Biti seething over war vets' demos

Finance Minister Tendai Biti says protests at his offices by war veterans this week have disrupted the national budgeting process and operations of other ministries around his own.

The war veterans besieged Biti's offices this week with a long list of grievances, saying "he has failed to run the economy and must go now".

They brought business to a standstill, threatening anyone who wanted to gain entry into the government complex where Biti's offices are located.

The war veterans said they were following up on a petition they recently handed over to Biti. They also demanded more pay for civil servants.

Their recent petition raised, among other issues, welfare concerns, purchase of vehicles for chiefs, awarding a minimum living allowance for war veterans, abuse of war veterans by Zanu-PF, accountability over diamond proceeds and the widening gap between the rich and poor.

The war veterans also raised some concerns pertaining to the finance minister, such as unease over the disbanding of Zanu-PF's district coordinating committees and disunity in the inclusive government.

The minister said in an interview on Friday that the war veterans' demonstrations were "politically motivated" and disruptive. He said they disturbed the national budget process and business in four ministries - justice, education, economic planning and investment promotion and finance.

"This is the most critical period for my ministry and it is regrettable that our work is being disrupted," Biti said.

"As from October 1, we were supposed to start budget consultations. But we are unable to do so because of these insurrections."

Next year's national budget is expected to be presented in parliament next month.

The minister lambasted police - whom he accuses of being efficient in suppressing protests against President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF - of failing to provide security for hundreds of civil servants who were locked inside their offices by the war veterans until late on Tuesday.

"It is not fair, more so for civil servants who have to fight their way out of the offices. Pregnant employees were not spared and some had to fork out money from their hard-earned salaries to pay for taxis home as they missed government buses.

"It is unfortunate that war veterans can invade government offices and nothing is done by the police," he said.

"This represents the highest low point in the life-span of the Global Political Agreement. If it is a political fight, use politicians not civil servants," he added.

Biti said his ministry had disbursed $6.2-million for the welfare of war veterans, paying school fees for their children and funeral allowances.

On vehicles for chiefs, he said his ministry was liaising with the Ministry of Local Government to see how best the chiefs could get new vehicles.

He said his ministry had worked hard to resuscitate Zimbabwe's struggling economy and would not be intimidated to make unbudgeted for expenditures by those who do not care about fiscal discipline.