Pressure from Members of Parliament has led Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment Promotion, Mthuli Ncube, to announce increases in funding for lawmakers, <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/ncube-raises-parliaments-budget-and-doubles-cdf-to-us100k/">reported ZimLive</a>.
In response to their demands, Ncube has doubled the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation and pledged to purchase more vehicles for MPs.
Originally, Ncube allocated ZiG1.7 billion for Parliament in his budget statement presented on November 28. However, following parliamentary pressure, he raised this amount by an additional ZiG1 billion.
During the debate on his 2025 budget on Wednesday, Ncube explained that financing the added costs required tapping into “back pocket funds.”
Some of the specific requests from MPs included more vehicles for parliamentary committee chairpersons, allowances for staff, residential stands for lawmakers, the clearance of CDF arrears, as well as increased sitting, fuel, and foreign allowances.
To meet these demands, Ncube allocated approximately US$120 million for staff salaries, ZiG250 million for additional cars for MPs, ZiG378 million for clearing CDF arrears, ZiG72 million for MPs’ fuel allowances, ZiG50 million for domestic and foreign allowances, and another ZiG50 million for lawmakers’ offices and tools of trade.
Additionally, Ncube doubled the CDF allocation to US$100,000 per constituency for the country’s 210 constituencies and set aside funds to purchase buses for transporting parliamentary staff. He said:
<blockquote>
What we did not do is in a sense we can see that it is an area of pressure and we need some back pocket to approve what they were proposing but to make provision for it because within our budget to cater for additional motor vehicles.
Now let me go back and say that for the CDF and clearance of tools of trade and office equipment for staff and MPs, I am proposing an additional ZiG72 million.
To support additional motor vehicle requirements which is a tool of trade, I am proposing an additional ZiG50 million.
For MPs’ fuel requirements, I am proposing an additional budget of ZiG378 million.
I am proposing a back pocket for parliament of ZiG200 million and an additional ZiG50 million for the constituency offices and other tools of the trade ZiG250 million.
For domestic and foreign allowances, I am proposing ZiG 50 million.
</blockquote>
Ncube said that the issue of residential stands for parliamentary staff is still under consideration and being addressed by the Ministry of Local Government.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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Zimbabwe's Finance Minister, Mthuli Ncube, gave more money and benefits to MPs after they asked for it. He doubled the amount of money each constituency gets to help its people and promised to buy more vehicles for MPs. Ncube had originally set aside a certain amount of money for Parliament, but had to add more because MPs wanted more. He provided extra money for things like staff salaries, cars for MPs, fuel, allowances, and office supplies. He also promised to buy buses for parliamentary staff. Ncube said he will think about giving residential stands to parliamentary staff.

In A Year Of Drought, Mthuli Ncube Pampers MPs With Stands, Cars, And Increased CDF

Zimbabwe’s Members of Parliament (MPs) have reported going nine months without receiving fuel and other allowances from the government, leading to frequent absences from the House, reported <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/mps-claim-they-have-gone-for-9-months-without-receiving-allowances/">ZimLive</a>.
This issue was raised in the National Assembly by Rushinga MP Tendai Nyabani (ZANU PF) on Thursday, who said parliamentarians have been reduced to a state of begging as they struggle to receive their rightful dues. Said Nyabani:
<blockquote>
We must not be begging as Members of Parliament. If we were promised to be given something, then it must come right on time.
For example, if we are getting travelling allowances, and fuel, I cannot remember when we last received those allowances.
We are talking about allowances which allow us to go to our constituencies to reach out to our people. Should we continue begging?
</blockquote>
Nyabani also disclosed that MPs have not received their Constituency Development Funds (CDF), which are essential for advancing various programmes in their communities. He said:
<blockquote>
We want the whole country to know that the CDF amounting to US$50,000 that we were told and which we were supposed to be given has not yet been received.
</blockquote>
Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu (CCC) said legislators have begun to abscond from Parliament due to not receiving any payments since January of this year. Said Matewu:
<blockquote>
I want to stress that it has been nine months since we got our allowances. I am not sure about you (deputy speaker) but the Members of Parliament in this House have had nine months without any allowance.
That is why you see this House is half empty. It is half empty because sometimes most of us are now going into business, which is really killing the work of this parliament because we need to survive and our families also need to survive.
</blockquote>
Deputy Speaker Tsitsi Gezi opted to postpone her response to allow for consultation with the appropriate offices. She said:
<blockquote>
Your points have been noted but for today, I have no comment on that. We are going to consult so that we bring comprehensive information and adequate responses explaining the different points that you mentioned. I will not lie to you, but I want to consult and bring a concrete response next week but one.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe's MPs have not been getting their money for nine months. They are missing in parliament because they can't afford to travel to work. They are upset because they need the money to help their communities. Even the money meant for helping their communities has not arrived. Some MPs are now skipping work to make money in other ways. The government promises to talk about this issue next week. MPs say they are tired of waiting and need their money now.

Government Fails To Pay Allowances To MPs For Nine Months

Members of Parliament (MPs) have demanded their sitting allowances which have not been paid for nearly five months.
On Wednesday, Norton MP, Temba Mliswa (Independent), raised a point of privilege in the National Assembly saying MPs have not received their allowances since September 2022. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200007296/mps-raise-new-demands">NewsDay</a> quoted Mliswa as saying:
My point of national interest is sad because we seem to be seized with it and I know that it has a lot of unnecessary responsibility.
<blockquote>
It is about the welfare of the MPs, in particular, their outstanding allowances — they have not received their outstanding allowances since September.
On allowances, we did not get our monies, especially after coming from the pre-budget seminar.
This was in November, so we actually thought that since we had pre-budget in November, all the outstanding issues would be taken care of.
We then went on a break; there are field visits that are also outstanding in terms of payments.
The rate was $600 to US$1 at that time and now it has gone to $1 200, so we are merely getting half of what we were supposed to get.
So it is really out of that and the pre-budget Mr. Speaker Sir, also alluded to the fact that the Standing Orders Committee would sit down to come up with a way forward in terms of accommodation and allowances for MPs for those who do not stay in hotels.
</blockquote>
Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, then promised to take up the matter with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube.
Towards the end of 2022, it emerged that the Government had offered a US$40 000 loan to each sitting MP, US$500 000 for individual Cabinet ministers, and US$350 000 for their deputies.

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