Ministry of Youth risks being dragged to court over undelivered vehicles, US$9m loan

Following the request by Zimbabwean Youth GenZ for release of information pertaining the 10 undelivered vehicles and US$ 9 million loan, The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) has ordered the Ministry of Youth to release the information.

The Zimbabwe Youth GenZ had approached the ZMC with the complaint, and in a directive to the Ministry, ZMC said the complaint may approach the High Court if no action is taken.

“We have through @ZLHRLawyers written to the Zimbabwe Media Commission after the Ministry of Youth refused to give us the information on the 10 undelivered motor vehicles and a US$9 million loan given to Mutoko Fruits And Veggies,” they said.

Youths Minister, Tinomuda Machakaire recently denied responsibility over 17 cars that were bought two years ago but were never delivered.

In the latest report by acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga, the then Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is reported to have purchased 17 vehicles from a local dealership and only seven of them were delivered.

Out of the seven, four vehicles are registered under the ministry while three were not, thereby raising eyebrows and fears of corruption in the ministry.

Machakaire was the deputy minister to Kirsty Coventry before Ministry of Youth was configured into a stand-alone entity following last year’s elections in a new Cabinet set up.

Machakaire, who is a close ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, now heads the under fire ministry.

The Cabinet minister said he does not take responsibility of the vehicle scandal.

“I became minister of the newly established Ministry of Youth in September 2023.

“It is outrightly malicious to allege misappropriation of assets on my part in 2022 when the ministry was non existent.

“The attempt to besmirch my name and character is ill founded and preposterous,” said Machakaire in a post on social media.

Kujinga said the misappropriation of assets in the ministry is hindering service delivery.

“I noted that out of the seventeen (17) Nissan Navara pick-up trucks purchased on December 31, 2022 at a cost of ZWL$393 171 724 from AMTEC Motors, only seven (7) of them were delivered in 2023.

“The balance of ten (10) were not delivered at the time of concluding the audit May 23, 2024. In addition, out of those seven (7) vehicles delivered, four (4) of them were yet to be registered in the name of the Ministry.

“Failure to enforce delivery of the vehicles will compromise service delivery by the ministry and possible loss of monies paid. Without registering the motor vehicles, the ministry cannot prove ownership,” read the report.

Zwnews