Finance minister Tendai Biti receives bullet in mail

By Tichaona Sibanda
27 July 2009

Finance Minister Tendai Biti on Monday morning received a live bullet and a handwritten note enclosed in a khaki envelope, and addressed to him at his Harare home address.

Biti’s aide Nqobizitha Mlilo, confirmed that the 42 year-old secretary-general of the MDC and MP for Harare East constituency viewed this as a death threat on his life after receiving the 9mm bullet and note, written in shona.

The note was written: ‘raira nhaka,’ or ‘prepare your will.’ The envelope containing the bullet and the note is believed to have been delivered to his house. The Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was informed of the incident and so was the Acting President Joice Mujuru.

‘He’s a bit low and shaken up as a result of this episode. He says it is the first time he’s seen a bullet in his life and it is also the first time his family had endured something like this,’ Mlilo said.

The Minister made a report to the police as he viewed this as a serious threat to himself and his family. The Central Intelligence Organisation, which is charged with protecting cabinet ministers has now taken charge of the investigations. The bullet, note and envelope have since been sent for forensics in the capital. Biti was able to speak briefly to SW Radio Africa.

‘I’m fine though, but what can I do. My wife is worried and so is everyone else,’ Biti said. The Finance Minister was due to meet Tsvangirai to discuss the issue.

Biti, a lawyer by profession is known as a very vocal and fearless politician, and he is currently embroiled in a fierce battle for control of the country’s finances with Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono.

The fight between Biti and Gono, who enjoys the backing of the Defence Forces Generals, reflects the broader ongoing political struggle for control between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai which many fear may be played out in several other areas and key government institutions.

The two have had clashes before, with Biti describing Gono as an ‘Al-Qaeda’ like official, deserving to be put before a firing squad for his activities as central bank Governor.

Mlilo said following this incident the state security services should consider beefing up his security, because ‘people have done their homework by first finding out where he lives.’

“This is a clear threat…and the person or people responsible did their research because they now know where he lives. His security should be beefed up because he’s an asset not only to the MDC, but to the whole country,” Mlilo said.

Political commemntators believe it might be a sinister plot by some people in ZANU PF, while others are considering the possibility that the threat could be the work of a ‘mentally unstable person.’

A security analyst told us if the investigation is expertly carried out, investigators should be able to trace the origins if the perpetrator used the postal service.

“On the envelope, if the person used saliva to seal the letter, they could extract his DNA profile and fingerprints. If the person dropped the letter in person at the Minister’s house, the security details guarding the residence should have a rough idea of people who got as far as the letter box,’ the analyst said.