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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 17 OCTOBER 2024 VOL 51 NO 07

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Thursday, 17^th October, 2024.

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

PRAYERS

(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)

         HON. MAMBIPIRI: Good afternoon Madam Speaker.  My point of national interest is that on 10^th October, 2024, which was last week and subsequent days till the end of this October, were declared World Days against Death Penalty by the United Nations.  This earmarks 22 years after that declaration and according to the annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, it states that 170 States have abolished the death penalty or introduced a moratorium against the death penalty.  Zimbabwe currently falls under countries that do not carry out execution and have not done so for the past 10 years.

         I want to thank Hon. Mushoriwa, who on 15^th November, 2023, introduced a Private Member’s Bill, which got high partisan support from this House.  The President, during SONA, implored on Parliament to quickly pass the Death Penalty Bill amongst other Bills, in this Second Session.  Whilst the prospect of abolishing the death penalty in Zimbabwe is encouraging, it is crucial that the Government and Parliament, move with speed to pass the Bill so that Zimbabwe joins other nations, including SADC sisters, such as South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and others, to remove this colonial legacy.  I so submit.

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Mambipiri.  Your point of national interest has been taken.

         HON.  NKALA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  I rise on a point of national interest.  I would like to thank the Speaker Adv. Jacob Mudenda, for being so very articulate about the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in most of our activities.  However, I note that within our Parliament, we still have a lot of paperwork considering that we are still signing a manual register.  My suggestion was that, to save the forests and as an environmental activist, I would urge and implore this Parliament to introduce at least biometric registers so that we can use electronic methods and save the papers. 

         I also believe that we can do more as Parliament and spearhead this issue of environmental stewardship by making sure that we are the champions, we lead and then people can follow us.  I would like to ask your office to make sure that we improve on the issue of using papers within our Parliament so that we can show the world that we can lead and we can do it.  I submit.

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Nkala. You have raised a very valid point of national interest.

         HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  Sorry, I had not registered my name because it is something that has happened just now.  I am very excited to see women in front of this Parliament to demonstrate that our Government is really observing advancement of women.  I am so excited and I thank His Excellency for advancing women’s cause.  I so submit.

         HON. TOGAREPI: Madam Speaker, on a point of clarification, the Hon. Member talked about women and something that has just happened and left us hanging.  Is it something secret or we have to know?

         HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  What I meant by something that has just happened, when I saw the Speaker’s Procession coming in, I kept on looking and I was just seeing women after women.  I just became so excited and wanted to share with this House my excitement.

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: She is commenting on the Speaker’s Procession.

         An Hon. Member having stood up to raise a point of national interest which she registered on Tuesday 15^th October, 2024.

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sorry Hon. Member, we have passed that stage.  You will be accorded time next time. – [AN HON. MEMBER: It will be meaningless.  It is very important Madam Speaker.] – We are following our procedures Honourable.  I have already called for the Leader of Government Business. 

SECOND READING

ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY BILL [H. B. 5, 2023]

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Madam Speaker. During the last session, we debated this motion and members contributed largely supporting that we need to ensure that we move to abolish the death penalty and also during the debate, there were certain pieces of legislation that have been omitted and I am going to amendments to ensure that we effect that. At this juncture Madam Speaker, unless somebody has something that is outstanding from the debate that we had last time, I move that the Bill be now read a second time.

Motion put and agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage: With leave, forthwith.

COMMITTEE STAGE

ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY BILL [H. B. 5, 2023]

House in Committee.

Clauses 1 to 4 put and agreed to.

On Clause 5:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  I move the amendment in my name as follows;

On page 2 of the Bill, delete paragraph (c) of clause 5 on lines 29 to 32 and substitute the following:

                 “(c) in section 47 (“Murder”) by the repeal of subsection (4) and the substitution of:

      ‘(4) A person convicted of murder shall be liable:

• to imprisonment for life or for any definite period of not less than twenty years, if the crime was committed in aggravating circumstances as provided in subsection (2) or (3); or
• in any case other than that mentioned in paragraph (a), to imprisonment for life or imprisonment for any definite period of not less than fifteen years or (if there are special circumstances) of not less than five years”.

Hon. Chair, I am proposing these amendments because the way it is currently drafted in the Bill it would mean that it gives Judges a lot of discretion even when there are aggravating circumstances.  We believe for now it is prudent that we put mandatory sentences where there are aggravating circumstances of not less than 20 years or life rather than just say a definite without mentioning it and leaving it to the discretion of the judicial officer.  I so submit Hon. Chair.  

Clause 5, as amended, put and agreed to.

         Clause 6 put and agreed to.

         On New Clause inserted after Clause 6:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I am proposing the amendment as follows; on page 2 of the Bill, insert the following clause after Clause 6 (the subsequent Clause 7 being renumbered Clause 8 accordingly)

 “7 Amendment of Cap. 11:02.

The Defence Act [Chapter 11:02] is amended by the insertion of the following sections after section 114; “115 Commander-in Chief prerogative.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that the President’s prerogative power in his or her capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces is abridged or amended to the extent expressly provided by this Act.

    116 Suspension of death sentences imposed under this Act

• Subject to this section, the death penalty under this Act is suspended with effect from the enactment of the Death Penalty Abolition Act, 2024, and such suspension shall remain in force except for the duration of any state of public emergency declared in terms of Section 113 of the Constitution, and in the event that such a declaration is made, the suspension is automatically lifted with effect from the date when the declaration is made and shall again come into force automatically upon such declaration being revoked or ceasing to have effect in terms of Section 113 (4) of the Constitution.
• Every sentence of death that a military court lawfully imposes under this Act—
  • is automatically commuted to a sentence of imprisonment for life in a civilian prison (subject to a non-release period of twenty years, or such lesser non-release period as the court martial may specify); and
  • upon the sentence of the military court being confirmed by the confirming authority in terms of section 63, be referred without delay (and without the need to lodge a formal appeal) to the Court Martial Appeal Court for confirmation, or where the Appeal Court so deems it fit in the interests of justice, for resentencing or for disposal in such other manner as the Appeal Court deems to be fit in the interests of justice.
• For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that the provisions of this Act bearing on the death penalty shall have full force with effect from the date when any state of public emergency is declared in terms of Section 113 of the Constitution, up to the date when such declaration lapses or ceases to have effect in terms of Section 113 (4) of the Constitution (whether in the interim the declaration has been renewed or not).”

Basically, what is there is to indicate that in times of peace, the death penalty that is imposed by the marshal court of the military is suspended but if there is an enactment of a state of emergency during periods of war, then the suspension does not become effective.  We all know that the military personnel are different from civilians, they are by the very nature of their job.  I think this clause is necessary in time of war so that we do not have unnecessary insurgency.  I so submit Hon. Chair.

        Amendment to New Clause 7 put and agreed to.

New Clause 7 as amended, put and agreed to.

        Clause 7, now Clause 8 put and agreed.

        House resumed.

Bill reported with amendments.

Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. TOGAREPI: I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 2 to 3 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order of the Day Number 4 has been disposed of.

HON. MUSHORIWA: Madam Speaker, before I second, I wanted to raise an issue. The Orders that the Government Chief Whip seeks us to stand over have to do with the two Bills that we rolled over from last Session. I am aware that the various Committees are actually ready to debate and Hon. Members have actually been on standby waiting to debate these Bills. We are being let down by the Ministers who are deciding to take this Parliament as a laughing stock.

Whilst I concur with the Chief Whip to postpone these two and allow the Presidential Debate to go ahead, I think this is not in good order that Ministers do not attend Parliament and they allow Hon. Z. Ziyambi to carry the burden of Cabinet. It is not right.

HON. TOGAREPI: I just want to concur with my colleague, but then clarify that we did not go to Order of the Day Number 2 because Hon. Ziyambi is going to the Senate. When he comes back, we will revert to that Order. We actually would want, together with what he has said, request that Ministers responsible for these Bills come to Parliament.

HON. MUSHORIWA: 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. GANYIWA: Good afternoon Madam Speaker and thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on the motion in reply to the Presidential Speech. On behalf of the people of Gutu East which I represent, I would want to convey a congratulatory message to His Excellency, the President for his nomination to be the head of SADC bloc.  I also want to thank His Excellency, the President for his acceptance speech when he encouraged all African countries to be united. He spoke highly on the issue of unity. As a humble person, all of us were very happy when he mentioned that ‘yes, I have been elected as the SADC Chairperson but the position is not mine alone as an individual, but all of us’. That statement really made us very happy.         Wherever I go, I mention that I am also the SADC Chair since the President said that this position is not his alone but it is for everyone.

         I would want to take this opportunity to remind each and every Zimbabwean that we must take into consideration that the position which was awarded to Zimbabwe as the SADC Chairperson and His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, spoke highly on the issue of unity amongst the SADC countries that they be united and live harmoniously with each other and be able to accept each other. He also spoke about the issue of peace, tranquility and security in our country that Zimbabwe is a peaceful nation where peace prevailed even before he was nominated to be the SADC Chairperson.

         He also spoke about the protection of peace when he was being anointed to be the Chairperson of SADC. He also thanked Zimbabweans for the peace in the country which prevailed after his selection to be the SADC Chairperson. I take time to reflect and think about the words of the President into my mind that even us as Hon. Members, we are able to come for this sitting, it is because of the peace which is prevailing in the country. We are able to give our minds and ideas because of the peace in the country.

         The peaceful environment in the country enables us to prepare meals at home, go to our various churches, pray and exercise the right to worship. I want to emphasise the issues which have been mentioned by His Excellency when he talked about peace in the country that we must remain humble and peaceful. The President did not end there, he also spoke about the problems that have been bedeviling SADC countries, with particular emphasis on the El Nino induced drought.

         His Excellency together with the Government worked very tirelessly to make sure that each and every household has got enough food.  Different areas of the country received food aid from the President, although we are expecting that we are going to receive more food aid whilst we are waiting for the rain season.  We also expect that we are going to receive enough rains and have a bumper harvest as a country. 

