Boob over legislators’ perks costs Govt

Treasury deposited the money into the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs’ account for disbursements.

All legislators were last December given a flat $15 000 in sitting allowances without calculating their dues individually.

This was despite the fact that some of the legislators were entitled to only $375.

House of Assembly members were overpaid by $582 675 while Senators were unduly paid $298 200.

Week long investigations by our Harare Bureau revealed that some members of the executive, mostly from MDC-T got the allowances that were a preserve of Parliamentary backbenchers.

Clerk of Parliament, Mr Austin Zvoma, yesterday said Parliament had since informed the Office of the President and Cabinet about the anomaly.

He said the Ministerial and Parliamentary Salaries and Allowances Act did not entitle ministers to Parliamentary sitting allowances.

“Ministers are not entitled to Parliamentary sitting allowances because their salaries and allowances are catered for in their ministries even for their Parliamentary business,” said Mr Zvoma.

Treasury, the Parliamentary Welfare Committee and the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs administered the allowances.

These were allowances covering three years from 2008 to 2011 and were paid at the rate of $75 per sitting.

“To start with, any payments should have been premised on the number of sittings each legislator had, for a lump sum to be paid without regard to the number of sittings boggles the mind because that should have never been done.

“Any payments for Parliamentary business should have been done through Parliament. This was a violation of the rules, which resulted in mismanagement of public funds,” said Mr Zvoma.

Previously, the administration of allowances was done by Parliament but the Finance Ministry has bypassed the arrangement since the inception of the inclusive Government.

After reconciliations of the number of sittings each legislator attended, it was discovered that some of them had been overpaid, while others were underpaid.

Mr Zvoma said Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee had resolved that MPs’ allowances would be calculated against the $15 000 they received.

“However, it will be difficult to recover the money from ministers because they don’t claim anything from Parliament, while for the deceased and those who were expelled . . . the onus should be on those who gave them the money to recover it,” said Mr Zvoma.

Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Eric Matinenga, yesterday distanced his ministry from the boob. “My ministry had nothing to do with those allowances except to disburse the money,” said Minister Matinenga.

“As for the ministers who benefited from the allowances, I can’t comment because that was handled by the Office of the President and Cabinet.”

He said Government could recover the money from the deceased from their estates while mechanisms could be put in place to ensure expelled MPs remit the difference.

The former MPs who received the $15 000 allowances are Mr Abedinico Bhebhe, who is now the MDC-T deputy organising secretary, Mr Njabuliso Mguni and Mr Norman Mpofu.

Documents seen by our Harare Bureau show that Mr Bhebhe was only entitled to $3 150, Mr Mguni $2 625 while Mr Mpofu’s dues were $2 850.

Some of the deceased MPs were entitled to less than $5 000 but $15 000 was deposited into their accounts.

Members of the executive from the MDC-T who unprocedurally got the money include Ministers Tendai Biti (Finance), Elton Mangoma (Energy and Power Development), Samuel Sipepa Nkomo (Water Resources Development and Management), Lucia Matibenga (Public Service) and Tapiwa Mashakada (Economic Planning and Investment Promotion).

Other Ministers are Theresa Makone (Home Affairs), Giles Mutsekwa (National Housing and Social Amenities), Eric Matinenga (Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs), Heneri Dzinotyiwei (Science and Technology), Jameson Timba (Prime Minister’s Office), Paurina Mpariwa (Labour and Social Welfare) and the late Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro.

Deputy Ministers who got the allowances include Gift Chimanikire (Mines and Mining Development) and Jessie Majome (Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development).

Members of the executive from Zanu-PF who got the allowances are Minister Walter Mzembi (Tourism and Hospitality Industry), Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Douglas Mombeshora and State Enterprises and Parastatals Deputy Minister Walter Chidhakwa.

From the MDC, the beneficiaries were Minister David Coltart (Education, Sport, Arts and Culture) and Higher and Tertiary Education Deputy Minister Lutho Tapela.

Parliamentarians welfare committee secretary, Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Mwenezi East Zanu-PF), said his committee had only submitted names of backbenchers.

“I think Government will find a way to make sure the money is restituted from those who unduly benefited,” Cde Bhasikiti said.

Efforts to get a comment from Minister Biti were fruitless.