“We know who they are, but we do not know what they stand for, their policy or ideology,” he told a meeting last Thursday.
Moyo’s statements may be seen as a thinly veiled attack on Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Emmerson Mnangagwa, who are reportedly leading opposing factions within Zanu PF and are positioning themselves to succeed Mugabe.
“Mugabe remains the only person who talks to the people and who talks the indigenous talk, we are better off with him than the others,” Moyo, a Zanu PF politburo member, said.
The Tsholotsho North legislator said the succession issue would be resolved through a framework within Zanu PF where the person to succeed Mugabe would be faithful to the founding values, policy and retaining the legacy of the party.
He said the problem was that Zimbabweans tended to focus on individuals and lost sight of the bigger picture, a problem he blamed on the media.Moyo said contrary to popular perception, there was robust debate within Zanu PF on the succession issue, but the consensus was that Mugabe was the rightful leader.
The former university lecturer claimed the media’s handling of the Zanu PF succession issue had been immature, creating controversy where there was none.
Moyo is no stranger to the Zanu PF succession debate and is widely regarded as one of the key architects of the Tsholotsho Declaration, which was meant to torpedo Mujuru’s ascendancy to the vice-president’s post.
He was expelled from Zanu PF after deciding to stand as an independent candidate, only to make a return to the party in 2009, four years after his expulsion.
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Turning to the leaked US cables, Moyo said these had strengthened Mugabe’s hand and predicted that those named would fall over themselves trying to please the president in an effort to make amends for perceived transgressions.
Whistleblower website, WikiLeaks released secret US embassy cables, where Zanu PF members, including Moyo were reported to have confided in American envoys.
A constant theme in the released Zimbabwe cables was the succession issue, as Zanu PF members expressed frustration at Mugabe’s grip on power.“We will see those named doing everything possible to support Mugabe,” he said. “It will take a courageous politician in Zanu PF to act as if nothing happened.”
It was widely expected that Mugabe, who reportedly does not take kindly to disloyalty, was going to wield the axe and take punitive measures on those named in the cables, but the expected backlash is yet to happen.
Moyo said it was inconceivable that people would lose their political careers over the leaked cables, although he said this opened the door for others to rise within the party’s structures.
He conceded that Zimbabwe was a closed society, saying had it been open the upheaval over the leaked cables would not be happening.
