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Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
Full
text of President Robert Mugabe's speech at the official opening
of the 8th Parliament of Zimbabwe on Tuesday, September 17, 2013
President Robert Gabriel Mugabe
September 17, 2013
Madame President
of the Senate,
Mr Speaker,
Sir,
Honourable Members
of Parliament,
I welcome you
all to the First Session of the Eighth Parliament of Zimbabwe. The
Session comes soon after
our harmonised elections, which were held in an environment
of prevailing peace and tranquillity.
The Eighth Parliament
of Zimbabwe will be seized with the task of aligning the existing
various pieces of our legislation to the new Constitution. There
will be need to come up with new legislation to give legal underpinning
to the new structures and institutions provided for in the new Constitution.
Additionally, the Eighth Parliament is expected to deal with outstanding
legislative business, of the Seventh Parliament.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
In recent years
the performance of the agriculture sector has continued to be depressed
owing mainly to recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall patterns and
a lack of adequate funding. This trend, in turn, has weighed down
on the performance of the entire economy, given that agriculture
is the mainstay of our economy.
As part of strategies
to mitigate the risks caused by droughts, Government will emphasise
increased reliance on irrigation agriculture, and on water harvesting
and conservation techniques. To alleviate the plight of our farmers
who constantly bear the brunt of adverse weather conditions, Government
will empower the farmers through the provision of inputs support
and marketing incentives. We must employ strategies that avert our
country from developing an over-reliance on food imports and handouts
from donors.
Government will
hasten the operationalisation of the Commodity Exchange of Zimbabwe,
which is intended to serve as a market where farmers can market
and fetch fair prices for their produce. Government will also expedite
the completion of various strategic water development projects.
The water projects have been boosted by Zimbabwe’s successful
bid to host the Zambezi Water Course Commission, whose objective
is the promotion of equitable and efficient utilisation of the water
resources along the Zambezi Water Course. Pertaining to livestock,
I wish to note that the Zimbabwe Livestock Drought Mitigation Programme,
under which farmers in drought-prone areas are being assisted to
save their livestock, will be continued in earnest.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The Land Commission Bill, to give legal underpinning to the establishment
of the Zimbabwe Land Commission, will be brought to this House for
debate during this Session. The Commission will take over the tasks
and role previously performed by the Agricultural Land Settlement
Board.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Our economy
continues to face numerous challenges characterised by declining
production levels, high costs of production, company closures and
high unemployment. As such, the pursuit of sustained economic recovery
and growth is uppermost on the Government priority list. In this
regard, Government will, as it prioritises the implementation of
sustainable pro-poor economic development initiatives hinged on
the consolidation of macro-economic stability, effect the revival
of key sectors of agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing.
This will require vigorous mobilisation of the requisite funding.
As part of this thrust, the Banking Act Amendment Bill, which seeks
to strengthen regulation of new forms of banking, will be brought
for debate during this Session. Amendments to the Insurance Act,
the Pension and Provident Funds Act, and the Insurance and Pension
Commission Amendment Act, which collectively seek to enhance pension
and insurance sector operations, will be up for debate during this
Session.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
To address the
challenge of declining capacity utilisation in the local industry
and the widening trade deficit, Government will mobilise funding
for the revival of closed and distressed strategic companies.
The Consumer
Protection Bill and the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority
Bill, which seek to protect the rights of consumers and to foster
fair trade, will be tabled in this august House during this Session.
In addition,
efforts to promote both domestic and foreign investment will be
enhanced within the context of the country’s indigenisation
and empowerment laws. In particular, Government will pursue Public
Private Partnerships and establish the Sovereign Wealth Fund as
vehicles for mobilising resources for the critical programmes of
public infrastructure, irrigation and rural development. During
this Session, the Public Private Partnership Bill and the Sovereign
Wealth Fund Bill will be brought to this august House for debate
and consideration.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The mining sector
is poised to play a greater catalytic role in the country’s
industrial development process. In pursuance of this, consultations
were held with stakeholders, on a Mining Development Policy and
the promulgation of a new Mines and Minerals Bill. The prime objective
of the envisaged legislation and policy framework is to boost mineral
development and maximize benefits accruing to the country from its
rich and diverse mineral endowment. The Bill will be discussed in
this House during this Session.
Pertaining to
the power sector, I am pleased to note that the power supply situation
has significantly improved this year, owing to continuous rehabilitation
works at the country’s power stations. The expansion of the
Kariba and Hwange Power Stations, for which tenders have been awarded
to Sino Hydro and China Machinery and Equipment Company, is expected
to yield an additional 900 megawatts into the national grid.
Preliminary
work on the construction of the 1 600 megawatts Batoka Hydro Power
Plant has also started. Exploitation of the abundant solar energy
will also be stepped up, following the receipt of over 500 mobile
solar units from the People’s Republic of China. The coming
on board of these projects will certainly bring about sustainable
improvement in the overall power supply situation and enable the
country to mitigate adverse effects arising from regional energy
supply shortages.
On a related
note, final steps will be taken to fully operationalise the ARDA-Chisumbanje
Ethanol Plant which, alongside various private power-generating
initiatives, should significantly augment the country’s power
supply. Measures are afoot to ensure that during the first quarter
of 2014, the blending of petrol with ethanol will have reached the
E20 mandatory blending levels. Such a move will ensure fuel self-sufficiency,
and more importantly, the project will trigger incremental job creation,
thereby guaranteeing decent livelihoods for local communities and
other citizens.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The tourism
sector’s contribution to the country’s economy continues
on an upward trajectory. With Zimbabwe and Zambia currently basking
in the after-glow of their successful co-hosting
of the 20th Session of the UNWTO General Assembly, it behoves me
therefore, to sincerely commend all stakeholders in Government and
the private sector, whose collaborative efforts secured this landmark
achievement. As we look ahead, therefore, we should strive to build
on the momentum generated from the success of this premier event
by replicating our mutual collaboration in other areas of our socio-economic
development.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Sound transport
infrastructure is crucial in all national development activities.
In this regard, my Government will continue the upgrading and dualisation
of the national roads infrastructure through public-private partnership
arrangements. The Border Posts Authority Bill, which will facilitate
the efficient movement of all forms of traffic at the country’s
border posts, together with a Bill to facilitate the takeover of
the collection of toll fees from Zimra by Zinara, will also be tabled
before this august House.
I am pleased
to note that the turnaround of the national carrier, Air Zimbabwe,
is now on a firm pedestal. Already, full reintroduction of domestic
operations has been achieved, as well as the reintroduction of a
second frequency for the Harare-Johannesburg route and of the Victoria
Falls-Johannesburg frequency. Efforts to open up routes in the region,
including to the DRC, Malawi and Tanzania, in a bid to improve connectivity
within the region, are currently under way.
In addition,
plans for the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu highway
have reached an advanced stage.
On the environmental
conservation front, Zimbabwe continues to pursue the establishment
of sustainable transfrontier arrangements with its neighbours. In
this regard, treaties for the establishment of the Kavango-Zambezi
Transfrontier Conservation and the Greater Mapungubwe Conservation
Parks will be brought to this august House for ratification and
accession. Furthermore, three multi-lateral agreements aimed at
enhancing the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development
and human well-being will be tabled during the Eighth Session of
Parliament. The agreements will include the Nagoya Protocol on Access
to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits
arising from their utilisation; the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary
Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
and the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Citizens in
some of our urban centres, especially Harare and Bulawayo, have
for quite some time endured unreliable water and sanitation services.
This challenge stems mainly from the lack of capacity in some of
the local authorities, the poor state of sanitation and water-related
infrastructure, and excessive growth of our urban population. I
am pleased to note that disbursement of a US$144 million loan facility
from China for the upgrading of Harare’s water and sanitation
infrastructure will commence soon. In addition, the city will, in
collaboration with an identified partner, implement a revamped water
service delivery plan. The plan will see the construction of three
new dams and additional water treatment plants over a period of
seven years. This is expected to significantly improve water supply
in the city. It is my hope that such turnaround initiatives will
be replicated in Bulawayo and other cities.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
This august
House shall also deliberate on the Tripartite Negotiating Forum
Bill which will facilitate consultation, negotiation and co-operation
among Government, Business and Labour. A Bill on the harmonisation
of the country’s Labour Laws and their alignment with the
International Labour Organisation Conventions acceded to by Zimbabwe,
will also be tabled before this Parliament. Furthermore, the currently
fragmented Occupational Health and Safety legislation will be consolidated
and aligned to internationally accepted standards.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The new Constitution
imposes on the State the obligation to take concrete and reasonable
measures to prevent the spread of diseases and to treat health care
as an inalienable right for every Zimbabwean citizen. The Health
Services Act, the Medical Services Act, the Public Health Act, and
such other pieces of legislation, will therefore be urgently amended
to reflect this perspective. Over and above, Government will continue
to work on the improvement of the conditions of employment of our
health workers.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Although Zimbabwe
continues to outpace other countries in literacy, there is, however,
need to transform the structure and curriculum of the country’s
education system in order to adequately meet the evolving national
development aspirations. This should see greater focus being placed
on the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering
and mathematics, including a prioritisation of youth empowerment
and entrepreneurship development. As part of efforts to broaden
access to higher and tertiary education, Bills for the establishment
of the Gwanda State University and the Marondera University of Agricultural
Science and Technology shall also be tabled in Parliament during
this Session.
Continuous advances
in the field of Information Communication Technology present boundless
opportunities for Government to be more connected to citizens, and
for the improvement of business processes. On its part, Government
is implementing an e-enabled programme which will see the automation
of Government business management, and thereby obviating the bureaucratic
logjam normally associated with manual processes. Benefits to accrue
from implementation of the programme include the increased efficiency
and quality of services to the citizens; broadening of access to
public services by citizens; and reduction of revenue losses and
incidents of corruption that tend to flourish under conditions of
bureaucratic red tape.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The need to
revamp our ailing parastatals into high-performance and competitive
entities is more compelling. Considering that the entities have
the potential to contribute about 40 percent of the country’s
Gross Domestic Product, the enterprises should serve as engines
of socio-economic development. Accordingly, Government will be adopting
measures aimed at systematically addressing the capacity weaknesses
inherent in the management of most parastatals and local authorities.
