Lillian Timveous (MDC Midlands Senator) referring to January human rights abuses
“Will the rule of law ever be restored in the country because we see people getting beaten before they get arrested and women are raped? A lot of lawlessness is going on in the country, especially at the moment.”
January 31, 2019
Tichinani Mavetera (MDC Masvingo senator) on police brutality
“We have videos going all over of police brutality with pictures of people that can be identified in police uniform perpetrating heinous crimes against the citizenry. For citizens to have confidence in our law enforcement agents we should have pointers from government on what has been done to bring the culprits to book.”
January 31, 2019
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Chegutu West MP Dextor Nduna (Zanu PF) threatening Norton MP Themba Mliswa (Independent) during sitting of the Mines Portfolio Committee
“Don’t call me a thief, I am saying this for the last time, don’t call me a thief, I have people who I killed who I don’t even know.”
February 12, 2019
Nduna apologises for his behaviour
“I want to profusely apologise for the words I uttered and say that I did not mean anything that I said and I take back my words and want to apologise so that the decorum of Parliament can be appraised. I apologise to the Speaker as chairperson of the Standing Rules and Orders Committee, the institution of Parliament, MPs and my party Zanu PF for the fracas which had unintended effect.”
March 5, 2019
Mliswa accuses Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda of corruption
“This institution (Parliament) is faced with losing its credibility. It might as well be a Zanu PF Parliament. Even the decisions made by Mudenda – we are starting to doubt them because we are talking of an institution with high morals, but why bring in a person implicated in $11 million bribe scandal to chair the Transport Portfolio Committee? (referring to Nduna).”
February 11, 2019
Mliswa apologising to Mudenda for labelling him corrupt
“During the debacle, I inadvertently included the name of the Speaker in the furore, mistakenly linking him with the nefarious actions attributed to Nduna. The erroneous accusation was premised on misinformation emanating from Nduna who fabricated a false association with Mudenda in an attempt to shield and seek protection from the underhand dealings he was associated with to make them appear above board.”
March 5, 2019
Job Sikhala (Zengeza West MP MDC) shouting at Mudenda
“Having shown that you do not want to hold this institution as a democracy – you have reduced this Parliament to a kangaroo Parliament. I and my MPs tried to raise a point of order on the constitutionality of your ruling, but you have denied us. As a result, I withdraw my sympathy for you for what happened to you when you were eating ice-cream (in Serbia). You are turning this institution into a dictatorial institution. You are torturing our MPs on a daily basis. It is not allowed. Why are you abusing us – we are not kids.
“I used to have huge respect for you, but today that honour has reduced to a quarter. You have disappointed me, Mr Speaker.”
Mudenda responded:
“I cannot accept to be challenged by an MP. I ask you to leave the House.”
October 23, 2019
Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga (MDC-T) on mandatory sentencing of rapists
“Some of us (legislators) are about to leave Parliament and if the issue of mandatory sentences for rape is imposed that will be part of our legacy if this is our last term because we have been advocating for that for a long time. We have been waiting for this for years and nothing was happening. We proposed the issue of mandatory sentences for rapists during the late former President Robert Mugabe’s time and the law never saw the light of the day given the male dominated systems of Parliament.”
October 2, 2019
Edwin Mushoriwa (Dzivarasekwa MP MDC) criticising Finance minister Mthuli Ncube for erroneous figures in 2020 budget statement
“The credibility of the 2020 budget statement has been brought into disrepute by the fact that China and the US yesterday (Tuesday) disputed the figures in the budget statement and as MPs we are now questioning whether all the figures said by the minister are authentic.”
December 4, 2019
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi (Zanu PF) responding to a question by Mavetera on doctors’ strike
“I fully submit that he has been misled by the doctors on the issues of tools of trade. If you are employed at a road construction site and you are not provided with shovels, you do not run away from your work place because there are no shovels. There is a very clear order of the court that gave a roadmap of what needs to be done and doctors decided to clearly ignore that order. It is wrong for the senator to say that the dispute was about tools of trade.”
December 5, 2019
Barbara Rwodzi (Chirumanzu MP Zanu PF) complaining about gender-based violence (GBV) in Parliament
“As women MPs, we join the nation and the rest of the world to commemorate the 16 Days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV) and on behalf of female MPs, I rise to seek protection against verbal GBV abuse in this House.
Women in this Parliament are now becoming unproductive due to GBV suffered here and as such we ask your office Madam Speaker (Tsitsi Gezi) to protect us and take stern measures against all male MPs that use verbal GBV against us.”
December 6, 2019
Jasmine Toffa (MDC PR) speaking on GBV in Parliament
“For example, there is an incident happening to myself whereby last week in the presence of the Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi an MP abused me and he shouted alleging that my man was snatched from me by (Joanna) Mamombe. As I speak, I am actually looking at those MPs. It ends up attacking the confidence of female MPs.”
December 6, 2019
Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba (Zanu PF) suggesting that Parliament must craft a law to jail those that call for sanctions
“This country is now in tatters because of people that are senior politicians that go to Britain, Germany and the United States to tie things so that there is no development in this country. I suggest that now we must craft a law to ensure that such people are jailed with stiff penalties.”
December 17, 2019
Nkulumane MP Kucaca Phulu (MDC) accusing the Speaker of favouring Zanu PF
“As an MP and over the past few weeks, I have been constrained in my privileges and rights and my observation is that the rulings emanating from the chair (Speaker) on many a matter have been totally biased in favour of the other side of the House (Zanu PF).”
December 18, 2019
Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese (MDC) also accusing the Speaker of bias
“I will refer to Parliament conventions, practices and procedures that when a person occupies the office of Chair, Speaker or President, that person – for the duration or period they are in occupation of that office is supposed to be impartial. I am making this point as I feel that my rights are infringed in the manner that the Chair has been responding to issues with bias.”
December 18, 2019
Mudenda responding to Kucaca Phulu and Innocent Gonese’s accusations that he is biased
“Let me remind you that I and my team of presiding officers have to observe balance in this House where the ratio is 3:1. On a more serious note we need to observe that ratio. You must understand the numerical ratios. You must know that when you have four wives there is a senior wife and three others. Polygamy is a problem.”