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NATIIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 26 NOVEMBER 2024 VOL 51 NO 14

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Tuesday, 26^th November, 2024

The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(THE HON. SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. SPEAKER

HALF DAY POST BUDGET SEMINAR

THE HON. SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that there will be a half day post Budget Seminar for all Members of Parliament on Monday 2^nd December, 2024 in the Multipurpose Hall starting at 0830 hours. Thereafter, Portfolio Committees are expected to convene for post budget meetings with their stakeholders to analyse the budget allocations. All Hon. Members are expected to attend on 2^nd December, 2024 at half past eight in the morning.   

VISITORS IN THE SPEAKER’S GALLERY

         THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I wish to recognise four members of staff from the Parliament of Tanzania who are here on a benchmarking visit - you are most welcome – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – Thank you asante sana.

         HON. BAJILA: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. I rise on a point of national interest in respect of the heritage-based curriculum which is set to be examined in Zimbabwe for the first time in 2025. Indications from educators are that our education delivery system is not ready. For education to be effective, educators throughout the country must have a uniform template of learning materials and the implementing tools. To this date, which is eight weeks before the resumption of the 2025 schooling calendar, teachers have not been capacitated to implement the new curriculum. Grade six and seven teachers of 2025 do not know yet what to implement. They are presented with the same dilemma they had under the CALA curriculum.

         Mr. Speaker, use of heritage in teaching science and innovation requires capacitation. It is not the kind of staff that leaners will get from their parents. The schools need to be capacitated to deliver such. The heritage-based curriculum has a strict emphasis on projects for learners and some of them require long term observation to the extent that examination classes of 2025 should have started these projects in 2024 but to date, they have not. Furthermore, effective projects supervision remains impossible when there is very high ratio of learners to teachers. Any further delay in addressing teacher to learner ratio will negatively affect the inception implementation and efficiency of the heritage-based curriculum.

         Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I call upon this House to conduct a speedy enquiry on the country’s readiness to implement the heritage-based curriculum because readiness is far more than just policy pronouncements and official launching. If need be, I pray that the Speaker summons the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to present a Ministerial Statement on Zimbabwe’s readiness to implement the heritage-based curriculum. I thank you.

         THE HON. SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Bajila for that observation and statement. I suggest because of the urgency of the matter, if you can raise the question tomorrow so that we can get a response from the responsible Minister – right! Thank you.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

         HON. KARIKOGA: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker Sir. I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 7 be stood over until Orders of the Day, Numbers 8, 10, 11, 13, 17 and 18 are disposed of.

         HON. NYANDORO: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LANDS, AGRICULTURE, WATER, FISHERIES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY IN THE COUNTRY

         HON. MABURUTSE: I move the motion standing in my name that this House considers and adopts the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development on the state of food security in the country.

         HON. MATANGIRA: I second.

         HON. MABURUTSE: I rise to present a report of the Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development on the state of food security in the country. Following the El Niño-induced drought, which devastated Southern African countries in early 2024, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development resolved to conduct an inquiry into the food security situation in Zimbabwe. The inquiry aimed at providing a thorough assessment of Zimbabwe's food security challenges, contribute and guide the development of a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to overcome the challenges.

1.0 Background 

1.1 Zimbabwe has, for some years, grappled with food security issues, stemming from a complex interplay of historical, economic, and environmental factors. The country's agricultural sector has been shaped by the legacy of colonial land redistribution, which concentrated productive farmland in the hands of a small white minority. At independence in 1980, approximately 6,000 large-scale commercial farmers, who were predominantly white, owned 15.5 million hectares of land, while 700,000 smallholder farmers occupied the remaining 16.4 million hectares (Moyo, 2011). This unequal land tenure system was partially addressed through the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme in the early 2000s, but issues of productivity, financing and infrastructure development continued to hinder the recovery of the agricultural sector. A recent study revealed that while the land reform programme increased the number of farming households, the average farm size decreased substantially, leading to decline in crop yields and agricultural productivity (Scoones et al., 2019).

1.2 In addition to land tenure challenges, the privatisation of agricultural financing and the limited availability of credit for small-scale farmers have further constrained the sector's growth. According to the Agricultural show report, (2011), only 20% of small-scale farmers in Zimbabwe had access to formal credit, with the majority relying on informal sources or personal savings to finance their agricultural activities (Moyo, 2011). This lack of access to credit has hindered farmers' ability to invest in acquisition of inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers and equipment, necessary to maintain and improve their yields, contributing to the country's ongoing food insecurity. The situation was further exacerbated by the devastating impact of El Niño-induced drought in early 2024, which struck the region with unprecedented intensity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) (2024), the El Niño-induced drought caused an estimated $3.2 billion in agricultural losses across Southern Africa, severely impacting food production and leaving millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance (FAO, 2024).

2.0 Objectives

The Portfolio Committee conducted an inquiry to achieve the following objectives:

1. Assess the impact of El Niño-induced drought on agricultural production and food security;
2. Examine the underlying structural issues impacting on the agricultural sector and performance;
3. Evaluate the Government's immediate response and interventions to address food security.

3.0 METHODOLOGY

In undertaking this enquiry, the Committee adopted traditionally used methodologies by Parliament that foster the highest levels of transparency and therefore contribute to the report’s overall credibility and reliability.

3.1   Oral Evidence Sessions

The Committee held oral evidence sessions with the following key stakeholders: -

• Grain Marketing Board (G.M.B);
• Silo Foods Industry;
• Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ); and
• Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development.

3.2 Fact Finding Visits

 The Committee visited selected Grain Marketing Boards Depots which are;

• Aspindale;
• Norton;
• Chegutu;
• Lion’s Den;
• Banket; and
• Chinhoyi;

4.0 FINDINGS 

The Committee's inquiry into the impact of the El Niño-induced drought on agricultural production and food security in Zimbabwe revealed a complex situation. The findings highlighted the devastating effects of the drought on crop yields and livestock, as well as the structural issues that have long plagued the agricultural sector. Additionally, the Committee's assessment of the Government's response and interventions uncovered both strengths and limitations in addressing the challenges.

4.1 The Impact of El Niño-induced Drought on Agricultural Production and Food Security.

The Committee observed that the El Nino induced drought had a devastating effect on agricultural production in Zimbabwe. The statistics presented highlighted the severity of the situation, with Silo Food Industries, a major food processing company, receiving only 1,934 metric tonnes of maize from the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in December 2023, 3,460 metric tonnes in January 2024, and 1,267 metric tonnes in February 2024, against a target of 8,000 metric tonnes per month. This resulted in a significant shortfall of 3,339 metric tonnes (42% of the target) that underscored the urgent need for action to address the food shortages and prevent the situation from worsening. The agricultural industry, a critical component of Zimbabwe's economy, suffered significant losses, resulting in higher food costs and lower household incomes.

4.1.1 The Committee observed that the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe was over-reliant on rain-fed agriculture, making it highly vulnerable to climate-related shocks such as droughts and floods. This over-reliance had severe consequences, including reduced crop yields, decreased food security and increased poverty. The Committee noted that the recent drought-induced El Nino phenomenon had further exacerbated the sector's vulnerability, necessitating the need for urgent action to address this issue. The Committee was concerned that the lack of investment in irrigation infrastructure and water harvesting techniques had worsened the impact of the drought, leaving many farmers without alternative sources of water for their crops.

         4.2 The Structural Issues Impacting the Agricultural Sector

4.2.1 The Committee's investigation revealed numerous challenges, including issues with land tenure security and the dispersed nature of smallholder farms, which hindered agricultural production and investment, contributing to a 71% shortfall in maize supply compared to the target. Farmers also struggled to access essential inputs, financial services, quality seeds, fertilisers, and modern equipment. The Committee also observed that farmers did not prefer to sell their products to the GMB because of the considerable delays up to months before receiving payments after delivery. The delays put a financial strain on farmers and drove them to look for other buyers who could pay them on delivery. In addition, the process of selling to the GMB had grown unduly complex, with problems such as of bureaucracy, ambiguous guidelines and logistical difficulties. The statistics highlighted the severity with Silo Food Industries receiving only a fraction of its 8,000 MT monthly target from the GMB, underscoring the devastating impact on Zimbabwe's agricultural industry and the urgent need for interventions to address the food security situation.

4.3.3 The Government's Immediate Response and Interventions

The Committee found that the Government's approach to food security in Zimbabwe considered various stocks including those held by the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), households and private millers with a push for private sector transparency in stock declarations. The Government's multi-faceted strategy included increasing wheat production, targeting 1.8 million metric tons of maize annually for the strategic grain reserve and mobilising resources for borehole drilling and irrigation to combat potential water shortages caused by the El Niño. The liberalization policy has mandated private sector engagement in agricultural contracts, with companies required to register with the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) and meet minimum input support requirements, which has reduced GMB's intake as farmers now sell directly to millers, but has also increased competition and encouraged higher agricultural production. The Committee also found that the Government gave GMAZ the mandate to provide GMOs to the commercial market and the role of the GMB has been limited to strategic grain reserve management, with the private sector now allowed to engage in contract farming.

5.0 OBSEVATIONS

5.1 Market Liberalisation

The Committee welcomed the liberation of the market to Agriculture products. However, the Committee noted that despite the potential advantages of market liberalisation, the Government has been overly reliant on the private sector for maize supply. This has led to a decline in the overall maize supply available for distribution through the GMB. The Committee observed that the private sector is not selling their maize to the GMB and this has resulted in a shortage of maize at the GMB. This over-reliance on the private sector for maize supply has been a significant concern during the El Niño-induced drought, as the Government will struggle to maintain adequate food security levels.

5.2 Government Support for the Grain Marketing Board (GMB)

The Committee observed that the Government has taken steps to support the operations of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) in addressing the country's food security challenges. These efforts included providing financial resources to the GMB to enable it to purchase and distribute maize to the citizens. The Government has also implemented policies to encourage farmers to sell their maize output to the GMB, such as setting minimum prices and offering incentives. Additionally, the government invested in the GMB's storage and logistical infrastructure to improve its capacity to handle and distribute the maize.

5.3The Committee's Observations on GMAZ's Role

The Committee observed that the Government had given the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) the mandate to provide maize to the commercial market, reflecting the Government's recognition of GMAZ's role in addressing the country's food security challenges. The Committee noted that this shift in responsibilities, where the government has limited the role of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to strategic grain reserve management while empowering GMAZ to take a more active role in the commercial maize supply, aims to leverage the private sector to complement the efforts of the GMB. However, the Committee raised concerns about GMAZ's importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) intended for human consumption, emphasising the importance of proper labelling, traceability and segregation of GMO products to ensure food safety and consumer awareness. Additionally, the Committee identified weaknesses in GMAZ's approach, observing that the increased role of GMAZ in the commercial maize supply chain had led to a decline in the overall maize available for distribution through the GMB, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability and equitable access to maize for the citizens.

5.4 Limitations in the Government's Response

While the Committee welcomed the liberalisation of the market, they noted that the Government should have had a more precise understanding of the maize stocks held by the private sector. This information could have helped the Government to better coordinate and respond to the food security challenge. The Committee observed that the lack of detailed information on private sector maize stocks hindered the Government's ability to effectively manage the food security situation.

6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

The committee recommends the following;

6.1 Develop Comprehensive Recommendations to Strengthen Food Security

The Committee recommends that the Zimbabwean Government develops a comprehensive plan to strengthen the country's food security by the end of 2024. 

6.2 Provide a Roadmap for Long-term Agricultural Transformation

The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development should create a long-term strategy for the transformation of the agricultural sector in Zimbabwe by 2028. This should address the structural issues identified such as land tenure security and the challenges faced by smallholder farmers and lay the groundwork for sustainable and resilient agricultural development.

6.3 Improve the Operations and Efficiency of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) The Committee recommends that by the end of the 2024 -2025 season, the Government should have reviewed and streamlined the operations of the GMB, addressing the issues of delayed farmer payments and the complex bureaucratic processes that have discouraged farmers from selling to the GMB. This could involve enhancing transparency, improving logistics and ensuring timely payments to farmers.

