MDC Member of Parliament Lynette Karenyi, who was injured
during last week’s chaos in Parliament, says the national assembly risks losing
its integrity by allowing violence to be perpetrated against women.
Karenyi, who sustained injuries on her left arm and leg,
said their treatment by the police was disrespectful and as women they felt
violated.
“The speaker (Jacob Mudenda) failed us by allowing the
police to come into parliament to forcibly remove us. There is no section of
the law which says police should be called in if people refuse to stand up in
the presence of the President,” she fumed.
The outspoken legislator said she was targeted because she
had earlier raised an issue about alleged sexual harassment of female MPs by
their male counterparts.
“The police were targeting specific people and I felt that
it was because of the issue I had raised which exposed some male MPs,” she
said, adding that the Zanu PF legislators were not happy that she had exposed
the rot.
Karenyi said female MPs were constantly harassed by some
male legislators.
“The young and new female members are now scared to even
contribute because they will be harassed,” she said.
The legislator said at times they would shout obscenities
and harangue the female legislators.
“I am one of the few who are not afraid to stand up and
speak and that is why I raised the issue,” she said.
Karenyi said when President Emmerson Mnangagwa walked into
the National Assembly for the budget presentation on Thursday, the MDC
legislators remained seated.
“As usual, we did not stand up and the Speaker said because
we had disobeyed orders to stand up, he was calling in the police,” she said.
Karenyi said there was no justification for Mudenda to call
in the police because they were not making any noise and were calm.
“The police came in targeting people and I was also picked
on,” she said. “They dragged me around and in the process my dress was drawn up
exposing my legs. That is just plain disrespectful.
Karenyi claimed that she was stamped on and some people
fell on top of her as she sat on the floor resisting being forced out.
She was taken to Avenues Clinic along with another female
legislator, Tabitha Khumalo, who had collapsed during the melee.
A video which has since gone viral shows Khumalo losing her
balance before collapsing on the ground. Standard
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