Members of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Mining Development were on Friday angered after Hwange Colliery administrator Bekithemba Moyo and the management committee snubbed them during a visit to Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL). The committee was on a mission to familiarise itself on how the company is operating since it was placed under reconstruction by the Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando. The management was however not available to meet the committee and Chairperson of the Committee Themba Mliswa said
As Parliament, we operate in terms of Section 192 of the Constitution. We meet the administrator and all stakeholders for them to give oral evidence. We came here to assess the situation so that we can make good recommendations.
The administrator felt there was no need for Parliament to come here. They are totally misdirected. The administrator was informed in time and he wrote to the speaker of National Assembly saying that we had no authority to come to Hwange. He is totally misinformed.
As Parliament, we are the people’s eye. We represent the people. We need to understand the vision of the administrator. It’s an inquiry, so I don’t know why he behaved in such a way when the new dispensation is talking about accountability.
We are going to sit down as a committee. We don’t want to have people who don’t want to respect the Parliament. Undermining Parliament is undermining the people of Zimbabwe. We have rules to follow on people who do not respect Parliament.
The government of Zimbabwe is the major shareholder in HCCL holding a 37% stake.
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