Zimbabwe President’s Parliamentary Text Corrected
September 17, 2015
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald
http://www.herald.co.zw/presidents-prepared-address-to-parliament/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM24ScEnCvU
Government yesterday withdrew the incorrect text of President Mugabe’s speech that he presented during the official opening of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament on Tuesday and replaced it with the correct address during a joint special sitting of the National Assembly and Senate yesterday.
The motion to replace the text was moved by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and was adopted following debate by legislators.
VP Mnangagwa first sought leave from the House to bring in the correct text, resulting in debate, with MDC-T legislators demanding that he explains what transpired on Tuesday leading to the mix-up and what action was going to be taken against the responsible individuals.
Kuwadzana East representative Mr Nelson Chamisa said the matter was a serious issue that had embarrassed the President.
“We have people within Government who chose to mislead our President and it positioned him in an invidious position and also put our country in bad light. These people who are responsible are supposed to account and then we proceed. It is not that we want to embarrass anyone, but heads must roll.”
Bikita West representative Cde Munyaradzi Kereke, however, said it was important that the motion to change the text be adopted, while investigations into the matter proceeded.
“That point is impassable that both sides of the House want to know what exactly happened and remedial action is taken, but it is in my view that we should allow business of the House to go on while the reasons are being investigated,” he said.
Kwekwe Central legislator Cde Masango Matambanadzo had the whole House in stitches arguing that the opposition MPs were calling for an apology over the issue yet they had skeletons in their cupboards.
“Like it has been said, it was a mistake and that is what is being corrected, but these people (MDC MPs) have not apologised for the job losses that were instigated by one of them. Over 30 000 people were thrown in the streets because of the actions of one of them,” he said in apparent reference to Mr Chamisa.
The Kuwadzana legislator was involved in the lawsuit that resulted in a High Court ruling that cost people their jobs through the Common Law provisions.
VP Mnangagwa acknowledged the mistake that was made, but said due to separation of powers, the Legislature could not direct Government on what to do.
“I wish to say the mistake is regretted. It is true that the officials presented the Head of State the incorrect statement as a mix up. This is what we are correcting. However, it is not the duty of the legislators to go and interrogate the Executive and say do this. It is true that duty as to why the mistake was committed lies squarely with the Executive and if necessary corrective action will be taken.”
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda, said he would respond to a motion by MDC-T Chief Whip and Mutare Central representative Mr Innocent Gonese that a privileges committee of Parliament be set up to investigate alleged death threats made to their members and affecting their ability to freely debate and express themselves in Parliament.
Speech mix-ups: Common error
September 16, 2015
Tichaona Zindoga Political Editor
PRESIDENT Mugabe’s delivery of a wrong speech in Parliament yesterday is a fairly common mistake that leaders make at local and international forums, it has been established.
In the world of speech-making and other ceremonies, making a verbal or etiquette mistake is generally referred to as a faux pas. Interestingly, even the most powerful leaders in America and Europe have not been immune to the false step with US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron making speech mix-ups in recent times.
In March 2009, Mr Obama read the speech of the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen after the teleprompter mixed up their speeches and he ended up thanking himself for the invitation.
The widely reported incident happened during an address at the White House to mark St Patrick’s Day. For his part, the guest leader Prime Minister Cowen, opened his remarks by saying “We begin today by welcoming a strong friend of the United States.”
He reportedly stopped well into the speech.
Mr Obama’s predecessor George W. Bush was also noted, rather notoriously, for making mistakes in speeches to the extent that a new phrase, “bushism”, was coined to describe his unusual speech mistakes.
In February 2011 at the United Nations, India’s external affairs minister SM Krishna inadvertently read out the speech of the Portuguese foreign minister.
US presidential hopeful and US Secretary of State made an embarrassing blooper in 2012 when she gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a mock “reset” button to symbolise the US’ intention to mend relations with Kremlin.
However, in the infamous incident the American team erred in translation as they used a Russian word meaning, “overloaded” or “overcharged”.
Just this year, UK Premier David Cameron had a mix up of his own favourite football teams!
According to one report, in a speech outlining his vision for ethnic minority communities, Cameron said: “We are a shining example of a country where multiple identities work.”
Supporting different football and other sporting teams was part of that but, he said, “Of course, I’d rather you supported West Ham.”
This shocked his audiences because he is a known Aston Villa fan.
He later blamed the gaffe on “brain fade”. The incident at Parliament generated a lot of social media debate among Zimbabweans on Tuesday.
