BOTH Houses of Parliament resume sitting today against a huge backlog of 31 motions which are yet to be concluded by the House of Assembly, 10 of which are notices of tabled motions that are yet to be introduced.
Report by Veneranda Langa, Senior Parliamentary Reporter
This Fourth Session of the Seventh Parliament has taken long to end as President Robert Mugabe is yet to announce the opening date of a new session of Parliament.
Some of the motions that have been sitting on the House of Assembly’s Order Paper for more than two months include a motion to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate allegations of corruption at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
The motion was tabled by Goromonzi MP Paddy Zhanda in July this year. Others include Silobela MP Anadi Sululu’s motion raising concern over ministers’ apparent lack of co-operation and appreciation of work done by portfolio committees as evidenced by their non-appearance to give oral evidence.
Sululu’s motion proposes that the House sanctions “any minister who fails to respond to the committee’s report in terms of procedures”. Magwegwe MP Felix Magalela Sibanda’s motion calling upon government to pay all workers’ wages or salaries equal or above the poverty datum line also awaits introduction to the house.
Sources said the motions could have been delayed as a result of the parties’ whipping system as some of the motions affected Cabinet ministers.
Finance minister Tendai Biti is also expected to bring the Securities Amendment Bill before the House of Assembly.
