What Chinamasa said in Parliament yesterday about Command Agriculture in full

*HON. ZIYAMBI:  My question is on the fact that the programme on command agriculture was well received in the rural areas when it came but the problem is that the Minister has not come out in the open on what is happening because while other people are moving in one direction, others are going the other direction yet these people sit together in meetings.  What we want to understand from the Minister is why they are failing to understand and agree that this project is good.  Yesterday night, we saw lorries parked at GMB to deliver maize yet others are saying there is no maize but the evidence of maize is there. What exactly is happening Minister, please inform us?

 *HON. CHINAMASA:  Mr. Speaker, disagreements among people are not a hindrance to this programme because the programme is actually moving successfully.  The fact that people are not agreeing and appear like dogs barking does not stop the programme from moving on smoothly.

*HON. SITHOLE:  We heard the Minister saying that Sakunda Holdings is responsible for bringing in resources.  I want to know if a tender procedure was followed for Sakunda to do what it is doing since the country’s laws say everything has to go through a tender process.  In addition to that, we want the Minister to give us a ministerial statement enlightening us on how the whole process was done.

*HON. CHINAMASA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, we need to understand each other here.  If anyone has money to pay ZFC, Windmill and SEEDCO right now as we speak, for the tonnes I require to give to people next week but being paid back next year at an interest rate below 5%, they should come forward so that Government can borrow that money.

 HON. ADV. CHAMISA: It is so clear that the Minister’s responses and what he has addressed by way of the subject matter on command agriculture is a matter of national importance. May it be placed before you Hon. Speaker that there be a ministerial statement from the Minister, so that we also have time to engage the Minister, enrich his perspectives and also compound his passion for goodness in the context of our agriculture and also our national economy.  This is a special request and I am sure that the Minister is ready to give us a response.

*HON. CHINAMASA:  What I have just said is in itself a ministerial statement.  There is nothing else that I can add on to what I have said.  Let those with ears hear.  I have said everything about command agriculture.  The only thing that I had left out was that we are going towards command fisheries, command livestock and command soya-beans.  That is the only thing left.  Our only challenge as Treasury is for us to source funds from the private sector to fund the programme but they should be prepared to sign a contract agreeing that they will be paid after a year.  We signed a contract of 5% interest with Sakunda.  I thank you Mr. Speaker.

 *THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Hon. Minister, I do not think there is any problem for you to issue a ministerial statement taking cognisant of what is in the media and what the people are saying.  Even though you have repeated this, it is good for you to bring a ministerial statement so that the nation gets to know where exactly you stand.

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