Senate president Mabel Chinomona last week said she was left with no option, but to ask President Emmerson Mnangagwa to sanction ministers for bunking parliamentary sessions.
Chinomona expressed frustration over ministers, who frequently missing Senate sittings, with only two ministers attending on time for last week’s session.
Senators were blocked from asking questions directed to ministers, who were not present because even the leader of the House was absent.
Chinomona said she would report the ministers to Mnangagwa as it had become the norm that the ministers were absconding from Senate sittings.
The majority of the ministers, and the country’s two vice presidents, Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, sent apologies to the Senate president.
Only six deputy ministers attended the sittings on behalf of their ministries.
Transport minister Felix Mhona and Tourism minister Barbra Rwodzi were the only ministers present at the start of business.
National Housing minister Zhemu Soda War Veterans minister Monica Mavhunga later joined the house.
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“I do not know whether there are any ministers here,” Chinomona said at the start of the business.
“On the front bench, we only have two Cabinet ministers as far as I can see.
“I think you are also embarrassed on their behalf because honestly this always happens that ministers are not coming to the Senate, maybe they see the Senate as composed of useless people.
“Honestly, the Senate is not happy about what is being done by ministers.
“I think we are going to send our complaint to the president.”
According to Section 107 (2) of the constitution, vice-presidents, ministers and their deputies must attend Parliament and parliamentary committees.
Wednesday is traditionally set aside for lawmakers to question ministers on issues concerning the country but the members of the executive have developed a tendency to abscond without applying for leave of absence from speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda.
Ministers and their deputies have continued to ignore threats by Mudenda to sanction them.
Mnangagwa last year also criticised ministers and other top bureaucrats for dodging crucial government meetings, saying the practice was disrupting government work.
The president said this while attending the last Cabinet session for 2025.
Analysts have condemned the ministers’ truancy and said they were wasting taxpayers’ money.
