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Chronicle Reporter
MPs have failed to debate the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission reports presented in Parliament because they had not read them as required, a development that Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda described as dereliction of duty.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission reports for the years 2018 and 2019 were presented in Parliament in terms of Section 323 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and were supposed to be debated last week in the National Assembly.

Mutare Central MP, Mr Innocent Gonese sought that debate on the reports be deferred saying MPs “may not have perused or gone through the reports.”

He requested that the debate on the two reports be adjourned. The MP said it would be remiss if the reports are just passed through Parliament without MPs doing justice to what the Commission presented.

In response the Speaker described failure by the MPs to debate the reports as dereliction of duty.

“I am sure the reports were distributed online. Hon Members, in terms of the Section quoted, when I put the question, this House is expected to debate on the reports because it is a compulsory obligation of the Commissions to submit to Parliament, through the responsible minister, an annual report.

In this case, there are two annual reports describing fully its operations and activities and the report being submitted not later than the end of March in the year following the year to which the report relates. I am amazed at the silence,” he said.

“I thought you would have started by giving a proviso of accepting dereliction of duty, because I am not taking this lightly. If the commissions have started to comply with the constitutional requirements of tabling reports to this House, the Hon. Members are expected to actively respond accordingly.”

Mr Gonese then said MPs were taking full responsibility for not having acquainted ourselves with the reports and sought indulgence that the debate be adjourned to enable members to go through them.

He said they would then at an appropriate time, deliberate on the reports.