- Version
- Download 13
- File Size 248.02 KB
- File Count 1
- Create Date June 17, 2025
- Last Updated June 17, 2025
SENATE HANSARD 17 JUNE 2025 Vol. 34 No. 55
PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE
Tuesday, 17th June, 2025
The Senate met at Half-past Two o’clock p. m.
PRAYERS
(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE
HALF-DAY WORKSHOP TO UNPACK THE AGREEMENT ON AFRICAN CHARTER ON STATISTICS AND THE AGREEMENT ON OPERATIONLISATION OF SADC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: I have to inform the Senate that on Thursday, 19th June, 2025, there will be a half-day workshop to unpack the Agreement on African Charter on Statistics and the Agreement on Operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund at 0800 hours in the Multi-Purpose Hall.
MOTION
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. H. MOYO): I move that Orders of the Day, Numbers 1 to 3 be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
MOTION
REPORT ON THE 69th SESSION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN (CSW 69) HELD IN NEW YORK CITY
Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the 69th Session of the Convention on the Status of Women (CSW 69) on the Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Outcomes of the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. CHINYANGA: Thank you Madam President. I rise with pride and purpose to express my full support for the motion on the report of the Parliament of Zimbabwe's delegation to the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women held in New York. This report is not just a reflection of global discussions, it is a moral summons, a call for us as Zimbabwe's lawmakers to honour both promises of the Beijing Declaration and the values enshrined in our own Constitution.
The reality is stark. Young girls are becoming mothers, others are forced into marriages. Many live with HIV without care or services they need, yet Section 76 of the Constitution affirms the right of every citizen to basic health care. Section 80 (1) gives every woman the right to reproductive autonomy. These rights must be more than text, they must be lived realities. Let us prioritise investment in SRHR, youth-friendly clinics, family planning services and access to accurate information because a healthy girl is an empowered girl and when girls are empowered, communities rise.
Madam President, violence against women and girls is a national emergency. Our Constitution, Section 52, guarantees the right to bodily and psychological integrity. Section 53 prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment, yet the cries of survivors continue to echo unanswered.
The African Union has adopted a bold convention to end violence against women and girls. I strongly support the call for Zimbabwe to rectify the convention without delay. Let us strengthen the law, fund shelters and build systems that protect the vulnerable and punish the guilty swiftly and justly.
Furthermore, Madam President, women cannot achieve equality without access to resources. Section 13 of the Constitution compels the State to involve and empower women in development. However, many still face barriers in accessing loans, owning land or benefiting from public tenders.
Let us build a gender-inclusive financial system, one that trains, supports and trusts women to lead in business, agriculture, mining and beyond. When we empower women economically, we break the cycle of poverty, dependence and disempowerment. Budgets are the clearest reflection of national priorities. If we are serious about women's empowerment, we must ensure that budget votes for health, education and social protection are fully gender-responsive. Let us ask of every line item, where are the women? Are their needs being met? Are we funding policies or just giving speeches? Thirty years after Beijing and more than a decade after adopting our own progressive Constitution, the time for good intention is long gone. Now is the time for action. Let us strengthen our national gender machinery, support intergenerational mentorship programmes and make sure women and girls are not just included, but uplifted and respected.
In closing, supporting this motion is not about ticking a box. It is about changing the lives of millions. It is about standing on the right side of justice, development and history. Let it be remembered that this Parliament choose courage over comfort. That we stood for the voiceless. That we align our laws with our actions and our speeches with our souls. Madam President, Hon. Senators, when we empower a woman, we do not subtract power, we multiply progress. I thank you. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] -
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Senator Chinyanga. That was a strong debate.
HON. SEN. MATIBIRI: Thank you, Madam President, for allowing me to add my voice to the motion which was tabled by Hon. Senator Mbohwa, which was a report on the 69th Session of the Convention on the Status of Women, CSW 69 on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd Session on the General Assembly held between the 10th to the 21st of March, 2025 in the United States of America. Madam President, allow me also to appreciate the contributions that have just been put before the House. I shall attempt to deal with issues that I think have not been included.
