Correspondent|Independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has urged Finance Minister not to continue withholding funding for vehicles of members of Parliament, saying that vechicles are a critical resource for the legislators to perform their duties. Hon. Mliswa has also said the opposition MPs should be given first priority since ZANU-PF MPs already have vehicles given to them by their party during the campaign period.

“Regarding cars for government Ministers and MPs, it’s important for (Finance Minister ) Mthuli Ncube to understand that cars are a critical resource for enabling MPs to work in their constituencies,” Mliswa said.

In September, Government announced it had suspended the purchase of vehicles for Ministers and Members of Parliaments to make sure that available funds were directed towards the outbreak of cholera which was threatening to engulf the whole country. While the cholera has largely been contained, the treasury has been hesitant to splurge on government vehidcle at a time austerity measures announced by the Finance Minister are hurting and angering a wide cross-section of the citizenry.

“With the 15.7 million that the government has pledged towards the out break of cholera,we suspended things like purchase of vehicles for Ministers and Members of Parliament to make sure that we deal with this out break immediately,” Mthuli Ncube said at the time.

Mliswa thinks the cars for MPs must be procured still, beginning with those of opposition MPs who could not get vehicles from their party.

Hon. Mliswa said: “As ZANUPF MPs were given cars during campaigning, I urge Mthuli Ncube to stagger disbursement of vehicles and give cars to opposition MPs first.”

He said while government extravagance should be discouraged, the smooth functioning of the legislature should not be compromised.

“I’m against Govt extravagance but I’m also against compromising MPs and making them desperate. Let’s rather start with cutting down in the Executive which is over staffed anyway. The subsequent reduction in associated costs will see expenditure reduced significantly.”