Zimbabwe To Delay Presidential Elections

Journalists to continue to be persecuted



Not going anywhere, anytime soon???

Reporting byReuters
HARARE
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party is considering delaying presidential elections in 2008 and holding the vote with general parliamentary polls in 2010, state radio reported on Sunday.
The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation quoted Nathan Shamuyarira, information secretary for Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, as saying although discussions were at preliminary stages, the party was looking at the possibility of postponing the 2008 poll in order to consolidate the voting calendar.
"The ruling ZANU-PF party is consulting party members and will soon lobby parliament over the possibility of holding joint presidential and parliamentary elections in 2010, a senior official has revealed," the ZBC said.
"Comrade Nathan Shamuyarira said the party was likely to push for the joint presidential-parliamentary elections to be held in 2010."
Shamuyarira was not available for further details.
Officials of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) could also not be reached for immediate comment, but has in the past said it would oppose any attempt to change the electoral calendar.
The MDC has tried unsuccessfully to press ZANU-PF to accept inter-party talks on Zimbabwe's crisis over disputed elections, security and media laws and constitutional reforms, with Mugabe saying the MDC must raise its problems in parliament.
A change in the electoral calendar would require a change in the constitution. The ruling party enjoys a technical two-thirds majority in parliament so it can pass such amendments easily.
Shamuyarira did not say whether Mugabe, 82, and in power since the southern African country's independence from Britain in 1980, would remain in office to 2010 or hand over to someone when his current six-year presidential term ends in March 2008.
Mugabe has previously suggested he will retire in 2008, but has not been categorical about the decision -- a point which analysts say means that the veteran Zimbabwean leader is keeping his options open.
There has been speculation over the past year that Mugabe might hang onto power until 2010 or retire in 2008 but only under a law allowing his chosen successor in ZANU-PF to hold power for a couple of years before facing the opposition in a 2010 general election.
Political analysts say Mugabe and ZANU-PF fear an electoral challenge amid a deepening economic crisis many blame on his government, and might hope a delay would allow time for improvement in an economy struggling with the world's highest inflation rate of over 1,200 percent.
The opposition charges that Mugabe's government has robbed it of victory in three major elections in the last six years, and says his government has become more repressive in the face of the economic meltdown.
Mugabe denies the charge, and in turn accuses the MDC of being a puppet of Western powers seeking to overthrow his party over its controversial seizures of white-owned farms to redistribute to landless blacks.© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

ZimJournalists Arise Does Accept Responsibility For The Content in This Report

The Zimbabwean Looks For Exclusive Stories From Journos
Letter from Zimbabwean Editor Wilf Mbanga

we'd be happy to make a modest payment if anyone comes up with a really good story that we can have exlcusively until after our publication day - Thursdays! please pass the word around. cheers Trish/Wilf.

Anyone interested e-mail Wilf and Trish at mbanga@thezimbabwean.co.uk

The International Federation of Journalist Calls For Investigation Into DRC TV Fire


DRC President Joseph Kabila

Media Release by IFJ
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called for a full investigation of the fire that destroyed two television stations, Canal Congo Télévision (CCTV) and Canal Kin Télévision (CKTV), and the radio station Radio Liberté on Monday 18 September in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CCTV Director Kitutu O'Leontwa was seriously burned when the fire broke out in the building which houses CCTV, CKTV and Radio Liberté, TV and radio stations owned by the political party of the opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba. “We wish a quick recovery to CCTV’s director and express our solidarity with our colleagues,” said Gabriel Baglo, director of the IFJ Africa office. “We call on the government to conduct a serious investigation to determine whether it was an accidental or a criminal fire.”

On Monday afternoon during a live show on CCTV, Kasongo Numbi, a member of the Congolese Parliament said to be close to the ruling party, was in the studio. The fire began with black smoke and then flames coming from the air conditioner in the studio, Numbi told the AFP.

The origin of the fire is not yet clear but Numbi was assaulted by building security guards and a crowd who accused him of setting the fire.

Next month, Jean-Pierre Bemba will face current president, Joseph Kabila, in a presidential election run-off. During the first round of elections, both candidates used their radio and TV stations for political propaganda.

The media regulatory body Haute Autorité des Médias shut down three stations for 24 hours in August for inciting people to violence.

The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries

ZimJournalists Arise Does Not Accept Responsibility For The Contents of This Report.

The Behaviour of Zimbo Journo’s At Press Conferences
No Questions To Ask Gono!!!!
What do you think, what would you have asked Gono???
Ray Mawerera
A Harare-based public relations consultant and the current President of the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Relations in this week’s Financial Gazette.

RESERVE Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono exchanged some light banter with journalists following his interim review report on "Project Sunrise" recently.Earlier, during the discussion session of the presentation, the Governor had repeatedly challenged the journalists present to ask questions to avoid speculative reporting.

"Ask the questions now," he said several times. "Aika, bvunzai, ask, so that when you write, you do so with all the facts..."
There were no takers. Most of the contributions had come from representatives of different sector stakeholders, mainly throwing bouquets at Dr Gono and his team for managing the process well. Others simply told the Governor about the relative ease with which they had made the transition from the three zeroes. As for the media people there, mum was the word.

One of the many stakeholders at the meeting voiced the opinion that the reason could be that the journalists did not want to be "scooped".
A "scoop" is an exclusive piece of news that every journalist dreams of unearthing or bumping into, news that no one else has. If, for instance, the journalist receives a lead on certain information he or she is unlikely to follow it up while everyone else is listening. They would rather draw the prospective Interviewee aside afterwards, to talk to them away from eavesdroppers.

This is becoming so commonplace these days that some press conferences have been reduced to near-monologues. The person addressing the press conference tells the ladies and gentlemen of the press the news they have been invited to be told and, after speaking for a while, opens the floor to questions. There is silence. Out of politeness, maybe one or two lame questions may be asked. Afterwards, when the journalists are invited to stay on for an informal chat-and-drink, they bombard the person with questions, individually.

This is how Dr Gono found himself exchanging light banter with the media after his Ilanga Seliphumile presentation.
Clients have asked why journalists seem to have taken to operating this way. There are several reasons, the primary one of which could be the issue of the elusive scoop. Another reason could be the challenges faced by reporters on weekly or monthly publications to find a news angle that would not be tackled on the electronic news bulletin that day or the daily paper tomorrow. Yet another could be that the reporter might feel they want to raise a totally different and unrelated issue.

It is, therefore, important at news conferences to know the spread of media attending in order to satisfy their areas of focus and interest. Financial newspapers may not always have the same interests as weekly family newspapers, for instance.

That's one way of handling it. Politicians, who are renowned for their creativity, have mastered the art of leaving immediately after the press conference thus precluding any chance of chat-and-drink ambushes!
Corporate organisations, of course, cannot do this and we do not recommend it because it is simply impolite. Besides, you could be passing up an opportunity to interface informally with the media -- a very important but often underestimated aspect of public relations.

Press conferences, by their very nature, are non-exclusive media events where everyone gets the same news. This is usually done when information is so topical that the likelihood of all media chasing the same story is quite high. Rather than wait to respond to each query as it comes, the organisation takes the proactive step to provide all journalists with the same information. Sometimes press releases can be issued, which serve more or less the same purpose.

The press conference, however, tends to have more impact because of its direct access nature. It provides journalists with the opportunity to follow up issues right there, ask questions, seek clarification, prod further. It can, therefore, be a source of frustration when no questions are forthcoming but a report that is factually incorrect is published. Unfortunately this has happened, creating negative perceptions of some journalists and their media organizations.

Some organisations actually do not even like press conferences. This could be because there is no restriction on what the journalists can ask. In other words, they cannot -- as a general rule -- be expected to confine themselves to questions revolving only around the subject of the press conference.
For instance, Dr Gono's Zuva Rabuda update could have been turned on its head by a journalist asking something totally removed from the issue under discussion - including, even, questions on the Governor's personal life!That is the nature of press conferences. I have seen press officers who try to direct reporters to stick to the subject at hand. Most times they are simply ignored. The journalists simply reason that this may be the only opportunity they have, especially if they are dealing with a usually busy and therefore largely inaccessible figure. They fear being roasted by their editors if they go back without the "real" story.
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Letter from Editor of the Zimbabwean
Dear ZimJourno arise team
Congratulations from us on the good work too!
Wilf Mbanga
(Edited)
Response From ZimJournalists Arise
Thank you

Letter from Phillip Pasirayi
Fellow Journos Colleagues I would like to commend you for this great
initiative.Whoever is the brainchild of this idea deserves to be thanked.Not many scribes in Zimbabwe today are able to stand up and defend the downtrodden.I have just finished my studies here in the UK and willbe joining you in the trenches in a few days time.Let us keep them informed and make this a broader and deeper idea.
Regards Phillip


Response From ZimJournalist Arise
Thank you Philipp for your words of encouragement and we look foward to offering a bigger and better product. We would like to thank our collegeaues especially those in the media who have provided us with the news. We hope we will keep the Zimbabwean Journalist Family together, whatever the distance or the obstacles. Let the comments, feedback, suggestions continue to roll i n. And most of all have a safe trip to the motherland.

