Address by His Excellency The President Comrade R. G. Mugade on the occation of the opening of the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of Zimbabwe - 23 july 2002

Mr. Speaker,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Comrades and Friends

This Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of Zimbabwe is opening during a period our country is facing considerable challenges arising from a combination of continued British machinations and the consequences of the drought which has affected not only our country but almost the entire Southern African region. The World Food Programme estimates that about 12,8 million people in our region face serious food shortage, with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, Mozambique and Lesotho passing for the hardest hit countries.

In our case, virtually all provinces except for isolated pockets in Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Manicaland, suffered a complete crop write-off, creating quite some hardships for an estimated 6,1 million people, the majority of them in the rural areas.

Mr. Speaker, Government efforts to marshal resources towards drought alleviation are presently in full swing to ensure that this drought does not totally devastate our society. Orders have been secured with a number of source markets, including South Africa, Kenya, Brazil and China. No effort will be spared in ensuring that enough food is secured, for Government is no stranger to mechanisms and strategies for containing the effects of droughts.

Mr. Speaker, while Zimbabwe accepts drought-related assistance from the international community, we remain quite wary of countries and organisations which seek to take advantage of our hour of need to attenuate our sovereignty, or even reverse those vital policies we will have adopted as a sovereign people. Yes, we need food assistance from organisations and nations of good will but we certainly abhor sinister interests which seek surreptitiously to advance themselves under cover of humanitarian involvement. No one can fairly blame us for the situation of want, naturally caused, that affects not only Zimbabwe but most countries of our sub-region.

Mr. Speaker, there are some quarters that have sought to tarnish our image for political reasons by falsely claiming that Government is using food as a political weapon by allegedly distributing it only to supporters of the Ruling Party. Government's track record on this matter speaks for itself. We are a people's Government and we have over the years established a national distribution network for food relief which is people oriented and second to none in this region.

Equally, Mr. Speaker, we reject any attempts to use the present drought relief effort to smuggle in failed and inappropriate IMF policies which we know to have exacerbated our vulnerability to the vagaries of nature and neo-colonial manipulation disguised as globalisation. We believe that the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has a vital role to play in achieving food security for our Nation, both as the dominant purchaser of grain and of course as the custodian of strategic grain reserves. Its preponderant role in the grain market remains assured as it is our principal instrument for achieving food security at both the national and household levels.

Above all, Mr. Speaker, we fight the present drought with our eyes clearly set on the future of the agriculture sector which is the mainstay of our economy. We dare not endanger its future through misplaced decisions based on acts of either desperation or expediency.

Mr. Speaker, as part of our effort to find a lasting solution to food security, the implementation of the Agrarian Reform Programme has been our highest priority since June 2000. To date, Government has gazetted for acquisition and resettlement 5 153 farms with a total area of 9.8 million hectares. Of these farms, 6.2 million hectares have been put under the A1 Resettlement Model where 210 520 households have been resettled under the fast track programme. This figure includes an additional 46 000 who applied under the A2 Resettlement Model. Between 1980 a total of 71 000 households were resettled under the A1 Resettlement Model. The total number of beneficiaries under the A1 Resettlement Model now stands at 281 520 households.

Mr. Speaker, along with this unparalleled success story, we have to date allocated 3.6 million hectares to new commercial farmers under the A2 Resettlement Model. Currently, 54 592 applicants have qualified for small, medium and large-scale commercial farming under this scheme. Additional land will be allocated to the scheme as maximum farm sizes are implemented. Planning, demarcation and pegging teams have so far completed work on 20 517 subdivisions measuring 1.1 million hectares and some 10 843 people have been provided for all planning and demarcation teams to accelerate work on subdivision.

Mr. Speaker, we need to put all this land to productive agricultural use, covering all the possible areas of endeavour, principally those of grain production, horticulture and animal production. This indeed is the best insurance against drought-related food pressures, while it is also our way of ensuring that no one takes advantage of our stomachs to get to the soul of our sovereignty. Thus Government has already earmarked an initial $8,5 billion for tillage, crop and livestock input support to our newly resettled farmers for the next agricultural season. Government is now working on a scheme to support the development of irrigation and agromechanisation. It is vital that Government agencies tasked with land allocation and preparation for the season ensure that everything is in place for an early agricultural start. As already directed, the end of August is the deadline for the main allocation of land under the A2 programme which has to be met before the rains set in.

