Chinotimba wants Kuwait Embassy officials to be called to parliament over enslaved women

Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba has demanded that the Kuwait Embassy staff should be called to appeared before parliament over Zimbabwean women who were lured to that country in the pretext of getting jobs and on arrival got used as sex slaves.

Speaking in parliament Chinotimba said  the first day he brought the matter to parliament people laughed at me and even said that this matter has to come through the Committee.

"I had realised that this is an issue that had to be debated whether it was from the Committee or not because this issue touches on our children who are in Kuwait," he said.

"This is a serious matter that the Government has to take up, whether they went on their own accord or whether they were forced to go there.  What I am saying is that Kuwait started war with America because they were saying people had violated their human rights, but now it is the same Kuwait that is taking our people through their embassy or through whatever means."

He said parliamentarians were seated down because they are protesting for the return of their children because if they do not talk about it here in Parliament that those children should be brought back, the Kuwait embassy should be called to come to this Parliament and explain why that is happening.

"I just stood up in support of the women and other men who are talking about the women because we are supposed to talk about this issue here.  The Kuwait Embassy should be called to come and explain.  We have to tell them that we want our children.  We cannot continue talking about this issue here while our children are suffering out there.  I stood up to support these women and the children and they are supposed to pay.  Kuwait is supposed to pay for enslaving our children," he said.

Speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda said he does appreciate the sentiments being demonstrated by the sitting down of Hon. Members, the majority of whom are our Honourable female Members.

"It is understandable that the feelings that they experience as mothers and husbands touches their hearts in terms of the ill treatments that our young female citizens have gone through, are going through not only in Kuwait but in other areas in the Middle East. Having recognised that and appreciating the deep feelings that this House, in particular the Hon. Members of the female gender, I would appeal to the Hon. Members that their current demonstration is recognised," he said. "However, for the smooth movement in the House, the sitting arrangement may create problems.  Therefore, it may be against our Standing Orders, Section 76(1) and accordingly similar sentiments can be pronounced by way of a debate."

He said that debate will conclude, he believe, with recommendations that have already appeared in the report presented on behalf of the delegation that went to Kuwait by Hon.Kindness Paradza.

"We also have a notice of motion that will invite, I am sure, some debate under Order No 24 of today's Order Paper.  Now, from the Chair and after some motion by one of the Members to move that Order No 24 be debated, in the context also of the report that has already been tabled by Hon. Paradza in this House, after the two motions have been debated and exhausted, remedial measures will be put in place if they are not already being put in place by the Executive to ensure that the outstanding numbers of our young female citizens in Kuwait and elsewhere are brought back in dignity," he said.  "I will therefore appeal to the Hon. Members to resume their seats and debate the motion accordingly."