Police in Harare yesterday grilled Information Minister Jonathan Moyo for over an hour in connection with the shadowy baba jukwa facebook page and his alleged dealing with Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi, who was arrested on June 19th on allegations of administering the page.
In his affidavit in a bail application at the high court, Kudzayi said Moyo was one of the top government and army officials who attended a briefing he gave at the army headquarters in Harare after he was contracted by the military to expose Baba Jukwa.
But ruling Zanu-PF party insiders and political analysts, who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity, said the summoning of Moyo can be traced back to the serious infighting within the party ahead of the crucial elective congress in December.
The party is said to be divided into two main factions, one led by Vice President Joyce Mujuru and the other by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. The two have dismissed the allegation that they are factional leaders.
Moyo is allegedly linked to the Mnangagwa formation and he has been trading barbs with Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, an unapologetic Mujuru backer.
Moyo’s lawyer Terrence Hussein who accompanied him to the police general headquarters refused to talk about the possibility of Zanu-PF factionalism as the reason for him being summoned.
Hussein told VOA’s Blessing Zulu the minister was merely invited not summoned.
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Interview With Terrence Hussein
Political analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya disagrees, saying people are being summoned by the police due to factionalism in President Robert Mugabe’s party.
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Interview With Pedzisai Ruhanya