PARLIAMENT business nearly ground to a halt yesterday as
legislators heckled Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko for giving conflicting
signals on who should be leader of the House between Vice-President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and newly-appointed Justice minister Happyton Bonyongwe.
Mphoko raised the ire of MPs after he quashed Deputy
Speaker Mabel Chinomona’s claim that Mnangagwa would remain leader of the House
as Parliament awaits official communication on the rightful candidate.
“Madam Speaker, the leader of government business right now
is me, and then the leader of the House in Parliament is the Minister of Justice,”
he said before he turned around to support Chinomona’s position.
Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) immediately turned the
heat on Mphoko, describing him as confused.
“How do we move forward when there are conflicts in the
nation? This clearly is a G40 and Lacoste issue. He is saying it is Bonyongwe,
then he says a letter will come. We are not in a Zanu PF politburo meeting, we
want to know who will be the leader of the House?” Mliswa said, as Mphoko
turned around again and declaring Bonyongwe as leader of the House.
Mphoko immediately left before the dust had settled, as his
counterpart Mnangagwa walked in.
Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba rekindled the debate,
saying: “Mphoko said Bonyongwe is the leader of the House, but why is it that
when Mnangagwa entered, he immediately went out? Are the two Vice-Presidents
together.”
Chinomona said Mphoko had left 10 minutes before Mnangagwa
came in and his leaving was not because of his counterpart’s entrance into the
House.
MPs then turned to Bonyongwe, grilling him over their
outstanding allowances. The Justice minister indicated that he would consult
his Cabinet colleagues and provide feedback at the next seating.
Harare South MP Shadreck Mashayamombe (Zanu PF) then
unwittingly threw himself into the firing line after he pleaded with fellow MPs
to stop embarrassing the ministers.
This did not go down well with Mliswa, who stood up and
labelled Mashayamombe a land baron, sparking another fierce verbal fight which
nearly degenerated into a fistfight. The two MPs were later ushered out of the
House.
Seeing that there was chaos in the House, Bonyongwe ordered
the House to adjourn before the question and answer session took place. newsday
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