(MISA/IFEX) – The “Zimbabwe Independent”, a weekly independent newspaper, has lambasted President Robert Mugabe’s attack on the independent media. In its 17 July editorial, the paper dismissed Mugabe’s outburst and his threats to introduce legislation. The paper said the President’s threat to curb press freedom “should be seen more as a reflection of his anger […]
(MISA/IFEX) – The “Zimbabwe Independent”, a weekly independent newspaper,
has lambasted President Robert Mugabe’s attack on the independent media. In
its 17 July editorial, the paper dismissed Mugabe’s outburst and his threats
to introduce legislation. The paper said the President’s threat to curb
press freedom “should be seen more as a reflection of his anger at public
exposure than a serious challenge to media independence.” Of late, the
independent media, especially the “Zimbabwe Independent” and “The Financial
Gazette”, have been bold in exposing corrupt tendencies in government
circles and within the President’s own household.
**Updates IFEX alert of 23 July 1998**
The 24 July 1998 issue of the “Independent” continued with the debate on the
President’s outburst. In an article entitled “Mugabe’s Press-bashing comes
under fire”, the President is vehemently criticised by members of civil
society and a host of journalists. A statement signed by the Zimbabwe Union
of Journalists, the Zimbabwe Foreign Correspondents Association, the
Federation of African Women in the Media, the Association of Freelance
Journalists and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Zimbabwe Chapter)
reads in part: “We firmly support all media pursuing their right to report
on all public matters, including maladministration and the corruption that
is eroding the fabric of the nation…journalists in Zimbabwe take strong
exception to the President’s use of abusive terms like ‘gutter press’ and so
called opposition press….”
Commenting on the President’s threat to introduce legislation to clamp down
on the independent media, journalists and the civic community said that
Zimbabwe already had a plethora of restrictive media laws and did not need
any more such legislation.
Background Information
On 13 July 1998, President Robert Mugabe attacked the independent press for
“not respecting the privacy of individuals.” He was speaking on the eve of
the opening of the Fourth Session of the Fourth Parliament at State House.
He said that the privately-owned press was “thriving on selling manufactured
lies to the people in the name of freedom of the press.” Mugabe, whose
speech was thinly veiled with threats, asked Parliamentarians present at the
dinner whether such journalism should be allowed to continue. He said he
believed it should not be allowed. He went on to say that this kind of
reporting would in future force the government to protect the rights of
individuals, and that this should not be misconstrued as going against the
right of expression by the media. Mugabe went on to say that the independent
press should count itself lucky because government could actually file
lawsuits, but it has not done this so far.
