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SENATE HANSARD 11 SEPTEMBER 2024 VOL 33 NO 74

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Wednesday, 11^th September, 2024

The Senate met at Half-past Two o'clock p.m

PRAYERS

(THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT

SENSITISATION WORKSHOP ON HIV/AIDS

         THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the House that the NAC and its partners will conduct a sensitisation workshop on HIV/AIDS on Friday, 13^th September, 2024, starting at 0830 hours in the Multi-purpose Hall at the New Parliament Building. During the workshop, NAC and its partners shall provide free medical services such as cervical cancer screening, testing of BP, diabetes and HIV/AIDS, family planning services, amongst others to interested members. Accordingly, all Hon. Members are invited to attend this very important workshop.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Orders of Day, Numbers 1 to 2 be stood over until Order of the Number 3 has been disposed of.

HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second

Motion put and agree to.

MOTION

REPORT ON THE BENCHMARK VISIT BY THE ZIMBABWE PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS ON ADVOCACY ON ANTI-CORRUPTION

         HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move the motion standing in my name that this House takes note of the Report on the benchmark visit by the Zimbabwe Parliamentary Caucus on Advocacy on Anti-corruption, Electoral Reforms and the 10th September, 2024 671 10th September, 2024 operations of the Seychelles Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in advancing gender equality from 1st to 9th June, 2024.

         HON. SEN. FANUEL: I second.

         HON. SEN. MBOHWA:

Introduction

The Parliament of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Africa Development Bank co-funded a benchmark visit by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus to Mahe, Seychelles from the 1^st – 9^th of June 2024. The study's main objective was to understudy the role of women in advocacy for anti-corruption, electoral reforms and the operations of the Seychelles Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment.  The expected outcome of the visit was to equip Members of Parliament and staff with advocacy skills on anti-corruption issues and facilitate the ZWPC to develop its strategy for combating corruption. In addition, the ZWPC was also expected to share notes with the Seychelles Women Parliamentary Caucus (SWPC) on their operations and the strategies they are adopting to increase the number of women in Parliament.

Background

         Seychelles is among the countries that have taken initiatives to address corruption and promote transparency and good governance. According to the 2023 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Seychelles is ranked 20th out of 180 countries, scoring 71 points out of 100.  Seychelles is also ranked first in the Sub-Saharan African Region, ahead of Cape Verde at 30^th position with a score of 64 and Botswana at 39^th position with a score of 59. Zimbabwe on the one hand is ranked 149 with a score of 24, which is considered very low and implies high levels of corruption. While this is an improvement for Zimbabwe, more effort is still required to reach a score of 50 or more, which is considered to be a low level of corruption. Establishing the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles (ACCS) and the Whistle-blower Protection Act are some initiatives taken by the Seychelles government to combat corruption and promote transparency and good governance. Given this background, Seychelles was identified as the most appropriate country to visit.

         Objectives

• Understudy advocacy on anti-corruption issues by women in Parliament,
• To have an appreciation of the Seychelles electoral system,
• Learn Seychelles Women’s Caucus resource mobilisation for women's economic empowerment programmes in Parliament, and
• To benchmark the operations of the Seychelles Women Parliamentary Caucus.

Participants

The following Hon. Members of Parliament and staff participated in the activity; Hon. Maybe Mbohwa, ZWPC Chairperson & Head of delegation, Hon. Sethulo Ndebele, Hon. Anna Rungani, Hon. Concilia Chinanzvavana, Hon. Lucia Mudzingwa, Hon. Patricia Ndudzo, Mrs. C Mafoko, Chief Director, Information Services and Advisor to ZWPC and Mrs. P. Mtetwa, ZWPC Desk Officer and secretary to the delegation.

Meetings Attended

On arrival in Seychelles, the delegation participated in the following meetings;

1. Courtesy Call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Roger Mancienne

Hon. Mancienne expressed gratitude to the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) for identifying Seychelles as one of the best countries in Africa as witnessed by its low levels of corruption. He emphasised that corruption remains a priority for the country and as Parliament, through the SWPC, they continue to lobby the Government to put in place policies and legislation aimed at curbing corruption. He echoed that, ‘it begins with Parliament to achieve a corrupt free generation,’ hence, it was important for women in Parliament to lead in the debates on corruption. Hon. Mancienne advised that Parliaments must be the centre of excellence when it comes to doing business since it is the face of the people. He noted that any negative effects of corruption affect the constituencies, hence the important role Parliament plays in overseeing the work of the Executive.

The Hon. Speaker pointed out that Seychelles has managed to involve women in decision-making positions with more than 70% of women being in decision-making positions in both the government and the private sector. He acknowledged that having more women in the decision-making processes of the country has contributed significantly to the low levels of corruption in Seychelles. However, Hon. Mancienne noted with concern that it was only in the political arena whereby women were less represented. He attributed this to issues related to gender-based violence and cultural barriers since Seychelles is largely a matriarchal society, among other factors. He also noted that by being a small country, everyone in Seychelles has access to communication, i.e. radio and TV among others, which has made it easy to raise awareness on the negative effects of corruption.

He concluded by expressing sincere gratitude for the great work the Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe, Hon. Jacob F. N. Mudenda is doing at the SADC PF and IPU levels in contributing towards the strengthening of the institutions.

