Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

Government is seeking an eight year extension reprieve after it failed to complete de-mining activities in terms of Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Treaty), a Cabinet Minister has said.Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi said while a lot of ground had been covered in de-mining landmines dotted in the country’s entry points, they had not yet completed as resources constraints hampered the process.

Minister Sekeramayi said this in the National Assembly while responding to a portfolio committee report on Defence and Home Affairs, which was tabled by its chairperson and Buhera Central legislator Cde Ronald Muderedzwa (Zanu-PF) after it visited several de-mining areas.

“We are currently on the fourth extension period of three years, which was granted during the third review conference in Maputo in June 2014 and expires on January 1 2018.

“We are currently preparing an eight year extension request of up to 2025 and hopefully this would be the last,” said Minister Sekeramayi.

“By that time, if all organisations work at full capacity, we should have covered a lot of ground. If we do not complete all the minefields by that time, we will still request for another extension in line with the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Treaty.”

He said Government had been partnered by two other international de-mining organisations, Hlalo Trust and the Nowergian People’s Agency a Non Governmental Organisation from Norway, both of which were working on different minefields.

“The Government also signed MOUs with two additional international de-mining organisations in July this year.

“There are Mine Advisory Group and APOPO. They are yet to start work. Once they commence de-mining, we should see a wide area being covered.

“An appeal to the international community is always being made by Ministry of Defence officials on meetings held in line with the Ottawa Convention,” he said.

“However, the international donors do not channel the funds to the Government, instead they have been increasing funding to the two partner de-mining organisations. This has enhanced capacities and this benefits the country all the same.”

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda directed that Finance and Economic Development Acting Minister Walter Mzembi should first comply with the Constitution before seeking Parliament’s approval of a $7,6 million loan agreement between Zimbabwe and OPEC Fund for the International Development.

Adv Mudenda upheld an objection raised by Harare West MP Ms Jessie Majome that the loan agreement should first be published in a Government Gazette before brought to Parliament for approval in terms of the Constitution.

The $7,6 million is line of credit to support poverty alleviation project in Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland North provinces.

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