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SENATE HANSARD 12 NOVEMBER 2024 VOL 34 NO 11.pdf
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 12th November, 2024
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p.m.
PRAYERS
(THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE
DIPLOMATIC TRAINING WORKSHOP
THE ACTING PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): I have to inform the Senate that the first diplomatic training workshop will be held at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel from the 15th to the 19th day of November, 2024. Travelling days will be Friday and Tuesday respectively. Honourable Parliamentarians in the following categories will attend the first diplomatic training workshop;
- Chief Whips in each House.
- Leaders of Government Business in each House.
- Leaders of the Opposition in each House.
- Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.
- Presiding Officers’ panel in each House.
- Chairpersons of Portfolio and Thematic Committees.
- Members Designated to International Parliamentary Organisations.
Hon. Members would be advised of their travel arrangements individually by the External Relations Department in due course.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HARARE METROPOLITAN (HON. SEN. TAWENGWA): Mr. President, I move that Order of the Day Number 1 on today’s Order Paper be stood over until all the other Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
MINISTERIAL TASKFORCE TO CURB CASES OF CHILD ABUSE
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: Mr. President Sir, I move the motion standing in my name that this House—
DISTURBED by the harrowing treatment of children among our urban and rural communities whereby children and young persons end up in conflict with the law as they resort to taking drugs and committing nefarious activities;
CONCERNED that this malpractice has become so cancerous to the extent that law enforcement agents alone cannot overcome this scourge;
NOW, THEREFORE, this House urges the Executive to come up with an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce comprising Ministries of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Health and Child Care and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to urgently put measures in place to curb cases of child abuse.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: Thank you Mr. President for allowing me to move this motion on child abuse. The issue of child abuse is a cause for concern that affect various stakeholders including families, Government, Non-Governmental Organisations, schools and religious sectors. Child abuse needs to be stopped in all its forms as it affects future leaders. It has short and long term consequences for children from time to time and places to places.
It is appropriate that the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare gives awareness to guardians or parents of vulnerable children, that child abuse has ruthless consequences from the responsible authorities. Child abuse destroys one’s childhood to the extent of them making wrong decisions like committing suicide, taking drugs, early marriages and violence as a way of escaping abuse.
Mr. President Sir, in the same category of awareness, the Ministry of Education must scrutinise every child’s background so that no abuse from home occurs in any form. A lot of children have lived in abuse to an extent where they think being abused is a normal way of life. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage must tactically resolve domestic issues so that the rate of divorces declines.
Divorce is one of the major components of child abuse because it is rare for a stepmother or stepfather to take care of children who are not theirs. Such scenarios leave children with no choice but to run away and end up in the streets where there is no order but crime to survive.
HIV and AIDS has left a lot of homes with child headed families in which a child has to decide for other children. Some of the decisions these children make are wrong. In the absence of advice from the elderly, they succumb to peer pressure and end up in unscrupulous behaviour.
Mr. President, I urge the Minister of Education and all academic facilities to introduce HIV modules at schools from tender grades to tertiary so that children can learn about the pandemic at an early stage. The Ministry of Health must raise awareness on HIV and AIDS. The Treasury Department must fund orphanages so that these children find a place to go after losing their parents or guardians.
Further more Mr. President, there are a group of parents who use drugs. These parents do not know that using drugs in front of children is abuse on its own and also the children grow up thinking taking drugs or alcohol is the normal way of living so they just follow suit.
Mr. President, the Minister of Home Affairs must take serious measures on those who sell drugs because at the end of the circle, the answer goes back to abuse. The Ministry of Social Welfare must seriously take action on those who abuse in the name of religion. There are some churches and some traditional beliefs that approve marriages of minor children which is wrong. When the minors fail to handle the burden of families, they end up committing suicide or divorcing from marriages and then end up in prostitution.
Mr. President, as you all know, our country is under sanctions from the West. Our industries are not that functional and a good number of people are jobless, leading to poverty and also the drought that hit the country the previous season. I want to applaud His Excellency, the President E. D. Mnangagwa for creation of innovation hubs in a bid to capacitate children in our community. More VTCs should be established and fully furnished.
Mr. President, school going children are being abused for food. I urge the responsible Ministry to add up on already available source of water so that in terms of hunger, water for agriculture is available to curb starvation so that no one gets used or abused for food.
