Drama as MDC legislator assaults Mliswa in Parly

Farirai Machivenyika

Senior Reporter 

There was drama in Parliament yesterday after MDC-T legislator, Ms Memory Mbondiya slapped outspoken Norton legislator, Mr Temba Mliswa forcing the Public Accounts Committee meeting to disband.

The committee was supposed to receive evidence from Intratek Holdings and Finmark concerning their contracts with Zesa Holdings on the Gwanda Solar Project and supply of pre-paid electricity meters, respectively.

The meeting had earlier been adjourned when Intratek managing director, Mr Wicknell Chivayo was about to give evidence after Mr Mliswa said the matter could not proceed as it was pending before the courts.

Following the objections by Mr Mliswa, Mr Chivayo and journalists were asked to leave the room as the committee deliberated on the matter.

Ms Mbondiya, an MDC-T proportional representative member, then stormed out of the meeting claiming Mr Mliswa had smashed the screen of her phone. She then returned moments later and slapped Mr Mliswa shouting that she was not his wife.

Other legislators immediately intervened and restrained the pair while Parliament staffers closed the doors to prevent journalists from taking pictures of the melee.

After tempers had cooled down, the meeting was then deferred to a later date.

Ms Mbondiya declined to comment on the matter while Mr Mliswa downplayed the incident saying the misunderstanding arose after she tried to record him while he was speaking during the meeting.

“I have already made peace with her. You know when you come to Parliament you have a lot of issues. You probably wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you find someone to vent out your frustrations and anger on and this could be it.

“Honourable Mbondiya is a sister of mine, I have already forgiven her,” he said.

Committee chairperson, Mr Brian Dube also downplayed the incident saying they would reconvene at a later date.

“This (the incident) means some people are not smart but we will reschedule to a later date,” Mr Dube said.

In 2004, then Chimanimani legislator, the late Roy Bennett (MDC-T) was jailed 15 months after he was convicted by a parliamentary committee for assaulting then Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa during a debate in the National Assembly.