MPs say Zimbabwe is not yet ready for electronic registration of Form 1 pupils

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, order, Hon. Member, may I please remind you that that we are not supposed to debate but to seek clarifications from the Minister. Please, there are other Hon. Members who need to put across their clarifications.

+HON. MLILO: Thank you for the direction Madam Speaker. I have got two questions. How are we going to handle this matter in mission schools? The other question is, what measures are we going to put in place to enable children from the community to benefit from a school which is within their community? I thank you Madam Speaker.

HON. ZINDI: Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise also to seek clarification on the policy enunciation by Hon. Dokora, particularly on the issue of how the communication is going to be facilitated.

I have been to Katerere, kwaFombe. That is almost at the Mozambican Border, Gairezi. Now, they do not even know what a PC or a computer looks like. Since now the application is on line, how are they going to facilitate that in terms of communication and do they know how they are going to get that information because there is no television there, there are no newspapers in terms of communication for them to get that information? That is the kind of area I am looking at.

I also support the idea of applying on line because it eradicates corruption. It also eradicates the issue of Members of Parliament being pestered by parents who think that corruption is rife in colleges or in secondary schools, therefore if they go through the Member of Parliament – ndirikuda kuti munditererewo, Madam Speaker. Ndirikuda kuti mundinzwe. So I am saying because of the corruption which is so rife in colleges and secondary schools, parents think if they go through the Member of Parliament it is the Member of Parliament who will facilitate their children to be enrolled.

So, in a way, I do support this kind of a new approach, but at the same time I am a bit hesitant, that is where I am seeking clarification in terms of how effective it is going to be without the right gadgets. Are we going to use a text platform for example for other children who are not within the reach of newspapers, or televisions and what have you? I thank you.

HON. DR. LABODE: Thank you Madam Speaker. Minister Dokora, I am actually disheartened…

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order. The Minister is listening so once you make so much noise, I do not think he will hear what is being said.

HON. DR. LABODE: I am very much concerned about the 4 500 pupils that did not get to Form 1. A Form 1 child, for me, is aged around 12 years or 13 years, but what has happened here, these children were indulging in sex and this is confirmed by the Demographic Health Survey. The Demographic Health Survey has just come out and it is confirming what you are saying, that children are engaging in sex as early as 12 years of age and they are dying from illegal abortions, they are dying from HIV, they are dying from early pregnancies, from a lot of things. For me, it raises a policy issue. What should we be doing Hon. Dokora? There is an issue here.

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