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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 15 OCTOBER 2024 VOL 51 NO 05
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 15th October, 2024
The National Assembly met at a Quarter-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER
PETITIONS RECEIVED FROM COTTON PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF ZIMBABWE, REPUBLIC INFORMATION RIGHTS, GIRLS TABLE, KUSHINGA GROUP OF FORCED RETIREES AND CHIREDZI RESIDENTS AND RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I wish to inform the House that on 11th June, 2024, Parliament received a petition from Cotton Producers Association of Zimbabwe, beseeching Parliament to inquire into the activities of COTTCO. The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petition was not clear. The petitioners were notified accordingly.
On 2nd August, 2024, Parliament received a petition from the Republic Information Rights, requesting Parliament to inquire into the activities of a group called G-Unit, allegedly assaulting villagers in Chiredzi District. The petition was deemed inadmissible as the request did not fall under the purview of Parliament.
I wish also to inform the House that on 2nd August, 2024, Parliament received a petition from the Girls Table, requesting Parliament to ensure that the spirit of Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe in relation to gender balance is respected. The petition was deemed inadmissible since the petitioners were not clear in their request to Parliament. They were notified accordingly.
I further have to inform the House that on 2nd September, 2024, Parliament received a petition from Kushinga Group of Forced Retirees, requesting Parliament to repeal Statutory Instrument 135 of 2024. The petition was deemed inadmissible as it did not comply with the petition procedure outlined in Appendix E of the National Assembly Standing Orders.
On 11th September, 2024, Parliament received a petition from Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association, beseeching Parliament to inquire into the alleged corruption in the engagement of a private developer to service land in the Buffalo Range area allocated to Chiredzi Rural and Town Councils. The petition was deemed inadmissible as the petitioners did not comply with requirements spelt out in Appendix E of the National Assembly Standing Orders. The petitioners were notified accordingly.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 3 be stood over, until Order of the Day Number 4 is disposed of.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. MASVISVI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for
recognising me. I want to add my voice to the motion moved by Hon. Kambuzuma, seconded by Hon. C. Moyo on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on 2nd October, 2024. It was such a thought provoking, insightful, comprehensive and highly informative speech that was made by His Excellency the President. Let me congratulate the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, on attaining the SADC Chairmanship. This will strengthen our regional relationship, liberation heat within our SADC member States and Africa as a whole.
The Chairmanship under the leadership of Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa will enhance international recognition and promote economic development in the region. The peace and tranquility that has prevailed in this dispensation era, societies enjoy greater income growth, higher foreign investment and also mentioning political stability and sense of ownership of our people in Zimbabwe. Peace ensures undisturbed business and personal activities to gain prosperity. Collective peace leads to national and global peace. Therefore, peace promotes economic development. Where there is no peace, there is no rule of law. Peace begins with me; peace begins with you; peace begins with all of us.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, despite continued existence of illegal economic sanctions which must be unconditionally removed, the country’s re-engagement efforts are paying dividends as the Second Republic, which is committed to the rebuilding of the country’s image and engage the broader family of nations. Sanctions are a threat to development and they must be removed because they are an impediment to the growth of our infrastructure development and human capital. Zimbabwe could be a friend to all and an enemy to none. The President always says this.
The climate change affected all economic sectors, especially the agricultural sector. I therefore applaud the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for the drought mitigation measures such as provision of grain in rural communities and cash for cereals in urban areas. In my constituency Gokwe Central, there are five rural wards that received and are still receiving grain under the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme. There are also six urban wards which are going to benefit through the Cash for Cereals Programme. In addition to the above, all schools have received mealie-meal under the schools feeding programme. I therefore thank the President of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for having people at heart in support of the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind. True to his words that no one is going to die of hunger.
The El-Nino induced drought has not only affected human beings, but also animals and livestock. In Gokwe Constituency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa introduced a Presidential Stock Feed. In my constituency, the Grain Marketing Board is selling maize at an affordable price as part of mitigation to ensure food availability. As a result of El-Nino drought, all water bodies which were known sources of water for people and animals dried up. Over and above this issue, I would like to applaud the President for introducing a Presidential Borehole Drilling Programme. In Gokwe Central Constituency, three solarised boreholes were installed, namely Mateta, 1 borehole in Ward 19. Nyawu borehole, Ward 16, Chitungwa Village borehole Ward 15 and more are coming.
Adding to boreholes, people are given inputs for nutritional gardens. Presidential boreholes are there to augment the already existing boreholes and rural boreholes maintained by RIDA. I would like to comment the President of Zimbabwe for introducing the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, which afforded many people in rural areas to access some inputs so that they can make a living out of farming as it is said by the Metrological Department that this season we will receive normal to above normal rainfall. It is my plea to the Government to accelerate the issuance of inputs before the onset of the rain to maximise the 2025 harvest season.
