HON. T. MLISWA: No, I was watching the clock when I started. I still have five minutes. It was 10 minutes and I still have another five minutes. I would not lie. I said each time I go to hot things, I am told the time is up. The cotton issue is a hot one. Who is protecting who? The $5.5million for cotton went to legislators and I am being told to stop talking. Every time I am told to stop talking. What should I do?
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Standing Order No 93 provides that a Motion moved at the expiry of time limit – a Member may be permitted to speak in excess of 20 minutes for not more than five minutes and not 10 minutes. So, please wind up.
HON. T. MLISWA: So, as I conclude, the cotton issue where $5.5million was given for the farmers ended up in people’s pockets and unfortunately this Parliament is implicated in terms of the Agricultural Committee which did not play its role. So, if you are representing people, why is that money finding itself in the pockets of Members of Parliament, in politicians’ pockets? Then they want to say the matter is political. When you steal you say it is political. Then they are backed up by heavy weights.
Now, let me move to my final point of corruption. The issue of corruption was not hit hard in the SONA yet it has become cancerous. Corruption has become more dangerous than sanctions. In-fact we have lived with sanctions which are now our friends. We now know how to go around them but corruption is constantly being taken to different levels. So, the issue of corruption, the illicit flows which are there, the drugs which you are talking about, the mutoriro and guka is corruption. Who is bringing them in? A society is dying because of that and the issue of drugs was very important at the end of the day. The war veterans themselves must be given what belongs to them. I did not see in the SONA how war veterans will be compensated for going to the struggle. Today they are still impoverished. I also did not see a discussion of our heritage, culture and tradition. If you see Mbuya Nehanda statue, people are not allowed there. So, what was the point of putting her there? People and visitors who want to take pictures are not allowed. How much are we putting in our culture, heritage and tradition? When you put a lot of money there, all these behaviours change. Drugs will be a thing of the past because our tradition matters a lot in the rural areas. Therefore, more money must be put in the rural areas because they are the majority of the people in the country. I did not see that in the SONA. Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir for allowing me to speak and at the same time helping those I was going to expose not to be exposed.
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