Military salute a straitjacket

has said.

“Only those in the chain of the command are eligible for a salute. All those outside this command are not entitled to any salute,” said Minister Mnangagwa, while responding to questions from Members of Parliament during the Question-and-Answer Session in the House of Assembly.

The Minister said according to the chain of military command, at the helm is the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the President, in between is the Minister of Defence, followed by the Commander of the ZDF and then Commanders of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe.
He said subordinates salute their superiors and as a matter of tradition, the seniors can reciprocate the salute.

The Minister’s statement clears misconception by some political pundits, who have been challenging the service chiefs to salute Prime Minister Mor-gan Tsvangirai.
Minister Mnangagwa reiterated that Brigadier-General Douglas Nyikayamba’s political statements were an expression of his personal views as guaranteed by the Constitution and did not reflect the views of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

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Gutu North legislator Mr Edmore Maramwidze (MDC-T) had asked the minister whether utterances by Brig-Gen Nyikayaramba that the army would not salute any President without liberation war credentials were personal or the Ministry’s policy. He was also asked why in some cases service chiefs and other people from the uniformed forces saluted MPs and other senior Government officials.

“If the Honourable Member had the advantage of being saluted he should keep that to himself,” said Minister Mnangagwa.
Minister Mnangagwa said it was critical to realise that while Brig Gen Nyikayaramba was not the official spokesperson of the army, the Constitution guaranteed the right of expression to every citizen.
Brig Gen Nyikayaramba, said Minister Mnangagwa, was expressing personal views that were in terms of how he saw political events unfolding as a citizen of Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said while it was unfair to discuss Brig Gen Nyikayaramba’s issue as he was not an MP with the same platform to respond, it was important that service chiefs abide by the laws that govern their operations.

“In the public domain this issue has become divisive. I believe service chiefs do not sit in this House. However, they are governed by the laws. They should uphold the laws and the Constitution,” said PM Tsvangirai.
He was responding to a question by Mbizo MP Mr Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T) who wanted to know what Government policy was regarding service chiefs who make “utterances that were unconstitutional”.
The PM also condemned the violence that rocked Parliament at the weekend during a public hearing on the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill.

“It undermines the credibility of the Government. I hope the Speaker will institute investigations,” he said.
The PM said there was nothing wrong for a person to look political asylum as what former Ethiopian leader Mengistu Hale Mariam had done.
He said the Zanu-PF government had considered reasons advanced by the leader and duly granted him asylum just as one is entitled to seek political asylum in any country.

PM Tsvangirai was responding to a question from Chinhoyi MP, Mr Steward Garadhi whether it was Government policy to harbour criminals.
The PM also said the medicine degree that was offered by the National University of Science and Technology had been withdrawn to allow the university to regularise the course with relevant authorities.
He was responding to a question from Mberengwa East MP, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane (Zanu-PF) on whether the University of Zimbabwe was the only one with the monopoly to offer a medicine degree and why the NUST course was withdrawn.

Responding to another question, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara said while there was separation of power among Government arms, Parliament was a supreme arm whose decision should be respected.
He said he will follow through to ensure that decisions made by the legislature were respected.

He was responding to a question by Mr Chikwinya who had asked why a motion adopted by Parliament to have media laws reviewed had not been implemented.
Responding to another question Education, Arts, Sports and Culture Deputy Minister Lazarus Dokora said it was too early for the Government to review payment of teachers’ incentives by parents following a recent salary adjustment by the State.

He said every school should first offer Zimsec examinations before considering other examination bodies like Cambridge.
He was responding to a question from Chitungwiza North MP, Mr Fidelis Mhashu.

Deputy Minister Dokora urged politicians to respect schools as community centres for learning and other human development activities and not disrupt lessons for political and other reasons.