Tendai Laxton Biti

Minister of Finance and Secretary General of the Movement for Democratic Change-T

Date of Birth: 06/08/1966
Place of Birth: Dzivaresekwa

Ethnicity: Shona - Karanga

Career: Deputy Head Boy, Goromonzi High School; 1985; Secretary General, Students Union at University of Zimbabwe; 1988-89; Partner, Honey and Blackenberg, 1992-; Founding Member of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Secretary for Land, 1999; Member of Parliament, Harare East, 2000; re-elected MP for Harare East, 2005; Secretary-General MDC-T, 2005; re-elected MP for Harare East 2008; Arrested on treason charges, June 2008; Finance Minister, February 2009.

Commentary: Biti, one of the youngest Zimbabwean lawyers to become a partner in a large law firm, rose to prominence after handling high profile cases for the labour movement in the 1990s. At the time trade unions were seen as the lone voice against President Robert Mugabe’s oppressive regime. He represented the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in a landmark case that saw the notorious Law and Order Maintenance Act, which did not allow demonstrations without police clearance, being repealed.  This brought him close to Morgan Tsvangirai who was Secretary-General of the ZCTU.

It was only after the MDC split in 2005 that Biti rose to become Secretary General of the party, following Welshman Ncube's departure to lead a breakaway faction. Biti became the party’s chief negotiator and, effectively, Tsvangirai’s second in command. This was cemented by his appointment to the powerful post of Minister of Finance. Considered one of the hardliners in the MDC, one who did not want to join any government with Mugabe, Biti is reported to have been given the post to confront ZANU-PF hardliners who still view the inclusive government as a transitional arrangement.

Since then, Biti has used his Finance post to chip away at entrenched political patronage, while Elton Mangoma, the Economic Planning Minister who is closer in temperament and politics to Tsvangira, has been quietly convincing companies of the real prospects of Zimbabwe's economic revival. Biti is, however, considered by some MDC supporters to be too ambitious. He commands great respect and support from civic society and academics but is less popular at grassroots level.