Tsvangirai Press Statement on the Assault of Harare North MP Trudy Stevenson and Others


pix by the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara


President Tsvangirai's remarks at the publication of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into tphe assaults perpetrated on the Member of Parliament for Harare North, Honourable Gertrude Stevenson, and Mrs. Simangele Manyere, Mr. Linos Mushonga, Mr. Luxon Sibanda and Mr. Tawanda Mudzerema on Sunday 2 July 2006 at Harvest House.


Following a report in the Herald newspaper on Tuesday 4 July 2006 which made public an attack allegedly perpetrated against the Member of Parliament for Harare North, Honourable Gertrude Stevenson, and Mrs. Simangele Manyere, Mr. Linos Mushonga, Mr. Luxon Sibanda and Mr. Tawanda Mudzerema on Sunday 2 July 2006, we set up an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the incident. We felt such a move was necessary given the numerous allegations linking the party, and myself in particular, to the attack. I also met a representative from the Stevenson's family who had indicated to me their concern about the allegations and sought some assurance from me about the future.
The commission, headed by Advocate Happias Zhou, carried out its work and has now concluded its report, complete with a summary of the evidence, its findings and recommendations. May I thank the commissioners for a professional and objective investigation? We have already begun to use the findings, the experiences highlighted by the commission and the lessons from the probe in an honest search for remedies to our organizational and structural weaknesses as a party.
Today, I wish to make public that report.
Once again, I wish to express my dismay with the attack on Honourable Stevenson and the other MDC members. Such a brutal act on fellow Zimbabweans, innocent human beings and committed activists could have been avoided. It is regrettable. It is clear from the findings that the state was determined to cause maximum damage on the MDC and to discredit the democratic movement. State agents ensnared and trapped Honourable Stevenson and her colleagues into this sadistic and unfortunate attack.
The report shows that neither Honourable Stevenson nor some of her colleagues knew the people who advised them to follow them and later waylaid them to the scene of attack – a secluded rural or peri-urban area outside Mabvuku. The attackers, working at a lightening pace and without any notice of members of the public or eyewitnesses, took place in Harare East constituency in the Chishawasha area.
The events leading to the attack and methods used in attack, according the investigation, show that a professional hit man directed the assailants with precision and a broad political motive. We shall handover a copy of this report to Honourable Stevenson for her perusal, for her own information and possible use at her own discretion.
A major highlight of the report is a confirmation of our long-held suspicion of heavy infiltration in the party. After the regime's failure to liquidate the MDC following the leadership crack on October 12 last year, Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF changed their tactics and are still pursuing their project to destroy the MDC. Before October 12, the regime targeted our provinces and provincial structures for infiltration. When they realized that the rest of the party remained intact at the grassroots level, they changed tact.
The report shows that they have since moved downwards and are still working on this destructive project. It is clear from the report that some state security agents direct party affairs and determine the party agenda in Mabvuku. The constituency is heavily infiltrated and all our members and structures in the area are at risk. Not surprisingly, the Advocate Zhou commission noted that some of the people working with Honourable Stevenson in Mabvuku were suspect and could have been working against her own political interests.
The report shows that Mabvuku may just be one of the many constituencies with a web of bugs and spooks. We are grateful that we can now institute a process of clearing up our structures in Mabvuku and in other areas to contain and vaccinate the party against negative external influences. The National Executive Committee shall meet soon to institute an intensive leadership analysis and scrutiny at all levels in order to set in motion a regular process of weeding out nests of saboteurs and others whose agenda is at variance with what we seek to achieve.
Zanu PF and Mugabe have a history of infiltrating political parties and interfering with their legitimate political activities. The MDC has been a prime target for such a project during the past seven years. The report on what happened in Mabvuku provides ample evidence of a sustained conspiracy to damage the reputation of the MDC and to direct the party focus onto its internal differences.
Mugabe is desperately looking for breathing space and has now gone down to our lowest structures to promote violence against the people. Mugabe and Zanu PF must understand that violence is a symptom of a deeper societal dysfunction. As long as certain fundamentals remain unattended to and the police turn a blind eye to their Constitutional duty, violence is set to live with us for sometime. In the case of Mabvuku, it took the police four days to move in and, by the look of things today, the investigations have already been bungled up. The people who should be made to account for the attack on Honourable Stevenson and others may never be punished because of Zanu PF's interests. Mugabe cherishes a society in which violence dominates political activity.
We are a young party, with a membership born and raised in a climate where violence was officially encouraged and celebrated. Mugabe, as the founding President of the Zimbabwe whose regime inherited a violent culture, worsened the situation and even boasted that his party has its own degrees in violence. We are suffering from the contagion of state-sponsored violence. Our young membership is vulnerable to abuse for a variety of reasons. They are hungry and poor. They are idle and jobs are scarce. The regime has abandoned them. We disagree with some of the findings because they are based on factually incorrect information. For instance, the commission says we have a security department headed by Nhamo Musekiwa. We do not have such a department. The commission also states that previous attempts to address issues of violence within the party failed top bear fruit. That is incorrect. We took action against certain individuals involved in violence in the past. In June 2005, we expelled more than 30 youths from the party because of their violent activities. It is common cause that Mugabe owns a militia which he uses to perpetuate the culture of violence. We understand they trained 300 000 and deployed them in urban areas. Only yesterday, this militia was active at our border posts looking for bearer cheques. Only yesterday, these poisoned youths assaulted and injured civil society leaders wishing to take part in ZCTU march.
The attack on the ZCTU leadership was carefully planned by the regime. A task force, made up of selected army loyalists mainly from the Presidential Guard, the militia and Zanu PF youths, was put together by the army intelligence unit. The force, numbering 450 personnel, was drawn from Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces.Governor Masawi and Saviour Kasukuwere supplied the militia. The teams were deployed from I Commando barracks. The attack on the labour leaders was co-ordinated and directed by the military and senior Zanu PF leaders.
As a labour-backed party, we feel that our base is now under siege. There was no justification for denying workers their right to express themselves. We shall therefore inform a number of international organisations, including SADC, the AU and the United Nations of the local situation and express our displeasure at the behaviour of the Mugabe regime. Zanu PF and Mugabe want to trivialise the Zimbabwean struggle and to make it appear as if Zimbabweans are a confused lot, incapable of finding permanent solutions to their national problems. The attack on Honourable Stevenson and others may not be the last act of the regime to dampen our people's confidence in the MDC.
We know Mugabe shall from time to time select targets for attack, for his propaganda purposes, using a range of surrogates in order to selectively damage our reputation at home and abroad.

Muradzikwa To Take Over ZBH???
Reporting by NewZimbabwe.Com
UK



ZIMBABWE'S troubled state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH), will this week name former Ziana Editor-In-Chief Henry Muradzikwa as the new chief executive officer, New Zimbabwe.com has learnt.
Sources within ZBH said staff now feared a culling of journalists and other staff, particularly the young crop of reporters and presenters at the corporation.
A source at ZBH revealed: "There was so much expectation mainly from workers about the much-talked about change, but reports of an old and retired journalist coming back means doom, at least according to the sentiment."
Muradzikwa was last week seen having lunch with a committee of the ZBH board that appointed him. He is said to have demanded a brand new Mercedes as part of his pay package.
A ZBH source said: "We can expect Muradzikwa to bring back the Radio Maputo war-vets-cum-journalists to manage the succession war within Zanu PF. It seems all the young editors and managers are on their way out."
Radio Maputo was a radio station set up by Zimbabwe's independence war veterans to relay messages during the war of independence from white minority rule in the 1970s.
Muradzikwa's insistence that he wants to be given his Mercedes before assuming office has delayed his appointment which could have been made last week, sources said.
The ZBH has no money and has been struggling to pay staff salaries. ZBH sources believe the government will pump in an extra $3 billion (new currency) at the next budget to bolster the publicity machinery and lift staff morale.
Muradzikwa would be expected to implement a second wave of reforms announced by former Information Minister Tichaona Jokonya before his sudden death in July.
Jokonya wanted to reverse changes made by his predecessor, Jonathan Moyo, who unbundled the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to form nine companies, although only six companies were ever set up.
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Al-Jazeera To Spread Its Wings to Africa
Reporting by the Peninsula
Doha
Al Jazeera International yesterday announced its full line-up of bureaus and correspondents across Africa before its global launch slated for later this year. There will be bureaus in Cairo (Egypt), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa) and Harare (Zimbabwe).
A release said that in addition, Al Jazeera International will share the resources of Al Jazeera Arabic Channel’s African bureaus located in Ndjamena (Chad), Tripoli (Libya), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Rabat (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Mogadishu (Somalia), Johannesburg (South Africa) and Khartoum (Sudan).
On a visit to South Africa, Al Jazeera International Managing Director Nigel Parsons said: “Our reporting from Africa will be unparallleled. We will have more bureaus and resources dedicated to Africa than any other global broadcaster."
Steve Clark, Director of News, said in Doha: “We are planning other bureaus across Africa and will be announcing them in due course.”
Al Jazeera International is the only global news channel to be granted a licence to operate a bureau in Zimbabwe. African Bureau Chief Andrew Simmons has been coordinating sub-Saharan coverage and will also be deployed on special reporting assignments. Al Jazeera has also announced that it has appointed correspondents Amr El Khaky in Cairo, Gabi Menezes in Abidjan and Haru Mutasa in Nairobi. They join Farai Sevenzo as correspondent in Harare and Kalay Maistry as correspondent in Johannesburg.

