Zimbabwe’s legislators may be resorting to attending more workshops to get extra money because they cannot make ends meet from their salaries.
This was said in Parliament yesterday by independent legislators Temba Mliswa who said the remuneration of Members of Parliament of $72 000 was not meeting their basic requirements.
Mliswa also said they needed new cars because they ones that they had had already clocked more than 200 000 kilometres.
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda said Mliswa should refer welfare matters to the relevant Parliamentary committee but urged legislators to service their cars.
“You can go further than 200 000 kilometers, Mudenda said. “The environment out there is very rugged – admitted, so the servicing of vehicles is a very expensive exercise. Let us come up with ideas and see how we can cushion the Hon. Members of Parliament.”
Full debate
HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir, My point of privilege is my condolences to the family of Hon. A. Mpofu the late but to also say that may it be standard as Parliament that any Member of Parliament who passes on, we do move a motion immediately after they have been buried. I have seen that when other members pass on, we have never moved a motion to even talk about what they did and it can just be the day after they are buried. Let us say they are buried on a Friday, then Tuesday we meet, move a motion and debate at least to give honour to such people. I do not know, thus your indulgence is sought but it seems to be unfair as others have motions moved for them while others do not have motions moved for them. I thought if it could be standard, I think it would help us to be seen as a united Parliament.
Secondly, the issue of the welfare of the Members of Parliament is rather desperate. Just having been to a workshop, you see that MPs are more for workshops to try and get that extra money. Most of them have got children at tertiary institutions that have not gone to school as a result of school fees not being paid. The remuneration also that we are getting of RTGs$72000 is not meeting the basic requirements for them. The cars that we got have already done 200000kms and if you talk to the motor industry fraternity, they will tell you that it is as good as being sold because it now costs more in maintaining the engine. Most of them right now are paying more for the service because the engine does not have that capacity to be efficient. Also, the stands which were given to them, we need to know what is happening and this has been going on for a long time and the little savings that they are getting, they would love to start building their own houses. It is important for the integrity of Members of Parliament moving forward for them to at least have something and a house in Harare would also help Parliament not to spend as much money in hotels. We also have the issue of the Information Centres. COVID-19 has come. How do we disseminate information to the people? How do we work? Already we are going for elections and we are being accused of not working and we will lose power because of something that is not within our control because of the remuneration and some centres which are critical. So, with COVID being here those information centres would have been an ideal place for us to be disseminating information, people coming into our offices and so forth.
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