6.4 Strengthen Regulation and Oversight of GMO Imports

The Committee suggests that Government should implement robust regulations and oversight mechanisms to ensure the proper labelling, traceability, and segregation of GMO products intended for human consumption by end of 2025. This would help safeguard the health and safety of the Zimbabwean population.

6.5 Investing in Irrigation

The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development should develop a comprehensive irrigation development plan by June 2025, 

6.6 Allocation of Sufficient Funds

The Government should allocate sufficient funds for irrigation infrastructure development in the 2025-2026 budget. Additionally, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority should prioritise water harvesting techniques and develop a water harvesting strategy by September 2024.

6.7 Promotion of Conservative Agriculture Practices

The Agricultural Marketing Authority should promote conservation agriculture practices among farmers by December 2024.

6.7 Provision of Technical Assistance

The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry should provide technical assistance to farmers on agroforestry practices by March 2025. 

         7.0 CONCLUSION

The Committee's inquiry highlighted the multiple challenges facing Zimbabwe's agricultural sector in the wake of the recent El Niño-induced drought. From the devastating impact on crop production to the systemic issues of land tenure, access to inputs, and climate vulnerability, the Committee identified a range of interventions required to address the current food insecurity crisis. Only through a holistic and coordinated response can Zimbabwe build a more resilient and productive agricultural system capable of ensuring food security for its citizens. The Committee stands ready to work closely with the government to implement these critical recommendations and overcome the current challenges facing the sector. I so submit.

         HON. KARIKOGA:  Mr. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn. 

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  You cannot be serious, all of you, you cannot be serious.  The report is discussing a very critical issue regarding our food security, either you were listening or you were not listening.  

         *HON. NYABANI:  Hon. Speaker, I want to debate the report.

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  As an afterthought!   Let me remind you of your oath of office which calls on you to participate, especially as representatives of the people.  In terms of Section 119 of the Constitution, it is your responsibility to exercise oversight on the Executive, the Government and its agencies.  The report is about Government activities in the Ministry of Lands.  You have ears to hear.

         HON. JAMES:  Thank you Mr. Speaker, please forgive my ignorance on procedure that can we have more time so that we can digest this report and debate accordingly?

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  I hear you, one of the characteristics of Members of Parliament anywhere in the world; they think on their feet.

         HON. HWENDE:  I think the problem is actually with the Committee because there is supposed to be a seconder who debates first before we come in.

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  You are right, thank you for that. More than that, the Committee chaired by Hon. Maburutse is composed of Members from both sides, so where are you to debate in support and extend the issues that have been raised in the report?  Aiwa musandinyadzise, musanyadzise Parliament.  It was seconded and the seconder did not stand up when I called for further debate.  My good friend here, the Acting Chief Whip, you want to stop the debate. Hon. Karikoga, put your house in order. 

         HON. KARIKOGA: Thank you, I stand guided. 

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  The seconder, you are expected to second. 

         HON. NJANJI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for the guidance.

         THE HON. SPEAKER:  Please proceed.

         HON. NJANJI:  In support of what has been presented by the Chair, in line with Agenda 2063, in terms of food security and food sovereignty, I think it is very important for the country to ensure that we utilise our water bodies.  Hon. Speaker, if we see and analyse the effects of El Nino in terms of our food production, it has negatively impacted on our people.  It is imperative for the country to utilise the water bodies which we have as a country.  We have moved around the country and we have realised that dams have been constructed but we are not utilising those dams to full capacity, we are not utilising those dams to support our irrigation schemes which are very important for the country when we face situations like this, the El Nino effect where several citizens are being affected in terms of food provision.  As a Committee, we recommend that the Ministry of Finance needs to allocate some finances to ensure that we utilise the water bodies which we have, even through ZINWA.  We visited several areas where they are not utilising the irrigation schemes which are in place. 

Then, also in terms of NDS1 on 8.0 where the President, His Excellency is saying production, production, production; the production needs to be supported by irrigation schemes and the schemes which we are embarking on, like Pfumvudza, it also needs to be supported by irrigation schemes for it to be effective. So, as a Committee, as we moved around, we realised that the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, apart from being allocated the funds, they need to be disbursed to organisations like ZINWA so that they carry their mandate. So, it is important.

 Then, on ensuring that these water bodies are being utilised to full capacity, we are saying we need to ensure that these citizens are given their inputs on time for us to ensure that there is food security. They should give the inputs on time because we need to ensure that we realise that farming is a business. So, when we provide the inputs, we need to ensure that those inputs get to the farmers on time, thereby ensuring that there is food sovereignty and food security to our citizens. So, it is important. We support what has been presented by our Chair and the recommendations. We support as a Committee. I thank you.

         THE HON. SPEAKER: You see, it is possible to debate, intelligently like what Hon. Njanji has done, it is possible. Are there Hon. Members from Masvingo?

Hon. Members from Masvingo having stood up.

 THE HON. SPEAKER: For example, talking about water bodies, it is our role as Members to nudge Government to act arising from the recommendations of the report. I see Masvingo, your heart must bleed when you see Tugwi Mukosi Dam full for the past three years. These are the issues we must be seeing coming under this report. Thank you,you may sit down.  

         *HON. NYABANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I want to support the report which was presented to this august House by the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture. After noting that we are facing hunger as a nation, we went to different depots and we noted that they did not have enough grain. However, GMAZ as a private player, does not fall under our purview. So, we cannot play an oversight role on them, so we did not know the amount of grain they had. GMOs are hazardous to the health of our people. As a nation, we need to put policies which will enable our people to get grain allocation, even when they happen to be no rain for five years.

We need to come up with policies which will assist us to put irrigation schemes and as SADC, we know that every country has a commitment to the region and Zimbabwe being the breadbasket of Southern Africa. Unfortunately, now it is no longer the case. Most of our farms are being under utilised because of lack of water. Many dams from Masvingo, Mashonaland Central to Mashonaland East, are supposed to be under irrigation or are supposed to be providing farmers with irrigation programmes. For a nation to be called a nation, it should sometimes have 75% produce from agriculture but if the agricultural sector is not performing well, you would find that from agriculture, we get mealie-meal, livestock, leather products and different by products.

However, if the agricultural sector is not performing well, as a Committee, we are saying that it is important for funding to be provided to the agricultural sector. Just like an engine, when it is not working, it means that whole country cannot move forward. People are complaining because of hunger but if the agricultural sector is capacited and people can farm during the farming season, I suggest that as we approach our annual budget, the agricultural sector, irrigation, construction of dams, fertiliser companies and different stakeholders in the agricultural sector should also be funded.

We are seeing that some people are not farming properly and from research, the indication is that some deliver their produce to GMB and they spend two or three years without receiving their payments. How then do they go back to farm again if they are not paid for what they would have harvested? So, farming is a business and in a business, everyone wants to receive their profits. You can not spend two or three years without getting your payments. This sabotages farmers because it becomes difficult for them to go back to till their lands having outstanding payments. We want to urge the Government and other players who buy crops to pay farmers as soon as they receive the deliveries.

Most grain is being taken by illegal millers. We must not look at others like private players but Government should have adequate reserves to supply the nation because when people face  hunger, then the Government will be having reserved grains instead of looking at these private sectors because private players are into it for profit making, they are business people. So, this will result in a situation where people end up buying mealie-meal. Poor people suffer the most because when there is hunger, they are the ones that are vulnerable. So, if GMB has enough resources, then during drought, GMB can intervene.  I support the report which was presented to this august House by the Chairperson. Government should fund the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in different programmes for posterity. I thank you.        

*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.  I want to thank the Committee responsible for Agriculture.  What they have presented to the House is good because it is going to benefit our nation. This is a small issue indeed Hon. Speaker, when we have committed people.  I was looking at Israel which does not have much water but is working with what they have. They use drip irrigation.  A small drum can cater for the whole hectare and because they use drip irrigation and greenhouses, it is like what is happening in farms where people have greenhouses which benefit the nation.  We want people who are committed here in Zimbabwe, especially in the agricultural sector.

The issue of dams is quite important Mr. Speaker Sir.  The issue of Tugwi-Mukosi which is being underutilised, there is need for transformers and a pump.  This would cost less than USD 4000 to take water from Tugwi-Mukosi and to irrigate farmers in the surrounding areas.  When you buy a transformer, we will be able to draw water using just that small amount. 

Also we need some small dams which can be constructed along the Tugwi-Mukosi.  Boreholes which are being sunk by Government in the area would benefit the people because the water table is going to rise a bit.  This is not a challenge and this will benefit the farmers. 

On the issue of irrigation, just like in Rwanda, their jails are being given the opportunity by Government to partake in drip and irrigation farming because there is free labour and they can mass produce grains which can feed the whole country or half of the country.  So sometimes you find that there are people who are in prison who are just being kept but they are not being productive.  For example, in the past, Harare had a lot of farms, farms for dairy cows and for different agricultural activities. These projects, as a nation, we can benefit from the suggestion that I have just given.

Looking at citrus fruits, because of climate change, we need to accept that climate change is coming.  As Zimbabwe, we need to look at citrus farming which does not require much water.  We need to pool our resources and promote the planting of citrus fruits.  I was talking to Forestry officials who suggested that we need to plant gum trees.  Per day you need a 200 litres drum for a gum tree.  If one gum tree needs such an amount of water and we do not have enough water, what then are we going to do about that?  So I was saying that we want practical solutions in Zimbabwe, not theoretical solutions that we get from books.

I was looking at GMB, the issue of value addition to the GMB. 

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Mapiki.  I have an announcement to make.  The report is now ready.  It should be online. You can check on it, you will be able to see it.  As I leave, I want Hon. Nguluvhe to come to my office. Thank you.

*HON. MAPIKI:  The GMB should have the expertise that we see in other countries.  For example, in Rwanda, farmers are paid on time.  Soon after delivery, it is a cash-on-delivery approach that is being used and GMB should have outlets.  This happened before when there were BACCOSSI shops where there was processing of mealie meal. 

The GMB should have its own milling plants and trucks for delivery but you find that sometimes the milling machines are not working at times because of just small things that are malfunctioning or just general maintenance.  So leading organisations like GMB require people who are committed and knowledgeable.  Now, GMAZ and other organisations are benefiting and this reflects a situation where it seems as if we are failing to perform, yet we have people with degrees and masters at GMB.  We need people who are able, who can perform, especially during droughts and difficult seasons.

The issue of GMOs, we continue talking about this as Parliament. When you go to the South African border, you find that mealie meal which comes into the country cannot be eaten by children under 18 years, yet we are importing such.  Government should be very clear in terms of policies which prohibit the importation of such GMOs.  We must not look at GMAZ and other companies.

When we had a shortage of cement, the Hon. Minister responsible for Industry and Commerce allowed other players to import cement and this issue was resolved.  So this can also be done in terms of importing grain, whether big or small and without connections, everyone should be given the opportunity to import maize.

Before I sit down Hon. Speaker, I want to emphasise the issue of citrus plantations.  Many farms are lying idle because when farmers had the opportunity to grow maize and sell to GMB they were not paid and some are paid later, maybe two or three years later when the money has lost its value.  So I am glad to say that the recommendation is quite good and it is important for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to work with the Ministry of Energy and Power Development. The issue of electricity is quite pertinent and it is important to have electricity in their farms. The Government should fund through a quick fix fund, which will solve different problems that are faced by farmers. The quick fix fund will help so that we are able to use our water bodies that are lying idle through the use of underground pipes. As Government, it is important that we work on that. Israel is working hard in a desert and we have water but we fail to perform. So, I want to appreciate the work of the Committee.

Lastly, let me end by saying that when we are facing hunger, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement should inform the nation, they must be very honest about it. When the Committee went to different depots, they found out that most depots were empty and some did not have anything, so we need the truth so that we will be able to solve these issues. I thank you.

