via Gono has nation at heart: Biti – DailyNews Live 30 NOVEMBER 2013
Former Finance minister, Tendai Biti has heaped praise on Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono, describing him as a man with Zimbabwe at heart.
Speaking in an interview with a local radio station this week, the ex-finance minister described his former subordinate as a patriotic man who served Zimbabwe well.
“Gono has the nation at heart although some people wanted to use him and they indeed used him and just dumped him like that,” Biti said without giving details.
“We first had challenges, but eventually we had a very good working relationship. He (Gono) had the nation at heart,” Biti stated.
Gono’s term as Central Bank boss is coming to an end today after serving for 10 years.
He was appointed as Central Bank chief in 2003 at the height of economic downfall but is credited for standing the heat and saving the economy through his “failure is not an option” approach.
Biti and Gono worked together during the lifespan of the inclusive government which was made up of three political parties.
Biti, who is also secretary-general of the opposition MDC, said before their relationship became cordial, it was characterised by suspicion and untrustworthiness, but they eventually found each other.
COMMENTS
Gono to give Biti a farm in Beatrice. Why, when and how did Biti know and realised that? Why did he not say that around Aug 15, 2013? Ndizvo zvinonzi vafa vanaka here izvi?
Typical of mdc t mentality. Easily fooled, naive and unprincipled. Gono destroyed this country by deliberately fuelling inflation through reckles printing of money. Consider how he encouraged BURNING cheating and robbing the majority. See how he single handedly destroyed our insurance policies and bank savings and biti foolishly tells us that gono had a love for this country? Honestly, whats wrong with these mdc t people? A bunch of idiots and sellouts
ALL POLITICIANS ARE THE SAME
Biti is right.
Now you are lost Biti
Vakazoba vose palater.
MDC Biti has no brain as Gono destroyed Zimbabwe as the whole will totally destroy MDC.Wait and see what advice does a failer give besides destruction.
PPLE GET REAL DON’T BE PRE-OCCUPIED WITH POLITICS LIKE THAT. WELL SAID BITI
we know about gono we were here in 2008
This still doesn’t beat Biti on Mugabe, July 2012: “We, the younger generation, are lucky to have gone through his hands.”
J Moyo, once a vitriolic critic of ZANU PF, is now its chief propagandist. I suspect that having identified Biti’s talents, ZANU eventually opted to try to seduce him to join the cause, after those earlier efforts to scare him. This may even explain why he was allowed to win. Evil does not always wear horns; sometimes it is sweet and seductive.
i agree with biti
Biti is a dead loss
One day we woke up to see all our account balances wiped out:- is that nation @ heart? MDC plse wake up
TENDAI, YOU NOT SERIOUS! MDC T , PLEASE THINK B4 YOU ISSUE PRESS STATEMENTS, THEY COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY!
Biti shut up. I am here in South Africa because Gono et al destroyed my savings and pension. Who shall compensate the poor Zim folks. I wish Zhanda could be revived to straighten or correct Biti.
Such is the leadership in Zimbabwe. Mediocre leadership from Biti. You are left not sure of what to believe. I remember him showering praise to Mugabe’s leadership but next it was Mugabe is useless. Biti once pleaded with the West to remove the sanctions saying “why should zimbabwe fail to pay for its power when we have the best mankind resource Diamonds” yet MDC says there are no sanctions. If the schooled secretary general shows this kind of mediocrity what about the less schooled party president?
Gentleman lets be objective,Mr Biti is very correct,we should give credit when and where it is due.Gono is objective and had blocked all efforts by zanupf to indiginise the financial sector:the reason why the economy is standing today.yes Gono did the foolish and unthinkable things then,but lets forgive and forget and focus on development,constructive criticism so that we move the nation forward! I thank you
OMG!!!!! what a foolish statement,Gono was the private banker of Mugabe and zanu. He was looking after the interests of them( and himself)all along.We need to do a wealth audit of this man.
Proof positive that the MDC is finished.They sing the praises of the devil after these fools murdered, raped and cheated their way into power.Modzore spent years behind bars under mugabe and gono’s rule, he is the determined, selfless, patriotic type of individual to lead Zimbabwe and its people through the 4th Chimurengwa!!
Move out of the way Tsvangirai, Biti etc and let the courageous youth take the reins!
Let’s not forget that the role of governor can be very political in countries like Zim.People in Zim know very well that when you are given instructions to do something by those in power you do so unless you want to spend the rest of your life on exile or under torture. Some of the decisions he made were beyond the principles of economics but political. Can’t blame but feel for him.