ZimJournalists Arise Does Not Take Responsibility For The Content Of This Report

Tsvangirayi Presser Tomorrow
By Nelson Chamisa, Secretary for Information and Publicity
Harare
President Morgan Tsvangirai will tomorrow address a press conference at Harvest House at 11am. The issues to be covered include the reporton the Mabvuku violence in which Honourable Trudy Stevenson was attacked and the ZCTU-led protests in which the leaders and several other activists were brutally assaulted while in police custody. All national executive members are encouraged to attend this important press conference.

Four Zimbo Journalists Win Awards
Reporting by MISA-ZIMBABWE
Harare

The Board and Secretariat of MISA-Zimbabwe would like to congratulate Virginia Muwanigwa, Phyllis Kachere, Tsvangirai Mukwazhi and Tsitsi Dangarembga who scooped four awards during the recent Gender and Media Summit (GEM) held in Johannesburg, South Africa.The Gender and Media awards were tightly contested registering a record 187 entries in 12 categories in a competition that was open to 12 countries. The judges considered among other issues, the gender media balance of sources (voices), gender neutral language, awareness of differential impact, fairness in approach to issues and usage of simple accessible gender sensitive language.

Muwanigwa and Kachere won awards in the print category. Mukwazhi grabbed his in the photography category whilst Dangarembga walked away with the award in the television category. Dangarembga’s documentary; Growing Stronger, was filmed and produced by an all female crew.
The fact that Zimbabweans won several awards, demonstrates improved consciousness on gender mainstreaming in the media. Mukwazhi was among the three males recognised for their gender sensitive coverage of events in a clear demonstration that gender issues can be addressed eloquently and professionally by both men and women.

ZimJournalists Does Not Take Responsibility For The Content In This Article

Journalist To Appear In Court
Reporting by All-Africa.Com
USA
Mike Saburi, a freelance cameraperson arrestedtogether with leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) ahead of planned nationwide
demonstrations, were granted bail on 15September 2006 and remanded to 3 October for trial.

Harare Magistrate Olivia Mariga granted Saburi,ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo and 28 otheraccused persons Z$ 20,000 (approx. $US80) bail
each when they appeared in court on initial remandon charges of ontravening Section 37 (1) (b)Chapter 9: 23 of the Criminal Law (Codification andReform Act), which deals with conduct likely to
breach public peace.

ZimJournalists Does Not Take Responsibility for the Content In This Article

Govt Journos Walk Out on Minister
Does Anybody Know who these brave journalists are???
Reporting by The Standard
Harare
FOUR journalists from both the private and public media on Friday walked out on Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr
Edwin Muguti, as he was addressing an "urgent" Press conference to redeem himself from statements he made two weeks ago.
Among these were reporters from The Herald.
Muguti had earlier accused the National Aids Council (NAC) of under-performing and failing to account for funds it got through the National Aids Trust Fund, formerly the Aids Levy.
Although the Press conference was meant for Muguti to retract his statement, the deputy minister tried to shift the blame to the media.
He blamed the media for "unfair" coverage of his statements and said that the media had "blown the issue out of proportion" by making it appear as though there was a "major war" between the NAC and his ministry.
He said: "I want to put it on record that my criticism of NAC was taken out of context and that the statements I made were purely historical.
Disclaimer:
ZimJournalists Arise does not accept responsibility for the contents of this stroy

Journalists Detained By Police

TWO journalists were briefly detained at the Harare Magistrates today, Friday.,at the hearing of arrested ZCTU and MDC officials.

Those arrested were freelance journalist Tendayi Masiwa and SABC News reporter Austin Gundani.

ZimJournalists Arise Mission Statement
Since our birth a few weeks ago we have received numerous e-mails and questions about who we are and what we do.

To set the record straight, we are a group of Zimbabwean journalists, at home and abroad, who want to keep the spirit of Zimbabwean journalism alive.

The blog is run by no-one in particular and everyone in general. Journalists and Zimbabweans at large are welcome to make contributions.

ZimJournalists Arise is a BLOG and please note, not a WEBSITE, that is about issues to deal with journalists first and the general political economic and social environment in Zimbabwe. We are there to highlight activities affecting and to do with journalists. We hope to stimulate debate and conversation among journalists and those who work with journalists.

We are not affiliated to any political party or any media, be it independent owned or government-owned.

We are not in competition with any website but believe our role is to complement what is already there and most importantly not re-invent the wheel.

Owing to the few resources have we are currently relying heavily on already published material and are not in anyway responsible for any of the contents that those articles may carry.

Thank you for your support

Thank you.
ZimJournalists Arise Team

Reuters Journalist Sabure Arrested
Reporting by SWRadio Africa
Additional Reporting by ZimJournalists Arise
UK
A Reuters cameraman Mike Sabure was beaten and arrested in Harare while covering the protest marches organised by the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions, Wednesday.

Freelance journalist Gift Phiri said Sabure was filming the police beating people when policeofficers wielding metre long baton sticks started beating him up. Phiri said the Reuters cameraman tried to show them his accreditation cardbut they kept assaulting him and bundled him into the police Defender truck.

Also arrested was Zimbabwe National Students Union President, Promise Mkwananzi. According to ZINASU, Mkwananzi was picked up at the UZ campus today for conniving with the ZCTU in demonstrating and being involved in last weekend's Mutare Students General Council Meeting.

He was arrested at the same time as civic leader RaymondMajongwe from the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Grace Kwinjeh from the Tsvangirai MDC and several others. The group is being held together with the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) activists arrested on Monday. The 107 WOZA women were arrested whilst trying toprotest at Town House at the shocking service delivery experienced in the capital.

One of the women arrested was rushed to Parirenyatwa hospital Tuesday to give birth after she went into labour in police custody. Six more WOZA were arrested alongside ZCTU protesters in Bulawayo on Wednesday.

Newsnet Boss Mandizvidza In Court
Reporting by the Herald
Harare
NewsNet editor-in-chief Tazzen Mandizvidza appeared at the Harare magistrates’ courts on Tuesday on charges of presenting a fake drivers licence to the police. Mandizvidza (33) was not asked to plead to charges of contravening the Road Traffic Act when he was brought before magistrate Mr Archie Wochiunga.
Defence lawyer Mr Tendai Mapfunde of Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners told the court that he needed time to study the State papers that he had just received, and the trial was postponed to September 21 this year.He was released on free bail since his case was brought on summons.

Charges against Mandizvidza are that on June 6 2004, he was driving along Sam Nujoma Street in Harare when he was involved in an accident.It is alleged that the police instructed Mandizvidza to produce his driver’s licence, vehicle registration book and insurance to any police station within seven days.The State alleges that Mandizvidza presented to the police a metal driver’s licence with his date of birth as December 5 1973, licence number 55111AM and his picture.

Mandizvidza was given back his particulars and he went away.After some time, the police made checks with the Central Vehicle Registry and discovered that the licence Mandizvidza had presented to the police actually belonged to one Gibson Boroma of Budiriro.The State alleges that Mandizvidza knew very well that the licence was bogus and that soon after the incident, he travelled to Plumtree where he acquired a genuine driver’s licence that he is currently using.Prosecutor Mr David Manavele said Mandizvidza had no right whatsoever to act in the manner he did.

Govt ShortWave Radio On The Cards, To Counter Foreign Based Stations
Reporting by the Herald
Harare)
The government now has funding for a short-wave radio station that will counter foreign –based independent media such as Voice of America’s Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa, said Acting Minister of Information and Publicity Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said at a Parliamentary Portfolio Hearing on Transport and Communications.

Government, Mangwana said, had seen it fit to transfer the proposed New Ziana radio station that would be based in Gweru to ZBH.

He said funds had been availed for the shortwave radio station that
was meant to counter propaganda by hostile media organisations,
Studio 7 included, by telling the true Zimbabwean story.

There has been no change of Government policy in barring foreign
ownership of broadcasting licences in terms of the Broadcasting
Services Act, added Mangwana .

Mangwana told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport
and Communications that there appeared to be confusion on the
provisions of the Act pertaining to the restrictions on foreign funding.

The minister was presenting oral evidence on the state of the public media.
Mangwana said the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) had
made submissions to the Government in which it proposed some
amendments pertaining to the management of the Act.

"I told them (BAZ) that there was no change by the Government on
foreign ownership of licences. There has been some misunderstanding
in terms of the provisions on foreign funding," he said.
The Act, Mangwana said, prohibited foreign ownership of
broadcasting licences but did not restrict the borrowing of funds.

Mangwana said applications for private broadcasting licences that
had been lodged with BAZ in the past had been turned down because
they did not satisfy the provisions of the Act and this was mainly
due to ignorance on the part of the applicants.

Some applicants also did not disclose the source of funding as
stipulated in the Act. The minister said there was need for a public debate on the Act for a better understanding of its provisions.

Chairperson of the committee Leo Mugabe, who is Makonde lawmaker
(Zanu-PF), said the Act should be amended in order to create a
conducive environment as there were problems on its adjudication.

