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SENATE HANSARD 29 JANUARY 2019 VOL 28 NO 25

PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE

Tuesday, 29th January, 2019

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

PRAYERS

(THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE in the Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE

BILLS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE:  I have to inform the

Senate that I have received the following Bills from the National

Assembly;

Appropriation (2019) Bill [H. B. 12, 2018]; and

Finance Bill (No. 3) [H. B. 13A, 2018];

INVITATION TO A CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND

WORKSHOP

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE:  I also wish to inform

the Senate that all Hon. Senators are invited to a workshop on Constituency Development Fund (CDF) at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Thursday 31st January, 2019 from 0830 hours to 1000 hours. Buses will leave Parliament building at 0800 hours.

INVITATION TO A NATIONAL CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE:  Furthermore, I have to

inform the Senate that all Hon. Senators are invited to participate in the National Clean-up Campaign on Friday 1st February 2019 from 0800 hours to 1000 hours. Parliament is expected to clean streets adjacent to its building namely, Nelson Mandela and Nkwame Nkrumah Avenues, between 2nd and 3rd Streets.  Senators interested are requested to meet in Parliament car park on Friday 1st February at 0800 hours.

MOTION

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE):  I move that notice of

motion number one be stood over until the rest of the Orders of the Day have been disposed of.

Motion put and agreed to.

MOTION

PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH: DEBATE ON ADDRESS

         Second Order read: Adjourned debate on motion in reply to the Presidential Speech.

         Question again proposed.

         THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE):  I move that the

debate do now adjourn.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Thursday, 31st January 2019.

MOTION

SILTATION IN RIVERS AND DAMS

Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the level of siltation which is threatening the existence of most rivers and dams.

Question again proposed.

HON. SEN. SHOKO: Thank you Madam President for remembering my name and compliments of the new season.

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: Same to you Hon.

Senator.

*HON. SEN. SHOKO: The matter that was raised by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu is a pertinent one. Our rivers are heavily silted, our trees have been cut and we now have deforestation and as a result we are not having sufficient rains to ensure that there is sufficient drinking water for the cattle and humans.

The motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu is an extensive issue because it also brings on board the issue of climate change.  Climate change goes together with what was mentioned by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu because the issues that we are discussing are happening under the jurisdiction of chiefs.  Chiefs should have sufficient authority to deal with such cases by such perpetrators of soil erosion. Animal drawn carts cause soil erosion and the result of them being drawn on the ground, soil erosion is being promoted.  Hence chiefs should take sufficient steps to deal with such issues so that we eradicate soil erosion as the soil will be silted into the dams and rivers which in turn will be heavily silted.  As a result, this reduces the carrying capacity of the dams and rivers due to siltation.  It is my plea that chiefs are made aware and appreciate the consequences of siltation.

It is not the duty of the chiefs alone but the Ministry of Lands,

Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry should work hand in glove with the chiefs to ensure that they put a stop to such malpractices.  There are certain areas that are controlled by the Rural District Council or municipality – the local authorities should ensure that they work hand in glove with other partners to ensure that there is no soil erosion that goes into the dams and rivers and cause siltation.

I come from Bulawayo where water shortages are perennial, if you go to the dam and try to immerse a log into river bed – you cannot penetrate because it is filled with sand.  I would want to believe that those who are in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and environmental agency should ensure that people have the knowledge on how to de-silt these rivers – that is very important for them to do so.  Failure to do so, we foresee a situation where in about five to ten years time, we will still have a dam with very little water capacity and we start mourning.  As a result, us as urban dwellers will bear the brunt of such mishaps.  Yet this will have been occasioned by siltation caused by soil erosion which should have been stopped.  As a result, livestock will not have sufficient water quantities and come November/December, the dams will not have sufficient water or no water at all due to heavy siltation.

So the matter that has been raised by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu is an important matter and we should put our heads together and see to it that we put a stop to siltation.  Our failure to do so will result in us mourning because whenever things go wrong, we require rehabilitation to take place.  We will start mourning when the city council says they want to de-silt the dams and levy us $5.00 or less – as urban dwellers, we will cry.  The same would apply for those who are in the rural areas when such levies are being asked for.

Everyone who is in Parliament, Government, Ministry or ministries should ensure that people are enlightened because a lot of offences are committed by people due to ignorance.  Knowledge is power.  Once there is lack of adequate education, then we have a serious problem.  I urge the ministries to look into this matter.  Let us correct these anomalies so that we have sufficient water quantities.  There are wars in other countries due to lack of water, people are fighting so as to gain access to water.  We do not want the same scenario to occur as regards our livestock.  It is important to put a stop to this as a stitch in time saves nine.

Madam President, with those words, I thank you for having afforded me an opportunity to make my contribution to the motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen. Chundu.

*HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI: Thank you Madam President, I just

want to support this important motion that was tabled by Hon. Sen.

