LEGISLATORS yesterday ganged up and dressed down Youth
minister Patrick Zhuwao and his deputy Mathias Tongofa accusing them of failing
to respond to a written question on youth employment opportunities, which has
been on the National Assembly Order Paper for several months now.
Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Wadyajena raised the question
asking Zhuwao or his deputy to explain when youths from his constituency would
benefit from the 4 500 jobs created in each ward by the ministry.
Zhuwao was not present in the House and was represented by
his deputy Tongofa, who angered the MPs after he requested for the question to
be further deferred to next week.
“The minister is failing to attend Parliament to answer
this question and yet he always comes to my constituency telling the youth to chuck
me out. You must compel Zhuwao to atend Parliament,” Wadyajena said while
raising a point of order with the acting Speaker Melody Dziva.
Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) chipped in saying:
“There is no reason why the deputy minister (Tongofa) is failing to answer this
question. He is here sitting in the House doing absolutely nothing and is
wasting taxpayers’ money.
The two ministers must be able to respond. They were
appointed by President Robert Mugabe to discharge their duties and this is a waste
of taxpayers’ money. Get them to respond or they get charged with contempt of
Parliament.”
Earlier, MDC-T chief whip, Innocent Gonese, supported by
Kuwadzana East MP, Nelson Chamisa, complained about Mugabe prioritising Cabinet
sittings ahead of Parliament.
“Mugabe must prioritise Parliament business and can you
write to him to respect Parliament, especially on Wednesdays, when we bring
questions about the problems in the country, which deputy ministers that are
present cannot answer?” Chamisa said. Newsday
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