PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s Office has reportedly ordered the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) to hire hundreds of private luxury vehicles for use by invited VIP delegates at his daughter Bona’s wedding in Harare tomorrow.
BY SENIOR REPORTER
This came as the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) was also ordered to transport delegates from the countryside including students from the hotel school in Bulawayo who will work as caterers.
Some schools around the leafy Borrowdale suburb have been asked to provide space for the delegates.
A fleet of Zupco buses was last night seen dropping delegates at some of the schools ahead of the wedding.
Informed sources in government confirmed that the CMED had been tasked to hire top-of-the range vehicles for use by the dignitaries.
It could not be established whether the First Family was paying for the vehicles or the transport bill would be passed on to the State.
Presidential spokesman George Charamba yesterday said: “I am only a presidential spokesman and do not comment on family matters.”
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Charamba referred NewsDay to a Chikore family spokesperson, who curtly said: “We only give comments to The Herald which is the only media house accredited to cover the wedding.”
Bona will wed Sam Chikore whom she married at a traditional ceremony at Mugabe’s rural home in Zvimba, Mashonaland West province last December.
The wedding, like her parents’ held in 1996, is expected to attract several VIP dignitaries including heads of state and government from Sadc, Africa and the international community.
The official guests’ list was not available yesterday.
It was not clear by yesterday whether the wedding reception would be held at Mugabe’s private home in the leafy northern suburb of Borrowdale.
CMED managing director Davison Mhaka said he was only aware of the 10 vehicles his company had reserved for the First Family.
“We have set aside 10 vehicles from CMED for hiring out to the First Family. They will pay for that. The cars are from our Temporary Issue Fleet (TIF), but the family is still to confirm how many vehicles they want for the occasion,” Mhaka said.
He added: “If there are any people hiring other vehicles for use at the wedding and using CMED facilities for testing the cars, I am not aware.”
But insiders insisted that the government’s fleet manager had been tasked to organise transport for the multi-million-dollar wedding where Congolese Rhumba artiste Kofi Olomide will entertain guests at the reception.
Olomide travelled with Mugabe on his return from the Democratic Republic of Congo where he had gone to attend a Comesa regional summit on Wednesday night.
“CMED is hiring luxury vehicles from individuals and companies for exclusive use of VIPs during the wedding. We are looking at vehicles such as Mercedes Benz E Class ranges from E240 upwards, Range Rovers, Land Rover Discoveries, Jeep Cherokees and other top-of-the-range vehicles for about four days,” the sources said.
The sources added the vehicles were being inspected at the CMED headquarters in Harare.
“Individuals and companies are bringing their vehicles for inspection at our workshop and cars that pass the grade will be contracted. The cars will be used for a short period of about four days and the owners will have their vehicle back on Monday,” the sources added.
Government last year hired luxury vehicles for use by election observers during the July 31 general elections where it paid an average of $200 per day for some of the top-of-the-range vehicles.
Recently, Harare City Council reportedly splashed $1 million towards resurfacing roads leading to Mugabe’s private residence following directives by Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo.
Contacted for comment over the matter, Chombo distanced himself, claiming he was not aware of the wedding arrangements.