         Madam Speaker Ma’am, we urge Zimbabweans to expect enough food since His Excellency mentioned that the Government is going to continue distributing food to different areas until the country manages to have a bumper harvest.  He also spoke about the issue of development, which is happening in this country and at different Ministerial levels and in different areas.  He spoke about the development which happened before he was elected to be the SADC Chairperson and after.  Madam Speaker, to have development in the country really needs someone who is mature, who is resilient and a hardworking person to make sure that there is development.  My grandmother used to say that we must be able to appreciate when someone is doing good. 

We have seen that there is a lot of infrastructure development in the country.  If it is possible, everyone must start to clap hands appreciating and thanking His Excellency for the infrastructure development and other developmental projects which are happening in the country – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -  If we go outside Madam President, if you look from the north, you see the beauty of the road which is coming here at Parliament of Zimbabwe.  If you look at the ceiling of this House, you see a lot of artistic designs, which shows the commitment and the excellence of the designers under the leadership of His Excellency, President Mnangagwa. 

Madam Speaker, I am happy that the speech from the President was full of  encouraging words for people to be united.  He also spoke about reminding us that we must also look back and see if we got everything right.  A lot of developmental projects were done, especially the roads in Harare and any other cities.  Roads rehabilitation was done and right now even other roads are still being rehabilitated and new roads are being constructed.  We are happy and we thank His Excellency, the President for committing his life to make sure that there is a lot of development.  If we speak of every development being done by the President, it gives us confidence and more power to continue working hard because it gives us the confidence to thank His Excellency for his good job. 

In his speech, he also talked about the issue of administration in different towns and provinces.  I agree that there might be some other towns which were not performing very well but His Excellency, the President, spoke about encouraging administrations of those towns to do things properly.  He encouraged them to work hard and also encouraged the Department which is responsible to do oversight in those departments to work hard. 

Madam Speaker, even the traditional chiefs were elevated.  When His Excellency, the President recognised them, he had noticed that the Chiefs have got a major role of leading the people in their different areas by encouraging development and peace.  Right now, the Chiefs managed to receive the cars from Government.  Some of them received their cars last month.  We also believe that those who have not yet received their cars are going to receive them so that they can carry their duties properly.  Right now, here in this august House, all of us are under different Chiefs.  These Chiefs are very important. They presided other issues which are very important to the extent that some of the issues are difficult for us to classify these cases which they preside or to come with solutions but as Chiefs, they are able to do that. The President shows that he is committed to making sure that the Chiefs receive enough support from the Government and they carry out their duties properly. 

The President also spoke about the issue of borehole drilling to be continued throughout the country.  Yes, we know areas cannot receive rains at once.  Sometimes the rain falls at different intervals depending on the areas.  It is also our expectations as Hon. Members that all areas must be able to get boreholes. The President is committed to making sure that everyone gets enough clean water from the boreholes.  He is committed to making sure that before 2030, everyone must be able to live a middle-income life in terms of economy.  We thank the President for committing to that.

As Hon. Members, we encourage each other to work towards supporting the visions of the country. Let us support the vision of the President because we were elected by the people to be their eyes and the eyes of the President to make sure that his vision is fulfilled.  All of us here as Hon. Members who were elected by people from different constituencies, must make sure that the visions and aspirations of the President from his speech have been fulfilled in different areas.  Hence, it is now our duty as Hon. Members to make sure everything which was mentioned by the President is fulfilled. 

I also think that as Hon. Members and the Executive, we must come together, put our minds together and share ideas on how best the boreholes which are being drilled in different areas can be drilled equitably.  From the CDF, it is known that every Member is going to receive a certain amount and it is going to his or her Constituency. 

In his speech, he mentioned Bills which we are supposed to pass and we must see how we are going to work as Hon. Members of Parliament, Government Departments and other organisations.  As this august House, we are pleading with the President that we did not perform our duties properly because we only managed to pass one Bill, we apologise.  As Hon. Members, we must commit ourselves to making sure that all Bills are dealt with during this Second Session of the Tenth Parliament. 

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MAUNGANIDZE):  Order, Hon. Ganyiwa, you are left with five minutes.

*HON. GANYIWA: As alluded to by the previous speaker on delaying conclusion of Bills on the Order Paper, I support Hon. Mushoriwa for raising that pertinent issue and as Hon Members, we must ensure that all the Bills on the Order Paper are dealt with.  Even the Government Chief Whip Hon. Togarepi said we must work hard to ensure all Bills have been passed. 

Then on the issue of education; in my constituency in Gutu East, we have four new schools, two of which are already under construction and for the other two, construction will start early next year.  These were the only schools lagging behind in making sure the distance travelled by learners is reduced.  In my constituency, there are enough schools and I want to thank His Excellency for encouraging us to build more schools to reduce the distance being travelled by learners to and from their homes. 

I will conclude the debate with the issue of mining.  His Excellency encouraged us to do value addition to our minerals to enable us to get higher prices rather than exporting them in raw form.  Residents in mining areas must benefit from the mining activities in their areas.  Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice from a very constructive speech which was presented by His Excellency, who is the Chairperson of the SADC.  I thank you.

HON. MUKOMBERI:  Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to also make my submission in line with President Dr. Mnangagwa’s mouthwatering State of the Nation Address made on the commencement of this Second Session of the 10^th Parliament.  Firstly, my submissions will not be sound and complete if I do not take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on his appointment as the SADC Chairperson.  As I convey my message, I say congratulation, makorokoto, amhlophe Shumba murambwi. 

In his address, the President mentioned that peace and tranquility that has prevailed since the beginning of the 10^th Parliament under his administration, has allowed evident results in all the parts of Zimbabwe.  Truly, Madam Speaker, those with eyes can witness various developmental projects that were completed and some, which are still work in progress throughout the country.  Roads, dams and various infrastructure development are evidence of tangible results of good governance under President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa’s administration.  This is worth an applause.  The President reiterated the philosophy of leaving no-one and no place behind to foster inclusive transformation and shared prosperity.  To this end, Government is applauded for its efforts in mitigating the impact of El Nino induced drought that constrained economic growth in almost every sector of the economy and the most affected being the agriculture industry.  Government made extra efforts to avail water through the Presidential Borehole Drilling scheme which aims to drill 35 000 boreholes to support village business units in the 35 000 villages country-wide.  As we speak, Masvingo South Constituency that I represent, received one village business unit per ward …

HON. P. NCUBE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  The Hon. Member who just entered the House in a green attire is not properly dressed, if that could be addressed.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Member.  But the Hon. Member wearing green is wearing a complete suit.

HON. P. NCUBE:  No Madam, that is a short sleeve

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, that is an African attire, please take your seat.

HON. P. NCUBE: An African attire on a short sleeve?  That is wrong Madam.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Okay, thank you Hon. Member.  Can Hon. Maoneke please approach the Chair and Hon. Mukomberi please proceed.

HON. MUKOMBERI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I was talking about the effort made by the Government to avail water as a mitigatory measure against the impact of El Nino induced drought. The Government, through the Presidential Borehole Drilling scheme aims at supporting village business units in the 35 000 villages country-wide.  I did mention that as I speak, the constituency that I represent, Masvingo South, so far received one village business unit per ward to make them ten received so far.  This is an effort worth applauding by my constituency and myself on behalf of the constituency that I represent.

         HON. P. NCUBE: On a point of Order Madam Speaker. I think I have just raised a point of order on the dress code and to this effect, I think it is very beneficial and useful to us for you to make a ruling so that at least you educate us on how we dress in  this Parliament. Have you actually indicated that he is properly dressed so that at least we know? In this instance, you have just chatted to him and we do not even know and he is seated there while I have made a point of order. Please guide us.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon. Maoneke, may you go and dress properly? Hon. Mukomberi may proceed.

         HON. MUKOMBERI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I have been saying through the Presidential Borehole Drilling scheme, Masvingo South Constituency received a number of new boreholes most of which had good yield though there were a few which were dry holes. As we march towards achieving Vision 2030, residents of Masvingo South Constituents are confident that an Upper Middle-Income Economy is a reality as there are evident results so far in line with Government’s commitment to economic growth and development.

Apart from that, the Food Deficit Mitigation programme is actually doing wonders in availing grain to the rural communities requiring food. This programme is also going an extra mile to avail grain for school feeding of learners in those communities hard hit by the El Nino drought. This is indicative of fulfilment of the President’s commitment that no Zimbabwean will go without food.

This support from Government, especially in the agriculture industry, has resulted in an expected bumper harvest of wheat grain projected to be around 600 000 tonnes from the 2024 winter crop as was mentioned by the President in his State of the Nation Address. This shall see Zimbabwe being self sufficient in terms of wheat supply as a fundamental input in the manufacture of bread and other confectionaries thus our shelves will not go dry through reliable local supply.

The President also mentioned about the scooping of the 2024 Africa Food Prize by our own ARDA and this is evident of agricultural industry growth through support from the able Government under President E. D. Mnangagwa’s administration. Apart from that, Pfumvudza is also key to unlocking high productivity despite harsh climatic conditions.

In his address, the President expressed the need to support growth in the mining industry through attraction of favourable investment into such an industry so that it is supported to enter into value chain industry that will see value addition to minerals rather than exporting them in their raw state.

This will expand the revenue base of the country as value added tax is based on the value addition through stages that products undergo in the value chain. The growth in mining industry is a crucial factor to support our domestic currency through gold and other precious minerals so that as we march towards 2030, currenncy substitution in favour of ZiG can be made easier through accumulation of a quantum of minerals backing our currency to substitute forex in the local market.

The President highlighted that the roadmap for crafting the National Development Strategy 2 is now in place. He also highlighted that for the success of such macro-economic framework, currency stabilisation is at the core for macro-economic stability. The Government is applauded for the introduction of ZiG, a currency that is backed by minerals, predominantly gold. It is necessary for the Government to craft fiscal policies and monetary policies that speak to each other so as to sustain the value of our much-needed domestic currency for economic stability, as no economy can grow without its own strong currency.

The President is applauded for his mention of the key fundamentals in his speech, that if put in place and monitored judiciously, ZiG value would be protected over time. The increase in flexibility on foreign exchange market that the President highlighted in his speech, can promote effective price discovery through willing buyer, willing seller system.

