ZANU PF tables motion to debate sanctions issue in parliament

By Violet Gonda
4 February 2009

Parliament was forced to adjourn prematurely on Wednesday after chaos erupted between the political rivals in the inclusive government over the controversial issue of the sanctions. The commotion started when ZANU PF MP for Mwenezi East Kudakwashe Bhasikiti tried to move a motion calling for the MDC formations to demand the lifting of sanctions. The MDC legislators protested heavily and started heckling. This led to the ZANU PF MPs also standing up and booing at their counterparts. Parliament was then forced to suspend proceedings to the next day.

However, the chaos continued on Thursday, although this time ZANU PF was successful in tabling the motion. The House is expected to start the debate on the sanctions next Tuesday.

Tongai Matutu, the MDC MP for Masvingo Urban told SW Radio Africa that his party was not trying to block the debate from taking place but was instead challenging ZANU PF’s motives.

Matutu said ZANU PF’s motives were to ridicule and castigate the person of the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his Deputy PM, Arthur Mutambara, by alleging that they are the people responsible for the calling of the sanctions and therefore should be denounced.

The MP also castigated the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Nomalanga Khumalo for not following procedure, and backtracking after coming under pressure from the ZANU PF legislators. The Deputy Speaker had initially said she would consult first with the Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo, who is away, before allowing the motion to be read. But Matutu said Khumalo allowed the motion after being ‘confronted’ by ZANU PF Chief Whip Jorum Gumbo.

Matutu said the aim of the motion was to ‘draw us back to the period where there was no inclusive government.’ He further explained that during this period parliamentarians wasted time debating on ‘irrelevant issues, and emotions would rise rather than actually focusing on the real issues.’

ZANU PF has been on a serious offensive demanding the removal of the targeted sanctions since the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband recently said they will be guided by the MDC on the issue of sanctions.

The MDC maintains the former ruling party invited the sanctions, and the onus is on them to call for their removal by changing their attitude. Matutu said: “ZANU PF continues to violate the law, take farms without due regard to the rule of law, they have killed people and they have not compensated anyone. The onus is not upon the MDC but on ZANU PF to ensure that democracy prevails.”

He pointed out that parliament should be debating on the legislative agenda, such as reforming draconian laws like the Public Order and Security Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, instead of dwelling on trivialities.

The MP said the MDC will take the ball back to ZANU PF when the sanctions debate starts next week in parliament to show that ‘ZANU PF is the evil party that called for the sanctions because of the way they have been conducting business’.