Chamisa says no Zimbabwean should lose life in the run-up to the 2018 election

May this be taken to the President so that his call on free and fair elections is actually made a reality within political parties and also for intra-party democracy generally across the whole country.  No Zimbabwean must lose life in 2018 on account of either intra-party elections or elections in general. Hon. Speaker, I rest my case.  I thought I needed to bring this to your attention, asking you to do something about it, but also asking Government to issue a very stern warning and a very powerful statement, particularly dealing with the perpetrators because we are seeing an escalation.

Of course, another week, it was not a Member of Parliament but an NPP member, a leader of the Opposition Party who was attacked in Glen Norah.  It is not a good thing.  We want the new dispensation to be new.  We want the new era to be a new era not a new mistake of the old acts that are repeating themselves.  Advocate Hon. Speaker Sir, thank you very much for your indulgence and may God bless you.  Thank you.

Hon. Holder having stood up before the Speaker had responded.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Holder, you have to wait until I make a comment on the matter raised; then I will recognise you.  It is very sad that this has happened.  It was only yesterday as I came out of the Chamber that the said Hon. Member had indicated to me that she was not safe and I had advised her to immediately inform the police so that she could have some long distance security cover.  I do not know whether she proceeded accordingly but she had indicated to me yesterday that she was under threat from unknown people who have threatened her.  I will convey the message accordingly to the powers that be and also, I think it should be recorded that the incident referred to by Hon. Adv. Chamisa in Glen Norah, where a member of the opposition and others were attacked; I think it should be applauded that the police took swift action and the perpetrators were arrested and are facing court charges.

HON. HOLDER: Thank you Hon. Speaker.  I rise on a point of privilege, on what Hon. Chamisa was saying.  I am on the same note that as Hon. Members, I personally was attacked in a newspaper by The Mirror, dated 1st February, 2018 with a headline “Zvishavane MP stabbed for affair with a married woman”.  I do not even know – my family is in panic; everybody is in panic and I have got people across the country phoning to find out what is going on.  I think newspapers should never write things that are not true.  This is what is happening to us.

I have not been stabbed; I am well, healthy and I do not even know- my wife is there.  So, I do not understand this Mr. Speaker.  The newspapers should report the truth because we have business people, colleagues and everybody that are actually looking up at us as leaders and when you get such a placard “Zvishavane MP stabbed,” where? I do not know; for what? I do not know.  Hon. Speaker, we need a serious intervention on that.  It is also tarnishing party names, whether it is opposition or the ruling party.  It gives a very bad image to us as leaders.  Thank you Mr. Speaker.

THE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, what Hon. Adv. Chamisa raised was not a motion, so we cannot carry on debating that. While I note with sadness what Hon. Holder has said, I think appropriate action should be taken through your legal advisors so that you can get a retraction of that statement.  I am hoping that the media fraternity is around and they should be able to take note of what you have just said.

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