Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) nearly beat up Zanu PF
legislator Gorden Chanda (Gokwe-Sesame) in the National Assembly yesterday
after the ruling party lawmakers accused the former of harassing ministers and
fellow MPs in the House.
The melee started when Seke MP Munyaradzi Tobias Kashambe
(Zanu PF) raised a matter of privilege with Deputy Speaker of the National
Assembly, Tsitsi Gezi, that Mliswa was a loud mouth who was being given leeway
to say nasty things to ministers and legislators in the House.
“There is unequal treatment of MPs here because whenever
other MPs want to say something in the House, Mliswa interjects and they end up
losing confidence,” Kashambe said.
“He fiercely criticises ministers and the leader of the
House (Ziyambi Ziyambi) and no one is able to restrain him and I feel that he
needs to be reprimanded because his utterances and interjections have caused
other MPs to lose confidence and cannot even attend Parliament. At one time, he
even told Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda that he is corrupt,”
he said.
Mliswa is vocal and often calls a spade by its name in the
House. He was irked by Kashambe’s accusations, lost his temper and started
shouting at Zanu PF legislators, who answered back, with Chanda saying some
harsh words.
Mliswa moved towards Chanda and grabbed him by the collar
and as the House degenerated into chaos, he insulted Chanda using unprintable
words.
Gezi could have none of it and ordered the National
Assembly Sergeant at Arms Fidmore Mapwanya to eject Mliswa from the House.
“Your party has killed this institution and this country’s
economy,” Mliswa shouted on his way out.
Kashambe further claimed that Mliswa had also harassed
Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi in the House through his
stinging utterances.
Gezi responded: “When you are elected by people, you must
behave because we are adults that left our families to come here to work.”
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus chairperson Goodlucky Kwaramba
said female MPs were not impressed by the language used by the warring parties.
Newsday
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