I also want to appreciate the work done by the delegation led by yourself from this Tenth Parliament on compiling this report and tabling it and ultimately allowing us to debate as we hereby do. The key objectives of the meeting as outlined in the report were to review and appraisal of the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The review included celebrations of the achievements already attained since the 1995 Beijing Declaration on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Allow me to reference my introduction from a key statement taken from this report of the opening session of this meeting, which noted that the world must move beyond making promises and take decisive action to dismantle systemic barriers and ensure women's equal rights are realised.
This is an open call, Madam President, for this Senate which you chair, that our debates must go beyond and that we must begin to see action as we strive towards gender equality. This statement challenges this House to take note of what Zimbabwe has achieved or not achieved 30 years after the historic conference held in Beijing, China. The key highlight from the opening ceremony was a call for action for all member states to reflect on the progress and setbacks since this landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, BDPA of 1995. So historic was the Beijing Conference that the male side of the gender divide was now referencing women as Beijing. We got to a point in our history where the Beijing Conference itself was so popular. Any conversation in a household, people would say, let us refer to the Beijing. Beijing became synonymous with women.
However, what was the Beijing conference? It was a landmark UN Conference that focused on the empowerment and advancement of women worldwide. The conference led to the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was a plan to promote gender equality and women's rights. The platform identified 12 critical areas of concern, notably in the areas of education and training, violence against women, economic empowerment, decision-making, and leadership.
I have just extracted these four and will make the basis of my submissions before this august House. Post the Beijing Conference, Zimbabwe has made significant milestones to achieve a society of equals between men and women, key among them the ratification of international conventions and domestication of laws related to our desire to achieve gender equality. To that end, Zimbabwe has demonstrated its commitment to live up to the key objectives of the Beijing Declaration, but more needs to be done. Allow me to focus on those areas that must arrest the attention of this audience. These areas will be drawn from those areas that the Beijing Conference identified, namely areas of education and training.
Despite key achievements made in promoting equal access to educational opportunities between girls and boys, statistical evidence available points to the existence of a gap between boys and girls. Thirty-five-point fifty-six percent of young women in Zimbabwe are not in education, training, or employment. This is in contrast to only 25.3% of their male counterparts. The girl child still faces serious hurdles while in school as opposed to their male counterparts. Gender equality debates always point to the serious disadvantages that the girl child faces at school. There is what is called period poverty, Madam President.
Four hundred thousand girls drop out of school because of this and our commitment, when we say we are not going to leave anyone behind, will fall flat if we realise that the girl child is disadvantaged because of the natural occurrence of her physical upbringing. It is time Madam President, we must really look into this so that period poverty is not a barrier to the attainment of educational opportunities and outcomes for the girl child.
Issues of Violence against Women
Zimbabwe has domesticated laws meant to eradicate gender-based violence. In particular, I make reference to Zimbabwe's ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the so-called Maputo Protocol. Despite this, 18.2% of women aged between 15 to 49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence in the last 12 months in this country.
These are worrying statistics. Your Parliament, Madam President, must work with the Executive so that Zimbabwe, as has been said before, ratifies with speed the EU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and the Girl Child adopted in Ethiopia. This Convention is contained in your report, Madam President. I do not see any reason why this Senate, at some point in its life, cannot receive and hastily move to ratify this Convention. Anything that brings equality between males and females should be dealt with and ratified with speed. We lose nothing in doing so Madam President. It is our quest to achieve a society of equals.
Issues of Economic Empowerment
The report which was tabled, Madam President, pointed out that those countries that have achieved gender equality have also scored economic growth, Rwanda in particular. So, there are economic gains in promoting gender equality. It is one such low-hanging fruit that could make Zimbabwe march easily into the 21st Century if we promote gender equality.
Lastly Madam President, I wish to bring to the attention of this august House a worrying situation that happens, especially for those women that are in rural areas and I will use this example. If a marriage collapse in an urban setting where the women are generally empowered, there is the sharing of properties, division of estates and so forth. Let us assume during the subsistence of this marriage the two had acquired properties in the form of houses, cars and so forth. The laws for those women in urban areas will make sure these people share but the same does not obtain when a marriage collapses in rural areas. The woman is only given a gupuro, maybe a dollar, is made to carry the necessary things and leave everything that she has worked for during the duration of this marriage.
I think there is serious inequality in respect of this marriage. I speak so passionately about this, Madam President, because I grew up experiencing the plight of rural areas when it comes to the dissolution of marriages. It is something that I think you need to consider when you attend the next Convention. It is something that you may need to bring for discussion. I so submit and thank you Madam President.
