Go to Lupane, I know, that is why it is impossible for them to go to school. The schools themselves are too far away. Not only that, for example myself, that is why I am saying let us be together and really be together. I have five children, during the time when they were going to school there was what was called cadetship. Children in universities had their tuition fees paid by cadetship. My children applied for the cadetship but they were not admitted into cadetship. There was selection, so my children were left out. So, why should I have 10 or 11 children when my children will not benefit from resources which are there? Let us be together, not choosing by where you come from. My children were left out because of where they come from.
I was in Lesotho, I lived with other people’s children whose friends were on cadetship. People, let us be frank and fair, equal opportunities for the children wherever they come from. – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] –
Let us look at the Presidential Scholarship; ask the children who have gone there. Are they equal from where they come from? This is our President and the President of those children but are they given that Presidential support? No. So, why should I have 15 children who are not going to school, who are going to be workers of these children who get opportunities to be sponsored through the Presidential Scholarship? – [HON. SENATORS: Hear, hear.] – Our Children are not going to be many, so that they will be workers of other children. There are no schools, they have to wake up early in the morning and go to school. Let us think of that.
The other reason why our children cannot have many children is because of education. To me education is paramount because once a person is educated he or she knows how to look after his/her children. My five children are not going to suffer because the person who is not educated and is encouraged to have many children when the schools are too far, they are not getting the education. When a woman is pregnant, we know she is pregnant of a child who is going to be a worker of other children because schools are too far away. Let education spread equally in all the areas.
Water and health services availability are paramount as well. Are they there in the whole country? Let us be together and work together for everything. Many people’s children went outside the country in my area because they were not taken into local universities. They had to go outside the country to acquire education. So, why should I have many children who are not going to be educated and be other people’s workers? Let us correct that very thing of every child from everywhere to go to school and have services available everywhere so that these children will stay here. My children who are outside the country should be having 12 children in Zimbabwe.
Personally, I did not want 12 but I had planned for eight children. When I came here and my children were not included in the cadetship and I was supposed to foot all the tuition fees when others were not paying anything, I had to say five is enough because that is what I could afford. Ladies and gentlemen, let us have equality everywhere. Thank you.
See also:
Senator says Zimbabwe needs more people to be viable- family should have minimum of eight children
Woman legislator advocates for polygamy if wives do not want to bear more children
MDC-T senator says the idea of small families was introduced by colonialists- we need big families
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