HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, has yielded to pressure from Members of Parliament (MPs) and increased the budget allocation for Parliament to meet their demands.
The greedy MPs had threatened not to pass what they deemed an ‘anti-poor’ budget.
The MPs raised concerns about their welfare, citing disparities with their counterparts in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
During the budget debate last week, legislators demanded top-of-the-range Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, hotel stays for their spouses, substantial perks, additional benefits, and payment of salaries for their workers.
Expressing dissatisfaction, they argued that their welfare did not align with regional standards, making them the subject of ridicule in their constituencies.
In response to the MPs’ demands, Minister Ncube announced a significant increase in Parliament’s budget allocation.
“I propose that we increase the budget for Parliament by another ZWL$225 billion so that it becomes ZWL$700 billion in response to those needs,” stated Ncube.
Addressing the specific issue of vehicles, Ncube highlighted, “We have budgeted ZWL$132 billion at the current exchange rate, which converts to about US$60,000 per vehicle. We have done that, but I think the main issue is that we increase the budget for Parliament to ZWL$700 billion.”
Minister Ncube also proposed an increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) budget allocations, emphasizing the need to improve resources for constituency offices, visits, and research officers to support MPs.
Regarding vehicle imports, Ncube assured MPs that the facility for the importation of their vehicles, including those from the Ninth Parliament, is still in place.
“I must say that the facility for the second vehicle is still in place, so you are free to import a second vehicle. Those from the Ninth Parliament who could not bring in cars before Parliament was dissolved, we are going to extend the Statutory Instrument so that you can bring in your cars,” he added.
Acknowledging the need for a comprehensive welfare package for MPs, Ncube proposed the establishment of a committee to explore solutions.
“We can identify land and once that land has been identified, we take some amount and deposit with a building society and build accommodation for our MPs. They are given a key and they use that during the duration of Parliament,” he suggested.
The Finance Minister faced considerable pressure to meet the demands of the MPs, who threatened to block his budget.
The move comes after MPs were granted US$40,000 housing loans in December, a decision that sparked public debate and divided opinions, especially within opposition circles.
The housing loans were criticized by some, including opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who labeled them as bribes from the ruling Zanu PF-led government.