Mugabe said there was need for BAZ to advertise again for new
applications from prospective broadcasters.
In response, Mangwana said if Zimbabweans could invest in farming
and mining, they could also likewise invest in the broadcasting
sector without foreign funding.

He would liaise with BAZ on the issue of flighting advertisements
inviting broadcasting applicants.
Tsholotsho legislator Professor Jonathan Moyo said even if one were
to get a radio or television licence it would be impossible to
transmit due to the absence of transmitters.

Prof Moyo, who is the former Minister of Information and Publicity,
said it was prudent for private broadcasters to be allowed to provide
their own transmission equipment.

Mangwana said he would look into the issue of the possibility of
allowing private broadcasters to install their own transmitters.

Government, he said, had taken a number of steps in implementing
recommendations made by the committee in regard to the public media
and these included the restructuring of Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Holdings (ZBH) and New Ziana.

He said a new ZBH board was now in place while recruitment of the
group chief executive officer was underway.

Mangwana said ZBH was working towards digitalisation and
refurbishment of the four radio stations and negotiations on the
project with an Iran firm were at an advanced stage.

He assured the committee that there would be "minimum losses" of
employment resulting from the restructuring programme.

Turning to New Ziana, Mangwana said he would soon be announcing a
new board for the news agency.

He said the agency was strategic to the extent that it should
continue to receive Government grants until it was in a position to
sustain itself together with the Community Newspapers Group.
The minister also said the issue of Studio 7 broadcasting to Zimbabwe
from Botswana was being handled diplomatically through the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.

Commenting on the salaries of journalists, Cde Mangwana said there
was need for journalists to establish an employment council for the
media practitioners.

He said currently the collective bargaining process for journalists
was too fragmented and this was not healthy for the industry.

However, Cde Mangwana said, there had been an improvement in the
salaries of journalists at ZBH and New Ziana following the ministry's
intervention.

Harare Central lawmaker Mr Murisi Zwizwai (MDC) said despite the
review of the salaries, the remuneration for the media practitioners
was still inadequate.

"The salaries are still very low if one takes into consideration the
status they have in life. Even the dressing of those journalists who
are here do not reflect their proper image that they work for
reputable newspapers," he said.

Journalist And Politician Grace Kwinjeh Arrested
ZCTU/MDC Mass Action Arrest Update:
For journalists covering these events contact
Mlamuleli Sibanda at 263-(0)11-620 232 or info@zctu.co.zw

A number of members of the MDC National Executive have been arrested and taken to the Matapi Police Station in Mbare. They include the Deputy Foreign Secretary and journalist, Grace Kwinje and the Deputy Health Secretary, Kerry Kay. They say that many others are in detention and many have been severly beaten by the Police.

Fifeteen people were arrested, including the ZCTU Secretary General Wellington Chibhebhe, President Lovemore Matombo arrested. They were assaulted during his arrest. There was heavy police presence in the city since morning. The march route was sealed. Last night 4 people were arrested. Zanu PF militia wearing party regalia moved from point to point intimidating people.
Chitungwiza: Heavy deployment of the army with tankers. 50 arrested including members of the Chitungwiza Residents Associationand the former Chitungwiza Mayor’s wife. All the 50 are in detention
Plumtree: Heavy Police presence Gwanda: Heavy Police presence
Hwange: Daniel Ncube taken for 4hrs being interrogated.
Bulawayo : About 20 people arrested, including regional Chairperson, Secretary, and organiser. Two people arrested yesterday and still at the Police.
Beitbridge: 3 people arrested.
Masvingo: No arrests so far. Mr. Gapare questioned by Masvingo Police. 15 Police Officers with button sticks, with
canisters and guns seal ZCTU Offices.
Mutare : 20 people arrested, 8 Police Officers surrounding the Mutare ZCTU Office with button sticks and canisters.
Ordinary citizens being bitten up
and situation tense.
Chinhoyi: 15 Workers arrested , Regional chairperson taken for 4hours interrogation. Regional Officer and three others
arrested yesterday and still in detention, including one who had brought food.
Kariba : Committee members intimidated by Police.
Gweru : 16 Arrested one arrested yesterday morning, released but recalled today.
Shurugwi : Executive members taken for interrogation.
Gokwe: Executive members taken for interrogation.
Kwekwe: Executive members taken for interrogation.
Chegutu: 15 Arrested two were picked for interrogation yesterday.
Information as of 15.30 Zimbabwean time 13/09/2006

Zim Media Laws Spread To SADC???
Reporting by AND Network
South Africa
Media laws crafted by Zimbabwe's former minister of information, Professor Jonathan Moyo, have reportedly set a bad precedent for the SADC region as governments scramble to come up with equally stringent media laws.
South Africa is currently working on new media laws that media analysts are criticising as laws that have exactly the same parallel with those of Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe.At the behest of the then information minister, parliament hastily crafted media legislation and regulation bills that were fast tracked into Acts to thwart activities of the emerging vibrant privately-owned media.The government's worst adversary was The Daily News that was under the helm and the editorship of Geoff Nyarota who fell out of favour with the government pundits and heavyweights following his startling revelations of senior government officials in theWilllovale Scandal.The Broadcasting Services Act was enacted in 2000 with serious repercussions on who were the acceptable media players in the Zimbabwe media landscape.This was subsequently followed by the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2002), which Eddison Zvobgo described as one of the calculated acts there designed to thwart personal liberties.The government of Zimbabwe justified these draconian pieces of legislation by saying that even world developed countries have media legislations in place.In similiar fashion the government of South Africa has tabled before its parliament an allegedly equally repulsive media bill that threatens to put a lot of restraints on the operations of media houses.Media analysts said what the South Africans fail to comprehend is that media laws in Zimbabwe were imposed as an attempt by the paranoic Mugabe to ward off any criticism that was likely to stem from the privately-owned media- hence decide to come up with media laws that would make it difficult for the private media to operate in the country.The agenda to kill a 'disseminating voice' was aided by the publicly-owned media which became part of the conspiracy and gave vast amounts of space to George Charamba to expound on government policy and defend legally invalid media laws.Questions were also raised as to the true authorship of the Nathaniel Manheru column which seemed to justify that anything was pro-government, with speculation that Jonathan Moyo was responsible for personally penning the column - a move that enabled him togain undeserved space to justify the hastily crafted media laws.

Tsvangirai’s Message On The Eve Of ZCTU Action
Warning of Brutal Response by Govt
Harare



Zimbabwean workers have a right to demonstrate and express themselves. In a situation where their condition and the costof living continue to sky-rocket, the people have to exercise their democratic right to show their displeasure, suggest solutions and confront what is before them.

However, information reaching the MDC indicates that the regime wishes to suppress the planned demonstrations through brutality, massive arrests and state-sponsored violence. May I take this opportunity to warn Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe against making such a move? Any attempt to turn peaceful workers’ marches into chaotic scenes is counter-productive and unfortunate. For the past six months, we have openly advised the Mugabe regime that we are organizing mass protests as part of our comprehensive program of democratic resistance. Since the ZCTU action is driven by the people and is a people’s
project to address an obvious national grievance, the MDC is fully behind such an effort. Disrupting the planned action shall invite the ire of the party and generate the requisite response.

Come out in your millions and show the regime that you have had enough. We maintain that Zanu PF and Mugabe must be forced to negotiate Zimbabwe out of the national crisis. Already, we have put forward our suggestions on how to save our country and to start afresh. Our roadmap to legitimacy has what we believe are the necessary signposts to rebuild the people’s confidence to pull Zimbabwe out of the woods.

In any society, responsible stakeholders have a duty and a responsibility to proffer suggestions for change and to act, using universal habits of citizenship, to remedy an already deteriorating political, social and economic situation. I wish to congratulate the ZCTU and the entire civil society for their initiative and to inform them that as a political party we are fully behind their efforts. Nothing will stop the people from exercising their generic right to express themselves.

On our part, we remain on course. Our preparations for sustained resistance are complete. We are ready to roll-out our program. We are watching the regime’s response to the ZCTU action with a keen interest.

Lastly, may I appeal to the church and the business community to work with us to save our country from the current uncertainty? May I extend the same plea to our security forces to refrain from acts that shall put them on a collision course with the people?

We respect the Constitutional and professional mandate of our security forces to protect the people and we look forward to working with you in this regard. We harbor no grievances against you. What we face is crisis of governance, initiated and perpetuated by Zanu PF, a failed political party. Resist abuse. Stay out of party politics.

Morgan Tsvangirai,

President.

Mangwana Blasts Zimbo Journalists
Reporting by SAPA/DPA
South Africa
Journalists in Zimbabwe are working
undercover to advance Western interests and
denigrate President Robert Mugabe’s government,
the acting minister of information was quoted as saying Monday.
Paul Mangwana said some reporters had dedicated
their careers to working with Zimbabwe’s enemies
to bring about regime change, the official Herald newspaper reported.
Mangwana described those journalists as “willing
soldiers in a war that is not theirs.”
Mugabe’s government and reporters for the private
and international media have long had strained
relations, which sunk to new lows under the iron
rule of former information minister Jonathan Moyo.
In 2002, Moyo managed to bring in tough press
laws known as the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), that made it a
crime to operate as an unlicensed reporter or to
report anything deemed a falsehood.
Under AIPPA, dozens of reporters have been
arrested, several foreign correspondents
deported, and four private newspapers closed.
Mangwana has been acting information minister
since the death of Moyo’s successor, Tichaona Jokonya earlier this year.
The minister said reporters should report as
patriotic Zimbabweans, the Herald said.

