HARARE – Government has spent over $20 million buying top-of-the -range luxury vehicles for government ministers, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries and members of parliament.

This is despite, the fact that Minister of Finance Tendai Biti has repeatedly stated that the coalition government is broke.

The scandalous and reckless spending spree comes at a time when hospitals have no medicines, running water and electricity while civil servants awarded a paltry $31 increment each.

The money spent on vehicles is enough to drill 5 000 boreholes, a development which would go a long way in solving the persistent water shortages in the country and help fight waterborne diseases like cholera.

If government had avoided buying even one car, they would have drilled 40 boreholes in an area like Budiriro, which was the most affected by cholera in 2008, which killed more than 4 000 people.

Highly placed government sources told the Daily News on Sunday that a fleet of top-of-the-range V-8 Range Rovers, Land Rovers, Prados and Jeep Cherokees valued between $160 000 and $200 000 each were, acquired for government ministers and their deputies and permanent secretaries for the 38 ministries.

This effectively means that while the majority of the people are living in abject poverty, forced to scavenge for food, the ministers are living the lifestyles of sports superstars and Hollywood stars.

The 4×4 fancy vehicles for ministers come on top of the relatively new fleet of cars they already have, which includes Mercedes Benz vehicles. It’s confirmed that Zimbabwean ministers now have at least three luxurious cars each.

The money used to buy the luxury vehicles is also enough to feed 40 000 families for a month using calculations based on the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ)’s monthly breadbasket.

The latest CCZ figures show that a family of six requires $500 a month for basics.

Yet the inclusive government of President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara saw it fit to splash on new wheels for their already pampered ministers.

The executive is also plundering treasury of millions of dollars a week through worthless travels around the world. Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka on Friday could not justify the lavish lifestyles led by his ministers.

“Check with the ministers of finance and transport rather than involving the PM in these issues,’’ said Tamborinyoka. However, Tsvangirai said to have raised concerns with Biti over the acquisition of the top-of-the-range vehicles, which are top notch vehicles driven by wealthy starts like David Beckham, Tom Cruise, Christiano Ronaldo and a host of others.

Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba was unavailable for comment. However, it has been a norm for Mugabe to spend on his ministers ahead of more pressing national needs, before Tsvangirai’s entrance into government.

A cabinet minister told a source that they deserved the cars.

“Ministers are supposed to have at least two cars — one a sedan and the other a high clearance vehicle for travel to rural areas. People should not mistake this for plunder because the cars we have been using are getting old,” he said.

Sources also said a major car dealer with connections in government supplied three quarters of the posh vehicles although it not clear if the purchase went through tender.

Last month the government announced a series of proposed cuts on foreign travel, provision of aides to government officials and a job freeze in a raft of austerity measures. However, the decision by government to buy the luxury cars exposes its misplaced priorities.

Raymond Majongwe, the secretary-general of the Progressive Teachers Union said the education sector needed a lot of money to buy textbooks and building of classroom blocks and other materials needed in the teaching profession, and payments of the civil servants.

“This money would go a long way in helping our education sector,’’ said Majongwe whose colleagues have been on and off industrial actions clamoring for better pay.

Several government ministers are already driving the top-of-the- range vehicles bought by the treasury at the inception of the coalition government in 2008.

MPs and senators will also receive 4×4 twin cabs vehicles, each valued at $15 000. The treasury approved the purchase.

MPs from all political parties requested for new vehicles last month, arguing that their current cars are not good anymore and they have damages received during the constitutional outreach programme.

They also argued that the vehicles would also go a long way in compensating for the non-payment of their sitting allowances, which they have not received since the start of the Seventh session of parliament in August 2008.

The sources further told the Daily News on Sunday that Biti has already informed the MPs that their vehicles would soon be delivered, asking the MPs to contribute a top up amount of $2 000 towards the purchase the trucks procured at a cost of $17 000 each.

Contacted for comment, secretary for joint parliamentary welfare committee, Zanu PF MP for Mwenenzi East, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti confirmed that they were had made a request for the vehicles and government had agreed to purchase the vehicles for them.

“We agreed as parliamentarians to have new vehicles and we requested the executive to purchase vehicles and it was accepted by the treasury and we are still waiting for the vehicles,’’ said Bhasikiti.

Biti was not available for comment on the matter and on the purchase of the luxury vehicles as his phone was not reachable.

By Special correspondent