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MDC-T MPs walk out on Madzongwe

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MDC-T legislators walked out of the pre-Budget seminar in Victoria Falls on Saturday in protest over what they called “cheap politicking” by president of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe.

MDC-T legislators walked out of the pre-Budget seminar in Victoria Falls on Saturday in protest over what they called “cheap politicking” by president of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe.

Report by Staff reporter

Giving a vote of thanks, Madzongwe said she, together with her deputy Naison Ndlovu — also from Zanu PF — disassociated themselves from Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo’s attack on the Executive. Moyo had on Friday said the Executive — which includes President Robert Mugabe — was undermining the authority of the Legislature rendering it a mere rubber-stamping forum.

He said legislators should defend their rights as “the Parliament of Zimbabwe was constitutionally elected and is made up of democratically-elected members of Parliament and was not created by the Global Political Agreement”.

Moyo’s hard-hitting speech —which was viewed as being aimed at Mugabe — was welcomed by legislators from the three political parties. The stance taken by Madzongwe on Friday incensed MDC-T lawmakers, who, led by their chief whip in the Senate, Sithembile Mlotshwa, stormed out.

Mlotshwa told NewsDay MDC-T legislators were shocked by Madzongwe’s utterances.

“As MDC-T, we found her comments very disturbing. Moyo said that Parliament should not be treated as a department, but should be viewed as a critical arm of the State.

“Therefore, for Madzongwe to say she is disassociating herself and Khutshwekhaya (Ndlovu) from calls to respect the Legislature which they are part of, is shocking and it’s cheap politicking” said Mlotshwa.

“Madzongwe thought that Moyo was attacking her boss Mugabe, which is a very unfortunate situation. She was just protecting her position in Zanu PF. No one wants to annoy their principal ahead of elections,” she added.