TEMPERS flared in the National Assembly yesterday when Zanu
PF MPs refused to observe a minute of silence in honour of the late national
hero and opposition Zapu leader, Dumiso Dabengwa.
This followed a request by MDC chief whip Prosper
Mutseyami, who pointed out that the House must, as was the norm, observe a
minute of silence in honour of fallen heroes, in this case Dabengwa.
Opposition and independent MPs stood up to observe the
minute of silence, but Zanu PF legislators remained seated.
Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) said: “You recall that
the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda last week ruled that we
cannot observe a minute of silence for the late Zapu leader Dabengwa until the
party Zanu PF made a resolution and until his family has made a statement.
“Those two issues were done — and I say we must observe a
minute of silence because my father was Zapu and we grew up with him (Dabengwa)
together with Senator Simon Khaya Moyo and Ambrose Mutinhiri. Dabengwa was a
war veteran and a former MP and we must give him that respect. Zanu PF is
refusing to do so on tribal card and you are putting President Emmerson
Mnangagwa in a difficult situation.”
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi refused
to allow the MPs observe a minute of silence, claiming Dabengwa was no longer
an MP.
But opposition MPs protested, saying when the late music
icon Oliver Mtukudzi passed on, all MPs observed a minute of silence.
Some Zanu PF MPs could be heard interjecting and shouting
that Dabengwa was a sellout.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF MPs dismissed the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission (ZHRC) report on the 2018 elections which was tabled before
Parliament last week by Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, describing it as
biased in favour of the opposition.
Muzarabani MP Zemu Soda (Zanu PF) said the ZHRC report
failed to criticise MDC vice-president Tendai Biti for prematurely announcing
the 2018 presidential election results.
But Pelandaba Mpopoma MP Charles Moyo (MDC Alliance) said
the ZHRC report was very clear in condemning electoral violence, hate speech and
military involvement in elections. Newsday
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