On infrastructure development, the President mentioned infrastructural development as this would be a pillar to our economic growth so that we become a modernised country. Without mordernisation, our infrastructure will not be going anywhere. In terms of the infrastructure development, we want to thank our Government for the construction and rehabilitation of roads, dip tanks, schools, clinics and many others. These are the things that are self-evident. In this case, I would like to call upon the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to expedite the construction of Mapfungautsi Secondary School as Government availed some building material in 2019 and there is no meaningful progress.
There is also a need for provision of computers in schools for the digitalisation and innovation of our rural schools. This is in relation to 5.0 model of heritage-based curriculum towards the attainment of vision 2030. The Youth Built Zimbabwe Programme which is spearheaded by the National Youth Service, accelerates and promotes infrastructure development in communities. In this case, the youths in Gokwe Centre Constituency always volunteer in the construction and rehabilitation of roads, clinics, dip tanks, et cetera.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, under rural electrification, I would like to commend the Rural Electrification Agency because a good number of small-scale farmers are benefiting by irrigating their fields using electricity while rural entrepreneurs have diversified business ventures after benefiting from electricity. There is now a hive of activities at electrified rural business centres. Rural schools, traditional leaders’ homesteads have been electrified, making Gokwe a better place to be. I do hereby call upon the Minister of Energy and Power Development to pump up Mapfungautsi extension for it has a total of more than 2000 houses as well as the Njelele Phase 2 location which has a similar number though unelectrified.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, as I conclude my debate, I would like to thank His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and the SADC Chairperson, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, for his effort of connecting Zimbabwe to the global world. God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
+HON. R. MPOFU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Firstly, I will say my contribution in short, I cannot read. I will say what the President said in brief. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the President for being elected the Chairman of SADC. President E. D. Mnangagwa has shown his leadership skills. He has love and now all of us view ourselves as Chairpersons of SADC.
I would like to thank the mover of this motion, Hon. Kambuzuma being seconded by Hon. Moyo. What I really liked from what the President said, he spoke about peace and I am so happy about our country Zimbabwe. It is a peaceful country; it is blessed and people are united. We do have different opinions here and there but it shows that the President has good leadership qualities and he unites people in Zimbabwe. I remember the late Vice President John Landa Nkomo, he once said peace begins with me, then it is spreads to you and everyone else throughout Zimbabwe, meaning that when there is peace, there is development in the country.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the reason why I said there is peace is that when the Second Republic came, it brought about a lot of development. We are seated here in Parliament because of the development that is there. I wish it could be like this all the time. From what the President said, I cannot see but I know that the President of the country said that we all have to be united in seeing that there is peace in our country. When I talk about development in the country, women have also developed because of the development that is there in the country. Women do not hate each other anymore. We respect each other as women. It does not matter from which party one comes from.
The other thing that is damaging our country is that we have sanctions in the country but as Zimbabweans, we should pray that sanctions be removed. They are dangerous to us all, even in our homes. If there is no food in the house, there is no love and even in bed, nothing can happen between a husband and a wife. Sanctions are even affecting schools because if a child is hungry, how can he or she pay attention to lessons? We must fight to have these sanctions removed in our country.
Madam Speaker, I also heard the President speaking about health that we are preparing to get those big cancer machines. Mostly, women and children are affected but it also affects men, however, for women, it is worse. I would like to congratulate the President for being a good leader and noticing what is killing his people; that is why he wants to get those big machines so that people can be treated. I also want to thank God, the leader of our country and also Hon. Thokozani Khupe. She is a fighter and a survivor. We were all watching her and there was no medicine in this country. What is important is that we should all be well. The Government also tried to make sure that one of us gets treated and gets better. Well done Hon. Thokozani Khupe. What is good must be appreciated. The President does not choose whose child it is. These machines have been taken to different districts and even those in rural areas have to benefit as well. We know that at times it is difficult to get even the pills because we do not have money, so the President is also trying to make sure that people do not die. During the COVID era, yes, there are people who died but the Government ran around to look for medications and vaccines and we survived. I wish that when they announce the Budget, health should get the bulk of the funds.
Looking at what has also been said, we have seen that there is hunger in the country. There is no water and the President spoke of the disaster in the country. The President also said that we should have boreholes throughout the country because some people cannot walk long distances but if a borehole is nearby, even those with crutches can get to the borehole and get some water.
I also notice that there are some solar systems at boreholes and people can now make their own gardens. Some are making their vegetable markets where they sell cabbages and other products. I remember the President said no one should die of hunger and no one should be left behind. He said he loves us all and he is going to stand with us.
I would also like to congratulate the President when we talk about boreholes and those who are vulnerable. On the 12th of July 2024, I was in Bindura. The President donated 50 pigs to the vulnerable groups. He also donated ten stands and each province benefited. I could not see but I could hear, I sat down and I thought that the President is really thinking about us, even us the vulnerable. Blind as I am, I was appointed to represent the disabled. Hon. Members, please assist me in thanking him. The President does not discriminate.
