Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has reacted to the noise around the government’s move to award legislators US$40 000 loans describing parliamentarians as poor and dull cousins who give more and get less in return.
Posting on Twitter Tuesday morning, Mliswa said legislators deserve to be capacitated for them carry out their mandate of oversight over the Executive.
Mliswa chastised the public of ignoring legislators saying their roles must not be thankless and risky yet they are critical arm of government.
“Just want to provide context and an explanation about the US$40 000 to be given to legislators. I’m the Chairperson of the Welfare Committee Pressure Group. That figure isn’t a gift but it’s a loan.
“Again, initially and as approved in the Budget, MPs had been given US$80 000 for cars. However, they acquired vehicles for US$50 000 leaving a US$30K change. It’s part of that figure,” said Mliswa.
He made reference to ministers and their deputies getting US$500 000 and US$350 000 respectively saying legislators are like poor and dull cousins who give more and get less in return.
“We are on PSMAS media aid and it doesn’t work. Fees we pay for ourselves. Ministers got US$500 000, Deputy Ministers US$350 000. We get US$40 000 and suddenly everyone is an economist attacking us! We are the poor and dull cousins who gives more and gets less in return really,” said Mliswa.
The former Zanu PF central committee member said failing to capacitate legislators makes them susceptible to corruption which limits their oversight role over the executive and judiciary.
“How can we be effective in positions of oversight over the Executive and other arms of Gvt when we are not capacitated? Look at what the Judiciary and the Executive gets. How do you oversee such arms of Gvt from a position of dire poverty?
“Let’s continue with this line of thinking and what you get at the end of the day is corruption with MPs susceptible to bribes due to dire situations. Look at Wadyajena’s Agric Committee where the MPs have been rendered dumb and obliging to his shenanigans because of money,” said Mliswa.
