Drama in Zimbabwe Parliament as female MP’s pants are torn, women police officers’ breasts are fondled and opposition walks out- Full report

HON. CHAMISA: I am making a recommendation; I will not refer to the Constitution.  I would have referred to the sections that are very clear because there is a wrong interpretation being given by Mr. Chokuda, he is giving wrong advice.  It is a wrong interpretation and we need to correct you Madam Speaker because it is misleading your Chair.  There is a supreme law of the land, it is not going to be ousted by that subsidiary Act, which is not even referring to Members of Parliament, but that is not an argument.

Why can we not have an inquiry into how the police entered this Chamber because it is not allowed at law to have police officers come into Parliament in terms of Section 148, you cannot have an arresting of a Member of Parliament. We must have people being charged, those who did it, even if it means that we are going to have the Sergeant-At-Arms explaining why we ended up having police officers in the Chamber.  That will be fair, otherwise it will be difficult for us to understand why we should continue having – the next time it is going to be the army, and then the United Nations.  Why should we have the army, the United Nations or even Border Gezi?  Why should we have riot in Parliament – that is my question?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon. Member, while we are looking into that, can we have another point of order coming.

HON. P. SIBANDA: I have decided to ask for clarification from the Chair.  This is coming from a point of order raised, the complaint that I assaulted a police officer.  Two Members of Parliament have been identified from this side of the Chair.  It is Hon. Gabbuza and I.  I was seated there, I will ask Hon. Dr. Mashakada to stand where I was standing and where Hon. Gabbuza was standing – [summoning Hon. Gabbuza to stand up] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Member. You cannot make another Hon. Member to stand up, just explain yourself.

HON. P. SIBANDA: Madam Speaker, I was trying to show the distance between where I was standing and where Hon. Gabbuza was standing and the number of other Hon. Members who are on this side and the coincidence that Hon. Gabbuza comes from Binga, he is of the Tonga tribe, so am I.  We are the only two Members of the Tonga tribe on this side of the bench.  The coincidence that amongst all other Members of Parliament, the Hon. Member of Parliament of the Zezuru tribe was only able to spot two Members of the Tonga tribe, in my view is tribalism and discrimination on tribal and ethnic grounds.  I want your clarification Madam Speaker on whether Parliament is treating people on ethnic basis.

Secondly Madam Speaker, when you ruled about the dress code, I want to be educated, in my wardrobe I also have clothes of different colours.  May I get the basis upon which certain clothes like the jacket that Hon. Machingauta was putting on, is not allowed in Parliament?  Finally Hon. Speaker, I want your clarification on whether, at a time when we are busy campaigning for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, this kind of violence in the august House will do well to the campaign that the nation is doing.

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