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Hebert Zharare Political Editor
Traditional British and American financiers of MDC-T exerted pressure on the party’s secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti to make a U-turn from his earlier admission that Zanu-PF won the July 31, 2013 elections due to its solid electoral messages.
Mr Biti on Thursday last week said MDC-T lost on the basis of inferior policies, but changed his position a few days later claiming he had never said any such thing. (Mr Biti’s Thursday statement to academics and civic groups in Harare has been recorded and is reproduced elsewhere in The Herald).

A senior official who works closely with Mr Biti yesterday said the MDC-T secretary-general had come under immense pressure to retract his position.

“Following the squabbles in the party including the beating up of deputy treasurer, Mr Elton Mangoma and the recent statement Mr Biti made during a discussion that Zanu-PF did not steal elections, he has been under pressure.

Some Americans, the British and some embassies that purportedly denounced violence in the MDC, have been putting Mr Biti under pressure to retract the statement. He had many meetings with them recently.

“The supporters are also not happy and everywhere he goes they are baying for his blood. That is why during the previous meetings in Harare and recently in Bulawayo our supporters were denouncing him.

“He has to be brave enough and attend these meetings because avoiding the supporters will not help him at all,” said the senior official who cannot be named for fear of victimisation by factions in the violence-ridden party.

On Sunday, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai barred his supporters from speaking to the public media. Last week, Mr Biti conceded that Zanu-PF’s “bhora mugedhi”

campaign message resonated well with the electorate and, that MDC-T’s “Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital and Environment” did not have the same impact.

He said Zanu-PF’s provision of land, inputs and seed capital had helped the revolutionary party.

Mr Biti did not answer his phone when contacted for comment several times yesterday.

MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said Mr Biti was not facing any problems because of his statements.

“Tendai is still our secretary-general and is performing his duties well as chief administrator of the party. He chaired the administration and finance committee meetings last week and has been attending standing committee meetings,” he said.

However, Mr Biti has been conspicuous by his absence at a series of rallies addressed by Mr Tsvangirai. This follows the alleged assault of deputy treasurer Mr Elton Mangoma and a youth leader, Mr Promise Mkwananzi, at the party’s headquarters in Harare last month. The alleged attacks took place while Mr Tsvangirai watched.

Mr Biti escaped a beating by scrambling into Mr Tsvangirai’s car, while another youth leader, Mr Solomon Madzore fled into the building.

Queried on Mr Biti’s absence from the last rally, Mr Mwonzora said: “Yes, he was not in Bulawayo because he had recused himself. There is no problem at all . . . the party is dealing with its problems in a mature manner.”