Lovemore Moyo
Encyclopedia
Lovemore Moyo is a Zimbabwe
an politician and the current Speaker
of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe
. He is the National Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party led by Morgan Tsvangirai
.
He joined the Zimbabwe African People's Union
during the Rhodesian Bush War
. He was based in Zambia
until 1980. He later joined a political pressure group called Open Forum. He is a founding member of the Forum Party of Zimbabwe. He later founded a political and cultural pressure group Imbavane Yamahlabezulu.
In 1999 he was a founder member of the MDC. He was elected Secretary of the Matabeleland South
Provincial Executive and also a National Council Member. In June 2000 he was elected as the Member of Parliament
for Matobo
Constituency in Matabeleland South
Province. He was a member of the Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport and Culture and on Public Accounts Committee.
In the March 2005 parliamentary election, he was re-elected to represent the same constituency and continued to serve on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport and Culture and on Public Accounts. He is also a member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF).
as National Chairman of the MDC. In the March 2008 parliamentary election
, Moyo was re-elected to the House of Assembly as an MDC-Tsvangirai candidate from Matobo North constituency. He received 3,503 votes, defeating Kotsho Dube of ZANU-PF, who received 3,102 votes. When Parliament first met for its new term on August 25, 2008, Moyo was elected as Speaker of Parliament, receiving 110 out of 208 votes in the House of Assembly in a secret ballot. Moyo reportedly received 99 votes from MDC-Tsvangirai faction MPs, seven votes from MDC-Mutambara faction MPs, and four votes from ZANU-PF MPs. ZANU-PF did not present a candidate against Moyo and instead supported Paul Themba Nyathi of the Movement for Democratic Change
faction led by Arthur Mutambara
.
Following his election as Speaker, Moyo predicted that Parliament would henceforth be a meaningful check on the executive, which would need to "find ways of negotiating with the legislature in order to put through programs". Although he pledged that he would be neutral in presiding over the House of Assembly, he also suggested that he would not set aside the MDC position that Robert Mugabe
's re-election in the 2008 presidential election
was illegitimate.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an politician and the current Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe
House of Assembly of Zimbabwe
The House of Assembly of Zimbabwe is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It was the unicameral legislative body from 1989 until late November 2005, when the Senate was re-introduced....
. He is the National Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T) party led by Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Tsvangirai
Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai and a key figure in the opposition to President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on 11 February 2009...
.
He joined the Zimbabwe African People's Union
Zimbabwe African People's Union
The Zimbabwe African People's Union was a militant organization and political party that fought for the national liberation of Zimbabwe from its founding in 1961 until it merged with the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front in December 1987....
during the Rhodesian Bush War
Rhodesian Bush War
The Rhodesian Bush War – also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe War of Liberation – was a civil war which took place between July 1964 and December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia...
. He was based in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
until 1980. He later joined a political pressure group called Open Forum. He is a founding member of the Forum Party of Zimbabwe. He later founded a political and cultural pressure group Imbavane Yamahlabezulu.
In 1999 he was a founder member of the MDC. He was elected Secretary of the Matabeleland South
Matabeleland South
Matabeleland South is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 54,172 km² and a population of approximately 650,000 . Gwanda is the capital of the province.-Geography:...
Provincial Executive and also a National Council Member. In June 2000 he was elected as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Matobo
Matobo
Matobo can refer to:*Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe*Matobo District, an administrative division of Zimbabwe*Matobo, a village in Botswana...
Constituency in Matabeleland South
Matabeleland South
Matabeleland South is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 54,172 km² and a population of approximately 650,000 . Gwanda is the capital of the province.-Geography:...
Province. He was a member of the Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport and Culture and on Public Accounts Committee.
In the March 2005 parliamentary election, he was re-elected to represent the same constituency and continued to serve on the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Sport and Culture and on Public Accounts. He is also a member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF).
As Speaker of the House of Assembly
In 2006, he succeeded Isaac MatongoIsaac Matongo
Isaac Matongo was a Zimbabwean politician and labor activist, born in Masvingo.Matongo was elected vice-president of the National Engineering Workers' Union in 1988, eventually serving in the same position with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions...
as National Chairman of the MDC. In the March 2008 parliamentary election
Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held in Zimbabwe on March 29, 2008 to elect members to both the House of Assembly and the Senate of the Zimbabwean parliament...
, Moyo was re-elected to the House of Assembly as an MDC-Tsvangirai candidate from Matobo North constituency. He received 3,503 votes, defeating Kotsho Dube of ZANU-PF, who received 3,102 votes. When Parliament first met for its new term on August 25, 2008, Moyo was elected as Speaker of Parliament, receiving 110 out of 208 votes in the House of Assembly in a secret ballot. Moyo reportedly received 99 votes from MDC-Tsvangirai faction MPs, seven votes from MDC-Mutambara faction MPs, and four votes from ZANU-PF MPs. ZANU-PF did not present a candidate against Moyo and instead supported Paul Themba Nyathi of the Movement for Democratic Change
Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara
The Movement for Democratic Change — Mutambara is a Zimbabwean political party led by Welshman Ncube.-Foundation:The Movement for Democratic Change was founded in 1999 as an opposition party to the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party led by President Robert Mugabe...
faction led by Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Mutambara
Arthur Guseni Oliver Mutambara is a Zimbabwean politician. He became the President of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara faction in February 2006. He has worked as the Managing Director and CEO of Africa Technology and Business Institute since September 2003...
.
Following his election as Speaker, Moyo predicted that Parliament would henceforth be a meaningful check on the executive, which would need to "find ways of negotiating with the legislature in order to put through programs". Although he pledged that he would be neutral in presiding over the House of Assembly, he also suggested that he would not set aside the MDC position that Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's re-election in the 2008 presidential election
Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008
The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on 29 March 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front , Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change , and...
was illegitimate.