Mliswa sides with UK Parliament, the debate was not wrong
Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has come to the defence of the UK Parliament, arguing that it did nothing wrong in discussing the situation in Zimbabwe.
The UK Parliament (House of Lords) raised concerns about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and efforts towards the enactment of the Patriotic Bill.
According to some of the legislators in the House of Lords, Zimbabwe must not be readmitted into the Commonwealth until it has instituted political freedoms among other things.
This stance has not gone down well with Zanu PF legislators such as Pupurai Togarepi who demanded a government position on the issue.
However, Honourable Mliswa defended the House of Lords arguing that it was a genuine debate and there was no attack on Zimbabwe.
‘’On a point of order! The point of order is, we need to be very clear, the sponsor of the question was not specific to what the British have said. He just said they are saying this and that in the House of Commons.
‘’What is it that they are saying which is an attack on the people of Zimbabwe? It was a debate, the same way we debate about sanctions that the British must not push for sanctions, the Americans must not push for sanctions – it was a genuine debate. We must be very clear when interfering with debates of other countries,’’ he said.
Mliswa added that Honourable Togarepi can move a motion if he wants the Parliament of Zimbabwe to discuss the issue.
‘’He (Togarepi) can move a motion for us to discuss on it. It is a clip and I wish I could be connected; you could listen to it. There was nothing, Zimbabwe wants to re-engage in the Commonwealth and in so doing, they are going to the British, they are lobbying the British who have got their own terms of re-engagement.
‘’They are saying, human rights violation, you are not adhering to it and so forth; persecution of people – I am one who has been persecuted by this government. So, to me, I also agree in terms of reforms that should take place. So, I do not know when they are debating on issues that have not been put in this House to say, the British have said A, B, C and D.
‘’We debate on sanctions, let us also sit down and debate on the wrongs that the British are doing if there are any. Each House debates on what it believes – sanctions for example. I do not expect a British Member of Parliament to say Zimbabwe House of Assembly debated on sanctions and they are attacking us.
‘’There was no attack. We must be an institution of integrity and I think we are really making our ministers appear foolish at the end of the day. If the British are out of order Madam Speaker, the Ambassador is called by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to put them in order – that is how we work in terms of diplomatic ties,’’ he said–
Mliswa sides with UK Parliament, the debate was not wrong
