Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono claimed several years ago that he was responsible for then Information Minister Jonathan Moyo’s demise after the Tsholotsho debacle in which several senior Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front officials gathered at a school in Tsholotsho allegedly to oppose the elevation of Joice Mujuru to Vice-President.
The party officials allegedly supported then Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa for the post.
Gono, who met the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell for 90 minutes and claimed to have been sent by President Robert Mugabe, told Dell that Mugabe had complained to him that a banker close to Gono had bankrolled the Tsholotsho meeting believing that it had the blessing of Mugabe.
The RBZ governor said he had told Mugabe that two key people allegedly involved, Mnangagwa and Moyo, had taken advantage of their closeness to Mugabe as the president’s perceived support.
Gono said he told Mugabe: “You are not aware of the credibility that comes with association”
“By having spent four hours at the wedding of Mnangagwa’s child, Mugabe conveyed the false impression to the ZANU-PF faithful that the Speaker was his heir apparent.
“Likewise, Information Minister Moyo’s frequent visits to the President had conveyed the false impression that he was speaking on behalf of Mugabe, including when he organized the Tsholotsho meeting.”
Gono said most people in ZANU-PF were fed up with Moyo and supported his ouster.
Moyo was kicked out of the party when he refused to step down to allow a woman candidate to stand for the Tsholotsho seat that he eyed.
Moyo had been appointed by Mugabe as minister but did not have a mandate of his own leading to accusations that he was Mugabe’s man whose political career would end as soon as Mugabe went.
He, however, refused to give up the Tsholotsho seat and won it twice as an independent.
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