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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HANSARD 21 MAY 2025 Vol. 34 No. 50
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Wednesday, 21st May, 2025
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE
INVITATION TO A MINI-SYMPOSIUM ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I wish to remind the Senate that all Senators are expected to attend the mini-symposium on Artificial Intelligence which will be hosted by Parliament on Thursday, which is tomorrow 22nd May 2025 from 0800 hours in the Multi-Purpose Hall. The mini-symposium is being held as part of the preparatory process for the 57th SADC PF Plenary Assembly being hosted by Zimbabwe in the mighty Victoria Falls, from 31st May to 7th June 2025.
SWITCHING OFF OF CELLPONES
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I want to remind once again, the Hon. Senators to put your gadgets on silent or switch them off so that we do not disturb the business of this august House.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: Mr. President, I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 5 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day on today’s Order Paper have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE INQUIRY INTO THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN/WILDLIFE CONFLICT
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Climate Change on the Inquiry into the Impact of Climate Change on Human/Wildlife Conflict.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf of Hon. Senator Mupfumira in trying to wind up the motion. I would also want to applaud the commitment of those Senators who took part in the trip to Chiredzi and Hwange. The two districts are very hot districts and some of the roads are rugged but the enthusiasm and happiness I saw on that excursion showed me that Senators, when given an opportunity, commit and dedicate themselves to the work beforehand.
When we went out Mr. President, there were people who were part of the trip who had never been in the bush, who had not seen elephants though we are in a country where, other than Botswana, we have the largest population of elephants. That trip showed a lot of Senators what problems we are having with wildlife, particularly elephants. The population of elephants in this country is just beyond the capacity to carry that kind of population and the population is still increasing but what we saw, for instance in Chiredzi, was that the communities outside the Gonarezhou National Park have come up with techniques of making sure that elephants do not raid their crops. They are growing chili. I know, chili and elephants are enemies. They do not live together but despite the communities defending their crops with chili, they are also making money out of the chili. That is livelihood into the communities which has been necessitated by the number of elephants that we have in the country.
Chiredzi, as an example, is also a dry region. If you just look at the sands or the soil, it is very dry but the people there have found ways of making sure that they have water. They just dig nine or ten metres deep and they have water and they can irrigate using that water. So, it is now a technique that is helping people. Despite the menace of elephants and other wildlife species, they are now capable of coming up with other ways of living together with animals through creating deep wells where elephants cannot access the water or where other wildlife species are not accessing the water. So, in a way, the abundance of wildlife, despite the menace, has created a new and innovative way of having water domestically and they are using that water for irrigation. Unfortunately, once they irrigate, the elephants then come and raid the irrigated crops.
So, it is a problem but what we also saw is that every park has a corridor of wildlife where wildlife passes through, going whichever direction they want to go. As a result, the people who planned the parks had created a situation where pieces of land were left uninhabited by humankind. We have now invaded those pieces of land, the corridors and pieces of land between the communal areas and the park, which were used as a buffer zone. The buffer zone has now also been inhabited as a result; the conflict is getting worse and worse because the land where animals are supposed to be walking around, grazing is now inhabited by humankind.
The animals themselves are now also invading even the originally manned communal areas, because that is where the water is, that is where the food is, because in the main, sometimes there is no good forage in the park. They would rather go into the communal land for their survival. From Chiredzi we went to Hwange, another very dry region……
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order, order Hon. Senator Gotora! When you are winding up, you do not start introducing the motion again. That was all said by Senator Mupfumira when she introduced the motion. We went from point A to point B to point C and so on. You are now winding up. So, what you do is quick summary and then you thank the Senators who contributed in the debate and then you move for the adoption.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Mr. President. I will do exactly as you have said because you are guiding me and I appreciate the guidance. So generally speaking, what we saw as a Committee is that there is human-wildlife conflict, which is being caused by climate change and we need to find means and ways of mitigating that menace. The speeches made by my colleagues here were spot on. They spoke exactly as we found it and the suggestions which they gave, as far as I am concerned, we need to take them up to protect both the humans and the wildlife so that the conflict does not continue unabated. After saying that Mr. President, I thank the Hon. Senators and would like to propose that the report be adopted.
Motion that this House considers and adopts the Report of the Thematic Committee on Climate Change on the enquiry into the impact of Climate Change on Human-Wildlife Conflict induced by Climate Change in 2024, put and agreed to.
MOTION
CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE HON. CHEN CHENHAMO CHAKEZHA CHIMUTENGWENDE
Seventh Order read: Adjourned Debate on motion on sudden death of the former Deputy President of the Senate, Hon. Chen Chenhamo Chakezha Chimutengwende.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 22nd May, 2025.
MOTION
CONGRATULARY MESSAGE TO HON. KIRSTY COVENTRY ON APPOINTMENT TO IOC PRESIDENCY
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the congratulatory message to the former Hon. Minister Kirsty Coventry on her election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Presidency in Greece.