However, this is possible only if there are both many buyers and sellers of both currencies in the forex market. There is need for monitoring of the market especially on the willing sellers of the domestic currency. If not monitored, liquidity concentration of ZiG to a few individuals in very huge volumes may result in these willing sellers bidding for high rates to offload ZiG so as to access forex to keep as a store of value. This is a threat to the stability of exchange rate in favour of ZiG. It is also important that it is made mandatory as was mentioned in the macro-economic policy to say QPDs should be paid, half being local currency and half being foreign currency. This will increase demand for our local currency to sustain its value.

I also call  for every Zimbabwean to do business responsibly bearing in mind that nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, hence as was indicated by the President in his address, it remains the duty of all of us to respect and abide by the policies as instituted to maintain currency stability resulting in economic stability and taming inflation. The President also touched on a very crucial facet of good international relations when he made mention of the Tripartite Pact signed by our country with Botswana and Mozambique and the other one signed with Zambia and Mozambique.

This is indicative of our Government’s effort to foster international interdependency and trade. Such interdependency allows Zimbabwe to access affordable terms of trade those resources that the country is not endowed with. Such arrangements are applauded for as they support friendship with our neighbouring countries which possess comparative advantages and absolute advantage in the production of some commodities which we are not endowed with as a country.

Madam Speaker Ma’am, to round up my debate, I would like to thank the President for giving us yet another task in terms of the Bills that we are going to be working on within our Second Session as we will be playing our legislative role in the discharge of our duty. I thank you.

         HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me time to debate the SONA that was presented by the Head of State. In the SONA address, the Government presented a picture of progress and resilience amid challenges such as drought, economic stability and international sanctions. However, there are several concerns that I am going to address in my debate as well as highlighting Government shortcomings and proposing alternative community driven and sustainable alternative, thereby presenting a vision for a more resilient Zimbabwe that truly leaves no one behind.

Our Government policies have been reactive and in many cases, failed to deliver sustainable solutions to Zimbabweans. The first one is on security and the drought response. The SONA acknowledged the impact of the El Nino induced drought on the agricultural sector and emphasised Government Food Aid programmes like the Food Deficit Mitigation programme and the Sschool Feeding programme.  While these programmes aim to address hunger, they are reactive rather than proactive. The long-term sustainability of simply distributing grain and offering cash for serials is questionable.

The Government’s reliance on aid and external support highlight a failure to build a robust, resilient agricultural system that can withstand climate shocks. Madam Speaker, the solution to that is a sustainable agriculture. What the Government could do is to prioritise investment in climate resilient agriculture, through irrigation expansion, drought resistant crop varieties and farmer education programmes on climate ‘SMART’ Practices.  The establishment of community management water reservoirs and small-scale irrigation projects would reduce dependency on rain fed agriculture, which has proven vulnerable to climate change.  Also, instead of relying on imports and aid, our policies should encourage the development of seed banks and agro- processing industries to enhance the value addition and market access for our small holder farmers.

         Number two is the economic recovery and currency stabilisation that was mentioned in the SONA.  The Head of State noted the introduction of the ZiG currency in 2024 as an effort to stablise the economy, emphasising that foreign currency inflows increased to USD8 billion.  He also mentioned the challenges caused by parallel activities.  While the Government launched the introduction of the ZiG currency and increase in exports, it has failed to address the underlying issue of low public confidence.  Additionally, the parallel market growth signal that the formal economy lacks competitiveness with speculative activities further destabilising the currency.  The solution could be the introduction of monetary reforms.  Instead of focusing on introducing new currencies, the Government should work towards restoring confidence in the Zimbabwe Dollar, by addressing inflationary pressure and maintaining consistent policies.  Enhancing transparency in fiscal management and curbing corruption would create a more stable economic environment.

         Number three was the energy crisis and power supply.  The SONA acknowledged the subdued power generation at Kariba station and mentioned that independent power producers (IPPs), would play a pivotal role in addressing the energy shortfalls.  The Head of State also hinted at expanding solar energy usage.  This energy crisis that we are having is a recurring issue and despite numerous promises, the Government’s failure to secure reliable energy supply continues to humper economic development in our country.  This reliance on IPPs has not yielded sufficient results and they are delaying in the implementation of renewable energy projects.  My proposal is acceleration of renewable energy projects.  What the Government should do is, it must offer more incentives to attract private investment in renewable energy projects, particularly in solar, wind and bio-gas technologies.

         Decentralising community based solar power projects could rapidly scale up to reduce dependency on the national grid and improve energy access in rural areas.  The Government must also increase transparency in energy projects approvals and implementation to ensure that funds allocated for energy development are used effectively.  The Private Public Partnerships (PPPs), could also be utilised to expedite energy infrastructure development.

         Number four is the infrastructure development.  The Head of State actually boasted of the widespread infrastructure development, especially in the transport sector, mentioning the Nhimbe/Ilima Programme for road construction and maintenance.  While the Government has initiated these infrastructure projects, many have faced delays due to inadequate funding, corruption and inefficiency.  Our rural areas in particular, continue to be under-served with poor road network to essential services.  My solution to that could be transparency and to decentralise infrastructure projects.  What the Government should do is to establish more transparent monitoring mechanisms for infrastructure projects, ensuring that funds are allocated properly and projects are completed on time.  Local Government should be empowered to manage infrastructure development in their region, with increased public participation in the decision-making process.  

         Number five is the health sector and universal coverage.  This was spoken at length in the SONA.  The Head of State actually emphasised that the Government efforts to enhance the health delivery system, particularly the introduction of tele-medicine to improve access to specialists care in remote areas is on the cards.  While the introduction of this tele-medicine is a positive step, it is insufficient to address the severe shortages of medical supplies, qualified personnel and functional health infrastructure in our rural areas and many other under-served areas.  Moreover, the ongoing brain drain in the health sector due to poor working conditions, has further weakened our healthcare system. 

         My proposal is the health workforce retention, in which the Government should improve the working conditions, remuneration and training opportunities to our healthcare professionals to reduce the brain drain.  This includes investing in local medical training institutions and offering incentives for healthcare workers to remain in the public sector.  Madam Speaker, strengthening community health workers and local clinics through better funding and training can help reduce pressure on central hospitals and ensure our healthcare reaches the most remote communities.

         Number six is the mining sector and national resource management, which was also mentioned in the SONA, in which the Head of State discussed the growth in the mining sector, particularly the increasing demand for new energy materials.  He also emphasised that access under the Sovereign Wealth Fund should support revenue from mining.  While the Government takes the mining sector as a driver of economic growth, there is insufficient focus on how mining activities are contributing to the environmental degradation and displacing communities.  Furthermore, the wealth generated from mining has not been equitably shared, leaving many mining communities in poverty.  The solution would be a fair resource distribution across the country, where the Government implements stronger regulation, ensuring that mining profits are re-invested into local communities for infrastructure development, education and health.  The Sovereign Wealth Fund must be transparently managed to ensure the benefits of all Zimbabweans, those in resource rich but impoverished areas.  Our environmental laws must be strictly enforced to minimise the negative impact of mining on echo-systems.  The Government should also incentivise sustainable mining practices and rehabilitation of mined land.

         Last but a very important concern that was mentioned in the SONA- the SONA failed to address the scourge of teenage pregnancies and early marriages, which remains a major obstacle to the wellbeing of our girls in Zimbabwe, especially in rural areas.  Despite Zimbabwe’s constitutional provision, the rate of teenage pregnancies continues to rise, leading to increased school drop-outs, poverty and gender inequality.  The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, in the past few weeks, actually told this House that last year, around 4 500 girls dropped out of school.  So, our young girls are being forced into early marriages, depriving them of education and economic independence.

         Zimbabwe’s future depends on how we treat our children and young people, particularly girls.  It is deeply concerning that issues of teenage pregnancies, early marriages were absent from the 2024 SONA, despite their significant impact on our nation’s development.  As Parliamentarians, we must hold the Government accountable for this oversight and demand action.  I so submit.

         ^*HON. T. MURWIRA:  Good afternoon Madam Speaker. I want to add a few words to the motion regarding the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was moved by Hon. Kambuzuma.

         Firstly, His Excellency spoke about wheat farmers who produced a bumper harvest. He also spoke about women in small and medium enterprises who are now allowed to market their products locally and globally. They are now able to take their children to school and they can feed their families.  It is our responsibility as Hon. Members of Parliament, to inform women that the law is in support of us, marketing our products here locally and globally.  He also spoke about health; that at provincial, district and national levels, medication is going to be availed, hospital machinery and different equipment that is needed is going to be provided. 

         Let me also say that His Excellency continued to talk about boreholes that are being sunk throughout the country.  Where I come from in Seke, a lot of boreholes have been sunk even in Chikomba and women are very happy because they are participating in different projects, including farming and cultivating in gardens.  The President cares for women because he knows that women are the ones who provide for their families, they cook for their families and do all chores to support the families. 

         He also spoke about Pfumvudza which is the President’s initiative.  People think that it is only for those who do not have livestock but it is also for those who have livestock and tractors.  I have livestock but I participated in the Pfumvudza programme and the maize that we are consuming now is from Pfumvudza farming.  So, it is important because when you dig a hole, it means that the water does not flow but it remains in the hole.  We thank His Excellency for his initiative and I want to request that women be prioritised in the Pfumvudza programme because they are the ones who dig these holes. Many a times when men are given these inputs, they do not put them to the intended use but they sell the inputs, thus women should be given these inputs because they will take their harvest to Grain Marketing Boad (GMB).

         The issue of Road Rehabilitation programme was also mentioned in the SONA.  I come from Featherstone area and in just a few minutes, I will be in Harare because the road is in a good state.  Those who rehabilitate roads should also consider rehabilitating the roads that link up our residential areas with our shopping areas so that people can move around freely.  When a child is born, they do not start with walking but they sit, crawl and then eventually walk, which means even in development, there is a process that is followed; it is not a one-day event.  We thank our Government because it listens, we have seen a lot happening.  The President walks the talk. 

         Let me thank the President because we know there are some people who do not appreciate good things. Some people just oppose good things for the sake of opposing. But we want to say long-live His Excellency the President and God should protect him because he is a hard worker, he is good and he does good things for the nation. Even the boreholes, clinics and the roads are being done. There is no discrimination despite your religious beliefs nor party affiliation. It is being done for the people of Zimbabwe.  We want to congratulate His Excellency for taking the SADC Chairmanship position and raising the flag of Zimbabwe high.  When he said everyone is a chairman of SADC, I also say I am the Chairperson of SADC because this is a good thing.  I want to thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am for giving me this opportunity.  I thank you. 