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Senator Matibiri for that contribution. I was expecting the women to applause this debate strongly because some look as though they are not listening to what is being said. If it is from the opposite sex, we feel we have support because they feel it is their sisters, they feel it is their mothers and aunties. They are suffering but I hope we are going to push that because after the debate, we look forward to have the Ministers bringing attention to what we have debated. So, I thank you very much. You have brought those issues and facts which are very meaningful and helpful to women.
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you Madam President, for also giving me this time just to add a few words. I think much has been debated by the speakers who debated before me. I am really grateful to debate this topic which was brought before the House by the Zimbabwe Women's Parliament Caucus Chair, Hon. Senator Mbohwa.
Cited was the Beijing conference. The Beijing Conference was an advocacy for the rights of women and this issue of women's rights has actually remained a very contentious issue, even in today's modern society. We live in a highly patriarchal society that perceives men as natural leaders while women have to constantly strive to prove their worth even if we can just reflect on our past. In the past, an ox was sold to send a boy child to school while a girl child was just confined to the duties of the kitchen. Her duties were confined to childbearing and rearing. These gender stereotypes have therefore logged women out of top-level positions through the perception that they are inferior to men.
I think as legislators and as Parliament, it is also time to cut some of these cultural barriers that undermine and overlook the rights of women just to match with the laid-down protocols on women's rights. Some of these are just caused by society and our culture because it tends to justify the abuse of women by men as normal. The beating up of a woman can be justified as a symbol of men's authority while it is just an abuse of the rights of a woman.
Also, in the report, there was something to do with…
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order! Can I please appeal that you debate a bit slowly so that people understand what you are saying?
HON. SEN. KUNAKA: Thank you Madam President. In the report, there was also the issue of digital inclusivity which remains a prerequisite in enhancing the rights of women. Women also ought to have digital literacy. It is good that as women, we also become part of this digital connectivity as a way to embrace modernity and also to advance our rights.
The rights of women are respected well over and there are protocols that protect these rights. The fight for human rights has remained at the core of every government's agenda. The roles and duties of women are respected well over and when it comes to some of these top positions, be it in political and managerial posts, even in different corporates, women must be part of decision-making processes.
By their nature, women are just born with unique traits and are careful risk-takers. Therefore, their inclusion in some of these Government posts, in decision-making, will not actually compromise the Government's quality but will complement a balanced leadership. Therefore, I advocate for the adoption and the ratification of this AU Convention without any amendment. Thank you.
HON. SEN. MBOHWA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. SHIRI: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th June, 2025.
MOTION
DECLARATION OF A CULTURAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Fifth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the culture that promotes the preservation of traditional practices thereby enhancing the dignity of the people.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. MOHADI: Thank you Madam President of Senate for giving me this opportunity to put a few words on this motion which talks about us all. When it talks about culture, it means everyone is involved. Madam President, this motion on promoting and preserving Zimbabwe's indigenous language as the bedrock of our national identity moved by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo is a very important motion. In particular, I will focus on two critical issues covered in this motion, culture and responsible use of technology and social media.
Promotion and protection of our indigenous culture, customs and heritage is not only imperative, it is a human rights issue. Cognisant to this reality, His Excellency the President, Dr. E. D. Mnangagwa duly launched the Culture Day in Chiredzi and Masvingo on 22nd May, 2025. Undeniably, this underscores the Government's commitment to preservation of culture, especially for the minority indigenous groups. Let us all take up this mantle. Elders must teach the young ones and the communities to upload rituals. Every Zimbabwean must proudly embrace our heritage.
The sacred nhanga/gota/ixhiba initiation rites instil moral values in our youth. It teaches youth about ubuntu/hunhu, addresses social ills like teenage pregnancies, drug abuse and the respect of elders. It prepares the youth for adulthood to be responsible leaders. This culture is key to rebuilding Zimbabwe's moral vibrancy. To that end, we as Parliamentarians must fully support the transformative cultural initiatives led by the First Lady, including gota/nhanga/ixhiba, the traditional cook-out competition celebrating our diverse culinary heritage and encouraging the use of local grains, foods and recipes.
