via Biti attacks ailing Mugabe, warns of coup JANUARY 24, 2014 NehandaRadio
MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti, on Thursday launched a blistering attack on President Robert Mugabe (89) warning that his age, failing health and the attendant economic crisis risked creating conditions for a coup.
Biti was addressing a panel discussion on the Zanu PF government’s new ZimAsset economic blueprint held at a Harare hotel.
“We are paralysed by a crisis of leadership; that you can have the chief executive officer of the country at 90. I know that there has been debate about the president’s health but in my respectful submission, being 90 is illness on its own,” Biti said to much laughter in the packed hotel.
“This is a government that is founded on vicious circles of exclusion, slogans of hatred, slogans of attrition personified in the head of state.
“The man goes to the United Nations, the man goes, ‘shame, shame, shame, shame, shame’. You go to the Heroes’ Acre, when you read the speech, you just wonder who has been the target of this speech.”
“You have got a new minister of finance. Everyone is under attack, John Robertson, even poor Makandiwa, bankers and so forth. The biggest problem with Zanu PF is that they don’t understand money and the economy. They are functionally illiterate. They think that money grows on trees,” Biti said.
“People just believe in spending, spending, spending. It’s like a broiler chicken. The broiler just eats. It doesn’t know why it’s eating. It eats itself to death. It’s consumption for the sake of consumption. It’s oblivious of where the food is coming from. It just eats 24 hours a day. So they have got a broiler chicken syndrome, they are oblivious kuti mari inobva kupi.”
“Those of you who have studied coups on the African continent you will find one common thing that is evident in those coups. Number one, there would be no leadership. It doesn’t mean there is no head of State at the state palace.
“He would be there but he is dead. He can’t offer directions to the economic problems that are affecting the country. He is indifferent. It’s almost like he is living in another country and reading about our problems on Facebook. If you have that, you have got a challenge. We have that in Zimbabwe.
“Number two – coups will occur where there is exclusion, where particular people, person, tribes or whatever feel that democratic processes are no longer working and tirikudzvinyirirwa so we have no choice but to resort to undemocratic processes.
“Thirdly where coups occur, the economy is not functioning. So we have the ingredients of serious social dislocation in this country.”
COMMENTS
You are right Biti. Age 90 is illness on its own. The man doses off at every meeting dragging the rest of his team into a deep slumber with him – even the younger ones.
I think that it has become apparent that because of his age he can no longer keep track of the going on’s in his party. Some have noticed this and are using it for personal gain. The people around him will manipulate the situation to suit themselves. Tendai is correct this is a recipe for a lot of undesirable things to happen. Sadec sits back and watches……
They have been using it for personal gain since 1980.
If you create your own criminals and tomorrowthey feed on you there is no one to blame. Any form of sympathy will exonerate Bob from his sins. This is exactly what he want, to die in power. He has looted enough and his grand gran gran grand children will not finish the riches.
Haaaaaa Biti! Ndapererwa ini
Come on gallant cde Biti. Taura zvako iwe. You are very true. A car without or with a slumbering driver is sure to crash. Mugabe is like a moving copse
He is an embarresment to the world, I think they should make an age restriction to all these summits he goes to….no body in the world will ever invest in zim while ZANUPF ARE IN POWER.
Why wasn’t there a clause in the new constitution that no presidential candidate can be allowed when he is over 70?
I understand that during the outreach people raised this issue but Zanu PF said it was targeted at Mugabe.
Now we have a non-functional president who has health challenges like anybody else of his age.
Just imagine a 90 year old CEO at ZESA or Old Mutual. Would that be acceptable? No. So why then have a 90 year old “CEO” at State House who has a history of failure and his last success was as a teacher in 1960 and since then has never worked in a results oriented job.
CANT COPE WITH A COUP!
Mr Biti is quite right a coup or civil strife between the ZANU factions is definately on the cards. SADC sits around smiling and congratulating itself for its support of the “legitimate” party. I wonder what will be their reaction when the refugees and blood starts flowing!
Yah man, at 90, the whole body is full of aches and cramps, including the brain!
The man himself said it at Bridget’s funeral “I don’t know why I’m still alive” meaning that he is no longer grateful but only wondering “why” he is still alive.
Beware the gate keepers in all partys
TILL WHEN???
Till when will Zimbabweans sit back and blame others for their lot? We know it’s a recipe for disaster. But we blame SADC, and Zanu PF, and Robber Garbage Mug-a-bee, Dis-Grace and his ailing age? At what point do we accept that we’ve given the country to lunatic geriatrics and we need to do something about it? Till when do we stand by and watch, expecting a miracle from Zanu PF? At what point do we decide to stand up for our children’s future? At what point do we decide to take action? At what point will we be moved enough by our plight that we demand our rights to a decent living?
