Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda has defended his decision to call the police to to eject Citizens Coalition for Change legislators, arguing that they were making the House ungovernable.
CCC legislators were protesting the recalling of their colleagues from Parliament by Sengezo Tshabangu who they claim is not their member and has no authority to do so.
The back and forth between the CCC legislators and Mudenda lasted over two hours, thereby affecting business of the day.
Mudenda ended up using his powers as the presiding officer to summon the police to come and help eject the opposition legislators who were vowing not to leave.
After the incident, which was capture live by the media, Mudenda said if people are not happy with the decision of the Speaker there are platforms to register their displeasure.
Below is the full text of what Mudenda said:
HE HON. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, you have witnessed for yourself that after my ruling, Hon. Chibaya requested to explain their position, which was allowed in terms of the identity of the writer of the recall letter. Now, it is not proper that the ruling of the Chair be debated. It cannot be debated because it is final.
Anyone who is unhappy with the ruling has a right to approach the various levels of our court system and the issue will then be resolved there.
If the Chair has ruled in a manner that is contrary to the Standing Rules and Orders, then the tribunal will decide accordingly, but we cannot allow a situation where the authority of the Chair is disabused.
You saw for yourself when Hon. Chibaya had explained himself, there was Hon. Mahere who wanted to speak and I asked her to sit down and she sat down.
Then Hon. Prince Dubeko Sibanda took the floor and I indicated that he should not take the stand and address the Chair. He refused and Hansard will confirm that he said he will not respect my injunction. Now, we cannot allow such a situation where in the end, we had to bring in ZRP, the police force to eject them because they made this House ungovernable and we have lost more than two hours of taxpayers’ money without doing anything.
It is therefore my ruling that the Members concerned who caused the commotion for the past two hours or so will not be allowed to sit in this House for the next six sittings and that they will forfeit their salaries for two months. So, I rule – . We proceed with business.
