News / National
Presence of a white man, Zimbabwe parliament committee meeting abandoned
05 Jul 2011 at 12:33hrs | Views
Business of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development was yesterday abandoned after some MPs objected to the presence of an American diplomat at the meeting.
US embassy first secretary, Mr James Garry, wanted to attend yesterday's meeting where Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche, was expected to give oral evidence on the proposed ban on second hand vehicles and operational challenges at Air Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF legislators Edward Raradza (Muzarabani South) and Noel Mandebvu (Gutu West) threatened to walk out of the meeting if Mr Garry was allowed to attend.
"We cannot have this meeting with this white person . . . Anombodei ko murungu iyeyu (what does this white man want). We are not going to have this meeting if he doesn't leave or we will walk out," Raradza said.
MDC-T MP for Pumula, Mr Albert Mhlanga argued that the meeting was open to anyone irrespective of race.
The Zanu-PF MPs argued that they had been informed that some members of the committee wanted to grill and embarrass Minister Goche in the presence of Mr Garry to please him.
The committee is chaired by Kwekwe Central MP, Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T). Mr Chebundo then requested the media and Mr Garry to leave the room, while legislators deliberated on the matter.
This resulted in a delay of more than 30 minutes before Mr Chebundo invited Minister Goche and the media to announce the postponement of the meeting. He said the meeting was being postponed because the MPs were still deliberating over the presence of Mr Garry and the fact that Minister Goche had other commitments to attend to.
However, in an interview last night, Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma, said committees were guided by the standing orders, which provided that committee meetings were open to members of the public.
He said it would be proper for diplomats who intend to attend such meetings to inform Parliament.
In an interview after the aborted meeting, Mandebvu said they objected to Mr Garry's presence because he had been invited clandestinely.
US embassy first secretary, Mr James Garry, wanted to attend yesterday's meeting where Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche, was expected to give oral evidence on the proposed ban on second hand vehicles and operational challenges at Air Zimbabwe.
Zanu-PF legislators Edward Raradza (Muzarabani South) and Noel Mandebvu (Gutu West) threatened to walk out of the meeting if Mr Garry was allowed to attend.
"We cannot have this meeting with this white person . . . Anombodei ko murungu iyeyu (what does this white man want). We are not going to have this meeting if he doesn't leave or we will walk out," Raradza said.
MDC-T MP for Pumula, Mr Albert Mhlanga argued that the meeting was open to anyone irrespective of race.
The committee is chaired by Kwekwe Central MP, Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T). Mr Chebundo then requested the media and Mr Garry to leave the room, while legislators deliberated on the matter.
This resulted in a delay of more than 30 minutes before Mr Chebundo invited Minister Goche and the media to announce the postponement of the meeting. He said the meeting was being postponed because the MPs were still deliberating over the presence of Mr Garry and the fact that Minister Goche had other commitments to attend to.
However, in an interview last night, Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma, said committees were guided by the standing orders, which provided that committee meetings were open to members of the public.
He said it would be proper for diplomats who intend to attend such meetings to inform Parliament.
In an interview after the aborted meeting, Mandebvu said they objected to Mr Garry's presence because he had been invited clandestinely.
Source - Byo24Parliament
