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SENATE HANSARD 02 APRIL 2025 Vol. 34 No. 40

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 2^nd April, 2025

The Senate met at Half-Past Two o’clock p.m.

PRAYERS

(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)

MOTION

CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE HON. CHEN. CHENHAMO CHAKEZHA CHIMUTENGWENDE

First Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the sudden death of the former Deputy President of the Senate Hon. Chen. Chenhamo Chakezha Chimutengwende.

Question again proposed.

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Hon. President Sir, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Thursday 3^rd April 2025.

MOTION

CONGRATULARY MESSAGE TO HON. MINISTER KIRSTY COVENTRY ON APPOINTMENT TO IOC PRESIDENCY

Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on a 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. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this motion which was raised by Hon. Senator Chakabuda.  This is a very pertinent motion.  It uplifts the women who have done well in our country.  Mr. President Sir, I want to thank Hon. Senator Chakabuda because when she presented this motion, she first told us about the background of Olympics.  Secondly, I want to thank the parents of Hon. Kirsty Coventry; you know very well that it is our parents who shape us because of the lessons that they give us when growing up. 

Children know that whatever their parents teach them, it is for the good of their future. The parents did their work of teaching their children but we want to thank the child for being teachable.  When we were called to State House to celebrate the achievement of Hon. Kirsty Coventry, she said that she started swimming at the age of nine and this was at a very early stage.  She had the desire to take her career further.  She pursued her academics together with the sport of swimming until she became an adult and got married. 

When she got married – I want to thank her husband because some men do not support their wives, her husband became one of her biggest cheerleaders and supporter in the area of swimming.  Her history of swimming and the medals that she brought to the country was also articulated well, which makes us proud as women and as a nation.  Because of our visionary leader in the new dispensation, he was able to recognize the talent in Hon. Kerstin Coventry.  Because of his clear vision, our President Cde. E. D Mnangagwa picked her and gave her a ministerial position in the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

He gave the ministerial position to a person who had passion for sport, someone who had brought medals to the country and someone who was able to encourage our young people so that they could get to her level. Many people used to belittle her, to undermine her as a Minister. In the 9^th Parliament, people were undermining her that they did not see her in the House and that she did not know anything about sports but she did not listen to that. She continued doing her work as she was given by the President and this has taken us to where she is today.

She continued revamping sports in our country. It did not end there, she also cast her eyes beyond the borders. She applied for the presidency of the IOC. Yesterday, we were told about how she applied, which was articulated very well by other Hon. Members. The position that she was given is very important. It is not important to her only but also to her family who worked very hard and also to our President who supported her vision of working for the country through sports as well as to the nation.

We are very happy, we are thankful that there is a woman who has done a first of its kind that she is the President of the IOC here in Africa, particularly here in Zimbabwe. We are very proud and happy for her because what she has done is a good thing. We are now on the world map because of what Hon. Kirsty Coventry did. If you go out of the country, you can say that you are proud to be a Zimbabwean because a good thing happened to us. So, Mr. President, I want to say that we must strive that as she has been given this presidency, we should endeavour to support her, to make her work easy and that she performs very well.

We know that she is capable but for a thing to come out very well, you should endeavour supporters who support you- that is my encouragement.

Mr. President, I want to congratulate our Army Commander who replaced Hon. Kirsty Coventry in the Ministry of Sports, Recreation Arts and Culture. We should embrace and encourage him in the area of sport in our country. We should not belittle him as a former soldier - people talk a lot.

We know that there was a motion that our stadia are not in a good state, that a lot of things need to be revamped. We know that he is new in this area. We must not undermine him but support him with ideas to help the Minister to succeed in this area.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I want to thank Hon. Chakabuda for tabling a motion which is very important to our country, especially to us as women. Thank you for giving me this opportunity Mr. President.

THE ACTING PRESIDENT (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): Thank you Hon. Senator Tongogara. Let me remind the Hon. Members to put their gadgets on silent so that they do not disturb others as they debate.

^{^^}HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to talk about the elevation of Hon. Kirsty Coventry and I thank Hon. Senator Chakabuda who moved this pertinent motion. I want to say congratulations to Hon. Kirsty Coventry.

Honourable President, today, is our day to celebrate as women, to support our colleague, a fellow woman who is one of the young women who have excelled. The woman we are talking about is a woman who is not just qualified but also has a natural gift of excellence. Hon. Coventry continues to excel, displaying her God-given gift, the expertise she has - the gift that she has had since her childhood.

         Hon. Coventry has uplifted Zimbabwe, the whole continent of Africa and the international world.  Mr. President, as women, we are really proud of Hon. Kirsty Coventry because we have witnessed her works and her deeds as she became a prominent figure. This has made it possible that other children and women can emulate her, especially in her achievements. It has been witnessed and it was before the whole world, that children who have a passion for sports are supposed to be promoted and also be encouraged in these activities and they should also widen this programme of sporting features into the rural areas, into the marginalised areas because we have seen that someone can earn a living out of it.

Mr. President, I feel really honoured and happy because this woman, Kirsty Coventry, ventured into sports while she was at a tender age.  You can witness the talent that she was given by the Lord, she did not give up on it until today.  She has reached this grand stage of being the IOC President.  The medals and the prizes that she brought home are countless.  She had a lot of accolades in her name while she was active in the sporting fraternity.