HON. E. NCUBE: I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. Good afternoon. It is my distinct privilege and honour to address this august House in response to the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, E. D. Mnangagwa. I commend the Government’s commitment to enhancing the well-being of our people through the principles of unity, stability, security and development. As Member of Parliament, I fully support the Government’s vision of inclusive transformation and shared prosperity, recognising that the agricultural and mining sectors in particular are vital to achieving these goals.

In this regard, I rise to move the motion on these two pillars of Zimbabwe’s economy which has shown remarkable resilience and potential despite the challenges we have faced including the El Nino induced drought. By prioritising investments and policies in these areas, we can create jobs, enhance food security and drive economic growth, ensuring that no one and no place is left behind, thereby positioning Zimbabwe on a path towards sustainable economic transformation and development.

The agriculture sector remains central to our nation’s development and food security.  The devastating effects of the drought constrained growth across all sectors but the Government’s swift and targeted interventions have been critical in mitigating these effects.  The Food Deficit Mitigation Programme has been instrumental in providing essential food assistance to vulnerable communities both in rural and urban areas.  Moreover, the success of the School Feeding programme ensures that learners in drought-affected regions receive at least one nutritious meal daily, an intervention that is essential for their health, education and future prospects.

A particularly commendable achievement is the record-breaking projection of a 600 000 tonne wheat harvest from the 2024 winter crop.  This historic milestone underscores the determination and hard work of our farmers, the strength of our agricultural policies and the impact of key initiatives such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa climate proofed agriculture scheme.  These efforts offer a glimmer of hope for the upcoming 2024-25 summer cropping season. The expansion of village business units and the Presidential Borehole Drilling programme further enhances household level food security providing long term solutions to our food security challenges.

We must commend ARDA for winning the prestigious 2024 Africa Food Prize which highlights the success of our people-centred, transformative agricultural policies that have been championed.  It is imperative that we continue supporting ARDA and other farmers with the necessary inputs, financial backing and infrastructure to ensure sustained productivity.  By doing so, we reinforce the pursuit of agricultural self-reliance and resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges.

Turning to the mining sector, we have witnessed remarkable growth that cannot go un-recognised.  In 2021, the country generated $5.2 billion in revenue from minerals compared to $3.5 billion in 2020.  The revenue continued to rise in 2022 reaching $5.62 billion and soared to $9.77 billion in 2023, marking a 261 % growth since 2017, reflecting increased investment, particularly in new energy minerals which are vital for Zimbabwe’s entry into global value chains.  Zimbabwe holds the largest reserves of lithium in Africa.  The vast lithium deposits, if properly mined, beneficiated and exported, could earn the country the much-needed foreign currency to meet its developmental objectives.  Lithium which is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries is becoming more important as the world moves to a low-carbon energy future.

For this growth to be sustained, it is imperative that we expedite the passage of the Mines and Minerals Bill.  This legislative framework is essential for attracting further investments, safeguarding our natural resource wealth and ensuring transparency and accountability in the sector.  His Excellency also called on mining houses, particularly those in the gold and precious minerals sector to scale up production.  It is our duty as Parliamentarians to support these efforts, ensuring that mining continues to be a driver of socio-economic development and poverty alleviation.

The 2024 State of the Nation Address paints a positive and hopeful picture of Zimbabwe’s future, particularly in the agriculture and mining sectors.  However, to ensure these gains are sustainable, we must prioritise continuous policy support, resource mobilisation and robust legislative oversight.  I therefore move that this House focuses on advancing the progress made in these critical sectors so that we can ensure that these benefits are shared by all Zimbabweans.  Together we can reinforce our commitment to a more inclusive and prosperous society anchored in the principles of peace, solidarity and shared progress.  In this regard, let us remain committed to driving the socio-economic development of our beloved nation.  God bless Zimbabwe. I thank you.

HON. DR. KHUPE: I would like to begin by saying development is the ability of a country to satisfy the needs of the people using its own resources, the needs being jobs, food, good health, good education, clean water and sanitation, electricity and shelter, among other things.

Zimbabwe is a very rich country which is endowed with enormous mineral resources and we have 60 God-given minerals such as gold, diamonds, platinum, methane gas, among others. These are the minerals which are supposed to be pulled from the ground, processed and sold to other countries by Government.  The proceeds from these minerals are the ones which must be ploughed back to the citizens so that their needs are satisfied.

I will start by talking about agriculture before l speak about mining and other sectors.

Agriculture

Zimbabwe is an agro-based economy and agriculture is the backbone of our economy, hence the reason why it needs special attention - l would like to substantiate this by the fact that yester-year agriculture used to employ 60% of the workforce, it used to produce 40% of the raw materials used in the manufacturing sector, and it used to generate 40% of foreign currency inflows.   Zimbabwe used to be the bread-basket of the SADC region. This is still possible if agriculture is adequately funded.  All we need is to be creative and innovative. As we were driving from Chikomba, we saw people selling potatoes, cabbages and tomatoes, some of the cabbages had gone back because they were so many of them selling the same products.  It is therefore imperative for Government to create Vegetable Markets for export purposes in all the provinces so that small scale farmers offload their produce to those markets and be given their money. The market will then pack and export the vegetables to other countries.  This will empower many people, particularly women and youth who do small scale farming.  This is also going to be a win-win situation because small scale farmers will receive their money there and then and Government will export and get the much-needed foreign currency.

Water

Water is life, therefore Government must intensify the borehole drilling programme so that boreholes are sunk in all the 35 000 villages and all the dams which are under construction must be completed, like the Gwayi-Shangani Dam so that people in Bulawayo have water.

Water Harvesting

During the rainy season, there is a lot of water which runs away whereas that water can be handy after the rains go. Water harvesting is very important to complement rain fed agriculture and this water must be harnessed so that it is used for domestic use and watering gardens. It is imperative that Government popularises water harvesting in urban and rural areas so that all the running water is captured.  This water will be very useful when the rains go. Right now, we have water problem everywhere and this problem can partly be resolved when we start harvesting water.

School Feeding Programme

Schools are only given cereals and they are expected to look for their own relish. Government must make sure that they extend the Borehole Drilling programme to all schools, particularly those in rural areas and in every school with a borehole, two hectares of drip irrigation must be installed because with drip irrigation, you use a small piece of land little water and the yield is very high.  Schools can grow vegetables in the two hectares and they will be guaranteed of having relish for the pupils throughout the whole year and at all times because with drip irrigation, you can do three crops per year.  I would like to implore Government to consider this and start implementing it as soon as possible.

Mining

It is high time we move away from being primary producers to secondary producers where our products are value added. Platinum comes with ten other minerals, that is, platinum, rhodium, palladium, gold, copper, nickel, iron, iridium, osmium and ruthenium.

The sad reality is that we are exporting it in raw form and getting peanuts instead of us getting a substantial amount of foreign currency if we were to process it and sell finished products out of all the ten minerals. Right now, we are exporting jobs to other countries, because when they get our platinum in raw form, they employ people to cut and polish these minerals and produce finished goods, thereby earning a lot of money out of our God-given mineral.

The processing plant which was said to be completed by end of December must be completed so that come 2025, we start to process our platinum and break it into ten minerals and export finished goods. By so doing, jobs will be created and we will realise more foreign currency inflows. In turn, Government will be able to collect more royalties and taxes which will result in growing our cake so that all the 15 million people get a fair share of the cake.

Infrastructure development

Victoria Falls is a beacon of tourism, it has one of the seven Wonders of the World and therefore, the Victoria Falls Road which is in a bad state, must be given urgent attention so that both international and domestic tourists are able to use it without any difficulties

Shortage of energy

There is need for us to use alternative energy sources. No duty must be charged on any equipment for solar and biogas to allow many people to start using these sources of energy since we have an energy crisis.

Health Sector

The health sector must be given special attention because health is everyone's right and a healthy nation produces, whereas an unhealthy nation cannot produce because they will spend most of their time looking for help for their ailments.

Cancer is a rising epidemic which is now worse than AIDs. If you were to interrogate, most of the deaths these days are cancer related, hence the reason why health must be prioritised.

The health sector must be allocated 15% of the budget in line with the Abuja Declaration of 2001. If the government kills a rat, health must get 15% of the rat; if it kills an elephant, health must get 15% of the elephant.

My dream is for Zimbabwe to be a leader in cancer treatment. Nothing must stop us from reaching the stars because we can indeed reach the stars if we are committed and determined to do things that will save lives.

Education Sector

Education is the foundation of a country because that is where our skilled people are produced. The sad reality is that this person who is producing these skilled people is not being remunerated well. Government must up its game and improve teachers’ salaries so that they get a living and a decent wage to enable them to put all their efforts in teaching our children. This will also improve the pass rate and in some schools we had zero pass rates especially in rural areas, meaning that all the students failed.  This situation must be improved. At the same time, Education must be allocated at least 20% of the budget in line with the Dakar, Senegal Declaration of 2000.

Informal Sector

The President said micro enterprises must be supported. We must move away from being a supermarket or other countries and start to produce these same goods we are buying from other countries. This is pointing to the fact that the informal sector must be adequately supported by having access to foreign currency so that they grow their businesses from micro to small, small to medium and medium to larger enterprises.  Once this happens, Government will be able to collect tax and this will increase our revenue inflows.

Women's Economic Empowerment

The Women's Bank must be woman-centric such that it focuses on women's experiences and needs looking at primogeniture practices, that is bequeathing inheritance to male children, leaving women with nothing to use as collateral when they want to borrow money. Therefore, the Women's Bank must not require collateral in the traditional banking sense but rather, harnesses the trustworthiness of women as an asset in business, because statistics have shown that women are trustworthy. If you borrow them money, they will work hard to earn profits and pay back their loans. I rest my case.

HON. THOMPSON: Good afternoon Madam Speaker. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice. I would want to thank His Excellency, the President Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for his SONA address. In his SONA address, he talked of peace that is prevailing in Zimbabwe which has led to development in terms of infrastructure which literally stares us in the face. This is inclusive of road infrastructure and we are now travelling well and getting here in time, although there are some roads that still need to be constructed, however, work is in progress. There are schools, clinics and hospitals which are being constructed and this is a feather on our cap for our health and education sectors.

