Media Monitoring Project For 08/25/2006 –10/1/ 2006
CONTENTS, GENERAL COMMENT,NEWS SELECTION, CENSORSHIP AND UNDER-COVERAGE
a.HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
b.ELECTIONS
c.SUCCESSION

General comment
MMPZ is obliged to dismiss the allegations made by the government-appointed Media
and Information Commission against the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) during the
week as entirely false and a dishonest distortion of an open and legitimate intention.
The attack came almost as a response to an invitation to the commission’s chairman,
Dr Tafataona Mahoso, to attend a media law reform workshop organized by the
Alliance, which comprises the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, MISA and MMPZ.

The Herald (29/9) and ZBH radios (29/9, 7 & 8am) reported the MIC attacking the three
civic organisations for “portraying themselves to their foreign donors as ‘regime
change activists’” who would repeal AIPPA and POSA by “clandestinely” convening
“conferences under the guise of media law reform”.

Without challenging these claims or discussing the purpose of the workshop, these
media allowed the MIC to vilify the organisations without question, claiming that the
workshop was a “foreign-sponsored propaganda exercise” whose “real purpose”
was to “create a stilted platform from which the activists may engage in an orgy
of anti-Zimbabwe diatribe intended to coincide with other recently staged
events”. This was apparently a reference to the abortive protests staged by the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions the previous week.

The Herald did carry a comment by ZUJ chairman, Mathew Takaona, denying that his
organisation was involved in any “clandestine” activities at the end of the article but
claimed it could not obtain comment from MISA. No effort was made to seek comment
from MMPZ.

A more detailed response to the allegations appeared in the online news portal, The
Zimbabwe Situation (1/10). In an IFEX report, the portal quoted MISA dismissing the
commission’s allegations, saying that contrary to its claims that MAZ had “deliberately
excluded key stakeholders” such as the ministries of information and justice, MAZ
had actually invited “well in advance” Acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana, as
well as the MIC itself.

MMPZ endorses these observations that clearly demonstrate there could not have
been anything remotely “clandestine” about the workshop, which was actually held to
discuss the state of media law in Zimbabwe with members of the Parliamentary
Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications. Eight members of the PPC
attended the meeting, including its chairman, Leo Mugabe, together with several
representatives from civil society from around the country.

Clearly, the deliberate distortion of the truth and the hypocrisy expressed in the MIC
statement demonstrates the depths of dishonesty the institution is prepared to employ
in order to defend its intolerance of any debate about the need to encourage media
development by repealing draconian laws that throttle the free flow of information.

It is regrettable that a government institution so cynically distorts constructive efforts by
civil society to engage the authorities in a debate about the need for media law reform.

In another development during the week, SW Radio Africa (4/10) reported that state
security agents had raided the Zimbabwe distribution office of the UK-based
Zimbabwean newspaper. The paper’s publisher Wilf Mbanga told the station that four
detectives visited the premises of the distributor inquiring how the paper was brought
into the country and whether duty had been paid for it. Reportedly, the detectives
seized some documents relating to the paper’s distribution.

2. News selection, censorship and under-coverage

THE differences in the manner the government media and the private media handle
important issues affecting citizens’ lives was illustrated by their coverage of the
forthcoming elections, human rights abuses and the “succession” issue.

Whereas the government media reported these issues through the official lens or
completely censored them (which exposed the authorities’ determination to subvert
democratic processes), the private media generally subjected them to fair examination.

a. Human rights abuses

The government media’s complicity in the erosion of citizens’ rights was illustrated by
their passive coverage of President Mugabe’s defence of the torture in police custody
of labour and opposition leaders following the foiled public protest by the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU). All 20 stories on the matter (ZBH [13] and official
Press [7]) simply amplified Mugabe’s statements, which ranged from defending and
justifying the police violence to poking fun at the organisers of the protest marches,
whom he said “deserved” the beatings.

Consequently, they did not condemn his remarks as an indication of the authorities’
blatant disregard for civil liberties enshrined in the constitution and various international
conventions to which Zimbabwe is signatory.

For example, ZTV, Spot FM and Radio Zimbabwe (25/9, 8pm) passively quoted
Mugabe justifying the assaults saying the police were doing “their job to ensure
peace and order in the country”, adding that “anyone who resists police orders”
would be “dealt with forcefully”. He reiterated these crude threats at the end of the
week saying “government won’t stand idle” but would “act decisively against any
threats to law and order”, claiming that ZCTU demonstrations were “illegal” and a
challenge to “the very principle of the rule of law”, ZTV (29/9, 6pm).

These statements were allowed to pass without scrutiny.

Likewise, the official papers simply allowed Mugabe to defend the police brutality by
twisting the motive of the ZCTU protest. The Herald and Chronicle (25/9), for instance,
neither provided evidence establishing the link between the ZCTU’s protest with the
alleged US/Britain “regime change” agenda, nor demonstrated how the union leaders
wanted “to become a law unto themselves”. Also, no attempt was made to question
Mugabe’s use of inflammatory and insulting language in defending the police violence
and denigrating the union leaders, especially secretary-general Wellington Chibebe.

The Herald and Chronicle (26/9) just cited him chiding the ZCTU saying: “(They)
think that they can organize demonstrations and look for potbellied people like
Chibebe to demonstrate…Musatyisidzirwe nanaChibebe vane mazitumbu; rizere
mweya hamuna zvirimo”(don’t be intimidated by Chibebe with his potbelly: it
contains nothing but air).

It was against this background that the government papers avoided interpreting two of
the three incidents of rights violations they carried in light of continued state sanctioned
rights abuses. Instead, The Herald and Chronicle (26/9) merely treated the arrest of 17
MDC officials for holding an “illegal” meeting in Kariba as normal and criminalized the
gathering by linking it to an attempt by the “National Constitutional Assembly to
hold an illegal demonstration in Harare” that had been “thwarted” by the police.
The agenda of the meeting remained undisclosed.

This contrasted with the front-page publicity The Sunday Mail (1/10) accorded to the
alleged attack on a University of Zimbabwe ZANU PF political activist by suspected
MDC supporters. The report was sensational, single-sourced and sought to depict the
opposition, especially the Tsvangirai-led MDC, as violent.

Only the private media (except the Mirror stable, which adopted the government media
slant) challenged Mugabe over his remarks. Not only did they view his comments as an
illustration of government’s complicity in human rights abuses, they also publicised the
international community’s indignant reaction to Mugabe’s remarks. Those quoted
expressing dismay included the UN, the International Bar Association (IBA) and
international trade unions. Studio 7 (27/9, the Gazette (28/9) and the Zimbabwe
Independent, for example, quoted IBA executive director Mark Ellis saying Mugabe’s
statements “added weight to evidence that torture and other serious violations of
international law” were “sanctioned at the highest level in Zimbabwe”.

In addition, the private media carried several stories on human rights violations and
recorded eight incidents of abuses. They included the press-ganging of vendors and
pushcart operators to attend Mugabe’s homecoming at Harare International Airport, the
alleged torturing to death of a soldier by military police, and the arrest and assault of
opposition members and civic activists.

The government media ignored most of these cases. They also censored revelations
that several civic groups had boycotted a UNDP-brokered conference on the proposed
establishment of a human rights commission in protest against government repression
(the Gazette and Independent).

b. Elections

The forthcoming council and parliamentary elections also contested for media space
during the week. The print media devoted 12 stories to the matter, eight of which were
carried by the government Press and five by the private papers. Twenty stories
appeared in the electronic media (ZBH [12] and private electronic media [8]).

Although the figures gave the impression that the media significantly covered the
matter, there was hardly any investigation into the mechanics governing the elections.
As a result, the electorate was left no wiser on the state of the voters’ rolls, the number
of polling stations and their location, ward and constituency boundaries and
identification particulars required for voting. Neither was there any effort to establish
how many observers would be accredited for the polls.

Otherwise, the government media seemed only interested in promoting ZANU PF.

For example, out of the 12 campaign stories ZBH carried, eight (67%) were solely on
ZANU PF campaigns, while the remaining four (33%) were on the ruling party and the
Arthur Mutambara-led MDC. ZBH also carried 12 other reports in which ZANU PF
officials and senior civil servants were quoted campaigning for the ruling party.

None were on the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC.

In fact, the only time that Tsvangirai’s faction was mentioned was when President
Mugabe derided its leader as a “stooge” of British Prime Minister Tony Blair during a
ZANU PF rally in Mashonaland Central (ZTV, 30/9, 8pm).


The official Press adopted a similar trend. For instance, of the eight stories the official
papers carried on elections, five were positive coverage of the ruling party campaigns.
Only one story sought the views of all the contesting parties on the conduct of the
election (The Herald 26/9). Still, the story did not investigate concerns by both factions
of the MDC that the electoral process was biased against them, citing cases in which
their candidates were denied registration resulting in the ruling party fielding about 400
candidates unopposed. Rather, the following day The Herald (27/9) passively reported
Jerry Gotora of the newly formed Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA)
saying he “was pleased” with the results of the nomination courts, which he said,
“confirmed the existence of democracy in Zimbabwe”.


But while the government media gave ample space to the ruling party, they barely
examined the party’s campaign messages and activities. It was against this background
that ZBH simply reported Mugabe’s computer handouts in Mashonaland Central (ZTV,
30/9, 8pm) – ahead of the polls – as normal without viewing them as tantamount to
vote-buying.

It was only the private media that tried to expose the authorities’ unorthodox means to
tilt the scales in ZANU PF’s favour. They reported the MDC accusing the ruling party of
setting stringent requirements for the nomination of candidates to disqualify its
contestants. The Financial Gazette’s story (28/9), We were robbed: MDC factions, is
an example. It quoted the opposition claiming that besides the “prohibitive cost” of
registering and “difficulties…in getting clearance certificates from the police”,
their candidates were also heavily fined for failing to seek timely council clearance to
participate in the polls “even though there was no legal provision for such fines”.

It also cited the MDC accusing suspected ZANU PF youths in Bindura of having
allegedly closed Goldprint, the main photographic service in the town, thereby
“thwarting” the nomination of hundreds of prospective candidates who did not have
photographs.


Studio 7 (26/9) also reported the opposition highlighting similar bureaucratic
impediments. However, the reports simply relied on the opposition and lacked
independent verification. Moreover, there was no attempt to investigate the reasons
behind ZANU PF’s failure to field candidates in at least seven wards, where the
opposition won unopposed.