His Excellency the President nominated her to be the Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture.  The President did not nominate her because he liked her but because she deserved this post because she had a passion for sports from her heart.  She served in the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture as a Minister until this present day where she was then nominated to be the IOC President.  As an IOC President she has become a representative of the whole African continent.  It is really pleasing that she is the first woman and also the first here in Africa to occupy this position and not forgetting where she came from.  Zimbabwe is a country that a lot of people undermine and also think that there is nothing that can come out of it but out of this we had a wonderful leader who is now the IOC President.  She kept on raising the Zimbabwean flag higher and up to this present day, she is still raising the Zimbabwean flag higher.

How can we not be proud of this as women?  Each and every woman should be supporting her and encouraging her to continue serving in this post.  We are not even worried or ashamed as we see her serving because we know that she is a woman who is capable of delivering.  She will deliver in this current post. With these few words, Mr. President, a lot has been said and I feel that I have added my voice also.  We wish her well and we want her to continue in the shoes of success in this current position. We thank you.

HON. SEN. MATIBIRI:  Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me this opportunity to talk about a motion that is before this House which is seeking to enjoin this House to congratulate Hon. Kirsty Coventry on her historic ascendance to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee.

Mr. President, a lot has been said in this House and it is very difficult to find a new dimension to this beautiful story but I thought I could try my level best to look at it from another perspective which perspective I think does not depart at all from everything that has been said in this House concerning the historic success of Hon. Kirsty Coventry.  The history of the International Olympic Committee spanning 125 years has been chronicled well.  However, within that period, Mr. President, the International Olympic Movement as it is known survived two world wars and the cold war to be where it is today.

Emerging from these challenges, one of its key values and its key crucial role was the promotion of international understanding and peace.  So, the Olympic movement is known for promoting international understanding and peace between nations.  Why is this story on Hon. Kirsty Coventry so beautiful to the point of attracting the attention of this Hon. Senate that it must send its congratulatory messages?  I have tried to extract the five issues that make this story so beautiful and all of which, in one way or the other, have been said.  The success story is a testament to what a girl child can do. 

Mr. President, for one to pursue and succeed in life, what is needed is something called inspiration.  When the election was happening at the same time Zimbabwe was playing against Benin in South Africa, we drew in that match.  I was part of a crowd that was watching that game and the people who were watching this soccer match were focused on two things, the national team and the election. The election was happening so far away from the continent of Africa but Zimbabweans were following that election because it was a story that was giving them inspiration.  When I got home, the first thing that I heard from my wife was to say, we have done it.

I think Kirsty Coventry inspired so many girls in this country so much that they are saying anything is possible.  They now have an inner drive, an inner motivation that something good can come out of this and Kirsty represents that story.  So, I think I needed to single out that, the issue of inspiration.  Our young girls were inspired and that is a critical take home as we move forward.

Kirsty's story is a testament to what women can achieve.  This issue has been debated ad infinitum in this House. In the quest for equality between men and women, we have debated this issue.  What other examples do we need besides this beautiful story that she has demonstrated in ascending to the highest body?  Yesterday we heard the influence that the International Olympic Committee wields globally.  It is a testament to what Zimbabwe as a country can achieve.  Someone said in a posting on the online streets, it shows that Zimbabwe has not been forgotten.

Yesterday we heard other speakers saying this country may be perceived to be this and that but today we have broken that. Mr. President, we now walk tall.  Indeed, we do.  We are very proud. This is Zimbabwe. It goes beyond Kirsty Coventry.  So she has given us an identity. When we go out there, the first thing that we are also going to be known about is that we hold the presidency of the International Olympic Committee and that is so beautiful. It gives us integrity; it gives us decorum and it gives us an identity as a people. It is also a testament of what Africa can do. Africa at some point was  called the Dark Continent and I think as we celebrate here, this beautiful story is not going to end in this Senate or the Parliament of Zimbabwe but also in various parliaments across Africa. It is only noble and good that they do the same, to send their congratulatory messages on what we have achieved together as Africans.

In doing so, we are firmly placing this motherland on the international map in Africa and beyond and I also think it is a testament of what excellency can do. Hon. Kirsty Coventry is not there because she holds two gold medals and other medals as well. She is a champion when it comes to the pool, no two ways about that. I have taken time to look at the CVs of those who were participating. That is why they got the votes which we were told here. Hon. Kirsty Coventry was the most accomplished. She is the right person in terms of administering this Olympics movement. It is not about swimming, it is about understanding the whole matrix of managing the international Olympics movement. She was the best. So, she was the best in the pool and the best in understanding the whole movement of the Olympics. That is why it was very easy for her to succeed in the manner she did.

Obtaining more than 60% of the votes was because she was just the number one. What does this mean? It is not enough to be accomplished in terms of skills. It is equally important to have a theory of how things are done. This is what Hon. Kirsty Coventry is telling us. So, in summary, I am saying, as we congratulate and bid farewell to Hon. Kirsty Coventry, what are we exporting to the global stage? We are exporting exactly what we stand for as Zimbabwe; tenacity, perseverance, determination, courage and endurance. This is what we are exporting. So, those who are going to be looking at Hon. Kirsty Coventry on the international stage are going to see that everything is possible.

