I Will Use Money Saved For Ministers' Cars To Buy Ambulances- Mthuli Ncube

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said he will not purchase condition of service vehicles for all ministers, but will use the money to purchase a fleet of new ambulances for public health facilities.

Government has 21 Cabinet Ministers, 14 Deputy Ministers and nine Ministers of State. Cabinet Ministers were usually given an executive car and two off-road vehicles as part of their condition of service. Deputy Ministers were given an executive car and one off-roader. Ncube said this during a town hall meeting organised by Global Shapers Community Harare on Friday. Said Ncube:

By the way, our strategy for showing how we are using resources also shows in the way we are making savings. I have said to all the ministers, my colleagues and all the Members of Parliament, that we shouldn’t have these fancy cars. We have not authorised the purchase of a car for a minister in Zimbabwe. None! I have said to them, you know I need the money to buy ambulances, I need ambulances and that is what I am going to buy with the savings from the cars for the ministers; that is what I am going to do. So we are very serious about this austerity, about walking the talk, about meeting the people of Zimbabwe halfway, about using their 2 percent taxes properly. The 2 percent tax is not about paying to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, it’s about us giving back to the people what they contributed in the first place and covering the areas where we think we can create the right type of goods for everyone to benefit from.

More: Sunday Mail