ICYMI-Mphoko, Chinomona differ on who is Leader of the House- is it Bonyongwe or Mnangagwa?

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mabel Chinomona this afternoon differed with Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko over who the Leader of the House is, saying it is still Mnangagwa while Mphoko said it is new Justice Minister Happyton Bonyongwe.

Mphoko was at one time shouted down as G40, a faction of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front but he said he was not 40 but 77 so he was G77.

The debate was sparked by Norton legislator Temba Mliswa when he said he did not know to whom to address his question because it was not clear who the Leader of the House is at the moment.

“We responded to the issue of the Leader of the House.  If Parliament has not received any communication, it means it is the same Leader of the House who has been there before. We will continue with Vice President Mnangagwa,” Chinomona said.

But Mphoko said this was a straight forward thing, the Leader of the House was Justice Minister Bonyongwe.

Chinomona, however, said Mugabe must make the announcement.

“We are getting this from the Vice President but I think we look towards having communication from the appointing authority,” she said. “Yes, so that Parliament does not have confusion of which is which?”

Below is how the debate went:

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hear your point of order and all the facts that you have made. You are repeating that same issue. If you had asked it as a question, we would have asked the Vice President to respond.   However, we are going to note down everything that you have said. We are going to look into it and at the same time, we continue executing work.

 *HON. MLISWA: The truth of the matter is that we have the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs – this is Parliament and we had the Leader of the House. We do not know who the Leader of the House is. We are not sure whether it is Hon. Mnangagwa or Hon. Bonyongwe. We asked you the same question last time. To whom do we appeal when we do not have the Leader of the House? There is no clarity in terms of who the head of Government business is.  The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs is here.

*THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Mliswa. We responded to the issue of the Leader of the House.  If Parliament has not received any communication, it means it is the same Leader of the House who has been there before. We will continue with Vice President Mnangagwa.

Continued next page

THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF NATIONAL HEALING, PEACE AND RECONCILIATION (HON. MPHOKO): Thank you Madam Speaker. – [HON. ZWIZWAI: The Leader of the House is Hon. Mphoko.] – No, you are wrong. I thank Hon Mliswa for that question. It is a straight forward thing. The Leader of Government Business in Parliament is the Minister here – [HON. MEMBERS: G40.] – Madam Speaker, I take great exceptions to be brought to 40 years, I am 77 years and I can never be G40. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.] – Please G77 is an international organisation – [Laughter.] – Yes, that is diplomacy – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order, order, Hon. Members, can we hear what the Vice President is saying? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order please, can we have order! – [HON. MLISWA: We cannot, this is not the ZANU PF Politburo.  This is Parliament!] – [HON. MEMBERS: Yes!] – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

 HON. MPHOKO:  Madam Speaker, the Minister – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

 THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members, order please. May we have order please – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

 HON. MPHOKO:  Madam Speaker, – [AN HON. MEMBER:  Address the Chair!] –   I though the Hon. Member …

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Vice President, yes, if you may address the Chair please.

 HON. MPHOKO: Madam Speaker, I though the Hon. Member wanted to be assisted.  – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Hon. Members, I am not hearing what the Hon. Vice President is saying – [AN HON. MEMBER: He is not saying anything!] –  You are making too much noise.

 HON. MPHOKO:  Madam Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order!

HON. MPHOKO:  Madam Speaker, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs is Hon. Bonyongwe – that is the Leader of the House.  I thank you.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Vice President.  I think this is …we are getting this from the Vice President but I think we look towards having communication from the appointing authority. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Yes, so that Parliament does not have confusion of which is which? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – May we please proceed with Questions without Notice!

(279 VIEWS)

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *