Newly elected Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators yesterday came out guns blazing after Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda ordered that they should not attend the house while putting on yellow coloured clothes.
19 CCC members took oath of office in the National Assembly yesterday following the electoral victory in the recently held by-elections.
The order by Mudenda came after Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba raised a motion that CCC members were wearing party colours.
However, the Speaker inquired if he had seen any symbol on the yellow attires that he was alluding to with the opposition members shouting ‘NO’.
After swearing in the newly elected legislators Mudenda said he had considered what was raised by Chinotimba and ordered members to observe the proper dress code.
“From tomorrow, can Hounourable members adhere to the dress code and not seen in colours that are aligned to party affiliation, please be advised accordingly,” ordered Mudenda
CCC vice president Tendai Biti who retained his Harare East parliamentary seat and was putting on a stripped yellow and navy blue neck tie said he was not breaching any law.
“I can understand if the Speaker rules against putting n yellow t-shirts but if I put on a yellow shirt, a formal business shirt or a yellow tie, I am not breaching any law. I hope he does not put us in a collision and that there is litigation and civil war in the house,” said Biti.
Dangamvura-Chikanga legislator Prosper Mutseyami had no kind words for Mudenda saying the Parliamentarians were voted into office by citizens.
“Is what the Speaker saying lawful, or he is just telling us what’s in his head? This is not Mudenda’s House, it’s a National House. We were not voted for by Mudenda but by the people, we are not here out of his compassion,” charged Mutseyami.
Since its formation in January, CCC adopted yellow as their principal colours and has rattled ruling party members with a few skirmishes recorded against opposition members.
Meanwhile, CCC legislators were today barred from entering Parliament because of the yellow neck ties.
The defiant lawmakers had to bulldoze their way into the house with Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda announcing that they will look into the standing rules and orders to see if there is any breach.
