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.