A fierce Twar has ensued pitting exiled former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo and renowned investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
Moyo who had suggested that the friendship exhibited between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair should be used to lobby for lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe accused the Citizens Coalition for Change of toying with idea that it can influence lifting of sanctions.
Moyo said Blair would be used to influence the dismantling of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zdera) which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe over human rights abuses.
“Some things never cease to amaze. So #CCC influencers and trolls, who apparently speak for @nelsonchamisa, think they know more about Zdera than Tony Blair; and that they have more influence in geopolitics and the US than Blair and his @InstituteGC. Zim is cursed!”
However, Chin’ono in response said Moyo knows that his actions and that of his colleagues in ZANU-PF and government then, such as human rights abuses and oppression invited the sanctions.
“ZIDERA was attracted by things you were doing @ProfJNMoyo like muzzling the media, bombing newspaper plants, meddling with the judiciary.
“You personally destroyed @ZBCNewsonline turning it into a tuck shop. You personally supervised the dismantling of a legal private radio,” said Chin’ono.
He added that ZIDERA was attracted by laws like AIPPA that were personally penned by Moyo.
“Dr Zvobgo from your party ZANUPF said you wanted “frightening powers” for yourself. He said AIPPA was ”the most calculated and determined assault on our liberties guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added.
But Moyo hit back saying no single minister can pen a law alone.
“Only an evil ignoramus will lie that I “personally penned” AIPPA. No minister can personally pen any law. AIPPA was penned by AG’s staff led by Nelson Dias, under then Justice Minister Chinamasa, approved by Cabinet & unanimously passed by #ZanuPF & #MDC in Parliament,” he said.
He added that it is a lie to claim that Zdera was invited by AIPPA.
“It is wicked for anyone to tell a big lie that, “ZIDERA was attracted by laws like AIPPA”.
“Only in a fool’s paradise would AIPPA enacted in 2002, “attract” Zdera enacted 2001. The US enacted Zdera in 2001 only to block and reverse Zimbabwe’s land reform started in 2000!”
Moyo says Tony Blair knows better than anyone, that Western sanctions first imposed by the US in 2001 under Zdera, and by the EU in 2002, were because of Zim’s 2000 land reform programme, not any governance issues adding that governance issues in Saudi Arabia have not prompted Zdera-like sanctions.
But Chin’ono said Moyo knows the truth about Zdera, but don’t want to admit.
“Moyo, the man who insults us daily calling us Chamisa’s thugs.
“He knows that 1 of ZIDEDA’s demands is simply for Government of Zimbabwe to investigate what happened to Itayi Dzamara,” he said adding that Jonathan doesn’t care as exhibited in his cruel insinuations.
Apparently, Chin’ono went on to say Moyo is attacking him for associating with a political party of his choice, yet he says it is everyone’s right to associate with anyone.
“He calls many people Western puppets, yet here he says Zimbabweans have a right to associate with anyone including foreigners! Such rank hypocrisy,” he said.
Moyo responded by saying: “It’s one thing to associate with foreigners to promote your country or to advance your professional or business interests; and quite another thing to be a running dog of foreigners that barks rubbish against your country day in and day out, in exchange of thirty pieces of silver!”
Chin’ono said Moyo supervised the torture of journalists through the repressive laws whose making and implementation he was part of.
“Many journalists were tortured thanks to your repressive media law @ProfJNMoyo, some of them like Gift Phiri in this film died from effects of that torture.
“You made Journalists apply for certificates before they could do their work destroying press freedom. Your LEGACY lives on.
“After taking part in the LOOTING of public funds as exposed by Alex Magaisa, @ProfJNMoyo defended ZANUPF & Mugabe’s failures refusing that people were suffering.
“When challenged with a newspaper, he called the journalists a “LUNATIC FRINGE” press. Yet he complains about insults,” he said.
Chin’ono added by posting a picture of the Daily News printing press and Strive Masiyiwa’s statement when the paper was petrol bombed.
“Our newspaper was bombed by Jonathan Moyo, no one stood in our corner” – Strive Masiyiwa.
“This is the printing press of the Daily News after it had been bombed during Moyo’s infamous days as Information Minister, yet he calls me a thug. The guy thinks only him is right,” said Chin’ono .
Zwnews
