Jonathan Moyo wishes Mnangagwa “Happy birthday” but queries year of birth

Exiled former Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo has wished President Emmerson Mnangagwa a happy birthday but queried the year in which he was born.

He gave three years- 1938, 1942 and 1946- but the date of birth, 15 September, remained constant.

“OVER THE YEARS, Mnangagwa himself has used each one of the above as his date of birth, depending on the circumstance before him; only one of them is true; but that’s for another day. Happy Birthday Emmerson!” Moyo tweeted today.

Mnangagwa is celebrating his 79^th birthday today.

Moyo is a bitter critic of Mnangagwa but it is not clear whether he is really against Mnangagwa or is indirectly supporting him by keeping Mnangagwa topical.

Moyo seems to be using the same tactic that Baba Jukwa used in 2013 to keep the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front the talk of the town while appearing to be a bitter critic of the party.

The former ZANU-PF propaganda chief was at one time likened to Joseph Goebbels, after Germany leader Adolph Hitler’s propaganda chief.

Some of the basic propaganda principles used by Hitler and Goebbels were:

• Avoid abstract ideas – appeal to the emotions.
• Constantly repeat just a few ideas. Use stereotyped phrases.
• Give only one side of the argument.
• Continuously criticize your opponents.
• Pick out one special “enemy” for special vilification.

(362 VIEWS)