When we talk about the First Lady's initiatives, it touches us all because we have seen how busy the First Lady is. She is moving from one country to another teaching the young ones about different skills. As Parliamentarians, we must assist in making her job easier. We have to get used and gear ourselves to be the future leaders of tomorrow.
The national dress initiative also helps in uniting Zimbabweans under a shared identity. His Excellency the President has made a noble recommendation for Members of Parliament and citizens to wear traditional attire, especially on the 25th May of every year. This is not just about clothing but it is a visible declaration of national pride. Let us heed the call. Schools, workplaces and Parliament should embrace this initiative. Designers and tailors should innovate using local affordable fabrics and blending tradition with modernity.
In addition, communities should organise cultural showcases where traditional dresses, food and attire are displayed. Traditional foods, beer and fruits are Zimbabwe's living heritage. They nourish the body, sustain livelihoods and strengthen cultural pride. Let us take beer for instance, traditional ceremonies like nhimbe strengthen family bonds. The rich Shangani and Venda marriage customs preserve the cultural heritage. Their marriages are not just unions between two people but a sacred bond between families, ancestors and the community.
Communication is the lifeblood of cultural preservation. While technology and social media are often blamed for eroding tradition, they can also be powerful tools for cultural preservation. Let us use them wisely. Social media campaigns can showcase traditional music, folklore and attire, countering foreign influences. Online platforms can document and share traditional culinary arts, ensuring recipes like mapfura/marula dishes and other local grains are not forgotten.
Community radio stations broadcasting must be supported to promote indigenous languages. Community radio is essential for Zimbabwe's development offering hyper-local content that national broadcasters often ignore. With better policies and support, these stations could play an even greater role in education, democracy and social cohesion. It also promotes local languages and culture, for example Shona, Ndebele, Tonga, Kalanga, Venda and Sisotho, preserving cultural heritage. They also feature traditional music, storytelling and local history.
Community radios provide a platform for marginalised voices, including rural communities. They empower women and youth, support rural development and help in disaster and emergency communication. Community radios include Bukalanga in Bulilima-Mangwe, Avuxeni FM in Chiredzi, Lotsha FM in Beitbridge, Ndebe Manama Community Radio in Matabeleland South and Nyangani Community Radio in Manicaland.
In conclusion, I would like to say, fellow Zimbabweans, our culture is our strength. Let us weigh it with pride, teach it with passion and preserve it with determination. So, from the Shangani Marriage and Customs to the National Dress Initiative, from mapfura harvest to gota teachings, we must stand united in safeguarding our heritage. As we move forward, let us remember, a nation that loses its culture loses its soul. Let Zimbabwe be a beacon of cultural pride in Africa and the world. With these few words, I thank you.
*HON. SEN. MBOHWA: Thank you Mr. President, for giving me an opportunity to debate on the motion raised by Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo, which reminds us that we are committing a very big mistake forgetting where we are coming from. Our children are losing knowledge of their culture, who they are and where they are going.
Mr. President, our culture has always been there. When the whites came, they found us with our culture, which recognised the worship of God. That was religion. We who started, did it so overzealously as if we are the owners of that culture. According to our culture, we have our own beliefs that unite us. Our way of worship reflects our culture and our identity. In our lifetimes, we never got an ancestor that created a person but all the ancestors that we can think of were created by God. That is the reason why there was a creator who created heaven and earth, that is what we used to believe. Some call him Yahweh, some call him the creator of mankind, or the heavenly one - that was our faith.
I want to say, Mr. President, the Ten Commandments were not brought by churches. According to our culture, it was a rule that you should not steal, murder or bear false witness. We used to know that those things were not allowed, even though we were not born yet but that is what we were told through folk stories. What united us is love. If you have love, you have everything. So, the colonisers realised that in order for one to be able to destroy that person, destroy their culture, destroy their faith or belief system, that way you will be able to capture that person.
When Moses was born, Pharaoh instructed that all boys below the age of two years must be killed in Egypt. If Jesus was a white person, the instruction would have been, kill any white person in Egypt, which means Jesus was black. We have our culture, which is very important but those who came would give us new belief systems that Jesus was white. What I believe is that, as blacks, we had our own blessings, which we ran away from after accepting foreign cultures. The commandments like do not commit murder or steal were not new. We had our own ancestral traditional belief system of worshiping which was taken as a sin. Our ancestors would go and worship under trees and get sadza there and there. During the liberation struggle, they were led by spirit mediums.
