Parliament suffered another early adjournment as opposition Members of Parliament stuck to their code of protest of absconding from prosecuting questions on the order paper.
And Speaker of the National Assembly seemed to have taken the bait from Patriotic Front Lusaka Province youth chairperson, Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba and Vice President Guy Scott by decreeing the withholding of allowances for members of parliament that stayed away from the house after listing questions for the house to answer.
Matibini, who cited Section 19, paragraph of the National Assembly Act said the parliamentarians that absconded would not be paid their sitting allowances.
“… It is an act of illicit enrichment to receive allowance when they are not sitting. Any member, who intentionally absconds business will be subject to disciplinary proceedings in addition to denial of allowances,” said Matibini.
After the Speaker had read out his charge sheet he invited Agriculture Minister Bob Sichinga to deliver a ministerial statement after which points of clarification were invited.
However, Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo rose to only say he was satisfied with the statement.
Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa rose on a point of order to seek the Speaker’s ruling on Vice President Guy Scot having referred to opposition MPs as coming to monkey and also Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba who called the legislators as fraudsters.
Mweetwa complained about the heavy police presence outside parliament buildings.
“The Vice President also stated that members of the opposition are monkeying in parliament. This is demeaning and historically racist,” he said.
There was an attempt by PF MPs through Chipili MP Davies Mwila to paint an aura of business as usual but the Speaker was forced to push through another adjournment as opposition MPs did not pitch up to follow through their questions on the order paper.
With PF MPs not the keenest of debaters in parliament, proceedings only lasted less than an hour.
On Friday Mazabuka MP Garry Nkombo will move a private member’s motion to demand a clear roadmap on the constitution.
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