Published by the government of Zimbabwe
8 September 2008
Harare — Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke has urged journalists to report truthfully on Zimbabwe to spruce up the national image that has been distorted by biased Western media reports.
Mr Kaseke, who was addressing local and foreign scribes in Harare yesterday, challenged journalists to highlight the devastating effects of the illegal Western sanctions on the economy.
The journalists invited from China, United Kingdom, Latvia, and Lietuva will tour and have an appreciation of Zimbabwe as part of the ZTA's post-election tourism strategy.
He said the visiting scribes should be professional and report what they see independent of the negative perceptions created by former colonisers.
"We have not invited you as solidarity messengers, but you should write the truth that you see here.
"If you see people being strangled to death in the streets of Harare, or some being thrown in a crocodile dam in Victoria Falls, please I beg you to report that without fear because we want the world to know the truth of the situation here in Zimbabwe.
"We do not want you to go back with solidarity messages, but you should report the true picture of the safety and situation of Zimbabwe to your countries.
"The British have peddled falsehoods in the press that Zimbabwe is not a safe place to stay to an extent that some of our previous visitors were made to sign wills before they travelled to Zimbabwe due to fear of the purported violence and political instability," said Mr Kaseke.
Mr Kaseke said the British and other Westerners have used their resources and influence to preach the false gospel about Zimbabwe and portrayed it as an unsafe tourism destination.
He added that the media, particularly the British Broadcasting Corporation and Cable News Network, had created confusion in the world to an extent that people now think the post-election period marked the beginning of the challenges faced by Zimbabwe.
"The former colonial masters managed to deceive the world that problems in Zimbabwe are political, while in actual fact they are economic.
"They have used the media as weapons of mass deception and Zimbabwe is now being wrongly perceived as a no-go area for tourists giving an impression that when you land in the country, you will be murdered right away.
"We have invited you to tour the country and carry reports to your countries and if you find any negative news, please write without fear and if you find positive news as well, do not hesitate, but write without reservations," he said.
He said Zimbabwe had no political challenges at the moment, but in fact had economic problems that were giving rise to political problems.
Mr Kaseke clarified the "false perceptions" that had been created by the foreign Press that the post-election period was characterised by political violence and instability saying these were tactics by the West to demonise the country and mobilising other nations to support their illegal sanctions.
He said the sanctions imposed by the West were the root cause of the problems faced by Zimbabweans and that there was no political crisis in the country.
"Zimbabwe is under sanctions and all sectors of the economy have been heavily affected, which is the cause of the problems we are facing.
"The sanctions are unjustified and they are now further destroying the economy of the country.
"Tourism is there for poverty alleviation and has nothing to do with politics as rightly pointed out by the United Nations, of which the British and the Americans are members.
"I see no reason why a mere head of tourism like me should be put on the sanctions list. This curtails my operations in promoting tourism worldwide.
"What is smart about those so-called smart sanctions when they are punishing the poor?"
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yeap.. if you say something enough times to yourself you start to believe it right? What makes sanctions illegal? surely a country should be able to choose who they want to trade with?
I totally agree with the CEO,that is if he means real truth,not truth according to Uncle Bob or Zanu PF.We do not want cooked reports because even if untrue reports are given,truth has a way of coming out...
The author is as rotten as the Mugabe system of government. Everybody knows that violence is targetted against MDC supporters. CIO agents and thugs visit homes of MDC supporters at night when every tourist or foreign journalists are sleeping. They kill, main and rape. Other MDC supporters linger in jail under terrible torture. While others just disappear! The world press has widely reported about the violence that preceded the run off elections. There are sufficient documentation against Mugabe and his thugs to prosecute them before a criminal court, whether in Zimbabwe or in another country under international legislation on crimes against humanity.
I think the Kaseke should also be placed on the "infamous list" of Mugabe's cronies falling under sanctions! He is a professional liar indeed. He is masking Mugabe's crimes; he has no place in the tourism business in Zimbabwe.
