However, top Zanu PF sources said it was unlikely there would be a cabinet mini-reshuffle to accommodate Moyo.
“Moyo is heavily tipped to bounce back into the politburo as head of information or commissariat. He will be more effective heading the commissariat where he will have a free rein,” a senior Zanu PF official said.Moyo’s election to the central committee at the party congress at the weekend was greeted by huge applause from the over 10 000 delegates, the state media reported.
Zanu PF, the sources said, wanted the former Information minister to come up with strategies to revive the party and woo the electorate in preparation for future elections.
The sources said although Moyo had proved to be effective on the communication and information front, he was likely to land the commissariat post and would be charged with the responsibility to reorganise the party and rationalise its structures as resolved by the congress.
The congress resolved that the party should be re-organised and should re-introduce “focused ideological education at all levels of its leadership and membership, shun factionalism and stop its current obsession with leadership positions to refocus on advancing the interests of the people and meeting their needs”.
Moyo, the sources said, would also be tasked to come up with mobilisation strategies and develop a “clear-cut leadership renewal and continuity policy at all levels in order to continually reinvigorate, renew and ensure the effective transfer of the party’s ideological underpinnings, values, practices and the ethos of the liberation struggle between successive generations of leaders”.
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Also tipped to be elevated into the party’s politburo, is Zanu PF’s only legislator in Harare, Hubert Nyanhongo, who has the backing of war veterans and some security organs of the government.
Sources in Zanu PF told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that war veterans and senior central intelligence officers, who were irked by what they described as “daylight robbery” of the elections in Harare, were pushing for Nyanhongo’s appointment, which would make him one of Amos Midzi’s bosses although Midzi is the provincial chairman.
The move to appoint Nyanhongo, the sources said, was meant to appease his supporters in Harare, who had vowed to continue with their parallel structures until the election of the Midzi executive was nullified.
Mugabe, upon advice from security agents and some party heavyweights, had to include Nyanhongo in the central committee to calm emotions at the congress where tensions were high, almost threatening to disrupt the congress.
“The appointment of Nyanhongo to the central committee was Mugabe’s indication that he was not happy with Midzi’s leadership and wanted him (Nyanhongo) in a senior position,” said a party insider. “If Nyanhongo is going to be appointed to the politburo, he will become Midzi’s senior in the party.”
The sources said plans were also afoot for the newly elected chairperson, Simon Khaya Moyo, to work fulltime for the party to superintend its revival.
Moyo is the country’s ambassador to South Africa and was widely tipped to be appointed to cabinet as one of the three co-Ministers of National Healing. He will replace John Nkomo who was sworn in on Monday as the country’s second vice-president.
Faith Zaba
