Muchinguri urged to deal with Zanu-PF land barons

ENVIRONMENT, Water and Climate minister Oppah Muchinguri was on Thursday urged to bring to book land barons, including Chitungwiza South MP Christopher Chigumba (Zanu-PF), who has been fingered as one of the officials illegally parcelling out stands on wetlands.

The issue was raised during a motion on the ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was brought before the National Assembly by Muchinguri.

The agreement is aimed at enhancing adaptive capacities that will strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

Mabvuku Tafara MP James Maridadi (MDC-T) said in-as-much as it is important to ratify the Paris Agreement, Muchinguri must deal with land barons that have been destroying water sources by parcelling out land illegally on wetlands.

"There is somebody in this House, who is parcelling out land on wetlands, and a report by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government named Chitungwiza South MP Christopher Chigumba as one of the land barons," Maridadi said.

"To me, the worst crimes on earth are raping a woman and stealing of land and for Chigumba to come to this House when he knows he has stolen land, I think it is unforgivable. Minister, some of the people that you must start fighting are land barons like Chigumba, who has parcelled out land in Chitungwiza."

The opposition MP also blasted the lack of cleanliness in Harare where there is now litter everywhere.

"I doubt that there is anyone in this House who will be able to take his children for a walk on First Street. The place smells, there is so much litter," Maridadi said.

He said it was ironic that Muchinguri at one time considered banning airtime scratch cards for causing litter, when heaps of rubbish can be found everywhere which have nothing to do with scratch cards.

Binga South MP Joel Gabbuza said Muchinguri should take advantage of the climate change protocol to ensure that most weather stations are supported by the developed countries that are polluting the atmosphere.

"We should sign protocols, ratify them and pressure these developed countries to support our ill-equipped weather centres so that we can positively and accurately say indeed there is climate change in the country," Gabbuza said.