Corruption according to Honourable Joseph Chinotimba

Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba who is generally regarded as a clown but has brought a lot of development to his own constituency yesterday had the House in stitches when he described those booing him as he made his contribution to the Presidential speech as corrupt.

Walking out while the President was presenting the State of the Nation Address – which was done by opposition legislators last week- was also a form of corruption, he said.

Chinotimba spoke in Shona but Hansard produced his speech in English so the joke might be lost in the translation but here is what he said.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA:  Corruption Mr. Speaker, everyone is involved in corruption.  Most of us are engaged in corruption in one way or the other.  Some people just want to talk about individuals engaging in corruption but they do not look at themselves.

Corruption is not only defrauding but corruption is also evident if someone says that the vendors or informal traders should continue to sell their wares from the streets.  That is corruption because we are saying it is not healthy but we want them to stay there, that is corruption.  We want to stress that such corruption should end.

Corruption again comes in the sense that when someone is speaking very sensibly and doing good work, you will hear people making noise, like I am doing, that is corruption.

Corruption is not only involved where there is money but also where one is saying a lot of sense and people are booing him.

There is corruption that is evident in demonstration, there is corruption that comes through fraudulent activities.  Even the demonstrations that happened when the President was delivering his Speech and MPs walked out, that in itself is corruption – [Laughter.] –

*THE HON. SPEAKER:  Order, order.  Hon. Chinotimba, we do not want jokes in this House.  May you please stick to the speech, not to be cracking jokes as you debate.  Let us respect this House.

*HON. CHINOTIMBA:  Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I am talking about corruption and people may think that I am joking but as I am saying, you once said that when we come to Parliament to discuss business, we should not fear.  So, I am talking of corruption and where it comes from.

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