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Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor 

THE walk out by Zanu-PF legislators on the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts chaired by MDC Alliance vice president Mr Tendai Biti last week was long overdue as the ruling party can no longer allow the opposition to disrespect President Mnangagwa.

 The Zanu-PF legislators on Friday walked out on the Mr Biti led committee, a day after the MDC Alliance legislators snubbed the 2020 national budget presentation by Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube. 

The MDC Alliance legislators have been walking out on President Mnangagwa saying they do not recognise him.

 “I think this was long overdue,” said Cde Matemadanda in reference to the Friday walk out. 

“We have three arms of Government, the executive, legislature and judiciary and without one of the three then we do not have a Government and this should be understood very well by MDC people because the party has many lawyers as members including their leader. They must know this.” 

Cde Matemadanda said it was hypocritical for MDC Alliance to refuse to recognise President Mnangagwa after their court challenge to nullify the Presidential elections won by President Mnangagwa was thrown out. 

“There is no government that can be there on earth without the executive. You have a confused lot, just four days earlier, they were in Victoria Falls receiving hefty allowances and I know that many have been complaining going to Parliament to say they were not paid allowances in full and yet they do not want to recognise the full process of even getting those allowances,” said Cde Matemadanda. 

“You don’t get choosy, you take what you think benefits you individually and not what benefits the people that elected you. We are concerned about developmental issues, monetary issues and so forth and here the Minister of Finance is tabling a budget that should sustain Parliament and MPs and the whole country and then for dubious reasons people walk out and say they don’t want the presence of the President who will assent to the laws that they are going to make in Parliament, how foolish is that?” Cde Matemadanda said Zanu-PF MPs must not respect any chairperson of a committee from the MDC Alliance until they respect the President. 

“We have these crucial stages of Parliament where for example the President comes to address us on a State of the Nation Address, this is what guides us, but they decide to go out and yet they want to debate on the same issues. 

“What double standards. I think enough is enough, we cannot continue to be taken for granted . . .  If they think they cannot respect the President, if they think the setup of Parliament or Government is not normal, they should all resign,” said Cde Matemadanda. 

“They can’t say they want allowances, they want to get into Parliament, they want to be paid, they even want to go to resort areas to debate issue that they are not interested to listen to after having contributed, they say no because there is someone that they don’t want, no that is hypocrisy and we will not take that anymore.”