As the youth, we are grateful for the village business units that have been put in the villages, people are now into farming and thereby sustaining themselves through that way. I would want to thank the Government because we have Madziva FM, Khulumani FM and others in the provinces. These local community radio stations enable the locals to broadcast what is happening in their area. The youth who like music are now finding it easy to get to the community radio and thereby be known by their fans and other people. I thank you.

         HON. MASHAVAVE:  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.  I am greatly honoured to have the opportunity to add my voice on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 2^nd of October, 2024.  Madam Speaker, Mt. Pleasant Constituency is a stone-throw from this august House.  Like any other constituency, we have our own challenges which were immensely addressed by the President.  In his address, he provided us with a comprehensive overview of our nation’s current status, challenges and aspirations of our future. 

         The President reaffirms Government commitment and dedication to fulfill ZANU PF promises of uplifting and improving the lives of Zimbabweans – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear.] – Despite challenges posed by the illegal sanctions, he emphasised on the philosophy nyika inovakwa nevene vayo and living no one and no place behind. Madam Speaker, despite the El Nino induced drought constraining Zimbabwe’s growth especially in agriculture, the Second Republic has implemented initiatives to ensure that no one in Zimbabwe goes to bed hungry.  Of particular note, is the School Feeding programme which he has to ensure that primary school children have access to at least one full meal per day.  On this programme, he has been truly God sent.  Mt. Pleasant Constituency has no record at all of a child fainting because of hunger. 

         Madam Speaker Ma’am, the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme has been largely successful in alleviating the problem of water shortage in my constituency.  The scheme has further enhanced food and nutrition security, not just at household level but at the national level.  Zimbabwe is set for a record breaking 2024 winter wheat harvest of 600 000 tonnes and as Mt. Pleasant Constituency, we very much commend the Government for taking strides that ensure we are self-sufficient.

         Madam Speaker Ma’am, infrastructure development is also advancing with major projects like Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway, improving construction and connectivity.  We have witnessed great work which is being done on our roads with Sam Nujoma, Nemakonde Highway, Harare Drive, Emmerson Mnangagwa Drive, just to mention a few but many roads are being upgraded.  It is critical to note that this work was done by local companies which highlight the success of nyika inovakwa nevene vayo – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – The construction and development of roads continue to take shape under the Second Republic, showing that roads rehabilitation was not just a gesture of SADC Summit as purported by retrogressive elements but rather, it is the continued commitment of the Second Republic to ensure that roads are in good conditions for the betterment of our community and our economy. 

Madam Speaker Ma’am, in healthcare, significance strides have been made in expanding access to quality service.  The Government’s focus on primary healthcare has led to the construction and upgrading of clinics and hospitals nationwide. The introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme aims to ensure universal health coverage, making healthcare more affordable and accessible.  On behalf of Mt. Pleasant constituents, we thank His Excellency for unveiling funds for the acquisition of essential medicines and specialists’ equipment in all hospitals.  In my constituency, we have got many hospitals with the most prominent being Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals which assist many people from all walks of life.  Therefore, the availability of funds is a welcome development. 

         In conclusion, Madam Speaker Ma’am, may I urge all Hon. Members in this august House to be serious in articulating all outstanding Bills for the betterment of our country.  I thank you.

         HON. SHIRIYEDENGA:  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for allowing me to contribute to this SONA debate.  Also, I would like to thank the President for his presentation and for his speech which broadly touched on the key issues affecting our country.  Whenever we have a SONA, which is the State of the Nation Address, the expectation of us Parliamentarians and also the generality of the Zimbabweans, is that the President speaks to the key issues affecting our people.  Rightfully so, we note that in his presentation, the President indicated that as a country, we intend to leave no one behind.  As we interrogate this SONA, we want to ascertain as to what extent does his speech address those concerns with regards, primarily, to inclusivity, transformation and shared responsibility. 

         Madam President, as I indicated earlier that the President, in his speech, spoke to broader issues, what is it with the implementation matrix, how far are we as a nation?  The expectation is that as we progress to 2025, we need to look at the accomplishment of this year 2024, the failures and also get to review our targets. 

Firstly, let me talk about the El Nino induced drought.  I am glad that the President spoke about this issue.  We have about seven million affected Zimbabweans, which contributes to about 51% of our population.  That in itself speaks broadly to the humanitarian crisis that affects our country.  I am glad the President reiterated the mitigatory measures with regards to the interventions which are pretty commendable.  However, as I progress with my presentation, we look at how far we are as a nation in terms of implementing those mitigatory measures.  First and foremost, we have, according to the ZIMSTAT report, about 1.8 million that are affected.  As what other Parliamentarians have been talking about, the food distribution to our schools, in most schools this has not commenced in earnest.  As a Committee on Education, we managed to tour the country about four weeks ago and in all the schools that we toured throughout the country, they have not received any grain.  Taking into consideration that our Grade 7s have already written their examinations, what does that speak to a learner writing on an empty stomach but is expected to pass at the end of the day?  That is of concern to us.  Also, as we speak, the drought was declared a disaster in May this year through S.I. 151.  It is concerning that five months down the line, just like the issue with our learners, the grain distribution has not adequately commenced.  My colleagues from Hurungwe, just last week, and I can attest to that since I was there last week as well, did confirm that the situation is dire and people have not received grain due to transport challenges. So, what are we saying?  What the President spoke about are mitigatory measures which will assist our nation but as long as …

         HON. KAMBUZUMA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  I am from Hurungwe and I would want to know exactly where the colleagues are complaining about grain not having been received.  The issue in Hurungwe is about the relish and not grain.  That is a lie.  I am from Hurungwe West Constituency and my colleagues are here and they can attest to that.  Hon. Shiriyedenga comes from Magunje Constituency and Hon. Madiro is here.  He comes from the same place as Hon. Shiriyedenga.  So, she is telling lies in this House.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Shiriyedenga, can you please debate using facts and avoid lying.

         HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think it is unparliamentary to accuse any Member of Parliament of lying. 

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Shiriyedenga, your point has been noted.  Please proceed.

HON. SHIRIYEDENGA: Let us take note in this House that Hurungwe has five constituencies.  My fellow Hon. Member from Hurungwe Central has actually lamented before the Minister that the people of his constituency had not received grain.    So, the point I was trying to bring across will also help other Hon. Members here.  The President said no-one should be left behind or die of hunger.  So, what needs to be done is efficiency in terms of distributing the food aid. 

Then the second issue is with regards to the Sovereign Wealth Fund.  The President was very clear in his speech and we applaud him for that.  He said the fund was established to ensure that as a country, we harness our natural and rich endowments, particularly in mining and other key sectors and we commend that.  Taking note that the Sovereign Wealth Fund can contribute a lot to the development of this country, we look at, for example Norway and New Zealand which have adopted the same.  In Norway, we note that there is 1.6 trillion dollars which is derived from the Sovereign Wealth Fund.  However, we note that for Norway to be successful, it is because there is accountability and transparency with regards to the fund.  We also note that just about two weeks ago, the CEO of the Sovereign Wealth Fund indicated that in June, they finished their asset valuation and the fund has $16 billion worth of assets, which is commendable and we surely believe it can be drawn into the development of our country.

         However, a lot of transparency is required. For example, we speak to the fact that with regards to this fund, how is the fund going to be distributed? We look at the fact that the CEO only announced that the valuation has been completed but we have not seen the report. This should be a public document which should be given to the people of Zimbabwe so that they know how much they are worth.

         We implore the Minister of Finance and the CEO to expediently avail the same. We note that in the first quarter of this year, 1.6 billion dollars was realised from the fund and we were told that it was disbursed to shareholders but there was no information with regards to who the shareholders were. This is why we were saying for this fund to be successful and in line with what the President said, there is need of transparency and accountability.

         On the issue of infrastructure development, my colleagues both from the right and left clearly applauded the road rehabilitation, particularly in Harare which is also commendable. If we look at the Airport, it is one of the world-class areas that we can take pride in. However, as much as the road rehabilitation has taken place, it is our hope and I am glad the Minister responsible for roads indicated that they want to move to other areas which we applaud.

         In terms of infrastructure, the introduction of Star Link here in Zimbabwe is also commendable and it is going to help in terms of reaching out to remote areas. My concern with regards to the domestic service providers is that there is need to cushion the local service providers that are responsible for internet. With regards to the issue of currency stabilisation, we applaud the initiatives to ensure that there is stability but you will note that just in September, the ZiG currency was devalued by 44%.  The devaluation had a lot of negative effects in terms of just ordinary Zimbabwe.

         So, as much as measures are in place, we need to go to the fundamentals of the macro and micro-economics to say where are we getting it wrong as a country? Whenever the currency loses value, then we devalue. It seems we have the problem and that is why I think we really need to have the stringent monetary policy reviews.

         With regards to education, I am glad that the President spoke about the new curriculum, the heritage-based curriculum and the education 5.0, which is commendable because it speaks to innovation and industrialisation and the quality of learners that we project. My concern is on education financing. As much as we have a very excellent blue print but at this stage, how far are we in terms of allocating resources for us to effectively implement that curriculum?

         For example, according the Ministry of Education, they require 138 million dollars to fully implement the new curriculum and if you look at what the Ministry of Education has been allocated, these 138 million dollars is about 75% of what the Ministry has been allocated. So, we have a problem with regards to education financing. We need to look at how much we fund our education sector and also considering that we have a lot of vulnerable learners.

         According to the Ministry of Public Service, we have about 1.5 learners that are in need of aid that are under BEAM. The last time BEAM has been paid in most schools; it was in 2022. We have a challenge Madam Speaker Ma’am. We need to think seriously about education financing. With regards to that, I am glad the President spoke about the role of the women and youth in terms of development.

         The President was clear to say women contribute to the development of this country. I feel like women are being trivialised because the President speaks about women’s contribution in terms of micro, small and medium enterprises but we have women out there who are doing big in business and are contributing to the fiscus. This is the kind of acknowledgement that we want for women.

