Where is Jonathan Moyo in Mugabe’s campaign?

It’s nine days to the elections. There has been a question that has been nagging me all along and I better ask it before the elections are over. Where is Jonathan Moyo in Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leader Robert Mugabe’s campaign?

I have seen him at Mugabe’s “star” rallies but what role is he really playing? As someone who has been watching ZANU-PF for over 30 years, though I am not an insider like Baba Jukwa, I was expecting Jonathan Moyo to play a pivotal role in Mugabe’s election campaign this year because it’s payback time.

See, I do not believe that Jonathan Moyo was readmitted to ZANU-PF in 2009 and appointed back to the politburo for nothing? Certainly it was not Mugabe’s generosity. After all Mugabe expelled Jonathan Moyo in 2005 after he defied him by refusing to step down from the Tsholotsho seat.

Jonathan Moyo has been accused of all sorts, even of being a chameleon, but I really admire his guts. The guy is brilliant- a scheming political survivor just like his boss, Bob. I hate a few things he did when he was appointed Information Minister years ago because he literally killed the journalism profession.

But after reading the book- Shock Doctrine- I still do not agree with the way he did things but I understand. He needed a clean slate to start from. And like the land reform programme, his scheme seems to be paying off now.

See, you don’t have to like someone to admire his guts. But what baffles me up to today is what did Jonathan Moyo promise Bob to be readmitted to the party?

Edgar Tekere, who was Mugabe’s number two, was not readmitted to ZANU-PF though some people, like Margaret Dongo insisted he never left. This was the man who left Zimbabwe with Mugabe for Mozambique to head the armed struggle.

They slept together, ate together, returned to the country together and formed the first black government of Zimbabwe together.

Jonathan Moyo, on the other hand, was a strong critic of Mugabe for years before joining him to draft the 2 000 constitution. The draft was rejected but Mugabe took on Moyo and made him his propaganda chief. Moyo virtually became what Mac Maharaj is to Jacob Zuma today, but the two parted ways after the alleged Tsholotsho Declaration of 2004.

Moyo was on his own for four years and decided to rejoin ZANU-PF in 2009. He did the unthinkable by being readmitted and by being included in the politburo.

Whispers at the time said Moyo had been readmitted to spearhead Mugabe’s re-election campaign. The whispers said Moyo was handy because he had been heavily involved in Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s 2008 campaign. The whispers even said Moyo, a composer in his own right, was responsible for the Morgan is More campaign strategy.

This could all be rumour but his readmission to ZANU-PF convinced me that there was something he knew about Tsvangirai’s campaign which Mugabe wanted to call upon at the right time. Or at least he promised Mugabe victory, one way or the other.

But Moyo has been too quiet for my liking. Yes, he writes commentaries now and again. He is quoted in the media now and again. But I do not think he is just putting his face at Mugabe’s rallies.

I am more inclined to believe what Blessing-Miles Tendi said in the Guardian that Mugabe had set up his own campaign team way back in January. He said a member of Mugabe’s inner circle told him: “Our election campaign war chest was ready as early as January. The president took charge of it. Many senior party members had no idea about the amount of resources and material that had already been put together.”

I wonder who this inner circle member was.

But like Tendi said, bussing or not, one has to admit that Mugabe’s campaign this time is well-oiled. Of course it could be a way of saying good-bye, but it could also be a way of backing him because of what they have seen over the past four years.

That still leaves the question unanswered: Where is Jonathan Moyo in Mugabe’s campaign?

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