Committee chairperson, Paul Madzore, told The Zimbabwean that the legislators had decided not to hold the planned meetings as there was no guarantee of police protection for both MPs and the public.
"We intended to go out as a committee and address issues of public violence. Unfortunately we're not guaranteed of safety. We don't want to be dead heroes," said Madzore, who is also Glen View South MP and MDC-T Harare province chair.
The system of public hearings, considered vital in the formulation of legislation, was thrown into confusion last month when a Zanu (PF) mob raided Parliament and assaulted MPs, journalists and officials just before a public meeting.
The Zanu (PF) militants were bussed in to disrupt consultations on the contentious Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill, which President Robert Mugabe's party opposes. No-one was arrested.
Commenting on the disturbances, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said: "These events, which were clearly orchestrated and seemed to have nothing to do with objections to the Bill, are deeply disturbing because they testify to a determination by whoever organised them to erode the power and standing of Parliament as a national institution. Also disturbing is the fact that the chaos at the hearing in Parliament went on for so long without effective police intervention."
Post published in: News