Higher Education Minister, Jonathan Moyo, who is said to be one of the Young Turks in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front in the group called Generation 40, which is allegedly trying to prop up First Lady Grace Mugabe as the presidential candidate for the 2018 elections to thwart Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, says there is no such group.
The weekly Independent newspaper, reported on Friday that the G40, which it said comprised among others Moyo, Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Industry Minister Mike Bimha, and President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao, believes that bringing Grace Mugabe on board will bolster their bid to stop Mnangagwa from assuming the presidency or significantly strengthen them such that they will be able to get influential positions in the post-Mugabe era.
“Having Grace on board could be crucial, but plans also have to be made in case she does not come on board. There are also serious implications should Mugabe not be there in 2018 because Grace will not enjoy the sort of influence she has now,” the paper reported.
“Plans have to be made for us to be able to challenge even without Grace and this means we have to work on structures while also ensuring that a strong group of potential leaders emerges. At the moment Kasukuwere has raised his hand as a potential leader, but there is a need to come up with more people because some believe he is not the best candidate,” it quoted an unnamed member of the group as saying.
In response to the article on his twitter handle, Jonathan Moyo said: “There’s no G40 & no confirmation Cde Mnangagwa is seeking the Presidency. One Center of Power!”
First Lady, Grace Mugabe said on Thursday that she had no presidential ambitions and vouched for both Mnangagwa and Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko that they too were not trying to unseat Mugabe.
“Kana zita raVice President vedu rinoswera richitaurwa richisvibiswa hamusati mambonzwa Vice President Mnangagwa vachiti, ‘baba chibudai ndaakuda kupinda muchinzvimbo’. But kune dzimwe ny’any’a dzagara dzisingadi Zanu-PF, dzakagara dzisingashandi neZANU-PF, dzinoshandisa zita,” the First Lady told the Women’s League.
“Ndinoda kuvamiririra Vice President nokuti hapana chavakambotaura, ndichizvimiririra, hapana chandakambotaura, ndichimiririra VaMphoko hapana chavakambotaura. Vanhu vari committed kumusangano wavo, vari committed kunyika — kushandira nyika.”
In an earlier twitter exchange, Moyo said G40 is a demographic group between ages 18 and 40 which has been excluded in mainstream politics.
“Since I coined the G40 as a demographic group, it pains me to see it abused by illiterate political opportunists to describe a faction!” he said in another tweet.
“The opportunistic proposition of a political faction based on age is ideologically bankrupt, ahistorical & antithetical to politics itself!”
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