Zimpapers Logo

Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa THE INTERVIEW
As harmonised elections scheduled for 2018 approach, there is discernible movement and reconfiguration in Zimbabwe’s politics with the entrance of independent candidates set to change the game. Last week we featured activist Fadzayi Mahere, whose entrance and declaration to run as an independent MP have been seen as a threat by the main opposition. Another independent, Dr Nkosana Moyo (NM), has declared his intention to run for President and accuses the opposition of failing to “articulate . . . a message that resonates with the people” while rubbishing the idea of a coalition.
Here he talks with Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa (RP) in an interview on CapiTalk radio station this week.

RP: Dr Nkosana Moyo, where have you been for the past 16 odd years?

NM: I have been around. But you know it’s a global village isn’t it? So I’m out there, I’m home, it’s all the same.

RP: Dr Moyo, you are running for President in 2018, that’s a big deal, it’s a presidency it’s not to be taken lightly . . . Some would say for a call to presidency you should be asked to serve by the people. Very few people just throw in their hat and say pick me. So some would say you should answer to a call as opposed to nominating yourself.

NM: Well, I essentially am inviting Zimbabweans to give me a job. I am not nominating myself. You have been following social media, there are a lot of Zimbabweans who have been saying we are calling you to go and serve your country.

RP: But as of last Friday when you announced your intention to run for the presidency, had you been called or are they responding to your announcement?

NM: For the past maybe three months I have been saying let me think about it because people have been saying “where are you? Come and help us. The country is in trouble. We need you.”

RP: It’s interesting that you have been outside the country and now you are running for (presidency in) a country that you haven’t been living in. Are you connected?

NM: When you say not living in, I only left in 2001, my mother still lives here, my siblings still live here and so I come here regularly. I know what goes on everywhere in the country. There is nothing I don’t know.

RP: You said that its a global village, but when it comes to an office such as the one you are aspiring to, surely you’re meant to be in touch with the people on the ground, the grassroots, people that you can see, touch and feel every day.

NM: I absolutely agree and every time I have been coming to Zimbabwe I would make a point of driving through the country just to be connected . . . I am targeting the country and everywhere is home. Once you understand what the problem is, for that office there should be no home other than all of Zimbabwe.

RP: Looking at how you launched your party last week, there was a question of gender that was raised. Some assumed that because you were flanked by men when you were at the podium, there is no female representation in your party. Can you speak to that?

NM: What was the launch about? The launch was about two decisions, the first one was yes, I’ve decided to run, and because I’ve been listening to people in terms of independent or through a party, I’ve decided not independent and a party, through consultations we’ve now formed a party.

So those were the decisions. It was not a launch; it was a Press conference to announce those two things. So now the work of forming a party and a team starts after I have made the decision.

RP: So right now you don’t have a party, you don’t have a team and you don’t have structures? Who are you working with?

NM: We have very few people, we are in the process of forming it. Remember the 29th was just last week . . . On the 29th it was about the decisions I had to make, but from then onwards, it’s about what happens in putting together a team.

I think people need to be fair. The questions before the 29th were directed to me personally. People just said, “you come and run” it was not you in plural, it was you Nkosana or you Strive, consider running for the presidency.

The next question was if you do it, consider whether you run as an independent, you Nkosana, or with a party.

RP: Why did you choose to start your own party as opposed to joining an existing political party?

NM: Why would I do that? I want to do something completely new. My view of what Zimbabwe needs has not been articulated by any of the existing parties. So I do not want to take potshots at people. I want to focus on issues.

The country is where it is because there is somebody running it, it didn’t just happen on its own. The opposition, I don’t think it has articulated a message that resonates with what I think should happen. So on that basis I figured the only way to do this, in order to follow what I think is needed for the country is to come with a brand new platform.

RP: Would you have had the option to join the opposition? The way you speak its as if you had a choice to not join any existing party. The confidence is almost as if you had the option. What makes you think that the opposition would trust you? Some would say after 16 years of living outside the country, moving up and down and being virtually silent when it comes to Zimbabwean politics, some would say, well, we also didn’t want Nkosana.

NM: Well, that’s possible, but it’s factual actually that Zimbabwe People First approached me after their bust up with Mrs Mujuru. They approached me officially, both the youth and the executive and said can you come and run our party and I said no.

I turned them down because they had already formed a party with a certain policy position, certain things they believed in. They formed that party with particular people, who I don’t think would have been a good starting point for what I want to do.

