MPs Gwajima, Silaa suspended

By Rosemary Mirondo

More by this Author

Dodoma. Cleric-cum politician Josephat Gwajima will not attend two parliamentary sittings after the Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee found him guilty of putting

the House into disrepute during some of his recent anti-vaccination rhetoric.

The ruling means that Mr Gwajima - who doubles as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kawe - and his Ukonga counterpart on the ruling party’s ticket, Mr Jerry Silaa, will miss September and November sittings.

Mr Gwajima and Mr Silaa were grilled by the Parliamentary Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee last week over remarks they aired recently.

Addressing his followers at his Glory of Christ Tanzania Church in Dar es Salaam recently, Mr Gwajima alleged that some government officials had been bribed so that Tanzania can allow Covid-19 vaccines.

Gwajima made the controversial statements on July 25, August 1, 8 and 10 when he spoke against Covid-19 vaccines.

In response, the Parliament said in a statement that Mr Gwajima had put the House to disrepute and summoned him to appear before the Committee on Monday (last week).

Moving a motion to suspend Mr Gwajima for two sittings on Tuesday, the chairman for the parliament’s Privileges, Ethics and Powers Committee, Mr Emmanuel Mwakasaka, said during the grilling, his team was convinced that the controversial cleric had indeed put the House into disrepute.

According to Mr Mwakasaka, the Committee was also recommending that security organs should start following up on Mr Gwajima’s utterances, saying some of them (the utterances) were criminal in nature and which could potentially jeopardize peace and national security.

The Committee further advised that the MP be taken before the political party that gave him a ticket into the House (the ruling CCM) for further action against him.
“We are fully satisfied that when the MP said the country had been bribed so that Tanzania can allow Covid-19 vaccines, his aim was to bring disharmony among the Parliament, the Executive and the public at large,” he said.

No regret

He said it was disheartening that upon being interrogated, Mr Gwajima showed no signs of
regretting for what he did.

“He only maintained that he made the remarks during his church sermons that had nothing to do with Parliament,” said Mr Mwakasaka.
He told the House that Mr Gwajima exhibited contempt before the committee by refusing to sit on the seat that was given to him during interrogations on August 23.

He also refused to use the microphone that was given to him on that day.

Disobedient

When he was interrogated for the second time on August 25, Mr Mwakasaka said, Mr Gwajima showed contempt once again when he preferred to be grilled while standing throughout the period.

“That comedy aside, he did not give adequate cooperation by not testifying according to questions asked. He instead maintained that he was a pastor and the committee had no right to interrogate his sermons,” he said.
Quoting a statement aired during interrogations, Mr Mwakasaka said Gwajima showed a lack of discipline when he said: “Whatever I say does happen irrespective of where I am, whether I am in the church, in Parliament or on top of a roof”.

No proof

Mr Gwajima could not prove his statements that some officials had been bribed to allow Covid-19 vaccines into the country.

According to Mr Mwakasaka, before interrogating Mr Gwajima, the Committee had to satisfy itself that sermons in church have immunity against questioning by government organs.

“The Committee got satisfied that the Constitution [of the United Republic of Tanzania] offers individuals the right to pray but that while praying, they are not allowed to contravene the security and the rights of the society,” he said.