More than three quarters of cabinet ministers yesterday failed to turn up for the question and answer session in parliament with opposition legislators pleading with Acting Speaker of Parliament, Tsitsi Gezi and leader of government business Kazembe Kazembe to rein in on those who abscond without reasons.
Chikanga-Dangamvura legislator Prosper Mutseyami was the first to raise concern over the absence of ministers from parliament.
“For the sake of the records, because we already have a system that the Hon. Speaker prescribed to, may we kindly have a list of the Hon. Ministers who have put apologies to the House so that next week we will do a thorough follow up with the Speaker and the Standing Rules and Orders Committee for this issue to be addressed.
“As I see now, it is a culture which is grooming slowly and it is becoming powerful. Some of the Deputy Ministers have actually left. Just for the record Madam Speaker, already in this House we now have Ministers who hardly come to Parliament. I would put names but for now, I will not shame them,” said Mutseyami.
In response Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi promised to engage the leader of the house on the way forward.
This was after Mutseyami demanded a list of absent ministers without apology.
Earlier on, Ziyambi had failed to provide satisfactory answers on the government policy program to de-congest urban cities.
Opposition legislators demanded the minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo to avail himself and answer the question.
Ziyambi, however, told the speaker that he will explain why ministers did not turn up for parliament.
