MP says Zimbabwe Parliament is full of criminals

 Indeed, Mr. Speaker, if we are going to pay service to indigenisation when an owner who is an indigenous is deprived of operating his mines when he has got shares. I think we should be able to ask ourselves, then what.  The right to property under our Constitution, if there was any case he had to answer, he should have answered it and gone to prison but he should have retained his properties.  There was no need for expropriation that would actually victimise not only himself but his properties. We are all aware that Mr. Mawere is a very successful miner and business man in South Africa that is not disputed.

Therefore, for us to be shouting that he has got a criminal mind.  We have more criminals sitting in this Parliament than Mawere, in my own opinion.  When we look at it we have got certain stories that we read in papers that indicate that some of us are criminals more than Mawere. The one who is shouting also was in prison a few months ago.

 HON. MLISWA: On a point of order! Mr. Speaker Sir, he said that we have some criminals sitting in this House.  Every Member of Parliament sits when they have no criminal record.  So, it is important for him to tell us which criminals are sitting in this Parliament or he withdraws his statement.  If his party has criminals then that is different. I am not a criminal and I got in as a Member of Parliament after the realisation that I do not have a criminal record.  Can he please substantiate his claim – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]-

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! I did not hear him mention your name but he said there are criminals in this Chamber.  So, probably what you could have asked was for him to withdraw that there are criminals in this Chamber not particularly mentioning your name.

 HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Mr. Speaker, from this Chamber, we have a former Member of Parliament who is serving a 10 year sentence in Chikurubi – but he was sitting with us here.  The fact that he had not been convicted – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjection.]- We have a Member of Parliament who is in custody right now, for trying to sell a pangolin – [Laughter.] – and he is frm this Chamber.

 THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Sibanda, you are a Chief Whip and you just leave your sit to go there and start making noise.  Why do you do that, we expect you to be supervising this House.

 Hon. Members, we are here to debate substance.  If you feel you object to whatever has been put across, there will be a chance for you to raise – [HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjection.]- Order, order! There is a Chair and there is a limit to whatever we do.  So, I think this is my second warning to you as much as I would want you to debate but please let us not get excited. So, let the Hon. Member debate in silence.  If anyone is objecting to whatever he has raised, I will give you the floor to object.

 HON. CHIMANIKIRE: Thank you Mr. Speaker.  I think what is important here is the social welfare of the residence of Mashava and Shabanie, the rest could be rhetoric and my appeal is that Government should review its decision to actually pack Shabanie-Mashava with ZMDC and they should actually be looking at alternative of who is willing to buy those companies and resuscitate them.  So, that is a contribution towards the resuscitation of our own economy.  I believe, Mr. Speaker, with those words, I have said what has to be said.  Those who are guilty know it. I thank you.

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