Kasukuwere Marange case almost causes pandemonium in Parliament

There was almost pandemonium in Parliament yesterday when Deputy Speaker Mabel Chinomona tried to delay the presentation of the Indigenisation Committee report on the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust in which Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere was accused of misleading President Robert Mugabe on how much diamond mining companies in the area had pledged to the local community.

Kasukuwere, who was Minister of Youth and Indigenisation at the time, is reported to have told Mugabe that the mining companies would invest $50 million in the local community through the Trust and even asked Mugabe to present an initial cheque of $1.5 million.

It turned out that the cheque was a dummy. There was no money.

Below is what transpired in the House before Wadyajeba presented his report:

Before the Fourth Order of the Day was read, Hon. Wadyajena was asked to approach the Chair.-[HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order! -[HON. MEMBERS: Toda report iyoyo.  Tiri kuida. Tirikuda kui debator.  Takapedza semamembers ecommittee iyoyo.  Wadyajena usaende gara pasi.  Hazviite.  Report iyoyo yakatomirirwa na President na Vice President.]- – Order, order please.  Can we have order in the House? Hon. Members, you have been calling for the report of Hon. Wadyajena –[HON. MEMBERS: Yes!]-  There are some corrections which we ….. –[HON. MEMBERS: Aaah! Takapedza kudhara nereport iyoyo.

HON. TOFFA:  On a point of order, that report was collected last week. They stopped it last week and they cannot stop it this week, no!

HON. SITHOLE:  Mirai nditaure ndini seconder.

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