Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF has lodged a complaint with the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee set up to measure compliance with the Global Political Agreement for power sharing, seeking action against Finance Minister Tendai Biti for insinuating the party had a role in the recent death of a retired general.
Biti told an MDC gathering in Mutare two weeks ago that ZANU-PF officials "have a new tactic of roasting people," which was widely interpreted as inferring that ZANU-PF rivals of retired Defense Forces chief Salomon Mujuru murdered him on August 16. His body was found in the charred ruins of his farmhouse in Beatrice, south of Harare.
ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo called Biti's comments irresponsible, urging a halt to speculation about Mujuru's death until a police investigation was completed. Since then his widow, Vice President Joice Mujuru, has said she suspects foul play.
Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee spokesman Joram Nyathi told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that the ZANU-PF complaint was received last last week and will be considered by JOMIC's s three co-chairpersons.
Political analyst John Makumbe said he thinks ZANU-PF made the right move to clear itself from such speculation - but said Biti merely articulated what many others, including Vice President Mujuru, have said about the death of the ZANU-PF power broker.