1. Meeting with the Seychelles Anti-Corruption Commission

(SACC)

The delegation established that the Seychelles Anti-Corruption Commission was set up in April 2016 after Seychelles had ratified UN AICCS in 2006. The Commission is an independent and self-governing body which only relies on the national budget allocated by the Ministry of Finance. The presenter was quick to highlight that Seychelles has managed to become number 1 in Africa due to the independence of the Commission. It was noted that Seychelles had adopted several strategies, which among others have managed to transform the country. These strategies included, among others, the following;

• Awareness programmes conducted in primary and secondary schools, tertiary institutions and communities so that the information was cascaded to homes,
• Improved the doing business conditions in Seychelles, whereby licences are processed within 5 working days.
• Legislative reforms were implemented aimed at supporting the ease of doing business approach by the Government,
• Political will by the former President which was also adopted by the current sitting president, and
• Strengthened the economic intelligence unit under the Seychelles Central Bank

To cement the gains already achieved, the Commission is seized with the development of the Whistle Blower Protection Act and secondary school module on corruption so that learning about corruption becomes part of the curriculum. I want to highlight that in Seychelles, the issue of corruption has also been incorporated into the curriculum where at secondary school, the students already learn about the bad impacts of corruption.  So, they learn at an early stage.

 In addition, the Commission established a Youth against Corruption campaign whereby some young people are identified as ambassadors in schools to lobby for the elimination of corruption among their peers and teach about the negative effects of corruption. The Commission continue to invest in prevention measures as well as working with the EU and Transparency International Seychelles in the fight against corruption.

The Commissioner prioritise the ‘declaration of assets’ procedure by both the public and private sector players. The President, Deputy President, Ministers and Members of Parliament are required to declare their assets every year and through freedom of information, the members of the public can view the declaration of assets. On the other hand, there is also a declaration of assets for all senior management in public service. The Freedom of Information Act of Seychelles is very clear and ensures that anyone who abuses or misuses the information acquired under the declaration of the asset will be prosecuted. In addition, the Anti-Corruption Act is constantly reviewed so that it remains relevant. She noted that since the establishment of the Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission has been amended 6 times as measures to improve, strengthen and empower the Commission to perform its mandate.  I thing they are right here if leadership were given to women, I think corruption will be less because women are afraid to do these things.  The caucus also met with the Seychelles Electoral commission, Chief Registration Officer Mrs.  Shina Bonface

While the Commission has prosecutorial powers, it has found it difficult to deal with all the cases, especially complex financial cases. However, the Commission works closely with the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre in the UK, which has the expertise in investigating complex matters. In addition, the Commission continues to work in partnership with other key stakeholders such as the Police, FIU and International Partners.   

She concluded by noting that corruption happens more at the level where decisions are made and by those who have access to decision-making powers. For Seychelles, having more women in decision-making bodies of both public and private institutions has contributed significantly to the reduction of corruption in the country, as women tend to shun corruption more than men.

1. Meeting with the Seychelles Electoral Commission (SEC) Chief Registration Officer – Ms. Sheena Boniface

The delegation met with the officials from the Seychelles Electoral Commission, whose mandate is to conduct free, fair, transparent, credible, and cost-effective elections and referenda to safeguard democracy in the country. Ms. Boniface pointed out that the SEC is governed by three main legal instruments, namely; the Constitution of Seychelles, the Elections Act of 1995 and the Political Parties (Registration and Regulation) Act of 1991. The Commission was established in 1991 and has since then undergone several amendments, which have given birth to the current institution. The electoral reforms of 2017 resulted in an amendment to the Elections Act in 2018, which increased the number of Commissioners from five to seven and the appointment of a permanent Chief Electoral Officer to oversee the running of the Secretariat. This amendment was very key as it ensured a complete separation of power between the Commission and the Secretariat.

The presenter highlighted that the current National Assembly system of Seychelles included only the First Past the Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR). 26 of the National Assembly members of the Seychelles Parliament are elected through the FPTP while the remainder of the 9 are through PR based on the percentage of votes received by each party. A party gains one additional seat for every 10% of the total national vote received.   However, Seychelles does not have a women’s quota system which has contributed to more women in Parliament in Zimbabwe.

However, the delegation established that the nomination fee for the Presidential election is SCR 15,000 (approximately USD985) while for the National Assembly is SCR 1,500 (approx. USD98), compared to Zimbabwe whose nomination fees are pegged at USD20 000 and USD1 000 for the presidential candidate and Member of Parliament respectively.

One important aspect that Ms. Boniface highlighted was that the Commission is the registrar of political parties and has the power to terminate a political party for not meeting the electoral requirements. It was noted that plans are underway to review the electoral laws and have political parties’ constitutions include a clause that mandates them to put more women in Parliament. 

1. Meeting with the Seychelles Women’s Parliamentary Caucus

The delegation met with its counterpart Caucus, the SWPC, which was established to allow women in Parliament to work across political party lines and amplify the voices of women. It was noted that the Seychelles electoral laws did not have any provisions for the quota system in any format, i.e, women or youths. It was highlighted that the SWPC comprised only nine women out of the 35 seats in Parliament, which is 26%.

It was highlighted that the SWPC operates just like any other committee of Parliament and meets at least once or twice a month. The Parliament of Seychelles did not have any committees which focused on gender or women’s affairs as is the case with Parliament of Zimbabwe. Therefore, the Caucus operates as both an oversight committee and an advocacy group of female MPs to lobby for women’s rights in Parliament and the nation at large.

In addition, the SWPC works closely with the National Youth Parliament. Some of the achievements by the SWPC include, among others, the following;

• A motion to introduce the provision of sanitary wear in schools,
• Advocacy for the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act in 2020,
• Capacitation of the female MPs in Seychelles Parliament,
• Presentation of its annual report in Parliament

The SWPC is funded through the Parliament budget while the Civil Society Organisations complement government efforts.

