By Audience Mutema

VICE President Kembo Mohadi, Wednesday responded swiftly to demands from lawmakers last week that he and his counterpart Constantino Chiwenga attend routine legislative question and answer sessions.

Chiwenga has been out of the public eye for the past few weeks amid reports he is in India for treatment.

“He is not around. The VP was flown out of the country after his health took a knock again. His wife was the first to go for specialist treatment,” NewZimbabwe.com heard.

Mohadi entered the August House to cheers from Zanu PF lawmakers and jeers from opposition MPs, who then coaxed recently elected MDC vice president Tendai Biti to stand up for an ovation turning the National Assembly into a deafening chorus of “VP, VP, VP”.

Last week MDC Mutare Central MP, Innocent Gonese, raised the issue of the absence of the Vice Presidents to answer government policy questions and got assurance from Speaker Jacob Mudenda that the issue would be communicated to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

During his time as Vice President, Mnangagwa regularly attended Parliament and was on hand to answer questions from lawmakers especially on Wednesdays’ Question and Answer session.

Gonese argued that Chiwenga and Mohadi were denying MPs a chance to ask questions on policy issues on Wednesday, the only time the elected representatives have a chance to ask questions without notice.