Govt urged to re-capitalise CMED

Shepias Dube
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission still owes the Central Mechanical Equipment Department more than $5 million for cars hired during the 2013 harmonised elections, a situation that is affecting operations of the parastatal.
ZEC leads a number of other Government institutions that owe CMED more than 20 million, it has been established.
In an interview, chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development Cde Dexter Nduna said Government must quickly move in to save CMED as its ineffectiveness was crippling Government business.

“Government institutions and departments should honour their obligation and pay what they owe to CMED. We are confident if the company gets the money it will be able to execute its statutory requirements,” said Cde Nduna.
He said Government could not carry out its business effectively without vehicles.

“CMED attend to all vehicles used in the day to day activities of the entire Government and if the executive continues giving a blind eye to the recapitalisation of the parastatal it will be shooting itself in the foot,” said Cde Nduna.

He said the committee had since engaged the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Cde Obert Mpofu on issues affecting the parastatal who assured that sanity would soon prevail at the company.

“The responsible minister has since appeared before this committee and assured us that soon sanity will prevail at the company as they were finalising the disciplinary hearing of the managing director Davison Mhaka who is being accused of fraud and gross negligence,” he said.

The portfolio chairperson said this would pave way for the regularising of management at CMED.
He said his committee was expected to present the CMED report before parliament within the next 14 days.

The report seeks to find ways of helping the parastatal from the financial quagmire which it is currently engulfed in.
The core business of CMED is to provide cost effective and affordable transport to Government ministries, departments, individuals and the private sector.

The company hires out vehicles, heavy equipment, motorcycles and vessels to various arms of Government and the general public.