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Uproar as council buys accident-damaged cars

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Marondera Municipality allegedly lost about $60 000 when it bought two accident-damaged NP300 Nissan trucks disguised as brand new cars from a Harare-based automobile dealer.

Marondera Municipality allegedly lost about $60 000 when it bought two accident-damaged NP300 Nissan trucks disguised as brand new cars from a Harare-based automobile dealer.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

The vehicles are currently parked at the council workshop as the local authority seeks to recover its money.

In a letter dated December 13, 2018 addressed to council’s finance director, the local authority’s chief mechanic Never Aliki confirmed that the two vehicles were accident damaged and not new as they had been made to believe.

“Faults and effects on vehicle number one include: rear leans left side not aligned, bonnet one side not aligned, worn-out fan belt, headlamps fixed with prime bond, spare wheel not new, seats without plastics,” the letter reads.

Marondera mayor Chengetai Murowa confirmed that the local authority was duped by the supplier and had since engaged its lawyers to recover the money as well as getting new vehicles.

“It is true that the supplier delivered two used vehicles, thereby breaching the agreement of supplying brand new vehicles. We told council that we need brand new vehicles and have since engaged the lawyers to deal with the issue. We were shocked to receive such cars in bad shape,” he said.

“Meanwhile, we have engaged AMC to supply the remaining five brand new vehicles.”

The cash-strapped council last year resolved to purchase seven new vehicles for its directors at a cost of $200 000. Efforts to get a comment from town clerk Josiah Musuwo and chamber secretary Rinashe Nyamuzihwa were fruitless yesterday.