By Parliament Correspondent| There was drama during the week when the speaker of parliament told an MDC party MP to shut up and raise the question concerning the ongoing “unconstitutional military deployment,” the following day.

MDC MP Settlement Chikwinya presented testimonial evidence that soldiers have been deployed around the country without either due process or explanation.

A joint operations command document dated 30 May 2019 further reveals that the military was deployed on the 3rd June 2019.

2 weeks later, the Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri issued a chilling statement saying that the military could be used to stiffle protesting civilians.

There was a sudden hush Tuesday afternoon when the speaker of parliament shot Chikwinya down within seconds saying, “With all due respect, can you raise that question tomorrow during question time?”

However the week rolled on with the same question being dodged by the speaker who belongs to Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF party.

MEANWHILE, BELOW WAS THE FULL EXCHANGE:

HON. CHIKWINYA: Hon. Speaker, I rise to present my point of privilege in terms of the Standing Orders with regards to Section 214 of our Constitution which reads; “when the Defence Forces are deployed: –

a) in Zimbabwe to assist with the maintenance of Public Order, the President must cause Parliament to be informed promptly and giving appropriate detail of the reasons for deployment to that effect.

Hon. Speaker, we have seen of late, members of the Defence

Forces being deployed …

THE HON. SPEAKER: Order, order Hon. Member. With all due respect, can you raise that question tomorrow during question time? I notice that some of the issues should be raised under Question Time otherwise we derail our Order Paper. Accordingly, I am not entertaining any further points of privilege. You ask questions tomorrow.