Apart from exposing electoral controversies, the Gazette recorded two incidents of
politically motivated violence against MDC activists by suspected ZANU PF supporters.

Similarly, the private electronic media carried eight stories on political violence,
harassment and arrests of MDC candidates and activists ahead of the elections.

Again, the reports were only based on the opposition’s allegations and lacked official
corroboration.

c. Succession

The official media evaded tackling the succession issue despite carrying several ruling
party officials alluding to it. The latest debate seemed to have been sparked by Sunday
News (24/9) and Radio Zimbabwe (24/9, 1pm) reports in which ZANU PF spokesman
Nathan Shamuyarira allegedly revealed that the “party was likely to push for joint
presidential-parliamentary elections to be held in 2010” through a constitutional
amendment. He later claimed he was misquoted (ZTV, 27/9, 8pm and The Herald
28/9).

The official media simply allowed his denial to pass without establishing what he had
said exactly, or relating his statements to revelations by the Independent last year
linking the succession squabbles in the ruling party to the planned postponement of the
presidential poll.

Instead, they either reported Mugabe urging aspirants to “desist from fighting over
the succession issue” and freely “throw their hats into the ring”, or cited other
senior party officials discouraging such debate saying: “No sun rises while another
exists” (The Manica Post 29/1 and The Sunday Mail and Sunday News 1/10).

ZTV and Spot FM (30/9, 8pm) carried similar reports.

However, the private electronic media did not display such professional dereliction in
the three stories they carried on the subject. They discussed the possible reasons
behind the planned constitutional amendment and its implications on the country’s
governance.

The online agency, Zimdaily (27/9), for example, quoted an unnamed ZANU PF official
claiming that the amendment was meant to give Mugabe more time “to identify and
nurture a successor, something that cannot be done in a year given the fissures
that have developed in ZANU PF…”

Other unnamed ruling party officials echoed similar views on Studio7 and New
Zimbabwe.com (28/9).

The private Press’ five stories on the subject largely exposed the contradictions in the
succession debate. For example, while the Gazette and the Independent quoted
Shamuyarira admitting that the succession debate was “definitely on”, they reported
others like Vice-President Joseph Msika suggesting that the leadership was not yet
ready for the debate, saying the matter was a “petty issue” that was “unacceptable”.

This appeared to be confirmed by The Sunday Mirror (1/10), which quoted party
national chairman John Nkomo claiming that the succession issue “would only arise
at the 2009 congress therefore debate at the moment is academic”.

The lopsided manner in which the government media handled the three topics was
reflected by their over-dependence on official and ruling party voices at the expense of
alternative ones as shown in Figs 1 and 2.

ZANU PF Wins By-Election
Are U Really Popular Mr Tsvangirai
As journos take up their pens this week, to yet another loss to ZANU-PF it would be a great service to our readers/listners whatever to ask the MDC, and this tyme not taking any nonsense on what happened. The country is burning, the ruling party is squabbling, even in the rural areas these things are being felt, so my question to you Mr Morgan Tsvangirai is what now???Were the elections rigged, if so why did you contest. Can Mugabe be blamed if he tells the world that a by-election was held and the ''people spoke". With zanu-pf with 40 percent of the rural council seats in their back-pocket and the 13 more(see bottom of story) are you going to contest and legitimise those elections too.
It seems rocket scientist Arthur Mutambara figured something right this tyme by not even wasting his time.
This week journos lets not let the MDC give us their usual rhetoric
Cc.Nelson Chamisa
Eddie Cross
Grace Kwenjie

Reporting by ZimOnline
(South Africa)
President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party retained two rural constituencies in weekend by-elections.

ZANU PF’s Stephen Chiurayi beat opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party’s Moses Jiri to clinch Chikomba constituency. In Rushinga constituency, the ruling party's Lazarus Dokora won against MDC’s Kudakwashe Chideya.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said figures on the two polls were not yet available owing to bad roads and poor communication.

"ZANU PF has won both constituencies but I do not have the exact figures owing to bad roads and poor communication with the result centres. The constituency registrars will have to travel physically to bring the results," Silaigwana said.

The Rushinga by-election was held to fill the vacancy left after the death of ZANU PF legislator Sandra Machirori, while the Chikomba poll was to replace the late ruling party parliamentarian and former information minister Tichaona Jokonya who died last June.

The poll results do not alter representation in the House of Assembly with the MDC maintaining control of the 41 seats it won in last year’s general election.

ZANU PF controls 78 seats it won in that poll plus another 30 seats occupied by individuals appointed to Parliament by Mugabe, giving the ruling party more than the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution.

The main faction of the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai took part in the Saturday election while the smaller wing of the fractured opposition party that is led by prominent academic Arthur Mutambara did not take part. ZANU PF won in 13 of 14 district wards in elections also conducted last Saturday. The MDC won in Manyene north ward.
Edited by ZimJournos Arise

Succession Debate Rages As MDC Fumbles.
While the MDC fumbles, it looks like Jonathan Moyo’s prediction that change will come from within may becoming, sadly a reality.
ZANU-PF strongman and party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira sparked controversy when he was quoted in a state-run weekly saying that the consitituion might be amended to have the presidential elections run in 2010. VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe says its unnamed sources from within are determined that Mugabe rules until then.
Although Shamu later claimed he was misinterpreted, JOURNOS should raise the issue of a successor. Although the MDC says it will fight the amendment, we all know that their contributions in parliament amount to nothing
ZimJournos Arise is running the following articles in the media for more debate and analysis.
Makoni Dragged In Succession Debate Again

Reporting By The Standard

(Harare)
RETIRED General Solomon Mujuru, believed to be the brains behind the meteoric rise of his spouse, Joice, has reportedly lined up former Finance Minister Simba Makoni as a possible successor to President Robert Mugabe.

Zanu PF insiders said the move followed realisation by Mujuru and members of his faction that Joice had failed to present herself as a political heavyweight capable of stamping her authority on the deeply divided Zanu PF.

Sources said Makoni would be presented as an alternative candidate in the event that Emmerson Mnangagwa, another leading contender, emerged as the favourite in the race to succeed Mugabe.

A Harare-based member of the ruling party’s supreme organ, the Politburo said: "Since her elevation to the position of Vice President, the state media was instructed to keep the spotlight on Joice to portray her as a rising star but her handlers now fear she lacks the charisma and intellect to lead an organisation like Zanu PF."

Even more exasperating for her handlers was the fact that she has failed to portray herself as a serious contender to lead the divided party.
"Joice has regularly officiated at functions to open fowl runs of all things and in the eyes of the very patriarchal ruling party stalwarts, that is not being ‘serious’," said the Politburo member.
As a result, Mujuru’s faction is now courting Makoni as an alternative candidate ahead of Joice, said the sources.
"In Makoni, the General’s faction now sees a lot of advantages including the fact that he obviously has more intellectual stamina than Joice and that in addition to having more connections internationally, he can bring a face of sanity to Zanu PF," added the politburo member.

The behind the scenes moves to push Makoni as a possible replacement for Joice have already caught the attention of the business community which is following closely the succession race.
In a recent commentary on the economic and political situation in all African countries, Standard Bank International quoted a report of the Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), which in part reads:
"There’s been a new development in the struggle to succeed Robert Mugabe, with reports that powerful retired army commander General Solomon Mujuru has ditched his wife, Vice President Joice Mujuru, as his ideal successor and is now opting for former finance minister Simba Makoni."

Makoni who has been media-friendly in the past was surprisingly hostile when asked by The Standard to comment on reports on the latest succession developments, saying "I have no response to your questions".

When asked if he had presidential ambitions he said: "Ndati handina mhinduro (I have no response)."
Despite repeated efforts General Mujuru and Joice were not reachable for comment.

However, sources in the ruling party said the divisions on the succession issue had prompted officials to press for a postponement of the presidential election.

A source said although Mugabe had encouraged aspirants to openly debate the succession, many were terrified to do so.

"Emmerson Mnangagwa and Thenjiwe Lesabe who aspired to be vice presidents learnt the hard way in 2004 after they publicly declared their intentions and were subsequently elbowed out of the race although they had more support among the grassroots."

According to Zanu PF senior officials, the Mujuru faction is still wary of the challenge posed by Mnangagwa and is pushing for the postponement of the presidential elections while they put their house in order.

Meanwhile SABC News Reports That Mugabe Has Opened Discussion On Succession

Mugabe, has thrown debate surrounding his successor wide open saying any member from his ruling Zanu (PF) party is free to contest

The statement casts a cloud on the possible ascendancy of Joyce Mujuru, the vice president, and opens the race for other heavyweights and dark horses alike.

President Mugabe is not backing any particular candidate for Zimbabwe's top job should he throw in the towel in 2008. The Zimbabwean leader told a recent gathering that party members will decide at the annual conference that is two months away.

Political analysts are divided on the interpretations of Mugabe's weekend comments.Simon Badza, acting chairman of the political science faculty at the University of Zimbabwe, says the race to succeed the Zimbabwean leader remains a two-horse one. "In my opinion it's either going to be comrade Mnangagwa or Mai Mujuru, the current vice president, as both candidates have liberation war credentials.

There are outsiders being touted as possible successors to President Mugabe in diplomatic and public circles. These include Simba Makoni, the former SADC secretary general, and Strive Masiyiwa, the high flying telecoms businessman," says Badza. Whoever wins the ticket to represent the ruling party in December is sure to fight it out with Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, leaders of the split opposition Movement for Democratic Change, come presidential polls in 2008.
Edited by Zim Journalists Arise

British Journo Wins Award On Work On Operation Murambatsvina


On May 18 2005, the Zimbabwean government launched Operation Murambatsvina, rendering more that 700 000 homeless and without an opportunity to eke a living. This MAD clean-up operation, which up till now, has not been explained why it was done hit intenational headlines.



A number of journalists snuck into the country and covered this act of barbarism, not by a foreign force but a GOVERNMENT against its own people. Since then a number of journalists have won international awards. Sadly though Zimbabwean journalists have not been able to take advantage of this tragic incident to report on the stories of those affected.

Another British Journo Neil Connery of ITV won a award on his coverage of Operation Murambatsvina
(Unfortunately we were unable to get the link to the actual report.)

Reporting by Associated Press
Neil Connery, of Britain's ITV, won the television prize atthe annual Bayeux Prize for War Correspondents, which this year honored journalists who covered the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Iraq war and violence in Africa.

