ZANU PF senators yesterday blasted their own ministers for continuously bunking Thursday question and answer sessions in Senate saying their behaviour was irresponsible.
VENERANDA LANGA
When Senate resumed sitting at 2.30pm for question time, not a single minister turned up to take questions triggering displeasure by the senators.
President of the Senate Edna Madzongwe had to defer question time hoping the ministers would turn up, but 30 minutes later, only Mines and Mining Development minister Walter Chidhakwa turned up followed by Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi who only turned up around 4pm when question time had almost expired.
“I have been trying to delay a bit hoping that maybe we would have one minister attending Senate, but I do not see anyone,” Madzongwe said.
“Being a Thursday, it is private member’s day where we start with questions for ministers and so we will step question time over hoping that maybe one minister will turn up to answer questions.”
A total of five questions were on the Senate Order Paper and were supposed to be answered by Chidhakwa (one), Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development minister Joseph Made (two), Environment, Water and Climate minister Saviour Kasukuwere (one) and Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa (one).
Although there were no questions for other ministers on the Order Paper, they were supposed to attend to take questions asked without notice.
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Manicaland senator Monica Mutsvangwa (Zanu PF) expressed dismay over non-attendance by the ministers saying it was disturbing that they chose to bunk Parliament at a time when there were pressing issues like corruption at parastatals.
“We are disappointed by the fact that ministers do not seem to take question time seriously yet they are supposed to be the implementers of government policy.
“We are here for oversight and we can do that by asking questions and this absence is the reason why we have many problems in parastatals.
“They are the ones who take care of shareholder statuses at parastatals and so they should attend to tell this House how these problems are coming up. Maybe they are not aware they are supposed to attend to answer questions,” she said.
