Zimupdates

Speaker, Clerk row rages on

By Zvamaida Murwira 22/02/2010

Speaker of the House of Assembly Mr Lovemore Moyo has threatened Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma with "disciplinary action" as the row between the two officials rages on.

Mr Zvoma yesterday reacted calmly to the threats, saying he would wait and see what action Mr Moyo planned to take against him.

Mr Moyo is accusing the Clerk of leaking confidential material to the media.

This is the latest spat in a long-running dispute between the two in which Mr Moyo says Mr Zvoma is encroaching into his jurisdiction.

Mr Zvoma, on the other hand, has indicated that perhaps the Speaker is not aware of his duties and terms of reference.

Recently, Mr Moyo wrote to Mr Zvoma saying: "The fact that a confidential memo was deliberately given to The Sunday Mail is something that constitutes indiscipline and I am keen to find out who sent your memo to the Press yet the memo I wrote to you was never leaked to the Press."

This was in reference to an article that appeared in that paper on December 20 last year quoting a memo Mr Zvoma wrote earlier that month in which he pointed out that Mr Moyo seemed unaware of his constitutional role.

In his recent letter, Mr Moyo complained: "Your memo leaves me with the impression that you think Parliament is a leaderless institution and that elected office bearers are irrelevant appendages to a system which reposes all its powers in you and that presiding officers are beholden to you and should pander to you for the minimal powers that you ascribe to them."

He said he would deal with the "indiscipline" after studying the Clerk’s letter.

Yesterday Mr Zvoma said he would discuss the issue substantively after the Speaker finished "studying" the letter.

"I am not aware of any disciplinary action against the Clerk. In the letter, the Speaker did not accuse me of leaking information. He said he is making his investigations.

"What the Speaker said is that he is studying the letter and I will wait to hear what the findings are and his action, if any. I will wait for the results of his study, for now I am not facing any charges or any action."

Sources said Mr Moyo would bring the issue to the attention of the Standing Rules and Orders Committee, which he chairs, at its next meeting scheduled for March.

The SROC is Parliament’s highest decision-making body and comprises President of the Senate Cde Edna Madzongwe, her deputy Cde Naison Ndlovu, Vice Presidents Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and his deputies Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe.

Other members are ministers Patrick Chinamasa (Justice), Eric Matinenga (Constitutional Affairs) and Welshman Ncube (Industry).

In December, Mr Zvoma wrote to Mr Moyo saying the latter seemed to be misinterpreting the Constitution to mean that the Speaker headed Parliament.

The Clerk said Section 33 to 36 of the Constitution defined the Speaker’s roles.

Mr Zvoma said: "It is therefore patently clear that the Speaker of the House of Assembly is not the head of Parliament, a position or title which the Constitution or

Standing Orders do not provide for in our Parliament."

The two recently clashed over procedural matters relating to the presentation of a motion by Mwenezi East Member of House of Assembly Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Zanu-PF) calling on PM Tsvangirai and DPM Mutambara to lobby for the removal of illegal Western sanctions.

Mr Moyo felt that he should have sight of motions before they were tabled while Mr Zvoma pointed out there was no provision obliging legislators to seek the Speaker’s consent.

Mr Zvoma said lawmakers had notified the Speaker of pending motions out of courtesy and not as a requirement.

Meanwhile, Parliament has described President Mugabe as a "torchbearer of African self-determination".

In a statement on the occasion of the 86th birthday of the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Mr Moyo, Cde Madzongwe and Parliamentary officers said President Mugabe was "a torchbearer of African self-determination, an embodiment of black empowerment, who encapsulates true African values, an icon of the emancipation of the black majority from the yoke of colonial oppression".

The statement said President Mugabe was well-known for his tireless pursuit of justice.

"Revered by friends and foes alike, you are well-known for your unwavering principles and fierce commitment to redressing colonial injustices."

The statement said Zimbabweans should imitate President Mugabe’s distinguished life.

"The consolidation of the gains of the revolution requires that we leave no room for complacency and that we emulate the illustrious life of dedication and commitment to justice. We wish the President many more years of good health."