MDC Alliance co-principal Tendai Biti has been arrested Wednesday morning at Chirundu border post in Zimbabwe as he sought to skip the country and seek asylum in neighbouring Zambia.
Biti is facing a charge of inciting public violence, which led to violent and bloody protests in the streets of Harare.
His lawyer, Nqobizitha Mlilo, confirmed Biti’s arrest and said he is still detained at Chirundu border post.
Twenty-seven MDC Alliance supporters were arrested following the deadly violence, which left six people dead and several others nursing life-threatening injuries.
The MDC supporters have since been released on $50 bail.
An affidavit by a detective from the police’s criminal investigations department, circulating on social media shows that the opposition politician is wanted for contravening a section of the Electoral Act, saying he announced election results before the electoral management body, Zimbabwe Election Commission.
The affidavit also read that Biti was wanted in connection for being in possession of dangerous weapons, which he intended to use to destabilise the country.
Biti was the minister of finance in a unity government that was formed after disputed elections in 2008 - and is credited with helping stabilise the economy after years of hyperinflation.
Mlilo said Zimbabwe authorities had been harassing Biti's mother for three days in an attempt to get her to say where the opposition leader, who is also a lawyer.
"His car has been shot at, " revealed the lawyer adding that his client's hands were "clean".
- African News Agency (ANA),
