Fadzayi Mahere, the former Member of Parliament for Mt Pleasant (CCC), has announced that she will not participate in the upcoming by-election in her constituency. She cites the unchanged conditions that prompted her initial resignation.
In her statement on Thursday, March 21, Fadzayi Mahere highlighted several issues.
These include the “illegal” recall of Members of Parliament by Sengezo Tshabangu, as well as Speaker Jacob Mudenda’s refusal to engage in discussions on matters of national importance and his dismissal of points of order related to sensitive issues.
These factors contributed to her decision not to participate in the upcoming by-election. She said:
After many consultations and personal reflection, I have decided that I will not be running in the upcoming by-election. The conditions that drove me to resign in the first place have not changed.
The reasons for my resignation include the gross disrespect of the votes cast by citizens in August 2023, the refusal by the Speaker to hear arguments on points of national interest, hijacking of the whipping system, the refusal by the Speaker to entertain points of order on sensitive matters, the unleashing of violent riot police to attack opposition MPs during parliamentary sessions, the illegal recall of opposition MPs, the banning of opposition candidates, the disregard of standing orders and parliamentary privilege, the selective application of parliamentary rules, the repeated illegal suspensions of MPs and the hijacking of the opposition parliamentary caucus.
In fact, we see the further desecration of the August House by the swearing-in of characters such as Sengezo Tshabangu who were front and centre of spitting on the will of the people.
I maintain that, in its current form, Parliament does not represent the will of the people.
I remain committed to the cause of a truly democratic Zimbabwe and will remain active, engaged, and vocal on the issues that matter to the common person.
