MP more worried about his benefits than election crisis

Chipinge East Member of Parliament Mathias Matewu Mlambo appeared to be more worried about his benefits yesterday as the life of the current parliament comes to a close on Saturday.

Mlambo asked Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga whether the country was facing any crisis and whether legislators were going to get benefits due to them over the past five years.

Matinenga had just disclosed to the House that he was not sure when the country was going to hold its next elections or what the way forward was after the Constitutional Court postponed the case on the election date indefinitely.

In response to Mlambo, Matinenga said MPs would be paid if they were owed anything. Even if this was not paid by the 29 June, this did not mean that it would not be paid.

“Should Parliament be closed on Friday, it means your monies should still be paid. Let us say Parliament is dissolved on the 29th June, 2013, if you have not been given all your monies, there is a period whereby you have to go and appeal for the compensation of what you lost.

“It is entirely up to you that you have to make up your minds and approach the legal way so that you get your remunerations. You have to go to the courts and tell them that you are a losing Member of Parliament but all the same, you have not been paid your benefits and payments and therefore, you need that money. You have to be paid.

“If they do not make payments by the 29th June, 2013 when Parliament stands dissolved, it does not mean that what you are owed has been extinguished. What it means is that you are owed that allowance or whatever it is until that date is extinguished by prescription in three years. So, within the three years, if you have not been paid, please take Parliament to court and I will defend you.”

It is not clear why Mlambo was so anxious because he won the Chipinge East primary elections for MDC-T uncontested.

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