MDC-T senator says the idea of small families was introduced by colonialists- we need big families

Full contributions

*HON. SEN. KOMICHI:  Thank you Mr. President for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the motion by Hon. Musaka and seconded by Hon. Murwira.  This is a very good motion and you have done well.  I want to give a background of issues that were of concern to me on population control.

This idea of having few children was re-colonisation that happened to us without knowledge.  Long back, we were born 12, 14 or 9 and that was done in all countries.  If you go to Britain, Germany or any other country, there are a lot of families that give birth to many children because they know that you cannot separate the population and economic development.  If you look at countries like Britain, they have population of nearly 70 million and yet it is a small country.  They did that because of economic development and also to have a good army for defence.  When we de-colonised Africa and won the liberation struggle, they sat down with IMF and World Bank and they came up with human rights issues and started teaching our women and children that you do not need to have many children because of the cost of living.  That is a lie.  Even if children are 10 or 15, they will still go to school.  Let us thank Bishop Marange who refused to be colonised.  He did well and he is in a polymagamous marriage and that is what we want as men – that is to have more women and thereby have more children.  Your motion Hon. Musaka should be Government policy that we should bear more children for the economic development of our country.  If there is an increase in population, the country will develop and if we are few, there will be no development.  Let us make sure not to do that because African countries are the only ones with a limited population.

There are two million people in Botswana and 13 million people in Zimbabwe.  The Europeans knew what they were doing but our eyes have been opened and I hope that the women will support the motion.  Let us support this motion.  I thank you.

*HON. SEN. MAWIRE: Thank you Mr. President for recognising me so that I add my voice to the motion that is in this House this afternoon.  The motion was moved by Hon. Musaka and seconded by Hon. Murwira and it is gender balanced.  I thought it was going to be raised and seconded by men only, but I realise that there is a man and a woman who have supported each other and have realised that the situation is not desirable in the country.  We might laugh and make jokes of this motion and it has been mentioned before that you want people to give birth to one or two children – what are you going to do in future?

Hon. Musaka, I do not know what has made you move this motion.  Even in the Bible, God says be fruitful and multiply because he knew.  If we look at all those who have contributed, they have said that without a large population; you will not achieve economic growth.  Look at what is happening in different countries.  In Africa, there are so many wars that are happening and if we do not have a large population, where are we going to get our defence forces – that will affect us.

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