Zimbabwe’s Parliament is no longer a place where the people’s voices are heard. It is now being called a crime scene. This is because many Members of Parliament have stopped working for the citizens who elected them. They have chosen instead to serve their own pockets and protect a president who is said to be fighting for his political life. That president is Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa is facing growing talks of impeachment. Impeachment means a president can be removed from office if he has failed the nation or broken the law. But instead of facing this head-on, reports say the regime has gone into panic mode. Some MPs were reportedly called to a secret meeting in Mabelreign, Harare. There, they were given residential stands. These were not rewards for good work. They were bribes, given with the expectation that the MPs would vote against Mnangagwa’s removal.
This information came to light after the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works confirmed that 70 stands had just been given out. These stands were located in three areas. Killarney and Goromonzi each gave out 15. Penrose in Zvimba also gave 15. Mabelreign gave out 40, the highest number of the three. The timing of this handout raises serious questions. Why now, just as impeachment rumors grow louder?
The Ministry is trying to defend the act. They claim the programme started in 2013 and that it is simply a non-monetary benefit. They say MPs are being helped with housing in the same way war veterans, women, and civil servants are. But this excuse is weak. Why are such large numbers of stands being given right now when the president’s power is under threat?
It is important to look at the numbers. MPs in the 8th, 9th, and now 10th Parliament have all received stands. Goromonzi got 188. Bulawayo received 49. Chiredzi got 12. Kadoma got 9. Beitbridge got 5. That’s hundreds of free properties while millions of Zimbabweans sleep in crowded rentals or rural huts. What message does this send?
The National Democratic Working Group, led by Job Sikhala, has come out strongly. They have said Parliament has turned into a crime scene. They are not wrong. Zimbabweans are watching as their representatives sell out for land. The people who should stand up for justice and truth are instead kneeling for stands. They are no longer lawmakers. They are lawbreakers in suits.
What makes this more painful is the suffering of ordinary citizens. People across the country cannot afford to buy a stand. Prices are too high. Yet MPs, who already earn high salaries and allowances, are being given land for free. Some of them have never brought a motion to help their communities. But when it comes to personal gain, they move fast.
The anger is growing. The betrayal is too much. Trust in Parliament is fading every day. Zimbabweans are asking hard questions. Is this land a benefit or a bribe? Is this about housing or is it about power? Are these MPs loyal to the Constitution or to Mnangagwa?
The coming weeks will reveal everything. Will MPs side with the people or with the president? Will they act with conscience or with greed? The answers will shape Zimbabwe’s future.
One thing is already clear. The giving of stands at a time like this is not just suspicious. It is a national disgrace. When Parliament becomes a marketplace for bribery, democracy dies a slow and painful death. Zimbabwe deserves better.
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