(MISA/IFEX) – On 29 September 1999, the shareholders of the Zimbabwean media group Public Eye Publishing (PEP), publishers of “Horizon” and other magazines, filed for liquidation, citing financial and viability problems. The shareholders had agreed a month earlier to liquidate the company and its workers were subsequently sent on leave pending further decisions by the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 29 September 1999, the shareholders of the Zimbabwean media
group Public Eye Publishing (PEP), publishers of “Horizon” and other
magazines, filed
for liquidation, citing financial and viability problems.
The shareholders had agreed a month earlier to liquidate the company and its
workers were subsequently sent on leave pending further decisions by the
shareholders.
PEP was one of Zimbabwe’s leading publishing houses. The company was closed
after the directors resolved that it was impossible to rescue the company
from its cash flow problems emanating from escalating printing cost.
PEP was formed in September last year as a result of a merger between HB
Interlink, Column Width, and African Media Investments (AMI Zimbabwe).
“Horizon” magazine, formed in July 1991, was previously published by Column
Width.
MISA-Zimbabwe has described the closure of “Horizon” as having left a dent
on the Zimbabwean media market. “Horizon”, a hard-hitting monthly magazine,
provided analysis of the political, social and economic situation in
Zimbabwe. The magazine had a fairly high circulation and was popular.
Meanwhile, Andy Moyse, former editor of “Horizon”, is now acting editor of
the “Standard”, having replaced Mark Chavunduka, who is away on a year’s
sabbatical to Harvard University in the USA.
In November 1998, “Horizon” secured an important legal victory when it
successfully appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a Z$40 000 (US$1 100)
defamation judgment against it. The case was brought against the magazine by
former army commander Solomon Mujuru, who argued that an article in 1991 had
questioned his public moral integrity. The Supreme Court in its judgment
found that the article in fact amounted to fair comment.
