Biti corruption exposé: Zanu PF youths threaten to revoke his citizenship

By Nyashadzashe Ndoro | Nehanda Politics |

Zanu PF aligned youths led by Alex Gakanje (Taurai Kandishaya) have written to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage demanding the revocation of former Finance minister Tendai Biti’s citizenship over allegations that he “betrayed the people of Zimbabwe”.

Gakanje who is often seen at civil society functions heckling and disrupting meetings and at one point threatening to camp at Biti’s house accusing him of calling for sanctions on Wednesday wrote a letter to the minister of Home Affairs Kazembe Kazembe demanding that Biti be left stateless.

He is part of the group that is camped at the United States Embassy in Harare demanding the removal of targeted sanctions.

This letter comes barely three days after Biti revealed shocking Command Agriculture scandals implicating President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ally and tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

“Alarmed by the gross attacks on this country by the former Minister of Finance and former member of parliament Mr Tendai Biti, l wrote this letter seeking revocation of this membership.

“As youth we feel that Mr Biti has betrayed the people of Zimbabwe enough that can result in the revocation of his citizenship,” read the letter whose author was not mentioned.

But Gakanje confirmed in a telephone interview with Nehanda Radio that he wrote the letter together with some Zanu PF youths namely Killian Kandawega, Alex Ncube, David Soko, Tatenda Munyawiri among others.

The letter further read: “Most recently he used his platforms and titles to call for the IMF to withdraw any possible support to this country which is treason on its own.

“We feel that Mr Biti’s statements bring shame to this country and we make this humble request to your esteemed office to consider your request.”

In an interview, media commentator Mlondolozi Ndlovu said Gakanje and colleagues lacked understanding of how the law works. He added that the Constitution does not allow revocation of one’s citizenship based on “hatred”.

“The letter by this character not only demonstrates his lack of understanding of the country’s Constitution and citizenship laws but is a figment of his own imagination based on unstrategic and overzealous activism.

“Our laws do not allow a private citizen to request removal of a fellow citizen’s citizenship based on wishful thinking and mere hatred for that particular individual.”

He said that Gakanje and his colleagues should instead focus their energy on lobbying for the nations that imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe to have them removed adding, “in any case that can not happen because his masters continue to violate human rights with gross impunity.”

Ndlovu said the recent corruption exposé contributed to this move by disgruntled Zanu PF youths.

“Perhaps Zanu PF is threatened by Biti’s fearless corruption exposé which he has consistently demonstrated in Parliament and every public sphere.

“Biti’s recent brave and well researched public anti graft comments are evidently sending shockwaves among state functionaries such that they wish he was not Zimbabwean,” he said.

Opposition MDC Alliance aligned youth Pride Mkono said: “The so-called attempt to revoke Mr Biti’s citizenship is just fumbling in darkness by a few malcontents who are being driven by political vindictiveness.

“It is illegal and impossible for anyone to revoke the citizenship status of a citizen of Zimbabwe by birth. It is also almost impossible for anyone to think that they can revoke citizenship by simply writing to the Home Affairs office,” Mkono added. Nehanda Radio