FORMER Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono yesterday claimed that his recent disqualification by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to be sworn in as a Manicaland senator was engineered by his political detractors.
MOSES MATENGA STAFF REPORTER ZEC chairperspon judge Justice Rita Makarau on September 15 wrote to Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo advising him that Gono did not qualify to assume the Senate seat as he was not a registered voter in Manicaland province.
This was after Zanu PF had forwarded Gono’s name as replacement for the late veteran nationlist, Kumbirai Kangai, who died in August last year shortly before he was sworn in as Manicaland senator.
Gono told our sister paper NewsDay that his detractors put spanners along his way after he had followed all the necessary procedures.
“ZEC has done its part and let those whose job it is to do their part do it,” he said.
‘Like ZEC says, there is a vacuum in the law so that vacuum needs filling regardless of whether it is Gono or not.
“I transferred from Harare to Buhera West on 5 December 2013.
“The Registrar-General’s office gave me confirmation of transfer which ZEC has got.
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“Why the two organisations cannot manage transitions and authenticate transfers between themselves boggles the mind.” Gono added: “It is clear that someone from outside the province is playing games hoping that they could torpedo the Zanu PF politburo and Manicaland Province as well as Buhera district’s choice.
“Fortunately, I have all the patience in the world to wait for whoever needs to do their job to do it, even if it means waiting till 2018, 2023 or beyond.
“No one from outside Buhera can hope to replace those born in Buhera.”
The former-banker-turned farmer described Zanu PF factionalism as “vulturous” and detrimental to economic recovery.
“The race to succeed a sitting president, even to position oneself for it while he is still alive reflects very badly when placed against our culture and is nothing but vulturous,” he said.
“Opposition parties should do that, not a ruling party.
“The practice divides investors and splits all branches of the government into enclaves of inefficiency to the detriment of professionalism and the ordinary man and woman in the street.
“Besides, factionalism breeds corruption and tolerance of both corruption and mediocrity.
“We must all shun that and rally behind the President, vaMugabe chete. If it means that for rejecting factionalism I will be kept out of the political structures, so be it.”
Meanwhile, Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said the party leadership that had made a decision on the matter would meet soon to decide his fate.
