Zimbabwe exporting labour because it has excess not because it cannot create jobs-Minister

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Minister, the other part of the question was job creation which you did not address.

HON. ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Mr. Speaker Sir, when people are talking about job creation, it is very critical that we look at it holistically.  When we are talking about job creation, it does not necessarily have to be formal sector.  The informal sector is a very valid part of job creation – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-  Jobs invariably will be on a permanent basis and jobs invariably will be on a contract basis.  So, for somebody then to limit that a job can only be a job because it is on a permanent basis, it is really myopic.

Currently, you will find that Government programmes that were put in place; something that clearly comes to mind right now is the Command Agriculture which was a huge success by any measure.  Downstream jobs have been created as a result of that.    You will find Mr. Speaker Sir, that the initiative that organisations –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Chibaya, can you hold your own please.  Thank you.

HON.  ENG. MATANGAIDZE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  Clearly, this very good answer that I am giving is incensing other people but I was adding on to say that the Command Agriculture Programme which has been a huge success by any measure, we are looking at an excess of two million tonnes of grain that has been produced.  That alone has a ripple effect on job creation. The issue about jobs is that some jobs by its very nature are contract jobs.  If you look at the production of tobacco, by its very nature it is contact.  Some jobs will be permanent jobs; so the country – yes, has indeed created in excess of two million jobs as things stand.  I thank you.

HON. ZINDI: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  As a follow up to the response by the Hon. Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, I need to find out from him whether they are coordinating with the  Ministry of Higher Education because that Ministry has also made pronunciations that they are creating a data base of all excess labour that is to be exported.  So I need to find out whether there is that coordination so as to export that excess labour for record purposes, for logical follow up and monitoring between the two ministries.  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR AND SOCIAL SERVICES (HON. MATANGIRA): Yes, indeed we are coordinating with the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.  We await them publishing the results that they come up with on the excess labour that is available; but we are indeed proud of the quality of graduates that, as a country, we are producing.

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