         We need to take strides to the fact that just recently, the Gender Commission and the Ministry of Women Affairs introduced Gender Action Plan which is commendable. What I liked about this Gender Action Plan is that it is transforming from Gender Equality to Gender Justice. The reason why I say so is when we speak of Gender Justice, we are looking at the root causes that are causing inequalities amongst men. So, I feel that we need to support this action programme.

         Lastly, with regards to the legislative agenda, I am glad that the President spoke strongly about the non-implementation or the fact that we have Ministers that have not brought Bills in Parliament.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Shiriyedenga, your time is up.

         HON. MUROMBEDZI: Madam Speaker, I am asking for an extension of time to Hon. Shiriyedenga. This is a SONA debate and it is very important that she - [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection]-

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Bajila!

         HON. MUROMBEDZI: It is important that we get the most out of it. So, I am proposing extension with 5 minutes.

         HON. KARENYI -KORE: I second.

         HON. PINDUKA: I object.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: It has been objected.

         HON. NKOMO: Thank you Hon. Speaker and good afternoon…

         HON. CHIGUMBU: On a point of Order Madam Speaker. I do not know if there is a way that you can caution the Hon. Members on your right. What they are doing is not right. We are debating a SONA which was brought by the President. It is for the benefit of the whole nation for us to sit and listen. The reason why SONA was brought into this House is for the purpose of giving us the idea in terms of what needs to be corrected and what is going right. If you are making noise and interrupting other people who are debating, it is not right. Otherwise, we will also start to do the point of order thing like what they are doing because we can also do the same.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chigumbu, your point of Order has been overruled. Are you undermining the Chair?

         HON. NKOMO: Good afternoon Hon. Speaker. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the debate on SONA. Allow me firstly to commend His Excellency, the President Hon. Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for finding time within his busy schedule to address Parliament and the nation, exactly a year after his last address. I do not want to take this address lightly because it is through such interactions that the President continuously informs and reminds the nation of Government policies, vision and achievements. Hence, the SONA by the President on 2^nd October, 2024 remains the leader’s guiding voice to us as Parliament and those that we lead.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we should treat each other with respect. This is a House of integrity. Hon. Members on my left, especially Hon. Tsvangirai, can you please respect other Hon. Members when they are debating.

HON. NKOMO: Allow me Hon. Speaker, on behalf of people from Matebeleland North, to congratulate His Excellency the President, Cde. E. D. Mnangagwa on assuming the SADC Chairmanship. Amhlophe.  

The President spoke about the El Nino induced drought which is affecting everyone in the country, including those already in Region 5 like Matebeleland North. The drought is not only affecting human beings but wild and domestic animals too. We are grateful to His Excellency for the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme rolled out in our communities through the department of Social Welfare, distributing grains to almost every Zimbabwean in the rural areas.

Without this Food Deficit Mitigation Programme, we could be talking of something else in our rural communities. In Lupane, I can confirm that the distribution is taking place, the last one being on 9^th October, last week. People are given food allocations for three months per person. The furthest places such as Dongamuzi, Dandanda and Lupanda are being reached for the distribution of these grains, hence the President was sincere in his address when he said, ‘be assured that no Zimbabwean will go without food’.

On the same note, I want to thank the President for the School Feeding Programme, especially in our rural areas. This factor has seen the rise in school enrolments and stay in schools or pupil retention rates maintained. Our rural schools are receiving the grains regularly, but faced with challenges of relish, which we look forward to quickest solution as pointed out by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in this House on 16^th October, 2024.

It is important, as a nation, to make use of small dams for water harvesting. In Lupane, we have dams like Tshonkogwe and Lupane which should be serviced and re-scooped in order to harvest more water for domestic and agricultural activities. Once we have harvested enough water, our communities will be able to practice small scale irrigations or gardening, as well as helping our livestock to have enough water during times like this year.

Last but not least, the President talked about the 2024–2025 Summer Cropping Season focusing on inputs distribution under the Intwasa Presidential Climate-Proofed Agricultural Production Scheme  and water harvesting processes. The Presidential inputs have been very significant and of benefit to our small farmers in rural areas. I urge our leaders in our communities to listen to the President’s call of prioritising the masses before themselves. They should not first allocate themselves these inputs but people first like what the President said. I thank you.

*HON. MAPIKI: I want to thank Madam Speaker for the opportunity that you have given me. I would also want to thank Hon. Kambuzuma for accepting to be called Hon. Mufakose, a location nearer to Kambuzuma. I am grateful and I want to inform you Madam Speaker that I come from Shamva. Our team, Simba Bhora, is on top of the Premier League. So, Shamva is doing a good thing and in the past elections, Shamva came top in terms of votes which they garnered at 41 000.

If you look at the new hospitals and clinics in Shamva, this was a resettlement area and the whites did not want to build clinics. …

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order. The Hon. Member is talking of erections but its elections not erections.

*HON. MAPIKI: I am grateful and we even have schools. I would want to congratulate His Excellency on his Chairmanship of SADC. I would also want to thank him because even Hon. Madzivanyika and Hon. Mushoriwa are now chairpersons of SADC. It reminds me of the song that Thomas Mapfumo sang that ‘everyone is invited, even the heir should come’ that everyone is now chairperson of SADC. I am grateful to the President for his statement.

The most important thing that he spoke about was his appeal for unity starting from this august House. I also want to thank Hon. Speaker, for the unity that is prevailing in this august House. In 2018, we had a lot of disturbances in Parliament when we had ZANU PF and MDC. I am grateful at the moment that we have Senators who will ensure that things move. Indeed, Madam Speaker, I am grateful when I look at the motions that are being raised by the opposition, for example the motion that was raised by Hon. Bajila. Both sides of the House spoke with one voice on the issue of the death penalty. People showed a sense of purpose.

I would want to thank you Madam Speaker …

*THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mapiki, yes, you are making reference to what the President said and his appeal for unity but please stick to what the President said.

*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The President did not say go and hold each other’s hands, he said we must be united in whatever we do. I wanted to show the House as a united force, juxtaposed to what happened in 2018 in the same august House. Hence, I am grateful for how we debate issues in this particular House. If you look at the issue of the State of the Nation Address, the majority of the people that are debating, shows that the majority of the Members are now speaking with one voice. That is what I am grateful for and it is that example that I wanted to show.

 I have taken words from the old State of the Nation Address debate when I had just come to Parliament. When I look at what has been said to date, what was said in the previous SONA was not achieved because of hunger. So, the money that had been set aside before we had a drought caused certain problems. I say so because people should be able to see what has been achieved and what has not been achieved. Other things have not been achieved because of hunger. So, some resources have been used to alleviate the drought.

He talked about unity of purpose and that we must be united, that even the School of Ideology, we should be united and attend these ones. I believe that if we were to do that, Zimbabwe would be developed.

While I was looking at the manner in which the majority of the speakers debated, some spoke about the failures that the country has experienced but in every country Hon. Speaker, governments are financed through taxation.  I have heard through the grapevine that people are going to a Pre-Budget Seminar in Bulawayo. We need a chance to also recharge batteries but when it is dark, then nicodemously, people want milk.

So, governments should have their people taxed. We should not be scrapping taxes or that a lot of things should be imported into the country duty-free because the Government derives its funding from such taxes. So, this is the unity of purpose that the President has spoken about. I will appeal to Hon. Members that there should be a unity of purpose when we talk about the Budget and be mindful that it is not only our country that taxes its people. We should be able to tax our people so that we will not go back and blame our Government…

*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order! I want to refuse, in Warren Park, my constituency, that we would want people to be levied and taxed as advocated by Hon. Mapiki.  We should not be united in making life difficult for our people. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

*HON. MAPIKI: Thank you, Madam Speaker.  God is great.

He shows innovation. People are different, some are tall, others short, others are fat and others have different outlooks.  People that are created by God have different minds. When he talked about national security, a lot of people took it lightly but we believe that this should be looked at strongly and given the highest priority.  We are not talking about just violence inside the country but we are talking about our neighbours and how they are doing it. If you look at other countries, they have bases for other military institutions. One whose place is sickle-handed because of being bent should previously remember that experience. 

We should not be on our laurels. If you look into Mozambique, there is a war caused by Islamic people who are fighting against the people of Mozambique. Such a war might eventually end up in Zimbabwe. Why would it end up in Zimbabwe? Whenever there is gas, like in Muzarabani, you should know that there might be war because other countries survive by taking or robbing other people's wealth.

If we look at the issue of national security, we would want to also look at the change in how warfare is conducted. In the past, they would use artillery but at the moment, they use drones.  It uses coordinates and sensors when fighting each other. When we look at Zimbabwe, we believe that a new ministry of ICT should work hand-in-glove with the Government and the Ministry of Defence, to ensure that adequate research is conducted so that we also modernise how we conduct our security. If you look at the case of Ukraine, Israel, and Iran, they are using drones to fight. Inter-continental ballistic missiles were what we were looking at but at the moment, there is also a need for the ICT to look at modern and innovative ways of conducting modern warfare.

 We should be prepared as a country to protect ourselves against cyber-attacks so that those who are in the know in terms of technology, take steps to ensure that we protect our peace. This was not a laughing matter when I spoke about it.  This is a realistic challenge that we might face as a country because our ICT should burn the proverbial midnight oil to conduct research, conduct benchmark visits and bring knowledge in terms of protecting our countries. Zimbabwe is under cyber-attacks daily, so we should be ready to protect ourselves.

 If you look at the issue of mines and minerals, which you referred to, I am happy that when we had the first SONA, the artisanal miners produced 22 000 tonnes in three months but at the moment, I am happy that they are now producing 30 000 tonnes, which means that the gold mining; we should now have ways to ensure that we produce more gold. We should be self-reliant before we look for assistance elsewhere. The Minister of Mines should have a clear-cut policy that talks on the mining of lithium.  Lithium is one very important mineral that we have which should be able to assist us.  We have power shortages in Zimbabwe but if we are able to mine lithium, there is no policy that says people should stop mining lithium, we can sustain ourselves through lithium.  We can manufacture lithium batteries.  

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  You are left with five minutes Hon. Mapiki.

*HON. MAPIKI:  Lithium can be used for storing power for the electricity that we store from South Africa and buy it for four cents. A lot of people will not be buying them.  We store them in the lithium batteries and we use them at 12 cents or 11 cents per peak. These issues should be closely looked into so that it will help us.