1. Meeting with Committee on HIV/AIDs, SRHR &

Communicable Diseases

The delegation learnt that the Committee is tasked with the mandate to implement the governance project under the SADC PF. The Committee works closely with the line Ministries to provide oversight and review laws to suit the modern environment. The government continues to invest heavily in the health sector and every Seychellois woman has access to free family planning clinic and maternal health.  Very few cases of rape have been recorded in the country and there is a clear pathway to handle such cases for abortion of such pregnancies. On the other hand, the judicial has taken priority of rape cases so that cases are handled expeditiously. As a country, they are also seized with early child pregnancies and sex indulgence. However, the government has also introduced the Re-Entry policy, which has offered school-going girls the opportunity to go back to school after giving birth. We met with the Minister of Youth, Sport and Family Affairs. 

Courtesy Call on the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Bernard Georges

Hon. Georges emphasised the need for the SADC region and Africa to work hard to close the perception of women’s participation in politics and Parliament to achieve complete gender parity in all sectors of the economy. As a country, they are still trying to put in place a system aimed at achieving gender parity in politics. There is a proposal to adopt the zebra or rotation cycle in every constituency. Women make up more than 50% of the population in most countries hence the need to also have adequate representation at all decision-making processes. He also emphasised the need for women and men to work together in this fight for gender equality. He noted that women in Seychelles are completely empowered across the board except for politics and parliament. He urged the women to emulate Mexico, which now has the first female president ever, in its history.     

1. Courtesy Call on the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Sebastien Pillay

Hon Pillay noted that women's advancement has been the strength for the Seychelles given that the majority of women are educated and occupy decision-making positions in the Executive and Judiciary arms of Government. He noted that it is only the legislative arm which is lagging with most women shunning the political field. He then emphasised the need for women caucuses to adopt affirmative action programs as is the case in Rwanda to attain gender equality in their countries. He noted that the advancement of women was essential given that women constitute about 51% of its population. There are proposals for all party constitutions to adopt the 50/50 balance when fielding candidates for the next elections. Hence, he urged both the SWPC and the ZWPC to ride on the support they always get from the August house when they table reports. 

1. Visit to Women in Action and Solidarity Organisation (WASO)

The delegation was informed that the organisation was founded in 2006 to empower Seychelles women to improve their lives. The main intention was to empower women to start their businesses or deal with gender-based violence. The organisation works closely with the Commission on Economic Empowerment of Women to give out business start-up loans for women. The women also get national grants from the government and the private sector through their corporate social responsibility. WASO offers vocational training programmes, which include among others, baking, sewing, cooking, including lessons on how to run export trade businesses. Given that Seychelles has a lot of fish, women are also encouraged to participate in the fish industry, particularly the export business.

1. Meeting with the Minister for Youth, Sports and Family Affairs, Mrs Marie-Celine Zialor

The delegation met with the Minister of Youth, Sports and Family Affairs, Mrs Marie-Celine Zialor, which houses the gender portfolio given its mandate to deal with family matters. The Ministry is responsible for the well-being of children, the elderly, what I noticed Mr. President is Seychelles looks after its elderly and persons  with disability and gender portfolio issues. The Ministry fully takes charge of the food, healthcare – I think, what I can say is, they are in total control of all old people’s homes and this is something we should emulate as a country. However, it was noted that the Ministry is particularly seized with addressing issues to do with drug and alcohol abuse among the youths, an elderly population which requires universal access to health care facilities and early child pregnancies, among others. The Ministry is mandated to come up with comprehensive social welfare programmes aimed at addressing some of the challenges highlighted. Mrs Zialor also highlighted that her Ministry works closely with the National Youth Assembly to engage young girls and boy leaders in decision-making. She noted that her Ministry prioritises prevention and advocacy programs as measures to reduce drug abuse, early child marriages and so on.

Lessons Learnt

The following lessons were observed;

1. That women dominate most decision-making positions in Government, which has considerably contributed to the reduction in corruption. Also, Seychelles is a matriarchal society whereby women wield significant influence at home and in the public sphere. For example, from the discussions during the visits, the delegation established that close to 70% and 40% of women were at the management level in both the public and private sectors respectively.

When we are talking about education Mr. President, in Seychelles, most women are the educated ones and hold influential positions in offices.  The men, I do not know what is happening?  I really do not know what is happening, they leave school early, go into fishing, even when you are walking in the streets, you will see that men are the ones who will be loitering in the streets whilst women are at work.  It is the women who look after the children – it is a matriarchal society.

2. That educational achievement in Seychelles is close to gender-equal, with slightly more post-secondary schooling among women than men. It was observed that girls and women in Seychelles have equal access to education and in most cases, girls and women outperform boys and men in schools, universities and colleges. This innovative policy has been instrumental in dismantling the entrenched patriarchal structures that have historically marginalized girls and women in accessing education.
3. The delegation was deeply impressed by the independence of the Seychelles Anti-Corruption Commission to perform its mandate, particularly, implementing the ‘declaration of assets’ procedure by both the public and private sector players.
4. The establishment of a multi-partisan Women's Caucus, for instance, the SWPC and the ZWPC has provided a crucial platform for women legislators to collaborate, share best practices, and collectively advocate for their constituents' needs. However, Seychelles and Zimbabwe are still lagging in terms of attaining 50-50 gender parity as Seychelles and Zimbabwe Parliaments have 26% and 33% women representation in Parliament respectively. While Zimbabwe has the women’s quota, Seychelles is yet to adopt a strategy to increase the number of women in its Parliament. For Zimbabwe, while the women’s quota has contributed to the increase in women's representation in Parliament, this has not resulted in the attainment of a Parliament that is gender equal. Thus, SWPC is currently lobbying for the Government to adopt the Rotational principle or zebra formation at the constituency level to enable both males and females equal chances of representing their constituencies.
5. That the SEC has the right to register and deregister political parties. For Zimbabwe, the ZEC is yet to be empowered to register and deregister political parties.

