Democracy for sale: Can Zimbabwe’s PaWelcome to Zimbabwe, where Members of Parliament can be bought for US$3.6 million. As public hearings on the Constitutional Amendments Bill No. 3 proceed, it is becoming clear that something far more troubling is unfolding.
Zimbabweans must confront a dangerous question: if Members of Parliament can be bought today, what stops them from being bought tomorrow to choose the next president?
Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has announced plans to distribute US$3.6 million to Zimbabwe’s 360 MPs and Senators—US$10,000 each—under the guise of “constituency development.” The funds are reportedly to be channelled through Parliament itself.
The timing is suspect. Parliament is preparing to debate controversial constitutional amendments that critics say could extend the term of Emmerson Mnangagwa and potentially shift greater power to Parliament in selecting the country’s leader. If legislators can be influenced with cash ahead of such a vote, a dangerous precedent is set—one where even the Presidency can effectively be bought.
This is not a donation. It is institutional capture. A legislature that accepts private money from politically connected actors cannot claim independence. Parliament exists to represent citizens, not to operate as an auction floor for loyalty.
The “development” justification does not hold. Zimbabwe already has a legal mechanism—the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)—designed for this purpose, with oversight and accountability. Direct private payments to MPs bypass these safeguards, creating both the perception and the reality of influence-buying.
For ordinary Zimbabweans—facing poverty, unemployment, and failing public services—the conclusion is inevitable: their representatives are for sale. Public confidence in Parliament, already fragile, risks total collapse.
Responsibility now lies with the Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda, and parliamentary leadership. They must make it unequivocally clear that Parliament will not be used as a conduit for private political money. MPs and Senators should be advised to reject such funds, and any proposal of this nature must undergo strict legal and ethical scrutiny.
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If allowed to proceed, Zimbabwe crosses a dangerous line. Today it is US$10,000 per MP. Tomorrow, it may be the Presidency itself.
A nation governed by money rather than principle is a nation on the path to political collapse. Zimbabweans must reject this culture of capture before it becomes the norm.
