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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 18 JUNE 2025 Vol. 51 No. 56

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 18^th June, 2025

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

PRAYERS

(THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER

APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM MINISTERS

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I have got a list of

Hon. Ministers and Deputy Ministers who have sought leave of absence from the House. Hon. Gen. Rtd. Dr. C. D. G. N. Chiwenga, Vice President; Hon. Col. Rtd. K. C. D. Mohadi, Vice President; Hon. W. Chitando, Minister of Mines and Mining Development; Hon. E. Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Hon. M. N. Ndlovu, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. J. G. Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon.  Z. Soda, Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities; Hon. K. D. Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. S. Sibanda, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development; Hon. R. Modi, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. J. Sacco, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. Hon. V. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. 

The Acting Leader of Government Business for today’s session is Hon. Prof. Murwira.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

         *HON. MURAMBIWA:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. Good afternoon.  I want to direct my question to the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development. In his absence, I will direct the question to the Leader of Government Business.

Hon. Speaker, we acknowledge the commendable work being done by the Second Republic, led by His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa.  The work that I am talking about pertains to the Road Rehabilitation Programme. The roads that I am talking about are rural roads. We note that diesel is being distributed and the roads are graded.  After being graded, some of the roads to those who are working, the results are not seen yet they are given fuel.

My question to the Hon. Minister is, what does the Ministry plan to do regarding the re-gravelling of rural roads so that they are more accessible and also that their status is restored? I thank you.

*THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. PROF. MURWIRA):  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.  I also want to thank the Hon. Member for that question.  I thank the Hon. Member for applauding and commending the President for the commendable job that he is doing. 

The Hon. Member referred to two issues. The first one is that there are people who are being given diesel and are not doing due diligence.  The Government policy is clear. It is that when someone has been given fuel for service delivery and when that person fails to do that, it becomes a criminal offence which is addressed in a different manner.

The second question was, what are we going to do with the rural roads? Our country has a strategic plan which dovetails with Vision 2030.  At the end of the day, we anticipate that everyone should be having an average of $2 500.00, which means that our economy will have improved, our roads will be in a good state, we will have enough food and our healthcare will be in a better state.  Today, we are talking about roads and the plan is that all the roads should be rehabilitated. If there is a specific road that the Hon. Member knows and is not being rehabilitated accordingly, then it becomes a specific question.  The Hon. Member needs to put it in writing so that we can give a comprehensive response.  I thank you.

         *HON. MURAMBIWA:  My supplementary question is that grading of roads should be done and after grading then there should be due diligence. I want to ask the Hon. Minister that after such jobs have been done, are there any people who are assigned to monitor? This is because sometimes you will find that there is no due diligence. I thank you.

*HON. MHONA:  Thank you Madam Speaker and I want to thank the Leader of Government Business. I also want to thank Hon. Murambiwa. Indeed, it is true the Hon. Member raised a pertinent question and I want to thank the Acting Leader of Government Business who explained with clarity this issue. I want to add on by saying, we have such people like the provincial road engineers who are the heads of the projects and they supervise the Department of Roads, Rural District Councils and other entities.

What Hon. Murambiwa was talking about is that people are paid but they fail to deliver. We do not pay for shoddy work because when you perform your duties, you need to do so with due diligence. There is an interim payment certificate that is submitted to the Ministry but when that job has not been done properly, there is no payment. I want to urge those who want to work with the Ministry of Transport and say that the culture has changed. We no longer give out money before the job has been done. Our resident engineer would first inspect that the job has been done to our satisfaction then people will be paid.

Hon. Murambiwa, if there are such people, I will be glad to have the names and the different projects so that we will be able to review and look at the issues. Thank you Madam Speaker.

*HON. S. TSHUMA:  Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that there are some roads which are being resurfaced, some are being created by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), the Ministry of Transport and different entities. What plan is in place to ensure that the Provincial Roads Engineers inspects these different tasks so that when there are any works whether on bridges or roads, they are done to satisfaction. After the rains, such roads, sometimes, will be bad. What is Government doing regarding the inspection of such roads so that we can continue using our roads even during the rainy season?  Thank you.

*HON. MHONA:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I want to thank Hon. Tshuma for the question. It is true we are having a challenge that when we are rehabilitating our roads, sometimes the rains will come and cause siltation but we believe that with research, we are bringing a new programme. I am happy that the Research and Development Department came up with a plan. We are now treating the soil with a chemical so that it is bound by the adhesive that we use. There cannot be siltation as a result of what we are doing now. You would find that in areas like Gokwe, there is loose sand which is normally swept away by rain. These are areas that we are looking into so that we solidify the soil. I thank you.

HON. P. DUBE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My supplementary question to the Honourable Minister of Transport pertains to perhaps the rural roads and even urban area roads that were once tarred but we find that the tar is completely worn out now. Is there a Government policy that does not allow local authorities or Government not to have this tar completely removed and therefore allowing this road to be regraded and re-graveled completely because some of these roads are no longer passable. Thank you.

HON. MHONA:  Thank you Madam Speaker. Let me also thank Hon. Dube for that very important question and also to apprise this august House that indeed, we have got four major road authorities.  Relating to his question, we have got local authorities which superintend urban roads. In most cases, to concur with what he has said, a number of locations, whether high or low density, the roads are deplorable. This exercise was not done over the years and the normal way of doing it after rehabilitation of a road, after every five years, you are supposed to do an overseal. That overlay is supposed to be done religiously. Failure to do that, you end up having a road with potholes mushrooming.

We also need to use those aggregates. Purporting that we can actually regrade and re-gravel is not the ideal situation in urban cities. However, we have taken a deliberate approach and once again, with the advent of the Second Republic, we are not focusing on road authorities but we are working as a team. You find that all urban roads, although they fall under the purview of councils, we have embarked on an exercise as the Ministry to work closely with local authorities. You find us coming to do asphalt overlay on such roads but we cannot do it once and for all Madam Speaker. It is an exercise which therefore, calls for patience from the citizenry, that we will do it location by location. I would also be happy to attend specific roads that the Hon. Member has highlighted. Thank you Madam Speaker.

         HON. CHAKUKURA: Thank you Madam Speaker, good afternoon. My question is directed to the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development. What is the Government policy on the measures that the ministry can take to ensure gender equality is effectively mainstreamed across all Government ministries and departments? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am. I wish to thank the Hon.  Member for asking the question on gender mainstreaming and equality. Just yesterday, the Cabinet approved the National Agenda Policy. This directs ministries, departments and agencies to mainstream gender in their operations. Through the Constitution, we have to make sure that we give equal opportunity to males and females.

So, the Government is quite cognisant of that fact and being constitutionally directed, we developed that policy and it was approved yesterday by the Cabinet. These are the efforts that the Government of Zimbabwe in the Second Republic is making to conform to the dictates of our Constitution. I thank you.

*HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Ma’am. The issue of gender equality is in the Constitution and it was included in the policy in 2013. The Gender Policy has always been in place, talking about gender equality. We want to know what Government is doing with aligning the Gender Policy with the Constitution and monitoring the implementation because we talk about equality in the national policy and in the Constitution but on the ground, is there gender equality? So, we want to know what Government is doing to ensure that gender equality is in place. I thank you.

*HON. PROF. MURWIRA: I want to thank the Hon. Member for that supplementary question which seeks to know what Government is doing regarding gender equality. Our Constitution is empowering us to do that and I mentioned that yesterday as Cabinet, we agreed on the policy and this is what Government is doing. Secondly, we have the implementation plan. The implementation plan of the policy is in place and it is in the policy and there is a framework of how it is going to be implemented. I also want to add on by saying that Government is working hard to enforce gender equality so that the different genders have equal opportunities and this includes even the Hon. Speaker seated right in front of us and other Members who have contributed but these things cannot be fulfilled in a day.  We say that it is good to run when you have a clear plan but we are going to expedite the implementation of the policy and it is our responsibility as a nation, from the individual to the Government, I thank you.

HON. MUTSEYAMI: Thank you Madam Speaker. Good afternoon. My question to the Hon. House is on access to health and essential medicines. What steps is the Government taking to improve access to affordable health care and ensure the availability of essential medicines in public hospitals and clinics across the country? I rest my question, thank you.

*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Hon. Speaker and I want to thank Hon. Mutseyami for that question. Before addressing the question, let me explain the process of treating patients in Zimbabwe. We start from the village level. We have the village health post where there are village health workers. From there, we go to clinics; in clinics, we...

*HON. HWENDE: On a point order, the question was asked in English. The Standing Orders are clear that the Hon. Minister should respond in English.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is not the law.  Please take your seat Hon. Member, that is not the law. Please continue Hon. Minister.

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I am explaining and giving a brief background of where we are coming from. The steps should be clarified; the clinic is where you find the nurses, from there we go to district hospitals where you find these hospitals in different districts. Then in provinces, you find a lot of doctors where operations can be done and other procedures. So, when I am talking about access to healthcare, we start from the villages. The steps that are being taken by Government are that in every village there should be a village health worker and the village health worker should be empowered with basic medication to treat those who have headaches and minor ailments. The patient will be referred to the clinic or they will go to the clinic.

At the clinic you find pregnant women who are unable to register for antenatal care. Then medication for those who have malaria can be accessed at the local clinics but for major ailments, clinics can address those. We have ways of distributing medication to clinics through NatPharm, which is the national pharmaceutical company. This is where Government stores medication after being procured and the medication will cascade down to the clinics. Sometimes we are told that there are shortages of medication. As Government, we would trace to ascertain where the shortage is emanating from, whether it is from NatPharm, from the provincial or district hospitals.  We noted that sometimes there is medication that goes where it is not supposed to go.

Now, from NatPharm, we expect medication to be taken by the Government vehicles to the clinics. We are also using computers to trace the movement of medication. Government has also put in place measures for procuring medication and companies that would ensure that medication is taken to the people – [HON. HWENDE:  Ndosaka makatizwa na President pavakaenda ku Parirenyatwa] -  

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Hwende, may you leave the House –  [HON. HWENDE:  Minister havasi kupindura mubvunzo, ngavapindure mubvunzo, ndobudirei?] -

Hon. Hwende was escorted out of the Chamber by the Serjeant-At-Arms.

HON. MAKUMIRE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am.  The Standing Rules and Orders say that before someone is chased out of the House, he must be informed of what his offence is.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Member please take your seat!  Hon. Minister, please continue.

HON. G. HLATYWAYO:  On a point of order, Madam Speaker, it is a different issue.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

HON. G. HLATYWAYO:  Thank you Madam Speaker, we kindly request the Minister to answer the question.  Madam Speaker, if he seeks to elaborate further or if he wants us to know what is happening in the health sector, he can come up with a Ministerial Statement.  There is a direct question and he just needs to answer the question.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  The Hon. Minister is responding to the question and please may you take your seat.

 HON. RUNGWAVE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker Ma’am. 

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  So, have you decided to disrupt the operations of the House with points of order?

*HON. RUNGWAVE:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

HON. RUNGWAVE: Thank you Madam Speaker, we are requesting that the Hon. Minister respond to the question instead of giving us a historical background.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon.  Member, it is not your prerogative to say that, the Hon.  Minister will respond. May you continue Hon. Minister?

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am. I had reached a stage where I was talking about the steps that are being taken by Government to make sure that medication reaches all the targeted areas.  We have a digital tracking mechanism and now medication is taken by NatPharm cars to provincial and district hospitals.  Government has companies that we contracted to buy the necessary medication so that it can be taken to the people. We have a budget of 44 million dollars which is meant for buying such medication. Out of that, we have received medication, which amounts to 11 million which is being taken to clinics and hospitals so that our people receive medical attention.  We also have plans for empowering those who are in the districts with machines to take blood samples and X-rays so that they do not travel long distances going to Harare and Bulawayo.

Madam Speaker, for the first hundred days of the year, we have distributed anesthetic machines and digital x-rays to 25 hospitals.  We have also empowered maternity waiting homes to the same 25 that I have mentioned earlier.  Madam Speaker, I believe that some have seen that on television. We have spoken about that and we have mentioned the particular hospitals. 

Madam Speaker Ma’am, now we are on the second phase where we are targeting rural hospitals. There are 24 district hospitals which are going to receive new x-ray machines, digital x-ray machines and also theaters for operations.  This is quite pertinent because it is going to benefit pregnant women who have been facing a challenges with traveling.  Now, we are able to do cesarean sections in different districts.  These are some of the steps that we are taking and in large hospitals, we have bought big machines which are meant for treating cancer-related ailments at Mpilo, Harare and Parirenyatwa Hospitals. 

The other step is, we anticipate that by the end of the year, we will be done and this is going to be taken to all provinces, the enactment of CT scans and MRI scans.  We are going to target four hospitals that train doctors.  We are doing this so that we decentralise

healthcare so that people have access to healthcare from different districts. These are some of the steps that we are taking to provide quality healthcare to the people of Zimbabwe. This cannot be done overnight because we have ordered these machines. We believe that within three months, the machines will be delivered and they will be set up. I am sure by the end of the year, most of these plans will be in place. I thank you.

*HON. MUTSEYAMI: My supplementary is, when you look at many provincial hospitals and clinics, the medication meant for chronic diseases is not accessible for those who have such illnesses but they are given prescriptions. In clinics, there are issues related to epilepsy and the medication for epilepsy is scarce. In most rural areas, we have people who have epilepsy, but they cannot access healthcare facilities and they cannot access the medication. This is happening as we sit in this august House. I thank you.

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Hon. Mutseyami mentioned issues that affect some areas but not all areas. We note that in some areas there is a shortage of medication, but in others the medication is available. At the moment, we have an order which amounts to US$2 million of the medication that you mentioned for chronic diseases like BP, diabetes, arthritis and lung-related diseases. We anticipate that this medication should be available by the end of the month. This is not the end, but we were promised money by the Ministry of Finance and the money is to the tune of US$3 million. The money is meant to complement the resources that we have. We have requested for a significant amount so that we can cater for diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and others.

We want to have 100% medication, but as we move around hospitals, we take note of the stocks that are available and some have 65%, 60% and some have 40% medication. Those who have lower percentages, we are working hard to make sure that we add on to what they have. Wealso keep engaging the Ministry of Finance so that we have an adequate budget. I thank you.

*HON. CHIDUWA: I wanted to ask the Hon. Minister regarding the issue of medication. What plan does the Ministry have that, as a nation, we manufacture our own medication instead of importing? I thank you.

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Madam Speaker and I want to thank Hon. Chiduwa for that question which is quite important. We believe that it is important to manufacture our own medication. We have 14 companies that are manufacturing medication here in Zimbabwe. Two are manufacturing medication for animals, but the rest are manufacturing for people. These companies do not have the capacity to provide adequate stocks of medication. The cumulative percentage is 13% of the required medication that is produced by local companies.