In conclusion, I want to say we already have those who have fallen in the trap of being abused and substance abuse. The Minister of Health must build affordable rehabs where those who are addicts can be transformed from social misfits to gentle people. To those who are being abused, they must report to the police and also those who witness abuse do not have a tendency of leaving it like that, please report to the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare. Thank you Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: Thank you Mr. President for according me this opportunity to add my voice on this motion which has been raised by Hon. Senator Tsomondo on child abuse. It is a very painful issue because we come across children who are being abused especially orphans. Many a time, if parents separate or divorcee, they fight on the custody of the children. When they are fighting about custody, the child will be abused because the father would want to take the child and give him to his parents and the mother will be fighting that she wants to look after the children. You find that all this disturbs the welfare of the child. Many a time, we find that the child goes with the mother who will remarry and that stepfather will not like that child. The stepfather would end up abusing the child even raping the child, especially if it is a girl child. You find that their future is disturbed because she will be disturbed even mentally, they cannot grow up as other children who grow up in the custody of their parents.
Mr. President, even if she remains with the father, you will find that the husband’s relative will not be able to look after the child properly and they would scold the child. Also, if the mother was divorced because of infidelity, you find that the relatives will be scolding the child using the behaviour of the mother and this will cause the child to be mentally tortured. You will find that if the mother passes away and the husband marries another wife, stepmother, you find that the child would be abused. There was a story of a child who was placed on a hotplate and she was burnt. When reprimanding the child, they do not look at the age of the child. You find that children are abused a lot, especially when parents separate and they are not in the picture. All that causes children to be abused and their lives is affected even during school lessons, they end up sleeping or they end up not attending school. So those stepparents end up not being concerned whether the child has eaten or not or whether the child goes to school or not. They do not care because that child is not theirs.
Mr. President, you also find that these children are abused by being sent to do jobs which are not for their age, like carrying buckets of water. You find that as parents, I think we should not separate or divorce. It is good as parents to divorce but the children will be troubled. If you want to have a polygamous marriage, you can do that but remain with all your wives. I think the chiefs agree with me, being in polygamy is not a problem as long as you are able to look after the wives and the children.
The other abuse - I was very pained, in our roads in Harare, when we knock off after Parliament around 1600 hours, you find some other women with their children in wheelchairs and you will find that the mother will be wearing a jersey but the child will not be having a jersey. I had to stop because I came across this woman pushing a child in a wheelchair, it was raining but they did not have any umbrellas. The child is exposed to all forms of weather, they are being scorched by the sun if it is hot. As you know that schools are open, you find that the child is not in school and the mother is using the child for begging. They are not looking at the health of the child. This form of abuse is not right. Yesterday in the Human Rights Committee, we were discussing that some women will be sitting down at the corners of the streets and they are sending their children to run after the cars. When the child is given the money, he or she will go and give it to the mother. You are abusing those children who are supposed to be in school because they are of school going age. So, this form of abuse, I think as a nation, we should come together so that we help these children, especially people with disabilities. Some of them are not able to speak. They do not complain because they cannot talk but still, they are human. I do not know whether the people who will be pushing them in wheelchairs are their biological mothers or they are their stepmothers or even paternal or maternal relatives. I see the worthiness of this motion which has been brought in by Hon. Senator Tsomondo. All those involved like the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, police officers and our chiefs should assist these children.
They are privy to the issue of the children being abused because they have headmen. Stories will be going around that stepmothers are abusing these children. So, if all these groups come together with solutions on how to deal with children that are being abused, it would help. If you look at children in the streets, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare should come up with institutions where they place these children and investigate the reason why these children end up in the streets. It is very rare to find a grade 7 child running away from home or even taking drugs. I think they should investigate how they are living in their homesteads and how their guardians are taking care of them.
In rural areas, the Government provides foods to the orphans through our chiefs. The Government should provide loans to assist these children and even those that are in rural areas. In Chiredzi, a few days ago, a story came up of a child who was living with her two siblings. She ended up abused because they are orphans and they were not getting anything from the Government. If these children were given money, they will be able to pay their school fees. If they do not get money to pay their fees, people end up coming to them and abusing them in the pretext of wanting to assist them. This matter does not refer to girls only but also to boys.
They can also be abused by being used as child labour. So, ministries like Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should go around the streets especially in the evening and see what happens in the streets. Surely for someone to push a child in the rains, it means that the child is being abused or ill-treated. They should take the child from that person and institutionalise them at proper places. Also, the Ministry of Health and Child Care should investigate this issue because these children end up being raped and having STIs or HIV and AIDS. At the end, you will find that children will end up being crippled because of this. These children do not have anyone to stand up for them.
