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ZANU-PF legislators have generally been passengers barring a short spell when they made a few noises about Salarygate but have taken a back seat ever since

Lloyd Gumbo Mr Speaker, Sir
The Second Session of the Eighth Parliament kicked off a few weeks ago. Sadly, hope in seeing the revolutionary party’s MPs being active in moving motions in both Houses is fast dying.

In terms of moving motions in Parliament, Zanu-PF MPs have been found wanting.

Is it because of reluctance, ignorance or reliance on ministers that they have played second fiddle to the opposition MPs in moving motions?

Do opposition MPs have the leeway because they are not in Government and, as such, motions are their only opportunity to present their party policies while Zanu-PF MPs leave everything to their ministers to carry the day for them?

Saying they do not want to clash with ministers most of whom are their seniors at party level by moving motions that ministers claim they will bring through Bills or policy pronouncements is being economic with the truth.

Zanu-PF MPs cannot just sit back and claim that they cannot introduce motions arguing that their issues would come through Government policy pronouncements.

For starters, legislators represent the electorate not the executive, as such they must move motions that have more to do with the people than the executive.

There is a lot that is happening in the country on the social and economic front that calls for MPs to exhibit their empathy by moving motions in that regard.

It has become the trend even during the inclusive Government era that ministers from both Zanu-PF and MDC formations would shoot down motions claiming that issues raised were already on the line-up of what they were going to present in policy.

I have written on this platform before that Zanu-PF, being the majority party represented in Parliament, has disappointed in the House because its backbenchers have generally been bystanders instead of shaping the direction the august House should take by moving motions that speak to its winning promises.

To me, MDC is a nonentity, so whatever motions they present are insignificant given their minority representation in both Houses.

So as long as Zanu-PF does not support their motions, then they are just good for nothing, more of grandstanding as the revolutionary party can use its majority to shoot them down or dismiss them before they are even debated.

There is, therefore, no need to waste time on an insignificant party.

It is Zanu-PF’s actions that matter most courtesy of its majority representation in both Houses.

As such, more is expected from them than the MDC.

In all fairness, sometimes when one looks at the calibre of some of the Zanu-PF MPs you tend to wonder how they made it past the party’s primary elections because they are not convincing.

It is evident that some of them could only make it through vote manipulation.

Sometimes one questions how the revolutionary party could sacrifice delivery for expediency without looking at the bigger picture of making sure it is represented by capable people than just empty vessels?

Mudzi South MP Mr Jonathan Samukange and his Bikita West counterpart, Dr Munyaradzi Kereke – who both participated at the last elections as independent candidates after spanners were thrown their way – are clear examples of how delivery was sacrificed for expediency as their contributions in Parliament are clear for everyone to see.

The two were sacrificed due to factional politics where VP Joice Mujuru’s hangers-on in the respective provinces were said to be against their ascendancy.

But the ongoing realignment of its representatives at party level at least presents a clear picture of how systems were manipulated to favour certain candidates whose major mandate went beyond Zanu-PF’s victory but internal politics of how it would shape up.

There was an outcry during the party primary elections that they were being manipulated in favour of candidates who were aligned to VP Mujuru.

The claims were dismissed then but could the ongoing realignment of the party leadership must be a sign of how primary elections were manipulated in favour of those aligned to VP Mujuru in her grand strategy to topple President Mugabe?

If that was the case, is it the reason then why some of the MPs are good at nothing hence their commitment to that suicidal plot?

Anyway, most of those MPs are shallow, to say the least, the questions they raise at the very least leave a lot to be desired.

In all fairness, some of the Zanu-PF MPs appear inept and clueless, the best they can do is to boo and heckle.

It does not serve the party any good to be just reactionaries in haphazardly shooting down motions from the opposition when they have the platform to move motions that will lead to socio-economic development that the electorate is yearning for.

Reluctance and reliance on ministers to cover that gap for them is surely out of order.

MPs must know that the legislature is independent of the executive, as such they should accept the autonomy by moving motions that will influence ministers to act in a way that will improve the electorate’s livelihood.

As such, it is with great hope and anticipation that finally something could be in the offing if the recent party caucus meeting that acknowledged the kwashiorkor of motions from its representatives is anything to go by.

Zanu-PF MPs had a caucus meeting recently where they acknowledged that they were playing second fiddle to the opposition and they were implored to be proactive by moving motions.

It is through moving motions that have a bearing on people’s lives that MPs can justify their existence.

It’s now up to Zanu-PF legislators to come to the party by dedicating time to moving motions that could have far-reaching changes on people’s lives.

Without fear or favour, legislators have generally been passengers bar a false start that saw them make noise about Salarygate but nothing more.

While it appears like the revolutionary party has done some soul-searching on the performance of its legislators it has to go beyond caucus acknowledgement to performance in the House.

Or else some MPs must shape up or ship out!

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