Southerton Member of Parliament Gift Chimanikire said President Robert Mugabe’s bodyguards were a national embarrassment because they allowed the State President to embarrass himself when he addressed the United Nations general assembly last month.
“As a citizen of this country, I am very much concerned at the carelessness that the bodyguards to the President displayed in front of international cameras when the President had actually to struggle to get to the podium ,’ he told Parliament on Tuesday.
“I have observed Mr. Speaker that heads of other States are even wheeled on a wheelchair to the podium. Why did our bodyguards allow the President to embarrass himself by moving towards the podium with so much effort when they should have been there to look after him? As a citizen of this country, I have a right to complain on the behaviour of those who accompany the President to the United Nations.”
Chimanikire also said the First Lady was a national embarrassment because of what she did in South Africa especially when Zimbabwe is trying to introduce a Child Justice Bill.
“Mr. Speaker, we cannot talk about the Child Justice Bill without taking into consideration what occurred in South Africa, perpetrated by the First Lady. That was abuse of children in South Africa,” he said.
“As such, we should take note of that and not overlook some of the short comings that we have within our own state in terms of attitudes towards the child justice both in Zimbabwe and South Africa,” he said before being asked by the Speaker to drop the subject as it was sub-judice.
But Chimanikire was not done with the First Lady.
“I am again forced to observe the issue of State capture as in the manner of the expulsion of workers and mine workers (makorokoza) at Manzou Farm in Mazowe District. Again, it is sad to note that there is the element of State capture by personal possession of the Mazowe Dam which was constructed before the First Lady was born. It is sad that those who were doing business on Mazowe Dam can no longer do so and it is being controlled by police to ensure that everyone is kept out in preference to the use by the First Family.”
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