Mugabe delivers old speech, urged to resign
by Staff Reporter
New Zimbabwean
OPPOSITION parties have called on President Robert Mugabe to resign after a massive boob in his office resulted in the ageing leader reading the wrong speech while officially opening the 3rd session of the 8th Parliament.
Mugabe, battling old-age and ill-health, looked tired as he trudged through the inspection of the military parade before slipping into the confines of Parliament’s chamber where he was supposed to lay down the agenda for this term’s legislative sitting.
Instead, a mortal error resulted in Mugabe re-reading his State of the Nation Address delivered to the national assembly at the end of August.
Mugabe’s aides particularly his spokesperson George Charamba seemed to have realised very late.
Charamba rushed into the Parliament chamber and went into an animated discussion with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Parliamentary sources said the mistake had at that moment been realised but “it was too late to go back”.
“They feared embarrassing the President but in the process embarrassed him even further by letting him plough through a speech he read last month,” said a source on condition of anonymity.
By Tuesday night information filtering through from Munhumutapa Building, the seat of State power, indicated heads would roll.
“Most heads of departments particularly in the president’s office and the information section have been summoned to Mugabe’s residence. There is terror and fear of what will happen after this,” a source said.
As part of damage control, Charamba issued a terse statement acknowledging the error.
“There has been a mix-up of speeches resulting in a situation where His Excellency the President delivered the wrong speech.
“The mix-up happened in his secretarial office therefore the delivery in Parliament should be set aside. The error is sincerely regretted and corrective measures are being considered,” said Charamba.
However, Zanu PF MPs ululated and applauded as Mugabe read the “wrong speech”.
To make matters worse, before the suspension of the event Zanu PF party MPs had moved a motion to debate the presidential speech.
But opposition parties called on Mugabe to resign in the wake of his embarrassing failure to realise he was reading a speech he had read less than a month ago.
Mugabe, the parties said, has become a national disgrace.
Newly formed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Mugabe is too old and should admit and resign.
“As the PDP we have always said old age far from being a blessing is illness humanity has failed to cure.
“To read a speech and not realise he had read it before for almost half an hour signifies the depth of the trouble we are in,” Mafume said.
He said Mugabe is being dragged along against his will.
“Zimbabweans must all hang their heads in collective shame for parading and abusing an old man to the country and world at large.
“We have long called for the impeachment of this man and that needs to be done before he becomes a national security threat.
“For Zanu PF to cheer and clap as well as dance to a speech they have heard before shows we are well and truly on the road to being a cartoon republic,” said Mafume.
NCA president Lovemore Madhuku said Mugabe should be forced to go through the motion of officially opening parliament again.
“It is a clear indication of how bad this administration is and the clumsy way they have run the affairs of our country.
“We demand that Mugabe should be forced to re-do the whole thing (opening of parliament,” said Madhuku.
Asked whether Mugabe was under constitutional obligation to officially open parliament, Madhuku said the Constitution did not provide for this but the fact that parliament had invited him it made the issue a constitutional matter.
“In the old constitution it was mandatory but it is no-longer obligatory in the new dispensation. However, the fact is parliament made a resolution that Mugabe should address the house and that made it a constitutional issue.
“The situation we remain with is that the parliamentary resolution still stands and Mugabe has not officially responded or done what he had intended to do, that is open parliament,” said Madhuku.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu, in a statement, also called on Mugabe to step-down.
“It is a clear and unmitigated sign that he is too old and therefore, no longer fit for purpose.
“This clearly goes to show that Robert Mugabe no longer has the requisite mental faculties that are needed for him to continue in office as the Head of State.
“This is a sure sign of senility and grossly failing mental and physical health on the part of Mugabe.
“It is in the best interest of the nation, therefore, that Robert Mugabe should not stay in office a day longer.
“The rigours of his Presidential duties have certainly taken a toll on him and he should proceed to do the honourable thing and step down from office as a matter of extreme urgency,” said Gutu.
A few years ago Mugabe, while officiating at the heroes’ acre, realised he had the wrong speech and admonished Charamba but this time he seems not to have realised it.
Last year in December 2014, Mugabe had to be corrected by army generals he was addressing when he inadvertently revealed that Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC-T leader, had won the March 2008 elections by 73%.
Tsvangirai and his supporters have claimed he won the election but official figures show he failed to garner enough votes required to assume power.
And during his birthday interview on ZBC in February 2014, he had also spoken about the 1980 elections, when he had been asked about the August 2013 elections, and seemed totally oblivious to his mistake.
