Zim GBC News | Political Correspondent
HARARE – In a move that has ignited public fury, legislators from both the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are collectively demanding housing loans of US$150,000 each, totaling over US$45 million, while the nation grapples with a severe economic crisis and collapsing public services.
The demand, reportedly spearheaded by former CCC Secretary-General Chalton Hwende, comes just two years after MPs received US$40,000 housing loans, residential stands, and other benefits ahead of the 2023 elections. Critics have slammed the timing, noting that the request emerges as the government struggles to stock basic medicines like paracetamol in public hospitals and as millions of citizens face extreme poverty.
ZANU-PF Chief Whip, Pupurai Togarepi, confirmed the initiative, telling a local daily,
“This is a project being carried out throughout the cities and provinces after Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe wrote to various local authorities, directing them to allocate land for legislators to build residential homes.” Togarepi described the move as an effort to “remove MPs from hotels,” adding that the legislators would “pay for the stands.”
However, the allocation of prime land in affluent Harare suburbs such as Marlborough and Borrowdale—plots originally reserved for community facilities like schools and clinics—has raised serious allegations of corruption and self-enrichment.
The scandal has intensified criticism of the political class, with many accusing MPs of being more focused on personal gain than public service.
A prominent civil society leader, who spoke to Zim GBC News on condition of anonymity, stated,
“This is a profound betrayal. Instead of fighting for the masses who voted for them—for better hospitals, jobs, and an end to poverty—our MPs are concentrating on their stomachs and families. Had it been that they really stood for the voters, they would be in Parliament demanding solutions for the people, not luxury loans for themselves. This reveals a complete disconnect from the suffering they were elected to alleviate.”
The timing of the proposed payout has also fueled speculation that it is a strategic move to secure MPs’ loyalty ahead of President Mnangagwa’s anticipated constitutional amendment bid to extend his term to 2030.
For ordinary Zimbabweans, the demand underscores a deepening moral crisis within the political elite, who appear to be enriching themselves while the nation they represent sinks deeper into despair.
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