MDC defends Biti on funds distribution

It said Biti was implementing the MDCs strategy to bring accountability and sanity to the use of taxpayers money. Zanu (PF) is accusing Biti of sabotaging it by underfunding some government departments. Since taking over the finance ministry in 2009, Biti has pursed tough cost -cutting measures – in the process starving powerful sections such as the military of easy cash. Zanu (PF) has also accused him of ignoring the agricultural Sector, which it routinely used to garner support from rural communities.
Biti has resisted giving funds which they (Zanu) used to spend like nobodys business. (Vanga vajaira kudya mari sembwire mbwire. Makamboonepi vanhu vanotungamirira nyika vari mundege). Biti has said no to non-accountability in the use of tax payers money.
Every cent released from the treasury since we entered into this coalition government is being accounted for and this has not gone well with Zanu (PF), said the partys National Organising Secretary, Nelson Chamisa. On the issue of civil servants salaries we have said lets see who is in Marange diamond fields and bring the proceeds to the treasury so that we can pay our civil servants.
We have not yet established who is doing business in Marange except that there are some Chinese companies whose background is not known, and all this was and is being done for the purposes of stealing public funds, he added. The MDC believes that the bombing of Bitis residence at the weekend is linked to Zanu (PF) threats over his tough stance on
releasing funds.
Last week President Robert Mugabe gave Biti an ultimatum to give civil servants a salary increase, saying the issue was now a security threat. He also said the security sector, used to keep him in power, should be given more incentives. This sector had become used to lavish funding by the aged leader, and has accused Biti of depriving it of funds in what some commanders claim is a ploy to weaken and destabilise the security forces.