Like in the Tesco advert, “Every little helps”. But wait till you read this!

“Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) has just got delivery of fifty full bus kits worth US$1 million purchased from China”.
The bus kits which include engines, gear boxes and rear axels would be fitted on the old DAF bus shells littered in ZUPCO’s workshops.

Do you remember this is the same ZUPCO, which at one time had buses in every part of the country? So how did it come to this? What destroyed the company?

ZUPCO bought 15 bus engines, whilst the remainder (35) were bought by the government to alleviate transport problems facing the people of Zimbabwe.

Dr Ignatius Chombo, Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing told the Sunday Mail that negotiations between ZUPCO and Kimberly, a Chinese private company were at an advanced stage. The Chinese company will underwrite a US$18 million loan to procure 300 buses.

So, what is 50 buses in a country faced with such serious transport problems? A drop in the ocean and even our dear minister acknowledged.

So, why is it important to receive the bus kits this time? Could it be the same old trick? The government showing that it cares for the urban people, especially as the elections are just a few days away. The same people who have been living without water, without electricity. The same people who have raw sewage flowing in the streets.

Is this the same China which gave us those ‘Zhing Zhong’ buses? The ones which were struggling to get over the road humps in Glen View.

“You can fool people sometime, but you can’t fool people all the time” Your opinion is welcome, feel free to leave you comment.

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