Tsvangirai MPs' recall proves costly

MDC-T continues to count losses over its decision to recall 21 Members of Parliament after it recently lost the right to chair the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio committee.

Parliament's Committee on Standing Rules and Orders chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda recently announced that Zvimba West MP Ziyambi Ziyambi (Zanu-PF) was now chairperson of that committee, taking over from Harare West MP, Ms Jessie Majome (MDC-T.)

The removal of Ms Majome as chairperson is consistent with the requirement for proportionate representation regarding the way committees are distributed among political parties. "I have to inform  the House that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders has appointed Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi as chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs." said Adv Mudenda. "The appointment is with immediate effect."

MDC-T chief whip Mr Innocent Gonese yesterday alleged the decision was politically motivated. "This was clearly a political decision where she was targeted for removal," he said. "The reduction in the members of MDC-T happened in 2015 and no move was made to reduce the number of committees chaired by the MDC-T, yet when the issue arose in late 2016, Zanu-PF insisted that the Justice Committee could no longer be chaired by us and yet at the beginning there was discussion and consensus.

"Further, we were prepared to surrender another committee, but this was rejected and it was evident that a decision had already been made that she could not be allowed to continue."

But Adv Mudenda dismissed the assertions, saying Ms Majome and her party knew very well the circumstances surrounding the removal.

"Ask her, she knows the reason. I cannot comment on that because they know the reason," said Adv Mudenda, referring to both Ms Majome and the MDC-T.

The opposition party is also set to get less amount of money from Government under the Political Parties Finance Act this year over its decision to fire legislators, as the money is proportionately shared in accordance with the number of legislators a political party has in Parliament.

Zanu-PF and MDC-T are set to share $6 million from the fiscus.