On roads, these have been rehabilitated. Even those who use wheel chairs can now safely travel. Even if you are to construct a house, if you do not have enough money, you can still construct. Since we are talking of peace, if we unite, we can go far and assist each other. United we stand but divided we fall. I know that 2030, we will still be there and the President always says the country is prayed for and is built by its own people. All of us are the owners of Zimbabwe. This is our forefathers’ land. We must defend it. We must unite and bring development together so that the enemy cannot come in-between us.
As I said Madam Speaker, I will not say much but add a few things that I still recall. If I look at development and structures that are being built; if you get to Beitbridge, you can feel; although I cannot see, you can feel that you are somewhere else – a place like heaven. I could tell that I was at a beautiful place when I was taken for a tour. I would like to thank him for the peace. Let us achieve other things. We might have different opinions but let us be united and achieve what we can. I wish that he would grow old and wise. I also wish him all the best. God bless Zimbabwe and God bless our President. I thank you.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma`am. I rise to debate the State of the Nation Address (SONA) by the President. Let me start by thanking His Excellency for delivering his annual SONA to this august House. I also want to applaud him on assuming the rotational Chairmanship for SADC.
I will start with mining. This country is blessed with natural resources and is adorned by more than sixty precious minerals. This country should be flowing with riches. The citizens of this nation must be benefiting from the mineral wealth that are God-given. If you go to Buhera today, you will see tonnes of trucks leaving the country. If you go to Mvurwi, you will see tonnes of trucks leaving with chrome. If you go to Mutoko, UMP in Mashonaland East Province, you will see tonnes of trucks leaving with granite but look at those communities, what are they benefiting out of the mineral wealth that they have in their own communities? Instead, they are being told to leave those communities which were left by their ancestors. That is their home from their ancestors and the mineral wealth that they inherited from their ancestors which they were given by God, but no one is benefiting from that mineral. As a country, I am glad that His Excellency mentioned that we are now going forward with the Mines and Minerals Act and we are agitatedly waiting for that Act to come to Parliament so that we can expedite it.
There must also be mineral beneficiation. There is no reason for us to take all these minerals outside so that they can be cleaned to get the actual required mineral. That should happen at the place of origin of those minerals. We should be getting policies that enable us to have mineral beneficiation.
I will now turn to royalties. There are a lot of people who are benefiting from gold in this country. This gold must be benefiting my grandmother who is in Buhera. She must feel that we have gold in this country and she is getting something out of it, including all the citizens and residents who voted for me in Marondera Central. They must be getting something out of that gold. What do we see? We see those that are extracting our gold floating their wealth on social media, buying expensive cars and jets at the expense of the suffering of the citizenry. That must stop and we go forward as a nation.
I also want to speak on the scourge of murders that are happening in the mines. This is something that has not often been told. In the last five years alone, there have been 500 murders in Midlands alone by amakorokoza. We cannot let the minerals be the end of people’s lives. I call upon this august House to have proper laws that will avert this scourge to ensure that our people are protected. We also need to expedite the Great Dyke line. The Great Dyke is adorned with so many minerals, but we are not harnessing that productivity.
On infrastructural development, I do like to thank the Hon. Minister of Infrastructural Development for ensuring that we have the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme. I think we are now on Phase 2. That is a welcome initiative because we are starting to see roads being upgraded. We also need that to expand to all the regions. If you drive from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, I am glad it has been mentioned that something will be done about that road. There are so many roads that need to be looked at, for example from Marondera to Murewa, it is atrocious. We are glad that something is being done about the Hwedza Road. We do require that more roads be given priority so that people can easily travel to different places. That accessibility helps in terms of business. Things go faster if there are road networks.
Let me go to the air waves. If you are going to watch football on ZBC, you will see showers. Even if you turn on DSTV and you are watching ZBC, you will see showers because this country is now the only country in Southern Africa that is not fully digitised. We are calling upon the Government to get a grip on this one and ensure that we finish the digitisation project once and for all in 2025 so that we do not leave any place behind in Zimbabwe that is not digitised. Someone who is in Guruve or Muzarabani must be able to watch football in clear high definition. This project must finish in 2025 to ensure that we are all at par, either for someone who is in Harare or someone who is in the rural areas.
I will now turn to agriculture. Since 2016, annually where we still had command agriculture, we were spending US$1.3bn a year on command agriculture. This was done to ensure that we are self sufficient as far as agriculture is concerned. In hindsight, that was a good idea but the management of those programmes as well as the inputs that is still happening today is atrocious. Why? Because if you go to various places, those inputs are being sold at the black market. The fertiliser again is being sold at the black market. People are not harnessing the substantive agriculture that they are supposed to do through the Pfumvudza Programme because they are selling those things due to hunger. What we need to do as a country is that with the amount of USD we pour into agriculture, we must actually be exporting agricultural products to other countries. I hear we are going to have a bumper harvest for the winter wheat programme. I applaud that but let us ensure that goes to every other crop so that no citizen should have to die of hunger in Zimbabwe.
