Zimbabwe’s Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Jonathan Moyo, has sparked a heated debate on Twitter after he posted a tweet ridiculing the South African economy.
After SA lost position as Africa’s largest economy to Nigeria, Rand is now falling like any other African currency! pic.twitter.com/LWL8zxb3C4
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) August 27, 2015
Many South Africans, and even Zimbabweans in South Africa, expressed their disappointment and anger at Moyo. That led to South Africa’s international relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela asking his fellow South Africans to hit back. Monyela created the hashtag #SomeoneTellProfMoyo.
I wish I could put diplomacy aside but I can’t…SA twitter can some please assist….. #SomeoneTellProfMoyo
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 27, 2015
#SomeoneTellProfMoyo That “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones…”
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 27, 2015
Monyela felt it was unfair for Moyo to make fun of our economy because SA helps other countries in Africa.
#SomeoneTellProfMoyo “@MTshwete: Why would he celebrate our economy’s challenges as if our country doesn’t serve the region? :(”
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 27, 2015
Monyela reminded Moyo things will be normal again.
#SomeoneTellProfMoyo the Rand will recover because #WeAreSouthAfrica pic.twitter.com/FO1rjzcNGb
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) August 27, 2015
After hours of Monyela’s tweets, many South Africans and Zimbabweans followed the #SomeoneTellProfMoyo hashtag. Here are some of the reactions:
@ClaysonMonyela @ProfJNMoyo That still doesn’t make Zimbabwe any better, does it Prof? Ordinary Nigerians lives are also not better too
— Lawrence Dube (@DubeLawrence) August 27, 2015
@La_Revolucion11 His ego won’t allow him to concede that he is out of depth on causal factors of rand volatility @ProfJNMoyo
— Sentletse (@Sentletse) August 27, 2015
@ProfJNMoyo Most of that is attributed to your non effective government we wouldn’t carrying your country men in our country as a burden
— Mxolisi Joloza (@jolsjoloza) August 27, 2015
#SomeoneTellProfMoyo Here’s some food for thought, since you chased farmers away.
— AbortedNews (@AbortedNews) August 27, 2015
2 months ago the same #SomeonetellProfMoyo was a hero to some for ‘exposing’ the ‘imperialist agenda’ of NGO fighting for Al Bashir’s arrest
— Chris Vick (@chrisvick3) August 27, 2015
Accroding to reports, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe banned his cabinet from using social media.
Moyo seemingly was not happy unless he had the last word on the matter. This morning he tweeted:
If common intelligence is going to be measured by regurgitating the stupid views of SA liberals then to hell with it! pic.twitter.com/oORzuExwbJ
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) August 28, 2015