PRESS STATEMENT PURSUANT TO PROFESSOR J. MOYO’S PRESS STATEMENT OF 01 FEBRUARY 2016
Press statement begins…..
It is with great interest and mild amusement that I caught sight of Prof. Johnathan Moyo’s press statement precipitated by a meeting he indicates, was conducted on Saturday, 30th January 2016 at Dzivarasekwa Presidential Barracks, chaired by John Guta and officiated by ZNLWVA National Chairman, Chris Mutsvangwa and its Secretary General Victor Matemadanda.
My amusement stems from Prof. Moyo’s seeming naivety and the level of ignorance or possible selective amnesia that the learned Zanu PF Professor has pertaining to the extent of involvement of the army and security forces in the cogs of Zanu PF’s machinery. It baffles the mind how Moyo can profess ignorance to how closely knit the army are to the war vets, when in 2002, whilst holding the post of Minister of Information, and a member of the Party and therefore undeniably privy to the Press Conference convened by the late General Vitalis Zvinavashe together with all the service chiefs where the late General declared;
“To this end, let it be known that the highest office in the land is a ‘straightjacket’ whose occupant is expected to observe the objectives of the liberation struggle. We will, therefore, not accept, let alone support or salute anyone with a different agenda that threatens the very existence of our sovereignty, our country and our people.” In all honesty, he does not understand the ties between the war vets, the army and the Party? Maybe the question should rather be directed at establishing Moyo’s own war credentials?
Therefore for him to make utterances that the venue of the appointed meeting was “a gross and unacceptable abuse of a State facility” and that news of the meeting was “extraordinary and indeed scary” can not help but bring a smile to one’s face.
It is laughable that when the attack is targeted at him directly, the involvement of the army becomes “scary” and “an abuse”, however when the state machinery is unleashed in Tsholotsho to create fear and intimidation within the electorate to win him a seat in Parliament, it is acceptable and sadly commonplace.
When a meeting has the purported agenda “to plot and threaten physical harm against a Cabinet Minister and Politburo member appointed to both offices by His Excellency, the President” it becomes an issue to be highlighted and demeaned and yet when meetings are held for the intention of planning to unleash a reign of terror on innocent victims who have “elected” His Excellency, the President, who in turn subsequently has the authority to appoint Cabinet Minister and Politburo member, then it is business as usual. What hypocrisy!
Nonetheless, when you then delve deeper into the history and background of our dear Professor, you will soon learn that such seemingly confused rantings and ravings are actually the norm in his flip-flopping political career.
The war vets have been and will always be the army’s last line of defence and should always be respected for the pivotal role they played in the liberation of Zimbabwe. This respect is not uncommon and is practised in countries world-wide. Even the opposition show more respect for the war vets than that of which we are witnessing from Moyo and certain factions within the Zanu PF party. As the last line of defence, and therefore an extended arm of the army, why would it be strange for war vets to convene at an army facility? It seems the involvement of war veterans only becomes flabbergasting and threatening when the tables have turned. I could quote countless examples where Moyo has been seen to be allegedly entangled or presumed working in cahoots with the army; the Baba Jukwa debacle involving Edmund Kudzayi being one such that comes to mind.
It is lamentable that Moyo talks of “Abusing a Government Ministerial office” now that he is no longer the Minister of Information with the capacity to abuse the media system to his advantage. This systematic exploitation was clearly averred during the relentless attack on Mai Mujuru preceding her expulsion from Zanu PF. In this instance, Prof. Moyo seemingly made it his full time employ to churn out unfounded reports pertaining to the alleged cabal and unsubstantiated plots to overthrow His Excellency, Cde R. G. Mugabe much to the detriment of all those targeted and of which outcome is now common knowledge.
However, looking at the brighter side, if this experience has indeed enlightened him on the devious modus operandi of Zanu PF then we must celebrate that his eyes are now open. Vana vembwa havasvinure musi mumwe and we are happy to note that he can finally see clearly now. Furthermore if he has indeed now seen the light, then we certainly welcome him to join us in the fight for electoral reforms although I hasten to advise him that the fight cannot be fought from within and he would therefore have to resign honourably and be incorporated accordingly.
Being a political scientist does not make one a politician and this fact would probably assist the Professor in finding his niche which is certainly far from the maddening crowd. He could possibly best be suited to formulating policies more befitting to his Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development in order to benefit the Nation at large.
It further surprises me that Moyo has elected to rush to release a press statement in attack of the aforementioned meeting and its purported agenda and yet I, and I believe the general populace, are still waiting with baited breath to be made privy of details pertaining to the good Professor’s alleged carnal persuasions. I must emphasise here that this is in no way meant to be offensive to those that have openly declared their preferences. However this sham where we have certain leaders that clandestinely practise such controversial activities in emphatic defiance to their leader’s beliefs and tenets is abhorred. Where one is trapped in such a situation, I am sure that GALZ is ready to welcome you with open arms.
I do not have anything personal against you, this is just a matter of principle and consistency. I was prompted to make these submissions firstly as a tax payer concerned at your wanton waste of the tax payers hard earned monies and secondly as a victim of your baseless and unfounded accusations during your smear campaign against me where you unashamedly were perceived to have abused your portfolio as the Information Minister to relentlessly attack me during the Billy Rautenbach episode. Here I was labelled as corrupt and underhanded and yet you are reported to have gone on to engage the same Billy over the same matter and it was further discovered that you too were entertained with a helicopter trip and hosted as a visitor to Chisumbanje where to this day we strangely witness that ethanol prices are still higher than that of diesel in contradiction to the intended objective.
On another occasion, through the media, under your control, I was implicated as a member of the “Dirty Dozen” and yet until today you have not explained how you acquired your wealth or were pardoned by the Ford Foundation, who I might emphasise, are heavily aligned to the CIA, after you were charged with the theft of hundreds of thousands of United States dollars from the Foundation. The dilemma is the question relating to the wisdom of those who continue to appoint you.
In parting Professor, you may have destroyed Mai Mujuru but you will not destroy Zimbabwe with your meddlesome interference, no “Nutty” no!
Temba P. Mliswa
Former ZANU PF MP Hurungwe West, Chairman Mashonaland West Province & Central Committee Member
