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(TALKZIMBABWE) MDC-T defends US$6K pm expenditure on Speaker

MDC-T defends US$6K pm expenditure on Speaker
Our reporter
Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:23:00 +0000

THE Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) party's policy co-ordinator has defended the US$6,000 a month expenditure on hotel bills for the Speaker of Parliament. In an email forum, Eddie Cross said the amount was justifiable given the powerful position of the speaker, Lovemore Moyo, occupied in the inclusive Government.

The Parliament of Zimbabwe has pampered the Speaker with a lavish 12-month stay in various executive suites costing about US$6,000 a month at the five-star Meikles Hotel in Harare.

It is understood that Moyo had been staying at the luxury hotel since he took over as Speaker at the end of August last year and only checked out at the beginning of September this year after Parliament secured a house to rent for him at US$1 800 per month.

Before he moved out of the plush hotel, Treasury, through the Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, allegedly bought the Speaker furniture worth US$30,000 for his house. Treasury sources confirmed the purchase of the furniture last Thursday.

When asked to comment about this expenditure, MDC-T's Cross said "this is a tough issue" and for Zimbabwe to be taken seriously it had to spend such amounts on people in those positions.

"This is a tough issue – the Speaker is 'number three' in the National Hierarchy of the country – the President, the Prime Minister and then the Speaker," wrote Cross adding that such costs "call for a certain standard of living and perks."

In justifying this hefty amount spent on the Speaker, Cross alleged that, "When the President travels he draws $10,000 a day for his expenses".

He added that, "In this sort of context the costs listed in this article are not excessive."

"I would be happier if the MDC people were able to moderate their standard of living – but as a country we must maintain a certain level to be taken seriously," wrote Cross.

The MDC-T party has come under fire for spending exorbitant amounts of money on salary packages for employees not employed through the Public Service Commission; but doing government work.

PM Tsvangirai's office is said to employ parallel workers, disguised as experts who are paid between US$700 and US$7,000 by the World Bank.

Labels: EDDIE CROSS, LOVEMORE MOYO, MDC CORRUPTION

posted by MrK @ 3:35 PM