Chundu and his seconder.  It is an important motion that affects the livelihoods of people.

It is now a big problem in this country that our dams and rivers, as has been stated earlier by the previous speaker, are now heavily silted and no longer have sufficient water capacity.  The other cause of this problem is the people who are into gold panning. I would want to believe that our people do not prioritise such environmental issues, as a result we end up in problems but they care the least.  It is also dangerous as regards to those who are into gold panning because water quantities will be affected by gold panning.  There is also the danger that people and animals may fall into such pits, wild animals will also come to people’s homesteads in search of water and this is a danger to the lives of people and may even lead to loss of lives.

Madam President, our dams and rivers need to be conserved so that we do not have hunger in this country because these water bodies help us in doing our agriculture in this country.  It is my considered view that our people need to be constantly educated on such issues.  For example, in my Constituency in Mt. Darwin, we had problems with elephants that were now coming to the homesteads – leaving the forests where they are supposed to be.  They would be very angry and thirsty and a thirsty animal is very dangerous and will attack anything or anyone that it comes across.

Water is life to both men and wild animals.  So as members of this august House and other different people in different sectors. We should enlighten people and as Hon. Members, we ought to be in the forefront ensuring that we educate people about the dangers of soil erosion and siltation of water bodies.  Let us lead from the front.  We have a lot of big dams and rivers but some of these have been reduced to sorry sights because of environmental degradation.

Deforestation is also another cause of this problem of siltation.  We should conserve water so that we can live well.  I thank you Madam President.

*HON. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA:  Thank you Madam President

for giving me the opportunity to debate.  Firstly, I would like to say compliments of the new season to you Madam President and to all Hon.

Senators.  We are happy that we have all come back to the House.

The issue raised by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu concerning siltation is a big problem.  I think we should establish the cause or the people who cause this problem.  If we travel in any direction, we find that there is sand on the river beds that used to be mighty rivers. All of us here drive week in week out and are observing such scenarios yet we are turning a blind eye to it.  Let us be held accountable as leaders.  This is not right for this country.  Who is the culprit or whose responsibility is it to ensure that there is no water siltation?

Hon. Sen. Shoko has mentioned that Chiefs should ensure that they put to trial culprits who do that. Thank you for the power that you are giving us.  Give us the keys so that we are able to dispense justice in that regard.  I am saying so because the jurisdiction of communal lands came to an end before independence.  Once people were moved from commercial farms to small areas, there was overpopulation.  As the population grew, the problem became worse every year.  We do not

have trees not because the people of these areas do not understand but it is because the areas were densely populated when regions 1, 2 and 3 were reserved as untouchable.

We know the case of Mazowe and Chinhoyi for example. We were pushed into the southern part where we have bad soils.  That was the settlement areas – we have A1 and A2. This has started and who is the culprit because we do not have village heads or Chiefs in most cases.  It is a free for all.  There are no clear cut leaders in those communities or settlements because the area is said to be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Lands but there is no representative in the village or ward; they are at the district office hence the people do as they please.  The Chiefs are trying in their own areas but it is my wish that through you Madam President, Hon. Sen. Shoko has said the Chiefs should do it.

The land belongs to the Chief but technically it belongs to the Ministry of Lands.  We tell people that they should not cut trees willynilly.  There are individuals who even sell land in the resettlement areas for US$400 to US$1 000.  Most of these people are con-artists who are making cheap money.  We take them to courts and we are being challenged at those courts yet we are trying to discharge the duties that you have given us as Chiefs.  I have said that this person is guilty of selling land. I am doing this in my jurisdiction but when we get to the courts, there will be a lawyer who will come and say that the Chief has no authority in a resettlement area.  The person will be saying that he bought the land for US$1 000 and we say these are illegal settlers.

There is land degradation or land is being misused – we must look for the people who are responsible.  People at district level are young and they cannot handle court challenges. These are the problems that we are facing.  When you go back, you find that initially you are complaining about a hectare where trees have been cut down willy-nilly but on your way back, you find ten hectares will now be cut.  Illegal settlements are too many.  I know the Minister of Lands through the Hon. Minister Shiri said that he is giving notices to everyone who is illegally sdettled but he knows that there is an outcry that he wants to chase away the people.  It is not good to chase away people that have been properly resettled.  We have cases where a group of hundred people gave money to a John and are being protected.  We cannot defend such settlers.  There should be a distinction of cases that can be regularised and those that can never be regularised which include people who are selling land.  Those that are selling land are happy because they will continue selling and say discontinue giving notices of eviction for those that are on the land.

Another issue is about the Forestry Act which was enacted in 1953 when most of us here were not yet born save a few Hon. Senators like Hon. Sen. Hungwe and Hon. Sen. Sekeramayi.  This Act states that the authority to cut a tree is sought from a police officer at a police station.

