Young MP breaks new ground

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Twenty-nine-year-old Zanu-PF MP Cde Tionei Melody Dziva became the youngest legislator in Zimbabwe’s history to preside over a parliamentary session as Speaker in Harare yesterday.
She is in the Speaker’s panel, which is made up of three MPs other than the Speaker and his deputy.
Other members of the panel are Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe North Cde Reuben Marumahoko and his Buhera North counterpart Cde William Mutomba.

Cde Dziva led the Speaker’s procession into the House and after taking the raised seat, she went through the prayers and formally opened the sitting.

She led deliberations with authority, eliciting admiration and excitement from her colleagues, especially younger MPs from both Zanu-PF and MDC-T.

Female MPs ululated and chanted “gender, gender, gender”.
Cde Dziva presided over the questions without notice and prepared question sessions, giving equitable opportunities to both Zanu-PF and MDC-T legislators.

She may have inspired some female pupils from Dominican Convent School who were in the Speaker’s Gallery to watch a parliamentary sitting.
She ruled out of order a question by MDC-T MP for Kuwadzana Mr Nelson Chamisa on why ministers were not present at question time.

In an interview with The Herald after the session, Cde Dziva said she was elated to have achieved such a feat at a young age.
“I feel honoured and respected to be in the demanding Speaker’ Panel. It was a great day for me because as women, we are also celebrating Women’s Day. Being the youngest female MP at 29 also shows that our leadership is committed to grooming us.

“I want to thank President Mugabe for giving us an opportunity as young people to be in Parliament,” she said.
Cde Dziva has a BSc Honours in Administration from the University of Zimbabwe and a Masters in Development Studies from the Women’s University in Africa.

It was at UZ that she entered politics in 2004, when elected gender secretary for the campus Zanu-PF branch.