Mr. Speaker, the Nation is aware of our Winter Maize Cropping Projects mounted in a number of provinces, most visibly in Masvingo. The Masvingo initiative which has already inspired similar projects in Zambia and Malawi is expected to cover over 100 000 hectares under irrigation when it is fully operational. The same emphasis has been placed on traditional winter crops such as wheat and much therefore rests on substantial progress being made in developing irrigation infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, it is a crushing indictment on us that a country with as many dams as ours continues to suffer ravages of recurring droughts. I am happy to announce that work on the rehabilitation of the irrigation infrastructure in the A1 and A2 resettlement schemes is already under way, despite the negative activities of some commercial farmers who have gone on a destruction spree of irrigation infrastructure in order to disable our capacity for production.

Mr. Speaker, as this Honourable House commences the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of Zimbabwe, it should be apparent to all of us that our Nation has, along with others in the region, embarked on a new course necessitated by the ever-shifting mores of international relations. The global environment has drastically changed and, for an independent Third World Nation like ours, there are new challenges on the horizon. Our sovereignty is constantly under attack from the bullying states and nations of the world which seek to use their political and economic prowess to achieve global hegemony. We are caught up in an era of undiminished unipolarity, with some Western countries unashamedly ganging together and unjustly riding roughshod over small but still sovereign nations. Many small nations are buckling under their ruthless power as they prefer to find refuge in acquiescence. For us, time has come to take full cognisance of this neo-colonialist situation and move on to forge political and economic partnerships with nations that mean well to us and fully respect our sovereignty.

Accordingly, in addition to the already existing agreements, we have concluded a number of bilateral investment promotion and protection agreements with countries we judge to be well disposed towards us. These agreements will in due course be brought before you in this House for ratification along with protocols related to the work of the African Union launched in Durban, South Africa, earlier this month.

Mr. Speaker, Government remains committed to achieving sustainable economic growth and the accelerated development and industrialisation of our economy. The land reform and resettlement exercise provides us with the platform on which to pursue this objective in a more focussed, more energetic and sustainable manner than in the past.

Increased and more diverse agricultural production must, of itself, lead to the development of increased agro-industrial capacity within Zimbabwe. That, in turn, must lead to increased production of exports of value-added or beneficiated agricultural products. Indeed, this was the thrust of the recent World Food Summit in Rome. Italy was quite clear that countries of the South needed to harness their collective potential towards agro-processing so that they could move away from primary exports to high-value processed export products.

Mr. Speaker, regarding the much needed promotion of exports, Government is actively following up earlier ground-breaking visits to new African, Asian and Far Eastern markets. Trade and Economic Co-operation agreements either have been or will be negotiated, and will be brought to this august House for ratification. Our manufacturers and exporters therefore need to re-orient themselves and redirect their promotion efforts to those new markets where Government has now firmly opened the trading door.

Within the framework of the agrarian-led Economic Revival Programme, Government has allocated a $260 million grant to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority revive tourism as an industry. Already, steps are underway to strengthen operations in South Africa, United States of America and Europe as well as opening new offices in the untapped markets of the countries of Asia.

On the 4th of December this year, Zimbabwe will once again experience another total solar eclipse which will cover parts of the South Western Districts. This lifetime spectacle will definitely provide yet another solar opportunity to whom the international world that Zimbabwe is a safe destination. Government is supporting every initiative to make the event a great success and I hope Honourable Members of this august House will play their part in supporting this effort.

Mr. Speaker, the much-anticipated agrarian-led economic revival cannot take place for as long as our financial sector continues to be completely unstable. Our banking institutions have to be shaken into realising the harm they are doing to the economy through rampant indiscipline. The parallel market of our financial, or is it money, market has to be brought under immediate control. Fortunately, we have got to a stage where everyone, including the productive sector, is convinced that a runaway cannot be exchange rate cannot be the way to the recovery of our economy. The crux of the matter is that foreign exchange is in short supply and this precisely because of price slums on the international markets and the contraction, through closures and other restraints, affecting enterprises in our export-oriented sectors.

We accordingly need to cause greater production of exportables especially our major earners of foreign currency destined to both traditional and new markets, through various export promotion schemes including incentives. Devaluation is sinister and can only be advocated by our saboteurs and enemies of this Government. Support for productive sectors, especially in agriculture, mining and tourism, coupled with effective management and control of our financial resources will be the priority of my Government. Devaluation is thus dead.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the long-awaited Value Added Tax Bill has now been gazetted. The VAT legislation will enable the collection of tax revenue at each stage of production thereby reducing the risk of evasion. The insurance and Pensions Commission Act will be amended to accommodate the introduction of the new legislation to allow for the establishment of a Financial Services Authority. This proposed Authority will house the functions currently performed by the Commissioner of Insurance, Registrar of Banking Institutions, Registrar of Building Societies, Registrar of Collective Investment Schemes and Registrar of Pension and Provident Funds all under one roof. This will rationalise the financial sector and improve effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery.

