Chamisa against $40,000 loans to MPs

CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) president, Nelson Chamisa has described as unethical and immoral a controversial move by legislators, including his own, to get a total US$14 million from parliament in loans.

The shadowy loans have been likened to those which were given out to Zanu-PF top officials by late President Robert Mugabe during his Farm Mechanisation Programmes and never repaid.

Although NewZimbabwe.com has it on good authority that CCC MPs have been notified of the intended US$14 million heist, party Chief Whip Prosper Mutseyami said they were 'yet to be officially engaged.'

"Wrong leaders usually have wrong priorities. The role of a government is to address citizens' most urgent and pertinent needs. When this is abandoned, such a government merits replacement. Any government that prioritises ‘chefs' over citizens is not fit for purpose," said Chamisa on Twitter, Wednesday.

"It is wrong morally and ethically!"

If the plan goes ahead as is expected, Parliament will be giving Ministers up to US$500,000 each, their deputies US$350,000 with legislators getting US$40,000 each to total US$14 million.

Norton's outspoken Member of Parliament (MP) Temba Mliswa, Tuesday defended the loans, arguing that US$40,000 being offered to MPs was actually lowly.

"What is US$40,000? For an MP to buy a house in the high densities. This is how lowly they think of us," said Mliswa.

Critics have questioned why parliamentarians are not approaching banks to access loans and sought reasons as to why they were rewarding themselves when the country was riddled with problems that could be solved by the large paycheck they have reserved for themselves.