MP, Mutare mayor clash

politicians are from the MDC-T.  Mr Chinyadza was chairing a portfolio committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion pre-budget consultative meeting to gather residents’ views on the 2013 national budget. 
The outreach was sponsored by the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust.
Mr James, who was sitting in the gallery, had raised his hand to make a contribution before Mr Chinyadza obliged by recognising him.
He referred to him as “former mayor” leading to Mr James’ protest.
“Mr Chairman, you cannot call me former mayor, I am the mayor of Mutare on suspension,” he said.
“I was suspended by the responsible minister for reasons best known to him.”
Mr Chinyadza subsequently apologised.  Earlier on, Mr James had insisted that Mr Chinyadza had not adequately responded to a question posed from the floor.
The question was on the breakdown of issues that Government had implemented and those that it had not.
Participants asked the committee if they could get an outline of issues that had been implemented from the submissions made from consultative meetings in previous years.
Mr Chinyadza said it was not the role of his committee to give such a breakdown as that was Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s responsibility.   But Mr James interjected saying his response was not convincing. The suspended mayor said Mr Chinyadza’s committee should be seized with such issues.
“Mr Chairman, you should answer that question properly. We cannot accept that response you gave that it is Minister Biti’s responsibility,” said Mr James.
Mr Chinyadza reiterated that the committee did not deal with such issues.
“There are committees that shadow each ministry. They are the ones that see to it which programmes have been implemented and which has not,” he said.