You are giving me the power here but the Act does not support me. The Environmental Management Agency has also come on board but if the forests are to be preserved, we have people that are on the ground.  The village heads and councillors should join hands and arrest culprits.  That way we can reverse land degradation. This is an issue that cannot be presided over by someone who is in Harare, it needs someone to be on the ground and give them sufficient power for them to be able to discharge these duties.  There is the Land Resettlement Act, Forestry Act, Mines Act and they also have their own Acts; that is giving us a lot of problems and they say that they do not have power.  Such motions as moved by Hon. Sen. Shoko should be redressed.

Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu himself will tell you that he once held a meeting in Chinhoyi with Chiefs in Mashonaland West. There was an outcry on deforestation by tobacco farmers. They get permits from Harare and they are told to go to Chundu area where they are allowed to cut trees that are under the Chief’s jurisdiction. Once challenged, they produce a permit and say they got it from higher authorities.  So, you should assist us and not blame us as Chiefs as we do not have an enabling Act to ensure that we discharge or dispense justice.

Lastly, I conclude with mining. Where they are minerals, you even here people are now using machetes and guns to kill each other after they would have destroyed the environment.  I thank you Madam

President.

*HON. SEN. GWARADZIMBA: Thank you Madam President.

I just want to make a few additions. I heard Hon. Sen. Chief Charumbira saying that we should work hand in glove, with Chiefs and councillors to ensure that we redress this problem.  The chief culprits are the village heads.  Whenever someone comes to the communal lands looking for a stand, they give the village head US$30 dollars and are given a place where there is a hill. People deforest that area through clearing and it is the village head who would have allowed that.  We have river beds where they are allocating people stands.

So, it is difficult for the village heads and the councillors to redress this problem.  Let us have ways to redress this without involving these two because they are corrupt; there is corruption. I thank you.

*HON. SEN. CHIEF NTABENI: I thank you Madam President

for giving me the opportunity.  I say compliments of the new season to you Madam President and my fellow Hon. Senators.  I want to add my voice to the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu. In his debate, he spoke very well.  It is an issue that involves us as Chiefs because all of us come from the rural areas.  We are suffering in the rural areas Madam President.  We have problems of water siltation which has led to insufficient water quantities.  We are being marginalised since independence.  Not even a single dam has been constructed because people do not even know what dams are.  The remaining boreholes are not functioning and we are now sharing drinking water with our livestock. Siltation has affected the majority of our dams.

We should be serious in terms of this matter. So let us be honest when addressing this.  The Government stands with the people that are in the urban lands; I am surprised that there are tanks and reservoirs in towns but what about us in rural lands. We are suffering.  At one time as I was driving, I found people with too many ox-drawn carts full of water and you will be quite ashamed if you are driving a motor vehicle.

I was hoping that I will say very few words but we do not have such power because you said the village heads have the power to resettle people when chiefs do not have such powers.  We are not here just for the sake of opposing.  We are suffering together with you as regards the issue of insufficient water caused by water siltation and soil erosion.  If possible we should have ways to correct such things. A lot of these boreholes were put in place by the Smith regime of which the majority of them are no longer functioning.  I thank you.

HON. SEN. MAVETERA: Thank you Madam President, I felt I

should add a little bit to this very important motion raised by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu. For me, it is one of the most important motions which has been introduced.  I think for us to be able to solve this problem of siltation, we need to be very honest as a people because this siltation has caused a lot of havoc to the national fiscus and even to the livelihood of everyone.  Let us be honest with ourselves. This problem of siltation – I

am sure the age groups of people who are in here were grown-ups at independent.  Before independence, we had no siltation - maybe very little if any. I think we should have for those ‘vaiva muhondo’, we were going to those Agritex officer accusing them of forcing us to make culverts, migero.  So, those things were very important because as far as

I know, even if you were given a place to farm, you would not start ploughing before an Agritex officer came to see if those culverts were well done.  You would actually spend a month trying to correct the gradients, everything and divert it to avoid siltation.  Unfortunately, we actually failed to copy a very simply thing and I think those are some of the things which we need.

When we grew up in the rural areas, we were actually afraid to go to the rivers because they were so deep and black when you look into them, ‘zvichinzi anenjuzu’.  Everyone could do his gardening but now, how many people would actually be able to do it throughout Zimbabwe – know one.  Why, because the whole area, the dams and rivers are now under siltation.   Now, considering the cost of reclaiming, we do not have money and no one will actually come to support people who are foolish and cannot look after their resources.  So, I think we have failed to take our people away from the mood yemuhondo.  Those Agritex officers right now are scattered throughout every homestead doing nothing.  People are cultivating in the stream banks and there is deforestation. All this contribute to siltation.  We think it is the river but at the end of the day, even in Harare right now we are suffering from the effects of siltation.  We are saying we do not have enough water yet the greater part of all our lakes is full of sand.  So, I think it is very important. We may blame the chiefs or village heads but the problem is the Central Government which has failed to do its duty.  I think we have to be honest or 20 years later, it is still like that and the chiefs and village heads have no power, it has been usurped.  People are strong political and we have to be very honest with ourselves if we are going to solve this very important issue – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Just to buttress the need for Central Government to be fully involved.

