain inside and close. The place was made to be air-tight. Cattle would be made to trample the grain to separate the grain from the chaff. Air would not find its way into the chambers where they were drying their grain and this was meant to preserve the grain. This process was not expensive because people were using their own initiatives to treat the grain.
Let me also add that our chiefs were not part of the elections, they did not submit any applications. A chief was installed through birth right but as for now, you will see people taking each other to court seeking the court’s intervention so as to gain the position of being a chief. Chiefs were identified by their traditional attire. This was done to show their identity and language. As we are using Venda also, we are Vendas but today it is no longer feasible, people feel you are exposing yourself and you are not dressing nicely because we have been brain washed by the whites.
Recently, we used to have big drums, these drums were used by different tribes, the Ngoma/lungundu – [AN HON. SEN: Inaudible interjections] –
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order Hon. Senator.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you for protecting me. This drum refers to Ngoma/lungundu, when people hear this drum, it signified that there were certain tribes or people that were invading a certain homestead and people would be advised to protect themselves. Nowadays we are just invaded without any notice. We are mourning and we are facing perennial droughts, these droughts for them to affect us, it is because we are losing our culture and our traditional values.
Long ago when the monsoon rains began, in the month of October, people would prepare for farming, people would go to a place called Ndzhelele to appease the ancestors and ask for the rains. When they come back in a short time, you would see clouds gathering and it will begin to rain. As of now, we are complaining about the droughts, our cattle are dying and people do not have food. All these big rivers that used to flow throughout the year, like Limpopo River, people have never seen the sand of that river because it never dries up. As of now the river has dried up.
My fellow citizens, if we are talking of the rains again, it used to rain continuously as there were ways that they also did for the rains and everything, now it is no longer being done. It is now history because no one preserved that tradition. We are kindly asking if it was possible that when we are mentioning all these things, may we have a revival of our cultural values. If possible, the school curriculum, the school children should be taught on these issues and they must grow up knowing that they should preserve their culture and know what was practiced in their different cultures. If we do not do that, our children will end up losing their culture. Even if today you prepare sadza from small grains like sorghum, they do not even know what kind of porridge it is, they will say we do not eat this because you used cement to prepare it. They know that, the colour of the small grain is the colour of cement. If you prepare sadza using sorghum, they will refuse saying that they are used to white sadza because we did not teach them of these small grains.
These are the healthy foods that nourish our bodies and give us good health. The problem that we have is that we did not teach them and it is now giving us problems. I want to thank Hon. Senator Wunganayi for visiting, once again our culture and tradition.
When it comes to marriage of different tribes, today a young man will just pick a woman from any tribe for marriage. They will go to have their marriage solemnised in church or at a Magistrate Court without involving aunts who played a vital part when it comes to marriages. Marriage is not marriage if it does not have blessings from the family. Marriages build good relations between families but if people marry without involving the family, what will happen to the mother of the wife and the family of the man? How will they interact and know each other? People will end up getting into taboo marriages by marrying their relatives. It is really painful when we talk of this motion which was brought in this Senate by Hon. Senator Wunganayi. If you look closely, everything that is being done currently is no longer what we used to practice in the past.
Our children do not know our culture, they are not even conversant with their language. Small children aged two to three years speak English only, they do not know their vernacular language. If a granny visits from the village, as we know that grannies love children, the children will ask them who you are and what you want from them. The old lady who comes from the rural areas will not even understand English. She will not even understand what her grandchildren will be saying.
I am encouraging people that if they teach their children the English language, they must teach them their native languages so that they can communicate with their elders. Hon. President of Senate, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion and I would also want to thank Hon. Senator Wunganayi for bringing this motion to the Senate. I thank you Hon. President of Senate.
*HON. SEN. HUNGWE: Thank you Mr. President of Senate. Sir. I just stood up to contribute just a little and I want to thank the mover for this motion. I want us to go back to our past, we have lost our norms, tradition and values. Where did this come from? All the points have been said but I would like to remind Hon. Senators that in 1896, the Berlin Conference sat down and said let us go to Africa, it is blessed by God and it was given all the resources. This country has everything when it comes to asking Africans. So, they said, let us go and share that part. The British preferred Southern Africa. Some went to Zambia, Malawi, and some remained here. This was referred to as the Northern and Southern Rhodesia. They wanted to brainwash the people. When they sat down, they said, how can we penetrate these people? They said, no, let us go and tell them there is God in heaven and if you pray with us here, you will enjoy the kingdom of heaven. No one can verify that because no one goes to heaven and comes back. We had our own way of living and our own way of religion.
