Govt Questioned For Buying 100 Vehicles For Chiefs Amid Crisis
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday morning handed over 100 vehicles to “deserving” chiefs, with more vehicles, including those for newly appointed chiefs, reported to be on the way.
This has been seen by some Zimbabweans as misplacing priorities.
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The handover ceremony was held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), this Thursday, 29 February.
Posting on X, George Charamba, who is the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications), said deserving chiefs received vehicles today.
He however did not elaborate on the criteria used to determine the traditional leaders who deserved to receive new cars. Said Charamba:
In his address, His Excellency exhorted chiefs to unite their subjects and preach peace, reminding them Zimbabwe is a unitary state, with no room for divisions that inspire threats to the integrity of the country.
He addressed the issue of hunger in the country, adding Government is putting in place mechanisms for immediate intervention to distribute food the needy families across the country.
The Chiefs, through the President of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Mtshana Khumalo, appreciated the support extended to all chiefs, including stipends, infrastructures, health insurance and many other social interventions which have raised the welfare threshold of chiefs.
The ZANU PF-led government prioritizes traditional leaders in distributing national resources as they mobilize rural people to vote for the ruling party during elections.
Government Criticized For Buying Cars Ahead Of Ambulances, Police Vehicles
The gesture has been labeled as a misplaced priority on the part of the government as some police stations don’t have vehicles and at times police officers are reportedly offered transport by suspects, while some hospitals also don’t have a single working ambulance.
The president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa gave traditional Chiefs 100 brand new cars today worth over US$6 million, he also gave them cars in 2018, 2021 and 2023.
The whole of Masvingo province only has ONE ambulance at the main public hospital, which services a population… pic.twitter.com/hZGx4BzAc7
— Hopewell Chin’ono (@daddyhope) February 29, 2024
Heal Zimbabwe Trust@HealZim
Zimbabwe faces food insecurity amongst a litany of serious problems that need Gvt’s immediate action and the gvt feels buying another set of cars for chiefs is a priority? This is sad and unfortunate
@Mavhure
Vehicles vs bad roads vs zero ambulances for Chiefs’ subjects 🇿🇼
@OnsonMash
Dishing vehicles to chiefs in this environment is crazy business.
Civil servants are struggling, hospitals are death traps , we have no ambulances, we have no football stadium , we drive in pothole infested roads, there is chorela…I can go on and on
We need new leaders
