Right of Reply…’I did not sell out’

On July 9, 2017, The Sunday Mail published an interview with Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, in which the Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe spelt out why the country could not trust Zanu-PF Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo’s account of his activities during the Second Chimurenga.

Air Marshal Shiri said in the interview that perhaps Prof Moyo was working with sell-outs at the time in question, suggesting that he was working with the likes of Oliver Chimenya in Zambia to derail the struggle. Subsequent to that publication, Mr Chimenya visited The Sunday Mail and emphasised that he never worked against the liberation movement, and also gave an account of how he knew Prof Moyo. Read on.

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Oliver Chimenya

I never worked for Lonhro in Zambia. At that time I worked for Zimbabwe Times as the News Editor for three months in Harare. It was a Lonhro newspaper.

After that I worked several jobs, like for CG Tracey in 1978, with the Rhodesia Promotion Council, and then Anglo American Corporation from September 1979.

While with Anglo American, I was the public affairs manager; I was the link between Anglo American Corporation and Government.

Certainly, I met Jonathan in Nairobi in 1977 and I gave him a room and enrolled him in a Journalism course, and he seemed to be doing very well until he disappeared.

I have never seen Jonathan ever since, except in the media.

I am down and under and could do with some crumbs from his table as a thank you.