Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Biti was, and still is, free to quit

Biti was, and still is, free to quit
Bhekizulu Sibanda - Oinion
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:33:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR — I was shocked by comments made by Finance Minister Tendai Biti where he claimed that he was forced to join the inclusive Government by his party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.

The article further stated that Biti had reluctantly joined the inclusive Government because he had no option. Editor, allow me to enlighten Biti that he had a choice, if he was a man of principle.

He had the option of expressing his freedom and rights by turning down the offer and concentrating on his legal career.

Munyaradzi Gwisai left MDC because he differed fundamentally with the party particularly on his principles, which he held as sacrosanct and could not compromise on.

The birth of the MDC formation led by Arthur Mutambara was a result of the split of October 12, 2005 that saw Welshman Ncube along with other leaders of the party breaking away from Tsvangirai because they had differed on issues of principle.

Surely, if Biti was a man of principle as he wants us to believe, he would have done the same. Even Zanu-PF lost the likes of Margaret Dongo, Edgar Tekere, Dumiso Dabengwa and Thenjiwe Lesabe.

In my opinion, Biti wants to create self-fulfilling prophecies in the event that he fails to perform as finance minister as his performance so far points in that direction.

Secondly, where does Biti get his Heavily Indebted Poor Country theory from?

Is that the position of the legislature and Government? What are the implications of the HIPC status on Zimbabwe? Will we not have enslaved ourselves to Western powers that control the lending institutions?

I see discord in Biti’s assertions, on one hand he projects that the economy will grow exponentially, on the other he wants the country to apply for HIPC status. Can a country be registering positive growth of 7 percent this year and 13 percent in 2010, and still fall in the category of HIPCs?

Bhekizulu Sibanda
Mt Pleasant, Harare

Labels: MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 3:38 AM