We are working together with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Finance, so that we empower our local manufacturing companies so that they will be able to manufacture adequate stocks of medication. We believe that we need to start manufacturing our own vaccines. We learnt a lesson during COVID-19 when we imported virtually every vaccine. These are plans that are in place and we are going to engage more companies so that we can have collaborations between local companies and other companies.

So, because of patents, sometimes it is not easy to manufacture without engaging those who have the patents. We are going to engage the different companies that are found in different countries. At the moment, we have engaged three international companies, multinational companies that are going to be manufacturing medication here in Zimbabwe. It is our plan to add on to what we are already doing. I thank you.

*HON. NYABANI: My question is that in the past, our parents relied on indigenous knowledge systems and traditional medicines. The question is, as the Minister of Health and Child Care, are there no other ways of accessing traditional medicines that will be able to treat our people? I thank you.

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Hon. Nyabani for that question and I want to thank you Hon. Speaker. The Ministry of Health and Child Care has a Department of Traditional Medicines, which is led by the Traditional Medicines Council. The council has a number of board members who are specialists in different professions, like pharmacists. We have pharmacists on the board, we have doctors who sit on the board, traditional healers, some who rely on faith healing and some who use the African traditional religion.

The board is responsible for looking at the different medications that can be used, and the medicines are tested empirically so that it is ascertained whether they really work. We are engaging China, which is advanced in terms of indigenous knowledge systems and traditional medicines. The use of herbs and leaves and other traditional medicines, indeed, it is quite important. We have evidence that some have been treated by such traditional medicines. We want to patent these medicines so that they are not taken away before patenting and that we can sustainably use them and using them considering the safety of our patients. We are seized with the matter and I believe that this will go on well. I thank you.

*HON. TOBAIWA: On a point of privilege Madam Speaker Ma’am. We are requesting the Hon. Minister to give us a Ministerial Statement on the state of our hospitals and the state of medicines. I believe that the Hon. Minister has not fulfilled that request. It is my request that the Hon. Minister should bring a Ministerial Statement which would show us what is happening in hospitals and the general status of all our hospitals. I thank you.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: You mean a Ministerial Statement?

HON. TOBAIWA: Yes.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I believe the Hon. Minister has heard you.

         HON.  NYELELE: My question goes to the Minister of Women Affairs. What measures has the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development put in place to support women's empowerment clubs in rural areas? Thank you.

         THE MINISTER OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA): Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member for asking such a pertinent question. I think that gives me an opportunity to inform the august House what the Ministry, with the support of Government, is doing to empower especially those women in the rural areas. Madam Speaker, our Government's mantra is not to leave anyone or any place behind.

Our Government mantra is ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’. In our effort as a Ministry, we are making sure we are getting to the grassroots to make sure that we touch every Zimbabwean because everyone matters in this country. The issue of empowering women is very good for our country, as more than 52% of the population is women.  More than 70% of our population lives in the rural areas. We know that most of those women are the ones who are producing the good food that we need as a nation. So, supporting them is very important.

We do that through a whole-of-government approach. We do not just work as Ministry for Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises; it is a whole Government approach.

The Ministry of Agriculture for example, has come up with business units. There is a lot of irrigation which have been resuscitated. There is also quite a number of boreholes that have been drilled.  This has actually empowered our women in the rural areas. As a ministry, we support them through much financial supports. We do have the Women's Development Fund. It is a fund that comes through our ministry. We have got officers and as I said, the ministry goes all the way down to the grassroots. We have officers at national level, provincial level and we have officers at ward level.

We are very grateful that we have been given cars as tools of trade for our officers to make sure that they can reach out to remote areas because we do not want to leave anybody behind. We train our women in their communities because it is not easy to bring everybody to Masvingo. We have training schools in Mashonaland East and other areas. We have started doing training in the areas where our people are living. It is just not a problem of access to finance, but it is important to train our women business entrepreneurial skills; we are doing that. We are training our people how to start a business before we give them money. It is important that they know how to do record keeping, how they save their monies and we also help them to open accounts with the banks.  Banks are in our communities, they do not have to travel long distances to do banking. So, these are some of the things which we are doing to make sure that our women are not being left behind.

There are a number of projects that we have done in different communities to make sure that at least our women can start making products which they normally have to travel to a growth point to buy, whether it is detergents, soap, Vaseline and baking, we are teaching all that. We are also coming up with sustainable projects for value addition. A lot of our women in the rural areas produce mangoes and guavas zvichiora. We teach them value addition.

As a ministry, we have come up with this programme of processing plants so that at least we can value add on the products they produce. For example, in Hauna and Honde Valley, the Government, with the help of other development partners, we are in the process of building a processing plant for banana planters. We have more than 1 000 banana farmers.

Most of the time, the bananas were rotting because they were not able to sell them. Now, we want them to make banana chips, banana flour…

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

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

         *HON. MAKUMIRE: May the Hon. Minister please be straight and to the point. She cannot continue going round and round over the same issue.

         THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Please continue Hon. Minister.

HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Madam Speaker, I think the Hon. Member did not understand the question. The question was how are women in the rural areas being empowered? This is precisely what I have been explaining and it is important to listen. The policy of the Government is that financial structures are put in place.

         HON. CHIGUMBU: Point of order Madam Speaker.

HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Madam Speaker, I need your protection.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

HON. CHIGUMBU: Madam Speaker, the Minister must respond from a policy perspective. We do not want a narration of whatever they are doing. We want a response.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Hon. Minister is responding to the question. Hon. Member, please, may you take your seat.

HON. CHIGUMBU: Madam Speaker, this is not a written question. The Hon. Minister should just go straight to the point and give us the policy perspective on the question that has been asked.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  You cannot tell the Minister what to say. One day you will also become Ministers and you will respond when the time comes. When God allows you to be a Minister, then you will respond in your own manner. May you allow the Minister to be heard in silence. Hon. Minister, please continue.

HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Madam Speaker, I just want to round up on this question but it was very important for you to understand that what the Ministry is doing together with other ministries is a whole Government approach. When the Government is constructing dams, it makes it easy for irrigation. It is ensuring food security for women in the rural areas. So, when the Government rehabilitates roads, it is making it easy for the women in our rural areas to take their produce to the market. All these are the policies of the Government to empower our women so that we can achieve Vision 2030. Madam Speaker, thank you very much.

AN HON. MEMBER: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My supplementary question is in regards to the women of Bulawayo. The women in my constituency are finding it difficult to locate the Women's Bank. The bank has relocated twice in six months. My constituents now want to find out where this bank is located now.  I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please, may you put your question in writing so that the Hon. Minister will make some investigations and come to this House with a response.

HON. CHIDUWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Minister for the policy interventions that they are doing in the rural areas and we have seen quite a lot that is happening in our rural areas, especially in the area of crops and horticulture but the major problem that is there is of markets. I wanted to find out Government policy with regards to assistance that can be given to women so that they can secure markets.

         HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Hon. Chiduwa

for such a very important question. It is part of the mandate of my Ministry and many other ministries and as I said, it is a whole-of-government approach to make sure that we avail markets for the products which our people are making. He spoke about the crafts, I just want you to know, I administer the Government agency which is called the National Handicraft Centre, which again is a way Government has put together an institution whose job is to help those who make things, especially the art and crafts to make sure that they get markets for them. I just want you to know that the National Handicrafts Centre has been revived and resuscitated. It is beginning to do a lot of work, travelling across the ten provinces, meeting those who make crafts and artefacts and finding markets for them. We have seen Zimbabweans participating in Lusaka and Japan.

As we speak right now, I just want to tell you that the (NHC) National Handicrafts Centre has sent more than three containers of our Zimbabwean arts and handcrafts to Japan. This is a way to help them market and at least get money from what they are doing. We also do not want our people to be shortchanged when people go to them and buy these things at very low prices. This is what we are doing in terms of getting markets. When it comes to SMEs, we are making sure that our SMEs participate in all exhibitions. It can be domestic exhibitions like the Agricultural Show, ZITF but we do not end there. We are also helping them to go to other exhibitions in Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania and also outside the continent. We are doing this to make sure that they are able to showcase the products which they are making. ZimTrade also works with us. We now have women in international trade who are producing products which are being exported and getting the foreign currency that we so much need. I thank you Madam Speaker.

+HON. LINYANE: Thank you Madam Speaker. My question to the Minister is, we have wards without ward coordinators. When are we going to have ward coordinators to assist women? Those with ward coordinators, there are so many women in there and we have got transport challenges. Thank you.

*HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: I want to request the Hon. Member to repeat the question so that I can understand better and respond adequately.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, please repeat your question.

HON. LINYANE: Thank you Madam President. My question is, in rural areas, there are wards without ward coordinators. When are we going to have those ward coordinators? The second issue is, where there are ward coordinators, the wards are too big… -[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Honourable Speaker. I want to thank... – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please use a language that you are comfortable in.

HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA I want to... –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Molokela, please, order!

-[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Are you the Acting Chief Whip?

HON. MUTSEYAMI: Yes, I am.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please, may you approach the Chair.

HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: I thank you very much Madam Speaker. I want to thank the Hon. Member who has asked a very pertinent question. I hope I got the translation correct. She was asking about the ward coordinators and I am glad to say that at one point they were not there but right now as I speak, almost 1 935 wards in this country are manned by an officer from my Ministry. These are there to help you and I actually want to advise all our Hon. Members that in your areas, please approach your ward coordinators. Also, approach your district development coordinators if you have a problem because we want you to realise your dream of doing certain programmes or business. These development officers will be able to help you. They are business developers. Thank you.

         HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Speaker and good afternoon. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. We have a Government policy and a Constitution which protects the farms of black people with title deeds and this is in different Government programmes. Even for farms that were acquired and eventually redistributed to the people. My question is, is it allowed that Government programmes should be put on farms with title deeds owned by back Zimbabweans, being given to people who are illegal settlers on such farms, who have court orders that are pending and some were removed by the courts, Government programmes like pfumvudza, Presidential borehole schemes and others? What is Government policy regarding the implementation of Government programmes in farms which are owned by black people with title deeds? I thank you.

         *THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETTLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): I want to thank Hon. Mangondo for that question. Firstly, the Hon. Member said a lot of things, including the Constitution, then the Hon. Member spoke about black-owned farms with Title Deeds which were acquired and which are being given back to the black farmers. Let me explain by saying that when we acquired land, restoring and correcting land imbalances that were perpetuated by imperialists, some farms were in the names of white commercial farmers, even though some were occupied by black people, so it took us time to do a land audit to ascertain who owned the farm and who occupied the farm. Some people were resettled in such farms but some were retained by black owners.

So, Government now has said that the farms that were acquired, which are owned by black people and which are not occupied should be taken back to the owners but for those that have been occupied, we look at whether it is possible to return it back because sometimes you would find that someone maybe has constructed a house, they have been on the 25 years, some would have children, great children there. So, Government then looks into this issue and determine whether it is possible to revert to the original state of the farm or not. Where it is not possible, then Government compensates the owner. The Hon. Member, then continued saying that those who resettle illegally, that is a different case and that requires the police, if they are illegal settlers, then the police would have to intervene, please report to the police when that is the case. It is also important to inform the office when you have specifics, please put it in writing. I thank you.

*HON. MANGONDO: Thank you Hon. Minister. My question pertains to what is happening currently at a particular farm that I know where a black farmer has title deeds. Therefore, which is why I asked whether a Government policy allows the Pfumvudza project to be done, on a farm that is owned by a black Zimbabwean who has title deeds. As I am speaking, the illegal settlers have been given an eviction order but they continue occupying that land. Does Government allow that to continue happening? I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I believe that your issue should be put in writing because this is a specific issue and if you put it in writing, then the Hon. Minister would give a comprehensive report after carrying out investigations.

HON. MUTANDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. My question goes to…

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of order. In terms of our Standing Rules and Orders, we must adhere to the ratio of 2:1.  This other side Hon. Member representing Matabeleland North Youth Quota and Hon. Mangondo have asked question, they are now two.  So, if you ask Hon. Mutandi to ask, it will be the third before this side is accorded that opportunity.  I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I agree with you but I am following this list.

HON. C. MOYO: Indeed, there was a typo error and we communicated as Chief Whips, they said they just follow the list you have. Thank you.

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

*HON. MUTANDI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to direct my question to the Minister of Home Affairs. What plans are in place regarding the protection of women from the abuse they suffer during harmonised elections? I thank you.

*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you. Let me respond by saying that in every election, our Constitution is clear that we need a report from those who are responsible for elections regarding how the elections transpired. The report is brought to this august House and Hon. Members are supposed to read the report, then to agree with the report or differ with the report on what would have transpired. I believe that the report of elections that were held in 2023 came to this august House, which we are supposed to debate at length to put our views regarding the report.

If there were issues to do with the protection of a particular group of people, then these issues were supposed to be raised but it was not done in the august House. However, in our Constitution, there is no one who is allowed to fight the other gender, whether it is men or women and those who are responsible for defending the nation and those who are responsible for home affairs, expect such reports to be made to the police office so that they take steps. I thank you.

HON. KARIMATSENGA-NYAMUPINGA: Madam Speaker Ma’am, I want to add on by saying that this question is important because in this august House, there are only 25 women who won seats because of the violence that happens during elections. So, we want the Hon. Minister to explain what plans are in place so that women are protected from violence, so that we are not intimidated. I thank you.

         * HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Speaker. I responded by saying that this issue was supposed to be discussed when the report on the 2023 elections was released, even on the statistics of women who participated in the elections, the challenges they faced and other issues. I cannot respond by saying that the percentage of women is because of violence but in other words, you would find women saying that we want empowerment. So, we are given the capacity to do different jobs but if there is such an issue, then there should be a motion that talks about elections. They were allowed to debate during the report but when it comes to the motion, we need to address that motion, then we investigate the issue so that we see how we can rectify it. I thank you.

HON. MUREYANI: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Good afternoon. My question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Local Government and Public Works. March 2025 marked 20 years since the creation of the Provincial Council by the new Constitution. Why are they still not in office since three elections, that is, 2013, 2018 and 2025? I thank you – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear]-

*THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Mr. Speaker. This question has been asked several times and answered and I responded to it by saying that there are a lot of things that need to be rectified between the Constitution and the local authorities.  The local authorities in the Rural District Councils work in harmony. That is why we asked our law drafters, that when we are trying to come up with this, what should we look at? Should we amend the Constitution or the law? We are still working on it. What we are urging you is that we cannot rush to put a law that when it is in place, it would bind. We want to come up with an applicable law. Thank you.

HON. HAMAUSWA: Supplementary.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your supplementary and is it necessary?

HON. HAMAUSWA: Yes, it is necessary.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Yes, proceed.

*HON. HAMAUSWA: My supplementary to the Minister is that we heard towards the end of last year, those who were nominated for provincial councils earned some money. We want to know whether they are still earning money or if you have stopped paying them, will it not affect the progress of the law? We are advocating that we should keep on giving them their salaries as we are working on this issue.

