The complete debate on why Zimbabwe MPs opposed the National Competitiveness Commission Bill

So, when things come before Parliament, we have a duty to make a law which is quality and to make a law which is going to be regarded as a good law down the line in time and in space.  What we do not want is to be associated in dispensation to come with a law that will not pass the test of time. This law and I have already conversed with the Hon. Minister on some of the concerns that have been raised.  It is only fair that we look at the mischief that we seek to cure.  We cannot just come here and start making a law which has no mischief that is known.  The mischief which he has indicated, if we are to go by what the Minister has said, he said the mischief is competitiveness.  With all due respect, the issue of competitiveness cannot be adequately solved by setting or changing the board that is already there.  As we are speaking, there is the NIPC board, it is being paid a lot of money yet these people are not doing anything and this is the board he seeks then to resuscitate by rebranding it.  It does not matter how many times you call a frog beautiful, it will remain a frog.  It does not matter how much you put lipstick on a frog, it will remain a frog.  We have a frog in the NIPC and this idea of trying to rebrand it to try and put mascara on its facials will not change this board.  It will not change the problem we have had of a dirigistic state, a state that loves control.  We cannot run a command economy, we cannot run an economy on the basis of an economic police and watchdog and this is what the Minister is trying to do.

You are aware that for 9 years this board caused tremors and chaos in the sector and this is the same thing you are going to see.  It is going to be a conveyer belt of even more chaos and more terrorism on the various economic players and you do not need that because the economy cannot function on the basis of terrorism. If the economy cannot function on that basis and then putting police dogs that are going to move around haunting economists, operators and firms asking why they are doing this and not doing that.  We cannot afford to do that.  This is why we are appealing to the Minister.  I know that the Minister is a devout Christian, he goes to the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe with Dr. Mashakada.  You are a man of God, can you hear the voice of God saying this is not an appropriate policy at this particular juncture?  I know that he appreciates the concerns we are raising.  It is not out of hatred of this board but out of the love of our country.

 I did say that our duty is to superintend over the resources of this nation.  We do not want resources to be wasted unnecessarily. In fact, the better view would be to disband the NIPC and let those resources being channeled to them go to your Ministry, reduce it to a department or a division, let it be under your stewardship as a Minister.  I am a lawyer and I know that there is a very important principle which says that he who has been delegated power has no power to delegate to another unless it is essentially necessary.  In this case President Mugabe has given you the power to exercise certain functions.  Do not further delegate those powers to any other because it is not necessary.  Let us have it done under your Ministry without necessarily creating a board.  It is unnecessary bureaucracy, red tape, a waste of resources and in fact an unnecessary burden on the fiscus because it is a statutory body that we seek to create.

Why are we creating it?  As good law makers, we cannot come here to superintend over a bad law under our watch.  We cannot do that because we know that you are a good Minister and we are good lawyers, so let us come together for a good thing to ensure that we make a good law.  I plead with you Hon, Minister that let us reduce the government whereby we are over governing.  Too much government can actually be dangerous.  A government is best that governs least.  Let us not just put our fingers all over into the pie.  At times it does not help us.

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