News / National
Parly to rule over Minister Obert Mpofu
02 Mar 2018 at 06:02hrs | Views
PARLIAMENT will make a resolution on the Minister of Home Affairs and Culture, Dr Obert Mpofu's refusal to answer questions on the missing $15 billion from diamond revenues before a Parliamentary Committee.
Dr Mpofu, who is the former Minister of Mines and Mining Development, refused to answer questions about the alleged missing diamond revenues before Parliament on Thursday last week.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, the Minister declined to answer any questions on the matter as long as committee chairperson Mr Temba Mliswa was presiding.
Dr Mpofu alleged that Mr Mliswa had a conflict of interest in the matter as he had visited his home and previously attacked him in public.
Mr Mliswa said he visited the Minister when he was still Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson to discuss party issues that had nothing to do with parliament business.
He also queried why the Minister had not written to Parliament for him to recuse himself as required by the Legislative Assembly's rules.
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday said he was looking into the matter and waiting for a report from the responsible committee.
"We're still looking into the matter in terms of the provisions of the standing rules and orders as well as the provisions of the national constitution.
"We're also waiting for a report from the committee. After that we'll then be able to map the way forward," said Adv Mudenda.
Dr Mpofu also insisted before Parliament that he could not talk about his tenure as the Minister of Mines as he had moved to another portfolio.
He also told Parliament that he had not been formally invited to appear before the portfolio committee and said that he only found out about it after reading the newspapers.
Dr Mpofu, who is the former Minister of Mines and Mining Development, refused to answer questions about the alleged missing diamond revenues before Parliament on Thursday last week.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, the Minister declined to answer any questions on the matter as long as committee chairperson Mr Temba Mliswa was presiding.
Dr Mpofu alleged that Mr Mliswa had a conflict of interest in the matter as he had visited his home and previously attacked him in public.
Mr Mliswa said he visited the Minister when he was still Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson to discuss party issues that had nothing to do with parliament business.
He also queried why the Minister had not written to Parliament for him to recuse himself as required by the Legislative Assembly's rules.
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday said he was looking into the matter and waiting for a report from the responsible committee.
"We're still looking into the matter in terms of the provisions of the standing rules and orders as well as the provisions of the national constitution.
"We're also waiting for a report from the committee. After that we'll then be able to map the way forward," said Adv Mudenda.
Dr Mpofu also insisted before Parliament that he could not talk about his tenure as the Minister of Mines as he had moved to another portfolio.
He also told Parliament that he had not been formally invited to appear before the portfolio committee and said that he only found out about it after reading the newspapers.
Source - chronicle