As MPs, we just pass by. We can scold their parents but there is nothing that we can do and they will continue using these children in bad ways. I think this motion is very important. We should hold our hands together as Parliamentarians and the ministries concerned to assist these children. We should hold hands because children are being abused, that is why you see some children committing suicide. The neighbourhood will just be contemplating in their homes.
I think every one of us should take the opportunity that if they find a child being abused, they should report to the police. The police should also do awareness campaigns so that people are free to come and report their issues in their grievance boxes concerning the children who are being abused. These are my words which I wanted to add to this motion. Thank you, Mr. President.
*HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me this opportunity to debate on this motion which has been brought by Hon. Senator Tsomondo, which is a very painful issue. It is very difficult to debate after a person who is well versed in human rights has spoken. Hon. Senator Mavenyengwa studied on every aspect that might hurt a child. There is a difference or a thin line between child abuse. When we were growing up, we knew that a girl child had her duties which are not very light which she was supposed to perform. For a girl child, we were expected to be able to cook when one was in grade 7. A boy was to be able to go to the fields also when reaching grade 7.
However, as Zimbabweans, for us to align with the other nations because of the children’s rights, in trying to achieve the children’s rights, to observe the children’s rights, it changed a lot of things. Some say a child is not supposed to be beaten at all, but in the Bible, it is written that the Lord also uses a shambok to discipline children. So, disciplining a child does not mean you are abusing their rights. Disciplining a child these days is different from what used to happen long back.
These days, parents see children as assets that can fend for themselves and can be their wives as well. Today’s parents do not look at how children are behaving, how they go to school and what they carry to school. They do not have that time, that is where our trouble started, that of abusing children’s rights. There is no way we can be the same as the people of the West or the East. We are an African country which has its own values based on our culture. For me to be a mother and watch pornography being shown on the television and with my child by my side, that is where it all started. This is because we will join in watching pornography on television with them.
When I grew up, we knew that abuse was very deep but we have silent abuse which we do as parents, which gives birth to our things not moving very well. Sending a child to school without enough things is an abuse. I say so because in these days, we know that when children get to school, there are things that are eaten and there are things that happen at school. If my child is leaving home without any shoes or food, then we go back to what the children’s rights say, that they are supposed to eat, they should have shelter and they should have something to go to school. Also, going to school is part of their rights.
When they get to school, they will meet other children who have resources and when they go to higher and tertiary institutions, they learn about sugar daddies. A child coming from Binga who did not know how to have sugar daddies will end up having them. Abuse did not start with the father but it started from home where we send children to school without enough resources. As parents, we should work hard so that our abuse as parents to our children is minimised.
We have children who are being abused because they are orphans and also because the father married a second wife. In social media, we watch children being assaulted by their step mothers and mothers sharing their husbands with their children. Being an orphan is a very difficult thing. Divorce where women leave children behind is also not good. We are not giving counsel to each other but I do not expect women to leave their children behind.
I do not know what their husbands are eating these days, this GMO, because they do not respect children. They do not respect children because even if you leave our men with a Grade 7 girl child, you find them trying to rape them. If I think about it, it makes me angry. This is happening to a lot of people and you just wonder whether it is now Sodom and Gomorrah. We are now afraid even to leave our own children with their own fathers. Lord have mercy on us. You find that children are being used to beg for money. It is like they can be run over by cars when they are running to and from, getting money and giving the money to their able-bodied mothers.
If they can get a homestead and do farming, they can get something. It is now a habit of abuse. A lot has been talked about but I think Government should construct shelters where people living in the streets can be placed. I remember a long time ago, we used to board a bus with a man who would go begging to and from Gokwe. If you identify what that man can do, he can do something even though he is blind.
There should be more centres like Jairos Jiri so that people begging in the streets and people with disabilities are placed in those homes. They can be trained on skills and they could live. Those who cannot do anything like the elders can be placed in homes and these homes should be looked after by the Government and not the homes that we came across as we were doing our tours. These homes should be funded by the National Budget to look after the elders. We were also thinking that where they are rehabilitated, whether it is stress or it is a habit, they will be counselled and trained so that they change their way of thinking and look at life with a different eye.
We should have many homes like that. I had problems with my child. She was stressed for sure, to the extent of wanting to commit suicide. I took her to a rehabilitation centre. The cost was too much, like USD600 per month and USD1 200 per month. I said if it is difficult for me, what about the rural woman who does not have money, where would they put their child? The Government should come up with more rehabilitation centres because our children are dying. There is nowhere for them to go. It is also a form of abuse because they are in the streets, they are raped and they are taking drugs. It is all because of abuse and negligence which they are coming across.
