US$3,3m for MPs

In an interview yesterday after mee-ting chief whips and legislators from the three parties in Parliament, De-puty Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, confirmed that the MPs were going to get their outstanding allo-wances at the rate of US$75 per sitting.

He said President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and himself had deliberated over the issue of allowances and made a resolution that the legislators should be paid.

“This is a decision that was made by the executive because we want to strengthen democracy by respecting functional separation of powers,” he said.
“The MPs are owed about US$3,3 million as of June this year from 2008, meaning that each MP will be getting an average of US$11 000 for three years that translates to about US$4 000 per year. The Government is thin on cash, but we respect our MPs and giving them what we owe them is a matter of fair labour practice.”

DPM Mutambara said the Government had reversed its initial decision to pay the legislators allowances from November this year after extensive representations from the MPs.

He said Treasury was now mobilising funds to pay.
DPM Mutambara dismissed insinuations that the principals had bowed to threats by the MPs.
He said they had already agreed before the budget was announced that MPs were supposed to get their allowances dating back to 2008.

Kambuzuma legislator Mr Willias Madzimure (MDC-T), who was part of the proceedings, hailed the principals for the decision.
“DPM Mutambara was giving us feedback that he had managed to speak to other principals about our plight.

“We are entitled to get what we worked for and that’s fair labour practice. As MPs, we are happy that they have decided to give us our allowa-nces backdated to 2008,” said Mr Madzimure.

Said MDC chief whip Mr Edward Mkhosi: “We were told that Minister Biti is now mobilising the money. We are generally happy that we are going to be given our allowances.”