The Member of Parliament for Zengeza West Collen Gwiyo yesterday took advantage of his parliamentary privilege to criticise his own party which he accused of “stealing elections” in its own primary elections.
Gwiyo who lost to Simon Chidakwa when he could not be confirmed as the sitting MP, did not refer to his own case but complained about Mr Mafa whom he said had initially been declared the winner but was later told he had lost.
The Movement for Democratic Change has only one legislator with the name of Mafa- Felix Mafa Sibanda, MP for Magwegwe.
Ironically, Gwiyo took advantage to criticise his own party in his condolence contribution to Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front legislator Edward Chindori-Chininga who was killed in a car accident last week.
“I had at one time, the privilege of discussing with the late hon. member, when I asked him the question that, why is it that in ZANU PF you are so brave and you can speak out. His answer was that during their stay in Zambia, his father had the privilege of associating with President Mugabe and the late Vice President Msika Hon. Joseph Msika. So, to him, he actually had a fair and father-son like relationship with the Head of State and that was his answer,” Gwiyo said.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, it is not in my interest to discuss whether he was supposed to be a hero or not a hero. I am more worried with the problem that the issue of discussing a hero or not a hero is a ZANU PF issue. As a member of MDC, I am more worried with the ZANU PF tendencies that are creeping into the MDC. This is manifesting itself in the nature with which we have engaged so far in having stolen elections through and through in the primaries.
“I want to indicate the fact that today we are crying about the loss of Hon. Chindori-Chininga. What is the future case of Hon. Mafa who initially was declared having won and all of a sudden was told that he had lost? Are we not also ashamed of creating problems when we are supposed to be an institution of excellence?”
Gwiyo even went for his own party leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
“Let me also raise Mr. Speaker, the fact that we cherish some of the ideas that Hon. Chindori actually left to us. He was very clear. He was against the behaviour of people surrounding the Head of State, telling him a lot of lies. I can imagine and I am also getting worried that my own President, my Prime Minister is not receiving issues that are actually affecting us at the ground and it is not in the interest of our struggle for change.”
Parliament was adjourned indefinitely yesterday. The term of the current Parliament legally ends tomorrow.
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