Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sona 2015
Sona 2015
3.00p.m.
MOTION
STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY,
THE PRESIDENT
HIS EXCELLENCY, THE PRESIDENT, CDE. R.G.
MUGABE: Madame President of the Senate,
Mr. Speaker Sir;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Comrades and Friends.
As a Nation, we occasionally find time to reflect on our
achievements and the challenges we face in our quest to improve
peoples quality of life.
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witnessed in the production of tobacco over the past few years must now
happen to cotton.
Mining, in 2015, exhibits stronger growth of well above 3.5
percent, despite the impact of declining international prices. This
growth is primarily driven by substantial output increases of gold,
nickel, platinum, chrome, coal, among other minerals. In order for the
country to fully benefit from this sector, Government will maintain the
policy thrust on beneficiation and value addition that is supported by
other reforms which enhance transparency and accountability in the
sector.
Madame President, Mr. Speaker Sir, the tourism sector continues
to experience tremendous growth and development. It is set to grow by
more than 5 per cent this year, reflecting growth in confidence in
Zimbabwe as a peaceful tourism destination. Tourism is mainly being
driven by our rich climatic, natural and man-made attractions, as well
as the peaceful environment prevailing in the country. Current
interventions on marketing, relaxing the visa regime, investment in
tourism and other related infrastructure, and the promotion of the Open
Skies Policy, should see the sector making further growth.
Following the closure of large corporations, Small to Medium
Enterprises have become prominent in the Zimbabwean economy.
Although the SMEs sector has steadily become the main source of
livelihood for many, the youth, retrenchees and the unemployed, among
them, the sector is experiencing several challenges. Government will
need to address SMEs operating infrastructure, such as construction of
vendor marts and factory shells, and the provision of human power
training.
Madame President, Mr. Speaker Sir, the Financial Services Sector
generally remains stable, notwithstanding constraints in the operating
environment. This stability is a result of various initiatives by
Government and other key stakeholders. To maintain such stability,
Government will continue to focus on instituting corrective Statutory
Instruments including the amendments to the Banking Act which aims at
someone from the House please. I was saying this should be the last
time. Once we identify the leader of that song, do not be surprised that
you are suspended, perhaps up to the whole session of Parliament and
that has got serious consequences in terms of your standing here in
Parliament. So I want to appeal to you that, let us restrain ourselves, no
matter what the message, no matter where the message is coming from,
there will be time for us to debate.
MR. CHAMISA: Point of clarification. It is a purely point of law
Mr. Speaker Sir. The issue I am raising is to do with our new rights that
are within the Constitution as Parliament, especially in the context of the
President having addressed us through a State of the Nation Address
(SONA). We are entitled as Members of Parliament to ask questions
after the President has finished [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible
interjections.]
MR. SPEAKER: Order! Order! The hon. member is raising an
issue on privilege, so he is entitled to be heard. Can he be heard in
silence.
MR. CHAMISA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. I hope you restrain
Hon. Kasukuwere from continuing to threaten me [HON. MEMBERS:
Inaudible interjections.] I know ndine rekeni Mr. Speaker Sir. I was
just trying to say, in terms of our Constitution and our Standing Orders,
the President will come to Parliament by way of a special address, either
to this National Assembly or Senate separately or together, which is the
first option. The second option is for the President to come to
Parliament on the basis of a question and answer session which is set
aside specifically for that. The third element is when the President
comes to Parliament through the Vice President or any Minister,
meaning to say he will have a statement that has to be read on his behalf.
The fourth one, which is specifically this one, is a State of the Nation
Address, which is supposed to be accompanied by questions that are sent
to the President so that Members of Parliament are able to raise those
questions.
So, we need that clarification Mr. Speaker Sir. As a Parliament,
we are supposed to exercise our right as a way of deepening our
democracy. I do not think that it is fair for us to pay a blind eye to the
Constitution and then say because this is what we have always done,
there is a new Constitution. Hon. Speaker Sir, I hope you will take note
of this point. I am not saying that we need the President to address us
now because he is already out, but we need to correct it for future
purposes so that we are able to be in line with the Constitution. Thank
you very much [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]
MR. SPEAKER: Order! Order! The Chair would like to make a
ruling. What Hon. Chamisa has raised is contextually correct in terms of
Section 140 of our Constitution. It is also contextually correct in terms
of Section 168 of our Standing Orders. Accordingly, the Chair takes
note of the observation and will liaise with the Senate President, the
Presiding Officer of the Senate as well as His Excellency the President
to see how feasible we can arrange such a session [HON. MEMBERS:
Hear, hear.] Order! Order!
REPORT STAGE
JOINT VENTURES BILL, 2015 (H.B. 4A, 2015)
Day, Number 2, be stood down until the rest of Orders of the Day have
been disposed of.
Motion put and agreed to.
SECOND READING
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND EVIDENCE AMENDMENT BILL,
2015 (H.B.2, 2015)
Third Order read: Adjourned debate on motion on the Second
Reading of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Bill, 2015
(H.B. 2, 2015).
Question again proposed.
MR. GONESE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. From my
recollection, this debate was adjourned to enable the relevant Portfolio
Committee to finalise its report. As the Speaker might be aware, for the
last two weeks, the business of Committees had been suspended. The
Committee completed its public hearings but the Committee has not
been able to meet to deliberate and finalise on the report.