SENATORS have bemoaned a growing trend where Cabinet ministers are snubbing question and answer sessions in both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.
Several ministers have continued to snub Senate sessions, with the trend reportedly having been going on after the coming in of the second republic.
The last session on June 13 was attended by six ministers, including deputies.
Midlands Senator Tsitsi Muzenda said the issue had been going on for a long time and she would soon keep a register of those attending the sessions.
“I have heard what the leader of the House said, but Mr President Sir, [in reference to Senate deputy president Mike Nyambuya] from the 2018 to 2023 sessions, you can see there were other ministers who did not come to respond to our motions. So this makes senators think that they are not important,” she said.
“I will ask the leader of the house if it is possible, since I am the Chief Whip, that I keep a register. Surely, our very most important motions are just debated for 21 days and they lapse, including our questions.
“Mr President, our questions with notice remain on the Order Paper for a very long time. I do not know whether the ministers are using their liaison desks to make sure that they look at the written questions. Some of the written questions from September last year up to now have not been responded to.”
Chief Fortune Charumbira expressed concern over why some ministers attend sessions, while others abscond.
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“I think it is an attitude issue by some ministers. If you check the register in the National Assembly, when it is question time, some are very active there, but when it comes to Senate, they do not attend. I think this should be investigated,” he said.
“There is an issue which has been talked about by Hon Senator (Robson) Mavenyengwa on motions that we debate and debate, but in the past we heard that the motions should not be wound up without a response from the minister and the clerks would help on this one.”
Nyambuya confirmed that the issue had gone out of hand.
“I think this issue of ministers has been talked about in the Ninth Parliament and especially in the Senate. The Leader of government business is hearing, this so I think we should get help.
“If you see honourable members talking about this, it means it has gone out of hand. We have so many ministers, but we do not even get about 10 ministers. Even the deputies, we do not find them. This is an administrative issue which we need some help with.”
