MPs denied accommodation at Harare hotels
Legislators from out of Harare were last week denied accommodation at various hotels due to non-payment by the government.
Parliament usually accommodates legislators from outside Harare in hotels during Parliament sitting days.
Legislators usually check in on Sunday and check out on Fridays when they will be going back to their constituencies around the country.
However, the legislators were turned away from the hotels and could not be allowed to check-in.
They were only allowed accommodation after some interventions were made.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa said it was embarrassing for MPs to be denied accommodation.
He blamed the Ministry of Finance for the embarrassment.
‘’Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is just something that needs to be addressed for certainty. When Honourable Members of Parliament wanted to check into the hotels this week, they were told they could not.
‘’I am glad that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development is here, I wanted him to pay attention to this one. It involves the issue of Parliament not paying, but I think it is the Ministry of Finance that has not paid Parliament to pay. It was quite embarrassing and humiliating for Honourable Members of Parliament to be told you cannot check in.’ I am glad that there was some quick reaction to that.
‘’There was a quick response to that intervention and they were accommodated but it is an issue which really talks about their welfare.
‘’Most Honourable Members of Parliament – if I am not mistaken, we were paid RTGS$4 000 after deductions of PSMAS and it is quite something.
‘’If you think of RTGS$4 000 for a mother and father to carry home to say this is the money, I do not know how we can comprehend and continue on that.
‘’So, I know you have been looking at the welfare of Honourable Members of Parliament but an update would surely help Honourable Members to understand where they are in terms of those negotiations which we once did with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and the Permanent Secretary pertaining to a number of issues.
‘’Honourable Members are not immune to inflation as well. So, I know that they do not have the energy to speak about it, but a response is needed to what is the way forward for the welfare of the Honourable Members of Parliament in spite of the inflation which is there,’’ he said.
MPs denied accommodation at Harare hotels