My father in law was given a farm in Shamva and there was a very big dam from where one could irrigate but a few years back, there were Chinese nationals who were given a permit to establish a mine about 100 metres from the dam.  My father-in-law came to Harare several times to complain about those people but the people from Mines were saying;

‘mining supersedes everything, even if I find that there is gold in your house, we can destroy your house and do mining.’  Right now if you go there, the dam is all sand and there is no dam, that is Central

Government.  We are actually allowing Chinese nationals to come and do mining from the whole of Mazoe.  Mazoe used to be a very big river, feeding all over and that was the source of our bread basket in terms of irrigation.  Even the dams which were built by the colonial regime are just sand, there is nothing.  I think as Central Government, we need to come in and enforce friendly laws.  It is easy, we cannot reinvent the wheel, it was there and we never used to talk about siltation.  In fact, we were afraid of going to the river because there were very big pools where you could drown or for fear of crocodiles because there was water everywhere but right now we do not have it.  I think it is everyone’s duty to put together our acts and do things properly.

The last issue is the impact of siltation.  Right now, rural people go for 40 to 50kms with their livestock to look for water.  We have actually disempowered rural people; they have lost a lot of herd because of lack of water resulting from siltation; that is how serious the issue is.  I think we all need to make sure that we give this issue the urgency it deserves.

I think it is the Central Government which should enforce and make sure that even the new resettled areas – you will find that someone might plough against the slope and it will be causing erosion of sand into the river.  We cannot reach anywhere with that sort of behaviour and soon we will be in Kalahari when we used to be in the tropical forest where there were so many good things.

So, I would like to conclude by thanking Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu for giving us the opportunity to talk and discuss about this issue.  I think it has to be escalated to the right office.  I am happy that the Hon. Minister Shiri is here – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – you really need to make sure that the Agritex officers are empowered and borrow the few things which were good during the colonial days when there was no siltation.  I am not asking anyone because I lived during that time.  If I compare it, it is only a term which I started hearing after independence, not very early but after the late 90s when it was free for all, no rule of law on how we use our resources.  Thank you very much Madam

President.

*HON. SEN. TONGOGARA: Thank you Madam President.  I

stand up to support this motion moved by Hon. Sen. Chief Chundu.  It is a very important motion.  The problems associated with siltation have been discussed and I think that we may go on and on debating about the causes and effects of siltation but we should look at means and ways of resolving this problem and this will help us to identify human and material resources needed to clear this siltation.  This will help us to alleviate this problem rather than continue discussing on the effects it has caused.  If we do that, it will help us as a nation so that we restore our rivers and dams.  I thank you.

HON. SEN. CHIEF CHUNDU: Thank you Madam President.  I

move that the debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. MUZENDA: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 30th January, 2019.

MOTION

UPGRADING OF TOURIST FACILITIES IN KARIBA

Fourth Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the strategic role of tourism to the country’s economic development.

Question again proposed.

Hon. Gumpo having stood up to debate.

THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You debated, do

you still remember.

         HON. GUMPO: I would like to extend the debate –

[Laughter.] –

    THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: We do not do it

that way Hon. Senator.

HON. SEN. GUMBO:  I move that the debate do now adjourned.

HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume:  Thursday, 31st January, 2019.

MOTION

CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS BY THE ZIMBABWE CRICKET

BOARD

Fifth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the allegations of corruption by the Zimbabwe Cricket Board.

Question again proposed.

*HON. SEN. CHABUKA:  Thank you Madam President and

compliments of the new season.  Firstly, I would like to thank the mover of this motion, Hon. Sen. Timveos.  I do not play cricket but the manner in which she raised corrupt tendencies that are being done by the cricket board is quite painful.  It hurts us especially when you look at sport in Zimbabwe.

Sport in Zimbabwe is not being properly run because of the board that is corrupt.  The board is alleged to be corrupt.  That is why there has not been any development in cricket.  Those that have developed, it is because they will be having money to go outside and play with other countries, they are self-sponsored.  On outside countries that sponsor cricket, Madam President, you had to follow what the newspapers or other news items say.  We are being scolded as Zimbabweans because we are said not to be supporting our children fully by giving them resources to ensure that they conduct their business in sport, even those that are in football or women that are in football.

We are losing; I do not know whether it is the lack of finance that should be given to the board by the country so that the board can further develop our children.  Sport is now the mainstay in our children’s lives, whether it is in schools or in national sports.  Children like sports so much and it is developing them in their social, economic life.

