Attack Journalism order of the day in Zim

Zimbabwean kind of Journalism seems to be swaying from the track. Reporters are no longer independent, objective, true and even balanced.

Adverse political environment has even polarised the media terrain where the media is no longer serving the public but political parties. This is evident on the nature of reporting mainly between state media and the independent media.

State media seems to be pro ZANU PF whereas the independent media is pro MDC-T. The fact that the media has aligned itself to politics has lost professional journalistic manner of reporting which is fashioned by fairness, truth and objectivity.

Recently, independent media has been selling its paper on the streets with the headlines “Mugabe on a death bed”. However, the president has arrived home still being “Gushungo”. People deserve to know the truth.

Media as a fourth estate monitors the power bloc on behalf of the public. The public puts its trust upon the media. However, in relation to this kind of a story the public is likely to be a victim of the law. People can talk about such matters publicly which then might lead to their criminalisation regarding that freedom of speech and expression is only in black and white.

On the other hand the state media also seems to be biting the Prime minister. This was observed when Prime minister immersed himself in love affairs complications. The state media was sensationalising and romanticising the issue. The real reliable kind of journalism is vanishing. The media are no longer objective but rather attacking and biting people.

       

Daily News under spot light

Aggressive, shameless lady rocked the Daily News offices yesterday in the name of ZANU PF and President (Daily News 14 April 2012).

Woman identified by the name Sweswe, “intruded” into Daily news offices after deceiving the security that she has a scoop that she has to deliver to the reporters. Upon arrival to the newsroom she unleashed violence, shouting to the reporters, insulting everyone in the area.

She claimed to be closely linked to the “White House” and even to some  ZANU PF ministers whom she implicated are at the centre of the chaos. She accused the paper of negatively reporting about the President’s alleged illness and selling the country and promoting the gay rights.

Nature of threats revealed
·         Bombing the company
·         Beating the journalists in front of their wives
·         Killing the journalists
·         Banning of the paper
·         Mbare “mafia” to unleash terror to the company
·         Acting on behalf of the President and even some prominent ministers
·         “Exclusively”  terrorise Chris Goko and Wonai Masvingise

 The shameless lady went on to undress herself and urinate in the newsroom in the midst of man. The funny party is that she is accusing the paper for supporting homosexuality of which her behaviour is profoundly “un African”. Such behaviour is unleashed by people whose morals have decayed.

The disturbing issue is that the lady is threating the paper in the name of ZANU PF and the respected President Mugabe. Even if she has been “sent” by the party and the President but her conduct in the newsroom has lowered President status and left the party subject to various connotations. Person from the state house has to legimitise everything not to be "bushy" in conduct.

Even though the staffers claim to be brave and will continue telling the truth like it is, however, such intimidations are uncalled for as they grossly violate the freedom of disseminating, receiving and imparting information.

Arrests to discourage MDC-T

Prime Minister’s chief of protocol, Abisha Nyaguwo was has been arrested following the allegations of bombing ZANU PF offices in Gweru.

Nyaguwo is alleged that some time last year in December he dropped some explosives in ZANU PF offices before driving off speeding. It is alleged that the property lost costs $900.

It is a recommendable stance for the violence perpetuators to face the reality of law and justice. However, at times the genuineness of the law is subject to criticism as some people are arrested and detained without any substantial proof presented. The move is meant to frustrate MDC-T which seems to be a threat to ZANU PF.

To support this sometime last month police where on Prime Minister’s pocket probing the issue of his asserts.

This is meant to frustrate MDC-T party as the party is being dragged to elections by the President Robert Mugabe without consensus.    

 

Church and the politics

Church in the past has been kept at the back when it came to the fundamental matters affecting the society. However, at this age there has been reciprocation where we see the church defining the politics of the day.
The change has been enhanced by the rise of the Mighty men of God particularly in Africa. These include Prophet TB Joshua from Nigeria, Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa and Prophet Angels from Zimbabwe.

The prophetic anointing they have propels them to speak on the future political terrain of a particular country. This has been regular with Prophet TB Joshua who has pulled renowned political figures globally to his church. Prophet TB Joshua has prophesied about the death of various political leaders in the globe. Currently he prophesied about the death of Bingu wa Mthalika, Malawian President. This makes the church to gain respect from the political discipline.

