Literature pundits, especially those who have read William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar would be familiar with the reason Brutus participated in the murder of his very close friend.
Brutus justified his actions because Caesar had become
ambitious and wanted to be the king of Rome.
Enter July Moyo, a colourful and cunning politician who is
Zimbabwe’s Local Government and Public Works minister in President Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s Cabinet.
Moyo is also the Zanu PF national secretary for transport
and welfare after being elevated from his previous post of deputy national
secretary for administration.
To say Moyo is an ambitious politician could be an
understatement, he is a political craftsman.
However, his cunning and ambitious nature has also been his
downfall in some instances where he has found himself in his leaders’
crosshairs.
Former president Robert Mugabe was not a keen admirer of
Moyo’s shenanigans, punishing him regularly for his ambitious moves. The rise
of Mnangagwa to the presidency of Zanu PF and subsequently to the presidency of
Zimbabwe in 2017 saw Moyo’s political career being resurrected.
He landed the minister's post at the Local Government
ministry. However, Moyo’s ambitious nature coupled with several misteps has
seen him suddenly on the ropes after reports that Mnangagwa’s trust in him was
waning.
Moyo has also been tripping himself in government where, as
the minister responsible for local governance, he has been in and out of the
spotlight, albeit for the wrong and career-threatening actions.
Former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo once
revealed on Twitter that the Local Government minister was entertaining hopes
of succeeding Mnangagwa.
He cited an incident that allegedly took place at the
president’s farm in Kwekwe involving juju that soured relations between Moyo
and the first couple.
If he entertained any ambitions of becoming Zimbabwe’s next
leader then a recent ruling by the High Court that effectively clipped his
wings put a severe dent on them.
High Court judge Pricilla Munangati-Manongwa on January 17
set aside Section 314 (2) of the Urban Councils Act Cap 29:15 that gave the minister overbearing control of
the affairs of local authorities.
The ruling followed an application by the Combined Harare
Residents' Association, Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers' Association, Clive
Rambanapasi, Ian Makone and Elvis Ruzani to stop Moyo’s meddling in local
authorities' affairs.
Their lawyer Tendai Biti had argued that the Urban Councils
Act gave the minister unnecessary powers to make decisions even on non-policy
issues.
Harare Residents Trust executive director Precious
Shumba said Moyo’s powers had become
“excessive and retrogressive.”
Shumba cited a number of directives by the minister, which
he said were a heavy burden to local authorities.
“These include the fire engines from Belarus and the Pomona
dumpsite deal with Geogenix BV of the Netherlands,” he said.
“Additionally, he has been unable to submit any Bill on the
implementation of devolution in Parliament in line with Section 264 of the
constitution of Zimbabwe.
“The inability to enact a law on devolution has meant that
the minister has overall supervisory and oversight roles over local authorities
where it has become excessive and therefore retrogressive for most urban and
rural local authorities.”
He also argued that Moyo had failed to direct the Local
Government Board to expedite the firing and recruitment of senior management in
urban local authorities whose key departments are being led by acting
directors.
“Service delivery
has resultantly been compromised. Overall, the minister scores 5/10 on a scale
with 10 as the best performance with 1 as the lowest score.”
Shumba added that according to the HRT, the role of central
government in the local authorities should be minimal, but firm in the
protection of the citizens' interests.
“Left alone, local
authorities are arrogant and do not safeguard the residents' interests,” he
said.
Firebrand independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa, who
has his roots in the Midlands province, also once claimed that Moyo harboured
presidential ambitions.
Mliswa even warned Mnangagwa that Moyo had appointed
himself the de facto prime minister of Zimbabwe.
Political analyst and social commentator Ricky Mukonza said
Moyo, as the Local Government minister, had become Mnangagwa’s “hangman” for
anyone deemed to be a problem in that space.
“This is politics, it could be true that ED has realised
that July has become too ambitious,” Mukonza said.
“This happens when one has been in proximity to the top
office for some time. We must also remember the expose by Temba Mliswa on the
ambitions of Moyo.
“It could also be intelligence that the president has on
him.”
Mukonza, however, predicted that Moyo would not lose his
government position.
“It would be
difficult to get rid of him.
“The same way that Mugabe dealt with ED is the same
strategy we are likely to see Mnangagwa using on political foes and friends,”
he said.
There is another pending case in the High Court where
Harare residents want the controversial Pomona waste management deal, which was
allegedly imposed on the local authority by Moyo, cancelled. Standard
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