Ministers bunk Senate

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
SENATE president Cde Edna Madzongwe on Thursday expressed her displeasure over the failure by ministers to attend to business in the house and asked Zanu-PF Chief Whip Senator Tambudzani Mohadi to warn them against their actions.
Cde Madzongwe’s warning came after the House only dealt with one question out of 24 on the Order Paper.
“Can I appeal to the Chief Whip to please whip your ministers so that they come. It is part of their duty, actually to be here and respond to questions from the honourable senators who are representatives of the people,” she said.

“They need to understand that if they have work on our Order Paper and they do not show up, they are retarding the work of the Senate.”
The only minister who was present during the session was Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere.
Senator Mohadi promised to take the matter up with the ministers.

“I will remind them but as of yesterday, we talked at length, telling them that they were retarding the work of the Senate and everyone at large. However, we will not stop whipping them,” she said.

Last week, Cde Madzongwe raised a similar complaint after ministers failed to attend to the questions on the Order Paper.
During the last session before the tenure of the inclusive Government ended the Senate once sat for less than 10 minutes after ministers failed to attend the House’s sitting.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Fortune Chasi presented the Electoral Amendment Bill to the Senate.

The Bill seeks to amend the Electoral Act so that it conforms to provisions of the new Constitution.
It was then referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee.