Mliswa tears into Grace Mugabe- why can’t you buy your $1.4 million diamond ring locally when we have the diamonds?

So, you now have a situation where the very same airline that we all agree and say cannot be run – you then have a Minister and I do not think it is fair, going with the Chief Operations Officer and not the Chief Executive Officer to Malaysia.  So, the Chief Operations Officer, Mr Chikore, is number two to the CEO, but the CEO who is responsible for the running of the organization is not there.  So, who then signs? Now we have this that is happening and I am pointing out to issues of corruption.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I took off to tell the truth and I shall tell the truth as it is.  Those that know the truth and are sitting in these meetings must know that we are speaking the truth.  Even if you are not acting, it is being recorded that you are part of the demise of this country, allowing tax payers money to be going outside because you want to take care of certain people and positions so that you can keep your jobs as Ministers.  You want to appeal to the President.  Even if it is the President’s son in law, tell the President what Parliament has recommended, what Parliament has recommended is that we cannot put money into Air Zimbabwe.  Tell the President what the responsible Minister has said that we cannot put money into that.  For some reason, they disregard what we are doing.  It must be on record that Parliament is doing what it can but the Executive is not playing ball and we cannot be held accountable for that.

We are also very clear in terms of the issues of Command Agriculture.  I am a beneficiary of Command Agriculture and the Minister is right to say that it has done well.  It is the first time we have addressed the aspect of domestic resource mobilisation.  We have resourced domestically and we have put it into production.  The funny thing is that there is policy inconsistency. Amongst yourselves in Cabinet, you attack it.  Others are saying it is working and others are saying it is not working.  Just the other day, I even read the Vice President, Hon. Mphoko saying it is not working but I equally hear the President saying that it is a beautiful programme.  So what is it about Command Agriculture?  Why are you confusing us?  What is it about Command Agriculture?  One minute the President says it is beautiful, the other minute the Hon. Vice President says it is not beautiful.  Professor Jonathan Moyo says it is not beautiful.  How can you expect investors to put in money?  How do you expect companies to put in money into a progamme which has distortions?  May Cabinet come up with a statement to say; is Command Agriculture working or not working?

With all due respect Hon. Minister of Finance, you are right but your fellow colleagues in Parliament, as I speak and as you were speaking, somebody was busy tweeting saying that Command Agriculture is not working.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Mliswa, you are left with four minutes – [HON. MEMBERS:  Aiwaa aiwaaa!] – Order.

HON. MLISWA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, there is the aspect of bond notes there so that we get enough foreign currency reserves?  Let me thank the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Reserve Bank for the discipline that you are showing.  Yes, you cannot do much with the black market that is now there but I also want to say to you that there is a lot of foreign currency that is leaving the country.

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