TWO NEW NEWSPAPERS HIT THE STREETS

UNCLAS HARARE 001438 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARLY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO ZI SUBJECT: TWO NEW NEWSPAPERS HIT THE STREETS ¶1. Two new newspapers debuted in Harare during the week of June 10. "The Business Tribune" and its sister publication "The Weekend Tribune" will hit the streets every Thursday and Saturday respectively. ¶2. The Media Africa Group (MAG),a consortium of businessmen led by a well-known ZANU PF business ally, Mr. Mutumwa Mawere, publishes the new papers. Part of MAG's Editorial Charter reads: "MAG is a privately owned newspaper publishing company established in 2002 which is not aligned to any group or political party in Zimbabwe, Southern African Development Community (SADC),or anywhere in the world. In short we are politically neutral and impartial. In Zimbabwe, we vow to pursue a middle-of-the- road, apolitical path that necessitates that we report business, political and other events as they happen..." SULLIVAN