Let me move on to education. The Constitution is very clear that basic education at the point of delivery must be free. That is a constitutional right for everyone. No one should not be able to receive education because they are poor. Education should not only be for the elite but should be for everybody regardless of their social status. With this Parliament as we go towards the 2025 Budget, we must make sure that we put provisions in the budget that ensure that from cradle to grave, every child must have education as a right and not pay anything for it.
If you go to many rural areas, pupils and students have to walk for 15 to 20km to get to a school. They are walking barefooted. That is not right in this century Madam Speaker. Something must be done to ensure we help those children. We must go on a spree of building schools within every 5km radius to ensure that no one has to walk for kilometres and kilometres to access school – [AN HON. MEMBER: Kupi ikoko.] - In Wedza, so many children are walking for miles barefooted.
On the economic front, the Gross Domestic Product of this country is around USD33bn. That is the money that is circulating in the country. When we come to November to appropriate money, we only appropriate just under USD5bn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. What does that mean? It means people have money and the Government does not have money. In a normal country, the money that comes from the Treasury that goes to various Government programmes is about 50% of GDP but ours falls much shorter than that. That is when you see Government increasing and over taxing residents? You are already over taxing poor people. We are one of the most taxed nations in Southern Africa. Even Government fees are so exorbitant. You have to pay USD200 for a passport whereas in other countries, it is USD15 or USD30. These are our neighbours but we over tax everything, be it VAT, income tax or corporate tax.
We actually have the IMTT tax. When you do a transaction, you are taxed 2% although we had said that one was going to be temporary but it is continuing. Government is milking people because they cannot get to the money that people have. But it is easy, people need confidence in the economy. Once people have confidence, all these people who are keeping their money under their pillows, will put their monies in the bank and that money begins to circulate so that when the Finance Minister comes to this House, they have a chunk of money to give to Government programmes.
We stand where we are today because of the currency fluctuations that we have. We came here and we were told that we are moving away from a state where there is always a change of the exchange rate and that the currency is now backed by gold. In layman’s terms that means that if the quantity of gold that is backing up our currency increases, so should the currency also gain more value. Alas, lo and behold, just after paying civil servants, the currency is then devalued. It means all those people who were saving, how do you think a person can have the confidence of saving money when they know they can just wake up one day and be told your money has been devalued? That speaks of less confidence.
The other problem that we were having is the money supply side. There was so much ZiG being pumped into the economy which was coming from nowhere. In economics, they call it phantom money. That means that people were now going to buy the USD at ridiculous prices which then made sure that the rate was up. I am glad that the RBZ Governor has conceded that there is going to be very little money supply into the country’s economy. As long as we do not address the issue of confidence, the issue of the local currency will continue to be on our backside. We might have two or three months where things appear to be normal but as soon as we start to pay people, the same problems continue. We call upon the Government to ensure that there is a monetary policy that does not say to us where we are is because of sanctions.
As a matter of point, most of the Executive Orders or the ZIDERA sanctions that were economically targeted were removed by the US….
HON. ZEMURA: I rise on a point of order. The Hon. Member is not sticking to what the President said. He is only discussing his own. May he please stick to what the President said?
HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, on another note, I respect the Hon Member’s debate, but I want to request that he does not mislead us to say the sanctions were removed when we have Zimbabweans who are under sanctions today. Unless you say if I am not sanctioned, another Zimbabwean can be sanctioned, it does not matter. I think in that area we need to be patriotic Zimbabweans.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, please proceed.
HON. TOGAREPI: I think we need to be patriotic Zimbabweans.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, I am sure you have taken note that there are some people who are still on sanctions, so you must not say that sanctions were removed.
HON. MATEWU: Well noted Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, if it is about patriotism, I am very patriotic, that is why I always put this Zimbabwean flag here; it shows the nature of my patriotism. I am loyal to the people of Zimbabwe, I am loyal to Zimbabwe and that is what patriotism means. I am not loyal to a political party, I am not loyal to any individual, I remain loyal.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Matewu, you are left with five minutes.
HON. MATEWU: Thank you very much, I will just correct the Right Hon. Togarepi, just to say he is very right that some people are still on sanctions but the economic sanctions that were there through ZIDERA were removed by an executive order, but I do acknowledge that there are a few individuals who are still left on the sanctions list. As I continue, I want to talk about health …
*HON. TAFANANA ZHOU: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Thank you Madam Speaker. When a ruling has been done, I do not believe that a Member should comment on the ruling. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Zhou.
HON. MATEWU: Madam Speaker, I will conclude on health. Our health is our wealth and this must be clear. Most of our referral hospitals do not have drugs. If you go to Marondera Referral Hospital, which is a provincial referral hospital, you will be asked to go and buy your own bandage in town – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] – I live there, you will be asked to go and buy your own medicine. Madam Speaker, let us capacitate our hospitals, let us ensure that NatPharm is well capacitated to be able to rescue those citizens who cannot pay anything and who have no money.
