Bonyongwe silences opposition MPs

NEW Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Retired Major General Happyton Bonyongwe shocked opposition legislators with in-depth responses to questions in the August house as he hit the ground running in his new portfolio.

Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe was reassigned from his previous position as Central intelligence Organisation director general when President Mugabe made his cabinet reshuffle last week.

In his maiden question and answer session on Wednesday, legislators mainly from the opposition fired questions at Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe mostly around voter registration in what they thought would be a “baptism of fire” on the new minister but he proved more than equal to the task.

In all his responses, the minister, who attained a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe, exhibited an intimate knowledge of his ministry and the country’s laws, citing specific and relevant statutes in his responses and charming the opposition legislators in the process.

There was a moment of mischief when MDC-T Binga North legislator Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda addressed minister as the DG of the CIO but was quickly put in his place by Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

After the clarification by Acting President Mnangagwa, Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe then took questions from the floor and carried himself with great aplomb, transitioning smoothly from working privately as CIO DG. Normally hard to please legislators like Norton representative Mr Temba Mliswa, showered Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe with praise.

The Norton legislator congratulated Rtd Maj Gen Bonyongwe saying, “You are truly a new broom with the way you have articulated yourself.”

MDC-T Mabvuku-Tafara legislator Mr James Maridadi also impressed by the minister said, “I think it is in order that I would like to proffer my thanks to the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, that he has shown a lot of diligence in the way that he has handled the questions.

“Thank you so much in the way that you have answered questions. I wish your colleagues will take a leaf from you,” said Mr Maridadi.