JUSTICE, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi says while President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ordered ministers to attend Parliament regularly, most of them continue to abscond.
This was after Chief Fortune Charumbira complained to Ziyambi in theSenate on Thursday saying absenteeism by ministers was affecting the house’s question and answer sessions.
“I think it is an issue that has to be taken to upper levels, but with the representation here, the attendance, we have two Cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers. I was going to say something but since you are here minster, can I give you the opportunity to respond to that,” Charumbira said
In his response, Ziyambi said he did not understand the ministers’ continued truancy given that Mnangagwa had given an order against the practice.
“President and I have noted. I will relay to the respective ministers that the President impressed upon us to attend Parliament. I think all the ministers are aware of that position, my apologies that they are not here. The only one that I can speak for, I think, is the minister of Foreign Affairs (Fredrick Shava) as he accompanied the President to Zambia. As you know, we lost the former President of Zambia, His Excellency, Rupia Banda,” Ziyambi said.
After Ziyambi’s answer Charumbira said there was a need to have attendance register so that all ministers can be forced to attend parliamentary duties.
“You can see that this is only 30 percent of the number of ministers. Others do not bother even to send an apology, which means they look down upon your Parliament of which you are the leader of parliamentary business.
“I think you have to take note and see what you can do. I think what I want to introduce is a register, like on a question day like this, we introduce a register of ministers who come to answer questions, which is always displayed somehow and sent to the President. Some ministers will go for two months without even showing up and no apology. I think we are in the New Dispensation and we want to show a more serious culture of work.”
This has been the case since the First Republic with the late former President Robert Mugabe issuing similar orders that were also largely ignored.
In the National Assembly, Wednesdays are devoted to questions for ministers to answer; while the Senate holds its question time on Thursdays.
On the set days, there is a session for questions with notice and another for questions without notice.
In the questions without notice session, MPs have the opportunity to pose impromptu questions to Cabinet ministers on issues affecting the nation with each question directed at a particular minister depending on their portfolio.
In the questions with notice session, written questions are forwarded to the ministers prior to the sitting and they are read in the august House for responses.
Yet, in a worrying trend, some Cabinet ministers have decided to leave the entire job to their deputies who often find it difficult when they are hit by a barrage of questions from the legislators.
Successive speakers have raised concern over the issue but that seems to be falling on deaf ears.
In 2020, President of Senate Mabel Chinomona demanded ministers to respect the business of Parliament.
“If we may use this time to ask the Leader of the House to enlighten us what is taking place so that we can proceed because ministers are not responding to motions,” Chinomona said.
In his response Ziyambi apologised and promised to make sure that his colleagues will answer to all motions raised in parliament.
“It is very correct to say that if there is a motion, before it is wound up, the responsible minister has to come and address the issues that would have been debated. I have communicated this to my colleague ministers to say that we need to respond to motions.
“Perhaps from Parliament Administration, what I can request, so that you support my argument is to remind ministers when motions are due for responding so that they can come and respond. I apologise and it is a consideration that we will pursue and ensure that it is done.”
However, the answer did not go down well with Chinomona who said it is not the responsibility of Senators to remind ministers to reply to motions.