Going back to the Bible, you will be told that person is taken to their ancestral lineage but here, we were told other views, and that is where we lost our culture because we accepted foreign beliefs. The young children do not even know how to receive a visitor. We now have a different generation that has lost its connection with our traditions and culture. The current generation does not even know how the traditional beers are brewed. These days we see menstruating women brewing traditional beer. It was never allowed. It was taboo. It would be brewed by elderly women who have reached menopause, living outside the homesteads. So, amongst our children, who knows that? That is why perhaps we see blessings going to the Westerners because we are praying for them.
If you look at what happens when the queen is being installed, they use horses and no engines or motor-driven vehicles. They put on some things like skirts. That way they are sticking to their culture yet we deviate from that and lose our power. That is the reason why they took away the skulls of the likes of Chief Chingaira. They knew the sanctity and the importance of such ancestors, yet we do not know that.
We used to hear folk stories. I was fortunate enough because my grandmother used to narrate them to me. There was a lot of education on our culture, traditions, sacred places and items. That way, the teachings would be passed on from one generation to another. We used to be told that way. But these days, there is storytelling which talks about why children, because they are black, seem to be nauseating to talk about. I want very much to know and understand who I am and where I came from and to try to understand whether what I believe is powerful enough.
I believe time should be set aside for school children to be taught about the traditional values, dances and the spirit mediums in their hierarchy. This will enable our children to know that even if they lose track, at least they will understand where they came from. Even the Bible says so. The ancestors are written in the Bible yet you forget yours. So, all I am saying is, that I support the motion by Senator Chief Nechombo that we should go back to our culture. Let us put aside time, be it at the ward level or at schools. Everyone should be talking about our culture and traditions. We are not saying we want to force anyone who wants to believe otherwise but let us encourage that history to be there. What happens is, if you lose that history, if our children lose track of the history of the liberation struggle, they will not know where this country came from. That is the importance of history. It must remain in our children, knowing where we are coming from, where we are going and our identity. That is the most important thing Mr. President.
I hope my debate will not be regarded as demonic. Before you know the current belief system that you have, are you saying that God was not there? How were we living? Are you saying all those who lived in the past are condemned to hell? I would like to refer to the Zion Church. On the day of commemorating Samuel Mutendi, I do not know whether it is true, but Bishop Nehemiah will be holding and waving a stick in memory of his father and the work that he did for the church. Let us go back to our culture and recall the important days of our lives and our children need to know that indeed, our culture exists. I thank you Mr. President.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE (HON. SEN. KAMBIZI): I thank you Honorable Senator Mbohwa. It is clear even in this House that if we want to talk, we may find perhaps one or two who may debate without using English, which shows that indeed we have been taught deeply about the English culture.
HON. SEN. MUTSVANGWA: Thank you Mr. President. I would like also to thank Senator Chief Nechombo who brought this motion to this august House. Coming from a chief, I feel elated and motivated. The institution that remained strong and protected us was the one of traditional chiefs. All other aspects were removed and we were convinced that everything else is not important. This is a very important motion Mr. President, so I would like to use a language that will ensure that everyone accepts it. So, I will go into English. I am able to speak in Shona and am very capable of speaking in Shona just like how I speak fluent English. Mr. President, we are the Shona, the Zimbabwean people and the Nguni people. Among those major tribes, there are also minorities. These minorities are part of the Zimbabwe society.
We must pay homage to the fact that their languages which came from time immemorial have survived to this day. The fact that they have survived those languages, sustaining those communities, means that they need to be safeguarded and promoted and taken into the future so that they remain forever part of the cultural milieu of Zimbabwe. I say this and I want to cite historical experiences of how we have united the people on this plateau between the Zambezi and the Limpopo, between the Indian Ocean and the Kalahari, maybe a little bit over the Zambezi, maybe a little bit over the Limpopo but also extending all the way to Angola.
Some people do not know. In Angola, there were Shona chiefs and there are great Zimbabwe monuments at lower levels not like the ones we have in Zimbabwe, which is an expression of the diversity of the Shona culture between the Zambezi and the Limpopo extending all the way even to the Atlantic. If I remember well, the other day, Comrade General Chiwenga said he has got a picture of one of the kings in Angola who was Shona. He took it when he went for a visit. Why am I saying this? I want to emphasise that Shona is not a tribe but a language.
