Mines committee session aborted

A Parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on Mines failed to take off on Monday after Norton legislator Temba Mliswa accused the interim chairperson Roy Bhila of being HIV positive.

The rant by Mliswa came after Bhila asked him, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, Anele Ndebele and Leonard Chikomba to recuse themselves from the proceedings until they are cleared of allegations of extorting $400 000 from businessman James Ross Goddard.

This comes after Mliswa was forced to relinquish his post as chairperson of the portfolio committee over the alleged extortion of the $400 000 said to be a “facilitation fee” to enable Goddard’s JRG Contracting to secure a mining contract at Hwange.

“You did not take your ARVs, you need to take your AVRs and I think it is now knocking your head,” Mliswa told Bhila.

Just after the ruckus, journalists were asked to excuse themselves also.

This forced acting Mines minister, Joram Gumbo, ZCDC and MMCZ representatives who were supposed to give evidence on the progress made in the implementation of bilateral agreements on gold and chrome and the finalisation of the diamond policy to be excused saying the committee should clear their issues prior to calling them.

Mliswa also accused former chairperson of the portfolio committee on Transport, Dexter Nduna, of embezzling $11 million from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara).

Apparently, Mliswa is upset with Nduna for leading the provincial putsch against his sister, the Zanu PF provincial secretary for finance Mary Mliswa-Chikoka and allegedly influencing the ruling
party’s Mashonaland West provincial executive council (Pec) to pass a vote of no confidence in her on Sunday.

Mliswa-Chikoka, who is also the Provincial Affairs minister for Mashonaland West, stood accused in the provincial meeting chaired by Nduna of corruption and abuse of office, among a litany of other charges.

Insiders said it seemed events in Mash West ignited the furore in Parliament, that saw Mliswa and Nduna clash in angry scenes.

An apoplectic Mliswa accused the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda of ignoring Nduna’s alleged corruption and graft by other MPs.

Nduna charged at Mliswa, exhorting him not to call him a “thief.” A rebellious Mliswa kept branding Nduna a “thief”, insisting he had been outed in a Zinara forensic audit.

“You are a double thief, a triple thief,” Mliswa badgered Nduna, daring him to a physical confrontation.
Nduna, a former security agent, restrained himself from engaging in a physical confrontation, warning grimly that he would deal with the Norton MP outside Parliament.

The Chegutu West Zanu PF MP also boasted of losing count of the number of people he has killed in the past. “Ndine vamwe vakawanda vandakauraya vandisingatozive,” Nduna said ominously.

In May 2018, the trigger-happy Nduna was hauled before the courts over public violence charges after he discharged a firearm during Zanu PF primary elections. Daily News