MDC MPs squizzed out of parliament

• Published date: 30 October 2014
• Publication title: The Zimbabwean

I had no choice but to come back to my office. The chamber accomodates only about 200 out of the 270 members of the House. During sittings some of us sit in the Speaker's Gallery meant for visitors but today we were barred by Parliament staff from there as they reserved it for visitors. Some ZANU PF members occupied our opposition bench and insolently refused to vacate our spaces. About 100 of us from across the political divide were turned away as today all ministers, some of whom are Senators took up space. National Assembly members fitted at last opening ceremony on 22 August 2013 only because my party MDC T boycotted the opening ceremony in protest of the rigging of the 2013 elections.

I can't imagine what the Parliament administration was thinking when it allowed the opening ceremony to proceed in the National Assembly when the numbers so clearly show that the chamber is way too small. It in fact poses a danger to the safety of MPs as all 270 of us were squeezed into a narrow passage out of the building to start the procession which made me feel as if we were cattle being herded into a dip tank. The jostling, shoving and pushing was so bad that a glass pane shattered...