via Brace for protest storm, Biti warns Mugabe – New Zimbabwe 09/11/2015
“Problems are not solved by the mind-set that created them,” said Biti.
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe should brace for massive protests beginning next year, stoked by people’s anger over his failed economic policies, opposition leader Tendai Biti has warned.
Biti issued the warning at the weekend while addressing supporters of his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at Murehwa Centre.
The former finance minister said Zimbabweans are tired of Mugabe’s failures which have brought the country to its knees.
“Next year, we are putting an end to this nonsense we will bring down the walls of Jericho,” said Biti.
“We should not admire and tolerate this Zanu PF madness; let us say no and use the people’s Constitution to free ourselves. Let us say no to insanity,” he said.
Biti said the constitution allows Zimbabweans to demonstrate against misrule, adding the provision should be used to force Mugabe out.
“In 2016, let us not tolerate Zanu PF’s nonsense,” he repeated.
“As the PDP, we do not believe in the use of violence and arms of war but let us use the country’s Constitution to say no to bad governance”.
Commenting on the country’s struggling industries, Biti said new ideas were needed to set the economy right.
“Problems are not solved by the mind-set that created them,” said Biti.
“Zimbabwe used to be a breadbasket of Africa producing over four million tonnes of maize in the rural areas alone.
“Now a communal farmer is now producing only 66kg per hectare as the Zanu PF government is not assisting farmers and we end up importing maize from Zambia.”
Mugabe’s continued stranglehold on power is contributing to economic decay because investors no longer trust his government.
Biti said the veteran Zanu PF leader should be ashamed to remain in power after “destroying” the country over the 35 years he has been at the helm.
“Robert Mugabe was recently in Tanzania witnessing the inauguration ceremony of that country’s fifth president, yet he is not even ashamed that such a succession process fails to take place in Zimbabwe,” said Biti.
He added: “Despite clinging on to power for the past 35 years, Mugabe doesn’t have any single signature of progress.
“The Harare-Nyamapanda highway remains in the same state as during the Smith regime when it was constructed.
“… and there are no new power stations in Hwange or elsewhere that were constructed after independence and that is why we no longer have electricity.”
“As PDP, we will also work with other political parties who believe in achieving a better life for all. We will create a coalition of cheetahs.
“As PDP, we were formed to bring change to the long suffering people of Zimbabwe.”
COMMENTS
Yup, it has to happen. No doubt ZPF will issue orders to open fire on innocent civilians, but eventually the citizens will win. Even the military and police must know by now that their days are numbered
Biti get over yourself. MDC had their chance to sort this out when they entered the GNU, but got their faces so far into the ZPF feeding trough that they lost all sense of priority. MDC have not staged one single successful protest since the bread riots of 1997 and simply don’t have the leadership or the balls to challenge ZPF. Zimbabwe needs a new, strong, energetic, democratic and most of all unified opposition and leadership to resolve Zimbabwe’s problems.
True at least tendai u said something this zanu madness is now too much to stomach
Why announce in advance? Either do…or prepare in silence. Especially in Zimbabwe… with Zimbabweans. Is The Final Push forgotten already?
But we would, on the other hand, sooner forget Biti’s words of 3 years ago about Mugabe, during the GNU; “He is a fountain of experience, knowledge and, most importantly, a fountain of stability. . . . We, the younger generation, are lucky to have gone through his hands.”
Why next year? Why not now?