BUHERA South MP Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) and his Binga North counterpart Prince Madubeko Sibanda (MDC-T) yesterday came close to trading blows in Parliament after they labelled each other as murderers and rapists. MOSES MATENGA
Efforts by Local Government committee chairperson Irene Zindi to cool flaring tampers failed as the two legislators continued to trade insults, denigrating each other in the august House.
Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and his team, who had been summoned to give oral evidence before the committee, ended up as spectators as the two fought, with an equally irate Zindi banging the table in a bid to restore sanity.
The drama started when Sibanda asked Chombo why he had seconded a land baron identified as Muchesa as one of the members who investigated illegal land sales in Chitungwiza.
While Sibanda was midway with his question, Chinotimba raised a point of order, alleging that his fellow MP was getting questions from members of the Press.
“A point of order, Madam Chair, we must not get papers from journalists like what he is doing,” Chinotimba said.
Zindi reminded Chinotimba that there were House rules to be followed and asked whether he had seen someone handing over the note to Sibanda.
“I have been writing notes all over and now that I decide to change papers, he thinks I am taking notes from someone. He should mind asking his own questions to the minister,” Sibanda shot back at Chinotimba.
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When it seemed the two had agreed to move forward, Kadoma MP Fani Phiri reignited the debate when he said: “It’s not in order to get questions from journalists. We need maturity here not this nonsense. We will not tolerate this nonsense.”
Chinotimba shouted at Sibanda saying he was a fool and a rapist who knew nothing.
“I don’t talk to rapists, you are a rapist,” Chinotimba said. The MDC-T MP, who has a pending court case, would have none of that and accused Chinotimba of being a murderer.
“Voetsek you old man. We are not afraid of your avenging spirits. You are a stupid old man,” Sibanda said.
Zindi later intervened and ordered the warring MPs to leave the committee room. “I am leaving, but I will not fight with that rapist. I am not lying, he is a rapist,” Chinotimba shouted as he followed Sibanda to the exit door.
Earlier on, MPs from across the political divide accused the Zanu PF government of abusing the electorate by encouraging them to build houses at undesignated sites only to turn around and demolish their structures after winning the elections.
The MPs told Chombo that the government was being insincere by demolishing houses for the poor while allowing illegal structures by the rich to stand.
“I am touched by the move to demolish the structures. I am a politician like you. Is it Godly, minister? These people built while you watched as Local Government minister. In most cases, a politician like you went there and said you are safe here and after elections or campaign period, there are demolitions,” Chinotimba said.
Zindi said the skirmishes currently underway in Ruwa between Goromonzi South MP Petronella Kagonye (Zanu PF) and more than 7 000 party members was a case in point.
“Is it because they are giving land to individual developers other than the local authorities dealing directly with the people? For example, the issue about MP Kagonye that we read about in the Press, whether it’s true or false. The people who campaigned for her to be in Parliament are the ones who are now fighting her,” Zindi said.
Gweru Central MP Sessel Zvidzai (MDC-T) accused government of “kicking the poor to death while protecting the rich” by demolishing their houses.
“How many houses are built on wetlands that you will destroy to protect frogs? I am aware the Chinese built a big mall near the [National Sports] stadium, which is on a wetland. There is the Mall of Zimbabwe that is coming up in Borrowdale; is it government policy that the weak are beaten to death and the rich are protected?” Zvidzai asked.
However, Chombo denied that his ministry had approved housing projects at undesignated sites and insisted that all illegal structures would face demolition.
“They were not allowed, they allocated themselves. If you were wrongly allocated, you can be compensated. In Chitungwiza, it is land barons who are identifying open spaces operating pseudo co-operatives,” Chombo said.
He said the Goromonzi issue was complicated. “There are lots of processes that go on. There were already co-operatives on it [the land], but it was not theirs. It’s why we are saying let’s now formalise that. What is the status of the piece of land? What land is available under the local authority?” he asked.
Zindi warned Chombo against interfering with the running of local authorities. But Chombo said it was his duty as parent minister to rein in councils when they went “off-side”.
