via Chinotimba steals show in Parliament NewZimbabwe by Staff Reporter 25/09/2013
BUHERA South MP Joseph Chinotimba injected much-needed vitality to the dour proceedings in Parliament on Tuesday, in the process surprising many with the lucidity of his debate contribution.
The colourful former leader of the war veterans’ association – whose picture showing him smiling through gapped front teeth while donning a thatch hat became one of the most iconic images of the land invasions – brought light relief to MPs debating the serious subject of President Robert Mugabe’s speech.
But the Zanu PF lawmaker, making his maiden speech following his election on July 31, had some serious contribution to make – away from the histrionics that accompany his delivery.
Parliament’s communication system seemed to fail as Chinotimba rose to speak, briefcase in hand.
Buhera is experiencing extreme poverty, the MP said, and the Agriculture Ministry must be given more money “without wasting time debating it”, he demanded.
The Grain Marketing Board, the government’s grain reserve, must be given more money in order to buy maize from farmers at a fair price, he said, warming to his theme.
“In Buhera, the terrible, potholed and impassable roads now have names. Ndinoona dzimwe nzvimbo dzirikuiswa tara pamusoro peimwe tara (Yet if you go to some parts of the country they are putting tarred roads on top of tarred roads),” he said, his whole contribution delivered in Shona.
While still on the issue of roads, Chinotimba turned to a sore point that many of the gathered MPs who have a rural home have been living with for the last 15 or so years following the looting and subsequent incapacitation of the District Development Fund (DDF).
Said Chinotimba: “ZINARA (Zimbabwe National Roads Administration) must not focus on repairing the tarred roads only. What about the dust roads? Who will fix those?”
Chinotimba then turned to corruption – a key theme of Mugabe’s government programme announced during the official opening of the first session of the eighth parliament on Tuesday last week.
“I applaud President Mugabe for his stance against corruption,” he said. “But the biggest question is where is corruption found? Corruption irikutangwa nevanhu vanemari, kwete vasina (Corruption starts with those with money, not the poor). If you look for corruption here in Parliament, you will find it,” he said, drawing laughter from the packed House.
“For example, if Zanu PF MPs laugh at MDC MPs, and MDC MPs laugh at Zanu PF MPs, that’s corruption!”
Chinotimba called on all Zimbabweans to “unite kuti zvinhu zvifambe”, before majestically walking away from the dispatch box, swinging his briefcase.
Other MPs stood up to make their contributions, but their thunder had been stolen by a man talking from the heart – just as those who elected him would want it!
COMMENTS
Now Parliament has a resident clown!!!
yes but clowns and jesters stand before kings speaking tough truth in an unorthodox manner. Truths that when spoken in the usual cultural manner results in the speakers head being cut off. Clowns and jesters are out of the box thinkers and communicators. One joke from a jester can communicate more deeply and effectively than a 3 hour parliamentary diatribe
Am not a zpf supporter but this is the kind of frankness and vibrance we need in parliament.
THE MAN IS …. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET!
We are now a Basket Case Banana Republic. One wonders if Zimbabwe has any future at all.
Ramba wakadaro Chinos, pamwe zvinhu zvingachinje mu Zimbabwe, Problem is your party which can not reform.
Tinotenda maruva tadya chakata,chati homu chareva, vaChinotimba vanoda kutimba nyaya sezvairi asi dambudziko ravangasangane naro nderekushaya zvikodze kuti shuviro yavo iite.
I’ve always considered Chinoz to be a cartoon character but for once I think he is talking sense.
@ Imvi, you are damn right. He may be speaking from the heart but going against his party’s policy of greediness which has led to the situation he has laid out in his speech.
Hatidi kutamba ne parliament tichidai. Zanu is never serious about Zimbabwe
Ndomaitiro evanhu vasina mazino mumuromo..
Pa waka taura ndipapo Chinoz.Usarambe uchi nyanya kupindiridza.Vamwevako havana mashuwa ava.Njodzi dzemota idzidzawanda.Becareful comrade.
I liked the last part “if ZANU PF MPs laugh at MDC MPs and MDC MPs laugh at ZANU PF MPs that’s corruption and that” we must unite kuti ZVIFAMBE” What the TRUTH Hazvifambe ZANU HAZVIFAMBE kana Mukafunga kuti muri vachenjeri vekumabva zuva Look at your Leader He comes to the United Nations General Assembly in New York only to sleep DID YOU SEE HIM SLEEPING -SHAME- And did you know in America he can do no shopping of for and by himself freely like other leaders He is confined to the UN premises only like a prisoner at Chikurubi What a SHAME
Same circus – different clowns!
This is the kind of down-to-earth MP that we want in Zimbabwe not the aliens from Mars we have been subjected to in the past.
Well done Cde Chinos. Keep going.
Definately sir,we need to unite for the sake of zimbabwe and our children.
Mira uone achadaniwa kustate house agoudzwa kuti ane dzungu , achadzikama papas ichapera.
By the way, has chinos been tried for shooting his innocent neibough in Mabvuku at the height of Zanu madness? But then again Febba Chidarikire was caught with a human head in his car and ndokuti “hameno kuti musoro wacho wabve pi”. Corruption? zanu condons murder let alone zvitete izvo. Yes, parliament is full of corrupt people (naBob wacho) and they even laugh about it. Iye Chinos wacho is corrupt to the core – kungofarisa chete uku. Uthaba kubi. Ibenzi ranhonge roro. Uhlanya oludobe impembe.
Now parliament must introduce english lessons for MPS. The teacher must be prepared to work with slow learners like cde.