So speaking to what is different about what I want to do, I think the country is characterised by three things which I think are serious issues. In my opinion, when you look at the Central Intelligence Organisation, the Judiciary, the police and the army, these are institutions that are supposed to be institutions of State. In other words, every Zimbabwean should feel that I own them and they protect me. But the way our country functions, you know that is not the case in which they operate. They operate as if they were appendages to Zanu-PF and that is wrong.

So one of the things absolutely pivotal in terms of getting the relationship between Government and the citizens to work properly is that those institutions of State should become institutions of State. And I dare say, my view is that the people who work in them would get much better fulfilment being professionals who serve all Zimbabweans equally.

The second point, I think for any country to succeed, it’s population needs to be made to feel as a nation. In other words, unified and cohesive. In running a country and building a country, there are always going to be priorities required and priorities require that you postpone doing certain things.

It’s easier to do that when you are joined up and you agree that we are going to prioritise these things and sequence them and because resources are limited, that’s the only way we are going to succeed.

There’s also a lot of sacrifice and who will have to make it, the nation itself will have to sacrifice. All of those things require cohesion. That’s another reason why I chose that a new platform was appropriate.

At the moment we have set up platforms which communicate a lot of conflict between different parties. From day one, we need an understanding that what we are seeking to do is build cohesion between Zimbabweans.

Also in the name, we are making it clear that it’s not my agenda, it is the people’s agenda that is important. We want servant leadership. That’s why I use this issue that the Zimbabweans are giving you a job. You are not the boss, they are the boss, understand they are the boss. What you do is according to what they want to be done.

The third component is the economy very obviously and I think it has a number of components, but one of them is clarity on what the role of Government is. My view is that Government cannot be both a player and a referee.

Government has got a responsibility for creating certain public goods like infrastructure. After that, the Government should create an environment which allows citizens, entrepreneurs and the private sector to partner it in creating a robust and growing economy.

Those are the three key issues and I have not yet heard them articulated like I am doing by anybody. I challenge you to go and check your records and archives and come and tell me.

RP: It is believed that you were supposed to launch a party together with Dr Shingi Munyeza, Pastor Evan Mawarire and Trevor Ncube. Is this true?

NM: I don’t know who you’ve been talking to. This is completely inaccurate.

RP: You were never working with the three of them?

NM: I am working with all Zimbabweans, so if I come and talk to you am I launching a party with you? Should I talk to you and consult you? I think the answer is yes, I should talk to you and consult you.

The information that I was supposed to launch a party with those people is completely inaccurate. But I talk to all of these people and more.

RP: Are any of them going to be joining your team?

NM: Well it’s not for me to say, you have to ask them.

RP: People are asking why they should trust you when you said Vice President Mnangagwa should lead? I read an article earlier, in reference to an interview you had and you said people should give VP Mnangagwa a chance, he is a very smart man.

NM: Let me tell you what was asked and what was said. I was asked what do you think about Mnangagwa? If Mnangagwa took over would he run the country differently from President Mugabe? And I said yes he would, he would run the country differently, he is a smart man and I know him personally. Those things are true. I never said give him a chance, that is being twisted deliberately.

What I am offering Zimbabweans is a leader who is going to unify our people. Hurling insults at anyone who is Zimbabwean is not the good starting point, I recognise good things about President Mugabe, VP Mnangagwa and Morgan Tsvangirai or any other political leader.

I think when you want to build cohesion in the country you have to learn to respect others, even if you differed with them.

RP: One of the things you spoke about was the land redistribution programme, you had thoughts on how it happened. Is there any intention if you become president, to redo anything regarding land redistribution?

NM: At the moment, I think we are not giving people title. I think title is very important in terms of productivity for the users of that land to be able to use those titles as leverage to access capital. For as long as we are not clear about title to the people who are using this land, I think we are short-changing ourselves.

RP: What are your thoughts on the coalition that has been topical, seeing that you are running alone?

NM: How is a coalition formed? Let’s take countries that form after an election and look at how they do it? This party goes to the election with a manifesto and another party does the same.

If the population does not elect one head of state and they end up having to compromise, then these parties come together and they have to compromise on what the offer has to be.

I have articulated to you what I believe in and what I believe needs to be done and I do not want it diluted before Zimbabweans hear it to become the final judge. What I am saying about what needs to be fixed ought to be heard from me, undiluted.

RP: Are you considering joining a coalition?

NM: What is the purpose of a coalition? I just don’t join a club if I don’t understand the purpose. I do not understand the purpose of a coalition.

What is an election? An election is a choice by the citizens. A choice between what? Between candidates, so one could argue that a coalition is an attempt to rig an election?