News / National
All set for swearing in of new cabinet
03 Sep 2013 at 02:14hrs | Views
ALL is set for the swearing-in of Members of the Eighth Parliament today after they successfully went through an orientation programme at Parliament Building yesterday.The swearing-in ceremony would immediately be followed by the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly and a deputy and Senate president and the deputy.
Most legislators went through an orientation exercise yesterday where they were shown a display of several departments that Parliament has and their functions.
Zanu-PF intends to retain outgoing Senate president Edna Madzongwe and seconded Jacob Mudenda for Speaker.
Mabel Chinomona is set to become the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, while Chen Chimutengwende is earmarked for Deputy President of Senate.
With Zanu-PF enjoying majorities in both houses, its nominees are set to sail through because the MDCs do not have the numbers to block anything in the Eighth Parliament.
Zanu-PF clinched 160 seats out of the 210 National Assembly constituencies to get a crushing 76 percent dominance.
After factoring in 60 women's quota seats elected by proportional representation of six for each of the 10 provinces, the final composition of the National Assembly comes to 197 seats for Zanu-PF, 70 for MDC-T, two for MDC, and one independent, giving Zanu-PF just under 73 percent of the total seats in the National Assembly but well over the two thirds majority of 180 seats.
In Senate, Zanu-PF landed 37 seats to the MDC-T's 21, with the MDC coming in with two.
Zanu-PF legislators-elect, who were attending their caucus at the party headquarters, joined their MDC colleagues later in the day for the orientation.
Also present for the orientation were Mudzi South MP, Mr Jonathan Samukange (independent) and Bikita East MP Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, who stood on a Zanu-PF ticket despite being disowned by the party.
Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma said they were ready for the swearing-in ceremony.
"Today's proceedings was a display of services that the administration of Parliament provides to MPs in our bicameral set up, quite a number of them are new," he said in an interview.
Mr Zvoma said the legislators were in three categories, returning MPs, newly-elected ones and those who were legislators at one time, but had been out of the system for some time.
He said all the legislators would be sworn-in before the election of presiding officers who would be sworn-in by the Chief Justice.
Mr Zvoma said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would be present during the election of presiding officers, should there be more than one candidate nominated.
ZEC officials, led by Deputy Chief Elections Officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana, were at Parliament yesterday to deliver election material.
Various legislators spoken to said they were ready to make contributions in the forthcoming First Session of the Eighth Parliament.
"We will push for legislation that is developmental in our country and how to turn around the economy," said Mbare National Assembly member-elect Tendai Savanhu (Zanu-PF).
Miriam Chikukwa (Zanu-PF) who went into the National Assembly through the women's quota said she would push for the upliftment of the poor.
"I will be supporting women and children, especially the disadvantaged," she said. "I want to support orphans and those affected by the AIDS pandemic."
Mudzi South MP Jonathan Samkange (Independent) said he would push for the repeal of legislation that criminalises security chiefs from being involved in politics.
He said it was wrong to criminalise army generals and other security chiefs for involvement in politics given their revolutionary background.
"It is not time to criminalise security chiefs for talking and promoting politics because you must remember that most of them leading these institutions are ex-combatants and because of that they are politicians, that is why they went to fight for their country," said Mr Samukange.
He said he would support Zanu-PF when voting in Parliament because he subscribed to the party principles.
"I am a de jure (legally) independent candidate but de facto (in practice) Zanu-PF," he said.
Mabvuku-Tafara MP Mr James Maridadi (MDC-T) said he expected robust debates with less heckling.
"We do not want to rubber stamp issues, they must be looked at objectively," he said.
Most legislators went through an orientation exercise yesterday where they were shown a display of several departments that Parliament has and their functions.
Zanu-PF intends to retain outgoing Senate president Edna Madzongwe and seconded Jacob Mudenda for Speaker.
Mabel Chinomona is set to become the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, while Chen Chimutengwende is earmarked for Deputy President of Senate.
With Zanu-PF enjoying majorities in both houses, its nominees are set to sail through because the MDCs do not have the numbers to block anything in the Eighth Parliament.
Zanu-PF clinched 160 seats out of the 210 National Assembly constituencies to get a crushing 76 percent dominance.
After factoring in 60 women's quota seats elected by proportional representation of six for each of the 10 provinces, the final composition of the National Assembly comes to 197 seats for Zanu-PF, 70 for MDC-T, two for MDC, and one independent, giving Zanu-PF just under 73 percent of the total seats in the National Assembly but well over the two thirds majority of 180 seats.
In Senate, Zanu-PF landed 37 seats to the MDC-T's 21, with the MDC coming in with two.
Zanu-PF legislators-elect, who were attending their caucus at the party headquarters, joined their MDC colleagues later in the day for the orientation.
Also present for the orientation were Mudzi South MP, Mr Jonathan Samukange (independent) and Bikita East MP Dr Munyaradzi Kereke, who stood on a Zanu-PF ticket despite being disowned by the party.
Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma said they were ready for the swearing-in ceremony.
"Today's proceedings was a display of services that the administration of Parliament provides to MPs in our bicameral set up, quite a number of them are new," he said in an interview.
Mr Zvoma said the legislators were in three categories, returning MPs, newly-elected ones and those who were legislators at one time, but had been out of the system for some time.
Mr Zvoma said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would be present during the election of presiding officers, should there be more than one candidate nominated.
ZEC officials, led by Deputy Chief Elections Officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana, were at Parliament yesterday to deliver election material.
Various legislators spoken to said they were ready to make contributions in the forthcoming First Session of the Eighth Parliament.
"We will push for legislation that is developmental in our country and how to turn around the economy," said Mbare National Assembly member-elect Tendai Savanhu (Zanu-PF).
Miriam Chikukwa (Zanu-PF) who went into the National Assembly through the women's quota said she would push for the upliftment of the poor.
"I will be supporting women and children, especially the disadvantaged," she said. "I want to support orphans and those affected by the AIDS pandemic."
Mudzi South MP Jonathan Samkange (Independent) said he would push for the repeal of legislation that criminalises security chiefs from being involved in politics.
He said it was wrong to criminalise army generals and other security chiefs for involvement in politics given their revolutionary background.
"It is not time to criminalise security chiefs for talking and promoting politics because you must remember that most of them leading these institutions are ex-combatants and because of that they are politicians, that is why they went to fight for their country," said Mr Samukange.
He said he would support Zanu-PF when voting in Parliament because he subscribed to the party principles.
"I am a de jure (legally) independent candidate but de facto (in practice) Zanu-PF," he said.
Mabvuku-Tafara MP Mr James Maridadi (MDC-T) said he expected robust debates with less heckling.
"We do not want to rubber stamp issues, they must be looked at objectively," he said.
Source - Herald