It's dishearten to see that a lot of people whose university tuition was paid by the Zim system are now condemning the same system for malpractice. In our critical analysis of the current Zim situation why don't we question both hypotheses (violence from MDC wearing ZANU (PF) uniforms and stupid ZANU (PF) supporters who commit atrocities wearing their party regalia then what ... hope they are not being seen). There are some white lady journalists who became emotional and started crying to SADC observers that "why are you doing this to us, Zimbabwe is our country", if that doesn't ring a bell go to youtube and view Ian Smith's "A bit of a rebel" or google Rhodhie chat or Rhodesian websites and read comments there. In short the powers that be will never rest until Zim is under their control and just like the psychology used in advertising the affected people will defend those with money enough to campaign vigorously for the down fall of any system. Somebody once said that "the power of the oppreser is in the mind of the oppressed", somehow people and their support are still being bought in the same old way - money and food.
Firstly, good luck to the ZTA if they actually get the media to report 100% truthfully on just story let alone on a whole country. No matter where in the world you are, the media does a great job of annoying a whole lot of people (and politicians) a lot of the time. The truly laughable thing for me (apart from the Herald championing the concept of 'truth in journalism'): take this article back, oh, say 40 years (for Rhodesia) or 25 years (for South Africa) and Mr Kaseke's white counterparts of the day were saying much the same thing about the evil Western media making up lies to demonise the wonderful havens of peace and cross-racial harmony that those two countries were. Oh and before I forget, both considered themselves to be 'sovereign states' that hated outside interference in their internal affairs, while the lowly servants of the state were totally innocent of all wrong doing perpetrated by that state. De je vu anyone?
Karikoga Kaseke seems to be overwhelmed by these sanctions. It seems that he does not understand that rotten politics came make everything rot in a country. I agree with Kaseke that ordinary Zimbabweans and ordinary visitors will not have any problems in Zimbabwe. But isn't it also true that political Zimbabweans and political visitors in particular those with opposition inclinations are persecuted if they dare challenge the ZANU (PF) government? The whole country is being punished for that. I understand Kaseke to be a war veteran; during the liberation war didn't you destroy key infrastructure like bridges, roads, railway lines etc to force the enemy to surrender or negotiate? This is the same reason why these rich countries have put sanctions on Zimbabwe which are harming us innocent fellows. They want to force a settlement. Yourself, Kaseke has been included on the targetted sanctions list because you are a well known member and beneficiary of the tyrannical ZANU (PF) party. You should not pretend to be a saint. ZANU (PF) and its members are enemies of democracy. ZANU (PF) and its members are punished for depriving some Zimbabweans of democracy. Isn't it your Dear Leader, Mugabe (the man who appointed you to that lofty position) who said the ballot can not defeat the gun in Zimbabwe? Zimbabweans are suffering in the same way residents of other countries suffer if their evil leaders are punished. Kaseke should advise his party leaders to embrace democracy and accept opposition.
Its a bit rich for the Herald to be asking others to report truthfully isnt it?
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Maricho says that "Kaseke is overwhelmed by sanctions" who wouldn't be? Anyone who believes or tells anyone else that the problems in Zimbabwe are political and that the economic hardships are a result of poor planning and detrimental policies is fooling himself and others. Our problems were tailor made by those who believed Africa and Africans should be manipulated so as to get what they want. How many countries in Africa have political problems and how many of those are being persecuted by the west? Zimbabwe's only crime "a cardinal one for that matter" is our wish to be authors of our own destiny. The song of regime change is being sung so that all who dare challenge the West and their allies would think twice before they dare to do it. We still mourn our great heroes of African renaissance whose downfall was engineered by those who run the world and now all eyes are on Zimbabwe.
We live in the era of the worst expansionist policies perpetrated by the West and anyone who stands in the way will either be killed or demonised. Whether anyone believes it or not Zimbabwe's problems were created by sanctions and it is those illegal sanctions that threaten to destroy our country. However, some would rather believe that if you say something long enough and with a loud voice it magically transforms into truth. The unfortunate reality is that it doesn't and we realise we are fighting a lonely war of justice for our people and although this might take time just like the liberation war but believe it or not we shall overcome.