The recently conducted elections - we are happy that the elections to that body had been initially postponed because people were accused of vote buying.  They were then invalidated and a second election was called for.  Barely three weeks since the board has taken office, there are allegations of corruption by the new board.  We should look closely and see how best we can end this corruption.

We have debated on several occasions about corruption and we are saying everyone who has broken the law, someone who has done something illegal, should be arrested.  I am happy that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is here.  Maybe he could assist that there could be proper investigations into the causes of this corruption which is well chronicled for Zimbabwe in everything, even in sport because there are people that are selfish and they want to have all the resources to themselves.

I was seriously touched by this motion, Madam President, and as Hon. Members, let us put our political jackets aside.  As Hon. Members who are leaders, let us speak against corruption.  Anyone who is corrupt should be dismissed, whether he comes from our political party or they got that position through someone who is powerful.  We are pointing fingers into each other’s eyes or destroying each other’s eyes because of corruption.  We should not turn a blind eye to corruption.  While there are allegations about corruption in cricket, the relevant Portfolio

Committee on sport should summon the Minister and the Minister should be questioned so that we know what exactly is happening in that Ministry so that corruption can be put to an end.  I thank you.

*HON. SEN. ZIVIRA:  Thank you Madam President.  I thank

Hon. Sen. Timveos for raising this motion about corruption in sport.  This corruption is not just limited to the cricket fraternity, there is the football body.  For people to run for the office, they were asked to pay US$3 000.  Where will you get the US$3 000 when you are earning bond notes?  How many people paid those US$3 000?  Those grants that are paid by FIFA are given to us in United States dollars, where is the money going to?  They take the money and replace it with bond notes but they would have received grants from outside the country in the form of foreign currency.  That is corruption.

Once they are arrested, they will say the rate for the bond and the United States dollars is 1:1 then they exchange the United States dollars on the market.  This is where corruption is.  We should be careful about the administration of sport.  We will not be successful in most of our matches because some of our matches are being thrown away because of corruption because of these United States dollars.  We should put an end to this.  I thank you.

HON. SEN. FEMAI:  Madam President, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to debate and also thank Hon. Sen. Timveos who remembered the sports persons whose limbs are being broken yet the benefits are being reaped by those who did not sow.

First and foremost, Madam President, we should go, look and see amongst those who are leading the  Cricket body, how many are former cricket players?  None of them may actually be former cricket players but he is said to be so and so who runs a certain bar and is given a position yet they are not knowledgeable about how cricket is run.  Such is the level of corruption that we are experiencing in sport.  This is massive corruption and I will not just talk about corruption but will also talk of racism.

I will give you an example of racism.  Cricket used to put Zimbabwe on the map.  There were white nationals who were also good at playing cricket but we heard that they were chased away.  There are black nationals who we had never seen playing cricket – I never heard of our great grandfathers playing cricket.  Cricket is an elitist sport that was introduced to us by whites.  We should have learnt how cricket is run and played.  We had people who could teach us but we chased them away.  The countries that have our players whom we chased away as a result of racism are doing quite well.  Let us leave racism and say whoever is good at any particular sport, be they of Asia Chinese or African descent as long as they are good in sport should be afforded  an opportunity to do so and by so.  By doing, this country will be developed.

Countries are being developed because they return from tournaments with medals that can fill up this room. They are our neighbours and we used to do better than them before their independence but they are now the champions because they are not racist.  It is a free for all in that particular country to participate in a sport of their choice regardless of their origin, be they of Asian or Chinese descent – they are all Zimbabweans or they are all South Africans.

We will move on to soccer which is also another sporting activity. I urge the relevant Minister of Finance and Economic Development, I that there be audits in cricket, soccer with Zimbabwe Football

Association (ZIFA), PSL and even clubs so that they do not behave in an untoward manner.  We saw players being bought in this country.  A player from Zimbabwe - we see that Dynamos Football Club a player for $500.00 - $500.00 for a player?  The player who attracts massive spectators, entertains them and leaves after the star player has scored is bought for $500.00 when in fact the money has been misused by an official who has pocketed the money.  The relevant Ministry should carry out audits in sporting bodies such as cricket, soccer, rugby and the clubs themselves.

I am a former soccer administrator.  Once the gates are opened, you hear that this particular gate is for the chef – that is corruption!  The money that is supposed to be collected by security agents and taken to the bank is taken by the chairperson who goes away with the funding.

We urge that an immediate stop be put to such malpractices and that the relevant Ministry carries investigations.  You even find the clubs moving around but the players are not benefiting anything.  The officials drive porsche cars when players travel by bus.  You think that such a player will perform for us to achieve world cup qualification status?  We will not get there because of racism and corruption which will never end.

Why does corruption not end in this country?  I would be arrested within a day if I were to burn down the house next door but someone who is corrupt is never arrested 20 years down the line.  Why?  I would be arrested within two days for an act of arson.  This proves that our police officers are good at investigating but why are they failing to bring the culprits of corruption to book?  It is a question that we are persistently asking the Government.

