Buhera South Member of Parliament Joseph Chinotimba says Zimbabwe’s Parliament must introduce breathalysers to make sure that legislators who come into the House are not drunk because most MPs are drunkards.
He made the remarks in his contribution to Parliament in which he supported Movement for Democratic Change legislator Joseph Maridadi who said senior government officials were aiding Chinese business people to evade duty and under-declare goods leading to loss of government revenue and destruction of Zimbabwe’s industry.
Zimbabwe is currently relying on tax revenue to fund government operations as it cannot get any external loans until it clears its arrears with the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
Maridadi had just produced evidence that a Chinese company was importing dishes at two cents and selling them for $6.
“The issue that was being debated here by Hon. Maridadi is a touching and painful issue,” Chinotimba said.
“He did not look at the political situation in Zimbabwe but he mentioned strategies of how we can develop our country, create jobs and sources of livelihood.”
Chinotimba called on legislators to help curb corruption saying he had helped apprehend a tax dodger and handed him over to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
“Last week we toured the industries and we saw a car that was full of goods that had passed through the border,” he said.
“They were offloading the goods at one company.
“The good thing was that I was there and I was able to impound the car.
“I went to ZIMRA and reported the issue.
“I took the ZIMRA people there and it was realised that the goods had been under declared.
“So, when the President tells us what to do, people might point fingers at the government yet it is us the people who fail to realise that if we do not adhere to what the President says, our country will not develop,” he said.
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