We should have more homes like that. Also, adoption laws should be lenient. We picked a child in Gokwe and I wanted to adopt the child, but I was still in school as a teacher. It did not happen but the child stayed in the clinic. My heart was aching because I was willing to look after the child. So, what I am saying is, our laws should be lenient to those who want to adopt children. A record or history of the child should be kept so that when people are looking for the child, they would know where to go but we would have given the child a pad to jump from.
There is this law that a nine-year-old is raped. We are waiting for the law to give a judgment that she should abort but after three months, you cannot abort. You want a child to carry a child and you expect that child to give birth normally at nine years. She can be operated upon but we are abusing the child who has been born and the child who has given birth because a lot would have happened to her because of tender age.
That law, that a court would take three months trying to come up with a judgment, that if a child is found to be pregnant at nine years, that pregnancy should be terminated and be abolished immediately.
There is a lot that I can say but I want to leave room for others. I want to thank Hon. Senator Tsomondo for the motion. We should take it seriously. We should take it personally because the country is what it is now because of the abuses that our children are coming across and they cannot differentiate between good and bad. So, I urge the ministries responsible to help us. I think God will have mercy on us and the abuse of children will come down.
Also, the chiefs, where they are, children are abused then we are told by the law that we are in the rural areas and they just sweep it under the carpet. Yes, it is good for you, the elders but what about this child whom we would have abused? So, let us work together in the rural areas with our chiefs, so that we can expose issues like that so that when the law comes, it will be very strict so that they will be given stiffer penalties. Thank you, Mr. President.
+HON. SEN. S. MOYO: Thank you for affording me this opportunity, Mr. President of the Senate. I would also like to thank the Hon. Member who moved this motion of child abuse.
This is a very difficult motion. It is not an easy motion. It is a motion that when we look at the abuse that the children go through, we must look at what would have happened. Also looking at how we grew up because during our time as we were growing up, there were certain laws and rules that were being followed when raising a child. Before that person could be called a mother or a father, there were certain things that used to be done.
A child could have been raised by the grandparents or the parents or even if the child would have been raised by a guardian in the absence of the parents, they were raised properly but now things have changed and that is why we realise that our children are being abused. There are now many children in the streets and even in the farms and we used to think that those children were abused but there are many children who are staying with their parents or who are being looked after but are being abused. They are being made to do certain things or do work that they should not be doing because of their age but because of laws that were changed, we followed certain laws, we have spoken about the rights of children, now we are saying children have rights.
During our days, we never knew that these people who were raising us were not our parents but nowadays you hear these children saying to a guardian you are not my parent. As we were growing up, we had respect as children and we also had our chiefs. If a child was doing something wrong or if a guardian was not raising a child properly, they would sit that person down and talk to them properly but now, if you try and talk to the child, you are accused of abusing the child or breaking the child's rights. We have to realise that the abuse of these children is caused by the way they are living.
What causes this abuse is poverty. Where there is poverty, a lot of bad things happen. We have child headed families where these children are living on their own. The parents are away trying to work for their families. You will find that these children are doing things that they should not be doing, they are eating things that they should not be eating. We have boys, we have girls. These children are now taking drugs and if you try to remonstrate with them, you are accused of abusing them.
When we look closely, I think us as adults also, we have to look at the laws to see that, are these laws good because firstly, we have the girl child. A girl child is supposed to be going to school but she drops out of school because she is pregnant. What does the law say about such children? This is an abused child. The person who would have impregnated that child would have abused that child.
These children are now bearing their own children. Firstly, the child is not employed, the parent is also not employed. So it means that she has to drop out. She has to just go in the streets and men also take advantage of them. I do not know how I can decently put it because these people are now suffering, the men are now abusing her and men will say, if you sleep with me, I will give you this or that. Especially in towns, we have seen that men are abusing these young girls. Most of these children are now going into prostitution at 18 or 16. If you look at it, you see that this is abuse. What if that was happening to their own children, they will then realise that this is abuse. These girls are being abused and some of them end up having even two children or more. So, what do they do? At times when these children go back to their parents, they are chased away by their parents, so they end up going back to the streets to try and raise money through prostitution because they will be suffering.
Also, some parents use their children to try and get food just like what has been said by the other Hon. Members. The children will be asking for food. The child will tell you that I live in such a place and have been asked by my parent to come and beg for food. It is the parents now who are sending their children to go and beg. Because there are no laws, parents cannot be arrested. One Hon. Member suggested that we build homes for these children but the biggest problem is that there is no budget to support those children. We live in a very rich country. There are some people that we know who own properties or are business people but I have never heard that they are training some of these children or giving them some skills, which can also help to prevent child abuse.
