Jonathan Moyo may bounce back as Zimbabwe’s information minister
December 24th, 2010
Speculation is rife that Zimbabwe’s former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo may bounce back at the helm of the Ministry following his recent election to Zanu (PF)’s politburo, the highest decision making body of the party. Mr Moyo was iresponsible for the loss of jobs for hundreds of journalists and other media professionals from the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the news agency, Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (Ziana), for allegedly siding with the then opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Sources told Radio VOP that President Robert Mugabe wanted a cabinet reshuffle in order to fit Moyo in before the elections next year. Mr Mugabe wants to use Mr Moyo to silence organisations perceived to be critical to the former ruling party. Sources said the current Information Minister Webster Shamu will be moved to the National Healing Ministry.
Jonathan Moyo was re-admitted into the party last year after he was sacked for masterminding a failed coup d’état against Mr Mugabe six years ago. He is expected to be hard on media organisations that do not subscribe to the ideas and principles of Zanu (PF) in a bid to make sure that the party makes a clean sweep in next year’s projected election to avoid another embarrassing defeat by the MDC-T.
“Shamu was not effective in dealing with media houses hostile to Zanu (PF). So a resolution was made to bring back Moyo to save the party from a possible humiliation if the country is to go to polls next year and it will be just a matter of time before the changes are made,” said the source. He added that the decision was made after Zanu (PF)’ s supreme decision making body, the politburo said Moyo was credited with saving Zanu (PF) from collapse during the 2000 era.
The move is set to cause panic at the ZBC and Zimpapers where Moyo is likely to purge deadwood appointed by Shamu when he was brought to the ministry last year. Although efforts to get a comment from Zanu (PF) spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo were fruitless, sources said Moyo was expected to rejuvenate the parroting of Zanu (PF) propaganda in the state media.
December 24th, 2010
Speculation is rife that Zimbabwe’s former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo may bounce back at the helm of the Ministry following his recent election to Zanu (PF)’s politburo, the highest decision making body of the party. Mr Moyo was iresponsible for the loss of jobs for hundreds of journalists and other media professionals from the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the news agency, Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (Ziana), for allegedly siding with the then opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.
Sources told Radio VOP that President Robert Mugabe wanted a cabinet reshuffle in order to fit Moyo in before the elections next year. Mr Mugabe wants to use Mr Moyo to silence organisations perceived to be critical to the former ruling party. Sources said the current Information Minister Webster Shamu will be moved to the National Healing Ministry.
Jonathan Moyo was re-admitted into the party last year after he was sacked for masterminding a failed coup d’état against Mr Mugabe six years ago. He is expected to be hard on media organisations that do not subscribe to the ideas and principles of Zanu (PF) in a bid to make sure that the party makes a clean sweep in next year’s projected election to avoid another embarrassing defeat by the MDC-T.
“Shamu was not effective in dealing with media houses hostile to Zanu (PF). So a resolution was made to bring back Moyo to save the party from a possible humiliation if the country is to go to polls next year and it will be just a matter of time before the changes are made,” said the source. He added that the decision was made after Zanu (PF)’ s supreme decision making body, the politburo said Moyo was credited with saving Zanu (PF) from collapse during the 2000 era.
The move is set to cause panic at the ZBC and Zimpapers where Moyo is likely to purge deadwood appointed by Shamu when he was brought to the ministry last year. Although efforts to get a comment from Zanu (PF) spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo were fruitless, sources said Moyo was expected to rejuvenate the parroting of Zanu (PF) propaganda in the state media.