Question again proposed
HON. SEN. CHAKABUDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. GWATURE: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 22nd May. 2025.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE HON. MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Mr. President. I move that we revert to Order of the Day Number 5 on today’s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR RATIFICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT CONVENTION
THE MINISTER OF SKILLS AUDIT AND DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): In terms of section 110 (4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the President has the powers subject to the provisions of the Constitution to enter into international conventions, treaties, and agreements. By virtue of subsection (6), the President is required to act on the advice of the Cabinet in the exercise of this function. The general conference of the International Labour Organisation convened in Geneva by the governing body of the International Labour Office, having met for in its 108th session which is the Centenary Session on 10th June 2019 adopted the ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace which entered into force on 25th June 2021.
The Convention protects all workers despite their contractual status and even workers whose employment has been terminated. The Convention is intended to provide volunteers, job seekers, job applicants, interns and individuals exercising the authority, duties or responsibility of an employer. The Convention applies to all sectors whether private or public both in the formal and informal economy and in urban or rural areas.
It also applies to violence and harassment in the world of work occurring in the course of or linked with work trips and when travelling to work amongst others. Member States are obliged to respect, promote and realise the right of everyone to workplaces free from violence and harassment by prohibiting the law, policies and strategies to prevent and combat it, creating monitoring mechanisms and adopting other tools that combat sexual harassment as Government supported by employers and workers' organisations. In addition, it is also obliged to respect, promote, and realise the fundamental principles and rights at work, namely freedom of association, collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour and abolition of child labour amongst others to promote decent work.
Member States shall adopt laws and policies ensuring the right to equality and non-discrimination in employment, to protect disadvantaged groups from violence and harassment. Article 7 of the Convention provides for the ratification and registration of such with the Director General of the International Labour Office. The need to ratify the Convention has arisen due to the fact that the Government of Zimbabwe has seen it fit to embrace this historic opportunity to shape a future of work, based on dignity and respect for all. At its meeting held on the 11th March, 2024 the Cabinet Committee on Legislation recommended the approval of the aforementioned Convention. The Cabinet approved the Convention on 19th March, 2024.
It is desirable that Zimbabwe ratifies this Convention. The attached Cabinet minutes and instruments of ratification have been examined by the law officers and they provided accordingly. I accordingly recommend to the Senate for its ratification and I so submit.
HON. SEN. MATIBIRI: Thank you Hon. Minister and Mr. President Sir. Allow me to add my voice to this very important International Labour Organisation Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the workplace. Thank you also Mr. President Sir for allowing us an opportunity last week to listen to presentations in respect of this particular Convention which Zimbabwe seeks to ratify. I have listened to the presentation from the Minister. I had an opportunity also to interface with the International Labour Organisation Convention 190 which Zimbabwe seeks to ratify. I see it as a progressive instrument, especially as it seeks to protect workers and also protect rights at the workplace.
Zimbabwe is developing. With it, there are many investment opportunities in this country. These investment opportunities create contractual relations between workers and employees. The rights of employees at the workplace are paramount if we are to march into the brave 21st century. The rights of employees must be safeguarded at all times. It is only when we do this that productivity can increase. It is common cause that companies seek investment in this country may not have due regard to our labour laws, especially laws that relate to discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual harassment in all its forms. It becomes paramount to codify this and make sure as we ratify, we are also making sure that all those companies that come and invest in Zimbabwe are made aware of our desire to join the global family in protecting the rights of workers, especially the rights of those that are vulnerable. So, as I listen and stand here, I do not see anything wrong in Zimbabwe ratifying the ILO Convention 190. I would seek the support of the Senate because in it we are affirming our rights to the protection and furtherance of the workers' rights, which are critical. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate on this issue in the House and I would like to thank the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare for bringing this issue at the workshop which we conducted here as we spoke about workers' welfare though it was on a limited scope. We were talking about those who are already formally employed. We were not aware that the 190C Protocol also protects those who are still looking for employment and the self-employed. After the workshop, we got so much education and we realised that we were violating a lot of people's rights.
I want to say this protocol is good for everyone in Zimbabwe, not only for the formally employed but for everyone. It is good for the protection of health, humanity and other rights such as wages or salaries. I would like to assure this Senate that all the people that I attended the workshop with, understood what this protocol means. It was not about the workers in general but Ministry officials and ZCTU workers who were also there explained the benefits of this protocol and they encouraged us to accept it. Like what my predecessor speaker said, this protocol makes us attractive to other investors because they view us in a certain way knowing that they are also protected under the investment that they wish to bring. I would like to reiterate that this protocol is good for us as a country as well as for us Senators because we are also employed.
It is also good in general for us as people in Zimbabwe and I encourage this House to accept this Protocol 190C because it preserves our culture as well as several other things to do with employment that are relevant in the country, regardless of where you are. As long as you are in Zimbabwe, this protocol is good for you and the progress in this country. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. CHAPFUDZA: Thank you Mr. President for the opportunity you gave me. I also like to thank our Minister who brought this protocol. This is a good thing that we must embrace together as a nation through Parliament. I applaud this thing which is indeed a good thing and should be accepted.