Connery won the television for a report on last year's government campaign of mass evictions in Zimbabwe, which the political opposition said was aimed at breaking up their support base among the urban poor.

Meanwhile as the first European memorial to journalists killed while doing their jobs was being inaugurated last Saturday, word trickled in: Three journalists had been shot to death in Afghanistan and Russia.



The killings resonated as press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders and the town of Bayeux in northwest France unveiled a memorial to some 2,000 journalists and other news media workers killed in the line of duty around the world since World War II.
"This morning we had tears in our eyes hearing the accounts of family members of those journalists" honored in Bayeux, said Robert Menard, president of Reporters Without Borders, "and then suddenly — this."
"We were expecting anything but this today ... three at once. You can imagine how people responded here," he said by telephone. "It shows how much such killings are everyday news." Fifty-six journalists have been killed this year — mainly in Iraq, Menard said.



Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist known for her critical coverage of the war in Chechnya, was shot to death Saturday in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in a killing prosecutors believe could be connected to her investigative work.
"She single-handedly incarnated the resistance to the order that Mr. Putin wants to impose on the media," Menard said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Nobody can imagine this was just a crime committed by common criminals."



Also last Saturday, two German journalists for the national broadcaster Deutsche Welle were gunned down while traveling through northern Afghanistan. Their identities were not immediately released.



The memorial in Bayeux to slain journalists, said to be the first of its kind in Europe, features four white markers etched with the names of journalists, photographers, and camera and sound technicians killed since 1944 — when Allied troops liberated the town. Additional stones are to be added in coming months.



Relatives, friends or former colleagues wiped their eyes or laid bouquets on a well-sculpted lawn around the markers. Lebanese anchorwoman Giselle Khoury honored her late husband Samir Kassir, a journalist and critic of Syria's policy in Lebanon, who was killed by a car bomb last year.



Talk of the deaths was on many lips at last Saturday night's ceremony.



John Stephenson, of the New Zealand magazine Metro, won the print prize for his reporting on the Iraq war in June last year. The photography prize was given to Jaafar Astiyeh, of Agence France-Presse, for his photos of violence in the West Bank over the last two years.



Alex Last, of the British Broadcasting Corp., won the radio prize for a report from Nigeria on hostage-taking in the Niger Delta.

The contest's first place awards include a cash prize of €7,600 (US$9,620). Twenty-eight reports in the print, photo, radio and TV categories were in the running this year.

The Bayeux prizes were first awarded in 1994 to recognize journalists who excel in perilous conditions. Bayeux was one of the first towns liberated from Nazi occupation in the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II.
Edited By Zimjournalists Arise

Daily News Hearing On Monday
Report by Zimbabwe Independent
(Harare)

THE hearing by the High Court of the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) application to be deemed registered after an earlier judgment declaring the Media and Information Commission (MIC) biased is expected to kick off on Monday.

The case was supposed to start yesterday.

High Court judge Anne-Marie Gowora moved it to next week after MIC lawyer Mercy Chizodza said she needed to take instructions from the media regulatory body on some issues.

The lawyer said the issues included ANZ’s intention to amend the order sought to include an alternative one requiring that they be allowed to publish pending the application for registration.

"We would be prejudiced if we are to proceed today. I am comfortable with a longer period — Monday," said Chizodza.

Earlier this year the High Court ruled that the MIC was compromised by bias from hearing the ANZ’s case.

The late Information minister Tichaona Jokonya made a filing in the court, saying he was unable to appoint another committee in line with a court judgment as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act did not provide for that. He said the Act should be amended first.

However, in response the ANZ said the minister was able to appoint the committee because the MIC in its present form constituted an ad hoc committee appointed for a six-month term after the expiry of its three years in office.

"I do not accept that second respondent is disabled from appointing another membership of the first respondent ad hoc or otherwise to deal with this matter," said John Gambanga, the ANZ’s acting chief executive, in court papers. "Effectively the current membership of the first respondent is ad hoc in that its term of office has in fact expired and was only extended for a limited period."

Gambanga said government and MIC’s conduct had led him to conclude that they wanted to ensure that "the Daily News and the Daily News on Sunday are never printed and published in Zimbabwe again".

International Federation of Journos Condemns ZUJ Attack
Report by IFJ

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned Zimbabwe’s government media commission for its recent attack on the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), claiming the union has been spreading anti-government propaganda.

The Chairman of Zimbabwe’s Media and Information Commission (MIC), Tafataona Mahoso, has requested the Ministry of Information investigate the activities of the ZUJ, which he accuses of being part of a lobby group to discredit the government. “We firmly condemn these totally false allegations,” said Gabriel Baglo Director of the IFJ Africa Office. “We call on the Ministry of Information of Zimbwabe to take no part in the MIC campaign to muzzle press freedom organisations and to recall that the true role of the MIC is to ensure press freedom in Zimbabwe, not stifle it with investigations like this one.” These charges are the latest to plague the media and media support groups in Zimbabwe.

Since 2001, journalists have been imprisoned, four independent newspapers closed and foreign correspondents expelled as the government of Robert Mugabe has tried to exercise complete government control over the press in his country. In the 1st of October edition of The Sunday Mail newspaper, Mahoso alleged that the ZUJ leadership has been “clandestinely peddling anti-Government propaganda to entice foreign donor agencies into funding the organisation’s activities.” Mahoso added that one of the ZUJ’s chairmen, Nunurai Jena, was spreading false reports about human rights abuses to foreign media houses.

“All these accusations are unfounded,” Foster Dongozi, ZUJ Secretary General, told the IFJ. “Our union is not involved in any campaign against the government. Our activities are advertised and we even invite the MIC, Members of Parliament and government officials to attend them. They all know that we are working on setting up an independent media regulatory body, the Voluntary Media Council, and the reform of controversial media laws like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).” Besides the ZUJ, the two other members of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) were recently attacked by the MIC.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) – Zimbabwe and the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) were accused, together with the ZUJ, of holding clandestine meetings to destabilise the regime. Separately, on Tuesday, 3 October, police officers raided the Harare office of the London-based newspaper The Zimbabwean.

The raid was prompted by an article published last week alleging corruption in the Zimbabwean police force. “We express our solidarity with the journalists of The Zimbabwean, to the members of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe and all the journalists of the country,” the IFJ’s Baglo said. “Despite this harassment, they have to keep up the fight for press freedom in the country.”


For further information contact the IFJ: +221 842 01 43 The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries

Parliamentary Committee Censures Mahoso
Reporting by the Zimbabwe Independent
(Harare)
MEMBERS of the Transport and Communications portfolio committee have been infuriated by the Media and Information Commission (MIC) for insinuating that last week’s media law reform workshop was a "regime change activists’ gathering". Committee members say the meeting, organised by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) in the capital last week, was a genuine engagement for the improvement of media in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at the workshop in Harare over the weekend, committee chairman Leo Mugabe censured MIC chairman Tafataona Mahoso for gross misrepresentation of facts.
"I was part of this meeting," Mugabe said on Saturday.
"Over the past two days, I have not seen anything of regime change in nature as alleged by Mahoso, which makes his story a complete fabrication.
"In fact, I urge the convenors of this workshop to take issue with Mahoso and my committee will back you," he said.
Mugabe was responding to Mahoso’s statement, published in The Herald last Friday, alleging that the MAZ clandestinely organised the workshop under the guise of media law reform, to push a regime change agenda.
Mahoso was formally invited to the workshop but did not attend. A day before he was supposed to make a presentation he issued the statement attacking the organisers of the workshop for pursuing a regime change agenda.
Portfolio committee members who attended the workshop included Mugabe, the Zanu PF MP for Makonde, Zhombe MP Daniel Mackencie Ncube (Zanu PF), Zengeza legislator Goodrich Chimbaira (MDC), Pumula-Luveve MP Esaph Mdlongwa (MDC), Chitungwiza senator Forbes Magadu (Zanu PF), and Hwange-Tsholotsho senator Josephine Moyo.
Magadu said he was baffled by Mahoso’s statement and said he should be made to explain his comments.
"He should be taken to task for his statement," Magadu said.
"We cannot lead you into that action but you can be assured of our support," he said.
Mdlongwa said the committee should examine the comments closely and make an appropriate response to Mahoso’s scurrilous attack.
Mahoso’s statement was issued at the start of a two-day parliamentary lobbying conference organised by MAZ to push for the repeal of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa), Public Order and Security Act and Broadcasting Services Act, among others.
The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Misa-Zimbabwe and the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe form the media alliance.
Mahoso said the purpose of the meeting was to create "a stilted platform from which the activists may engage in an orgy of anti-Zimbabwe diatribe intended to coincide with other recently staged events".
By "recently staged events" Mahoso was apparently alluding to the September 13 marches organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) which resulted in a brutal police assault on the ZCTU leaders and other members.
In a statement MAZ said the MIC chairman’s reference to "clandestine" meetings was baffling because Mahoso himself was invited.
"Mahoso, as has become the norm, will go to any lengths to protect his supper which comes by way of the contentious Aippa that created the statutory MIC he chairs," MAZ said.
At a recent ZUJ workshop in Redcliff, acting Information minister Paul Mangwana encouraged journalists and other media personnel to come up with an all-inclusive voluntary media council.
"Show me a media council and I will show you a new MIC," Mangwana said.Observers said Mahoso’s accusation could stem from deep-seated fear that government would emasculate his MIC as soon as stakeholders in the media come up with a voluntary media council

Chikomba and Rushinga Parliamentary By-Election and Rural District Council Elections
Released by ZESN today in Harare.
Preliminary Report

5 October 2006

Introduction
The Chikomba and Rushinga parliamentary by-elections, both of which ZESN will be observing, will be held on the 7th of October 2006 following the deaths of ZANU PF legislators Tichaona Jokonya and Sandura Machirori. The two had been elected Members of Parliament for these constituencies respectively, in the March 2005 general elections.

Candidates from the ruling ZANU PF and the opposition MDC party will contest both by-elections. Stephen Chiurayi of ZANU PF and Moses Jiri of the anti-senate faction of the MDC will battle for the Chikomba parliamentary seat. Chiurayi is the ZANU PF Deputy Chairperson for Mashonaland East while Jiri is a businessman in Chivhu, the major town in the constituency. Mr Jiri also unsuccessfully contested for the same seat in 2000 under a United Parties ticket.

