WAR veterans’ leader Chris Mutsvangwa has again hit out at Professor Jonathan Moyo, this time accusing the minister of being responsible for everything wrong with the country’s economy and stoking the bitter divisions in the ruling Zanu PF party.
Mutsvangwa, who chairs the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), called a press conference in Harare Friday after state media accused him of plotting a coup against President Robert Mugabe.
Clearly rattled at coming under attack from a publication that had all along supported him in his diatribes against Moyo, Mutsvangwa denied the conspiracy allegations and claimed that Moyo was behind the article.
“Jonathan Moyo, a professor, has a small mind. His mind is as low as the Batoka Gorge and he is functionally illiterate. This man abandoned the war of liberation and wanted me dead in Mgagao. We know who he is,” said the former war veterans minister.
Moyo and Mutsvangwa have repeatedly clashed with the latter accusing the minister of being the key driver of the so-called G40 Zanu PF faction which is reportedly determined to stop vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding the 93-year-old Mugabe.
Mutsvangwa openly backs Mnangagwa. He was fired from cabinet and from the ruling party over the issue but efforts to force his ouster from the war veterans’ association have so far failed despite Mugabe’s public urging.
“Jonathan Moyo knows nothing at all except succession,” said the war veterans’ leader.
“Beyond succession, there is nothing else for G40 to talk about while, we war vets are visionary and discussing issues to do with development of the country.
“Most of the big projects undertaken by the government are a result of the war veterans’ efforts.”
He continued: “We fought for Zanu PF and our absence from that party as well as their thieving habit haunts them too. G40 will seize any opportunity to claim anyone to be part of them.
“The fight for democracy is within our blood or DNA and when we see our democratisation being challenged, it obviously makes war veterans react in a certain manner.”
He also claimed that Prof Moyo was the brains behind the government’s ZimAsset economic programme which he dismissed as a was total failure.
“G40 is ignorant and all economic problems Zimbabwe being is experiencing have emanated from the G40.
“Let me say this; I am waiting for the debate to expose Professor Moyo. The whites have a potential to liberate Zimbabwe than this G40 faction.”