Senators must take the business of their House seriously by bringing up issues affecting their communities and debating them, Senate President Cde Mabel Chinomona said on Tuesday.

She was speaking after the Senate adjourned debates on two motions after no one had risen to speak.

“I was of the opinion that when we have two weeks off members of the Senate would be very much in need of coming back to their House and talk about what they met and what they saw during the two-week break.

“It should be heard that the senators are sitting, just like what we see from other senates all over the world. We are not different from them. I am just encouraging you senators to realise that our business in having this whole House is to debate. It is to talk in whatever language you feel like,” she said.

President of the Chiefs Councils Chief Fortune Charumbira, who is part of the Senate president’s panel, raised similar concerns when he was chairing proceedings, saying senators needed to justify their presence in Parliament.

“Senators need to debate as a House and this issue of sitting for 30 minutes must come to an end. When we went for the Liaison Co-ordinating Committee that issue was raised that the National Assembly sits for two weeks because they are many while we sit for one week. The argument was raised that they (Senate) don’t debate like the National Assembly so there is no justification to call you back every other week. So can you make sure in your caucus you come up with motions for debate,” Chief Charumbira said. The Senate is made up of 80 senators although there are nine vacancies following the recall of MDC-T senators.

Parliamentarians receive $700 for sitting allowances, including fuel for travelling to and from their constituencies. They are also booked into hotels whenever they are on Parliament business.