News / National
Zimbabwe MPs in near fistfight
12 Feb 2019 at 02:48hrs | Views
TEMPERS flared in Parliament yesterday during the sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy when Norton MP Temba Mliswa accused former Transport Committee chairperson, Dexter Nduna, of illegitimately benefitting $11 million from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara).
Nduna claimed that he murdered people as he traded barbs with Mliswa.
"Don't call me a thief, I am saying this for the last time, don't call me a thief, I have people who I killed who I don't even know," he said.
Nduna threatened to deal with Mliswa outside Parliament, after the outspoken Norton legislator insisted that the former was a thief.
"There is a report implicating you on $11 million. Why should you chair that committee? You are a thief, you are a double thief, triple thief. I will just wait for you to attack, just touch me and in just 10 minutes you will have flown to the gallery and you won't even know how you landed there," Mliswa said.
Nduna led one of the most violent election campaigns in Chegutu during the 2008 and 2013 general elections, he was also accused of using violence as a campaign tactic.
He was arrested during the party primary elections after firing shots at his opponent and supporters last year.
Mliswa, also implicated the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda of corruptly appointing Nduna to replace Daniel Garwe (Zanu PF) as Transport Committee chair.
The fracas began when acting Mines minister Joram Gumbo and the ministry's top officials were about to give oral evidence on the recommendations made by the Eighth Parliament on the diamond and gold sector, as well as on Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.
Before Gumbo could open his mouth, Chiredzi North MP Royi Bhila (Zanu PF) raised a point of order with the acting chairperson of the Mines Committee Edmond Mkaratigwa (Zanu PF) demanding that Mliswa must not even sit in the committee after being implicated in the $400 000 Hwange Colliery Company bribe scandal, together with Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda (MDC Alliance), Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance) and Leonard Chikombo (Zanu PF).
But Mkaratigwa ruled that Mliswa had the right on remain in the committee. Mliswa hit back referring to Bhila as "dull", adding that he was hallucinating because he did not take his antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
"The MP is totally out of order, I am still an MP and it was of my own integrity and conscience to step aside as chair of the committee to allow for investigations. I am not expelled as MP, you (Bhilah) are a bad member of the Standing Rules and Orders Committee [SROC], and do not try to be a clown in front of people," Mliswa said.
"I don't know why Zanu PF put you in the SROC because you are very silly and are exposing your party," he said.
Gumbo and the other witnesses were excused after Mkaratigwa failed to control the meeting which was later aborted.
Mliswa later told journalists that Parliament risked losing its credibility over its handling of business.
Nduna claimed that he murdered people as he traded barbs with Mliswa.
"Don't call me a thief, I am saying this for the last time, don't call me a thief, I have people who I killed who I don't even know," he said.
Nduna threatened to deal with Mliswa outside Parliament, after the outspoken Norton legislator insisted that the former was a thief.
"There is a report implicating you on $11 million. Why should you chair that committee? You are a thief, you are a double thief, triple thief. I will just wait for you to attack, just touch me and in just 10 minutes you will have flown to the gallery and you won't even know how you landed there," Mliswa said.
Nduna led one of the most violent election campaigns in Chegutu during the 2008 and 2013 general elections, he was also accused of using violence as a campaign tactic.
He was arrested during the party primary elections after firing shots at his opponent and supporters last year.
Mliswa, also implicated the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda of corruptly appointing Nduna to replace Daniel Garwe (Zanu PF) as Transport Committee chair.
The fracas began when acting Mines minister Joram Gumbo and the ministry's top officials were about to give oral evidence on the recommendations made by the Eighth Parliament on the diamond and gold sector, as well as on Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.
Before Gumbo could open his mouth, Chiredzi North MP Royi Bhila (Zanu PF) raised a point of order with the acting chairperson of the Mines Committee Edmond Mkaratigwa (Zanu PF) demanding that Mliswa must not even sit in the committee after being implicated in the $400 000 Hwange Colliery Company bribe scandal, together with Binga North MP Prince Dubeko Sibanda (MDC Alliance), Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance) and Leonard Chikombo (Zanu PF).
But Mkaratigwa ruled that Mliswa had the right on remain in the committee. Mliswa hit back referring to Bhila as "dull", adding that he was hallucinating because he did not take his antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
"The MP is totally out of order, I am still an MP and it was of my own integrity and conscience to step aside as chair of the committee to allow for investigations. I am not expelled as MP, you (Bhilah) are a bad member of the Standing Rules and Orders Committee [SROC], and do not try to be a clown in front of people," Mliswa said.
"I don't know why Zanu PF put you in the SROC because you are very silly and are exposing your party," he said.
Gumbo and the other witnesses were excused after Mkaratigwa failed to control the meeting which was later aborted.
Mliswa later told journalists that Parliament risked losing its credibility over its handling of business.
Source - newsday
