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Zimbabwe: Govt Suspicious of SA Media At Polls
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Wilson Johwa
Johannesburg
NOT even the usually sympathetic South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) had the welcome mat put out for it by the Zimbabwean authorities as it prepares to cover that country's election on Saturday.
An SABC spokesman said the corporation was sending 74 people, including production staff and journalists. This was slightly more than for the 2005 parliamentary elections. However, it was understood that the SABC initially had to deal with unofficial disquiet from Harare about some of its coverage.
Most other South African media houses were guarded about their plans for covering the elections, for fear of prejudicing their applications.
However, e.tv had resigned itself to not sending a team. Editor-in-chief Deborah Patta said Zimbabwe's official Sunday Mail newspaper broke the news that the station's presence in Harare was undesirable, leading e.tv get confirmation from SA's foreign affairs department.
Patta said the fact that the Zimbabwean authorities had left it this late before acknowledging applications showed how much of a "sham" much of this coverage would be. "An election is not about one day," she said.
Two weeks ago, Zimbabwe's permanent secretary in the information ministry , George Charamba, revealed that about 300 foreign journalists had applied for official accreditation to cover the elections. Charamba warned that Zimbabwe's security personnel were on "the spoor" of foreign journalists who had sneaked into the country, where unaccredited journalists face harsh penalties including a prison term.
It is understood that Independent Newspapers had intended sending two white journalists to Zimbabwe. When neither got accreditation, an application was successfully made on behalf of a black journalist, although he has not been spared surveillance by intelligence operatives.
South African National Editors' Forum deputy chairman Henry Jeffreys said Zimbabwe's restrictions on the media were deplorable considering the importance of the elections. Coming at a time when there were concerns around the election's fairness, the move strengthened perceptions that the Zimbabwe government had something to hide, said Jeffreys, an editor with Media24.
The group had not yet got accreditation for its team.
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Media24 Africa editor Liesl Louw said though "by chance" Media24 was not planning to send white journalists, it was concerned at reports that only black journalists were being accredited.
"We are worried about the racist element. We have heard that only black journalists were allowed," she said .
Last week, the Foreign Correspondents Association of Southern Africa sought assistance from Zimbabwean ambassador Simon Moyo. Members were worried about the $1700 accreditation fee, and the delay in getting to Zimbabwe.
donnot know whether Mgabe is accepting the deffit? i thing the new president will lead accordingly and it seems as if he obey the laws or the democracy rule. Congratulation Mr new president of Zimbabwe, hope you will do fine with you and the MDC.
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