Some people claim that he was a good finance minister but they forget that the job is mostly done by civil servants,so in my opinion he was a good listener as a trained lawyer. ZANU PF does not need him since they have their experienced lawyers like P Chinamasa and company who will listen to their civil servants economists to come out with a new budget.Its surprising that a few months ago he was busy criticising G Gono in public whilst behind the scenes he was actually getting advice from him.This is what I call double standards and evil.These young MDC leaders have no clue on how to conduct meaningful politics.This is why they want to silence voices which want new leadership in the party.In all fairness Mr Gono made millions of Zimbabweans very poor indeed.We are still trying to come out of it with many difficulties.I suggest that you Mr.Biti to shut up and reserve your misguided praises to yourself .
Gono destroyed the Zim economy, no matter how one might want to whitewash his performance.!! Inflation in the billions%, Zim$ in trillions. Result, pensions wiped out, savings wiped out, unemployment 90%, etc. He personally destroyed peoples’ lives where they had worked for 40 or 50 years and overnight, all brought down to nothing. What sovereignity was he serving?
I would rather not say much about about Biti because i dont know how they worked together during the Gnu tenure but i have no kind words for Gono i lost money because of him if he has nation at heart why is he joining zanu pf Much as i like Biti i think he has to be careful about showering praise on zanu individuals Its like Mai mujuru she does not go shouting and lashing at Tsvangirai like Mugabe does but she is zanu her colours are zanu she will never be mdc same as Gono he is zanu period.
“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Ceasar”- Brutas. Doesn’t the same apply to Gono, the man who presided over a central bank that holds the world record of failure. No amount of praise shall erase the damage that Gono did to the Zimbabwe economy from the history books. Today the nation will rejoice
Your foolish statement does not mean you are stupid Biti, i suppose. How does Gono explain our lose in all our financial savings including you Tendai. I suggest we brace for a latest political turncoat but ours is a struggle not monied opinions like the one Biti makes.
I will not forgive you till you retract your statement. But will forgive Moyo who after seeing no sense in Zanu pf exiled himself. Millions are poor because of Gono, he pushed other bankers out of the sector to protect CBZ. Your utterances are not representative of the MDC view of our unfortunate situation.
What is it that Biti Drinks sometimes? I wont have a drop of it It makes him brain dead. Gono, is there a more corrupt sucker than him? BITI kwana!!!
You have lost it Biti. Gono will surprise one of these days asking Zimbabweans to forgive him for destroying their lives / nation. Do you know Gono’s heart? He had the nation at heart. I doubt if he has the so called heart.
MDC does not need to change Tsvangirai only, everything has to be gotten rid off.Biti should go as well well.
Zimbabweans reign in the emotions. Biti speaks from a more informed position than all of us.His utterances do not imply Gono is a saint. “Let he without sin cast the first stone.”
Talking of stones, i think Biti is already covered by them.It is too late to ask anyone to cast the first stone.The correct statement should have been,”Gono has zanupf at heart.”
Gono if he was a professional as expected he should have refused to be used by whoever. However the heat he might have faced, he danced to the tune and then there was no sound monetary advised given to the executive and President in partcular. The interest, inflation, exchange rate and other facets of the monetary policy just had a free fall. Why when Gono was there as governor. He was not professional, he should have resigned or not be part of the whole circus. Can Gono honestly say that he did not fail Zimbabweans. The exhange rate and interest of Zimbabwe in 2003 was at 7% and the $1=+-$2.3 ZWD officially. But now 10years after Zimbabwe does not even have its own currency, What a legacy is Gono leaving. He must ashamed of himself.
Come on Biti. Seriously are you on weed?
By the way, Gono solely presided over another Murambatsvina that wiped us of our savings,fatherhood(For the first time in my working life ndakaita mwedzi mitatu ndichishanda everyday ndisingahori kana one rand zvayo.Shame on you Gono!)Apa kana ana mahobho veRBZ chaivo could afford houses in the surburbs.The list is endless.Christmas yakasvika in 2008 ndikatadza kutengera vana chingwa kana kuenda kumusha.Kudyira Kisimusi muchirungu pasina chokudya chacho futi pedzezvo Biti wandakavhotera worumbidza munhu wakadaro.Walumila! Dai wangorega aenda unyerere zvako nyangwe wanga wava nezhara yokubuda mubepa yakakura ikadaro.
Gono could have nation at heart fine, but he certainly had a funny way of showing it, such as using funds meant to help the needy by NPOs,retrenching workers without paying them their dues, starving workers for 3 years without pay. The list could be endless, most of the retrenches are dead without their monies why? people’s salaries being trapped in banks without compensation such was his definition of people at heart and on that note I categorically deny that he had people at heart and stop.
This world of insanity and stupidity,where people like Gono are thanked for becoming extremely rich while they destroy a countries economy,the environment and peoples lives.There is eventually no hope for humanity.
Aiwaka,kwakusekana kwaanakamba.Biti huminister hwakapera Gono rapera saka chokurwira hapana.
10Zimbabwean USD= 1USD!