via Govt back tracks on MPs vehicles – DailyNews Live by Chengetai Zvauya 5 NOVEMBER 2013
The government has backtracked and is considering buying 100 new vehicles from ailing Zimbabwean automaker Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries.
Initially, the Ford Ranger vehicles were earmarked to be purchased from two private companies owned by one person.
Government, through CMED, which procures and services government vehicles, had floated a tender which had caused consternation in the car trading industry amid concerns the tender was going to benefit only one person.
The story was broken by the Daily News, which also highlighted the appalling state of Willowvale Motor Industries which is government-owned through the Industrial Development Corporation.
The corporation has a 75 percent stake in the car dealer through Motec Holdings Private Limited.
On the local market, the Ford Ranger double cabs cost anything between $50 000 to $60 000.
Parliament’s committee on Industry and Commerce extensively debated the matter last week at the pre-budget seminar in Victoria Falls, with chairman Ray Kaukonde confirming that his committee was advocating that the deal be awarded to Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries.
The country’s largest car assembly plant is currently stuttering under the weight of crippling debt and declining sales volumes caused by a spectacular meltdown in its diversified motor industry, putting 210 jobs at risk.
The Daily News understands that the committee has engaged Mike Bimha, the minister of Industry and Commerce to help push the deal since Willowvale was offering the same value and conditions for the tender.
Willowvale executives who attended the Victoria Falls seminar indicated that they had the capacity to procure the vehicles from South African company, SAMCO.
The Daily News has seen a letter from CMED and State Procurement Board to Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries on the special formal tender for the supply and delivery of 100 Ford Ranger double cab vehicles.
Government would spend about $6 million in funds approved by Parliament to buy the 100 commercially available vehicles.
“The committee tackled the issue and we agreed that we support the local motoring industry in particular Willowvale Mazda Industries,” Kaukonde said.
Temba Mliswa, the Zanu PF MP for Hurungwe West, and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions made a strong case last month against buying Western-made vehicles such as the Ford Rangers.
The Zimbabwe Confederation of Trade Unions says the purchase of the foreign vehicles is not in the national interest at a time of unprecedented job losses in the local automotive industry.
Mliswa said the country was suffering from economic sanctions imposed by the West, but was doing business with some of these countries at the expense of local industries.
Contributing to the presidential speech, Mliswa said government was empowering Western countries indirectly by doing business with them through importing vehicles from countries such as Germany at a time local industry was dying.
“With or without sanctions we must be supporting our industries, and not spend money doing business with them,” Mliswa said.
“Why we should buy tractors and vehicles like Ford vehicles from these European countries that have imposed sanctions on us?”
COMMENTS
quite funny that, The Daily News has seen a letter from CMED and State Procurement Board to Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries on the special formal tender for the supply and delivery of 100 Ford Ranger double cab vehicles. maybe you should also look at not doing business with ” willowvale mazda motor industries , since they support ford ?
The guy who owns the two tenders is none other than well known child rapist and zanu master criminal kaukonde!!!!! Why are we not buying chunks vehicles. After all they sold airzim ma 60 planes
THE AFRICAN AND HIS LOVE LUXURIOUS CARS!
Bicycles..? Actually, unicycles would be more appropriate… and juggling balls…….
Charlie, are you not insulting ALL blacks in your comment? Let us not cloud issues under the banner of hate. We may lose the gist of the argument and I will dare you to say that what you really mean is that a white government would not have all those negative characteristics refered to. Well, if thats really the way you feel I feel sorry for you becuase quite frankly, we are happy with the black government that we have despite all that you refer to.
If you had said you were happy with “a black government”, I’d agree with all you say. Africans should be governing Africans… No matter color. Being happy with “this black government” is an entirely different matter.
Racism, whether black, white, or green, has no place in any society or in government anywhere. Neither is corruption acceptable. The current Zim government is guilty of both. Extreme guilt.
Who is we Mr Bunguse? I for one still I was better of with Ian Smith and I am as black as they come! If you wish to be oppressed and persecuted simply because your tormentor happens to be black, well its your choice but I pity your children and generations to come because they will spit on your grave. May be you are on the grave train and have looted enough for your kids and grand children.
what vehicles do Willowvale assemble? Let the MPs use those
All and I mean ALL small government vehicles should be sourced from Willowvale (including ZIM 1).
Chill out people, black, white, brown Government – it’s all the same if they are free, fair and credible. I agree with Revenger-Avenger, Kaukonde, the rapist, has his filthy claws in papa Mugarbage’s pocket, and gets the Tender offer. I wonder where Hoogstraten and Ruitenbag are, in this State run robbery.
Mazda, a Government partner, is out in the cold and 300 workers face ruin. Another fact for Shebah to chew on, more and more cars, trucks, vans, and pickups for ZANU-PF. No wonder the roads are jammed with cars! They are certainly not the People’s cars!