New vehicle for Byo mayor
THE Bulawayo City Council has bought another topof-the-range vehicle for the Mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo, barely three months after handing him a pricey Mercedes Benz GLE 250 valued at $118 000.
The move was allegedly done without the knowledge of councillors and the car — a Chevrolet Trail Blazer — was initially meant to be delivered before the Mercedes Benz, with management claiming it was bought while awaiting Government approval to purchase Clr Moyo’s vehicle.
Matters, however, came to boiling point last Wednesday after management requested council to pass a motion to have the car temporarily used by the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube while he awaits delivery of his own council purchased vehicle.
According to a council confidential report the Chevrolet Trail Blazer was purchased before Cabinet approval was sought but was only delivered after the arrival of the Mercedes Benz GLE 250.
The minutes read that while council had made a resolution for the town clerk and all heads of department to have vehicles acquired for use on council and private business the town clerk would only get his in September hence the move to convert the new mayoral vehicle so that it be used by Mr Dube.
“In the meantime a new mayoral vehicle, a Chevrolet Trail Blazer that had been provisionally bought while awaiting Government authority to buy the mayoral Mercedes Benz was delivered a few days back. The Chevrolet Trail Blazer came after the mayor had taken delivery of the mayoral Mercedes Benz which his worship the mayor was now using for his official duties.
“Management at its meeting held on 11 April 2017 had resolved to make a proposal to the members of the committee that the Chevrolet Trail Blazer be temporarily offered to the town clerk to use while awaiting the delivery of his own vehicle in September,” read part of the minutes.
Online searches revealed that a Chevrolet Trail Blazer’s cost hover in the mid to above $50 000 locally.
“The Trailblazer is available in the 2,5l 4×2 manual pegged at US$47 995, 2,8l 4×2 automatic at US$53 995, 2,8l 4×4 manual at US$57 995 as well as the 2,8l 4×4 automatic transmission at US$59 777 while the 3,6l V6 4×4 automatic, at US$59 995 is available as per request. Except for the 3,6l V6 all the versions are diesel.
Working with a cost of $50 000 for the Chevrolet, it would mean the local authority, combined with the Mercedes Benz GLE 250 which cost $118 000, would have spent a total of $168 000 just on the mayor. Ironically according to the latest council report the local authority has been forced to decommission seven of its refuse compactors owing to various defects. Currently only 10 compactors are functioning.
In 2010, the local authority raised the ire of residents after they splashed $65 000 towards the purchase of a luxurious Dodge Chrysler for its former Mayor, Mr Thaba Moyo at the expense of service delivery. The local authority is also on a war path taking residents to court for failure to settle their water bills.