Don’t discuss Tsvangirai in Parliament because he cannot answer for himself – MP says

MOTION

MEASURES TO CURB VIOLENCE PERPETRATED BY POLITICAL PARTIES

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Mr. Speaker I move the motion standing in my name That this House –

          Aware that Zimbabwe is a peace loving nation;

          DISTURBED by recent acts of violence and terror on innocent people by some political parties;

          WORRIED by vicious attacks on police officers and security agents;

          CONCERNED by the looting and destruction of property and infrastructure in Greater Harare:

          NOW, THEREFORE, calls upon Parliament to resolve to –

(a)             strongly condemn political parties perpetrating acts of violence on our nation;

(b)            calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe Republic Police to arrest all those rowdy youths involved in acts of violence and to facilitate their prosecution; and

(c)             ask the Minister of Home Affairs to make a statement on the state of affairs with regards to recent political violence and to assure the nation of its safety and security.

HON. MUDEREDZWA: I second.

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Thank you Hon. Speaker, you will recall that this motion should have been debated during the peak of things.  That is in August last year when things were happening when we had protests and disturbances in the country.  Apparently Hon. Speaker, you will appreciate that certain quotas within this Parliament made efforts to scuttle this motion but I am quite happy and excited that at last this motion is going to be debated as it still creates relevance to the nation.  It is my joy that at last we have to debate this very crucial motion.  It is an innocent motion and allow me to allay fears from certain quotas that this motion intended to witch-hunt.  It is not witch hunting at all but it is for the good of our country and our nation.

Mr. Speaker Sir, from the onset we need to ask ourselves what Parliament is?  According to the research that I have so far made, Parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation – not two nations.  So as we sit in Parliament, we are one people and one nation.  It is advisable that as we debate, we do so as Zimbabweans because that is our identity and the thing that puts us together as one.  As Zimbabweans, we must be proud of the institutions that we create.  We must believe in ourselves and the sanctity of our institutions, for example the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

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