Jonathan Moyo 'not qualified to speak on succession'

zanu-PF Secretary for Science and Technology Professor Jonathan Moyo is a "war deserter and a thief" who is not qualified to comment on succession issues as he fled at the height of the liberation struggle to further his studies in imperialist countries, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWA) chairman Mr Christopher Mutsvangwa said yesterday.

Addressing journalists in Harare, Mr Mutsvangwa said Prof Moyo was the least qualified person to talk about succession because he knew nothing about the topic.

He said experts at succession issues were war veterans, among other luminaries of the struggle.

"Jonathan Moyo is at it again. He was (recently) on the front pages castigating everybody left, right and centre. He is also suing everybody and everything which is in the form of an institution in this country. He is suing and now he is castigating everybody about succession," Mr Mutsvangwa said.

He said the war veterans became a very big army during the liberation struggle and they lost many thousands of people both from the guerrilla ranks, the mujibhas, chimbwidos and parents who were supporting them.

"Thousands upon thousands of people were lost as we fought against the Rhodesians. Each death meant a replacement for the war to go forward, that's succession. Each death, whether it be from mujibhas, supporting parents or whether it be from our own ranks, each death meant that a succession had to take place. So that's how we built the organisation, which is the present Zimbabwean State apparatus.

"We are masters at the succession game. We know it so well, so we have no lessons to take from a Jonathan who deserted that war and, remember, when he deserted that war, it meant they had to be a succession to replace what he was doing at Mgaogao because he never came back to that war," Mutsvangwa said.

"So that man is completely ignorant on issues of succession. He can only read about it from the American books where he ran away to join the imperialists and their think tanks who were plotting against us in the revolution."

Mutsvangwa said what Prof Moyo knew best was being a "spy", a "deserter" and a "thief".

"So please Mr Jonathan Moyo, stick to what you know best, which is being a spy, which is to be a deserter, which is to be a tribalist and of late which is to be a thief.

"He somehow thinks that revolutionary credentials, democratic credentials can be won by induction like in magnetic field. You know if you take a piece of iron and put it next to a magnet, it becomes magnetised. So Jonathan by staying next to the great revolutionaries who fought for the independence of this country in Cabinet and in the Politburo and at State House, he suddenly thinks he also has been magnetised as a revolutionary, no he is not. It doesn't matter what credentials he tries to claim, he has no pedigree. He ran away from the war and after the war he only came back to Government about 20 years later," he said.

Mr Mutsvangwa said Prof Moyo only made a name for himself after having been a critic of the war and President Mugabe.

He said now after having rubbed shoulders with revolutionaries, he now wanted to challenge their credentials.

"A revolutionary is tried and tested. We look at a roster of your deeds. The Chiwengas (Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantino Chiwenga) of this world, they left young, they trained in Mgaogao in the 70s, they commanded the army of the guerrillas, they rose through the ranks. The Rhodesians were defeated by the Chiwengas of this world, the Mnangagwas (Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa) helped create the army which became Zanla forces and spent 10 years in jail on death row to do that. This is pedigree. This is tried and tested by having every day to put your life in danger to build an institution which becomes the new nation of Zimbabwe.

"Jonathan is absent at each and every stage of that epic struggle. He is nowhere. So please you have no right as Jonathan Moyo to speak about succession."

He said through the G40 Prof Moyo and political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere removed some of the elected party chairpersons and replaced them with their own members.

Mutsvangwa said all these acting chairmen were not elected and were their puppets and an "extension of themselves".

He said the G40s were a disaster of this country and had nothing to offer as they only thought of destroying the party and taking over power.

Political analysts recently said Prof Moyo had a long and documented history of disloyalty to President Mugabe and zanu-pf and should stop lecturing people on obedience.

Observers also said Prof Moyo could not claim to champion the legacy of the liberation struggle given his cheque0red history as reports indicate that he was studying in the comfort of America as true sons and daughters were being maimed and massacred by the brutal Smith regime.

The analysts' remarks were triggered by Prof Moyo's comments in the private media, where he attacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga in Bulawayo on Friday.

Prof Moyo could not be reached for a comment yesterday.