Jonathan Moyo throws weight behind Kasukuwere

HIGHER and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo yesterday threw his weight behind his beleaguered colleague, Saviour Kasukuwere, who faces accusations of abusing his Zanu-PF commissariat position to set up parallel structures in a bid to topple President Robert Mugabe.

In a strong-worded statement, Moyo described the attacks on Kasukuwere as "hogwash of the century", as he also took a dig at Macro-Economic Planning minister Obert Mpofu, whom he described as the biblical "Judas Iscariot", after the latter indicated that the Tsholotsho North MP would also be censured soon for backing his Mt Darwin South colleague.

All the 10 Zanu-PF provincial executives have signed petitions calling for Kasukuwere's ouster from both his party and government positions.

Besides both being Zanu-PF politburo members, Kasukuwere and Moyo are reportedly friends.

Moyo, who is currently in India, yesterday dismissed allegations he was conniving with Kasukuwere in an alleged plot to topple Mugabe.

"From the published remarks on the social media platforms of the Chronicle and the Herald, it is clear that Obert Mpofu abused the PCC (provincial coordinating committee), as he so often does, in his mistaken belief that just because he has a big body, he should throw his weight around and usurp the PCC for his personal purposes and his grossly selfish politics that the people of Matabeleland North have come to loathe for its depravity," Moyo said.

"Obert Mpofu believes he is the Zanu-PF PCC in Matabeleland North and that the PCC in Matabeleland North is Obert Mpofu. This rot of his has gone on for too long and too far."

Added Moyo: "Putting aside the understandable issues raised by the party's women's league regarding specific issues that have been addressed, nobody has said exactly what mistakes, if any, Cde Kasukuwere has made.

"But to accuse Kasukuwere, of all people, of setting up parallel Zanu-PF structures to topple President Mugabe is wickedly preposterous and hogwash of the century."

Moyo said Kasukuwere works around the clock supporting and serving Mugabe, citing the million-man march, which he claimed was made possible by the beleaguered party commissar.

"It is in such light that I'm proud of the work I have done with Cde Kasukuwere in support of the President, party, government and country and it would be a great honour for me to be charged for doing that work by a well-known, shameless and greedy Judas Iscariot."

Moyo also defended his attacks on the government-sponsored Command Agriculture programme, saying he had since resolved his differences with the architect of the scheme, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

"Obert Mpofu's allegation that I have attacked command agriculture on social media and that I should be censured for that shows beyond any doubt that he has become dangerously opportunistic in his quest to impress some successionist interests in the hope of securing a position in their treacherous ranks," he said.

Moyo and Mpofu have always had a fraught relationship and it peaked in 2014 when the Higher Education minister reportedly said his politburo colleague had the body of an elephant and the brain of a rat.

In the latest instalment, Moyo accused Mpofu of trying to be King Lobengula, before warning of consequences.

"I, for one, will not allow Obert Mpofu to impersonate King Lobengula, pretending to be Matabeleland North's centre of power," he said.

"Zanu-PF has one centre of power across the country and that centre of power is President Mugabe, my appointing authority to whom I report directly, not via Obert Mpofu or anyone else for that matter.

"Obert Mpofu is a colleague in the politburo, and not my boss. If he does not respect this fact, he must prepare for the consequences."