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The lawmakers say they are yet to receive the money while the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs insists it disbursed the funds during the Christmas holiday.
A senior official in the Ministry of Finance yesterday confirmed that US$1 million was disbursed to the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs in November. “We started with US$1 million at the end of November and the ministry has been doing the modalities,” the official said.
“Finally, we have done the balance of US$2 million this week, which should be made available to the MPs after the necessary procedures.”
But legislators’ welfare committee chairperson Cde Paddy Zhanda said they had not received any outstanding sitting allowances.
“It is not true that any of our colleagues has received any allowances,” he said. “We have not received even a cent. It is a lie. I am yet to hear from one MP who has received money.”
The welfare committee negotiated with the executive for MPs to be paid their outstanding allowances.
The executive decided to peg the allowances at US$15 000 for each legislator.
Cde Zhanda said there was no way the money could reach the MPs without the committee’s knowledge.
“There is mixed communication, we have been told that the paperwork is being done and also that the money is not there,” he said.
“If he says the money was disbursed during the holidays, was it delivered by hand because the banks were closed?
“I have been inundated with calls from MPs asking about the money and I could see there is a plight that needs to be addressed.”
Cde Zhanda said they will continue pestering the executive over the allowances.
He said it was improper for the country to have poor legislators.
Secretary for the welfare committee Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti last night asked legislators to get in touch with him over their welfare.
A member of the welfare committee said no money was disbursed for outstanding sitting allowances to the MPs.
“I spent some time at Parliament today (yesterday) and I met a number of MPs, but they never indicated to me that they had received their allowances,” he said.
Minister Matinenga insisted yesterday that some legislators had been paid US$15 000 apiece.
“It is unfortunate that it’s now too late, I can’t get the names of the MPs who were paid from my chief accountant, but I was advised that the US$1 million that was disbursed was paid out to the MPs,”
he said last night.
Ministers are not entitled to the allowances.
“So far about, US$1 million has been paid out while the remainder of about US$2,1 million should be available any time from now because Treasury promised it would be available by yesterday (Thursday).
“The US$1 million was made available last Friday and my staff worked through the holidays to disburse the money.
“If the remainder is made available today, then my Ministry would be doing the same thing of working through the holiday to disburse the money.”
Minister Matinenga said they had decided to come up with a flat figure of US$15 000 for each legislator irrespective of the number of sittings.
To enhance transparency, he said, they will reconcile the number of sittings for each MP with the intention of deducting or adding, depending on worked figures each legislator will be entitled to.
Minister Matinenga said the Government and the parliamentary welfare committee had agreed to pay the legislators after compiling a list of the beneficiaries.
He said it will be proper if ministers were paid allowances for the time they served as MPs before being appointed.
Some of the ministers served as legislators from August 25, 2008 until February 14, 2009 when they were appointed members of the executive.
Some of the legislators, especially from MDC-T, were appointed into the executive after a Cabinet reshuffle in June last year.
Online Reporter