ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING CASES OF ALLEGED MISCONDUCT BY MDC-ALLIANCE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
HON. SAMUKANGE: Madam President, I move the motion standing in my name that this House Considers and adopts the Report of the Privileges Committee investigating cases of alleged misconduct by MDC Alliance Members of Parliament.
Hon. SIPANI-HUNGWE: I second.
HON. SAMUKANGE: Thank you Madam President. I must start by apologising; apparently there are some hiccups about my ipad. However, can I proceed to read my report?
THE HON. PRESIDENT OF SENATE: You can proceed Hon. Samukange.
1.0 Introduction
The Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (“CSRO”) of the Ninth Parliament constituted the Privileges Committee (“Committee”), in terms of section 16 (4) and paragraph 1 of the Schedule of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act [Chapter 2:08] (“PIPPA”). The Committee was tasked to investigate allegations of misconduct by Hon Members of Parliament from the MDC-Alliance. The allegations were raised in a motion by Hon. P. Togarepi in which he cited five occasions on which the derogatory conduct was displayed by Honourable Members in the National Assembly and the Senate when His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (interchangeably referred to as “His Excellency” or “the President” or “the Head of State”) attended Parliament on these occasions, namely—
(a) the Official Opening of Parliament of 18 September, 2018, at which Honourable Members of the MDC-Alliance of the National Assembly and the Senate did not rise when His Excellency entered the National Assembly Chamber;
(b) the Budget Presentation Day of 22 November, 2018, during which Honourable Members of the MDC-Alliance walked out of the National Assembly Chamber into the courtyard and sang political songs as they did so. While in the courtyard, they continued to sing which disrupted the proceedings;
(c) the State of the Nation Address of 1 October, 2019, which Honourable Members of the MDC-Alliance boycotted;
(d) the Mid-Term Budget Review of 1 August, 2019, which Honourable Members of the MDC-Alliance boycotted; and
(e) the Budget Presentation Day of 14 November, 2019, during which Honourable Members of the MDC-Alliance walked out of the National Assembly Chamber.
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