Speaker of House blasts PM

failing to adequately fund the activities of Parliament thereby compromising its oversight and representative function.
The Speaker said this while giving a lecture to senior officers from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces from the National Defence College who were on a study tour at Parliament.
Questions had risen from the floor that current Parliament was the least productive as it had sat for few days and adjourning to May after sitting for five days this year.
Mr Moyo said Parliament took a long break after noting that there was very little business to transact as the Executive had not brought any.
“I said to the Clerk of Parliament (Austin Zvoma) let us write to the PM (as Leader of the House) asking do you have any business and there was no response. We had no option but to adjourn because up to now we did not get any response. That is why MPs end up focussing on other side issues like welfare, you know what idle minds will do,” he said.
The Speaker said there had been unfair allegations against the Legislature that it was not productive, yet it was the Executive that generated the bulk of Parliament business.
He said during the last two session, President Mugabe had indicated that 23 Bills would be brought before Parliament but less than 10 were brought for consideration by Government ministers.
“Because of the principle of separation of powers, I can not go to the ministers to demand Bills, I only receive Bills,” he said.