HARARE - Patrick Chinamasa, Zimbabwe’s Finance minister, yesterday told Parliament that President Robert Mugabe returned home without any money from his official State visit to China as legislators demanded details of the deals signed with Beijing.
The debate over Mugabe’s trip to China created chaos in Parliament with legislators exchanging angry insults.
Chinamasa was grilled by opposition MDC legislators whether the five-day trip had brought any monetary gain to the country’s struggling economy.
MDC MP Prosper Mutseyami queried the relevance of the trip.
The MPs questioned whether Mugabe had attempted to leverage mining concessions to bargain for a financial bailout.
“The trip you undertook as government ministers together, did you bring anything to help this economy which is facing problems?” Mutseyami asked.
“Is there any cash besides the commitments from the Chinese government in helping the country?”
The question, posed during the minister’s question time, caused a furore, with Zanu PF legislators urging Chinamasa not to disclose details of the agreements, while MDC MPs demanded full disclosure.
Chinamasa said they had signed a number of agreements with Chinese entities for the financing of infrastructural development but there was no cash advanced to the Zimbabwe government.
“MPs need to understand that the Chinese government is interested in funding infrastructure development projects and they do not give anyone money to support our budget or any country’s budget,” Chinamasa said.
“We had a dialogue with them and they agreed to fund us on the areas we are facing deficits that include dualisation of our roads, power and energy supply and water reticulation, amongst many viable projects. We did not get any money from the Chinese government but bankable projects and investments that we can rely on.”
Zanu PF MP Melody Dziva, who was the acting Speaker of the National Assembly, had a difficult time controlling the rancorous debate, as MPs were exchanging insults.
Zanu PF MP Monica Chigudu stood up without recognition from the Speaker, shouting in vernacular: “Hatina kuuya muno kuzotukana kana kutamba. Musatipedzere nguva nemibvunzo isina basa. (We did not come here to insult each other or play. Lets us not waste time asking silly questions).”
Jacob Mudenda, the Speaker, had to return to the house, to control the flow of debate.