Madam Speaker, we also need adequate machinery like the Bill that is coming up. We also need to have cancer machines in our hospitals. I was watching ZBC yesterday and it was confirmed that cancer is now the biggest killer in Zimbabwe. We need to take a step and ensure that we address the concerns and the issue of chemotherapy. With this, I commend this to the House. I thank you.
HON. MAPOSA: I rise to add my voice on the State of Nation Address delivered by our President on the 2nd October, 2024. As it is constitutional for the President to give the national state of the country from time to time, the conditions of the country, Hon. Speaker Ma’am, the President’s speech highlighted the Government policy and plans for the upcoming year. His address provided broad aspects, he talked about commitment to enhance well-being of people of our motherland, Zimbabwe. We must concentrate on development within his philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind.
Hon. Speaker Ma’am, in his speech, he addressed the aspects of economic growth. He is also worried about the country’s economy although there are internal forces which work against the gross domestic product which need to be measured in real terms. The President also talked about how to boost economy, the numerous strategies Government might use to try and stimulate economic growth such as tax breaks or tax rebates as well as investment in infrastructure, early childhood development and good quality education.
Hon. Speaker Ma’am, health care is a key issue of the nation. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation. The President addressed the aspect of food in the country. He said he will make sure no one dies of hunger. More green gardens are being implemented for our nutrition food. He also talked about drilling the boreholes in the whole country. He is targeting about 35 000 solar boreholes in the whole country. In my constituency Hon. Speaker Ma’am, we were given about 25 solar boreholes as I speak. So, I would like to thank the President – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
Coming to the energy sector, the President, through the Ministry of Energy, has also given players licence to come and establish their own energy plans and be connected to the grid to benefit the nation.
I would like to thank the Hon. Members who thank the President for the developments which he has done and the ongoing projects which we would like to finish as a country in our motherland Zimbabwe. Hon. Speaker Ma’am, I also want to thank Hon. Matewu who thanked the President for the achievements he has done. I also want to correct Hon. Matewu, he also talked about Great Dyke…
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Maposa, you must debate the Presidential Speech not to debate against what other Hon. Member have said.
HON. MAPOSA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I also want to talk about the Great Dyke which has been mentioned. People of Zimbabwe are also benefiting from the Great Dyke. The artisanal miners are also benefiting from the Great Dyke. There is also a Government policy which the President said within five kilometres, we should have schools. That is our mandate as MPs to implement the Government policy as MPs in our constituencies. I would like to thank the President because pupils are not going to walk long distances. I thank you.
HON. TIMBURWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise today with deep appreciation for the State of the Nation Address delivered by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe. He addressed and gave us a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, particularly I will focus on the energy sector and also the drafting of the Development Strategy 2. His Excellency outlined the energy challenges Zimbabwe faces, particularly the subdued generation of Kariba Power Station due to the environmental factors. This situation provides us with a crucial opportunity to diversify and strengthen our energy systems, ensuring that we become more resilient in the face of climate change. I fully support the President’s focus on solar energy and the role of independent power producers in addressing these challenges. However, as we look for solutions, we must prioritise the diversification of energy sources. As highlighted by His Excellency, Zimbabwe has potential to harness solar and wind energy in a way that reduces our reliance on hydropower which has proven vulnerably to changing environment conditions. Investing in large-solar-farms and possible uranium energy products will ensure a more stable and diversified energy mix. Furthermore, we must focus on integrating energy storage technologies such as battery systems to store excess energy produced during peak generation times, ensuring we have a reliable power supply when generation is low. These technologies will also reduce our reliance on imported power, leading to greater energy independence.
The President’s call for expanding the role of IPPs is commendable and I support measures to streamline regulatory processes to attract more investment. This will help bring new projects online more quickly, addressing our immediate and long-term energy needs. Zimbabwe’s wealth of energy minerals also presents an opportunity to go beyond raw material extraction and invest in value addition. By developing industries such as battery manufacturing, we can create jobs, boost our economy and position Zimbabwe as a leader in the global energy market.
National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) - A Roadmap for the Future
Hon. Speaker, His Excellency mentioned that NDS2 is currently being drafted. This strategic framework will shape Zimbabwe’s development trajectory for the next five years and beyond. As we draft this important document, we must ensure that energy infrastructure is a key pillar of NDS2. Without reliable energy, the ambitious goals of industrialisation and economic growth that NDS2 will seek to achieve cannot be realised.
NDS2 should also emphasise value addition in key sectors like mining. By focusing on processing energy minerals and manufacturing technologies such as batteries, we can stimulate economic growth and create high-quality jobs. The strategy should also foster public-private partnerships (PPPs) in energy infrastructure development, which will attract much needed investment and expertise to modernise our energy grid and expand access to reliable electricity across Zimbabwe.
