Alleged Importation of a Mercedes Benz Brabus by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr G. Gono

Alleged Importation of a Mercedes Benz Brabus by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr G. Gono

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16 January 2007

THE Board of directors of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe wishes to advise members of the public that the recent newspaper article carried in The Standard of Sunday the 7th of January, 2007, alleging that the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe bought a US$365 000 Brabus Mercedes Benz, is entirely and totally false.

The Board of Directors wishes to place on record that since 1 December 2003, the Governor was using his own personal vehicles, in particular, his old Mercedes Benzes, S500 and S320, both of which were brought with him from his previous employers.

Consistent with his contract of employment, in September, 2005, the Board approved the purchase of a vehicle, an S500, Mercedes Benz, at a price of US$138 000, for use by the Governor.

Instead of the Bank paying for the said vehicle for him, the governor requested that the purchase price as approved by the board be a loan to enable him to top-up and purchase a vehicle of his own choice.

This vehicle was delivered by ZIMOCO nine months later in May, 2006. This car Dr Gono later upgraded to an S600 through a swap and top-up arrangement at a local garage, which car he is driving to date. The top-up was paid in local currency.

The allegations about the Mercedes Benz Brabus are, therefore, wholly and totally untrue and entirely a creation of the media house and the journalist who wrote the story!

As a corporate body, the Reserve Bank, its Staff, Management and Board have equally stood grossly victimised and humiliated by this false article.

Given the anxiety this falsehood must have caused to the Governor, our Principals in Government, the Corporate Sector, Labour, Civic Society and all other Stakeholders here at home, within the region and internationally, the Board of Directors has resolved that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe should take immediate steps to bring legal action on the media houses concerned, The Standard and The Zimbabwean, as corporate entities, and against Mr Caiphas Chimhete in his individual capacity as the instigator of the damaging falsehood.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Board of Directors wishes to assure members of the public that all expenditures by the Bank are ad by the Board and in this regard, the Board will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the integrity of the Central Bank is preserved.

The Board also wishes to take this opportunity to assure all stakeholders that as always, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe will continue to jealously guard the use of the scarce foreign exchange resources of the country and allocate the same to National pressing priority areas.

Thank you.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

L.P. CHIHOTA

CHAIRMAN
HUMAN RESOURCES BOARD COMMITTEE

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