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

*HON. ZWIZWAI:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  We do not encourage Hon. Members to use their privileges in this House to abuse other members.  You have placed it on record that there are Hon. Members who should be investigated on the basis of a word by a single member on your right.

We have lawyers like the Hon.Vice President in this House.  We also have Hon. Chamisa and many others. The incident that unfolded in Parliament did not happen to or on a minor. It has happened to a person  who is above the age of majority and also a police officer.  There must be a complainant in every case.  You cannot make a ruling that there will be an investigation when there is no report from the police that there is a  complaint. If there is a complaint, he is going to be called as a witness and then the cameras will then show that this is the evidence.  You cannot give a ruling for the purposes of the record that some police officers were assaulted just for argument sake. If we fail to find a police officer who says he was assaulted, what are you going to do about it?

On the other hand, we want to put it on record that each and every Parliament – when the Hon Vice President Mnangagwa was Speaker, CCTV cameras were installed here.  We should use institutionalised CCTVs and not hire television cameras from BBC, CNN, Studio 7 for Mahoka, ZBC or Aljazera to meddle in Parliament’s business.  We do not trust such cameras; they are not owned by Parliament.  We cannot use those.  We do not own such property and there is no basis for us to use foreign property.

Therefore Madam Speaker, I would want you to leave this issue for a while and deal with it when you get the complaint from the police officer.  Furthermore, we would like you to inform us which cameras you are going to be using because we cannot use foreign cameras from CNN to deal with our issues here.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  The Chair did not say that we are going to investigate.  I said we are going to review and ascertain to see if there was a police officer –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-  Hon. Members, I think we have heard enough on this issue –[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-

+HON. L. SIBANDA:  Madam Speaker, the police officer who came through this other side, when he was approaching Hon. Machingauta inserted his hand in my skirt and touched my private parts.  As I am speaking, the young police officer pulled my bimba and my leg.  Is that the right of an officer to do that – that a police officer should touch my private parts?  I have evidence and if you want, I will come to you  Madam Speaker and show you my torn pants, torn by a police officer.  Madam Speaker, my pants are torn.  What do you say to that?

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  If there is any police officer who put his hand in your pants, you should go ahead and make a report against the officer.

Hon. L. Sibanda approached the Chair and showed her the torn pant –[HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.]-

HON. MANDIPAKA:  Madam Speaker, I want to thank you very much.  I want to speak on behalf of the voiceless majority of our people who are out there.  What we are doing is not sincere with the tax payers’ money.  MDC is deliberately disrupting Parliament business and this has to be recorded that they do not stand in for the people but to cause chaos and this is not good for the country.

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