Standing Rules, Orders Committee members appointed

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
President Mugabe has appointed members of Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee in terms of the provisions of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe. The announcement was made by the Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Jacob Mudenda yesterday. According to Cde Mudenda, President Mugabe appointed Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekeramayi and Small Enterprises and Cooperatives Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni to the SROC in terms of Section 151 (2) (c) of the Constitution.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was also appointed to the Committee and also to be leader of Government business in Parliament in terms of Section 151 (2) (e), while Cde Sydney Sekeramayi leads business in the         Senate.

“The President (Mugabe) in terms of the Constitution appointed the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Cde Emerson Mnangagwa as leader of Government business in Parliament, not in the House. He has appointed Cde Sydney Sekeramayi from the Senate and Cde Nyoni, both ministers as he (the President) is supposed to appoint two ministers as members of the Standing Rules Orders Committee,” he said.

Cde Mudenda also announced the MDC-T legislators that were also nominated by the party to sit in the SROC.

These include MDC-T vice president Thokozani Khupe who will be the leader of the opposition party in the House while others are Mutare Central legislator Mr Innocent Gonese and Sithembile Mlothswa who are the party’s chief whips in the National Assembly and Senate respectively.

The Speaker said the President would make further appointments to the SROC in due course.
Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma  revealed that all proceedings in Parliament were now uploaded on the website within two hours after sitting.

‘‘All that information is contained in the Hansard of today (yesterday) since we are now uploading two hours after sitting,” Mr Zvoma said.

Meanwhile, Cde Mudenda yesterday said the Members Bar would no longer sell alcoholic beverages to parliamentarians when they are in  session.

“The Members’ Bar will with immediate effect not save alcoholic beverages during the sitting of the House only non-alcoholic beverages would be saved,” he said.