Recommendations

In light of these invaluable lessons, the ZWPC would like to propose the following recommendations for consideration by Parliament:

1. The ZWPC to engage the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to share its experiences from the benchmark visit and explore the best ways to involve women leaders or parliamentarians in the fight against corruption (by June 2025).
2. The ZWPC to engage the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to explore the feasibility of implementing a gender parity law such as the Rotational or Zebra formation at the constituency level to ensure equal representation of women and men in Parliament (i.e. out of the 210 Constituencies), the women get half and the males get half and this proposal is implemented on a rotational basis (by June 2025).
3. The ZWPC engages the Government and advocates for the ZEC to be awarded the powers to register and deregister political parties that do not implement the provisions stipulated by the Constitution under Section 17 (On-Going).
4. The ZWPC to develop its own Anti-corruption Strategy aimed at involving women leaders in advocacy against corruption during this 10^th The strategy includes, among others, how the Caucus will engage the Public and Private sectors, including schools and universities in raising awareness of the negative effects of corruption on the nation at large (by June 2025).

Conclusion

The benchmark visit by the ZWPC delegation in Seychelles has underscored the immense value of cross-border collaboration and knowledge-sharing among women in politics. The visit has undoubtedly served as a fountain of inspiration and mutual support as the ZWPC navigate the complex terrain to advocate for the increased participation of women leaders in fighting corruption and increasing the number of women in Parliament. Indeed, Zimbabwe can make significant strides in enhancing women's political leadership and representation if some of the lessons presented in this report are adopted by the august House. I thank you Mr. President. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –

^*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA:  Thank you Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to debate on this motion on the visit undertaken by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus led by the Chairperson Hon. Senator Mbohwa.

Firstly, I would like to thank our Parliament, Hon. Speaker and Madam Speaker who saw it fit that Seychelles is doing better than us so a delegation should go and learn because if there is something good, it is good to emulate and put it into practice - at the end you will perfect.  I also would like to thank the Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly for a good job he is conducting considering that he is influencing a lot of progress on SADC PF.  It is very important for us because we know that we are all in SADC and Zimbabwe is leading through the leadership’s exemplary work.  For the progress of SADC PF, whereby SADC programmes will come up that will improve the livelihoods of our people. 

Mr. President, I would like to touch on the good work happening in Seychelles and how they protect their whistleblowers.  We brought up a Bill here that debated on protecting whistleblowers especially with regards to corruption matters so that they are safe.  So, I think, we are also doing a good job just like what Seychelles is doing.   I think, we should get started, like the report says, they start teaching children on corruption whilst they are still in school.  When children are taught those things at a tender age, they learn good principles at that age, that child grows up with good discipline and whatever the child learns will remain in the head and those are the values the child cherishes. In the end that helps as we always say our children are future leaders so in that way, we give them a good background of condemning corruption.

         Mr. President, this is something that I think will help us as a country.  If we can emulate that and put it into our school curriculum and education system all the way from ECD as the children grows, it will help us. The other thing that I liked in this report is that Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, ensures that there is adequate funding which is meant for good healthcare.  If somebody leaves home when sick, they must be able to access medication when they get to the hospital.  So if we can also emulate that. 

There is a lot that is happening through our Ministry of Health and Child Care such as ensuring the procurement of medicine, but learning from others is a good thing.  As you plan on how best we can conduct our health institutions, we can inculcate the information we get from others. Since they are saying they adequately fund their health system, how did they do it?  So, our health system can also get to know how they can get adequate funding and because of that, they are saying there were few rape cases reported.  So maybe this is what helps.  If they get adequate medication in hospitals, maybe rape cases can be few.

         I would like to applaud the Zimbabwean Government on what they are calling re-entry whereby if a girl child is impregnated, they can proceed with their education later, although there are some issues that need to be ironed out.  Remember I raised a motion that some of the impregnated girls find it difficult to complete their education. So, I think even if there are some other things that we need to learn, that is a good thing that we need to applaud ourselves on.

         The report says there is a declaration of assets if you are in a leadership position. You are supposed to declare your assets.  That is very helpful in curbing corruption because if you declared that you had one car or two hoes, then later we discover that you have more, then there should be an analysis of what you earn vis-a-vis the assets that you have accumulated. So indeed, here there are forms where we declare our assets, but by the time we leave, is there anyone who makes a follow up to ensure that what you declared is much different from what you have.  So I think that is where the gap is. Such a good law should ensure that there are no loop holes.  At the end of the leadership term, an audit must be carried out to compare what you declared and what you have since accumulated and we ensure that it was not through corruption.

Mr. President, there were also gender issues that were raised on the 50/50 between males and females.  I think in here, we have been talking of that for a long time but my request Mr. President, is that the 50/50 issue has been said a lot of times here. However, if you see, the recommendations that were made by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus our Constitution on Section 17 is very clear on how we can get 50/50 from top to bottom in local authorities.

So, it is a request that those who are in charge of laws should ensure that the provisions of the Constitution are implemented.  If it is rectified, then ZEC will be able to control the political parties.  As they field their candidates, they will disqualify them if they do not follow the requirements.  We are crying foul because Rwanda has women and the like, but we have that opportunity according to what people said when we put the new Constitution.  Let us rectify this and implement the 50/50 aspect.

