Moyo’s ploy to divide nation exposed

Moyo’s ploy to divide nation exposed

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The following is a report published in the Sunday Mail newspaper on December 31, 2006 on a Bill set to be brought before parliament by Tsholotsho MP Professor Jonathan Moyo:

By Sunday Mail Reporter

BARELY two weeks after Zimbabwe commemorated Unity Day, the former Minister of Information and Publicity in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Professor Jonathan Moyo, is reportedly planning to divide the country along tribal lines by sponsoring a parliamentary Bill that analysts say is aimed at opening wounds of the political disturbances that occurred in Matabeleland and the Midlands in the 1980s.

Sources told The Sunday Mail yesterday that Prof Moyo, who represents Tsholotsho constituency as an independent Member of Parliament, was planning to table for debate, a private member’s Bill dubbed the "Gukurahundi Memorial Bill".

Gukurahundi is a term used to describe the operations of security forces who were working in Matabeleland and the Midlands during the time of the disturbances.

The disturbances ended with the signing of the Unity Accord on December 22 1987. President Mugabe, representing Zanu-PF and the late former Vice-President, Dr Joshua Nkomo, who was leading the then PF-Zapu, signed the peace treaty, signalling the permanent resolution of the problem.

Provisions of the Bill, sources said, were aimed at promoting tribal disharmony as it would revisit some issues that would divide rather than unite the people.

Prof Moyo is understood to be working with some lawyers to produce the final draft of the Bill before tabling it in Parliament for debate.

Analysts, however, said the Bill was likely to be thrown out before much debate because of its divisive nature. Prof Moyo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Said one analyst: "He knows quite well that the Bill will not sail through but he is seeking to reopen wounds of that bad patch by institutionalising the conflict.

"It is an attempt to abuse the parliamentary system to make up for his weak position as a solitary independent MP."

According to sources, Prof Moyo is seeking to criminalise anyone who denies the existence of the so-called Gukurahundi in Zimbabwe’s history. He is also advocating the establishment of the Gukurahundi National Memorial Board, Gukurahundi National Memorial Shrine and a fund that would assist those that were affected during the period.

The board would, among other functions, keep a record of the goings-on during the disturbances. Analysts said the Bill is largely divisive and should not be entertained.

"Above all, the Bill is meant to project him as a champion of one ethnic group in the country, hoping to use that as a platform for his political future," said another analyst.

Prof Moyo was dismissed from Government early last year after he filed nomination papers to stand as an independent candidate in the March 2005 parliamentary elections. (Sunday Mail)
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