Zanu-PF defends MPs' US$40,000 windfall

Zanu-PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa yesterday defended the US$40 000 housing loan facility for legislators saying the money was not even enough.

Government has offered a US$40 000 housing loan to each sitting Member of Parliament (MP), US$500 000 to Cabinet ministers and US$350 000 for their deputies.

In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Mutsvangwa said every MP had a right to good welfare.

"A parliamentary committee on MPs' welfare facilitated the loan for the MPs and it's not a bride of any sort. Every MP is entitled to a good welfare and they should not languish in poverty, we are told that some people are saying we have bribed the CCC MPs, that is not correct," Mutsvangwa said

"We are all Zimbabweans; we are against stigmatisation, after all the money is not big enough. I feel for the legislators in rural constituencies because  most of them are big and running rural constituencies is costly."

Several MPs have reportedly started receiving the money which is being disbursed in alphabetical order.

CCC leader, Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday blasted legislators from his party for accepting the US$40 000 windfall from Parliament.

Last month, Chamisa claimed that Zanu-PF was bribing his lieutenants to destabilise the party ahead of the 2023 elections.