Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo yesterday said a report surrounding ownership of Shabanie-Mashaba Mines (SMM) tabled in the Lower House last week had raised pertinent issues and pledged to make a ruling on the issue soon.
Moyo was referring to the case where the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, chaired by Guruve South MP Edward Chindori-Chininga, recommended in its report that Justice and Legal Affairs minister Patrick Chinamasa and SMM administrator Afaras Gwaradzimba be investigated for contempt of Parliament.
“During the presentation of the report of the Mines and Energy Committee on the state of affairs at SMM on Wednesday, the chairperson of the committee, Edward Chindori-Chininga, raised procedural issues on which he asked the chair to make a ruling,” said Moyo.
“The matters raised by the committee are serious and I shall study the committee report and all the evidence gathered by the committee and make a ruling on the matter in due course,” he said.
Moyo said the report stated that both Chinamasa and Gwaradzimba breached provisions of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act, whereby Gwaradzimba was at fault for publishing a potentially defamatory statement in the Press, thereby demeaning the proceedings and character of the committee.
“The committee further noted that Chinamasa could have lied under oath regarding the possession of bearer share certificates that he promised to avail to the committee,” Moyo said.