Mr. President, I would like to summarise by applauding the delegation that went, learnt and brought a report.  If we look at the report on what they saw and their recommendations, if we were to follow that, we will be much more advanced.  Right now, we are talking about Seychelles and curbing corruption.  If we follow that, I think that will be a very good thing.  At the end we will be a Zimbabwe that is good, that will be admired because we would have done our things in a good way. 

I thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to debate on this report by the Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus.  I thank you.

HON. SEN. MBOHWA:  Mr. President, I move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. TONGOGARA:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume:  Thursday, 12^th September, 2024.

MOTION

HUMAN AND WILDLIFE CONFLICT

Fourth order read: Adjourned debate on motion on human-wildlife conflict.

Question again proposed.

*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to also add my few views on the motion raised by Hon. Senator Mohadi, which speaks to the human-wildlife conflict. 

Mr. President, as we grew up, we would stay in our area but our father would go into the bush to hunt, which means that is where there were animals.  This means there was order, there was the side where humans lived and another side where wildlife would live but right now, there is no longer that demarcation.  Animals are now coming into human residential areas.  When they encroach, that is where the problem begins and you will hear stories of residents being attacked by lions.

Now, you can easily hear that humans are being attacked by animals, and that disturbs humans.

Therefore, we want to analyse what is happening.  In the past, animals used to stay in the bushes, but now they are coming encroaching into where humans reside. It is because of climate change.  The environment has changed and we do not know the best way forward.  Rainfall patterns have since changed, we have been receiving poor rainfall and people can no longer grow crops and harvest successfully.  Animals are no longer getting their pastures for grazing, which causes them to encroach on human residential areas. 

Animals used to live in their parks where they were enclosed but because of vandalism in this country where even if something good is built, someone thinks of vandalising it.  So, that is the problems that is making animals stray from National Parks, they are no longer fenced.  Such an important thing like a fence and someone vandalises and uses it to make a foul run to keep only two chickens to eat at their homestead without considering the effects that those many wild animals may end up straying and destroying livestock and humans.  So, we have a problem.

According to the report in that motion, more than 400 people have been killed by wildlife.  More than 40 have been injured, while 60 were seriously injured.  Some of them might have lost limbs and got life-changing injuries.

So, Mr. President, that programme, the CAMPFIRE programme that was there because of those people who live in the buffer zones between wildlife parks and human residential areas was very helpful.  I do not know what can be done to ensure that the demarcation and the fences can be restored.  People live close to National Parks; I think the Ministry of Finance should allocate funding to ensure the separation of human beings and wildlife.  I know that it is possible because if people are to be allowed to think about how best to do it, it has happened in the past so it can happen again. 

The other problem is that our people suffer because of lack of knowledge.  If they are taught, I think they can then appreciate the importance of fences.  That awareness can be very helpful because they become aware that this is the cause of the problem and perhaps, they can avoid uncontrolled destruction or cutting down of trees and people will then appreciate and gain knowledge. We cannot leave that task to one person; those people stay wherever they reside under chiefs.  So, chiefs are very important in those areas and they are very powerful in the communities where they stay.  So, such a programme should ensure that the chiefs are approached to discuss this issue.  The human-wildlife conflict can then be discussed and a proper programme to educate communities can be conducted.

In addition, there must be a programme to train game rangers so that they also get better knowledge when they track dangerous wild animals, they must know the best way to safeguard their livelihood.  This is part of the awareness and education programme so we do not lose lives.  The statistics of people dying for, example 400 people died because of wild animals.  It is a very sad thing, so as a country, we must try to correct this issue.

I also thank Hon. Senator Mohadi for raising this important motion.  I thank you.

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

         HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

         HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that Orders of Day, Numbers 5 to 10 be stood over until Order of Order Number 11 has been disposed of.

         HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES TO HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA ON ASSUMPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY OF PAP

         Eleventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion that a congratulatory message be conveyed to Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira on his ascendancy to the Presidency of the Pan-African Parliament.

         Question again proposed.

         HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to wind off the motion. I would like to thank all Hon. Senators who contributed positively to this motion which attempted to congratulate our own chief, Senator Chief Charumbira for his assumption and election victory to the Pan African Parliament (PAP). I will not attempt to mention Members by name as all the speakers were very positive and were happy that us Zimbabweans can lead even in the international arena, especially us chiefs as we are born leaders – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear] – This is for Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is showing it. We are reading it in papers and seeing it on television. The flag is flying high. Without much ado Mr. President, may I therefore now move for the adoption of the motion that this House:

INSPIRED by the historical achievement of our luminary and visionary icon Hon. Sen. Chief Fortune Zephaniah Charumbira on his assumption of the Presidency of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), on Monday, 25^th March, 2024;

COGNISANT that this accomplishment is not only an honour and victory for our proudly Zimbabwean Traditional Leadership and the Nation as a whole, but a defining moment for the entire Sub-Saharan Region;

FULLY EMBRACING the glorious honour bestowed on Zimbabwe as a country, this House profoundly expresses its warmest congratulations to our illustrious son of the soil on this momentous occasion and wishes him well during his tenure at the pinnacle of the Continental Parliament; and

RESOLVES that its congratulatory messages be conveyed to Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira and the august Senate; put and agreed to.

MOTION

REPORT ON THE 55^TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY SESSION OF THE SADC-PARLIAMENTARY FORUM HOSTED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF ANGOLA IN LUANDA

         Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report on the 55th Plenary Assembly Session of the SADC-Parliamentary Forum hosted by the Parliament of Angola in Luanda.

         Question again proposed.

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

         HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024.