Meanwhile, in Rushinga Lazarus Dokora, the former ZANU PF Member of Parliament for the same constituency, will contest against Kudakwashe Chideya of the anti-senate MDC. Chideya is a former MDC youth chairperson for Rushinga. The pro-senate MDC, which had vowed to contest every election when it was formed, did not field any candidates.

Both Rushinga and Chikomba are located in the rural areas of Mashonaland Central and East respectively. These provinces are traditional ZANU PF strongholds in which the opposition MDC has never won any major election or by-election since 2000. Previously these provinces have been described as ‘no go’ areas for the opposition and civic organisations.

Methodology

This report is based on information collected from field visits conducted by the ZESN secretariat as well as information provided by ZESN members resident in both constituencies. It is also based on media reports in both the electronic and print media.

Legal framework of these elections

These by-elections will be the second to be held under the sole management and supervision of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission following the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment (No. 17) Act. The seven Commissioners were appointed on 17 May 2006. After the Parliamentary by-election in Budiriro, ZEC admitted that as a newly established body, it is still on a learning curve. ZEC’s primary function is to prepare for, conduct and supervise all elections and to ensure that such elections are conducted freely, fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law. It is hoped that going into these elections, the Commission’s state of preparedness is adequate.

Delimitation

For the purpose of this election no delimitation exercise was conducted and therefore the election will be held using the constituency boundaries that were drawn by the Delimitation Commission prior to the March 2005 election.

Registration of voters and the Voters Roll

The Registrar of Voters remains involved in elections, as his office is responsible for voter registration, albeit under ZEC’s supervision. The ZEC is also in charge of the compilation of voters’ rolls and registers and ensuring the proper custody and maintenance of the same.

The office of the Registrar by its own admission has failed to conduct mobile registration of voters this year citing the lack of adequate funds. Only static registration has been in progress. This is inadequate in ZESN’s view. With offices centralized and mainly located in urban areas, voter registration is therefore not easily accessible to the majority of Zimbabweans, who are resident in the rural areas.

It is of paramount importance for continuous voter registration to be conducted as provided in our laws. This will give persons who, were previously unregistered, who changed residence or who turned 18 years the chance to register. ZESN therefore questions whether effective voter registration has been done. Citizens who have been unable to register will be denied the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. An all-inclusive voters’ roll is the basis of any democratic free and fair election. The compilation and maintenance of the voter’s roll should be done in such a way as to enable the realisation of people’s democratic rights. ZESN therefore urges the ZEC to effectively perform its statutory duty to oversee the functions of the Registrar-General of Voters

ZESN calls for the decentralisation of registration to district level to be completed speedily. It further continues to urge government to wholly transfer the functions of the Registrar of Voters to the ZEC.

Inspection of the voters’ roll

The inspection of the voters’ roll took place from the 21st of August 2006 to the 7th September 2006. ZESN did not receive reports of any voters who were obstructed from inspecting the voters’ roll or of any prospective voters being barred from registering as voters.

Selection of candidates

The ruling ZANU PF did not hold any primary elections in both constituencies. It chose the Rushinga candidate by consensus and nominated Chiurayi ahead of two other candidates namely Mike Bimha and Esau Mupfumi, a Mutare businessman.

The opposition MDC held primary elections to choose its candidates for both the Rushinga and Chikomba seats. In Chikomba, Jiri won over Pimiel Kadengu in an election in which 522 party members voted. Kadengu was the losing MDC candidate in the March 2005 Parliamentary elections. In Rushinga, Chideya triumphed over Samuel Ndaradza and John Samhu. More than 350 party members participated in this primary election.

Nomination court

The nomination court for the Chikomba parliamentary by-election sat at Chivhu Jubilee Hall on the 8th of September 2006 to receive nomination papers. On the same day another court presided over the nomination process at Rushinga Boardroom. Both events took place peacefully as ZESN did not receive any reports of any prospective candidates being barred from filing nomination papers.

In Chikomba, Stephen Chiurayi of ZANU PF and Moses Jiri of the MDC successfully filed their nomination papers while in Rushinga Lazarus Dokora of ZANU PF and Kudakwashe Chideya of the MDC did the same. Mr. Nyamushamba of the United People’s Party had his papers rejected after failing to get enough signatures.

The pro-senate MDC gave two conflicting statements as to why they did not field candidates. The first was that they were opting to give the anti-senate faction a chance to test ZANU PF. They later stated that their candidate for Chikomba was disqualified for lack of a valid police clearance while the Rushinga candidate’s vehicle broke down on his way to nomination and he failed to make it on time.

Invitation of observers

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs were both involved in the invitation of election observers. While the former was responsible for inviting selected foreign observers, the latter was responsible for inviting representatives of local organizations and eminent persons from within Zimbabwe.

Section 27(1) of the Electoral Regulations, 2005 (SI 21of 2005) provide that “every observer shall be accredited for the period beginning on the day before the nomination day for the election concerned and ending on the fifteenth day after the last polling day of the election concerned.”

Nomination Court was held on Friday the 8th of September 2006. The Minister of Justice legal and Parliamentary Affairs subsequently invited individuals representing local organisations and eminent persons from within Zimbabwe to submit their names to his offices. However, this notice was only published on 24 September 2006, some sixteen days later. In these elections therefore the provisions of the law were clearly not adhered to. Accreditation by ZEC subsequently commenced on 26 September 2006.

This would appear to be a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing. It clearly illustrates the point that there should be one election management body with the sole mandate to deal with all aspects of the electoral process, from delimitation to polling. ZESN proposes that the primary responsibility for inviting and accrediting observers should lie with the ZEC. In respect of foreign observers, this should be done in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Further, ZESN proposes that a broad cross section of local and international observers be accredited to observe elections.

Status of observers

Going into this election the void left by the abolition of the ESC and the subsequent failure to amend and correct the Electoral Act remains.

The role of monitors in elections fell away with the ESC under whose mandate they fell. Therefore while the Electoral Act[1] still provides that observers are required to bring any irregularities in the conduct of the poll or the counting to the attention of a monitor who will in turn inform the presiding officer, no mention has been made of the provision of these monitors under the ZEC. It remains unclear whether the ZEC will take over this function or how this will be done.

In previous elections, observers were informed by the ZEC that they could bring irregularities to the attention of the presiding officer. ZESN observers were able to do this on the whole, however this arrangement creates problems where the presiding officer may be involved in any electoral malpractice. Therefore there is still need for the amendment of the Act to rectify such anomalies.

ZESN proposes that independent monitors drawn from civil society be appointed to monitor the administration of the election by members of staff of the ZEC and that an accreditation advisory committee consisting of two Commissioners and three civic society members should assist the Commission identifying suitable persons to act as monitors.

Electoral Court

These by-elections will be held in the wake of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe’s ruling that the country's Electoral Court is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court struck down a provision of the Electoral Act that allowed the Chief Justice to name judges of the Electoral Court, which was set up in early 2005.

This decision left candidates contesting in all elections without legal recourse for any complaints. ZESN is concerned that the law is still to be rectified in order to bring it in line with the Constitution. ZESN urges government to engage all stakeholders and to work with speed to resolve this issue.

Results of Previous elections

Below are results of the 2000 and 2005 parliamentary elections and by-elections in Chikomba and Rushinga:

Chikomba Parliamentary Election 2000

Name
Party
Result
Chenjerai Hitler Hunzvi
ZANU PF
13417
Peter Kaunda
MDC
6776
Julia Kunzekwenyika
Independent
470
Moses Jiri
United Parties
362
Patrick Charles
Independent
161
Leticia Mujeni
ZIP
103
Total registered voters

49850
Percentage poll

43.9%

Chikomba Parliamentary By-election 2002

Bernard Makokove
ZANU PF
15570
Takaindisa Muzondo
UP
165
Oswald Ndanga
MDC
5207
Thomas Mudzinga
ZANU
347
Total registered voters

52774
Percentage poll

41.13%

Chikomba Parliamentary Election 2005

Name
Party
Result
Tichaona Jokonya
ZANU PF
17928
Pimiel Kadengu
MDC
7403
Total registered voters

53794
Percentage poll

45.73%

Rushinga Parliamentary Election 2000

Name of Candidate
Party
Result
Lazarus Dokora
ZANU PF
20027
Joel Mugariri
MDC
2483
Michael Chingono
UP
439
Total registered voters

37353
Percentage poll

63.7%

Rushinga Parliamentary Election 2005

Name
Party
Result
Sandura Machirori
ZANU PF
22494
Brainee Mufuka
MDC
2298
Total registered voters

39822
Percentage poll

64.59%

Campaigning and Political environment

ZANU PF officially launched its political campaigns in both constituencies on the 9th of September 2006. The party held several rallies in the two constituencies. Among the party’s leaders who addressed these rallies were former Zimbabwe National Army commander General Solomon Mujuru and the Mashonaland East Governor Ray Kaukonde. These rallies enjoyed wide coverage on national television.

The MDC also held rallies in Chikomba, which were addressed by the local leadership of the party. The party’s leader Morgan Tsvangirai is scheduled to hold two rallies on the 5th of October 2006. The party’s spokesperson Nelson Chamisa claimed that they had been unable to hold any rallies in Rushinga following the police’s refusal to grant clearance under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

Voter education

ZESN undertook a preliminary visits to the Rushinga constituency during which it was noted with concern that there were a number of people in the constituency who were not aware of the impending parliamentary by-election. Some of the people that the team spoke to indicated that they were not aware that there had been an inspection of the voters’ roll from the 23rd of August to 7th of September 2006. The evident signs of lack of information in Rushinga constituency are a cause for concern

In this regard, ZESN urges the ZEC to undertake vigorous and continuous voter education efforts in order to ensure increased citizen participation in all elections

ZESN activities

ZESN however held two community workshops in the Rushinga and one in Chikomba where it urged the electorate to participate peacefully in the election. The workshops urged them to exercise tolerance of opposing views and stressed that there was strength in diversity. It also discussed the qualities of good leaders and emphasized the importance of elections.

ZESN also distributed fliers on democracy and the importance of citizen participation in both constituencies.

Polling stations

The ZEC has set up 81 polling stations in Rushinga and 77 in Chikomba. These are less than the 90 polling stations that were used during the March 2005 parliamentary election in each of the two constituencies. ZESN believes that the reduction of polling stations is likely to impact on voter turnout, as citizens would be forced to walk longer distances in order to vote. This is of particular concern as both of these rural constituencies have a poor road network and public transport system. This obstacle will particularly affect the elderly and the infirm.

