MPs table motion for Mpofu's impeachment

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By Staff Reporter

A ZIMBABWEAN parliamentary committee made on Tuesday a motion to impeach one of President Robert Mugabe's ministers on charges that he gave false evidence before a legislative panel.

According to official minutes, Industry and International Trade Minister Obert Mpofu told a parliamentary committee on September 20 that some MPs had looted the state-owned Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (Ziscosteel) and that the anti-corruption ministry had a report to back the claims.

Mpofu said the government had withheld the report from the public over fears it would jeopardise talks between the struggling steel firm and a foreign investor, said the record.

But a week later, Mpofu appeared at the committee and denied making the comments or the existence of the report, it said.

In an unusual move by government legislators, the chairperson of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, industry and trade, Enoch Porusingazi, asked the parliament speaker to allow contempt proceedings against Mpofu.

"Your committee, therefore prays the honourable speaker will make a ruling that the honourable minister's conduct committed a prima facie contempt of parliament," Porusingazi told parliament.

Speaker John Nkomo reserved ruling on what would amount to the first step in an impeachment process until a later date.

Mpofu is a member of the powerful inner politburo of Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, which dominates parliament.

Ziscosteel was the main foreign currency earner before independence from Britain in 1980 but output has fallen to 78 000 tonnes of steel annually because its main furnace - accounting for 70% of production - has been derelict for years.

A $400m investment by India's Global Steel Holdings to rehabilitate Ziscosteel collapsed in September.

Analysts said the deal's collapse dented Mugabe's "Look East" policy, aimed at strengthening political and economic ties with Asian and Muslim countries.

Separately, Mugabe's nephew, Leo, a ruling party legislator, withdrew a motion demanding the removal of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions leaders for "unethical conduct" and "abandoning its core business of representing workers".

Leo Mugabe submitted an amended motion, which did not call for the removal of the union leaders, but urged the unionists to help the government with its economic recovery efforts.

He said his original motion could be in contempt of court as the ZCTU secretary-general Wellington Chibebe and two other officials have a pending court case over charges of breaching foreign exchange regulations. - Reuters
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