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(TALKZIMBABWE) I am Zanu PF, and proud: Prof Moyo

I am Zanu PF, and proud: Prof Moyo
Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:37:00 +0000

PROFESSOR Jonathan Moyo has admitted that some of the misunderstandings that arose between him and some senior Zanu PF members were because he had not given much time to appreciate the moral and political sensibilities of his seniors. He says she has learnt the hard way and regrets some of the things that happened.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail newspaper, the professor — who has now been unconditionally accepted back into Zanu PF after being banished from the party following the Tsholotsho saga in 2004 — said most of the misunderstandings that arose between him and some senior party members were because he had not given much time to appreciating and addressing their moral and political sensibilities as he had done to getting things done.

“Well, much as I strongly believe that it is always important for one to stand for what they believe is right and inasmuch as I believe that getting things done is better than saying them, I now also understand that it is also very important in a political party to be sensitive to the dynamics of history and seniority,” he told the newspaper.

“In fact, that is true of all human associations starting with the family. The bottom line is that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. Sounds bad yet it is true. If you understand this, you can get more and better things done, especially in a political party with profound history such as Zanu PF.

“When I look back, I can see that the misunderstandings that arose between me and some senior Zanu PF leaders were largely because I did not give as much time to appreciating and addressing their moral and political sensibilities as much as I did to trying to get things done out there.

“When you are busy mending a roof in the middle of a hailstorm, it is not always easy to know where your father or grandfather is sitting and they may very well blame their battering from the storm on you if you are not careful about taking care of them.

“So, even though I feel that my father and grandfather should always give me the benefit of the doubt as their offspring, I do accept some considerable responsibility for the things that went wrong in my relationship with my elders in Zanu PF in 2004 and 2005.”

He added: “In particular, I regret that I did not listen to them as much as I should have and that I did not give them as much time as they deserved. It is a fact of our deeply cherished African tradition that all parents and grandparents deserve respect and attention, if you do not give them that, they curse you and whatever you were doing which was good becomes bad.

“I have learnt that lesson the hard way. What I can say is that maybe that’s what experience is all about. Now I can claim to be experienced."

Just after being fired from Zanu PF and subsequently Government, Prof Moyo had no kind words for President Mugabe and at one point he said the President had surrounded himself with “dead wood”.

Asked why people should trust his motives of rejoining Zanu PF now, a party he once said will never win any election, Prof Moyo said: “Look, it is very difficult for any normal human being to have kind words for or about anyone he or she thinks is responsible for his or her misery.

“I felt totally miserable and let down at that time in 2005, and my wife and children felt even worse not least because I had spent all the time away from them doing the work for the party and government around the clock.

"So yes I felt profound anger and even betrayal and I was very hurt at the personal level because I honestly believed I did not deserve what happened even if I had made some mistakes as I am sure I did.

“To this extent I regret some of the things I said or did. But you must also understand that it was not a case of one-way traffic. Terrible things were also said and done against me and my family by some Zanu PF comrades as part of the heat of the moment.

“It took other Zanu PF comrades to try and balance and calm things down otherwise the disaster would have been worse.

“And yes I did say at one time that President Mugabe was surrounded by some deadwood and I believe I was telling the truth which the President himself had said and which many in Zanu PF believed was indeed the case.

“The only notable difference on that is that my pronouncement was made outside the party because I had been considered to have expelled myself from Zanu PF when I chose to run as an independent candidate in the 2005 parliamentary elections in protest at what I had seen as unfair and unwarranted treatment.

“I am Zanu PF and I am very proud of that fact because I have always been Zanu PF notwithstanding the setbacks suffered over the last five or so years.

“I have certainly learnt my lessons and I trust that others have also learnt theirs."

At some point Prof Moyo exchanged tough words with his former permanent secretary George Charamba. In some cases the exchanges were said to have gone personal.

On his relationship with Charamba now: “There was indeed a time when my relationship with Charamba not only deteriorated but also degenerated into unfortunate personal levels which spilled onto the media.

While I very much regret that because I worked very well with him and because I know he is without doubt a true nationalist who also happens to be among the best capable professionals in our country, I also know it was a passing wind which did not destroy his or my sails let alone our spirits."

Some in Zanu PF branded him a "mafikizolo", "johnny-come-lately".

On that he said: “On a lighter note, I hope those who saw me as mafikizolo yesterday will not see me in the same way today because one cannot be a mafikizolo forever.

“While I may have been new or young yesterday, I am certainly not that today and that has nothing to do with the clear and present fact that many in Zanu PF are my seniors today as they will be tomorrow." TSM/TZG

Labels: JONATHAN MOYO, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 3:19 AM