Members of Parliament have bemoaned what they consider to be paltry salaries and allowances that they are getting from Treasury, saying the money is not enough to meet their needs.
Speaking during a Parliamentary session on Tuesday, Norton MP, Temba Mliswa (Independent), requested that legislators should be paid the equivalent of US$2 000 and US$75 in salaries and allowances, respectively. Said Mliswa:
Currently, the money that we are getting is (next to) nothing. We cannot even pay school fees for our children (with it). A lot of things are happening. We are even failing to access medical care because it is expensive; what more our children?
If you compare the money we are receiving with that of other countries, it is not much but we never complain. We came here and passed the budget. (Ever) since the Finance minister (brought in the) mono-currency system, I was looking forward to getting (the equivalent of) US$2 000 (as) salary and US$75 (as sitting allowance) at the (prevailing) interbank rate.
Zimbabwean legislators, like war veterans, have been making a long list of demands over the years.
The demands include gym equipment, all-terrain vehicles, three-course meals, duty-free certificates and diplomatic passports among others.