Government spends Billions on luxury vehicles

By Tichaona Sibanda
22 May 2006

The government has spent millions of pounds ordering luxury cars in an effort to retain the support of allies as Robert Mugabe comes under mounting pressure to quit as President.

Investigations by Christina Lamb, a journalist with the UK Sunday Times newspaper reveal government documents showing transfers of money made last week by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to accounts in South Africa and Britain. Lamb told us on Monday that the payments were for more than fifty 4x4s such as the Toyota Prado and Land Cruiser Amazon, some costing as much as £47,000. ‘Its quite outrageous and indefensible to justify that,’ Lamb said.

The total order is believed to be for more than 100 vehicles. The revelation comes as the country descends into economic meltdown, with inflation officially put at 1,041 percent. Many people eat just one meal a day and many more have had to withdraw their children from school after fees rocketed. The Bankers Association of Zimbabwe has warned that ‘serial bank collapses are imminent.’ So bad is the situation in the country that last week the South African government finally broke its silence on Mugabe, calling for ‘an urgent solution.’
The Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon: could be good for getting across the Limpopo in a hurry
Officials said Pretoria had been discussing a plan with the United Nations under which Mugabe would step down in return for immunity from prosecution and guaranteed exile - although they concede that the 82-year-old dictator is unlikely to accept.

The expenditure on cars, while millions of Zimbabweans are near starvation and hospitals lack vital drugs, will outrage the opposition, one faction of which is planning a ‘winter of discontent’ to start in the next two months. David Coltart an opposition MP said: ‘The purchase of luxury vehicles at a time when Zimbabwe is in such an economic crisis is just a further manifestation of the callous disregard shown by Zanu PF for the plight of Zimbabweans.’

Church leaders are due to meet with Mugabe this Friday for what they describe as ‘critical talks on a wide range of issues buffeting the country.’ Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa is known to be preparing legislation to delay the end of Mugabe’s term from 2008 to 2010. Among the beneficiaries of the car hand-outs are MPs and senators who are believed to have pledged their support for this bill. Although there is a parliamentary vehicle fund and every MP is entitled to buy a duty-free car for £12,000 during their five-year tenure, all except two of the people on the list obtained by The Sunday Times are ruling party MPs. Many of the cars cost double the allowance.

 
 
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