Jonathan Moyo says a political party is not a brand like Nike or CocaCola

Exiled Zimbabwean politician Jonathan Moyo yesterday said a political party is not a brand like Nike or CocaCola. It is a structure. “No structure, no political party.”

He said this after being blasted by Citizens Coalition for Change supporters after Moyo had said CCC had no members and could therefore not claim that Moreblessing Ali who was murdered in Chitungwiza last month was a member of the party.

“As a brand new party formed in Jan 2022; with no link to any current or past political party; without having held a founding congress; with no ideology; with no constitution and with no structures; how can, or on what basis does, #CCC claim anyone as its member?” Moyo tweeted.

Thembz responded: “During elections, CCC without having congress, with no ideology, with no constitution & with no structures won majority seats. If CCC has no members who voted for them? Whom are CCC MPs representing in Parliament? It is on this basis, Educated pple like u don’t get simple things.”

George M. added: “I am surprised this is coming from a Proffesor. I am a CCC member by choice not by all those things you mentioned. We are simple laymen…we dont need paperwork to be members of or to vote for CCC…we don’t need history congress or stuff we need CHANGE sir.”

Moyo responded: “Comments noted. Ultimately, a political party is not a brand like @Nike, @CocaCola or #ProtectorPlus, it is a structure. So, structure is the genus of @republican,@TheDemocrats, #UnitedRussia, Conservatives, @CPofCN, @MYANC & @ZANUPF_Official. No structure, no political party!”

Moyo, who has kept the debate burning, said under Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda and Welshman Ncube, the #MDC was formed via the STRUCTURES of the trade union movement; CSOs & CBOs; student movement, academia, professional associations, business interests and white farmers supported by Western donors. #StructureMatters!

“By definition, politics is organised action; that is what is meant by STRUCTURE. Anything else is hot air. In 2018 @nelsonchamisa had the votes but no structures, he had a floating campaign that was far removed from the campaign of his local authority and constituency candidates!” he said.

Chamisa won over 500 000 votes more than all MDC-Alliance legislators in the 2018 elections but gave the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Moyo said he had supported Chamisa from 2018 to March this year but they had parted ways.

“We supported them in 2018 up to March 2022; but we made it clear that, as pan African nationalists, joining their party was not an option for us; so we were happy to work with but not for them. They unleashed their gatekeepers on us, the rest is history!” he said.

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