A well-known scholar, Karl Marx talks of classes in society whereby you have business owners who are employers as well as other classes who are employees. He says of these two classes, each class thinks of itself. The employer only thinks about making more money without much regard for the employee so much so that sometimes the employee is regarded as a machine where you only calculate the hours it has worked. So, because of these differences in interest in the classes, in the end, there comes chaos or conflict because the employees will not find remuneration sufficient for the work they do. One day they may put their tools down, which means where they are providing those services becomes chaotic.
I am very glad that the Minister brought up this protocol which protects employers so that they know they have rights. The employers also have motivation so that there are no many complaints or conflict. That way their conditions of service are addressed and it instills that sense of humanity that indeed they are appreciated as human beings. I find it a very good thing, even if an employee or somebody who is looking for work is supposed to be treated humanely, especially with regard to females. Some of them are told to fall in love with the employer in order for them to get that job but they will not be looking for those affairs, instead, they will be looking for a job. Sometimes for them to get employment or promotion, they face such challenges. As representatives of the people, we find that this is a very good thing that will ensure the rights of employees are observed. I thank you very much.
HON. SEN. M. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. This is a very important convention that protects workers against violence and harassment. It should be welcomed by all of us here in Parliament. This convention is fundamental in terms of the welfare of the worker because it does not only protect workers in formal employment but it also covers workers who are in informal situations, including vendors.
Most of our vendors are subjected to a lot of harassment and violence. We have seen what happens in terms of the police, particularly the Municipal Police and how much they harass vendors. It becomes an obligation of Government to protect the vendors. It also protects even workers who are in transit at the border and anyone going through the border is also protected. The Government becomes obligated to look after everybody in terms of harassment and violence. Most importantly, the Minister has to be clear in terms of obligations of Government. This convention came into effect a long time ago in 2021 and it is four years later that it is being brought to Parliament, yet we know that it is relevant to our situation. What are the ranges of unacceptable behaviours which workers can be subjected to? Some of them directed in terms of sex, gender and the like. We have seen what happens at the end of the year when Christmas parties are held, what female workers go through. Not only in terms of open direct harassment but indirect communication, improper communication. That is also covered in this convention. This should be publicised so that everybody in this country is aware that they are important and there is somebody who can look after them and they can report these things. It is now up to the Minister to ensure we have policies and instruments in Government which are properly aligned to this convention. I thank you.
*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to also debate on this motion. I want to thank the Convention 190 as alluded to earlier on, we were invited to a workshop and taught what it represents in this country. This means Zimbabwe is not an island and does not stay in isolation. The International Labour Organisation also covers us here so we found it important because it covers all employees, be they women, children or men. They are all protected in their jobs by this convention. Most of the points that were raised were taught at the workshop.
What I want to find out from the Hon. Minister is that this convention shows people how things are done and there are also trainings for people in communities or in workplaces; do people know about this convention? Do they know that there are things that are supposed to be done? I do not know about publicising this. It will take place and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has to come up with programmes that will include leaders as well as traditional leaders so that when things are being done, nobody is left behind and everyone should be involved and everyone should understand the requirements of this convention and follow them. At times when such documents are brought up in this House, we appreciate their goodness but people out there will not know what is happening. Nobody makes an effort to teach them so everyone comes into the picture of how business is conducted. The Minister has come up with a very good convention that we were taught about but we want to know whether the majority of the people out there know about this convention so that when it is implemented, everyone is in the picture. I thank you.
^^HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to support this Convention 190 brought to this august House by the Hon. Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. The issues deliberated at this convention are exciting because they are talking about supporting people who work together and supporting everyone’s rights, those who are working and the unemployed as well as those in SMEs. For those who are doing small businesses together with the vendors, they are supporting their families through their work and they need this support. He also indicated that this convention supports those who will be coming into our country to do different jobs. They also need support when they are working in our country. This support especially in border areas for those who will be working in transit will need to know how the border processes are carried out. They end up engaging in corruption with people who will be taking their money but this convention is supporting them because it provides good support to such people. Quite a number of issues have been highlighted by my colleagues. Therefore, I also felt I needed to add a few works to this convention. Thank you.
+HON SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to also add my voice on the 190C Convention which is the one working with other countries and also the one that was brought into this House by the Hon. Minister indicating that it is crucial for workers to work properly with measures that are safeguarding them.
We realise that we have many workers that are not happy. During such times, maybe we can follow laws that are in our Constitution. Such issues are under the Ministry that is focusing on workers. I will focus more on mines. Some mines just close without notice. We have those mining workers being left without anything to do. When owners, think of closing the mines, they just do this without any prior communication. This shows that workers will not be protected in that sense.
Looking into businesses like private companies, at times they employ someone unlawfully and employ them for three years on contract. They will work yet they are not happy. If ever they feel like terminating their contract, they just terminate it. At times, they terminate it in one week or in one month yet maybe they will have stayed in that particular position for five years or so.
