Higher Education minister Prof Jonathan Moyo’s biological father was killed during the Gukarahundi massacres, and is not the late Zanu Ndonga leader Rev Ndabaningi Sithole.
Moyo’s father has been named as Melusi Job Mlevu.Mlevu, who was a PF-Zapu councillor, was reportedly abducted by the Fifth Brigade in 1982 and ordered to dig his own grave before he was killed in cold blood and shoved into the shallow grave.
In February this year , former MINISTER of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees, Christopher Mutsvangwa dropped a bombshell claiming the Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo is the son of the late nationalist, Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a war veterans meeting in Bulawayo Thursday, Mutsvangwa dared Prof Moyo to undertake a public DNA test to ascertain whether or not he is Sithole’s son.
“I am told that Sithole is not his uncle, Sithole is actually his father, the woman who was living with him and organising his rallies in Tsholotsho is actually his mother,” alleged Mutsvangwa.
Earlier, Mutsvangwa had also claimed that Prof Moyo was Sithole’s nephew, claims which the latter refuted in his twitter account.
The war veterans minister who even referred to Prof Moyo, as “Jonathan Sithole” said:
“I want (Prof) Jonathan (Moyo) to go for a DNA test today to prove that he is not a member of the Sithole family.”
The war veterans minister alleged he was told by some Sithole family members who participated in the liberation struggle that they saw Moyo coming to visit Ndabaningi during the war.
“Just yesterday I was talking to a member of the Sithole family, who said Jonathan’s stepmother – Venna’s relatives are the ones who said (Prof) Moyo coming to visit his father at Waterfalls (sic).”
Mutsvangwa also made claims that Prof Moyo is a “thief” and his step mother testified that Prof Moyo once “stole” family radios and other items when he left for Tanzania on his way to the United States.
“Prof Moyo is a deserter, family thief and maybe a love child of Ndabaningi and his life needs to be unpacked,” alleged Mutsvangwa.
Sithole was one of the founding members of the Zimbabwe African National Union and was an early advocate of armed struggle.
In 1983, Sithole went into self-imposed exile in America, claiming that his life was in danger from political enemies.
He returned to Zimbabwe in 1991 and re-entered the political arena as the head of Zanu (Ndonga), he was elected to Parliament.
In 1996, he stood against President Mugabe in the presidential elections and reportedly polled 2.4 percent of the vote.
When he died in 2000, Sithole was said to be survived by his wife and five children.
Meanwhile former Ambassador to China also said Prof Moyo should refrain from making assertions about the war because he deserted the struggle.
“How does he comment about a war when he was in America, he left at the height of the war and I wish he could have stayed there so that he can talk about something that he knows,” he said.
The Mutsvangwa-Moyo relationship has been rocky of late over Zanu PF’s succession debate and the Professor threatened to “teach” War Veteran “a court lesson”.
Recently, war veterans threatened to bar Prof Moyo from attending politburo meetings and accused him of undermining President Mugabe.
Prof Moyo responded saying no one except Mugabe could stop him from attending Zanu PF politburo meetings and said those wanting to do so were plotting a “coup.”
Last week, Moyo had a serious verbal fight with President Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba after the Information secretary accused the minister of being a “successionist”.
Prof Moyo is reportedly believed to be one of the architects of G40, a Zanu PF faction allegedly opposed to a faction said to belong to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa in bid to succeed President ing Mugabe.
