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The war veterans accused Minister Biti of incompetence and presiding over the demise of the economy. They also called for Minister Biti’s immediate resignation.
The war vets, who came from various places countrywide, also castigated the minister for failing to prioritise civil servants’ salaries and working conditions.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) Harare province commissar, Cde 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. Cde Rai 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 $130 as a monthly pension payout while the poverty datunm line is $596. Cde Gwenyambira said the money was not enough to meet their needs.
“This is not enough to meet our costs which include rents, school fees and medication. We need all those issues to be addressed,” she said.
The former liberation war fighters, including the disabled, were singing revolutionary songs and waving 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 at Minister Biti’s office until he addressed them. ZNLWVA secretary for lands Cde 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 money for 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, Cde 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.
Minister Biti was also accused of trying to perpetuate civil servants’ misery as part of a wider plot of effecting illegal regime change.
The Minister was not available for comment yesterday as he was said to be attending a Cabinet meeting.
Minister Biti is on record as saying Government has no money to increase salaries.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter