Ex-Zipra combatants attack Jonathan Moyo

via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Ex-Zipra combatants attack Jonathan Moyo 2 September 2014

MEDIA, Information and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo has come under attack from ex-Zipra combatants for suggesting that the post of the ruling Zanu-PF chairmanship was “free for all in the party”.

Moyo told State media that the post was “open to be filled by the best candidate and not reserved for either side”.

He also said the post of President and first secretary of Zanu-PF was not reserved for either former Zanu or former Zapu members, but open to be filled by the best candidate.

Moyo said the fact that there were two Vice-Presidents meant that they could not both be from one side.

However, war veteran and Zanu-PF Matabeleland South provincial executive member Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda and another war veteran Max Mnkandla said this would be in utter disregard of the 1987 Unity Accord that traditionally reserved the post for ex-Zapu cadres although there was no written agreement.

Mnkandla said Moyo was not the right person to give directions on the Unity Accord and described him as a “weevil”.

“Moyo is a liar for saying the position of chair is free for all. He is a weevil who is destroying Zanu-PF. He is a professor of politics, not a professor of Zapu structures,” said Mnkandla.

“For Professor Moyo and anybody in the country to say the position of chair is open to everyone means Paul Themba Nyathi (MDC national executive member) as an ex-senior Zapu member has the right to contest for that position.

“There is no way Moyo can be a campaigning agent for (Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus) Mutasa who has come out openly to say that he wants that position.”

Mnkandla said war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda should be seconded for the post and the only debate should be about who is approachable and which ex-Zapu member can chair the ruling party.

“It’s not written in the agreement that the chair should be for Zapu, but that deal is there. It’s just like a marriage; it’s a union of two people, but the marriage certificate does not go on to say you should have kids etcetera.”

Phetshu Sibanda said Moyo was wrongly interpreting the Unity Accord.

He said those advocating for an open race for the chairmanship’s post were fomenting factionalism “and we know it’s coming from old Zanu-PF members. We (ex-Zapu) shun factionalism.

“No one from the former Zapu is contemplating on challenging Mugabe for the Presidency as they know that ours is the Vice-Presidency and chairmanship,” he said.