Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has accused the current crop of committee members of being the worst in the history of Parliament as they tend to sit on reports sent through by line ministries neglecting their oversight role over government.
Honourable Mliswa who was responding to sentiments raised by Chegutu West legislator Dexter Nduna over the need for monthly or quarterly reports on progress made in projects under the various thematic committee as a way of tracking advancement towards the set agenda 2030 national vision, said it was unfortunate that Parliament was neglecting its mandate as the committees are proving useless.
“The engine has no valves. The cylinders are not firing. We are the worst and I hope the chief whips can understand that half way through, we are known to be a Parliament which made recommendations.
“If you look at the portfolio committees, there are recommendations which we do, they are not implemented and we continue to do that.
“It is disastrous and it is the worst ever… There is no vibrancy in these committees and because of that you see many people asking questions instead of portfolio committees picking on things and taking time to be the engine room and making reports.
“The reports of their work which are supposed to be coming in so that we debate are not coming in. What are they doing?
Mliswa further implored the Speaker of the National Assembly to ensure an end to incompetence and politicking without getting work done as budgets were just being passed without much inspection of work being done on the ground thereby soiling the institution’s credibility, integrity and dignity.
Parliament currently has 20 Portfolio Committees and seven Thematic Committees which receive monthly and quarterly reports from line ministries, inter-party bickering has however characterised most sitting hampering any real progress.
