KUWADZANA East MP Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T) yesterday successfully moved a motion on a matter of public importance over the disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara last year, saying government should chip in with social support for the democracy activist’s wife and children.
BY VENERANDA LANGA
However, the issue failed to be debated due to lack of quorum as most Zanu PF legislators had left.
Chamisa’s motion calls upon government to bring to finality and closure investigations into the disappearance of Dzamara 12 months ago.
He also wants government to give assurance to all citizens that they have a right to demonstrate as enshrined in the Constitution, as well as for government to ensure all perpetrators of politically-motivated violence are prosecuted and the victims compensated.
Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda agreed that the issue be debated, but he set the time for resumption of the Dzamara debate at 5:30pm. However, at 5pm when MPs had exhausted debate on some other motions in the Order Paper, Buhera West MP Oliver Mandipaka (Zanu PF) raised a point of order, saying there was no quorum in the House and, therefore, the House must adjourn at a time Chamisa was readying to introduce the motion. Bells were rung for five minutes to alert MPs still around Parliament Building to come back, but there were only 67 legislators in the House. The quorum to allow for debate is 70 MPs.
Acting Speaker Reuben Marumahoko then pronounced the House adjourned due to lack of a quorum, but Chamisa said it was now automatic that the House would discuss the motion today.
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“I want to bring your attention to a very important point and say that this is the first time in the history of Parliament that we are going to come to debate on Friday (today) morning for lack of quorum,” he said amid shouting from Zanu PF MPs that they would not attend the sitting. The National Assembly will resume sitting today to debate the motion on Dzamara, but it is highly unlikely that there will be a quorum given MDC-T MPs are now less than 70.
