Mugabe’s Spokesman Wields Too Much Power
Harare, November 20, 2009 – Presidential spokesman and the permanent
secretary in the Ministry of Media Information and Publicity, George
Charamba wields so much power at the only state broadcaster, the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), which has seen not only journalists, but
editors as well as board members being afraid of him, a report by the Open
Society Institute Southern Africa (OSISA) says.
The report said journalists had complained about great interference by
officials from President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, which had greatly
affected professionalism resulting in the state broadcaster providing biased
news. Most journalists felt that broadcaster was being used as a “personal
empire” by those at the ministry especially, George Charamba.
“Charamba wields enormous power here, is untouchable, and staff at the
broadcaster, including ZBC board is terrified of him” said one journalist in
the report.
“One journalist who refused to be named said that Charamba was running
the corporation like his personal fiefdom and this was demoralising staff as
they felt that the core business of the broadcaster was no longer taking
precedence. “All this has made journalists believe that whatever they do
they have to be answerable to the government or individuals in the ministry
rather than the general public.”
The report on how to turn the ZBC into a truly public broadcaster, was
released and officially launched by the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in
Harare. Tsvangirai’s MDC party has said it wants Charamba fired.
“Politicians often give instructions to managerial staff on their
editorial preferences. It is also alleged that the divisions and
factionalism within the party play out in the newsrooms,” said the report.
Radio VOP
Posted by Raymond Mhaka
on November 20, 2009. Filed under Politics.
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