Charumbira defends Govt's decision to buy vehicles worth $6 million for chiefs

Speaking at the ongoing chiefs’ conference in Bulawayo, Chiefs Council president, Fortune Charumbira praised government’s decision to buy 226 Isuzu double twin cab vehicles for chiefs, saying they were a God-given right befitting their status.

Said Charumbira:

We should not complain about chiefs’ vehicles even if each vehicle were to cost $400 000. The yearly budget of the Queen of England is much higher than the budget of our entire chiefs annually. We have not heard anyone complaining about this anomaly. So we should respect the chiefs. This is our God-given heritage, so buy us our vehicles happily. Chiefs’ spouses were being harassed when they board public transport and therefore they need the vehicles to protect their wives from abuses and mixing them with the ordinary citizens. Our wives are now treated as girlfriends because they board public transport.

An Isuzu double twin cab listed in South Africa’s Isuzu website costs R365,600 (US$25,670). Observers say if the vehicles were purchased via the website, they cost Zimbabwe $5,801.420.

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