News / National
'Jonathan Moyo is a bitter and defeated politician'
12 Jan 2018 at 05:49hrs | Views
THE Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Mr George Charamba, yesterday dismissed former Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo as an attention seeking, bitter and defeated politician who suffers from power denial psychosis.
Prof Moyo, in an interview with BBC's Hardtalk yesterday morning, claimed among other things that the Government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa was illegitimate adding that he fled the country during Operation Restore Legacy because he feared for his life.
The former minister who was expelled from Zanu-PF along with fellow members of the G40 cabal including former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe, also made sensational claims that President Mnangagwa's recent visit to the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's home was to postpone the elections by three years.
This was however, dismissed by Mr Charamba and Mr Tsvangirai's spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka.
Mr Charamba said the legitimacy of the country's new Government derives from the people of Zimbabwe and not Prof Moyo.
"Legitimacy doesn't derive from a bitter defeated professor. It derives from the people of Zimbabwe. The position of the people of Zimbabwe is in respect of the new era, which was created on the back of an interception of sinister motives of the cabal that was taking advantage of the former President to launch itself into power, power that they had not constructed in the first place," he said in an interview with Capitalk.
"The issue of legitimacy or illegitimacy is not interpreted by Jonathan Moyo. You saw what happened at Zimbabwe Grounds, you saw what happened by way of an across the political spectrum support. The action that had been mounted, mounted to avert a major crisis that was actually a creation by people like Jonathan Moyo.
Media is giving Jonathan too much attention that he doesn't deserve. Twitter will not recover the economy, run the elections or confer legitimacy in any country. Jonathan Moyo is a bitter defeated politician who suffers from what the late Dr Edson Zvobgo would have called power denial psychosis."
Mr Charamba who doubles as the Presidential spokesperson said he had worked with Prof Moyo more than anyone can ever claim to read the former minister's tricks.
"One thing that I know about him is that he comes from a school of thought which says the best way of getting accommodated is by making so much noise so that those that are in offices of responsibility can then try and buy you in for silence. It's not going to happen," said Mr Charamba.
He said the new administration led by President Mnangagwa has received blessings from international bodies like Sadc, United Nations and the African Union.
"Much more interestingly, even the Pope sent a message of congratulations to the new President," said Mr Charamba.
He dismissed Prof Moyo's alleged militarisation of the Government.
"I don't see military in the Government. I see citizens who are keen to serve their country. If I were to get an engineer who joins the military, does that amount to engineering the military? If there's a journalist who finds some space within the military, does it amount to turning it into a journalistic proposition? Military people are still citizens of this country.
"If they have a vision, which takes this country forward, there's nothing, either constitutional or by way of morality to stop them from joining Government. This fascination, therefore, in my view is a misplaced debate," said Mr Charamba.
He added that Rtd Air Marshall Perrance Shiri has done a lot in a short space of time in respect of a very difficult area called land administration.
"You then realise how important it is for people to look at a person in terms of their own capacity not in terms of who they were yesterday.
"General Sibusiso Moyo has also done a lot in a short space of time to try and win the confidence of the international community in the direction of re-engaging with the world so as to normalise relations. That's what matters," said Mr Charamba.
Mr Charamba also dismissed Prof Moyo's talk about Gukurahundi saying he never raised the issue while still in Government.
"At what point has he realised there is something called Gukuarahundi? Early post November? He was part of the Government not just once but twice, not just for one term but for two long terms.
"Interestingly the second term of his second coming was created as a result of elections held in 2013. What he doesn't know is that President Mnangagwa made those elections a success for Zanu-PF, the same person he's now attacking. That's why I'm calling it power denial psychosis," said Mr Charamba.
He said he was not aware of any warrant of arrest or death warrant against Prof Moyo and urged the former minister to come back home and clear his name in the courts.
"What I know is that he ran away from his family and left his children in the custody of a 93-year-old former President. Remember I was part of the negotiating team. No one issued a death warrant against him.
"He gave a death warrant to his own family. Let's be aware of a judgment by the Supreme Court of the Zimdef matter. If he has nothing to fear let him come and clear his name in the court of law, not on BBC. That's not the way to go," said Mr Charamba.
He said Zimbabweans should ignore fictional characters such as Jonathan Moyo and worry about turning around the economy, improving their living conditions and the elections that are coming.
Meanwhile, Mr Tamborinyoka dismissed as hogwash Prof Moyo's claims that President Mnangagwa's visit to the MDC-T leader's house was to negotiate the delay of elections by three years.
"That is total hogwash. I issued a statement after the meeting on the matters that had been discussed. Certainly, Jonathan Moyo is not Tsvangirai's spokesperson and cannot speak on his behalf worse about a meeting that he (Prof Moyo) was not part of," he said.
"I am Tsvangirai's spokesperson and the communication that I gave after the meeting contains the actual facts on what happened. There is no iota of truth in what Prof Moyo is saying."
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu also described Prof Moyo as a frustrated man who is losing it.
"The party position is that President Mnangagwa's visit was a private one and the matters discussed there were equally private and we do not know what Jonathan Moyo is talking about. From the party point of view, Jonathan Moyo is losing it, he is an angry man who is losing it," said Mr Gutu.
