Jennifer Dube
18 July 2009
Kariba — The Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, stung by accusations that it is a paper tiger, has turned the heat on the state media accusing it of poisoning the new political dispensation.
Thabitha Khumalo who represents the MDC-T on Jomic -- a tripartite forum monitoring the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) -- said they were worried that the state media had relapsed into "disseminating hate speech".
"We had a meeting with the media executives and explained to them what was expected of them in terms of the MoU," she said.
"We noticed a short-lived reform but we are concerned that in the past four weeks, the state media has reverted back to its old ways of giving coverage biased towards one party while denigrating others."
Khumalo's statement follows comments by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that the government-controlled media was violating the GPA by continuing to serve partisan interests.
"It is a fact that in contravention of both the letter and spirit of the GPA, the state media continues to serve partisan interests, thereby failing to fulfill their mandate as a public service to the people of Zimbabwe," Tsvangirai told journalists at the Gweru Press Club recently.
Tsvangirai gave an example of how the state media vilified him when he went on a tour of the United States and Europe to drum up financial support for the inclusive government.
In response to the biased coverage, The Prime Minister's office recently started its own newsletter to update Zimbabweans on its activities.
But President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba recently told the state media that he was studying the publication to see if it was not violating the country's draconian media laws.
Khumalo said Jomic was also concerned about the coverage of the chaos that characterised the All Stakeholders' Conference on the new constitution, which the ZBC tried to blame on the MDC, workers, students and the National Constitutional Assembly.
Zanu PF officials and ministers were seen urging on the rowdy elements who forced the suspension of the first day's programme.
"You also find that they continue to ensure that Zanu PF officials appear on screen articulating their views but when it comes to MDC, they do a voice over and we say that is wrong," she said.
Jomic is made up of 12 members, with four drawn from each of the country's three main political parties, Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC.
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Quite right.
When is the JMOIC planning on "blasting," Mugabe for thumbing his nose at the GNU? There's the issues of the appointments of the AG and the RBZ Governor, the allocation of ambassadors. the swearing in of the provincial governors and Roy Bennett, the failure to convene the National Security Council, the malicious and selective persecution of MDC MPs, the total lack of fairness in the application of the law, and the continued farm invasions.
And while they're at it, they could "blast," the Police Commissioner for not wanting to do his job and investigate the political violence of the last year. He should be fired for that attitude.
When the SW Radio, Independent, Standard, BBC, CCN writes or airs article that demonise Zanu and its leaders its all good. Shame on you.
moltecc you are biased and everyone knows it b/c if it was the other away around you would be fine with the blasting going towards the other side. What do you say about the "Standard" and its articles they are all truth yeah Mugabe and Zanu pf propaganda....
Moltecc all the media you mentioned demonize Zanu because it IS a demonic party. What would you call a part that is responsible for thousands of murders of its own citizens? Saintly?
I thought they were in there for much more than just blasting! If they verbally blast, they are no better than me, blasting away on the net! They should really be disciplining individuals who subvert the GNU so blatantly, demanding that such individuals be sacked is the minimum they should be doing..in fact in normal societies the head of broadcasting services and associated ministers are the ones who should be resigning forthwith...in utmost shame.