Speaker should appoint committee to deal with MDC hooligans - Kangai

THE newly elected Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lovemore Moyo has been urged to appoint a select committee to identify Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) legislators who heckled and booed President Robert Mugabe during the official opening of the First Session of the Seventh Parliament last Tuesday.

The Speaker's new task will bring him face-to-face with members of his own MDC-T party as he seeks to find out what transpired. He is expected to be a neutral element in conducting the business of Parliament. 
 

The select committee will be required to establish the causes of the “disgraceful and deplorable behavior” and “deal” with the culprits.

The Zanu PF secretary for external affairs, Kumbirai Kangai said such behaviour was deplorable and should be dealt with forthwith so that it does not set a bad precedence for the current session in the august House.

“Parliament is the Supreme law making body in the country and legislators should respect the House,” said Kangai adding that “a select committee should be appointed by the new Speaker to investigate what exactly transpired and deal with the culprits.”

MDC-T legislators in the backbenches chanted and sang in chamber, according to media reports last week interrupting President Mugabe’s address. This “deplorable” behaviour was conducted in front of diplomats and invited guests.

Addressing journalists in Harare today, Kangai said the only time parliament experienced a similar incident was when another MDC-T legislator and exiled treasurer-general Roy Bennet assaulted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in chamber.

He said Bennet was then investigated and found guilty and served a jail sentence.

Kangai, who was deputy speaker in the last session, also expressed hope that the MDC-T legislators will also be investigated in terms of the law and brought to book as was done with Bennet and urged the leadership of the MDC-T party to apologize to President Mugabe.

It was reported last week MDC-T legislators, Tongai Mathuthu and Zwizwai Murisi,.led a section in parliament that heckled President Mugabe. They are now likely to be investigated if the Speaker appoints a select committee to lead the investigation. The behaviour during the President’s address was a continuation of the behaviour they also demonstrated during the swearing-in ceremony, a day earlier, where they heckled, shouted and swore at Zanu PF MPs.

MDC front-benchers have been criticized for remaining mum on the behaviour of their newly-elected MPs, and that was viewed as acceptance of their behaviour. The Speaker, who is from the MDC-T party, and is expected to be impartial in conducting affairs in the house, was also criticized by critics for failing to call the legislators to “Order”.

Patrick Chinamasa, who is a former leader of the House of Assembly, said the behaviour was a disgrace and said the MDC-T leadership acted irresponsibly by failing to reprimand their newly elected legislators.

“I am not surprised. They have no respect for national events and institutions,” he said.

President Mugabe later criticized the behaviour of legislators at  luncheon he hosted after the opening of Parliament..

Describing the behaviour as “"barbaric and nonsensical" he said the opposition MDC disrespected a Speaker they had elected.

“They should have honoured their Speaker. Let’s hope what we saw today would not be repeated in future. Let’s poise ourselves for hard work. Forget the nonsense and barbarism that we saw this morning. That is what they do in their world.”

On Thursday ruling party members gathered at the Zanu PF headquarters in protest against the “rowdy behaviour” of the MPs.

The demonstrators called on President Mugabe to suspend Parliament until MDC-T MPs pledge to take business in the House seriously.

Meanwhile, Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma said all legislators will be required to take induction courses before Parliament resumes on October 2.

All Members of the House of Assembly and all Senators will be required to attend the induction.