What Zimbabwe MPs said about the Constitution Amendment Bill

HON. MARIDADI:  Thank you very much Mr. Speaker, I will kiss you. – [Laughter.] –  I did not say him.

THE CHAIRPERSON:  Order, order Hon. Members. Be careful how you will do it.

 HON. MARIDADI:  I have a question to the Hon. Vice President.  My son saw the new Constitution of Zimbabwe.  It is written here – if I could not be disturbed by this Hon. Member; it says here – Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 20), Act, 2013.  Where in the world do you see somebody walking around with the constitution of their country which is written amendment number whatever.  This must only read  “Constitution of Zimbabwe” and it ends there.  This is an amendment that we would want the Vice President to bring to this House which calls this constitution “Constitution of Zimbabwe” without this quotation ‘Amendment No 20’.  Why should we call it amendment number 20?  Where are the other 19 amendments?  Are they in this constitution?

 HON. MLISWA:  On a point of order.  Mr. Chairman, when we are debating issues here, we must not be talking about our sons.  We are here to represent constituencies. – [HON. MEMBERS:  Hear, hear] – Secondly, he did not tell us how old his son is, his son could be three months old.  So, if he is going to talk about his son, he must be able to fully tell us how old the son is but we are here to represent people not sons and daughters.

HON. MARIDADI:  Mr. Chairman, I am a proud father of a son and even if he were three months old, he is a citizen of this country and I represent him because he is in Mabvuku.  I cannot waste time arguing with people that do not have children because I have children. 

HON. MLISWA:  On a point of order, maybe he wants me to tell him how many I have.  For the record, I have 11 children.  – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear. Hear.] –  So how can he honestly say I do not have kids.  I do not know who he is referring this to.

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON:  Order, order Hon. Members.

 HON. MARIDADI:  I was going to suggest that the Hon. Member should go for paternity tests because all the 11 children might not be his.

I think the only amendment to the Constitution that we need at the moment is that which amends this thing which says amendment No 20. That is, I think the most crucial amendment that we need to this constitution because it must be a clean constitution which says Constitution of Zimbabwe.  All the constitutions in the world are written Constitution of Malawi, Constitution of South Africa et cetera.  That is the only amendment that we need.

 I have debated the short title and I am saying ‘we do not want it’.  What we want is for this Constitution to be cleaned so as to read Constitution of Zimbabwe – chete, zvobvazvaperera ipapo,  Kuti amendment hatisikuda kuzvinzwa.  Ndatenda hangu Hon. Vice President.

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