(MC): What inspired you to join politics?
(NM): I joined politics because of my belief in justice and equality in communities. I had been involved in community organizing since 2006 for Plumtree Business Association and had been Shop Steward for the Noczim Workers’ Union in Plumtree. Through a number of years of community activism and organizing I realized that there were some situations that can only be changed through politics, which is where policies are made. I realized some reforms were necessary for justice and equality to prevail. That was in 2008, although I had been an MDC member since 2006.
The journey has been exciting, though challenging – punctuated by arrests and being called in for questioning by the police, especially in 2008. I was picked up three times, as well as threatened with violence and expulsion from my workplace by Zanu (PF) officials. But it has been a good learning curve.
(MC): How do you think your party will perform in the elections?
(NM): I am sure we will carry about a third of the seats in Parliament, carrying Mat’South, Mat’North, Bulawayo, part of the Midlands and part of Manicaland. This is because our strong stand on Devolution of Power and commitment to self-government and self-determination of communities, unity in diversity and equality resonates with these communities, and they understand our position and appreciate our commitment to address matters that are pertinent to them.
(MC): What are you doing about better service delivery in your constituency?
(NM): I have written a book titled The Rebirth of Bukalanga which traces our history as a people (Bulilima-Mangwe is basically Kalanga area). I did this to inspire our people and show them their heritage so that they would take pride in who they are and be confident. Too many times we have been regarded as less than human despite the fact that it is our people who contributed perhaps more than any other community to some of the great movements that have swept through Southern Africa.
I am also facilitating a programme which will see building of 64 primary schools, secondary schools and clinics across Bulilima District. It’s a mega-project but I am sure that we will pull this off by 2015 as we agreed with the community.
(MC): What challenges have you encountered since you joined politics?
(NM): Funding of certain projects that one wants to see move quickly has been a stumbling block. Our government’s partisan approach in dealing with development is of major concern. I was at some stage worried after there were gross accusations from some quarters that I am a “divisive element” trying to divide Matebeleland just for daring to stand up for my Kalanga language and identity. Of course that has been based on misinformation, and I am glad that I have been proven right in the new constitution that true unity can only happen in the celebration of our diversity, not suppression of other communities.
(MC): What are your ambitions?
(NM): I would be glad to serve in the Education Ministry. Also, in the hope that our constitution will at some point be revisited to embrace full Provincial Governments with elected governors, I’d really appreciate running for Governor of Mat’South, and perhaps ultimately President of the Republic. There is nothing to stop someone committed to justice and equality, freedom and human liberty, self-government and self-determination and above all industrialization and economic development of the country.
(MC): What natural resources does your constituency have and is the community benefiting from them?
(NM): Some resources that we have cannot necessarily be classified as natural resources, like the Plumtree, Maitengwe and Mpoengs Border Post. Frankly, our people are not benefiting anything from these borders, despite the fact that they are bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The borders are not benefiting us even in terms of employment, and I see it as my primary task to work with other MPs from the region in an era of devolution of power to make sure that these borders have a strong way of benefiting us as a community. We cannot continue to have resources in our community that do not benefit us and be expected to be happy about that. Jobs, not only at these borders, but in any other department, should primarily go to our people.
(MC): Your constituency is one of the areas which were affected by Gukurahundi. What do you think must be done for the victims?
(NM): This is one of the most painful and tragic realities that my community lives with to this day. Our parents were murdered callously, underwent gross humiliation, disappeared and endured terrible things. One of the worst areas the Gukurahundi Genocide affected us in was in the area of education.
Before that we had some of the best schools in the country, and a greater part of the civil service in Matebeleland was actually from Bulilima-Mangwe (which included Matobo District a few years back), but the perpetrators who oversaw this brutality made sure that they destroyed our education system. Today too many of our children are not well educated because their parents were not well educated, hence had limited access to economic opportunity. Our schools are in a bad state up to this day. This has also led to the swifter spread of the HIV virus in Bulilima-Mangwe, too many teenage pregnancies, a general social crisis as children grow up without their parents to nurture them.
Biography
Aged 31. Currently serving as Secretary for Plumtree and a Member of the Bulilima East District Committee. Moyo holds a Diploma in Personnel Management graduating with Distinction from the Institute of People Management (IPMZ). He also studied Systematic Theology at Theological College of Zimbabwe (TCZ) in Bulawayo and is the author of the book ‘The Rebirth of Bukalanga’. Served as Shop Steward for National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) in Plumtree and as Deputy National Chairman of the Noczim Workers’ Union. He also served as a Community Organizer for the Plumtree Business Association (PBA) and was a Branch Committee Member of the Southern Region of the Zimbabwe Energy Workers’ Union.
Post published in: News