Last Saturday in the evening, I went to my home and I visited the shops and noticed that there was a gang of these young boys. Some of them had knobkerries and I said to them, why are you not going home and they said to me, Mr. Moyo, we want to work, they were drunk and I cannot even describe the state of their drunkenness.
Mr. President, we have a very big problem which we need to look into deeply and see how we can correct it. Maybe we need to look back and see where we come from, because there are some people who talk about abuse but this is not happening in all the homes. There are certain homes where you cannot even demonstrate with your child, you cannot hit your child, tell the child what to do because the child will say if you abuse me, I will report you. Yes, we can call it abuse but it has to end somewhere. What I know is that I cannot ask a young child to carry the 20 litre bucket for 7km because that will be abuse. I remember that we used to carry water for long distances, we did not have parents, we were raised by our grandparents and we never accused them of abuse. We are what we are now because they raised us.
These children are doing whatever they want knowing that there are laws that protect them. As Africans, a child has to be raised in the African way. I know that there are children who are being abused, maybe it is because the parents are not working, grandparents are also suffering. My prayer is that we should look back and see where we come from. We should know who we are and we should instill that in our children. If I say to a child - by 6pm you have to be at home, someone will say I am abusing them, yet I will be trying to correct the child. We should make laws for our parents and our chiefs so that they can regain their powers and that we can go back to how we were raised.
We are now following the western ways but with the whites, when a child is born, they would have saved for that child and when the child has grown, everything is in order and that is not the same with us here. I thank you.
∞HON. SEN. MUPANDE: Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to add my voice on the motion which was raised by Hon. Senator Tsomondo, on the issue of children that lost their parents at a young age. You find that the child will be taken care of by the step mother and they would not be receiving that mother’s love as expected of the maternal parent. You will find that at times the children will think of their own mother. For example, when they go to school, they would not be having adequate needs like uniforms, books and they will be watching other kids who would have all those things in person. Again, after school, they have to do household chores like fetching water and the boy child will have to go and bring back cattle from the grazing lands. I was requesting Mr. President that these children should be taken care of, so that they do not feel the neglect and suffering of the psychological trauma.
Mr. President, you should take note that during the time when these children bring back cattle from the grazing land, it will be late and there might be a risk of coming across wild animals like lions, and elephants. Henceforth, I urge the Government to work in liaison with the Social Welfare Department to support these children.
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: Thank you Mr. President of Senate for giving me this opportunity to contribute briefly to this most important motion that Hon. Senator Tsomondo brought before us. Hon. President of Senate, I would like to put the statistics out there on the depth and gravity of the problem of child abuse.
Mr. President of Senate, according to the information that we have from the United Nations, one in every five children suffers child abuse. So, if we have got five children randomly picked from the streets of Gweru, Mbare, Masvingo, et cetera, including rural areas, at the growth points; for every five children that you see walking, one has somehow faced abuse, these are huge numbers. These are alarming numbers, numbers that need serious consideration. Government, including us must find solutions to this problem.
Mr. President of Senate, it is common sense that children are what keeps nations going. Good children are what keeps good nations going. They are the panacea to development, good citizenship are important to peaceful and harmonious co-existence of all people. Going further with the statistics, 150 million girl children suffer abuse and 75 million children are abused globally. Those numbers talk to certain important salient issues. One hundred and fifty million children being girl children, suffer abuse and seventy-five boy children suffer abuse. Let us look at each other in the eyes and agree that we are the most abusers of children. That sexual divide alone tells you that men are the most abusers than women and this needs finding solutions and crafting of policies that are required to slow down the scourge of child abuse.
Mr. President of Senate, what is abuse? Colleagues have spoken about sexual abuse and this is where men of this world are found to be at fault. Another type of abuse is neglect, just kungoregwa kungonzi mwana uyo ari apo who does not have clothing, does not have access to education, does not have food, does not have protection, does not enjoy good parental care, et cetera.
Some fail to get that protection from their parents and that is also abuse. There is exploitation of children which is also abuse like child labour, for example. I do agree that it is an issue which we might not need to amplify but it is the truth that there is child labour both at household level as colleagues have said here. Imagine yourself, particularly people of my age, so many years ago and seeing some of the relationship that you got from the immediate family and the extended family was not abuse.
