I’ll not join any faction: Gono

HARARE – Former Zimbabwe Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono said Wednesday he would not join any Zanu PF faction to fast-track his Senate appointment.

Gono was speaking after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) disqualified him from filling a senatorial vacancy in Manicaland.

This comes after Manicaland voted Gono to replace Kumbirai Kangai, who was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre in August last year.

The Zanu PF politburo has ratified the decision, with only a handful of ruling party hawks opposing Gono.

The electoral agency said the retired governor did not qualify because he was not a registered voter for any ward in Manicaland as demanded by the law.

But Gono said he duly transferred from Harare to Buhera West on December 5, 2013.

“The Registrar Generals Office gave me confirmation of transfer which Zec has got,” he told the Daily News.

“Why the two organisations cannot manage transitions and authenticate transfers between themselves boggles the mind.

“It is clear that someone from outside the province is playing games hoping that they can 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.”

Rita Makarau, the Zec chairperson, wrote to Zanu PF chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, on September 15 advising that Gono was not eligible to represent Manicaland in the Senate.

“We wish to advise honourable chairman that, according to our records Dr Gono is not registered as a voter in any of the wards in Manicaland province,” Makarau said.

Gono told the Daily News that he was on record stating that there was need to follow all procedures and processes stipulated by the law.

“I do not aspire to be a lawmaker who breaks the law and if it is going to take four more years to comply with the requirements of Zec, so be it and let it be,” Gono said.

“No amount of blackmail though can change my stance of remaining out of all factions except that of and led by the president and first secretary of our party, Cde RG Mugabe and all that he stands for.

“I will never appease anyone by joining a faction in order to fast track my confirmation and swearing in because no appeasement the world over has ever bought permanent peace.

“So let the law take its course as long as no one is seeking to change my gender, or place of birth.”

Gono said: “Zec has done its part and let those whose job it is to do their part do it.”

“Like Zec says, there is a vacuum in the law so that vacuum needs filling regardless of whether it is Gono or not,” he said.

In the application to replace the late national hero Kangai,  Zanu PF registered the former central bank boss as a voter on December 5, 2013 after the harmonised polls, a move which Makarau described as illegal.

The party list submitted to Zec ahead of last year’s elections, named Shadreck Chipanga, an ex-CIO head, as a replacement for Kangai.

Makarau said Gono’s registration transfer from Harare to Buhera West was done by the registrar-general, Tobaiwa Mudede when, at law, he had ceased to conduct such duties.

But Gono said no one from outside Buhera can hope to replace those born in Buhera.

Gono insinuated that he was being elbowed out of Zanu PF structures because of factionalism.

“If it means that for rejecting factionalism I will be kept out of the political structures, so be it,” said the retired governor after attending the funeral of Eric Bloch, his long time friend and advisor, in Bulawayo yesterday.

“The race to succeed a sitting president even to position oneself for it while he is still there reflects very badly when pitted against our culture and is nothing but vulturous,” Gono said.

“Opposition parties should do that not a ruling party.

“The practice divides investors and splits all branches of 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.” Daily News