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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 22254, member: 2262"] The MPs are pretty upset about not getting enough money from the government. They're saying it's making it really hard for them to do their jobs and help the people they represent. Some of them are even being called "Members of Problems" now instead of real representatives. One big issue is something called the Constituency Development Fund or CDF. It's money that's supposed to go to each MP to use in their area, but it hasn't been given out since 2022. The people back home are telling the MPs they won't vote for them again because they haven't done anything good with the money. The MPs are struggling personally too. A lot of them are wearing second-hand clothes because they can't afford new ones. Even the people who work in Parliament are having a tough time. The MPs aren't getting their allowances or coupons on time either. There's also not enough resources for the MPs to do their actual work in Parliament. They don't have offices, so they have to keep all their important papers in their cars. That's not safe at all. Some MPs are even selling their fuel coupons just to get by. The MPs have some ideas to make it better. They want the CDF to be doubled to make up for the years it wasn't given out. They think Parliament needs a lot more money in general to do its job of keeping an eye on the government. They also want offices in their constituencies and maybe some cheaper second cars to use for work travel. It's not just the MPs either. The regular workers in Parliament are paid so badly that a lot of them have quit and gone to find work in other countries. The MPs want them to get paid more and maybe get some help with housing too. The Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said he wants to increase the budget for Parliament by a lot of money. He knows it's been hard to give them all the funds they need. He suggested giving the staff meal allowances of $20 for lunch and $25 for dinner. But the MPs aren't happy with that. They want the budget to cover all the really important things they brought up. They're frustrated that even when money gets put in the budget for Parliament, the Minister doesn't always actually give it to them. Meanwhile, the President's office and the courts seem to get their full budgets. The MPs are determined to make the Minister listen and give Parliament the money it needs to do its job right. They want the people they represent to see that they're working hard and making a real difference. [/QUOTE]

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