Hon. Speaker, as I speak, we have started constructing houses for our soldiers, we have started constructing 100 flats at Dzivaresekwa where we are expecting 5000 apartments by December. I want to report that we have completed the rehabilitation of William Ndangana Barracks. We have also rehabilitated accommodation of our soldiers in Mutare at Gimboki. We have started constructing apartments at Mbizo Barracks and also maintaining the barracks in Plumtree. We are addressing the health needs of our soldiers and I want to report that for the first time in the history of our Republic, we have managed to complete a 149 bed hospital at Manyame Base – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – which we have every reason to celebrate and that facility will be state of the art. It will also accommodate all Members of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker Sir, let me state that Rusununguko is a private company which is in partnership with the Chinese and does not benefit from any budget from Parliament. It operates like any other private company. We have so many companies where ARDA has gone into partnership with the private sector and to single out Defence where every effort is being made by His Excellency to address the social welfare issues of our soldiers is to say the least very, very unfair. We need to celebrate the efforts that come from this Parliament. If anything, what we would expect would be an increase in terms of our budget when it is finally presented.
This is the only way, if we care about our soldiers; this is the only way that we can improve to where we are today. I cannot say that we have addressed the challenges 100% but we need to congratulate ourselves for the effort that we are making as Government. Mostly, I want to say that it is speculation, misleading the nation where people do not have facts is an offence, a serious offence. We should not abuse Parliament by raising issues where Rusununguko cannot come and defend themselves – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
It was very important that we set this record straight to make sure that where people come into Parliament, it is very unparliamentary where people speak without proper facts. So I dismiss the accusations, I say that the Second Republic is doing all things possible to address the challenge facing our defence staff – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
HON. CHIKWINYA: On a point of privilege Hon. Speaker.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
HON. CHIKWINYA: My point of order is that the Minister has said what Hon. T. Mliswa said is tantamount to an offence and that removes the right of a Member of Parliament to be protected by the Privileges and Immunities of Parliament Act to the point that members no longer feel free to engage with the Minister of Defence simply because whatever we point out to her, she takes this as an offence. I beg that she withdraws that statement. We need to be protected as Members of Parliament – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
She cannot say that what Members of Parliament speak in Parliament is tantamount to an offence; she has to withdraw that – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Chikwinya, the Minister was not responding to the issue by Hon. T. Mliswa, she was giving a personal explanation. So there is no point of privilege – [HON. MEMBERS: Hon. T. Mliswa is a Member of Parliament.] – Order Hon. Members she was not talking about Hon. T. Mliswa, please sit down Hon. Members.
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