Temba Mliswa and Dexter Nduna’s apologies in full

Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa and Chegutu West Member of Parliament Dexter Nduna yesterday apologised for their unruly behaviour at a meeting of the Mines Portfolio committee on 11 February.

At the meeting Mliswa accused Nduna of benefitting from a $11 million scandal that rocked the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration when he was chairman of the Transport committee.

Nduna threatened to deal with Mliswa saying he had killed people in the past.

Here are their apologies in full.

HON. MLISWA’S UTTERANCES

HON. T. MLISWA: A very good afternoon to you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I felt that I should prepare a statement for this so that I do not lose my train of thought.  Today being the 5th March my reference is. Statement of apology to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Advocate Jacob Mudenda.  The statement begins:

Mr Speaker, Hon. Advocate Jacob Mudenda and Hon Members of Parliament here present.  During a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Meeting on Mines and Mining Development in the Senate Chamber on Monday 11th February 2019, an incident erupted between Hon. Dexter Nduna and me.  During the debacle, I inadvertently included the name of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Advocate Jacob Mudenda in the furore, mistakenly linking him with the nefarious actions attributed to Hon. Nduna.  The erroneous accusation was premised on misinformation emanating from Hon. Nduna who fabricated a false association with the Hon. Speaker in an attempt to shield and seek protection from the underhand dealings he was associated with to make them appear above board.

It was unfortunate that the exchange with Hon. Nduna and myself occurred at a time that I was personally labouring with extreme sentiments of dissatisfaction and frustration with the Mines Committee.  The alleged corruption cases, politicisation of the Committee, the seeming neglect to resolve matters as raised and recommended as well as interference from those members co-opted to protect self-interest cultivated extreme feelings of dejection which unfortunately caused me to lash out.  I subsequently warn all my esteemed colleagues who use the names of those in higher offices to hide behind or as some form of protection to immediately desist from the practice, the name of the Speaker must not be held in disrepute. I therefore sincerely apologise to the Hon. Speaker, Advocate Jacob Mudenda for the attack on his person and credibility and regret the outburst thereof.

Hon. Advocate Jacob Mudenda is a person that I hold in high regard and have a great sense of esteem for the dogmatic, professional and ethical manner in which he executes his duties, which affectionately earned him the nickname, “the headmaster”.  So great is the respect and confidence I have for his professionalism and efficiency that I seconded Hon. Mudenda as Speaker of the National Assembly for the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe, a vote of confidence that I do not take lightly.  I look up to Hon. Mudenda as a father figure and as a son; I bow down my head for forgiveness for my transgression.

Mr. Speaker Sir, I appeal to you to address matters brought to your attention to avoid those involved from the perception that they are untouchable or are afforded any protection by you.  A matter in point, as an example is the issue brought up by Hon Lynette Karenyi who spoke out against the alleged abuse of women by Hon. Members, Paradza and Zhou which to date remains pending.  These are the very same Hon. Members who continue to cause havoc in Parliamentary Committees, as I indicated in my quarterly report.  They are the very same Hon. Members who are yet to engage in meaningful debate in Parliament and at best are recorded in the Hansard for their heckling which leaves a lot to be desired.

The Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe will cause a challenge for you Mr. Speaker Sir, if Hon. Members of Parliament cannot maintain the decorum and integrity of the august House.  The important role of scrutiny and oversight cannot continue to be trivialised by those serving selfish interests, we are here to serve national interest.

However, whilst I apologise for Hon. Mudenda’s inclusion, I do not take back my words regarding the fight against corruption.  My stance against those involved remains consistent and I will ensure that I re-double my efforts to see that justice is served and that the double and triple thieves are brought to book.  As a nation, we will struggle to implement any meaningful policies to move the country forward if we do not tackle and remove the disease of corruption from our society.  Corruption is the cancer that will thwart any attempts at economic resuscitation from thriving, and it is with that in mind that I continue to advocate for the panacea of Zero Tolerance to Corruption.  Statement ends.

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