^*HON. P. MOYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I want to first start by thanking the Committee for the good job and for gathering data about the state of affairs in terms of the grain that we have. They went to Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots and I am glad that they gathered the data that they have. As representatives, it is important that we go out and gather such information. I want to agree with the last speaker who spoke about Masvingo which has 61% of water in this country. My request to us as a nation is that we need to value agriculture. We need to give it the respect it deserves and as Government, we want to prioritise farming.

         We have areas like Masvingo which has a lot of water that is just flowing. We need to come up with plans where irrigation can be done. We have Manyuchi Dam in Mwenezi West. This dam is an old dam but it is only benefiting just one estate. Small farmers are not benefiting from the dam because they do not have the necessary equipment to draw water from that dam. We want our farmers to be empowered so that they will not face hunger in the near future. I want to agree with the last speaker and where I come from Mwenezi, we have a farmer who is farming and has a plantation which is commendable.  In the next five years or so, I believe that this will be quite amazing, the way he is doing his things. The production of citrus fruits is quite important.

I also want to talk about the production of maize. You find farmers selling produce to illegal gold miners and this results in GMB not having adequate grains in their reserves because the GMB delays paying farmers and their rates are quite low - they are not competitive. We need to look at this. We need to ensure that the GMB pays at competitive rates. You will find farmers not benefitting much, so this is resulting in farmers feeling discouraged and not performing as they are expected to. I want to talk about private players. Indeed, these are people who have their associations who want to make profit. So they buy maize meal from GMB and sell at a profit. This should be regulated and controlled because when Government has set policies, then such policies should be followed. When farmers produce their farm produce, they need motivation. When they feel that they are not motivated, then they do not perform well. The Committee noted all these things; there are dams that I alluded to earlier before irrigation.

 I want to talk about fish farming which do not require much water. This is a lucrative farming business, for example, in dams like Manyuchi and others. When Government invests in fish farming in such big dams, then we will not be wasting resources that are found there. The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement should consider these things.  We really need to think about such initiatives because this coming year, we might be having more rains compared to the past season. I thank you.

⁺HON. N. NDLOVU: Thank you Madam Speaker.  I will first of all would like to thank the Committee on Agriculture which went around the country doing this great work.  Madam Speaker, if Government would put drip irrigation for all the irrigation schemes around the country, this will assist in ensuring food security.  If Government could assist us in this, we will get a high return from the water bodies that are around the country.

If possible, Government should ensure that for those they have allocated more land, they must ensure that they irrigate for everyone else.  The people must utilise the land that they have been allocated.  The other issue Madam Speaker is on Government inputs like fertiliser and seeds.  The reason is that agricultural season is known to everyone. 

I once attended one meeting from the Metrological Services dept and we were told about the weather radar which helps farmers to know the kind of climate they are likely to experience.   If we have such equipment, why is it that we have farmers getting inputs in February yet it will have been known that there will be rains earlier than that?  We need to ensure that we have more people farming in the rural areas. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that around the rainy season, people get inputs in time so that we get the maximum harvest.

It does not help for us to be going around communities around campaign time promising people things that we cannot deliver.  My other view is with regards to us as Zimbabweans, we are known to be hard working people.  But we end up failing, which forces us to end up getting maize seed from countries like South Africa and that seed gives us mealie-meal that is not good for our health.

In doing this Madam Speaker, we need to make sure that we give responsible people who are able to deliver good results and not those who are partisan.  Let us ensure that Government looks into the issue of drilling boreholes. With these GMOs, you realise that with the seed that we get, it is not good for our health. With these few words, I thank you.

HON. JAMES: Thank you Madam Speaker for this opportunity and I thank the Portfolio Committee for their balanced report.  People have mentioned various issues about water, pricing, products, GMB and everything like that.  These are all parts of farming enterprise; farming is a long-term enterprise not a one season wonder.  Farming is reliant on many other ministries other than just the agriculture ministries like the Environment, Trade and Commerce, Energy, Transport et cetera. 

What I am trying to say Madam Speaker is that and I am pleased to see in the report under section 62, whose land tenure or security of land tenure; I do not want to get involved at the moment but what I would like to say is that security of tenure is important for our farming enterprise.  All these other issues that have been mentioned, the farmer he/she needs the security of tenure to be able to develop that piece of land and to increase the productivity or food security for the nation.

A long-term farming plan is essential and I would recommend that the Committee and the Ministry consult with all farming entities to secure a long-term plan to provide the security of tenure that is so important to put the best of all these issues.  Incentives to these farmers are important, price controls, price incentives to pre-planting prices is important. 

What is the role of the private sector?  It is overreliance on the private sector, more incentives need to be given to the individual farmers and Government entities like ARDA. It should be a standalone to provide insight into pricing policies of various products.  A balance needs to be made between large scale and subsistence farming.  

Water and dams, as has been mentioned earlier, irrigation also is an expensive outlay, private sector and private ownership of land can provide a lot of input into irrigation and they should be involved in the long term plan.  I would like to thank the Portfolio Committee again for mentioning the security of tenure and that is the issue that I would like to emphasise because everything else follows from that.  I am not interested in who is actually on the land but they need the security of tenure and the size of property that can be profitable to them.  It is also important that if these farmers have security of tenure, it gives them the opportunity to experiment with other new crops that could be beneficial to the nation as a whole.

Food security also depends on the GMB and other ministries and if I can just make a point here on disincentives for some of the farmers in the export trade that require to put a portion of their crop for vital budget security.  One particular farmer mentioned to me that they require 20% of his crop to be checked like that.  He checked when wanting to export and he found them on the local market.  These sort of disincentives need to be looked at as well to encourage farmers to experiment in other products.   I thank you for listening.

HON. J. TSHUMA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker, for affording me this opportunity to air my views on this very pertinent issue.  Madam Speaker, the issue of food security must be dear to everybody’s heart and mind.  It is important that any country must make sure that it is food secure.  Several things can be done to achieve that kind of stability.  The Lord blessed us with land and fertile land for that matter and when the Lord did that, he said go and till the land so that you produce. 

We saw a very noble land reform programme that occurred where, as indigenous people of Zimbabwe, we got land.  When we did have land before, I remember they used to call us the breadbasket of Africa because the white farmers where able to access financing. So, it was easy for them to work on the land and have good harvests. After our Land Reform Programme, we all know what happened, sanctions came upon us and the banks refused to now give our new farmers loans to work on that land. So, it became difficult to achieve the kind of security in terms of food that we require as a nation.

However, Madam Speaker, I stand here a bit appalled. I used to drive along the Bulawayo-Harare Road and it was such a marvel to see the green fields on both sides of the road. People were doing serious farming. There was a lot of production and now when you drive on that same road, it is such an eyesore. People have neglected those kinds of things. People have acquired farms as a status symbol and are not going out there to work on that farm. We need to be serious about these issues because we are talking about a national issue.

We spoke about land audit and I think these things are being done and have been done but we are not coming up with substantive solutions and answers to these kinds of things. When we grow up Madam Speaker, I remember we used to go to some fields as a family and we would do that, as you know this Pfumvudza that has started now, of digging holes, we would plant so much maize that every year, my family would have enough maize to feed ourselves and even to sell to other people. That can be achieved even today. The problem we have is, people are so speculative in this country of ours. Somebody gets, suppose 500ha of land but they have no capacity to work on it. Why not just simply get a 100ha and let somebody get another 100ha.? That way, we  all work together because what we need is food security. Food security can only come from working on that land. It does not come by coming here and say, I have a big farm. Then what after that? These are the kind of questions that are supposed to ring in our minds as we legislate and serve our country as Members of Parliament in this august House.

I stand here to say, why are we not being conclusive in terms of our land audit to see who is doing what and who is not doing what so that we reverse and correct that. There are a lot of people here now who do not have farms, who when given that same opportunity can go there and perform the miracles that we need. We need people that are going to be working not cell phone farming.

I now come back to another pertinent issue of water bodies. Madam Speaker, I am glad we have seen a lot of water bodies that have come up, especially in the Mashonaland region here. We have a simple solution, especially in Matabeleland where I come from. There is a big opportunity for Government to help us cross the bridge of hunger and provide solutions to food security. That bridge is none other than Gwayi-Shangani Dam. Can we have Government committing itself in putting money to its completion?

I want to applaud the administration and the Government well led by our President Cde. Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa for what he has done for Gwayi-Shangani. We must remember that project was mooted in 1912 by the white people and nothing happened. The First Republic came in 1980 up to 2017, nothing happened. Then from 2018 up to date, Gwayi-Shangani is now on over 70% completion. This is a good thing and we must applaud the Government for such a stance.

After having done that, let us now try and push for a collective effort if we are going to solve the issue because Matabeleland naturally is a dry region. Can you imagine, if we have to all put our resources together, squeeze ourselves, do whatever is possible and make sure that we capacitate the completion of that dam.  Madam Speaker, the amazing green belt that is going to be created there will be something to be talked about world-over.

I can tell you from Gwayi-Shangani, all the way up to Bulawayo and even further down to Matabeleland South, we are going to have a situation whereby people can now be able to irrigate. They will even have an all-season crop facilitation through that Gwayi-Shangani, not even speaking of the water problems that we have in Bulawayo. Those will be done and dusted. We would have solved the water problems for our citizens and also capacitated them to be able to grow food for themselves and even sell to GMB.

We need, as a House here, when the Minister of Finance is presenting the Budget, to try and persuade him and make sure that we get funding to finish off that Gwayi-Shangani. It will solve a lot of problems in terms of food security in the whole of Matabeleland region. I am talking of Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. Out of 10 provinces, three provinces are already food secured just by that one Gwayi-Shangani Dam. It is my prayer that if we could all, as MPs here, come together and agree to capacitate that project to come to its completion, I am telling you, it will be a miracle worker.

I also come to another disturbing factor Madam Speaker. I have heard other Hon. Members speaking about the importation of food, especially from South Africa, the mealie-meal and stuff like that. It is a dangerous precedent. Now, we have got another gentleman in Zimbabwe who has been advocating for the banning of GMO and stuff like that, which is correct because those things are causing cancer.

The most worrying thing Madam Speaker is that we have opened up and given ourselves to people from outside to come and be involved in our food here. Do you know that right now Madam Speaker, we have got millers that are non-Zimbabweans? We have got Pakistanis and other nationals that are milling mealie-meal here. Honestly speaking, it is something that I can do even without ‘O’ level. Why am I giving it to a foreigner out there? Giving someone right to control my food, it should never be allowed. We must protect such kind of industries for indigenous people of Zimbabwe. It is as simple as that, we cannot negotiate that.

How do you want to have somebody coming from another nation to come and just simply mill maize? Those same people with their money are able to buy GMO maize in South Africa and import it here. Now, we are going to have GMO mealie-meal and GMO disease related issues happening in Zimbabwe under our watch.

There are things that we can never allow. We cannot allow our food industry Madam Speaker, to be controlled by people from outside. Hazviite. You cannot allow a stranger to go into your kitchen to cook your meal without knowing what they have done inside there. The next thing, you are dead. We need to sit down and stop other nationals from coming to do things that we can do easily.

We want other nations to come here and help us with technology, machinery and stuff like that. That is good but these simple things that we can do on our own, please let us guard them jealously. That way, in our vernacular in Ndebele, we say, uyabe usuhlezi ibheya, you know what happens. We do not want to find ourselves in that kind of situation.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, may I pray and pray earnestly for the Lord to give us the rain that we need. We are happy the rains have begun but we still need them especially in Matabeleland because the dams there are at 2%. I want to advocate and pray for the Matabeleland region to be capacitated in terms of making sure that we have enough water bodies. We will have enough irrigation systems so that we are able to grow our food and be able to feed ourselves and ban the people from outside from involving themselves in our food processing issues. We will do that on our own. Once we do that, we shall be entering the land of Canaan before we even anticipate that. With that, I want to thank you for giving me that opportunity. So, I submit.

         +HON. MASUKU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to support the report which was brought by the Chairperson of the Committee of Lands and Agriculture. We moved around the country to the northern side of the country, checking all the dams as it has been stated that there is tubing faults in Shangani Dam. I do not want to repeat what has been said by other Hon. Members. We want the Government to complete one project at a time. If it is Shangani Dam, it should be completed at once and Tugwi-Mukosi at once. We do not want to derail progress of some projects.

Madam Speaker Ma’am, there are so many places that many people do not use. The Ministry of Lands should move around the country to see people who are not using the land because they should give it to other people. Some people are wasting so much land and they are not doing anything on those pieces of land. It was very important that when the Committee on Lands and Agriculture was doing oversight, they should allocate land to the people who want to utilise that land.

Madam Speaker Ma’am, as we are going to this budget process, may the Government increase funding in the Ministry of Agriculture because agriculture is very important to this country? We should have food in this country because there is a lot of poverty in the country. People are going to die of hunger. If money is increased and we have so many grains, people should get their inputs in time so that they also do their farming on time. If inputs delay, it delays the farming process and the rain season will pass. We will not achieve anything at all. Madam Speaker Ma’am, may we have those inputs on time.

I spoke about completion of dams because those dams are the mainstream and of important in irrigation schemes in this country. If we are having these challenges this time, we are going to have difficulties applying it during the rains. If we have irrigation schemes during this time, many people are not going to suffer in this country of Zimbabwe. 

Many things have been said and some Hon. Members have said a lot, so I do not want to repeat some of these things that have been said by other Hon. Members. My plea is that the Ministry of Agriculture should be funded fully so that they complete projects in dams and farming. I thank you Madam Speaker Ma'am. 

         HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you very much Madam Speaker for giving me the opportunity to debate on this report from the Parliamentary Committee on Lands. This issue that we are debating is critical and very important to our nation, the state of food security in our country. This directly impacts the livelihoods of our people, particularly the most vulnerable women, children and our rural communities. As highlighted in the report, our food security is under severe threat. The El Nino induced drought has further exposed the long standing vulnerabilities within our agriculture sector and the urgent need for decisive intervention.

Madam Speaker, the crisis at hand is that the numbers that have been shown in the report are alarming, particularly if we see that in February 2024, Silo Food Industry received only 1,2 metric tonnes of maize against a target of 8 000 metric tonnes, which gives us a shortfall of 6 733 metric tonnes. For the families in Banket, Mhondoro, Gandavaroyi, Kazangarare in Hurungwe, Kenzamba, Chitomborwizi, Negande, Mola, Musambakaruma and many other remote places that we have in Zimbabwe, this translates to children sleeping on empty stomachs and women walking longer distances in search of food and water.

This drought has devastated our crops, decimated livestock and driven up food crisis. This is not merely an agricultural issue but it is a humanitarian crisis. Food insecurity exacerbates school drop-outs, increased child marriages and fuel circles of poverty particularly among women and young girls.

Our agricultural sector remains highly vulnerable due to its over reliance on rain fed farming limited irrigation infrastructure and the systemic inefficiencies. Smallholder farmers who contribute significantly to national food production lack access to affordable inputs credit facilities and modern technology. The delays in payments by the GMB are crippling farmers, especially. Farmers must wait for payments after delivering produce. What can we expect farmers to re-invest in their operations or support their families under such conditions.

Madam Speaker, the liberalisation of maize supply has created unintended consequences. While the private sector’s role is critical, the Government’s over reliance on it has resulted in reduced maize stock at the GMB, leaving the poorest citizens more vulnerable to food shortages. The recommendations for a resilient future of our country can include investment in climate resilient infrastructure. Climate change is here and we cannot run away from it. The moment we try to run away from it, that is the moment that we are hit at the most. That means we need to adapt. Since we are in the budget season already, what we need to do is to probably allocate substantial funds in the 2025-2026 budget for irrigation infrastructure and water harvesting projects.

Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement must priorities the National Irrigation Development Plan by June 2025, empowering smallholder farmers. What we need to do is to streamline the GMB operations to ensure timely payments, reduced bureaucratic red tape and enhance transparency. We also need to provide subsidised access to inputs such as seeds fertilisers and modern farming equipment as well as expanding financial inclusion programmes to increase smallholder farmers for credit.

Promoting climate smart agriculture, we need to train our farmers in conservation agriculture and agroforestry practices to mitigate the impact of climate shocks as well as strengthening partnerships with research institutions in order to develop drought resistant crop varieties. What we need to do is to actually regulate the GMO inputs that are coming into this country. We need to establish a robust oversight mechanism to ensure the proper labelling, traceability and segregation of GMO products to protect consumer safety and build our public trust.

We need to enhance food security monitoring. Madam Speaker, what we need to do is to improve coordination between Government and private sector players to ensure accurate data on maize stocks and prevent shortages as well as strengthening the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe accountability in ensuring equitable maize distribution across the country. We also need to strengthen our rural livelihoods. What we need to do is to prioritise the social safety nets for the most affected communities including food aid and targeted support for women headed households. This leads us to do it in a manner that is not partisan for every individual who is deserving this food aid without fear or favour.

Madam Speaker, we also need to support rural clinics such as Mahwahu in Hurungwe North, Chidamoyo in Hurungwe also and address malnutrition and many other clinics that are in this country in our remote places in order to address health challenges associated with food insecurity.

In conclusion, food security is the foundation of national stability, economic development and social well-being. Without it, we cannot hope to address the broader challenges of poverty education and gender inequality. I urge this august House to act with urgency and determination. Let us put the needs of our people first by implementing bold transformative policies that guarantee food security for all Zimbabweans, leaving no one and no place behind. Madam Speaker, I so submit.      

                  HON. MAKOPE: Thank you Madam Speaker for this opportunity. Let me also add my voice on this very important report given by the Parliamentary Committee Chair on Agriculture. Madam Speaker, if you look at the history of our nation with regards to disasters such as the one referred by the Chairperson, the drought which is induced by the El Nino effect; historically, it is well-known that after every 10 or five years, we are going to face such a scenario. If we do not have a drought which is an El Nino effect, we are having the La Nina effect, which is the opposite where we have excessive rainfall which again leads to the shortage of food. Food insecurity is a threat again to our nation, so we need to find some strategies or resilient strategies to curb this menace.

         I have been looking at some initiatives which are being made by our esteemed Government. At the moment in our Blueprint, we have this issue of the commercial gardens or the boreholes in our villages, I just want to recommend that our Government should prioritise ecological regions such as region 5, 4 up to region 1 because when we are trying to mitigate such challenges, we have to look at those areas which are very dry. I am saying so Madam Speaker because if you look at those agricultural regions which are very dry like Zambezi escarpment or the Lowveld in Mwenezi, Chiredzi and Matebeleland South, especially if you look at Mwenezi and Matebeleland South, that is the hub of our beef. However, as we speak, we have a considerable number of livestock that have been lost because of shortage of water in those areas.  So I think if we had prioritised those areas, we could have reduced the death of our livestock.

         If you look at the disasters Madam Speaker, the level of preparedness of a nation determines the severity of that particular disaster. So, if we prepare adequately for a certain disaster, then I can assure the nation that we can get to a certain level where we can reduce the impact or effect of the disasters. Again, the irrigation schemes which have been talked about, in those irrigation schemes, the dams which we have, the water in Manyuchi Dam and Tugwi-Mukosi Dam can only become useful water if we see the production downstream. From the look of things, that water is not very important to our economy because there are very few or no activities downstream.

Looking at Manyuchi Dam, it was completed around 1988 but from that period to date, there is no positive activity which has been taking place downstream, especially benefitting local indigenous people. The water is flowing year-in, year-out to Gonarezhou National Park and the local people are not benefiting. So, I recommend our esteemed Government to erect permanent structures or infrastructure which can be used for agriculture. We used to receive some loans or grants. Recently, we received $31,8 million from Africa Risk Capacity. Such money could be channelled towards the establishment of that permanent infrastructure in the form of irrigation schemes that can actually assist our nation.

Then we have our farmers; we distributed land to the indigenous people from 2 000 up to date and those are the owners of the land, it is a fact. Now, I am not talking of land audit but we want to audit the land that we actually know that we gave that land to someone who is not well capacitated. So, my argument, I am advocating for full capacitation of these farmers. Even if you look at the land colonisation in the 1920s, those white farmers from Europe were capacitating those people who had grabbed our land during that time. They were given some loans and grants and making sure that they get some start-ups and that is why they have that infrastructure which we can see today. I think if we can capacitate our A1 farmers, give them enough money to start production; be it beef, tobacco or fruits, I think we can go some way.

Then there are some disturbing issues, particularly on the administration of payment of some levies from the Ministry of Lands. Madam Speaker, it is disturbing that an A2 farmer who is not well capacitated is paying levies to two different institutions. They pay directly to Ministry of Lands and they also have to pay to the local authority which is the council. So that double payment again from the people who are not producing anything, they end up being grounded and we now perceive them as people who are virtually doing nothing when we are now talking of the land audit.

So, I think the payment of levies should be regulated and be channelled towards one institution. If it is the Ministry of Lands, that is okay but if it is the local authority, that is okay. In the past, the local authorities were collecting the levies from these farmers and they had to plough back infrastructure which caters for these farmers in those areas. I think if that can be done, it can also assist. 

         Lastly, Madam Speaker, is the issue again of payment of the levies from agriculture region 1 and agriculture region 5.  Farmers in agriculture region 5 and a farmer in agriculture region 1 are practicing extensive agriculture but they are paying the same amount of levy per square meter. This means we are again destroying this farmer who is in the ecological agriculture region 5.  The rates should be different depending on the land and the type of agriculture which is being practiced there.  I think that can assist the farmers. 

         By and large, our farmers need to be capacitated, prioritisation should also be taking place and we should make sure that we benefit from our land.  At the moment, if we move on to the fact that we should give the land to those who can produce, we end up giving back the land to wrong people yet we have to benefit from that land ourselves because we are the owners of that land.  If that can be done, it can assist our nation.  I so submit Madam Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Makope. Yes, Hon. Deputy Chief Whip. 

         HON. KARIKOGA: Madam Speaker, I had given chance to the mover of the motion to adjourn the debate.

         HON. MABURUTSE:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. CHAIMVURA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27^th November, 2024.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE JOINT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, WOMEN AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT AND HIGHER AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ON THE PETITION FROM SANITARY AID TRUST ZIMBABWE ON MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE MANAGEMENT

     HON. MURAMBIWA: Hon. Madam Speaker, I move the motion standing in my name that this House considers and adopts the Report of the Joint Portfolio Committees on Primary and Secondary Education, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development on the Petition from Sanitary Aid Trust Zimbabwe on menstrual health and hygiene management.

     HON. CHAIMVURA: I second.

     HON. MURAMBIWA:  Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to present a report for the Joint Portfolio Committees on Primary and Secondary Education, Women Affairs, Community Development and SMEs and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development on the petition from Sanitary Aid Trust Zimbabwe on menstrual health and hygiene management.                                             

 1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Portfolio Committees on Primary and Secondary Education, Women Affairs, Community Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development received a petition from Sanitary Aid Trust Zimbabwe appealing to Parliament to enact comprehensive legislation which may be titled Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Act, to provide for free menstrual products and services for all individuals in need, especially those from poor socio-economic backgrounds.

The petition highlights the plight of women and girls suffering from period poverty and menstrual disorders due to lack of access to essential products and services. The petitioner further submitted a model Bill detailing what the proposed Act should entail and what issues should be covered. In light of the afore-mentioned undertaking, this report provides highlights of the Committee’s findings and recommendations in respect of the petition.

2.0 OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the inquiry was to examine the petitioners' concerns and recommend appropriate actions to address the relief sought.

 3.0 METHODOLOGY

1. The Committee invited the petitioner to provide a detailed explanation of their petition and the reasons behind their appeal to Parliament.
2. Oral evidence was received from the following ministries on issues arising from the Petition on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management regarding the enactment of legislation to regulate menstrual health in Zimbabwe:

• Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MOPSE)
• Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
• Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (HTEISTD)

1. Written submissions were considered from both the petitioner and the respective ministries.
2. The Committee researched on existing frameworks in Zimbabwe that directly or indirectly relate to menstrual health and hygiene management.

