MP forced to remove jacket with national flag colours again

MUTASA South legislator Trevor Saruwaka was yesterday forced to remove his jacket with colours resembling the national flag at the Parliamentary pre-budget seminar at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds in Bulawayo.

The MDC-T MP had earlier warned Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda that he would take legal action if he was to be ejected from the meeting because of his dressing.

Saruwaka's lawyers, Kadzere Hungwe and Mandevere Legal Practitioners, had written to Mudenda on November 1 indicating that the MP's choice of dressing was protected by the Constitution.

He also said he believes in the Rastafarian religion and the multi-coloured jacket in question was part of his beliefs.

"It is needless to say that our client sports a dreadlock hairstyle and he is of the Rastafarian religion. The jacket allegedly bearing the national flag colours is also synonymous with the Rastafarian religion and beliefs," read the letter.

"We are, therefore, of the view that the blocking of our client's access to Parliamentary proceedings on account of him wearing a jacket that purportedly bears the national flag colours constitutes an infringement of his right to freedom of conscience as set out in terms of Section 60 of the Constitution."

In his letter, Saruwaka further stated that his ejection from Parliament recently was not supported by law whatsoever and warned that if he was blocked or ejected again, he would institute legal proceedings to obtain the appropriate relief.

Saruwaka said interventions by other MDC-T MPs yielded nothing.

"Efforts to knock sense into their heads that they had no basis at law or anywhere else to deny me entry to the proceedings yielded nothing. It was like speaking to the walls. With sarcastic smiles on their faces, they remained steadfast to their resolution," he said.