Since the Minister he has brought forward this Convention, how are they going to view this issue? We have a challenge because if workers are ill-treated, they should be looked into like the same workers that work under Government. At times when people are supposed to earn their salaries, they are not given their salaries. I do not know how the Hon. Minister is looking into this issue. Again when you look at vendors, they bear the brunt of municipal police who sometimes confiscate their wares. I do not know how they are looking into this issue. When I heard this motion, I felt this was a motion that needed to be looked into. For us in this august House, it is crucial for us to have a motion focusing on workers. We do not know what the Hon. Minister will say when they go back to their meetings. As Hon. Members we need to know how these people can be assisted in case of challenges. With these few words, Mr. President, thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator Moyo, I think you missed the point slightly. One, this is not a motion but a convention. Secondly, it is not about termination or security of jobs. It is actually against violence and harassment of workers. The Minister will respond, but you were off tangent.
∞HON. SEN. FANUEL: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak. I would like to thank the Hon. Minister who dedicated himself to come and talk to us as Senators. I am very glad that we are moving in tandem with the Minister. I am glad that this is happening in this country. As Senators, we noticed that there is an introduction of retiring senior citizens. They worked and served this country, but when it is time for them to retire, they are retiring in masses and going without packages simply because of their age. Most of them have since died. So, we are saying, when somebody gets to 60 years and above, we need to ensure that we prepare gratuities or packages for them. Some of them worked up to 60 or 65 years. They worked hard. Some of them are just being dismissed without even transport benefits. When they get back home, Government is blamed because they served it. That is why I am saying we need to unite and portray that indeed it is a gratuity and they are transported. That way Government is also thanked. I thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Hon. Senator Fanuel, again, it is not about packages after having worked for a long time. This is a convention against violence and harassment.
THE MINISTER OF SKILLS AUDIT AND DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. MAVIMA): Thank you Hon. President. Let me start by thanking all Hon. Sen. who have contributed to this debate. The majority of them were really supportive of the ratification of this convention against harassment and violence at the workplace, which is Convention 190 of the International Labour Organisation. I would like also to add to the fact that this convention is in line with the general Bill of Rights, within our Constitution, which talks about the issues of the various freedoms that our people have. However, let me also hasten to say, in 2019, Government brought before Parliament a Bill to amend the Labour Act. Within that new Act, which is now the Labour Act [Chapter 28.01]. Again, this matter of alignment to this convention was taken care of as the Labour Act ensures the protection of workers against violence and harassment at the workplace.
Additionally, work has been done within the public service with regard to the general labour practices in this country. For example, in the Public Service, there is a policy that prohibits and sanctions against harassment and violence at the workplace. That policy was adopted, if I am not mistaken, in 2020 or 2021 and was led by the Public Service Commission under the auspices of the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. So, there is that policy that exists within the Public Service, which is something that goes to answering Hon. Sen. Tongogara. Several workshops have been undertaken in Government to conscientise people against violence and harassment, highlighting the provisions, generally, of the policy that we enacted, the provisions of the Act and also the provisions of this convention, even though we had not ratified it. There have also been several workshops and community awareness programmes that have been undertaken under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Service, under the auspices of the TNF, Tripartite Negotiating Forum, which brings together the employers in this country, labour organisations, both in the private sector as well as in the public sector, as well as Government. Again, several workshops and awareness programmes have been undertaken by the TNF.
I am heartened by the fact that there is a clear indication from this august House that the Ministry, together with its TNF partners, have also reached out to Parliament and conducted workshops related to this convention. There have been statements, which have said that we had been late in ratifying this convention. I do agree with those sentiments, because even our TNF partners, especially labour, have been agitating for this country to ratify this convention. I am glad that we are doing it now and it is better late than never. Out of the 187 members of the ILO, I think we will become the 49th member to ratify. The most recent ratification has come from our neighbours in Zambia but there are a lot of other countries that are now working on the ratification of the convention.
Reverting back to Hon. Tongogara, we definitely need to continue with the awareness campaigns, holding workshops with employers in the various sectors and at various levels of the employment matrix to make sure that we conscientise them on these issues, so that we can prevent violence and harassment against workers. They tend to be more inclined, or most of the acts of harassment and discrimination tend to incline towards the female gender. Again, we need to mobilise and conscientise people that our laws forbid that and our policies of Government forbid that. Above that, there is also the international protocol that forbids that, which is Convention 190.