Parliament Lambasts Media
Reporting by the Herald
Harare
PARLIAMENT expects the media to report objectively and will not allow some sections of the Press to use the institution to further their ulterior motives, Clerk of Parliament Mr Austin Zvoma said.
Mr Zvoma told journalists that the media had an obligation to report accurately and honestly.
Parliament, he said, had noted with concern that some sections of the media were in the habit of distorting information.
Mr Zvoma cited the lead story in the weekly Zimbabwe Independent of August 25 alleging that Finance Minister Cde Herbert Murerwa had told a parliamentary portfolio committee that the three zeros removed from the old bearer cheques might be back by December.
In the story headlined "Zeros back by December -- Murerwa", the newspaper alleged that Cde Murerwa had told the Committee on Budget and Finance that there was no guarantee that the zeros would not be back on the new bearer cheques by December due to low production and hyper-inflation.
Mr Zvoma said he had listened to the tapes that were recorded during the committee's proceedings and there were no such utterances by the minister as alleged by the Zimbabwe Independent.
"It will be irresponsible for us to create the platform for those who want to pursue their own agenda.
"When a story is not factual, then it desists from informing the public," he said.
The committee would also table its report in the House, highlighting what transpired during the proceedings.
Asked as to whether any action would be taken against the Zimbabwe Independent, Mr Zvoma said Parliament expected the newspaper to make a correction of the story.
He said the House had the power to bar reporters or media organisations that distorted information on parliamentary proceedings but this was not the best solution in a democratic society.
It was important, Mr Zvoma said, for the media to note that covering Parliament was not a right but a privilege, hence such privilege must not be abused.
He said inaccurate coverage of parliamentary issues posed the risk of undermining the parliamentary reforms that had resulted in the opening of committee meetings to the media and the public.

However, Mr Zvoma said despite a few isolated cases, the majority of the media organisations were covering Parliament fairly and accurately.
The House of Assembly has been adjourned to September 19.
Acting Leader of the House Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa told members that this was meant to give portfolio committees sufficient time to scrutinise Bills tabled in Parliament.

Government Intensifies Jamming SW Radio Africa
Statement by Station Manager Gerry Jackson
(UK)
The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe - is once again being jammed by government authorities.
Recently our medium wave transmissions were jammed and we returned to shortwave - but after a few weeks this has also been jammed. It
would appear that our news bulletin is being specifically targeted.

This is clearly because a program of organised, peaceful resistance has begun in Zimbabwe and is also ahead of the advertised protests by
the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, scheduled to begin on 13th September.

We deplore the fact that government believes it can hold on to power by blocking access to freedom of information and expression.

If it put this much time, energy and money into something positive, Zimbabwe would once again be a wonderful place to live.

Zanu PF Official Urges Private Players to Demand Media Licences
Reporting By Financial Gazette
(Harare)
A SENIOR ZANU PF member, Charles Pemhenayi, says Zimbabweans should demand to be granted licences to run community radio stations as provided for under the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). Pemhenayi, who was speaking at the official launch of Kumakomo Community Radio Station (KCRS) in Mutare last Saturday, said the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) should be taken to task over its failure to issue radio licences to private players, urging local communities to make the “right organized noises” and demand urgent action.“I urge you to pursue this issue by lobbying parliament and approaching your local representatives to ask why the BAZ is not issuing these licences because they (legislators) are elected to serve the interests of the communities they represent,” he said. “We need to make the right organised noises and demand these licences. Why is the media silent about this . . . I cannot understand this,” added Pemhenayi.The launch of KCRS is the result of intensive lobbying initiated by MISA-Zimbabwe under its Community Radio Initiatives (CRIs) to mobilise communities to demand the licences under its Free the Airwaves Campaign aimed at breaking Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings’ monopoly. The CRIs are fast gaining momentum following the launch of Wezhira, Kwelaz and Gweru community radio stations in Masvingo, Kwekwe and Gweru, respectively.In the event of KCRS eventually being licensed, its board of directors should strive to maintain the station’s editorial independence and ensure that its operations focus on the needs of that particular community as well as promote human rights issues,” said Pemhenayi.Kelvin Jakachira was elected chairperson, Sidney Saize, (vice chairperson), Farai Makotsi (treasurer), Chengetai Murimwa, (secretary) while Perpetua Guwira, Evidence Chenjerai and Thembani Mudavanhu came in as members of KCRS’ management committee.The following members were also elected into the board of trustees, Daniel Chigudu (chairperson), Beauty Serbia (deputy chairperson), Kenneth Saruchera (finance secretary) while Farai Maguhwu, Ngaaite Zimunya, Vonese Masanganise, Mike Tembo and Sydney Mukwecheni are committee members.Jakachira described the launch of KCRS as a historic development saying communication was vital for democratisation and central to community development.

Standard And Financial Gazette Under Fire For Defaming Mugabe's
Reporting by NewZimbabwe
(UK)
The Standard Newspaper and the Financial Gazette have been accused by President Robert Mugabe's official spokesman of defaming the 82-year-old leader and his wife, Grace.
In a statement on Thursday,this week Presidential Spokesman George Charamba accused privately-owned Standard newspaper and the Financial Gazette of defaming the President and his wife in two unrelated stories on the duo.The Standard reported Sunday that Agriculture Minister Joseph Made was involved in the diversion of State resources to facilitate agricultural production on three farms linked to President Mugabe's family.The paper, quoting unnamed Zanu PF officials, said Made had ordered staff from the state-run Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) to move to the three farms to provide "agricultural expertise".In a report Thursday, the Financial Gazette said First Lady Grace Mugabe had ordered the Harare City Council to allocate two stands to two gospel musicians who are regulars at State House functions, Mercy Mutsvene and Fungisai Mashavave.Charamba sought to dismiss both stories as a fabrication, and demanded that the two papers should apologise. He, however, did admit that Arda officials were on the three farms, two linked to Mugabe and one confirmed as his."Both reports are false and unfounded, and seem motivated by a malicious desire to besmirch the First Family," Charamba railed. "This cannot be allowed to go on in the name of journalism, or of the freedoms it claims for itself as a profession."At no point has she (Grace) sought to influence allocation of stands to the two artists mentioned, who in any event should be able to access residential stands in their own right, both as citizens of Zimbabwe and as residents of the city."She thus decries any defamatory suggestions linking her to the alleged allocations."Mugabe's wordsmith did, however, admit that Arda officials had been deployed at Gushungo Farm, formerly Foyle Dairy Farm, Iron Mask and Mugabe's Highfield Farm in Norton.Charamba said there was nothing irregular with Arda officials assisting a "needy farmer", since it was part of its mission.Charamba said: "The relationship between Arda and the First Family is a typical one between the parastatal and any new, needy farmer. The First Family enlisted Arda's expertise in its general cropping programmes and in identifying competent managers to underpin its farming activities."Such persons to have been identified with the assistance of Arda have joined the First Family as its full employees."The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Joseph Made, himself an agricultural expert has, as and when he has found free time, freely assisted the First Family in certain specialised agricultural activities and areas."This expression of goodwill on his part is neither untoward nor a crime. It will continue to come the First Family way for as long as the minister has the free time and will to give it."In both false reports, as indeed in any piece of journalism, common sense and decency bids respectable and responsible newspapers to first seek clarification from the affected party before rushing to publish."The First Family and the Office of the President and Cabinet expect no less from the two papers involved in these two malicious cases."No comment could be obtained from both newspapers last night.The relationship between the President, his family and the media is a strained one following the closure of several critical newspapers, including the top selling privately-owned Daily News.A government-appointed media regulatory body, the Media and Information Commission, has been accused of wrecking The Daily News' chances of getting back to the news stands by taking instructions from ministers not to re-register the paper.

