Mugabe's ally to sue Tendai Biti

STATE minister for Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa has vowed to take MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti to the cleaners for labelling him a murderer in the run-up to last year's harmonised elections.

Mutasa is suing Biti for $5 million after the latter told MDC-T supporters that the Zanu-PF politician had played a hand in the death of a 12-year-old Headlands boy, Christpowers Maisiri.

Mutasa's lawyer, Gerald Mlotshwa, yesterday told NewsDay that his client was determined to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

"We are waiting for the pre-trial conference date. I spoke to my client about that and he is still eager to have his day in court. The matter is still alive and we are just waiting for a date," he said.

The teenage boy was burnt to death at his father's Headlands home in a suspected politically-motivated attack.

His father, Shepherd Maisiri, was the MDC-T's aspiring parliamentary candidate for the area.

Addressing mourners at the teenager's burial in February last year, Biti said he had heard that Mutasa was behind the death of the teenager.

"We told Didymus Mutasa (Zanu-PF minister and local MP) that he is behind the murder of this boy," Biti said.

"If he thought we were hiding under the cover of Cabinet privilege, we are now saying it in public. Mutasa, you killed this boy! If you think we are lying take us to court for defamation."

Biti could not be reached for comment yesterday.