Biti blasts Mugabe, tells him to appreciate his time is over




Ex Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe
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HARARE – The MDC Alliance says former president Robert Mugabe should appreciate that his time is up and that he must stop creating confusion in his bid to seek relevance.

Addressing chief executives during a debate on Africa’s politics and sustained economic prosperity at the 2018 CEO Africa Round Table Conference in Victoria Falls, PDP leader Mr Tendai Biti who was also representing the MDC Alliance said former president Mugabe should appreciate the fact that his time is up.

Also on the panellists was deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development Terence Mukupe who said it is unfortunate that the former president continues to get wrong advice from those surrounding him.

Meanwhile, captains of industry criticised the MDC Alliance leaders for betraying the majority of the country’s citizens by calling for sanctions when they appeared at the US senate committee last year.

Running under the theme, “Zimbabwe is Open for Business: Agenda 2040” the high level gathering which ended today brought together key decision makers to craft strategies in unlocking the potential of the domestic economy.

Meanwhile on Friday President, Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe “has moved on’’ when responding to claims by former President Robert Mugabe that his ascendancy to power is illegal.

Mnangagwa Speaking for the first time in a television interview on Thursday night since his resignation in November 2017, Mugabe said Mnangagwa came to power via a coup and that he was willing to discuss with him to resolve the matter. “I don’t hate Emmerson. I brought him into government. I would want to work with him but he must be proper,”

Mugabe said in the interview aired by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). “And if it is to correct that illegality that he would want me to discuss with him, I’m willing. We must undo this disgrace which we have imposed on ourselves,” Mugabe said.

In response, Mnangagwa said Mugabe was free to express his opinion like any other citizen. The president said in a statement that the government continued to honour its obligations towards the former president’s welfare and benefits.

Mugabe has previously said the state was not giving him his full benefits. Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had moved on and was focusing on preparations for free and fair elections set for mid-year.

“This is a key step in the immense task at hand, which is to lift our people from the effects of years of severe economic regression and international isolation,” said Mnangagwa.

Harare lawyer Thabani Mpofu castigated as illogical the recent utterances by former president Robert Mugabe that he was deposed through a coup de tat and said the former president had resigned constitutionally and President Emmerson Mnangagwa was constitutionally appointed by his party Zanu PF to complete Mr Mugabe’s term.

His sentiments were echoed and buttressed by political analyst and Zimbabwe Exiles Forum co-ordinator for Southern Africa Mr Tino Mambeu who added that Mr Mugabe must stop day dreaming and wake up to the reality that Zimbabwe in its entirety was fed up of his disastrous reign.

The recent utterances by Mr Mugabe that the he was deposed through a military coup has received a backlash with legal expert Advocate Mpofu saying the country’s governance system from the executive, judiciary and the legislature never broke down as a result of military intervention as happens in a coup de tat but Mugabe voluntarily resigned fearing impeachment.

He added that a competent superior court ruled that the military never carried out a coup de tat and Mr Mugabe was represented by his lawyers who acknowledged and accepted the finding of the court as final and binding

Mr Mambeu weighed in saying Mr Mugabe must be suffering from amnesia and he must understand that Zimbabwe had had enough of him and President Mnangagwa was legitimately appointed to replace him to avoid a vacuum.

Advocate Mpofu warned Mr Mugabe for undermining a constitutionally elected authority and as President Mnangagwa was duly inaugurated by the honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Mr Mugabe’s recent utterances have ignited a lot of debate on social media with the general sentiment being he is acting like a spurned woman and he must leave the current administration to correct the mess he authored by his continued hold to power.

The international community from the regional blocs SADC, the African Union and the United Nations commended Zimbabwe for a peaceful transition and the peaceful protests of the 18th of November last year and the subsequent resignation by Mugabe becoming a test case for the rest of the world.