 

MOTION

IMPROVEMENT ON SERVICE DELIVERY BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on challenges bedeviling local authorities in the provision of services.

         Question again proposed.

         HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA:  Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to debate the motion by Hon. Sen. Mavenyengwa. Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, as we gather in this House today to deliberate on the motion moved by Hon. Mavenyengwa, we stand at a crucial crossroads in our nation’s development. The commendable efforts of His Excellency, President Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa, in the construction and rehabilitation of our country’s roads, indeed warrants praise and recognition. Good infrastructure is undeniably the backbone of service delivery and a catalyst for sustainable development.

         However, it is essential to recognise that the path to transformation and progress is fraught with challenges that are deeply rooted within our local authorities, both those governed by the ruling party and those led by opposition parties. The persistent challenges faced by local governance cannot and should not be untangled from a purely partisan perspective. It is imperative that we drill down to the real issues that impede effective service delivery.

         While we commend the advancements made at the national level, we must confront the daunting reality at the local level, where years of neglect and mismanagement have left indelible footprints in our urban and rural centres alike. The deterioration of service delivery which encompasses water reticulation, waste management, healthcare, and much more, is a collective concern that transcends the boundaries of party affiliation.

         We find ourselves in a situation where local authorities, hamstrung by a lack of autonomy, are unable to meet the expectations of the citizens they serve. This brings us to a critical point; Section 273 of our Constitution mandates the establishment of Metropolitan and Provincial Councils. Yet, we stand here today without the legislative framework required to enact these provisions. Why have we fallen short? The delay in enacting the necessary laws have stymied the potential for devolution, which would empower local authorities to effectively govern and address local issues with immediacy.

         We must reaffirm our support for the devolution of services and functions of Local Government as enshrined in our Constitution. The decentralisation and devolution policy holds the promise of operational autonomy for local authorities, enabling them to respond swiftly to the specific needs of their communities. When the centre holds too much power, we stifle innovation and local initiative. Local authorities should be allowed to make decisions that affect their jurisdictions without unnecessary delays and bureaucratic impediments that originate far from their locals. We must remember, as the President, Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa always says that, ‘Ilizwe liyakhiwa labanikhazi balo’. We must remember that and move forward with it. The local authorities are banikhazi belizwe lelo and they should continue to run Ilizwe as they see it fit.

         Furthermore, we must also recognise that the myriad issues affecting service delivery are not limited to the actions or inactions of the local authorities alone. They are also exacerbated by overarching frameworks set by central government. How can we expect effective service delivery when local authorities are burdened by the non-submission of royalties, poor access to long-term funding, and competition from government departments seeking to collect taxes, an activity traditionally within the purview of local governance?

         Honourable Members, let us focus our energies on collaboration rather than division. I urge all stakeholders, central government, local authorities and citizens to work collaboratively towards achieving significant improvements in service delivery. We must approach these challenges with a mindset dedicated to solutions, not blame.

         In conclusion, we must heed the call for legislative action to establish and empower our Provincial and Metropolitan Councils. Only then can we transform our local governance landscape into one that truly meets the needs and expectations of all our citizens. Let us be reminded that our actions today will shape the well-being of future generations of Zimbabweans. As I conclude, I ask that we all self-introspect as Parliament because we are an arm of Government and remember we are the voice of the people. We have robust discussions in this House and actionable recommendations. Thank you.

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

         HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024. 

MOTION

SHORTAGES OF WATER IN CITIES AND OTHER TOWNS

Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the perennial water shortages in the cities of Harare and Bulawayo.

Question again proposed.

+HON. SEN. C. NDLOVU:  I would like to thank Hon. Ritta Ndlovu for bringing this motion to the august House.  The issue of water is very important.  If you look at places like Bulawayo, it goes for three to five weeks without water.  What we are looking at Madam President, is that it might rain around October and November.  If it does not rain, the people of Mthwakazi will die as well as livestock and wild animals.  If we look at the Gwayi-Shangani in 2009 up to 2010, we heard that the dam is under construction.  Up to date, it is still being talked about.  It is now 14 years if I am not mistaken.  So, if it does not rain this year, how are people going to live?  I thought as the Upper House, we should be careful as Government that people will die.  What sort of relief can Government provide as a matter of urgency to ensure that the water from Gwayi-Shangani can start supplying all of Matebeleland?  The whole of Matabeleland does not have water. 

We are expecting that Government can look into the devolution funds so that the funds may be channeled to Gwayi-Shangani so that people can get livelihood because water is life to people.  If we go for two to three months without water, it means we are going to die.  I thank you.

HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI:  Let me express my appreciation Madam President for allowing me to input to this very important debate submitted to this august House by Hon. Sen. Ritta Ndlovu. Water is life and it is just a best principal that each one of us here got to understand from primary school level that 75% of the human body is water.  This is why then it translated to this very important message that water is life and life is water.  What that means as the nation and as planners and as representatives of the people, we must put issues of water right at the forefront of all the initiatives that we ponder and sculpt for the development of the country. 

Everything else should be at the back burner and head of the queue should be water.  Consequently, it means that when we look at our key policy document on furthering these interests, the budget, we need to make sure that we push very heavily for the budget to lean towards making sure that there is water adequacy in the country.

         Hon. Sen. Ndlovu, speaks particularly about water shortages in Harare and Bulawayo.  I would like to just let Hon. Senators know that the key purpose of local authorities, when local authorities were born or thought of, the key thing was that they were sanitary authorities.  There were issues around water in the disposal of liquid waste, that is recyclable water.  So, we must always be thinking about this. 

