Hwende denies confirming Biti's messy love affair allegations

Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti has denied accusations that he is embroiled in a messy love affair with a subordinate that has led to the collapse of the woman's marriage.

The minister's friend, Charlton Hwende, who was said to have confirmed the relationship, has also denied knowledge of the alleged office romance.

The Sunday Mail reported last week that Harare businessman Caesar Matandirotya was taking legal action against Biti, accusing him of dating his wife Petronella Chishawa, a desk economist in the Ministry of Finance. Matandirotya has since separated from his wife, with whom he has a 14-month-old baby boy.
But Biti has denied the accusation, describing it as "false, misleading and indeed malicious".

Biti's lawyers, Atherstone and Cook, said: "Our client has advised us that the contents of the article inasfar as issues attributable to him or about him are false, misleading and indeed malicious. Our client denies the allegations contained in the article inasfar as they relate to him or concern him."

Matandirotya, in his affidavit, also wrote that Hwende, one of Biti's long-time friends, knew of the alleged relationship between the minister and the married woman.

However, Hwende, through his lawyers, Mtetwa and Nyambirai, has denied ever meeting Matandirotya for the purposes of discussing the alleged affair.

Hwende also denied ever implicating Biti in the alleged affair, saying he had no knowledge of such a relationship.

"Mr Hwende never at any point carried a brief on behalf of Matandirotya to carry out a private investigation for the purpose of identifying and pinning down the person who was and/or is allegedly having an affair with Matandirotya's wife. He further denies meeting Matandirotya's maid as alleged or at all and has no knowledge of the alleged confession."