In terms of infrastructure development, you spoke about the issue of roads and infrastructure.  It is self-evident like a dog's tail so they say.  It literally stares you in the face.  He spoke about the railway line in the COMESA region and other countries.  Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia have entered into a railway agreement.  The issue of importation of electricity from the Inka Dam in the DRC should be pursued.  They should pass through either Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique or South Africa.  This will help us in our development.

Our roads are now good.  In Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South, some roads still need to be attended to, but we should come up with a policy that there be PPPs so that when they have an EIA, they should also be saddled with the reconstruction of roads because Zimbabwe no longer has charges for community trusts.

China, with conventional medicines, they can pay half.  Using our university hubs, we should look into the idea of us coming up with herbs that can treat cancer like the Chinese are doing to treat cancer and such other things.  They have such teas which they drink in the morning so it helps their health and this helps to detoxify toxins that affect the body.

The issue of environment should be looked into.  We need weir dams and 34 000 boreholes to be constructed.  The water table for our boreholes will remain with a lot of water.  If we do not have wells, the water table will end up deep.  We should have drip irrigation and we should utilise drip irrigation.  In Israel, they are practicing drip irrigation.  Four hundred litres of water can water one hectare of crops because they do not have water, they are in the desert, Zimbabwe should also copy such practices.  

I thank His Excellency, the President for the Women's Bank.  I was thinking that in COMESA, they used to have simplified trade regime forms at the borders so that those in the SMEs industries and women cross-border traders can bring in goods from other countries.  If they are groups of 40 people, they are called small. Medium are those with 90 members and those that have 150 are more advanced.  So, these are the majority of the people that he was talking about. These forms prevent people from smuggling but assist them to write down what they would have imported and pay the required amounts.  It helps people to be able to declare their goods and be in a position to pay.

[Time Limit.]

*HON. MAPIKI:  Is my time up?  I thank you Madam Speaker – [AN. HON. MEMBER:  Point of order Madam Speaker.  I move that Hon. Mapiki’s time be extended.] – [AN HON. MEMBER:  I object.] -

Motion put and negatived.

HON. S. DUBE:  Honourable Speaker, I would like to thank you for affording me this opportunity to add my voice on the State of the Nation Address.   I would also like to congratulate His Excellency, the President on his appointment as the SADC Chair.  I acknowledge the SONA he delivered.

I rise to highlight and support the motion concerning the critical role of Zimbabwean youth in the development of our nation.  As outlined in the 2024 State of the Nation Address, Zimbabwe's youth represent the majority of our population, must be at the forefront of the national development initiatives.  The key to achieving Vision 2030 lies in empowering our young people with the resources, opportunities and platforms to contribute and to lead in various sectors. SONA highlighted several areas crucial to youth engagement, including community led projects, economic participation, infrastructure development and the fight against corruption.  However, while the progress has been made, more can be done to ensure that no young person is left behind.  

Madam Speaker, the peace and tranquillity that the President emphasised must be translated into tangible opportunities for our youth.  Despite the challenges we face, including the sanctions and economic hardships, we must recognise that the philosophy of leaving no one and no place behind can only be fulfilled when our young people are fully integrated into national development.

SONA noted that young people are involved in community projects like gas room construction, clinic rehabilitation and roadways.  However, these efforts must be expanded and young people should not only be seen as labourers but as key decision makers in national projects.  It is through their participation that we can truly build a prosperous Zimbabwe.

Economic opportunities for the youth - significant area of concern is youth unemployment.  Zimbabwe's push towards agriculture, mining and industrialisation offers enormous potential for job creation.  However, it is crucial that our Government provides the necessary training, skills development and financial support to equip our youth for this sector.  Madam Speaker, it is not enough to offer opportunities.  We must create avenues for young people to develop into the professionals and entrepreneurs who will drive Zimbabwe's economic future.

I call upon this august House to ensure that policies and programmes are designed to directly benefit youth, particularly in potential sectors like energy, mining and agriculture.

Secondly, infrastructure development and youth participation; SONA mentioned the modernisation of education and healthcare infrastructure with a focus on projects such as telemedicine.  Madam Speaker, while these initiatives are commencing they should also be inclusive of youths, both rural and urban areas.  Development in technology and agriculture should prioritise youths, ensuring that they get partners in order to become properly protected.  Additionally, the development of infrastructure across the country, including roads construction and maintenance of public facilities, present an opportunity for employment and entrepreneurship for our young people.

         Number three; corruption and accountability - another key issue is corruption which continues to plague many sectors of our society, as mentioned in the SONA.  Corruption humpers national development and the youth must play a central role in combating the scourge.  By engaging young people in anti-corruption campaigns and reaction platforms that they can report misconduct, we can promote accountability and transparency.  The Government must actively include young people in anti-corruption initiatives, allowing them to take ownership of the fight against corruption both locally and at national level.

         In conclusion, the youth of Zimbabwe are at the helm of our nation’s future but they need the support and resources to thrive.  As we debate the future of our country, let us ensure that our youth are not just part of the conversation but are active participants in shaping the future.  I urge the august House to implement policies that enhance active participation in the economy and ensure their involvement in infrastructure and anti-corruption initiatives.  The future of Zimbabwe depends on energy creativity and resilience from our young people.  This will reveal a Zimbabwe that truly leaves no young person behind.  I thank you.

         *HON. MUCHEMWA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  Let me take this opportunity to thank you for affording me a chance to also add my voice on the motion that was raised by Hon. Kambuzuma, seconded by Hon. Moyo.  First and foremost, I would like to extend my congratulations to His Excellency the President, Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa on his attaining the SADC Chairmanship.  On behalf of Uzumba, I would want to thank him for appointing all the people of Uzumba as chairpersons of SADC.   You cannot mention Zimbabwe without making reference to Uzumba in this august House.  In his first remarks, he started with the issue of peace.  I thank him because he is a peace-loving President.  We can never be a good country when there is no peace.  I would want to thank His Excellency Hon. E. D. Mnangagwa for his wish that there be peace in this country, whether you are a businessman, you cannot be able to thrive in your business when there is no peace in the country.  I thank His Excellency the President for that.

         Furthermore, this country is facing drought that is induced by El Nino and climate change.  In Zimbabwe, no one is dying of hunger.  Everyone is receiving food hand-outs, especially those who did not have a good harvest.  Even those with their money can go and buy food in the shops.  Food is readily available in the shops, even in the communal lands and the cities. 

         On behalf of Uzumba, a lot of boreholes were drilled.  I cannot mention the number.  We are doing community gardening, as community gardens were set up for the youth. I believe it is a good thing as a leader of Uzumba because when the youth become productive and raise their own money, they desist from stealing; they will desist from drug abuse and all those bad habits.  My clarion call is that this programme that has been assigned to the youth should also be directed towards the women so that the women can be able to sustain themselves and raise their own money. 

         I also see that the roads are being maintained and constructed.  SADC has passed but we are continuing with this. President, go ahead, do not listen to barking dogs.  As an elephant, you should proceed walking.  If you look at all the districts in Zimbabwe, clinics and schools are being constructed.  We are grateful to His Excellency the President.  We urge him to continue in that thrust, in this free Zimbabwe. 

         He further spoke about Bills that are outstanding, which need to be quickly attended to.  Such Bills include the Mines and Minerals Bill.  In Uzumba, people mine black granite.  If the Bill could be enacted into law, it will help people in the mining communities such as Uzumba and they will be able to get something out of the proceeds from their natural resources.  I also urge that the Community Share Ownership be re-introduced so that the communities around the mining areas could benefit after the mine has long gone. 

         If you look at community gardens; if you look at Mashonaland East, Mutoko, UMP, a lot of people are into horticulture.  I was of the view that if possible as Zimbabwe, we have markets where the farmers deliver their produce.  They should not become sales persons because they are being targeted by conmen in Mbare.  Yes, we have community gardens but the conmen in Mbare are making more money than the farmer.  They just pay for transport to come and buy your produce at low value and at the end of the day the farmers realise nothing because all the benefits are being realised by the conmen. 

Most issues that I wanted to say have been alluded to by other Members.  I would like to urge His Excellency the President, through his totem or clan name, Shumba Murambwi, to go ahead. I thank you.

         ^*HON. CHAIMVURA: Good afternoon, Madam Speaker.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity to also add my voice to this debate.  I am grateful to His Excellency the President for what he said in this august House.  He spoke very well and it is a great vision for Zimbabwe.  It is a good vision which enables us the youth to leave a legacy for our children.  I am grateful that His Excellency spoke about boreholes being drilled in our areas.  He said it in this august House, everyone heard him but there are some people who are naysayers, they do not believe this is the truth.  When he spoke about the issue of boreholes, he spoke about it because we were facing water challenges. 

         We had problems when water was being accessed from wells.  Children were dying because they were falling into unprotected wells.  We no longer have such a problem because we now have boreholes that are covered.  The President gave a lot of boreholes to people so that they can teach their children to go and draw water from safe sources so that there will not be any stampede when people draw water.  School children can now have water for bathing; they are now very smart.  There are some in this august House who would say that there are no boreholes but we see them doing laundry and they are looking smart. 

         The progress that is being done is as per our ZANU-PF manifesto. The President said that his wish was that there be peace, unity and development in this country as he always says it is now tsepete-tsepete.  In road construction, it is self-evident, it literally stares you in the face. The Grain Marketing Board is now selling rice and salt cheaply.  This is self-evident in areas where we come from; people are easily accessing food.  The President thanked all farmers that are responsible for ensuring that we have food security.  The Government is helping with the provision of inputs and he encourages people to work very hard to produce food in the 2024-2025 agricultural season because we are going to have adequate rains. ARDA scooped first prices in farming in Africa, which means it will lead in the growing of small grains.

He spoke about road carnage and said that there will be policies that will ensure that people’s lives are protected. With those few words, I thank you.

HON. CHIGUMBU:  Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the recently delivered SONA by the President.  Madam Speaker, I just want to say when we debate SONA, it is not an opportunity for us to do praise and worship, neither is it an opportunity for us to do what we call – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

HON. TOGAREPI: On a point of order Hon. Madam Speaker.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Chigumbu.  What is your point of order Government Chief Whip?

