By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |
The Parliament’s Privileges Committee, chaired by Mudzi South Zanu PF MP Jonathan Samkange has fined Z$400 000 each to 118 sitting and former MDC Members of Parliament and senators while Job Sikhala and Settlement Chikwinya have been made to pay an additional Z$800 000 each bringing their fines to Z$1,2 million for disrespecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The committee also intends to make sure that the opposition legislators lose their diplomatic passports.
Narrating the events as they transpired in Parliament, Sikhala took to his microblogging Twitter handle to claim that the MDC Alliance MPs “were never given the right to defend themselves but where asked to appear before a committee wholly constituted by Zanu PF MPs.”
“Yesterday Jonathan Samkange presented a Report on the Parliamentary Privileges Committee which he was chairing and found 108 MDC Alliance MPs guilty of not standing up when Emmerson Mnangagwa came to Parliament. All MPs were fined level 12 of the fine but myself and Settlement Chikwinya were made to pay that fine of Z$400 000 and another one of level 14 which is Z$800 000 to make it a total of $1.2 million for an additional charge of contempt of Parliament,” Sikhala said.
The Zengeza West MP added that the Mnangagwa’s regime game plan is to Amend both the constitution and the Standing Orders and Rules of Parliament to prohibit anyone found guilty by its committee not to contest and become a Member of Parliament again in their lifetime.
“Level 14 of a fine is the highest threshold of a fine. It is given to those found of serious criminal offenses that require punitive fines. The MPs are remunerated some paltry salaries and allowances that will take the sitting Members of Parliament their entire term of office without remunerating the figure of the fine.
“Secondly, Members of Parliament were never given the right to defend themselves but were asked to appear before a committee wholly constituted by ZANU PF MPs. No adherence to the principles of natural justice that requires every individual to appear before an independent tribunal. Furthermore, MPs were never served with the charges they were supposed to respond to.”
Sikhala added: “Their right to be heard was never granted by the partisan committee whose verdict was known beforehand. Even though the fine imposed induces a sense of shock that on application for review of the same no reason Court will uphold such a scandalous verdict.
“So as it stands no Member of Parliament elected on the MDC Alliance ticket in 2018, will be allowed to stand again to become one in their lifetime. When we talk of evil, this is evilness in full motion. But let the people of Zimbabwe be reassured, that fighting for our freedom will never be deterred by the antics of a desperate dictatorship.” Nehanda Radio
Zim it’s now under full time dictatorship
What a lame accusations
Mnangagwa is not God get f***f with your President
😂😂😂😂🙅♂️
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Pane asina hutano apo
Their president ED was not voted he rigged he way to be the president and he is running the country how much fine is he going to pay for subverting the will of the people
Onismo Chidakwa volume please 🤣🤣🤣
Haaaa aya ma jokes aya 🤣🤣😂😂 But time shall come, all what is being looted will be recovered, criminals will be tried.
What goes around comes around.History will always repeat itself.Karma
Boom Bento Chenje True brother
If they fail to pay they wil be bared from contesting future elections. Tinoona zvedu kwazviri kuenda.
Hamza Mois Mustafa Jawed they can appeal and when they are waiting for a verdict they can still contest
David Gondokondo Appeal to who? Where?
Hamza Mois Mustafa Jawed to courts in Zimbabwe. Institutional decisions can also be appealed in courts of law.
Hamza Mois Mustafa Jawed to courts of law in Zimbabwe. Institutional decisions can still be appealed in courts.
David Gondokondo talk of elsewhere. Challenge and it will taken 10years.
Respect is earned
And how exactly was the dunderhead “disrespected”?.. is that not covered under “parliamentary privileges?”.. This useless party is trying by all means to force people including legislators to “respect” a despot who carried out a coup and stole elections.. tsek!!
Kelvin Maseko he forgets respect is earned, and the tyrant hasn’t earned any from anyone
Sylvester Mangono very true.. he is trying by all means to get “respect” forgetting that respect is a two way street. The only respect he gets is how he has ruined this country.. he gets all the trophies!!
Captured institution,go to hell,unoda kusimukirwa uri mwari here?Despot, tsek
This idiot is going too far, forcing people to love him? Mugabe was bad but this one is Lucifer himself
Are these fines prescribed in the parliament rule book, or are just thumb suck amounts? If so they can be challenged at court.
Nonsense, respect is earned,it should never be forced upon people.
Its simply “The Rule of Law”
Yaaaaah wat da f..k
Respect is earned, if ED thinks that the general populace will respect him, then he is fooling himself. Mugabe aive benzi zvaro but pa team iyi, ndovanodainzwa nemamwe mapenzi kuti ava ndovanopenga chete
Haaaa kkkkkk zvakaoma
Ndokupererwa kwemurume mukuru ikoko.
Chii chawaitira vanhu chaungafungira kuti ndichingaita uremekedzwe.
😂😂
That’s nonsense, mnangagwa must pay them for waisted time in jail.
Zvaari mashura akapfeka scarf ya Ed
EDiot
Kkkkkkk going to courts waste of time.