Opinion / Columnist
Mr Mnangagwa where are the ZUPCO buses purchased in 2019?
12 Jan 2024 at 06:22hrs | Views
The Citizens Coalition for Change raises critical questions surrounding the fate of ZUPCO buses reportedly bought and commissioned by Mr. Mnangagwa in 2019, as citizens grapple with transport challenges.
See CCC statement below....
What happened to the ZUPCO buses that were reported to have been purchased and commissioned by Mr. Mnangagwa since 2019? #Wakabvuta
1/ Many are wondering about the whereabouts of the ZUPCO buses that were reportedly purchased and commissioned by Mr. Mnangagwa since 2019. Meanwhile, a new tender has been released, inviting local and international bidders to supply 550 buses and yet the whereabouts of those that were reportedly bought are unknown.
2/Since 2019, Mr. Mnangagwa has allegedly been commissioning ZUPCO buses every year, with over 600 buses reportedly commissioned to this day, but to this day, their location and status remain unknown. Private players had to step in to alleviate transportation challenges.
3/ For those unaware, ZUPCO is now part of the country's sovereign wealth fund called MUTAPA investment fund. This dubious entity was created by Mr. Mnangagwa as a means to embezzle state funds.
4/ Following the introduction of this questionable scheme, Mr. Mnangagwa removed the Fund from the provisions of the country's Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, thus eliminating the need for transparency in transactions. This makes the scheme unaccountable to anyone.
5/ ZUPCO has been integral to Mnangagwa's looting machinery since he assumed power in 2017. Taking advantage of COVID-19, Mnangagwa reintroduced ZUPCO and issued a presidential decree restricting operations to only ZUPCO and private operators franchised by ZUPCO.
6/ This led to a scandal involving Landela Investments, a company owned by controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwireyi. Through this company, 125 buses were purchased and resold to the government, generating a profit of US$154,000 per bus.
7/ Landela, having paid only 20% of the original bus value, signed the contract documents with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and his Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga. Some reports suggest that as many as 600 buses were involved in this transaction.
8/ Investigations by @sentryorg revealed that Landela is also linked to Tagwireyi's holding company, SOTIC, which is established in Mauritius. Since 2017, Tagwireyi has used Landela to extract t-bills for US dollars, a process that contributed to the devaluation of the RTGS, as highlighted in the @IMF's September 2019 report.
9/ To date, the new buses that were showcased on ZBC have yet to be seen in operation on the streets of Zimbabwe. #Wakabvuta
10/ The management of ZUPCO services is also a concern. Currently, ZUPCO operates 818 privately-owned franchised kombis and 1121 franchised buses. These privately-owned buses and kombis under ZUPCO's operation are paid without necessarily providing the services they are paid for.
11/ In 2022, the Zanu-PF government spent US$2.5 million monthly on ZUPCO services. The burden of ZUPCO has extended to other government services owed money by ZUPCO, such as NSSA and NRZ.
12/ As Zimbabweans continue to suffer from the ZUPCO crisis and mismanagement of public transport, it is important to note that while some individuals have profited from ZUPCO transactions, ordinary commuters are subsidizing the government by paying for a substandard, unreliable, and sometimes dangerous service.
13/ There is an urgent need to revamp the public transport strategy. The Citizens' Government is committed to developing a fast, environmentally-friendly urban commuter network.
14/ For now, citizens should not be deceived by Harare's regime contracts that do not serve their needs. An audit of previous purchases is necessary to determine the whereabouts and usage of the buses. #Wakabvuta
See CCC statement below....
What happened to the ZUPCO buses that were reported to have been purchased and commissioned by Mr. Mnangagwa since 2019? #Wakabvuta
1/ Many are wondering about the whereabouts of the ZUPCO buses that were reportedly purchased and commissioned by Mr. Mnangagwa since 2019. Meanwhile, a new tender has been released, inviting local and international bidders to supply 550 buses and yet the whereabouts of those that were reportedly bought are unknown.
2/Since 2019, Mr. Mnangagwa has allegedly been commissioning ZUPCO buses every year, with over 600 buses reportedly commissioned to this day, but to this day, their location and status remain unknown. Private players had to step in to alleviate transportation challenges.
3/ For those unaware, ZUPCO is now part of the country's sovereign wealth fund called MUTAPA investment fund. This dubious entity was created by Mr. Mnangagwa as a means to embezzle state funds.
4/ Following the introduction of this questionable scheme, Mr. Mnangagwa removed the Fund from the provisions of the country's Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, thus eliminating the need for transparency in transactions. This makes the scheme unaccountable to anyone.
5/ ZUPCO has been integral to Mnangagwa's looting machinery since he assumed power in 2017. Taking advantage of COVID-19, Mnangagwa reintroduced ZUPCO and issued a presidential decree restricting operations to only ZUPCO and private operators franchised by ZUPCO.
6/ This led to a scandal involving Landela Investments, a company owned by controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwireyi. Through this company, 125 buses were purchased and resold to the government, generating a profit of US$154,000 per bus.
7/ Landela, having paid only 20% of the original bus value, signed the contract documents with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and his Permanent Secretary George Guvamatanga. Some reports suggest that as many as 600 buses were involved in this transaction.
8/ Investigations by @sentryorg revealed that Landela is also linked to Tagwireyi's holding company, SOTIC, which is established in Mauritius. Since 2017, Tagwireyi has used Landela to extract t-bills for US dollars, a process that contributed to the devaluation of the RTGS, as highlighted in the @IMF's September 2019 report.
9/ To date, the new buses that were showcased on ZBC have yet to be seen in operation on the streets of Zimbabwe. #Wakabvuta
10/ The management of ZUPCO services is also a concern. Currently, ZUPCO operates 818 privately-owned franchised kombis and 1121 franchised buses. These privately-owned buses and kombis under ZUPCO's operation are paid without necessarily providing the services they are paid for.
11/ In 2022, the Zanu-PF government spent US$2.5 million monthly on ZUPCO services. The burden of ZUPCO has extended to other government services owed money by ZUPCO, such as NSSA and NRZ.
12/ As Zimbabweans continue to suffer from the ZUPCO crisis and mismanagement of public transport, it is important to note that while some individuals have profited from ZUPCO transactions, ordinary commuters are subsidizing the government by paying for a substandard, unreliable, and sometimes dangerous service.
13/ There is an urgent need to revamp the public transport strategy. The Citizens' Government is committed to developing a fast, environmentally-friendly urban commuter network.
14/ For now, citizens should not be deceived by Harare's regime contracts that do not serve their needs. An audit of previous purchases is necessary to determine the whereabouts and usage of the buses. #Wakabvuta
Source - thezimbabwean
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