(TALKZIMBABWE) War veterans demand Biti’s resignation
War veterans demand Biti’s resignationThis article was written by Our reporter on 3 October, at 00 : 13 AM
Hundreds of war veterans on Tuesday stormed Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s office demanding a review of their monthly pension payouts. Calling for his immediate resignation, the war veterans accused Biti of incompetence and presiding over the demise of the economy. They also called for his immediate resignation. The war veterans, who came from various places countrywide, also castigated the minister for failing to prioritise the civil servants’ salaries and working conditions.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Harare Province commissar Rai Gwenyambira, said they were asking for modest pension payouts in tandem with the poverty datum line. Three months ago, she said, Minister Biti agreed to address their plight, but failed. Gwenyambira said to date the former freedom fighters had not received anything from Treasury.
“We petitioned him three months ago and we thought he would do something as he promised, but we are still struggling to make ends meet,” she said.
“Enough is enough and the fact that he has failed means he has to leave office as a matter of urgency.”
Most war veterans are getting US$130 as a monthly pension payout while the poverty datum line is US$596. Gwenyambira said the money was not enough to meet their demands.
“This is not enough to meet our costs which include rent, school fees and medication. We need all those issues to be addressed,” she said.
The former liberation war fighters, including the disabled, sang revolutionary songs and waved placards denouncing Minister Biti. Some of the placards read: “President Mugabe Zimbabwe needs a new Finance Minister”, “Biti has failed and must go” and “You have refused to pay farmers — You must leave office.” The war veterans said they would sleep over at the minister’s office until he addressed them.
ZNLWVA secretary for lands Isso Madzivanyika said their children were being sent away from school for non-payment of fees.
“There is nowhere we can get money except from Treasury. Our children are no longer going to school as we are failing to pay their fees,” he said.
Most of the war veterans, he said, were farmers and Minister Biti was not releasing funds for the grain they delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.
“These are the same people suffering because the funds are not there. He has refused to support the country’s agriculture yet this is a sector that drives our economy,” he said.
Those injured during the liberation struggle, Madzivanyika said, were not getting anything.
“We are not leaving this place until he addresses us. If it means sleeping over here then let it be. Most of us are farmers and we survive on that and when we deliver grain to GMB we expect Treasury to pay us on time.
“We are failing to plan for the forthcoming season because there is no money to do so,” he said.
Labels: NEOLIBERALISM, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS, ZNLWVA
posted by MrK @ 3:58 PM
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