We are a shining example of all these things I have talked about and what we can achieve. Lastly, I have alluded to this point earlier on, that one of the key values of the International Olympic Movement, is the issue of understanding its promotion of understanding and peace within nations. Sports has become a very, very important instrument to promote regional and international diplomacy. Those things that may be difficult for us to solve at various stages, Hon. Kirsty Coventry can unlock. A positive word from her in respect of our motherland carries more weight than all of us combined.

We have, from our nation, an ambassador who is going to champion all the values that we stand for, all the visions that we want to achieve as a people. She carries and embodies and she is going to be very instrumental in advancing those things. Thank you.

*HON. SEN. BIMHA: Thank you Mr. President. I want to add my voice on what the Hon. Member has already alluded to and  supporting the motion raised by Hon. Senator Chakabuda. She is the one who raised the pertinent motion in this august House. Yes, we are congratulating the Hon. Kirsty Coventry for her excellency and being successfully nominated the President of International Olympic Committee. I also want to take this opportunity to speak about what she has given to us. First, she managed to unite the people of Zimbabwe despite their languages and she also managed to unite Africa as a whole. We have got many people who saw that they are good at doing other sporting activities. They went abroad and took citizenships in other countries because they thought when they are citizens for those countries, they will be celebrated.

Sometimes, they are ashamed to mention that they are from Africa or they are coming from Zimbabwe, claiming that they were born in these foreign countries. When it comes to Hon. Kirsty Coventry, she went to compete under the banner of Zimbabwe. Despite her skin colour, even if she decided to call herself a British, most people were not going to doubt but she decided to compete as a Zimbabwean. That way of thinking or that behaviour is something which unites the people. When she was doing well, securing different medals, she got those medals whilst she was called a Zimbabwean.

When we were celebrating these medals, we were happy that as a country we had got a medal. We did not even mention a name when it comes to medals but we could say that as a Zimbabwe we had managed to secure a certain number of medals. I also want to take this opportunity to thank our President, His Excellency Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa, who had a vision to take her and give a ministerial post in the Government. We all know that most of the people who are given ministerial posts are coming through politics after voting.

Most of them who are being selected to be Ministers, go through the process of campaigning and then voted and then being selected by the President to be part of the Cabinet but His Excellency has a certain number which he nominates. Hon. Kirsty Coventry is one of the Ministers who were nominated through that. His Excellency did see a talent in that. Some people did not appreciate her, they say the President only sees Hon. Kirsty Coventry as a swimmer but that swimming activity has put the Zimbabwean flag high. We would want to thank His Excellency who took her and gave her a ministerial post. We believe that the position given to Hon. Kirsty also helped her in terms of competing with other countries because she was seen as a person in a position of power. It also helped in her competition which led her to win among her competitors, hence we want to think it is the vision and the eye of the President to be able to identify that talent. The talent identified by the President on Kirsty Coventry managed to unite Zimbabwe. It is no longer an issue of Zimbabwe but an issue of Africa and upliftment of women because she is the first woman to hold that prestigious post.

We believe what happened to Hon. Kirsty is going to encourage us as Zimbabweans, as parents, as august House Members that when our children are good at a certain activity, we must encourage and support them so that one day they will be able to achieve big. Children can only perform well when their parents are supporting them and standing with them at all times. They chose to support her even if she represented under the banner of Zimbabwe. Her parents played a pivotal role in her success. Hence, we believe that what happened to her is going to be an inspiration to others, especially the youth. Our country is going to be prosperous and have more support. Thank you Mr. President for awarding me this opportunity.

*HON. SEN. MUNZVERENGWI:  Thank you Mr. President. I rise to add my voice on the motion raised by Hon. Senator Chakabuda concerning the success of Hon. Kirsty Coventry in taking the presidency of the Olympics. Hon. Kirsty Coventry is important to us as a nation. We thank His Excellency for being able to identify Hon. Kirsty Coventry for her talent when he nominated her as the Minister of Sports. She also managed to travel through the country where she managed to have enough knowledge on the issue of sport. That ministerial post also encouraged her to participate in the contest for the president of the Olympic Committee.

Mr. President, as women in the Senate being led by the President of the Senate, Hon. Sen. Marbel Memory who is also a woman, I wanted to say may this issue not end in this august House? May we write a document that we, as women and the august House sign and send to the Committee? As women, we are happy and proud of our fellow woman. Now, we have one of us, a Zimbabwean holding a prestigious post. We expect and believe in her that she is going to do a good job on this post.

Mr. President, we used to hear from the past years when we had other women like Margaret Thatcher, among others and right now we have got a female President from Namibia but as Zimbabweans, we managed to have a prestigious post of presidency of the Olympic Committee among all African countries. As Zimbabwe, we hold our heads high because of the achievement done by Hon. Kirsty Coventry. May this issue be published and be known the world over? We are going to continue to support and stand with her in her endeavours. Thank you Mr. President.

+HON. SEN. RICHARD NDLOVU:  Thank you Mr. President of the Senate for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank the Hon. Senator who moved this motion so that we come and deliberate whilst celebrating the position that was given to Hon. Kirsty Coventry. When we were growing up, we used to swim in different ponds and rivers in rural areas not knowing that swimming has a price. Then it was during the colonial times and black people did not have opportunities. We had opportunities after independence. Kirsty Coventry, like what my colleague has already said, has proved her expertise in swimming and excelling beyond and above others globally and she has brought several medals.