Accreditation

Accreditation of observers will be taking place at the ZEC Boardroom in Harare from the 26 September to the 7th of October 2006. ZESN intends to field fifty observers who will be derived from its secretariat, the national election observation taskforce and their respective members. ZESN has chosen a representative sample of polling stations in each constituency and will have an observer at 19 polling stations in Rushinga and 18 in Chikomba. It will also deploy five mobile teams, which will assess the political environment in the constituency on polling day.

RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Rural District Council Elections will be held simultaneously with the parliamentary by-elections in each constituency. Out of a total of 27 wards in Chikomba only 14 will be contested while ZANU PF won the remaining 13. In Rushinga, 6 Wards will be contested out of 17.

Going into these elections complaints have already been raised, particularly by the opposition and independent candidates about the new qualification requirements put in place for nomination.
The requirement for producing police clearance puts a lengthy and costly obstacle into the path of any aspiring candidate. In view of the lack of facilities in the rural areas, it is only reasonable to deduce that many candidates would fail to meet these requirements. Further, the role of given to traditional chiefs of “vetting” candidates seems calculated to discriminate against the opposition as these chiefs have in the past openly shown their alignment and loyalty to the ruling party.

Candidates were also given very short notice of these requirements, which justifiable can be viewed as an “ambush” by the ruling party and government.

ZESN condemns this shifting of the goal posts, which detracts form the freedom and fairness of the whole electoral process.

Conclusion

ZESN hopes that the people of Chikomba and Rushinga will turn out in their large numbers to exercise their rights to vote. It also hopes that these people will do so in a peaceful manner and that losers of the election will be magnanimous in defeat.

Letter from Taurayi Maduna
Your daily mailings do not contain much information. It would be best that you maybe send out an e-mail once a week that is detailed and not a repetition of what other news organisations have been reporting.

If you want to be taken seriously, give alternative news or analyse the news. There are so many information portals on Zimbabwe and if you do not get your act together you might not get the attention that you deserve. hope the above suggestions work. More power to your elbows.
Edited
Response From ZimJournalists Arise Team
Thanks again for your thoughts and suggestions.We a voluntary blog but we hope to grow bigger and better with time and of course money.

We are not a news website, as we believe there are more that enough of those already.

As for originality That why perhaps, some websites, which have been on the market for years are still using a lot of material from other news organizations, but our aim are not only stories but a mixture of topical issues, statements, video clips, commentary etc for journos to use.

Our aim is be a specialised project for journos, to communicate with as many zimbabwean journalists as possible and other people who are involved in various facets of ZimLife and are sources of news. So we have a mailing list of people, some who are either groups, individuals or organizations.

We also reach out to people like you to help us to make this happen so please keep the criticisms and suggestions rolling in.

Lois David of Woza Solidarity UK’s Reaction To George Ayittey
George Ayittey`s seems to have misunderstood Zimbabwe and its Trades Union movement in his comments on the recent ZCTU action. He says the demonstration was against high levels of taxation – is he right? I understood that it was against low wages and the fact that 80% of workers in Zimbabwe earn below the poverty datum line. He recommends stay aways rather than marches but does he know that stay aways have been tried before and that, with 80% of the population unemployed most have nothing to stay away from. .He says marches are a waste of time unless the security forces are neutral and professional or are on your side; does he know about the success of the WOZA marches – their aim is not regime change but empowerment of ordinary people and they are most definitely achieving their aim. Ayittey is certainly right about the need for alliances and joint efforts and his points about what Civil Service unions can do are worth noting but to call the ZCTU dumb is counter productive and wrong. Their action has gone a long way to discredit Mugabe`s claims that all opposition to his misrule is a result of western meddling. They will make it harder for South Africa to maintain its quiet diplomacy, harder for the AU to ignore the crisis in its midst and harder for other African leaders to support their so- called liberation hero.Ayittey should recognise that `regime change` doesn’t work – it may consolidate the power of aggressive states like America (engineers of dozens regime changes all over the world) but it doesn’t make much difference to the people. What Zimbabweans need is the right to earn a living wage and other basic human rights including freedom of association and freedom of speech. These rights have only ever been won by ordinary people gathering together to demand them through trades unions and other civic organisations.Keep marching Zimbabwe – and soon the government won`t be able to cope and our neighbours will no longer be able to ignore our plight.

ZimJournalists Arise Team Response
Lois and also ZimJournalists Arise Readers in case you may not be aware SW Radio Africa’s Violet Gondo’s interview with George Ayittey and Zimbabwean political analyst Brian Kagoro. We believe New Zimbabwe.com carried it as well

GLOOMY, GLOOMY WEEK FOR ZIMBABWEAN MEDIA, AS THE MEDIA HANGMAN GOES CRAZY.

COPS VISIT ZIMBABWEAN OFFICES
ZUJ TO BE PROBED
MEANWHILE
Mangwana Praises Russian Journalists

By Wilf Mbanga
Four detectives from the Law and Order section of the ZRP this weekvisited the distribution offices of The Zimbabwean in Harare this week anddemanded information and a statement from the proprietor.
They were particularly interested in last week’s issue, although they didnot specify which article had attracted their attention.
Last week’s frontpage story, headlined “ZNA top brass slam corrupt ZRP” outlined the tensionsbetween the army and the police after the arrest of a former colonel foralleged corruption at the state grain monopoly, the Grain Marketing Board.The detectives took away documents pertaining to the importation of theweekly newspaper from South Africa, where the southern African edition isprinted.

“We will not be intimidated by any bully-boy tactics on the part of thepolice or anybody else,” said UK-based publisher Wilf Mbanga.“Our mandate is to be a beacon for freedom of _expression and of the press inZimbabwe and we intent to continue doing that, no matter what.”


Media commission urges Government to probe ZUJ
Report by Sunday Mail
(HARARE)
THE Media and Information Commission (MIC) has asked the Government to investigate the leadership of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) after it emerged that some top union officials have been clandestinely peddling anti-Government propaganda to entice foreign donor agencies into funding the organisation’s activities.

MIC is accusing the ZUJ leadership of double-dealing by pretending to be working with the Government to resolve problems in the local media while on the other hand it has joined the anti-Zimbabwe Government lobby that is sending disparaging reports about the Government to foreign donor and media organisations.This is despite the fact the Government itself, through the Ministry of Information and Publicity, has expressed willingness to adopt some ideas from ZUJ on how some of the challenges media practitioners are facing can be addressed.

Documents at hand show that in April this year ZUJ wrote to two potential donors — the Royal Netherlands Embassy and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) — asking for US$26 000 and US$100 000 respectively.

In documents sent to the two potential donors, ZUJ accused the Government of human rights violations and "calculated assault on media freedom", adding that the donor funds would enable it to produce a journal of media abuse in Zimbabwe and to counsel traumatised journalists.In another document to Unesco, ZUJ claims that about 100 journalists have been arrested and harassed during the course of their employment and pledges to lobby organisations such as the African Union and its African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and Sadc to pressure the Government to repeal or amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

Following revelations that some ZUJ officials have actively joined the anti-Zimbabwe lobby, the MIC has written to the Ministry of Information and Publicity requesting a probe into ZUJ activities.This comes at a time when police say they have uncovered a syndicate comprising members of ZUJ, the opposition MDC and the National Constitutional Assembly that has been compiling reports based on unfounded human rights abuses.

The chairman of the ZUJ Chinhoyi chapter, Nunurai Jena, who is also employed by the Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust, is suspected to be stringing for the Voice of America’s Studio 7 using the pseudonym, Arthur Chigoriwa.Police have written to the Media and Information Commission asking that Jena be investigated.

Police say they have information that Jena is working with one Lloyd Mapfumo, a pastor of the Africa Maranatha Faith Ministries, in spreading malicious reports about alleged human rights abuses to foreign media houses.ZUJ leaders have also been accused of threatening journalists who are questioning ZUJ's involvement in politics by campaigning to have them put on donor sanctions and travel bans to Europe and the Unites States of America.In his letter asking Government to investigate ZUJ leaders, MIC chairman Dr Tafataona Mahoso said that the union has been using threats to silence journalists who question its stance."There is need for further investigation of the leaders of this organisation. It would appear that the leaders of ZUJ have been giving the Minister (of Information and Publicity) false information about their intentions to work with Government and to operate within the laws of the country. "ZUJ is part and parcel of the anti-Zimbabwe lobby.

We have confidential information that ZUJ uses threats of donor sanctions to silence journalists and editors questioning its stance."It is reported that the ZUJ leaders say they are responsible for compiling the lists of journalists who should not be allowed to travel to Europe and North America on donor-funded trips because they are seen to be co-operating with Government and the MIC on AIPPA," said Dr Mahoso.

The MIC has since forwarded a 30-page document detailing how ZUJ has been going around "with cap in hand" begging for funding to push its political agenda to the Ministry of Information and Publicity.ZUJ, in correspondence with one of its potential donors, revealed that it worked hand in glove with the Southern Africa Human Rights Trust in drafting the shadow human rights violation report which was thrown out by the 39th African Commission on Human and People's Rights summit in Banjul last year.

After being involved in the failed human rights shadow report, ZUJ is now seeking "observer status" from the ACHPR, a development which it claims will enable it to make representations on the media situation in Zimbabwe at the human rights body's open sessions. The media workers’ representative body also indicated that it is working closely with the National Constitutional Assembly in pushing for a "constitution-making process"."The union joined the National Constitutional Assembly's new initiative for a constitution-making process."The union will be seconded to the sub-committee on Press freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of information," wrote ZUJ in its funding proposal.

In a letter to the Royal Netherlands Embassy seeking funding amounting to US$100 000, ZUJ head of secretariat Chakanyuka Bosha said the money would be used to give a detailed report on how the Government has been "muzzling" the media."The period prior to the 2000 parliamentary elections witnessed the Zimbabwean Government slowly but meticulously restricting all avenues of democratic discourse as it sought to contain an increasingly restless population to consolidate its power."The violent campaign, which characterised the 2000 and 2002 presidential elections, did not spare journalists. Over 400 local journalists were physically assaulted while several veteran journalists lost their jobs."The period witnessed shocking human rights violations being perpetrated against journalists," alleged Bosha.

