Is it really Wicknell Chivayo making the US$3.6 million donation to Parliament?

UK-based Zimbabwean blogger Taffy Theman has said it is difficult to separate Wicknell Chivayo’s US$3.6 million donation to Parliament from the ongoing Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 process.

Chivayo announced the donation on Saturday, 18 April, saying that the funds were intended to benefit all Members of Parliament, including senators, with each lawmaker set to receive US$10,000 regardless of political affiliation.

In a Facebook post, Taffy Theman dismissed claims that the money was “strictly” for constituency development, arguing that the explanation lacks credibility.

“Constituency work is supposed to be funded by taxpayers through the national budget, not by private individuals, and certainly not in the manner in which Chivhayo did,” said Taffy Theman.

“Whether our parliamentarians admit it or not, it places them in a position where they may feel politically indebted to Chivhayo. We Africans have a culture of not biting the hand that feeds us.

“We already have a system for funding constituency development. If that system is underfunded, the solution is to fix the budget, not to allow a private donor to step in and take over that role.

“Otherwise, politicians may begin to respond to wealthy individuals instead of the voters they are meant to serve.

“If this donation were truly innocent, it would not come with instructions or conditions.

“The money would simply be given to Parliament, and Parliament itself would decide how to use it. Instead, a private citizen is effectively telling Parliament what to do.”

Taffy Theman questioned how Chivayo would ensure the funds are used strictly for constituency development.

“If any of these parliamentarians misuse the funds, how exactly would Chivhayo deal with that? Would he summon an MP to his office and reprimand that MP? Is he now the boss of our legislature?

“Do you see the danger in allowing our gullible Parliament to elect the president? In less than a month, the constitutional bill to extend President Mnangagwa’s stay in office is expected to be introduced in Parliament for debate and scrutiny, before MPs vote to either reject or approve it.

“It is difficult to separate this donation from that process. No matter how genuine Chivhayo may be, the timing is horribly wrong, and the gesture is terribly misplaced.

“The fact that Chivhayo is not even afraid to publicly make such a gesture shows how low we have sunk as a nation.

“I don’t know which is more disappointing: that Chivhayo publicly hinted that President ED approved this donation, or that we, the citizens, have been conditioned to accept ‘Mbingarism’ even within government circles.

“Yet the bigger question is: Is it really Wicknell Chivhayo making this ‘donation’?” *_-Pindula_*