LEGISLATORS have pleaded with Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to urgently address accommodation challenges in Harare amid revelations that some are sleeping in their cars after attending Parliament business.
Zanu PF chief whip Pupurai Togarepi raised the issue as a point of privilege, highlighting the challenges MPs face when attending parliamentary sessions.
“I rise on a point of privilege after some perennial challenges that are facing Members of Parliament each time they come to the House,” said Togarepi.
“There is a challenge in terms of accommodation, MPs get desperate to a point where some sleep in cars and others are disturbed by the approach of some of the hotels.
“When members go to hotels, they are told in an unfriendly way that ‘we are not taking MPs,’ which is very disturbing.”
Togarepi added: “The honour and the respect that MPs must be accorded, they are not getting any.”
“My issue is, where are those responsible in Parliament administration, why do they not engage service providers? I am raising it here because I have engaged Parliament administration not once but many times, but we are assured and it is only this week that we are going to be sitting and many of our members are desperate.
“We know that there could be challenges in terms of funding the stay, but they are not the source of money.”
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Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said he was aware of the MPs' challenges saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa once intervened to resolve the crisis.
“I recall that the government chief whip approached me and the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion was not around.
“I approached the Head of State and Government, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. He immediately called the permanent secretary George Guvamatanga and asked, is there is no budget for Parliament, he said yes and it will be done immediately because the situation in that particular week had become desperate,” said Mudenda.