I completely agree with you on your interventions following the submissions by Hon. Senator Moyo and Hon. Senator Fanuel, the matters that they address are very relevant to issues related to the compensation of workers but they are marginally outside the context of this convention, which really focuses on harassment and discrimination in the workplace, especially related to violence and harassment in the workplace. Overally, I really cherish the support that has come from the Senate and again, just urge the Senate to support the ratification of this convention. Everyone realises its importance in making sure that our workplaces are safe for all workers, workers in the formal sector and in the informal sector, no matter what level of operation. As long as they are workers, they should be protected against harassment and violence. I thank you.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT: I move that the Senate revert to Order of the Day, Number 4 on today`s Order Paper.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
APPROVAL FOR RATIFICATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SADC CENTRE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Mr. President Sir. I move the Motion standing in my name that;
WHEREAS Section 327(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe stipulates that, any convention, treaty, or agreement acceded to, concluded, or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign states, governments, or international organizations shall be subject to Parliamentary approval;
WHEREAS the SADC Energy Ministers, during their 33rd and 34th meetings held in Maseru, Lesotho (2023), and Johannesburg, South Africa (2015), approved the establishment of the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE);
AND WHEREAS the entry into force of this Agreement is on the date of receipt of the last written notification, by which the Parties notify each other, through diplomatic channels, of the completion of their internal legal procedures required for the entry into force;
WHEREAS the Council of Ministers, at its meeting in August 2015 in Gaborone, Botswana, formally endorsed the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the
Establishment of SACREEE and designated Namibia as the host country for the Centre;
WHEREAS, the Republic of Zimbabwe, along with ten other SADC member states, is a signatory to the aforesaid Agreement;
WHEREAS, Articles 26 and 29 of the Agreement provide that any SADC member state may ratify the Agreement following its adoption in accordance with its respective constitutional processes and upon depositing its Instrument of Ratification with the Executive Secretary of SADC;
WHEREAS, Article 27 of the Agreement stipulates that the Agreement shall enter into force thirty (30) days after two-thirds (2/3) of SADC member states have deposited their instruments of Ratification;
AND WHEREAS, the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to formalise its commitment by becoming a Party to the Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe, this House resolves that the aforesaid Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Establishment of the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency be and is hereby approved for ratification.
Motion put and agreed to.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Mr. President. I am here to read a summary of the Memorandum of Agreement between SADC Member States regarding establishment of SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Sufficiency, SACREEE. The National Renewable Energy Policy, formulated within the framework of the 2012 National Energy Policy, recognises the vital contributions of private and public entities, as well as regional and international organisations in promoting clean and sustainable energy to achieve universal access to sustainable modern energy by 2030. The SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation established during the 33rd and 34th meetings of SADC Ministers responsible for energy held in Maseru, Lesotho and in Johannesburg, South Africa, in May, 2013 and July, 2015 respectively.
The primary aim of SACREEE is to enhance access to modern, clean and sustainable energy sources, to improve energy security and encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and services within SADC Member States. Although signed by 15 SADC Member States, the SACREEE is still operating in an interim capacity, as it requires ratification by two-thirds of the members to become fully operational. So far, only five countries, which are Lesotho, Angola, Mauritius, Namibia and Botswana have ratified the Memorandum of Agreement. The justification Mr. President says for ratifying this Memorandum of Agreement is that Zimbabwe, along with 14 other SADC Member States, is a signatory to this SACREEE and with this MOA, Zimbabwe collaborates with the SADC region in facilitating access to modern and clean energy, and improved energy security across the SADC region by promoting market-based uptake of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies as well as energy services.
By ratifying this agreement, Zimbabwe joins the five other states previously mentioned in advancing the process towards bringing SACRE into effect and achieving full operationalisation. The area of renewable energy and energy efficiency is critical for the Republic of Zimbabwe and this cooperation will enable the creation and reinforcement of ecosystems for renewable energy deployment at national and regional levels, the development of technical facilities that can pilot and demonstrate replicable renewable energy applications most relevant to the Republic of Zimbabwe.
It will give assistance in testing and standardisation of energy-efficient technologies and services as well as training and skills development to build capacity for renewable energy and implementation of a global network of knowledge and expertise to be utilised for deployment in the Republic of Zimbabwe. The overview of the Memorandum of Agreement focuses on the regional frameworks that foster cooperation in the energy sector such as the SADC Protocol on Energy, the revised SADC Inter-Governmental Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Sector Cooperation of 2006, and the South Africa Power Pool Inter-Utility Memorandum of Understanding.
The Memorandum of Understanding establishes the legal and institutional foundation for SACREEE's creation and operation. It also talks about the obligation of the parties, which is the anticipation to cooperate in the administration of SACREEE, including, among others, approving policies, strategies, and programmes of SACREEE. Further, the parties aim to identify and nominate national focal institutions focussing on renewable energy and energy efficiency to participate in the SACRE activities. The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Minister of Energy and Power Development, designated the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), as its national focal institution.
The parties expect to fund the operations of SACREEE through annual subscriptions. In the case of Zimbabwe, ZERA, the national focal institution, shall be at the course. I will go through the provisions Mr. President Sir. I will just give the summaries. In the Memorandum of Agreement, we have the preamble, which is the article that introduces the SADC member states as parties to the agreement. It establishes the intention to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region. We have Article 1, which talks about the definitions. This section provides key definitions of terms used in the Memorandum of Agreement.
Article 2 talks about the establishment of SACREEE. This article formally establishes SACREEE as an institution of SADC. It outlines its mandate and objectives, emphasising the promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency across the region.