A close relationship between the church and the politics may to a larger degree help in the minimisation of the violation of human rights by the governments. Currently Prophet Makandiwa has prophesied about the chaos that is likely to arise in Zimbabwe but he urged the bigwigs to repent. In the past voice of the church has been silenced and even manipulated because the impact of the church in country’s developments has been subtle.

Analysing the current trends, the church in future is likely to have a gross impact on the choosing selection of the political leaders. Joyce Banda who has taken over in Malawi is said to have been spending bulk of the time at Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN). Our Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai is said to have visited the SCOAN.        

Courtesy of th.iblog.co.zw President Robert Mugabe

He is Alive and Well

The international media has embarked on disseminating fabricated information as highlighted by Webster Shamu pertaining the state of health of the President Robert Mugabe.

There are wide spread reports that President Robert Mugabe is battling for his life in Singapore. The state security minister Sydney Sekeramayi has castigated the rumours indicating that the President is alive and health. Instead the President went to Singapore for medical check-up only (Newsday 11/04/2012).  

Some of the independent papers have been good in blowing the stories out of proportion which the President is at centre of the storm. Sometime last month (March) and early April this year the renowned and reliable Prophet of God TB Joshua told the world that one of the African leaders was to be a victim of sudden death due to illness. The Prophet never mentioned the name of the leader. However, the international and some of the independent papers implicated President Robert Mugabe.

People are being criminalised of physically killing people. However, the international media in particular has killed and buried President Robert Mugabe. This reflects that media in the age is no longer objective but is rather thriving on attack kind of a journalism.
From the nature of reporting, the international media wishes that President Mugabe be on the receiving end. The international community can impose sanctions and cripple our economy but it cannot put a stamp on the life of His Excellency as God is in charge of everything.   

     

Death Sentence, human Rights Abuse

In the constitution making process there are some issues that are pending. Death sentence is one of the issues that need to be addressed.

 Zimbabwe is one of the signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and even the African Charter of Human Rights. However, the disturbing issue is that the country is still subscribing to death penalty which then parallels with these two “treaties”.

Section 12 of the Zimbabwean constitution supports capital punishment; “it shall be lawful for a person to be killed following a death sentence imposed by the court. 

·         Universal declaration of Human Rights states that no one shall be subjected to cruel or degrading punishment.

·         Article 6 of international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that no one shall be arbitrary deprived of his life.

·         Article 7 of the (ICCPR) states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Zimbabwe globally is one of the few countries that is still observing death penalty.  In the constitution making process drafters have suppress this law that violates fundamental human rights of life.

To prove the cruelty of the law, this post in Zimbabwe (for hanging) was unoccupied for more than five years.

Every human being has the right to life despite the degree and nature of the crime. Death sentence should be substituted with life sentence.

There are various types of execution methods that are used in different countries globally;
v  Stoning
v  Hanging 
v  Gas chambers
v  Electrocution
v  Lethal injection

 The Sunday Mail (15-21/01/2012) reveals that according to Amnesty International, more than 139 countries have abolished death penalty but Zimbabwe is still recognising it (death penalty) as a form of governance.

Democracy still a pipe Dream in Zim

Conviction of six activists and the court charges has reflected Zimbabwe’s reluctance in the realization and implementation of democracy.

Gwisayi, the Law lecturer at University of Zimbabwe and other five were convicted and found guilty for watching videos of Egypt and Tunisia uprisings. The six are said to have been plotting an uprising against the regime of President Robert Mugabe (Newsday 21/03/2012).

The most disturbing thing is that these were convicted mainly for watching a video. This reflects lack of democracy. Under rational circumstances such videos are not  a problem since they educate the masses on human rights abuses.

To make matters worse these videos are everywhere in the world; they are found on the internet, YouTube, DVDs. If the government is really serious about suppressing these videos firstly it has to censor internet, conduct a national door by door search for these videos.

Obvious this is not feasible, in other words the action is really tantamount to the gross violation of human rights as the Prime Minister concurred in Newsday (21/032012).

If the government is really serious about the issue it has even to barn some of the DVDs or any materials that exhibits violence/ Human rights abuses like in films. I do believe if these guys were really serious about toppling the regime of President Mugabe they could have even used an ordinary street movie. This really shows that our political terrain is really rigid.