It is a mixture of different tribes over a long period of time which gave us this language which is called Shona. This mixture of different tribes shows that minorities were being accommodated to become part of the majority. That is how we can have this language which is called Shona. The ability to assimilate and become one is a very strong tradition in Zimbabwe. That is why this language is spoken in so wide an area on the African plateau between the Zambezi and the Limpopo. It is not only the Shonas, we go to our Nguni, the Ndebele people, the great Chief Mzilikazi.
Everybody knows that he was a general of Tshaka, so he was Zulu. The people of Zimbabwe, Ndebele, of course is the offshoot of the Nguni people, but they are not exactly Zulus. When he left Tshaka and came up north, he assimilated everybody, the Sutus and the Vendas. Everybody became part of the Nguni nation. When he arrived here and just for a reminder of history, Mzilikazi did not conquer the people of the plateau. The person who conquered and left was another Nguni and he went up north.
Mzilikazi decided to unite all the people around the Nguni nation at that particular time including the assimilation of the Shona people becoming part of the tradition of a richer society which is Zimbabwe today. So, it is in our DNA, people of this plateau that we assimilate, respect, promote and tolerate each other. That is why we can become so united. The dividend of this tradition came when we had to fight the enemy. We had to unite the whole people because we were many but weak. The enemy was few but strong. We could only use our numbers and in organising our numbers, we showed that we became David by making sure that the people have the eyes and the ears to see the enemy and to have information and to deny the enemy information even when he was powerful.
It was a big Goliath without eyes and ears. He did not see us. Where did that come from? It came from uniting our people. As a young man, I take pride that though I was born in Harare, when I ended up in the war, I appreciated the Kore-Kore people very well and their language because they had become part of the main ZANLA forces army in the north-east. I appreciated that this was the diversity of the Zimbabwe people. I appreciated the Manyika people because they were playing host to all the people crossing into Mozambique to go and fight. I appreciated the Ndau people.
However, there was one remarkable act during that war, which is how we were able to unite each other when General Tongogara came back and assumed command after the ZIPA (Zimbabwe’s People’s Army) high command of the war. One day, I just saw hundreds of young people. They all spoke Venda. They were brought to the camp at Chimoio to be trained.
The reason why he was doing that is because the South Africans had joined the war in support of the Rhodesians. They were deploying from South Africa along the border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Rhodesia. The people from that area, the Venda people, became very important in their contribution to the war, to make sure that our people were attuned to the ethos of the war so that they could follow commands of the war and fight together with the totality of the Zimbabwe population. He formed a full battalion of Vendas and redeployed them to that area.
Those people fought so heroically that they made it very difficult for the South African army to cross and come and fight in Zimbabwe in support of Ian Smith. This is that tradition that I am talking about where we respect people, minorities and their culture so that we enrich our diversity. If people manage to survive for so long and their language is still there, it is important that this generation makes sure that we preserve what history has given us. Why do we want to destroy what history has given us? We should enrich it.
When the President, His Excellency, President E.D. Mnangagwa takes the Honourables, takes the people of Zimbabwe to this culture week in Masvingo among the Venda people, he is only following in the great traditions of what you have united these people throughout history. The President is doing us good in uniting the people.-[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
We see it in the way he continues to handle historical gripes where we may have diverted, it happens. Sometimes you may be at cross-papers. What is more important is that the virtue lies in how you quickly recover and unite everybody when you go astray. To hear that the Gukurahundi hearings are beginning again to take another dimension at the local level so that we close that bad chapter of our history, is again a homage to our President and his efforts at continuing with that tradition of uniting the people of this plateau so that we become strong.
I want to end my debate by saying it tells on the African continent the most structured and organised country is Zimbabwe. The reason is very simple. You do not win a modern war against a modern British army which was a Rhodesian army unless you get organised. - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-
The war gave us organisational capacity which is a marvel to the African continent. That is why we can withstand 22 decades of sanctions until President Trump comes around to say maybe we need to look at this, it was wrong. This is because we were strong and united. We are also structured and organised. To give you an example, because of the war, if you go to a rural area and you are a stranger and they do not know who you are going to marry or getting married to, our Intelligence Organisation in Harare will report that there is someone we do not understand here. This is because in war, you need to make sure that you know your enemies. If you do not know your enemy, you die.
