Legislators have asked Parliament if they can be given new cars, adding that the ones they got are no longer efficient due to mileage.
In Zimbabwe legislators get vehicles under the Parliamentary Vehicle Loan Scheme for each term of Parliament.
The current crop of MPs was voted into office in 2018 and got their vehicles between 2019 and 2020 claim their vehicles are now expensive to maintain due to mileage.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa said the cars they got have clocked more than 200 000 kilometres and are as good as finished.
“The cars that we got have already done 200 000 km and if you talk to the motor industry fraternity, they will tell you that it is as good as being sold because it now costs more in maintaining the engine.
“Most of them right now are paying more for the service because the engine does not have that capacity to be efficient. I do not know if we could get other cars so that we remain efficient, because they become dangerous when they are not efficient,” he said.
If the plead by Honourable Mliswa is going to be listened to then that will mean the government will buy about 350 vehicles for legislators, at a time when the country is struggling financially.
This is not the first time that legislators are making demands pertaining to their welfare issues.
They are also calling for a salary increment from the alleged monthly salary of ZW$72 000.
Parliament in 2019 bought about 350 Samsung tablets for the legislators under its Paperless Parliament initiative. At one time the legislators also demanded three-course meals and gym equipment from Parliament.
During the Pre-Budget Seminar that was held in Victoria Falls in 2019, Parliamentarians also demanded to be paid an allowance for visiting their constituencies, despite getting fuel allocation.
We want new cars: MPs
