Zimbabwe army to be paid next week, teachers in August

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members, I just want to remind Hon. Members of the following: If you can please listen to me.  Any member may move a motion in respect of which no amendment, adjournment or debate must be allowed for the temporary suspension.

Any member who disregards the authority of the Chair or persistently and willfully disrupts the business of the House commits an offence for which he or she may be suspended from the service of the House – [HON. GABBUZA: Tipei offence yacho.]- I think a ruling was given – [HON. MEMBERS: When?] – two three weeks ago by the Hon. Speaker of this House – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections] – I am now giving a ruling that the Hon. Members who brought the flags should take the flags outside this House, otherwise I am sending those Hon. Members out.

HON. MATSUNGA:  On a point of order.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  There is no point of order, I have already given a ruling.

 *HON. MATSUNGA: Madam Speaker, you did not respond, under which Section of the Standing Rules and Orders are you referring to, I need to know.

 THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  It is Standing Order No. 110.  Let us continue with Questions Without Notice.

HON. MAJOME:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  Before a point of order was raised, the Hon. Madam Speaker had recognised me for a supplementary question to the Hon. Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services…

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  You want to pose a supplementary question, you can go ahead.

HON. MAJOME:  Madam Speaker, my supplementary question to the Hon. Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Services – if I may have the privilege to remind him of his obligation to tell this House the truth in terms of the Privileges and Immunities Act of Parliament which provides that anyone who prevaricates to the hon. House or who makes a false statement or who does not take proceedings seriously is liable to contempt of Parliament.  My supplementary question to the Hon. Minister is that he said that Government has capacity to pay civil servants but he proceeded to say that Government is having challenges and it is going to stagger the amounts, what challenges exactly is it that the Government has?  Why is the Government staggering pay dates for the civil servants when it has the capacity and also to remind him that he has not at all addressed the issue of pensioners?  May you please advice, what is the problem?  Thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. MATANGAIDZE): Thank you Madam Speaker.  Before I delve into the details of the Hon. Member’s question, I should at this point in time highlight that Government and its employees are on the same wave length.  Even as late as yesterday, we had a meeting with Government employees through the Apex Council, where we agreed that yes, in the interim salaries can be staggered, all they are waiting to hear from us are the proposed dates for the salaries.

 We now have a scenario Madam Speaker where we have vanhu vanochema kukunda vafirwa – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Government and its employees right now are ….

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