By Violet Gonda
30 June 2005

In an unprecedented move, two MDC MPs went to State House for the first time since the opposition party entered Parliament in 2000 and had tea with Robert Mugabe. The MDC has from the start boycotted the official opening of parliament by Mugabe and have in the past also snubbed parliamentary events hosted by Mugabe.

MDC Vice President Gibson Sibanda, the leader of the opposition in Parliament and chief whip Innocent Gonese, were part of a delegation that accompanied John Nkomo, the new Speaker of Parliament and his deputy Edna Madzongwe, when they presented themselves at State House. It's parliamentary protocol for the new Speaker and deputy to present themselves to the President.
Critics were surprised to hear reports saying the opposition legislators posed for photographs with Mugabe and the other ZANU PF MPs and Parliament officials before they had tea and chatted with the leader of the ruling party. The MDC has for a long time said it does not recognise Mugabe and accuses him of stealing the Presidential election

When asked why the MPs attended this ceremony at a time when things are more critical than ever, MDC chief whip Innocent Gonese said it's not the party that went to State House but officers of parliament. He said, "People did not go in their capacity as ZANU PF or MDC but went as a delegation of parliament."