'Govt should regulate the establishment of new political parties'

A Zanu-PF MP said government should regulate the establishment of new political parties, claiming this was affecting the county's economic performance.

Debating on the Presidential speech, Zhombe MP Daniel MacKenzie Ncube said the continued sprouting of political parties was affecting economic development and called for the enactment of a law to regulate the establishment of new political groups.

"We cannot be contesting for political power while we are ignoring economic fundamentals. It is my humble submission that, maybe, we need to regulate the mushrooming of political parties and concentrate on economic matters," he said this in the National Assembly on Tuesday, much to the amusement of opposition MPs and ululating by Zanu PF legislators.

Ncube said the government should introduce "punitive" measures on political actors who invited "punitive economic measures" against Zimbabwe.

"It should be treasonous to agitate for punitive economic measures against your country. Let us agree that those who are arraigned before the courts for calling for sanctions should be barred from participating in any elections."

"Let those who agitate for punitive economic measures against their country be arraigned before the courts and be barred from contesting in any elections until such a time that they redeem themselves," he said in a statement indirectly targeted at the MDCs.

Mackenzie-Ncube called for decisive action on land barons, some of whom he said were Members of Parliament.