The announcement of the unilateral appointment of new board members for the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) and other statutory bodies by the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity represents yet another threat to the spirit and letter of the inclusive government.
Information minister Webster Shamu has simply usurped the powers of Parliament which had begun to constitute independent Commissions and bodies, including the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). He has become the implementing arm of a shameful and sinister Zanu PF agenda to populate strategic national institutions with Zanu PF apologists.
The biggest threat to democracy is not only the unilateral appointments, but the unilateral decision to recycle a celebrated media hangman such as Tafataona Mahoso by making him chairman of BAZ. The media graveyard has five newspapers and two radio stations which Mahoso banned, closed or were bombed during his tenure as chairman of the Media and Information Commission.
Mahoso failed dismally during the interviews to select members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission. Zanu PF’s penchant to reward failure is well recorded, but this time they have chosen to beat their own record. Mahoso’s legacy at the MIC makes a loud statement that he is unfit to head a strategic national institution in the new dispensation of inclusivity and tolerance. Yesterday’s enemies of press freedom cannot be today’s allies of a plural and diverse media which Zimbabweans want. Sunset characters cannot be part of the new dawn of democracy and media freedom.
Shamu has appointed nine members from the military into six statutory bodies. The militarisation of civilian institutions sends wrong and dangerous signals nationally, regionally and in the broader international community. Soldiers are square pegs in a round hole when they are appointed into civilian bodies such as the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe or the board of directors of Kingstons. The best place for our gallant sons and daughters who save as soldiers is in military barracks, not the boardroom of a civic national body.
Shamu’s latest antics are threat to the inclusive government and the GPA. They represent everything that is wrong with the inclusive government where one party is hell-bent on betraying its own signature by failing to adhere to agreements and common sense.
Zimbabweans want real change. They do not deserve the recycling of old characters with a perforated past and a chequered history such as Tafataona Mahoso. They want hope, democracy, prosperity, freedom, dignity, security.
Shamu consulted me among others so this was not unilateral at all. It is our team. He did not even know people like Charity Moyo. That was my suggestion.
We all know that Webster Shamu/Charles Ndlovu is just but an uneducated DJ turned fraudster. Mkoma Pedzi you should have at least told this soon to be replaced (by Jonathan) nonentity that Zimpapers is a Private Company and not a ZANU organization. The fool did no know that Board members of Zimpapers are chosen by shareholders and not him and stupid advisors like Mkoma Pedzi. Choosing solders and recycled deadwood like Mahoso is not a sign of brilliance. Good luck in your day Job as Editor in Chief of the readerless People’s Voice now that Jonathan is back to his job.
By the way Mkoma Pedzi, what does your friend Webster Shamu smoke? His eyes are always red.
He smokes kill me dagga what else do you think the idiot smokes he nearly shot me in Kadoma in 1985 1986 some where along the line because of a lady called Chipo we where going out and i think he was also picking her up now and then when i was at work one day he saw my car parked and we where gone to Kadoma ranch he followed then came to us as we where haveing our drinks, then he said to her, lets go home she said to him i have my babies father with me, so he said so what tell him you going so she said no then he slapped her, so me i said to him shef please you know this is my wife to be then he pull a gun on me this man he is a monster just like the others , in zanu pf yah this is dagga
we split up with chipo and never seen her after what took place for i was afraid of my life this is zanu pf what more of the farms story and businesses compaines and many more they just take at will this is zanu pf hama take dont worry , no wonder most of them are dieing from big brother HIV and AIDS
Tendy your story is sad and resembles a lot of lives racked by these saddists. By the way what happened to the criminal convinction of Charles Ndlovu. Does it not make him inmeligible for any cabinet post?
What more would you expect from the hero zanu pf untouchables but if he had been an MDC or any other he would have been rotting in JAIL right now Mdoda
Tendy you were just a fellow whore with Charles and you were just beaten to the game. Anyway, Webbie consulted widely and this is what we came up with.
Consulting stupid members of the JOC who belive that diesel can flow from a rock is not worth mentioning Mkoma Pedzi.
The stupid guys who could not get employed anywhere and then decided to become Mugabe’s hired murderers are misled by the name Central Inteligence to believe that they are smarter than the rest of us Zimbabweans. How many of their so called intelligency cases have looked like poorly written grade 1 drama scripts in court. Which inteligent Zimbabweans could think that hiring a well known international criminal like Ari Ben Menashe and his 18th century tape recorders could result in convicting Morgan Tswangirayi. Only foolish CIOs would kill Cain Nkala and then have support unit guys guard an empty grave and then frame innocent boys. Only unintelligent guys could toture Jestina and then take a stupid movie to show SADC. What has happened to all cases in which CIOs were involved in arresting/abducting or entrapping people? For Shamu to consult people like you Mkoma Pedzi on appointing stupid people like Mahoso as chairman of boards when they have never even run a tuckshop before.
Wena M’deed. Thula mufowethu. We have run Zimbabwe well for three decades and we are not about to give it up to Tswangson.
Ha! Ha! Ha! inteligent Mkoma. You have indeed run down the economy of Zimbabwe. You have definitely managed to run down all productive agricultural activities. Credit goes to your great inteligence. I salute you. Unfortunately come from Zaka Jerera and so can’t get your isindebele well. All the more you are a genius Mkoma. You could not even give me any single inteligent thing you did except running down the economy. Let me give you one, you have at least run down the ZANU PF from over 85% of votes in 1980 to less than 10% of votes in 2009. At the rate at which you are inteligently running down this organisation by the time of the next elections the decaying party will be as popular as NDU in 1980.
Wait until ZANU PF teaches HOW TO VOTE correctly. We know how to run Zimbabwe and its people, together with SADC and our minority tribes down south.
We have a sound track record.
Come on Mukoma, why don’t you try some propaganda and suggest some wonderful things you have done in the last 30 years. Please stop gloriying violence, you are definitely smarter than Dydimus Mutasa.