via Biti’s ‘Eat what you kill’ cliche vindicated – DailyNews Live by Conrad Nyamutata 22 JANUARY 2014
When Tendai Biti was minister of Finance in the coalition government, he became the pantomime villain of Zanu PF, accused of withholding funds in order to sabotage the party’s programmes.
President Mugabe would condemn his Finance minister in public as people realised the folly of ascribing “unity” to a government that was anything but united.
On the back of a plethora of pledges, Mugabe and his party won the subsequent election, albeit in controversial circumstances.
Biti and his party have since retreated into opposition once more.
With election gimmicks now over, the Zanu PF government has now been faced with the brute realties of governance.
“Tongai tione” (Let’s see you govern), the MDC said resignedly after the electoral defeat.
It’s a remark laden with sarcasm whose basis is now clear for everyone to see.
Evidence presented to the portfolio committees in Parliament by official after official last week has vindicated Biti’s famous or infamous phrase — depending on one’s political inclination — that “you eat what you kill”.
Of course, Zanu PF detested this salutary symbolism regardless of the obvious truth it holds.
It is the tendency in our shabby politics that if you can’t contest truth, you direct the barrel at the person.
Patrick Chinamasa, a Zanu PF minister, has since taken over the Finance portfolio and presented a US$4,1 billion budget in December.
The post-budget evidence from ministry officials before portfolio committees last week validated Biti’s symbolism.
Francis Gudyanga, Mines permanent secretary, said his ministry was allocated only $8,6 million, most of which would go to salaries.
His ministry got $976 000 for its operations out of a requested US$28,79 million.
Next, the secretary for Agriculture Ringson Chitsiko. His ministry’s allocation of $155,2 million — way below the requested $490,5 million, he said.
“The agriculture sector has had its fair share of decline and what we are doing is to try and resuscitate it so that according to the expectation of ZimAsset and the public, we will be able to achieve that,” he said.
Albert Mandizha, GMB general manager, said they asked for $355 million to boost the strategic grain reserve only to receive $96 million.
Sam Malaba, the Agribank CEO, said out of a request of $50 million to recapitalise their operations, they got a paltry $4 million.
Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda) and the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) did not receive funding at all. It was like a symphony of misery.
The agricultural sector is vital to Zanu PF’s political economy.
Biti was accused of withholding support to “new farmers”.
However, Chinamasa couldn’t provide funds to support the sector either.
Will Mugabe now accuse Chinamasa of stifling Zanu PF programmes?
It is deja vu, only that the man in charge of finance is one of his own.
But the symphony did not end here. Enter, Sydney Mhishi, from the department of Social Services Sydney Mhishi with something more relevant to real or practical “eating.”
The money disbursed to his ministry was only enough to buy 2 600 metric tonnes of grain against a monthly requirement of 10 000 tonnes.
And quite concerning, thousands of children risk being denied education.
The $15 million allocated will only assist 83 000 go to school under BEAM against the targeted 250 000 vulnerable children, Mhishi told the portfolio committee.
It is all depressing.
We will recall that Mugabe raised the hopes of civil servants, promising that the Zanu PF government would increase salaries of the 230 000 workers.
Again he imputed Biti and the MDC were blocking his party’s benevolent intentions for the workers — only to offer the civil servants a measly $79 last week.
The simple truth Biti was conveying through his crude symbolism is that we are not generating enough revenue to sustain our needs as a country.
Evidence from Zanu PF itself has shown he was and is right. Zanu PF must now address the problems so that this nation can “eat” again.
COMMENTS
ZANU IS LIVING FAR BEYOND ITS MEANS. But our people are not complaining yet. There is a simple peaceful way to bring down this regime without demonstrating but we will let the opposition mull this one over.
Lilele kakhulu ma zimbabweans
great article but zanu pf are so thick skinned and wood headed that they will not apologise or even see how stupid they look. instead they will blame the white man (again) and just talk of the liberation struggle etc etc and now Zimbabweans are oppressed muzzled and starting to starve and become un-educated. Zanu pf are a terminal disease that’s cancerous to the nation. the figures and statistics show how Zim has gone to the dogs economically and socially.
Where is Murimi Wanhasi? We wait for your input oh stupid one! Do not tell us about the so called sanction, Ian Smith faced real sanctions and managed to leave Zimbabwe with a blossoming economy, solid infrastructure and a country to be proud off. Look at what ZANU PF has managed to achieve, destruction and promotion of corruption of mega proportion.
“We wait for your input oh stupid one!” Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. That’s so funny cos it’s so true!!!
Zanu is clueless and Zimbabweans are stupid. How do we allow this t happen to us and to our beautiful country
Biti was and is right, period. It is basic economics whose violation brought the financial meltdown of 2008 in the world. In Zimbabwe the challenges are numerous, however, stupidity of the population is not one of them. Zimbabweans are reeling under brutal oppression, how would anyone think of that as stupidity. It is not like we have a fair platform for us to engage politically or otherwise.
zim zim zim,remember it was named after ruins,the great zimbabwe.the want to reduce it to 1450.blv m
“Wood headed” seems an apt description if the intent is “extreme partisanship”… unwilling to judge circumstances without total bias. This is especially troubling because it voids truth as a factor. It replaces reality with rehtoric to define truth. Ego overrides essentials. Justification wins over justice, denials over destiny.
The trait of a real man is the ability to look at facts and say “I was wrong”, and the evidence of his maturing, growing to make better choices, is that he has to say it less and less. Those who support the current situation in Zim have not proven themselves to be men, but pawns. It appears they have an inability to think for themselves, to face facts, to accept responsibility.
No matter the party, real men will accept reality as truth, right the wrongs, defend the defenseless, and move forward. Are there any real men left..?
@Fallenz. You make very valid and compelling points.
For all of us to sit around as “keyboard warriors” is a disGRACE – pardon the pun.
Sooner or later we are going to have to topple him and accept we might be killed whilst doing it.
I have one very very simple question for all you comrades in Zimbabwe, for everyone of you who believed that savage Mugabe would be your savior in 1980… Where are you today? You may be free from white rule which I can assure you was far healthier for you all than it is today! But what is it about you people, that every single thing you touch, you destroy. I am curious ! Plus, man oh man, raping a donkey or dog as so many hundreds of you Zimbabweans do on a regular basis, having always read it in your papers…certainly leaves a lot to be desired. And you wonder why the white folk keep well clear of you all…. The answers or proof of what I have just said, lies in you economy…take a long hard look comrades T how you have all destroyed a once vibrant economy when the white folk had a stake in it…
I’m going to go ahead and call this one out as a fake person trying to incite racial hatred.
Do you mean a CIO? There are plenty on this site?
zonke lo muntu ena jigga lo donkey
Dave Wood your comment is absolutely disgusting. Thank our lucky stars you are out of this country. Where ever you are please stay there and dont come back. There is nothing worse than a whinging, whining white rhodesian, and that is coming from a white Zimbabwean. I was lucky to be born after 1980. Thank heavens that you and your useless pathetic generation of self righteous, arrogant, obnoxious cowards left. The only thing I agree with you and your kind is that you packed your bags, put your tail between your legs and ran away. That is about the only good decision you ever made.