Lovemore Moyo

Infobox Politician
name = Lovemore Moyo


imagesize =‎ 150px
office = Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe
predecessor = John Nkomo
term_start = 25 August 2008
term_end =
predecessor2 = Isaac Matongo
office2 = National Chairman of the MDC-T
term_start2 = 2 June 2006
birth_date = birth date and age|1965|01|29
birth_place = Kezi, Southern Rhodesia
successor =
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Member of Parliament of the MDC-T
party = Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai
party colour = liberal
residence = Maphisa, Kezi
religion = Christian
website =|

Lovemore Moyo (born 29 January 1965) is a Zimbabwean 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.cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411366/1221780|title=Zimbabwe enforces price freeze] [http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/mdc97.16498.html Zimbabwe: MDC Fights Tribalism Charges Over SA Elections] New Zimbabwe]

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).Fact|date=June 2007

As Speaker of the House of Assembly

In 2006, he succeeded Isaac Matongo 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. [ [http://www.sokwanele.com/election2008/constituency Matobo North results] , Sokwanele.com.] 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 [http://allafrica.com/stories/200808251079.html "Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai Wins Parliamentary Vote"] , allAfrica.com, August 25, 2008.] [Celia W. Dugger, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/25/africa/zimbabwe.php "Zimbabwe opposition gains a key position"] , "International Herald Tribune", August 25, 2008.] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7580366.stm "MDC wins Zimbabwe parliament vote"] , BBC News, August 25, 2008.] 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7581439.stm "Speaker hope for new Zimbabwe era"] , BBC News, August 26, 2008.]

References