News / National
CCC MP thrown out of National Assembly
16 Jun 2026 at 16:14hrs |
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CCC legislator for Marondera Central, Caston Matewu, was on Tuesday ejected from the National Assembly after a heated exchange during debate on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (No. 3).
The incident occurred during the ongoing Second Reading debate on the controversial Bill, which has attracted contributions from more than 110 legislators and remains one of the most extensively debated pieces of legislation in recent parliamentary history.
Matewu was ordered out of the House by Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi after he allegedly refused to take his seat when his allocated debating time expired.
Witnesses said the opposition legislator continued protesting after being instructed to conclude his contribution, resulting in disorder in the chamber.
The situation escalated to the point where fellow legislators from the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) intervened and restrained him before he eventually left the House.
The ejection briefly disrupted proceedings as lawmakers continued debating the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which is expected to conclude the Second Reading stage before moving to the Committee Stage.
Under parliamentary procedures, members are required to adhere to time limits allocated for debate and comply with rulings made by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. Failure to do so can result in a member being ordered to withdraw from the chamber.
The incident comes at a time when debate around Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has intensified, with legislators from both the ruling party and opposition expressing differing views on various provisions contained in the proposed legislation.
Parliament is expected to continue deliberations on the Bill before the responsible minister delivers his response to issues raised by legislators, paving the way for clause-by-clause consideration during the Committee Stage.
Once the Committee Stage is completed, the Bill will proceed to its Third Reading before being transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
The incident occurred during the ongoing Second Reading debate on the controversial Bill, which has attracted contributions from more than 110 legislators and remains one of the most extensively debated pieces of legislation in recent parliamentary history.
Matewu was ordered out of the House by Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi after he allegedly refused to take his seat when his allocated debating time expired.
Witnesses said the opposition legislator continued protesting after being instructed to conclude his contribution, resulting in disorder in the chamber.
The situation escalated to the point where fellow legislators from the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) intervened and restrained him before he eventually left the House.
Under parliamentary procedures, members are required to adhere to time limits allocated for debate and comply with rulings made by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. Failure to do so can result in a member being ordered to withdraw from the chamber.
The incident comes at a time when debate around Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has intensified, with legislators from both the ruling party and opposition expressing differing views on various provisions contained in the proposed legislation.
Parliament is expected to continue deliberations on the Bill before the responsible minister delivers his response to issues raised by legislators, paving the way for clause-by-clause consideration during the Committee Stage.
Once the Committee Stage is completed, the Bill will proceed to its Third Reading before being transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
Source - Byo24News
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