What Prince Dubeko Sibanda said about the proposed sin tax in full

If the Hon. Minister is saying he is going to give Parliament $57 million instead of $98 million, what the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning is saying is that all Members who do not speak English, Ndebele or Shona should not participate in the debate of Parliament. He is promoting tribal hegemony in this country. I believe that Parliament should not accede to those tendencies that are coming from the Hon. Minister. I am Tonga, I also enjoy to speak in my mother language when I am debating in Parliament. So as Vendas, when Members who are Vendas want to speak in this House, they should be able to speak in their languages. The only way they can do that is when the Hon. Minister funds Parliament to the tune of $98 million that Parliament requires so that we cannot continue to be forced to speak in Shona, Ndebele, or English – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –

The Constitution recognises 16 languages. Therefore, Hon. Members should be aided to debate in the languages of their choice. Let us not violate Section 63 of the Constitution. As a result, I call upon this House not to pass this budget unless Parliament is accorded the $98 million that it requires for it to be able to function properly.

Coming to the Health Report, this is one of the votes where we agreed as Parliament at our Pre-Budget and Post-Budget Seminars that this budget should not pass until and unless the Ministry of Health and Child Care is given sufficient resources.

When we are talking of health, I am not talking about health of the Minister or Hon. Members of Parliament. I am talking about health of the common man, who is found in Siabuwa, Murambinda; in those rural areas. The common person who does not have any source of income, that is the health that we want to take care of. The Hon. Minister can go to Geneva and seek for health services. He can afford that but what about the old men and women who are out there in the rural areas, where do they get money to access health care, unless health care is adequately funded by Treasury.

These are our recommendations as a Committee:

1. We recommend that the budget for the Ministry of Health and Child Care must be compliant with the Abuja Declaration. That is, it should comprise of at least 15% of the total budget. Currently it is standing at 5.8%, if we add the $30 or so million from the Health….

An Hon. Member having crossed between the Speaker and the Member on the floor.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. DZIVA): Order, order Hon. Member, you cannot cross in front of a Member on the floor.

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