MDC-T Warren Park MP, Elias Mudzuri
Shingirai Vambe
HARARE – Some Members of Parliament have demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa be called to the House of Assembly to explain why he has failed to fulfil his promise to end the cash shortages in the first 100 days of his assuming office.
The MPs attacked government for its utter failure to solve the crisis, six months after making promises that the problems will end.
Binga North MP, Dubeko Sibanda asked that President Mnangagwa be called to the house to answer questions on the crisis now that the country is approaching general elections.
“He promised a lot of things including the 100 days which came and passed and as Members of Parliament, we request that the President responds to us before we go for elections,” said Sibanda.
He also criticised Mnangagwa of failing to be accountable to parliament just as his predecessor, Robert Mugabe had always done.
This provoked a quick defensive reaction from Zanu PF MPs who claimed Mnangagwa was too busy to come to parliament. Temporary speaker of the house, Rueben Marumahoko also defended Mnangagwa, saying the President could not be forced to come to parliament.
Zanu PF Zvishavane-Ngezi MP, John Holder had asked Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa what mechanism government had put in place to deal with the problem.
The legislator criticised government for ignoring the black market money changers whom he said had caused people to continue sleeping on the pavements queuing for the scarce resource.
“Zimbabwe, with its 66 minerals that are being exported, is paid for those exports in foreign currency, not in bond notes. Yet we say we don’t have money in our country, why don’t we have cash reserves?” Holder asked.
Chinamasa gave a less than satisfactory response, saying Zimbabwe, just like Kenya, was one of the countries that had done well through RGTSs and other electronic payment methods and was moving towards a cashless economy.
This forced MPs to demand that he prepare a comprehensive written response for presentation to the house.
Chinamasa, however, stood his ground in a manner that some interpreted as a reflection of his usual arrogance.
“It is believed the Reserve bank is delivering bond notes in the streets of Harare in search of US dollars. So the minister should not hide behind his finger; he should prove with facts that RBZ is not involved,” said MDC-T Warren Park MP, Elias Mudzuri.top news
