CHAOS broke out in Parliament once again yesterday when Zanu PF MPs twisted the motion on Zesa by Mabvuku Tafara MP James Maridadi and instead started debating sanctions and urine.
VENERANDA LANGA,SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
The chaos in the House of Assembly started when Kwekwe Central MP Masango Matambanadzo said MDC-T MPs had labelled him uneducated, but with all their degrees they were failing to see that sanctions had destroyed Zesa.
Speaking in the vernacular Shona language, Matambanadzo said MDC-T MPs were rowdy elements who used to urinate into food plates at university and were attending lectures in Western countries where they were offered “mafia intelligence” lessons.
“MDC-T MPs used to laugh at me saying I am not educated, but they have used their education to construct words that have brought about sanctions in this country and are failing to see that sanctions have destroyed Zesa,” Matambanadzo said.
“They used to be ill-behaved at universities, urinating into plates and today they are in this House in Parliament misbehaving again.”
This did not augur well with MDC-T MPs and Nkulumane MP Thamsanqa Mahlangu had to raise a point of order with the Speaker of the House of Assembly Jacob Mudenda, saying it was unparliamentary language for Matambanadzo to say urinating (in Shona) and he should withdraw.
Mahlangu, who is a Ndebele language speaker failed, to pronounce the word and said kuhotera, prompting Matambanadzo to deny he had said kuwetera (urinating), but instead claimed he had said kuhotera (at a hotel).
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Mudenda said he would demand that the recording of the contributions by Matambanadzo be replayed so that he makes a ruling on the matter today. Matambanadzo continued: “MDC-T MPs used to go out to European countries where they were taught about mafia intelligence and thinking.”
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya and Musikavanhu MP Prosper Mutseyami raised a point of order again with the Speaker, saying Matambanadzo should explain his allegations.
Zanu PF MPs interjected and said Matambanadzo did not refer to the word “mafia”, but had said “Mafios” — a name of former Zanu PF MP for Mount Darwin Dickson Mafios.
Mudenda said MPs were turning the House into a circus and deputy minister of Agriculture (Cropping) Davis Marapira had to adjourn the debate.
MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese who had stood up to debate on the motion protested, saying it was in accordance with the laws that when MPs still wanted to debate, they should be allowed to do so.
The House had to be divided and legislators had to vote on whether Gonese was to be allowed to debate on the motion, resulting in MDC-T getting 27 votes and Zanu PF 91.
Previously during debate on a motion on the Presidential debate, the House degenerated into a raucous when Zanu PF proportional representation and visually-impaired MP Rossy Mpofu chanted “sanctions must go in the name of Jesus”, prompting other Zanu PF MPs to join her.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller and Auditor-General yesterday tabled before Parliament audited reports for the financial year ended December 2011, which revealed there was gross misuse of funds and assets by ministries including the President’s Office and Prime Minister’s Office. On the President’s Office, the report said: “The office paid for assets valued at $449 759 without attaching invoices to validate payments.”
On the Prime Minister’s office, it read: “Out of the expenditure of $15 021 960, the office failed to provide me with 24 payment vouchers for my audit examination.”
