RSS 2.0 FeedJuly 2010 Vol 19, Parliament and Politics
Zimbabwean legislators to go on pay strike
HARARE - Zimbabwe’s Members of Parliament have threatened to hold demonstrations after the minister of Finance refused to review their allowances upwards.
HARARE - Zimbabwe’s Members of Parliament have threatened to hold demonstrations after the minister of Finance refused to review their allowances upwards.
The MPs claim their allowances are lower than those of their counterparts in lawless Somalia.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti ignored calls to review civil servants salaries and allowances for MPs in his mid-term budget review last week drawing fire from unions.
Zimbabwe is struggling to get donor support for its $2.2 billion budget because Western governments do not have confidence in the coalition government led by President Robert Mugabe.
“Kenyan MPs earn $13,500, Somalia MPs earn $700, our MPs are earning US$350, they are starving, they have not been getting their sitting allowances,” complained Mr Simba Mudarikwa, an MP from President Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
The legislators who are currently leading public hearings that would culminate in aa new constitution for the country say they are being forced to smuggle bread to hotels because they cannot afford meals.
“There is nothing for MPs in your statement,” said another MP from Prime Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change. “The minister should be mindful of the plight of MPs.
“MPs are starving while they are conducting the (constitution) outreach programme.”
But Mr Biti who had to revise Zimbabwe’s projected economic growth from 7 percent to 5,4 percent this year said the government was broke.
“The government has no money,” he said in response to the demands by the MPs.
“MPs and ministers are not any different, some earn $450 while others get $400.”
At times Zimbabwean MPs have suffered the indignity of being thrown out of hotels because of delays to settle bills by government.
President Mugabe opened the second session of parliament last week and the legislators are expected to debate at least 20 bills, which are very crucial for the unity government to conclude reforms proposed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement (GPA).
Among pieces of legislation set for debate are various bills to reform the media and security.
The GPA brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki led to the formation of the unity government between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has set up temporary shelters for scores of its nationals leaving South Africa following threats of attacks on foreigners, an official said Monday. “We have put three big tents in Beitbridge, 10,000 blankets, 20 boxes of laundry soap and 1,000 buckets,” Madzudzo Pawadyira, head of the government’s civil protection unit, told AFP. Beitbridge is the main border crossing to South Africa.
Scores of Zimbabweans working and living in South Africa are returning home after the 2010 football World Cup, with rumours of xenophobic violence swirling through poor neighbourhoods, he said.
“Indeed, there has been an increase of volume at Beitbridge, but this is not only confined to Zimbabweans, but this also includes other nationals from Zambia and Malawi,” Pawadyira said.
“Most of the people who were in South Africa are sending their children back home. Then you have those who are coming back because their usefulness in South Africa is no longer required.
