Govt to splash $11m on chiefs’ vehicles

via Govt to splash $11m on chiefs’ vehicles – DailyNews Live 4 October 2014 by Chengetai Zvauya

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s broke government is set to splash $11 million on off-road vehicles to appease the increasingly vocal chiefs who want to be feted like kings.

This comes as ordinary Zimbabweans reel from a raft of tax and price hikes precipitated by government’s desperate measures to increase revenue.

The chiefs have been instrumental in engineering Zanu PF electoral victories and are regarded as an important constituency by Mugabe.

On Tuesday, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told Parliament that Treasury was seized with the chiefs’ request for off-roader vehicles —  280 Ford Rangers — whose price averages $50 000 at local dealerships.

“As you know, traditional leaders countrywide exceed a total (of) 250 and what it means is that the amount required is quite a lot, but I want to inform you that we have the desire and hope to address that issue as soon as I can do it,” Chinamasa said.

“It is a request that I am aware of.”

Chinamasa did not say when Treasury was going to buy the cars, although the chiefs expect swift delivery.

“We have asked government to look into our welfare and provide us with vehicles,” chief Musarurwa of Mashonaland East told the Daily News.

“Handiti munhu anoti kana akagara zvakanaka, anoti ndakagara samambo, asi kwatiri hapana chatinacho. Ichi ndicho chichemo chedu kuhurumende. (If a person is living large, he says I am living like a king, but we are not enjoying and this is our plea to government).”

Previously, the partisan chiefs have benefitted from loan vehicle schemes.

Chinamasa in May unveiled a Parliamentary Vehicle Loan Scheme valued at $14,4 million through a CBZ facility which saw government purchasing 350 brand new Ford Rangers for leglislators.

The latest demands by the chiefs have been fuelled by Mugabe’s encouraging speech at the chiefs’ annual conference held in Gweru recently.

Mugabe told the chiefs they could get any car they wanted and government would bankroll the purchases.

The chiefs want to be treated in the same manner as Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants.

“This is not new as we once received a chiefs’ loan vehicle scheme in 2005, and we are also asking for another vehicle scheme which other senior government officials are enjoying,” Musarurwa said.

“I reminded minister Chinamasa not to forget us when allocating funds to purchase vehicles for Members of Parliament.

“I thought that he was also going to remember that there are traditional leaders in the rural areas who do not have transport.

“So, I am looking forward for an allocation to be made towards the ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for the traditional leaders to get vehicles since it is this ministry that works with traditional leaders.”

The purchase of the vehicles is likely to further rock the boat for a government accused of profligate spending on perks for ministers and government officials while turning a blind eye to the plight of lowly-paid civil servants.

Chinamasa, ironically, was hosting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation which was assessing government’s performance on agreed targets set to help Zimbabwe manage its measly finances.

As he promised to splurge on the chiefs’ cars, the IMF, at the end of its visit, warned that government needed to drastically cut its spending and instead plan for food imports.

This is against revised negative growth figures and warning of more food imports which the government must prioritise.

Since the Zanu PF government assumed office, it has bought top-of-the-range luxury and off-roader vehicles for government ministers despite other pressing and more deserving issues.

Chiefs have joined a growing list of Zanu PF related groups that have arm-twisted government  — with success — to have their demands accepted.

In 1998, militant war veterans forced Mugabe’s government to pay them one-off Z$50 000 gratuities which were not budgeted for.

The Zimbabwe dollar crashed in what is now known as “Black Friday” in reference to the day the local unit tumbled against major currencies as a result of the pay-off which was accompanied by a national power blackout.