HON. CHIHOTA: Supplementary.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, are you okay?

HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I cannot answer rumours because that is what we heard. What we heard, if it is true, is now specific to the paymaster but I have referred to the policy that the law we are drafting should be aligned with the Constitution so that when it is now being used, it will be easy. When it comes to salaries, I think they should ask the paymaster and come up with an answer.

HON. CHIHOTA: Supplementary.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Okay, you may go ahead.

HON. CHIHOTA: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. I am one of the provincial councillors for 2018.  We served for five years and we were not earning but our benefits are in the Constitution. What is going to happen? My colleagues, who are still with them…

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order! Hon. Members. This is a personal issue. I think you should make a follow-up instead of bringing it up in this House.

HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: On a point of order Hon. Speaker.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order, Hon. Member?

 HON. MOLOKELA-TSIYE: I think you misunderstood the Hon. Member. She was not speaking on a personal level but she was speaking on behalf of all other people involved. She was not speaking on her personal behalf; she was speaking on behalf of others.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Molokela-Tsiye. I have a good understanding of the Shona language. I understood what she said and I gave directions. I am the Chair, not you.

HON. RUNGWAVE: Supplementary Hon. Speaker.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Last supplementary, Hon. Member.

HON. RUNGWAVE: Good afternoon Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question is that there are people who were nominated to the provincial council and they were suspended from their Government positions or council positions. What do you do with those people who lost their jobs because they were nominated for the provincial council, which is not functioning? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-

*HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Those who relieved the people of their duties did not follow the Constitution. The Constitution does not say that if you are a civil servant and you contest to be a councillor or MP, you are relieved of your duties. The Constitution says that if you win and you have not resigned within 30 days, you are removed from being a councillor or MP. So I cannot answer that one. I think the question should be referred to the specific people who relieved them of their duties.

HON. HAMAUSWA: Point of order.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order, Hon. Hamauswa?

*HON. HAMAUSWA: On a point of order! This question is being caused by the non-functionality of this House.  This House did not come up with laws that pertain to that. The Minister agrees that those people can be chased away from their work but the laws do not answer to that.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. J. TSHUMA): The Minister did not say that.  The Minister clearly stated that the Constitution says that after 30 days, if you do not resign from your work, you lose your seat. So those who fired people have their issues and those issues must be solved there. It is as simple as all that, I hope you understand that.

HON. THOMPSON: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  My question is directed to the Minister of Women's Affairs. What initiatives are being taken to support and promote cooperatives? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, COMMUNITY, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES DEVELOPMENT (HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA): This is one of the mandates that comes under my ambit, all above Women Affairs, Community Development, SMEs Development, we are also there to help the co-operatives.

As you are aware, in this country, we have more than 2 900 co-operators. These co-operatives are very important and they play a very critical role in the economic development of this country. We therefore, support them by making sure that they have access to finance and making sure that we support them with courses to grow their businesses.  We also support them in making sure that they get markets as well as to just help them have harmony among the membership. 

We have been going through the country, working with the co-operatives to see their challenges and proffer solutions.  I want to say access to finance is the biggest challenge; it is the elephant in the house.

We have been talking to our banks, SMEDCO and also the Women Microfinance Bank and other banks that have come on board to assist. So, our co-operatives are very critical and we want them to operate above board. We want harmony among members because they are playing an important role.  There are co-operatives in carpentry, fishing, housing and even farming. We are making sure that we give them access to equipment so that they can carry out what they are doing for the good of the families. I thank you.

HON. CHIDUWA: We have noted that in our areas, several women and youths want to register their co-operatives but the major challenge that they are facing is that the name search seems to be centralised in Harare. I wanted to find out from the Hon. Minister what the Government policy is about the decentralisation of the registration of co-operatives.

HON. SEN. M. MUTSVANGWA: It is my ministry that is in charge of registering all co-operatives. We are not only in charge of registering them but we also make sure that all the disputes among co-operatives are solved.  We have a disciplinary committee within the Ministry but they are decentralised to all ten provinces in the country.

As I have said earlier, in the areas where they are operating from, we have a provincial development officer. For example, co-operatives in Kariba that are doing kapenta fishing are now 23. If they need more people to register, they can go through our office which is in the province of Mashonaland West.

Then we go to Tokwe-Mukosi, we have about a thousand co-operatives in the fishing sector. The main Registrar of Co-operatives is obviously at the Head Office but the officers who are there in the provinces are there to help all those people who want to register. I thank you.

HON. MUTOKONYI:  In line with Vision 2030, the Ministry set a strategy for agriculture food systems and rural transformation strategy with various targets and among them, to increase local fertiliser production and to increase household consumption scores. My question to the Minister is, how far has the strategy gone in modernising the production of fertilise, as well as modernising the various irrigation schemes to achieve the set target?

THE MINISTER OF LANDS, AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES, WATER AND RURAL RESETLEMENT (HON. DR. MASUKA): Perhaps the context is that the agriculture food systems and rural transformation strategy which was launched in August 2020 has come to an end because it is aligned with NDS 1. We are in the process of presenting an agriculture food systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2, which will align with NDS2 to take us to 2030, for the President's vision of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society.

It is in that context Mr. Speaker Sir, that as we do the major strategies of the Ministry, we look at enablers for the successful implementation of the strategy. Adequate, available and affordable fertiliser was recognised as an important enabler for increasing productivity, ensuring that there is viability, profitability and sustainability of agriculture. It is in that vein that through the Cabinet, an Inter-Ministerial Committee was formed with the appropriate Ministry where fertiliser manufacture ought to take place, that is, under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

We merely cite it as an enabler for catalysing agricultural transformation but it is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture per se for the manufacture. We are the client of the manufacturers who are residents in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.  With your indulgence, I may request therefore, that the appropriate Ministry furnish the update in terms of the production of fertiliser.

 We can however, on the client side, indicate the quantities that we require, about 780 000 metric tonnes annually of basal and compound dressings and we know that perhaps up to half or more of the basal fertilisers are being supplied from local producers and the bulk of our top-dressing requirements are still being imported, but the strategy per se is resident within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

The other aspect that has been requested is an update on irrigation schemes and to what extent we have made progress?  There are 460 irrigation schemes on 26 000 hectares. We have made a lot of progress. 19 000 hectares of the 26 000 hectares are now operational.  So, that is a lot of progress. We have also noted that some of the challenges that the old irrigation schemes had, were simply that the irrigation plots, being half a hectare to a hectare were uneconomic and therefore unviable units.

So, we have now done a block system where the old irrigation scheme is managed as if it belongs to one person and we deploy a manager who is then able to do a business plan over a five-year period.  We have seen with successful irrigation schemes such as Bubi-Lupane that the lives of those irrigators have changed.  We have also said we now want to move away from this loose association to a model where they can register a company that is linked to an irrigation scheme so that the assets that have been developed by Government are then part of the balance sheet of this irrigation scheme enabling it, leveraging on that to be able to borrow, to invest for development.

So, we have seen major transformation as a result of this new model and we call it the Vision 2030 Accelerator Model. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

HON. MUTOKONYI:  Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir.  I want to thank the Hon. Minister for a well-articulated response.   I also want to ask the Hon. Minister that insofar as the infrastructure limitation is concerned, what role can technology be part of a solution to the infrastructure limitation to achieve the objective? Thank you.

HON. DR. MASUKA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I thank the Hon. Member for the follow-up question, not quite related but relates to agriculture and the role of technology modernisation and perhaps ICT in facilitating agricultural growth. We recognise the importance of ICT from ideation through from production to the fork.   So, there are many interventions that ICT and smart agriculture can assist.  There are far too many to enumerate.   As an example, in this wheat season, migratory pests, we use ICT to be able to control quelea, we use drones, surveillance, satellites to monitor the area of wheat planted, we do yield estimates using ICT, we use ICT and drones to be able to apply herbicides, fertilisers and much more.

So, ICT has become ubiquitous and we urge farmers to increasingly harness this potent tool to ensure that they increase their efficiencies at the production level while lowering costs, which would enable their businesses to be more viable and profitable.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

HON. HAMAUSWA:  My supplementary to the Hon. Minister is that I would want to know the Government policy towards the promotion of organic fertiliser which can be produced locally with limited resources but also achieving the same goal as was asked by the Hon. Member.  How far have we gone in promoting that organic fertiliser, such as vermicompost and also even taking advantage of vet manure? How far have we gone towards that direction? Thank you.

HON. DR. MASUKA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker. I thank you for a very important question.  Organic fertiliser has been used since time immemorial.  We know murakwani organic from the forest, we know organics from our own manure of various shades and sizes. Government has not only promulgated a policy of encouraging organic locally available fertilisers but has also taken the lead in the implementation and use of organic fertilisers.

You recall Pfumvudza/Intwasa, the sustainable intensive conservation agriculture model relies on organic fertiliser in precision agriculture where the 3.5 million beneficiaries use this routinely.  So, organic fertiliser use has become the option rather than the exception. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

HON. JAMES:  Supplementary! Thank you, Mr. Speaker.   Could I ask the Hon. Minister if the fertilisers that his Ministry is dealing with are quality controlled?  Does the Ministry monitor the control of all fertilisers going through its Ministry? I believe quite a considerable amount of fertilisers is being rejected and is stored in the GMB.

The other question is, do all fertiliser companies have free access through his Ministry or are they channelled through one particular middle person? Thank you.

HON. DR. MASUKA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I also thank the Hon. Member for highlighting a point that I was not aware of.  I am not aware of any fertilisers that have been rejected and stored at GMB.

All the fertilisers are tested in terms of the Farm Feeds, Fertilisers and Remedies Act of 1972 and with sufficient rigour to enable farmers to be assured that whatever is imported into the country meets the strictest of conditions.  So, I will be very grateful to the Hon. Member if they could furnish me with the specific details so that we can investigate this in order to protect our farmers. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you very much Hon. Minister.  So, Hon. James, I think, as you have heard the Hon. Minister, you can probably put your question in writing so that they can follow up on the issue of the fertiliser that you claim has been rejected. So, just put it in writing.

HON. JAMES:  Thank you Hon. Speaker Sir.

HON. CHIDZIVA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is to the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.  I would like to know what are the Government plans on rehabilitation of young people affected by crystal meth substance roaming the streets of Zimbabwe? Thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. DINHA):  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  The Government is undergoing renovation of rehabilitation centres in several areas. Right now, there are about three rehabilitation centres that are operational and the other ones are under renovation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir.

HON. CHIDZIVA:  Supplementary! I asked the Hon. Minister what are the plans on the rehabilitation of these young people who are affected by crystal meth substance; because there is the issue that the only rehabilitation centres that are now known in Zimbabwe, you have to pay something about USD500.00 to USD600.00.

So, I wanted the Hon. Minister to give us the plans on the rehabilitation of these people, the poor people, so that we do not only have rehabilitation for the elite people alone. Thank you.

 

 

HON. DINHA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. As I have said earlier, the Government is in the process of rehabilitating all the COVID centres so that they can render services to those young people who are affected by drug and substance abuse. Also, after rehabilitation, there is integration into society. Right now, we are mobilising funds so that there is rehabilitation of those centres.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Hon. Chidziva, seeing how important your question is, for it to be properly addressed, I would advise you to put it in writing, so that the Minister can give us proper figures of how many rehabilitation centres are working and how many they intend to be operational as she has alluded to the fact of COVID-19 centres being turned to that. So, please put it in writing. Thank you.

HON. MUSHORIWA:  On a point of clarification Mr. Speaker Sir. The Minister said that three rehabilitation centres are working and some are undergoing reconstruction. Could she favour the three rehabilitation centres that are currently working so that we can direct our youth accordingly?

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Honourable, I think I advised Hon. Chidziva to put his question in writing – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order Hon. Members. Please, take your seats. At times we need to get full answers to such important issues. Hon. Deputy Minister, do you have a...

HON. DINHA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Can you put it in writing so that I can bring in – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members! Order Hon. Madzivanyika!   Hon. Members, it is important to carry ourselves honourably. Hon. Tsvangirai, I just said it is important to be honourable in this august House. Such information is pertinent. Therefore, we do not want guesswork here. We want to work with statistics and proper figures. This is exactly how we are going to go about it.

*HON. NYABANI:  Point of order Speaker Sir. This is important and I think we require a Ministerial Statement so that we understand. We want to help our youth in the constituencies.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  That is true Hon. Nyabani. Let us request the Minister to respond in writing after a thorough investigation so that she gives us a proper response.

*HON. P. ZHOU:  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Tourism. Let me start by congratulating the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Minister Rwodzi, for her Ministry and Zimbabwe’s success to be hosting the UN Summit in 2026. What value does it give us as a nation and also to Zimbabwe tourism in the future? How are we going to benefit?

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (HON. RWODZI):  Thank you Mr. Speaker. I want to thank Hon. Zhou for her question. Also, we received the congratulatory message as the Minister of Tourism. It is true that as Ministry of Tourism in Zimbabwe, we won the bid to host all the women in the tourism hospitality in Africa. They would come here to Zimbabwe so that we can meet and share ideas on how we can work together as we prepare to receive the tourists on our continent. What Hon. Minister Mutsvangwa said is true, that we want to uplift the lives of women as the Ministry of Tourism. A total of 54% of women are in tourism and 33% of women have businesses in tourism worldwide.

We did not even bid but it was given to us on a platter when they were congratulating and recognising our First Lady on what she is doing as a patron of tourism in our Ministry. They were recognising the First Lady because a lot of women in Zimbabwe are rising in the area of tourism. We want to be thankful for that.

What are the benefits? The Ministry’s 2025 vision is for many people to attend. We want people to come in their numbers, doing various things, especially as families so that we can contribute to the economy of the country. If they come as families, we will get a lot of money.

Secondly, our country Zimbabwe, is now being recognised worldwide. When we gathered last year in July 2024, it was our hospitality and up to now, many tourists are coming because the United Nations is making our country to be recognised. Some people were talking badly about our country. They were saying we do not have water and there is war but when they see the United Nations coming into the country, it means our country is safe.

Next year after another congress, many people and tourists will come to Zimbabwe because the United Nations is vouching for the peace that we have. Women engaged in these businesses now have confidence in growing their businesses. As the whole Government approaches, as we uplift the lives of our women, our tourism will grow. Thank you.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister for that answer. 

         *HON. P. ZHOU: I would want to congratulate you for being nominated to the UN Executive Council but my supplementary question is, what benefit do we get as Zimbabweans in terms of our tourism and also the advancement of women in the tourism business?

         *HON. RWODZI:  Thank you Hon. Speaker, I want to also thank Hon. Zhou for the question.  Mr. Speaker Sir, for being noted as the Government representing the Ministry of Tourism in the United Nations Tourism Executive Council, it means that our country is being respected by other African countries to nominate us to go and represent them.  This gesture puts Zimbabwe on the map in terms of the mantra of destination Zimbabwe.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir – [HON. MEMBERS; Hear, hear.] –

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER

ERROR ON THE ORDER PAPER

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  I wish to draw the attention of the House to an inadvertent error on the Order Paper on question number 26 where parts (a) to (c) should be deleted.

