Former industry minister Nkosana Moyo steps down as leader of APA

The opposition Alliance for the People’s Agenda (APA) has announced that its president Dr Nkosana Moyo has stepped down as leader and will not contest in the 2023 presidential elections.

As per the party constitution, Secretary-General Albert Gumbo will lead the party in the interim.

The party announced the development in a statement on Thursday citing that Dr Moyo will remain a party member.

APA also stated that Moyo will concentrate on his Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) projects across the African continent.

“APA wishes to announce that Dr Nkosana Moyo is standing down as President and will, therefore, not be running in the Presidential elections in 2023.

“Dr Moyo has continued with his far reaching and groundbreaking work with the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS),” read the statement.

“MINDS recently participated in the CHOGM summit in Rwanda and is deepening its work across the continent.

“Per its constitution, APA will be led by Secretary General Albert Gumbo, together with the NEC, until a new President is elected. Dr Moyo remains a member of APA.” the statement added.

Dr Moyo is a Physics PhD holder, an economist and a former Minister of Industry and International Trade.

In 2001, he made a sudden resignation from his Ministerial post because he disagreed with then President Robert Mugabe’s policies.

He announced his resignation while in South Africa where his family was staying because he feared he would be victimised by Mugabe who was known at the time for suppressing dissent.

It is further reported that Mugabe described Dr Moyo as a “coward” after leaving his cabinet.

Dr Moyo came back in June 2017, five months before then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa ousted Mugabe through a military coup.

Dr Moyo announced that he would be joining the presidential race under APA in 2018. Mnangagwa won the election under controversial circumstances.