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

Look at the SI64.  I know you will say it has produced positive results but it has to be done carefully because this habit of making sure that we bring issues without the necessary support and framework will cause us fundamental problems.  Let me just say that we want to protect something but when you are not producing, what are you protecting?  The best way to be competitive is to produce, introduce and innovate by making sure that we have policy consistency in our policies, chlorinating our governance matrix, dealing with issues of infrastructure support and making sure that we also introduce a question of inviting stakeholders themselves through consultation.  I know that industrialists were complaining about Masimirembwa’s watchdog committee which wreaked havoc.  This is what you want to reintroduce, another Masimirembwa.  It is actually a perfected and rebranded committee of Masimirembwa which does not work because it is going to reproduce the same problems we want to resolve.

How do you take a patient who is in the intensive care unit into a competition?  Our economy is comatose.  Let us cure it, chlorinate it and deal with it before we go to issues of saying we want it to be on the pitch to compete.  These issues can be resolved without any problems and I would want to urge the Minister to kindly say, “I have heard you and I will now need to go back to the drawing board.”  Please listen to the wisdom of the legislators and you will see that the next time you come here we will be backing you.  When the President comes here we will be backing you and you will be promoted to higher Ministry because we believe that you will have listened to your legislators.  Your legislators are very clear that this is not a necessary evil.  There are evils that are necessary but this evil is neither necessary nor important.  In fact, it is an unnecessary evil which we do not need.  May we just be humble enough not to withdraw it but to reconsider it and when you do so, you will probably give us the opportunity to then consider other issues.

In fact, what would be appropriate is to come with a suggestion to disband the NIPC and then to ensure that we realign and refocus our resources in an appropriate way.  Hon. Speaker Sir, having said this, I think at the end of the day, this Parliament has a duty to make quality laws for posterity and for future generations.  As Members of Parliament, we have that duty to also caution and advise our Ministers that yes, you have all the zeal but not all zeal is important.  There might be need for reason and the reason we are giving, please consider it.  Let us have a cross pollination of ideas, the osmosis of ideas.  We are the region of higher concentration and you are the region of another concentration.  Allow us to work with you Hon. Minister to appreciate our concentration because we bring the collective wisdom of our constituencies.  I know that we will be able to then work together.

Let me end by urging the Minister to withdraw this Bill and reconsider it before he brings it back.  I know that he is convinced and he appreciates it.  This is by your House and your legislators.  Thank you very much Hon. Speaker Sir.

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