PARTY primary elections have come and gone. While some losing candidates are finding it hard to accept defeat, others like outgoing Highfield West MP Simon Hove (MDC-T) have admitted the good times are over. Hove, who used to sit in the Public Accounts Parliamentary Portfolio Committee and holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree among other achievements, said he has decided to seek employment and stay out of public life.
Below are excerpts of an interview the former MP had last week in the capital with NewsDay Senior Parliamentary Reporter Veneranda Langa (ND).
ND: You lost MDC-T primary elections to Moses Manyengavana, what are your comments about the manner in which your party handled the elections?
SH: I really would not like to air my complaints through the media. I have raised issues with regards to MDC-T primary elections with the party.
ND: What are your feelings towards the winner?
SH: I wish the winner well because my loss does not preclude me from participating in politics. It is just a phase and I will remain active in the MDC-T.
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ND: How do you intend to remain active in the party? SH: The MDC-T, as a party, is a project whose agenda still needs to be fulfilled. I see myself playing a role in capacity building within the party until we win the elections.
ND: Do you see yourself contesting for a parliamentary seat again after five years?
SH: Unfortunately, coming back to Parliament is a decision which resides with the people of Highfield West. It is not my choice. If it turns out that five years down the line they want me as MP, then who am I to turn down their wishes down.
I am an obedient servant of the people. My only hope is that Parliament then would be a different set up, with improved conditions of service for MPs as compared to what I went through during the past five years.
ND: What was wrong with the conditions of service?
SH: The conditions were tough. We are owed a lot of money in allowances and fuel coupons. Personally, I am owed $22 000 in sitting allowances. In terms of debates in the House, we were often told we were operating in a Government of National Unity with issues being negotiated and the result was that this toned down the manner in which we debated important issues as well as the reform agenda.
In the constituencies, people did not fully understand the role of an MP as they thought a legislator should have a solution to every problem. As an MP who was residing in the constituency my duties were dominated by providing financial assistance to people with problems.
ND: What would you say were your achievements during your tenure as legislator?
SH: The major achievement was sprucing up of roads at Gazaland shopping area. There was re-tarring of those roads. I paid school fees for a number of students, some of whom have graduated. I am still paying fees for a girl who had the highest “O” level passes at Kwayedza High School. ND: To what extent did you contribute to debate on motions and Bills in the House of Assembly?
SH: I was a very active member of the Public Accounts Committee and contributed immensely in the House to debate around the Zisco-Essar deal.
I also contributed to debate on who should qualify for hero status and whether heroism should be the preserve of the dead only. Although I contributed to other issues, those were particularly the most memorable contributions I made.
ND: As an experienced MP, what would you say are the qualities people should look for when electing their representatives to Parliament?
SH: Given the conditions our country is in, an MP needs to be someone who is knowledgeable in economics, law, finance and accounting — educationists and doctors. However, there is need to include a few people without serious intellectual background just to ensure issues affecting the common people are also captured in Parliament, as most educated people like discussing issues that usually affect the elite.
ND: What were the most memorable events during your tenure as MP?
SH: I will never forget the drama leading to the ousting of the then Speaker Lovemore Moyo.
We had to campaign for his re-election.
The other memorable event was when I represented the Public Accounts Committee at an international conference in Durban, South Africa. I acquitted myself well during the discussions with the SA Public Accounts Committee and they ended up paying for my stay as appreciation for my contributions.
ND: What is your advice to other losing candidates in primary elections and those that might lose during the national elections?
SH: They should not lose hope because losing elections is not the end of the chapter in politics. They should look beyond being a counsellor or MP. I had a better life before I was an MP as a finance manager before I quit the job in 2009 as my duties as a legislator were demanding.
ND: What are your plans now?
SH: I will venture into business as I have the expertise or look for a finance job since I have the requisite qualifications.