Kaukonde dropped from Portfolio Committee, Mujuru to be consulted

Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda yesterday said former Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa and three others fired from government last year were not assigned to any Portfolio Committee during a reshuffle on Thursday to allow consultations on the committees they would prefer to serve in.

The Standing Rules and Orders Committee reshuffled membership of Portfolio Committees and dropped Marondera Central legislator Ray Kaukonde and Chipinge South representative Enock Porusingazi as chairpersons of the National Assembly Portfolio Committees of Industry and Commerce and Foreign Affairs respectively, while other ministers fired from government were also assigned to various committees.

However, Mutasa and former Minister in former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's office, Sylvester Nguni, former Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development Munacho Mutezo and former Justice, Parliamentary and Legal Affairs Deputy Minister Fortune Chasi, were not assigned to any committee during the reshuffle.

"We are yet to consult them to see where they'll be comfortable in serving. We need to consult them before we assign them to any committee," Mudenda said.

Announcing the changes on Thursday in the National Assembly Mudenda said Kaukonde would be replaced as chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce by Masvingo Central representative Edmore Mhere.

Porusingazi's post would be taken over by Epworth's representative Amos Midzi whose former post of chairman for the Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development was assigned to Chegutu West's representative Dexter Nduna.

Former Mashonaland East Minister of Provincial Affairs Minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa, will now be a member of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy and Media, Information and Broadcasting Services while former Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Webster Shamu, will be in the Portfolio Committee of Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services and Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment.

Former Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Petronella Kagonye, will be a member of the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Committees.

Former Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Francis Nhema, will be a member of Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Development and Foreign Affairs while former Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Tongai Muzenda, will be in the Portfolio Committees of Mines and Energy and Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

Former Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Paul Chimedza was assigned to the Portfolio Committees on Health and Child Care and Media, Information and Broadcasting Services.

In the Senate's Thematic Committees former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Olivia Muchena will be in the Indigenisation and Human Rights Committees, while former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Flora Buka will be in the Gender and Human Rights Committees.

Former Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire will be in the Indigenisation and Millennium Development Goals Thematic Committees.

Nduna pledged to assist government turn around the economy and performance of parastatals under his committee's purview.

"I'm humbled with the appointment and confidence the parliament leadership has shown in me and I hope the committee will work with government to ensure an improvement in infrastructure development and also the turnaround of underperforming parastatals like Air Zimbabwe and the National Railways of Zimbabwe," Nduna said.

Mhere echoed similar sentiments saying the performance of industry and commerce was of concern to him.

"At the moment, industrial production is not at the levels that we want, so it's my hope that together with government, the committee will come up with mechanisms that will result in the improvement of industry in line with our economic policy blueprint ZimAsset," Mhere said.