Information minister Jonathan Moyo has been accused of scuppering a rescue package for Zimbabwe worth a billion rand after he provoked a Twitter war with South Africa’s former Reserve Bank governor.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA/XOLISANI NCUBE
Moyo was locked in a lively exchange with former South Africa Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni between Tuesday and yesterday, where the alleged ill-fated rescue package was revealed.
Mboweni earned Moyo’s wrath when he tweeted: “I hate dictators. They complicate our lives! We need democracy in Africa. Get these old people out of office. Time for the under 50s now!!”
Moyo turned his guns on the African National Congress stalwart accusing him of not being academic in linking age to dictatorship. Mboweni shot back, going to the extent of questioning Moyo’s academic credentials.
“By the way, what is Jonathan Moyo professor of? He is too noisy! Irritating. Annoying. Surely he cannot speak for Zimbabweans,” Mboweni tweeted.
The former governor turned the heat: “Jonathan Moyo irritates me, writes fairy tales, shops in SA for basic things and talks such rubbish while his people suffer. Prof my foot!”
Mboweni then made reference to the deal to provide financial assistance to Zimbabwe that was reportedly being negotiated by former Finance minister Herbert Murerwa and former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono.
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Moyo dismissed the allegations last night.
Mboweni did not disclose the amount involved, but a source told NewsDay it was R1 billion and had been brokered by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) after the formation of the inclusive government in 2009.
“A couple of years ago, I was instructed to work on an economic revival programme for Zimbabwe together with Gono, Trevor (Manuel, then South Africa’s Finance minister) and Herbert Murerwa ,” Mboweni tweeted.
“It came to nothing because of people like the supposed Prof.
“Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Zimbabweans are suffering. That’s the reality,” said Mboweni to which Moyo had no response.
The source told NewsDay a series of meetings between the Zimbabwean team led by Murerwa were held in Pretoria and Cape Town with the aim to help Zimbabwe solve its economic crisis.
The source said the talks collapsed because of negative sentiments emanating from Zimbabwe.
“Meetings were held in South Africa and Zimbabwe was close to being given more than a billion rand,” the source said.
Gono refused to comment on his role in the negotiations between Zimbabwe and South Africa, yesterday saying he was bound by an oath of secrecy.
“My conditions of service and the ethics of my previous job restrain me from commenting on matters that happened while I was in office or to discuss them with the media,” he said. “I, therefore, don’t have anything to say about that episode.”
Moyo said Mboweni needed psychiatric treatment as he rubbished the claims that he was the stumbling block in negotiations between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“Taken alone that preposterous claim is enough evidence that Tito Mboweni is either taking something very strong or he has lost his marbles and needs help,” Moyo said. Mboweni said Moyo continued to attack South Africa, but still did his shopping in the neighbouring country while ordinary Zimbabweans suffered.
“And leaders in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia are blind to this. Educated Zimbabweans are waiters and waitresses down to Cape Town,” Mboweni tweeted. “Hey. And he (Moyo) comes shopping in Sandton and gives us lectures on Twitter.”
Mboweni said he hated dictators in a pointed attack on President Robert Mugabe, who has been trying to persuade African countries to dump the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We need peace and stability in Africa, justice too! So, where do we start? Arrest the dictators? Then? Take them to ICC,” he tweeted.
“Yes. I hate dictators. They complicate our lives! We need democracy in Africa. Get these old people out of office. Time for the under 50s now!”
His tweets were at the height of debate on South Africa’s failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir after a court ordered his detention in compliance with an ICC warrant.
Al-Bashir is wanted at The Hague for crimes against humanity for his role in the Darfur region genocide.
Moyo gave as much as he got from Mboweni, calling South Africa’s post-apartheid central bank governor an Uncle Tom.
“The exuberant rant by Mboweni linking dictatorship with old age boggles the mind how such an irrational mind was a bank governor,” the minister tweeted.
“Linking dictatorship with old age is the latest example of the open mouth and shut mind politics of Uncle Toms in Africa today.
Democracy yes, youth power yes, but no to the exuberant rant by Mboweni drawing an infantile link between dictatorships.”
The acerbic political scientist described Mboweni as a “foolish charlatan”.
Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya said Moyo should exercise restraint on social media platforms as a government spokesperson.
“Moyo should understand that he is far from being a private citizen and some people might just be there to provoke him into such rants that could be damaging to the government,” he said.
“But this is typical of Moyo and his adversaries are returning fire with fire.”