It is an embarrassment today that people do not access drinking water in Harare so as in Bulawayo.  Bulawayo is a lot better, they learnt from the past that water was their key weakness and they invested so much in understanding the importance of water.  This is why, in spite of Bulawayo and Matabeleland being the most deprived in terms of raw water, they are still a lot better in terms of the use of the scarce resource that they have.

         The local authority there, emphasises water.  They have a whole committee on future water, which means that they spend most of their days and nights burning the candle to always make sure that the precious liquid is available.  They need Government support; the local authority needs the full support of the Government to ensure that the people of Bulawayo can defeat the adversity of shortage of raw water.  I am sure that the issues around the management style – the management of water issues in Bulawayo could then be replicated throughout the country. We can have more support in pushing them to further and better excellence than what they are doing at the moment.  I must applaud the City of Bulawayo for understanding the adage that, water is life.

         Madam President, the whole country, when we look at Rural District Council, Urban Local Authorities, the issue of water is a huge block.  So, needless to emphasise the need for interventions that make sure that this issue is taken care of. What is the problem?  What is the value chain?  We are dealing with raw water, which is the key issue and with climate change and departure from our own traditional practices on inviting sufficient raw water, we need to look at that aspect of the value chain.  With respect to this, I would like to specifically refer to the capacity of traditional leaders to reinvent the methods, going back to basics, going visiting Njelele again… – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – so that we pray for water and get it. 

We must believe in our traditional knowledge systems.  We must believe in those methods that applied years yonder and people used to get land water.  I know Hon. Sen. Gotora, Hon. Sen. Makamba and I, are ready and traditionally we the people who were sent to make sure that we pray for the water in Njelele.  I spoke to my brother there, the Sokos, he knows and he is agreeable that we are available to do that as the people that are the rainmakers.  – [HON. SENATORS:  Hear, hear.] –

         The second aspect is Government deliberately makes sure that we – Hon. Sen. Mackenzie Ncube, as well, is one of us with respect to his capacity to talk to the Lord so that we can have sufficient raw water.  Once we have done that, the next step should be taken by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to make sure that all this water is harnessed so that most of these rivers are trapped and not allow all this water to just go to waste flowing in the direction of the seas. 

         As it is, the truth is that there is scarcity of water.  What can be done in pursuit of conserving this resource?  We need to make sure that we get into new technologies. If you look at our flushing systems, we need to be thinking green.  Our flushing systems in the toilets – these are very wasteful because we have stayed in the olden technology of these flushing systems. We could actually do with a third of the water that we use at the moment.  – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] - Go back to your hotel rooms and just notice the falls that you create each time you flush, it is huge – it is a lot of water. 

         I applaud the Chinese, for example, for the invention they have made around the flushing systems.  Where you use five gallons to flush your toilet, the Chinese innovations can use just one gallon, we need to move in that direction. It is not possible for individual Zimbabweans to go and uproot the systems they have – they have to invest, deliberate investment driven by the Parliament, driven by central Government to make sure that we go green with respect to our sanitation in our homes. 

         The other thing is recycling.  The people of Zimbabwe frown at recycling.  To imagine that you can drink the water that you have  used to flash down waste is perhaps almost unimaginable. The technology is there to make sure that all the sewage that we allow to just go to waste can be recycled to pure water.  Equal purity as in still water.  We have to accept it and we have to push for recycling and if we do that, it also means that the demand on our dams, reservoirs and demand on our raw water reservoirs is reduced.  So, I think, it is necessary that we look seriously at recycling. 

         Madam President, the other disease that is drying our taps whether it is in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru or Chinhoyi is corruption – [HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: Hear, hear.]  -   Corruption is evaporating most of the water that we have.  Corruption is contributing to the shortage of potable water in our homes, the shortage of water for irrigation – all that is very much related to the issues of greed and corruption.  I have spoken about raw water, now we need to move to treated water because that is what we want in our local authorities. 

         Corruption is responsible for the failure of most local authorities to deliver sufficient water for the consumption of the people. This is where it comes from.  Years back when Rhodesia was under sanctions, they invented a company to bust those sanctions and this company or group of companies still exists up until today.  

Chemplex and Zimphos are companies that used to efficiently produce chemicals necessary for treating water such as aluminium sulphate, sulphuric acid, activated carbon, hydrated lime and chlorine.  Yes, they could not manufacture chlorine but the other seven could be made at Zimphos.  There were raw materials available from the Eastern Highlands, Dorowa, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central, abundant raw materials for producing chemicals that would help in treating water more affordably.

         Deliberately GNW has been allowed to die.  GNW is the one that used to manufacture hydrated lime to neutralise and treat water but it closed. If you go to the Nyamapanda border area, you will find a lot of calcite which is the input for the manufacture of hydrated lime, but deliberately the company has been killed so that the chemicals can be imported and be imported to land in this country three four times the value at which it could be manufactured.  So, who is at fault?  Corruption. We need to cut off the head of corruption to make water cheaper and more affordable in this country.

 Aluminium sulphate, like I was saying, we should just talk to Makonde, pick up China clay bring it up here, react it with sulphuric acid which comes from Dorowa and you have got aluminium sulphate to treat your water - killed so that we can import and put a premium on the importation.  I can give you specific numbers.  For example, for hydrated lime if you get it from Ndola, you land it here for $250 per tonne then sold to the local authorities at $500 and we know who is making the other $250.  That person is the one who shouts hoarse about the inefficiency of local authorities and yet he is happy to make sure that he gets so much money from the inputs relevant to the same.

         For your own information, all this has now been centralised.  A directive has been made to say all local authorities can only source these chemicals from one company.  The monopoly is created so that the centralised corruption can benefit a few. Madam President, these are some of the issues that we face resulting in the drying of our domestic taps.

