Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo has appointed a five-member Parliamentary Priviledges Committee to investigate Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM) administrator, Afaras Gwaradzimba, with a view to charge him for contempt of Parliament.
The committee will comprise Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Jessie Majome, Mazowe Central MP and chairman of the Parliamentary Legal Committee Shepherd Mushonga, Gwanda Central MP Patrick Dube and Chivi Central MP, Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana who will be the chairman.
Gwaradzimba is being charged with allegedly undermining the authority of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy chaired by Guruve South MP, Edward Chindori-Chininga while the latter was investigating the demise of former asbestos giant mines, SMM.
Last month, Moyo ruled Gwaradzimba’s recent Press statements could reasonably be deemed to demean the proceedings and character of the Mines and Energy Committee.
In the damning report that the Mines and Energy Committee submitted to Parliament, it revealed that during gatherings of oral evidence, Gwaradzimba had been evasive and even demeaned their investigation efforts by making negative media comments.
“Examples of such utterances are that the MPs involved in the investigation of the matter are not honourable, that they worked for (disputed former SMM owner Mutumwa) Mawere, that they were alarmists with special interests in SMM Holdings and that they were shouting at Gwaradzimba.
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These utterances establish a prima facie case of contempt of Parliament,” said Moyo.