PRESS UNDER FIRE AGAIN IN ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS HARARE 000726 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, BARNES AND SIMS NSC FOR TEITLEBAUM AF FOR RAYNOR LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI SUBJECT: PRESS UNDER FIRE AGAIN IN ZIMBABWE ¶1. We have recently noticed a new and more dangerous attack on the press in Zimbabwe. On Monday April 26, 2004 an editorial entitled "Time to deal with traitors" appeared in the government owned newspaper "The Herald." The editorial was at best threatening and at worst a call for hate crimes. One quote was ".we call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to explore ways of dealing with Zimbabweans who are giving aid to the enemies of the country by deliberately portraying it in a bad light.Surely our legal experts can pore through the law books to establish whether or not these people are not in breach of the law.elsewhere people have been tried and convicted in absentia for various crimes including treason.." ¶2. Several other events have taken place this week as well. John Chimunhu, an editor at New Ziana, the state run news service has resigned under pressure. Journalists at New Ziana have been grilled by the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) and all were ordered to sign a paper indicating that they were members of the ZANU-PF party. They were also ordered not to cover the doings of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Due to this, Mr Chimunhu has resigned his job. ¶3. Another example has to do with the publisher of "The Tribune", a paper that has recently been showing a new independent style. Kindness Paradza, ZANU PF legislator and the new publisher of the semi-independent weekly "The Tribune," has been suspended from carrying out party work in his Makonde constituency. His dismissal comes barely two months after taking over and transforming the "The Tribune" into a lively and independent newspaper. ¶4. ZANU PF's Mashonaland West provincial executive, chaired by Robert Mugabe's nephew Phillip Chiyangwa, issued Paradza with a prohibition order last Tuesday (April 26) suspending him from performing his duties until the outcome of a disciplinary hearing scheduled for May 27, 2004. Paradza, who has been in Parliament for less than a year, is being accused of "insubordination, gross indiscipline and fanning disunity among cadres in the district and province." Paradza, who is currently in Luton, United Kingdom, visiting his wife, has dismissed the suspension as "a non-event." ¶5. Investigations into Paradza's conduct arose following an adverse report in the April 25 edition of the government controlled weekly "The Sunday Mail." The paper accused Paradza of traveling to the United Kingdom on April 23 in order "to meet some officials of a British organization ready to fund his take over bid." Paradza added fuel to the fire when he criticized the country's media laws, the Broadcasting Services Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, in his maiden speech in Parliament. He stated that the laws were "too restrictive and discouraged potential local investment in the media." Paradza is also being accused of seeking help from the Directors of the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), publishers of the banned independent daily "The Daily News". An editorial carried in the April 16, 2004 edition of "The Tribune" where the paper is alleged to have "clearly bemoaned the demise of The Daily News." Was cited as a problem. Surprisingly, the editorial in question did not comment on the closure of the Daily News at all. Under headline "Zimbabweans need new political outlook," the editorial reviewed Zimbabwe's 24 years of independence. ¶6. With elections looming in March 2005, it is clear that the Government of Zimbabwe is leaving nothing to chance and will mount a strong campaign to control all of the written as well as the electronic media. SULLIVAN