Chombo faces Parly censure

via Chombo faces Parly censure – DailyNews Live by Chengetai Zvauya  3 MARCH 2014

Local government minister, Ignatius Chombo faces a contempt of Parliament charge, following his failure to appear before a parliamentary thematic committee on peace and security to give evidence to legislators.

Committee chairperson, Damian Mumvuri, asked the directors of the Civil Protection Unit, Madzudzo Pawadyira to return to his office since he had no capacity of answering the questions the MPs wanted to ask.

The legislators were expecting Chombo and his permanent secretary, Killian Mupingo to give oral evidence on floods recently experienced in the country among other issues.

“We have  written several letters to the ministry asking for the minister and the permanent secretary to  appear before us and they have not responded.

“This leaves us with no option but to move to institute  a contempt of Parliament to these officials, as they are disregarding us,” he said.

Mumvuri  said his committee was also  keen to get updates on the salaries scandal happening in the local municipalities, to be briefed on the Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam and the issue of compensation  paid to the families affected by floods countrywide.

These issues were beyond Pawadyira.

He also said in the event that they could not get evidence from Chombo, his committee preferred to have Mupingo to stand in for the minister to answer questions.

“We don’t have time for you because we heard your evidence two weeks ago and this time we wanted the minister or the permanent secretary in your ministry and we ask you to go back,”said Mumvuri to Pawadyira who heads the unit which is a department in the ministry of  local government.

The hearing ended abruptly without hearing any evidence as Pawadyira confirmed he had no capacity to answer questions from legislators.