ZBC bans MDC-T reporting

THE Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity has ordered Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings and other state-controlled newspapers to stop covering MDC-T ministers until the party reverses its decision to suspend contact with Zanu PF.

ZBC chief executive Happison Muchechetere told the state broadcaster’s senior editors about the directive on Friday evening.

Sources said all radio stations and ZTV have dropped all stories where MDC-T ministers are the main sources following Muchechetere’s edict.

Muchechetere reportedly said the directive applied to the entire state media, which has upped its vilification of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his party following their partial withdrawal from the unity government on October 16.

“He said the ministry said the MDC-T ministers cannot speak on behalf of government following their decision to disengage,” said the source. “So until the party reverses its decision, the ministers will not be covered.”

The MDC-T has said it remains part of government but will not attend cabinet and council of ministers meetings with Zanu PF until outstanding issues in their power-sharing agreement are resolved.

Muchechetere could not be reached for comment yesterday but ZBC’s head of news, Tazzen Mandizvidza, said he was not aware of the directive.

“I was out of the country. I came back on Friday night but if there was such a directive I would have been informed,” he said.

Webster Shamu, the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity and Permanent Secretary George Charamba were not immediately available for comment yesterday.

Shamu’s deputy, Jameson Timba (MDC-T) who has complained that Shamu and Charamba do not consult him on key policy issues, yesterday said he was not aware of the directive.

But he warned that if it existed, it would poison the already polarised political situation in the country.

“These are some of the issues that are causing tension in the inclusive government where the public media is used to advance the interests of one political party or individual,” Timba said.

“The Ministry of Media has no business giving directives to newspapers under the Zimpapers stable because they are not owned by the government.”

MDC-T says one of the reasons it disengaged from Zanu PF was the continued use of hate speech in the public media despite the formation of a unity government eight months ago.

The Standard