MPs defy Tsvangirai over RBZ vehicles

MPs defy Tsvangirai over RBZ vehicles

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Posted to the web: 17/04/2009 19:03:41
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai faces a revolt from MDC MPs who have defied his order to reject vehicles from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

At least 25 MDC MPs have received cars from the RBZ, just a week after Tsvangirai warned them of disciplinary action if they defy his order.

In a statement Friday, the MDC said: “If there is any (MPs) that have done that (collected vehicles), then they have acted against the party position. Their case will be brought before the national executive and the national council and these party organs will take a final decision on the matter.”

Gono offered the vehicles from the RBZ fleet to MPs after many complained they were unable to fulfil their constituency duties due to transport problems. He said the fleet was lying idle at the central bank’s compound after being used in quasi-fiscal activities which were suspended in the wake of President Robert Mugabe and opposition rivals Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara forming a unity government.

MPs normally receive vehicles through a parliamentary vehicle loan scheme, but the country is broke and unable to fund the programme.

On Wednesday last week, Tsvangirai’s deputy, Thokozani Khupe, held a highly-charged meeting with the legislators who rejected her order not to accept the vehicles. Reports say she was heckled and booed at the meeting.

"Khupe told us that the party had reached a position on the issue of cars and that none of the MDC MPs were going to accept the offer," an MP said. "Some MPs openly complained and said the decision was not fair and made it clear that they were prepared to break away from the party."

This prompted Tsvangirai to call for an emergency meeting on Thursday where he read the MPs the riot act.

"We were shocked when Tsvangirai said the party was going to stand by its position on the issue of cars and threatened to expel anyone who accepted the offer. Some MPs once again threatened to split from the party," another MP said. "The Prime Minister said he was going to call a national executive meeting and inform it that some MPs wanted to break away from the party because of the issue of cars as the party was going to stand by its position.”

MPs accuse the party leadership of double standards after its quota of ministers all accepted brand new Mercedes Benz vehicles, also distributed by the RBZ.

One MP told a newspaper: “What the leadership is doing is to protect their ministers while exploiting MPs so as to create an economic gap between them, which is widening by the day. (RBZ Governor Dr Gideon) Gono’s letter to us clearly spelt out people who have and should benefit from the scheme and at least seven ministers from our party have benefited from the RBZ while only two from Zanu PF benefited.”

The first batch of 50 vehicles issued out by the RBZ this week included 18 Isuzu KB300 trucks, five Isuzu KB250s, 10 Mazda 2500s, five Mazda BT50s, two Mitsubishi Colts, two Mitsubishi L200s, two Toyota Vigos, one Nissan HB and five Nissan Wolfs.

The MDC statement insisted: “We have not heard that Parliament is no longer handling this scheme to the extent that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe could once again become a central player in dishing out and distributing largesse when the Government is now agreed that the central bank should not engage in quasi-fiscal activities.”
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