ZUJ also wrote to Unesco seeking funding to the tune of over US$$26 500 for use in pushing for the amendment of laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Order and Security Act.Observers have queried why the union would need funding as it pushes for the amendment of AIPPA when the Government has implored it to highlight sections of the law that need to be revisited.

Meanwhile Acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana has been courting Russian Journos,Trashes Zim Journalists

Reporting By Xinhau
(Beijing)
A visiting group of Russian journalists are in a position to tell true stories of Zimbabwe from an informed perspective, a senior official has said.
Acting Minister of Information and Publicity Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana met 17 visiting Russian journalists. Mangwana was quoted by Wednesday's The Herald as saying the government was making moves to liberalize the electronic media sector and there were a number of newspaper published in Zimbabwe that were opposed to the government.
The Russian journalists are part of a 48-member delegation that arrived in the country on Sunday for bilateral meetings to implement investment proposals between the two countries.
The week-long visit will also see the Russian journalists engaging in exchange programs with their counterparts.

ZUJ says independent press council to be set up before December
Reporting by SW RADIO
(UK)
The president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) Matthew Takaona has disclosed that an independent press council will be in place before December to regulate the media. Responding to an attack by the Media and Information Commission (MIC) that ZUJ was involved in anti-government propaganda, Takaona says they are surprised by the accusations in light of their efforts at engaging government. He says the MIC chief, Tafataona Mahoso, made the allegations on the eve of a two-day lobbying conference organised by the media alliance of Zimbabwe to push Members of Parliament who are on the communications portfolio to support the repealing of repressive media laws.

Takaona says it’s accepted worldwide that self-regulation of the media is the best option and that even the ministry of information had given its endorsement of the idea to ZUJ. He says their meetings with the acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana have been productive and that they expect to have the council in place by December. Its not clear though whether any of the groups involved in negotiating with government can secure a repeal of the repressive media laws in place.

The state appointed media commission called on government to probe the ZUJ leadership. Mahoso revealed in his weekly Sunday Mail article that they have already written to the Ministry of Information making the request. Mahoso accused Nunurai Jena, a provincial secretary for ZUJ in Mashonaland West, of stringing for VOA ‘s Studio 7 radio station. Mahoso went on to say they have already asked the police to investigate the matter. He also says ZUJ wrote to the Netherlands embassy and UNESCO requesting funds to advance an anti-Zimbabwe agenda.

Mahoso has been on the warpath attacking all the major media organisations in the country. At the end of September he attacked MISA for allegedly portraying itself as ‘regime change activists’ to the donor community. He also accused the media alliance of Zimbabwe comprising the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ), MISA and ZUJ, of holding clandestine meetings under the guise of working for media law reform. Observers say Mahoso is worried a self-regulatory media council will make the MIC redundant and that this was the motivation behind his attacks.
MEANWHILE ZIMDAILY REPORTS THAT
Leo Mugabe Defies The Media Hangman

Reporting by ZimDaily

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s nephew Leo has defied Media and Information Commission (MIC) chairman Tafataona Mahoso by attending a media reform review workshop organised by local media pressure groups. The state-controlled MIC on Friday attacked MISA-Zimbabwe, the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) for portraying themselves to the donor community as “regime change activists” seeking to repeal the country’s restrictive media laws.Mahoso’s statement was issued on the eve of a two-day parliamentary lobbying conference organised by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe to push for the repeal of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and Broadcasting Services Act (BSA), among other repressive media laws.

In the statement, published in the official Herald daily newspaper, Mahoso accused MISA-Zimbabwe, ZUJ and MMPZ of convening clandestine meetings under the guise of media law reform. The three organisations constitute the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ).But Leo, the chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio for Transport and Communication, addressed the gathering and urged local media organisations and owners to engage the House of Assembly for the review of perceived repressive media laws.

“We should work together for a better media environment in the country,” said Leo, who assured the meeting that some members of his committee would grace the two-day event. Mahoso, as chairman of MIC, played a crucial role in the closure of The Daily News and its sister paper, The Daily News on Sunday, and two other privately owned newspapers.

ZUJ Hits BackMISA-Zimbabwe, ZUJ and MMPZ yesterday hit back at Mahoso, accusing the media hangman of being ill-informed and bent on further stifling press freedom in Zimbabwe.“Contrary to Mahoso’s assertions that the Acting Minister of Information Dr Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana was not aware of the meeting, MISA-Zimbabwe has it on record that invitations were extended to the minister and the MIC chairman himself well in advance of the meeting. His reference to ‘clandestine’ meetings is also baffling because Mahoso himself acknowledges that he was invited to the meeting,” said MISA-Zimbabwe in a media alert issued yesterday. “MISA-Zimbabwe therefore dismisses Mahoso’s desperate rantings as not warranting any serious attention. Mahoso, as has become the norm, will go to any lengths to protect his supper which comes by way of the contentious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act which created the statutory MIC which he chairs,” MISA added.
Not Bothered By Mahoso Rantings
ZUJ president Matthew Takaona told ZimDaily that the purpose of the workshop was to reflect on media laws, adding that the union was not bothered by Mahoso’s allegations. Andy Moyse, the executive director at MMPZ, said: “Coming from Mahoso, the rantings are expected. He was invited (but) instead he chose to stay away and criticise the workshop. It goes to show the total failure of the MIC to constructively engage the local media players in serious work.”

Herald Misquotes Perence Shiri
Are the Guys At Herald House Going To Beaten And Arrested????
Reporting by New Zimbabwe.com
(UK)
ZIMBABWE'S biggest state-run newspaper was forced to make an embarassing apology Tuesday over a headline story claiming the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe had urged voters to back President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party in a by-election.
The paper now admits that was untrue.
The Herald claimed in its Monday edition that Air Marshall Perence Shiri "urged people to vote for Zanu PF, a tried and tested party."
The paper said the Air Force chief was speaking during a prize giving ceremony at Kwenda Mission in Hwedza. Hwedza is in Chikomba district where a parliamentary by-election will be held on October 7, pitting candidates from the ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The paper splashed on the story under the headline, 'Vote wisely, Shiri urges electorate'.
The army chief was quoted as saying: “Let's vote wisely and vote the party that we know stands for development and has its people at heart. A party that has a history, an open agenda for all to see and above all a party that has been tried and tested."
The Herald's reporter added the reference to Zanu PF in a narrative.
Sources at the paper say a furious Shiri phoned the editors on Monday and demanded a retraction, insisting that he never mentioned a political party during his speech.
The Herald now agrees.
In its retraction Tuesday, the paper said Shiri had merely urged people to vote wisely without identifying a political party.
The paper said: “It has come to our attention that Air Marshall Shiri did not make mention of any party but merely urged people to vote wisely and vote for a party that stood for development and had people at its heart, a party that had a history and was tried and tested."
Zimbabwe's defence forces have struggled to remain neutral in Zimbabwe's political power game.
In 2002, Zimbabwe's Army General Vitalis Zvinavashe, now retired, sent chills down the spines of President Mugabe's opponents when he said the army would not "accept, support or salute" any president who did not fight in the country's war of independence, an apparent reference to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zvinavashe also threatened foreign journalists and private newspapers saying they caused "insecurity, uncertainty, confusion and tarnished the credibility of the country's security arms."

Russian Journos To Meet Zimbabwe Counterparts
Reporting by AllAfrica.Com
(Washington DC)
A 48-MEMBER Russian delegation arrived in Harare yesterday for bilateral meetings to implement investment proposals between Zimbabwe and Russia.

The week-long visit will also see Russian journalists engaging in exchange programmes with their Zimbabwean counterparts.

The delegation comprises 31 businesspeople plus 17 journalists from Russian newspapers, television and radio stations.

Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Oleg Scherbak said the delegation was keen to explore investment opportunities in the country.
"These investors have various business interests ranging from transport, power and mining to tourism, telecommunications and agriculture," he said.

"The Russian journalists will meet local journalists from various media houses and will have an opportunity to share and exchange ideas.
"They will also have an opportunity to move around the country and establish the truth behind the negative publicity that Zimbabwe is currently receiving from some Western countries," said Mr Scherbak.
Zimbo Journos To Learn Writing The KGB Way???
He said another purpose of the visit was to select local journalists who would engage in similar programmes in Russia.
"So far, over 32 local journalists have forwarded their applications, but we will only consider eight for selection.
"We will also look for local journalists who will further their studies in Russia and this will help to strengthen ties between the two countries," he said.Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe public relations manager Mr Kumbirai Nhongo said Zimbabwe would gain from the Russians' expertise and experience.
"The week-long visit by the Russian delegation will help local journalists and business organisations also have a lot to benefit from the Russians," he said, adding that there would be ample opportunity for Zimbabweans to form business partnerships with the visitors.
RBZ Governor Dr Gideon Gono has been to Russia on two occasions.
He has chosen to be discreet about the details of his visits, making announcements only at the conclusion of agreements.
ZimJournalists Arise Does Not Accept Responsibility For The Content of This Story

