Parliament has got it the hard way after the High Court ruled against non governmental organisations that sort to block holding of public hearings during the Covid-19 lockdown time.

Two urgent chamber applications were filed by two advocacy groups seeking to stop parliament from conducting public hearings in Zimbabwe on some proposed amendments of the constitution when the country is under a coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown but Parliament challenged the move.

In an urgent chamber application filed on Thursday 11 June 2020 by Job Sibanda of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Habakkuk Trust represented by its Chief Executive Officer Dumisani Nkomo, argued that Zimbabwe is currently facing a health pandemic which had necessitated the imposition of a national lockdown, where public gatherings were virtually banned to try and curb the spread of coronavirus.

Habakkuk Trust argued that by conducting public hearings to discuss some proposed amendments to the Constitution, Parliament, Chokuda and Ziyambi were putting the health of the public at risk at a time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Two Members of Parliament, a journalist and a driver have since tested positive for Covid-19, while going on a public consultations round.

The issue has prompting Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda to immediately suspend Parliamentary activities.

The officials from the Transport committee were part of a team that had been on field visits around the country when two MPs developed symptoms, Mudenda said.

“Two members were showing some signs of infection, all members were tested and the two members tested positive, plus our driver of the bus and the reporter who had accompanied them,” Mudenda said.

“Other committees that were supposed to travel to the Eastern borders, their trip had to be cancelled,” he added.

The business of Parliament, including sittings of both Houses, committee workshops, public hearings and site visits, have been suspended with immediate effect.

“Consequently, tomorrow’s sitting for the National Assembly will be done with very limited numbers for the sole purpose of adjourning to a future date,” Parliament said in a statement.

“This will allow for deep cleaning and disinfection of the Parliament Building and contact tracing and testing of those who came into contact with the affected Members of Parliament.”

Meanwhile, MPs and officials who were part of the affected team are now in self-quarantine in line with ministry of Health guidelines.