Biti and Mangoma double standards

Dear Editor

Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma were ministers in the Government of National Unity which ran the affairs of the country until the July 31 national elections. As cabinet ministers they were both issued with Toyota Prados for official travel in the country, and Mercs for town travel.

At the end of their terms, they were entitled to buy the vehicles if they wanted them for personal use after leaving government, and they did buy the vehicles. In addition, they also took advantage of the parliamentarians vehicle scheme under which VIPs, including parliamentarians, get loans from Government to buy vehicles without paying an form of tax.

The parliamentarians vehicle scheme, in my opinion, is grossly abused, and contribute to the country’s financial woes as parliamentarians use it to get vehicles at low price which they will sell to family members and friends, sometimes at a higher price to make a profit.

However, corrupt as the practice appears in my eyes, you can’t blame the parliamentarians who want to take advantage of the scheme because it is permissible under the official government arrangement, but because the two used officials government vehicles as ministers, one questions why they had to want to benefit from the parliamentarians vehicles scheme as well when the vehicles are meant for parliamentarians who are said to be unable to buy vehicles to use for doing parliamentary business in their constituencies.

Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai could not occupy the official residence built specifically for Heads of States and Government as President Mugabe is said to have said he had some personal property which was difficult to move to pave way for the then Prime Minister Tsvangirai.

Arrangements were made for Tsvangirai to occupy a different house at Government expense, a house in which he still lives to date. Just like Biti and Mangoma who walked out of government with their prados, mercs and vehicles obtained under the parliamentarians’ vehicle scheme, the former Prime Minister was equally entitled to buy the house he was occupying as Prime Minister if he wanted it.

Tsvangirai has explained that he is waiting for the Government to evaluate the house, after which he can assess whether he can afford to buy the house or not given the going price. Instead of calling Tsvangirai to step down because he is still living in a government house, Biti and

Mangoma are better off pushing the Government department which is responsible for valuing the house to put a price tag, taking into account depreciation since the house was renovated. At that point Tsvangirai will make up his mind and buy the house if he can afford to, or leave the property.

Questions can be asked how Tsvangirai can afford the amount to buy the house whose current value is unknown, but that is for Tsvangirai to answer when the time comes. What I know is that Tsvangirai wrote a book which has sold. While I am not sure exactly how much the book fetched, the copies sold certainly did not go for a song.

Tsvangirai has won some awards with a monetary value, which could add to his personal savings. Tsvangirai also owns a property in Strathaven, which he can dispose of to raise money to buy the Highlands property which Biti and Mangoma are frantically trying to use in their campaign against him.

Some of Tsvangirai’s children are working and can chip in. Besides, he is likely to have some personal friends who can advance him if he is interested in the property but falls short of the amount required.

If Tsvangirai buys the property, the money he will pay will go a small way to add to our struggling Government’s coffers, and what is bad about that.

Biti and Mangoma have argued that Tsvangirai will be compromised if he buys the property, but never explained how they are not compromised after buying the vehicles they used, and the vehicles Biti has been privileged to get since 2000 under the parliamentarians’ vehicle scheme.

Biti and Mangoma must stop mudslinging and focus on the real bread and butter issues confronting Zimbabweans, especially given that they know very well how exiting government officials are given priority to buy the property they used while in office.

Kennedy Kaitano, Mutare