Opinion / Columnist
Biti urges people to unite for change
15 Aug 2016 at 16:29hrs | Views
The current social and economic challenges in the country where the Zanu-PF government has failed to pay civil servants are an indication that the government has failed and the people of Zimbabwe should call for immediate change, the People's Democratic Change (PDP) President, Tendai Biti has said.
President Biti said this at the weekend while addressing party supporters at a rally in Budiriro, Harare.
"The country is in a crisis. During the inclusive government when as ministers we worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people, Zanu-PF officials thought it was easy," he said.
"But only three years after the 2013 elections, they have failed. Where they were supposed to create two million jobs, they have destroyed two million jobs and this shows that Zanu-PF can't govern this economy," President Biti said citing the massive closures of industries in Bulawayo and other parts of the country.
"Right now, industries are being turned into churches. In Bulawayo people are praying in factories as companies have closed because of Zanu-PF. At least 91% of the people are unemployed and spend their time as vendors selling tomatoes, bananas and airtime cards. Girls as young as 16 years are being forced into prostitution because of just one man – Robert Mugabe," President Biti said.
He said the Zanu-PF government had showed that it is clueless as for the first time since 1890; it has failed to pay the civil servants their monthly salaries.
"Civil servants now have to read newspapers to see when they are going to be paid. When I was the Finance Minister, I knew when to pay soldiers on the 11th of each month, teachers on the 19th, war veterans and pensioners on the 29th and bonus in November but Zanu-PF is failing to do that," said President Biti.
"We are being led by a very old person. 92 years is not a joke. We cannot allow that. That is why we are asking for one thing only and that is change," he said.
"Even in the Bible it is written that God created man in His own image and on the seventh day He rested. That man was Adam. But you don't see Adam in the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelations and that is not a mistake.
"But in Zimbabwe, for 36 years there is only Robert Mugabe throughout. It is completely unacceptable. It is against the law of nature because the laws of nature demand change and Mugabe is defying the laws of nature," said President Biti.
He also urged the people to resist any attempts by Mugabe to create a family dynasty.
"Our simple message to Robert Mugabe is please go now. This country does not belong to the Mugabe dynasty. Don't think that your wife (Grace) will rule this country. Don't think that your children will rule this country. Tajamuka," he said.
President Biti also condemned the use of violence following the attack of PDP members by Zanu-PF hooligans on Friday in Budiririo.
The PDP members were holding a car rally ahead of the weekend rally when they were attacked.
"Only a party without ideas resorts to violence. Only a clueless person resorts to violence. We say to Zanu-PF, violence will not work yesterday. It will not work today and it will not work tomorrow. Politics is not about violence but is now about ideas.
"But in Zimbabwe we have a problem with Zanu-PF, which only thinks that the solution to any problem is violence. As I speak some war veterans are being attacked because they issued a statement against Mugabe. A few days ago, Victor Matemadanda's farm was invaded simply because he had disagreed with Mugabe," President Biti said.
Another Zimbabwe is Possible!!!
Source - PDP
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