OUTSPOKEN Norton Independent legislator, Temba Mliswa, Thursday caused a stir in the National Assembly during the supplementary budget debate describing the Bill Committee chairperson Martin Khumalo a dictator.
The wrangle started when Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi demanded an apology from Mliswa who had heckled him as he responded to Harare East MP, Tendai Biti’s plea that the supplementary budget be revised to consolidate and tie it to the original budget.
Mliswa who rose on a point of privilege, pleaded with Khumalo to bear with him as he naturally stammers and slow in speech arguing his response to Ziyambi had been in error.
“Can you please apologies to the Hon Ziyambi,” Khumalo said.
In response an angry Mliswaa retorted: “I stutter, you can’t force me. Why are you forcing me?
“This exercise is totally useless. I want you to kick me out because you are a dictator. You are totally being a dictator. You can kick me out, I’m not a young boy.”
The Norton MP added: “This is the Parliament of Zimbabwe that represents the interests of the people including you there who also want to be remunerated. You must chuck me out. This is rubbish. This is just rubbish it will be better for me to be with my constituency.”
He then left the chamber in a huff.
MDC chairperson Thabitha Khumalo who is also the leader of the opposition in parliament, laid into the committee chairperson accusing him of bias towards the Zanu PF legislators literally denying the opposition a chance to debate.
“You are denying us to debate as Zimbabweans so that we come up with a full position vis-à-vis our budget,” she said.
Despite the spirited efforts the opposition MPs who are outnumbered 2:1 could not stop the supplementary budget being passed.
A few personal fights broke out with MDC vice president Lynnette Karenyi lashing out at Zanu PF’s Tafanana Zhou. She accused the Mberengwa North MP os being a pedophile.
“He is raping children, he must stop it. He is a womanizer, women are now afraid of him because he is abusing women, you must stop it,” claimed Karenyi.
