OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Members of Parliament yesterday said there was nothing wrong in them accepting the US$40 000 housing loans despite criticism by their leader Nelson Chamisa who labelled them as selfish.
Addressing a Press conference in the capital yesterday, CCC
chief whip Prosper Mutseyami said they had benefited from such loan schemes
before.
“On Tuesday, the CCC hosted a parliamentary caucus
convergence in Harare to look at things affecting Zimbabwe, we discussed the
much-published US$40 000 loan granted to Members of Parliament (MPs). What I
want to say is that the US$40 000 loan is above board and it’s not a donation,”
Mutseyami said.
“The loan is, therefore, not a surprising Executive
instrument, but one that went through due process of appropriation and it’s
provided for in the Constitution of the country and it’s not a donation and it
is above board.”
Mutseyami said this in the presence of other CCC bigwigs
such as vice-president and Harare East MP Tendai Biti as well as Mutasa Central
MP Trevor Saruwaka.
“Over the years, different loans have always been provided
for Parliament. Most common of these loans have been vehicle loans of US$55 000
up to US$60 000 in some cases depending on the portfolio the honourable member
holds,” he said.
“Loans have always been repaid, where there have been
defaults. Parliament has instituted legal proceedings and court records are
public. In some cases, vehicles have been seized at tollgates like for myself,
honourable Chalton Hwende and honourable Caston Matewu.
“Some of these issues are still in court. The suggestions
in some quarters that the loans are donations are not correct. In the (Finance
ministry’s) mid-term supplementary budget of September 2022, a provision was
made for a housing and vehicle loan of about US$40 000.”
Chamisa accused his MPs of being sellouts and of tarnishing
the image of the party by accepting the loans, which he dismissed as a bribe
from the ruling Zanu PF party.
“Parliament has been underfunded by the Executive and has
been treated as a constitutional inconvenience by the Executive that is ... not
prepared to be held to account. In a proper economy, MPs should be remunerated
to enable them to carry the important task of representing citizens that they
are privileged to save. Sadly, in Zimbabwe, that is not the case,” added
Mutseyami.
Meanwhile, parliamentarians have called for an upward
review of the parliamentary vehicle loan to US$60 000.
Government has offered a US$40 000 loan to each sitting MP,
US$500 000 for individual Cabinet ministers and US$350 000 for their deputies.
In a motion on the Finance Bill, under the Parliament
Budget and Finance Committee, chairperson Matthew Nyashanu said Treasury should
accelerate early release of the funds.
“The committee is also recommending an upward review of the
parliamentary vehicle loan scheme to an equivalent of US$60 000 per member.
This programme was allocated $8,45 billion, which translates to an equivalent
of US$37 177 per member,” Nyashanu said.
Nyashanu said they were not happy with the measly
allocations to the Parliamentary Constituency Information Centres (PCICs) and
Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
“The committee, however, notes with concern the paltry
allocation for PCICs which have been allocated $100 million in 2023. The
committee also notes the allocation of $4,8 billion for CDF, which translates
to $22,9 million (US$35 197) per constituency, which falls short of a minimum
requirement of US$50 000 if meaningful projects are to be implemented in the
constituencies.” Newsday
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