Source: Zimbabwe Attacked for Buying $6 Million Vehicles for Traditional Leaders
Induna uFortune Charumbira labanye bakhe balungiselela umhlangano ozakwenziwa ngoLwesihlanu koBulawayo.
WASHINGTON — Several opposition parties and civic society leaders have attacked the Zimbabwean government for buying more than 230 new vehicles for traditional chiefs, saying the country should have used the money to purchase drugs for struggling hospitals or engage in other programs.
They noted that the move is designed to influence chiefs to support President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party in the 2018 general elections.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere announced the care deal on Thursday, saying the government purchased 226 vehicles outside the country in order to make it easy for traditional leaders to travel in their areas of jurisdiction.
Kasukukwere, who did not reveal the total cost of the vehicles, noted that 20 of the vehicles are already in the country.
An Isuzu double twin cab listed in South Africa’s Isuzu website costs $365,600 (US$25,670). Observers say if the vehicles were purchased via the website, they cost Zimbabwe $5,801.420.
Chiefs are expected to hold a traditional leaders’ meeting in Bulawayo on Friday.
Chiefs National Council leader Fortune Charumbira dismissed suggestions that the vehicles are designed to influence them to support the ruling party in the forthcoming elections, stressing that the government has a constitution mandate to buy them cars.
Zimbabwe started buying vehicles for chiefs a couple of years ago but critics say the cars are normally bought ahead of crucial elections.
Chiefs have over the years been accused of coercing people in rural areas to vote for the ruling party in council, parliamentary, senatorial and presidential elections.
COMMENTS
Once lackeys of Smith now lackeys of Mugabe. SHAME !!!
Spot on. The guys are always ready to sell their souls to the highest bidder. Anyway, what would anyone expect from these guys? Majority of them are actually zanu pf appointees (political chiefs not traditional chiefs) So, they are not really chiefs in a true sense of the word. In fact, their leader Fortune is one well known illegitimate chief – and many people in his Charumbira area have for a long time ceased to recognize him as their chief, and rightly so. He is not a chief. Even his own father was an illegitimate chief too. Fortune’s father was supported by Smith regime & later Mugabe regime to cling on the chieftainship after the death of his father when the chieftaincy was supposed to move to a different house. Again, Fortune continues to cling on chieftaincy with the blessings of Mugabe regime. So, can such a guy ever afford not to play to the zanu pf gallery?
Could this be the real reason why former minister of finance Patrick Chinamasa was demoted…he must have told whoever or what forum kuti mari yacho hapana…..
The sadly annoying issue is that the chiefs do not question why now..
The system leaderships stinks.
I am available to receive a free car too.
What is most surprising is that wherever you are, the sheer number of people who are willing to ‘sell their grandma’ for a few cents. Stink or not, they have the system screwed up and water tight. They know exactly what they are doing, it’s all planned, pamper the masses with a few ‘cheap’ trinkets (this example might have cost millions but they are already worthless).
Trump, May, Farage, Johnson of the Boris haircut, going back Rhodes, Columbus, East India Company; in fact the lot do this. It is sick behavior. It sparkles even better if you add lies into the equation as well.