Story from : NEWZIMBABWE.COM NEWS:
Published On: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 1:53 PM GMT
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/news.aspx?newsID=24834
 |
| Republic of Zimbabwe Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. |
Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald
http://www.herald.co.zw/presidents-prepared-address-to-parliament/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM24ScEnCvU
Government yesterday withdrew the incorrect text of President Mugabe’s speech that he presented during the official opening of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament on Tuesday and replaced it with the correct address during a joint special sitting of the National Assembly and Senate yesterday.
The motion to replace the text was moved by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and was adopted following debate by legislators.
VP Mnangagwa first sought leave from the House to bring in the correct text, resulting in debate, with MDC-T legislators demanding that he explains what transpired on Tuesday leading to the mix-up and what action was going to be taken against the responsible individuals.
Kuwadzana East representative Mr Nelson Chamisa said the matter was a serious issue that had embarrassed the President.
“We have people within Government who chose to mislead our President and it positioned him in an invidious position and also put our country in bad light. These people who are responsible are supposed to account and then we proceed. It is not that we want to embarrass anyone, but heads must roll.”
Bikita West representative Cde Munyaradzi Kereke, however, said it was important that the motion to change the text be adopted, while investigations into the matter proceeded.
“That point is impassable that both sides of the House want to know what exactly happened and remedial action is taken, but it is in my view that we should allow business of the House to go on while the reasons are being investigated,” he said.
Kwekwe Central legislator Cde Masango Matambanadzo had the whole House in stitches arguing that the opposition MPs were calling for an apology over the issue yet they had skeletons in their cupboards.
“Like it has been said, it was a mistake and that is what is being corrected, but these people (MDC MPs) have not apologised for the job losses that were instigated by one of them. Over 30 000 people were thrown in the streets because of the actions of one of them,” he said in apparent reference to Mr Chamisa.
The Kuwadzana legislator was involved in the lawsuit that resulted in a High Court ruling that cost people their jobs through the Common Law provisions.
VP Mnangagwa acknowledged the mistake that was made, but said due to separation of powers, the Legislature could not direct Government on what to do.
“I wish to say the mistake is regretted. It is true that the officials presented the Head of State the incorrect statement as a mix up. This is what we are correcting. However, it is not the duty of the legislators to go and interrogate the Executive and say do this. It is true that duty as to why the mistake was committed lies squarely with the Executive and if necessary corrective action will be taken.”
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Advocate Jacob Mudenda, said he would respond to a motion by MDC-T Chief Whip and Mutare Central representative Mr Innocent Gonese that a privileges committee of Parliament be set up to investigate alleged death threats made to their members and affecting their ability to freely debate and express themselves in Parliament.
Speech mix-ups: Common error
September 16, 2015
Tichaona Zindoga Political Editor
PRESIDENT Mugabe’s delivery of a wrong speech in Parliament yesterday is a fairly common mistake that leaders make at local and international forums, it has been established.
In the world of speech-making and other ceremonies, making a verbal or etiquette mistake is generally referred to as a faux pas. Interestingly, even the most powerful leaders in America and Europe have not been immune to the false step with US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron making speech mix-ups in recent times.
In March 2009, Mr Obama read the speech of the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen after the teleprompter mixed up their speeches and he ended up thanking himself for the invitation.
The widely reported incident happened during an address at the White House to mark St Patrick’s Day. For his part, the guest leader Prime Minister Cowen, opened his remarks by saying “We begin today by welcoming a strong friend of the United States.”
He reportedly stopped well into the speech.
Mr Obama’s predecessor George W. Bush was also noted, rather notoriously, for making mistakes in speeches to the extent that a new phrase, “bushism”, was coined to describe his unusual speech mistakes.
In February 2011 at the United Nations, India’s external affairs minister SM Krishna inadvertently read out the speech of the Portuguese foreign minister.
US presidential hopeful and US Secretary of State made an embarrassing blooper in 2012 when she gave Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a mock “reset” button to symbolise the US’ intention to mend relations with Kremlin.
However, in the infamous incident the American team erred in translation as they used a Russian word meaning, “overloaded” or “overcharged”.
Just this year, UK Premier David Cameron had a mix up of his own favourite football teams!
According to one report, in a speech outlining his vision for ethnic minority communities, Cameron said: “We are a shining example of a country where multiple identities work.”
Supporting different football and other sporting teams was part of that but, he said, “Of course, I’d rather you supported West Ham.”
This shocked his audiences because he is a known Aston Villa fan.
He later blamed the gaffe on “brain fade”. The incident at Parliament generated a lot of social media debate among Zimbabweans on Tuesday.
