News / National
Mugabe should be wheeled to podiums in wheelchair - MP
12 Oct 2017 at 07:11hrs | Views
SOUTHERTON MP Gift Chimanikire (MDC-T) on Tuesday said President Robert Mugabe's bodyguards must not let the veteran leader walk to podiums at international conferences, but, instead, should cart him in a wheelchair.
Chimanikire was contributing to debate in the National Assembly on a motion in reply to the Presidential speech.
He said Mugabe's bodyguards were embarrassing the veteran leader by letting him struggle to walk to podiums.
"We saw a video where the President was shown struggling to walk to the podium at a United Nations conference, but I observed that Presidents from other countries are wheeled to the podium," he alleged.
"Why did our President's bodyguards allow him to be embarrassed and left him to walk to the podium instead of being wheeled?"
Chimanikire said while Mugabe announced that a Child Justice Bill would be brought before Parliament for crafting, his wife, Grace, was allegedly acting the opposite following reports that she assaulted a young South African model, Gabriella Engels, in August.
Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda stopped him from further discussing the issue, saying the matter was sub judice.
Chimanikire continued: "The President said amendments to the labour laws will be brought before Parliament, but we see in Mazowe that there is State capture in the manner of expulsion of farm workers and miners at Manzou Farm. Mazowe Dam is also under State capture yet it was built before the First Lady was born."
Another opposition MDC-T MP, Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North), also blasted high government spending, saying Mugabe should curb his international trips.
But, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mabel Chinomona said Mugabe was being invited to those conferences.
"Unfortunately, the people of Binga do not see the invitation, and the people of Binga are aware that some Presidents of other countries send their ministers to attend on their behalf," Sibanda retorted.
"When a minister is sent, he does not go with a big delegation and expenditure is cut. Why take Bona Chikore and her husband Simba to travel to a conference when they are not government officials? We only need relevant representatives to travel to a conference, not relatives. The President needs to be sensitive to the problems in the country."
Chimanikire was contributing to debate in the National Assembly on a motion in reply to the Presidential speech.
He said Mugabe's bodyguards were embarrassing the veteran leader by letting him struggle to walk to podiums.
"We saw a video where the President was shown struggling to walk to the podium at a United Nations conference, but I observed that Presidents from other countries are wheeled to the podium," he alleged.
"Why did our President's bodyguards allow him to be embarrassed and left him to walk to the podium instead of being wheeled?"
Chimanikire said while Mugabe announced that a Child Justice Bill would be brought before Parliament for crafting, his wife, Grace, was allegedly acting the opposite following reports that she assaulted a young South African model, Gabriella Engels, in August.
Chimanikire continued: "The President said amendments to the labour laws will be brought before Parliament, but we see in Mazowe that there is State capture in the manner of expulsion of farm workers and miners at Manzou Farm. Mazowe Dam is also under State capture yet it was built before the First Lady was born."
Another opposition MDC-T MP, Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North), also blasted high government spending, saying Mugabe should curb his international trips.
But, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mabel Chinomona said Mugabe was being invited to those conferences.
"Unfortunately, the people of Binga do not see the invitation, and the people of Binga are aware that some Presidents of other countries send their ministers to attend on their behalf," Sibanda retorted.
"When a minister is sent, he does not go with a big delegation and expenditure is cut. Why take Bona Chikore and her husband Simba to travel to a conference when they are not government officials? We only need relevant representatives to travel to a conference, not relatives. The President needs to be sensitive to the problems in the country."
Source - NewsDay
