MP faces contempt of Parliament charges

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
CHIPINGE South legislator Cde Enock Porusingazi could face contempt of Parliament charges after the Portfolio Committee on Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment chaired by Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena on Wednesday asked the House to probe the MP for his utterances that discredited its report.

The committee had named Cde Porusingazi as having corruptly benefited from Green Fuel deals.

In its report presented last month, the committee said former Minister of Energy and Power Development Dzikamai Mavhaire and Cde Porusingazi should be investigated for ignoring the interests of communities in Chisumbanje in return for kickbacks from Green Fuel, a company operating an ethanol plant in the area.

Soon after the report was presented to Parliament by Cde Wadyajena last month, Cde Porusingazi was quoted in the Daily News rubbishing its contents claiming it had been written at the height factional fights in Zanu-PF last year and accused the committee of tarnishing his image.

Cde Porusingazi was suspended from the ruling party for five years after he was fingered among people who belonged to former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s cabal that wanted to topple President Mugabe.

Chairperson of the committee, Cde Wadyajena called for an ad-hoc committee to be established to investigate the Chipinge South legislator.

“Utterances to the media by Hon Porusingazi have the propensity to undermine the work of the committee as well as the authority of the chairperson who by custom is the one who is vested with authority to issue Press statements on issues that are under consideration by the committee.

“In this regard, it is submitted that the conduct by Hon Porusingazi may not only amount to contempt of Parliament, but could be a divisive influence to the work of the committee,” Cde Wadyajena said.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Mabel Chinomona said she would study the request and make a ruling next week.

“The chair will study the matter and give a ruling by next week,” she said.