The events at Parliament on Wednesday all but confirm that Zimbabwe has plunged to depths never before imaginable and soon will be firmly in the realms of a banana republic status.
Source: Parliament honour desecrated – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 28, 2016
Comment: NewsDay Editor
Violence anywhere is cause for concern, but the moment we start seeing it in Parliament, with the police at the forefront, it is quite worrying and is cause for concern.
It was quite a sad sight to see police officers clashing with opposition politicians and stepping on parliamentary benches just to throw out a legislator, whose only crime – that is if you can call it that – was to wear a suit with the Zimbabwean flag colours.
The accusations of abuse and harassment of female politicians in the ensuing melee is cringe worthy to say the least and the police should be ashamed of themselves.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mabel Chinomona should be embarrassed of her conduct, as she had no reason to call in the police and should have censured the cops, when she saw the situation getting out of hand, rather than to allow them to call for reinforcements.
Parliament is not referred to as the august House for nothing – this means it is a profoundly honoured place – but what honour is there when the police can run roughshod on every notion of decency in an effort to throw out a legislator?
What honour is there when Chinomona can watch her colleagues being treated in that manner because one of them dared wear the colours of the Zimbabwean flag?
There is certainly no honour when police officers are seen climbing on chairs and walking on parliamentary benches.
Parliament’s honour has been desecrated by Chinomona and the police.
This episode has set a sad precedent for the country and it will not be surprising to see the police being more involved in the way Parliament is run.
What justification do the police and Chinomona have for the cops’ conduct?
Every Zimbabwean, who followed Wednesday’s parliamentary session has every right to be angry at what happened.
We cannot vote for legislators only for them to be treated like that by the police.
What is further saddening is that this is not the first time there has been accusations of sexual harassment in Parliament, yet we have not heard of any investigations.
The police should have been this vigilant in investigating the previous sexual harassment allegations and death threats, but no, they seem content with desecrating the House.
If this behaviour by the police, and Chinomona’s trigger-happy attitude is left unchecked, there is a real risk that Parliament will be turned into nothing more than a public house, where legislators have no protection nor honour.
COMMENTS
….”soon will be firmly in the realms of a banana republic status.”
Thats the only bit that caught my eye. Mr Newsday Editor where have you been? We have been a Banana Republic since 1980. That was the name of the first president if you remember. You know ? The guy who was a homosexual rapist. And it has been all downhill from there. I know you are only a gutter journalist and we should not expect too much, but pleeze man do better than this!