We thank His Excellency, President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa who, after noting her bright future and the expertise demonstrated by Hon. Kirsty Coventry, in his wisdom, appointed her as the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture. This has given her the platform to demonstrate her ability globally. This is not just a position that comes but she worked with fortitude and demonstrated that she is good and she deserves it. She was appointed on merit after it was noted that she was good. We appreciate the position that was given to Hon. Coventry.

We did not know that Zimbabweans could also get such positions but we knew that in soccer we have seen Peter Ndlovu and other players being appointed to different portfolios, today, we celebrate the prestigious appointment which has been given to Hon. Coventry to become the President of the International Olympics Committee. From today, we believe that Zimbabwe will be on the global map. She is not representing her family only but she is representing Zimbabwe globally, where she is going to demonstrate her expertise.

Mr. President, a lot has been said but we continue emphasising and congratulating Hon. Kirsty Coventry for lending this prestigious position. We believe that she is going to continue excelling. We also thank His Excellency, the President, who identified that talent and promoted her because she has demonstrated that she is capable and professional. When she is given an opportunity to demonstrate that, she has proved that she can do it and we believe that she is going to make Zimbabwe proud. She is going to promote the brand Zimbabwe to paint a beautiful picture of Zimbabwe. I thank you Mr. President for this opportunity.

HON. SEN. KABONDO:  Thank you Mr. President. I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to express my joy and happiness about Kirsty Coventry’s elevation to the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Firstly, I would like to thank Hon. Senator Chakabuda for bringing up this motion.  I have been listening to all the other Senators who have debated, and I just thought maybe I should go biblical; since this is a Christian nation. There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Can anything good come from Nazareth”? These were Nathaniel's words when Christ started preaching because he was from Nazareth and they looked down on Nazareth and said, “Can something good come out of Nazareth”? Philip's response to Nathaniel was, “Come and see for yourself”.

A lot of negative things have been said about our country, and people looked down on us because of all the things that were being said. They never thought or never dreamt anything like this could come out of this country. I want to acknowledge God in everything, since we are a Christian nation. Yes, we appreciate Kirsty’s hard work. We have seen how she started her swimming. We have been watching her grow and always cheering her up but in all this, the Lord was with her. Anyone could have been elected to be what Kirsty is today.

When people laughed at this country and said a lot of negative things, God was not yet finished with us. He showed the world that we still exist and that he still loves us, and has put our name up there through Kirsty Coventry, that we really appreciate. That is the reason why I have stood up, as a woman, a mother and a girl child, Kirsty has made us to lift our faces when we walk as women because we have one of us up there. Yes, we were really happy when our President became the Chairperson of the SADC, because everyone became the chairperson of the SADC.

We are so overjoyed and overwhelmed because it is a woman who is up there and that gives us pride. We thank God for that.

Now, when they ask us, or if they whisper because now they cannot say it loud, that can anything come from this country, when they whisper and say, is she really from there? We say, come and see for yourselves. Thank you so much.

^^HON. SEN. MALULEKE: Thank you, Mr. President, for awarding me this opportunity to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Senator Chakabuda, concerning the elevation of Kirsty Coventry to the position of President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Let me take this opportunity to thank His Excellency Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, who managed to scout the talent on Hon. Kirsty Coventry and gave her a ministerial post. His Excellency saw that it was not only going to end at a ministerial post, but today we are celebrating a prestigious position of presidency.

This issue is on us as women. We must also be able to identify talents amongst our children.   Some of our children are talented in building, swimming, others even in carpentry, among others. Even when Kirsty Coventry was swimming, we did not understand it very well as parents but at the end of the day, we managed to see that this sporting activity is very pertinent because she managed to bring home many medals. The flag of Zimbabwe was raised among all other nations. All this work, credit is given to women. So, for Hon. Kirsty Coventry, her dedication  managed to bring in fruitful results to the country. She did not look at her gender. So, as a nation, we must encourage everyone to work hard.

Right now, we are all celebrating as a country because of Kirsty Coventry. She had managed to secure a prestigious position and even the men who were competing with her, she managed to win against them. Hence, we thank this very noble activity, Mr. President.

I would like to encourage parents that when sending your children to school, you must not select them according to gender but we must encourage all our children equally. We do not know the future of someone but as parents, we must desist from selecting our children. Yes, we might know what happened yesterday but we do not know about tomorrow.

Let us also take this opportunity to thank His Excellency for supporting the girl child and all the women in the country for these initiatives. Thank you, Mr. President.

HON. SEN. CHAPFIDZA: I move that the debate do now adjourn,

HON. SEN. GWATURE: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Thursday, 3^rd April, 2025.

MOTION

BLENDING OF IMPORTED GASOLINE WITH LOCALLY PRODUCED ETHANOL

Third order read: Adjourned debate on the motion blending of fuel with ethanol.

Question again proposed.

HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I would like to express my appreciation to Hon. Senator Zvidzai for moving this important motion. It is important because it does affect our economy in many ways, as he pointed out.   I am sure and confident that he is aware of the advantages for blending our gasoline with ethanol.

Mr. President, just before I became a Senator in 2023, I had been the Chairman of the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe for a number of years. In that portfolio, all the blending happening in the country was happening under my watch. So, I am speaking from a position of knowledge of the advantages of blending with ethanol. There are two major producers of ethanol in this country, Green Fuel and Triangle.