Security: Strengthening National Stability
Hon. Speaker, the President’s emphasis on national security is another critical aspect of the State of the Nation Address. His Excellency rightly pointed out that our sovereignty and territorial integrity must be safeguarded. I fully support the Government’s efforts to modernise our defence forces and security institutions to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing security environment. As we modernise our defence and security systems, we must also recognise the growing importance of cybersecurity. As Zimbabwe becomes more connected digitally, the risks posed by cyber threats increase. We must therefore invest in strengthening our cyber defence capabilities to protect our national infrastructure, businesses and citizens from these emerging threats. Security is not limited to defence. As the President highlighted, social cohesion is vital for national stability. We must continue to promote unity and inclusivity, rejecting any forms of tribalism or regionalism. A united Zimbabwe is a strong Zimbabwe and this unity will be critical as we implement NDS2 and pursue our national developmental goals.
Cyber-security and ICT: Safeguarding our Digital Future
Hon. Speaker, I now turn to an issue that is becoming increasingly critical in our modern economy - cyber-security and the development of ICT infrastructure. As the President rightly pointed out, ICT penetration has grown rapidly in Zimbabwe offering vast opportunities for economic growth, innovation and improved service delivery. However, with this growth comes increased vulnerability to cyber-security threats that could compromise our national security, economic stability and personal privacy.
In today’s interconnected world, cyber-security is no longer a peripheral issue but one of national security. We have seen across the globe how cyber-attacks can disrupt critical infrastructure, including power grids, financial systems and government operations. For Zimbabwe to advance safely in this digital era, we must implement a comprehensive national cyber-security strategy.
Establishing a National Cyber-security Framework
Zimbabwe needs to establish a centralised national cyber-security agency responsible for coordination efforts across sectors to safeguard our digital infrastructure. This agency should work in collaboration with the public and private sectors to develop cyber-security policies and ensure that best practices are implemented across all industries. Furthermore, the Government should enhance the implementation of the Cyber Security Act, providing a clear legal framework for prosecuting cyber-crimes and outlining the responsibilities of various stakeholders in defending against cyber-threats. This agency should also implement real-time monitoring and threat detection systems to identify and respond to cyber-attacks quickly. Having a centralised incident response capability will ensure that any threats to critical systems, including the financial sector, telecommunications and energy grids, are mitigated before causing significant damage.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure
Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure can have devastating consequences. Zimbabwe’s power grids, water supply systems, financial institutions and Government services are increasingly reliant on digital technologies, making them attractive targets for cyber-criminals or hostile actors. As we move toward smart energy systems and integrate more digital technologies into our infrastructure, ensuring cyber-security becomes paramount. It is essential that we upgrade the security protocols for critical infrastructure and adopt international cyber-security framework. This will ensure that all critical sectors have resilient systems that can withstand cyber-attacks and protect the essential services that Zimbabweans rely on daily.
Cyber-security Education and Capacity Building
A critical aspect of enhancing cyber-security in Zimbabwe is building local expertise. We must invest in training cybersecurity professionals who can manage and defend our systems. This should involve partnerships between the government, universities and technical institutions to offer specialised courses in cyber defence, ethical hacking, digital forensics and network security. Furthermore, we must raise awareness across all sectors about cyber hygiene and the importance of following basic cyber-security practices. This includes promoting the use of strong passwords, implementing two factor authentication and educating users about phishing and other common cyber threats. A well-informed populace is our first line of defence against cyber-attacks.
Developing a National Data Protection Framework
As digital services expand, we must also protect the personal data of Zimbabwean citizens. The Government must ensure that data protection laws are in place, aligned with international standards such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This will not only protect our citizens but also foster trust in digital services, encouraging further growth in e-commerce, digital banking and online Government services. A National Data Protection Agency should be established to oversee compliance with these regulations and to ensure that companies handling sensitive personal data implement the necessary safeguards to prevent data breaches.
ICT Infrastructure: Driving Digital Transformation
Hon. Speaker, beyond cyber-security, we must also focus on the continued development of ICT infrastructure as a key driver of economic growth. The President’s focus on modernising telecommunications infrastructure and expanding broadband access is essential for Zimbabwe’s digital transformation. However, we must ensure that rural areas are not left behind. The digital divide between urban and rural communities is a barrier to inclusive growth. Henceforth, we appreciate the licensing of neo-technologies like Starlink. We need to expand fiber optic networks to remote areas and incentivise private sector investment in 4G and 5G infrastructure, ensuring that all Zimbabweans have access to fast reliable internet services. This will not only improve education and healthcare delivery but will also open up opportunities for digital entrepreneurship, allowing Zimbabwean innovators to compete on a global stage. Additionally, as e-commerce and digital banking services grow, we must implement financial technologies (fintech) that allow secure and easy access to banking in rural areas. This will help bridge the financial inclusion gap and ensure that all Zimbabweans can benefit from the opportunities of a digital economy.
As we draft the NDS2, we must ensure that these areas are central to our plans for sustainable growth and national prosperity. With a strong focus on cyber-security, digital transformation and energy diversification, I am confident that Zimbabwe will thrive in the face of both modern challenges and opportunities.
