'Jonathan Moyo destroying the party,' says War Vets

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association says no member of Zanu-PF should speak on behalf of the First Family, apart from the official spokesperson who is also the Presidential press secretary Mr George Charamba.

The organisation said some elements in the party were abusing the name of the First Family to further their nefarious political ambitions.

At the same meeting, it was further agreed that no one should comment or pass judgments on the performance of Presidential appointees both in the party and Government.

Speaking to The Herald yesterday, ZNLWVA secretary general Victor Matemadanda said war veterans were miffed by the behaviour of Professor Jonathan Moyo, which they said was akin to destroying the party from within.

"The war veterans resolved that no one should speak on behalf of the First Family apart from the official spokesperson," he said.

"There are some people in the party who are abusing the name of the First Family to advance their personal interests. There was also a resolution against petitions and the President spoke strongly against this." Matemadanda continued; "(Prof) Moyo is creating some dubious animals to destabilise the party. To begin with, he is the one who started the term "Team Lacoste", which has now led to the suspension of some party members.

"As far as we know, Lacoste is a French fashion label and of course it uses the design of a crocodile, but Vice President Mnangagwa has never said he leads a faction called Team Lacoste. He (Prof Moyo) is the one who started the creature called G40. Recently, he attacked (the) Presidential spokesperson calling him an "idiot".

"Mr Charamba was clear when he gave an interview to journalists that he was speaking in his capacity as the Presidential spokesperson, meaning that he was speaking the President's mind but Jonathan (Moyo) has the audacity of calling him an "idiot". "We are saying enough is enough with this Jonathan nonsense. He is the same Jonathan who was a famous critic of Zanu-PF while he was in South Africa."

Matemadanda said Prof Moyo attacked Zanu-PF when he was expelled from the party, and he was now doing the same whilst he is a member of the same party and, it was clear that his aim was to destroy the party from within. "We are saying he should not attend the party's Politburo meetings unless he apologises to the party and Mr Charamba who he used, to indirectly attack the President." he said.

"We are going to block him from attending those meetings. We cannot block him from Cabinet because even members from the opposition can attend such meetings." Matemadanda said Prof Moyo was defying President Mugabe by his continued use of social media to discuss both party and Government issues. He said such defiance showed that he had another principal whom he respected apart from President Mugabe.

"What we know traditionally is that if the Politburo or Central Committee make a decision, no party member should defy that," said Matemadanda. "Comrades are saying enough is enough!" Matemadanda said the war veterans appreciated the sterling work being done by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa under difficult circumstances.

He said they were aware of some machinations to humiliate the minister. Said Matemadanda: "We are aware that there are some people who are being paid to humiliate the Finance Minister. The war veterans also resolved that no one should separate them from the First Family and Zanu-PF."

He said they also resolved to stand by their chairman Chris Mutsvangwa in the face of some clandestine moves to depose him from his position. Matemadanda said war veterans agreed to start mass mobilisation of people ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections. "War veterans by their nature are political commissars and we are going to start mass mobilisation and recruitment of people ahead of 2018," he said.

"We will be teaching people about the party's ideology and why they should vote for Zanu-PF." Among other things, Matemadanda said, they would be unpacking the country's economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, and achievements made so far.