Mr. President of Senate, I personally may not be at liberty and I am in disagreement with colleagues who believe it is cultural and correct to beat our children. So, one of the solutions is that we need to reduce this level of abuse which we actually justify, to make sure that there is a fund that helps people to parent their children. It is absolutely necessary so that we all then begin to know that beating up children is incorrect, it is wrong. There is always a better way and in fact, if you read the psychology of a person, a child who has grown up under abuse, is a person who will become a rapist, a bully and believes things can be achieved through force. So, we need to make sure that parents are taught how to bring up children properly so that we bring forth to the world and the country, good citizens, people that are responsible, people who think better, people who know that living in the world of humans is unlike living in zoos and in the bush. So, I do disagree to some extent with the belief in cutting down a whole log and beating up a child and say this is my child; it is wrong.
Mr. President of Senate, what are the solutions? What I propose, let us have a fund to train parents on bringing up children. Where at family level there is failure, Government should interfere. Where children fail to get education, Government should intervene and make sure that children get the education – including issues of their own rights.
I actually believe children must be taught their rights and they should understand them and be able to defend and enjoy their rights because we want to grow a better Zimbabwe. We want a Zimbabwe in which we catch them young and teach them to be tolerant, teach them to aspire to live in harmony with others without dictating own preferences on others.
For anybody who lives under abuse, wants to replicate that in their relationships with others. So, this is my belief. I really do believe that this motion is so important, we should develop in our children the Zimbabwe that we want in the future of this country. The resources – fortunately this is the budget time. We must loudly at this stage, demand that a good chunk of the national purse be allocated to issues of the future. Issues of children’s wellbeing. There is clearly a deliberate move from Government to have a ministry of child care.
Conceptually, Government is correct. Implementation wise might be a question but we as Parliament, have got a role to push for a good chunk of national purse to go towards growing, protecting and making sure that we develop good citizens out of our children. It is a big and very mammoth task. We must as well interface with other cooperating partners so that we can get assistance and collaboration where we need it, so that we can borrow practice from elsewhere and try to implement them.
I know this could be on a nest because in borrowing practice from elsewhere, we are interfering clearly with our cultural issues and we need to strike a balance between what is good – borrow what is good from elsewhere and infuse it into our own practices so that we end up with a better society. I thank you Mr. President.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th November, 2024.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
HON. SEN. ZVIDZAI: I rise to move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 3 and 4 on today’s Order paper be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
HON. SEN. S. MOYO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Thank you Mr. President. I rise to debate a motion related to the State of the Nation Adress (SONA) presented by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa on the 2nd of October 2024.
In his comprehensive address, His Excellency touched on crucial issues affecting key sectors of the economy including the war veterans, women and gender, youth and agriculture. In this motion, I will dwell on war veterans, women and gender, youth and agriculture.
Mr. President Sir, His Excellency made reference to the Government’s commitment to enhance the wellbeing of the people in fulfilling the pledges made by the ruling party – ZANU-PF. The aspirations tell the attainment of vision 2030 through successful implementation of National Development Strategy one (NDS1), guided by the mantra, ‘leaving no one and no place behind’
In line with this commitment, the welfare of war veterans is of utmost important. Not only as a matter of justice for their sacrifices during the liberation struggle but also as a means of foster national unity and development. The Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act Chapter 17:12 provides a legal framework for the recognition and support of these gallant sons and daughters of this great nation.
The Act mandates the provision of healthcare services to war veterans, ensuring access to quality medical care, their well-being. Equally vital is the financial support programme, pensions, allowances to improve the economic conditions of veterans and their families. As Parliament, we should put in place robust monitoring systems to ensure that the provisions of the Act are being implemented effectively and transparently. Mandatory regular reports from relevant Government departments on the status of veterans’ welfare and the implementation of the Act are imperative as well.
Mr. President Sir, His Excellency’s philosophy of inclusive transformation and shared prosperity underscores the critical importance of empowering women, supporting Micro- Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He said, “Women and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise are increasingly being aided to enter local, regional as well as international markets.
No doubt, by facilitating women entrepreneurs’ access to local and regional markets, the institute of Parliament will be significantly driving inclusive sustainable development. Parliament must take pro-active steps to ensure that women have access to regional and international markets. This initiative is crucial for empowering women entrepreneurs and enhancing their contribution to the economy. This can be achieved through developing policies that specifically address various women in accessing markets, including legal frameworks that promote gender equality in business. Additionally, implementation of incentives such as tax grants and subsidies for women on the enterprises can encourage their participation in both local and international markets. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is one of the biggest ministries, it requires resources to achieve the vision expressed by His Excellency in the SONA.
