Illegal vendors, order and Grace Mugabe

 HON. THEMBANI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  My question is directed to the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing.  When are you going to restore order, especially in the high density suburbs where unregistered shops and containers are being erected and are operating without paying anything either to the Government or to the local authorities?  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL HOUSING (HON. CHINGOSHO):  I want to thank the Hon. Member for the question.  The Ministry is very much concerned with what is happening on the state of disorder.  As result, on Friday there is going to be a meeting where the Minister has called all the local authorities to come so that we address this problem.  Thank you.

HON. MLISWA:  Madam Speaker, the Minister is aware that those people are on the streets because the First Lady ordered them to stay there.  So, is the Minister telling me that he is overriding the First Lady in removing them?

 HON. CHINGOSHO:  I want to thank the Hon. Member for that question.  The answer is that there is no overriding of the order which was given – [HON. MEMBERS: By who?] –

 In fact I am saying, in the first place I was not personally aware that there was that order given for people to be in that disorderly arrangement.  What I am saying is that, what is illegal is illegal and this is what the Ministry is trying to address.

HON. THEMBANI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  This has been going on for quite some time and we do not want any meetings because the Government is losing as the shops which are supposed to pay tax to local authorities cannot now afford to do so because of these shops which are not in order.  I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Was it a supplementary question because I thought it was a comment.

*HON. NDUNA:  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.  Hon. Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and National Housing, are you aware of the fact that these local authorities are actually fund raising by collecting a Dollar from each of the vendors who are in the streets?  Do you know that there are those who are engaged in fundraising by taking the money and pocketing it and it is not going to Government coffers and it is not earmarked for service delivery?

 *HON. CHINGOSHO:  Thank you Hon. Speaker and I want to thank the Hon. Member.  We are aware of that fact as a Ministry and because of that, the Ministry is now drafting a Land Developers’ Bill that will ensure that people are going to be settled legally.  This Bill is being brought in order to address such challenges.  I thank you.

 HON. P.D. SIBANDA:  The Hon. Deputy Minister acknowledged that there was an order that was given and that the Ministry is not overriding the order.  My understanding of an order is that it comes from an office that is clothed with authority backed by law.  Where does the First Lady get authority to give orders about issues of governance in the country?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Is that a supplementary question – [HON. MEMBERS: Madam Speaker, you cannot allow the Minister to answer because there was no question.  We need to protect our Ministers] –

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