'MDC-T dug its own grave,' says Mugabe

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday said MDC-T dug its own grave after it came up with policies that created suffering among people by denying them agricultural inputs and did not improve their lives.

He castigated MDC-T for failing to discern that their defeat was inevitable saying despite having educated people in their midst, they failed to come up with people-centred policies.

President Mugabe said this yesterday while addressing guests during a luncheon hosted by the ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

Zimbabwe, said President Mugabe, secured $500 million from the International Monetary Fund but former Finance Minister Tendai Biti failed to revive industry so that the firms could ward off the effects of illegal sanctions imposed by the Americans and their Western allies.

"Surely they should have known even three years ago that with policies that deny people inputs in agriculture, you are denying even the sustenance of companies and there is greater unemployment growing all the time," said President Mugabe.

"We thought it was going to be injected into industry and sustain them so that they are more resilient and resistant to sanctions.

"If you have policies that are negative against your people, well, you are building up resounding punishment. The people are punitive in their own way."

He said Mr Biti could not even agree to fund the Grain Marketing Board to enable it to pay farmers for grain delivered.

President Mugabe said he sympathised with urban people who bore the brunt of facing several financial obligations like rentals, utility bills yet they were earning low salaries.