Zimbabwe Minister may be charged with contempt of parliament for prevarication

HON. GONESE: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. My point of order is to the effect that the Hon. Minister has not done justice to the question. The issue from the supplementary question is very straight forward Mr. Speaker – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! Hon. Gonese, if you are not clear can you ask a supplementary question?

HON. GONESE: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My supplementary question is – in view of the fact that you want to have things done in a transparent and open manner, can the Minister elucidate on her answer and clarify for us about the process which was used to recruit those people who are already being trained. The nation wants to know the process which was used to identify the members, even of the board how they were recruited so that we do our things in a transparent and open manner and not in an opaque way.

HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I said is they are in the process. If they are in the process, there are procedures that they are supposed to take. What he has just talked about, if it is part of the process that they are supposed to adhere to they will do exactly that. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.]–

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order! I am not allowing any supplementary question because the Hon. Minister says the due process will follow. Can you wait for that due process? – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – [HON. ZWIZWAI: I have got a point of order Mr. Speaker.] – I have ruled there is no further question. No. – [HON. ZWIZWAI: Because the Minister is lying under oath. She is said that they are already training and now she is changing the statement.] – No. – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Sit down. Can you sit down! Hon. Minister, can you clear the air.

HON. CHIKWINYA: Thank you Mr. Speaker. Everything that is happening with the bank now is an interim measure. The CEO, like I said is an interim CEO and that post is still to be advertised – but for the sake of progress, somebody had to be in the office. The CEO is a board member and among the members of the board – the interim CEO is part of the board and amongst the members of the board, there should be somebody who can actually run the programme in the interim while they are going to advertise for a substantive person who is going to be the CEO.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: On a point of order Mr. Speaker Sir.

THE HON. SPEAKER:  What is your point of order?

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: The question is perjury.  It is not a question of the CEO, it is about the training of the staff that we want clarified.

THE HON. SPEAKER: No, she has clarified that.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: She is not telling the truth, she said it is already in progress but now she has changed and we have a voice recording and a Hansard recording – [HON. ZINDI: Inaudible interjections.]

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, Hon. Zindi can you please take your seat. There is a dispute here about what the Hon. Minister said originally.  So, I want to look at the Hansard recording and then I will make a ruling tomorrow – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – Order, you must listen very carefully, I said there is a dispute of what the Minister said and I want that studied as to what has been recorded in the Hansard and therefore, we cannot proceed debating on that matter.

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