We are here to knock some sense into Parliament – says new MPs

By Darlington Gatsi

NEWLY appointed Members of Parliament have vowed to challenge the status quo and restore the sanctity of the National Assembly which they say has been eroded.

MPs from Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) were sworn in this week in Mt Hampden paving the way for them to get business off the ground in the 10th National Assembly.

At the swearing-in, new faces from across the political divide were conspicuous by their presence.

Pashor Sibanda MP for Cowdray Park who defeated Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube, former Zanu PF director of Information Tafadzwa Mugwadi and Sunningdale representative Maureen Kademaunga are some of the new faces that were sworn in.

Sibanda said their presence in Parliament will bring new ideas that he believes have been absent in the last national assembly.

“We are here to continue to serve our people. We have come here with new ideas and to reconstruct how parliament should be. We have seen how parliament has been abused particularly the issues of constitutional making and we have seen how people have been incompetent. Finally we have come to knock some sense in parliament,” said Sibanda.

The ninth parliament came under scrutiny during its tenure accused of passing laws that were deemed by the critics as being draconian.

Private Voluntary Organisation bill, criminal law and codification amendment act sailed through Parliament despite condemnation from civil society organisations.

Further, Parliament was also rocked by recalls as the opposition went through factions blowing up its numbers in the national assembly.

CCC increased its threshold in parliament with 103 legislators.

Kademaunga said coming on the backdrop of disputed August polls, the presence in parliament is an uphill battle in advancing the opposition agenda.

“I come to parliament at a time when I have mixed emotions. I am happy, I am celebrating the wins against all odds. I am disappointed with the way the election was managed, the credibility of the election is quite questionable. I know coming to parliament is a mammoth task to defend democracy, freedoms of the people,” said Kademaunga.

Buhera West MP, Mugwadi said: “I am hoping that we are going to all of us effectively deliver on the constituencies where there are a lot of people, the majority of whom have lost opportunities. We must tap into government programmes, existing and ongoing,” said Mugwadi.