No independent legislators in the 10th Parliament, its Zanu PF versus CCC #ElectionsZW
The 10th Parliament of Zimbabwe which has been voted in from the 2023 general elections will be without independent legislators.
In the just ended 9th Parliament there were two independent legislators Masango Matambanadzo (Kwekwe Central) and Temba Mliswa (Norton). The two independent legislators accounted for the 0.95% of the Parliamentary vote in the 2018 general election where Zanu PF got 69.05% while MDC Alliance had 30%.
However, Honourable Matambanadzo died in July of 2020, after a long illness leaving Mliswa as the only independent voice in the National Assembly.
Honourable Mliswa, however lost his seat to Richard Tsvangirai of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Mliswa polled 7 518 against Tsvangirai’s 13 089, while Constance Shamu was third with 5 017.
As an independent candidate, Mliswa could criticise both Zanu PF, MDC-Alliance and Citizens Coalition for Change in Parliament, and could speak out his mind as he was immune to the whipping system that happens in Zimbabwe Parliament.
Whipping system is a system where legislators are guided by their party’s interests and not their constituency’s interests and those that choose to disregard party interests are often recalled from Parliament.
The fitness trainer-cum politician was also one of the most active legislators in the 9th Parliament and used to raise a lot of MPs welfare issues.
Below are some of the Temba Mliswa’s moments in the National Assembly:
