Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed growing frustration over limited parliamentary funding, with many accusing the government of failing to meet their needs and those of their constituents.
Several MPs lamented the diminishing impact they are able to make in their constituencies due to insufficient resources, with some saying they are now being called “Members of Problems” rather than effective representatives.
“At our constituencies, we are now being defined as ‘Members of Problems’. Today I am coming with this issue and tomorrow I am coming with another issue,” said MP Tichafara Mapiki during a recent parliamentary session.
One of the most pressing issues raised was the dissatisfaction of constituents who were “complaining about the Constituency Development Fund (CDF),” which was last allocated in 2022.
“Right now, they are saying we are not going to vote you back to Parliament because you do not have anything tangible that you have accomplished,” Mapiki stated.
Mapiki further illustrated the dire situation by pointing out the personal and professional struggles faced by MPs.
“Most Hon. Members are wearing second-hand jackets. Even if you look at the staff of Parliament, they are also wearing second-hand clothes,” he said, lamenting their financial hardships.
He also highlighted systemic issues within the parliamentary system, such as delays in the disbursement of allowances and coupons.
“If there was no register used to mark MPs twice a day, most of them would leave this House because allowances are not being disbursed. Coupons are not being disbursed on time,” Mapiki added.
Mapiki also criticised the lack of resources to support effective parliamentary work and described the chaotic management of parliamentary materials, saying most MPs are forced to store important papers in their cars.
“If the car catches fire, it can burn down quickly because most of the papers are being kept in cars,” he said.
The financial difficulties MPs face have also led some to rely on “selling fuel coupons” to make ends meet, further illustrating the extent of the problem, revealed Mapiki.
MP Caston Matewu proposed doubling the CDF from US$50 000 to US$100 000 to cover allocations missed in prior years.
“Parliament should be given more money than the ZiG1.7 billion it has allocated. Parliament needs to be given more money to be able to carry out its oversight role,” he said.
He also criticised Parliament’s failure to fund constituency offices.
“I pay almost US$700 for my constituency office every month and with no support from Parliament, yet it is the work of Parliament that we are doing in those constituencies.”
Matewu also proposed allocating low-cost secondary vehicles for committee chairpersons who frequently travel for oversight duties, noting the wear on existing vehicles.
“If you look at our mileage now, for the vehicles that we were given, mine is now at 40 000 kms because every week we are travelling. We are asking in this budget of 2025 that we be allocated a low cost second vehicle.”
MPs raised serious concerns about the welfare of parliamentary staff, with MP Prosper Mutseyami highlighting poor remuneration and working conditions, urging the government to subsidise meals and improve infrastructure, such as installing curtains in overheated offices.
“Our workers here at Parliament, when they go for lunch, they go to compounds just around Parliament Building where they get sadza for 50 cents and $1,” Mutseyami said and called for an increase in staff allowances, as low pay has driven many to leave for better opportunities abroad.
MP Energy Mutodi echoed these sentiments, advocating for improved salaries and housing loans for MPs and parliamentary staff.
“Many of the staff of Parliament have left Parliament to seek menial jobs in greener pastures like the UK and Australia because of the salaries that they are getting…we feel there has to be some kind of improvement in the conditions of service for staff of Parliament,” he said.
Mutodi stressed the urgency of addressing the backlog of unpaid allowances, unallocated stands for previous MPs and also providing low cost accommodation or loans to build on their allocated stands.
“We think if that can be accommodated in the 2025 budget,” he said.
Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube announced a proposed budget increase of ZiG500 million, later revised to ZiG800 million, to address some of the concerns raised.
Prof Ncube acknowledged the challenges in meeting Parliament’s funding needs due to cash flow constraints and proposed meal allowances for staff at US$20 for lunch and US$25 for dinner.
However, MPs expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister’s response, with Charlton Hwende and others urging a rework of the budget to address all critical issues comprehensively.
“ We really want you to take that seriously because it is affecting the work that Parliament is doing…,” Hwende said.
“Why are you not releasing that money as we are debating here? We cannot have a Parliament that appropriates and fails to make sure that the Minister releases. How do we represent the people here in Parliament? We need offices for Members of Parliament. All the Hon Members are operating from car boots. That is where they file their papers for committee work.”
MP Edwin Mushoriwa emphasised the need for 100 percent disbursement of allocated funds, citing past failures to release approved budgets and criticised the uneven allocation of funds across government branches.
Mushoriwa noted that while the Office of the President had more than 100% disbursement, the Judicial Service Commission had above 70% disbursement, Parliament’s allocation fell short at only 37%.
“Part of the problem that we have in Parliament is not because we did not have a sufficient budget, it was because the Minister of Finance decided in his wisdom not to disburse the money that this House had budgeted for.
