HAVE you ever wondered why legislators sometimes get kicked out of parliamentary sessions? Well, generally how Members of Parliament in Zimbabwe are supposed to conduct themselves during official processes is guided by what are known as standing rules and orders.
MARY MUNDEYA
This written set of rules provides for the conduct of proceedings in the House, including the passage of Bills, rules of debate, the maintenance of order, appointment of committees and other matters affecting the operation of parliament.
During the current five-year parliamentary term that began in 2018, one of the most breached rules has been disobeying the Speaker and disrupting the smooth flow of parliamentary business.
If one is found in breach of the above-mentioned rules, the Speaker has the discretion to take a course of action that restores order in the House, even if it means chucking out an MP. As a result, a sizable number of independent and opposition legislators have found themselves being ejected out of Parliament.
Concerns have however been raised over how the Speaker’s ejection of legislators is being used as a way of muzzling outspoken independent and opposition party MPs. No legislator from the ruling Zanu PF, no-matter how rowdy they might have behaved, has been kicked out of a session. Below is a compilation of some instances where MPs were booted out of Parliament after having spoken about controversial issues:
Hwende on the Pomona waste-to-energy deal
On 13 July 2022, Kuwadzana East MP Chalton Hwende was booted out of Parliament by Speaker Jacob Mudenda after insisting that more time was supposed to be dedicated to debating the controversial US$344 million Pomona waste-to-energy deal that had been rejected by Harare City Council.
Biti on the Pomona waste-to-energy deal
Harare East legislator Tendai Biti was ejected from Parliament after demanding that Local Government deputy minister Marian Chombo respond to his submissions on the controversial deal.
Madzimure on curtailed human rights
On 13 July, three Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators, namely Hwende, Murisi Zwizwai and James Chidhakwa, were ejected from Parliament’s Wednesday question-and-answer session after they stood in support of Kambuzuma MP Willias Madzimure who had questioned the detention of the selective application of the law over members of their party detained at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
Mliswa on Rusununguko
On 17 August 2022, independent legislator Temba Mliswa was kicked out of Parliament for attacking the Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri after he demanded an explanation on an army company, Rusununguko Nkululeko Holdings, which he said was being used to steal resources of the country by Zanu PF bigwigs.
Mliswa, Nduna murder probe
Norton legislator Mliswa was on 13 February 2019 dragged out of Parliament when he had a fallout with deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi whom he accused of siding with Zanu PF Chegutu West legislator Dexter Nduna.