We are saying remove corruption from sporting bodies so that sport is developed in this country.  We want people to be independent.  We are always shouting at each because there is no entertainment as it was in the past.  We would spend a long time on Mondays discussing what would have transpired during sports over the weekends.  We now tend to be very political about everything yet sport used to be a rallying point for everyone.  Let us go back and ensure that our sporting bodies thrive.

Furthermore, I urge Government to provide funding to those that are performing well.  For example, a soccer team that is playing in the Confederation of African Football, we hear they have no money for their airfares yet there is a Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.  The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation is collecting 22% from the gate takings through the Sports and Recreation Commission.  Where is all that money that they are collecting going to?  The same applies to cricket. A certain percentage is given to the Ministry or is there no youth policy or there are no youths being developed. What is happening?  Anyone who is corrupt should be arrested in the same manner an arsonist is arrested.  With those words, Mr. President, I thank you.

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

HON. SEN. NCUBE:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 30th January, 2019.

MOTION

OUTBREAKS OF VELD FIRES

Sixth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the recurrence of outbreaks of veld fires with devastating effects on the environment. Question again proposed.

                +HON. SEN. S. MPOFU:  Thank you very much Mr. President

for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the motion raised by

Hon. Sen. Gumpo.  Before I proceed, I would like to wish you and all Hon. Senators well in this year – 2019.

I want to thank the mover of this motion, Hon. Sen. Gumpo who raised this motion to do with veld fires.  I have realised that most of the people who cause these veld fires are the truck drivers.  When they have a breakdown, they will start a fire may be trying to prepare a meal and they do not put out the fire.  That will then be the root cause of veld fires.

Another root cause of veld fires especially in rural areas is our children who will be trying to catch bees.  They start fires as a way of attracting bees and they forget to put out the fire.

This can also destroy the grazing land for our livestock because of the clumsiness of those who will be trying to catch the bees and also those who will be trying to clear the land for farming.  Most of the time after tilling the land, they will start fires to destroy whatever they do not want yet there is an Act that says people should not start veld fires especially in July.  We have realised that people do not follow such laws and people from EMA should do public education to the communities on veld fires and also include students in different schools.

It is my wish that Civil Protection, since it is responsible for such things like floods should also be allocated a good budget so that when we have veld fires they are able to act, protect or encourage people to join outreach programmes on what to do in case there is a veld fire. The Civil Protection Department is the one that is responsible for such disasters especially in our rural areas.

Tourists who visit our country mostly visit because of the vegetation that we have in our country.  They love this vegetation which is a beautiful scene to look at.  When we have deforestation, it reduces the number of tourists coming into our country.  Hon. Sen. Gumpo brought into this House a very good motion.  If we keep our vegetation, we will be able to make money out of it.  We will be able to make timber out of the trees that we have.

It is important as well to encourage teachers that they teach our children not to start veld fires.  EMA should also have laws that can be adhered to by all members of the community encouraging them in outreach programmes not to start veld fires.  With these few words, I would like to thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity.

THE HON. DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF SENATE:  Thank you

Hon. Senator.  On behalf of the other Hon. Senators, I would like to wish you also a very fruitful 2019.

*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHIKWAKA:  I rise to support the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Gumpo.  The issue of veld fires has given us problems and sleepless nights.  In the past, the country used to be beautiful. People were afraid to burn bushes because they feared that there would be wild animals like lions in the forests.  This was because of the practice that was amongst the people that led them to be afraid to start fires but now our country is in a worse of state.

Let me reiterate Hon. President of the Senate, that there is no one who wants to go and propose love to a very beautiful lady who usually has mucus on the nose.  That is how our tourism has been destroyed.

Our country is now akin to the beautiful lady with a running stomach.  Nothing is amusing people anymore in the tourism sector.  Visitors no longer want to come to this burnt country with open mountains.

If you go to the Bible in Isaiah 12 when God was talking about the vegetation – you travel from Chimanimani all along the road to Hwange, we no longer reap anything from the farms.  We even mourn of a reduction in the activities on these pieces of land.  When veld fires are being set willy-nilly, we see our children, the policemen manning road blocks stopping someone and asking for licence disks for the motor vehicles instead of attending to the fire that has destroyed the veld or the country.  Looking at the animals, barely a month goes by without someone being either killed by a lion or an elephant, or people’s homesteads are being destroyed by baboons.

They are bound to be in that position to come and disturb your peace because you would have destroyed their natural habitat.  Veld fires have caused serious problems.  We should not have blinkers like horses.  If we are to have blinkers like horses, we are going to pay lip service to such an important issue.  Our fields are no longer being productive.  We were happy after you said that there was land redistribution.  Our children are the chief culprits in causing veld fires; the A1 and A2 are notorious for causing veld fires.

