Chinotimba says hyenas in Buhera are a national disaster just like Cholera in Harare

Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba says police in his area must be given vehicles so that they can control the movement of buses as some are now travelling at night resulting in people being attacked by hyenas while trying to catch the buses.

When told by Deputy Home Affairs Minister Mike Madiro that the government was handicapped by lack of resources and could not therefore provide police with adequate vehicles, Chinotimba said his case must be treated like a national disaster just like the government had declared in Harare following the outbreak of cholera.

“The Minister has stated that the government has no money but whenever we have a national disaster such as cholera, the government brings in a lot of money to fight the cholera,” Chinotimba said.

“As far as I am concerned, attacks by hyenas on people is also a disaster.  It needs to be declared a national disaster by the government so that the police in Buhera can be given cars to patrol the area.

“That is why I would like the minister to explain the difference – when there is a cholera outbreak and it is declared a national disaster, we have business people such as donors and Econet who assist, why can the government not do the same and source transport from the same people?”

Madiro said the problem was much bigger than that.

He said police needed at least 7 000 vehicles to operate effectively but currently they had about 1 000 vehicles. This meant that they had a deficit of 6 000 to operate effectively.

Q & A:

*HON. CHINOTIMBA:  My question is directed to the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.  What is Government policy regarding police officers who are operating without vehicles which they can use to go to scenes of crime and even arrest the perpetrators of crime?

I have noticed that in my Constituency which is Buhera, buses are now leaving very early in the morning if not at night and people are now being attacked by hyenas.  I am asking Government to supply suitable cars for use in patrolling the area so that the movement of buses at odd times is prevented.  The movement of buses at odd times jeopardizes people’s lives.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE (HON. MADIRO):  Mr. Speaker Sir, the Hon. Member for Buhera South, Cde Chinotimba wants to know the policy of Government in relation to the scarcity of transport facility for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).

I want to remind the Hon. Member that the transport system for ZRP is affected by lack of resources in Government but however, Government is attending to that requirement.  In short, that is my response to Hon. Chinotimba. I thank you.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA:  My supplementary question is that the Minister has stated that Government has no money but whenever we have a national disaster such as cholera, Government brings in a lot of money to fight the cholera.  As far as I am concerned, attacks by hyenas on people is also a disaster.  It needs to be declared a national disaster by Government so that the police in Buhera can be given cars to patrol the area.  That is why I would like the Minister to explain the difference – when there is a cholera outbreak and it is declared a national disaster, we have business people such as donors and Econet who assist, why cannot Government do the same and source transport from the same people?

*HON. MADIRO:  Hon. Chinotimba has said that when people are being attacked by hyenas, it is an urgent matter which is equally important and should be treated in the same way as cholera.  It should be treated as a national disaster.

Let me further explain that the transport capacity needed by the ZRP is 7 000 units for police to operate effectively.  Unfortunately, at the moment, our police force is operating with only a fleet of plus or minus 1 000. This means that we have a deficit of 6 000 vehicles which will enable the police to operate effectively.  I am promising Hon. Chinotimba that Government is spending sleepless nights trying to organise how to get funding  to meet the urgent requirements of vehicles for ZRP.  This will enable the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to incorporate and give priority to this need whenever they are working on the budget because of the important need for transport by ZRP.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage is also looking outside the traditional cry on the requirements from the Government. By this I mean that Government is looking at some other ways of funding the transport system of the ZRP. Hon. Chinotimba, be assured that Government is seized with the matter.

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