HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you very much Madam Speaker Ma’am. I want to begin by thanking the President as usual for setting the tone. The State of the Nation Address and as the words say, ‘state of the nation address’, it is very clear in terms of what must be achieved and the success and the challenges but that also cannot be complete without the Ministers responding. Unfortunately, not many Ministers respond, which renders the state of the nation address a mere ceremony. We gathered in that beautiful building, others feel comfortable because they have not been given accommodation, they sleep in a beautiful building – the Ministers are all there listening but they never respond. So what is the point of the State of the Nation Address when Ministers do not respond because each portfolio is mentioned by the President? The Ministers will be listening so they have to respond but you agree with me Madam Speaker, that it has been a challenge to get Ministers to respond. When Ministers do not respond, it becomes a non-event. The coach who has a game plan for his team to say the midfielder will be defensive, we have a 4-2-2-2 structure, if players do not adhere to the 4-2-2-2 structure, then there is no point for that. I still ask myself, why should we have the State of the Nation Address when Ministers are not responding, only a few will respond. If we have to count the Cabinet Ministers and how many of them responded, you realise that while the President is right in saying nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, asi pane vamwe futi vene vayo vari kuvaka nyika who are Ministers who are not responding.
Madam Speaker Ma’am, we need to be very clear about this and asking ourselves the importance of the State of the Nation Address which the President would have devoted a lot of time to. Information you would have got it but then you zero in on it, the Ministers then must respond. My question is how do you measure the success and failure when Ministers have not responded. Are we not just using tax payers’ money, abusing it? The President set the tone and this is important, some of the Ministers who are here must speak to your colleagues about this that they are disrespecting the appointments of the Head of State. There are many people capable of being Ministers here, people who are competent. Hon. Mhona was a Member of Parliament, he is now a Minister but today his performance is there. There are a lot more Mhonas within the party who can do the job. Why should we be keeping people who are not doing the job? What other job are they doing in reporting to the President other than makuhwa? It has now become a norm. What are you reporting to the President if you are not able to respond on issues that you have been appointed to do in Parliament? You do not. This is the House that represents everyone. They can go to Cabinet, they can go to any Congress but there is only one Parliament which represents the people and this is the august House. So if you cannot lay your case here, it will not be heard. People will say you are doing nothing. This issue Madam Speaker is very important for it to be dealt with. This again the Speaker’s Panel, yourself included, I think you are also a bit lenient on the Ministers. There are rules which must be followed – for the first time I will also challenge the powers of the Speaker sitting there. He has the power to whip all the Ministers. If not, they can be charged for contempt. No Minister has been charged for contempt. They do not come to Parliament question time. The last time the Vice President came here, he assured us they will come. They have not come. The President says the State of the Nation Address, they do not come. The Hon. Vice President comes as well hoping that he is a General, they also listen and see that he is a General but they still do not come. Vanhu vakaita sei? Inhinhi dzakaita sei dzisingaende munzira imwe chete?
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