Zimbabwe legislator says corruption has overtaken sanctions as talk of the day

HON. T. MLISWA:  Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not a secret that SONA has come and gone but what is also obvious is that there has never been a review of any SONA.  We have a tendency of writing and not implementing.  At no point are we ever told the achievements of the last SONA and the challenges, which is critical.  For a very long time, we have listened to the SONA and equally what needs to be done to enhance the debate is to also invite the President to the House and take some questions which is a provision in the Constitution and the Standing Orders which I implore you as the Chair to make that happen.  For as long as we have the President announcing SONA, we also want him to come and tell us of the success while he is in office and the challenges.  It gives that opportunity because by reading and us asking questions, we do not comprehend neither are we representing the people in the context that it should.  It is important that we take it a step further.  I would therefore implore the ruling party which is the governing party to caucus on this need to invite the President and not be seen to be undermining him but to also be adhering to the Constitution.  We are adhering to the Constitution in terms of the global fund for the farmers but why are we not adhering to the Constitution in terms of inviting the President to answer to the State of the Nation Address and other challenges and successes which are there.  It is important that we align ourselves to that.

The issues the President brought up are many.  The issue on corruption, we really are losing the fight.  We have lost the fight and it is important for us to admit.  When you have lost, it is important to say we are losing and we have lost.  There is no point in us talking about something which is growing and has become cancerous at the end of the day and has affected our lives.  It has affected the people’s lives.  Sanctions are no longer a talk of the day but corruption has overtaken sanctions.  What are we doing to arrest that situation?  We have a situation where institutions are no longer complying with any regulation whatsoever.  The institutions run by individuals and the Second Republic had the goodwill which even Nelson Mandela never had in ensuring that we give a chance to this nation in the support people had for His Excellency, E. D. Mnangagwa.  His Excellency, E. D. Mnangagwa comes from a background of a system which had destroyed this country but at the same time, there was faith and there is still faith.  We will make the necessary turn at the right time.  What we do not know is when we will make that turn.

It is also important to understand that the Second Republic was born out of people’s march where Zimbabweans decided that for once, we want new leadership, we want a new era.  In talking about a new era, it was a people’s march which involved everybody, white, black, Indian and all political parties involved.   Even the late Morgan Tsvangirai, may his soul rest in peace I think spiritually, in his last days, he wanted this country to be united and in his state, he still managed to get out meeting the people in his ailing condition.  Like I said, it only shows the love he had for this country and the peace he wanted to ensure this country moves forward with.  What was critical at that time was to put a team Zimbabwe which would be building on the same State of the Nation Address which the President is talking about.  Without us being team Zimbabwe, it becomes very difficult for us to be moving forward.

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