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Senior Reporter
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister Paddy Zhanda on Wednesday urged subsistence farmers to sell some of their livestock and buy food.
Deputy Minister Zhanda was responding to Zvimba East MP Cde Francis Mukwangwariwa and his Gokwe Nembudziya counterpart Cde Mayor Wadyajena (both Zanu-PF) on what Government was doing about national food security.
Deputy Minister Zhanda said the 2014 National Budget did not provide for subsidies and Government’s policy was to recover the cost of importation of maize with a mark-up of 9 percent.
“The issue of free or cheap food is not going to be Government policy going forward,” he said. “If people are pressed with issues of shortage of food they must also think of selling their goats or cattle in order to buy food.
“Members of Parliament must be aware that for any form of subsidy, somebody has to pay for it. As politicians we must not inculcate a culture of free or cheap things.”
Responding to a question from Mr Nelson Chamisa (Kuwadzana, MDC-T) on what Government was doing to strengthen the legal framework to enable it to deal effectively with church leaders who sexually abused congregants, Justice and Legal Affairs Deputy Minister Fortune Chasi said the judiciary was well equipped.
Stand-in Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Reuben Marumahoko reprimanded Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi for failing to respond to a question from a backbencher.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said there were 1 436 vacancies of primary school headmasters countrywide, and another 463 in secondary schools.
He was responding to a question from Chegutu West MP Cde Dexter Nduna (Zanu-PF) who wanted to know the number of untrained teachers heading schools and what Government was doing to normalise the situation.
Minister Dokora said vacancies would be filled with the concurrence of the Civil Service Commission.
Stand-in Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Reuben Marumahoko reprimanded Home Affairs Deputy Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi for failing to respond to a question from a backbencher.
Kambuzuma MP, Mr Willias Madzimure (MDC-T) had asked him how much police had raised from spot fines and what the money was used for.
Deputy Minister Ziyambi instead referred the legislator to what the ministry’s secretary, Mr Melusi Matshiya, said in oral evidence to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs.
This did not go down well with Mr Madzimure who complained to Cde Marumahoko.
Online Reporter