National Assembly was on Tuesday reduced to a battleground after opposition Citizens Coalition for Change Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu was ejected from Parliament during heated debate on the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill No 3, triggering scenes of disorder that brought proceedings to a standstill.
Drama erupted after Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi ruled that Matewu's allocated time to debate the Bill had lapsed, and ordered that he should take his seat. However, the opposition legislator refused to comply, insisting he had not finished presenting the views of his constituents who, he said, had overwhelmingly rejected the proposed constitutional changes.
As tensions escalated, Matewu continued speaking despite repeated calls from Gezi to sit down, prompting the Deputy Speaker to order his ejection from the House.
The move sparked an uproar, with members from opposing sides exchanging heated words.
Parliament business ground to a halt as lawmakers surged towards each other, with some appearing on the verge of exchanging blows.
Before his ejection, Matewu had launched a scathing attack on the Bill, arguing that residents of Marondera Central had rejected the proposed amendments and that Parliament should respect the views of ordinary Zimbabweans rather than push through controversial constitutional changes.
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