Mugabe must provide 2,2 million jobs he promised - MP

Glen Norah MP Webster Maondera has told parliament that people in his constituency were demanding that President Robert Mugabe should provide the 2,2 million jobs he promised during the 2013 elections as their situations seemed to be deteriorating considering the fact that more companies were continuing to closed show.

"The people in Glen Norah have a concern that the 2.2 million jobs that were promised by the President are not yet visible. Companies are folding up and people are being retrenched, which is what is causing the poverty that they are experiencing. Others have re-located to rural areas and some have been affected psychologically because there are no jobs. All these are issues that we expect the Government of the day should address, especially on the commitment made. The other concern is that they mourn the days of the GNU whereby they say the economy was better. The standard of living was much better and jobs were available," he said.

"On the issue of health, hospitals do not have medication and people are struggling to access medical services because there is no medication. So, their request is that all the leaders of the Government should go to the central hospitals such as Parirenyatwa and Harare Hospitals for them to see the gravity of the situation. They are saying Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament should all go to Parirenyatwa Hospital to access medical care and not go to private hospitals and other countries."

Maondera said on  the issue of housing, the Government of the day has expectations that they will have 300 000 houses in 2018 but the people that he represent in Glen Norah are not happy because they do not see the feasibility. He said the issue of housing has been politicised by those who say they are the owners of the land.

"They take land and allocate stands in an illegal manner. Most of them are from the ruling party, Zanu PF such as Fredrick Mabamba who are parceling land in Chitungwiza. What I am talking about is well-known. Even Hon. Mashayamombe is aware of it. People are taking over land and distributing it illegally and people are losing their hard earned money. In the end, they do not have anywhere to stay and then the same Government comes to destroy the households of these people. So, people are disgruntled and are concerned that we have a Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing from the ruling party and are appealing that they stop inflicting pain on people," he said.

"On the issue of hunger, people do not have food anymore. They say that food is being taken to the rural areas only and yet in the urban areas, we have people who are the same as those in the rural areas. They also need food relief for them to survive. Most of them are not working and want to be allocated food relief as well for them to survive."

Maondera said on education, the people that he represent in Glen Norah are requesting that the Government should honour its obligation they made through BEAM.

"The Government right now is in debt through the BEAM scheme and they should also buy books for pupils to use. Their request is that the Government honours its debt. They are requesting for transparency because some of the money is being used for the wrong purpose, for example, a prominent person was living in a hotel that money could have been channeled towards the education sector," he said.

"The other request by the Glen Norah constituency is that if people want to demonstrate, they should be given an opportunity to demonstrate in peace and not for their freedoms to be curtailed, Each time they want to demonstrate, the police do not allow them and these cases end up in court which is what happened yesterday on the case of Itai Dzamara whereby they went to the court and the court granted them the right to demonstrate. So, on the issue of people's freedom, their request is that people be given their freedom to demonstrate. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity that you have given me and these are the words that I had to share with this august House."