OPPONENTS have challenged the Special Anti Corruption Unit (SACU) and Zimbabwe Anti- Corruption Commission (ZACC) to launch an investigation into how Polad vehicles were purchased, as pressure mounts on Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to reveal the source of funding for the purchase of the vehicles.
This comes after the ZANU PF led government caused a stir after purchasing 19 brand new vehicles – worth an estimated $60,000 each – for Presidential aspirants who lost in the 2018 plebiscite.
The move, made under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) that was created by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2019 has come under scrutiny.
Speaking to Zim Morning Post MDC Alliance Youth Assembly spokesperson Stephen Chuma said the source of funds should be known.
“It is clear that the money used to buy POLAD cars was unbudgeted and that means that money was stolen from taxpayers coffers to support Emmerson Mnangagwa’s parochial interests,” he said.
“If SACU and ZACC are genuine in fighting corruption then they must investigate Mthuli Ncube and Mnangagwa in this case,” Chuma added.
He, however, believes the two anti-corruption bodies will not investigate the duo as they were captured by the appointing authority.
“Unfortunately, they will not because they owe their existence to Mnangagwa, the appointing authority, it is like asking for a demon to fight the evils of the devil himself,” added Chuma.
Youth Advocacy for Democracy (YAD) Director Tichaona Masiyambiri also petitioned Mthuli Ncube to disclose the source of funds used to purchase the vehicles.
“I think first and foremost we need to establish the source of funds , as this will inform whether or not there was abuse of public funds,” he said
“The reason why we wrote to the Minister is that we are suspicious that those funds were derived from a non-existent and legally inappropriate pocket. In the interest of public accountability we then would request the compromised SACU and ZACC to investigate , but it will be rabble rousing as they won’t investigate their principal,” said Masiyambiri.
Addressing a press conference in Harare after receiving one of the 19 Isuzu D-Max cars, National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore Madhuku dismissed assertions that the gesture was largely about Mnangagwa retaining power and less about democracy.
“We do not own the vehicles, they are POLAD vehicles which are government and state vehicles. What we were given was the right to use these vehicles for POLAD purposes and for the work of our political parties, so we do not own the vehicles,” the law professor said.
“We fully welcome that move and we thank the government and President Emmerson Mnangagwa for that decision, I must not mince my words that we fully embrace that move,” Madhuku said.
