At a time when more than 500 doctors are paid a paltry 329 RTGS dollars, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has proposed that MPs should be paid a pension and this from the taxpayer purse.

He said MPs would be paid after completing their five year terms.

Ncube made these suggestions to change a clause in the Finance Bill which is now before Senate.

All this comes at a time when Mps have demanded brand new vehicles and an increase in their allowances.

Ncube announced the proposal for pensions during the 2019 National budget debate in the National Assembly. He said, “We have an additional clause that we propose should be added, Clause 37; which pertains to the Parliament Pensions Act. Amendment CAP 2.02.

“The Parliamentary Pensions Act Chapter 2.02 is amended. In Section 7 entitlement to pension by insertion of the following sub-section 2 ‘for the purposes of the proviso to subsection 1, a former member shall be entitled to be paid a gratuity calculated at the rate of 130 second of his pensionable retiring emoluments for each complete month of his/her service in Parliament. I propose that we adopt it as is. This will deal a comfortable blow to the welfare of Parliamentarians.”

When asked by MDC Mbizo legislator Mr Settlement Chikwinya if the pensions will apply for members of the Ninth Parliament only or if those who sat in the previous parliaments, Ncube said the gratuity will be retrospective.