What caused yesterday chaos in the Zimbabwe Parliament

While Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chair Priscilla Chigumba was telling the Commission of Inquiry into the 1 August violence which cost six lives that Members of Parliament must work seriously to align electoral laws to the constitution so that the country does not have a repeat of what happened this year in 2023, the legislators were busy squabbling forcing Parliament to be adjourned after sitting for less than two hours.

This was after Movement for Democratic Change chief whip Prosper Mutseyami refused to withdraw a statement that his party leader had won the just ended elections.

Mutseyami had moved a motion on the abuse of constitutional rights for vendors but went on to say that his party president had won more than two million votes while the leader of ZANU-PF had won more than one million.

ZANY-PU chief whip Pupurai Togarepi demanded that Mutseyami should withdraw his statement as it was not true but Mutseyami prevaricated until his colleagues started singing: “Chamisa mai mwana” and ZANU-PF legislators responded by chanting “Ed pfee”.

Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi was forced to adjourn the sitting.

Below is what transpired:

MOTION

ABUSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF VENDORS

HON. MUTSEYAMI: I move the motion standing in my name that this House:

CONCERNED about the absence of holistic solutions addressing the issues of vendors, urban poverty and illegal urban settlements in Zimbabwe;

ALSO CONCERNED with the total disrespect and abuse of the constitutional rights of vendors and other neglected groups eking out a living in Zimbabwe demonstrated by heavy handedness and the violence unleashed against vendors in recent weeks by State authorities:

NOW, THEREFORE:

(a). condemns the wanton attack and lawlessness unleashed to vendors by State Authorities;

(b). demands the provision of alternative sustainable income generating infrastructure for vendors; and

(c). calls upon government to craft and implement a national employment policy.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: I second.

Continued next page

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