Speaker caused fight at Parliament – Sata
Written by Moses Kuwema and Agness Changala
Sunday, February 15, 2009 7:44:29 AM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader Michael Sata yesterday accused Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa of causing the fight between parliamentarians Mumbi Phiri and Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka at Parliament grounds on Friday because of
his failure declare vacant seats held by rebel PF MPs. And Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda has asked Speaker Mwanamwambwa to be firm when handling matters of political parties.
Commenting on a fight that ensued at parliament buildings on Friday between Phiri and Mulobeka, Sata accused Speaker Mwanamwambwa of declaring open hostility by not declaring seats of ‘rebel’ MPs vacant.
"The Speaker is the cause of all this because we told him to declare those seats vacant but instead he chose to declare open hostility for the party," Sata said. "Elizabeth started the whole thing, she followed Mumbi in the corridor where she confronted her and that's where everything started from. But I know that the Speaker will not even punish her (Mulobeka), instead he will just smile.”
Sata further accused the Speaker of making the ‘rebel’ MPs grow big-headed because he was tolerating their behaviour. However, Sata said the fighting was normal, adding that even in countries like Japan, MPs threw chairs at each other.
And Habasonda accused the Speaker of dragging his feet in resolving matters involving certain political parties.
“We also want to think that the Speaker must be firm whenever he is handling such party matters,” he said.
Habasonda said the actions of Mumbi and Mulobeka were embarrassing and took away a lot from PF. He said if PF did not harmonise relations within their party, it was eventually going to lose people's confidence as a government in waiting.
“The party members must behave in a manner that people expect them to behave not the embarrassment that they have so far shown and the lack of respect for one another,” he said.
Habasonda wondered why PF members could not find a better way of addressing their differences instead of getting to an extent of fighting. He urged Sata to intervene in the confusion that had been going on in the party between ‘rebel’ parliamentarians and the others.
And on Friday at her Kabulonga residence, Phiri demanded to go for an HIV test with Mulobeka, claiming that she knew both her status and Mulobeka's.
“I thank God that I am married to a husband who loves me so much, but I can't allow him to touch me before I do the test,” she said.
Phiri said she was waiting for the Speaker's ruling on the matter.
Asked if she fought back during the argument, Phiri said she did not fight back and hence she was beaten.
“There are cameras at Parliament buildings and they will show if I fought back or not and I hope no one will say that they [cameras] are not working,” said Phiri. “I removed my shoes when I was attacked and if I wanted to fight back, I would have hit her (Mulobeka) with the shoes because she's too big for me to fight with.”
Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, CATFIGHT, ELIZABETH CHITIKA-MULOBEKA, LEE HABASONDE, MPs, MUMBI PHIRI, PARLIAMENT, SACCORD, SATA
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PF MPs fight at Parliament
Written by Ernest Chanda and Agness Changala
Saturday, February 14, 2009 9:35:15 PM
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) members of parliament for Munali and Kawambwa, Mumbi Phiri and Elizabeth Chitika-Mulobeka respectively yesterday physically fought at Parliament Building in Lusaka following a tiff in the House. And Phiri was found at University Teaching Hospital (UTH) undergoing medical check up at the casualty because she sustained bruises and bites on her body.
Phiri and Mulobeka exchanged blows around 11:00 hours on the right hand corridor of the Parliament main entrance, about four metres from the side entrance in the presence of onlooking security personnel and members of parliament.
Parliamentary security personnel struggled to pacify the situation and only managed to stop the fight after about three minutes of fierce exchange of blows between the two female parliamentarians. [:) - MrK]
After the fight, the author picked Phiri’s shoes and a red handbag, and gave them to the security personnel who later handed the items to the parliamentarian.
Mulobeka had her outfit stripped around the neck and below the knee, while Phiri complained of scratches on the back.
After being separated, the two parliamentarians still hurled insults at each other, with Mulobeka saying: “ndekepaya aka, kalenseting’a sana [I will kill her she is tempting me a lot],” while Phiri shouted: “You bi****! I don’t know why this woman hates me.”
The two parliamentarians were then whisked away in different directions by parliamentary security officers.
And according to a source at Parliament Building, the two parliamentarians’ differences started from the chamber over a question that Phiri asked communications minister Dora Siliya after the latter presented her ministerial statement on the status of ZAMTEL.
Phiri wanted to know whether the government would make sure former Zambian Airways employees would not be paid one ngwee each as terminal benefits, just as former Zambia Airways employees were paid one dollar each 15 years ago.
Mumbi first declared interest in the question saying her spouse had been an employee of Zambia Airways and she had seen how much he suffered.
According to the source, Mulobeka allegedly made offensive comments towards Phiri.
It was at this point that Phiri got offended and left the House crying.
Mulobeka later waylaid Phiri and the fight ensued.
However, another source said the rivalry between the two had been there since Mulobeka and others decided to sit on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).
The source said the situation was worsened when the Supreme Court deferred ruling in the appeal case involving expelled PF members of parliament.
The source said after the deferment, the expelled PF parliamentarians bragged that they were untouchable and that changed the mood between them and their counterparts.
And later in the day, Phiri underwent medical check up at the UTH because she sustained bruises and bites on her body.
The visibly shocked and annoyed Phiri said she could not even recall what led to her being bitten and scratched.
Phiri complained that Mulobeka had even torn her expensive suit, which she wore at the time of the attack.
She said after she was bitten and scratched Chipangali MMD member of parliament Vincent Mwale drove her in his vehicle to Kabulonga where she managed to obtain a police report from Kabulonga Police Post before she was taken to UTH to undergo medical tests.
Phiri demanded that both herself and Mulobeka undergo HIV test because she knew both her status and Mulobeka’s.
She said she would not be at peace because she had been bitten and scratched with nails.
Phiri said she was very disappointed with Mulobeka’s actions and wondered what happened to those outside Parliament if a person like her could be subjected to that treatment.
“If I can be beaten in Parliament, how about a person like you and the others. I demand for an HIV test to be carried for the sake of my safety and my marriage,” Phiri said while shedding tears.
Phiri said Mulobeka had the nerve to do what she did because she was a ‘rebel’ PF parliamentarian who did not represent anyone in Parliament.
She said the battle had just started and that she would not rest until the law took its course.
“I want justice to prevail and if it means taking the law in my own hands, it will just be so,” she said.
Phiri said Mulobeka also scratched Kanchibiya PF member of parliament Davies Mwango as he was trying to stop the fight.
Mwango who came to UTH to pick up Phiri said he could not comment on the matter.
When contacted for comment, Mulobeka laughed before calling Phiri a stupid and mad girl.
She said she could not say much as Parliament was handling the case.
“That girl is mad! She is very stupid and I won’t say much because the case is now in Parliament,” said Mulobeka.
Police spokesperson Bonny Kapeso confirmed receiving the report of the case involving Phiri and Mulobeka.
Kapeso said police had since opened a file of inquiry.
“Since matters of Parliament are handled by the Speaker, as police we have just opened a file of inquiry for keeping the records,” said Kapeso.
Labels: CATFIGHT, MPs, PARLIAMENT, PF
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