Nkosana Moyo launches presidential bid
FORMER Industry and International Trade Minister Dr Nkosana Moyo, who unceremoniously quit the post after finding the going tough, yesterday announced his 2018 presidential bid.
Dr Moyo discredited himself when he quit the Government post 17 years ago and only faxed his resignation letter from South Africa.
Described as “weak-kneed” by President Mugabe after failing to withstand the heat generated by attacks on the Government for its land reform policies, Dr Moyo said it was up to voters to elect him.
The former African Development Bank vice president said: “Working with some of you, the vehicle we have settled on is “Alliance for the People’s Agenda” or APA for short.” Dr Moyo said his decision to contest next year’s presidential elections was driven by the desire to solve economic challenges facing the nation.
“On account of these things, I have come to the conclusion that I must heed the call to run for the office of President of Zimbabwe. This call is coming from diverse Zimbabweans,” he said.
Dr Moyo said he was offering an alternative voice to the people.
“If you understand the idea of societal cohesion, then you will understand that we are not setting out to fight Zanu-PF, or any other political party,” he said. “We are instead setting out to offer a competent servant leadership to all Zimbabweans, a leadership that, from the very beginning, is configured to unify the nation rather than to divide it.”
Dr Moyo trashed the idea of forming a coalition, which is being pursued by other opposition parties, saying it would not lead to desirable or effective outcomes.
He equated political coalitions to a mixture of oil and water.
Dr Moyo said he supported the land reform and economic empowerment programmes, both initiatives of the Zanu-PF Government.
“There is nothing wrong with these policies,” he said. “Our challenge in this country has always been the execution. So, I believe in the land redistribution. I believe in indigenisation, because indigenisation simply means to have the citizens of the country in which an economy operates, be participants in that economy, anything else leads to instability.”
Dr Moyo described the land reform and indigenisation as “very solid and reasonable” calling for the “implementation of all of these good things”.
He shrugged off questions on the Matabeleland disturbances that occurred shortly after independence. Dr Moyo said he worked with Dr Simba Makoni in 2008, but it was clear that Zimbabweans rejected the Mavambo/Khusile/Dawn project.
Political analyst Mr Tafadzwa Mugwadi dismissed Dr Moyo’s presidential bid as nothing, but evidence of flourishing democracy in Zimbabwe.
He said it would be fool-hard for Dr Moyo to expect electoral miracles in 2018.
“Zimbabweans by tradition are schooled and cultured in the belief of the supremacy of political organisation mirrored by the party with different organs and individuals playing various roles,” said Mr Mugwadi.