Mr. Speaker, in order to improve the hitherto negative perception of public procurement, I have, in accordance with the Procurement Act, appointed members of the State Procurement Board. The Procurement Board will take over the functions of the Government Tender Board. Tendering rules are now contained in primary legislation, and not simply as an appendage to Treasury Instructions issued by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. This way, tenders will now be in the full glare of the public with any appeals going to the Administrative Court as opposed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development as was the case before.

Mr. Speaker, on matters related to some initiatives being led by our Defence Forces, this Session will see the implementation of various self-reliance projects under the ''Soldiers Engaged in Economic Development'' (SEED) concept in order to supplement the national fiscus and create employment.

In pursuit of Government policy of military assistance to civil authority, Zimbabwe Defence Forces engineers will deepen ongoing efforts to clear landmines from the Victoria Falls to Mlibizi as well as the Gonarezhou Transfrontier National Park. These noble efforts are meant to provide safe habitation for both people and animals and to enable access to land that can be used for economic development.

Following Denmark's abrupt termination of funding to the Regional Peace Keeping Training Centre, in protest over our land reform programme, my Government has joined other SADC countries in taking over the responsibility to fund the institution. I am pleased to say that since the end of the Danish funding, no planned programme has been disrupted.

Talking about peace, we are encouraged, Mr. Speaker, by the ongoing regional and international efforts to support the steps taken by the DRC Government to bring about comprehensive and lasting peace in that country. We are similarly encouraged by the positive signs that peace is finally taking hold in Angola.

In order to promote and facilitate the flow of trade, investment, business and holiday visits while simultaneously curbing illegal immigration, illegal border crossings and smuggling, new border posts and crossing points continue to be established with our neighbours. To this end, work is underway to put new border complexes at Chirundu, Binga and Cashel.

Following the current successful agrarian reform programme that has led to new demographic and settlement patterns in once sparsely populated commercial farming areas, new police stations and police districts will be created to adequately cater for these new communities.

Mr. Speaker, Members of this Honourable House are aware that Zimbabwe is a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and other Regional Instruments on Women's issues; it is also a state party to the SADC Gender Declaration signed in 1998. The legal obligations that arise from the two instruments stated above and the prevalence of domestic violence in the country often taking the barbarous nature of murder have prompted Government to introduce legislation to protect would-be victims and survivors of domestic violence.

It is proposed to establish a legal aid scheme that will make justice accessible to indigent clients. A Bill to address this will be presented during this Session.

In line with Government's policy of bringing justice to the people, the jurisdiction of Customary Law and Local Courts has been increased. More of these courts will be opened up so that the people, especially those remotely located from the Magistrates Courts, can have access to justice. In the same vein, the jurisdiction of Small Claims Courts has been increased and efforts will be made to have these courts opened at all Provincial Headquarters during this Session.

Preparations for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Conference to be held in Chile in November this year are underway. In a bid to lobby for support, wildlife managers from French speaking African countries will soon visit Zimbabwe to have first hand experience of how we manage our elephant herd.

Mr. Speaker, with respect to mining and in an endeavour to improve Zimbabwe's investment climate, my Government will, during this Session, implement new fiscal incentives as well as conduct a substantive review of the Mines and Minerals Act to ensure effectiveness and regularity in the mining sector as well as release vast tracts of prospecting land. The existing Mining Industry Loan Fund will be revamped with a view to making it more responsive to the needs of the small-scale miners.

There continues to be concern about deteriorating gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refineries. A complete overhaul of the gold trading regime including the introduction of deterrent penalties for illegal gold exporters is in progress.

During this Session, legislation will be put in place for the development, transportation and utilisation of gaseous hydrocarbons such as coal bed methane gas. This energy resource which is found in abundance in Lupane, Gwayi, Hwange and Chiredzi areas can be used for power generation and as feedstock for fertiliser, gasoline and methanol production.

Mr. Speaker, it is recognised that the provision of adequate, safe and reliable transport services is vital for the sustenance of the key sectors of the economy such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining and tourism. To this end, during this Session, legislation seeking to enhance the effectiveness of parastatals and departments involved in those sectors will be brought before this House. These will include the Railways Regulatory Authority Bill that seeks to regulate the operations of the railways industry, and the Services Bill that will see the transformation of the Meteorological Services Department into a commercial entity operating on a cost-recovery basis.

Amendments to the Rural District Councils Act will seek, inter alia, to improve service delivery in the local authority areas through mobilisation of revenue and the improvement of productivity in the resettlement areas. To that end, the taxation regime in the Rural District Council areas will be reviewed so that the farmers in resettlement areas will be obliged to pay unit tax as opposed to land levies.

