Several MPs yesterday took the lead in promoting the protection of the girl child against abuse by signing a pledge at Parliament Building.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
The move was initiated by Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC Proportional Representtion), who last week moved a motion on protection of the girl child. She said it was pivotal for MPs to take the lead and sign the pledge that they will never abuse children in any form.
Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda has since endorsed the initiative and the MDC legislator rewarded him with a cake for that and for allowing room for women MPs to breastfeed their babies.
Misihairabwi-Mushonga said, already, there were three babies born since Mudenda provided the breastfeeding room.
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Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) angered MPs when he suggested Mudenda should be wary of receiving cake from the opposition.
“MPs have been very supportive on this issue of protecting the girl child and I have not found a single MP who is against the signing of the pledge,” Misihairabwi-Mushonga said.
“I am excited and after this we hope to get ministers and other top government officials to sign the pledge and we are also going to take it to schools to ensure that teachers also sign a pledge, saying they will not abuse schoolchildren.”
Bulawayo East MP, Thabitha Khumalo (MDC-T) said after signing the pledge, it will be pivotal for government to ensure there was alignment of laws with the Constitution and reflect the Constitutional Court judgment outlawing child marriages.
Highfield West MP Psychology Maziwisa (Zanu PF) said signing of the pledge demonstrateS good leadership by MPs.
“We are emphatically saying it is immoral to abuse children and leading by example by pledging that we will not partake in such evil practices in line with international law and United Nations principles,” he said.
Mazowe South MP, Fortune Chasi (Zanu PF) said he would soon compose a Zimdancehall song against abuse ofgirls.
Gokwe-Kabuyuni MP, Leonard Chikomba (Zanu PF) urged legislators to be supportive of the initiative as responsible parents.
Uzumba MP, Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Zanu PF) concurred, saying: “When we were growing, we knew that people got married from the age of 25 upwards. That means early child marriages are bad and we need to preserve the future of our girl children.”
Meanwhile, the Transport ministry is in the process of securing a transactional adviser to assist in getting a suitable investor for Air Zimbabwe.
Transport ministry secretary, Munesuishe Munodawafa told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport that the transactional adviser will ensure Air Zimbabwe gets value from the investor.
“We are processing something through government and the State Procurement Board to make progress on finding a suitable adviser and as the year goes by, we are making progress in finding a strategic partner for the airline,” he said.
On resuscitation of the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Munodawafa said the exact infrastructure requirements were pegged at $630 million, adding they were still searching for a potential funder. He said other parastatals like the Grain Marketing Board and Zisco owed huge debts to the National Railways of Zimbabwe resulting in failure to pay its 5 100 workers’ salaries.
“We engaged Treasury to get Treasury Bills for the pension fund so that we will be able to pay some of the outstanding debts,” he said.