The USD10 million worth of luxury cars splurged by the convicted money launderer Wicknell Chivayo if disposed of, could purchase solar farms worth of panels to power all hospitals and clinics in the country so they have non stop voltage without intermission.
Hundreds of millions of Dollars More
Willowvale Motors could not meet demand for brand new vehicles in Zimbabwe in 1988. Because of the shortage, one needed to prove special urgency circumstances to jump the long waiting queue in order to buy a car.
Some Ministers started writing letters requesting Willowvale Motors to give special preference to some individual buyers or companies who were after new vehicles, mainly Mazda and Toyotas, topping the Toyota list being the Cressida.
A total 120 cars were sold to individuals this way and 103 of them were resold to desperate companies like Triangle Sugar Estates at 4 times the market price. This summarizes the infamous 1988/89 Willowgate Scandal.
4 Cabinet Miniisters resigned in shame, and the 5th committed suicide.
This was after President Robert Mugabe set an Independent Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Wilson Sandura to investigate the scandal.
This by far was the greatest corruption scandal of the first decade of independent Zimbabwe.
The Commission concluded there were evident integrity and ethics failures, but did not find the writing of letters by the involved Ministers constituting criminal offending.
President Robert Mugabe visited the White House at the time of the scandal and on return said the Amerucans were asking him where the actual crime was in the whole scandal.
Fredrick Shava at Foreign Affairs today, or is it now Higher zeducation, was one of the 5 shamed Ministers. He is back today of course.
Now compare this to Wicknell Chivayo ‘s $100 million ZEC looting scandal, compare that to the Chivayo Solar Energy ZESA scandal, compare it to the $120 million Drax scandal, compare it to the $100 million per month gold smuggling scandal, compare it to the $104 million Belarus Zupco scandal, compare it to the ongoing selling of Tongaat Hullets, compare it to the looting of chrome, coal, granite today, compare it to the $88 million goat scandal involving Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, the list goes on.
Willowgate happened when we still had a conscience to resign in shame and to kill ourselves over writing a mere letter to a friend so they can jump the purchasing queue.
Compare the Sandura Comission to ZACC today. It’s like the Archangel Gabriel compared to the Great Satan, writes Herald Columnist Reason Wafawarova.
$10 million car money could buy 33,000 solar panels.
With an investment of $10 million, a solar power plant with a capacity ranging from approximately 3 to 10 megawatts (MW), depending on various factors such as location, technology, and specific project costs, could be established.
A 10MW solar plant could meet the energy needs of a manufacturing industry like Sable Chemicals in Kwekwe, significantly reducing reliance on expensive and often unreliable electricity imports or fossil fuels. Such a facility would enable consistent production, lower operational costs, and improve energy independence, which is critical for industries like fertilizer production.
The decision to spend $10.5 million on luxury vehicles must therefore be critically evaluated against its opportunity cost to the nation. That same investment could have funded renewable energy infrastructure to power local manufacturing, reducing the need to import 100 tonnes of fertilizer. This would not only save foreign currency but also enhance local production, generate employment, and boost downstream industries that depend on a reliable supply of fertilizers for agricultural productivity. The lost opportunity represents a setback to both national economic growth and industrial self-sufficiency.
Cost Estimates for Solar Power Plants:
• Per Megawatt Cost: The cost of installing a 1 MW solar power plant typically ranges from $1 million to $3 million. 
• Total Capacity with $10 Million Investment:
• Lower Estimate: At $3 million per MW, a $10 million investment could fund approximately 3.33 MW of capacity.
• Upper Estimate: At $1 million per MW, the same investment could support up to 10 MW of capacity.
Potential Power Generation:
• Average Energy Generation: A well-installed 1 MW solar power plant can generate an average of 4,200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day, translating to about 126,000 kWh monthly and 1.5 million kWh annually, depending on weather conditions and location.
• Total Annual Generation for 10 MW Plant:
Comparison with Expenditures on Luxury Cars:
The $10 million spent on luxury cars could have been alternatively invested in a solar power plant with a capacity between 3.33 MW and 10 MW.
Environmental and Economic Benefits:
• Renewable Energy Contribution: Investing in solar power contributes to sustainable energy infrastructure, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Long-Term Savings: While the initial investment in solar power is substantial, it leads to long-term savings on energy costs and potential revenue from selling excess power back to the grid.
The $10 million expenditure on luxury vehicles represents a significant opportunity cost. Redirecting such funds towards renewable energy projects like solar power plants could have provided substantial power generation capacity, contributing to both economic and environmental benefits.
To calculate how many solar panels could be purchased with $10 million, we need to consider the cost per solar panel. The price of a solar panel varies based on size, type, and quality, but for a rough estimate:
• The average cost of a single residential solar panel is approximately $200 to $300.
• Commercial solar panels or larger panels may cost $400 to $600 each.
Let’s calculate the number of solar panels based on these price ranges.
Calculation:
1. Using the average cost of $300 per panel:
2. Using the higher cost of $600 per panel (commercial grade):
Result:
With $10 million, one could purchase between 16,667 and 33,333 solar panels, depending on the quality and size of the panels. ( contributors- Reason Wafawarova; Wilbert Mukori)