Moyo takes on Zanu-PF

2005-01-14 14:14

Harare - Zimbabwe's information minister, Jonathan Moyo, has rebuked his own party, calling its chairman a liar after being barred from contesting primary elections due this weekend.

Moyo, who has fallen from favour after allegedly organising a meeting, dubbed the "Tsholotsho Declaration", to back a counter-candidate to President Robert Mugabe's choice of vice-president, issued his statement on Thursday.

Criticising Nkomo for stating at a public meeting that he could not contest primaries in his home district of Tsholotsho, Moyo said the decision was "spiteful and vengeful".

"This smacks of an abuse of office," said Moyo in a statement.

"Comrade Nkomo's mission will add more unhappy speculation that he is doing everything to weaken Zanu-PF by ensuring that it fields a weak candidate so as to pave the way for his (opposition) Movement for Democratic Change relative Sipepa Nkomo."

Moyo went also threatened legal action, saying: "The blatant and defamatory political lies about the so-called Tsholotsho Declaration have been taken too far by Nkomo and in the interest of justice, fairness and the rule of law, he must now be held legally accountable in the courts".

Moyo said Nkomo and former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa had told "a primitive lie" and a "spectacular false claim" to defame him.

He criticised Nkomo for being "so afraid or accommodating of the MDC" that he would not stand against the opposition in polls set for March this year.

The bitter spat, brewing since November, has seen the ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union-Patriotic Front party split in its worst ever divide since before the country gained independence in 1980.

- SAPA