Biti Blames Junta for Attempt On His Life

SW Radio Africa (London)

Tichaona Sibanda

7 June 2011

Tendai Biti, the aggressive MDC-T lead negotiator and firebrand politician, has blamed the country’s service chiefs for an explosive devise that was thrown at his house on Sunday, claiming ‘they’re out to kill me and my family.’

In a candid interview with the Daily News, the usually composed and no nonsense Biti shed tears as he threatened to quit the inclusive government over the latest attack on his residence.

‘I thought I had seen the worst in my life, but quite clearly the people who bombed my residence had the intention to harm me. My biggest worry is that I am realising that they are not going to stop there. I have endangered my children and my whole family. As a result, I am asking myself if it is worth continuing.

‘Should I continue like this when my family is endangered? We have returned to the 2000 era where MDC offices were bombed, where the Daily News was bombed. I am sure that they will be back and intend more harm,’ Biti told the daily paper on Monday.

Praised and respected by most observers, but feared and despised by many in the ZANU PF camp, others, Biti once had a bullet sent to his house in an envelope. The latest attack on the finance minister follows an explosive meeting of the National Security Council on Friday were he openly clashed with Robert Mugabe and members of the junta.

ZANU PF has meanwhile gone into overdrive to try and distance itself from the attack, claiming it was an inside job by Biti’s enemies within the MDC. Former Health Minister Felix Muchemwa went as far as making an absurd claim that ‘European based MDC supporters who are into mining were responsible for the attack.’

‘This is an MDC grand plan to make noise as we approach the SADC summit this weekend, that there is uncontrollable violence in Zimbabwe, which SADC needs to address urgently, starting with security sector reform,’ Muchemwa said.

He added; ‘The MDC would like to go to the SADC summit with a big issue of violence in Zimbabwe getting out of control.’

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