'Zimbabwe governed by roving bandits'

OPPOSITION MDC Alliance vice-president Tendai Biti yesterday accused government of placing the country under siege, saying this had resulted in ordinary Zimbabweans living under very harsh economic conditions.

Biti said this during a virtual discussion programme hosted by Zimbabwe Live titled State of the Economy.

He said government was made up of "roving bandits".

The platform sought to discuss challenges faced by the Zimbabwean economy.

"There is a narrative that government is trying to sell out there, and it is that the economy is on a path to recovery," Biti said.

"This narrative collides violently with the reality on the ground. When (Finance minister) Mthuli Ncube and his bosses speak of growth, it has no relation to the ordinary people, it's academic and meaningless."

He added: "When they boast of surplus, it has no relationship whatsoever with the ordinary man and woman on the ground, who have been ravished and assaulted by the total mismanagement of the foreign
currency.

"It's a myth of recovery, more of a post-war economy that is characterised by a head of State and Cabinet that think and behaves like illegal gold panners. They think like dealers who are only interested in ways to quickly make money."

Biti said the country was suffering from a crisis of leaders which are extractive in nature.

"We can't move on with Zanu-PF, we can't move on with ED, Zanu has to go," he said.

Ncube has, of late, been preaching a narrative of surplus and that the country is moving on a positive economic trajectory despite that the country has been characterised by unending looting, corruption and high inflation rates.

Biti said the Zimbabwean masses should converge for change despite their many backgrounds as the bottom line is that Zimbabweans were suffering.

He said Zimbabwe's natural resources had been looted as well as over US$89 million in COVID-19 funds.