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SIMON KHAYA MOYO

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF legislators have implored the party to provide resources for them to deliver on the revolutionary party’s winning election manifesto in last year’s harmonised elections.
They said this in the wake of a demand by the leadership that all party MPs in the Eighth Parliament were expected to submit performance appraisal reports in line with the party’s objective of fulfilling  election promises.

National chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo recently said the MPs were expected to submit their first reports by the end of next month.
The legislators hailed the appraisal exercise, but bemoaned lack of resources. Chiwundura MP Cde Kizito Chivamba, last week said there was need for Zanu-PF to help in sourcing funding for its legislators to initiate developmental projects.

“There is nothing wrong with the appraisals, but the party must help us source resources that will enable us to perform well,” he said.
“We campaigned using our resources so now we don’t have the money. Some of us who have been there already, we are just following up on projects that we initiated using the Constituency Development Fund but those who are coming for the first time, have nothing to do.

“We implore the national chairman to help us source funding to enable us to perform.
‘‘At the moment, we are not getting our allowances and fuel coupons so we are constrained.” Mutasa South MP Cde Irene Zindi said it would have been easy for Zanu-PF to check on its MPs’ performance if it had provided resources.

“As MPs, we are using our personal resources, but they are limited.
We are also facing challenges at Parliament that we are not getting sitting allowances and fuel coupons where we have to subsidise the House in terms of coming for debates and visiting our constituencies,” she said.

“It becomes difficult for MPs to deliver.
We can approach private companies and talk to them on social corporate responsibility, but that depends on the willingness of the companies. It’s a catch-22 situation.” Cde Zindi said the private sector was also struggling due to poor economic environment and were thus unable to assist.

Goromonzi West legislator Cde Beatrice Nyamupinga, said party MPs were willing to deliver but could not do so due to lack of resources.
“The issue of resources is of paramount importance and that has to be looked at by the senior leadership.

Anything that’s suggested must go along with budget. It’s not sustainable without resources,” she said.
Her Mudzi West counterpart, Cde Acqualina Katsande, said while the appraisal idea was noble, there was a need for MPs to be given resources for them to deliver.

“The national chairman can say as much as he can, but it’s difficult because even for us to write those appraisals we need to go through the constituency yet we do not have the fuel coupons,” said Cde Katsande.

But Chegutu West MP, Cde Dexter Nduna, said MPs could still deliver on their promises even if they were not given resources by the party. He said there were some projects that did not require money to be fulfilled.