Dear Minister Chinamasa,
The Herald of April 23, 2014 quoted you as having said you have misgivings about Zimbabweans importing second-hand vehicles, which you described as junk. I am one of those Zimbabweans who drive junk and here is why.
I cannot afford the brand new top-of-the-range that some people drive. The public transport system in the country is not what it used to be-it is unreliable. I therefore had to save my hard-earned cash to buy the junk I drive today. In 1993 and 1994 the ZUPCO buses were affordable and reliable. I paid 60 cents if I was in school uniform. I knew that between 6am and 7am the buses would come 15 minutes apart. Between 7am and 8 am they would be 30 minutes apart and so on. So I could plan my day accordingly.
All this has changed. There is hardly any ZUPCO bus to talk about and the kombis are a nightmare. If they are not driving on the left of the yellow line or overtaking unnecessarily they are running away from the police.
I am not even sure if NRZ still exists, or if it does, what form or shape it has taken. During my time at University of Zimbabwe (UZ) we used the train between Harare and Bulawayo because it was reliable and affordable, just like the ZUPCO was. Now ZUPCO and NRZ are history that I tell to my children. And I wonder if at times they do not think I am stretching the truth just a bit. The public transport system in this country once worked like a dream and kombis struggled to find customers. Now we have to rely on kombis, whose drivers appear not to know the first thing about taking care of human life. I guess they think we are like tomatoes or onions; just commodities. And despite the police always looking like they are waging a war against them, there is no benefit to the passengers. We have to endure loud, rude music in these kombis. For women like me it becomes very uncomfortable listening to music that denigrates us.
So, you see Minister Chinamasa, I bought the junk I drive in order to try and deal with these issues. At some point I remember hearing that the Government would resuscitate ZUPCO but I did not hold my breath. I am sure if the public transport system was reliable and affordable as it was when I grew up, buying a car would not have been a priority for me. But all the discomfort I endured forced me to save money to purchase my junk. And it serves the purpose dear Minister. It has taken me from Harare to Bulawayo, Victoria Falls & South Africa and back without any hassle.
I am sorry dear Minister Chinamasa that I (along with other Zimbabweans) drive junk. I have no choice. I cannot afford brand new cars that cost a fortune. I simply cannot afford the Jeeps or Mercedes Benz that I have seen ministers driving. The junk is a sign that something is wrong in the economy- we are net importers. We do not manufacture our won vehicles as far as I know. I stand corrected. I am sorry that my junk is adding to the traffic jam in the country. And I hear some saying the junk also causes accidents.
Ironically, the roads are in such a state of disrepair and do a lot of damage to my junk. I have seen some men patch the potholes, which re-appear after a few days, especially in the rainy season. What happened to actually re-surfacing the roads? So I think it is fair that the Government apologise for the poor roads, which are seriously affecting my junk. By the way, second-hand purchases are not limited to vehicles. I buy used clothes at a fraction of the price all over the country because I cannot afford new clothes. I am planning a trip to Avondale or Borrowdale Flea Market so I can buy a warm winter coat seeing as this winter promises to be very cold. I will then take it to the dry cleaner and it will look like it was never worn before. I suspect Government can address this situation through some sort of policy. And I do not mean banning them.
Come to think of it, perhaps you should join me Minister in a kombi trip one of these days and then you see what Zimbabweans have to go through everyday?
The informal sector has been thriving in Zimbabwe for a couple of years now. It has literally replaced the formal sector. And the Government has been in existence all this time. What has it done about it? Oh, by the way, I hear Government is trying to formalise the sector so it can contribute to the economy (read pay tax). Any plans to assist these hard working women and men who are trying to make an honest living?
I sign off: Patriotic Zimbabwean
PS Maybe some day things will change and I will no longer have to drive junk. Until then, I will continue driving my junk on junk roads. Unless of course if there is someone out there who is kind enough to donate a brand new vehicle!
The Herald of April 23, 2014 quoted you as having said you have misgivings about Zimbabweans importing second-hand vehicles, which you described as junk. I am one of those Zimbabweans who drive junk and here is why.
I cannot afford the brand new top-of-the-range that some people drive. The public transport system in the country is not what it used to be-it is unreliable. I therefore had to save my hard-earned cash to buy the junk I drive today. In 1993 and 1994 the ZUPCO buses were affordable and reliable. I paid 60 cents if I was in school uniform. I knew that between 6am and 7am the buses would come 15 minutes apart. Between 7am and 8 am they would be 30 minutes apart and so on. So I could plan my day accordingly.
All this has changed. There is hardly any ZUPCO bus to talk about and the kombis are a nightmare. If they are not driving on the left of the yellow line or overtaking unnecessarily they are running away from the police.
I am not even sure if NRZ still exists, or if it does, what form or shape it has taken. During my time at University of Zimbabwe (UZ) we used the train between Harare and Bulawayo because it was reliable and affordable, just like the ZUPCO was. Now ZUPCO and NRZ are history that I tell to my children. And I wonder if at times they do not think I am stretching the truth just a bit. The public transport system in this country once worked like a dream and kombis struggled to find customers. Now we have to rely on kombis, whose drivers appear not to know the first thing about taking care of human life. I guess they think we are like tomatoes or onions; just commodities. And despite the police always looking like they are waging a war against them, there is no benefit to the passengers. We have to endure loud, rude music in these kombis. For women like me it becomes very uncomfortable listening to music that denigrates us.
So, you see Minister Chinamasa, I bought the junk I drive in order to try and deal with these issues. At some point I remember hearing that the Government would resuscitate ZUPCO but I did not hold my breath. I am sure if the public transport system was reliable and affordable as it was when I grew up, buying a car would not have been a priority for me. But all the discomfort I endured forced me to save money to purchase my junk. And it serves the purpose dear Minister. It has taken me from Harare to Bulawayo, Victoria Falls & South Africa and back without any hassle.
I am sorry dear Minister Chinamasa that I (along with other Zimbabweans) drive junk. I have no choice. I cannot afford brand new cars that cost a fortune. I simply cannot afford the Jeeps or Mercedes Benz that I have seen ministers driving. The junk is a sign that something is wrong in the economy- we are net importers. We do not manufacture our won vehicles as far as I know. I stand corrected. I am sorry that my junk is adding to the traffic jam in the country. And I hear some saying the junk also causes accidents.
Ironically, the roads are in such a state of disrepair and do a lot of damage to my junk. I have seen some men patch the potholes, which re-appear after a few days, especially in the rainy season. What happened to actually re-surfacing the roads? So I think it is fair that the Government apologise for the poor roads, which are seriously affecting my junk. By the way, second-hand purchases are not limited to vehicles. I buy used clothes at a fraction of the price all over the country because I cannot afford new clothes. I am planning a trip to Avondale or Borrowdale Flea Market so I can buy a warm winter coat seeing as this winter promises to be very cold. I will then take it to the dry cleaner and it will look like it was never worn before. I suspect Government can address this situation through some sort of policy. And I do not mean banning them.
Come to think of it, perhaps you should join me Minister in a kombi trip one of these days and then you see what Zimbabweans have to go through everyday?
The informal sector has been thriving in Zimbabwe for a couple of years now. It has literally replaced the formal sector. And the Government has been in existence all this time. What has it done about it? Oh, by the way, I hear Government is trying to formalise the sector so it can contribute to the economy (read pay tax). Any plans to assist these hard working women and men who are trying to make an honest living?
I sign off: Patriotic Zimbabwean
PS Maybe some day things will change and I will no longer have to drive junk. Until then, I will continue driving my junk on junk roads. Unless of course if there is someone out there who is kind enough to donate a brand new vehicle!