By Own Correspondent- MDC legislator for Harare Central Murisi Zwizwai has pledged to donate his salary to enable parliament to employ interpreters as a way of ensuring that parliamentary proceedings are interpreted for ordinary citizens who do not understand other languages including English.

He said this Wednesday after asking his question directed at Labour minister Sekai Nzenza using vernacular language who could not correctly interpret the question asked in Shangani.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda asked Zwizwai to rephrase and ask his question in English since the minister had failed to interpret it adding that the facility to translate vernacular would only be available at the new parliament which is currently under construction.

Said Zwizwai:

“It is with a heavy heart that I now ask the question in a foreign language which does not favour a lot of our people who are affected by the drought in our beloved country. Mr. Speaker Sir, I want to put on the table my salary as a Member of Parliament, if it helps in a way that this Parliament and the august House may employ interpreters to enable people to speak in these languages. I am prepared to have a stop order on my salary … “

Speaker, Jacob Mudenda responded and said:

“…. on the recognition and use of our national official languages, our gadgets at the moment do not have automatic translation so that if you spoke in Shangani or any other of those fifteen vernacular languages, there is no automatic explanation or translation. Until such time that we have, can we restrict ourselves to languages that are fairly understood by Honourable Members and Ministers; until we get to the new Parliament where that facility will be available.”