MEDIA advocacy groups and media experts have blasted President Robert Mugabe for attempting to gag his Zanu PF officials from engaging the independent media saying such a move would worsen media polarisation in the country.
By EVERSON MUSHAVA
While addressing Zanu PF supporters in Kariba on Thursday, Mugabe warned party bigwigs against dealing with the private media in the on-going factional fights, labelling it the “opposition media.”
His utterances came following public spats between top Zanu PF supporters over issues linked to factionalism. Factions allegedly pitting Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are locked in bitter fights in the race to succeed Mugabe.
The situation has been made worse by the entry of Mugabe’s wife into the political arena, with the Mnangagwa faction accusing the Mujuru camp of attempting to block her from leading the Women’s League.
Mugabe admonished his party officials from playing their factional fights in the private media saying the party had laid down procedures to handle grievances.
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe executive director Loughty Dube said Mugabe’s comments were unfortunate coming from the Head of State who should promote unity in the country.
“His [Mugabe] statements will worsen media polarisation,” Dube said. “We don’t know how his party members will take it, but this will likely ignite hostilities towards newspapers that are seen as against his party.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Dube said Mugabe was misguided because privately-owned media was not opposition media.
Media Institute of Southern Africa, Zimbabwe (Misa), director Nhlanhla Ngwenya said it was unfortunate that Mugabe continued to see the media with political lens for reporting and analysing issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.
Ngwenya said viewing the media as an outlet of opposition politics was not only unpleasant, but would potentially open the private media to attack from overzealous party members who would seek to stifle the free flow of information.
“This will invite risk for the private media. What Mugabe is saying will work against the spirit and effort of Impi. This will worsen polarisation,” Ngwenya said.
Media expert Alexander Rusero said Mugabe’s comments would aggravate media polarisation and ultimately, divide the nation. He said persecution of private media was likely to follow Mugabe’s comments.
“Mugabe’s utterances will be a big blow to [Information minister Jonathan] Moyo who has been trying to thaw the frosty relations that existed among people during the government of national unity and between the media,” Rusero said.
When Moyo established Independent Media Panel of Inquiry (Impi), he said his prime objective was to fight media polarisation and close the divide that had, for more than a decade, existed between the public and private media.
