Former Mt Pleasant MP, Fadzayi Mahere (CCC), said the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda’s decision to revoke the appointments of legislators from the CCC to various parliamentary committees is “null and void”.
On Tuesday, Mudenda announced that the secondment of the CCC MPs to the positions by former Senator Jameson Timba was unprocedural.
He told lawmakers that he should not have acted upon a letter written by former Timba to announce the appointment of the CCC legislators on February 15.
Mudenda said on reflection, he should not have acted upon that letter as facts show that Timba had no locus standi to represent the party in such a manner.
However, commenting on Mudenda’s move to rescind the appointments, Mahere said the former purported to exercise authority he doesn’t have. She said:
In terms of what law does the Speaker of Parliament have the power to reverse appointments made by a political party regarding chairs of portfolio committees, especially when he has announced the appointments and the chairs have begun their work?
Which provision of the Constitution, Standing Orders or any statute empowers the Speaker to declare a political party’s internal officers “null and void”?
Given that only a court of law can declare invalidity, is it not this very announcement that is null and void?
When the House that is meant to make law, break the law, what hope is there for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and sound legal order?
Why reduce the August House to a farcical den of contradiction and illegality?
The MPs affected by the latest decision are Senator Sessel Zvidzai who was the chief whip for the CCC in the Senate, Nomathemba Ndlovu who was the party’s chief whip in the National Assembly and her deputy Shakespear Hamauswa, Wellington Chikombo who was appointed to the Committee of Standing Rules and Orders, Sethulo Ndebele who was the deputy chairperson of the Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Concillia Chinanzvavana who was the secretary for the body and Mary-Grace Gwature who was the organiser.
The other legislators affected are Martin Mureri who was appointed to the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Prosper Mutseyami who was a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation, Gladys Hlatshwayo who was a member of the African Caribbean Pacific-European Union delegation, Senator Maggie Chakabuda who was a member of the Association of Senates, Shoora and Equivalent Councils of Africa and the Arab world and Ntandoyenkosi Gumede who chaired the Portfolio Committee on Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development.