That is where our organisation comes from. It comes from uniting all the people of this plateau with their historical traditions, their languages and their cultures and harnessing it so that it makes a very solid, patriotic and proud nation.
So this motion, Hon. Senator Chief Nechombo, carries on in the best traditions of the Zimbabwe people. I support it and I thank you.
HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I move that the debate do not adjourn.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th June, 2025.
MOTION
REPORT OF THE JOINT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC WORKS AND NATIONAL HOUSING AND THE THEMATIC COMMITTEE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ON THE STATE OF WATER SUPPLY IN BULAWAYO
Sixth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the Joint Portfolio Committees on Local Government Public Works and National Housing and the Thematic Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. NCUBE: Thank you Mr. President. I would like to add a few words on this very important motion which was raised by Senator Chief Siansali. It is a motion that is not only important but also emotional. So, you have to be careful in terms of your choice of words. I will take you back a few years, precisely in 1992, when Zimbabwe had a devastating drought and we almost ran out of rain. That drought also brought to the fore the water situation in Bulawayo. Bulawayo was in danger of running out of water.
As a result, some initiatives were done and some of those initiatives are still work in progress up to today. The Government decided, at the time to expedite or bring forward the construction of Mtshabezi Dam without the pipeline. It also at the time, decided to actually explore the Nyamandlovu Aquifer around the Epping Forest.
However, the people from that area, thought that the best thing to address the water situation in Bulawayo was to bring water from the Zambezi. Therefore, an organisation was formed from the region called Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust, specifically to address, conscientise and mobilise funding to bring water from Zambezi. Non-Governmental Organisations also stepped in, the Swedes in particular and a detailed study was then done to see how water could be drawn from the Zambezi to Bulawayo. Out of that study, it became quite apparent that, what was important was to build the Gwayi-Shangani Dam first, as a first phase. Then a line from the Gwayi-Shangani to Bulawayo. Lastly, a pipeline from the Zambezi to Gwayi-Shangani. The pipeline from Gwayi-Shangani to Bulawayo is still a work in progress as we speak, 33 years later. Gwayi-Shangani has been on the cards now for a long time. This dam is built in a sustained manner, after the Second Republic. I understand now it is around 70% complete.
Fast forward, in terms of the report which was presented by the Chief and the data given then last year, 2024, which was also a bad year for Bulawayo. Last year the problem was water supply. Fortunately, that part of the region was blessed with a lot of rain, well above average but the dams were not filling up fast enough. For Bulawayo not have water rationing, all the dams should have an average of 70%. They are currently sitting around 50%, with Mtshabezi being the highest, around 80%. So, there is going to be water rationing in Bulawayo for some time to come, until the next rainy season. Possibly, hoping it is going to be a good one. My point is that as we speak, the major problem is no longer the water supply because there is a bit of water now. It is now totally different becausethe of aging infrastructure. In May, just last month, the pipeline from Criterion, which is just on the outskirts of Burnside, there are two pipelines feeding Magwegwe. Magwegwe is the one focathatnt which actually supplies most of the townships. Magwegwe itself, Pelandaba, Luveve, Mabutweni, Njube, all those are supplied from Magwegwe Reservoirs. Due to aging infrastructure, the two pipelines, the big one, actually burst at the end of May, completely starving Magwegwe. The pipelines because they are old and they were made of asbestos cement, which is no longer produced, means that it now tato actually repair them.
I am not quite sure but by last week, the city was struggling to supply water from Criterion to Magwegwe. Most of those areas I have touched on plus more, were dry. What is wanted right now is sustained funding to replace aging infrastructure.
A cellphone rang.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Order. I think, at this time, we cannot be reminding Hon. Members to switch off their phones or put them on silent. Two years down the line. I think you are only inviting me to exercise powers which I do not want to do. When you get into the House, you know, it is either you switch off or you put it on silent. Sorry for the disturbance, Hon. Senator Ncube. Can you proceed?
HON. SEN NCUBE: The major issues right now which are facing the city are the aging infrastructure and systems losses. Out of all treated water, 40% is lost through leakage. That is a substantial and significant number that the city is grappling with. Secondly, pump breakdowns and delays in repairing them because some of these pumps are old and some of the parts are now difficult to get. It takes an inordinate amount of time to get them repaired. Funding is required for that.
