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“We have met financial institutions to explore ways in which we can improve our members’ welfare. Some of them have accident-damaged vehicles and are pedestrians, thereby compromising their duties and obligation to their constituencies,” said Cde Zhanda, who is also Goromonzi North House of Assembly member (Zanu-PF).

“It is a facility that we are arranging for those who want to participate and who can afford to be in the programme.
“There are MPs who are walking because their vehicles were involved in accidents or were now unroadworthy.”
He described the response they got from financial institutions as “positive.”

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Cde Zhanda did not, however, disclose the names of the financial institutions for fear of jeopardising the deal.
He said they were looking at a US$30 000 facility, but members were free to settle for either more or less.
There are 31 vacant seats in both Houses.

Cde Zhanda, however, distanced his committee from demands for additional money made by some legislators who participated in Copac programmes.
He said those legislators voluntarily participated in Copac business as individuals and signed some contracts.
“As a welfare committee, we have nothing to do with the Copac programme . . . We are not party to the agreement because it was an arrangement between individual MPs and the Copac management committee.

“It was not compulsory, that is why some legislators like me declined to participate,” he said.
The legislators, led by Uzumba House of Assembly member Cde Simba Mudarikwa (Zanu-PF), said they wanted Copac to give them a US$50 difference from the US$25 they got.

They argued that they should be paid US$75, an agreed figure to be paid to MPs who are on parliamentary business.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga has since scoffed at the demands, saying they lacked merit.
Minister Matinenga said legislators had a contractual agreement, with Copac management providing what was due to them.

Cde Zhanda said it was critical to pay legislators and ministers well.
“What the public must know is that if MPs and ministers are poorly paid, they will have to make up for the shortfall and end up with a corrupt society,” he said.