By Correspondent
A Norton Councillor Tinashe Machemedze (ZANU PF) has set himself on a collision course with prominent Mnangagwa donor Farai Matsika after accusing Instant Tar of a shoddy job on a Norton road.
Matsika allegedly owns Instant Tar which was suspisciouly awarded the tender for Shonhiwa and Koshen Drive 5 years ago.
Machemedze, Cllr for Ward 7, has since written to the Ministry of Transport Permanent Secretary Engineer Joy Makumbe accusing the contractor of performing a poor job on Shonhiwa.
“I’m writing to bring to your attention a pressing issue in Ward 7, Norton Constituency, where a contractor has done substandard work on a recent road project that it commissioned barely 3 months ago.
“The contractor, Instant Tar (Pvt) Ltd, failed to complete the basic tasks, leaving the road with no proper markings, no humps, and already showing potholes.
“What’s worse, the detour road used during construction in Ward 7, which happens to be a ZANU (PF) stronghold, was left unrehabilitated.
Machemedze said this is unacceptable and raises concerns about accountability and transparency.
He has since outlined the manner for redress which he is seeking.
“I urge your ministry to investigate this matter urgently and take necessary actions, chief among them:
“Hold the contractor accountable for the shoddy work.
“Ensure the road is completed and rehabilitated to standard as a matter of urgency.
“Address the neglect of the detour road in Ward 7 as a matter of urgency.
Government’s ERP Project
Both Shonhiwa and Koshen Drive were adopted by Government under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Program (ERRP) nearly 5 years ago.
However, after removing the tar Government abandoned the projects and the roads remained dusty for years.
At the height of controversy over the roads Norton Town Council (NTC) expressed ignorance on how Instant Tar won the tender for the project.
In a statement it simply said the Ministry of Transport was responsible.
“Kindly note that Instant Tar has been awarded the contract to do rehabilitation of Shonhiwa Drive and Koshen Drive by the Ministry of Transport on behalf of NTC.
”Resumption of work by Instant Tar excited the Norton community.
Who Is Instant Tar
Instant Tar is a Zimbabwean owned company that is registered in South Africa.
It began operations in 2017 which is infamous as the coup year when President Mnangagwa grabbed power.
The Yumpu website states businessman Farai Matsika as the owner while Steve Tinarwo is listed as CEO.
Matsika also owns Faramatsi Motors which is into vehicle dealership.
As a businessman his track record has been mired with controversy most recently in a tussle for Croco Motors with his cousin Moses Chingwena.
Chain of Deceit
In one court ruling Justice Bhunu portrayed Matsika as a devious person prepared to twist the truth in order to advance his nefarious cause.
“In light of his deceitful character the learned judge a quo cannot be faulted for holding that the applicant’s cause was founded on lies and fraudulent documents.
The judge added that Matsika’s conduct in providing fraudulent evidence as demonstrated “elsewhere in this judgment could only aggravate matters to his detriment.”
“In view of the first applicant’s deplorable unbecoming behaviour in manufacturing fraudulent documents to deceive the court, costs at the punitive scale were eminently deserved in the court a quo.
”However the businessman through Instant Tar has been growing his company brand through convenient donations to the First Family.
In 2021 Instant Tar donated a 40-seater bus to President Mnangagwa’s ED-UNZA (University of Zambia) Scholarship Trust.
The donation, done together with Doves Holdings and Faramatsi Motors also provided funeral cover for all the students.
It was received at State by President Mnangagwa who said the bus would be used to ferry students.
In 2020, Instant Tar was part of another group that handed over a variety of donations to First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel Of Hope.
The donations were meant for her Chambuta Children’s Home in Chiredzi.
They included food, a satellite television set, toiletries, exercise books, kitchen utensils, curtains, lunch boxes, shoes and balls.
Such connections with the First Family have been synonymous with the Second Republic characterised by politically exposed business people.