Yesterday my colleagues said our forefathers would go under a Muhacha tree to make requests for food, that is how they used to survive. They put on our traditional regalia, that is how they lived. Even though they dressed like that, no rape cases were being there. But today, if you wear a mini dress or mini skirt, it is viewed as if you calling for trouble, which is wrong. This is because we were brainwashed by the western people. Let us go back to our basics.
Where I come from. When a girl child is married, once the girl
child is pregnant and is about to give birth, she goes back to her paternal home. The in-laws come with beasts, that is, goats for the mother. The father's goat is killed and the other goat is for the grandmother and it will be killed as well. When that girl delivers, she is looked after by her parents and is taught how to take care of her new born baby.
From there, when the girl child has been married, as a mother, I am given a beast. Its significance is to strengthen that couple's family.
Most of our people are no longer observing that culture. They are doing short-cuts. That emanates from the 1896 conference when the whites sat down to share Africa to teach them how to lose their own culture, norms and values. If a woman gives birth to a girl child and there is no mombe yehumai, her daughter also should not get that mombe yehumai when she is married. If my mother did not receive that mombe yehumai, it continues like that through and through.
Instances, where such things were honoured do not last long. Today, you hear people saying, we will counsel our own child. How can you counsel your child on bedroom issues? No, that is done by the aunties. The aunties and grannies will attend to that. The son is attended to by the uncles and grandfathers. These days people just do whatever they want here in Harare, leading to loss of culture.
The issue of drought which is a problem now, of late our ancestors used to go to Zame and do the rituals. When they left there, they would come running because the rains will be pouring. We now have same-sex marriages. Is there any gestation that will come there? No, no. We are having problems because we have been brainwashed as Africans. Of late, we used to have our own traditional regalia. Yes, some of the things that we were taught by the Europeans are good, but they brainwashed us.
When they came here, we had our own beasts. They identified all our rich places which had a lot of water, they chased all the people from there. They took over that rich soil. When they came into the country, they came for minerals. Here in Mazowe, where I reside, those who know can identify that the place had gold. They were very clever and would safeguard those places for their future generations. National parks is where all the minerals are. Plenty of minerals are there. Hon. Senator Muzoda presented a very pertinent motion.
When it comes to food, at my age, my mother at 60 years would run but now the food that we are consuming is very toxic.
Let us thank the First Lady who is now driving people to the basics when it comes to food. She conducts outreaches to counsel the girl and boy-child; from our children to her children. Our culture has guidelines for all ages. Zimbabwe has a lot of people who are clever. Let us go back and teach our children basics in terms of our norms and values. This did not just start with our children. It all came from their own countries. They just leave their children like stray cats. Now we are saying let us empower our families with proper teachings.
If we teach our children the basics of our norms and culture; I remember when I grew up, I did not attend funerals. We were left locked up but nowadays, a small child is shown a deceased person in a coffin saying, look at your grandmother. How can a child grow in that situation? We grew up being afraid of death but these days it is a very common thing and people are now used to it or they have been brainwashed.
The food that we are also consuming is very unhealthy as it has a lot of toxins. The fertilisers are toxic. Manure is the best option. With these few words, I thought I could make my contribution to the motion to tell you that this has its origins from 1896 when they partitioned Africa amongst themselves at the Berlin Conference. When they came, they wanted to make our culture, values and norms extinct. I thank you.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: I rise to debate on the motion which has been put forward by Hon. Sen. Wunganayi. Scientists over the world posit that culture is the prevailing human feature explaining people’s lives and behaviour. Culture being a distinctive feature among communities also provides a strong unifying power amongst people of the same tribe. Inasmuch as we strive for culture restoration, it is also time that we rise to the tide of change and embrace global civilisation. We need to account for the good things as well as some unwelcoming behaviour justified by culture.
We have been socialised to accept physical abuse at home as demonstration of manhood and we are treated as very normal. It is time that we should harmonise some of these cultural practice with the laid down regional and international instruments that protect the rights of women. We also advocate for equal treatment between men and women. We also want to see women chiefs in the House. Women also participated in the liberation struggle and are also leaders. I do not think their inclusion in leadership positions and decision-making bodies will compromise the Government’s quality because naturally, with the unique traits, women are born as mothers and careful risk takers.
