Members of Parliament are now exempt from paying parking fees in Harare’s Central Business District. This follows an agreement between Parliament and City Parking, the company that collects parking fees for the City of Harare.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, announced that Parliament has reached an agreement with City Parking to allow two vehicles per Member of Parliament to park for free in the CBD. Said Mudenda (via Open Parly):

I also wish to inform the House that the Administration of Parliament has reached an agreement with the City Parking, to exempt two vehicles belonging to each of the Members of Parliament from paying parking fees in the Harare Central Business District.

You are therefore requested to submit copies of registration of the two vehicles to the Human Capital Department in office No. 340 on the Third Floor in order to finalise the arrangements.

Zimbabwe has more than 200 parliamentarians who will now enjoy free parking in Harare, while ordinary citizens and residents will still have to pay US$1 per hour to park in the same area.

Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono commented on the situation, saying that politics in Zimbabwe has become a business, with both the ruling and opposition parties seeking to renew their “business mandate” during election time. He posted on social media:

I have told Zimbabweans that politics in Zimbabwe is now a business, where both the ruling and opposition parties come to them at election time to renew their business mandate.

But due to political illiteracy, some of our citizens would die for these crooks and looters! If you want free things, join politics!

The fact that both ruling and opposition parties seek a mandate from the people during elections, only to prioritise their own interests and financial gain once in power when hospitals have no medication is wild and tragic m.

Political illiteracy contributes to this cycle, as citizens who are not well-informed about the political process or the motivations of their leaders are more susceptible to manipulation and empty promises.