4.0. PETITIONER`S PRAYER

Sanitary Aid Trust Zimbabwe beseeched Parliament to exercise its constitutional role to enact a comprehensive legislation that mandates the provision of free menstrual products and services for all individuals in need, especially those from poor backgrounds. The proposed legislation titled ‘Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Bill’ would provide for the following:

1. Mandate the provision of free menstrual products in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions to ensure that students can fully participate in their education without fear of stigma or financial burden.
2. Establish distribution centres in low-income communities, homeless shelters and other relevant locations where individuals in need can obtain free menstrual products with dignity and privacy.
3. Allocate funds to support community organisations and non-profit making organisations working towards menstrual equity, including initiatives focused on education, awareness and advocacy.
4. Encourage research and development of sustainable and environmentally friendly menstrual products, promoting both menstrual hygiene and environmental sustainability.

5.0. KEY FINDINGS

5.1. Enactment of a comprehensive legislation that mandates the provision of free menstrual products and services for all individuals in need, especially those from poor backgrounds. The comprehensive legislation shall be titled “Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Bill”.

5.1.1. The petitioners called for comprehensive legislation, noting that the Education Act only covered disadvantaged girls in primary and secondary education, leaving others vulnerable to period poverty. They argued that ending period poverty required addressing broader menstrual health and hygiene management issues, not just providing sanitary wear. Section 76 of the Constitution guarantees the right to health, including reproductive and menstrual health.

5.1.2. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MoWACSMED) and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development (MoHTEISTD) agreed with the petitioner on ensuring access to menstrual health products and services for all women and girls. However, MoPSE and MoWACSMED expressed reservations about providing free services to all, citing economic constraints.

5.1.3. The Permanent Secretary for MoWACSMED announced that the Ministry had rolled out a programme to provide affordable sanitary wear through capacitating women and girls to produce disposable and reusable products using local materials. The Ministry argued that outright free provision was unsustainable due to the government's limited resources. The thrust for the Ministry hinged upon empowering women and girls on self-production as a lasting solution to accessing sanitary wear.

5.2. Mandate the provision of free menstrual products in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions to ensure that students can fully participate in their education without fear of stigma or financial burden.

5.2.1. The Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education and Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development emphasized the need for the availability, accessibility and affordability of menstrual products in educational institutions to ensure full participation without stigma or financial burden.

5.2.2. The Permanent Secretary for MOPSE, Mr. Mhike, reported that significant progress had been made towards implementing mandatory sanitary wear provision. He cited the Education Amendment Act and MOPSE's Circular Number 1 of 2020 as evidence of their commitment to gender equality, health and equitable education.

5.2.3. To address logistical challenges, procurement was decentralised to districts. However, providing disposable sanitary wear was deemed too costly. Therefore, the Ministry in collaboration with other ministries, was exploring alternatives such as reusable pads and soaps. The Ministry would be utilising the Textile Technology and Design learning area for pad-making as part of the education-with-production approach.

5.2.4. Concerns were raised about the current school policy on the provision of sanitary wear which covered disadvantaged female students in rural areas and excluded those from impoverished families in the urban areas. It also excluded those who were out of school in both settings.

5.2.5. The female students were accessing sanitary wear through school health as well as guiding and counselling committees. The committees were also responsible for providing menstrual health and hygiene information as well as counselling services. However, the Ministry acknowledged the lack of female-friendly spaces in most schools in the country and assured the Committee that new construction projects would ensure that this aspect was accommodated.

5.2.6. The Permanent Secretary for HTEISTD, Professor Tagwira, stated that institutions of higher and tertiary learning were producing reusable sanitary wear for female students and local communities, leveraging on Heritage-Based Education

The National University of Science and Technology participated in a reusable Sanitary Pad Project, producing a minimum of 500 pads per day. He further highlighted that the Ministry was subsidizing the Student Health Levy, allocating 1% towards sanitary wear for needy students. These efforts aimed to ensure no girl compromises her education due to unavailability of menstrual products. The use of reusable pads was motivated by affordability and sustainability. The selection of beneficiaries for sanitary wear was mandated to the Student Affairs Department through health promotion sub-committees in higher and tertiary education institutions. These sub-committees comprised of female wardens and Student Representative Council (SRC) female hostel representatives.

5.3. Allocate funds to support community organisations and non-profit organisations working towards menstrual equity, including initiatives focused on education, awareness and advocacy.

5.3.1. The petitioner expressed concern about the lack of knowledge on menstrual health management and hygiene among young women and girls, citing stigma and labelling caused by a lack of understanding among boys and men. Therefore, the petitioner advocated for a comprehensive menstrual health education and national awareness campaign to eliminate stigma and misconceptions, promoting long-term societal change.

5.3.2. During the oral evidence meeting, the three ministries concurred with the need to demystify myths and taboos surrounding menstruation by involving young boys and men in conversations and programmes that foster appreciation and better insight into issues relating to menstrual health and hygiene management.

5.3.3. The MoWACSMED was educating women and girls on sexual reproductive health rights and menstrual health hygiene, with plans to extend the programme to boys and men. Educational institutions were also integrating menstrual health into academic concepts from primary to secondary level, using the heritage-based curriculum to impart age-appropriate content.

5.3.4. Vocational Training Centres would teach sanitary wear making skills to both males and females. The ministries expressed that they were also open to collaborating with the civil society to raise awareness on menstrual health management.

5.4. Encourage research and development of sustainable and environmentally friendly menstrual products, promoting both menstrual hygiene and environmental sustainability.

5.4.1 The petitioner stressed the need for research initiatives to stay updated on global trends in menstrual health management and hygiene. The responding ministries agreed that research was crucial for promoting improved menstrual health, understanding menstrual disorders, developing innovative products and exploring sustainable solutions. In the meantime, the MoWACSMED was collaborating with the MoHTEISTD to research on alternative technologies and materials that would address issues related to menstrual health and hygiene.

5.4.2. The three ministries agreed with the petitioner that limited access to adolescent sexual reproductive health information and education exposed women and girls, especially in rural areas, to diseases due to unhygienic sanitary wear. The majority of women and girls in these areas were using unhygienic materials such as cloth, paper or leaves, which often led to sexual and reproductive health problems. The ministries also noted that most schools and public institutions lacked adequate water supplies and user-friendly facilities for girls, particularly those with disabilities.

5.5. Existing legal frameworks directly or indirectly related to menstrual health and hygiene management in Zimbabwe.

5.5.1. The Committee learnt that the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013 - Section 76 (Right to Health) and Section 82 (Rights of Women) indirectly cover menstrual health and hygiene management. Other legal provisions include the following:

5.5.2. Education Act [Chapter 25:04] makes provision for the provision of sanitary wear to disadvantaged girls in rural areas. Circular Number 1 of 2020 (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education) operationalises the provision of sanitary wear to disadvantaged girls in rural areas.

5.5.3. National Gender Policy (2013-2017) aims to promote gender equality and empowerment, including access to menstrual health services.

5.5.4. Zimbabwe National Health Strategy (2016-2020) includes reproductive health and maternal health services, which encompass menstrual health management.

5.5.5. Public Health Act [Chapter 15:09] provides for the promotion of public health, including menstrual health and hygiene.

5.5.6. Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] regulates the disposal of sanitary waste, including menstrual products.

5.5.7. Zimbabwe National Adolescent and Youth Health Policy (2015-2020) addresses the health needs of adolescents, including menstrual health management.

5.5.8. Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13] mandates local authorities to provide sanitation facilities, including those for menstrual health and hygiene management.

5.5.9. Urban Councils Act [Chapter 29:15] similar to the Rural District Councils Act, mandates local authorities to provide sanitation facilities.

5.6. Establish distribution centres in low-income communities, homeless shelters and other relevant locations, where individuals in need can obtain free menstrual products with dignity and privacy.

5.6.1. A proposal was made to integrate distribution centres for menstrual health products into existing school health programmes, in partnership with student organisations, community-based organisations and local authorities. This approach would ensure confidentiality, dignity, accessibility and sustainability. The integrated centres would offer menstrual products, as well as serve as safe spaces for women and girls to access information, counselling, and referrals for reproductive health services. This initiative would promote education, academic retention and community well-being by addressing the holistic needs of women and girls.

6.0. OBSERVATIONS

The Committee made the following observations:

6.1. Widespread period poverty and menstrual hygiene challenges affected many women and girls in Zimbabwe.

 6.2. Several women and girls in rural areas used unhygienic materials, leading to health problems.

6.3. Many schools lacked adequate sanitation facilities and it resulted in female students opting to miss school during their menstruation period.

 6.4. The burden of purchasing sanitary products fell heavily on low-income families.

6.5. There was an information gap on menstrual health management.

6.6. A phased approach to providing sanitary wear to the most vulnerable women and girls may be considered suitable as an interim measure.

6.7. The current school policy provided relief for disadvantaged girls in rural areas and excluded those in the urban areas who faced similar menstrual health challenges. A more inclusive approach was necessary.

 6.8. Reusable sanitary wear was a cost-effective option, but concerns exist about balancing affordability and sustainability.

6.9. Most schools lacked access to reliable and adequate water sources, posing a challenge for menstrual health management and hygiene.

6.10. Menstrual health and hygiene management was already partially addressed through various legal instruments and policies across different ministries and state agencies, though a more comprehensive approach is needed in the long run.

7.0. RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should:

1. By 31 March 2025, review and expand the current school policy on sanitary wear provision to cover all girls attending school, regardless of location or socio-economic status.
2. By 31 December 2026, ensure adequate sanitation facilities in schools, including access to clean water and hygienic materials.

iii. By 31 December 2025, integrate comprehensive menstrual health education into the curriculum.

1. Procure and provide alternative uniforms to cater for girls that would have spoilt their uniforms due to menstruation.

7.2. The Ministry of Health and Child Care should:

2025. Develop and implement public awareness campaigns on menstrual health management by 30 June 2025.
2026. Ensure healthcare providers, especially in marginalised communities, are trained to address menstrual health issues by 30 June 2025.

iii. Provide guidelines on the production of reusable sanitary wear by 31 April 2025.

7.3. The Ministry of Women's Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development should:

1. Collaborate with other ministries to address the economic burden of sanitary products on low-income families.
2. Support initiatives promoting reusable sanitary wear and sustainable practices.

7.4. The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion should:

2025. Establish a dedicated fund to support the provision of affordable menstrual health products and services by December 2025. Alternatively, the Ministry should introduce a tax exemption policy for sanitary products in the 2025 National Budget, effective January 2025.
2026. Introduce a 1% sanitary levy in the 2025 National Budget to fund menstrual health and hygiene services and facilities. Alternatively, allocate a percentage from existing levies, such as the Aids Levy or other taxes collected from both formal and informal sectors for this purpose.

8.0. CONCLUSION

While comprehensive legislation on menstrual health and hygiene management is desirable, the Committee acknowledges the current economic constraints in Zimbabwe. Instead, the Committee recommends a phased approach, building on existing legal instruments and policies, to address menstrual health and hygiene challenges. This approach should prioritise expanding access to affordable and hygienic sanitary products, improving sanitation facilities in schools and public spaces, integrating menstrual health education into the curriculum, promoting reusable sanitary wear and sustainable practices and supporting low-income families through subsidies or tax exemptions. By adopting a phased approach, the government can make incremental progress in addressing menstrual health and hygiene challenges while working towards comprehensive legislation in the future. I thank you.

*HON. CHAIMVURA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I want to add my voice to the report tabled by Hon. Murambiwa.  Sanitary pads should be made available to all schools in Zimbabwe across universities and schools so that all those that are vulnerable can access these sanitary pads.  This will make the girl child love going to school during their menstrual period.