Our chiefs and all traditional leaders must be given the powers they deserve. Traditional leaders’ authority is subdued in areas of their jurisdiction. In the past, we had our traditional courts that dealt with justice but today we seem to be undermining these traditional courts. Suppose one has killed someone, in the past, our traditional leaders would hold a cleansing ceremony or the murderer would be asked to pay either in the form of beasts to appease spirits of the land. Today, we are however faced with some jurisdictional conflicts because people are running away from these traditional courts to formal courts where the magistrate only uses his legal knowledge without putting into account issues of ngozi or makunakuna.
In our culture, it was also a taboo to teach young children about sex, but today sex lessons are taught to minors and even contraceptives are supplied at some tertiary institutions, which has resulted in a number of early marriages and even sex before the age of consent. We had a rich culture that preserved children till they reached the age of consent. Inasmuch as we need to rise to the tide of change and embrace modernity, as parents, we also have a busy task of monitoring our children on what to surf on the internet.
While it is also good that we embrace global civilisation, we must also maintain our culture, especially some of the pornographic stuff that children surf on the internet because after seeing, they want to experiment. We have new curriculums taught at schools, but many of these carry a lot of foreign sensibilities that have adverse effects on this rising generation. It is also our wish if schools can have curriculums that are Afro-centric for these other curriculums have some negative effects promulgated by some global narratives.
In the past, we had our arts in the form of cultural dances which were viewed as the outstanding conveyor of cultural beliefs, attitudes and values as Zimbabwean people but today, we see our youth going to sleep-overs where they indulge in sexual activities. African culture is embedded in strong moral consideration. It has a system of various beliefs and customs which every individual is expected to adhere to. Today, we are faced with a lost generation that does not even respect elders but our rich past was characterised by cultural values which made elders to be accorded their due respect. Every time you met an elder, you just greeted him or her.
Our cultural values stressed nationalism and patriotism which was demonstrated by greeting elders. As parents and legislators, we have a huge responsibility of educating our kids in line with our ethos and values. Also needed is a legislative policy that clarifies the roles of our traditional leaders. Traditional courts must have other boards of appeal than for one to run from these traditional courts to seek redress of justice from formal courts, especially on cases that involve some of these things like makunakuna and ngozi. The magistrate might not fully have the idea or knowledge to deal with these issues culturally.
This rich past can only pass through oral tradition history and the onus is upon us as parents, to pass this rich legacy of our culture. Also needed are legislative policies that do not endanger all women rights and inasmuch as we want to fight for this culture preservation, we should also cut some of the cultural barriers that promoted the patriarchal dominance. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZODA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. R. NDLOVU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 17th October, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS: (HON. SEN. H. MOYO): Thank you Mr. President. I move that the Senate revert to Order of the Day Number 1 on today’s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
RESTORATION OF THE PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 2A of 2024]
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. H. MOYO): I rise to move that the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill [H. B. 2A of 2024] which was superseded by the end of the First Session of the Tenth Parliament be restored on the Order Paper at the stage that it had reached in the Senate in terms of Standing Order Number 162.
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. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President of the Senate for granting me this opportunity to rise today with immense pride to contribute in this august House in response to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa's State of Nation Address which was done during the Joint Session of both Houses.
The President's leadership continues to steer Zimbabwe towards prosperity, especially in the pivotal sectors of agriculture and mining. Mr. President, his Government has impacted monumental initiatives that have not only boosted the agricultural economy, but have also set the stage for further transformation and I want to thank His Excellency for this staunch leadership which he has shown to the people of Zimbabwe.
Mr. President Sir, agriculture remains the lifeblood of our nation, underpinning food security, employment and overall economic stability. His Excellency's leadership in fostering growth within this sector deserves the highest praise, notably the projection of a record, 600,000 tonnes of wheat from the 2024 winter crop.
It is a testament to the efficacy of the Presidential Climate-Food Agriculture and the Irrigation Schemes that have been introduced around the country. This scheme, along with other critical interventions such as the timely distribution of inputs, has safeguarded our national food security, empowering our farmers and reinforcing Zimbabwe's agricultural self-reliance.
Mr. President Sir, in the face of climate change, challenges such as the recent El Nino-induced drought, the President's initiatives like the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme and the Schools Feeding Programme have ensured that no Zimbabwean, particularly in the rural areas and vulnerable areas, is left behind. These programmes not only provide essential nutrition, but also promote inclusivity and shared prosperity.