Article four talks about the objectives and functions of the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE). This section lists SACREEE's core objectives, including supporting policy development for renewable energy, facilitating investments in renewable energy projects as well as providing technical assistance and training. Article 5 is on governance structure, which is the establishment of the governance framework for SACREEE detailing the roles of the steering committee, the executive director as well as the secretariat.
Article seven talks about the host country agreement which are the obligations of the host country including providing infrastructure, granting legal immunities and privileges and ensuring operational support. Article 8 is on privileges and immunities on SACREEE, its personnel and its assets, which should have certain legal immunities to facilitate its operations. These protections ensure that SACREEE can function without legal or political interference. Article 9 is on cooperation and partnerships. It encourages SACREEE to collaborate with regional and international energy institutions. By fostering partnerships, SACREEE can leverage expertise, funding and best practices to enhance its impact.
Article 10 is about dispute resolution. It defines mechanisms for resolving disputes related to the Memorandum of Agreement, emphasising negotiation and arbitration. Article 11 is about amendment and review, specifying the process for modifying or updating the Memorandum of Understanding, requiring consensus among member states. Article 13 talks about entry into force which specifies the conditions under which the Memorandum of Agreement becomes fully binding, such as ratification by a specified number of states. This Memorandum of Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instruments of ratification by a two-thirds majority of the member states.
Mr. President Sir, upon approval of this Memorandum of Agreement the parties will accede or ratify the Memorandum of Agreement in harmony with their constitutional procedures and deposit the instruments of ratification and accession with the SADC Secretariat. This Memorandum of Agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the deposit of the instruments of ratification by a two-thirds majority of the member States. Madam President-
WHEREAS, Section 327, subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe stipulates that any convention, treaty or agreement acceded to, concluded or executed by or under the authority of the President with one or more foreign State, Governments or international organisations shall be subject to parliamentary approval;
AND WHEREAS, the SADC energy Ministers during their 33rd and 34th meetings held in Maseru and Johannesburg, South Africa approved the establishment of the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE);
AND WHEREAS, the entry into force of this agreement is on the date of receipt of the last written notification by which the parties ratify each other through diplomatic channels of the completion of their internal legal procedures required for the entry into force;
AND WHEREAS, the Council of Ministers, at its meeting in August 2015 in Gaborone, Botswana, formally endorsed the Memorandum of Agreement regarding the establishment of SACREEE and designated Namibia as the host country for the Centre;
AND WHEREAS, the Republic of Zimbabwe, along with 10 other SADC member States, is a signatory to the aforesaid Agreement;
AND WHEREAS, Article 26 and 29 of the agreement provides that any SADC member State may ratify the agreement following its adoption in accordance with its respective constitutional processes and upon depositing its instrument of ratification with the Executive Secretary of SADC;
AND WHEREAS, Article 27 of the agreement stipulates that the agreement shall enter into force 30 days after two-thirds of the SADC member States have deposited their instruments of ratification;
AND WHEREAS, the Republic of Zimbabwe is desirous to formalise its commitment by becoming a party to this agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in terms of Section 327, Subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe, may this House resolve that the aforesaid Memorandum of Agreement regarding the establishment of the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency be and is hereby approved for ratification. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you, thank you Madam President. Madam President, I would like to express my appreciation for this futuristic agreement. Renewable energy is the way to go and for SADC states to sit down and agree that let Us form this important institution called SACREEE, SADC Centre for Renewable Energy Efficiency, is a good thing and I fully endorse it, Madam President.
I do so for a number of reasons. Firstly, renewable energy provides us with energy security. We are aware of what happened last year because of the El Nino effect when there was a devastating drought which affected the region to the extent that not only Zimbabwe but our neighbours, Zambia in particular which relies heavily on hydro, suffered some consequences in terms of industrial growth.
Renewable energy has a serious impact in terms of environmental sustainability. Positive impacts, not negative impacts. We are aware of the gases which are spewed out by other energy generating resources like coal and fossil fuel which we rely on. This centre will share expertise so that we sharpen our skills in advancing renewable energy. Renewable energy also has a positive impact on public health. The deleterious gases which come out of the burning of fossil fuels are avoided. We know what happened in the past when other countries were attacked so that certain big brothers would have access to their resources. Renewable energy takes away geopolitical situations because you are dealing with what God gave you, the sun and wind. So geopolitical conflicts are now taken out.
So Madam President, I stand to support and support strongly the establishment of this Centre for Renewable Energy. Thank you Madam President.
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you very much Madam President I also want to join my previous colleague in giving plaudits to the Minister of Energy and Power Development for bringing this treaty before the Senate. SADC is an important cooperation institution of our region. It has historical roots in the frontline States where we bonded together with our neighbours in the struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid. In the world today there are many regional organisations but none of them have that attribute of a shared political soul as SADC.