ZANU PF has told each other not to care.They really don’t care.In South Africa, the greatest economy in Africa, the CEO of a R20 billion turnover company is paid US 50000 monthly, a qourter of loss making PSMAS of Zimbabwe.And learned people are there , seeing it? Its high time we know this: Zimbabweans are not educated morally, Zimbabeans are not educated beyond their fear, Zimbabweans are not educated beyond their greediness.
ZANU PF does not care.Period.
Bravo Zimbabweans! Spot on! You always know how to describe your problems in detail… From causes to solutions… So why have you thrown away two decades of your lives to this morass? Too educated to take to the streets? To scared to take to the streets and fight for your children’s future? What… You’ll just tell your kids stories of what could have been and the Zanu PF grinch stole it from us!! Nice story but what will you say when asked what YOU did to stop the grinch? Where were you? Shouting from the terraces? Face it… Zanu PF respects neither the people nor the laws of Zimbabwe. Till when do we stand in the terraces and complain!
History shows one reason why a nation gets into such a mess. it is called sin! And as a Christian nation we are too blind to see it.
Very soon mugabe will need bum cleaning at 89 it’s not far fetched . Incontinence is close
Ukrainian are doing what mugabelanders scared to do. Even the war vets have since 1972 been the biggest cowardly cowards!!!!!!!!! Rhodies army knew that fact!!!!!!!!
People retire at 65years.when you are 90 years old when are you going to retire? At that age you are probably need someone to change your diaper.its sad to see a man who is supposed to be a hero work himself until death do him apart.
I disagree with Biti, ‘aka Mr $217’, who always speaks seBete rawira muBiti rehwahwa. Some pointers:
1. Age can never be an illness- Biti was fully involved when the current constitution was written and passed at the referendum. It has no age restriction- just like all other Afrocentric rules of governance- the king dies in office. In any case Biti is some 40 years younger than RGM, if I take his logic further then- today’s teens who are 40 years younger than Biti should consider him to be ill as well. In ‘their respectful submission being 50 is illness on its own’- right?
2. Leadership – There is no crisis of leadership in Zim, but maybe in Biti’s party which is stuck on the 2013 elections where they were given a political boody nose – vakaoneswa chitsvuku. We have a govt and a leadership whatever their abilities or lack thereof- that is what Zimbos want- till the next election. Zvemakuuu zvaave kutaura- ndiwo anonzi mawet dreams- they produce no offspring or pregnancy, whatever the volume of seed one splashes on oneself.
3. ZPF’s Language- There is nothing wrong with telling the truth to one’s adversary whatever the forum. Anyway I do not see any smooth talk from Biti himself, but coarse and disrepectful verbiage- saka it is same fanana!. I am waiting to hear him speak about anything that is positive about Zim- besides what he sees in the mirror!!
4. Spending/eating like Broilers: Money is made for spending- ndobasa rayo. Why kufa nenyota makumbo ari mumvura! Anyway Biti left out the effect of sanctions.
5. The Negatives: I fully expect the govt to deal with the obscene salaries of CEOs at state institutions. I applaud the govt for publicising it- diagnosis is half the cure. It should also move on to put in place statutory measures to prevent a recurrence of such salaries which are unrelated to corporate performance.
6. Conclusion:
Biti’s talk can be likened to someone chopping a tree branch they are standing on, forgetting that when if falls they may be the first to be fatally affected. Let all true Zimbos seek solutions for the betterment of the nation over the next 4 years, and let’s remember that the 2018 elections are one way of charting a better course if it comes to that.
Ndebvu Mukomichi, you are dishonest about the whole issue. All you are doing is supporting your party Zanu PF.
Biti is 100% correct.
hezvo ko zvauri benzi nhai Ndebvu…? ”Afrocentric rules of governance” in a republic? You seem rather clueless to the goings on within the country, zanu’s proven track record of how not to run a country and the basic understanding of economics.
Trite rubbish, complete nonsense. You are a fool of monumental proportions. Expecting ZANU PF to deal with the corruption it fosters and thhrives on is like waiting for the sun to rise in the west.
I do not see the Correctness- political or otherwise??
1. Correct to encourage military insurrection- how does he know that he will survive to install his party in power after the dust has settled, or is he prepared to pay the ultimate prize like our liberators?
2. Correct to scold elders like RGM just becoz he Biti/Mr $217, is no longer in cabinet following July 2013. When did he come alive the illness of age?
