CASTLES FOR THE FEW, SUFFERING FOR THE MANY

Zimbabwe is in a painful place because the people who are meant to lead us have chosen to lead themselves only. Our MPs are building comfortable lives while the citizens they claim to represent fall deeper into poverty every day. Since 2018, it has become very clear that our parliament is no longer a place of service. It is now a place where leaders go to look for personal benefits. Instead of fighting for clinics with no medicine or schools that have no chalk, our MPs have turned parliament into a market for their own comfort. They think more about their pockets than the people.

The job of an MP is simple and very important. An MP must speak for the people and stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. They should make laws, look closely at government spending, approve the national budget and make sure the government does its job well. But in Zimbabwe, this meaning is known but ignored. Many MPs do not care about burst sewer pipes or broken hospitals in their communities. They do not care about children learning without books. They only care about what they can get for themselves.

The record of their demands is shameful. In December 2022, MPs were given housing loans of US$40 000 and vehicle loans of US$60 000. Still, many of them complained that this was not enough. Now they want new housing loans of US$150 000 each. They say inflation is their excuse and they say ministers get more. These same MPs want duty free second hand cars worth US$40 000. They want to travel with their spouses on work trips. They want salaries of US$2 000 per month besides allowances. They even want Toyota Land Cruisers on top of everything they already get. Recently, they said their constituency development funds should be doubled to US$100 000. This money is not for the people. It is for them to control and to show power.

Parliament has become like a buffet where the MPs eat all they want while the nation watches with empty plates. The government has already started giving them land for their houses. Many of these MPs do not even visit their constituencies unless it is election time. They know the roads are bad. They know hospitals are in terrible shape. But they do not worry about that. Their focus is on benefits and perks. Their strongest vote is always the one that increases their comfort.

It is true that MPs should be paid fairly. There is nothing wrong with making sure they can live decent lives. But fairness must not become greed. Leaders must have integrity. They must think of the people first. What we see today is the opposite. We are seeing people who dress like leaders but think like hustlers. They care more about houses and cars than clean water and working clinics. The more they take, the more the country bleeds.

The worst part is that while all this happens, civil servants are suffering. Nurses are still paid in ZWL. Teachers walk long distances to work. Soldiers work under stress. MPs should be fighting for better pay and better conditions for everyone. But they fight for themselves only.

Peter Obi said a country where politics is more profitable than business will produce poverty. Zimbabwe is now proving this. Politicians live better than entrepreneurs. Citizens suffer while MPs cry for more money. This is not leadership. This is greed in a suit.

Every new demand from MPs widens the gap between them and the people. They do not represent us. They feed on us. Until we demand better and vote better, they will continue milking the system while the rest of us continue to dry up.