Mugabe delivers old speech, urged to resign
by Staff Reporter
New Zimbabwean
OPPOSITION parties have called on President Robert Mugabe to resign after a massive boob in his office resulted in the ageing leader reading the wrong speech while officially opening the 3rd session of the 8th Parliament.
Mugabe, battling old-age and ill-health, looked tired as he trudged through the inspection of the military parade before slipping into the confines of Parliament’s chamber where he was supposed to lay down the agenda for this term’s legislative sitting.
Instead, a mortal error resulted in Mugabe re-reading his State of the Nation Address delivered to the national assembly at the end of August.
Mugabe’s aides particularly his spokesperson George Charamba seemed to have realised very late.
Charamba rushed into the Parliament chamber and went into an animated discussion with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Parliamentary sources said the mistake had at that moment been realised but “it was too late to go back”.
“They feared embarrassing the President but in the process embarrassed him even further by letting him plough through a speech he read last month,” said a source on condition of anonymity.
By Tuesday night information filtering through from Munhumutapa Building, the seat of State power, indicated heads would roll.
“Most heads of departments particularly in the president’s office and the information section have been summoned to Mugabe’s residence. There is terror and fear of what will happen after this,” a source said.
As part of damage control, Charamba issued a terse statement acknowledging the error.
“There has been a mix-up of speeches resulting in a situation where His Excellency the President delivered the wrong speech.
“The mix-up happened in his secretarial office therefore the delivery in Parliament should be set aside. The error is sincerely regretted and corrective measures are being considered,” said Charamba.
However, Zanu PF MPs ululated and applauded as Mugabe read the “wrong speech”.
To make matters worse, before the suspension of the event Zanu PF party MPs had moved a motion to debate the presidential speech.
But opposition parties called on Mugabe to resign in the wake of his embarrassing failure to realise he was reading a speech he had read less than a month ago.
Mugabe, the parties said, has become a national disgrace.
Newly formed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Mugabe is too old and should admit and resign.
“As the PDP we have always said old age far from being a blessing is illness humanity has failed to cure.
“To read a speech and not realise he had read it before for almost half an hour signifies the depth of the trouble we are in,” Mafume said.
He said Mugabe is being dragged along against his will.
“Zimbabweans must all hang their heads in collective shame for parading and abusing an old man to the country and world at large.
“We have long called for the impeachment of this man and that needs to be done before he becomes a national security threat.
“For Zanu PF to cheer and clap as well as dance to a speech they have heard before shows we are well and truly on the road to being a cartoon republic,” said Mafume.
NCA president Lovemore Madhuku said Mugabe should be forced to go through the motion of officially opening parliament again.
“It is a clear indication of how bad this administration is and the clumsy way they have run the affairs of our country.
“We demand that Mugabe should be forced to re-do the whole thing (opening of parliament,” said Madhuku.
Asked whether Mugabe was under constitutional obligation to officially open parliament, Madhuku said the Constitution did not provide for this but the fact that parliament had invited him it made the issue a constitutional matter.
“In the old constitution it was mandatory but it is no-longer obligatory in the new dispensation. However, the fact is parliament made a resolution that Mugabe should address the house and that made it a constitutional issue.
“The situation we remain with is that the parliamentary resolution still stands and Mugabe has not officially responded or done what he had intended to do, that is open parliament,” said Madhuku.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu, in a statement, also called on Mugabe to step-down.
“It is a clear and unmitigated sign that he is too old and therefore, no longer fit for purpose.
“This clearly goes to show that Robert Mugabe no longer has the requisite mental faculties that are needed for him to continue in office as the Head of State.
“This is a sure sign of senility and grossly failing mental and physical health on the part of Mugabe.
“It is in the best interest of the nation, therefore, that Robert Mugabe should not stay in office a day longer.
“The rigours of his Presidential duties have certainly taken a toll on him and he should proceed to do the honourable thing and step down from office as a matter of extreme urgency,” said Gutu.
A few years ago Mugabe, while officiating at the heroes’ acre, realised he had the wrong speech and admonished Charamba but this time he seems not to have realised it.
Last year in December 2014, Mugabe had to be corrected by army generals he was addressing when he inadvertently revealed that Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC-T leader, had won the March 2008 elections by 73%.
Tsvangirai and his supporters have claimed he won the election but official figures show he failed to garner enough votes required to assume power.
And during his birthday interview on ZBC in February 2014, he had also spoken about the 1980 elections, when he had been asked about the August 2013 elections, and seemed totally oblivious to his mistake.
Story from : NEWZIMBABWE.COM NEWS:
Published On: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 1:53 PM GMT
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/news.aspx?newsID=24834
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