There should be designated places where these sanitary pads are disbursed.  Companies should be given enough money to ensure that they produce a lot of sanitary pads that can be used by all schools. The sanitary pads should be readily available just like the condoms so that the girl child can easily access them.

Sanitary pads are important.  It is important that the girl child should be given sanitary pads in schools so that they can be healthy, improve hygiene and their work.  I thank you.

HON. CHITIMBE:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  The lack of sanitary pads in schools is quite disturbing. Some children cannot afford to buy these sanitary pads because they are poor.  In other areas, these sanitary pads are not readily available in shops, which is a problem to the girl child.

In other tribes or cultures, when a woman reaches her menstrual period, she is viewed to be unclean and if the sanitary pads are readily available, one can secretly go to the toilet and be able to do their business.  There should be good sanitary hygiene, menstrual hygiene because of the availability of sanitary pads.  It has now become even known by boys that a certain girl child has not come to school because she is having her menstrual period.  This has negatively affected the performance of the girl child.

I add that we have to educate all the children including boys and girls, as well as the teachers so that they view menstrual cycles or periods as something that should not be looked down upon. I thank you Madam Speaker. Thank you.

HON. MUKOMBERI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I would like to debate on the motion on the petition in line with the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Bill.  My debate is going to be summarised in three main domains which are the need, the action plan and the effect.

By the need, I want to say this petition was derived from the identification and discovery of the need by learners from disadvantaged or underprivileged societies for sanitary wear which they cannot afford in the market.  Learners from poor and underprivileged backgrounds fail to afford purchasing sanitary wear and there is a greater degree of stigma in the event that a girl child lacks sanitary wear at school, thus exposing one to mockery by fellow male learners.  So if this petition comes in, it clearly calls for the action plan to be taken so that this gap is closed.

The action plan actually points to the need for schools to manufacture, at local level, sanitary wear through their textile and design learning areas, hence in the process they will be embracing Education 5.0 and availing free and affordable reusable pads to all learners.  In this vein, the Government needs to support these schools in capitalising for this initiative, for example the provision of requisite machinery and material that is needed for the manufacture of such affordable, reusable menstrual pads.  Thus, the schools need to have designated menstrual health points and management structures for easy access of menstrual pads by learners.

Also, the Ministry should design a comprehensive menstrual health and hygiene management learners’ module so as to equip the girl child on how to manage their menstrual affairs.  The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion therefore, has the mandate to set aside a fund that should be allocated to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.  This fund should be ring-fenced for sanitary wear production and supply.

The Committee also in its work came up with a recommendation to say, why can we not have a special levy that is actually introduced for sustainable support of the menstrual health and hygiene management for school-going learners, the girl child and such a fund to be managed in the same way as how the Aids Levy is managed under the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

So what is the effect of this action plan?  Firstly, if this is done, it will improve equity in terms of the girl child and the male learners, that is in their access of education.  They will be both attending school without the girl child being exposed to stigma.  Thus, their performance is going to be actually the same independent of gender.

Secondly, accessibility in terms of the most wanted or needed sanitary wear.  The girl child will access sanitary wear at school,  which means if the call of nature happens during lessons, one should not go home to seek for the needed sanitary wear as one is going to access the sanitary wear at school.

Affordability - one key feature of education in Zimbabwe is that it should be affordable.  If one fails to acquire a need such as sanitary wear, it is something that will affect one's attendance at school.  So if they are manufactured at school, they will be affordable and also availability is enhanced as a special structure is created at school that will enable the girl child to access the sanitary pads easily.  With these words, Madam Speaker, I want to thank you. 

^∞HON. F. NCUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. I also want to add my voice on this debate on the sanitary pads at schools. It is also important that the schools or children should use the reusable pads and these should be used mainly by learners in town because in the rural areas, the reusable pads should be washed and dried. Some of these children are young, going through the menstrual periods whilst they are ten years and the washing process would be a problem for them. This will be a source of diseases to them. For learners in town, it will be fine for them.

In the rural schools, the Government should offer pads because as Zimbabwe, we are farmers of cotton, so it should be easier for us to manufacture and have them in schools. A student who is ten years and has gone through the menstrual period at school can have disruptions of lessons at school but as it has been said that once the uniform has been stained, the child can go and change the uniform so that they can continue learning. I do not have much but I am glad that this motion has been brought forward that pads should be accessed like condoms. Thank you so much.

HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. This is a very important subject considering that menstrual health is a right for every woman and girl out there and also taking into account that as a country, we have made several commitments in ensuring that young women out there have access to proper menstrual health. For example, I take a leaf to the Education Amendment Act, Chapter 25:04, if I can read out Section 3 which clearly spells out our obligation as a country. It reads, “The State shall ensure the provision of sanitary wear and other menstrual health facilities to girls in all schools to promote menstrual health” and this is very important for the country.

The reason why I am emphasising on this is that I have a feeling that the Government has not taken seriously these menstrual issues. Looking at the budget provision of the Ministry of Education for example …

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. T. ZHOU): Order Hon. Shiriyedenga! Hon. Matinenga, please approach the Chair.  Please proceed Hon. Shiriyedenga.

HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: Thank you Madam Speaker. If you look at the budget allocation for the Ministry of Education, you will note that the Ministry was only allocated 10% towards learner services and that allocation does not only constitute sanitary wear provision but also covers other critical areas of the Ministry of Education, for example, teaching and learning materials. We look at learners with special needs, also consider psychological services and then we take note that there is not much that is allocated for sanitary wear. If as a country we are to live by our statutory obligations, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion should allocate more resources to sanitary wear. With regards to the debate at hand, I fully support the petition by the Sanitary Aid and also in the long run, us as Parliament coming up with a Menstrual Health and Management Act, I feel this is important in the sense that other speakers have spoken before me with regards to the poverty situation out there. A packet of sanitary pad costs a dollar and on average, a girl or a woman needs about one to two pads and really young girls for example cannot afford that kind of money. They will now have to request for the money from their parents who, at the same time, are trying to chase after other economical needs for the family. So really, it is a burden for the parents. This is why I feel this petition comes at a very opportune time which will alleviate challenges being faced by our parents and other people out there.

The other issue when looking at the education sector, SMV Zimbabwe conducted a survey just in 2022 and the findings are that about 62% of our learners miss school when they are on their periods, mainly because they fear that they might soil or mess their uniforms. The moment when one messes her uniform, they are laughed at by other pupils and that creates stigma and the dignity of that particular learner will be affected. As a result, such learners will not feel comfortable going to school. This is why we have such a huge number of learners missing out of school and also that contributes to the drop-out rate, which is a pretty cause for concern. More so, their parents are not able to afford the sanitary wear and those learners end up getting themselves into activities that will make them get money, for example, even getting themselves involved with boyfriends or even elderly men who will give them those sanitary pads. This is why I strongly feel that we need to support this petition by Sanitary Aid.

The other thing which other Hon. Members spoke about are cultural and religious practices that discriminate women whenever they are on their periods. For example, we were told when we were growing up that whenever you are on your period, you are not supposed to cook and also there are some religious organisations in this country that say whenever a woman is on her menstruation, she is not supposed to sit amongst other congregants but to sit far away from the rest. So, that in itself is stigma and everyone will eventually know that so and so is on her menstruation. As much, as we support this petition, there is need for a change of mindset among Zimbabweans. There is a need for a change of mindset amongst Zimbabweans.  There is a need for a cultural and religious shift so that we accommodate women in their menses.

         Lastly, I would want to talk about the Ministry of Education.  The Ministry does have guidance and counselling services and in those sessions, also they do talk about menstrual health.  We have noted that in those sessions, the Ministry or the teacher responsible separates boys from girls.  So, at the end of the day, the male students will not be able to know and understand issues around menstrual health. 

         This is why at the end of the day, you realise there are issues around stigma, you realise that they end up laughing at girls whenever they mess their uniforms.  It is my candid request to the Ministry of Education, as much as there is the Education Amendment Act also, we need to review our policies with regards to menstrual health and also our curriculum with respect to ensuring that both genders are involved.  I submit.

         *HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  It is now 44 years after independence and we are still talking about menstrual issues.  Why am I saying this?  In 1995, I was an Hon. Member in this National Assembly; were you born yet?  I will tell you.  This is a very painful issue; it embarrasses the girl child a lot.  The issues of hygiene are very important and it is now long overdue.

         I understand this more than anyone because it happened to me.  I experienced the same problem.  During the liberation struggle, we could not afford pads.  It is very painful when you go for your menses and fail to access a pad as a woman or girl.  I have some Members here in Parliament who joined the liberation struggle together with me.  They know what I am talking about. 

         We used to crush barks of a tree until it turns to powder and we would insert that powder in our private parts and this resulted in us having sores in our private parts.  I am saying this because I do not want to hear these debates on menstrual health again in this House because it is a touching and painful issue – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – You would be carrying weapons, at the same time you have sores and you will continue to journey. 

         There was a Bill that was introduced in this House about condoms, it took not more than one week to be concluded.  The Bill on sanitary wear seems to be endless and it seems there is no funding.  What is better to be without a condom than a pad because to be without a pad is painful?  What I want to compare here is that it is not painful to be without a condom because you can have unprotected sex but if you do not find a sanitary pad, it is painful.

         Let me proceed by saying we do not want to keep on repeating the same issue.  This issue must have been solved a long time ago. We must conclude this Bill, even if we die, we will know that our children are now safe on issues of menstrual hygiene.  Can you imagine going to school without sanitary wear?  They will lose concentration in school because of this.  In schools, on vulnerable girls and women, the Government must look at the issue of menstrual health and to provide sanitary wear to the vulnerable just as it did on condoms.  I thank you.

         HON. MURAMBIWA: Hon. Speaker, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. O. SIBANDA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Wednesday 27^th November, 2024.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS, SECURITY SERVICES AND WAR VETERANS AFFAIRS ON THE STATELESSNESS OF MIGRANTS IN ZIMBABWE

HON. NGULUVHE: Hon. Speaker, I move the motion standing in my name that this House considers and adopts the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans Affairs on the statelessness of migrants in Zimbabwe.

HON. DR. KHUPE:  I second. 

HON. NGULUVHE: Thank you Hon. Speaker, I present a report on the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs, Security Services and War Veterans on statelessness of migrants in Zimbabwe.  I will start with the introduction.

INTRODUCTION

Despite the significant contributions of migrants to the growth and development of both their countries of origin and residence, they often face numerous challenges. Zimbabwe, with a substantial migrant population, is no exception. Many of these migrants face the risk of being statelessness. Although, Section 43 of the Zimbabwean Constitution provides that “every person who was born in Zimbabwe before publication day of the Constitution is a Zimbabwean by birth if one or both of his or her parents was a citizen of a country which became a member of SADC in 1992 and is resident in Zimbabwe”. However, a growing number of migrants of various origins remain undocumented due to their reluctance to engage with authorities to regularise their citizenship. It is against this background that the Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, Security and War Veterans Affairs resolved to conduct an enquiry on the plight of migrants in order to investigate and establish the causes and challenges they are facing in acquiring primary documentation and proffer recommendations that could address these challenges.

OBJECTIVES

The key objectives of the inquiry were to:  i) Assess the existence and magnitude of people who are at risk of statelessness in Zimbabwe as well as their geographical spread. ii) Establish the causes of statelessness and factors rendering individuals at risk of statelessness. iii) Identify challenges faced by the undocumented migrants in accessing primary documents with a view to make recommendations.

METHODOLOGY

The Committee conducted an oral evidence session with Amnesty International Representatives on the existence, magnitude and challenges faced by undocumented migrants in all their spheres of life.

Gathered evidence from the Registrar General`s office on 17 June 2024 to establish whether the issue of statelessness does exist in Zimbabwe as well as their geographical spread.

Conducted public hearings to gather public views regarding the existence of statelessness people in Zimbabwe, understand their circumstances, determine the number of people who are at risk, and gather potential solutions.

Below are the places where public hearings were conducted by the Committee.

