News / National
Harare carnival had nothing to do with nud*ty - Mzembi
18 Nov 2015 at 23:28hrs | Views
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi on Wednesday said the Harare International Carnival had nothing to do with nud*ty and its objective was not to make money but to foster social cohesion among Zimbabweans.
Mzembi was responding to Mashonaland East Proportionate Representative MP Ms Spiwe Muchenje (MDC-T) who wanted to know how much money had been raised from a carnival that was held in Harare two months ago.
"We were not looking for money. Yes of course people made money through selling of airtime and other products, but the objective of carnivals is to foster social cohesion among Zimbabweans," said Minister Mzembi.
He said carnivals had nothing to do with nud*ty or other such vices, but to encourage national happiness.
He was responding to a barrage of questions from legislators who asked why people, particularly women, were moving around half-dressed.
Legislators took exception to what they viewed as gender discrimination as only women were being paraded undressed or half-dressed while men were properly dressed.
"We do not understand carnivals in the name of nud*ty. Carnival is an expression of national happiness. I did not see during the procession an expression of nud*ty, whether from men or women. By fielding that question we are focusing on the periphery," said Minister Mzembi.
Responding to another question, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said Government would continue to support cotton farmers. He said Government was assisting all farmers regardless of whether they were A1, A2 or communal farmers.
Minister Made was responding to a question from Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba on why Government was not capacitating the Grain Marketing Board so that it could contract farmers.
Chinotimba said farmers could not secure loans from financial institutions because the GMB still owed them thousands of dollars, while others had lost houses after they defaulted on their loan repayments due to late or non-payment by the GMB.
Mzembi was responding to Mashonaland East Proportionate Representative MP Ms Spiwe Muchenje (MDC-T) who wanted to know how much money had been raised from a carnival that was held in Harare two months ago.
"We were not looking for money. Yes of course people made money through selling of airtime and other products, but the objective of carnivals is to foster social cohesion among Zimbabweans," said Minister Mzembi.
He said carnivals had nothing to do with nud*ty or other such vices, but to encourage national happiness.
He was responding to a barrage of questions from legislators who asked why people, particularly women, were moving around half-dressed.
Legislators took exception to what they viewed as gender discrimination as only women were being paraded undressed or half-dressed while men were properly dressed.
"We do not understand carnivals in the name of nud*ty. Carnival is an expression of national happiness. I did not see during the procession an expression of nud*ty, whether from men or women. By fielding that question we are focusing on the periphery," said Minister Mzembi.
Responding to another question, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said Government would continue to support cotton farmers. He said Government was assisting all farmers regardless of whether they were A1, A2 or communal farmers.
Minister Made was responding to a question from Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba on why Government was not capacitating the Grain Marketing Board so that it could contract farmers.
Chinotimba said farmers could not secure loans from financial institutions because the GMB still owed them thousands of dollars, while others had lost houses after they defaulted on their loan repayments due to late or non-payment by the GMB.
Source - Herald
