Tendai Biti has criticized President Mnangagwa, claiming that he has turned State House into a place frequented by criminals, including racketeers, mafias, and uninvited individuals, who enter without appointments.
In an interview with The Standard, Biti said: “These criminals have taken over State House, walking in freely and without any appointments.
This tarnishes the reputation of the state, the republic, and Zimbabwe. The office of the president is the highest in the land, and State House is meant to be the nation’s palace, representing all of us. It is unfortunate and unacceptable.
The president’s residence should symbolize dignity, respect, and prosperity, as it is the responsibility of the president, the country’s chief executive, to protect Zimbabwe.”
When asked to compare the leadership of Mugabe and Mnangagwa, Biti noted that both leaders governed in the interests of a select few and Zanu PF.
He pointed out that Mugabe had a social conscience and at times expressed concern for the welfare of the people, even questioning in Cabinet, “Where are our people?” However, Biti emphasized that the key difference between the two was the extreme corruption under Mnangagwa’s regime.
He described the level of corruption and criminal activity as alarming, noting that the checks and balances in the system have collapsed. Biti also criticized Finance ministers George Guvamatanga and Mthuli Ncube for turning the Ministry of Finance into a “crime scene” through actions such as bypassing tenders, parliamentary approval, and budgetary processes, which Mugabe would never have tolerated.
Biti further stated that Mnangagwa has reduced the country to an expression of crude ethnic politics, and in less than a decade since 2017, his unpopularity has grown so significantly that Mnangagwa now makes Mugabe seem almost angelic by comparison.
He clarified that while Mugabe was far from perfect, his leadership at least united Zimbabweans in their criticism of him.
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Ndosaka muchizosungwa….State house without an appointment, zvingaite izvozvo?