Zimdaily.com Slammed for Plagiarism
Reporting by The Zimbabwean
(UK)
While Zimbabwe-related online news agencies are important in filling the information gap created by the regime's repressive media laws, the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) has slammed one agency, Zimdaily.com, for plagiarism.MMPZ said that in the week August 21-27, Zimdaily.com lifted some five stories from other publications and simply presented them as its own. On August 21, the agency lifted verbatim two stories on the currency change over that had appeared the previous week in the Mail and Guardian and Zimbabwe Independent.On the same day the website also stole from the Cape Argus a story about civic groups' concern over the failure of a SADC summit in Maseru to censure Robert Mugabe. Later in the week, Zimdaily.com ran word-for-word a substantial part of a ZimObserver report on Zimbabwe buying Chinese fighter planes. Similarly, said MMPZ, a story on a rally by the Arthur Mutambara MDC faction was largely lifted from a report by Peta Thornycroft which appeared on VOANEWS.COM.Plagiarism -giving the impression that somebody else's work is your own -violates journalistic ethics."Such unprofessional conduct gives the authorities an excuse to retain their tyrannical media laws, which they have used to either silence the private media or stifle the establishment of alternative sources of information," said the media watchdog.Elsewhere, the state-run media's efforts to avoid reporting on, let alone investigating, anything that portrays the regime in a bad light led to fresh distortions and contradictions.Despite reporting symptoms of the chaos in the currency changeover, such as businesses refusing to accept old notes on the eve of the changeover or the critical shortage of small denominations in the new currency, the state mouthpieces continued more or less celebrating the changeover.Thus The Herald reported on its front-page that in some cases armed police were called in to maintain order, while claiming in commentary a that the exercise went "remarkably smoothly." Just a few local problems which were, as ever, the fault of someone else, anyone else. In this case, The Herald cited "laziness by some bank managers in some branches and the desperate desire of Zimbabweans to keep large sums of cash at home."Even when Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono acknowledged that all was not well, the state media shied away. The Herald and The Chronicle saw the extension of the currency changeover deadline in rural areas not as reflection of the chaos, but passively quoted Gono as seeing himself as magnanimous.MMPZ noted the state media also made no attempt to square Gono's claim that the changeover was a success with his revelation that $10 trillion (about 22% of the total cash in circulation) was still unaccounted for after the August deadline.The private media, however, highlighted the inconveniences and the gloomy outlook. The Daily Mirror said that the authorities had already printed more new bank notes dated March 2006 which Gono threatened to introduce at 24 hours' notice.However, only Studio 7, SW Radio Africa and ZimDaily reported the arrests in Bulawayo of 200 women from Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) for demonstrating against the economic mess.Commented MMPZ: "None of the mainstream media appeared to consider this effort to prevent the women from exercising their right to express themselves a newsworthy event."

Journalist, Chikwore Interview on Zim Media
Reporting by Media Shift
The government shuts down independent newspapers. It jams radio signals from outside the country. Internet access is sporadic. Inflation is out of control. A bill is in Parliament that would allow the government to censor private email communications.
Welcome to Zimbabwe, the south African country born out of the former Rhodesia in 1980 and led by strongman President Robert Mugabe every day since its independence from British colonialism. Though the country has immense natural beauty including the Victoria Falls and wildlife, it also has a rough recent history for punishing and censoring the press. Reporters Without Borders rates Zimbabwe’s press freedom as a very serious situation .
Authorities closed down four newspapers after a 2002 law was passed, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which made it a crime to be a journalist without a special government-issued license.
Recently, I received an email from Zimbabwean freelance journalist, Frank Chikowore , who was looking for assignments from Western media outlets. I had written about the trouble for the Zimbabwean media before for Online Journalism Review, covering the Daily News moving operations online. Chikowore, 26, updated me on the deteriorating situation there for independent journalists, who he says now have to live like “street beggars” if they aren’t working for the state-run media.
While former Zimbabwe-based journalists have moved out of the country and set up their own news sites such as ZimOnline and NewZimbabwe , the remaining journalists are faced with a choice of toeing the party line for Mugabe or facing possible jail time or worse for reporting the truth. Chikowore spent a horrifying night in jail in 2005 after filming police beating street vendors.
The following is an edited version of my email correspondence with Chikowore, who told me how bad things were for journalists in Zimbabwe — and he has little hope for the Internet becoming a transformative force inside Zimbabwe, where so few people have access to the Net.

Tell me a bit about your background in journalism.
Frank Chikowore: I started my journalism in 1999 with a provincial newspaper called The Nation that was covering stories for Matabeleland North Province, a province for the Ndebele minority. By then I was 19 years old and now I am 26. Because I could not pay for my rentals and bills with the salary I was getting, I took the “hard decision” (by then) to be a freelance journalist. My work was published by several media organizations, both print and electronic. That was before I was employed by the Weekly Times in 2005 as a senior reporter. Unfortunately, the paper was banned by the government in the same year and I was rendered jobless together with other employees. Up until today, I have been freelancing.

What’s the current state of the press in Zimbabwe?
Chikowore: The media in Zimbabwe is so polarized. The government controls the majority of the newspapers. It also runs all the radio stations and the only television station that the country has. We have only one independent daily newspaper which is not so independent as it is being run by well-known state security agents who were exposed in what became to be known as the Mediagate scandal . I am talking of the Daily Mirror which is published by the Zimbabwe Mirror Newspapers Group. The group also publishes one weekly paper, The Sunday Mirror.
Four newspapers have been closed by the government since the promulgation of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) in March 2002. These include the Daily News, the Daily News on Sunday, The Weekly Times and The Tribune. Several journalists are living like street beggars as a result of these closures.

Tell me about the time you were arrested in 2005 by police. How long were you in jail and how did you get out?
Chikowore: I had just finished an assignment when I bumped into police details beating vendors whom they accused of illegally dealing in foreign currency and making the city of Harare dirty. I started filming the incident. The police pounced after realizing that I was capturing their heinous activities on camera. They assaulted me with cleched fists, booted feet and butts of their guns. The police details used the sharp-pointed front part of the gun to assault me. It was really painful. If the trigger had been pulled by mistake during the beating, I would have been history by now. At one point the gun was pointed onto my head. I am short of words to explain how I felt at that moment…tears. That was the first time I turned to God.
They took me to Harare Central Police Station, beating me along the way, accusing me of being an enemy of the state. It was difficult for my lawyers to locate me as I was being taken from one room to the other. They found me after about three hours of searching. Normally it takes less than five minutes to locate a prisoner at the station. What boggles my mind is that the police went on to assault me even though I had a government license to practice journalism. Even if I didn’t have the accreditation, the police had no right to assault me. It was horrible, the cells were overcrowded and they were very filthy.
I was in jail for one night, in an overcrowded cell with no access to food and water. For me, a night in jail was like a decade because of the inhuman conditions that prisoners are living in. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t go there (to the police cells) again. It was like I had been sentenced already. They accused me of all sorts of things, including mercenarism. They asked me about a shadowy organization calling itself Zvakwana that is a strong critic of President Robert Mugabe’s administration. Frankly, I do not know who was/is behind this shadowy group. I am actually interested in getting to know who is calling the shots in this organization just like the police are. But the police would hear none of it.
I was released without charges being leveled against me, thanks to the Media Institute of Southern Africa and Harare lawyer Jessie Fungai Majome who facilitated my release. The police could not charge me because I was doing my duties lawfully, they had not basis whatsoever for leveling criminal charges against me.

Do you fear that reporting news in Zimbabwe is dangerous and that you could be arrested again? How do you protect yourself from that?
Chikowore: When one is a journalist in Zimbabwe, he or she must be prepared to be arrested anytime. I remember a time when I lost my girlfriend because she didn’t want to be associated with journalists for they are always targeted by the state. The fear of being arrested has caused many journalists not to do their work effectively in some instances. But that is no excuse for not following the ethics of the profession; one really has to be serious and aggressive to get the readers and listeners informed.
Be that as it may, I have always tried to be very objective in my reporting. One cannot claim that he is a protected journalist unless he is working in cahoots with the state. We are informed that the intelligence has planted some of its operatives in the media and there has killed debate among journalists on key issues.

How do journalists get the news out around the censorship? Do they use the Internet or blogs?
Chikowore: Unfortunately blogging is still very unpopular in Zimbabwe and most African countries. Of course the use of the Internet has enabled journalists to transmit their news and information to their readers and listeners but the cost of doing so is very [high] considering that several journalists are not gainfully employed and they live by the grace of God. In fact, journalists have been reduced to beggars in Zimbabwe. Journalists now use pseudonyms as the government continues with its onslaught against independent journalists. The cost of registering as a foreign correspondent has become inhibitive for journalists to register — hence they prefer using pseudonyms.

Do more people have Internet access now than a few years ago? Are there cyber cafes? Who can afford Net access?
Chikowore: The majority of the people have no access to the Internet in their homes. People rely on Internet cafes while those who are privileged to be working access the Internet at their work places. Even some of the employed citizens do not have Internet access as it is only restricted to their bosses. There is generally no improvement in terms of access to the Internet by the people. Although there are quite a number of Internet service providers in Zimbabwe today, the only fixed telephone provider, TelOne, is taking too long to connect phone lines which are used by subscribers to connect to the Internet. Radio link is still very unpopular and expensive for Zimbabweans.

Has the government tried to block Internet sites or access? Which ones?
Chikowore: The government has not blocked any Internet sites but has proposed a law that will allow state agents to censor email communication which several human rights activists have condemned saying it undermines the right to privacy. The bill is before Parliament and it will become law once Parliament approves it. The chances of it being approved are very high as President Mugabe’s party has a two-thirds parliamentary majority and it is known for rubber-stamping anything that is brought to Parliament by Zanu PF [ruling party] members.
The state is currently jamming Studio 7 broadcasts to Zimbabwe. The station broadcasts Zimbabwean news and information from Voice of America studios in Washington, DC, and is run by exiled Zimbabwean journalists. The government has described Studio 7’s broadcasts as hostile. The privately owned Voice of the People (VOP) radio station was also closed recently. Capital Radio was also closed and SW Radio Africa was jammed at several occasions. The same happened to Joy TV that was owned by veteran journalist-cum-politician James Makamba. The media is really not free.

