The Sunday Mail
PARLIAMENT will not pay outstanding sitting allowances owed to 22 former legislators as part of efforts to recover nearly US$800 000 the ex-MPs accrued in unpaid vehicle loans.
MDC-T ditched 21 MPs after they formed the United Movement for Democratic Change. The other MP is Mr Didymus Mutasa, who was fired from Zanu-PF together with his nephew Mr Temba Mliswa. Mr Mliswa had turned down the Parliament vehicle loan facility.
Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda told The Sunday Mail they would garnish the outstanding allowances to offset the debt created when each of the 22 MPs signed for and received US$35 000 all-terrain vehicles.
“We owe them sitting allowances and as Parliament we are in the process of working out the total amounts which are outstanding from their tenure in the House. Each individual will now lose the sitting allowances because we need the money so that we pay the suppliers on time,” he said.
Parliament — through Treasury — undertook to pay Croco Motors for the cars over eight months. Legislators would in turn repay Parliament through deductions from their sitting allowances over the course of their five-year terms (2013-2018).
Contacted for comment, UMDC spokesperson Mr Jacob Mafume protested: “Parliament is a custodian of the law not a rogue money lender who acts arbitrarily against a citizen. We need to sit with Mr Chokuda and discuss repayment plans because contracts were signed. Garnishing the (former) MPs’ sitting allowances would be punitive and a violation of one’s rights.
“Parliament should note that it owes some of our (former) MPs amounts ranging between US$20 000 and US$25 000.
“In fact, we have a majority of MPs who were in the previous session and are owed around US$50 000. Whichever way, they owe us.”
Mr Mutasa was unavailable for comment.
MPs are entitled to US$75 per sitting.
