His idiosyncratic suits may have helped fashion the familiar, colourful character image, but Guma Moyo’s business and political careers have always rested more on the sharpness of his wits than the cut of his cloth.
The Guma Moyo who welcomed me into his office on Wednesday afternoon was, however, a far cry from the quick witted politician who is given to thinking on his feet. He was at wits end, trying to figure out why his supposed political soul mates inside the ruling Botswana Democratic Party have been the most hostile since news broke out that he would be stepping down as Assistant Minister of Finance on allegations of conflict of interest.
A very proud businessman turned politician, Moyo was until last week a key member of President Ian Khama’s most loyal circle of trusted friends inside the ruling party.
Ever since President Khama advised him to resign his cabinet position, Moyo says the BDP members have been particularly vociferous in their disdainful attitude towards him.
He speaks of how one BDP functionary called an opposition member, Dumelang Saleshando, boasting how they were “sorting out Moyo.”
Investigations have since revealed that Moyo and Saleshando were on their way to lunch.
“I could not believe my ears. The power struggle inside the BDP has become very, very untidy,” he said.
Taking no time to observe the niceties of greetings, Moyo hits the ground running:
“You know the BDP members have been the most vociferous, the most malicious and hateful since this whole thing started.”
We are seated at the third floor ministerial suite of the Ministry of Finance, inside an expanse of an executive office almost the size of a BHC medium cost house.
This is a place Moyo has, for the past eight months, called office. It is also the place he has been instructed by the man who calls the shots in government to vacate on January 1, 2009.
By any standards, his leaving has not been tidy.
“I am at a loss. I believe the whole thing is more political than anything,” he says.
Assured of his innocence, Moyo insists that history will vindicate him.
“I wholly support the advice that President Khama gave me. It would not be neat for me to continue in cabinet with these allegations hanging on my head ÔÇô however frivolous they are,” he says.
“If the BDP wants to destroy itself that’s fine with me. But I insist that they should leave the country intact.
This country is much bigger than any political parties. You may hate my origin, hate my name, hate my ethnicity but I don’t think that should be a reason for telling lies about me. I am not in politics for money,” before adding that “85 % of my salary goes to the constituency I represent. And believe me I will represent the people of Tati East for as long as they want.”
As the interview progresses he gets emotionally charged and makes no effort to conceal the amount of anger consuming him inside.
But what has exactly happened? I ask the youthful and exuberant minister.
A little less than a week earlier, in what was supposed to be a routine official interaction with Ian Khama, the President broke the bad news to Moyo that the Directorate of Public Prosecutions had indicated they wanted to charge the assistant minister with corruption.
Since that day, life has never been the same again for Guma Moyo.
According to Moyo, the news, later leaked to opposition Member of Parliament, Dumelang Saleshando, was broken in the presence of Vice President Mompati Merafhe.
The initial plan agreed between Moyo and the President was that Moyo would step down on his own citing personal reasons.
But a phone message from Saleshando to Moyo seeking confirmation did not only scuttle the whole plan but also led Moyo to suspect conspiracy against himself.
It was after Saleshando’s message that the President elected to take the initiative and make an announcement himself to the effect that together with another assistant minister, Oliphant Mfa, Moyo will be stepping down.
What ensued thereafter left even the most hardened government enclave observers astounded.
Faced with what he says amounted to persecution from his BDP colleagues and clearly annoyed by the treatment at the hands of people he had expected some sympathy from, Moyo rushed to the party house where he dropped a resignation letter.
That was after he had dropped another letter with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Patrick Balopi, informing him of his desire to quit parliament.
Both resignation letters have since been withdrawn.
“The President is not happy with the way things have turned out. He told me he is not convinced of the reasons given to him. But he is an honourable man; he will never interfere in a process of law,” said Moyo.
“I have been advised that I can still remain a Member of Parliament, defend myself and at the same time represent the people of Tati East. I am not saying I am guilty but personally I would have hoped that the legal process barred such an arrangement. This to me is what amounts to a conflict of interest. Which is why I still think resigning was the right thing to do.”
He says the portfolio of finance is too serious and sensitive to be occupied by a person who is at the same time fighting corruption charges lingering on his head.
In that spirit he insists that his resignation from parliament was driven more by his code of morals than by a desire to hit back at the BDP that had let him down.
“Look here I cannot hide my bitterness. People waited all this time for me to be appointed minister and start saying they will be charging me. How can I not be bitter?” he says.
He says had he known that he was being investigated, he would not have accepted an invitation by President Khama to serve in government starting April this year.
“But believe me all these people who are plotting against me, I will take them on; one by one. I am a fighter,” he promised.
Since 2004, when he won the BDP primaries against a senior minister, Chapson Butale, Moyo has seen his political fortunes rise so much so that many were beginning to treat him as a future senior minister of finance ÔÇô a powerful portfolio that literally oversees the financial conduct of all other ministers.
After he made a name for himself as one of the most effective members of the Public Accounts Committee, President Khama appointed him assistant Minister of Finance, replacing Duncan Mlazie, a former bank manager who was perceived by many to be at sea on financial issues.
“I have every reason to be worried because the worst form of bombardment has been from my BDP colleagues. I have never seen such malice,” he says as a matter of fact.