The issue of artisanal miners who are active in the catchment area of Umzingwane, Ngcema, creating big cracks so that there is environmental stress in those dams, that has got to be addressed. I think it is important that we protect all water supplies and not only for the City of Bulawayo.
In terms of load shedding for water supply, schemes should actually never be done. There should be the security of supply all the time because when the electricity goes off and it comes back with high transit load damaging the pumps. Other times, it goes anyhow and the City of Bulawayo has been suffering because of unscheduled load shedding. That also needs to be addressed. Thank you very much.
HON. SEN. RICHARD NDLOVU: Thank you Mr. President. Let me start by thanking Senator Chief Siansali for bringing this topical motion to this Senate House. The water situation in Bulawayo is very topical. Everybody would know that at one time Bulawayo was the hub of big industries. Eventually and gradually, all the industries relocated elsewhere because of the water situation. The dams that supply Bulawayo were constructed years ago when Bulawayo was still a small town or a growth point, let me put it that way.
Bulawayo has grown 100 times the time when the dams were constructed. So, it is very difficult for people in Bulawayo to get water. At any given time, if you move around Bulawayo, be it at night or during the day, there are always queues for people looking for water. They are now hunting for water.
Mr. President, as the last speaker said, the people of Bulawayo or the region, have realised that all the dams that surround Bulawayo are silting and they are getting smaller to supply the big city and have decided to come up with a plan to ask the Government to construct the Gwai-Shangani Dam. During that time, the then Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement came up with Mtshabezi Dam. He said it was too small to feed Bulawayo but when they went on, they were taking Gwayi-Shangani as a very big dam that would cost a lot of money which the government could not afford. Up until the Second Republic, when the people of Matebeleland had started the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani, then the Second Republic decided to take over the construction of the dam, which was very good and people appreciated.
People had gone into their pockets to try and raise the funds so that they could construct the dam. That was a desperate move anyway. The Government took over, was very grateful with a canal that would feed Bulawayo and that is the only answer to get the water to Bulawayo through the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. The only problem is that it has taken too long to complete it.
We want to urge and appeal to the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement and the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to realise that the people of Matabeleland have no water, Bulawayo is their home. Again, if the Gwayi-Shangani Dam is constructed, it is going to release the dams that are supplying Bulawayo now. They are all in Matebeleland South. It will assist the people of Matebeleland to venture into irrigation and change their lifestyle.
We are urging the Minister. This motion is not the first time to be put across. It has been debated but the Minister responsible is not taking heed. We want to make an appeal to the Minister of Lands Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to try and understand the situation that is prevailing in Bulawayo and Matebeleland. We want to be self-sufficient and not rely on other people.
Yes, boreholes have been drilled but they are not enough. They cannot really sustain the population in Bulawayo. I do not know what word could be used to make the Minister realise the issue of water in Bulawayo. Water is life. Without water, there is no life. I am looking at a situation where one day there will be an outbreak of disease because of the shortage of water. The toilet goes for days without being flushed. What does it mean at the end of the day? Mr. President, may I ask your office also to take the words of wisdom from this focused House to appeal to the Minister responsible, especially the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, to try and expedite the Gwayi-Shangani Dam. It has been on the drawing board for too long, as one speaker has said. So, we are making an appeal through you Mr. President. With these few words, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Thank you very much Hon. Senator Richard Ndlovu. Indeed, that is an important motion and we will endeavour to make sure that the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement will be invited to come and give a response to that.
HON. SEN. CHIEF SIANSALI: I move that debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MLOTSHWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th June, 2025.
MOTION
PRESERVATION OF INDIGENOUS CULTURE, CUSTOMS AND HERITAGE AS THE BEDROCK OF OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY
Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the ever-increasing loss of our cultural value and norms.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th June, 2025.
MOTION
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS
Eighth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.
Question again proposed.
HON. SEN. GOTORA: I move that the debate do now adjourn.
HON. SEN. MAVENYENGWA: I second.
Motion put and agreed to.
Debate to resume: Wednesday, 18th June, 2025.
On the motion of THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF VETERANS OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE AFFAIRS (HON. SEN. H. MOYO), the House adjourned at Five Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.