HARARE – Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) MP for Kuwadzana, Chalton Hwende, sought to delay debate on the proposed 2026 budget, arguing that legislators’ welfare is compromised as they are hungry and likely will not enjoy Christmas.
Hwende proposed halting the debate on the Finance Bill to engage Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube for assistance. He has consistently advocated for benefits from Parliament, including loans for housing.
However, he was called to order by the Government Chief Whip, Pupurai Togarepi, who accused him of attempting to hold the government to ransom.
“Hon. Speaker, you always say that the fate of Members of Parliament is in their own hands. Yesterday, we learned that the Minister was ready for us to begin the actual debate. The intention of the joint caucus was to provide us with an opportunity to address all the issues we have raised throughout the year. Our goal was to convincingly urge the Minister to consider the serious welfare concerns of Members of Parliament,” Hwende said.
“Now that the joint caucus has been postponed to next week, after the budget is passed, we are facing a situation where we may be prejudiced. Honestly, Hon. Speaker, as we have previously stated, the situation among the Members of Parliament you lead is dire. There is hunger written all over their faces,” he added.
“We are approaching the Christmas holiday, and Members have no means of traveling. We have not been paid our dues. The promise made since the Pre-Budget Seminar was that we would have a joint caucus. It would not be acceptable to enter 2026 without addressing these issues. We have endured enough. If we begin the budget debate and have a joint caucus next week, we will have been compromised. Therefore, we ask for your help and direction, Mr. Speaker, so we can speak to Hon. Professor Ncube to ensure our concerns are addressed.”
Togarepi, however, accused Hwende of pursuing personal interests rather than those of the people the MPs represent.
“Mr. Speaker, what Hon. Hwende is suggesting implies that we want to hold the government or the Minister to ransom because he insists that we discuss our concerns before the budget debate, as if we are here to represent ourselves. We came here to represent the people. Having said that, we regularly discuss issues related to MPs,” Togarepi stated.
“With all due respect, I must inform you that we have already raised 20 million for coupons that are expected to be paid today. We have also secured 25 million for Hon. Members’ allowances,” Togarepi continued.
“Yesterday, the Minister informed us that all the CDF would be paid by the end of next week. What more will we discuss in that joint caucus? My concern, Mr. Speaker, is when senior Members of this House suggest we meet before debating the budget. This creates a negative impression that Members of Parliament prioritize their own issues over national interests. This is incorrect. While we have our needs and rights, we can still assert them without putting the people of Zimbabwe at ransom.”
Reporting by Kudakwashe Chibvuri for ZiFM
