Would a Zimbabwean taxpayer really want to thank Dr Gono for his services to our economy by buying him a Merc?
So honour is satisfied and Dr Gideon Gono, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, is satisfied that he has put the record straight and proved himself entirely innocent of the charge of squandering the country’s limited foreign exchange reserves by purchasing for himself through the Reserve Bank one of the world’s top performing and most luxurious cars, a Mercedes Benz Brabus E V12 Biturbo, costing US$ 365,000. The facts are, as Dr Gono has now established, that the vehicle purchased for him by a Reserve Bank very grateful for his services, was a Mercedes Benz S600 V12 (with a 5,5 L 493 hp twin turbo engine and a top speed of 250 km/h). And it cost no more than US$ 138,000, plus Z$ 23 million for related importation expenses.
Moreover, not only has the much-maligned Dr Gono cleared himself of any suspicion of unfairly enriching himself at the expense of his fellow Zimbabweans in a time of certain financial belt-tightening. He has also shown that he is a man of true magnanimity by holding no grudges against The Standard which published the original story, and even persuading the Reserve Bank’s Board not to sue that newspaper. Truly the man is not only a paragon of virtue; he also has the forgiving nature of a saint. Zimbabweans can be truly proud of the man who has made such a fine job of running the country’s economy almost single-handedly for the last three years. Look around you and see for yourselves what he has achieved. Surely it is little wonder then that our revered leader has in mind even greater honours for such a man as this. (The rumours are that it is His Excellency’s wish that when he finally hands over responsibility for the day to day running of the Mugabe Family Estate, to assume the role of titular head of state, those responsibilities should devolve upon none other than Gideon Gono, under the style of Prime Minister)
So yes, Dr Gono has set the record straight and we are all deeply indebted to him for the time and trouble he has taken to do so. And surely the Z$ 34 million of taxpayers’ money and the many pages of advertisements, penned by the Governor himself and appearing in our English, Shona and Ndebele newspapers, were fully justified in order that we might all be so enlightened, and the slur on the Governor’s character be removed.
Of course it is not excessive for any public official of the stature of Dr Gono to purchase for himself at the taxpayer’s expense a vehicle costing US$ 138,000 - even if this is several hundred times the annual salary of Zimbabwe’s doctors - isn’t Dr Gono worth it, I ask. And never mind the dismal chorus of unpatriotic citizens who now claim that the majority of Zimbabweans are living below the poverty datum line. Indeed some of Zimbabwe’s enemies - aided by the scare-mongering U.S. Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) - are now putting out the story that the country does not have the foreign exchange needed to pay to import even a fraction of the maize required to feed the nation. But I have no doubt that our illustrious Governor would have informed the nation in good time if this was the case, and even made a few personal sacrifices as an example to us all.
No, I say a man of Dr Gono’s stature whom our revered leader has already tipped for even higher service to the nation, is entitled to a few perks. It seems entirely appropriate that he should have a taste of the lifestyle reserved for Zimbabwe’s most patriotic (ZANU PF) citizens.
In conclusion I have to say there is just one matter on which I am a little unclear. Dr Gono referred to the apology and retraction published by The Standard for their infamy. I have scanned the pages of that newspaper and cannot find any such explicit apology - only a report (published on 21 January) of what Dr Gono said about the matter, set alongside the paper’s original allegations. I do hope The Standard is not trying to undermine the authority of the Governor by any subtle insinuation.
February 17th, 2007 19:58
Yes please, I want to be among the first to congratulate the learned Mr Gono on his aquisition. I am sure all loyal Zimbabweans will joining me in wishing him and his new toy well.
After all I have heard that he need a tractor on his newly siezed farm..this Mercedes S600 is just what he needs for a spot of ploughing in comfort.