MDC-T MPs yesterday lost their battle to force the rejection of a non-adverse report on the controversial Local Government Bill which was presented in the National Assembly by the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC).
by XOLISANI NCUBE
Innocent Gonese, the opposition chief whip, together with Nelson Chamisa (Kuwadzana East), Jessie Majome (Harare West) and Elias Mudzuri (Warren Park), led the fight to block the non-adverse report from being adopted, saying it did not have the input of other members who were away.
But they were outnumbered after a vote was conducted in the House.
Gonese yesterday rose to challenge the report on a point of privileges as he alleged that the convening of the meeting which adjudged the Bill as non-adverse — effectively declaring the contested law as constitutional — was done improperly so as to pass “an illegal law”.
The PLC comprises Jonathan Samukange (chairman), Fortune Chasi, Ziyambi Ziyambi (all Zanu PF), Gonese and Majome.
“I was informed that a purported meeting of the PLC had taken place, and the chairman indicated they had already agreed on a non-adverse report on the Bill,” Gonese said told the House.
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But Zanu PF had Ziyambi and Chasi defending the move as well as Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda, who stated that the PLC had followed the law in coming up with the report, which gave a clean constitutional bill to the proposed law.
After a heated debate, Mudenda ordered that the House be divided and MPs vote.
The opposition, with less than 50 MPs in total, lost by over 90 votes after they managed to garner 46 against 134 recorded by Zanu PF.
After the victory, Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere moved to propose that MPs fast-track the passage of the law.
But his move was met with resistance from MDC-T MPs who said they wanted time to study it and subject it to all parliamentary procedures so that it is not challenged at the courts. Kasukuwere moved that all parliamentary processes be suspended in relation to the Bill as he sought to have it passed as a matter of urgency while the opposition said it was illegal for the minister to do so.
Meanwhile, President Robert Mugabe has summoned back the Senate to deal with the Bill.
