GOVERNMENT has scaled up efforts of assisting communities affected by flooding following the death of more than 78 people, Local Government Minister Cde Saviour Kasukuwere has said.

GOVERNMENT has scaled up its efforts of assisting communities affected by flooding following the death of more than 78 people, Local Government Public Works and National Housing Minister Cde Saviour Kasukuwere said in Parliament on Wednesday.

Minister Kasukuwere said his ministry, through the Civil Protection Unit, was giving $100 financial assistance to each affected family.

He said the support was being hindered by limited budget allocations, and was hoping that the $5 million they had requested from Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa would be released.

“We have lost over 78 people in the country. Binga is one such place which stresses us as a ministry. Government, through the CPU has been assisting a number of people who have been affected by the rains around the country such as in Binga and Tsholotsho,” he said.

“We are trying to source food, tents and other items that can assist the families. The assistance is not enough owing to the challenges we are facing but we have made a request of $5 million dollars to scale up our efforts.”

Minister Kasukuwere said affected families had been resettled after being trapped or marooned.

He was responding to a question from Gweru Urban legislator Mr Sesel Zvidzai (MDC-T) on Government’s intervention to assist people affected by flooding.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda ruled that he was going to write to President Mugabe on the disgruntlement by legislators over ministers’ failure to attend to Parliament business.

He said the problem had become a perennial issue where Ministers where always in contempt of Parliament by either attending to question and answer session or not seeking leave of absence.

Later in the day, drama occurred when Norton legislator Mr Temba Mliswa exchanged harsh words with Zanu-PF MP for Hurungwe West Cde Keith Guzah with the former calling the latter a car thief who changed his name from Kachasu Phiri to conceal evidence, while Cde Guza hauled obscenities at Mr Mliswa.

This was after Mr Mliswa had asked Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Tapuwa Matangaidze to explain the total number of jobs which Government had created after 2013 elections.

Engineer Matangaidze told Mr Mliswa to put his question in writing if he wanted specific figures.

Mr Mliswa’s persistence to be availed with the information angered Mr Guzah who said all legislators could not be held at ransom by one member of Parliament, leading to the bitter exchange.

This resulted in the Deputy Speaker Cde Mabel Chinomona ejecting Cde Guzah from the National Assembly.