Zimbabwean Journalists Exposed!

Report By ZimJournalists Arise
(Additional Reporting by the Chronicle)

This week Zimbabwean journalists made the headlines, not only as writers but also as newsmakers, albeit for the wrong reasons.

In same week he was appointed editor-in chief of the troubled ZBH, Tazzen Mandizvidza made the headlines, in the Chronicle, in a trial where he is facing allegations of producing a fake drivers license.

Mandizvdza appeared in court early this week.

The Chronicle says Mandizvida allegedly produced a drivers license belonging to one Gibson Boroma of Budiriro when he was stopped by police after being involved in an accident in Harare. His lawyer is arguing that the manner in which the matter was treated was unprocedural. The matter has been adjourned up till November 21.

Meanwhile former Standard Reporter and former chairman of the Harare Polytechnic Press club Cornelius Nduna is embroiled in British visa wrangle over his 15-month baby.

Nduna who until last year, working for international news organization as afreelance television producer and reporter attracted the attention of the local police, on suspicion of possessing "sensitive tapes" given to him by a ZBH employee.

The tapes were of "youth training camps" reportedly used to train pro-government militia blamed for attacks on government critics.
Unconfirmed reports, say this is what drove Nduna into exile.

The story of the baby who was denied a visa, first appeared in the Herald on Monday but Fridays Chronicle had some pretty startling revelations, which we are sure would make NewZimbabwe.com salivate.

The new twist are that the now South African-based father(Nduna) of the toddler abandoned his wife and two kids in Harare to live with his new wife in South Africa.

Diana Nduna said yesterday that she was shocked when she read in The Herald on Monday morning that her husband was married to another woman and they were battling to get a visa for their 15-month-old toddler to go to the UK.

She said her husband, Cornelius Nduna, a Zimbabwean journalist resident in South Africa, had dumped her and their children who were now living on charity while the father was now staying with another woman in South Africa.

However, Nduna, in a telephone interview yesterday, said he was never legally married to Diana.

According to Diana, Nduna left the country last year for South Africa where he later told her he was working on some sensitive projects and could not be contacted since this could lead to his arrest.
She said she was customarily married to Nduna in 1995 and they have two children Teresa and Tichaona.

Mrs Nduna alleged that in August, four months after her husband left the country, they were evicted from the house they were renting because she could not pay rent.

“No money was sent for the upkeep of the children since last year. I decided to ask for help from the River of Life Church because we were desperate,” said Mrs Nduna.

She said the church also offered to pay school fees for the children after they were chased from school a number of times.
Mrs Nduna said she has also offered some work at the church in return for food and a little bit of money.

“I did not understand where all this was coming from until when I read the story about his new family on Monday. I was really hurt and did not understand why a fellow woman who is supposed to protect vulnerable children would want mine to suffer like this.”

She said the last time her husband came to Zimbabwe was in January this year. “He claimed that he had enrolled to train as a soldier and that he should not be contacted.
“He also said this time he will be quiet for a long time until he finishes his training,” Mrs Nduna said.

The story that prompted Mrs Nduna to talk about her ordeal was about baby Matidashe Nduna who was denied a visa to be with its mother Ms Vongai Makamure-Nduna who wanted to attend a weeklong workshop in the UK.

Ms Makamure-Nduna, a former journalist works as an HIV communications advisor at World Vision South Africa.

World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and advocacy group working among children and families in poor communities.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Nduna alleged he was never legally married to Diana who is claiming to be his wife back in Zimbabwe.

“I never married her, never paid anything to her father. She has been making several calls to me since yesterday (Monday) saying she will launch a smear campaign against me and I can see she has already started,” he said.

Asked why the woman would call him if he never married her and never had children with her, Nduna alleged Diana was up to no good and had raided his home and taken all his educational certificates and identity cards to prove he was her husband.
“I was never married to that woman,”he said.