Is there a way for us in the West to help out the situation with journalists there being beggars?
Chikowore: I would want to urge our media colleagues in the international community to continue condemning the harassment of media practitioners as and when it is necessary. This would help in keeping the government on its toes and at the same [time] I think this would make the operating conditions better for journalists. I would really encourage other media organizations to adopt some of the journalists that were left jobless after the closure of their organizations. That would make them people of better standing in society. Even getting scholarships for them would be another great idea. At least that would rehabilitate their disturbed minds.

Do you have hope that things might change there politically or in the media? What might happen?
Chikowore: The only solution to all the problems we are facing in Zimbabwe [is] a political solution. The present government has no new ideas and what is needed is fresh blood. We can still give them the benefit of doubt but there must be political will which is currently lacking. The media has a greater potential of developing as the literacy rate is getting higher by the day, but there is no one who is prepared to invest in the media today because of the tough legislations that govern the operations of the media. Until such draconian laws like AIPPA are scrapped, that is when we can talk of development in the media sector.

Elisabeth Witchel, the journalist assistance program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists , has followed the plight of Zimbabwean journalists closely. She told me via email that Chikowore’s comments about the terrible situation in Zimbabwe was in line with what she had heard from other journalists who had left Zimbabwe. Here are some of the main points she made to me:
It is important to understand that many journalists who were forced out of work [in Zimbabwe] are extremely vulnerable to arrest and other forms of persecution without the protection of established media outlets. Moreover those who have been driven out of the country are often victims of smear campaigns by the government. Competition, cultural differences and legal obstacles make it very difficult for even an experienced, well respected journalist to find work in his field in a new country.
Many journalists I met are resourceful, adaptable people who are willing to work in any capacity they can and have taken service sector and factory jobs to get by and help their families. Unfortunately when a journalist is squeezed out of the field and into this kind of work, it gives fodder to the Mugabe administration to paint an unfair, demeaning picture of its critics.
Zimbabwe media outside the country — online, print and radio — plays an important role in keeping the news coming out of Zimbabwe and into the international community. Sadly penetration of exile media into Zimbabwe is quite limited, but some does get through and circulates. It also keeps the Diaspora engaged and informed and able to develop campaigns to bring global attention to the problems in their country, which many Zimbabwean journalists feel are underreported in the international media. Blogs can certainly help bring attention to this and add to the diversity of views and number of platforms for political debate.

Zimbabwean Writer To Address SA Media Awards
Reporting by Journalism.co.za
(South Africa)
Award winning Zimbabwean writer, Tsitsi Dangarembwa, best known for her novel “Nervous Condition”, will make the key note address at the award ceremony of the Gender and Media (GEM) Awards taking place at a gala dinner on 8 September.
The awards will be held at a summit where some 187 journalists from 12 countries (108 women and 79 men) submitted entries for the eleven prizes. Stories submitted range from how a beauty queen found out she was HIV positive, to being a black lesbian, to male rape, to virginity testing. With a strong emphasis not just on editorial content but also on media markets and audiences, the summit will get going on 7 September with a key note address by Ammu Joseph, a well know Indian author and founder of the Network of Media Women in India, speaking about gender, globalisation and the media.
This event will be held at Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg for the second Gender and Media Summit from September 7-8. Close to two hundred participants from at least 15 countries in the region and overseas will gather at the (GL), the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) and the Gender and Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) Network, the two day event from 7-8 September will be held under the banner “Media diversity and sustainability: Good for Business, Good for Democracy.”
The summit is a follow up to the September 2004 Convened by Gender Links gathering that brought together 184 media managers, practitioners, NGOs and activists to debate research findings that show that women comprise about one fifth of news sources; less than five percent of media owners and managers and that they are represented in a narrow range of roles in the media, most often as victims or as sex objects.
The summit led to the launch of GEMSA that now has 381 members in twelve countries and will be holding its first general meeting on the eve of the summit.
Speakers from across the region and East Africa will present case studies in six parallel sessions each day on topics such as media markets and audiences; media ownership and management; enabling environments; newsroom policies; gender and images; IT for advocacy; media literacy; gender and images as well as media practice.
New research that will feature in the discussions includes the HIV AIDS and Gender Baseline Study; Gender and Media Audience Study; the Global Media Monitoring Project; the South Africa National Editors Forum Glass Ceiling Study; Business Unusual (a training manual on gender and economic reporting) and Who Talks on Talk Shows - a study of radio talk shows.
For more information contact
Debbie Walters- Summit media manager 0731327032
Colleen Lowe Morna, GL Executive Director and GEMSA Chair 082-651-6995
Kubi Rama, GEMSA CEO, 082 378 8239

Budiriro Residents Pour Raw Sewerage at District Office
Reporting by Combined Harare Residents Association
(Harare)
RESIDENTS here today expressed their anger at the commission running the City of Harare and took to the streets armed
with bucketfuls of raw sewerage and litter which they poured at the District Office.
Police in the area were caught unawares and failed to stop the angry residents numbering about 200 that demanded the immediate
holding of elections, the quick repair of burst sewer and pipes, and the regular collection of refuse.

The demonstration, dubbed “Save Budiriro, Let the D.O Taste It”, started at Budiriro One Shopping Centre. The demonstrators went
around the shopping centre carrying their buckets full of sewer and held up placards denouncing the coming running the affairs of
Harare.

Some of the placards read like ‘Repair burst sewer pipes’, ‘We want elections now!’, ‘Let the District Officer taste it’ while others
demanded the immediate sacking of the Sekesai Makwavarara-led commission.

When the residents got to the Budiriro District Office, they littered the place with the garbage, the raw sewerage and left dozens of fliers
that read as follows;

“As residents we are disgusted by the continued presence of raw sewage in our community, as a result of a non-functional sewerage
system. It is a health hazard which cannot be allowed to continue.

“We therefore as ratepayers demand:

Immediate repair of burst sewage pipes
Immediate cleaning and collection of refuse
The immediate provision of rubbish bins at each household
Regular collection of refuse bins.

“Our children cannot continue to swim in and to drink raw sewerage. Let the District Officer taste it.”

The demonstrators chanted, shouted and sang revolutionary songs denouncing Local Government Minister Chombo and his puppet
commission running the affairs of Harare.

Harare commissioners are Professor Jameson Kurasha, Sekesai Makwavarara, Tendai Savanhu, a Zanu PF central Committee member,
Prisca Mupfumira, Zanu PF Central Committee member, Musavaya Reza, the Provincial Administrator, Engineer Noel Muzuva, and
Richard Mahachi.
No one was arrested.
Ends

Botswana Journalists Have A Case To Answer, says Courts.

The courts have ruled that the two Botswana Television (BTV) journalists, Beauty Mokoba and Koketso Seofela, have a case to answer for allegedly violating the country's media and immigration laws.
The court sitting in Plumtree near Botswana today ruled that the two were not immune to prosecution and had violated AIPPA by practicing without being accredited. They also face charged under the Immigration Act for allegedly entering the country illegally. m said it will rule on the matter on September 5.
The journalists, who entered Zimbabwe to follow up a story on the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth cattle disease along the two countries' frontier, face up to two years in jail if found guilty of working without accreditation.

Govt To Ammend Interception of Communications Bill???
Reporting by ZimJournalists Arise
Additional Reporting by Journalists.co.za
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Chris Mushowe has said that the government might consider amending section 6 of the Interception of Communication Bill, to give the courts other than the Minister power to issue a warrant of interception.
The journalists also attacked the bill because it exclusively empowers a minister to intercept communications, a right that should be reserved for the judiciary.
“The Bill makes no provision for judicial supervision and provides for judicial intervention after the right has been violated and a loss has occurred. Provisions allowing the minister to grant authorization to intercept information is tantamount to usurpation of judicial authority by the executive in violation of the concept of separation of powers and the checks and balances, which form part of that concept,” read the submissions.

The bill is also under attack as unconstitutional, intrusive and undemocratic piece of legislation.. The groups were invited to make submissions about the bill to the Parliamentary Legal Committee, and said that it militates against universally agreed liberties such as freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of information and the independence of the media.
Media organizations under the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) and the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef) said the bill was unconstitutional, since it “seeks to discard the fundamental rights and freedoms or civil liberties of ordinary citizens, including the right to free communication." One expert says even if the courts have the power to issue the warrant, it is still monitoring of communications, which is still ‘’unconstitutional’’
The proposed legislation by Harare will empower the government to eavesdrop on email, letters and telephone calls to and from any individual or organizations it deems to be a threat to national security. The interception will be done on the authority of state officials such as the Chief of Defence Intelligence, the Director-General of the President’s department responsible for national security, the Commissioner of Police, and the Commissioner-General of the Revenue Authority.
The media groups point out that the bill reinstates some sections of the Postal and Telecommunications Act that were removed by Supreme Court in 2003 on the grounds they were unconstitutional.
Meanwhile the Media Alliance will meet in Harare to raise awareness among journalists and editors about the controversial bill. The MAZ has held meetings in Mutare and Masvingo and will visit Gweru on Thursday and Bulawayo on Friday.

