Mayhem in Zimbabwe parliament over sanctions

ZIMBABWE–HARARE- THE House of Assembly was yesterday forced to adjourn prematurely after MDC legislators disrupted a Zanu-PF motion calling for the removal of Western economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Mwenezi East House of Assembly Member Kudakwashe Bhasikiti gave notice to move a motion calling on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy, Arthur Mutambara, to engage the United States and the European Union to lift the sanctions.

This was soon after the House had sat. Bhasikiti’s motion would have been debated today. Part of it “calls upon the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to engage the EU, the British and the American governments to urgently and unconditionally remove l sanctions imposed by the West on Mugabe and his Zanu-PF thugs”.

As Bhasikiti was still reading his motion, MDC legislators – led by Masvingo Urban legislator Tongai Matutu and Mkoba MP Mr Amos Chibaya – rose and called the motion useless.

This resulted in about 20 minutes of exhanges by MDC MPs while Deputy Speaker Nomalanga Khumalo (MDC) vainly tried to restore order. An overwhelmed Mrs Khumalo subsequently ejected Mr Matutu from the House.

Sergeant-at-Arms Nicholas Marufu tried to eject Mr Matutu but the legislator refused as Mr Chibaya protested the decision. The mayhem continued while Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma, and Chief Whips Joram Gumbo (Zanu-PF) and Mr Innocent Gonese (MDC) gathered before Mrs Khumalo for consultations.

When tempers appeared to have cooled, Mrs Khumalo urged legislators to allow Bhasikiti to finish presenting his motion, prompting further jeers from MDC MPs.

The deputy speaker adjourned proceedings to today after failing to quell the chaos caused by the MDC legislators. In an interview after the adjournment, Gumbo said there was nothing irregular with Bhasikiti’s motion and it should be accepted for debate.

“Once a motion has been read in the House, it stands accepted. That is why I took it to the clerks and we expect it to be debated.

“As far as we are concerned the motion has been accepted because it was read in the House. One does not need to finish reading it,” Gumbo said. Mr Gonese said they objected to the motion claiming it violated the Global Political Agreement.

“It is a violation of the GPA to debate the motion. That is why my motion calling for an investigation of political violence ahead of the June 27 Presidential election run-off was held at abeyance.

“Further, the rules of Parliament are that before a motion can be read in the House, the Speaker should have sight of it to see whether it is acceptable or not, which was not done in this case.”

He accused Mr Zvoma of conniving with Zanu-PF to bring an “offending motion” in the absence of House Speaker Mr Lovemore Moyo.

Mr Zvoma said the motion had been brought before him and he had duly advised Mrs Khumalo as the presiding officer that there were no standing rules of Parliament that would be violated by its presentation.

“The Speaker (Mrs Khumalo) authorised it upon receiving appropriate advice from me that the motion did not violate any Standing Orders. The motion was then disrupted.

“Rules of Standing Orders do not say motions should not violate the GPA and I have given presiding officers that advice. Those are political question which parties would agree,” he said.

Some of the business that was supposed to be conducted yesterday included the weekly question-and-answer session where ministers would respond to questions from backbenchers.

Chairpersons of various portfolio committees were also scheduled to present reports on inquiries in ministries and Government departments. Speaking on current affairs programme “Melting Pot” on ZTV on Tuesday night, Chisipite Senator Obert Gutu (MDC) denied the existence of sanctions.

“We want real change, we should not waste time on saying ZDERA, sanctions. We need to sit down and strategise on the way forward after Zanu-PF said they can no longer make further concessions…

“I cannot waste time on myopic issues, the point is there are no sanctions and MDC did not call for any sanctions. Political analyst Dr Tafataona Mahoso responded saying: “I wonder which Zimbabwe this senator is living in.

“When it comes to foreign policy, Europeans come together and fight a common enemy. It is high time the MDC started acting like Zimbabweans. “We need to unite against sanctions, if we do that foreigners will have no power over us.

The African region has since raised its concern on sanctions, why can’t the MDC see the light?” Many level headed Zimbabweans want sanctions imposed on Zanu-PF and it thugs tighthened.