via Kasukuwere, Wadyajena go toe to toe – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 10, 2015
THE beef between Zanu PF MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena and former Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere deepened yesterday after the ruling party heavyweight accused the Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator of abusing his parliamentary position to settle personal scores.
BY XOLISANI NCUBE
The two exchanged harsh words, which insiders said signified deep-rooted factionalism in Zanu PF.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, a charged Kasukuwere accused Wadyajena of abusing his parliamentary post to settle “misplaced political fights”.
He alleged Wadyajena was spearheading a witch-hunt through his investigation into operations of the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust (CSOT).
The two Zanu PF MPs, who were allegedly from two distinctive factional camps in the ruling party, attacked each other in front of fellow MPs and journalists.
This was a second attempt to summon Kasukuwere by the committee as last year they hit a brick wall after former Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma ruled that it was improper for an ex-minister to speak on ministerial issues when someone was there competent to address such matters.
Kasukuwere had been summoned to clear the air regarding how much diamond mining firms operating in Marange were supposed to contribute towards the Marange-Zimunya CSOT.
“I think it’s a big witch-hunt . . . a misplaced one,” Kasukuwere said after Wadyajena had tried to allay fears that the probe was targeted at him.
“How is the committee hunting you?” Wadyajena asked Kasukuwere who quickly pointed directly at the chair saying he was the engineer of the harassment.
“Not the committee, but I must say, you at personal level,” Kasukuwere charged as emotions were running high between the two Zanu PF members.
“You have been very careless in your conduct. I have recordings of your discussions with journalists.
“I have your recordings speaking on television trying to say that there has been corruption . . . We respect this committee.
“We respect Parliament, but this institution must never be used for political grandstanding.
“We must take each other seriously,” Kasukuwere, who is now Local Government minister, said.
Wadyajena had persistently quizzed the minister if there were written agreements between him or his previous ministry and mining firms in Marange that they would each pay $10 million towards the CSOT.
He said all diamond mining companies had told the committee that they did not make any pledges to pay such an amount.
The Zimunya-Marange community was yet to benefit from the diamonds being mined in their community as the companies have claimed that they were not approached by government to do so and only two of the five had contributed $400 000 towards community development.
In his presentation, Kasukuwere said the committee should engage the shareholders of the companies mining in Chiadzwa, most of them linked to the government.
Wadyajena appeared to have lost control of his committee as Kasukuwere had a field day trying to clarify how he managed his portfolio before he was switched to Environment, Water and Climate ministry and subsequently to Local Government.
“I did not at any point sit down with general manager (Robert) Mhlanga (of Mbada Diamonds). I did not at any point sit down with any directors. I have made it clear that we treated this issue differently from the way we treated other companies because these were State-linked entities. So the issue that $10 million apiece be made available was an agreement with the shareholders of these companies who happen to be my fellow ministers because they are linked to the State,” Kasukuwere said.
Tempers flared between the two with the Gokwe-Nembudziya MP struggling to control Kasukuwere who spoke at length about how he treated the Marange companies some of which were owned by the military, while others were under the control of the Mines ministry through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
“Order! Order! Honourable minister, if you have the recordings and anything, I think you know where to take them, there are authorities who can help you,” Wadyajena frantically tried to bring back order.
“If you have anything, my carelessness, I will not be intimidated,” Wadyajena said to which Kasukuwere responded: “I am not intimidating you.”
But this did not stop Wadyajena from pronouncing his views over the allegations that he was abusing the committee, telling Kasukuwere that “I will continue with this investigation.”
However, Kasukuwere refused to be silenced by Wadyajena who appeared agitated and unsettled after the allegation that he was abusing the committee to further his political agenda.
“Let’s deal with this matter conclusively, but we should not allow you to abuse your position as chairman of this committee.”
Wadyajena was not yet done with his senior shouting: “Honourable minister, even if I abuse my position as chair, I will not entertain that, Honourable minister, behave yourself!”
Kasukuwere retorted: “You behave first . . . and then be able to tell us . . . Others are good at saying sexual harassment, this is what we call political harassment.”
As tempers cooled down, Wadyajena asked Kasukuwere if he enjoyed being hunted to which Kasukuwere said: “I am an elephant, I am sorry you are using a catapult on me.
“I will not feel the pain. I suppose this has to do with age. It’s called youthful exuberance.”
But Wadyajena told the minister that he was not an animal worth hunting.
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