• 2024-02

Tendai Biti

Tendai Laxton Biti (born 6 September 1966) is a Zimbabwean economist and politician who was the Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2013 and the Member of Parliament for Harare East from 2008 to 2013. A founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), he served as Secretary-General from 2000 to 2005 and twice as Acting President of the MDC. He is currently the Vice President of the MDC Alliance.

Early life and education

Biti was born in Harare on 6 September 1966. He attended St. Ignatius College, Chishawasha, and then the University of Zimbabwe, where he studied economics. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 and a Master of Arts degree in 1990. He also holds a Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Zimbabwe.

Political career

Biti was elected to Parliament in 2008, representing the constituency of Harare East. He was appointed Minister of Finance by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2009. As Minister of Finance, Biti oversaw the implementation of a number of economic reforms, including the introduction of a new currency, the Zimbabwe dollar, and the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market. He also negotiated a debt relief package with the International Monetary Fund.

In 2013, Biti was re-elected to Parliament, but the MDC lost the election to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Biti was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister of Finance by Tsvangirai.

In 2014, Biti was arrested and charged with treason after he allegedly made statements that were critical of President Robert Mugabe. He was released on bail, but the charges were not dropped.

In 2015, Biti was elected Vice President of the MDC Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties formed to challenge ZANU-PF in the 2018 general election.

In the 2018 general election, Biti was again elected to Parliament, representing the constituency of Harare East. The MDC Alliance won the majority of seats in the National Assembly, but ZANU-PF won the presidential election. Biti was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister of Finance by MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.

Economic policies

Biti is a proponent of free market economics. He believes that the government should play a limited role in the economy and that the private sector should be the main driver of economic growth. He has advocated for a number of economic reforms, including the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, the reduction of government spending, and the promotion of foreign investment.

Personal life

Biti is married to Tendai Ruth Biti, a lawyer. They have two children.

Controversies

Biti has been involved in a number of controversies during his career. In 2010, he was accused of corruption after it was revealed that he had received a large sum of money from a South African company. He denied the allegations and was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.

In 2013, Biti was arrested and charged with treason after he allegedly made statements that were critical of President Robert Mugabe. He was released on bail, but the charges were not dropped.

In 2015, Biti was accused of sexual harassment after a female employee of the MDC Alliance alleged that he had made inappropriate sexual advances towards her. He denied the allegations and was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.