Sharp divisions have emerged within Zimbabwe's parliamentary committee on justice over calls for the arrest of ZANU-PF activists alleged to have disrupted the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill hearing in the legislature two weeks ago.
The committee met this week to discuss the issue and compile a report for Parliament following the raucous and violent disruption of the legislative hearing.
But committee members of President Robert Mugabe's former ruling ZANU-PF party walked out in objection to allegations that supporters of their party broke up the hearing and assaulted an MDC legislator and a number of journalists covering it.
The ZANU-PF committee members threatened to produce their own report detailing what they say actually transpired. ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa said his party will defend its supporters even if it must hire lawyers for them.
Justice Committee Chairman Douglas Mwonzora told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that his committee will make sure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
ZANU-PF Chief Whip Joram Gumbo said it was wrong to blame ZANU-PF supporters for the incident, and furthermore contended that the justice committee should not have held such a public hearing in the Parliament in the first place.
