CCC MPs sold out

THE Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) on Thursday had a bloodrush to the head. They caused a mini commotion in the National Assembly and took with them down the people of Zimbabwe when they received a four sittings penalty. They can't debate the 2024 national budget.

It is saddening that this incident happened two days after the CCC citizens national assembly had met. The party had met to review last weekend's by-elections.

The party agreed not to recognise the outcome of the December 9, 2023 elections.

It further agreed that it will take legal action against the self-proclaimed interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu.

The Chamisa faction of the CCC candidates were removed from the ballot on the eve of polling day. The battle for the heart and soul of the nascent party is still raging.

Raging so hot that members in their strategic ambiguity now no longer make a distinction between saving themselves or serving the electorate.

The national budget is the most important policy instrument. It is the document that allocates resources.

It is the same document that measures and spurs economic growth through taxation, subsidies and general direction the economy is moving in.

The CCC in a moment of madness forgot the importance of the occasion, the moment, and threw every progressive citizen under the proverbial bus.

Who will ask Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube the rationale behind the new taxes?

Who will argue differently on how the money can be raised or what exemptions should be put in place?

The above questions are not rhetoric. They are a reflection of our national politics and how our parliamentary system works.

Zanu-PF MPs will be timid to ask any questions. Why? Ncube told the nation the 2024 budget is the brainchild of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. So, realistically, who would want to go against their party leader?

When I thought I was the only one judging the CCC harshly, I was sweetly surprised that Reverend Kenneth Mtata was also of the same thought. He went publicly on X (formerly Twitter) to express his concerns about the main opposition.

Mtata wrote: "Opposition killing multi-party democracy? Firstly, I believe in multi-party democracy everywhere and in my own country.  Secondly, I know opposition parties operate under difficult conditions but this level of incompetence by CCC is an affront to multi-party democracy. These are not resolutions. What is going on here?"

Let me contextualise this. The post was in response to the CCC citizen national assembly resolutions after their meeting on Tuesday.

The party regurgitated what is already in the public domain and did not offer a meaningful programme of action post the meeting.

In other words, the CCC has failed the test of the alternative government at both policy level and administration of its own affairs.

Conceded, the Zanu-PF regime is a tough customer, but the CCC can do better. It cannot suspend thinking and run national affairs on the basis of emotions.

It is now obvious CCC will no longer participate in the national budget debate. So, no one will ask about the wealth tax, the minimum tax threshold for income tax, the low bonus tax-free thresholds and the proposed premium road tollgate fees.

More importantly, the opposition will not debate the Finance Bill 2024 that will give effect to the revenue collection measures.

This Bill, like Zanu-PF usually does, has brought in many other amendments to other Acts under a Money Bill. This is patently unconstitutional.

The Money Bill's purpose is: "To make further provisions for the revenues and public funds of Zimbabwe and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto."

Looking at this definition of the purpose of a Money Bill, we notice that Ncube has a sinister motive to amend four other Acts tacking them in the Bill.

The Acts to be amended in the Finance Bill are: The Exchange Control Act by increasing the life of multi-currencies to 2030; The Sovereign Wealth Fund of Zimbabwe Act that will change the fund into a body corporate, Mutapa Investment Fund and increase the President's powers in overseeing it; The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act which will exempt prescribed public entities operating in competitive markets from complying with the Act and The Public Entities Corporate Governance Act that will also exempt prescribed entities from following the Act.

The substance of the matter is, Ncube is trying to make the amendments made by Mnangagwa through statutory instruments permanent without following the normal amendment processes.

These four Acts being amended have nothing to do with the five things that a Money Bill should do: Imposing, increasing or reducing a tax for the benefit of the State, appropriating money from, or imposing, increasing or reducing any charge on, the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other fund vested in or controlled by the government; compounding or remitting a debt due to the State; condoning a failure to collect a tax due top the State; or condoning unauthorised expenditure by the government.

We were played. Our representatives fell short in doing their duty. Parliamentarians thought of themselves ahead of the citizens. The effects of this moment of madness will be with us until December 2024. Let citizens brace for the long dry summer season.

Perhaps, it is time that as a country we re-look at the whipping system and have MPs who understand the importance of the moment, not cheap political point scoring.

I am not sure if any of them can face themselves in the mirror and proudly say, "I did my best in producing a budget that can carry the country forward."

I'm out.

Paidamoyo Muzulu is a journalist based in Harare. He writes here in his personal capacity.