Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa has demanded that the government should also give Members of Parliament sitting allowance from the Provincial Councils.
Legislators are part of the people who make up the composition of the Provincial Councils. However, since the councils are not yet fully functional, the other members are reportedly getting an allowance except legislators.
According to the government, the other members are getting the allowances because they were elected, but legislators cannot get them because they are already getting some from Parliament.
The government is currently working on removing the legislators from the Provincial Councils based on conflict of interest.
However, speaking in the National Assembly recently, Mliswa said since the constitution is yet to be amended then the legislators qualify for the allowance.
“The provisions of the Constitution talk about Provincial Councils which sit, whose composition is those provincial councillors who were elected. Members of Parliament and PR.
“The Ministry is paying sitting allowances to some members and it is not paying Members of Parliament as per constitutional requirement. While the amendment is coming Mr Speaker Sir, there is a provision in the Constitution which must be complied with.
“So at what point in the Constitution does it say that some members will be paid and some will not be paid? My question is on the payment, why are you paying some of the provincial councils where there is a dollar, but members of Parliament are part of it?
“Does the Constitution say you must pay some especially members of Parliament who are discriminated are not paid. You talked about oversight which they cannot sit on but that is coming in the amendment, the question is very simple. Where do you derive the power to pay this one and not to pay this one? Where in the Constitution does it say that?