Green Fuel produces about 80% of all the ethanol we use while Triangle produces about 20%. On the ethanol produced by Triangle, we entered into a partnership with the Government on a 50-50 basis. The major component that we use in our blending is produced by Green Fuel which is a private sector player. In terms of pricing, there is a lot of head-butting with Green Fuel so that we can get a competitive price. A lot of work still needs to be done in that regard. I do concede that point to Hon. Senator Zvidzai.

Let us move further and look at the advantages of blending ethanol with gasoline or petrol. Firstly, we have to look at the gases which come out of our exhaust pipes and what impact ethanol has got to those constituent gases which are emitted through the exhaust pipes. There is carbon dioxide as a primary gas. Ethanol has no impact on carbon dioxide. We know the beneficial effect of carbon dioxide in terms of environmental balance. When there is no carbon capture or areas are degraded, carbon then escapes and forms one of those greenhouse gases.

There are three major greenhouse gases which are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. There is another gas that comes out of our exhaust pipe called carbon monoxide, which is an odourless and colourless gas that is fairly lethal. It is highly dangerous. If Hon. Senator Zvidzai wants to take himself out of this world, he can hook a horse pipe to his exhaust pipe, take it into his car and he will drift off to heaven. Now, what is the impact of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere? It interferes with what are called OH radicals which are in the atmosphere which break down methane, one of the greenhouse gases. Where does ethanol come in? What does ethanol do then? Carbon monoxide is produced because of incomplete combustion. When you blend with ethanol, you increase your octane ratio. You increase the level of combustion. Therefore, there is complete combustion or as nearly complete as possible with minimal emission of carbon monoxide.

There is another gas which is also emitted through our exhaust pipes, nitrogen oxides. There are two components, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitric oxide contributes to acid rain and smoke. Nitrogen dioxide also contributes to smoke which is ground-level ozone. So, ethanol displaces some of the nitrogen components, particularly benzene which is carcinogenic and propane which is a big factor in terms of acid rain. So, there is a beneficial effect of ethanol which our Hon. Senator should be aware of as a chemist.

There are other components also coming out of our exhaust gases which are called hydrocarbons. Due to incomplete combustion, because ethanol is rich in oxygen, it has 35% oxygen by weight yet gasoline does not have any oxygen. It encourages complete combustion and minimal emission of hydrocarbons with a beneficial effect on climate change. Similarly, there are others called particulate matter which are also tiny particles. You have seen cars that will actually be emitting fumes, polluting the environment. 100% of all those cars that you see emitting objectionable material like that are not blended.

They are using petrol which is not blended. When you blend then, you improve combustion within. The particulate matter which is the soot, if you put your hand on your exhaust pipe you get black stuff which contributes to pollution. There is a beneficial effect. I will go on to illustrate that. There are also other areas where ethanol, because it is rich in oxygen, attracts water. At the level at which we are blending, there is no need to adjust some of the engine components. It does have an effect on some of those. It encourages corrosion. At the levels at which we are actually blending, the impact is fairly minimal.

The impression that the emotion gives is that the Zimbabwean Government is irresponsible by blending fuel. It is short-changing motorists. That is not the case at all. We have got to contribute to the amelioration of everything that actually contributes to climate change, particularly methane. Anything which is biodegradable and putrefies will always produce methane. It contributes to climate change.

Now, here are some of the countries that are blending-high ethanol blending countries. The highest, number one is Brazil, which blends at E20, which is ethanol or 20% in terms of ratio and also 100%. It uses two. 100% of those are specially made vehicles which use ethanol only. 20% we do it at 25%, which is quite a reasonable number.

Number two is the United States of America which commonly uses E10, with E15 and E85 available in some areas.

Number three is Thailand which offers E10, E20 and E85. These are high ethanol blenders and Zimbabwe is nowhere there.

India mandates E20 from this year. It is going to be E20 right throughout the country and number 5 is the European Union.  Most countries in the European Union use E5 or E10. Some like France also use E85. In terms of moderate ethanol blending countries, we have got China. China is expanding E10 usage nationally. It is still moderate and Zimbabwe is nowhere in the picture. Australia is number seven, it also uses E10. Canada, most provinces mandate E10, some allow up to E15 and Argentina uses E12, which is 12% ethanol. In terms of the lower ethanol blending countries, we have got South Africa, which plans to implement E10 but has not started yet.

Zimbabwe uses between E20 and E25. When I was Chairman, there were instances or periods where we dropped to E10, sometimes E5 because of availability and one of the mandates I was given was that we should build storage tanks so that we could blend evenly, uniformly throughout the year, which we did.  We opened them about two years ago and Hon. Senator Gotora was there. Zimbabwe is around number 11 and uses between E20 and E25. It is one of the highest blends in Africa and we are leading in that field because of realising the importance of climate change. Kenya is actually at the moment testing E10 and the Philippines uses E10 but is planning to use E20. Blending percentages vary due to factors in terms of availability of ethanol.

So, it is very important to actually acknowledge that Zimbabwe, as a country, we are on the cutting edge. We will take that moderate step, that small step, to play our part in terms of climate change and that is going to be recognised, not recognised here but recognised internationally.

