MEDIA REPORT GOZ BANS BBC JOURNALISTS; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 002271 SIPDIS AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT GOZ BANS BBC JOURNALISTS; HARARE ¶1. THE GOVERNMENT OF ZIMBABWE (GOZ) HAS SUSPENDED THE ACCREDITATION OF BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (BBC) UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 02271 271025Z CORRESPONDENTS BASED IN ZIMBABWE. ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE JULY 26 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED DAILY "THE HERALD," THE SUSPENSION IS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT. UNDER HEADLINE "BBC CORRESPONDENTS' ACCREDITATION SUSPENDED," THE PAPER CARRIED THE FOLLOWING STORY ON PAGE ONE: ¶2. "THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY YESTERDAY (JULY 25) SUSPENDED THE ACCREDITATION OF BBC CORRESPONDENTS IN ZIMBABWE FOLLOWING A SERIES OF ALLEGED DISTORTIONS OF EVENTS IN THE COUNTRY. THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY, PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, SAID DISTORTIONS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS WERE UNACCEPTABLE AND WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. 'THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE BBC TO FOLLOW AND UPHOLD IN ZIMBABWE THE SAME PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS IT FOLLOWS IN BRITAIN. THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE, NOTHING LESS OR MORE,' SAID PROF. MOYO IN A LETTER TO MILTON NKOSI, BBC NEWS BUREAU CHIEF IN JOHANNESBURG. . HOOKS UNCLASSIFIED >