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President Mugabe

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter—
PRESIDENT Mugabe has underscored the need to impose stiffer penalties like castration for rapists as part of measures to curb the vice. He said Government would soon deliberate the issue and explore ways of dealing with the crime which he described as rampant. The President was addressing guests on Tuesday during a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to celebrate the official opening of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament.

“Vanababa tochenjera. We are going to make it very, very tough for you. Vaye movayambira, madzishe, vanobata twana tudiki, kana zvichinzi ndizvo zvinopedza hurwere, kana zvichinzi zvinopa mhanza here, kana upfumi, movaudza vazvikande pasi. No molestation of youngsters, no molestation of women.

“We are going to increase masentences. In the past there was death for rape, zvino vemahuman rights vanoramba hanzi ‘death haa no, it’s inhuman, it dehumanises a person,’ iye ari munhu atoita dehumanise vamwe.

“Kana wauraya munhu zvonzi a-ah, no, punishment of that nature is dehumanising, munhu akauraya mumwe? Ndipo pandinorambawo ipapa. Kungoti chete, if it comes in another way yekuti uyu akaparadza ropa toparadza rimwe here futi, so we have two people dying. An eye for an eye. Not in that way, ndaingoda for marapists kuti tisevenzise Burdizzo and the person remains alive. But that which makes him rape, must go. Kuna varume varikuramba ipapa,” President Mugabe said to rousing applause from the floor.

On mining, he said Government would no longer allow firms to continue exporting raw minerals with no value addition under the pretext that they did not have refinery machines.

“We want to re-organise it (mining sector). Organise it in a manner that we know precisely what we are getting from gold, diamond and platinum and there is value addition along the way. So let the companies not continue to cheat us and say we cannot establish refinery yeplatinum, hatina maproducts akakwana. Hatidi kuramba tichinzwa izvozvo,” he said.

President Mugabe said Econet should also allow broad participation of other stakeholders consistent with what was enunciated when the mobile service providers were set up.

He said Telecel, had to some extent managed to bring in local players like war veterans, women groups, Affirmative Action Group, among others.

“We know that Econet, (Strive) Masiyiwa established it. Fine. But when it was established we also said you have to establish another system for our communities and that is how Telecel was established, apart from what NetOne was going to do,” he said.