3. Correct that lawyers are not good ministers of finance?
Correct that sanctions are no longer an issue now that he is not in govt?
My apologies but I am struggling to see where he is correct!!!
Ndebvu Mukomichi
Ooh, a child less than 10 yrs old telling a 40-yr old person that his/her age is illness in itself! Zvakaoma.
If munhu asingazive, haazive kuti haazive. So, do not worry much about dofo irori rinoti zvakashata roti iro zviri bhoo. Ndiko kusaka richinonga zvaraswa nevamwe richidya.
Mwari should open up his eyes. All we need is improvement in all spheres of our economy, not degeneration
I doubt Biti’s sincerity on some issues. The state is trying to recover some looted money by Gono and the official records show that you are his trusted defender. Corrupt as our courts are, common sense tells me that it is a foregone conclusion that you will win the case hence in one of your contributions you wrote “a lawyer who wins a case has bribed the courts”. Advance defense.
During the delay of the announcement of the March 2008 election results, of which some people were saying the results were sent Zimsec, it was the most conducive environment for the army to stage a coup. Timid or professional as they are, that was never to be. Mugabe observed this and in the event a army takeover occurs, it would be nothing but a stage-managed incident to cow the opposition into political submision. Zanu would be still wielding the power. The reason the majority will agree with you is that you articled what they already feared because they are politically wise due to circumstances they were brought under, the political and economic hegemony by zanu.
Yes Mugabe is sick, turning 90 years is a curse not a milestone to a man no longer so much loved.
My appeal, stop defending Gono, we will believe you wish the state some sense of financial recovery.
Epilogue:
1. Divergent views are expected and encouraged on a forum like this one, but there is no need to scold anyone or call them names. It never changes the views or attitude of the target- tackling issues enables meaningful engagement.
2. It appears that Mr $217/Biti’s views are completely opposite to those of Tsvangison his boss- otherwise how does one reconcile Tsvangison’s call to dialogue with Biti’s disparaging statements about ZPF and its leaders. Are these the rumblings of factionalism, or is it the coup he was referring to? – Time will tell! Are all these warnings about exclusion directed at Biti’s own party and leadership? Is it still academics versus trade unionists?
We will find out soon enough – Walls have ears!!
So EVERYBODY , whats new ? You are all dumb sheep just repeating what everybody knows for the last 30 years and you are still stirring the same pot of manure hoping that if you stir it a bit more that it will become sadza and nyama . Hope is all one has when all faith is lost . DO something . Destabilise your rat infested parliament and infrastructure . What do you have to lose ? Thats what Bob your uncle did when there was everything to lose and here you weaklings sit and moan like an unpaid whore . The diffs now is that it cannot get worse since you have nothing to lose , absolutely nothing , because all that once was is gone .
Please die old friend
Ndebvu Mukomichi sounds to be staying out of Mugabe Zone where he is enjoying all the comfort. If you are talking to someone who is paying attention to what you are saying there is no need to shout. But if talk to some who pretend to be deaf and carefree, then shouting is the best. Mugabe understands insults more than anything because he is good at nothing. He has failed in every aspect. Anything he touches dries up. God cursed him and prolonged his life to see the rewards of his sins. he is always angry because he is always a defeated person. He is good at tricking people and Zimbabweans have completely lost hope in what he stands for. He a total failure and let him loot for last time for he shall be buried sooner or later. Biti is only saying the truth because just like any responsible Zimbabwean, he strives for good governance and economic development of our country. Look at how pathetic is Chinamasa, who goes around begging for money across the world yet Mugabe and his cronies are hoarding the country’s wealth. Ndebvu Mukomichi, wherever you are, rich or poor, Mugabe created a false world for you which will soon come to an end. You need to remove blinkers and start seeing the truth, I pray you should not be the next president of Zimbabwe because you may kill those struggling and oppressed innocent people. Think, Think beyond your party ZANU PF.
Showering Mugabe with all praises will NEVER stop him from dying
The economic sanctions against Zimbabwe are the course of the dilemma at least partialy.With all due respect Mr Mugabe is no angel but putting the blame solely on his shoulders is not correct either The day will come when president Mugabe will be remembered as the man who stood against the colonizes.
Biti, there wont be a coup in Zimbabwe. Even if Bob becomes severely sick or dies. There will be elections and the winner will rule. My advise is kasira kubvisa Tsvangirai uyo so that people vakasire kujaira kuti party yava kunzi MDC-B. That way you will have positioned yourself for the presidency. Imbotrya zvinogona kutoita ukatopinda. Dont hope for a coup. It wont happen. Mark my words.