Diplomatic passports not a right, says Mnangagwa

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has told members of parliament that having diplomatic passports is not a right, but a privilege.

The leader of government business in the house made the clarification to parliamentarians who were arguing that they must be given the documents.

In response to Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba that legislators deserve diplomatic passports, Vice President Mnangagwa told the house that after a number of pleas the executive agreed to giving the documents to portfolio committee chairpersons.

Vice President Mnangagwa, however, reminded the legislators that the passport itself is not a right but a privilege.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has also told legislators of an on-going audit which will ensure Ministers who are yet to respond to questions put to them either in the house or portfolio committees are called to the house.

On a number of occasions the Speaker has had to read the riot act that according to parliament's standing rules and orders and the constitution of the land, Ministers are obliged to attend the weekly questions without notice session.