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Political Editor
LWAZI Sibanda, the MDC-T MP for Tsholotsho (proportional representation) has not pushed a single motion on behalf of her constituency after 19 months in the National Assembly, she confessed yesterday.
Sibanda, The Chronicle established, was also yet to make her maiden speech in Parliament.
Last month, we revealed how the former Tsholotsho North MP, Roselyn Nkomo, usually addressed as “ma’am” by her supporters, never uttered a single world during her 18 months in Parliament.
Tackled by The Chronicle yesterday, Sibanda said she has taken a long time to contribute in parliament as she was still learning.
During Sibanda and Nkomo’s stints in Parliament, Tsholotsho has been affected by the mass killing of elephants through cyanide poisoning and flooding that destroyed dozens of houses and left hundreds of villagers stranded.
The district is also facing imminent drought due to poor rainfall this farming season. In her defence, Sibanda said: “I’ve contributed four times, once on the budget and the other time on violence. I also contributed last month and asked a question during Question Time. I debate other people’s motions because I’m yet to make my maiden speech. “I’m still new and learning the ropes, we’re not in a rush. Ukugijima ayisikho kufika (more haste,less speed). I know that it’s been a long time but I’ll come up with motions.”
Sibanda admitted that she was doing the people of Tsholotsho a great disservice but insisted: “We’ll come up with motions soon. It’s only that during the time of the elephants problem, the ministers didn’t involve us in the programme so we couldn’t take part.”
Sibanda could not respond when challenged why she waited for ministers yet she was in touch with the affected people on a daily basis. Asked why she didn’t raise the plight of the people of Tsholotsho in Parliament, she said, “like I said, I’m still learning the ropes. I’ll contribute motions soon.”
Nkomo is part of the 21 former MDC-T MPs who were ejected from Parliament at the instigation of party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, after leaving to form MDC Renewal.
Nkomo was practically mute, never pushing a motion, expressing an opinion or joining choruses of protest against motions pushed by others, until her recent expulsion. Explaining her forgettable stint as a lawmaker, Nkomo said she saw nothing amiss with not uttering a word to represent those who voted her into office.
“I’m a dignified woman. Angifun’ukusukuma ngizibonakalise ukuthi ngiyibhare yeTsholotsho (I don’t want to stand up and expose myself as an ignorant person from Tsholotsho). I’ll only stand up if I’ve something to say,” she said. Nkomo nonchalantly said she used the 18 months “to learn.” “There’s no hurry,” she insisted. “The term of office is five years. I was still learning.”
Nkomo narrowly beat Professor Jonathan Moyo for the Tsholotsho North seat during the 2013 harmonised elections.
She polled 4,800 votes to Prof Moyo’s 4,464. President Mugabe proclaimed June 10 as the date for by-elections for 16 constituencies, 14 left by former MDC-T MPs and two by former Zanu-PF Hurungwe West legislator Temba Mliswa and Headlands legislator Didymus Mutasa. Both were expelled from Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North province two weeks ago, in a provincial coordinating committee meeting, unanimously endorsed Prof Moyo as the party’s candidate for the Tsholotsho North constituency by-election. Prof Moyo, in an interview after the meeting, said Nkomo did not even say one word in Parliament yet the whole purpose of being elected MP is so that one represents the community that has elected them to Parliament.
“To spend 18 or 20 months in complete silence is betrayal of the community that you would’ve represented so this is a wonderful opportunity to correct that,” said Prof Moyo.
Prof Moyo said the issue was that Tsholotsho North does not have the representation at national level which it deserves, “and it needs that representation for the purposes of addressing national issues that Tsholotsho brings to the table, not this funny behaviour we saw of the expelled incumbent of having a few chickens here, a few goats there.
“You may have that one individual who is getting those chickens but it’s the community that we need to address and develop. It’s the development of the community.”
He said the party would develop the community in the context of Zim-Asset which provides a solution of food security and nutrition, “and therefore addresses the entire community especially this time round when there is this issue of the drought whose consequences we’re already beginning to feel.
“It’s not about helping your friends, it’ll be about assisting the entire community. And you can only do that, which is why it’s important to realign the representation, you can only do that if you’re a Member of Parliament working with the government.
“You can’t have a Member of Parliament who isn’t from the governing party, who isn’t working with the government who can bring development, it has never happened.
“The only way you can do that is if you realign the representation to make sure that your Member of Parliament can and will be able to work with the government and the issue of food security and nutrition is very important.”
Online Reporter