Branton Matondo
MUTARE- Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) Mutare Central Member of Parliament Innocent Gonese has distanced himself from the US$ 40 000 loans offered to members of Parliament by government.
Gonese said he did not receive the contentious government loan being disbursed to sitting Members of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers.
While addressing residents at a recently held community engagement meeting at Moffat Hall in Sakubva the soft spoken CCC member denied receiving any money from government.
“The issue of government loans has been topical of late. The truth of the matter is that l haven’t seen any money and l don’t know about anything concerning the US$ 40 000 housing loan,” he said.
Gonese said that he is not in a position to divulge more information concerning the government loans as he is following protocol.
“As you all know, l am a steadfast CCC member and as a party we will sit down and discuss on the issue because l don’t want to be caught offside. After coming up with a conclusion, we will come up with a statement that will be delivered for the public,” added Gonese.
Reports on the issue indicate that sitting Members of Parliament were offered US$ 40000 housing loans with Ministers being offered US$ 500 000 and their deputies pocketing US$ 350 000.
CCC President Nelson Chamisa has labelled the housing loans as a desperate allurement attempt by the mass party Zanu PF to swindle CCC members.
There has been an uproar from citizens who felt that the move by government is not a loan but a bribe.
Other reports indicate that Allan Norman Markham is the only CCC MP to refuse the government loan.
