Independent legislator Temba Mliswa yesterday said the opposition Movement for Democratic Change legislators now needed to be disciplined for walking out on President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he came to Parliament for the presentation of the 2020 budget.
“This institution is an institution that belongs to the people of Zimbabwe. When we come here, national interest is first,” he said.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, I would like you to take corrective action to ensure this does not happen. I am the one who got up the last time to plead for a rescission on the judgement that you had made that they must not ask Ministers. Today, I am equally one with my constituents who are saying that they are not sincere and as such wakuda shamhu in munyu chaiwo chaiwo.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to say you are the head of Parliament and as such, we submit to you and we must show respect. I think they are disrespecting you by pushing you to the edge. You are a reasonable leader who forgives, we have seen that but I think they have really pushed you to the edge.
“It is a pity I am not in that seat, otherwise I would have done things. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to really implore my colleague Members of Parliament wherever they are that I think you are losing the plot. This nation is bigger than any individual, so is this institution.”
Full statement:
HON. T. MLISWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, good afternoon to you and in fact good afternoon to Ministers. We hardly see them; we only see them when the President is here. Mr. Speaker Sir, I stand before you as a worried citizen. On the right side I have colleagues, Members of Parliament belonging to the opposition. They are not here today and I am now starting to doubt their agenda. Are they for the people or they are for themselves? – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
This institution is an institution that belongs to the people of Zimbabwe. When we come here, national interest is first. We were elected by the people to come and represent them. There was an election which was disputed; it went to the Constitutional Court and a decision was made. His Excellency, Cde. Mnangagwa won the matter and as such, the process that was carried out allowed him to be the Head of State, which really means he is the head of the three pillars of the State; Parliament, Judiciary and the Executive.
I am worried that the councilors from the same party that also contested the same election appear before the very same President whom they do not respect. The decision that they make seems to be a decision which is not consistent with even their resolution that they passed. They say that they passed a aicouncilors do the same? I thought that Members of Parliament were more mature, senior and they would be able to do what is expected of them.
Mr. Speaker Sir, time has come that this institution comes up with rules that will empower you to be able to deal with any Member of Parliament who behaves in a manner which is not befitting of this institution – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – We have national issues at hand. Mr. Speaker Sir, with the hypocrisy that they exhibit, they contribute to every Bill in this Parliament and that Bill ends up with the President signing. So, when the President is signing the Bill and they are contributing, who do they expect to sign that? It shows that they are aware that the President signs the Bills. They contribute to the bills and the bills are signed by the President, so how then can they not be part of this. They have been complaining about reforms in many ways and they are expected to be in this House to address the very same reforms that they say are not moving the country forward.
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