         Questions Without Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

ISSUANCE OF LICENCES FOR RADIO CHANNELS DEDICATED TO RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING SERVICES

1. HON BAJILA asked the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services to apprise the House on the Government policy regarding the issuance of licences for radio channels dedicated to religious broadcasting services.

HON. BAJILA:  Hon. Speaker Sir, the question that appears as No. 1 on the Order Paper has been on the Order Paper a number of times, the Minister has answered it a number of times and it keeps coming back. 

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Hon. Member for the clarification. 

INFORMATION ON AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE

 

3. HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform that House on;-

 (a) whether the Air ambulance is privately owned or is a partnership initiative.

(b) if it is government-owned, what is the total expenditure on the air ambulance service during the first quarter of the year 2015 and

(c) the impact of the air ambulance service in health service delivery since inception.

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA):  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  The air ambulance assets, namely the helicopters, are wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe.  The operations of the helicopters are highly technical and requires checks by IATA engineering technicians before and after take off.  In the that regard, Government of Zimbabwe engaged Game Drive, a technical operator to provide the aircraft technicians and pilots while at the same time train Zimbabwe pilots and aircraft technicians to eventually take over the running of aircrafts.  The running of the helicopters is estimated randomly at USD36 000 per month.  Variable costs are still under discussion.  The air ambulances service started in July 2024 and to date, 345 patients were airlifted from the Harare base at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.  In the same vein, 66 patients were evacuated from the UBH Base from Bulawayo Hospital.  The air lifted cases comprise a wide range of emergency cases including maternity cases, pre-term and many other medical emergencies.  Many lives have been saved by the air ambulance evacuation services.  Plans are underway to open more bases in Victoria Falls, Mutare and Masvingo.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. 

HON. BAJILA:  Thank you so much Hon. Minister for the response mentioning quite a number of issues.  Let me focus on one, well to say that clients were evacuated from Sally Mugabe and UBH to where?  Are you saying they were removed from their other places or these are the areas where they were getting services from.

         HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Mr. Speaker Sir, sorry for the broken English. The correct thing is to say they were evacuated to the Central Hospitals and the bases for the ambulance are at Sally Mugabe Hospital and UBH Hospital. I am sorry for that era.

STATISTICS OF DEATHS DUE TO NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

7. HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to provide the House with statistics of deaths due to Non-Communicable diseases NCDs for the year 2024 and to state the Government plans to curb the scourge.

         THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I think on Question Number 7, there has been an error on my papers. If I can be allowed to move on to the next question, I will make the necessary corrections.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. J. TSHUMA): The Minister is asking for your indulgence Hon. Bajila.

HON. BAJILA: I do not understand his request. Is he requesting to move to the next question so that he sorts his papers and comes back to mine, or is he requesting that we skip mine for next week? I just need clarity on that one.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am requesting that I be allowed to skip Question Number Seven, because I think there are errors, which I think I will bring back next week after I have corrected the errors, and then we move to the next question.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Okay, so Question Number Seven shall be moved to next week.

STATISTICS ON HUMAN DEATHS AND INJURIES AS A RESULT OF DOG ATTACKS

8. HON. BAJILA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to provide the House with 2022 to 2024 statistics on human deaths and injuries resulting from dog attacks, broken down by breed, and Government’s plans to mitigate this challenge.

         THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Mr. Speaker Sir, the Ministry of Health and Childcare collects data on dog bites for the purpose of disease control, specifically to prevent rabies transmission. This information is categorised in the following variables:

• Dog bite cases per year,
• Dog bites inflicted by vaccinated dogs,
• Dog bites inflicted by unvaccinated dogs,
• Dog bites inflicted by dogs of unknown vaccination status,
• Rabies cases by year, month, week and day,
• Rabies deaths by year, month, week and day.
• Dog bite deaths not related to rabies
• Dog bites by location, that is province, district and other localities.
• Deaths due to dog bites, that is mauling.

It is important to note that this data and information is collected from our health facilities at all levels and is reported on a weekly basis using our weekly disease report. It is however difficult to have information on the type of dog that may have inflicted the bites or death. I think that information can be accessed elsewhere with SPCA or Zimbabwe Republic Police. We respond to dog bites for the purpose of treating those affected and prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies and avert deaths. Let me now give you information that I have on dog bites from Zimbabwe by year. In 2022, a total of 25,057 dog bites were reported throughout the country. Of these bites, 4,810 were inflicted by dogs whose vaccination status is known, 4,969 by dogs that are unvaccinated and 14,698 by dogs whose vaccination status is unknown. There were nine rabies deaths in 2022.

For your information, once one has rabies, the end result is death. There is no cure for rabies, but it can be prevented through vaccination of dogs and those bitten by a rabid dog or animal, can receive preventive vaccination before the disease sets in. In 2023, a total of 26,273 dog bites were recorded, slightly higher than those in 2022.

These were broken down as follows. 15,474 were due to dogs whose vaccination status was unknown, 5,050 were due to unvaccinated dogs and 5,393 were due to vaccinated dogs. There were 13 deaths recorded due to rabies. Additionally, three people succumbed to injuries due to mauling.

In 2024, the country recorded 30,363 dog bites and a total of nine deaths due to rabies. 17,819 were due to dogs whose vaccination status is unknown. 5,878 were due to unvaccinated dogs and 6,457 were inflicted by vaccinated dogs. These three fatalities were due to rabies were reported in 2024 and four fatalities were recorded as a result of mauling.

This year alone, as we go into mid-year, 13,537 people have been bitten by dogs and sought treatment in our health facilities. Of these, 7,938 bites were inflicted by dogs whose vaccination status is unknown, 2,852 were due to unvaccinated dogs and 2,696 were due to vaccinated dogs.

Deaths so far recorded are two due to rabies and one as a result of mauling. Over the four years under review, we have seen a steady increase in dog bites in the country, affecting all provinces, although Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South have the least number of dog bites. You may have seen that there are a huge number of dog bites inflicted by dogs whose vaccination status is unknown. This is due to the fact that there is a big number of stray dogs in our communities, either owned or without homes. We also have a large number of dogs that are unvaccinated despite having owners. The danger will result in rabies. Measures to put in place to avoid dog bites include:

• the enforcement of council bylaws regarding dogs, keeping where dogs kept at a household are limited to a minimal number, depending on yard sizes,
• Keeping dogs in a fenced or protected area.
• Vaccination of all dogs,
• Limiting the population of stray dogs,
• Desisting from provoking dogs, that is, provoking stray dogs.

I think that is all I can say about the question.

HON. BAJILA: I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for the response and I will start by saying, the data is too difficult to lead to certain conclusions, in the sense that wherever you collect your data, you do not record the types of dogs that cause these injuries to our people. At this juncture, it has become necessary for the Minister of Health to be able to collect data, including the type of dog that causes that specific injury.

With respect to the data that you already have, my question would be what are the Government plans with regard to the prevention of stray dogs in our communities and the policing of unvaccinated dogs? Because the numbers that you are presenting here, of almost 5,000 unvaccinated dogs that cause injury to our people, is worrisome. What is the Government policy regarding the prevention of the movement of stray dogs, as well as the Government policy with respect to policing the vaccination of dogs? I thank you.

         HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you very much for that supplementary question. As Ministry of Health, we work with the Ministry of Agriculture, where we encourage the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out vaccination programmes, especially in rural areas, so that all dogs, irrespective of whether it has been vaccinated, whether it is an owner, we make sure that they try and vaccinate them so that we reduce the spread of rabies.

In urban areas, we work with the local authorities. Our duty is to inform them and make sure that they comply with their own city regulations that all stray dogs are destroyed and all dogs that are kept are vaccinated. Dogs are supposed to have tags but we find that most of these regulations are not being followed. So, it is a matter of actually implementing the policies that already exist and we will be able to make sure that people do not get these dog bites.

HON. TOGAREPI: Getting from what the Hon. Minister gave us as statistics of those who then die because of rabies, is it because the cost of the vaccine is very expensive that ordinary people cannot afford? For example, somebody was bitten last week and the cost of the vaccine is USD60.  For an ordinary person at home in the rural areas to raise USD60 for the vaccination after being bitten by a dog, it may be expensive. I suggest that the Government must come up with a cheaper or subsidised vaccine.

 HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr Speaker. I take that point. It is a very important point. I know the rabies vaccine is quite expensive and usually a person needs three doses. We will look into that issue to see if the Government can come in with a subsidy or actually make sure that anyone who is bitten by a dog can be vaccinated for free. Looking at the numbers, I am sure it is something that can be done.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister, for that. Indeed, it should and even consider penalising the owners of the dogs, especially if they are not attended to or secured.

*HON. HAMAUSWA: My supplementary is closely related to what was asked before. What programme does the Government have to assist those people who keep dogs to ensure that they have free vaccinations? Also, rearing dogs is not a luxury and dogs can be a source of income for those who keep dogs for the sake of selling them.  Why not promote those who are rearing dogs and ensure that they vaccinate all dogs? Not only looking at vaccinating dogs but also concerned with those who will be beaten, considering that after being beaten you will need three doses.

People might seem to be uninterested in vaccinations but the cost of vaccinations are beyond the reach of many or maybe we consider manufacturing our own vaccines. If they do not give them for free, then the Government has got to subsidise and not rely on the owners to vaccinate their dogs because most owners will be concerned about the security that the dogs offer.

*HON. DR. MOMBESHORA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker. The question is too long. Kindly summarise it so that I can respond.

*HON. HAMAUSWA: In short, what plans does the Government have to ensure that we reduce the prices for those vaccines used when treating people beaten by dogs, considering that it is not a crime to keep dogs? I thank you.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA:  I do not think I am very competent in answering that because the vaccination of dogs is within another ministry, which is the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement. So, it would be better to direct that question to that ministry.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you very much Honourable Minister. Honourable Members, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has asked us to allow him to respond to two of his questions before he takes leave of the House, those questions are numbers 61 and 62.

UPDATE ON THE RE-ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO THE COMMONWEALTH

61. HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the context of Zimbabwe chairing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc on what efforts the Government has put in place to come up with a regional response to the current trade negotiations with the United States of America (U.S.A).

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. PROF.  MURWIRA): Thank you very much Honourable Speaker. I thank you for giving me a chance to respond to the questions from Hon. G. Hlatywayo requesting the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, first of all, to update the House on the re-engagement process by Zimbabwe in a bid to re-join the Commonwealth.

Section 12 (2) of Zimbabwe's Constitution emphasises Zimbabwe's obligation to work with regional and international organisations that promote peaceful economic, social and cultural cooperation with Zimbabwe. This informed Zimbabwe's decision to apply for readmission into the Commonwealth after we opted out of the Commonwealth voluntarily. It will be recalled that eligible countries seeking to join the Commonwealth should undertake a four-step membership process once the formal expression of interest to join is triggered.

This entails the following. One, an informal assessment undertaken by the Secretary General following an expression of interest by an aspirant country. Number two, consultation by the Secretary General with member states. Number three, an invitation to the interested country to make formal application. Number four, a formal application presenting evidence of the functioning of democratic processes and popular support in that country for joining the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe undertook all four steps following our expression of interest to re-join the Commonwealth with the exception of the Second Republic.

This included sharing the Commonwealth Secretariat progress made by Zimbabwe in implementing our reform agenda as part of Vision 2030 under His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for a prosperous upper middle-income economy. These efforts culminated in the production of the Commonwealth Secretariat of the assessment report which stated the achievements made by the country since 2017 to support our readmission into the organisation. On its part, Zimbabwe has done all what it is required to do.

The Secretariat undertook all the study visits it required with the concurrence of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and came up with the recommendations that were presented to member states. The current position by the Government, therefore, is that we wait to hear from the Commonwealth Secretariat on the next steps. I wish to reaffirm that Zimbabwe remains open to mutually respectful and constructive engagement on this important matter guided by the doctrinal reference point, a friend to all and an enemy to none.

Zimbabwe is open for business and Zimbabwe shall forever be a sovereign and independent State. I submit.

HON. G. K. HLATYWAYO: Thank you Hon. Speaker and I thank the Hon. Minister for that brief. My understanding is that during the second stage which was consultations with member states, there were objections that were given by the British Government. Can you share information in terms of the reasons behind those objections and what the Government is doing to rectify those objections? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): Indeed, there were objections that were related to a process that we had already undertaken. They wanted a reassessment but our point is that it is their democratic right and sovereign decision to do so but we still await a real formal representation from the secretariat. We are waiting for that process to take place. Thank you.

HON. G. HLATYWAYO: Thank you very much. Hon. Minister, if you can share, you said they wanted reassessment. Are you at liberty to share exactly the issues that were raised? Again, I will ask my question relating to what Government is doing to rectify those issues.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: As I said, there were objections from the British Government in January but those were submitted to the secretariat. So, we are still awaiting a response from the secretariat. I thank you.

REGIONAL RESPONSE TO CURRENT TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE USA

62. HON. G. HLATYWAYO asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the context of Zimbabwe chairing the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc on what efforts Government has put in place to come up with a regional response to the current trade negotiations with the United States of America (U.S.A).

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE (HON. PROF. MURWIRA): I thank you again for giving me a chance for answering the second question. On this question, Zimbabwe is guided by its doctrine which says leaving no one and no place behind and continues to advocate for inclusive policies at household scale and at world scale at this moment that promote the sovereign equality of states without regard for geographic size, population or wealth and calls for equal representation of all regions of the world in global governance structures, including the multilateral trading system. Zimbabwe, in its capacity as Chair of SADC, was the 34^th SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade and the 24^th Ministerial Taskforce on Regional Integration meetings on 5 June 2025 in this Parliament building. The meetings reviewed the Draft Assessment Report prepared by the SADC secretariat following the imposition of trade tariffs by the United States of America on 2 April 2025. The draft report, which carried out a detailed assessment of the impact of the US measures on trade with the SADC region, has been recommended for consideration by the SADC Council of Ministers meeting to be held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, in August 2025 where decisions will be taken as a collective response by the member states. Your Foreign Minister is a member of that council.

The 34^th SADC Committee of Ministers of Trade meeting also released an official statement on 5 June 2025 on the impact of geopolitical developments on trade. In the statement, the ministers expressed concern on the implications that current geopolitical developments on trade may have on the region and the multilateral trading system, including the erosion of benefits accrued by Member States of the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Member States in support of the economic development, due to the increased use of reciprocal trade measures. SADC Member States reaffirmed their support for the predictable development-oriented, transparent, fair, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system represented by the WTO agreements on which SADC protocols are best. We reaffirmed our commitment to improving resilience against external trade shocks by enhancing self-reliance on intra-SADC trade, which at the moment stands at 18% and collaborating on industrialisation policies to enhance value addition and beneficiation of critical raw materials produced by the region.

