CCC MPs face consequences for boycotting ED address

Citizens Coalition Change Members of Parliament will have their allowances witheld for boycotting President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s opening address in the First Session of the 10th parliament.

 Mnangagwa addressed legislators from his own party Tuesday as all the opposition legislators stayed away in protest against the strongman’s alleged illegitimacy. The opposition vehemently rejects both the process and result that gave Mnangagwa a second term as president.

Some CCC MPs allegedly travelled to Harare from different parts of the country but stayed put in the capital’s hotels hotels after getting a party instruction to boycott Parliament.

Speaker of the House of Assembly Jacob Mudenda, who is Zanu PF instructed parliament to punish the opposition legislators.

“It is therefore clear that that there have been some violations of those Standing Orders.

“Members of CCC have to come to Harare after parliament was summoned by His Excellency, the President and have stayed in hotels and have been given and facilitated their travel to Harare.

“Therefore, there have been violations of these Standing Orders and in terms of powers vested in me as Speaker, I instruct the Clerk of Parliament to ensure that CCC members will not receive their coupons to go back home.

“Secondly, their stay in hotels at the taxpayer’s generosity and commitment will be deducted from their salaries.

“I further request the Leader of Government Business to look into the Political Parties Finance Act to find out whether further sanctions cannot be applied.”

CCC’s Fadzayi Mahere pushed back on possible sanctions around the Political Parties Finance Act claiming there was no legal basis for that.

“There’s nothing in the Political Parties (Finance) Act that gives the Minister of Justice the power to punish a political party for not attending SONA. Firstly, no offence in terms of the Act has been committed. Secondly, only a criminal court can impose a punishment under that Act,” said Mahere.

The opposition’s latest no-show protest is a depature from previous protests against Mnangagwa that took the form of spirited singing as Mnangagwa presented his speech.