President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended his administration’s decision to hand over 226 cars to traditional chiefs. The president and his Zanu-PF party have been accused of vote buying by the opposition as the donation comes a few months before the 2018 harmonised elections. However, Mnangagwa defended himself saying that the chiefs were entitled to the vehicles as part of their service benefits. Mnangagwa also argued that the cars were bought under the administration of former president Robert Mugabe.
Said Mnangagwa on Facebook:
…chiefs are the leaders of our communities throughout the country. It is necessary for them to be able to move in their communities in which they provide guidance and leadership in terms of our traditions. For that reason, it is important that we facilitate that disbursement.
In an interview with Alec Russell of the Financial Times, Mnangagwa said:
The chiefs are on the government payroll. One of their conditions of service is to give them motor vehicles. Whether there’s an election or there’s no election we’ll still give them the motor vehicles and their salary or allowance, whatever.
This was done by the former administration, except that they had not been given so I’ve gone ahead to give them. In fact, the later vehicles I’ve given have not been bought by this administration; they were bought by the former administration. It has nothing to do with vote-buying and so on; it’s a part of the conditions of service of those chiefs.
More: Interview Transcript, 263Chat
civil servants are demanding for a pay increase. Grant them.
Sure boss, if these are civils servants, why then bother mention the fact that this was bought by the previous regime? No the question is had the previous regime not bought these Cars, whould the current leadership have plan and gone ahead with the procurement for the civil servants?
What reasonable people have been asking is where are the priorities of ZPF. Or simple put, ZPF priorities demontrate late of reasonableness. With our hospitals in the state they are at, the priority for the Finance Minister or rather of the executive is the buying of cars for MPs, Chiefs and the waste on former president’s package. Surely Mr President you can do better.
Me am not opposition but a very concerned citizin. I think I need to mention that I really appreciate the initiatives the new regime has taken thus far but on the other hand, such moves just wipes out all these positive initiates.
Sometimes we here things such as people being welcomed to come continue farming and then the next minute we here that farm invasions are taking place. Investors want consistance. They want to hear about the rule of law. It is not good enough that the minister stoped an invasion. Otherwise what about those cases which are low profile and the minister does not hear about or the Minister choses not to intervene.
If we are to walk the talk, let us be more consistant. Not talking of reallignment and at the same time doing oposite things.
But Comrade President I beg to differ with your sentiments. The Leader of the Chiefs himself Fortune Charumbira has come out to say the Chiefs bought themselves those vehicles through a scheme the they were contributing to since 2011 or something to that effect. You are saying something totally different. So who is telling the truth here? Now did your administration, Bob’s Administration or the Chiefs themselves buy those vehicles? Just tell us the truth sir.