Scientifically, it is proven that ethanol has a major impact on climate change in terms of reducing those gases which contribute to the ozone layer. Thank you, Mr. President.

THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Senator D. M. Ncube. I wish all that jargon could have been put in Shona or Ndebele because I am not sure whether I understood two or three of the jargon that we are talking about. Probably we are talking to Hon. Senator Zvidzai, I am not too very sure.

HON. SEN. MUPFUMIRA: Thank you Mr. President Sir, for allowing me to contribute to this very important topic and I would like to thank Hon. Sen. for bringing this to this Senate. I rise today to contribute to this critical discussion on blending imported gasoline with locally produced ethanol. This is not merely a fuel issue, it is a matter of national economic resilience, employment creation, energy security and environmental sustainability.

Ethanol blending has been successfully implemented in several countries, as highlighted by the previous speaker. I will not get into that and also, I am not a chemist, so I will not get into the chemistry. I will try to be a simple and ordinary Hon. Senator. Out of the countries the previous speaker talked about, I think it is also important to highlight that even the United States, through its renewable fuel standard, has integrated ethanol into its fuel mix, saving billions in foreign exchange and significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which is a topical issue, especially in this climate change era. Zimbabwe has made commendable progress in embracing blended fuel, but we must now advance our policies and investments to unlock the full potential of ethanol as a key driver of sustainable development.

By prioritising ethanol blending, we align ourselves with global best practices and pave the way for a future of energy independence and economic prosperity for our country. Employment creation and economic growth, blending fuel with locally produced ethanol has proven to be a powerful catalyst for job creation and economic expansion. The ethanol industry is a major employer, with companies such as Green Fuels and Triangle, among others, spearheading this transformation by providing thousands of jobs across multiple sectors.

Agriculture - thousands of farmers, including those in partnership with the Agriculture and Rural Development Authority (ARDA), are engaged in sugar cane cultivation, revitalising land that was previously underutilised. Green Fuels, through its partnership with ARDA, rents and operates estates where surrounding farmers are contracted to supply sugar cane, further boosting rural employment. Manufacturing and processing - workers in ethanol production plants are employed in refining ethanol to meet fuel standards.

Transport and logistics - the supply chain from sugar cane fields to processing plants and fuel depots has created additional employment opportunities. Retail and support services: Fuel stations, maintenance service providers, and research and development teams all benefit from the expansion of this industry. We can see everywhere we go, the effect of the blending on the many fuel stations which are in our country.

By increasing ethanol production and utilisation, Zimbabwe strengthens its economy, reduces dependency on fuel imports and retains critical foreign currency reserves that can be channelled into key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure development, et cetera. Fuel management and energy security - Zimbabwe has long faced energy insecurity and we are all aware. Exacerbated by reliance on fuel imports that are subject to global price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions, the expansion of ethanol blending offers a viable solution.

Energy independence - by substituting a significant portion of imported fuel with locally produced ethanol, Zimbabwe insulates itself from unpredictable global fuel price surges and supply shortages. Foreign currency savings - The country spends substantial amounts on fuel imports annually. Increased ethanol blending translates into millions of dollars in foreign exchange savings, thus reducing pressure on the national treasury and balance of payments.

• Regional Energy Competitiveness - neighbouring countries such as Malawi and Zambia have already embraced ethanol blending as part of their energy security strategies. Zimbabwe must consolidate its position as a leader in the region by fully utilising its ethanol production potential.

3. Renewable Energy – Ethanol derived from sugarcane is an environmentally sustainable and renewable energy source that aligns with Zimbabwe’s commitment to international climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically:

• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) – Ethanol blending contributes to reducing energy poverty by ensuring more affordable and accessible fuel.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) – The ethanol industry provides stable employment and stimulates rural economies.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action) – Transitioning to cleaner fuel alternatives plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions. Unlike fossil fuels, sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide during its growth cycle thereby offsetting emissions released during ethanol combustion.  This transition supports:
• Long-term sustainability through the continued use of local resources.
• A circular economy where agricultural by-products are converted into clean energy.
• Increased energy diversification, reducing reliance on non-renewable fuel sources.

4. Pollution Reduction and Climate Change Mitigation – the consequences of climate change are becoming more apparent in Zimbabwe, with increasing droughts, extreme weather events and declining agricultural yields. Ethanol blended fuels burn cleaner than pure gasoline, delivering multiple environmental benefits.

-        Lower greenhouse gas emissions, helping Zimbabwe meet its climate change commitments.

-        Reduction in air pollution, leading to improved public health outcomes and a decrease in respiratory-related diseases.

-        A transition towards a green economy, positioning Zimbabwe as a regional leader in climate-friendly energy policies.

         Countries that have adopted ethanol blending have reported significant reductions in carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels.  Zimbabwe must follow this path to protect both its environment and the health of its citizens.

5. Fuel Cost Management and Affordability – the economic advantages of ethanol blending extend to fuel affordability and price stabilisation. By integrating ethanol into the fuel mix, Zimbabwe benefits from:
   - Lower fuel import costs, leading to greater

    macro-economic stability.

• More affordable fuel options for consumers, especially when global crude oil prices surge.
• Enhanced engine performance and longevity, which reduces long-term maintenance costs for vehicle owners.

