Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Amon Murwira has again failed to attend a Senate question-and-answer session, leaving questions about Zimbabweans recruited into the Russia-Ukraine war unanswered.
Senator Kucaca Phulu had submitted questions for Thursday’s sitting, 12 November 2026, seeking an update on Zimbabweans allegedly lured into the Russian military with promises of civilian employment.
However, Murwira was among several ministers who submitted apologies for their absence, leaving the questions unanswered.
According to the official Senate Hansard, Acting President of the Senate Senator Kambizi announced the minister’s apology at the start of proceedings.
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A review of parliamentary records shows that Murwira submitted apologies for at least four Senate sittings this year – on 9 April, 14 May, 11 June and 12 November. He also submitted an apology for the National Assembly sitting on 25 March.
His latest absence comes just two months after Phulu complained that questions submitted to the ministry in September 2025 had remained unanswered for nearly a year because the minister had not appeared before the Senate.
On 10 September 2026, Phulu told Parliament that his questions would soon be a year old.
“Madam President, I raised this issue last week. Tomorrow is the 11th September; my question will be one year old,” he said.
“The minister is not coming, and these are important questions. I have not been assured whether Parliament did write a letter asking the minister to come and answer this question and other questions related to his portfolio. This means he has not been in the House for more than one year.”
Phulu also questioned whether Parliament had formally written to Murwira demanding answers to the outstanding questions.
The Deputy President of the Senate expressed concern about ministers who regularly missed parliamentary proceedings.
“Some of these ministers, we never see them in the House. It is very sad,” she said.
Responding to Phulu, Acting President of the Senate Alice Dube acknowledged that he had raised the matter previously and said the Leader of Government Business, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, had heard his concerns.
“Thank you, Hon. Phulu. I think you said it last week. The Leader of Government Business is here today, and I think he heard what you said. Thank you,” she said.
More than two months later, the questions remain unanswered.
In his latest submission, Phulu sought to establish what the government was doing to address the recruitment of Zimbabweans into the Russian military, particularly those allegedly promised civilian jobs before being deployed to the battlefield.
He also asked for an update on the proposed Trafficking in Persons Bill, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa identified in his State of the Nation Address as an important measure to protect citizens from fraudulent overseas recruitment.
The senator further sought information on Zimbabweans reported missing, injured, detained or killed in the conflict, as well as the diplomatic and consular efforts to secure the return of those affected.
The questions come amid growing concern over recruitment networks allegedly targeting Zimbabweans with promises of lucrative employment in Russia.
In March 2026, the government disclosed that at least 15 Zimbabweans had died in the conflict, while 66 others were alive in Russia.
Investigations have documented cases in which recruits were allegedly misled about the nature of their employment. Some have reported that their passports and mobile phones were confiscated before they underwent military training and were deployed to combat zones.
For families with relatives missing, injured or trapped in Russia, the questions are an opportunity to obtain official information about their whereabouts and the government’s efforts to assist them.
Murwira’s repeated absence has raised concerns about ministerial accountability and Parliament’s ability to scrutinise government policy and obtain answers on matters of public interest.
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