Campaign vehicles divide Zanu PF

Source: Campaign vehicles divide Zanu PF – DailyNews Live

Jeffrey Muvundusi      14 March 2019

Dozens of Zanu PF vehicles that were dished out to provinces ahead of the
2018 elections have become a bone of contention in the second largest city
amid reports that those who were given the vehicles have personalised them
ahead of party work, the Daily News can report.

The President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led party acquired a fleet of Ford
Fiestas, Ford Ranger trucks, and buses ahead of last year’s harmonised
election. All members who contested as members of Parliament, were gifted
with all-terrain vehicles, while position- holding party cadres like
provincial chairs, provincial youth league chairs, women’s leagues chairs
commissars among others were gifted with the branded vehicles.

The party might have spent upwards of US$$60 million in the acquisition of
the vehicles whose source of funding has remained a mystery. However,
while the party has by far exhibited its financial power amid worsening
economic situation, the vehicles have created animosity among party
members.

This reportedly came out during the inter-district meeting chaired by
secretary for administration Obert Mpofu held at provincial headquarters’
Davies Hall, a week before Mnangagwa dissolved the structures of Bulawayo
and Harare.

Party members who attended the meeting told this paper that many
complained about party vehicles which they said have been personalised to
such an extent that they are no longer accessible to other members. “A
number of people raised this issue of vehicles being abused as well as
being personalised by those who have them.

“They argued that vehicles should be readily available to all the party
members. “The other thing is that members complained that most of the time
the vehicles are not being used for party business,” said a senior party
member in the province who preferred anonymity.

Another member who attended the meeting said Mpofu took note of the
problems while assuring everybody that he was going to escalate the matter
to the higher ranks. Both Mpofu and party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo
were not picking their phones yesterday.

The branded vehicles which are now a common feature on the city’s streets
have exposed Zanu PF’s priorities where the ruling party acquired an
astonishingly expensive fleet at a time Zimbabweans are suffering.