Political Correspondent
HARARE – Kuwadzana East legislator, Chalton Hwende, has publicly accused the government of reneging on its promises, raising a storm in Parliament over delayed allowances and benefits that are worsening the conditions for lawmakers.
Rising on a point of privilege, Hon. Hwende reminded the Speaker of a pledge made during a workshop in Bulawayo last month, stating that the situation has deteriorated since.
“I noticed that you were not around but since that time, nothing has improved. In fact, it is becoming worse and worse,” he said.
In response, the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, assured the House that discussions with the Ministry of Finance were underway. He revealed specific financial figures, stating,
“What is outstanding at the moment… is ZWL1.5 million, and to bring everything up to date we needed ZWL5 million. I was assured that the balance of ZWL3.5 million should be paid before the end of this month.”
However, the situation escalated when Deputy Finance Minister, David Mnangagwa, admitted that a key joint committee designed to oversee MPs’ welfare had failed to meet.
“There was a committee that was set up… We are yet to meet. Some of these administrative issues will best be served if we are to meet consistently and constantly,” Mnangagwa told the House.
This admission sparked immediate protests from Hwende, who insisted the resolution from the Bulawayo workshop had not been honoured. He pointed to a broader issue, stating,
“The problem which we have is that most of our leaders are going outside for per diems and we have a very serious issue.”
Attempting to restore order, Speaker Mudenda clarified that some administrative meetings had occurred and urged MPs to handle the matter internally.
“Meet with your Chief Whips and discuss some of these things… Let us not discuss these matters in the House. These are administrative matters,” he advised. Before adjourning the debate, the Speaker pressed the Deputy Minister to ensure the promised ZWL3.5 million is released this week.
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