Mliswa says Mudenda should whip ministers into line

HON. T. MLISWA: My point of departure here is that the Chair is letting us down and not whipping the Executive in line. We are powerless and can only do so much to the Executive. May the Chair, the Hon. Speaker and Leader of the House, start using the powers bestowed on him to put the Executive in order? We cannot. They will be whipped if these Chairpersons start to bring any Minister to account. You know the rules in terms of Section 129 (1) (k). So because of that, it is only the Speaker who has the ultimate authority to put everyone in order.

For now we are powerless Mr. Speaker. Tiri vana vari kungotarisawo baba kuti vachaitawo chii kune vamwe vana. It seems some children are favoured more than the others. We just feel that we should fold our hands, watch and wait for the father to do something. Like me as Hon. Mliswa, I just stand and watch toita kunge tinopenga.  It is my plea Hon. Speaker that you should not treat the Executive with kid gloves. We have now reached our end and may we then start from where we failed.

THE HON. SPEAKER: I was going to say thank you very much my child but the Hon. Speaker does not have powers. It is the Constitution that we apply and as far as I know, I was not here part of last week but at the time when I left, there were about eight Ministers who were going to respond to the SONA. Am I right Chief Whip – [HON. TOGAREPI: Yes.] – Yes, and many more are going to do so. Also, response to the reports of Committees, again there is a line up of the Hon. Ministers and Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is one of them. They have started.

I am hoping that all the reports will be responded to after the Clerk of Parliament writes to each and every Minister indicating which Parliamentary Committee report they have to respond  to. So, they are all lined up and the Chief Whip is whipping them to present those reports here. Your concerns are not misdirected, but perhaps it was a question of speed with which the Hon. Ministers needed to respond. You still remain powerful as an institution of Parliament so do not denigrate yourselves and say you have no power. Your power rests with the Constitution and not as an institution alone but the Constitution itself does confer the powers that you confer in Committees – [AN HON. MEMBER: There is no power.] – Who is saying there is no power? If you have no power and you feel powerless, why do you not resign and take up farming?

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