Conclusion
In conclusion Hon. Speaker, I would like to express my gratitude to His Excellency the President for his visionary leadership. The challenges of energy, security and the development of cyber-security and ICT infrastructure present us with great opportunities to shape Zimbabwe’s future. As we draft the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), we must ensure that these areas are central to our plans for sustainable growth and national prosperity.
With a strong focus on cyber-security, digital transformation and energy diversification, I am confident that Zimbabwe will thrive in the face of both modern challenges and opportunities as alluded to in the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa.
HON. MUWODZERI: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I rise to debate on the speech that was delivered by His Excellency, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa where he emphasised on the issue of unity and peace. I do not want to consume much of your time Madam Speaker because most of the items have been well articulated by Hon. Zemura. I thank you.
*HON. SHONGEDZA: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank His Excellency, President E. D. Mnangagwa and we appreciate his appointment as the Chairman of SADC. We are proud of him as our leader. I want to support the motion which was moved by Hon. Kambuzuma and was seconded by Hon. Moyo who spoke about the State of the Nation Address. His Excellency spoke about boreholes and villages which are 35 000. These boreholes are already in the process of being sunk, especially where I come from. In some areas, there was a shortage of water but now they have water and people are celebrating.
In Hon. Munemo’s area, there was drought and people might say that they do not see what is happening but we are seeing progress. I support the progress that we see through the 2nd Republic. His Excellency spoke about Pfumvudza/Intwasa, and indeed Pfumvudza/Intwasa is alleviating poverty. Those who do not have cattle for tillage are participating in Pfumvudza/Intwasa. Where I come from, there are women who have won prizes at shows through Pfumvudza/Intwasa and we encourage people to participate in Pfumvudza/Intwasa. Those who do not have land, I do not know how they can do it but the point that I want to say is that we are satisfied with what is happening.
His Excellency also spoke about the winter wheat bumper harvest. We have surplus bread, buns and other pastries as a result of the bumper wheat harvest. It is good to have land for those who are suffering and those who are poor. People would say that people were mushrooming as farmers not knowing that this is what we were fighting for and now people want that land but it is no longer available.
I want to continue saying that His Excellency, the President was really touched by the issue of Bills which had stalled. I want us as Hon. Members to work hard so that we expedite the passage of Bills. We have been voting for Bills but sometimes you find people just arguing unnecessarily and this is delaying Bills. As Committees bring these Bills and as Parliamentarians, we need to do due diligence. This is our country, this is the country that we serve and this is the law.
As I conclude, I want to say that His Excellency, the President spoke about tourism. Zimbabwe is a very beautiful country. We have beautiful hotels and lodges that are being built and are in different stages. When visitors come to Zimbabwe, they feel the hospitality. Some come from overseas to visit. We need to continue bettering and upgrading our standards so that we have world-class facilities. I thank you.
*HON. S. TSHUMA: Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. Let me start by congratulating His Excellency, President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for taking up the Chairmanship of SADC. I would also want to start by talking about village business units and the sinking of boreholes together with the nutritional gardens in rural areas so that people have access to water and that they have nutritional gardens which would provide the food they require in their communities. I want to thank the President for that vision which came at a very opportune time. I want to urge the responsible Ministry, for the sinking of boreholes to expedite the process of sinking of boreholes. This will enable the programme to reach all areas in our provinces so that no one will be left behind like what the President normally says.
We are happy that people are at different stages. Some have managed to sink 80, 50 and different numbers of boreholes. ZINWA has the responsibility of sinking boreholes. I would like to urge ZINWA to ensure that the programme reaches different people and there should be equity in terms of distribution of these boreholes. Madam Speaker Ma’am, where I come from in Gokwe-Kabuyuni Constituency, this programme has started. The challenge is that there are some areas like Gokwe North and Binga; because of the coal, you would find that boreholes do not have clean water.
I am happy that His Excellency, during his SONA presentation, spoke about the construction of small dams which are going to augment the water bodies that are already there. This comes at a time where we are facing climate change. People need clean water which will be used during different seasons. This will be coming from these water bodies like the small dams.
This programme should proliferate into areas like Gokwe-Kabuyuni and other areas which are outlying. Without water, you would find that gardens do not thrive well. We accept this programme of sinking boreholes and the construction of new dams.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, the President spoke about the issue of the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA). As I am speaking, in most rural areas where I come from, there are a lot of challenges like the lack of stock feed for our livestock. Our cattle are dying because of that. Responsible authorities should deal with that so that we do not lose livestock. We know that as Africans, even in the past, our wealth is measured by our livestock and in rural areas, this is the measure of wealth. So, we accept that programme and it should be expedited so that our livestock will not suffer.
The Pfumvudza Programme which was initiated by His Excellency is quite a pertinent programme which is critical in poverty alleviation for those who do not have inputs benefit from that particular programme. This is the Presidential Input Scheme which was initiated by the President and is responsible for providing fertilisers and seedlings to the people.