Reports indicate that Zimbabwe’s mandatory ethanol blending policy has already saved the country millions of dollars in foreign currency, with further potential for cost reduction as local production scales up.  Additionally, ethanol-blended fuels have been shown to improve fuel efficiency when appropriately blended, mitigating the economic impact of fuel price fluctuations.

6. Considerations and Challenges – while ethanol blending offers numerous benefits, it is imperative to address associated challenges to maximise its impact.

- Infrastructure Development – Increased investment in ethanol storage, transportation and blending facilities is needed to support national expansion.

-        Vehicle Compatibility – Public awareness campaigns must be intensified to educate motorists on the technical aspects and benefits of ethanol blended fuels.

- Agricultural Land Use – The balance between food security and bio-fuel production must be maintained through strategic land use planning.

- Environmental Considerations – Sustainable sugarcane farming practices must be enforced to prevent deforestation, excessive water usage and soil degradation.  With strategic policy interventions, these challenges can be effectively managed to ensure that Zimbabwe derives maximum benefits from ethanol blending.

In conclusion, ethanol blending represents a defining opportunity to reshape Zimbabwe’s energy landscape and economic trajectory.  It strengthens our economy, creates employment, reduces fuel costs and supports climate resilience.  To fully harness these advantages, we must:

• Expand ethanol production capacity to meet rising domestic and regional demand.
• Invest in awareness campaigns to gain public trust and acceptance of blended fuel.
• Enhance blending infrastructure to ensure efficiency in ethanol distribution and utilisation.
• Align policies to incentivise investments in renewable energy and climate-smart agricultural practices.

Zimbabwe possesses the land, expertise and industrial capacity to become a regional hub for ethanol-based fuel solutions.  Let us seize this moment to drive our nation toward an energy-secure, economically prosperous and environmentally sustainable future.

         HON.  SEN. ZVIDZAI:  I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. SEN. GOTORA:  I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume:  Thursday 3^rd April, 2025.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE GENDER COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD 2023

         Fourth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission for the period 2023 presented to this House in terms of Section 323 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe

Question again proposed.

HON. SEN. GOTORA:  Thank you, Madam President.  I move that debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE:  I second, Madam President.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume:  Thursday, 3^rd April, 2025.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND HERITAGE ON THE TRADITIONAL COURT SYSTEMS IN ZIMBABWE

         Fifth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Thematic Committee on Culture and Heritage on the Traditional Court System in Zimbabwe.

         Question again proposed.  

HON. SEN. CHITSAMBA:  Thank you, Madam President for the time you have accorded me to debate.  Secondly, I want to thank Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo for a very important motion on the traditional court system.  The House recognises the importance of the traditional court system in Zimbabwe and resolves to promote and support its development while ensuring its alignment with the country's constitution and laws.

The traditional court system in Zimbabwe has a rich history and plays a vital role in the country's justice delivery system.  The system, also known as the customary court system has been in existence for centuries and is based on the cultural and traditional practices of the various ethnic groups in Zimbabwe.  As we move forward in our quest to justice and development, it is essential that we recognise the value of the system and work towards promoting and supporting its development.

The traditional court system in Zimbabwe is rooted in the country's cultural heritage.  Before the arrival of colonialists, traditional leaders and elders played a crucial role in resolving disputes and administrating justice in their communities.  The system was based on the principles of restorative justice, reconciliation and community involvement.  It was also characterised by its accessibility, affordability and speed in resolving disputes.

The traditional court system in Zimbabwe is essential for several reasons.  It is more accessible to the majority of Zimbabwe, particularly those living in rural areas.  This is because traditional courts are located within the community, making it easier for people to assess justice.  The traditional court system is more affordable than the formal court system.  Litigants do not have to pay expensive legal fees and the process of resolving disputes in general is less costly.

The traditional court system involves the community in the resolution of disputes. This helps to promote social cohesion, reconciliation and restorative justice.  The traditional court system helps to preserve Zimbabwe's cultural heritage.  It promotes the use of traditional practices, customs and languages in the resolution of disputes. 

Despite its importance, the traditional court system in Zimbabwe faces several challenges, including lack of recognition.  It is not fully recognised by the formal justice system in Zimbabwe. This has led to a lack of coordination and cooperation between the two systems.  Traditional courts often lack the necessary resources, infrastructure and capacity to effectively resolve disputes.  There are inconsistencies in the application of traditional laws and customs which can lead to confusion and injustice.  There are also concerns that the traditional court system may not always uphold human rights standards, particularly with regard to the rights of women and children.

To address the challenges facing the traditional court system in Zimbabwe, this House resolved to recognise the traditional court system.  The Government should formally recognise the traditional court system and establish mechanisms for coordination and cooperation between the traditional and formal justice systems, providing resources and capacity building.   The Government should provide resources and capacity-building programmes to support the development of traditional courts and should establish standards and guidelines for the operation of traditional courts, including the application of traditional laws and customs.  The Government should ensure that the traditional court system upholds human rights standards, particularly with regard to the rights of women and children.

In conclusion, the traditional court system in Zimbabwe plays a vital role in this country's justice delivery system.  It is essential that we recognise the importance of this system and work towards promoting and supporting its development.  By doing so, we can ensure that justice is accessible, affordable and culturally relevant to all Zimbabweans.  I thank you, Madam President.

