Lie-O-Meter – Jonathan Moyo
Posted by ZDN on December 12, 2009
Week ending 11 December 2009
We opened up our Sunday Mail newspaper this week to find a lengthy rant, teeming with salacious lies, from the much-loathed spin doctor Jonathan Moyo. Moyo, clearly anxious to prostrate himself at the feet of the party in the hope of slithering back into the Central committee at the Zanu-PF Congress, is gabbling the required propaganda with all his might. The remaining lies originate from party parrot Tafataona Mahoso, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, and some leaked minutes from a Zanu-PF meeting, which truly reflect the essence of Zanu-PF: a system based on lies.
The Lie
Zanu-PF: The party enjoys ‘widespread support’ among the people of Zimbabwe.
The Reality
So how come nobody’s buying party cards this year? A report quoted in The Independent revealed that out of 1.6 million party cards issued for sale at $1 each, only $675 has been raised so far. Official research has put Zanu-PF’s popularity at 10%, maximum. The main event in the party this year, its national Congress, has failed to attract significant funding, in spite of all its top members being multi-millionnaires.
The Lie
Moyo: Minister Biti clearly has an evil political temptation to roll back the gains of the historic land reform programme by underfunding it in the hope of starving it to death because he is fundamentally opposed to it.
The Reality
What gains? The land “reform” programme as implemented by Zanu-PF did nothing but destroy the agriculture sector, disown thousands of farmers of land, and foster a culture of corruption. Biti is not opposed to the basic tenets of the land reform plan, he is opposed to Zanu’s warped version of it. Biti is trying to stop the theft that is masquerading as land reform. Instead, he is allocating $31 million to a land audit meant to take stock of who owns what, and which will lead to the transparent and fair implementation of an equitable land reform programme.
The Lie
Moyo: Minister Biti’s evil political temptation to entrench the current multi-currency economic framework up to 2015 [is] to the detriment of the majority poor, unemployed and homeless in our country.
The Reality
Who created all those poor, unemployed and homeless, Jono? Would they be better off now with worthless quintillion-dollar notes? The economy needs time to recover and grow; 2015 is an estimate, and Minister Biti made it clear that it was a unanimous Government position that a return to the Zimbabwean dollar could not be seriously considered until there is evidence of a strong economy. So JM, you’re out of line with this one! The government has started consultations on an optimum currency regime, which will be followed by open debate and public discussion next year.
The Lie
Moyo: While the spirit of this [Constituency Development] Fund is most welcome, its letter is very dangerous and smacks of a sinister plot to create new space for the extension of the MDC-T’s parallel government into the heart of the rural areas.
The Reality
The Constituency Development Fund will give MPs something to use in their constituencies to kick-start community reconstruction and employment projects and make desperately needed improvements in people’s lives. Zanu-PF and its Affirmative Action Group (AAG) decry this as a sinister ‘vote-buying plot’. But the money will go to ALL members of parliament, Jono. Why not let’s see which MPs – Zanu-PF or MDC – actually get to work and deliver improvements in their constituencies? A ‘dangerous’ thought indeed!!
The Lie
Minutes leaked from a recent secret meeting of Zanu-PF: Our aim in this exercise is make Zanu-PF, our liberation party, be the sole party with the mandate to rule Zimbabwe ad infinitum by mobilising Zimbabweans to rally behind the party and continue holding on to the tested and proven able leadership of our gallant son of Africa, His Excellency, President RG Mugabe.
The Reality
Well, the first part isn’t much of a lie, but it proves yet again that Zanu has no interest in sharing power with the MDC. But the “tested and proven able leadership” of “RG Mugabe”? Even Zanu must have had a laugh writing that one! RG (Rotten and Greedy) Mugabe has succeeded as a dictator but failed dismally as a leader.
The Lie
Minutes: In safeguarding our gains of the independence and national sovereignty, our enemy the MDC, at the same time, is wide awake and clandestinely working day and night with its supporters to hand over our Zimbabwe to the whites.
The Reality
“Clandestinely”? Been watching too many Bond movies? (Although you do rehash the same script over and over and over again.) It’s a complete fabrication that MDC wants to hand over Zimbabwe to the ‘whites (which whites?) – and if you insist on using racial terms, the MDC’s supporters are 99% black. All the MDC is trying to do is to move the country away from a Zanu-PF dictatorship to a multi-party democracy – which by the way would include Zanu-PF!
The Lie
Mahoso: In Zimbabwe, we are also dealing with US, UK and EU sanctions which have killed women and children.
The Reality
“Shopping” and “travel” sanctions, targeted at a small group of Zanu kleptocracy, have not and will never kill women and children (but great way to use vulnerable groups to aid your manipulation!). HIV/Aids, cholera, malnutrition, violence, etc. These are what have killed women and children, all thanks to Bob. And we hope that the weapons embargo is more likely to save people than kill them.
The Lie
Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa accused local MDC councillors in Makoni district, of hijacking a food distribution exercise by Irish humanitarian agency, GOAL, in order to score political points. (The MDC legislator for Makoni North, John Nyamande, was killed two weeks ago in yet another car accident involving an MDC official).
The Reality
Chinamasa is after the Makoni North seat. His party, Zanu-PF have for many years been buying votes for with food and farm inputs, so he assumes instantly that MDC will do the same. However after an investigation, JOMIC officials dismissed the allegations, warning that no political party should interfere with food distribution exercises.
Submit Reply
