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Minister Chinamasa

Lloyd Gumbo Mr Speaker Sir
Our parliamentarians were back in Harare to consider the National Budget that was presented by Finance and Economic Planning Minister Patrick Chinamasa yesterday.
The budget came amid high expectations from people of all walks of life.
This being the first National Budget after the inauguration of the new Zanu-PF Government following the demise of the discord-prone Inclusive Government after the July 31 harmonised polls, all eyes from ordinary people in the villages and to foreign capitals with companies here, were on Minister Chinamasa’s pronouncements.

(Note that this article was written before Minister Chinamasa presented the proposed budget to meet the deadline.)
During the Inclusive Government era, legislators formed cross-party alliances threatening not to pass the proposed budget if their salaries and allowances were not increased and disbursed. This time around they did not raise any concerns ahead of the budget presentation despite the fact that the circumstances have not changed that much. I am not interested in the Eighth Parliament emulating the Seventh Parliament in conniving to arm-twist Government to succumb to their self-serving interests ahead of those of the electorate.

Contrast our previous Parliament to Ugandan legislators who in August this year threatened not to approve the budget if it did not provide a 20 percent salary increment for teachers.

Or the women parliamentarians of the same country affiliated to the African Ministers and Parliamentarians Associations who threatened not to pass the budget until issues of maternal mortality were addressed.

If our MPs protested over such issues, no one would begrudge them because that is part of their mandate from the people. When voters elect legislators they expect them to represent their interests and concerns in the August House. They want MPs to push for the allocation of more resources in their constituencies that would see irrigation facilities being established, roads being maintained and schools being constructed.

However, I must admit that the current Parliament has not yet exhibited the selfish tendencies of their predecessors beside sporadic complaints around the issue of fuel coupons to travel to their constituencies to carry out their mandate.

They are entitled to those coupons to facilitate their travelling between attending parliamentary business in the capital and their constituencies.

Parliament’s portfolio and thematic committees are there to play a watchdog role over the executive’s expenditures and implementation of policies.

It is the same Parliament that approves ministries’ budget allocations within which they are expected to execute their mandate.
These committees are expected to monitor how ministries spend money allocated to them and ministries are taken to task if they fail to complete some of their projects.

It is against this background that our parliamentarians must seriously consider the budget proposals so that they make informed comments.

Now that Government has adopted the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation for the next four and half years, it is imperative that legislators juxtapose budget allocations to the economic blueprint.

Zim Asset can only succeed if ministries and departments are adequately funded. Parliament is therefore best positioned to check and influence funding to the ministries and departments who are set to play major roles in the implementation of Zim Asset.

Since Zim Asset identifies four clusters — Food Security and Nutrition, Social Services and Poverty Eradication, Infrastructure and Utilities and Value Addition and Beneficiation, it is important that ministries like Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development and Transport and Infrastructure Development are adequately funded since they are the pillars upon which the economic blueprint will either succeed or fail.

It is about time that our parliamentarians realise that the economy needs to be back on track with the speedy implementation of Zim Asset.

The good thing about this Parliament is that there is a majority voice compared to a hung Parliament of the Inclusive Government era.
As the adage goes, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way. It is not possible for the opposition to scuttle proceedings in the House regardless of how foul-tasting it might be to them.

Zanu-PF will have its way but in the spirit of inclusivity and nationhood, it is also important that there be a buy-in from everyone including those from the opposition.

Implementing Zim Asset is the need of the hour. It is therefore imperative that our legislators play a major role in ensuring that ministries are adequately funded. This is indeed the defining moment to prove if they are worth their salt.