News / National
Jonathan Moyo blasts Gono, says he is ignorant
26 Sep 2014 at 04:59hrs | Views
INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo yesterday blasted former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono for blaming Zanu PF for his flopped senatorial bid in Manicaland.
In a statement yesterday, Moyo described Gono as scandalous and desperate after the aspiring Manicaland senator blamed his woes on Zanu PF factionalism.
Gono on Wednesday sensationally blamed his disqualification by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to be sworn in as senator for Manicaland on his detractors in Zanu PF after he was endorsed by the Zanu PF politburo to take over the senatorial seat left vacant by the death of former Agriculture minister Kumbirai Kangai who died last year.
But ZEC last week wrote to Zanu PF informing the party that Gono was ineligible to take up the seat as he was not a registered voter in the province.
Gono took a swipe at the Registrar-General's Office and ZEC for the mix-up saying he had sought to transfer his name on the voters' roll from Harare to Buhera last year.
But Moyo yesterday said the response showed that the former governor had "become too desperate to assume the seat and his argument was based on emotions."
"The fact that Gono was, as he still maybe, ignorant of this legal position is not a defence. Further it is neither fair nor responsible for Gono to blame anyone else for his ignorance of the law," Moyo added.
He said the legal complications around Gono's transfer from Harare to Buhera West had nothing to do with Zanu PF factionalism, but were as a result of changes brought about by the new Constitution.
"Rather than personalising this process, distorting facts and casting aspersions while publicly displaying his ignorance of the law, Gono should tell voters in Buhera in particular and in Manicaland in general why he did not register as a voter there by 10 July, 2013, ahead of elections last year, as provided in the law because doing so would have enabled him to cast his vote in a province he so desperately now wants to represent by hook or crook," Moyo said.
"Zimbabwe is not a banana republic. It is repugnant and therefore unacceptable that the enactment of any law should be hurried or done to suit the political interests of an individual or to mitigate the consequences of anybody's ignorance of the law."
The minister said Gono was also wrong to insinuate President Robert Mugabe leads a faction in Zanu PF
Southern Eye
Source - Southern Eye