In the communal lands, yes their manners are still prevailing because we live by our tradition.  Traditional religion was set up so that people cannot be stubborn, rude or misbehave.  It was taboo to burn a forest or burial grounds exposing resting places of dead people by fires that are left unattended.  You hear a story of a woman who died in the fire as she was trying to take out a child from the house.  We must tame them young, discouraging them from keeping boxes of matches in their pockets.  When they go to the communal lands and want to carry out propitiation rits, what purpose is a box of matches to someone who is going to perform a propitiation ritual.

The Government is trying to give us bulls so that we can revive our national heads.  They can never produce good cows with very poor quality cows.  We want our resettled children to be able to ensure that they desist from causing veld fires.  I reiterate that the motion that was raised by Hon. Sen. Gumpo has caused a lot of infrastructure to be destroyed, a lot of Hon. Senators are building beautiful houses but the same timber from the trees that they are burning can no longer be produced.  Looking into such issues, you should go back to the basics and that we should be apprehensive of causing such fires because veld fires cause destruction.

Hon. Senators, we should go back as leaders and educate people about the need to desist from causing veld fires and that the people should be moral and take their values and ensure that they uphold our culture.  The Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Development is having problems to revenue the economy.  We cannot be forever perennial burdens to everything in this country if all the resources we were blessed with by God are destroyed by fires.  Electric poles are being burnt and problems arise and as a result livestock is being lost.  I thank Hon. Sen. Gumpo for raising this motion.

Let us go back to our original state and maintain the importance of our culture.  We should not be opposing for the sake of opposing regardless of whoever would have said it. I thank you Hon. President.

HON. SEN. CHIEF GUMPO: Mr. President, I move that the

debate do now adjourn.

HON. SEN. MOHADI: I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday 30th January, 2019.

MOTION

PROTECTION OF CATTLE AGAINST TICK-BORNE DISEASES

Seventh Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the call to control tick borne disease affecting livestock in Zimbabwe.

Question again proposed.

*HON. SEN. CHABUKA: Thank you Mr. President for affording me the opportunity to debate on this motion by adding a few words in support of the motion raised by Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi in relationship to the lake of chemicals to prevent tick borne diseases.  What we should do is eradicate tick borne diseases and other diseases that affect livestock.  I am glad the Minister of Finance is here and he is the one who is supposed to look for money so that we should be able to dip our livestock.  Matabeleland was on television and they were mourning about the loss of their livestock.  They said there are no chemicals to dip their cattle and ticks are a major problem.  Livestock such as cattle are important; they are a measure of wealth for anyone who is at a communal home.  If you have no cattle at your homestead, you are not a father just like if you are a mother, you should have your own kitchen.

We are observing that men are losing their respect.

I urge the Minister of Finance to read our debates so that he can see what he can do to alleviate the problems that are affecting the generality of the public who are mourning.  In the past, we used to have dip tanks that were used to be run every week and there were sufficient chemicals.  You could smell the chemicals from the cattle coming out of the dip tank from a distance.  Government should come to the aid of the farmers.  If we run out of cattle, it will be uncalled for, for us to then go and look for cattle in Botswana.  We have our own good cattle breeds.

The chemicals used for dipping; I do not think they are very expensive.  You should just look for dipping chemicals that they be supplied nationwide so that people are able to take their cattle to the diptanks so that they are rid of diseases.  Cattle are now expensive.  I thank you for giving me the opportunity to encourage the Minister of Finance to look for finance to come up with dip-tank chemicals so that our livestock can survive.  Cattle are a source of wealth and are resources which we use to plough when we do not have tractors.  If these cattle lose weight, it is difficult for us to use them for ploughing because they will not be having good health and we do not have chemicals for treatment.  With those few words, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the motion by Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi on one of our important resources which restores our dignity as a people.

Thank you Mr. President.

HON. SEN. WUNGANAYI: Thank you Mr. President.  I stand up

to support the motion moved by Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi.  Firstly, I would like to say congratulations Mr. President for the new year.  When I was growing up in Njanja, it was a crime if one failed to dip cattle.  I do not know how the dip-tank attendants knew whether the dipping ticket was marked or not but within three days of failing to dip one’s cattle, they would make a follow-up.  This is because they knew the importance of dipping cattle.  Today we store the dipping chemicals in our homes and smear our cattle with it yet some cattle are troublesome and they cannot be smeared.  However, if those cattle were dipped at the dip-tanks, they would all be treated within the dip-tanks without any problem.

We direct our plight to the Government of Zimbabwe and its Ministries responsible for our livestock, that you should remember the people of Zimbabwe especially those in rural areas.  In the rural areas, people have nothing except their cattle, now if the cattle which we so much depend on within our households perish, how will the fathers be respected?  Cattle were used as a source of livelihood to send children to school and pay restitution when children commit crime when there is no money.