One of the manifestations of this cooperation arrangement within SADC, the brotherly, sisterly, friendly and neighbourly cooperation within SADC is in the energy sector. It is common cause to everybody here that Harare is the headquarters of the Southern Africa Power Pool. It means power generated in the DRC can reach Cape Town, power generated in Mozambique can reach Namibia and power generated in Angola eventually will reach Tanzania. This is the inter-networking that we are now having as SADC and this promises to make sure that there is ensured energy security in light of some of the big investments that are now happening in lithium and also in base metals like chrome smelting as well as in steel production with the blast furnaces.
So, having a centre where we share knowledge of the common experience is a welcome thing and we need to strongly support this treaty as Senate. In the instance of Zimbabwe, you will recall that the first solar summit of the United Nations was held in Zimbabwe a long time ago in the First Republic. In the instance of Zimbabwe already we were chosen by the international community as one of the countries which should be at the forefront of renewable energy. Maybe we have not fed as well as we should have done considering the international recognition which had been given but it is still better late than never and having an institution like this sharpens our national attention and resolve to make sure that renewable energy becomes available to the population of SADC at large.
We also have the Zambezi River, for those who may know a little bit about geology and the tectonic movements of the earth. The Zambezi River used to flow southwards but then there was a fault line that developed near Victoria Falls and the river was diverted to the Indian Ocean through the current course. However, coming from a very high plateau, it meant that the river falls precipitously to the Indian Ocean and along the way, there are seven to eight cataracts which are the Victoria Falls, Kariba and Kabora. So, all these cataracts mean that the same water can be reused over and over again along the course of the Zambezi River up to Mpanda Nkuwa and Bazaruto in Mozambique. This centre would be there to do research not only on the efficient use of this invaluable source of hydropower energy which is renewable energy but also to ensure that there is cooperation among the various countries that share the Zambezi River as it grows and trundles down to the Indian Ocean. This centre will also look at ways on how we can approach those with capital on a large scale to make sure that there are investments that are going to be injected so that we realise the goal of using the same river of the Zambezi River several times as we go to the Indian Ocean from Victoria Falls. So, a centre of knowledge of this nature can only be of great value not only to Zimbabwe but to all our SADC neighbours and to the industrial aspirations of the region as we see more and more cooperation amongst ourselves.
I just wanted to enlighten you to say one of the big demands of energy is in the steel sector and already there are indications that Zimbabwe and South Africa may cooperate or are going to cooperate in the steel sector in the same manner that Germany and France did in 1951 in Europe after they fought three wars fighting for their coal and iron resources which were separated by a boundary. Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa do not have that history of animosity, we do have that bond that I mentioned earlier on. So, this center only sharpens our ability to take advantage of the increasing trend towards renewable energy in many facets which is manifesting wind, solar, biomass, bioenergy and others. I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much Madam President for this opportunity to contribute and I will do so very briefly mainly to just seek clarification. It is true that the region is very badly energy insecure and any efforts that any Government spends in the direction of increasing energy in general not even renewable energy, will go a long way to helping our situation of blackouts which have become common in our country. It is very highly responsible for governments to spend time and effort creating institutions that will help generate clean energy and that is highly applaudable.
However, Madam President, the challenge with some of these regional, particularly SADC associations is that they are very big bulldogs with no teeth at all. So, we can celebrate this and in the next 20-30 years when all of us have departed to become ancestors there is no result, there is no deliverable. That is my worry that these institutions good as they maybe, they are a cost, they increase their cost and we do not see immediate delivery. What we need is for Government as they push for this to also put in an element of implementation so that in our lifetime, we can see the benefits of our hard-earned taxes in the manner of increased energy.
The clarification that I need to seek from the Minister is that SADC is composed of 16 nations and of those only four have acceded to this memorandum. The question is why is there no appetite?......
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. A DUBE): Order, Hon. Senator.
HON. SEN. C. MUTSVANGWA: Madam President I am speaking on a point of order from a factual basis. I mentioned earlier on the Southern Africa Power Pool. It is headquartered in Zimbabwe. It is a SADC Institution and I can assure you that no sovereign Government of SADC is sending its budget to the Southern Africa Power Pool. Power on its own is a business and we need to see it as a business rather than as something that needs subsidies from the Government. So, it is a matter of record that this business is viable, I thank you.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: The clarification that I seek is, whereas this looks important, why is there no appetite? Why is there no alacrity on the part of SADC to quickly join forces and accede to this Memorandum of Agreement? Could there be a problem or an understanding that this is just a wide chase or an understanding that it will not produce results? This is a question that need to be answered before we can stampede ourselves to signing this Memorandum.
There is a lot of tinkering around energy. We all know that one of the key renewable energies is the hydropower. Of course, my Engineer brother does not believe that hydropower is renewable but it is. Renewable hydropower, if SADC were to sit together to focus on the Inca Dam, there is a potential to generate 44 gigawatts of energy. This will wipe out all the energy starvation in the whole of Africa. Perhaps most of the SADC nations that are not signing this believe that it is a tinkering exercise that will not impact strongly on the energy insecurity that we are faced with.
