Harare-Pomona deal raises a stink in Parliament

HON. HAMAUSWA:  May you recognise me Hon. Speaker.  I am an MP for Harare.  May you recognise me so that I tell you one thing that is coming from the citizens I represent?

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order!  Can you sit down?  Hon. Hamauswa, you only stand up to be recognised.  Do not ask the Chair to recognise you.  Sorry you are out of order and I am not giving you the floor.

HON. ZWIZWAI:  What about my point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I have ruled already.  The statement will be given next week.

HON. MURAI:  My supplementary question to the Minister is that from the deal, it seems the Netherlands based company will be pocketing something like $22 000 everyday which amounts to almost $1 million a month.  What benefit are we getting as citizens of Harare from the deal if you can run us through even in terms of monetary benefits?  Thank you.

HON. MATEWU:  On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  You cannot raise a point of order, I have recognised the Hon. Minister to answer a question.

HON. MATEWU:  The Minister is here Hon. Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  I have ruled that the Leader of Government Business should do it.

HON. MATEWU:  But he is struggling.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Can you sit down.

PROF. MURWIRA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker.  It is very important to realise that there are legal processes that were followed.  The objective is to clean up the city and also it is to generate energy.  Those are the strategic points that were raised by the City Council when this agreement was being proposed.  In actual fact, it is the City Council that wrote to ZIDA according to the ZIDA Act and consummation was done and final approvals according to the ZIDA Act are done by Cabinet and all these things were done, but it was originating from the City Council.

The benefits were clearly stated and Hon. Speaker, with all the respect we can have, it is these answers if people go to the City Council – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order!  Hon. Zwizwai, you cannot be upstanding if another Hon. Member is holding the floor.  Can you sit down please? – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order!

HON. PROF MURWIRA: Thank you Hon. Speaker. The benefits of this programme are well stated in public because after that deal was approved coming from city council through ZIDA, the benefits were made public and it is public knowledge.  It is therefore important that if there are any things that are contrary and any problems that a member can have, they are allowed to challenge those things and then they will be answered appropriately.  I thank you. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjection.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: Can you sit down and can you withdraw the statement.

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