Members of Parliament are demanding a salary hike, claiming that their earnings have been eroded by galloping inflation.
MPs reportedly earn a basic salary of about $2 000 per month. Their seating allowances fall between $800 and $1 000 monthly.
Responding to Norton MP Temba Mliswa (Independent) who had raised the issue of legislators’ remuneration, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said:
The first (grievance) one under welfare, I think it goes without saying that you have a valid point and we should be able to deliberate on that issue tomorrow (yesterday). It is on the agenda of the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO).
Mliswa also called on Parliament to allocate MPs their own service station so that they will not have to spend time in fuel queues jostling with “angry” citizens. He said:
I think the fuel situation requires probably a specific service station to be allocated to members of Parliament because what is happening is totally impossible.
We get fuel coupons but we have no access to the fuel. The queues which are there, for us to be seen having to jump the queues again creates a lot of problems because the anger which is on the ground is not healthy.
The MPs argued that their conditions of service should be upgraded to the level of that of the other State organs, that is, the Executive and Judiciary.
Kana Pindaiwo mu queue sesu tese Hon MP – we voted for you to feel our pain too
While campaigning, they are people’s servants; when in office, they are people’s bosses. They can not be in the same predicament as the povo.
There must not be special fuel stations for MP’s. They must come up with a solutions so that everyone, including them, can easily access the invaluable liquid. Once granted special treatment, they will not work.