News / National
Chamisa's MPs refuse to disengage
13 Oct 2023 at 01:20hrs | Views
The CCC demonstrated hypocrisy and double standards in Harare as its party legislators attended a meeting of Parliament's Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (SROC), just one day after their leader, Mr. Nelson Chamisa, declared their disengagement from all Government and local authority programs.
Mr. Chamisa had announced that their disengagement was in protest against the recall of 15 of their Parliamentarians by a rival faction within CCC led by interim secretary-general Mr. Sengezo Tshabangu. He stated that no business would be conducted until they addressed the recall of their MPs with the Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda.
However, within 24 hours of this announcement, CCC legislators, led by their Chief Whip, Mr. Amos Chibaya, were present at Parliament to attend the SROC meeting. Senators Jameson Timba, Sesel Zvidzai, and Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa also attended.
The Senators requested that Parliament officials recognize that the Speaker's ruling on the suspension of some rowdy CCC Members in the National Assembly did not apply to them as they belonged to the Senate. They referred to the chaos that had occurred in the National Assembly earlier when CCC legislators disrupted parliamentary business.
After their request, they were permitted to attend the meeting, which lasted three hours.
Advocate Mudenda clarified that the SROC meeting was held to establish National Assembly portfolio committees and Senate thematic committees, as well as to set up regional and international committees for representation in organizations such as the Pan African Parliament (PAP), Sadc Parliamentary Forum, International Parliamentary Union, and the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, among others.
He also noted that CCC legislators would be allowed to attend committee meetings but would be precluded from attending Parliament sittings in accordance with his ruling to suspend them for six sittings.
The SROC is the supreme decision-making body of Parliament, responsible for making key decisions, overseeing Parliament's administration, and formulating Standing Orders.
Political analysts have characterized the CCC's actions as hypocritical and inconsistent.
Mr. Chamisa had announced that their disengagement was in protest against the recall of 15 of their Parliamentarians by a rival faction within CCC led by interim secretary-general Mr. Sengezo Tshabangu. He stated that no business would be conducted until they addressed the recall of their MPs with the Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda.
However, within 24 hours of this announcement, CCC legislators, led by their Chief Whip, Mr. Amos Chibaya, were present at Parliament to attend the SROC meeting. Senators Jameson Timba, Sesel Zvidzai, and Nonhlanhla Mlotshwa also attended.
The Senators requested that Parliament officials recognize that the Speaker's ruling on the suspension of some rowdy CCC Members in the National Assembly did not apply to them as they belonged to the Senate. They referred to the chaos that had occurred in the National Assembly earlier when CCC legislators disrupted parliamentary business.
After their request, they were permitted to attend the meeting, which lasted three hours.
Advocate Mudenda clarified that the SROC meeting was held to establish National Assembly portfolio committees and Senate thematic committees, as well as to set up regional and international committees for representation in organizations such as the Pan African Parliament (PAP), Sadc Parliamentary Forum, International Parliamentary Union, and the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, among others.
He also noted that CCC legislators would be allowed to attend committee meetings but would be precluded from attending Parliament sittings in accordance with his ruling to suspend them for six sittings.
The SROC is the supreme decision-making body of Parliament, responsible for making key decisions, overseeing Parliament's administration, and formulating Standing Orders.
Political analysts have characterized the CCC's actions as hypocritical and inconsistent.
Source - The Chronicle
