There was drama in Parliament yesterday after MDC-T legislator, Ms Memory Mbondiya slapped outspoken Norton legislator, Mr Temba Mliswa forcing the Public Accounts Committee meeting to disband.
The committee was supposed to receive evidence from
Intratek Holdings and Finmark concerning their contracts with Zesa Holdings on
the Gwanda Solar Project and supply of pre-paid electricity meters,
respectively.
The meeting had earlier been adjourned when Intratek
managing director, Mr Wicknell Chivayo was about to give evidence after Mr
Mliswa said the matter could not proceed as it was pending before the courts.
Following the objections by Mr Mliswa, Mr Chivayo and
journalists were asked to leave the room as the committee deliberated on the
matter.
Ms Mbondiya, an MDC-T proportional representative member,
then stormed out of the meeting claiming Mr Mliswa had smashed the screen of
her phone. She then returned moments later and slapped Mr Mliswa shouting that
she was not his wife.
Other legislators immediately intervened and restrained the
pair while Parliament staffers closed the doors to prevent journalists from
taking pictures of the melee. After tempers had cooled down, the meeting was
then deferred to a later date.
Ms Mbondiya declined to comment on the matter while Mr
Mliswa downplayed the incident saying the misunderstanding arose after she
tried to record him while he was speaking during the meeting.
“I have already made peace with her. You know when you come
to Parliament you have a lot of issues. You probably wake up on the wrong side
of the bed and you find someone to vent out your frustrations and anger on and
this could be it.
“Honourable Mbondiya is a sister of mine, I have already
forgiven her,” he said.
Committee chairperson, Mr Brian Dube also downplayed the
incident saying they would reconvene at a later date.
“This (the incident) means some people are not smart but we
will reschedule to a later date,” Mr Dube said.
In 2004, then Chimanimani legislator, the late Roy Bennett
(MDC-T) was jailed 15 months after he was convicted by a parliamentary
committee for assaulting then Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Patrick Chinamasa during a debate in the National Assembly.
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