Ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front chief whip Pupurayi Togarepi today asked Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda whether it was mere routine to announce the list of ministers who have given apologies not to attend Question Time in Parliament as some of them will actually be in the house.
He pointed out that one of the ministers on today’s list, Angeline Gata, the Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, was actually in the house.
Gata stood up when Mudenda asked where she was proving that she was in the house
“Hon. Speaker, I want to raise something regarding these apologies. On many occasions, we realise that Ministers that are put on that list for you to announce sometimes they will be in the House,” Togarepi said.
“Is it that people who do those lists will just be doing it for the sake of doing the lists for the Speaker to read out or it is real that the Minister who is absent will be committed somewhere? For example, Hon. Minister Gata is here in the House but she is on the apologies list.”
Sixteen ministers and their deputies sent in apologies.
Mudenda said there is a big conference on Transfrontier that is taking place in Chiredzi and a number of ministers have accompanied the President.
Those who sent apologies were:
- Hon. Gen. Rtd. Dr. C. G. D. N. Chiwenga, Vice President;
- Hon. Col. Rtd. K. C. D. Mohadi, Vice President;
- Hon. Prof. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion;
- Hon. M. Mavhunga, Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs;
- Hon. Prof. Dr. A. Murwira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade;
- Hon. N. M. Ndlovu, Minister of Industry and Commerce;
- Hon. Dr. A. Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development;
- Hon. B. Rwodzi, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry;
- Hon. Senator M. Mutsvangwa, Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development;
- Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage;
- Hon. P. Kambamura, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development;
- Hon. S. Sibanda, Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development;
- Hon. A. Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education;
- Hon. Edgar Moyo, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare;
- Hon. M. Dinha, Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare;
- Hon. V. P. Haritatos, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.
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