Prof Moyo, in an interview with BBC's Hardtalk yesterday morning, claimed among other things that the Government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa was illegitimate adding that he fled the country during Operation Restore Legacy because he feared for his life.
The former minister who was expelled from Zanu-PF along with fellow members of the G40 cabal including former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe, also made sensational claims that President Mnangagwa's recent visit to the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai's home was to postpone the elections by three years.
This was however, dismissed by Mr Charamba and Mr Tsvangirai's spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka.
Mr Charamba said the legitimacy of the country's new Government derives from the people of Zimbabwe and not Prof Moyo.
"Legitimacy doesn't derive from a bitter defeated professor. It derives from the people of Zimbabwe. The position of the people of Zimbabwe is in respect of the new era, which was created on the back of an interception of sinister motives of the cabal that was taking advantage of the former President to launch itself into power, power that they had not constructed in the first place," he said in an interview with Capitalk.
"The issue of legitimacy or illegitimacy is not interpreted by Jonathan Moyo. You saw what happened at Zimbabwe Grounds, you saw what happened by way of an across the political spectrum support. The action that had been mounted, mounted to avert a major crisis that was actually a creation by people like Jonathan Moyo.
Media is giving Jonathan too much attention that he doesn't deserve. Twitter will not recover the economy, run the elections or confer legitimacy in any country. Jonathan Moyo is a bitter defeated politician who suffers from what the late Dr Edson Zvobgo would have called power denial psychosis."
Mr Charamba who doubles as the Presidential spokesperson said he had worked with Prof Moyo more than anyone can ever claim to read the former minister's tricks.
"One thing that I know about him is that he comes from a school of thought which says the best way of getting accommodated is by making so much noise so that those that are in offices of responsibility can then try and buy you in for silence. It's not going to happen," said Mr Charamba.
He said the new administration led by President Mnangagwa has received blessings from international bodies like Sadc, United Nations and the African Union.
"Much more interestingly, even the Pope sent a message of congratulations to the new President," said Mr Charamba.
He dismissed Prof Moyo's alleged militarisation of the Government.
"I don't see military in the Government. I see citizens who are keen to serve their country. If I were to get an engineer who joins the military, does that amount to engineering the military? If there's a journalist who finds some space within the military, does it amount to turning it into a journalistic proposition? Military people are still citizens of this country.
"If they have a vision, which takes this country forward, there's nothing, either constitutional or by way of morality to stop them from joining Government. This fascination, therefore, in my view is a misplaced debate," said Mr Charamba.
He added that Rtd Air Marshall Perrance Shiri has done a lot in a short space of time in respect of a very difficult area called land administration.
"You then realise how important it is for people to look at a person in terms of their own capacity not in terms of who they were yesterday.
"General Sibusiso Moyo has also done a lot in a short space of time to try and win the confidence of the international community in the direction of re-engaging with the world so as to normalise relations. That's what matters," said Mr Charamba.
Mr Charamba also dismissed Prof Moyo's talk about Gukurahundi saying he never raised the issue while still in Government.
"At what point has he realised there is something called Gukuarahundi? Early post November? He was part of the Government not just once but twice, not just for one term but for two long terms.
"Interestingly the second term of his second coming was created as a result of elections held in 2013. What he doesn't know is that President Mnangagwa made those elections a success for Zanu-PF, the same person he's now attacking. That's why I'm calling it power denial psychosis," said Mr Charamba.
He said he was not aware of any warrant of arrest or death warrant against Prof Moyo and urged the former minister to come back home and clear his name in the courts.
"What I know is that he ran away from his family and left his children in the custody of a 93-year-old former President. Remember I was part of the negotiating team. No one issued a death warrant against him.
"He gave a death warrant to his own family. Let's be aware of a judgment by the Supreme Court of the Zimdef matter. If he has nothing to fear let him come and clear his name in the court of law, not on BBC. That's not the way to go," said Mr Charamba.
He said Zimbabweans should ignore fictional characters such as Jonathan Moyo and worry about turning around the economy, improving their living conditions and the elections that are coming.
Meanwhile, Mr Tamborinyoka dismissed as hogwash Prof Moyo's claims that President Mnangagwa's visit to the MDC-T leader's house was to negotiate the delay of elections by three years.
"That is total hogwash. I issued a statement after the meeting on the matters that had been discussed. Certainly, Jonathan Moyo is not Tsvangirai's spokesperson and cannot speak on his behalf worse about a meeting that he (Prof Moyo) was not part of," he said.
"I am Tsvangirai's spokesperson and the communication that I gave after the meeting contains the actual facts on what happened. There is no iota of truth in what Prof Moyo is saying."
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Obert Gutu also described Prof Moyo as a frustrated man who is losing it.
"The party position is that President Mnangagwa's visit was a private one and the matters discussed there were equally private and we do not know what Jonathan Moyo is talking about. From the party point of view, Jonathan Moyo is losing it, he is an angry man who is losing it," said Mr Gutu.
Source - the herald
