Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko’s stay in at the five-star Rainbow Towers since 14 December 2014 is an issue for the elders and should not be spoken about, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa told Parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a question from Chitungwiza North Member of Parliament Godfrey Sithole on what the government policy for senior government officials was and the background of reports that Mphoko had been staying in a hotel since 14 December last year, Mnangagwa responded: “Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to tell you that some of these issues are for the elderly and should not be spoken about. We are working on this issue and we are looking for a house so that the Hon. Vice President can be accommodated.”
Asked by Kuwadzana East legislator Nelson Chamisa about the case of the Deputy Speaker who has also been staying in a hotel, Mnangagwa said: “I am not fully informed about the facts of the matter the hon. member has raised about the Deputy Speaker. I may be incorrect or correct but I believe that Parliament has regulations governing how the Speaker shall be looked after when the Speaker is in Harare during the sitting of Parliament. The regulations are not that of Government but of the legislature, so we need to look at that in order to see whether they have been violated or not. So, I cannot off the cuff, indicate as to the precise situation relating to the matter raised by the hon. member.”
Q&A:
MR. SITHOLE: Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Vice President Hon. Mnangagwa. I would like to know the Government policy regarding expenditure on accommodation for senior Government officials. This is actually on the background of reports that Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has been staying in an expensive hotel since 14 December 2014. I would want to know the expenditure policy in terms of accommodation for senior Government officials? I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear. Hear.] –
+THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (MR. MNANGAGWA): Hon. Speaker Sir, I would like to tell you that some of these issues are for the elderly and should not be spoken about. We are working on this issue and we are looking for a house so that the Hon. Vice President can be accommodated. I thank you. – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] –
+MR. CHAMISA: I understand that the Hon. Vice President [Laughter]- is trying to speak in Ndebele. Let me use English so that the Vice President does not lose track of what I am saying. Mr. Speaker Sir, my question to the Hon. Vice President has to do with the fact that, we know that the Deputy Speaker was staying in a hotel. Is it a stated and settled Government policy that we would use the meagre resources we have for an expensive mode of accommodation like a hotel instead of or in place of other cheaper forms that we could find? Are we not able to then use that money for other necessities like electricity or water that are very pertinent to circumstances of our country?
MR. MNANGAGWA: Mr. Speaker Sir, I am not fully informed about the facts of the matter the hon. member has raised about the Deputy Speaker. I may be incorrect or correct but I believe that Parliament has regulations governing how the Speaker shall be looked after when the Speaker is in Harare during the sitting of Parliament. The regulations are not that of Government but of the legislature, so we need to look at that in order to see whether they have been violated or not. So, I cannot off the cuff, indicate as to the precise situation relating to the matter raised by the hon. member. I thank you.
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