Professor Jonathan Moyo admits Zanu-PF has failed

In a veiled sign of admission, Prof Jonathan Moyo yesterday acknowledged that ZanuPF had all but failed to run the country since winning the 2013 elections. Prof J. Moyo, who is the MP for Tsholotsho North and Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology said this during a question and answer session at a well-attended press club in Bulawayo's royal hotel.

Prof J Moyo stated three fundamental reasons why ZanuPF had failed. Two main reasons the reasons he highlighted were the unabated ragging fires of infightings currently dogging ZanuPF. The third factor according to him are the recent waves of demonstrations which he said are being supported indirectly or directly by the western embassies to try and effect regime change through unconstitutional means.
"From 2013 to 2014 we were consumed with the Mujuru saga. After wards we had a new phase of successionists' issues bedevilling the party even up to today, threatening the stability of ZanuPF. As if that is not enough, we now have the Tajamukas" said Moyo.

According to Prof J. Moyo, who spoke as the Tsholotsho North MP, the government of Zimbabwe had a "limited space for expansion and policy implementation" since its election in government in 2013. One of the main causes of the Zim-Asset policy implementation draw back had been the advent or existence of Mujuru factor. Moyo explained that the Mujuru factor seized and paralysed the party and government for a year since 2013 October to 2014 December thereby diverting government from real issues of governance.

"It became harder and impossible to work for the betterment of the nation under those conditions as there was so much bickering and underhand dealings aimed at removing a democratically elected President Robert Mugabe from power by Mujuru and her Cabal," emphasised Moyo.

Professor Moyo pointed out that Mujuru and other expelled members intentionally delayed the implementation of Zim Asset project as per schedule. He accused Dr Mujuru and others of "throwing spanners into the works of government planning just months after President Mugabe had secured a resounding victory in 2013. Instead of developing the country," he explained, "the party was instead seized with internal wrangles."

Dr Joyce Mujuru along with other long serving and founding members of ZanuPF such as Cde D. Mutasa, Cde R. Gumbo, former war veteran leader Cde J. Sibanda, amongst others, were unceremoniously kicked out of ZanuPF in 2014 on several frivolous charges of trying to overthrow the nonagenarian President Robert Mugabe. Dr J Mujuru has up to today denied the charges levelled against her. She later formed Zimbabwe People First party which has been a constant and significant voice in the band waggon of opposition parties calling for President Mugabe to step down against a backdrop of a soaring 90% unemployment rate in the country.

The second aspect brought to light by Prof Jonathan Moyo was the issue he christened "the successionists issue". Without mentioning names, Prof J Moyo attacked the successionists as divisive power hungry individuals who instead of supporting the President Robert Mugabe were sadly fixated on grabbing power through unorthodox means.

He scoffed at the idea that ZanuPF still had any remaining factions since expulsion of Mujuru loyalists. He attributed the apparent so called existence of factions to journalists who "always think in binary terms...Since gamatox had been removed from zanupf, papers were no longer selling. So in order to keep their papers selling, journalists had to come up with new fancy and attractive names for their fictional factions. Names such as G40 and Lacoste."

The Lacoste faction has been attributed to being led by VP E.D Mnangagwa. A claim the VP Mnangagwa refutes in the same fashion the former VP Dr J Mujuru refuted the allegations that she led a Gamatox faction. The Generation 40 on the other hand is being said to be led by Prof J Moyo, Hon S Kasukuwere and Hon P Zhuwawo, the nephew to President R Mugabe.

Of late the acting Vice President Mnangagwa has come under heavy siege and open humiliation similar to the way Dr J Mujuru was humiliated and subsequently expelled from ZanuPF. VP Mnangagwa is being accused of trying to re-engineer the Tsholotsho declaration of 2004, whose wave saw people like Advocate Jacob Mudenda, Prof J Moyo, Cde J. Sibanda and others being suspended from ZanuPF. Prof J Moyo then, in 2005, went on to contest Tsholotsho North on an independent ticket and won resoundingly. He subsequently lost the Tsholotsho North seat in the 2013 elections to Roselene Sipepa-Nkomo of the MDCT, only to win it back under a ZanuPF ticket in the 2015 by-election following MDCT leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's recall of several MPs from Parliament as a result of MDCT internal power struggles.

The third factor highlighted by Prof J Moyo was the advent of recent waves of demonstrations country wide that are advocating for, among other things, electoral reforms. Moyo then questioned why the opposition parties had been silent about electoral reforms
since 2013 only "to make noise three years later after having drafted and adopted the electoral laws while in Government of National Unity".

These waves of demonstrations have incessantly came from political parties who are signatories to National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA), civic organisations and a new wave of activists termed "the clicktivists". Clicktivists are rightly named so because they are a different crop of activists that expresses their displeasure through social media such as WhatsApp, Twitter or Facebook before taking the demonstrations out to the real world. So far the most prominent clicktivist groups motivated by the Hash Tag movement that have made real life impact have been #ThisFlag, #Tajamuka, #Asisafuni amongst others.

Several of these young and brave activists who dared stand up against the authorities have been brutally crushed while some have been incarcerated on puerile cropped up charges ranging from treason to downright criminal nuisance. Of note in Harare is Evan Mawarire, Linda Masarira and others. Linda Masarira is one forgotten victim who has spent over a fortnight behind bars as the state continues to deny her bail. Bulawayo activists who include Mthokozisi Ncube, Alfred Dzirutwe, Robson Tera and Thembelihle Sibanda were arrested, detailed for over 48 hours before being acquitted as state failed to prove its barmy charges against them.

These waves of protests have been generally peaceful though some have unfortunately turned violent resulting in looting sprees to which Prof J Moyo condemned in no uncertain terms. The violence has been blamed largely on police interference with the protestors and throwing in of teargas to crowds of peacefully marching citizens thereby causing skirmishes and chaotic scenes largely witnessed in Harare CBD.

Prof J Moyo had no kind words for NERA political party signatories. He described of NERA as a futile attempt by weak opposition parties to try and force ZanuPF to "commit political suicide by agreeing to policies that will result in its removal from power". He implore the opposition parties to fight and win the next election to be held by 22 July 2018 and then implement their political suicidal policies. He out rightly rubbished NERA as a desperate attempt by weak and divided opposition trying to find a political survival gas tank. He told the house that ZanuPF was the only coherent party, hence it was not seeking coalitions with any one.

Prof J. Moyo went on to blame the French and EU embassies for supporting the demonstrations, meddling in internal affairs of Zimbabwe thereby going against the 1969 Vienna convention resolutions on International Relations and code of conduct for embassies. "Why are these French, Canadian, American and EU ambassadors behaving and commenting like they are opposition parties in Zimbabwe, why?" an irate Moyo asked the packed room of over 70 people from different organisations who attended the press club.

On violence that is bedevilling the world of journalism, Prof J Moyo said it was regrettable if such claims were actually happening. He reminded the house that journalism was a professional field, just like teaching, and journalists should act as such. He pointed out that journalists have no business in trying to seek fame by putting their lives on the firing line during skirmishes or demonstrations. He ascribed the recent violence on journalists to the partisan and unprofessional approach some journalists were taking.

Several journalist have been arrested despite being accredited, such as Bulawayo freelance photographer Crispen Ndlovu who was arrested Wednesday the 31st of August for taking pictures of riot police beating activist Alfred Dzirutwe. Harare's senior freelancer, Godwin Mangudya, Alpha Media Holdings reporters, Elias Mambo and Richard Chidza, as well as their photographer, Tafadzwa Ufumeli have been subjected to police brutality through arrests and subsequent detention.