A parliamentary privileges committee will soon be appointed to look into the matter of contempt of Parliament by Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM) administrator Afaras Gwaradzimba.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs minister Eric Matinenga on Wednesday moved a motion for the setting-up of the privileges committee to look into the matter in the House of Assembly.
“Mr Speaker, I stand to move for the appointment of the Privileges Committee pursuant to your ruling of August 4 2011 that there is a prima facie case of breach of privilege on the matter relating to Gwaradzimba’s statements regarding the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy,” said Matinenga.
“I move that the matter be referred to a committee on privileges to be appointed by the Committee on Standing Rules and Order.”
MPs voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion, and Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo assured the House the committee would be established without delay.
Last month, Moyo ruled statements made by Gwaradzimba in the media could reasonably be deemed to demean the proceedings and character of the Mines and Energy Committee chaired by Guruve South MP Edward Chindori-Chininga.
The committee had been investigating the demise of asbestos mining firm SMM Holdings, owned by businessman Mutumwa Mawere and were also looking at why it had failed to be resuscitated even after being placed under curatorship.
In the damning report the Mines and Energy Committee submitted to Parliament, it revealed that during gathering of oral evidence Gwaradzimba had been evasive and even demeaned their efforts though comments in the media.
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Part of Moyo’s ruling reads: “Examples of such utterances are that the MPs involved in the investigation of the matter are not honourable, that they work for Mawere, that they are alarmists with special interests in SMM Holdings and that they were shouting at Gwaradzimba. These utterances establish a prima facie case of contempt of Parliament.”
Although Justice and Legal Affairs minister Patrick Chinamasa escaped censure for allegedly lying under oath regarding the SMM saga, Chindori-Chininga told NewsDay his committee would meet to reconsider his fate.