During the 2025 National Budget season, it is essential that we push for gender responsive budget which aims to address disparities in Government budgets, directing resources to enhance the lives of women and girls, capitalising macro-finance and credit facilities including the Zimbabwe Women Macro-Finance Bank. It is of significant importance as this will cater for women entrepreneurs enabling them to secure funding for their businesses, training and financial literacy is vital also, to enhance women’s financial literacy helping them understand how to manage finance and assets investments opportunities. All these programmes require funding, hence the need for improved budget allocation to the Ministry. Additionally, Parliament can ensure rigorous implementation of the programmes already in existence such as the National Financial Inclusion Strategy which aims to promote access to vital financial resources and services for previously marginalised groups like women and girls. Ultimately, these measures create an environment where women-led enterprises can thrive, fostering inclusive growth thereby contributing to a more equitable economy. These initiatives not only benefit women but also contribute to the overall economic growth of the nation. It is imperative that Parliament takes decisive action to dismantle barriers and create opportunities for women, fostering an inclusive economy that reflects the diverse potential of all its citizens.
Moreover, it is crucial to address the systematic barriers faced by women, particularly gender-based violence (GBV), which poses a significant threat to gender equality. To combat this issue, Parliament should participate in the upcoming 16 days of activism against gender- based violence from 25th November to 10th December, to raise awareness on this critical matter. In addition, Parliament should advocate for stricter penalties for perpetrators of GBV and child marriages, thereby reinforcing protection for the girl child and sending a clear message that violence and exploitation will not be tolerated. By taking these steps, Parliament can contribute to a safer and more equitable environment for all women and girls.
Madam President, in his State of the Nation Address, the President underscored the Government’s dedication to revitalise the Youth Service Programme, which has become a critical platform for youth engagement in national development. He said and I quote: “Through the re-oriented Youth Service in Zimbabwe Programme, our youths are participating in community projects such as the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, teachers’ accommodation, clinics, roads, boreholes, dip tanks, bridges and houses for vulnerable households”. These projects are making a tangible impact by improving infrastructure and quality of life, particularly in undeserved urban and rural communities. Youth participation in the economy is not merely beneficial; it is critical for driving gross domestic product (GDP) growth and ensuring sustainable development. By fostering environments that encourage youth engagement, including through education, entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, we are unlocking the full potential on this vital segment of the population, which constitute over 60%. Investing in youth is an investment in the future of the economy, leading to increased productivity, innovation and overall economic resilience. Policymakers must priortitise strategies that enhance youth participation, recognising their vital role in shaping a prosperous and inclusive economy.
Madam President, agriculture is a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, providing livelihoods for a significant portion of the population and contributing to food security. For the sector to thrive, and effectively support national development, it is crucial for Parliament to actively support national development. It is crucial for Parliament to actively support agricultural initiatives. In his address, His Excellency also emphasised the importance of agriculture in promoting economic growth, guaranteeing food security and supporting the livelihoods of millions of Zimbabweans, acknowledging it as the foundation of the country’s economy. Around 60% of Zimbabwe’s workforce is employed in agriculture, which also provides the nation’s food security and contributes significantly to the country’s GDB, according to the World Bank (2022). Therefore, enhancing agriculture productivity, sustainability and climate change resilience is of paramount importance. To achieve this, His Excellency identified constrains that we should work together to address financial limitations, lack of infrastructure and the effects of climate change. Addressing these post-harvest losses and increasing farmers’ access to markets, upgrading irrigation systems and storage facilities will boost food security.
His Excellency recognised the crucial role of smallholder farmers. In order to empower these farmers and increase their production, Parliament should support programmes that will give them access to loans, contemporary farming methods and capacity-building projects. This trajectory is supported by Food and Agriculture Organisations’s emphasis on the importance of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe towards sustainable food security and rural development.
Parliament should consider the following:
- Facilitate capitalisation of financial institutions and programmes that provide affordable credit to farmers, enabling them to invest in equipment, seeds and technology.
- Improve targeted subsidies for essential inputs like fertilizers and irrigation systems to reduce the financial burden on farmers.
- Support the development of rural infrastructure, including roads, storage facilities and irrigation systems to enhance agricultural productivity and market access.
- Promote funding for agricultural research institutions to develop innovative farming techniques and sustainable practices that can benefit local farmers.
Investing in agriculture not only uplifts rural communities but also strengthens the overall economy. A robust agricultural sector will contribute significantly to job creation, poverty reduction and national resilience. It is imperative that Parliament prioritises agricultural support to secure a sustainable and prosperous future for Zimbabwe. I therefore urge this august House to adopt this motion.
