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Members of Parliament walked side-by-side as they entered the House for the official opening of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament on Tuesday

Lloyd Gumbo Mr Speaker Sir
Side-by-side, male and female, Zanu-PF and one of the MDCs’ representatives, formed a procession as they entered the august House to listen to President Mugabe outline the legislative agenda for the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament.
Factional politics and fragmentations among the parties represented in Parliament were not as pronounced as the media has portrayed them.

Like new converts awaiting baptism, they walked side-by-side as they performed one of their major mandates.

Energetic crowds thronged Africa Unity Square to watch from the big screens as President set the legislative agenda.

Excitement about the event was evidenced by the presence of huge crowds along Sam Nujoma from Tongogara into Nelson Mandela as people lined up to catch a glimpse of the President’s entourage.

President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe arrived at State House around 10:30am where they had a photo session before the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Police Mounted Unit.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General Augustine led the President as he went through the Mounted Unit comprising 14 female riders and 18 males.

President Mugabe and Amai Mugabe were then driven to Parliament in a black vintage Rolls Royce with the Mounted Unit in tow.

Huge crowds lined the streets when the entourage drove through Tongogara Avenue before turning into Sam Nujoma Street.

Some stood on pavements while others peeped through the windows from their offices as the entourage passed.

The moment the entourage turned into Nelson Mandela Avenue, crowds who were in the Africa Unity Square ululated at the sight of President Mugabe.

They started singing in praise of the President, who is also Zanu-PF’s first secretary while castigating those who undermined his authority.

It has generally been accepted that political parties represented in Parliament heckle or tackle each other in no-holds-barred exchanges whenever the august House is sitting.

Needless heckling has characterised the official opening of parliament over the years with the opposition MDC-T last year, boycotting the opening of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament after the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections won by Zanu-PF.

Their argument was that the polls had been rigged.

But this year’s official opening of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament by President Mugabe was different as legislators across the political divide exhibited some maturity that comes with responsibility and the honour of the august House.

People will argue that heckling brings liveliness into the House and that it’s part of what makes the House what it is.

As such, they see nothing wrong with MPs disturbing proceedings even when serious issues are being debated all in the fulfilment of their rights as MPs to heckle.

I am a fan of Julius Malema and his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, but what they have been doing in the South African Parliament just puts me off.

While the issues that they raise are serious, they are hard done by the grandstanding that they seem to have mastered.

The EFF has made the right noises about the need for their President Jacob Zuma to repay the money spent on improving security at his house.

There is a difference between a high school debate and that of parliamentarians who are expected to be mature and alive to the needs of their constituencies.

It defeats the whole purpose of debating when the august House is turned into a bar.

Can taxpayers’ money be spent on people who just congregate to heckle each other?

Are they elected to heckle or complete and facilitate governance of the people by the people?

What is important to note is that aggressive political debate is good for any parliament but that should be done with some sense of respect and dignity as these are called honourable members, as such, they are expected to behave honourably.

It boggles the mind to see MPs behave recklessly with no dignity whatsoever just for the sake of it.

However, it was good to see our MPs behave honourably when President Mugabe opened Parliament as there were no cases of needless heckling that had become synonymous with every parliamentary opening.

This time around, MPs especially from MDC, behaved themselves as the President delivered his speech.

That is what most people want to see in our parliamentarians where they engage in serious debate and not majoring in minor issues.

MPs can still raise serious issues that they hold dearly without disrespecting the dignity of Parliament.

The maturity that characterised last week’s opening of parliament should be hailed by all and sundry as it showed that our parliamentarians can be serious when they want.

It is now important that they build on the unity that they exhibited in Parliament on Tuesday going forward so that they can concentrate on building the country.

First, they must do away with intolerance that has defined our politics since the turn of the millennium.

The challenges that Zimbabwe faces require all forces to come together for the good of the country, especially people’s representatives whose deliberations in Parliament chats the direction the country takes.

Zanu-PF and MDC legislators must first accept that they are all Zimbabweans who should have the country at heart.

When Bills are brought into the House for debate, national interests must supersede petty party ideologies that may be misplaced.

It is inevitable that there would be political or ideological differences but those can still be expressed in a dignified manner.

The temptation to dismiss the minority opposition is real for Zanu-PF but it is important that they give ear and correct things where the opposition may talk sense.

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