'Mnangagwa never promised to end cash shortages in 100 days'

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa never promised the nation that cash shortages will end in his first 100 days in office after Operation Restore Legacy, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Parliament yesterday.

Ziyambi had been asked by Glen View North MP, Fani Munengami (MDC-T) to explain why Zimbabweans were still sleeping in bank queues, yet the new government had promised to deliver changes within 100 days in office after removing President Robert Mugabe from office.

"The President even promised that we will see him at bank queues, but we are yet to see him queuing and receiving his coins, and 100 days has since elapsed without him solving the cash crisis," he said.

Ziyambi responded: "Government never promised that cash shortages will end overnight and it was never written in black and white that cash shortages will end overnight."

He said Mnangagwa only promised that there will be a new culture of implementation of government projects and accountability.

Ziyambi then told MPs that the issue will best be referred to Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa.

But opposition MPs refused to let go of the issue with Munengami, saying the new dispensation had now clocked around 300 days without delivering on their promises.

"We have RTGS money and United States dollars in circulation and there are $500 million US notes and about $1,5 billion money exchanged through RTGS. We have several projects to be initiated that are going to come into the country and when foreign currency starts flowing there will be a balance between cash and RTGS money," Ziyambi said.

MPs were not impressed and said Chinamasa should attend Parliament to respond to the issue of failure to resolve the cash shortages.

Norton MP, Temba Mliswa (independent) said if the government was clueless about solving the cash crisis, they must let the nation know.

"Chinamasa has not been in this House for two months, yet the issue of cash shortages is critical. If the government cannot solve the cash crisis, then they have failed," he said.

Mliswa then directed his questions to Health minister David Parirenyatwa, asking him to explain if the Zanu-PF government had built 2 000 clinics, as was espoused in their 2013 elections party manifesto.

Parirenyatwa promised to give a breakdown of the clinics built.

But MDC-T legislator, Ruth Labode said in the breakdown, Parirenyatwa should refrain from including those clinics that were built during the colonial era.

Meanwhile, MPs yesterday began to put pressure over payment of their outstanding allowances, as their parliamentary terms are nearing to an end.