MDC-T legislators yesterday vowed to continue their fight to have Clerk of Parliament, Austin Zvoma dismissed, despite last months High Court ruling, that blocked the House of Assembly from debating his fate.
Mazowe Central MP and lawyer, Shepherd Mushonga who seconded the motion which was moved in December by Hwange Central MP Brian Tshuma yesterday told NewsDay MPs from his party will pursue the issue through Parliaments Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC).
The judiciary has encroached into Parliament business and the principle of separation of powers is not being respected, but this will not stop this process and the matter is still as fresh as yesterday, Mushonga said.
The decision by the judiciary is to try and gag Parliament and we believe that is wrong.
The SROC should proceed on the matter by setting up another five member committee because its composition is made up of the Prime Minister, the Vice-President, the Speaker of the House of Assembly and others and there is no way these people would sit and decide on that case, he said.
Mushonga said the SROC should recommend that a five member committee made up of MPs be set up to investigate, as they did with the Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM) case.
A privileges committee was established to investigate alleged contempt of Parliament against SMM administrator, Afaras Gwaradzimba.
Tshuma said some of Zvomas misdemeanours included failure to conduct elections for the Speaker in 2008 in accordance with Section 39 of the Constitution and Parliaments standing orders.
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Zvoma is also alleged to have unprocedurally deferred the sitting of the House of Assembly in March last year and ignored legal advice from the Attorney General regarding the status of Matobo North constituency.
This followed a Supreme Court ruling nullifying Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyos election.
Former member of the SROC and lawyer, Obert Gutu said Zvoma was employed by the committee and the body was at liberty to investigate any allegations of misconduct levelled against him.
This is a typical employer-employee relationship although, of course, the standing rules and regulations of Parliament will determine and direct how the SROC will go about this investigation, Gutu said.
Ordinarily, the SROC will constitute a special committee to investigate the alleged acts of misconduct.
