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Lloyd Gumbo Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF legislator for Hurungwe West, Cde Temba Mliswa, has taken a swipe at the government for buying vehicles for MPs from a private company instead of capacitating the struggling Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries.
The deal will see some 290 legislators buying all-terrain vehicles from Croco Motors at a ceiling price of $35,000 per MP on credit.
The $10 million cost will be settled by Treasury in eight months and MPs will pay back over their five-year tenure.
Cde Mliswa said it appeared the government was neglecting its own Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).
“If Treasury is not seen to be spearheading Zim–Asset, then who will?” queried Cde Mliswa. “Patriotism must come from everyone because some of us would want our money to go to WMMI and not a private company.
“The other problem is that the issue was not even taken to tender, which breeds corruption. Government policy must be clear in terms of procurement; that first priority must be given to government companies when buying anything.”
WMMI indicated recently that if adequately supported, it could produce vehicles that met local market requirements.
Cde Mliswa said: “We’ve been talking about cutting down on costs in parastatals but it’s high time we should also cut costs on vehicles for the executive.
“At the moment, ministers are getting a Mercedes Benz, a 4×4 from Parliament and another one from the ministry. Why should an individual have three vehicles?”
MPs say they need the all-terrain vehicles to access their constituencies, some of them remote.
Zanu-MPs already had Ford Rangers which they carried over from the election campaign.
Online Reporter