Biti lying about GNU economic fortunes

For some time now there is a narrative that the economic fortunes scored during the tenure of the Inclusive Government was a result of of the "brilliance" or "prudence" of the then Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

Biti himself has also taken every opportunity to exult himself as the best Finance Minister, Zimbabwe has ever had since independence. This view has been left unchallenged for some time now.

The recently announced per capita income rise of 60 per cent has rattled Biti.

Biti a lawyer by profession took to twitter dismissing revelations by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the per capita income in the country had increased in the last eight months since he first assumed office from US$900 to US$1500.

Reacting to the President's statement in his jecha styled informed tweet Biti disputed the figures. He wrote: "Those who rig elections now jigged this figure to US$1500. It's one thing rigging an election, it's another rigging an economy."

But is Biti the best Finance Minister this country has ever had. The answer is a BIG NO.

He could be a good guy to some, but if truth be told, the economic growth recorded during the Inclusive Government is merely a demonstration of what a united ZANU PF is capable of delivering.

The 2008 harmonised elections left ZANU PF under siege. For the first time it felt it was losing grip on power and something had to be done.

What the 2008 harmonised elections did was to bring the warring ZANU PF factions together as one. The ZANU PF representatives in Government and Party for the first time found themselves having to work together thereby setting their differences aside.

The absence of factional feuding saw a number of projects led by the rationalisation of the diamond mining operations unfolding with great success and impact on the economy.

The success Biti claims was a benevolence of actions of a united ZANU PF, PERIOD.

Following the 2013 resounding victory, ZANU PF found itself resetting to the factional mode with the G40 leading its onslaught on perceived enemies starting with Gamatox and later Lacoste. During the period 2013 and 2018 no meaningful development was achieved because energy was invested into factional fights, not that Biti was no longer Finance Minister.

Fast-forward to the period after 17 November 2017.

Factions died and President Mnangagwa emerged as the only centre of power.

Tremendous growth has been recorded during this period in which there has not been any reports of company closures.

During the same period Zimbabwe has razed down to zero the maize import bill which even during Biti's time was hovering around the high of US$700 million owing to the successful implementation of Command Agriculture.

Similarly, the gold output which stood at 21 tonnes in 2017 is expected to reach 30 tonnes this year.

In the just ended tobacco marketing seasons, the golden leaf sales hit it's highest ever in the history of the country, surpassing the 2005 record and in the face of this stark reality there is no sane economist who would expect a stagnant income per capita.

In other words equity has in the last eight months grown significantly and Biti should accept that.