Mudenda Warns Cabinet Ministers Over Absences From Parliamentary Question Time

The Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda on Wednesday warned Cabinet Ministers who frequently miss Parliament’s question and answer sessions that action would be taken against them.

Mudenda said that although some ministers ask for leave of absence, the number of such requests raises doubts about their commitment to their duties.

He made these comments after only a few ministers and deputy ministers attended Tuesday’s sitting. Said Mudenda (via HeraldOnline):

Now, my observation is this, there are quite clear apologies that have been very consistent and my suspicion is that these ministers who tender apologies cannot be on national duty every week.

I am therefore directing the clerk and the staff to make a proper analysis of those ministers who have been consistently tendering their apologies, appropriate action therefore must be taken sooner than later.

The second observation is that when His Excellency President Mnangagwa addressed the Cabinet, he made a statement in which he was appealing to all ministers and their deputies to perform their responsibilities and such apologies don’t seem to answer that objective.

Mudenda asserted that the Constitution requires all officials, including Vice Presidents, ministers, and deputy ministers, to attend Parliament and parliamentary committees to answer questions on matters for which they are collectively or individually responsible. He said:

When the ministers answer parliamentary processes, this is their time to shine on public policy in which they are telling the world what Government is doing, the challenges Government is facing and what Government is doing about those challenges, that creates public trust in the Government of the day…

I have been analysing questions and written questions that have not been attended to and I will go through them.

Question to Ministry of Industry and Commerce one question has been outstanding since the beginning of October 2024, then we have three questions outstanding from the Ministry of Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development Outstanding since 27 November 2024 up to February 12, 2025.

Then, we have six questions that have not been attended to by the Honourable Minister of Health and Child Care from 16 October 2024 to 12 February 2025.

The National Assembly holds its question time on Wednesdays, while the Senate conducts its own on Thursdays, with ministers expected to answer questions on specific issues or policy matters.

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