I will give you an example of when cattle perished in our rural home from Chivhu to Wedza.  In a given village, only three cattle would be found and as I speak now, villages in Njanja have only three cattle each and some even say it is rare and scary to come across cow dung.  This is all because cattle perished and we do not even know the disease that led to the death.  We would just wake up and see cattle facing the direction from where the sun rises and that means they would have died the whole herd.

I am happy that the Hon. Minister, Prof. Ncube is present and is hearing what is being said by Hon. Senators who are representatives of the people.  During your budgets, you should not remove such budgets and listen more to what the people say because these Senators may not be too educated but they live with the people.  The other issue is that we are unable to diagnose the diseases of our livestock and yet a lot of diseases affect them.  We no longer hear or see the services of veterinary officers in our rural homes.  Houses were once built for the veterinary officers in our rural homes but today, they are just white elephants.  The question we ask is, where are they working from when we had built houses for them in our midst so that they identify stray dogs which bite people?

Today, if a dog infected with rabbis bites a person in the rural areas, the person just dies because even here, the medication for rabbis is not found, it is found in South Africa.  So, our livestock have perished and we do not know whether it is because of lack of knowledge or it is a result of corruption.  What is destroying our economy is corruption.  If we handled our resources with care, we would be able to talk to each other with confidence face to face.  We are unable to speak to each other face to face today because we are always accusing each other of corrupt activities.  With those few words, I thank you Mr. President.

*HON. SEN. CHIEF CHARUMBIRA: Thank you Mr.

President.  I would like to thank Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi for moving this motion on the wiping off of our livestock.  In our culture as black people, cattle are our inheritance and wealth or education policy.  It is a disposable asset such that I can dispose in exchange for cash.  The majority of those speaking here benefitted from the sale of cattle in order to attend school.  It is insurance for the family and also a form of a pension.  When one passes on, they leave behind something tangible from where the family can fall back on, the wife and children.  Therefore, cattle should be kept well so that they do not die; it is a bank account and pension.  When you swipe your money from the banking halls, I go to my cattle pen, that is my account and sell one when faced with any problem.  That is how one utilises his cattle.  The livestock are a form of a draught power; you get health and nutrition in the form of milk from the cattle and the meat as well.

In our African culture, cattle are used for a lot of things; there are symbolic bulls which are given names in our tradition.  Today, we have very few bulls even if you are to look around the communal areas.  In towns we talk of buying shares or properties but we do not have a value to put on properties which we construct in our communal homes.  Some people sell their shares at the Stock Exchange but I will be selling my cattle.  So the issue of livestock is a very essential motion brought into this House.  Well done Hon. Sen. Chimbudzi, I support you on this motion.  I thank you.

+HON. SEN. PHUTI: Thank you for the opportunity that you have granted me to add my voice to the mover of the motion on the issue of livestock that we have, especially with the cattle and what affects them.  I am not going to dwell much on that but I will indicate on the challenges that we face as Matabeleland South.

I come from a region where they do cattle ranching.  Most of the cattle that we have do not have the value that they used to have because of the diseases that attack them and most of the time it is the issue of the economy.  From Mangwe District, we are very far and we are kindly asking from the Government that for example our livestock are close to Botswana and most of the time the Botswana Government shoot them alleging that they have foot and mouth disease.  Last year people lost about 300 cattle.  The Botswana Government, most of the time shoot any cattle that cross their border.  We are asking that the Government, if they can try and find means when my livestock has crossed into

Botswana, to allow me to collect them rather than shooting them.

For example in Makorokoro and Brunaperg, Ngwizi, most of them do not have any livestock because of that.  It is only about 2km for you to get to the border and most of the times our livestock cross the fence because of people who would have cut the fence.  At the end of the day we have realised that once the livestock get to the border the Botswana Government will just shoot any livestock they see because they claim they have foot and mouth disease.  If only as the Government we can treat our livestock, maybe the Botswana Government would not shoot them down, but will allow that they be brought back.  Thank you.

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

HON. SEN. MOHADI:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 30th January, 2019.

MOTION

REPORT OF THE 139TH ASSEMBLY OF THE INTER-

PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)

Eighth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the Report of the 139th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, Switzerland.

Question again proposed.

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

HON. SEN. CHIMBUDZI:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume:  Wednesday, 30th January, 2019.

MOTION

NATIONAL POLICY ON PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITY Ninth Order read:  Adjourned debate on motion on the need to formulate a comprehensive National Disability Policy and review the Disabled Persons Act.

Question again proposed.

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

HON. SEN. SINAMPANDE:  I second.

Motion put and agreed to.

Debate to resume: Wednesday, 30th January, 2019.

On the motion of THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (HON. PROF. M. NCUBE), the

Senate adjourned at Seventeen Minutes past Four o’clock p.m.

 

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