Times Of Swaziland: E29M SADC SUMMIT MOTOR BIKES, CARS LYING IDLE

E29M SADC SUMMIT MOTOR BIKES, CARS LYING IDLE
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BY KWAZI MASUKU on 10/09/2017 07:40:00


MBABANE – Having bought 14 luxurious BMW 740i sedans and 80 motorbikes, which
cost the taxpayer about E29 million and used for two days, they will now lie
idle.
These cars and motorbikes were specifically bought to be utilised during the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit held last year. The summit
was hosted by the country because the chairman was His Majesty the King, who has
since handed over the chairmanship to South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.
As the King has relinquished his position as the SADC chairman, government is
undecided what do with the cars. The Times SUNDAY established that the cost of
the motorbikes was over E8 million and they were bought from a Matsapha-based
company, that trades as Extreme Trading.
They are branded Honda NC 750X, procured through tender No. 69 of 2016/17. The
motorcycles were procured to be used by police officers who provided security
during the 36th Ordinary Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Summit of
Heads of State and Governments.
They are presently parked at the Matsapha Police College. Yassin Morris, the
owner of the company that supplied the bikes, confirmed that they were in the
custody of government. The hosting of the SADC summit by the country also forced
the country, through government, to purchase 14 luxurious BMW 740i sedans at a
cost of over E21 million.
These sedans are also parked, while government contemplates whether to sell them
or keep them for future use.