No title deeds for rural areas- Ziyambi says

HON. GONESE:  Thank you Madam Speaker for recognising me but it looks like the Hon. Minister has just dashed out of the building.  I will just ask the question, I do not know whether there is an Acting Leader of the House who can take up the question.

The Hon. Deputy Speaker conferred with the Government Chief Whip.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  I am sorry Hon. Gonese; I am being advised that the Hon. Minister has been called by the Speaker.

The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs having returned to the Chamber

HON. GONESE:  He has just come in; he has come in now Madam Speaker, saved by the bell.  My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is: is the Hon. Minister not aware that this conversation relating to title deeds both in respect of agricultural and communal land started ages ago, as long back as 2000 when the Land Reform Programme started?  As the Opposition, we were very clear that in order to empower people who were getting land, people should get title deeds.  I do not know whether the Hon. Minister was in this country when that conversation started?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Ask your question Hon. Gonese.

HON. GONESE:  I want to find out from the Hon. Minister that since this is a conversation that has been topical in this country, what is Government thinking because Government must also have a thinking in respect of that particular aspect; in terms of empowering the people of Zimbabwe who reside in agricultural and communal lands and were allocated stands?  In fact, the issue of the 99-Year Leases not being bankable was actually raised, and was one of the critical issues…

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  It seems as if you are debating Hon. Gonese.  Why can you not just ask your question Hon. Gonese?

HON. GONESE:  Yes, I am asking the Hon. Minister to indicate as to whether he is not aware that this conversation started ages ago?  More importantly, what is Government’s thinking about it as it is something that has been topical in this country?

HON. ZIYAMBI:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  Our thinking is that we have a functional system that is open to improvements.

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