Dube |
The National Aids Council (NAC) sold cars to its executives
for $1 each in October last year, and is now paying the beneficiaries $2 000
per month each, for using the same vehicles, since NAC has not yet replaced the
vehicles.
This has sparked outrage from stakeholders, who now accuse
the managers of profiteering.
Information gathered by The Herald indicates that the six
Toyota Fortuners were each sold to the directors last year at the book value of
$1 each after exceeding the stipulated mileage of 200 000km, in line with the
conditions of service of the directors on personal issue vehicles.
The six directors then started receiving at least $2 000
each per month from October to date for using the vehicles for work, raising
the ire of stakeholders who say the
organisation has several pool cars, which they could have opted for.
The six vehicles were sold together with 10 other Mazda B25
double cab vehicles which were being used by Provincial Aids Coordinators
(PACs), which were also disposed of at book value.
Tellingly, the PACs were not given an option to rehire the
same vehicles, instead they are using provincial pool cars.
However, NAC communications director Ms Madelina Dube
dismissed allegations that the organisation was hiring executives’ vehicles
arguing that what they were paying, was an allowance for use of one’s personal
vehicle.
“The Board noted that they had a contractual obligation to
provide vehicles to the affected employees and resolved to pay an allowance
instead of hiring vehicles from CMED at very high rates,” said Ms Dube.
She said NAC last bought vehicles from the Aids Levy in
2011, and the current fleet available was composed of project vehicles from
partners.
“Project vehicles come with conditions from the donors and
should only be used for project related activities. The Board could therefore
not sanction the use of project vehicles for use by staff as condition of
service vehicles,” said Ms Dube.
She said further to that, the vehicles in question were
procured in 2011 and on average they had a mileage of 400 000 km.
“It is once again important to highlight that the Council
has no fleet of cars that can be allocated to non-project activities,” said Ms
Dube.
Asked why the facility was only availed to the executives
at head office, Ms Dube said “different employees have different conditions of
service”.
“It therefore follows that when decisions are made about
issues within the Council, each level of employ gets what they are entitled to
according to their contract of employment,” she said.
She also said the NAC vehicle policy was derived from the
public service vehicle policy as well as international accounting standards on
depreciation of assets.
The NAC vehicle policy states that cars should be disposed
of after five years and 200 000 km. Personal issue vehicles are offered to the
driver at book value according to the depreciation policy at the prescribed
time of disposal.
Although NAC said all its pool cars were donor funded,
which could not be used by the directors as they wait for their personal issue
vehicles to be procured, sources close to the happenings claimed that the same
directors use these same cars, when their vehicles go for routine maintenance.
“It is a lie that they cannot use poll vehicles. It is a
known fact that when their own cars are not available, they use pool cars. If
they have nothing to hide, why are they lying?” said a source who refused to be
named.
In January, Government launched an investigation into the
operations of NAC over allegations of sexual harassment, corporate sleaze and
maladministration.
The probe coincided with the departure of NAC chief
executive officer Dr Tapiwa Magure after a 14-year tenure. Herald
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