AMERICAN theorist Tomas Sowell provided insights into the goals of a politician. He argued that politicians are not trying to “solve our problems.”
“They are trying to solve their own problems — of which getting elected and re-elected are number one and number two. Whatever is number three is far behind,” Sowell said.
His theory “passed the test” this week after Finance minister Mthuli Ncube threw sweeteners as he rallied lawmakers to pass the anti-poor 2024 national budget.
Ncube announced on Tuesday that he would increase the allocation to Parliament as lawmakers threatened not to pass the budget.
On the list of their demands, the lawmakers want to bring their spouses to hotels while they perform their legislative duties.
They also want loans to buy houses as they are getting shoddy service in hotels where they “are bitten by mosquitoes.”
The lawmakers also said they wanted a decent salary as they had become a laughing stock in villages as “our salaries are the same as those being paid to Zesa interns.”
And on Tuesday, the Treasury chief caved in by increasing the allocation to Parliament by ZWL$225 billion to bring the total vote to ZWL$700 billion.
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The list of demands by the lawmakers was made under the mistaken belief that “it is their time to eat” after a gruelling campaign period.
The list of freebies the lawmakers presented showed the calibre of representatives the constituencies elected in the August 23 and 24 harmonised elections.
If this is the thinking of the lawmakers, then taxpayers are in trouble.
Being a lawmaker is a service to the nation and a prestigious position that has no monetary value attached to it. For far too long politicians have been under the mistaken belief that they must win votes at all costs so that they enjoy the trappings of power.
At local authorities, councillors are enriching themselves by inflating contracts. We have heard stories of councillors-turned land barons that have arrogated themselves power to sell council land.
Politics has become so big a business that candidates bribe their way to Parliament or local authorities.
They can even kill opponents on their way to power.
We need a paradigm shift on how we perceive this national service. It starts with the Executive. Do we need a fleet of cars for ministers to perform their duties?
It is the belief that the government must take care of all the needs of the Executive that has motivated the Legislature to demand its pound of flesh.
The biggest loser in the heist is the taxpayer who must fund the excesses.
Zimbabweans are overtaxed and they cannot be squeezed further for MPs to bring their spouses to hotels during parliamentary sessions.
We urge political parties to rein in their members. It cannot be business as usual when lawmakers hold the Treasury chief to ransom for them to pass a budget.
If the budget is anti-poor, it remains so, notwithstanding that lawmakers have been promised freebies.
How can the Legislature hold the Executive to account after getting sweeteners? What is clear is that the executive and the Legislature have become different sides of the same coin and are bent on enjoying the trappings of power. It is their time to eat.
