Senators want teas, soft drinks and biscuits when they visit ministers’ offices

Senator for Mashonaland Central Province Alice Chimbudzi (pictured) has enquired on the government position with regards to the provision of tea and soft drinks to visiting legislators.

The Senator was speaking in during question and answer in the Senator last Thursday.

‘’My question is directed to the Minister of Local Government. What is the policy with regards the maintenance of offices of Government Ministers so that visitors such as Members of Parliament and others can have teas and soft drinks when they visit resident Ministers?

However, in her response, the deputy Minister of Local Government Marian Chombo, said resident ministers fall under the Office of the President.

‘’When you talked about biscuits, we thought of eating. The office of the resident Ministers or Ministers of Provincial Affairs do not fall under Local Government but under the Office of the President.

‘’That is where their budget lies,’’ she said.

Legislators in Zimbabwe have of late come under fire for making unreasonable demands.

Recently, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa stunned the National Assembly when he demanded that MPs be given new cars.

According to Mliswa, the vehicles they got between 2019 and 2020 are already worn out and expensive to maintain.

Legislators endless demands

Earlier this year, the legislators were also calling for a salary review, arguing that the ZW$72 000 they get in monthly salary was no longer enough.

Besides the monthly salary, legislators also get sitting allowances for each day they sit on Parliament business.

Late last year, the sitting allowances were pegged at about ZW$700 per sitting.

Zimbabwe has a combined 350 legislators drawn from National Assembly (270) and the Senate (80).

However, with effect from 2023, an additional 10 seats will be added to the legislators for the youth quota.

The Proportional Representation Clause that was supposed to end in 2023 has also been given another life span.

-OpenparlyZw