Terrence Mawawa|Former Gutu Central Constituency MP Oliver Chirume has described the unruly behaviour of Zanu PF MPs- who blocked Hwange shareholder Nicholas Van Hoogstraten from appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy- as deplorable.

Hoogstraten, who has several businesses in the country and was over the years said to have been close to the erstwhile Mugabe regime, was due to address Parliament’s mines committee on Monday.

He travelled to Harare at the invitation of committee chairman Temba Mliswa, the independent MP for Norton.

However, in rowdy scenes, Zanu PF MPs refused to allow Van Hoogstraten to appear before the committee claiming he had a case pending before courts in Harare.

A frustrated Mliswa said he was considering stepping down from his position as chairman of the committee and would his decision within 48 hours.

Chirume said: “Frankly speaking, we did not expect such uncouth behaviour from from honourable members of the House of Assembly.

How can we surely expect investors to come to Zimbabwe when MPs conduct themselves in such an ignominious manner?

That is typical of the Zanu PF culture and as we have always said, the Reconstruction Act is flawed and unconstitutional.”

Chirume is a member of Friends of Shabanie and Mashava Mines(FOSMM), a non profit making organisation that was formed by concerned SMM stakeholders.