BY the time President Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived at Parliament building on Tuesday, September 18 2018, new imprints of Zimbabwe’s new chapter had already been ingrained on the country’s narrative.
The business of the day was part of the package that has, and will, define the Second Republic.
Still, we found an old story creeping on the country – the MDC displaying childish antics which did, and will do, nothing to shake the foundation that has been laid by President Mnangagwa and his team for the future.
Never mind the insanity.
On a good day, it would have shaken the Government.
Not anymore.
The train continues to move, undeterred and undisturbed by hollow noises from the aggrieved losers.
It was supposed to be a milestone achievement, one that would humiliate President Mnangagwa, but lost to the MDC legislators was that soon, they will troop back to the House of Assembly and debate the same State of the Nation Address (SONA) that they fled from.
They called it an act of valour.
Rightfully, because valour comes in many shades, with many outcomes.
For this one, insanity was the name of that valour.
After all, has it not been said that repeating the same thing over and over again, expecting different results is the hallmark of insanity?
Zimbabwe has moved on from petty politicking,
It did not come as a surprise that, no sooner had MDC legislators walked out of Parliament than firm plans for the future were laid down in the same house they ran away from.
As they frantically tried to convince the world that they had ‘humiliated’ President Mnangagwa, somewhere in Harare, an economic plan was being put in place.
The same person they thought they were humiliating or had humiliated was busy cleaning up the mess they have created in the country through the cholera outbreak.
The same day, officials from their party were being named and shamed for trying to help themselves with money meant for the same cholera outbreak that their out-of-sorts councillors have wrought on the country.
They were oblivious to the fact that they were creating serious trouble for their beleaguered leader Nelson Chamisa.
For far too long, President Mnangagwa has tolerated their infantile antics but time for silly games is now over.
There is not even room for boycotting.
The only walk out that will happen is that of his officials who will abandon him and leave him to be roasted by the might of the law that he provoked sometime in August.
Let us get to the business of the day — President Mnangagwa’s SONA that is.
A total of 27 Bills is what Members of the House of Assembly, including those from the MDC, will be dealing with during the First Session of the Ninth Parliament.
A significant chunk of the Bills will deal directly with economic issues.
These include the Companies and Other Entities Bill, which will overhaul the Companies Act, the Regional Town and Country Planning Amendment Bill, which seeks to reduce the time and procedures for processing construction permits and the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency Bill, which seeks to consolidate various pieces of legislation on investment, which are presently spread under various Acts.
“The legislative agenda of this Ninth Parliament must therefore seek to give greater impetus to our ambitious and yet achievable economic agenda. A cross section of Bills will be tabled, debated and enacted,” President Mnangagwa said.
“To mitigate the security risks and cyber crime related threats, a Cyber Crime and Cyber Security Bill shall be tabled before this Parliament.
“This shall also be supported by the introduction of the Data Protection Bill as well as the Electronic Transactions and Electronic Commercial Bill. The Labour Amendment Bill will be brought to this House for discussion and approval.
“This must be in tandem with the ongoing ease and cost of doing business reforms; and equally seek an intricate balance between labour productivity and workplace harmony.
“The Provincial and Metropolitan Councils Bill, will facilitate the devolution of governmental powers and responsibilities to provincial and local authorities.
“Through this Bill, provincial and metropolitan councils will be reconfigured in accordance with Chapter 14 of the Constitution. This will further seek to facilitate enhanced coordination between central government, provincial councils and local authorities, within the context of the decentralisation and devolution programme.
“This Parliament is also expected to consider; the Child Justice Bill and the Marriages Bill, which seeks to provide a child justice system and to outlaw child marriages, respectively. The Mandatory Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Abuse Bill shall be considered by this Parliament.
“My Government stands committed to deepen its democratic values and aspirations for the prosperity of our country. We will continue to engage all co-operating partners to harness our full potential.”
What emerges, concerning the walk-out by opposition legislators, is that this was one futile show of false bravado.
When the time comes, as it surely will, the ‘walk out’ Mps will one-by-one troop back to Parliament.
There they will sit in that august house to deliberate on issues confronting the nation.
The morning after the walk out will be a bitter one.
The cold will sweep through the minds of those MPs and reality will sink in that theirs was a walk of shame.
Let those with ears listen.