Herald exposes rift between Moyo, Gumbo

THE souring relationship between Zanu PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and Information and Broadcast Services minister Jonathan Moyo was today further exposed by the Herald – controlled by Moyo in an editorial which slams Gumbo for personifying President Mugabe.

Gumbo who is linked to a faction fronted vice president Joyce Mujuru yesterday told journalist after a politburo meeting that president Mugabe had condemned the media specifically the Herald for portraying the party in bad light.

Rugare told journalists that Mugabe had reprimanded the media – headed by Moyo to stop inciting divisions in the party.

"He felt strongly about the coverage in the media, particularly The Herald which is making destructive statements about the party. He felt that the media must inform on issues and not on personalities," Gumbo was quoted by the media today.

The Herald however accused Gumbo of putting his own words into Mugabe's mouth.

"We take great exception to statements made by Zanu PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo who passed his own now well-known personal sentiments on The Herald as the Zanu PF position, and went to the extent of seeking to put words into President Mugabe's mouth," the paper said today.

"We checked with other Politburo members who attended the meeting and found out that the President expressed concern over some sections of the media that ran a story falsely claiming that his daughter, Mrs Bona Chikore, had grabbed a farm in Goromonzi.

"Interestingly, Gumbo did not share this important detail with the media. The President did not mention The Herald by name. How the media is then crystallized to The Herald, only Gumbo knows.

"While we are flattered that the Zanu PF spokesperson considers us the be-all and end-all of the media, we are hardly amused when he passes his personal sentiments as the party or President's position," the editorial comment reads.

Analysts say the personification of the president by Gumbo is a desperate attempt to chide Moyo who is been accused but party big wigs linked to Mujuru of using the media to destroy the Mujuru faction ahead of the party's crunch December congress.