(MISA/IFEX) – Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo has attacked the editor and journalists of the “Zimbabwe Independent”, a weekly business newspaper, accusing them of colluding with foreign correspondents, especially journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In a stinging attack on the information minister, the editor of the newspaper has denied […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo has attacked the editor and journalists of the “Zimbabwe Independent”, a weekly business newspaper, accusing them of colluding with foreign correspondents, especially journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In a stinging attack on the information minister, the editor of the newspaper has denied Moyo’s assertions and accused him of abuse of office.
Justifying the suspension of BBC correspondent Rager Omaar’s accreditation on 26 July 2001 (see IFEX alerts of 27 and 26 July 2001), Moyo said that the BBC was colluding with the “Zimbabwe Independent” in sourcing out stories and tarnishing the government. Moyo alleged that the “Zimbabwe Independent”‘s editor, Iden Wetherell, had published an off air and off the record conversations he had held with the BBC.
Moyo also claimed that “Zimbabwe Independent” journalist Brian Hungwe was filing unsubstantiated stories to the BBC and other foreign news agencies. In a repeat of a similar attack in the 7 August edition of the government owned newspaper “The Herald”, Moyo accused the “Zimbabwe Independent” editor and its journalists Hungwe and Dumisani Muleya of unprofessional conduct.
“The newspaper he edits is forever flippant, insulting in all its coverage of Africans except sell outs and uncle Toms. Even their senior reporters like Dumisani Muleya write stories in which nouns are always personalised and in which all verbs are replaced by insulting adjectives,” said Moyo.
“At the moment there is no difference talking to Learnmore Jongwe of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Dumisani Muleya. They have the same interests and the same approach and that is dangerous for journalism,” said Moyo.
“No one should expect us to answer questions from Leramore Jongwe and by the same token answer questions from Dumisani Muleya and the rest of the bandwagon until they become professional and ethical in their conduct as journalists,” said Moyo.
“To me Iden Wetherell is either a British spy, agent of just an ordinary stupid white man who like [sic] the British, whose songs he sings everyday and has no respect for Africans,” added Moyo.
Wetherell has denied Moyo’s assertions. Writing in the newspaper’s 3 August issue, the editor denied using any of Moyo’s off air or off the record interviews. “Zimbabwean Ministers taking after their leader, are increasingly becoming paranoid, imagining ‘collusion’ between the independent media and foreign interests at every turn,” said Wetherell. “I challenge him [Moyo] to disclose what ‘off air’ conversations we have published relating to him. I am not aware on any,” said Wetherell.
Commenting further on the matter in the Wednesday 8 August edition of “The Daily News”, Wetherell said that Moyo was now resorting to racist abuse and accusations of espionage to justify proposed policies, which seek to further restrict media freedom. He also said that Moyo was abusing his office to settle scores with critics.
