Temba Mliswa demands diplomatic passports for MPs

Norton Member of Parliament Temba has rallied Members of Parliament to demand diplomatic passport from the government which is in line with their social status of being called Honourable.

Mliswa made the call when the Parliamentarians were debating the 2019 budget statement on Thursday.

The demand was meant with widespread condemnation from Zimbabweans who said it was unjustified.

"Our priorities are just off the mark it's unreal. MPs don't need diplomatic passports - for what exactly? They don't need passports at the toll gates to Norton, unless I missed something! Nonsense." Said Masi Msoko

Others opined that the diplomatic passports maybe used for criminal activities if given to MPS.

Said Mickey Miky, "98% of our MPs are involved in illegal dealings and crooks imagine them getting diplomatic passports tinoigirwa ma nuclear weapons and very dangerous stuff munyika medu i can't imagine a character like Hwende or nduna having a diplomatic passport."

This is not the first time that MPs have demanded diplomatic passports. In 2013 Gift Chimanikire, an MDC MP, tabled the request "It is standard practice worldwide that MPs are given diplomatic passports, that equivalent to their status in the society.

"The image and our status as MPS are not being recognised, we must be assisted with diplomatic passports."

However government turned down the proposal saying it  will not issue diplomatic passports to Members of Parliament because they are not entitled to that privilege.

"The issuance of diplomatic passports is governed by Presidential directive. The President's Office clearly spells out which categories should have diplomatic passports and parliamentarians are not on the list. A diplomatic passport is regarded as a document of the Executive to facilitate the executive in doing its work," said the then minister of foreign affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.