• Monday 2 July 2024 Manicaland Red Wing Mine Hall;
• Tuesday, 23 July 2024 Masvingo
• Wednesday 24 July 2024 Cheshanga Hall, Chiredzi
• Bulawayo Selborne Hotel Thursday 25 July 2024
• Midlands Gweru Theatre Hall Friday 26 July 2024 Harare
• Saturday 26 July 2024 Epworth Town Council Hall and
• Mashonaland Central Hala Hotel Bindura

COMMITTEE`S FINDINGS

Submissions from the Registrar General Mr R. Machiri, the Registrar General submitted to the Committee that statelessness refers to a situation where an individual is not recognised as a national or citizen of any country. Stateless people are characterised by lack of nationality as well as possession of primary documents such as passport, national identification card and birth certificate. They may also be denied basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and property ownership.

They are particularly vulnerable to abuses, including exploitation, trafficking and may have difficulty accessing Government services and social programs. The Registrar General, also made reference to section 43 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which provides that, “every person who was born in Zimbabwe before the publication day of the Constitution is a Zimbabwean citizen by birth if one or both of his or her parents were citizens of a country, which became a member of SADC in 1992 and is a resident in Zimbabwe”.

This means that any person who was born in Zimbabwe to parents with a claim to citizenship of any SADAC state including Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia or South Africa and is residing in Zimbabwe is a Zimbabwean citizen by birth. Further section 36 of the Constitution protects citizenship of minors whose nationality and parents are unknown by highlighting that “a child found in Zimbabwe who is or appears to be less than 15 years of age and whose nationality and parents are not known is presumed to be a Zimbabwean citizen by birth.”

Section 38 (2) of the 4 Constitution provides that “any person who has been continuously and lawfully resident in Zimbabwe for at least ten years, whether before or after the effective date and who satisfies the conditions prescribed by an Act of Parliament is entitled on application to be registered as a Zimbabwean citizen. This therefore protects the rights of permanent residents and other persons who might have stayed in Zimbabwe for a long time. More so in terms of the Birth and Registration Act Chapter 5:02, birth registration is compulsory in Zimbabwe and birth certificates are issued for free to persons below the age of six years.

With regard to the number of statelessness people in Zimbabwe, the Registrar General informed the Committee that the issue of statelessness has not yet been ascertained with certainty that it exists in Zimbabwe. He added that, in 2023, the Civil Registry Department made a decision to undertake a study in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees which indicated its willingness to provide financial resources amounting to USD 300 000 for the exercise but however this was not done due to lack of funding. The Registrar General further highlighted that; a Statelessness Taskforce has been established so far to produce a desk review report that will inform the quantitative aspect of the research which will be spearheaded by ZimStat.

The Statelessness Task Force comprises of Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Foreign and International Trade, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Civil Registry Department, Immigration Department, Zimbabwe Republic Police, President`s Office, Zimbabwe Statistics Agency and UNHCR.

4.2 Submissions from public hearings 4.2.1 Existence and magnitude of statelessness in Zimbabwe Amnesty International presented findings of their report to Parliament on the existence and magnitude of statelessness in Zimbabwe. Citing a joint study that was conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Refugee Agency, the report revealed that approximately 300,000 individuals in Zimbabwe are currently at risk of statelessness.

These include migrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia who were brought in by colonial authorities to work on farms and mines around the country.

During public hearings, participants expressed different views on the prevalence and extent of statelessness in Zimbabwe. The majority, particularly in Gweru and Bindura, disputed the existence of more than 300 000 people which were reported by Amnesty International as not authentic. They argued, there is no official data about the number of stateless people in the country and the issue has not yet been ascertained with certainty that it exists in Zimbabwe. They further argued that, the current registration laws are good enough for genuine document seekers to obtain them without any challenges and easing these registration laws could pose a national security threat, as it might enable criminals from other countries to register in Zimbabwe.

Some participants recommended stricter citizenship laws to safeguard the country. However, who were in support of the claim by Amnesty International argued that children born out of wedlock and undocumented migrants are vulnerable to statelessness since most of them have failed to meet the requirements of the Birth and Death Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) which provides that anyone born in Zimbabwe to be registered within 42 days of such birth, regardless of one`s nationality. 4.2.2 Children with single parent The Committee noted that there were children who were either born of single parent or were under the care of single parents.

In most of the cases, these parents either did not have primary documents themselves or they did not have required documentation to obtain primary documents such as birth records for the children. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the acquisition of primary documents by single parents and guardians in charge of minors had become extremely impossible owing to stringent regulatory requirements that had to be met for such documents to be obtained. For example, the Birth and Death Registration Act Chapter 5:02 does not allow a father to obtain documentation for a child in the absence of the mother. Guardians in charge of minors cannot be able to acquire documents without affidavits, witnesses and support letters from headmen.

The Committee was disturbed to note that in some cases, children were left in the custody of grandparents or other guardians who could not trace the parents at the time of acquiring primary documents. This makes it difficult since some parents were said to have migrated across the borders into South Africa and Mozambique leaving their off-springs behind without any form of documentation. Section 25 of the Birth and Death Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) which provides that “no birth, still birth or death which occurs after the 20th June 1986 shall be registered after the expiry of twelve months from the date of such birth, still birth or death except with the written authority of the 6 registrar general”.

This provision makes it difficult for single parents and guardians of minors who wish to assist minors to get birth certificates. 4.2.3 Children born out of wedlock Section 12 (2) (a) of the Birth and Death Registration Act provides that “a registrar shall not enter in the register the name of any person as the father of a child born out of wedlock, except, upon the joint request of the mother and the person acknowledging himself to be the father of the child”. Requiring joint consent from both the mother and the acknowledged father can be impractical in many cases.

The father might be absent, unwilling to acknowledge paternity, or even deceased. This provision can create unnecessary barriers for mothers seeking to have their child's father's name recognised. More so, obtaining necessary documentation, such as DNA tests or affidavits, can be time-consuming, expensive, and burdensome for parents, especially in rural or marginalised communities 4.2.4 Children born out of marriages between refugees and local citizens The Committee was informed that there were cases were some refugees had married Zimbabwean citizens and had children born out of those marriages. Many foreign men engage in fraudulent marriages to obtain citizenship more quickly. After securing citizenship, they often abandon their wives, leaving children without documentation. Hence, such children are exposed to the risk of becoming stateless.

Transit and Border proximity challenges, it was also brought to the Committee’s attention that owing to the proximity of Mutare to Mozambique and Chiredzi to South Africa, people in these areas often cross borders in search of economic opportunities. Sometimes when they returned to the country, they brought back with them their children who would have been born outside the country and these added to the numbers of the many children who did not have access to primary documents.

The reasons for failure to access such primary documents were attributed to non-existent birth records confirming the children`s birth by Zimbabwean citizens abroad. During hearings at Redwing mine, the Committee was also told that there were more than three hundred Mozambicans who had sought refuge at Redwig Mine during the civil war in some part of Mozambique. Majority of these migrants lacked primary documentation and their prolonged stay at the mine was considered unsustainable.

Complex procedures participants in Bulawayo complained that requirements for individuals assisting minors in obtaining primary documents at the Registrar General's Office are challenging to the extent that some clients ended giving up before completing the process. For example, guardians of minors, foster parents, or social workers may be required to provide documentation such as, proof of guardianship, custody orders and personal identification. The office may sometime conduct thorough verification procedures, requiring additional documents or interviews. They further submitted that these documents can be difficult to obtain, especially in cases where children are orphaned, abandoned or living in vulnerable situations.

As a result, many had dropped out of school due to their inability to acquire birth certificates and national identification card. A proposal was made for the Registrar Department to continue conducting a mobile Births and ID registration blitz, with relaxed of registration requirements as proclaimed by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa. Areas like Ngozi Mine and Robert Sinyoka require immediate attention to enable children to participate in the 2024 Grade 7 examinations. Some participants also complained that the fingerprint clearance process for National Identification Card applications takes more than six months for individuals over 18 years of age. This can lead to delays in using these documents when urgently needed. However, those who were in support of the current Birth and Death Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) emphasised the need for tightening the law. They further argued that relaxing registration laws could pose a national security threat by allowing criminals from other countries to register in Zimbabwe.

Some participants recommended tightening citizenship laws to ensure the country's security. The same sentiments were also supported by participants at the Hala Hotel in Bindura who commended the Civil Registry for effectively implementing the provisions of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) when issuing primary documents. Some even testified to having acquired these documents without any difficulties.

They concluded that the current laws on birth and death registration are sufficient and suitable for obtaining primary documents. Those who were against viewed these as time consuming, bureaucratic and expensive. 8 4.2.7 Language barrier Incidents of language barrier were also highlighted where clients complained of cases where their names were misspelt by officials from the Registrar`s Office who were not conversant with local languages in these communities. In their submissions, members of such communities complained that it was quite costly for them to have those errors rectified.

For example, an official from Registrar General`s office who is unfamiliar with Ndebele of Shona may misspell names leading to errors. 4.2.8 Lack of customer care services by RG officials Participants across the country complained about the code of conduct by some officials from Registrar General's Office when handling clients. Most of the complaints against the officials include; lack of respect, tolerance, ignorance, bad attitude towards clients and unwillingness to assist clients. As a result, many clients felt discouraged from obtaining primary documents due to fear of mistreatment.

High cost of acquiring Birth Certificates; the costs of ferrying witnesses to the Registrars` General Offices for acquiring primary documents is too high for the ordinary citizens who also expressed their disapproval at the legislative requirement that did not take into account the fact that whenever one was requested to bring along the witnesses there was no due regard for the costs that one had to bear. These costs were related to witnesses` accommodation, meals and transport at a time when the vicissitudes of the economy had taken a turn for the worst. Suffice to say that opportunity costs of acquiring primary documents were particularly high for people living in the border areas of the country.

The public viewed this as a breeding ground for corruption at the Civil Registry Department as they demand bribe for processing papers. They suggested a relaxation of some of the requirements by the Civil Registration Department. 4.2.10 Lack of awareness; some participants in Chiredzi told the Committee that they always struggled to get primary documents from the Registrar’s department since they did not meet the requirements of the Births and Deaths Registration Act (Chapter 5:02) such as having mother’s particulars or relatives of mother and some did not denounce their citizens as required by law.

The procedures for obtaining primary documents are complex and time-consuming. Additionally, many migrants may be unaware of the requirements for obtaining primary documents or the consequences of not having them.

Religious and cultural beliefs; some individuals highlighted that religious and cultural beliefs in naming children results in delayed birth registration. They pointed out that this had excluded them and their children from accessing education, health services and food aid. Lack of primary documents have hindered to active participation in economic activities as they cannot be employed, open bank accounts or buy mobile lines. The impact of lack of access to primary documents deprives citizens of education to levels beyond grade seven hence a lot of students drop out of school before writing primary school examinations. This has an effect of prematurely ending their educational careers. Further to that, talented sport persons find it difficult to represent the country or to participate competitively due to non-availability of their primary documents. Subsequently, their potential in the sporting discipline is not realised.

The increased numbers of undocumented nationalities have the potential of exposing the country to high security risk which may manifest itself in spiralling criminal activities and human trafficking. Consequently, it would be difficult to account for perpetrators of such activities as they would be unregistered. Suffice to say the numbers of undocumented nationalities will also continue to rise from one generation to the other. In addition, lack of access to primary documentation has the impacts of having false figures during census enumeration. It also results in stateless people, deprives citizens of their voting rights, basic rights, access to customary law benefits and other social benefits. Furthermore, the impact of lack of primary documents leads to inaccurate resource planning and retards poverty alleviation strategies by Government.

