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Parliamentary Monitor: Issue 30
Parliamentary Monitoring Trust (Zimbabwe)
May 16, 2012

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MPs Gone Bananas

Well well well, the season of political madness is upon us. It is not the elections, this or next year. It is mere madness that has been loosened upon our politicians and we as the people of Zimbabwe have a mandate to tell them that you have gone too far. From legislating prostitution, to free electricity through to sex toys in prisons then the KAPUT thesis to make women shabby to reduce spread of HIV/Aids. That aside, there was another sign of madness last week when MPs demanded that they get stands in the leafy suburbs. We call this madness! Becoming an MP is not a fulltime job. This is one big mistake most of these guys make. There is no job in this world where you attend a few sessions and break. The argument may be that they spend more time in the constituencies and who-ever accepts that would accept anything. This is not a fulltime job. One then questions the wisdom of having a duly elected MP, requesting a stand in a leafy suburb in Harare. It is syllogistic to say that when they get the stand, it will reduce the burden on government. We have 210 Members of the House of Assembly. Working on this figure, not including the senators, 210 stands will be availed. What will happen should all lose their seats in the next elections? We will have another batch of stands availed. Then what is the cycle continues? The whole issue smacks of selfishness. Something we have seen in our politics of late. They are there not to serve the people but their own interests. The issue is simple. If they have realised that housing is important, why are they not pushing for legislation that ensures all Zimbabweans have a right and means to housing? What makes them so special that they need housing in Harare even if they represent a rural constituency? It is a very simple matter. The legislators should have pushed for the establishment of a Parliamentary Village. One that would accommodate all of those outside Harare. It is a more focused and long term. This is one of the international best practices. After all there is talk of building a new Parly then this should be incorporated. Then there is what Prof Welshman Ncube is proposing. Moving Parly to Bulawayo, the country’s second largest city. If it happens that way, are we not having wasted resources? It has been realised these people are thinking of themselves to the detriment of our own welfare. Why not start with, like in sport, Yellow Card, for their selfish showing. Should this continue, then we red card them in the next election.

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