Own Correspondent|NORTON member of the House of Assembly Temba Mliswa (INDEPENDENT) has been kicked out of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development Committee by the no-nonsense Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda.

The portfolio committee had been dissolved by Parliament’s Committee of Standing Rules and Orders on 18 February to pave way for investigation into allegations that Mliswa and three other MPs demanded a $400 000 bribe from a private contractor intending to mine in Hwange.

All members except for Mliswa were reappointed to the Mines and Mining Development Portfolio committee, the Speaker announced, much to the chagrin of Mliswa whose face could not betray that he was shell-shocked by the decision.

“I would like to inform the House that all members of the dissolved Mines and Mining Development Committee have been reappointed to the same Committee except Hon. T. Mliswa,” Mudenda announced in Parliament yesterday.

He added: “For the avoidance of doubt, the following are the Members of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development — Hon. R. Bhila; Hon. S. Bhuda; Hon. L. Chikomba; Hon. S. Chikwinya; Hon. M. Chombo; Hon. Dzuma; E. Gwanongodza; Hon. N. Kachepa; M. T. Karimazondo; Hon. C. Kashiri; Hon. T. Khumalo; Hon. P. Machando; Hon. C. Machingauta; Hon. B. Majaya; Hon. T. R. Matangira; Hon. S. Matsunga; Hon. D. Mawite; Hon. E. Mkaratigwa; Hon. M. M. Mpofu; Hon. S. Mudarikwa; Hon. M. Mugidho; Hon. E. Musakwa; Hon. C. P. Mutseyami: Hon. E. Ncube; Hon. A. Ndebele; Hon. T. Nyabani; Hon. J. Paradza; Hon. E. Samambwa; Hon. A. Samson; Hon. T. Saruwaka; Hon. P. D. Sibanda; Hon. S. Sithole; Hon. D. Svuure; Hon. F. Taruvinga; Hon. J. Toffa; Hon. Zhou.

“The newly constituted Committee shall be chaired by Hon. Mkaratigwa.”

Edmond Mkaratigwa is the Zanu PF Shurugwi South legislator.

Mliswa interjected: “On a point of privilege Mr. Speaker…”

But the Speaker was in no mood to entertain Mliswa. “There is no debate on the announcement,” Mudenda said, before proceeding with other announcements.

Mr Mliswa, who chaired Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, was implicated with three other members — Cde Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe Kabuyuni, Zanu-PF), Mr Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe, MDC-Alliance) and Mr Prince Sibanda (Binga North, MDC-Alliance).

The Speaker also announced that Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna had been relieved of his post as chairperson of the Transport and Infrastructure Development Portfolio Committee.

Said Mudenda: “I also wish to inform the House that Hon. Gorerino has been appointed Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development. The Committee membership remains unchanged except that Hon. D. Nduna is no longer a member of that Portfolio Committee.”

Nduna was recently appointed as chairperson of the portfolio committee which he leaves before presiding over as chairperson.

Known to the MPs as “The Headmaster” over his no-nonsense approach to parliamentary rules, Mudenda had previousyl said Section 194 (1) (a) of the Constitution required that Members of Parliament demonstrate high standards of professional ethics.

It read as follows: “Public administration in all tiers of Government including institutions and agencies of the State and Government-controlled entities and other public enterprises must be governed by the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution, including the following principles, (a) a high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained”.

Mliswa and Nduna had a brawl in Parliament in February during which Mliswa accused Dexter Nduna of illegitimately benefiting $11 million from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration.

Mliswa also accused Nduna of not taking his Anti-Retroviral treatment which he alleged were causing him to be mentally ill. He challenged Nduna to go and get tested for HIV/Aids.

Nduna would not take it lying down and threatened to deal with Mliswa “outside of Parliament.”

The two later apologized to Mudenda.