COMMITTEE`S OBSERVATIONS

The Committee observed the followings:

• The Committee observed that there was no quantitative research conducted to date to ascertain the number of stateless people in Zimbabwe. Statistics by Amnesty International of 300 000 people who are at risk of statelessness was based on approximation and secondary data from research that was conducted by UNHCR. The Committee felt that research was biased since it was based on estimation rather than factual since there was no survey that was done by the Government to ascertain the existence of statelessness people in Zimbabwe.
• The Committee observed that most of the undocumented migrants prefer to live in illegal settlements in mining areas where no one will ask them to produce any form of documentation.
• Some officials from RG offices are reluctant to assist individuals with unique issues, they usually turn away clients without on unclear grounds.
• Although the Civil Registry Department have structures at both provincial and district level, their officers do not provide the specific requirements needed for one to obtain primary documents.
• The requirement for bringing witnesses added costs to be incurred by those seeking primary document.
• The Committee observed that undocumented migrants are a potential security risk to the country because it may be harder to identify and apprehend if they commit crimes as they lack official records. This could hinder investigations and potentially allow some criminals to evade justice.
• Undocumented individuals need to be assisted with primary documentation to enable them to participate in economic, social and political sector of their lives.

 RECOMMENDATIONS

Committee recommends the following: 

• That Government should set aside resources in order to conduct quantitative research to determine the number of people who are at risk of being statelessness in the country by 31st December 2025.
• That the Registrar General`s office should conduct public awareness programmes to encourage the public to obtain primary documents, outlining their importance including procedures for obtaining them, particularly in mining areas where there are large numbers of undocumented people by 31st December, 2024.
• The Civil Registry Department should undertake ongoing refresher courses and training in customer care for officers so that quality service may be provided by the Department at all centres by 31 July 2025.
• The Civil Registry Department should specify at least minimum requirements needed for one to obtain either a birth certificate, National ID or Passport through advertisement of public outreach programmes by 31st July 2025 in order to reduce unnecessary turn always. This will help to reduce the number of people who are undocumented.
• The Government to speed up the current efforts of training traditional leaders to facilitate the issuance of primary documents mainly Birth and Death Certificates by 31st December 2025. This will help to reduce the burden of transport cost and the requirement of bringing witnesses and it will also make it easy for people in the hinterland to acquire documents and service currently available urban centre.
• The Ministry should give a special dispensation for those who fall victim to natural disasters such as floods, lightning and infernos. These should be given amnesty to acquire their primary documents without any cumbersome procedures by 31st July, 2025.
• Treasury should allocate more funds to Civil Registry Department to enable them to conduct verification exercise to capture and record all the undocumented people so that they can be given a form of documentation in order for them to be identified and to participate in all aspects of life.

CONCLUSION

The Committee envisages that this report and recommendations contained therein will go a long way towards alleviating the plight of affected people. The public hearing on the statelessness of migrants enabled the Committee to get an appreciation of the challenges in front line provinces of the country with regards to the issuance of primary documents. It is therefore, the Committee’s fervent hope that the Ministry will consider this report and take remedial measures to expeditiously come up with policies that make it less cumbersome to acquire primary documents throughout the country. Such policies should include an amnesty by the Registrar General’s Office in the handling of similar cases like the ones raised in this report.

         HON. DR. KHUPE: Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I would like to add my voice on the report presented by Hon. Nguluvhe on statelessness of migrants in Zimbabwe and highlight what they came across as we went around the country. I will therefore buttress on points raised by the Chairperson. Amnesty International brought a report to Parliament like stated by the Chairperson that there were quite a number of people who were stateless because they do not have documentation which shows that they were Zimbabwean citizens, hence the statelessness.

         The Committee on Defence, Home Affairs, War Veterans and Security Services then conducted public hearings in six provinces; Manicaland, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Midlands, Harare and Mashonaland Central. The purpose of these public hearings was to assess the magnitude of people who are stateless.

The President has for times without a number, said no one and no place must be left behind but the issue of being stateless defeats the whole

mantra of leaving no one behind because so many people in Zimbabwe currently are being left behind since they do not have birth certificates or identity cards.

A person with no birth certificate or identity card is losing out on so many opportunities, that is, they cannot go to school, get a job, get a driver's licence or passport, cannot register for medical or funeral policies and they cannot get assistance from NGOs who assist vulnerable people because they do not have any documentation to identify them.

In Penhalonga, one of the participants said in Mutasa South, 60% of Zimbabweans and 40% of migrants do not have birth certificates and identity cards. These migrants are from Mozambique.  She said most of the children are born in Zimbabwe but from parents who are from Mozambique. They have BCG marks from Zimbabwe and she wondered why these children could not be given documentation. According to sections 36, 37 and 38 of the Zimbabwe Constitution, a person is a citizen by birth, by descent and by registration.

According to the Zimbabwe Citizenship Act, it entitles every person married to a Zimbabwean for a period of at least five years to apply and be granted citizenship.  In addition, any person lawfully resident in Zimbabwe for 10 years satisfying prescribed conditions is entitled to apply and be registered as a citizen. In terms of all these laws, it should not be difficult for people to get citizenship. The issue of birth certificates affects women more and people with disability challenges.

In Penhalonga again, one of the participants said he is from Mozambique but her wife is from Zimbabwe.  Both his parents passed on and he has no relatives that he knows and has severally tried to get a birth certificate but to no avail.  He has seven children and the oldest is 28 years old. All his children do not have birth certificates and they are not going to school, the older son who is 28 years cannot get employment nor a driver's licence nor a passport so that he can fend for himself and his siblings.

Many participants complained of the treatment they are getting from Registry officials who often threaten them of deportation resulting in many people not going back to the offices to get help. One of the participants said both her parents passed on and she was raised by her aunt who was there when she was born but be that as it may, Registry officials still do not want to give her a birth certificate.

In Bulawayo, participants said many people have migrated to South Africa leaving their children with their grandparents who were there when these children were born but Registry officials are not giving them any joy when they try to get birth certificates for their grand children who are not going to school. One of the participants from Ngozi Mine said both her parents passed on and she and her siblings do not have birth certificates. She further said the issue of not having birth certificates has a bearing on the economy because they are unable to participate in economic activities.

One of the participants from St. Peters Primary school said pupils are about to write exams but most of them do not have birth certificates and these children are going to be left behind for good. Another participant said in Bulawayo and Matebeleland most of the children whose parents are Gukurahundi victims do not have birth certificates because both their parents were killed during that sad moment.  Honestly, these children must be given birth certificates without asking further questions – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] -

One participant said our laws must be aligned to Ubuntu bethu.  They decried the attitude of Registry officials saying in the majority of cases, people are unable to get birth certificates because of the attitude of these officials. In Gweru, one of the participants said her sister who was mentally challenged gave birth to twin girls who are now 16 years old.  Her sister has since passed on and she is now looking after these twins.  The sad reality is that they do not have birth certificates and she has gone to the Registry offices for times without a number and she has up to now has failed to get birth certificates for the girls because Registry officials have been sending her from pillar to post with no avail.  She further alluded to the fact that special attention must be given to people with mental challenges.  She said she cannot put these girls on medical aid or on funeral policies.  She said even organisations who help people who are vulnerable cannot assist them because they do not have birth certificates.

One of the participants in Chiredzi said her daughter in law left her child with the grandmother and the child was born in Zimbabwe. She is now six years old and is not going to school. The grandmother does not even know where her daughter went, she just disappeared. She has been trying to get a birth certificate for her grandchild but Registry officials are refusing to give her and they continuously ask her to go and look for the mother, whereas she has absolutely no idea on where her daughter is.

One of the participants said her parents are from Mozambique, but she was born in Zimbabwe and both her parents have since passed on and she has no birth certificates because the Registry officials are asking for death certificates of her parents which she does not have.  She has children and her children have no birth certificates as well and they are not going to school.

One of the participants in Epworth who is blind said her parents are from Mozambique and she has no relatives in Zimbabwe. She is 40 years old and her child is 23 years old and both of them do not have birth certificates.  When they approach the Registry office, they are told to bring their relatives whereas they do not have any relatives around but they were born in Zimbabwe.  They have been going to the offices several times with their condition but Registry officials seem to have no pity and they continue to tell them to bring their relatives.  They said they have been left behind for 40 and 23 years and they are losing out on many things like education, employment opportunities, funeral and medical policies and passports.  They are appealing to government to look at people who are blind and those with disability challenges because they do not think that they are a security risk.

They alluded to the fact that the programme of issuance of birth certificates and identity cards which is conducted during elections where it is a bit better to get these documents must be repeated at least four times every month. This will give an opportunity to many people without birth certificates.

One of the participants said her mother left him with his father and the father also left him with his grandfather who was there when he was born in Zimbabwe. His father was from Malawi but his mother is from Zimbabwe.  He has no idea where both his parents are and up to now, he has no birth certificate.  His grandfather has gone to the Registry offices trying to acquire a birth certificate for him but he is continuously told to go and look for the parents and no one knows where they are or whether they are still alive.  He bemoaned that he has been left behind on so many programmes because he has no birth certificate.  He requested that requirements for persons like him must be relaxed because his grandfather who was there when he was born must be allowed to help him get a birth certificate. He said it is like they have been condemned to death.

In Bindura, one of the participants said the issue of statelessness is not much of a problem.  He gave an example of Ran Mine which has about 1 500 workers of which they managed to help 700 to get birth certificates.  Most of the people are being helped by the Member of Parliament, Hon. Musanhi who has been writing letters to the Registry officials confirming that he knows these people and the majority of them have birth certificates.  However, one of the Village Heads said he has met several people who do not have birth certificates and the Registry officials say these people must bring one of his siblings who is ten years older than them and many people are unable to meet the requirements.

One of the participants said they have administrative problems with the Registrar's Office.  He mentioned that the law says if one was born in August 1963, they are entitled to be a Zimbabwean citizen, the participant is a Zimbabwean by birth and a Malawian by descent.  He wondered why they were being denied birth certificates. He further said the Registrar's Office was like hell to those who are stateless.

         After listening to people who are stateless in the six provinces we visited, it is imperative for government to:

1. Have mercy on people who are blind and those with disability challenges by making sure that their requirements are relaxed because the majority of these people are Zimbabweans by birth.  One of the participants said if one is born in a plane but on the Zimbabwean air space they are Zimbabwean. He further said if one is born in a bush which is in Zimbabwe, that person is a Zimbabwean or if you are born in a clinic or hospital in Zimbabwe you are a Zimbabwean, therefore all these people must not have any difficulty in acquiring birth certificates.

 

2. All those who are 16 years and below and were born in Zimbabwe should automatically be given birth certificates because they are not a security threat. These children are being left behind in terms of education and these are the youths who are currently indulging in drug abuse.
3. Those who are above 16 years can go through screening as there is a belief that they might be a security risk.
4. All the children who were born by Gukurahundi victims, those who were killed during that time must be given birth certificates without any question as long as if there is proof that their parents were killed during that time.
5. Registry officials were mentioned in all the six provinces as being hostile to those who want birth certificates, their attitude was a cause for concern. We were told that in some instances they threaten people with deportation, resulting in those people not going back again.  This is pointing to the fact that the Registrar must conduct training of their staff so that they have good people with soft skills.
6. One of the participants said pupils are about to write exams and they do not have birth certificates. Surely, these pupils are not a security threat and I propose that the Registrar's Office must go to schools and give birth certificates to all the pupils who do not have so that they are able to write their grade 7 exams and proceed to secondary school.
7. The Citizenship Act must be aligned to the Constitution so that people have no problems or difficulties when they go to acquire birth certificates and identity cards.
8. The issue of statelessness defeats the whole mantra of leaving no one and no place behind because so many people have been left behind. Some of these people have lived in Zimbabwe for more than 50 years and yet they still do not have documentation to show that they are Zimbabwean citizens. Some of their children are 30 years old with no birth certificates and this is pointing to the fact that they have 50 and 30 years wasted, because they cannot participate in economic activities. They have not gone to school, they are like people who have been condemned to death.  This issue of statelessness must be looked into and dealt with as a matter of urgency so that no one or no place is left behind. I rest my case.

HON. KARIKOGA:  I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. NYANDORO:  I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Wednesday, 27^th November, 2024.

         On the motion of HON. KARIKOGA, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Sixteen Minutes to Six o’clock p.m.