Some even used resources earmarked for community development under the Constituency Development to enrich themselves.
The disconnect between the demands of the MPs and grim reality of the lives of most of their constituents raises concerns over where their priorities lie. Operation Murambatsvina, implemented by President Robert Mugabe’s regime in 2005, left an estimated 1, 5 million people homeless while Operation Garikai, which was supposed to ease the housing quandary, failed dismally. In Harare alone, 500 000 people are on the waiting list for residential stands. Yet the MPs expect preferential treatment.
A recent health survey showed that one in every 100 women dies while giving birth owing to the absence of qualified medical personnel. Key bills which are detrimental to the holding of free and fair elections such as the Constitution, Public Order and Security Act Amendment Bill and the Electoral Amendment Bill are still pending. Yet legislators continue concentrating on personal matters. It is high time our MPs took their work seriously by representing the interests of their communities and refrained from seeking personal gain.