Biti ‘retires’ from politics

Former Finance minister and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) co-vice-president Tendai Biti, has dumped the main opposition political party saying he is taking a sabbatical away from politics as he goes on a soul searching break.

Speaking on HSTV’s #FreeTalk show, Biti, who was supposed to take over as CCC president from the current leader Welshman Ncube on a rotational basis, said he had withdrawn from politics to focus on other spaces that can help to remove the ruling Zanu PF party from power.

The outspoken former legislator disowned the statement made by self-imposed CCC spokesperson Jacob Mafume that there had held a meeting which agreed to make him, Ncube and Lynette Kairenyi Kore rotational leaders of the party following the resignation of Nelson Chamisa from the CCC.

The opposition CCC was left leaderless after Chamisa ditched the party ravaged by self-imposed interim secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, who recalled several legislators from Parliament after the general elections held last year.

“Everyone has a constitutional right of controlling his own affairs, at the present moment and time as Tendai Biti, I have taken a time out in certain spaces and political spaces,” he said.

“I am not sure of the meeting you are referring to, I am not aware of the meeting that made me a rotational president.

Following the announcement that Ncube, Biti and Kairenyi Kore, had taken over the CCC, there was a public backlash, with the three being labelled sellouts that had betrayed the struggle and jumped in bed with Zanu PF, an allegation Biti has denied.

“As an individual, I occupy spaces, I am a lawyer, I am doing what I have been doing in the courts, with my strategic litigation.

“I am busy writing, I think we are going to produce a book before the end of the year on unpacking liberation movements and so forth.

“But as an individual I am also entitled to rest, to have a sabbatical and so forth. So I am in that mode of complete, I don’t want to say isolation, complete time out if you like, but I still remain driven, by the fact that we must have democratic change in Zimbabwe,” Biti said.

The former legislator, who during his tenure as MP, led the fight against corruption, called on Zimbabweans to take charge of the fight for democracy and not subcontract their future to individuals.

“I don’t see agency and urgency, we have normalised the abnormal. We accept madness; they come up with a new currency it’s business as usual.

“They come up with a mad budget it’s business as usual. They distribute vehicles like confetti, it’s business as usual. They speak of a third term, it’s business as usual. It’s not good enough so I don’t see urgency, I don’t see agency.

“Collectively, I don’t want to speak about political parties or individuals, I want to speak about our collective responsibility as citizens, we must provide the agency and the urgency,” he said.

Biti’s move comes hardly two weeks after Ncube told the media that he was scoring success in building a united opposition and that the party dumped by Chamisa would emerge stronger and more united.

However, another CCC faction led by Jameson Timba and fronted by spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said Biti’s resignation from the party and temporary withdrawal from politics was a vindication on their part.

“This move if you are correct, my brother, goes on to show that the CCC had only one legitimate leader who was Nelson Chamisa, any attempt to masquerade as the leader of the alternative will fail as has been demonstrated by Welshman Ncube. Nobody can dispute that Chamisa was the legitimate leader of the CCC and recent developments vindicate us,” Mkwananzi said.

Biti, however, promised to bounce back before 2028 when Zimbabwean is expected to hold its next general elections post President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is serving his last term.

The FreeTalk episode will air tomorrow on HSTV YouTube Channel at 5pm. -NewsDay