In order to rationalise development in peri-urban areas, appropriate legislation will be introduced to allow for the greater subdivision of identified farms into smallholdings in the interest of intensive farming and urban development.

Plans are underway to repeal the Civil Protection Act and introduce an Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Bill. The new legislation will, among other things, promote efforts to develop and maintain the capacity of local authorities and our nation to effectively manage emergencies.

In the area of public construction and within the broad framework of indigenisation and empowerment of the previously marginalised sections of the community, my Government is working on a policy designed to give preferential treatment to indigenous contractors on Government construction projects. The Architects Act will thus be amended to remove barriers to practice by indigenous architects.

In the broad area of Labour and Social Services, and in pursuit of our obligations as members of the international community, Government will bring ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection; ILO Convention 184 on Safety and Health in Agriculture; and ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise for ratification by Parliament.

In its endeavours to improve service delivery, the Public Service Commission will henceforth implement entrance and promotion examinations to ensure that people with the right professional orientation and requisite skills are initially recruited into the Service and promoted to higher posts respectively. In addition, job profiling will be undertaken service-wide in order to provide job performance indices that are important to job success.

Regarding co-operative development, the Co-operative Societies Act will be reviewed to make it user-friendly and commensurate with the current thrust on indigenisation. A Savings and Credit Bill will be introduced to facilitate the smooth operation of activities in this rapidly expanding field and to protect clients.

With regard to the National Youth Service, the responsible Ministry is developing 10 training centres so as to provide a centre for each province including the cities of Harare and Bulawayo. Among other areas, the national service curriculum touches on national consciousness, HIV/AIDS education, work ethics, First Aid team building, moral education and national history to be completed in six months inclusive of community service and appropriate work-place attachments.

A resource centre will be established to help create linkages between Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMESs) and other stakeholders. A directory of SME support agencies will also be established to facilitate easy access to information. A Bill to promote and protect the interests of small and medium scale enterprises will be introduced during this Session.

Mr. Speaker, my Government continues to view the provision of quality education and life skills to all children as a national priority.

Faced with the challenge of providing access to education for children in the newly resettled areas, satellite schools will be established using new existing infrastructure like farm homesteads, sheds and barns to ensure that children of the new farmers are within walking distance to schools.

To facilitate the promotion of education of education for all, the Education Act will be amended during this Session to encourage commercial farmers, either as individuals or in groups, to help in the establishment of schools for the children of their workers. A further amendment to the Act will provide for the appointment of civil servants to head every school whether, public, mission or private. This measure will ensure the appointment of qualified heads in all schools and guard against sectionalist and racist policies that continue to be pursued by some schools.

In order to increase student access to Sixth Form Schools, a further 62 secondary schools will have been granted authority to open 'A' level classes by the end of this year. This will bring the total number of 'A' level schools in the country to 255, compared to only 46 in 1980.

Mr. Speaker, during the Session, a Bill will be presented for the establishment of Masvingo National University whose initial area of specialisation is infant education. Already, degree programmes in that field are being offered at Masvingo Teachers College under the auspices of the University of Zimbabwe. In addition, A Bill is being drafted for the establishment of the Zimbabwe National Examinations Council which will be successor to the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), the Higher Education Examinations Council (HEXCO) and other examinations offered by the Ministries of Health and Child Welfare and Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement. This will bring about the sharing of generic functions and the rationalisation of national examinations and operations in the interests of cost effectiveness and efficiency.

In order to enhance the participation of communities in the planning and management of Health Services in line with Government policy on decentralisation, amendments to the Public Health Act will be introduced to provide for the creation of District Health Management of local health services to Rural District Councils, thus ensuring that local administrative and planning structures play a leading role in determining national priorities.

In addition, a Hospital Management Boards Bill will be introduced to provide for the transfer of staff and assets to newly created Hospital Management Boards. Through this measure, it is expected that the Boards will have sufficient autonomy and authority to deliver quality health services.

As the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to take its toll amongst the young and productive age groups, Government will continue to strengthen prevention efforts. Voluntary Counselling and Testing and prevention of Parent to Child Transmission efforts will be expanded as well as the improvement of care initiatives for People Living with Aids.

In the very near future, the institutional arrangements to implement the country's Community Home Based Care (CHBC) policy, will be put in place.

Mr. Speaker, the one overriding challenge we all have is always to put PEOPLE FIRST. A necessary starting point in that regard, is the defence of our national sovereignty and, the second is the unwavering commitment by us all to economic and social justice for all our people. There is no better place for doing these things than this Honourable House. It is with this in mind that I commend these matters for your consideration and now declare this, the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe, duly open.

I thank you.