REPORT ON THE INTERACTIVE MEETING WITH THE SAN COMMUNITY IN TSHOLOTSHO
Cabinet received a report on a Government delegation’s visit to the San Community in Tsholotsho District in Matabeleland North Province, which was presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works.
The delegation noted that the San people lack birth certificates and identity documents, encounter high teenage pregnancies as well as very low school completion rates at primary and secondary school, and suffer food insecurity mainly due to human wildlife conflict and failure to practise modern agriculture.
Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Second Republic has made undertakings to ensure that the right to equality and non-discrimination is realised.
Section 56 of the Constitution clearly states that “every person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their ethnic or social origin. Cabinet noted that the Language Centre at Midlands State University has already translated the Constitution, the National Development Strategy 1: 2021-2025 as well as COVID-19 information manuals into the San/Tjwao language, with a view to expediting measures to safeguard the San community and advance its development.
Cabinet directed as follows:
That every Ministry should identify and take up a developmental role in areas inhabited by the San/Tjwao communities;
That two or three primary and an equal number of secondary schools be set up as boarding institutions in areas easily accessible to San/Tjwao communities, in order to enhance school completion rates;
That the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage should instruct the Registrar General’s Office to issue birth and identity documents to the inhabitants of San/Tjwao and similar communities in Zimbabwe who have hitherto been unable to obtain such documentation.
In that regard, all constraints relating to testimonies by parents, relatives and guardians should be wavered; the Ministry of Health and Child Care should establish clinics that will benefit the San/Tjwao and other similarly disadvantaged communities;
The Security Ministries waiver the entry requirements to enable San/Tjwao citizens to enlist into the respective uniformed services; the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works expeditiously appoints headmen and chiefs to enhance the participation of the San/Tjwao in governance.
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development should ensure the timeous release of funds requested by Ministries for the implementation of development programmes and projects in San/Tjwao communities.
In addition, Cabinet directed that proceeds from the CAMPFIRE Programme be ploughed back to benefit communities living in areas where there is abundant wildlife.
The Food Deficit Mitigation Programme should be retargeted for the benefit of the marginalised San/Tjwao communities.
The operations of the John Landa Nkomo Trust in areas inhabited by the San/Tjwao should be revived and expanded.