We also committed to ensuring that the principles and obligations under the SADC Trade and Industry Protocols are maintained and fully implemented. The full statement in response to these unilateral measures can be found on the SADC website, www.sadc.int. I thank you.

HON. G. HLATYWAYO:  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker and Hon. Minister, for that brief. To what extent does the unilateral action in your position that was taken by Zimbabwe in response to the US tariffs and in particular, the announcement that we were removing all tariffs, to what extent does that policy have an impact on this regional response that you are talking about because one would assume that if you are the Chairperson of SADC, you were supposed to wait for a regional response, especially given the support that we have always been seeing from SADC? To what extent does it affect the regional response? Thank you.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker and I wish to thank Hon. Hlatywayo for the supplementary question. I want to reaffirm that Zimbabwe does not have a unilateral position on this matter. Thank you.

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: On a point of clarification.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What do you want to clarify?

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: I wish the Hon. Minister to clarify if the President and Zimbabwe did not make a statement to the effect that they welcome the 80% tariff imposed by the United States of America. It is very important if the statement is an official statement from the President. Is it not that confirmation or that statement? Thank you.

HON. PROF. MURWIRA: Zimbabwe does not have a unilateral position on that matter. The SADC meeting that we held here in this Parliament Building has our answer. A negotiating position or a proposition is not an official position, I thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Members, we are going to revert to our Order.

STATISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO DIED OF HIV/AIDS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR

9. HON. MADZIVANYIKA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to provide statistics of people who died of HIV/AIDS pandemic in Zimbabwe during the first half of the year (January to June, 2024) and to give a comparison with those who died during the first half of 2025.

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My response to question number 9 is that the AIDS deaths in 2024 from January to June were 5 712. For the same period, January to June in 2025, there were 5 932. This means that in 2025, there were 220 more deaths as compared to 2024 over the same period. I present.

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for giving me the data figures for AIDS and HIV-related deaths for the first half of 2024 and the first half of 2025. My supplementary question is, is it not that this increment represents the challenge that we are now facing or the burden that has now increased, now that the development partners have left Zimbabwe in terms of funding for HIV and AIDS-related programmes? Thank you.

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. I would not want to attribute this small difference to the withdrawal of funds from our partners. From January to June, the commodities for HIV/AIDS had already been procured and the programmes have been progressing well. I think I have said this before in this Parliament that all patients on HIV treatment should not panic because we have enough medicines for them. I cannot actually give a specific reason now to say why we have these figures.

Usually, we wait until the end of the year. You may find that maybe by the end of the year, we may have less figures for this year than last year. At the end of the year, that is when we start looking at month by month and try to see where we have missed it or find the reasons why the figures are going up but at the moment, it is not related to the withdrawal because the commodities are there. I present.

HON. BAJILA: My supplementary question is that, we are past the middle of June and the Minister insists that we have enough capacity to handle treatment of HIV/AIDS until the end of June, if I am hearing him right. Today is the 18th of June. We are left with 12 days of this month. What happens to our capacity to handle HIV/AIDS cases post the 30th of June?

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. J. TSHUMA): Hon. Member, I do not think you heard the Hon. Minister correctly. Hon. Minister, maybe just repeat again for the benefit of Hon. Bajila and others.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir. I said I do not think it is because of the withdrawal of donor funding because all our commodities for HIV/AIDS had been procured by the donors up to the end of June. As Government, we have already procured commodities at the present moment to take us up to the end of September and we are still receiving more commodities to take us up to the end of the year. So, there are no shortages at all. Thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Thank you very much Hon. Minister. I think that is clear now.

HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to ask the Hon. Minister to give the justification of this increase. What could attribute to this increase, if he is denying that it has nothing to do with the withdrawal of donor funding?

               THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, I think the Hon. Minister was clear to say already medication had been procured. Whatever happened between January and June, it definitely could not have been the issue of a lack of medicine. So, I do not know what you want him to clarify. Did you want him to be God to say you he will know how people have died? I think your question is a bit impossible.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NURSING SCHOOL AT CHIREDZI HOSPITAL

10. HON. MAKUMIRE asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform the House on Government’s plans to establish a nursing school at Chiredzi General Hospital and the requirements to establish a nursing school.

         THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I want to ask for permission if I could skip question 10 and question 12. I was not happy with some of the material that is there. I want to get more information and present it next week. If you can allow us to proceed with question 9 and 13.

         THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: So, we have question 10 and 12 moved to next week.

PROVISION OF FREE MEDICATION TO SENIOR CITIZENS

11. HON. MAKUMIRE asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform the House about the government’s plans to provide free medication to senior citizens with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Government of Zimbabwe is committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to basic health care services. Our current user fee policy exempts senior citizens defined as individuals aged 65 years and above, among other exempted groups, from paying consultation fees at public hospitals. This policy enhances their access to care, allowing them to receive free consultations and screening services at all our health care facilities. Our hospitals are equipped to provide essential health care services to senior citizens, including diagnosis and treatment for chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.

However, we face challenges in ensuring that these services are fully accessible due to funding gaps, particularly in terms of accessing necessary medicines and diagnostic services. Despite these challenges, we are committed to improving the health care system to ensure that senior citizens receive the care and support they need. To address these challenges, we are working towards establishing a national health insurance scheme that will provide comprehensive coverage for all citizens, including senior citizens.

This scheme will help bridge the funding gaps and ensure that everyone has access to essential health care services, including medicines and diagnostic services, without a financial burden. By investing in our health care system and expanding health care coverage, we aim to ensure that every citizen can access the health care they need, regardless of age or financial status. In addition to the national health insurance scheme, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is implementing other initiatives to improve health care outcomes for our citizens.

One such initiative is the PENPLUS programme adopted from the World Health Organisation, which seeks to decentralise non-communicable disease services to lower levels of care. This programme will enable more people to access NCD services closer to their communities, improving early detection and management of chronic conditions. We value prevention and early detection, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of the screening services available at our health care facilities.

Early detection can significantly improve health outcomes, and we are committed to ensuring that our health care system is equipped to provide quality care to all citizens. By working together, we can improve the health and well-being of our communities and ensure that everyone has access to the care they need.

HON. MADZIVANYIKA: My follow-up question relates to Section 76, Subsection 2 of the Constitution, which says that, “every person living with a chronic illness has the right to have access to basic health care services for the illness. My supplementary question therefore, says that the Hon. Minister has indicated that those elderly people have access to free consultation services only and that there is no other basic health care that comes thereafter. The Hon. Minister has said that we are waiting for the insurance that is going to come and so forth. In the meantime, what are we doing to these elderly people who are suffering from chronic illness in line with the Constitution? I thank you.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Currently, the categories that we have mentioned are those who will access the health services for free, that is, consultation. There is also a facility in place to say those who cannot afford to pay can go to the social welfare, where they get a form, they complete and then they use that form to go to the hospital to get complete care. So, that facility ensures that anyone who is not able to raise money for treatment can then get treatment through the social welfare system, which is under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. I thank you.

         *HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue with failing to get medication for free is a topical issue within our constituencies. Whenever they visit those hospitals, they are failing to access medication related to blood pressure or those chronic illnesses. My additional question is, what plans does the Government have to ensure that such medication will be provided in hospitals so that they do not buy those expensive medications? I thank you.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: You are repeating a question which was asked in English and you have simply translated it into Shona but the Minister has explained everything. Do you know that while we do that, you will be just wasting time for questions to be attended to in the House? But anyway, I will indulge you.

HON. MAKUMIRE: Point of clarity.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  What is your point of clarity?

HON. MAKUMIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. I think the response that has been given by the Hon. Minister referred to the elderly and to social welfare but I am talking about access to these medicines. They are not available. This does not need social welfare to intervene. We need the position of the Government to ensure that these medicines are available in Government hospitals, especially district hospitals.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Makumire, if you remember very well, the same House here was taking the Minister to task when he was explaining all these things and you said he was talking too much. He explained that right here today. He even explained the processes of coming from NatPharm and how the security vehicles are going to carry the medicines to different hospitals, clinics up to district and provincial levels. So, all these things were said already. Next time, please pay attention so that we do not repeat things.

PROVISION OF BASIC MEDICINES AT CHIREDZI HOSPITAL

 

13. HON. MAKUMIRE asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform the House about the government’s plans to provide basic medicines such as painkillers at Chiredzi General Hospital.

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Basic pain relief medicines such as paracetamol are currently in stock at NatPharm, with additional supplies being procured using funds provided by the Treasury. NatPharm is handling these procurements to help maintain steady supply levels across health facilities. The Minister of Health and Child Care is also supporting hospitals and clinics nationwide by strengthening medicine inventory management.

This ensures that facilities place timely and accurate orders and receive available medicines from NatPharm without delays. Key goals of this support include improving ordering and supply chain processes, making sure medicine requests match actual needs and available stock, ensuring quick delivery and working closely with NatPharm to speed up the supply of medicines to health facilities. These efforts are part of a larger strategy to ensure essential medicines are always available and that patients receive effective pain relief when needed. I thank you.

HON. TOGAREPI: I just want to raise a concern Minister, which you may want to address or take into consideration. We have, call it rumours or street talk I do not know, the Government tries by all means to provide medicines in hospitals but health workers, doctors, nurses and other support staff take these medicines to their private operations. I know you have already said you will have a follow-up system but are we going to help deal with this because it is already a cancer where people are stealing essential drugs for their surgeries? Will this stop? I just thought I should talk. I wanted to talk about it earlier on but I think Minister, we need that because we know for sure that there are strong rumours that medicines being bought by the Government are being stolen. A person is being told to visit the private surgery and get treated with the stolen medicines from the Government hospitals. The medicine will now be sold at an expensive price.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Government Chief Whip. I think Hon. Minister, if you may indulge us and answer that because it is something that has been worrying, that Government does all its efforts to supply medicines to hospitals but there is a conflict of interest where health workers and their support staff also run parallel pharmacies and surgeries, so maybe can you respond to that? If you do not have adequate answers to that, I would suggest you do a Ministerial Statement on that because it is a cancerous issue.

HON. DR. MOMBESHORA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. We have heard information to that but we have also been able to get some people arrested, especially last year and that is what prompted us to say there is no private vehicle that would transport medicines because we realised at one hospital, a truck which came to collect medicines at NatPharm did not deliver all the medicines back to that hospital. Some were diverted to private pharmacies but once we get that information, we do our investigations and arrest the culprits.

We have also heard of information where we call them self-referrals, where patients are diverted from our public institutions to private institutions. I do not want to paint every health worker with the same brush. Yes, we have got 54 000 workers and they cannot all be good. We have got bad apples amongst them and we are working very hard to make sure that we limit the pilferage that is taking place in our hospitals.

We also want to computerise our dispensing mechanisms so that we are sure that in every pharmacy in our institution, we can account for every tablet that gets there and where it goes and that is already in progress. We have procured some computers to deploy, starting with our referral hospitals but we want to spread throughout the whole country to make sure that we can track our medicines. I thank you.

 THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Thank you Hon. Minister. Yes, supplementary.

*HON. GWANGWABA: My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care. What plans does he have to ensure that he reduces the prices of the medication that is being purchased? I think some of the laws that are put in place whenever people want to buy medication are very difficult. In these hospitals, whenever they get a grant to buy medication, some of the local currencies that they are using will then lose value before they purchase those medications. What plans does he have so as to speed up the way in which medication is being purchased? I thank you.

*THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Thank you Hon. Member for your question.  Whenever we purchase this medication, it will take time to an extent whereby people do not purchase medication using a third party. We are in the process of planning so that we can buy directly from those medical producers. Most of the medication was being imported. As we speak now, one of the leaders of the NatPharm is in China.  China is manufacturing lots of medication and one of the directors from NatPharm is in China.  

We have a plan where we want to ensure that we reduce the prices of that medication.  Those are some of the things or the procedures that we were doing to ensure that we have more medication at affordable prices. Those who purchase medication for the Government are NatPharm. We are communicating with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to ensure that they provide more funds so that we can have bigger stocks of medication.  We do not want a scenario whereby we just work with what we buy and then consumption is equivalent to that of purchasing.  We would like to ensure that we have some reserves for medication. I thank you.

Questions with Notice were interrupted by THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER in terms of Standing Order No. 68.

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS TO QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

UPDATE ON THE SOCIAL PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES FOR YOUTHS

4. HON. GUMEDE asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to update the House on the social protection and rehabilitation programmes being implemented by the Ministry in Bulawayo North to address the challenges of drugs and substance abuse among youths, particularly in the informal settlements and urban fringes.

         THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): The Ministry has and is still making equipment available at UBH and as part of diagnostic equipment, the hospital received two X-ray machines, one fixed and the other mobile. Laboratory equipment such as chemistry analysers, haematology analysers, point of care blood gas analyser, centrifuges, chemilumiscene immunoassay analyzer have also been availed.

         The Ministry has initiated the procurement process for new diagnostic equipment, prioritising critical items such as Laboratory equipment, ultrasound machines and X-ray units but not limited to those and this is to replace some of the obsolete non-functional equipment (BADEA). This procurement is at an advanced stage and UBH is one of the beneficiaries. 

DIAGNOSTIC STERILISATION AND LABORARY EQUIPMENT RECEIVED AT UNITED BULAWAYO HOSPITALS FROM 2024 TO DATE

NAME OF EQUIPMENT	QUANTITY	LOCATION
HAIER BIOMEDICAL REFRIDGERATOR	3	UBH LABORATORY
HAIER BIOMEDICAL DEEP FREEZER	2	UBH LABORATORY
ALINITY M	1	UBH LABORATORY
EPPENDORF CENTRIFUGE 5430	1	UBH LABORATORY
EDAN i20	1	UBH LABORATORY
COBAS C311	1	UBH LABORATORY
MINDRAY BS240 PRO	1	UBH LABORATORY
SYSMEX XN-550	1	UBH LABORATORY
1 FLASH 1800A AUTOMATIC CHEMILUMISCENCE IMMUNOSAY ANALYZER	1	UBH LABORATORY
BIOBASE AUTOMATIC CHEMILUMISCENCE IMMUNOASSAY ANALYSER	1	UBH LABORATORY
BIOBASE CHEMISTRY ANALYZER BK-1200
BIOBASE 5-PART AUTO HEMATOLOGY ANALYZER BK-6310	1	UBH LABORATORY
BIOBASE ELECTROLYTE ANALYSER BKE-F	1	UBH LABORATORY
BIOBASE FLURESCENCE IMMUNO ANALYSER BKP200	1	UBH LABORATORY
FINE CARE FS-113	1	UBH LABORATORY
QIAGEN TEST LUMINOMETER	1	UBH LABORATORY
FUGIFILM FLOOR-MOUNTED X-RAY MACHINE	1	UBH RADIOLOGY
FUGIFILM MOBILE X-RAY MACHINE	1	UBH RADIOLOGY
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CONSTRUCTION OF CLINICS IN ZAKA NORTH CONSTITUENCY    

6. HON. SAGANDIRA asked the Minister of Health and Child Care to inform the House the Ministry’s plans with regards to the construction of Clinics in wards 4, 5, 6 and 11 in Zaka North Constituency.

         THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MOMBESHORA): Zaka Ward 4, there are a number of clinics under construction in Zaka as follows: There is Gumbo/Ndanga Clinic and another one proposed to be constructed at Chivata Business Centre.

Zaka Ward 5: In ward 5, there is Mandloro Clinic and a new clinic to be constructed at Muroyi Business Centre.

Zaka Ward 6, there is no clinic and only one has been proposed at Zishiri Business Centre.

Zaka Ward 11, there is Jichidza Mission Clinic and Chinyazvivi Clinic still under construction.

The council passed a resolution for the construction of clinics. However, in the early stages of the construction, it is the community under their political leadership. The council will then get involved with devolution funding at a later stage of the project

FIRST READING

STATE SERVICE (PENSIONS) BILL [H.B. 9, 2024]

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) presented the State Service (Pensions) Bill [H.B. 9, 2024].

         Bill read the first time.

         Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.

FIRST READING

INSURANCE AND PENSIONS COMMISSION AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 7, 2024]

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI) presented the Insurance and Pensions Commission Amendment Bill [H.B. 7, 2024].

Bill read the first time.

Bill referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 32 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until Order Number 33 has been disposed of.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON MEDIA, INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIGITALISATION PROJECT

Thirty-Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services on the implementation of the digitalisation project in Zimbabwe.

Question again proposed.

HON. NYABANI:  Thank you Mr. Speaker. In winding up the motion, I would like to thank all the Members who debated the report for the Parliamentary Committee on Media and Information. The Members debated very well in support of the Committee Report and the debate identified some gaps which need to be addressed.

Therefore, I move that the report be adopted. Motion that the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services on the implementation of the digitalisation project in Zimbabwe, be adopted.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I move that we proceed to Order Number 32 on today’s Order Paper.

COMMITTEE STAGE

PARKS AND WILDLIFE AMENDMENT BILL [H.B. 1, 2024]

Thirty-Fourth Order read: Committee Stage: Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill [H.B. 1, 2024].

House in Committee.

Clause 1 put and agreed to.

On Clause 2:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair. I propose amendments in my name that:

 (a), add the definitions of “captive wild animal” and “wildlife professional”, and delete and substitute the definition of “consumptive tourism” (lines 14 to 17), as follows— “ “captive wild animal” means any wild animal that is confined to a specific area by means of physical barrier or restraint, whether intensive or extensive in extent; “consumptive tourism” means that sector of the wildlife industry that is engaged in the hunting, fishing, collection of eggs and propagation of wildlife and the processing of any product of such hunting fishing, collection of eggs and propagation in the form of live or dead animals, or the meat, trophies, or other products thereof;” “wildlife professional” means is the holder of a license authorising the person or entity specified to be actively engaged in either the consumptive or non-consumptive wildlife industries or both for the purpose of reward;””

On page 2 of the Bill, in clause 2 (d), by the deletion of the definition of “appropriate authority” ending on line 13, add the following definition— “appropriate authority”— (a) in relation to any land, means— (i) in the case of alienated land— A. the owner thereof; or B. where the land is held under an agreement of lease or purchase, the lessee or purchaser unless the agreement otherwise provides; and includes any person appointed to be an appropriate authority for the land by such owner, purchaser or lessee, as the case may be; (ii) in the case of partially alienated lands means the person lawfully entitled to occupy such land; (iii) in the case of unalienated land which is— A. forest land, the Forestry Commission; B. Parks and Wildlife land or State land other than forest land, the Authority; C. any part of Communal Land that on the date of commencement of the Parks and Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2023, was declared to be an appropriate authority; (b) in relation to any waters, means— (i) the person specified in a notice made in terms of section 83 as the appropriate authority for such waters; or (ii) if no person has been specified in a notice made in terms of section 83 as the appropriate authority for such waters, the appropriate authority for the land riparian to such waters;

On page 3 of the Bill, in clause 2 (g), by the deletion of the definition of “wildlife” between lines 19 to 22, and the substitution of the following definition— “wildlife” means all plant and animal species, including vertebrates and invertebrates, indigenous or exotic, free-ranging or captive, occurring within or originating from natural ecosystems and habitats, and (unless the context otherwise requires or specific alternative provision is made therefor), eggs and seeds;”.

HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you Hon. Chair. As you can see that I also have some amendments on that Clause that;

 In lines 14 to 17 on page 1 of the Bill, to delete the definition of “consumptive tourism” and to substitute the following definitions: ““captive wild animal” means an animal of a non-domestic species which is held captive or confined, whether permanently or temporarily, within a specific area, regardless of the extent of such area and regardless of whether or not any device, monitoring or management is used to confine the animal; “consumptive tourism” means the sector of the wildlife industry engaged in the hunting, fishing, collection of eggs and propagation of wildlife, and the processing of any product of such hunting, fishing, collection or propagation;”;

 Between lines 17 and 18 on page 1 of the Bill, to insert the following definitions: “Council” means the Wildlife Professionals Council of Zimbabwe established by section 16D;”. Between lines 9 and 10 on page 2 of the Bill, to insert the following definition: “precautionary principle” means a strategy for mitigating uncertain risks to prevent environmental degradation even if some causal relationships are not fully understood, that is to say, where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost effective measures to prevent environmental degradation;”.

Between lines 13 and 14 on page 2 of the Bill, to insert the following definition: “wildlife professional” means a person who derives financial gain from commercial activities that involve consumptive and non-consumptive nature-related tourism, including wildlife capture, wildlife filming and photography, wildlife research, and guiding;”. In lines 40 to 42 on page 2 of the Bill, to delete subparagraph B of paragraph (a) (i) of the definition of “appropriate authority” and to substitute: “B. where the land is held under an agreement of purchase or lease, the purchaser or lessee, unless the agreement provides otherwise;” In line 46 on page 2 of the Bill to delete “unalienated” and to substitute “alienated”.

In line 16 on page 3 of the Bill, to delete the definition of “fish” and to substitute: “fish” includes— (a) indigenous vertebrate fish and indigenous aquatic molluscs and crustaceans, other than the bilharzia snail (Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Bulinus Physopsis globusus) and the liver fluke snail (Lymnea natalensis); (b) non-indigenous vertebrate fish and non-indigenous aquatic molluscs and crustaceans, where such fish, molluscs and crustaceans are farmed within the Parks and Wild Life Estate;”. In lines 20 to 22 on page 3 of the Bill, to delete the definition of “wildlife” and to substitute: “wild life” means all forms of animal life, vertebrate or invertebrate, that occur naturally in Zimbabwe, and the eggs or young thereof;”.

However, I want to defer to the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, in that he has done justice in terms of the amendments that he has put. What I am going to do is that I am going to withdraw most of my amendments on that Clause, except that I wanted two definitions which the Hon. Minister did not refer to. I also wanted the comment from the Hon. Minister. The first one is that I wanted the inclusion of the definition of “council” so that it means the Wildlife Professional Council of Zimbabwe starts by Section 16 (d) so that there is no confusion when one goes through the Bill.

Secondly, I wanted the definition of the precautionary principle to also be included as part of the Bill because it is mentioned within the body of the Bill. So, if the Hon. Minister does not have problems with it, I would be glad if they could be accepted. Thank you Madam Chair.

HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Chair.  I have no objections to the inclusion of those two definitions. I concur with Hon. Mushoriwa.

Having said that, I propose amendments in my name and an inclusion of the definition of council and precautionary principle as it appears in Hon. Mushoriwa’s notice of amendments and we exclude the rest. I submit.

         Amendments to Clause 2 put and agreed to.

         Clause 2, as amended, put and agreed to.

         On Clause 3:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair. I am proposing amendments in my name that;

On page 4 of the Bill, in clause 3, delete in subsection (1) of the new section 2B (“Ownership of wildlife”) the definition of “exotic wild animal” (lines 3 to 4) and substitute-“ exotic wild animal” means any species of wildlife that is not indigenous to Zimbabwe.” On page 4 of the Bill, in clause 3, delete subsection (2) of the new section 2B (“Ownership of wildlife”) (lines 5 to 19) and substitute with the following subsections 2 to 6 (the subsequent subsection (3), (4) and (5) being renumbered (7); (8) and (9) respectively)— “(2) There shall be no dominium in wild animals except— (a) specially protected animals on unalienated land, whose dominium is vested in the President: Provided that dominium in specially protected animals may vest in non-State entities or individuals by virtue of a permit obtained under this Act and registration of the specimens of the specially protected animals concerned in the Specially Protected Animal Register referred to in section 46;

(b) for exotic wild animals in the care and custody of a person permitted by this Act to have such care and custody;

(c) for any wild animal on alienated or partially alienated land that has been purchased for value or otherwise legally acquired or managed and protected in a specific location (“occupation”) for commercial or non-commercial purposes, Provided that in the case of specially protected animals a permit shall be obtained and the transaction recorded in the Specially Protected Animal Register referred to in section 46;

(d) where a wild animal or protected animal is lawfully captured or killed or reduced into possession by a person in terms of a permit issued under this Act; in which event dominium in that animal or any carcass or trophy or progeny of that animal shall vest in such person, and, subject to this Act or the terms and conditions of the permit concerned, may be transferred to any other person by the person in whom the dominium vests.

(3) Regulations may prescribe the form of, and the procedures for the making of entries in Specially Protected Animal Register and the fees payable in connection.

(4) The Authority on behalf of the State may vest any rights short of dominium over one or more rhinoceroses (“the vested animals”) in another person (“the vestee”), in which event—

 (a) the ownership of the vested animals and of progeny of such vested animals shall continue to vest in the State until such time as the total population of rhinoceroses in Zimbabwe (whether in the dominium of the State, or in the custody of vestees, or registered as being in the dominium of private persons) is notified by the Authority by notice in the Gazette to exceed three thousand individuals, whereupon any number of rhinoceroses exceeding that number that are in the custody of vestees may be donated to them by the Authority on behalf of the State, or purchased from the Authority on behalf of the State on a willing buyer willing seller basis (which donation or purchase shall be recorded in the Specially Protected Animal Register referred to in section 46);

(b) the State shall have a right to a fungible redeemable stock quota, that is to say, shall have a right to redeem (without payment of any consideration to the vestee) from the vestee and his, her or its successors in title a specified number of rhinoceroses (whether forming part of the original stock of the animals concerned or not) that is equivalent to the number of the animals over which rights had been vested in the vestee, plus (unless the animals are earlier redeemed) the progeny of the original stock in the first and any subsequent generations. (5) Regulations may prescribe how the animals constituting the State’s fungible redeemable stock quota may be identified according to age, sex, weight or other features. (6) The State’s fungible redeemable stock quota shall be deemed to have subsisted since the 18th April, 1980.”

Basically, again, to widen the definition of exotic wildlife and to make provision for other situations like wild animals on unalienated land and to make provisions that are clear as regards that. I so submit Hon. Chair.

HON.  MUSHORIWA: Thank you Hon. Chair. I just stood up to withdraw my amendments on Clause 3 as the Minister has actually captured all of them.

         Amendments to Clause 3 put and agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, put and agreed to.

On Clause 4:

HON. MUROMBEDZI: Thank you Madam Chair.  This Clause 4 now encourages community partnership and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.  My recommendation to the Hon. Minister is to include the obligation to report annually to Parliament on human-wildlife conflict incidence and response measures.  I so submit.

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair.  There is provision for a report of the board.  If the Parliament requires that, the Minister can table it but to put it there, this is simply to put in broader terms the functions of the Authority.  As per the reports, I do not think it is the appropriate place.  Perhaps, we will see when we look at reports that the board has to submit, if not captured in the manner that the Hon. Member is satisfied with.  I submit.

Clause 4 put and agreed to.

On Clause 5:

HON. MUSHORIWA: Thank you very much Madam Chair. I

move the amendment standing in my name that: In line 5 on page 5 of the Bill, to delete “six shall be chosen” and to substitute “five shall be chosen”.

In line 11 on page 5 of the Bill, to delete subparagraph (v) of paragraph (a), the remaining subparagraph (vi) being renumbered accordingly.

In lines 18 and 19 on page 5 of the Bill, to delete paragraph (d) and to substitute:

 “(d) two traditional leaders appointed by the Minister from a list of

nominees submitted by the National Council of Chiefs established

by Section 285 of the Constitution, one such traditional leader to

represent the northern region of Zimbabwe, the other to represent the

southern region.”.

         The basic amendments that we seek to do Hon. Chair, the first one is in line 5, to delete 6 and to substitute with 5 because it says the board shall consist of not fewer than 6 members and not more than 12 members. So, if you then check, it then goes on with respect to the people that will be on the board.  I wanted the number 6 to be removed and replaced by 5. Then the other thing that I also seek to do is to delete Roman numeral 5 of the Bill, where they are saying one of the persons should be an auditor. In my view, it is actually a duplication to have an auditor and also have one of the accountants registered in terms of the Public Accountants and Auditors Act.  It is actually a duplication to have an auditor and have an accountant registered in terms of the Public Accountants and Auditors Act. So, we remove this auditor. Once we have deleted that, we then amend lines 18 and 19 where it says a traditional leader appointed by the Minister. I am putting it that we should actually say two traditional leaders appointed by the Minister from a list of nominees submitted by the National Council of Chiefs established by Section 285 of the Constitution. The rationale there is to say that we have got two regions, the north and the south.  We need the chiefs, if they are going to be appointed, let the Minister appoint two chiefs so that they can speak covering the two regions. So, we then sacrifice the duplication of an auditor, we remove the auditor and make sure that it is covered by an accountant registered in terms of the Public Accountants and Auditors. After all, this is the board that registers everyone, the accountants and the auditors. I thank you.

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair.  I am in full agreement with him to make those alterations. I am in full support of the amendments in Hon. Mushoriwa's name.

         Amendments to Clause 5 put and agreed to.

         Clause 5, as amended, put and agreed to.

         On Clause 6:

HON. MUSHORIWA. Madam Chair, I need the Hon. Minister to probably educate me in respect to my submission. My view is that Clause 6 needs to be expunged from the Bill. The reason being and I need the Hon. Minister to help me here. Ordinarily, the Director General of the Authority is the Secretariat of the board and this clause, if my reading is correct, seeks to remove that function. I am just wondering who becomes the Secretary of the board if we do remove the Director General because normally, the Director General, just like we do in all companies, the Chief Executive in a board, ordinarily then is responsible for doing that.  I just wanted to find out what it is that the Hon. Minister seeks to cure by removing the secretarial functions of the Director General?

         THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI):  Thank you Hon. Chair. I just wanted to check if there was a Corporate Secretary in the current Act, that is what I was checking.  It is not there. So, I concur with the amendments being proposed by the Hon. Mushoriwa.

Amendments to Clause 6 put and agreed to.

Clause 6, as amended, put and agreed to.

         Clauses 7 and 8 put and agreed to.

         On Clause 9:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  Thank you Hon. Chair.  I propose the amendments in my name on Clause 9, as they fully appear on page 1634 of today’s Order Paper.  On page 6 of the Bill, in Clause 9, delete all text between lines 3 and 45 and substitute—

“16D Establishment of Council

 (1) There is hereby established the Wildlife Professionals Council of Zimbabwe which shall be a body corporate capable of suing and being sued in its name.

(2) The Council shall regulate all wildlife professionals defined in section 2.”.

16E Composition of Council

(1) The Council shall consist of nine (9) elected and appointed members who shall be elected and appointed in the manner prescribed in the regulations of whom—

(a) a chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be persons nominated by the Council members: Provided that the appointees under this paragraph shall alternate the chairpersonship and the vice-chairpersonship of the Council in each calendar year;

(b) Six (6) members shall be elected by the professional members of the wildlife industry from among whom the Council members shall nominate a Chairperson and vice Chairperson – one from each of the consumptive and non-consumptive sectors;

(c) The Council may co-opt one legal practitioner, registered in terms of the Legal Practitioners Act [Chapter 27:07] who need not necessarily be a member of the Council.

(2) The term of office of members of the council shall be a period of four years.

16F Mandate of Council

Mandate of the Council shall be to—

(a) register (at intervals of not less than one year) individuals as wildlife professionals in their sector or subsector as a precondition for them to be able to operate as such;

(b) keep a register of all wildlife professionals and their addresses;

(c) establish and maintain any other registers which may be necessary;

(d) to represent the views of the wildlife profession and to maintain its integrity and status;

(e) to define and enforce correct uniform practice and discipline among wildlife professionals;

(f) to formulate and keep up to date codes of ethics for the consumptive and non-consumptive sectors and for each subsector identified by the Council and to ensure compliance with such codes by every operator in the sector or subsector concerned;

(g) after the prescribed due process, deregister individuals referred to in paragraph (a), or apply to them the prescribed monetary or non-monetary penalties, if they have been found to have breached any code of ethics applicable to them.”.

On page 7 of the Bill, delete subsection (2) between lines 33 to 35 of the new section 16I (“Establishment, objects and disbursement of fund”), and substitute it by the following—

“(2) No person shall be entitled to monetary relief where they are injured, maimed or killed by a wild animal whilst illegally trespassing or illegally harvesting a wild animal or where they have negligently interfered with wild animals”.

On page 7 of the Bill, delete the new section 16 J (“HWCRF quota”) in line 40 and substitute it by the following—

“16J HWCRF quota

• The HWCRF shall annually be allocated its own quota (“HWCRF quota”) in respect of alienated, unalienated, forest land, Communal land and safari areas or State protected areas in terms of section 58A.”

On page 7 of the Bill, delete paragraph (a) from the new section 16 K (“Monies of HWCRF”)

between lines 40 and 43 and substitute it by the following paragraph—

“(a) the proceeds of the HWCRF quota referred to in section 16J (1);”

It is just to tidy up on the establishment, composition and mandate of the Wildlife Council. I submit Hon. Chair.

HON. MUSHORIWA:  Madam Chair, I stand to withdraw my amendments to this clause as the Hon. Minister, I think has covered everything.

HON. Z. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Hon. Chair.  I just want to thank Hon. Mushoriwa. I think basically my amendments and his share a lot of similarities. So, I just want to thank him for the gesture of withdrawing it so that we can proceed. I therefore put the amendments in my name for consideration.

HON. MUROMBEDZI:  Thank you very much Madam Chair. Madam Chair, on this Clause 9.  I would like to add on Clause 16 (i), where there is Establishment, Objects and Disbursement Fund. Where the Government is seeking to establish a fund that will be called the Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund.

I would like to propose to the Hon. Minister that we call it, Human Wildlife Compensation Fund so that it reflects the obligation of the State to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict because if we call it just relief, it will seem like charity. Whereas if we call it compensation, it will reflect the State's obligation to compensate the victims of human-wildlife conflict.  I so submit Hon. Chair.

HON. Z. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Hon. Chair.  Hon. Chair, on the contrary, the State does not have an obligation to compensate because once we put it in a statute that we are compensating, somebody can take the State to court insofar as the quantum of the compensation is concerned, be it emotional stress, physical injury or a proprietary injury. I think the State is there to offer relief when a natural disaster occurs but it does not carry a burden of compensating. So, I think the way it is couched in the Act is appropriate.  I submit Honourable Chair.

HON. MUROMBEDZI:  Thank you so much Hon. Chair.  I would like to thank the Hon. Minister for that response. I would like to put it across differently to this House. Hon. Chair, there are victims that are being killed or injured by animals that the State owns. So, those victims should be compensated by the State. I will give an example Hon. Chair. If a mother is killed or has her leg mauled by a crocodile at the river where she is fetching water for her family, the State should be able to compensate her by probably sending her children to school for the rest of their lives because that mother can no longer take care of those children. This is why I am saying we can call it compensation instead of relief so that it gives the State the obligation to compensate the victims injured by the animals that the State owns because if you kill a lion today, you will be imprisoned.  What about if a lion kills you, what happens to your family? I so submit.

HON. Z. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Mr. Chairman. I am pleased by the persistent and spirited attempt to change the wording to compensation, which becomes a bit dangerous legally, because it will open a Pandora's box. Not all the wild animals are technically owned by the State. Some may actually be in conservancies. We are putting a Wildlife Relief Fund to cater for all that. Therefore, it becomes technically difficult if we say compensation. Rather, we are happy for now to leave it as a Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund, being conscious that if a breadwinner is injured and they cannot fend for their family, other avenues should then be used to get Government assistance, rather than to impose an obligation of saying, Government must compensate and then do one, two, three, four.

We have, for instance, our Social Welfare Department. It will then assess and if need be, they can take care of the children through their various schemes that they use to assist those indigents who can no longer look after themselves, other packages that our social welfare can offer or even NASSA. I believe that the wording here removes a lot of liability on the State but allows those individuals to then access other State packages that are available to ensure that if there are learners, they go to school, if it is the parents, they can access the relief programmes, be it drought, old age or even if they submit their claim to Social Welfare so that they can then deal with it. I submit Madam Chair.

Amendment to Clause 9 put and agreed to.

Clause 9, as amended, put and agreed to.

On New Clause 10 inserted after Clause 9: 

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  I move the amendment standing in my name that on page 9 of the Bill, insert after Clause 9 ending on line 5 the following clause (the subsequent clauses to be renumbered accordingly) 

10 New section inserted after section 17 of Cap. 20:14

The principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 17 —

“17A Donation, et cetera of land to Parks and Wildlife Estate

(1)    In this section and section 108—

“community conservancy” means any area of land granted, delegated appropriate authority status by the Authority in terms of subsection (3) of this section, or by the Authority on behalf of a rural district council in terms of section 108;

“conservancy” is any private game ranch where land owners agree to pull down internal fences and maintain outside fences to allow movement of wildlife and manage the wildlife as one entity, other than the State or the Authority or other statutory body is the appropriate authority.

(2)    Any area of land—

(a)     within the jurisdiction of a rural district council or urban council; and

(b)    outside the surveyed limits of any city, town, township or village situated thereon;

may be donated to the Authority by the owner of such land by means of a deed of donation or testamentary disposition, whereupon it shall form part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate as a botanical garden, botanical reserve, national park, recreational park, safari area or sanctuary (in accordance with the wishes of the donor or testator, or, in the absence of any such specification by the donor or testator, according as such park land is constituted by the Authority).

(3)    The owner of any area of land referred to in subsection (2) may (if such land is adjacent to any rural community) by deed of trust designate the Authority as the trustee of such land for the purpose of constituting it as a community conservancy, and for that purpose the community concerned shall be granted delegated appropriate authority status in accordance with section 108 as if the Authority (and not a local authority) is the appropriate authority for such land (such land is, subject subsection (5) (b), deemed to form part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate).

(4)    The authority (hereinafter called the “vestor”) responsible for any State land (other than trust land) may, by instrument executed  by or on behalf of the President, vest any part of such land (including any part of Gazetted land) to the Authority as trust land for which the Authority shall be the trustee, and such land shall form part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate as a botanical garden, botanical reserve, national park, recreational park, safari area or sanctuary (in accordance with the specification of the vestor, or in the absence of any such specification by the vestor, accordlyas such park land is constituted by the Authority in terms of the relevant part of this Act or in terms of section (5)(a)).

(5)    If any land that forms part (or is deemed to form part) of the Parks and Wildlife Estate—

(a)     in terms of subsection (2) or (4) is occupied by or adjacent to any rural community, the Authority may designate such land as a community conservancy, for which purpose the community shall be granted delegated appropriate authority status in accordance with section 108 as if the Authority (and not a rural district council) is the appropriate authority for such land;

(b)    in terms of subsection (3), such land may revert to private ownership or be otherwise disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the trust deed bearing on the dissolution of the trust;

(c)     in terms of subsection (4), the President may by instrument executed by or on his behalf, excise such land or any part of it from the Parks and Wildlife Estate, unless it has earlier been alienated.

(6)    The Director-General may from time to time, for public information publish notices in the Gazette describing any land forming part or deeming to form part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate by virtue of this section, but the status of such land does not depend for its validity on such publication.

(7)    All land that before the date of commencement of the Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2025, was donated or entrusted to the Authority shall be deemed to have been donated or trusted in terms of this section.”. I so submit.

Amendment to new Clause 10 put and agreed to.

New Clause 10, as amended, put and agreed to.

On Clause 10, now Clause 11:

HON. MUSHORIWA:  Madam Chair, I think that clause has been overtaken by the amendments done by the Minister and I withdraw that one.

Clause 10, now Clause 11, put and agreed to.

On Clause 11, now Clause 12:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  Madam Chair, I move amendments standing in my name that New Clause inserted after clause 11 (Now Clause 12) as it fully appears on page 1639 on today’s Order Paper and on page 10 of the Bill, after line 13, insert the following clause, the subsequent clauses to be renumbered accordingly—

13 Amendment of section 46 of Cap. 17:15

Section 46 of the principal Act is repealed and substituted by—

46 Permit to keep, confine, possess, hunt and to sell live specially protected animals and products thereof 

Subject to this Act, the Authority, with the concurrence of the Minister, may issue a permit to any person— 

• to hunt any specially protected animal on any land other than in a national park; or
• to keep, have in his possession or sell any live specially protected animal or the meat or trophy of any such animal; or
• to own a specially protected animal and place it on the specially

protected animal register maintained by the Authority:

Provided that the Authority shall not issue a permit in terms of—

• paragraph (a) unless it is satisfied that the hunting is necessary for—
  1. scientific purposes; or
  2. educational purposes; or
  3. providing specimens for a museum, zoological garden or similar institution; or
  4. the taking of animals lives for the purpose of falconry, captive

breeding, export or restocking; or 

1. the management and control of animal populations; or
2. the protection of human life or property; or
3. any other purpose which, in the opinion of the Authority, is in the interests of the conservation of animals.”.

• paragraph (c) unless it is satisfied that the applicant is an appropriate authority that—
  1. has provided proof of the legal purchase of founder stock of

such animals currently present on land under the management of such appropriate authority in terms of this Act; and

1. has demonstrated effective protection, management and

confinement of such animals through fencing or other legitimate means of preventing their dispersion off such land; and

1. in the case of specially protected animals that were originally allocated by the State to the land managed by an appropriate authority, evidence of investment into their effective management, protection and confinement as well as evidence of a positive net rate of population growth over the past five years, in which case, in recognition of the conservation costs incurred by such appropriate authority, ownership of fifty per centum of such animals and their progeny, the numbers of which shall be mutually audited and agreed by the Authority and the appropriate authority to be present on such land on an annual basis, shall henceforth be vested in such appropriate authority which shall also have option to negotiate purchase of the balance of the animals in question from the Authority”

New Clause 13 inserted after (Clause 11 now 12) put and agreed to.

New Clause 13, as amended, put and agreed to.   

         Clauses 12 now Clause 14 put and agreed to.

Clause 13 now Clause 15, put and agreed to.

Clause 14 now Clause 16, put and agreed to

         On Clause 15, now Clause 17:

         HON. MUSHORIWA:  Hon. Chairperson, I need the Minister to explain why we are repealing Section 58.  My reading of the current Section 58 is that it is actually there because of Section 57.  I wonder whether repealing 58 leaving 57 would work. Also, I need to inquire from the Hon. Minister that if we are repealing Section 58, do I take it that all the powers of the Commissioner which were residing under Section 58 will now go to the Minister under Section 129 for the Minister to make regulations.  I tend to see that under Section 129, most of the things that are in Section 57 in respect of dealing with indigenous and local plants are also put there for the Minister to regulate through regulations.  I need clarification from the Hon. Minister, how the removal of Section 58 and its impact on the current Section 57.  Also whether Section 129 would now be the Clause that the Minister intends to then use to deal with issues or people that may have challenges in terms of them having been stopped by either authority or Government – those people who will have been prohibited from picking indigenous plants, the methodology for them to then appeal.  How does it go when they want just or natural justice?  I think there should be a mechanism there.  Thank you.

         THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  Thank you Hon. Chair.  I think the issue of commissioners was removed a long time ago.  It used to exist during the colonial times, now you appeal directly to the Director General, you make your representation to the Director General and then thereafter you go to the Minister.  Hence, that is the reason why we had to repeal Section 58 in its entirety.  The current practice is the Director General and his office, they deal with all these.  The commissioners was a colonial era practice that is no longer in existence.  So clean up the Act to ensure that it cleaned up, it was repealed a long time ago.  I think I will speak to the Law Reviser to make sure that it is cleaned up and it is up to date.  I submit Hon. Chair.

         Clauses 12 now Clause 14 put and agreed to.

Clause 13 now Clause 15, put and agreed to.

Clause 14 now Clause 16, put and agreed to

         On Clause 15, now Clause 17:

         HON. MUSHORIWA:  Hon. Chairperson, I need the Minister to explain why we are repealing Section 58.  My reading of the current Section 58 is that it is actually there because of Section 57.  I wonder whether repealing 58 leaving 57 would work. Also, I need to inquire from the Hon. Minister that if we are repealing Section 58, do I take it that all the powers of the Commissioner which were residing under Section 58 will now go to the Minister under Section 129 for the Minister to make regulations.  I tend to see that under Section 129, most of the things that are in Section 57 in respect of dealing with indigenous and local plants are also put there for the Minister to regulate through regulations.  I need clarification from the Hon. Minister, how the removal of Section 58 and its impact on the current Section 57.  Also whether Section 129 would now be the Clause that the Minister intends to then use to deal with issues or people that may have challenges in terms of them having been stopped by either authority or Government – those people who will have been prohibited from picking indigenous plants, the methodology for them to then appeal.  How does it go when they want just or natural justice?  I think there should be a mechanism there.  Thank you.

         THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  Thank you Hon. Chair.  I think the issue of commissioners was removed a long time ago.  It used to exist during the colonial times, now you appeal directly to the Director General, you make your representation to the Director General and then thereafter you go to the Minister.  Hence, that is the reason why we had to repeal Section 58 in its entirety.  The current practice is the Director General and his office, they deal with all these.  The commissioners was a colonial era practice that is no longer in existence.  So clean up the Act to ensure that it cleaned up, it was repealed a long time ago.  I think I will speak to the Law Reviser to make sure that it is cleaned up and it is up to date.  I submit Hon. Chair.

         HON. MUSHORIWA: Again, I rise to withdraw those amendments because they have been covered by the Hon. Minister in his amendments.

         HON. Z. ZIYAMBI: Thank you Hon. Chair. On page 1641, I propose the amendments in my name on page 11 of the Bill, in Clause 15 (now Clause 17), insert after line 5 the following paragraph (e) in subsection (1) of the new section 58A (“Authority to determine and allocate quotas”)—

“(e) to ensure sustainability, all quotas for HWCR Fund, training, research, rations and other conservation purposes are to be part of, and not in addition to, the ecologically determined management quota allocated to any given wildlife area and source population in any given year.” I skipped other issues because I want Hon. Members to read them as they fully appear on Page 1641. I submit.

         Amendment to Clause 15, now Clause 17 put and agreed to.

         Clause 15 now Clause 17 as amended, put and agreed to.

         Clause 16 Now Clause 18, put and agreed to.

         On Clause 17, (Now Clause 19):

         THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Hon. Chair, I am proposing to insert a new clause after the old Clause 17 as it fully appears on page which is now Clause 19. New Clause inserted after Clause 17 (Now Clause 19)

After page 13 of the Bill, insert the following clause, the subsequent clauses to be renumbered accordingly. It becomes 20, New section inserted in Cap. 20:14. The principal Act is amended in Part XII by the insertion of the following sections after section 59—

“59A Trafficking in wildlife

(1) For the purpose of this section “trafficking” in relation to any wild animal, or its trophy or meat or any derivative or product of it whatsoever, means (without lawful authority) to sell, buy, import or export it, or to attempt to sell, buy, import or export it, or to do anything preparatory or related to, or connected with, such trafficking, such as poaching the wild animal or smuggling the wild animal, or its trophy or meat or any derivative or product of it.

(2) Any person trafficking a wild animal wildlife, or its trophy or meat or any derivative or product of it whatsoever, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 7 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”.

(3) If the facts of an alleged offence against this section disclose the unlawful killing or hunting of rhinoceros, or the unlawful possession of, or trading in, ivory or any trophy of rhinoceros or of any other specially protected animal specified by the Minister by statutory instrument for the purpose of section 128 (“Special penalty for certain offences”), the accused shall be charged in terms of section 128 and not this section.

59B Animal welfare

(1) In this section “animal welfare organisation” means any organisation certified by the Minister in terms of subsection (5).

(2) Any officer of the Authority designated in writing by the Minister after consultation with the Director-General shall be deemed to have been appointed as an inspector in terms of section 15 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act [Chapter 19:09] in respect of all wildlife for the welfare or humane treatment of which the Authority is directly or indirectly responsible.

(3) In addition, the Director-General shall establish a framework to ensure the humane treatment and welfare of animals for whose treatment or welfare the Authority or any right holder from the Authority is responsible; in particular the Director-General shall issue guidelines (“animal welfare guidelines”) from time to time on the humane treatment and welfare of animals with particular reference to their confinement, movement, transport, translocation and treatment generally at the hands of those who have the care or custody of them.

(4) Animal welfare guidelines issued under subsection (2) may, with the approval of the Minister, be published for public information by General Notice in the Gazette, and thereafter on the Authority’s website. (5) The Authority may condition the grant of any right, lease permit or other authority to another person upon adherence by that person to the animal welfare guidelines or upon certification by any animal welfare organisation that the person concerned has put in place rules and mechanisms to ensure compliance with the animal welfare guidelines.

(6) The Authority may from time to time conduct inspections to ensure that the holder of any right, lease permit or other authority referred to in subsection (4) is in compliance with appropriate provisions of the animal welfare guidelines.

(7) Regulations may provide for the registration by the Authority of any animal welfare organisation for the purpose of subsection (5).”

I hope I am clear Hon. Chair.

Amendments to New Clause 17, (now Clause 19),  put and agreed to.

Clause 17, (now Clause 19), as amended, put and agreed to.

         Clause 18 now Clause 21, put and agreed to.

         Clause 19 now Clause 22 put and agreed to.

Clause 20 now Clause 23 put and agreed to.

Clause 21 now Clause 24:

          THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair. On the old 21, on page 15 of the Bill, I propose substitution of Clause 21, which we said is now Clause 23, between lines 32 and 40, by the following Clause;

On page 15 of the Bill, substitute Clause 21 (now 24) between lines 32 and 40 by the following clause—

24 Amendment of section 66 of Cap. 20:14

Section 66 (“Professional hunter’s licence”) of the principal Act is amended —

(a) in subsection (1) (a) (i) —

(i) by the deletion of the words “for which the Authority is the appropriate authority if any”;

(ii) by the deletion of the words “horseback”, by the insertion of the words “or using any other model of aircraft or any other contraption that the Director-General may approve”;

(b) in subsection (3), by the deletion of “one year” and substitution of “two years”;

(c) by the insertion after subsection (4) of the following subsection—

“(5) If the holder of a professional hunter’s licence does or omits anything for which he or she is liable to pay to the Authority or an appropriate authority an amount of money in terms of section 104 (“Court may order payment for hunting of animal”), then unless the amount concerned has earlier been paid in terms of subsection (3) of that section, and whether or not such holder is convicted of an offence referred to in that section, such holder shall be civilly liable to pay such amount to the Authority or the appropriate authority concerned, for which purpose the Authority or the appropriate authority may sue the holder in a court of competent civil jurisdiction.”. I submit.

         Amendment to Clause 21 now Clause 24 put and agreed to.

Clause 21 now Clause 24, as amended, put and agreed to.

         Clause 22, now Clause 25 put and agreed to.

Clause 23, now 26, put and agreed to.

Clause 24, now 26 put and agreed to.

Clause 25, now 28, put and agreed to.

Clause 26, now 29, put and agreed to.

Clause 27, now 30, put and agreed to.

Clause 28, now 31, put and agreed to

Clause 29, now 32, put and agreed to.

Clause 30, now 33, put and agreed to.

Clause 31, now 34, put and agreed to.

Clause 32, insertion of new parts to chapter 20 put and agreed to.

         Clause 32, now 35, put and agreed to.

Clause 33, now 36, put and agreed to.

Clause 34, now 37, put and agreed to.

Clause 35, now 38, put and agreed to.

Clause 36, now 39, put and agreed to.

Clause 37, now 40:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): I propose amendments in my name as they fully appear on page 1643;  that Substitution of Clause 37 (Now Clause 40) By The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs: On page 34 of the Bill, substitute clause 37 (now 40 between lines 20 and 23 by the following clause— 40 Amendment of section 97 of Cap. 20:14 Section 97 (“Evidence and presumptions”) of the principal Act is amended — (a) in subsection (12), by the insertion, after “carcass”, wherever it appears, “or animal product”; (b) by the insertion after subsection (12) of the following subsections— “(12a) It is no defence against any charge for an offence of which the subject matter involves any wildlife, that the specimen of the wildlife concerned is not indigenous to Zimbabwe, as long as it belongs to a species endemic to any part of Africa that is related to an indigenous species. (12b) Where the sex of an animal is an element of an offence under this Act involving unlawful hunting, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is shown on a balance of probabilities, that the hunter of the animal knew the sex of the animal concerned.”.

Amendments to Clause 37 now 40 put and agreed to.

Clause 37 now 40 as amended put and agreed to.

Clause 38, now 41, put and agreed to.

Clause 39, now 42, put and agreed to.

Clause 40, now 43, put and agreed to.

Clause 41, now 44:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z.ZIYAMBI): I am proposing amendments in my name as they fully appear on today's Order Paper that: On page 36 of the Bill, in clause 41 (now 44) to delete between lines 2 and 7 subsection (1) of the new section 108 to be substituted by this Bill, and substitute the following— “(1) For the avoidance of doubt it is declared that this section widens the scope of the definition of “appropriate authority” in section 2 (“Interpretation”) to include Rural District Councils, and does not derogate from that definition in any way.”. On page 38 of the Bill, between lines 43 and 44 to insert after subsection (13) of the new section 108 to be substituted by this Bill, the following subsection— “(14) In this section— “responsible entity” means the entity responsible for managing a delegated appropriate authority (which entity shall be a body corporate capable of suing and being sued in its own name and subject to this Act, of doing everything that bodies corporate can do by law.”

HON. MUSHORIWA: Hon. Chair, I withdraw my amendments on the Order Paper as they have now been covered.

Amendments to Clause 41, now 44, put and agreed to.

Clause 41, now 44 as amended put and agreed to.

Clause 42, now 45, put and agreed to.

Clause 43, now 46, put and agreed to.

Clause 44, now 47:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. ZIYAMBI): I propose amendments in my name as they fully appear on page 1644 of today's order paper that: New Clause Inserted After Clause 44 (Now Clause 47) By The Minister of Justice, Legal And Parliamentary Affairs, On page 39 of the Bill, insert after clause 44 (now 47) ending on line 10 the following clause (the subsequent clauses to be renumbered accordingly) 48 New section inserted after section 118 in Cap. 20:14 The principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 118 — “118A Negotiation of statutory servitudes in Authority’s name for wildlife corridors and buffer zones (1) In this section— “buffer zone” means any area outside the Parks and Wildlife estate or between areas forming part of the Parks and Wildlife estate that acts as a buffer for dispersing wildlife to prevent human-animal conflict; “wildlife corridor or migratory route” means a defined area naturally or artificially created for movement of wildlife across landscapes and different land-use types for seasonal movements in search of feed or water or for breeding purposes. (2) The Authority may negotiate with any appropriate authority (including a local authority) or with any owner of land (including the responsible authority for any State land) for the grant to it for a definite or indefinite period of a statutory servitude over any part of the land held by such appropriate authority or owner for the purpose of the establishment of any buffer zone or wildlife corridor. (3) At the conclusion of a successful negotiation in terms of subsection (2), the statutory servitude shall be take effect from the date after that on which the Minister publishes a notice in the Gazette specifying the location, scope and boundaries of the statutory servitude and the terms subject to which it is granted to the Authority (the common law bearing on servitudes shall, except to the extent inconsistent with such gazetted terms, apply to such statutory servitudes as if they had been registered in the Deeds Registry with the Authority reflected as the dominant tenement holder of the servitude over the piece of land in question for such definite or indefinite period as may have been mutually agreed). (4) In negotiating and defining any statutory servitude for the purpose of this section the parties shall, if one or any number of them is a local planning authority in terms of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act [Chapter 29:12], have regard for the relevant provisions of that Act. (5) Any notice published in terms of this section shall be deemed to be in compliance with the Regional Town and Country Planning Act [Chapter 29:12]. (6) Regulations may prescribe the procedural framework within which any negotiations in terms of subsection (2) shall be conducted, I so submit.

         Amendments to Clause 44 now 47 put and agreed to.

         Clause 44 now 47 as amended, put and agreed to.

          Clause 45, now 49:

         HON. MUSHORIWA: Madam Chair, it is now like a broken record. I am withdrawing that amendment as it has been covered by the Minister.

Clause 45, now 49, put and agreed to.

Clause 46 now 50 put and agreed to.

Clause 47 now 51 put and agreed to.

Clause 48 now 52 put and agreed to.

Clause 49 now 53 put and agreed to.

On Clause 50 now 54:

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI): Thank you Hon. Chair. I propose amendments in my name as they fully appear on page 1645 and 1646 of today's Order Paper.

On page 40 in Clause 50 (now Clause 54) of the Bill, to delete on line 37 in the title of the clause, the words “new section” and substitute “new sections”; and in the introduction to Clause 50 on line 38, delete the words “of a new section” and substitute “of the following sections”.

On page 41 of the Bill, after line 31, insert the following new section: “127A Transfrontier conservation areas (1) In this section— “transfrontier conservation area” or “TFCA” means any area (by whatever other name it may be called in Zimbabwe or another country)—

(a) that spans across the boundaries of Zimbabwe and one or more neighbouring countries; and

(b) that is established by mutual agreement between the countries concerned for the conservation of wildlife that is common to or migrates between them and for the conservation of other commonly shred natural resources;

(c) over which, on the Zimbabwean side of the boundary, the Authority shall have jurisdiction, whether alone or jointly with the wildlife conservation body of the neighbouring country or countries concerned;

(2) For the purpose of establishing a TFCA, the Minister may negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with his or her counterpart or counterparts in one or more neighbouring countries, which memorandum shall provide for the name, objectives, scope and management framework for the TFCA concerned and all other matters pertinent to the smooth running of the TFCA.

(3) The Memorandum of Understanding to establish the TFCA shall form the basis of a bilateral or multilateral treaty between the parties concerned and shall be published in terms of the International Treaties Act [Chapter 3:05] upon approval of the same by the Parliament and its ratification by the President.”

Amendment to Clause 50 now 54, put and agreed to.

Clause 50 now 54, as amended, put and agreed to.

Clause 51 now 55 put and agreed to.

Clause 52 now 56 put and agreed to.

Clause 53 now 57 put and agreed to.

Clause 54 now 58 put and agreed to.

Clause 55 now 59 put and agreed to.

Clause 56 now 60 put and agreed to.

Clause 57 now 61 put and agreed to.

Clause 58 now 62 put and agreed to.

Clause 59 now 63 put and agreed to.

Clause 60 now 64 put and agreed to.

Clause 61 now 65 put and agreed to.

House resumed.

Bill reported with amendments.

THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI):  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I just want to appreciate the work that the Hon. Members have done and also to appreciate the research that the Hon. Members are doing to improve the Bill that we brought to this august House and just to encourage Hon. Members to say that we in the Executive, value the contribution of Hon. Members and any Bill that comes to this august House. We are very happy when Hon. Members proffer improvements to such and I want to congratulate all of us for the work that we did today.

On the motion of THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. Z. ZIYAMBI), the House adjourned at Fourteen Minutes to Seven o’clock p.m.