When we have adequate rains, this means that people would have better livelihoods. There are a lot of things that were mentioned in the SONA that I cannot finish without addressing quite an important issue. The President said that as legislators and representatives of different constituencies and as an august House, we were given a task. This is the task of performing according to what is expected.
Furthermore, the issue of different Bills that are in different stages, I want to talk about the Mines and Minerals Act today. The President spoke about our natural resources, our minerals which should benefit every Zimbabwean. This is a good thing Madam Speaker Ma’am. Like what has been said earlier, we have a lot of minerals in Zimbabwe which are more than 60. I believe that the mining industry should be leading in terms of economic growth.
What we see happening in the mining sector is what is affecting economic growth despite the rich natural resources that we have. I want to urge this august House to partake in the Mines and Minerals Act when it comes through this august House. This would enable this august House to look at the Bill so that it would be instrumental in the value addition, beneficiation of our different minerals which would benefit our children and even in posterity.
It is important to note that our minerals are being extracted and we need to determine who is doing the extraction and where they are doing that process. Hosea 4:6 is quite a common verse which says that people perish because of lack of knowledge. I want to encourage our universities which have the responsibility of educating our children so that we have engineers, technocrats who would specialise in mining. This is because mining is the backbone of our economy and it has the potential to boost our economy.
What is lacking is knowledge. We should urge our universities to carry out research which will proffer solutions in terms of discovering minerals, the processing of minerals, the value addition of minerals, whether it is gold, lithium or any other mineral. This would enable good final products which can be processed locally, for example lithium processing which will culminate in battery making. A certain Hon. Member said that we are buying lithium batteries for USD1300 yet this is a local mineral which we extract. We need to come up with laws which are going to benefit us as a nation. Madam Speaker Ma’am, in the mining industry, we are losing a lot of money because our laws are not tight enough. We find people coming from foreign countries, establishing partnerships with locals and extracting minerals. However, we find that local partners are not really benefiting because they do not have knowledge. There are a lot of ways that are being used by foreign mining companies. We do not know, even those who are deployed to monitor the processing of gold lithium, platinum and other minerals do not understand the process. They will be doing a good job, monitoring on behalf of the state, but the challenge is that they will be hungry. So, when they go there, they will not be able to do their job properly because they might be compromised. They might be tempted to accept bribes. This leads to loss of revenue. I want to urge responsible authorities to make sure that people who do such jobs are paid handsomely.
The issue of minerals in the Great Dyke, from Mashonaland West to Matabeleland South, where the Great Dyke ends, there are a lot of mines. Some of the mines, for example, Shabani-Mashava Mine, which was mining asbestos, when it was closed, there were a lot of illegal gold miners, which means that the mines that are along the Great Dyke are rich mines. There are so many minerals. Almost all minerals are found along the belt. We have mines like Mimosa, where you find illegal gold panners panning gold despite the fact that the mine is extracting platinum, it is registered as a platinum mine. They take the ores to process where we do not know and we do not know what they are processing. You would find that they will be extracting multiple minerals. This is a serious issue which should be found in the Mines and Minerals Act so that we protect our minerals or the loss of minerals through porous laws.
When Sandawana Mine was closed, which was mining emerald, you would note that last year but one, 2022, there were Chinese prospectors who came to Sandawana and discovered lithium. The locals did not know that there was lithium there. I went there and we noticed that the mine which was going deep down where they were mining emerald, they were throwing away lithium as waste. The irony is the lithium that they were throwing away as waste. It is important to have knowledge. Universities have a big task. Hon. Members, let us work together to talk about this issue, regardless of our political orientations so that we review the Minerals Act. There are a number of ways of mining, but this might be happening illegally by people who are coming from other countries. For example, there is in situ mining, which is a way where they use chemicals. They can come and drill as if they are drilling for water or drilling boreholes. The chemical will be liquid like and they will put the chemical in there. If we do not know how to recover the gold or copper, we stand to lose. My issue is that let us make sure that our locals are empowered with knowledge of how to prospect for minerals; how to process minerals until we have a final product so that the nation will benefit from its minerals.
The issue of extracting minerals; I believe the process that I described is quite dangerous because it pollutes underground water. Therefore, we need to tighten our laws so that the laws will regulate mining activities, so that those who come into partnerships or illegal partnerships are prohibited from doing that because we need to think about our children. We need to think about the future. Our children will ask us in the future what we would have left them. Minerals are part of the reason why our fathers and our forefathers went to war because our land was being taken and used by foreigners. So, we need to protect our land and minerals. Without wasting much time, a lot has been said and I thank the President for encouraging us to carry the responsibilities that we have been given; the tasks that we have been assigned to do. Whistleblowers should be protected. I thank you.
HON. TOGAREPI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. NYANDORO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 16th October, 2024.
On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. NYANDORO, the House adjourned at Four Minutes to Four o’clock, p.m.