News Day
By Veneranda Langa
16 February 2013
Zanu PF Mbire MP Paul Mazikana this week sparked a language row in the House of Assembly when he insisted Education Sport Arts and Culture minister David Coltart should be able to understand and speak Shona. Speaker in the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo had to bar Mazikana from further questioning Coltart in Shona after he refused to heed his call to put the question in English for the minister to understand and respond to him.
In deep Shona, Mazikana fired a question to Coltart “Mubvunzo wangu wakanangana negurukota redzidzo†(My question is directed to the Education minister).
Moyo interjected: “Order, order honourable Mazikana – with due respect we do not work on assumptions and taking issues for granted. Due to the serious nature of the question that you perhaps want to ask, I will suggest that we get a microphone for Coltart (with English interpretation), or you use the other permissible language in the Parliament (English).â€
But Mazikana was not deterred insisting Coltart was born in Zimbabwe and should understand Shona, attracting interjections from other MPs.
Moyo did not take the sarcastic comments by Mazikana lightly and immediately ordered the MP to take his seat and barred him from further questioning the minister.
“Please take your seat honourable member, I will not allow you to put further questions to the minister,†the Speaker said.
According to the House of Assembly Standing Rules and Orders (197): “The Speaker may, if he or she considers it to be necessary or desirable for the convenience of any member, permit debates or other proceedings in the House to be conducted in Shona or Ndebele as well as in English, in which case he or she will ensure that adequate provision is made for the interpretation of any language so used into the other two languages.â€
Mazikana’s question which has to do with this year’s Ordinary Level failure rate had to be raised in English by MDC-T legislator for Nyanga South, Willard Chimbetete.