ZCTU Media Coverage And Video Of Beatings



ZCTU SG, Lacking Strategy??
Some have begun to call it Zimbabwe’s own 9/13, when ZCTU leaders were arrested and savagely beaten up. The incident instigated international outrage, which led to a group of American trade unionists, the AFL-CIO executive council and head of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, to take a trip to Harare to meet ZCTU officials. Preidictably they were denied entry into the country. As a service to journalist, Zimbabwe Journalists Arise is giving you a link for those of you who might not have seen the video to take a peek. The clip was shown to journalists in Washington DC last week. Logon http://blog.aflcio.org/2006/09/28/zimbabwe-hiding-truth-behind-attacks-on-trade-unionists/
Meanwhile here is a interesting piece that we picked from ZWNEWS. It is a critique of the ZCTU leadership and manner in which it organized their demonstration, protest, whatever you might call it. But the team thought it would be worthwhile for JOURNALISTS not to take things at face value but question our leaders on their strategies, not matter our disdain for the regime.
By George Ayittey
Ayittey is a Ghanaian academic who teaches at the American University in Washington DC .
Criticism Difficult
It is extremely difficult to criticise opposition forces in Zimbabwe because of the heinous brutalities unleashed on them by the Mugabe regime. Criticism may sound like condoning the brutalities or rubbing salt into their wounds. But the opposition in Zimbabwe needs a good talking to. The aborted Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) protest march was, to put it mildly, dumb. To effect peaceful change in Zimbabwe, we need an intelligent opposition, not one which continuously repeats old stupid mistakes. Harsh words but they need to be spoken because if the corrupt and incompetent Mugabe regime can't get it right, those who seek to replace that regime ought to get it right. The people of Zimbabwe demand nothing more or nothing less. A failed opposition strategy or move prolongs the tenure of a brutally repressive regime and the suffering of the people. Further, it demoralises the people and lulls them into thinking that if the squabbling and ineffective opposition groups can't get their act together, then they might as well let the tyrant stay or join him in order to survive. It is called "politics of the belly".Opposition groups need to realise that public patience is not inexhaustible. If their actions continue to fail, the public may simply write off the feckless opposition. Next time they call for a national strike, the public will ignore it. The ZCTU action was flawed on all fronts and doomed to failure right from the get-go. The ZCTU had planned to march in protest against high levels of taxation and inadequate anti-retroviral drugs for HIV and Aids patients among the country's workforce. Some marchers intended to present a petition to Labour minister Nicholas Goche and Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa. First, the objectives were too broad, general or amorphous. How does one define "high levels of taxation" for example? The second problem was the exclusivity of the language chosen. It is not just the country's workforce that is suffering. All the people are suffering, including housewives, peasant farmers and everyone who is self-employed in the rural and informal sectors of the economy. Where was the ZCTU during Operation Murambatsvina that rendered more than 700 000 traders and informals homeless in May 2005? If the ZCTU does not represent them, why should they embrace any planned mass action by the union?
Regime Change or Regime Reform
Third, the nature of the objectives suggested that ZCTU does not want a "regime change" but wants the same regime to introduce new policy changes to alleviate the suffering of the country's workforce. It is an exercise in grand delusion if the ZCTU thinks the regime, which has failed Zimbabweans for the past 25 years, is capable of improving the lot of the country's workforce, let alone that of all Zimbabweans. The vast majority of the Zimbabwe people want regime change - a new horse, rather than flogging a dead horse. Fourth, the objectives were non-achievable. The regime could have allowed the strike to proceed, accepted the petitions, and promise to import more anti-retroviral drugs as well as introduce legislation that would give each worker $1 million. Would that have amounted to victory? It also appears the ZCTU acted on its own, without collaborating or consulting with other opposition groups - the political parties, churches and student organisations.
Pleading Guilty
But it is not the ZCTU alone that is guilty of this. At one time, you hear of church leaders mobilising for action, then at another time you hear of opposition parties taking their own separate action. Divided opposition groups are a delight to a barbarous regime. If each group does its own thing, the regime will play one group against the other and remain in power. It is called "divide and rule", stupid. It needs to be reiterated that no single opposition party or group by itself can remove entrenched tyranny from power. It takes an alliance of opposition forces. If Zimbabwe opposition group leaders don't get it by now, they never will and the country will slide into war. ZCTU leaders don't seem to have learned anything at all from their own experience or that of other African countries. Name me just two objectives that protest marches have been able to achieve in the past five years. Just two! Protest marches, to put it bluntly, are just plain dumb. Just because they worked against the white colonialists, who were "frightened" by a huge mass of black people, does not mean they will work against black neo-colonialists.
Predictable Response
Have ZCTU leaders not heard about security forces in other African countries arresting leaders of protest marches, beating up demonstrators and even opening fire on protestors? Have they not followed events in Ethiopia where 45 were killed when police opened fire on demonstrators protesting fraudulent elections in May 2005? How about Nigeria, where trade union leaders were arrested in a bid to protest high fuel prices in 2004? You don't fight a tyrannical regime with protest marches unless the security forces are neutral and professional or are on your side. Short of this, the regime will unleash them on the protestors and their leaders. This does not require rocket science. There are better ways of fighting a tyrannical regime and they require a huge dose of the imagination and learning from the experiences of other countries. First, if a strike should be called, it must be of the "stay home" nature, not in the streets for security forces to beat people up and arrest leaders. Such a successful "stay home" - dubbed "dead city" campaign - was launched by Pa Fru Ndi, of the Social Democratic Party of Cameroon in 1991. On a certain particular day, all the residents of a certain city just stayed home, rendering the city "dead". And it revolved from one city to another across Cameroon. The objective was simple: a demand for a new voter register. The government caved in, although President Paul Biya subsequently stole the 1992 election.Civil Servants, Most Effective??Second, if a strike must be called to put pressure on government, the most effective is a civil servants' strike. In March 1978, civil servants in Ghana went on strike to press their demands for better working conditions. It led to a chain of events which culminated in the ouster of the military regime of General IK Acheampong in July 1978. General Akuffo did not address the grievances of the civil servants. Another strike was called in November 1978. That too set in motion events which led to the overthrow of the Akuffo regime by Jerry Rawlings in June 1979. In 1989, civil servants in Benin went on strike to demand payment of their salary arrears. That strike too paralysed government and the country, setting in motion events which led to the ouster of Mathieu Kerekou in January 1991. In Benin, the political parties, churches, and civil society groups stepped in and convened the first Sovereign National Conference, which tossed the Marxist-Leninist Kerekou out of office. Benin has been a democratic country since then.In the case of Ghana, Rawlings stepped down after three months in 1979. Two years later, he staged another military coup to remove the civilian government in 1981 and ruled for nearly 20 years. In 2000 and fed up with his tyrannical rule, Ghanaians kicked him out of office. I was part of that effort. The bottom line is this: if opposition groups in Zimbabwe cannot shut down the civil service or think imaginatively of effective ways of instituting political change, they will be politely ignored by the international community and the people of Zimbabwe will continue to suffer. Protest marches, appeals and petitions don't work against a regime that is blind and stone-deaf. Maybe its tyme journos put pressure on these guys, what do you think gang.

Vesta Sithole Publishes Book On Zimbabwe Liberation Struggle
‘’My Life With An Unsung Hero:’’
The Book
The purpose of the book is to educate the people about how the armed struggle was started and who participated in the beginning. The author seeks to clarify some misrepresentations of events as they have been described. The book tries to show the foresighted thinking of Rev. Sithole.

The Author
The author was born Vesta Zvemwaida Sithole in 1942 in the Eastern Highlands area of Melseter (Chimanimani) in Zimbabwe. At the young age of 19, the author left her beloved home for Tanzania, ending her nursing career mid-way, to contribute to the liberation struggle. She crossed the Zambezi River with the political party ZAPU which was going to form a government in exile.

As a result of her direct involvement in the struggle she witnessed the break up of ZAPU and formation of ZANU and other subsequent parties. The author witnessed first hand Zimbabwe’s journey to freedom by being present at various forums discussing the hand over from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. As a result of her quest for Zimbabwe’s freedom, she was harassed, jailed and subjected to sub-verse treatment by both the Rhodesian forces as well as her fellow citizens. In 1967, the author married Tanzanian banker and economist Jackson Mwakalyelye, with whom she has four children. She was widowed in 1972 when her husband died at the
very young age of 36.

In 1984 the author married the liberation fighter and founder of ZANU the late Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole. To this day, the author is committed to speaking out against the injustices of her fellow citizens by the government of Robert Mugabe. Having sacrificed her life to the struggle to free Zimbabwe, the author still feels Zimbabwe people deserve more freedom.

Want to buy the book go to www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~34848.aspx

MIC Lashes Out At Media Organizations
MISA, MMPZ, ZUJ Under Fire For Being Unpatriotic And Organizing Clandestine Meetings
Reporting by the Herald
(Harare)
THE Media and Information Commission (MIC) last Thursday lambasted local media representative organisations for their mercenary attitude in which they make anti-Government statements to their foreign donors, portraying themselves as political victims in order to get funding.
The organisations, said the commission, speak completely different language when engaging the State.
In a statement yesterday, MIC slammed Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa), Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) and Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) for portraying themselves to their foreign donors as "regime change activists" who would repeal both the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (Posa).
The three organisations, said MIC, would seek funding for the repeal of these laws and clandestinely convene conferences under the guise of media law reform.
This week, the three organisations allegedly misrepresented to Government about the nature and purpose of a conference they intend to hold today at St Lucia Park.
MIC, which had also been invited, said it had since established that the workshop was a "foreign-sponsored propaganda exercise" disguised as a Zimbabwean media law reform workshop.
Yesterday, MIC said the real purpose of today's workshop, organised by Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) was not for media law reform as they claimed since it deliberately excluded key stakeholders like the Ministry of Information and Publicity and the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
"The real purpose of the media law reform workshop is to create a stilted platform from which the activists may engage in an orgy of anti-Zimbabwe diatribe intended to coincide with other recently staged events," said MIC.
The MIC accused the organisation of misleading it into believing that it had invited the acting Minister of Information and Publicity, Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, for a keynote address when the Minister or the ministry's Secretary, Cde George Charamba, knew nothing about such a workshop.
"Journalists are supposed to be professionals who have sworn to the duty to inform the public accurately and honestly. It is disgusting to see people claiming to be their leaders becoming the frontline for foreign sponsored deceit.
"The three organisations make noise about AIPPA and Posa but when challenged by the Government to justify their criticism, they say there was nothing wrong with the laws other than how they had been implemented," said the MIC.
The commission accused the convenors of the conference to be held at St Lucia Park of making several misrepresentations in their invitation letter.

When contacted for comment last night, ZUJ president Mathew Takaona said his organisation was not involved in any clandestine activities as alleged by MIC.
He said the purpose of the workshop was to reflect on media laws.

"ZUJ is not involved in any clandestine activities and as a union, we would not be bothered by these allegations.
"It is not fair for some people to have the monopoly to define what is patriotism because as ZUJ we are a patriotic union and would continue to engage Government to improve the lives of our members some of whom are suffering as they are out of employment," said Takaona.
No comment could be obtained from MISA.
Moles At MISA-Zimbabwe
Meanwhile New.Zimbabwe.com: reports that the MISA-Zimbabwe Chairman, Thomas Deve was asked to step down over allegations that there is a mole within the organization, who works for the CIO and is a close friend of information Permanent Secretary George Charamba.

The UK based news website, had previously reported that, Charamba’s now estranged wife Rudo, accused Charamba of hunting for women together with a unnamed MISA official who was recruited to join the CIO at the same time as Mugabe spokesman when they were still students at the University of Zimbabwe.

New Zimbabwe says it knows who the official is but is withholding the name.