I would like to speak briefly about some of the bad policies that we make that lead to the catastrophes that we face.  If we go out and encourage people to refuse to pay for services, the result that we get are failed local authorities.  Failed local authorities affect every one of us here and out there.  Madam President we need to make sure that the procurement…

         [Time limit] 

         HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you very much for that generosity and I was also concluding that as a nation it is possible for us to retrace our paths and make sure that our local authorities are assisted to have the capability to deliver on these competences that they have.  I therefore wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity to express myself on this matter and also thank Senator Rita Ndlovu for thinking up a very important motion.  A motion that if adopted and acted on, can improve the quality of life of the people of Zimbabwe. I thank you. 

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

         HON. SEN. KUNAKA: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE ZIMBABWE WOMEN PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS (ZWPC) ON THE 68^TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

         Eighth Order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the report of Zimbabwe Women Parliamentary Caucus (ZWPC) on the 68^th session of the commission of the status of women.

         Question again proposed.

         HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Madam President.  I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September 2024.

MOTION

REHABILITATION OF ALL OPEN MINES BY ARTISANAL MINERS

         Nineth Order read: Adjourn debate on motion on the need for artisanal miners to rehabilitate open minds.

         Question again proposed.

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

         HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024

MOTION

COMPENSATION TO PENSIONERS AND POLICYHOLDERS BY PENSION AND INSURANCE COMPANIES

Tenth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the reduced value of the Zimbabwean dollar.

Question again proposed.

         *HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Madam Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the problems being faced by pensioners regarding the devaluation of local currency.  Pensioners are the people who were contributing towards their pensions during their hey days, yet they are now suffering.

         I would like to thank you Hon. Senators here present and those who came in to debate on the issue to do with these pensioners. Our Government said that workers are entitled to get their lumpsum pension package paid to them from March 2024, yet up to now, nothing has been done.

         As Hon. Senators, we are kindly asking for the Government to push those pension schemes to pay those people who are contributing towards their retirement packages.  The Government wanted them to be assisted as old people. 

         I would like to thank all Senators here present.  I remember as Senators agreeing on the issue of pensioners to receive their funds.  They have lost a lot of their wealth due to inflation but they did not get any compensation.  All the citizens want their funds paid for them to survive.  So, I am kindly asking for this motion which I brought into this House and it was supported by my fellow Senators.         I move that the motion be adopted.

Motion that:

AWARE that the hyperinflation of the period 2006 to 2009 reduced the value of the Zimbabwean dollar and resulted in the demonetisation of the local currency in favour of the United States dollar;

 SADDENED that insurance companies and pension schemes eradicated the value of existing insurance policies and pension benefits despite the fact that the hyperinflation alone could not wipe out the value of pension and insurance policies as some were invested in real estate and other schemes protected from currency volatility;

          ACKNOWLEDGING that Government endeavoured to redress injustices related to losses incurred by pension and insurance policy holders by requesting pension schemes and insurance companies to compensate the victims;

         NOTING that the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion committed itself to ensuring that victims would be compensated with effect from March, 2024:

         NOW, THEREFORE, resolves that—

• the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion apprises Parliament on the compensation of the aforesaid victims;

(b) the victims be compensated in United States dollar to mitigate losses incurred;

(c)the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion strictly monitors pension and insurance companies to ensure that they do not short-change pensioners and policyholders, put and adopted.

MOTION

ESTABLISHMENT OF HYDROCEPHALUS DEVICES IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE PHARMACIES

         Twelfth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the treatment of hydrocephalus in hospitals.

         Question again proposed.

         HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you, Madam President.  This was quite a touching motion raised by our Hon. Senator Sibanda.  I also feel that I should add flesh to this motion.  It is quite painful, especially citing the number of deaths owing to these diseases which are not curable in the motherland.  All these diseases fall under healthcare services and health is an important component of an adequate standard of living.  It is also a human right enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Rights and the African Charter on Human Rights.

         The motion by Hon. Senator Sibanda is quite touching, especially to mothers who spend much of their time with these children.  Being children or adults, every person has a right to the highest attainable standard of health.   Despite the required infrastructure, they also reviewed yester-years budgets which clearly shows that health was not given the much-needed priority since a small share of GDP was allocated to health with lower levels of per capita health expenditure.

         In the fiscal environment, the key sectors of the economy are education, health and social protection.  As legislators, we are very touched by the number of children losing lives due to these diseases which are not curable on the motherland.  This uncertain climate on the cure of these diseases remains a point of concern.

         The burden of these diseases create social inequalities that are against the Government's agenda of equitable health.  Those who are financially oiled have greater privileges of seeking medication from other distant lands while the poor are further exposed to perpetual suffering.  This, therefore, creates explicit forms of discrimination due to those financial restrictions, replacing the racial discrimination of the colonial era where better opportunities remained a preserve of the white minority.  All these are just reversing the gains of independence where equity was the sole agenda for all the revolutions we fought in this country.

         As a way forward, I propose that the Government should recapacitate health institutions and assist in the procurement of health machinery needed so that treatment is locally available.

         The Government should also prioritise health and mark a new trajectory that should be moulded with a total metamorphosis in terms of resources and quality healthcare standards.  I thank you.

         HON. L. SIBANDA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.

         HON. GWATURE: I second.

         Motion put and agreed to.

         Debate to resume: Thursday, 12^th September, 2024

On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA seconded by HON. SEN. GOTORA, the Senate adjourned at Ten Minutes past four o’clock p.m.