Harare East legislator Tendai Biti (CCC) was prevented from contributing to a motion under discussion in the National Assembly by ZANU PF MPs on Tuesday.
Biti was trying to make a contribution on the importance of gold reserves to Zimbabwe’s economy when ZANU PF legislators drowned his contribution by booing and heckling him. They shouted in one accord:
Gara pasi. Hautaure chinhu muno. Wakaunza masanctions muZimbabwe and now you want to lecture us. Gara pasi iwe (Take your seat, you are the one who brought economic sanctions on Zimbabwe through your western friends. We are not going to let you speak about our economy. Sit down).
ZANU PF accuses Biti and other CCC senior members of begging Western countries to impose economic sanctions on the country.
Meanwhile, both CCC and MDC Alliance MPs stood behind Biti, with some of them asking National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda (ZANU PF) to intervene. Harare Central MP Murisi Zwizwai (CCC) said:
Speaker, this is unfair. The Hon. Member is not protected. Why are you not restricting Zanu PF members from all this? Why are allowing this anarchy?
I represent my constituency. Do you want us to collapse this parliament? Why are you allowing ZANU PF to do this?
We are equally elected to this parliament. Respect Speaker imi vanhu veZANU PF.
When Mudenda finally brought order to the House and allowed Biti to speak, the CCC co-deputy president said:
I was elected by people in my constituency. I have the right to represent them.
I represent those people who elected me to this House.