I need to understand why other nations within SADC are not interested. We are the Chairperson of SADC, perhaps this is why we are signing. Let us make sure that we persuade the whole SADC to see the importance of instituting this. I thank you.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): Thank you Madam President Ma’am. Firstly, I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Mackenzie for supporting the efforts of Government towards improving our energy mix also, acknowledging the challenge that you have with our hydro-electricity systems. I also take note of his appreciation of the positive impact of renewable energy on our environment and the encouragement that he has given us as a Ministry to ensure that we continue to balance our focus on renewable energy and the currently existing fossil fuels. We ensure that there are reduced carbon emissions in order to protect our environment and our ecosystems.
He highlighted the sharing of expertise and improved focus on enhancements of renewable energy in Africa that is brought about by an institution such as SACREEE. I have also taken note of his observations that utilisation of naturally found resources such as the sun and wind help us in minimising the geo-political challenges. It also reduces the negative burden on our economy as we learn to utilise what we already have in abundance as a nation.
I want to thank Hon. Senator Mutsvangwa for appreciating the unity, co-operation and common course that is within our SADC as we unite towards fighting the deficiencies in challenges that we have in the energy sector. He also put across the point that the utilisation of the Southern African’s power pool is a tool for the regional integration, which is something that we are welcoming as a Ministry, as a Government and as our President moves towards making sure that we are working together with the other countries and co-operating well with other member states.
He highlighted that this will bring us energy security and also enhance value edition of our natural energy minerals that we have in abundance here in Zimbabwe. The establishment of SACREEE will bring national attention to the importance of renewable energy. I want to appreciate that the sharing of natural resources by member states such as the Zambezi River will ensure that this will improve in terms of putting up floating solar systems across the rivers. This will also improve the amount of energy that can be put into national grids. Therefore, enhancing development in these SADC member states.
The Hon. Senator highlighted the positive effect that this can have on our economies in terms of funding. As we are developing countries, we will learn to fund our own programmes as Africans and SADC members not to rely on foreign funding and able to harness and develop the local resources that we have such as the solar energy. Then we sell among ourselves. Again, able to improve our economies at the same time having access to energy for all the developmental programmes that anchor on the availability of energy.
The member also highlighted the importance of mining sector to adopt the use of renewable energy because right now this will ensure that our industry remains afloat and are not affected by load shedding. He also touched on the importance of us as a nation to focus on best practices that ensure the improvement of our energy mix, even as we continue to utilise our fossil fuels, gas, wind and going green.
I want to appreciate what Hon. Sen. Zvidzai says acknowledging the energy challenges that we have as a country and region and that a shared platform is needed to discuss and implement energy improvement. I also acknowledge your point that as a country, we need to be diligent and take note of our interests and the interests of people, focusing on maximising the advantages that are available on these platforms so that we will not be disadvantaged or neglect future generations.
I want to comment on the lack of alacrity that the member states were showing previously. It is my assessment that in the previous years, there was limited climate change which is very prevalent now. In recent years there has been more awareness towards the limitations of hydro-electricity. We are experiencing more challenges with our grid systems due to issues of climate change. We are experiencing increased load shedding and this has now created an awareness within our governments to move towards other sources of energy and not just rely on the traditional systems.
We also have the issue of management of outdated hydro equipment and systems that are used in hydro production. Over the years, our SADC member states have come to realise that some of the stations - for example our power station, we all know that we experience problems and that one day we will have one system running up, and the next day the other system is down. This has been happening because of the technical challenges that come with this equipment.
Spare parts replacements have become a challenge as these systems have been in place for a number of years. Our governments have realised that we also now need to move to other systems to ensure that our countries remain energised. Hence, now the topical discussions and increased interest towards discussions about renewable energy options that we have.
I am not saying that we will move away from using the fossil fuels that we already have, because these are also important to us as developing countries. We cannot just wake up and say we will no longer use coal. We will continue to use coal, but of course with the attention to the challenges that this gives us in terms of carbon emissions. Then we will also discuss how we can adopt clean energy technologies that minimise the transmission of carbon emissions into the air, but at the same time, increase our focus towards renewable energy as an option that we can take as SADC members in order to ensure that we continue to provide electricity to our people and to not remain stagnant. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND HERITAGE ON THE TRADITIONAL COURT SYSTEMS IN ZIMBABWE
Nineth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Culture and Heritage on the Traditional Court Systems in Zimbabwe.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHIEF NECHOMBO: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. FANUEL: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 22nd May, 2025.
MOTION
CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS AND WATER STORAGE FACILITIES
Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on climate change mitigation.
HON. SEN. MZENDA: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. FANUEL: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday, 22nd May, 2025.
MOTION
LEGALISATION OF TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY
Eleven Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on access to safe legal abortion services.
HON. SEN. MZENDA: Madam President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI): I move that the debate do now adjourn.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 22nd May, 2025.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. NYATHI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Thursday 22nd May, 2025.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT (HON. SIMBANEGAVI), the Senate adjourned at Twenty-six Minutes to Five o’clock p.m.