MDC-T petitions Mudenda on death threats

THE MDC-T has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda to take the necessary protective measures and to make a police report on behalf of the opposition party's seven members of the National Assembly who claim to have received death threats on their mobile phones.

Innocent Gonese (Mutare Central), Amos Chibaya (Mkoba), Prosper Mutseyami (Musikavanhu), James Maridadi (Mabvuku-Tafara), Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North), Jessie Majome (Harare West) and Nelson Chamisa (Kuwadzana East), claim they were threatened on their cellphones.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, the opposition party's spokesperson Obert Gutu said if Adv Mudenda failed to take action, the party would chip in. "The MDC has since written a letter to the Speaker of Parliament expressing our reservations regarding the death threats that were issued to our Members of Parliament. Because our Members of Parliament are now living in fear, they are finding it very extremely difficult to remain in Parliament during the official opening of the third session of the 8th Parliament of Zimbabwe.

"We demand that the Speaker of Parliament should provide our MPs with an unconditional written guarantee to the effect that they shall not be harmed whilst they are exercising their duties whether inside or outside Parliament," he said.

Gutu added that the Speaker must make a police report on behalf of the seven. "The members enjoy certain privileges as MPs and the Speaker must make a police report on behalf of the seven and if he fails to do so, we will do it ourselves.

"We can even approach the Constitutional Court for recourse because our law allows it," he said.

Gutu said Adv Mudenda should issue a statement condemning the threatening of parliamentarians.

"These death threats are a chilling reminder of the deteriorating security situation in the country and we call upon the Speaker of Parliament to issue a statement strongly condemning the death threats.

"Members of Parliament are honourable citizens of the country who should not be subjected to any form of unlawful pressure and/or intimidation in the exercise of their constitutional mandate," said Gutu.

The MDC-T said they were unhappy with President Robert Mugabe's State of the Nation Address because he did not mention the issue of the missing freelance journalist Itai Dzamara. "We note, with extreme regret, that the human rights defender, Itai Dzamara, has been missing for more than six months after he was allegedly abducted by suspected State security agents. However, President Mugabe did not make any reference to Itai Dzamara's abduction in his State of the Nation Address?" said Gutu.