Zimbabwe MP complains: what can I do with a paltry $1 000 a month

HON. ENG. MUDZURI:  On a point of order, I want to appreciate your announcement today that tomorrow we have a Pre-Budget Seminar Briefing.  However, I wanted your office to recognise that Fridays are a bit difficult; the first thing is that it is constituency day and the second issue is that there is registration which has been giving people difficulties.  MPs are helping their constituents to ensure that the last few days left, in terms of the six days on the glitch need to be attended to.

So, you might not find enough MPs on this Pre-Budget Seminar because they are rushing to their constituencies.  If you could choose another day, which is not necessarily Friday, when there is this glitch on certain constituencies.  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand what you are saying, those with constituencies may need to go and attend their constituencies on Fridays but I have spent the whole week announcing this.  Now, we will be having this seminar tomorrow and you start suggesting that we change the date.  Also the Pre-Budget Seminar briefing is equally important to what is happening in the constituencies.  We do not do it every Friday, it is only this Friday where we are going to have this Pre-Budget Seminar, once and for all, then we go to the constituencies.  You have to represent your Constituency at that Pre-Budget Seminar.  I thank you.

HON. MLISWA:  On a point of order Madam Speaker.  I think this Pre-Budget Seminar briefing is important.  Are you aware that other Members of Parliament are already on an outreach?  They are doing Parliamentary duty right now, consulting people.  So we are already in sixes and sevens, the Agriculture Committee is in Masvingo and the Mines Committee as well yet we are supposed to do this all of us at once.  How are they going to give feed back to their constituencies when we are in sixes and sevens?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  It is the same, we are sitting here in Parliament whilst the other Hon. Members are conducting outreach programmes.  For your own information, Friday is a sitting day.  According to the Standing Rules and Orders of this House, Friday is a sitting day.

HON. MLISWA:  Madam Speaker, I totally agree with what you are saying but we are saying is that this whole Budget is what drives the economy of the country.  Some of the sessions here, they can miss but not the Budget of the country, they have to represent their constituencies.  It is with due respect that you reconsider this decision because we will not have another Pre-Budget again, how are they going to report back to their constituencies.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Thank you Hon. Mliswa, I hear what you are saying.  I am appealing to Hon. Members in this House to attend tomorrow’s Pre-Budget Seminar briefing and also bring out what you are saying on behalf of your colleagues who are out there.  Thank you very much.

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