Minister Biti exposed!

FINANCE Minister Mr Tendai Biti was on last week exposed for trying to "steal the show" and "act up" as if he and his party alone are behind the $40 million cash injection for Bulawayo's distressed companies when in actual fact the money was allocated by government after Cabinet approval.

Mr Biti belongs to the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by Prime Minister Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.

Officially launching the Distressed and Marginalized Industries Fund (DIMAF) which is aimed at reviving declining industry with a special bias towards Matabeleland region, Mr Biti deliberately did not mention that the money was gotten after being sought after by Industry and Commerce Minister Professor Welshman Ncube who leads the other MDC formation.

Minister Ncube was not at the event because he was on national duty attending the COMESA meeting in Malawi.

However, Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Minister who was present at the event did not allow Mr Biti to get "away with murder" and openly corrected and reminded that it was through Prof Ncube's efforts that the distressed firm's case was brought into cabinet and that an allocation was made.

Minister Nyoni said:

"It is unfair for Minister Biti not to mention that we are happy today because of Professor Ncube.

"It is unfortunate that he (Prof Ncube) is not here when we are launching this fund because he worked hard to make sure that this issue has attention of the Cabinet and to make sure there was an allocation," she said much to the embarrassment of Mr Biti.

Exposed, Mr Biti then tried to make amends to his error and said:

"Minister Ncube did not attend this launch because he is attending a  COMESA meeting. He had sent an apology and seconded his deputy (Cde Chakanaka Mimha) but the deputy did not come because of flight problems," said Mr Biti.

However Mr Biti's explanation aroused more anger from the plenary as a woman who introduced herself as an upcoming entrepreneur in the city accused his (Mr Biti's) delegation for deliberately leaving Cde Bimha in Harare.

"Why did you not come with him, since this is a government issue and not your party's business? isn't you said you chattered a plane to come here, did he not fit, was there no space?" she said.

Contacted for comment on the matter, MDC's national spokesperson Nhlanhla Bahlangene Dube said his party celebrates that Minister Nyoni acted professionally and candidly.

"We celebrate the professional and candid reaction by Minister Nyoni to Biti's grandstanding and boring dram piece. We believe as a nation if we bury political differences and act in such a fashion, there is a tomorrow for us and coming generations.

"Also, we would like to educate Mr Biti on simple issues like courtesy and learning the difference between party and government business. When he is a minister he is not an MDC-T minister, he is a minister for the Government of Zimbabwe," said Mr Dube.

Also present at the launch was Bulawayo Governor and resident Minister, Cde Cain Mathema, State Enterprises and Parastatals minister Mr Godern Moyo, Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of Committees, Cde Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Zanu PF Politburo member Cde Sikhanyiso Ndlovu , city lawyers and members of the business community.

This is not the first time Mr Biti has been exposed for confusing government and party business.

Recently South African Communist (SACP) party chairman, who is also the secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC) Cde Gwede Mantashe, said Mr Biti must stop going around telling his party members and the world that he and his party have met the ANC when he as a government minister of finance has met his South African counterpart – Pravin Godwin.

Cde Mantashe said Mr Biti was a "confused and arrogant" minister who does not know the difference between a political party and a ministry.