By Staff Reporter
DEPUTY President of Senate Michael Nyambuya has described as “sad” the propensity of absconding Question-and-Answer sessions by the country’s two vice presidents and Cabinet ministers.
The worrisome trend denies citizens vital information about government policies, programmes and projects.
Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda has, on several occasions, noted the undesirable trend and ordered punitive action to be taken against errant top government officials skipping parliamentary Q and A sessions.
This Thursday, Hon Nyambuya was unassumed by the absence of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his counterpart, Kembo Mohadi, and a huge chunk of Cabinet ministers and their deputies, who missed the important deliberations in the Upper House.
“Today is Thursday and following the Standing Orders, we start with Questions Without Notice. As usual, I have a very long list of apologies, sadly,” said Nyambuya, before reading the list of absentee office bearers.
“The list of apologies is as follows; Hon. General Rtd. Dr. C. D. G. N. Chiwenga, the Vice President; Hon. Colonel Rtd. K. C. D Mohadi, the Vice President; Hon. M. Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. Machakaire, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training; Hon. Murwira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Hon. Kazembe, Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Mavetera, the Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services; Hon. M. Ndlovu, the Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. F. Mhona, Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development.
He went further, “…Hon. J.G, Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. K. D. Mnangagwa, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion; Hon. E. Jesaya, Deputy Minister of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Hon. J. Mhlanga, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development; Hon. C. Sanyatwe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage; Hon. Mazungunye, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Hon. A.
Gata, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. R. Modi, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce; Hon. Y. Simbanegavi, Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development; Hon. M. Ncube, Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities and Hon. D. Marapira, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement.”
Only Primary and Secondary Education minister, Torerai Moyo and two deputies were in the august House, which is emblematic of a skewed work ethic.
“In the Chamber today, we have Hon. T. Moyo, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education; Hon. O. Marupi, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and Hon. D. Phuti, Deputy Minister of ICT.
“Can we then start with those ministers who are present and hopefully, we will be joined by other ministers as we progress?” said the Senate deputy president.
A number of Cabinet ministers are under fire for not attending Parliament business, a development that has incensed Mudenda.
Recently, the Speaker revealed that most Cabinet ministers give apologies on the pretext of being on national duty, something he said should be investigated.
The Q & A session is one of the most important Parliament business schedules where the public gets answers to policy questions asked by their constituency representatives (MPs) from Cabinet ministers.
In recent years, the two VPs and ministers have evaded the session, leaving citizens starved of crucial information needed to track progress of elected officials.
Several MPs have raised their concerns since the previous Parliament until now (10th Parliament), with the Speaker at one point threatening to report culprits to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“After listening to this, there are quite clear apologies that have been very consistent to you. And my suspicion is that these ministers who make apologies cannot be on national duty every week,” Mudenda lamented.
Mnangagwa has also issued a stern warning to Cabinet ministers, who habitually skip his weekly Cabinet meetings, delegating their deputies to attend in their place.
While chairing his final cabinet meeting of 2024 at State House, December 17, Mnangagwa warned that such delegation would not be tolerated in 2025.
He said in the 2025 calendar year, the Chief Secretary is directed to strictly monitor attendance and ensure that errant ministers and officials toe the line, or face dire consequences.