To reinforce this thrust, heads of all parastatals and local authorities
will henceforth be required to sign performance contracts and to
adopt the Results-Based Management approach in order to engender
accountability for results and ensure efficient service delivery.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
My Government
attaches great importance to the empowerment of its civil servants.
To this end, work to upgrade infrastructure at Civil Service Institutions
of Training and Development is in progress. Furthermore, Government
is fully cognisant that our civil servants continue to discharge
duties under difficult working conditions and low remuneration.
Steps will therefore be taken to review their wages and salaries,
as well as revive the provision of other non-monetary benefits.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
My Government
will exercise zero tolerance to the scourge of corruption. Accordingly,
structures to combat corruption shall be bolstered through the establishment
of the National Prosecution Authority as prescribed in the new Constitution.
This independent body is set to take over the functions previously
performed by the Criminal Division of the Attorney-General’s
Office. The composition of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission
will also be aligned to the new Constitution, while Anti-Corruption
Commissioners will be required to adhere to a strict code of ethics
and to also publicly declare their personal assets.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Numerous complaints
have been raised over alleged abuse of resources from the Constituency
Development Fund by some Members of the previous Parliament. To
engender transparency and accountability in the handling of the
resources, a Constituency Development Fund Bill shall be tabled
in Parliament during this Session. Members of this new Parliament
should take note that the law will descend heavily on all those
who will abuse the Fund.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
Implementation
of the country’s Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment laws
is to be pursued with renewed vigour. This is in order to ensure
that our people become significant stakeholders and not mere bystanders
in the running of the national economy. To this end, the National
Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund will be capitalised
so as to give impetus to the implementation process. Government
should mainstream indigenisation and empowerment programmes. Indigenisation
and Empowerment legislation will be reviewed and strengthened during
this Session. In addition, a monitoring and evaluation mechanism
will be put in place to ensure the proper management of Community
Share Ownership Trusts.
Furthermore,
following extensive consultations with representatives of the Public
Service, Apex and Civil Service groups, the Zimbabwe Public Service
Investment Trust was established. The Trust is the primary vehicle
by which members of the Public Service will collectively participate
in the Government’s indigenisation and economic empowerment
programme.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
The Micro, Small
and Medium Policy Framework is currently being reviewed in order
to enhance its employment potential and its capacity to eradicate
poverty. Through co-operation with the Indian Government, Common
Facility Centres are being established for purposes of imparting
entrepreneurship skills to young unemployed graduates from our higher
and tertiary institutions of learning. The graduates from these
incubation centres will be assisted in starting up businesses of
their own. A Savings and Credit Co-operatives Societies Bill to
regulate the activities of these entities will be brought to this
august House for debate, while the Co-operatives Societies Act will
also be amended during this Session in order to align it with the
other laws of the country.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
On the diplomatic
front, we will continue to redouble efforts in promoting the political
and economic interests and the image of Zimbabwe in the region and
beyond. We will continue to play our part alongside other nations
in the creation and maintenance of a peaceful regional and international
environment. During the last Session of the Seventh Parliament,
Zimbabwe acceded to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
A Bill to domesticate
this Protocol has been drafted and will be presented before this
august House. Once the Protocol is ratified, our country should
be in a position to effectively deal with the heinous crime of trafficking
in persons. With the elections now behind us, we look forward to
meaningful and effective collaboration with all the progressive
members of the global community. We indeed stand ready to work even
with those who, before, were at odds with us. On the other hand,
Zimbabwe will continue to demand the immediate and unconditional
removal of the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western countries.
Regionally, we will continue to play an active role in the African
Union, Comesa and Sadc where we have recently been elected as Deputy
Chair. We will therefore have the honour of hosting the Sadc Summit
of Heads of State in August 2014, when we assume the chairmanship
of the grouping.
Madame President,
Mr Speaker, Sir,
I wish, at this
juncture, to thank our Security Forces for safeguarding the nation’s
territorial integrity. Indeed they continue to raise the country’s
flag very high as our true ambassadors on several United Nations
peace-keeping missions. I also wish to extend my sincere gratitude
to all Zimbabweans across the political divide for continuing to
attach a high premium to the values of peace, nation building and
love of our country. We should thus always cherish and jealously
guard our national sovereignty for the sake of both ourselves and
our future generations.
Let us therefore
find strength in our diversity, and seek to play our respective
roles in raising our country high on the perking order of the world
community of nations. As we stand united under our national flag,
singing and echoing from the heart the themes so beautifully encapsulated
in our national anthem; let us proudly end up by saying
Long live Zimbabwe!
Long live our Unity in Diversity!
Long live our Peace and Sovereignty!
Madame President,
Mr Speaker,
Sir,
On this note,
allow me to commend these matters for your consideration and to
declare this First Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Republic
of Zimbabwe, duly open.
I thank you!
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