GNU Principals block MPs’ hefty payout

Early this month, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs minister Eric Matinenga had told the House of Assembly that Parliament was now ready to pay the MPs their outstanding allowances.

He said it had been recommended that each MP would be given US$75 per sitting backdated to 2008 and Parliament was calculating what each legislator was owed.

But the MPs got the shock of their lives at a joint caucus meeting on Thursday when they were told that the three principals — President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara — had written a letter instructing Parliament to stop the payments.

The principals instead recommended that the MPs only start getting their sitting allowances from November 1. If Mugabe’s plans to have elections next year, it will mean the legislators would only get remunerated for less than 12 months out of five years.

Their terms were supposed to end in 2013. Zanu PF chief whip Jorum Gumbo, his MDC counterparts Edward Mkhosi and Innocent Gonese were the bearers of the bad news and were nearly manhandled by the angry MPs, sources said.

“There was near war with the MPs accusing the whips and (Parliament’s) Standing Rules and Orders Committee of giving them a raw deal,” said an MP who wanted to remain anonymous.

“Things were so bad that Gumbo and Gonese were barred from leaving Parliament. “Gumbo wanted to rush to a Copac meeting but could not go.” Gumbo yesterday confirmed the development.

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“Yes it was officially announced by the executive that MPs will not be getting their sitting allowances as from 2008 to October 2011,” he said. Zanu PF’s Goromonzi North MP Paddy Zhanda said the u-turn by the executive was unfortunate.

“It’s wrong to deny us what is rightfully ours on the basis that we have other sources of income,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate and as MPs, our question is who is doing voluntary work in Zimbabwe?

“We are the least paid in the whole region. Do your own investigations and you will see what I am talking about.” Another Zanu PF MP said the three principals had failed to respect the separation of powers by involving themselves in issues of MPs welfare.

He said the same ministers who blocked the payment of the allowances drew “salaries of US$3 000 a month” and also benefited from Parliament’s car loan scheme for MPs.