Full contribution
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: I thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution on a motion raised by Hon. Maridadi. This is a very serious case. We have had contributions from other Hon. Members who have called that the President should come into this House. As far as I am concerned the President’s Office is a very high office to come and address this issue. It is an issue that should be handled by the Minister and we are saying no, to ransom by these doctors.
Mr. Speaker Sir, it means as representatives of the people, we are representing all the 14 million people who sent us. Therefore, the President did allow that we have to have associations and we are free to associate with whatever association we want; freedom of association and therefore, we should not drag our President into this mud. This should be done by the Minister. We contributed to Premier Medical Aid or any other medical aid association and we should benefit. They have collected these monies, but they are now turning backs on us and saying we should have cash upfront. Does it mean that I will lose out despite all the payments which I made. As far as I am concerned, it is the Minister’s prerogative to handle this issue, but we are saying the Minister should not be chucked out whatever it is done. People are blaming him but we are saying, if he was to blame, he should have been convicted at that time. We are now blaming the Minister because of what the doctors are saying; the Minister has nothing to do with that. We cannot remove a capable man because of such a situation; it should not be accepted.
Let me look at the situation since we are representatives of the people and we are educated. I am a Grade Two drop-out but I am also educated. Let us look at the reason why the doctors are now calling for cash up-front. There is a reason which has made them hold the nation at ransom.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I said this is a very important debate to you Hon. Members and those people whom you represent.
*HON. MATAMBANADZO: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. What surprises me is that one of the Members who are heckling is Hon. Dr. Labode who is the Chairperson of the Health and Child Care Committee. Hon. Members, please listen. I am giving the reasons why doctors have now called for cash up-front instead of them pressurising medical aid societies to give them the monies due to them. The problem is the cash crisis. People are always queuing at the banks and the doctors also want money. We know that people are now selling the US dollars, just like what was happening during the Zimbabwe dollar era, whereby people used to sell US dollars.
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