President Robert Mugabe is to address both houses of Parliament in a joint session on Tuesday, the president of the Senate Edna Madzongwe announced yesterday.
Members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change- Tsvangirai have been asking when Mugabe would present his state-of-the-nation address because, they said, he had not done so since he was elected in 2013.
Harare West legislator Jessie Majome asked Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa in May when Mugabe would address the nation because the constitution required him to do so at least once a year.
Speaker Jacob Mudenda advised her that the constitution did not say Mugabe “must” address the nation, but that he “may”- the two were different.
Mnangagwa said he had consulted Mugabe and Mugabe had told him that he would address the nation at a suitable date.
MDC-T leader presented his state-of-the-nation address in 27 June, a move some scoffed at as only the head of state could present a state-of the-nation address.
Zimbabwe currently has a lot of pressing issues mainly centred around a failing economy. These were was compounded by the firing of more than 20 000 workers following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed employers to dismiss workers without going through the rigorous retrenchment formalities.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa also said the economy was going to grow by a paltry 1.5 percent down from a projected 3.2 percent.
Mugabe’s own Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has gone through a marked transformation which saw the sacking of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Mugabe’s former top lieutenant Didymus Mutasa.
There have been reports of infighting in the new executive but First Lady Grace Mugabe brushed these rumours off saying this was mere speculation by people who wanted to destroy ZANU-PF.
“Kana zita raVice President vedu rinoswera richitaurwa richisvibiswa hamusati mambonzwa Vice President Mnangagwa vachiti, ‘baba chibudai ndaakuda kupinda muchinzvimbo’. But kune dzimwe ny’any’a dzagara dzisingadi Zanu-PF, dzakagara dzisingashandi neZANU-PF, dzinoshandisa zita,” the First Lady told the Women’s League.
“Ndinoda kuvamiririra Vice President nokuti hapana chavakambotaura, ndichizvimiririra, hapana chandakambotaura, ndichimiririra VaMphoko hapana chavakambotaura. Vanhu vari committed kumusangano wavo, vari committed kunyika — kushandira nyika.
“Kune vamwe vanhu vanoziva weakness yedu semadzimai kuti tinenge tisina mari ndovanotidaidza votaura ivo vachiti Vice President Mnangagwa vave kutoti dai President vandisiira chigaro; VaMphoko vave kutoti dai vandisiira; ininiwo ndichingonziwo nekwangu neni neni.
“Ini, I am satisfied nezvandiri saFirst Lady. Ndiri satisfied nekutungamira madzimai kwandiri kuita. At least ndinototi ini zvangu ndatosvika ipapa, vanhu vandi recogniser saka ndinofara nekuti handina kunge ndakazvitarisira,” she said.
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