Emmanuel Chitsika/ Ephraim Mtombeni CORA
Chiredzi Rural District Council is yet to receive a Toyota Fortuner vehicle it purchased for the Chief Executive Officer from Solution Motors, despite having fully paid for it last year, TellZim News has learnt.
The local authority may have fallen prey to the dubious vehicle supplying company Solution Motors, which made headlines in 2019 after failing to supply some vehicles to the Ministry of Agriculture Department of Irrigation after being paid.
The vehicle whose full payment by Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC) was done in November last year is yet to be delivered, a development that has prompted the council seek legal action against the supplier following a resolution made after several meetings by the council Finance committee.
Contacted for comment on the issue, Chiredzi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ailes Baloyi confirmed that council is having a challenge in getting Solution Motors to honor their promise by delivering the vehicle.
“The first challenge we had as council was awarding the tender to Solution Motors because we did not get the opportunity to offer the tender to other vehicle suppliers. We were given reference that this supplier can do the job of which now we are realising that the company is not sincere in its operations.
“The supplier told us that they could not be able to supply the Toyota Fortuner we ordered as they no longer have the manual version. Instead we opted for the automatic as the only alternative left for us but still they did not deliver it. We have since engaged our legal representatives as a way of resolving the matter,” said Baloyi.
Baloyi also said Chiredzi RDC is not the only local authority having issues with Solution Motors as Mwenezi RDC is reported to also have bought a vehicle which was never delivered.
“We also heard the case of Mwenezi RDC whose vehicle was never delivered despite having paid for fully,” added Baloyi.
Solution Motors is allegedly owned by one Patrick Siyamwaya who is on record for allegedly assisting government departments, companies and individuals trying to avoid restrictions by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) after the imposition of sanctions and travel restrictions on Zimbabwean leadership.
In 2017 the Ministry of Agriculture Department of Irrigation awarded two tenders to Solution Motors, one for the supply of five single cab Nissan NP300 and five Toyota Hilux double cab vehicles while the other had a single SLG roller, two excavators, two tippers and a water bowser which the supplier failed to supply citing shortage of foreign currency to make the purchases.
In Auditor General Mildred Chiri’s 2019 report, Solutions Motors was cited for its failure to deliver four vehicles worth over $200 000.
“There was no improvement on the issue of four (4) undelivered motor vehicles worth $207 540 by Solution Motors,” reads part of the report.
Another motor vehicle company, Cannon Motors was also cited by Chiri’s report for failing to deliver two vehicles to the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation since December 2017.
“I noted with concern non delivery of motor vehicles that were purchased by the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation. The Ministry purchased fourteen motor vehicles in December 2017 valued at $617 863 from Cannon Motors (Pvt) Ltd T/A AMC Nissan. However two Nissan NP 300 single cab motor vehicles were not delivered to the Ministry. Consequently, this has negatively impacted the Ministry in carrying out its mandate as there is a shortage of motor vehicles,” read Chiri’s report.