Chinamasa Acquitted

Reporting by ZimOnline
(South Africa)
Zimbabwe Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was on Monday cleared of charges of trying to obstruct the course of justice and in a bizarre twist to the matter, unknown people threatened to harm the state prosecutor who handled the matter.
Retired magistrate Phineas Chipopoteke - summoned out of retirement to hear the matter after sitting magistrates chickened out of presiding over the trial of the Justice Minister - said Chinamasa had no case to answer.
Giving reasons for dismissing the state's case that Chinamasa had tried to bribe a key witness not to testify against a Cabinet colleague accused of inciting violence, the magistrate said: "The state has dismally failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and the accused is therefore not guilty".
However, only moments after Chinamasa was declared a free man, the prosecutor who led the state in the matter received three telephone calls from unidentified people who told him to flee and seek political asylum outside the country or face severe but unspecified punishment.
The prosecutor, Levison Chikafu, could not talk to ZimOnline about the threatening telephone calls while his boss, Attorney General (AG) Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, was not immediately available for comment on the matter.
Chinamasa, who told journalists after his acquittal that the charges against him were "baseless, false and malicious" and meant to destroy his political career, denied knowledge of or association with whoever was behind the threatening calls to the prosecutor. "I have no business threatening people. No ways," he said.
Chikafu's colleagues at the AG's office said the mysterious callers accused the prosecutor of being used by Gula-Ndebele in his tussle with Chinamasa for control of the justice department. They also accused the prosecutor of being a pawn in the vicious battle within the ruling ZANU PF party over President Robert Mugabe's succession.
"Two of the callers said he (Chikafu) should think of seeking political asylum outside the country. They said he should realise that the cheap heroism (in prosecuting Chinamasa) he was looking for was gone and he would now be hounded out of the system," said an official at the AG's department, who spoke on condition he was not named.
"One of the callers accused Chikafu of being used by Gula-Ndebele to fight Chinamasa as well as being a pawn in the succession issue," said another official from the same department, who also added that Chikafu was "looking at his options" after the threatening calls.
Chinamasa was accused of trying to stop James Kaunye, a prosecution witness, from testifying against Minister of State Security Didymus Mutasa. The minister has been accused of inciting public violence.
Kaunye told the court during the trial that Chinamasa had offered him a farm if he withdrew public violence charges against Albert Nyakuedzwa, Mutasa's supporter.
Nyakuedzwa and 23 other Mutasa supporters are accused of assaulting Kaunye in the Makoni North constituency in eastern Zimbabwe two years ago ahead of an internal ZANU PF primary election to choose the ruling party's candidate for the March polls.
Some of Mutasa's supporters have already been jailed for committing political violence.
But the trial of Chinamasa was also seen as yet another clash between the two factions vying to control ZANU PF when and if Mugabe steps down at the end of his term in 2008.
Chinamasa belongs to a faction of ZANU PF led by former parliamentary speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa, who until late last year was the frontrunner to succeed Mugabe.
Gula-Ndebele, who pursued charges against Chinamasa is aligned to former army general Solomon Mujuru's faction that is pushing to ensure party and state second Vice-President Joice Mujuru (wife to Solomon) takes over the top job should Mugabe leave.

Reporting Workshop To Address Child Labor And AIDS Orphans

The NSJ is organizing a worskshop to address Child Labor, And Aids for journalists from Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia.
Journalists interested in improving their coverage of children’s rights can attend a two-week workshop in Swaziland. Registration deadline: August 28. . It is scheduled for October 2 to 13
Participants will learn how to research and write features on a variety of issues relating to children and children’s rights, such as child labor, AIDS orphans and education. The workshop will also teach participants to write for young audiences.

Police Holding Three Suspects in DRC Journalist’s Murder
Reporting by CCJP
(USA)
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo are holding a former soldier and two civilians in connection withthe July 8 murder of freelance journalist Bapuwa Mwamba, according to the local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger and AgenceFrance-Presse.

Kinshasa regional police chief Gen. Patrick Sabiti told journalists Thursday that the three men were detained July 25 in the southwestern port
city of Matadi. AFP said the three had been charged with murder but no date had been set for a court appearance. They were named as Vungu
Mbembé, an army deserter, Mangenele Lowawi and Kunku Makwala Sekula.
Police said they had recovered a gun that they believed to be the murder weapon. They said the motive for the killing was robbery.
Mwamba bled to death after being shot by men who burst into his home in the capital, Kinshasa. The day before his death, he had published a
commentary in the daily Le Phare, criticizing Congolese authorities and the international community for what he deemed to be the failure of
“If these men are brought to trial, the hearing must be fair and open,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “It is vital that the truth be found in
the killing of our colleague Bapuwa Mwamba.”
Mwamba’s death followed the still unsolved murder of veteran political affairs writer Franck Kangundu, who was slain in November 2005.

Bad News!!! Mahoso’s Term At MIC Extended

Reporting By The Financial Gazette
THE government has extended indefinitely the term of the Tafataona Mahoso-led Media and Information Commission (MIC) board, a move that could signify its desire to keep a tight rein on the media.
Acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana said the commission's term of office had been extended because of pending legal issues that needed to be resolved.
"We have extended the term indefinitely because there are a number of issues that need to be made clear as you know that the MIC has been taken to court," he said in reference to the dispute between the commission and Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ).
The MIC, which is the country's media regulatory body, has courted controversy during its previous terms of office, with Mahoso being described by media activists as 'Zimbabwe's media hangman'.
It has presided over the closure of ANZ titles The Daily News and its sister weekly The Daily News on Sunday. The weekly Tribune and the Bulawayo-based Weekly Times have also fallen victims to the draconian regulations enforced by the MIC.
This year, Justice Rita Makarau set aside the MIC's July 2005 decision to deny the ANZ an operating licence, citing a Supreme Court judgment that found bias on Mahoso's part.
The commission comprises Mahoso, former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings chief executive Rino Zhuwarara, Pascal Mukondiwa, Alphinos Makoni, Dephne Tomana, Sephat Mlambo and Jonathan Maphenduka.
Maphenduka, who tendered his resignation last year in protest against the decision to deny the publishers of the Daily News a licence, continues to be included on the list of reappointed commissioners.

A Tribute To Micheal Hartnack

Reporting By Andrew Meldrum of the Guardian
With the sudden death of veteran journalist Michael Hartnack at the age of 60, Zimbabwe has lost a professional committed to chronicling national events fairly and in historical context, just when the country sorely needs such dedication. In recent years, as a correspondent for Associated Press, The Times, Deutsche Welle and South African newspapers, Michael reached a wide audience with dispatches of Zimbabwe's economic decline and erosion of law - but above all, its humanity. Throughout the 1970s he wrote of Rhodesia's oppression under Ian Smith. Michael had a passion for history and a delight in sharing his knowledge. "All questions historical and hysterical answered here," was typical of the notes posted on the door of his Harare office. As a journalist new to Zimbabwe, I often knocked on that door. He always found time to assist me and others. Born in Barotseland, in what is now Zambia, Michael came from a family of journalists. He always said that journalism, in his case, was "not so much a profession as an inherited genetic disorder". He went to England in 1956 to attend Hastings grammar school in Sussex. From there, at the age of 18 he went straight to the Cambridge Evening News. In 1966 he returned to Africa and joined the Rhodesia Herald, concentrating on reporting on courts and municipal affairs. Through his membership of the Rhodesian Guild of Journalists he waged an unsuccessful battle with management for black reporters to receive pay equal to that of their white colleagues. He was president of the journalists' union from 1976 to 1980. Michael produced reliable reports of events through the power cuts, water cuts, fuel queues and other hassles that have become part of daily life in Zimbabwe. The trials and turmoil of Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe inspired in him an enduring love for the country. His weekly columns in South African newspapers, including the Natal Witness, Eastern Province Herald, Cape Times and Daily Dispatch provided a unique, personal chronicle of Zimbabwe's growing troubles and won him a loyal readership. The quality of his journalism was recognised in 2003 when Michael was awarded an honorary doctorate from South Africa's Rhodes University, which cited his working life "in service of the truth and the vision of a just and non-racial Zimbabwe, displaying courage and integrity". Michael's last column, written on July 24, was an account of the funeral of Andrew Kanyowa, aged 79, with whom he had worked as a court reporter on the Rhodesia Herald 40 years ago. Michael was attending a show of Zimbabwean art that is a high point of Harare's cultural calendar and enjoying a glass of wine with colleagues when he suffered a stroke from which he never recovered. He is survived by Anne, his wife of 33 years, sons Richard and Andrew, and daughter Jennifer. Michael Hartnack, journalist, born October 17 1945; died August 2 2006.

Tsvangirai Holds Surprise Demonstration
Reporting By ZimOnline
Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and members of his party’s national executive on Friday marched in Harare demanding sweeping political reforms to address the country’s crippling political and economic crisis.
At least a thousand Harare residents joined the march from the party’s Harvest House headquarters to Parliament Building in Harare where they sought to hand over a petition to Speaker of Parliament and ruling ZANU PF national chairman John Nkomo.
The protesters later handed over to officials at Parliament the party’s “Road-map” document, a set of proposals to unlock Zimbabwe’s six-year old political and economic crisis.