However the ZimJournalists Arise Team believes that this a vary serious issue and that official should be NAMED and SHAMED.

For a long time, the Mugabe regime has used moles and infiltrators to destroy any voices of democracy, the MDC, the ZCTU, the churches etc have all been casualties of these underground below the belt tactics.

The team respects New Zimbabwe.com, which has become a must-read on Zimbawean news and we feel that if the website has its facts and stands by its story, this official should be NAMED and SHAMED. A number of people have been exposed before on the website, whats the difference now, particularly when it affects the journalism fraternity.

The plight of the Zimbabwean Journalist is well-known and documented and protecting the names of those among our midst who have changed our lives, usually for the worset perhaps including the editor of New Zimbabwe himself, we think is a great disservice to the Zimbabwean media. Exposing this person would be the honorable thing to do and a great service to the journalism fraternity and the country at large.

A number of people have been exposed before on New Zimbabwe.com and I am sure, it will do likewise with this official.

So Mr Mathuthu Who Dunnit?????
(This letter has been sent to the editor of New Zimbabwe.com and will be sent to various other Zimbabwean media.

Statement from WOZA Solidarity(UK)
A Text Message To Patrick Chinamasa

Zimbabwe Skills and Reconstruction
Over 200 Zimbabweans gathered in London lastSaturday for the Britain Zimbabwe Society’s Open Forum 2006, which this year focused on skills and reconstruction in Zimbabwe.
Headline speakers included Thabitha Khumalo of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Rev. Nicholas Mkaronda ofthe Crisis Coalition in South Africa and Dr StephenMunjanja, consultant obstetrician based at HarareHospital.

Their message was clear and urgent;Zimbabweans in the diaspora cannot wait for the crisis
in Zimbabwe to be over before they engage in theprocess of reconstruction; the time to act is now.
When Thabitha Khumalo brought fresh news of thebrutal treatment of those detained over the planned mass action in Zimbabwe earlier in the week thechallenge to act was taken up immediately.

Activistsin the UK had prepared a list of phone numbers of police stations and some of the government officials inZimbabwe who bear responsibility for injustices andthese were made available to participants.
Text Message To Patrick
Armed withPatrick Chinamasa`s personal mobile number, JeremyDear, Secretary General of the UK National Union ofJournalists, who was chairing the meeting, fired off atext message to the Minister for Justice there and then.

In spite of the distressing news from home the meetingwas able to focus on positive initiatives. Dr StevenMunjanja, in a session chaired by Lela Kogbara ofAction for Southern Africa (ACTSA), emphasised thevalue of linking up professional organisations such asthe Zimbabwe Nurses Association with sistero organisations abroad. He stressed that it was important to work on specific and achievableobjectives and suggested an example of this might beto address the shortage of learning resources bycreating e-books and learning materials on CDs for
nurses at home.
Support for Teachers In South Africa
Nicholas Mkaronda confirmed theimportance of organisations working together and
gave as an example the work the ProgressiveTeachers Union of Zimbabwe is doing with the CrisisCoalition in South Africa. Together they are lobbyingfor teacher registration to combat the exploitation ofqualified Zimbabwean teachers in South Africa.
Journos In The Diaspora
Similarly Forward Maisokwadzo, of the ExiledJournalists Network, outlined the support given toZimbabwean journalists in the UK by Britain`s NationalUnion of Journalists.

Thabitha Khumalo reminded the conference thatreconstruction is a development issue that goes
beyond politics and highlighted the importance ofinvesting in education. `Zimbabweans believe in education` she declared `don`t stop learning - keephitting on those books while you are away from home`and Forward Maisokwadzo urged those studying inBritain to undertake research that focuses onZimbabwe.
Role of Media
Nicholas Mkaronda acknowledged the importance ofthe work of media practitioners and media outlets suchas The Zimbabwean newspaper, SWRadioAfrica andthe Southern Times in Botswana in helping to keep expats informed on what is happening on the ground in
Zimbabwe and in touch with one another.

He also highlighted the role the business community can playgiving the example of a successful Zimbabweanentrepreneur abroad who is providing school fees forfour hundred orphans in Zimbabwe.
Immigration Problems
Many in the audience spoke of their concerns at theway that UK immigration policy impacts on
Zimbabweans. Restrictions on finding employment forthose awaiting decisions on immigration status were aparticular problem and, the forum agreed, a majorcontributor to de-skilling .

Shane Lunga of Zimbabwe Futures described the work his organisation was doing in lobbying the British Government to allow exiled professionals to return to their countries temporarily to
help reconstruction without losing their UK immigration status. People also expressed frustration at theseemingly arbitrary decisions made on visaapplications. Ironically, even if Raymond Majongwe,Secretary General of the Zimbabwe ProgressiveTeachers Union, had not been imprisoned during theZCTU mass action he would have been preventedfrom taking up his invitation to address the forumbecause the British had denied him a visa.
Fragmentation of the Diaspora
More difficult issues came under the spotlight too. Thefragmentation of the diaspora was noted as was thetendency to concentrate on family links rather thanorganisational ones. Although dozens of organisations have been set up to serve the Zimbabweancommunity, there is a need to create a structure forpooling resources and working more closely with eachother. Through the speakers presentations and thecontributions from the audience it became apparent
that organizations set up abroad must work in tandemwith organizations in Zimbabwe if they are to be productive and informed. Just as individualscommunicate directly with their families to understandtheir needs and find the most effective ways to offerhelp, so too organizations in the diaspora need tointeract with civil society organisations at home.

The BZS Open Forum 2006 has showed that thediasporic community is active and very much alive tothe unfolding events in Zimbabwe and that peoplewant to and can contribute to reconstruction at home.
But it has also become clear that for their contributionto have a more significant impact there needs to besome structure through which individuals andorganisations can come together more frequently tocoordinate initiatives.
As Thabitha Khumalo pointedout, using the maxim of Zimbabwe`s NationalAssociation of Non Governmental Organisations,`Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is
progress and staying together is success.

Letter from WOZA Solidarity UK

Hello pamberinezimbabwe,
Thanks for your blog news which is very interesting.Thought you might be interested in this short reporton a recent event WOZA Solidarity helped to organise in London.
Aluta continua!
Lois Davis (WOZA Solidarity UK)

Response from ZimJournalists Arise.
Thank you Lois and we will certainly run your report so that our journos might find use for it. Would care to let us know of Justice Minister Chinamasa's response to the text message?

Role of Journalists and Dangers They Face
Internet and Electronic Media, The Profitable Future???
By Allister Sparks
Last week ZimJournalists Arise, carried Part 1 of a presentation by Allister Sparks, published in last week's Standard newspaper. The presentation was made at the MISA Awards Dinner some weeks ago. This week's issue carried part 11, which we have reproduced.
Background: Sparks is world reknowed South African journalist and editor, with 40 years experience. Sparks has also written several books and is a Pulitzer Prize nominee.

THE migration of readers and advertisers to the Internet, following on the early migrations to television, and combined now with rising costs and falling revenue, is threatening the financial well-being - even the very existence - of many newspapers, including some of the oldest established and respected among them.

This trend is not yet being fully felt here in Southern Africa where the business side of the Internet has not yet taken off as fully as it has in the developed world. But the migration of readers is already there, and some early consequences are already being felt.
US Experience
To get a foretaste of what is coming, one needs to look to the developed world and especially to the United States. The most striking event there was the death earlier this year of one of America’s biggest and best newspaper companies, the Knight-Ridder Group, a chain of 32 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of 3,7 million and with 18 000 employees.The question is how and why a fine newspaper company with relatively high profit margins and a proud record of having won 85 Pulitzer Prizes came to be wiped off the media landscape.The answer is instructive.

Knight Ridder was quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, and as investors saw the ballooning growth of the Internet they assumed that newspaper stocks would start to decline. Now in the investment world, ASSUMPTIONS and PERCEPTIONS become facts. Self-fulfilling facts. So the investors started to withdraw their money and Knight Ridder’s share price began to fall even though it was still making good profits.At that point aggressive shareholders began to demand cost-cutting to keep profits margins, and thus the share price, up.

Knight Ridder’s CEO, Anthony Ridder, resisted for a while but as the pressure on him increased he began to cut - and as invariably happens in these circumstances, he cut editorial staff.The problem is, when you do that you inevitably cut the quality of your product – which in turn affects sales and revenue, and so a downward spiral begins.That is what happened to Knight Ridder.

As the share price weakened further, one of the aggressive shareholders, Bruce Sherman, head of the McClatchy Company bought out Knight Ridder. But he quickly found the same cycle of pressures hitting his new acquisition, so that he, too, cut staff and has now sold off 12 of the newspapers he bought.The warning is there for all of us to see. Jim McNaughton, a former editor of Knight Ridder’s most famous newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, who quit in disapproval when the company started paring the editorial staff, has had harsh words for the CEO who started the cuts. "The real story of the decline and fall of Knight Ridder," he said the other day, "is the notion that you can continue whittling and paring and reducing and degrading the quality of your product and not pay a price.""Tony’s legacy," he added, referring to CEO Anthony Ridder, "Tony’s legacy is that he destroyed a great company."What this whittling and paring does is to cut out the heart of good journalism, and thus of the newspapers they work for.

As staffs grow smaller there is less and less time for reporters to practise good, well-researched, well-rounded journalism. They start having to hack out too many stories, which means the reporting becomes shallower and shallower. When you reach the point, already evident in some newsrooms in this country, where individual reporters have to handle five or six stories a day, it becomes what I call Microwave Journalism. A quick telephone interview with a single source and you hack it out to get on with the next one. No time to check, no time to amplify, no time to flesh out the implications.Such shallow journalism degrades both the product and the democratic role it is supposed to serve.
SA Co Goes Electronic
The answer, as at least one newspaper company in South Africa, Naspers, has discovered, is two-fold.Firstly, protect the company from shareholder pressure by having a two-tier stock structure, with a special class of voting stock that is separate from the traded non-voting shares.Secondly, diversify, diversify into the profitable new electronic sectors of the media, into television and cellphones and the Internet, so that you can support the print media and maintain their editorial quality which is vital for their long-term survival and the democratic role they need to play.

I hope more of our newspaper companies learn these lessons. We have the answers here. Don’t let’s go the Knight Ridder route.So let me leave you with those thoughts, my dear colleagues and friends, so that you can get on with the important business of announcing MISA’s Press Freedom Award.