President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally and Zanu PF benefactor Wicknell Chivayo has been accused of “bribing” Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote in favour of a proposed bill that seeks to extend the president’s term.
Chivayo yesterday said he was donating US$3,6 million to Parliament to be shared among the 360 MPs and senators, with each one of them set to get US$10 000.
He framed his donation as an Independence Day gift as the country celebrated its 46-year annivesary, adding that the money was meant for constituency development projects.
The donation came weeks before Parliament debates and votes on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill (CAB), which proposes sweeping changes to the country’s charter.
A controversial clause of the bill seeks to extend Mnangagwa’s term from 2028, when it constitutionally expires, to 2030, and scrapping direct presidential elections.
The terms of office in the current Parliament will also be extended by two more years while the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) will be abolished among other changes.
CAB3 has gone past the public hearings stage, and now awaits a debate and vote in Parliament in the next few weeks, and observers framed Chivayo’s donation as bribery.
The Zimbabwe Constitutional Movement (Zicomo) said Chivayo’s donation was not an act of generosity, but a deliberate and well calculated strategy aimed squarely at buying the loyalty of lawmakers.
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“This manipulation comes at a critical moment as the CAB3 is set to be presented in parliament, amidst contentious findings from public consultations,” Zicomo said.
“This so-called donation starkly illustrates the rampant corruption and misgovernance that plagues the current administration.”
“Furthermore, the disgraceful tactics of using financial incentives and lavish gifts, including vehicles, to secure loyalty in a misguided quest for political dynasties are fundamentally flawed.”
It urged Zimbabweans to reject CAB3.
Senator Jameson Timba said Chivayo’s US$3,6 million gift to MPs and senators raised very serious ethical and constitutional concerns.
“It is a politically consequential financial intervention targeted at sitting Members of Parliament at the precise moment they are required to exercise independent judgment on CAB3,” Timba told The Standard.
“That alone undermines the integrity of the legislative process. The timing is critical.
“Parliament must not be seen to be for sale — especially on a matter as fundamental as the constitution.
“It weakens confidence in Parliament as an institution.”
Political analyst Reuben Mbofana described Chivayo’s gift as a grotesque mockery of the parliamentary process.
“When a benefactor with close ties to the ruling party distributes thousands of dollars to lawmakers at such a critical juncture for our democracy, the line between private philanthropy and political bribery vanishes,” Mbofana noted.
“These MPs are supposed to represent the will of the people, not the interests of deep-pocketed individuals who stand to benefit from a compromised constitutional framework.
“By accepting these gifts, MPs are essentially trading their constitutional mandate for personal gain and effectively auctioning off the future of Zimbabwean democracy to the highest bidder while the nation watches in disbelief.”
Pro-government activist and fierce CAB3 critic, Rutendo Matinyarare asked what do MP’s have to do in return.
“Now, if parliamentarians are going to be serenaded and given undue monies by associates of the president and people who do business with the state, at a time they are meant to be deliberating on amendments to the constitution that give the president a term extension and make them [parliament] responsible for selecting the president, what are the chances that they are going to make impartial decisions on this amendment?,” he asked.
“What happens when the same parliamentarians are offered more money by someone else to make a different decision?”
