MDC-T fear forced parliament to suspend broadcast of Mugabe speech

Zimbabwe's parliament suspended television and radio broadcasting of a speech by President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday after opposition parties threatened to disrupt the event.

Opposition groups booed and heckled Mugabe about the deteriorating economy in August during his state of the nation address in parliament.

State media reported that MDC-T was warned about its plans to disrupt President Mugabe's address during the opening of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament.

The media said the, 'plan will not go unpunished as Parliament has the requisite remedies in Standing Rules and Orders that empower the Speaker to punish disruptive elements.'

The main opposition party is reported to have held a caucus yesterday where it resolved to heckle and drown out the President's speech, which ironically sets the legislative agenda for the next 12 months.

Sources close to developments said MDC-T chief whip Innocent Gonese asked his colleagues what they planned to do during the official opening of Parliament today, and in the ensuing discussion, a decision was made that MDC-T legislators should be unruly and even more disruptive than they were during the State of the Nation Address delivered by President Mugabe on August 25.

MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe then told the parliamentary caucus that they had to be more disruptive than they were during the State of the Nation Address.