HARARE – The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has announced that car dealers who failed to deliver vehicles to government departments despite receiving taxpayer funds will be summoned to appear before MPs after making excuses to avoid previous invitations.
According to the Auditor General’s report for 2022, several Harare-based car dealers failed to supply vehicles to government entities after being paid in advance. Notably, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) incurred a US$1.7 million loss in 2022 after purchasing 35 Toyota Hilux double-cab vehicles and 50 Toyota Corollas from Mike Harris, which were never delivered.
The four car dealers named in the Auditor General’s 2022 report—Solution Motors, Duly’s, Mike Harris, and Faramatsi—were scheduled to appear before the committee on Monday. However, none of the companies’ representatives attended the meeting.
Charlton Hwende, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, expressed frustration over the no-shows. “We have resolved that we are going to ask the Clerk of Parliament to issue summons in terms of the Standing Orders so that they can be forced to come here and answer,” he stated.
Solution Motors informed the committee that it would not appear because it had closed down. Another dealer notified the committee administration by telephone that officials would not attend the parliamentary session. Hwende criticized the dealers for their lack of seriousness. “As you can see, they don’t even take their obligations seriously, they don’t even take parliament seriously. How do you apologize over the phone over a serious matter like this one?” he remarked.
Hwende further condemned Solution Motors for using closure as an excuse. “Those from Solution Motors who claim to have closed shop must be summoned in their individual capacities,” he asserted.
The situation has raised broader concerns about the increasing number of suppliers failing to fulfill government contracts. The latest Auditor General’s report reveals that between 2020 and 2023, three buses, 60 vehicles, 167 laptops, and various office furniture paid for by the government had not been delivered by June 2024.
“These cases are increasing,” said Hwende, highlighting a troubling trend of non-compliance and financial mismanagement among suppliers.
The Public Accounts Committee’s move to summon the car dealers underscores the urgent need for accountability and transparency in government procurement processes.
Source: ZimLive