The bold commitment of the President's administration to water harvesting and the establishment of 35,000 village business units will further enhance food and nutrition security at the household level.
Mr. President Sir, to build on this momentum, we must leverage emerging technologies and sustainable farming practices. The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, (ARDA), which won the prestigious Africa Food Prize, exemplifies the potential of people-centred agricultural policies. In alignment with His Excellency’s vision, we can boost the agriculture sector further by encouraging private sector investment in value-added agro-industrial projects and expanding access to international markets. Moreover, promoting climate-smart agriculture will future-proof our food systems and ensure resilience against unpredictable climate change events.
Mr. President Sir, in that aspect, the Government should now prioritise the full utilisation of our numerous water bodies, including the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam in Masvingo Province which has the capacity to irrigate more than 25 000 hectares in the lowveld region. Additionally, there are key dams in districts like Zaka, such as Sia Dam, Manjirenji and Bangala. The district is frequently affected by droughts each and every year and the use of water from these mentioned dams can also assist our communities during times when we have El Nino droughts and other disasters, especially in Zaka District. Addressing water challenges in these areas is crucial. Furthermore, we have Mkwasine sugarcane farmers. They urgently require a dam to alleviate their ongoing water shortages which significantly impact on agricultural productivity year-in, year-out.
In addition, turning to the mining sector, the President has once again demonstrated exemplary leadership. The growth of demand for new energy minerals and the attraction of favourable investment signals Zimbabwe's increasing role in global mining value chains. The sector continues to present significant opportunities to wealth creation and economic diversification.
His Excellency has called for an upscaling of production, particularly in the gold and precious minerals sector which holds immense potential for boosting our export revenue. However, foreign investors should actively contribute to the development of all local communities by constructing tarred roads, clinics, schools, boreholes and many others. Many communities are displaced by mining activities while others suffer from chronic illnesses like Tuberculosis due to the environmental impacts. It is therefore imperative for mining companies to take responsibility and invest in the well-being and infrastructure of areas in which they will be operating.
Mr. President Sir, as we commend His Excellency for the achievements, we must also explore additional strategies to further boost our agriculture sector and the economy at large. Among the avenues we could pursue, are increased mechanisation and technological advancements. Introducing more advanced agricultural machinery and expanding access to precision farming technologies will increase productivity across all sub-sectors of farming.
Public-Private-Partnerships, encouraging further collaboration between Government and private enterprises can help modernise both farming and agro-processing infrastructure. Mr. President Sir, we also want to look at expanding irrigation schemes. Building on the President's efforts, scaling up irrigation systems and constructing more dams and weirs like the Tugwi-Mukosi in Masvingo will ensure year-round agricultural productivity, reducing reliance on the rain fed systems.
We also have the rural development and agro-processing hubs. Establishing agro-processing hubs in rural areas in conjunction with the village business units will stimulate rural economies and create employment while reducing post-harvest losses. Promoting export oriented agriculture, supporting farmers in meeting international quality standards and diversifying export products, particularly in high value crops, will further enhance Zimbabwe's presence in the global market.
In conclusion, His Excellency’s leadership has led the foundation for an agricultural and mining revolution in Zimbabwe. His commitment to ensuring that no one and no place is left behind, alongside his relentless focus on unity, peace and development has borne fruit in key sectors such as agriculture and mining. It is now incumbent upon us as representatives of the people, to ensure that the policies set forth in the State of the Nation Address are fully apprehended by the Executive. With His Excellency at the helm, we are confident that Zimbabwe will continue to march towards Vision 2030, achieving sustainable food security, economic prosperity and a future where the wealth of our great nation benefits all Zimbabweans.
Let us work together in this House to pass legislation that supports these noble goals and propels Zimbabwe to greater heights. I support this motion by Hon. Senator Muzoda and invite my fellow Senators to do the same and support this motion – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] - Sorry Mr. President, I just wanted to have a joke with Hon. Senator Muzoda.
I want all senators to support this motion which was presented in this House by Hon. Senator Gotora on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President. Thank you very much Mr. President. Sorry Hon. Senator Muzoda.
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa. Hon. Senator Muzoda has been a hit today. How can you move two motions at the same time?
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. HUNGWE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 17th October, 2024.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. H. MOYO), the Senate adjourned at Half past Three o’clock p.m.