Moyo in charge of Independence Day propaganda

Moyo, who designed Mugabe’s bloody June 27, 2008 re-election strategy, has managed to worm his way back into the ageing despot’s confidences by writing inflammatory articles attacking Zanu (PF)’s perceived ‘enemies’. According to sources at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings and at the information ministry, Moyo is in charge of a new propaganda onslaught in which Mugabe’s spokesman and hatchet man, George Charamba, plays a prominent role. The Independence Day propaganda campaign is being co-ordinated from Charamba’s office at Munhumutapa Building.

The purpose of this new campaign is to whip up the emotions of surviving war veterans and youths grilled with hate attitudes at militia training camps (Border Gezi) by broadcasting incendiary images depicting racism. The purpose will be to discredit the MDC formations by showing them as confused neo-colonial stooges guided by archaic Rhodesian principles.

According to the plan, MDC leaders will be reviled as puppets and henchmen of the West.

Among the clips already assembled for TV programmes are bits from old American black-and-white movies about slavery and the South showing the plantation boss whipping workers, plus aerial pictures of US napalm drops in Vietnam. Both will be passed off as Rhodesia under Ian Smith. Mugabe will be portrayed as a mix of Gandhi, Mandela and Che Guevara and the message will be that Zanu (PF) alone delivered Zimbabwe from tyranny.

There has been no official announcement about Moyo’s appointment, but sources said Moyo has told colleagues in Zanu (PF) that he is acting on behalf of the president. The sources said Moyo had virtually been given a free reign and no-one is to question his decisions. There are reports that Zanu (PF) is trying to fit him into the top echelons by creating a post for him in the information department. Some in the party see this year’s independence celebrations as Zanus last ditch chance to build support.