HON. TOGAREPI: I think when somebody is supposed to debate, they should just debate.  Let us not comment on other people’s debates.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you, Government Chief Whip.  Hon. Chigumbu, can you please stick to your debate?

HON. CHIGUMBU: I thank you Madam Speaker but it is also very important when you are debating to also lay foundation to the debate so that those who are listening are able to follow through your debate. That is why I was trying to lay a foundation of how I would want to conduct my debate.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Yes, but you do that without criticising previous speakers. You may proceed. 

HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker. I am not actually criticising. What I am doing Madam Speaker is to lay the basis of what I am going to debate. As I am debating, I do not want to focus on the thinker or the one who brought the SONA. I want to focus on the contents of the SONA. The reason why Madam Speaker, the President is supposed to bring SONA to this House is in order for him to tell us the policy makers what is working and what is not working. The President must bring SONA also to inform the nation on the state of affairs, how things are happening. When we now debate the SONA, it is an opportunity for us as policy makers, to help those in the Executive to correct things that are not working. We should focus more on profiling ideas and solutions to issues that are affecting us.

Let me hasten to address issues that we presented in the SONA. I will try to be very quick, very breviloquent in my submission Madam Speaker. At the beginning of the address, the President spoke about us being strong as a united people. It is a very commendable statement but I am worried that the rhetoric is way divorced from what is happening on the ground. What is happening on the ground we have seen a lot of victimisation of people who hold diverse political views. As we were running up to the SADC Summit, a lot was happening simply because people who did not see or who do have a different political orientation were being victimised.

I want to thank the President for pointing out this. It is very important that when we talk of unity, it must be unity indeed, it must not be rhetoric. The issue of unity is very important.  Why is it important? We are all Zimbabweans, if united we will see great things happening for the country. I would want to urge every member in this House to appreciate what unity can do for this country.

I would want to emphasise that when we say we must be united as a people, we must love each other, we should do this unconditionally despite the way we view things, despite how we are religiously or politically oriented. Madam Speaker, I want to emphasise whilst I am still on this point that there is no where we are going as long we are still talking about unity which we cannot practice.  Let me say there is a Latin phrase that I like which say ex nihilo nihil fit, out of nothing comes nothing. We will achieve nothing as long as there is no peace in this country - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -

HON. DHLIWAYO: On a point of order Madam Speaker.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

HON. DHLIWAYO: Thank you Madam Speaker. I think Zimbabwe is one of the most peaceful countries on this planet earth. The Hon. Member is here and has the opportunity to say whatever he wants to say because Zimbabwe is peaceful. You compare Zimbabwe with other countries. I think even those Hon. Members will agree that it is the most peaceful country. So, the call of unity by the President is not only in word but it is in practice and I think everyone is witnessing this. I think it is high time that the Hon. Member must withdraw his word because Zimbabwe is very peaceful. Thank you - [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] -

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you. Well noted. Hon. Chigumbu you may proceed.

HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Madam Speaker, they say to argue with a fool makes two, I will not argue on this one – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order!  Hon. Chigumbu, the language that you have just used is unparliamentary. 

HON. DHLIWAYO: Madam Speaker, we cannot accept it.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You cannot say that Hon. Chigumbu, may you withdraw. 

         HON. CHIGUMBU:  I just said – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chigumbu, may you please withdraw your assertion.

         HON. CHIGUMBU: I withdraw Madam Speaker.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  You may proceed.

HON. CHIGUMBU: The President spoke about the challenges that we are facing when it comes to power generation.  That was a spot-on observation.  I think we all concur that where we are coming from, we do not have electricity.  It is very important that we have to address this challenge as a nation.  One thing that I would want to highlight is that the President spoke of the solutions that can lead us to alleviating this challenge that we are facing.  I am one person who wants to be very practical when it comes to dealing with issues, especially when it comes to the issue of energy.  We cannot talk of any economical development as a nation if we cannot generate and provide energy as a country.  It is worrisome that there are some people who are always on social media showing us that they are friends to the President.  If these people were given a chance to solve this problem and they have not done so up to date, I would want to urge the Government and whoever has got power to make sure that they convince these people that they give us electricity. 

It is very important that as we discuss this issue, we must understand that if we were to solve this problem, we are going to create more challenges for ourselves.  It is important to prioritise the issue of power generation.  There is a lot which is happening in this sector that needs us as policy makers to address.  We would want to make sure that when we say we want to open the sector for private players to come in, let us make it easy for them to come in and help us generate electricity. 

The President also spoke about telemedicine.  This is just a term which simply means access to healthcare through our electronic gadgets.  We cannot talk of telemedicine without the traditional means of accessing health services.  It is sad that the concept of telemedicine has been made prominent in this SONA when we do not have power to charge their gadgets to access the telemedicine facilities.  It is sad that the issue of telemedicine has been made prominent in the SONA as an innovative way of addressing health challenges yet the same SONA is silent on the need of follow up services that will be required. Telemedicine is just a matter of calling a doctor to say; I am having pain on this part of my body – the doctor will then tell you that if you are feeling this way, you need to go and get medicine somewhere.  After being told to go and buy medicine, there is no way the person can go and get the medicine. 

The other thing is that telemedicine requires a human being to be on the other end of the line.  We have got people who are medical professionals who are not happy because their welfare is not well taken care of.  We cannot come up with solutions that cannot be sustained given the prevailing circumstances.  It is very important when we introduce this concept. They should not just be buzz words that we say because the whole world is talking about it.  There must be infrastructure and framework in place to support such innovative ideas.

The SONA document is silent on ICT.  In our NDS1, it was noted that one of the key drivers that we are expecting to drive the growth of this economy was supposed to be ICT. I am hurt that the SONA is silent on this very important agent that we can use to accentuate the growth of our economy.  This brings me to another point that the SONA is so disjointed. There is no connection in terms of this SONA and NDS1 – [HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order.

HON. TOGAREPI:  On a point of order.  I think it would be good to advise the Hon. Member to wait until he has a chance to present his own SONA.  We cannot deal with fools.  I think when he mentioned about a fool in his speech, he meant himself – [HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

HON. MADZIVANYIKA:  On a point of privilege…..

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Hon. Madzivanyika, I am still on the point of order from the Chief Whip.  When you debate, desist from using unparliamentary language.  If you are debating the SONA, debate the SONA that was presented in this Parliament in the Republic of Zimbabwe. 

HON. MADZIVANYIKA:  On a point of privilege, there is a worrying trend that is happening in this Parliament.  When others are given the opportunity to debate, we see them praising, talking about SADC chairmanship and so forth.  This was not in the SONA.  We allowed them and it is their right to do so.  Every Member is entitled to debate freely under the Privileges and Immunity Act, Section 5.

I am encouraging Members of this august House to tolerate the voice of descent.  It is not a crime to differ with someone.  That is the essence of this Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

         Let us respect divergent views.  It is given in our Constitution.  The Parliamentary Privileges Act allows us to have those divergent views without intervention.  There is nothing wrong – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Hon. Madzivanyika, when your time comes to debate, you will debate. 

Hon. Chigumbu you are left with five minutes.

HON. CHIGUMBU: My point was, you would expect a SONA to tell us what is going right and what is going wrong.  It has to be juxtaposed against our National Strategic Documents.  In order for us to see whether we are moving in the right direction or not.  There is a measure which we should use to tell whether we are doing the right things or not.  The reason why we are saying these things are not to please certain people in this House, it is because our allegiance is to the nation of Zimbabwe.  When we discuss these issues, we want to give those who are in power a chance to correct things that are not…

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Your time is up Hon. Member. – [HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – I gave you five minutes but you are not discussing the SONA – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Please stick to SONA. – [HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

         HON. CHIGUMBU: Alright Mr. Speaker, as I am about to conclude, inasmuch as I am not happy with the way that you have treated me, you were supposed to protect me Mr. Speaker.  As I am about to conclude Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the President for bringing the SONA……

         +HON. R. MPOFU:  On a point of order Hon. Speaker – [AN HON. MEMBER: Which rule has been breached?] – Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.  It has been a long time and people have been playing games here, go to Britain, go out – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections] –

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order! Hon. Mpofu. Thank you. Hon. Chigumbu, please wind up your debate. 

         HON. CHIGUMBU:  Thank you Mr. Speaker – [AN HON. MEMBER: Zvakwana.] – Mr. Speaker, I become very worried if a fellow Member of Parliament rises to threaten me as I am debating.  This Parliament Mr. Speaker, belongs to Zimbabweans.  I should not be threatened.  In our submissions Mr. Speaker, we are also helping this country to grow.  We do not want to act like we are politicians here, we are representing people – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections] -

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chigumbu, I gave you five minutes to wind up your debate.

HON. CHIGUMBU:   Thank you Mr. Speaker. I do not think I would want to finish but it is wrong that a certain Member will rise to threaten me in this Parliament.  I have got every right Mr. Speaker, to share my views.  Others have been sharing their views without anyone threatening them.  I think it is right Madam Speaker that she knows I have got a right to debate. I have got a right to be in this House.  My father was also a liberation fighter. I deserve …….

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  If there is nothing else coming from you Hon. Chigumbu, your time is up.  Thank you.

HON. TIMBURWA:  On a point of order Mr. Speaker.  Thank you so much Mr. Speaker, I think Hon. Chigumbu should stick to debating, not to air his emotions in the House. 

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Yes, thank you Hon. Timburwa, I have already stopped him. 

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

HON. OTILIA SIBANDA:  I second.

Motion and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Tuesday, 29^th October, 2024. 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER

INIVITATION TO PARLIAMENTARY YOUTH CAUCUS CONFERENCE

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MACHINGURA): I have to inform the House that tomorrow the 18^th and also the following day the 19^th October, 2024, the Parliamentary Youth Caucus will be hosting the Inaugural Youth Inclusive Budget Conference.  Members of the Youth Caucus are therefore invited to attend the two-day Seminar.  All youth MPs are urged to attend.  The event will take place at Parliament, in the Multipurpose Hall.  Thank you.

On the motion of HON. TOGAREPI, seconded by HON. OTILIA SIBANDA the House adjourned at Eighteen Minutes to Six o’clock p. m. until Tuesday, 29^th October, 2024.