Nick Mangwana Defends Luxury Cars For Zimbabwe Army Chiefs
A senior government official has defended giving luxury cars to army commanders. He said the vehicles are a legitimate part of their package and reflect their professional and social status.
The statement comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa handed over 102 vehicles to senior military officers on 29 September 2025. The handover was part of a larger programme to procure more than 700 vehicles for the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF).
Mangwana Stands His Ground
Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, posted on X on 1 October 2025. He insisted the cars were standard employment benefits.
Mangwana wrote:
“In the Zimbabwean context, a ‘condition of service’ vehicle (or employer-provided vehicle) is a vehicle supplied by the employer to an employee as part of their employment package. It is a formal part of one’s compensation. To view providing such as having skewed priorities is getting it wrong.”
He added that commanders were entitled to dignity.
“One can’t argue for dignified incomes for public workers and yet disapproves the right of commanders to travel in decent vehicles reflecting their responsibilities and professional and social statuses.”
Public Outcry Over “Skewed Priorities”
The defence from Mangwana fuelled anger. Citizens highlighted shortages in hospitals, schools, and public services.
@Mau3Livingstone said:
“Ambulances Ambulances Nick. We have a huge deficit.”
@Dinha197983 asked:
“And you buy 10 ambulances for the whole country wakakwana here?” (Is it enough?)
Workers’ pay was also raised. @octopus_neutral wrote:
“Vamwe vachitambira US$300 (about R5,700) per month, no salary increase for 2 years no nothing. You people are sadistic.”
@ngozho added:
“Saka US$200 (about R3,800) civil servants pay iribho chaizvo as condition of service benefit.” (So the US$200 pay is really a condition of service benefit.)
@zealousthierry summed up frustration:
“Nothing screams skewed priorities like defending luxury cars for commanders as a ‘professional necessity,’ while public workers who actually sustain the country struggle to survive. Zimbabweans deserve more than a justification for elite perks. The country is not a war Nick.”
Widespread Condemnation And Mockery
Many mocked the idea of vehicles reflecting “social status.”
@CdeJoni said:
“Reflecting their social statuses kudiiko…ko isu vanhu kasi atina basa here? #StopIt” (What do you mean reflecting their social status… so are we the people useless?)
Others questioned the timing. @nhepera81 wrote:
“Asi nanhasi muchakamirirawo service vehicle yenyu kubva mutange basa… ko mauto anozooihwa izvezvi pavakatanga basa havana kupihwa here sei vazopihwa nhasi uno?” (So from today are you going to wait for your service vehicle from when you start work? Why are the army members being given these now when they started work long ago?)
Infrastructure failures were also raised. @KZabeka said:
“Magetsi hakuna, raw sewage its a daily life thing. Zvipatara mishonga hakuna nunotii nazvo.” (There is no electricity, raw sewage is a daily life thing. Hospitals have no medicines, no one is talking about it.)
@MthuliDubs echoed:
“The employer is broke. Hospitals have no medicines. Majority is unemployed. Those who are employed earn peanuts. The roads are in a sorry state… so yes, Skewed priorities.”
Some, like @Mudau258435, viewed the move as political:
“This is done for political expediency. The idea is to neutralize ZDF as the biggest actor in Zim polotics.”
This view matched ZimLive reports from 29 September, where analysts described the handover as “coup-proofing” amid party tensions.
At the event, Mnangagwa said:
“The vehicles I’m commissioning today are under the first phase of a comprehensive programme that will see the government procuring vehicles, inclusive of buses, towards enhancing mobility across the rank and file of the ZDF.”
Presidency spokesman George Charamba confirmed the scale of the programme.
“It is the first ever time that ZDF has received such a consignment within a short-time bracket.”
The government has not disclosed the cost of the 700-vehicle programme.
The debate continues, dividing official justifications from public anger over national priorities.
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The post Commanders Need Decent Vehicle Reflecting Their Status: Nick Mangwana Defends Luxury Cars For Zimbabwe Army Chiefs appeared first on iHarare News.
