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Statement on the purchase of luxury vehicles by the Inclusive Government
The Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC)
August 15, 2011

The Committee of the Zimbabwe Peoples Charter (CPC) expresses its serious concern at reports (as reported in the Daily News 14 August 2011) that the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe has against better advice, purchased luxury vehicles at an estimated total cost of $US 20 million.

Among the excuses informally given is that the state of our national roads necessitates the purchase of these luxury vehicles. Such profligacy and potential pre-occupation with self than country is unacceptable to the majority poor of Zimbabwe. It is a complete misplacement of priorities by the inclusive government where it chooses to spend on itself as opposed to the social welfare needs of the people of Zimbabwe.

It is public knowledge that poverty and corruption remain among the fundamental challenges that our country faces yet the inclusive government makes decisions that are as insensitive and as democratically unaccountable as to purchase luxury vehicles in the midst of hunger and deprivation.

It is the considered view of the CPC that this flagrant misuse of our country's meagre resources is an attempt by government to wish away the poverty of the people of Zimbabwe with shocking arrogance and profligacy. It is also an unfortunate demonstration of the true character of all the political parties that comprise the inclusive government, a character that is driven more by the pursuit of self aggrandizement rather than the interests of the people of Zimbabwe.

For the government to argue that the cars were purchased in order to travel our roads is to not only to be dishonest to the people of Zimbabwe , but it also betrays a government that does not value public accountability and one that is completely insensitive to the endemic poverty the majority of Zimbabweans have to grapple with.

The CPC calls upon all government ministers, particularly the Ministry of Finance, to return these luxury vehicles, sell them or get our money back from whoever they purchased them from. This $US 20 million should then be distributed evenly to our education and health sectors to improve these critical social welfare sectors of our nation.

This would be particularly important given the parlous state of Mpilo and Harare hospital as well as the fact that our rural schools are in dire need of resources for teaching materials, refurbishment and water. If this is 'Kiya-Kiya' economics, it is undemocratic, potentially unaccountable and therefore liable for total popular rejection.

*Committee of the Zimbabwe Peoples Charter (CPC) is a Zimbabwean political, economic, social and democratic accountability mechanism established in the interests of the people of Zimbabwe. Its comprised of Zimbabweans and friends of Zimbabwe who subscribes to the principles and actions outlined in the Zimbabwe Peoples Charter.

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