Clive Thabo Dube
AT a time when Parliamentarians are meant to fight corruption at its peak, expose political mishaps, curtail government from waywardness, formulate legal frameworks for oversight, and speak on behalf of the citizenry, these means have grind to a halt.
The closure of National Assembly and Senate doors were announced by the acting speaker William Mtomba last Thursday at the end of business.
Both houses adjourned to August 22, just a day before the country takes to the polls.
Zimbabwe’s harmonized elections are slated for August 23.
“I have got an announcement to make. Following the adjournment of the House to 22nd August, 2023, all Committee Business is accordingly suspended, effective 15th June, 2023,” he announced.
Most of Zimbabwe’s current serving MPs saw the last of the Parliament after the ruling party and the opposition held party elections to select their candidates in the upcoming plebiscite.
Zimbabwe’s ninth Parliament since independence goes for a break without nothing to show for. The lawmakers failed to implement key reforms ahead of the elections. Only scandalous acts and absenteeism of Ministers made headlines in parliament.
Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T made the parliament his own Soap Opera stage by recalling opposition MPs as he deemed fit in 2020. All those recalled, reappeared under the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The current Parliament which ZANU-PF has the majority has been masterminding infamous and less important bills but the right, and necessary ammunition for the ruling party to arm itself for the polls.
The same parliamentarians have failed to hold the government and individuals that detoured the house and muscled in some unpopular decisions which included purchase of fire tenders from Belarus outside tender and awarding of hefty bonuses on ministers and judges outside the budget as well.
The forever absent Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has been called up by opposition MP’s to comes and explain how he plans to improve the continued erosion of civil servants’ wages within the current economic crisis.
The police, the Army, the judges, and the courts have been allegedly been under state capture for more than three decades, recently judges were awarded US$400, 000. Come re-run or electoral stand-offs, the same judiciary resides over such matters.
Independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa also demanded the summoning of Ncube to parliament to explain how he pampered the country’s judiciary personnel with un- budgeted funds. With the adjournment, most of the issues go unanswered but everything else gone according to plan for those gunning for victory.
Recently the courts rescinded the increase of candidates’ elections nomination fees that had been astronomically increased by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission,(ZEC). The matter was sent back to Parliament for reviewing of these fees, but the August house adjourned without debating on the matter.
The fees remain unchanged.
The lawmakers, also overlooked the introduction of rulling party aligned Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) group, Forever Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ) which has replaced the National Youth Service “Greeen Bombers”.
Under the passing of the patriotic bill, FAZ operatives and other law personnel are set to reign in on Zimbabweans deemed “unpatriotic”.