Moyo says most Zanu PF officials closet Makoni supporters

Moyo says most Zanu PF officials closet Makoni supporters

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By Mutongi Gava

TSHOLOTSHO MP Professor Jonathan Moyo says there are more Zanu PF officials than care to admit who are behind Simba Makoni’s bid for President.

Moyo, who has already dismissed the former finance minister’s chances of unseating President Robert Mugabe because of what he says is a flawed strategy, also spoke of his disappointment at attacks by Zanu PF officials on Dumiso Dabengwa, who has quit the ruling party to back Makoni.

Zanu PF chairman John Nkomo has labelled Dabengwa, a liberation war hero and former cabinet minister, a “sell-out” after he attended a joint rally with Makoni at Bulawayo’s White City Stadium to announce he would not back President Robert Mugabe’s bid for a new term.

Nkomo said: “There were infiltrators and sell-outs during the struggle, but that did not deter us from achieving our ultimate goal. What happened at White City is good riddance.

"We have come across such things before. We had the Dumbutshenas, but they faded into oblivion. There were bishops who also failed… We are still here. Your leadership is still there."

Moyo said many Zanu PF officials who had since come out to swear their allegiance to Mugabe were privately supporting Makoni’s presidential pitch.

He said: “It really infuriates me that people label a former ZIPRA supremo like Dabengwa a sell out. The fact he differed with Zanu PF “A” does not mean that he ceases to be a hero that we know he is.

“In fact all those who were at a press conference Nkomo addressed are behind Dabengwa. They say something in the afternoon and sing a different song at night.

“All the leaders from Matabeleland are respected by their people but it is their association with Zanu PF that has let them down. They know it.”

Moyo, speaking to journalists at a press club in Harare, also expressed disappointment at Makoni’s lack of clarity on how he intends to deal with the Gukurahundi massacres.

He said: “Makoni does not talk about this important matter in his campaign strategy and yet I think it is fundamental to mention it because the people in my constituency want it addressed.

“In the past I spoke about a possible private members’ bill in parliament, but Dabengwa shot down the idea. I have great respect for him.

“A mass grave with names of the victims must be erected and Gukurahundi be commemorated so that leaders in future do not repeat the same madness. President Mugabe admitted it was madness.”

Moyo said Makoni was being compromised by his alleged main backer, Rtd army General Solomon Mujuru, who was the army commander when the 5 Brigade was deployed to Matabeleland in the early 80’s, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent people, most of them supporters of opposition leader, Joshua Nkomo.

Moyo said there was a case for “unrepentant” former military officers and their political masters at the time to be brought to trial. Mujuru, he said, was one of them.

Challenged on his relationship with Emerson Mnangagwa, who was State Security Minister during the Gukurahundi deployment, Moyo said he had supported the idea of having him as a successor to Mugabe in 2004 because he had admitted the killings were wrong.

The former university lecturer and political scientist said he was more worried by some politicians who wanted to airbrush the genocide from history, or considered it as “water under the bridge”.

Moyo said: “We had chosen Mnangagwa as possible successor to Mugabe during the Tsholotsho meeting because he is most guilty after playing a leading role (in Gukurahundi), and it was going to help our cause of unfair development by the current government. He is most remorseful over his actions during that time.”

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is using the Gukurahundi massacres as one of his major trump cards in the region, with promises of prosecution of those behind the massacres and the establishment of a compensation fund for victims.
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