Reconsider ban on secondhand vehicle imports, State urged

chal­lenges from the imports that are threatening its survival.

This came out during the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare hearing yesterday.

President of the Motor Industry Associa­tion of Zimbabwe, Mr Benjamin Khumalo, said apart from secondhand vehi­cles, pirated spares and acces­sories were also affecting their operations.
“As an industry we have talked against the importation of secondhand vehicles. We believe we are importing inappropriate vehi­cles for our territory.

“Vehicles are manufactured with the terri­tory in mind and the current situation is sti­fling the growth of our own market,” said Mr Khumalo.

Prior to 2000, he said, Zimbabwe, used to have plus or minus 25 000 new vehicles every year.
“This meant we could even have our domestic market for secondhand vehicles.

“The figure for new cars has gone down to around 6 000 in the past few years and was           7 200 last year.”
Mr Khumalo said Zimbabwe was currently importing 40 000 secondhand vehicles mostly from Japan and of late Britain.
“We need to regulate this secondhand business and see how our industry will  grow to the numbers we had in the 1990s,” he said.

Also see

• Move by Quest Motors a noble, radical business decision

• Suspension of used vehicle import ban welcome

• Rethink used car import ban

Government last year banned the importa­tion of secondhand vehicles that were more than five years old from the date of manufac­ture but suspended the ban after an outcry from the public that are failing to buy domes­tically assembled vehicles because of the cost.

Mr Khumalo said the high cost of borrow­ing was also stifling the growth of the indus­try.
At its peak the motor industry that includes car assemblers, service stations, spare parts dealers among others employed over 30 000 people but this has gone down to around 13 000.

Mr Shame Mari of the Motor Traders Association of Zimbabwe said the industry was facing many problems resulting in the sprouting of backyard garages and traders.

“Because of the poor remuneration most people have left the formal employment and start their own things under trees and down town like we are seeing now,” he said.