HON. SEN. ZHOU: Thank you very much Madam President for giving me the opportunity to add my voice. Let me thank Hon. Senator Gotora for bringing this very important motion to the House and to also extend my warm appreciation to His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa for presenting the State of the National Address on 2nd October, 2024. The speech was very inspiring, in the sense that the President started the speech by pointing out very important principles like peace, tranquillity, unity, stability, security and development which I found to be very key for any nation to progress and to achieve vision 2030.
I think you are aware that the President has also been putting that into practice by trying to attend to the issues that happened after independence and in the past 12 months which he has conducted a number of meetings with various stakeholders in trying to achieve this important principle and objective. It is key that we realise that the speech was addressed to every Zimbabwean and for every Zimbabwean to philosophise and be informed on the picture of where the country is coming from and where the country is going. In this regard, the speech was a continuation or a build-up of the next block to the First Session presentation that His Excellency brought on 3rd October, 2023.
His Excellency anchored on the mantra of leaving no one and no place behind. I find the speech to be anchored on inclusivity and transformation and with a lot of shared prosperity if we are to implement all the strategies and interventions that are contained in the speech. The issue of regionalism and tribalism, in his speech, the President said they should not find any place in the Zimbabwean society behind. We are Zimbabweans and we have to see ourselves as one and not to see ourselves as somebody, for example, who may be coming from the Midlands or someone who comes from Masvingo or from Mashonaland. We are bound by the national flag and we have to abide by the speech and the vision of His Excellency. From regionalism, I think the speech also looked at many interventions following the devastating drought that was caused by the El Nino induced phenomenon to Zimbabwe and to the whole region. There are many interventions that have been put in place practically to solve the issue of hunger. Last week I was on an outreach, I witnessed many beneficiaries of grain in the rural areas of Bikita, Birchenough area, Nyanyadzi and Watsomba. Many people were queuing at those centres receiving some grain assistance, to mitigate them from the hunger as a result of this drought.
The speech also talks of cash for food and school feeding programmes and the President assured every Zimbabwean that there will be nobody who will die of hunger because of the drought. The village business units are gaining momentum powered by the Presidential Borehole Drilling Programme. In his speech, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe thanked development partners for their support and the call for support to the hunger. He also thanked farmers, especially wheat farmers for producing a yield that was far above what was projected.
He thanked God that there is likely to be very normal to above average normal rainfall this farming season and the speech talks of Pfumvudza/Intwasa to try and support our farmers so that at least when the rain season comes, everybody will be having inputs, fertilisers and seed to till the land.
Mr. President, coming to the issue of road traffic accidents, the President was really worried and had a heavy heart that many of our people are dying through road carnages and that we should put laws to try and reduce the deaths that are happening on our country`s roads.
On a similar vein, the issue of the NDS1, we have been implementing it since 2021 and everything is on course and on track. We are now preparing to transition to NDS2 at the end of 2025 and he was urging Parliament to start researching and preparing for NDS2.
Also to talk about outstanding Bills for the 1st Session, the President was urging both the ministries and Parliament to speed up the processes of Bills, international protocols and treaties saying that the 1st Session for the 10th Parliament, there were a number of Bills that were not processed and for me, he was taking leadership and reminding us as Parliament to make sure that we deliver on our mandate of making laws.
Coming to Zimbabwean values, the President talked of hard work, equality, justice and fairness and if we all emulate those values, I think our country and our communities will be served. I will not talk about the economy because I am sure many Hon. Members have touched on that. I am sure that if we follow his vision and what is contained in the speech, we are on track to achieving our Upper Middle-Class status as a country by 2028 and not 2030.
Finally, I want to request Parliament to buy me my equipment so that at least I am able to function. I am the only person that is reading Braille here. You are able to use your ball point pens or other gadgets, but I am appealing to you to consider doing that for me and possibly also even to put the Presidential Speech in Braille so that I can read it on my own and I can also relate it to other citizens who are like me. I thank you.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. TSOMONDO: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th November, 2024.
MOTION
PROTECTION OF GENDER RIGHTS AND PENALTIES TO OFFENDERS FLOUTING GENDER LAWS
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the protection of gender rights.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MATIBIRI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. CHITSAMBA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th November, 2024.
MOTION
EQUIPPING OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS TO ENSURE COMMUNITIES PRACTICE, PRESERVE AND RESPECT CULTURAL PRACTICES
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the erosion of our cultural and traditional values by western influence.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MATIBIRI: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. RITTA NDLOVU: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 13th November, 2024.
On the motion of HON. SEN. MUZENDA, seconded by HON. SEN. FANUEL, the Senate adjourned at Eighteen Minutes past four o’clock p.m.