Mercy Makichi, Form 3, Zvomwoyo Secondary School
During an induction seminar held in Harare last week for both new and returning legislators, Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda emphasised the importance of adhering to constitutional mandate for members of parliament (MPs).
He cautioned parliamentarians against assuming roles outside their defined responsibilities, such as acting as charity or social welfare officers for their communities.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Legislators serve three roles which are representative, legislative and oversight throughout their five-year terms. Chokuda underscored that commitments made during campaigns, which often include promises of community development and charity projects within their communities, does not fall under their official duties.
Chokuda said in doing so, MPs unnecessarily heighten expectation from their constituents to a point of being viewed as community benefactors.
“For the public, when they see an MP, they see a social welfare worker, they also see a funeral assurance body, they also see someone who is responsible for paying school fees for their children. I think it is important for the public to know that it is not your role. There are other government departments and structures responsible for that,” he said.
“The role of Member of Parliament are to represent, to legislate and oversight. Those are basically the mandate of parliament, not to pay school fees, not to bury people, not to fund graduation parties and so on. I know when you were campaigning, you may have promised people differently. You will have to deal with it, but these are your roles,” said Clerk of Parliament Chokuda.
Deputy Senate President Michael Nyambuya also said legislators were being ‘abused’ by their constituents through some ridiculous demands and expectations during their tenure.
“MPs are really being abused out there. For you to be an MP now, you really need to have resources and it is not happening here only but in Nigeria and Ghana,” Senator Nyambuya said.
Zanu PF legislator, Senator Irene Zindi, agreed that MPs were overwhelmed by their duties and the need to please their communities.
“Think of a situation where you have 10 or 20 people dying in a month in a constituency and the MP is expected to fund the funerals. This is when you end up hearing MPs with fraud cases trying to make ends meet,” Senator Zindi said.