+HON. SEN. NYATHI:  Thank you Madam President for this opportunity.  I want to appreciate the motion that was moved by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo regarding cultural heritage, particularly in the governance of traditional leadership.

For someone to be a respected person, that person should be moulded following the different cultural norms.  There are some norms which follow traditional dictates.  There are some which fall under the law, whether it is traditional law.  In rural areas, such laws which fall under chiefs, headmen and local leadership sometimes apply to communities.  When cases are taken up by the Magistrates Courts, the High Court and other courts, you would find that sometimes people who are in rural areas are taken advantage of because they do not have resources.

So, it is important to empower traditional leaders and chiefs, so that they can handle cases from that level to avoid a situation where people have cases escalating to the higher courts.  They should also be permitted to be marriage officers.  When they are dealing with cases like weddings, they must be given the power to be marriage officers.

There are some practices that were there in the past, which we are no longer doing and these are affecting how we live and neglecting our cultural practises is not right.  We do not have cultural practices that are being perpetuated, so I urge people to embrace our culture so that we can keep and maintain cultures that were practiced in the past.  Sometimes you would find that there were places that were sacred, where people were not allowed to just go without following procedures but people now go there willy-nilly.  They just go there without regard for the cultural practices that must be observed.  Sometimes even when people are burying their relatives, you find young children being allowed to go, when young children  they are not supposed to go there.

Madam President, I just wanted to throw in a few words on this motion and I thank you.

^*HON. SEN. GOTORA: Thank you Madam President. Let me take this opportunity to add my voice about the report tabled by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo in terms of our culture and our courts. Our traditional courts are different from the English courts where you are oppressed by the law and you would feel it. Justice in our courts is arrived at and when you leave that courthouse, you could even have forgiveness from the person that you have offended.

         Our courts are there to rehabilitate the offender and not remove him from his community. We have had problems with those who are incarcerated using the English system and once they are incarcerated, when they come back to society, they will have difficulties in integration after sentence. The beauty about our traditional courts is that every court has a jury - those aides that assist the chief in dealing with the courts or the assessors. The magistrate has no jury or assessors. You will only be facing the magistrate and the prosecutor. Those are the players in the courtroom.

         In our traditional courtrooms, you will have assessors. These assessors, depending on your tribe, when you are in the Chinamhora courts, there will be women present. They will also be looking at the interests of the women to ensure that the women are not oppressed in that particular court. In the magistrate, you will just be facing a woman or a man, depending on the gender of the presiding magistrate who may not like either men or women. In the traditional courts, in terms of the report that was given by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo, it shows that there will be men and women who will be listening to the case. They will also be weighing the merits of the case. In the end, the offender is fined. This is how our court system arrives at dispensing justice in our traditional courts.

         My plea as far as these traditional courts are concerned, is that they should not start where they are starting from at the moment. They are starting from the aid. We would want them to go back to start at the village. If you have stolen a chicken, the village head will just try the case and deal with it. If it were possible, we urge each other to have this change so that the Traditional Leaders Act is amended to give more power to the traditional leaders from the village head up to the chief. What it means is that we now have an appeal system within this particular court setup. From the village head, you go to the headman and you then go to the chief. Like we do from the magistrate, you go to the high court and appeal the case. So, if you are not happy with the headman's ruling, you can go to the chief and that means we have an open system that deals with our case.

         These prisons that are full to the brim would not be full to the brim because a lot of these cases will have been dealt with at the grassroots level or in the communal homes or communal lands where we hold them. The antagonists from the traditional chief's court will not lose face. They will not behave like outcasts. They will still be treated as a member of the community despite the fact they have been fined a goat or a chicken. You are not taken away from your setup in society and it should remain as it is.

Over and above that, we want the cases that are tried by the English court system to be tried by the traditional courts. There should not be such an issue where cases would start from the magistrate's court. If there is a court that deals with issues, it must deal with all issues. In the past, even if you would have killed someone, you would be tried by the chief's court and if you were to be fined five years of capital, you would simply do that.

We were at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. Someone was made to pay a herd of 25 cattle by the chief because he had committed murder -he murdered five people. So, we want them to be close to the jurisdiction to deal with murder cases and there should be compensation. If you observe that you are a person who is not obedient or difficult to deal with, we will chase you away from our area and deport you to Gokwe. I am talking about what we do in our traditional courts. We would send you to Gandavaroyi. So, what I am saying is that these traditional courts should be strengthened so that people can find justice and live in harmony in their communities and so that the prison cannot be filled to the rafters by people with minor offenses. Furthermore, if you have been convicted at the village court, you can go to the headman and it does not cost money for an appeal. The other courts that we know of is, people with very minor offences, it takes them about ten years to appeal even when they have minor offences but it is very easy to prosecute your appeal in the Chief`s court. This is how I perceive this motion that was brought by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo. I only urge that it be strengthened so that we can live harmoniously in our home areas.  

HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Thursday, 3^rd April, 2025.

MOTION

CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS AND WATER STORAGE FACILITIES

         Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on climate change mitigation.

         Question again proposed.

         HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE: I second.

Motion put and agreed to

Debate to resume: Thursday, 3^rd April, 2025.

On the motion of HON. SEN. GOTORA seconded by HON. SEN. D. M. NCUBE the Senate adjourned at Twenty Minutes past Four o`clock p.m.