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Government accuse journalist of spying
Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
January 09, 2003

Lewis Machipisa, a Zimbabwe correspondent for the BBC has been accused of spying for the broadcasting station in Zimbabwe.

In a front page lead story that appeared in the state owned weekly, The Sunday Mail on 22 December 2002, the paper said that Machipisa is now working for the BBC and a London based community radio station SW Radio Africa despite the "fact" that the government banned the BBC from operating in Zimbabwe after accusations that the station was peddling "falsehoods".

The paper said that Machipisa is now going "underground" in the rural areas shooting images for the BBC and writing stories and sending them to Britain. The paper goes on to say that the British foreign office authorized money to be paid to Machipisa in accounts in South Africa and London. Machipisa is also accused of sending pictures to SW Radio Africa, a station, which the government says, is chaining out "anti Zimbabwe" propaganda. Machipisa, alleges The Sunday Mail, was approached by Violet Gonda an employee of SW Radio Africa to do the work for the station.

In a move that has worried many journalists in Zimbabwe, the state owned paper produced what it claims to be briefs of Machipisa's conversation with Barry Langbringe, BBC's head for Africa and the Middle East. The paper quotes verbatim what Machipisa is claimed to have said over his work for the BBC. "George Charamba, (Department of Information and Publicity Permanent Secretary) called me to ask about my clandestine activities.BBC TV reporters. I refused the claim and offered to meet him to cover up the problem. I suspect they have bugged my cellphone, that is the only way they could have got this information," The Sunday Mail alleges Machipisa said these words.

The paper claims that contrary to Machipisa's claim that his phone was bugged "there is a paper trail that has been unravelled by this paper's investigations" The Sunday Mail said. The paper, however, does not explain what it meant by the "trail of paper" and how it got hold of them.

The Sunday Mail went further to state that after receiving communication from Machipisa, Langbridge wrote to Charamba "dismissing the allegations' against Machipisa. The paper says that Langbridge expressed concern over the safety of Machipisa in light on the "spying allegations" and also dismissing allegations that the BBC is linked to SW radio Africa.

Charamba in turn replied to Langbridge dismissing his (Langbridges's) argument. "I suppose you think the mighty BBC can interpose between the two Zimbabweans communicating in confidence and, what is more, ensure 'reputation and safety' of the other," The paper reports Charamba as having said. "Your patently convoluted claims of distance (vis-a -vis SW radio) and professionalism for the BBC are, I am sure, meant to be a bad joke, especially given that you know or should know your interlocutor. I certainly know much more that BBC's wish image and feel insulted by an invitation to view it in claimed light as opposed to a real one," Charamba wrote back according to the Sunday Mail.

The work that Machipisa does for the BBC has however never been a secret in Zimbabwe. MISA-Zimbabwe notes that it is public knowledge that Machipisa correspond for the BBC and he appeared in one issue of the widely circulating magazine "BBC focus on Africa" in 2002, which profiled his work in Zimbabwe. The story by the Sunday Mail, which is made to appear like a scoop, is nothing but attempts to draw attention of the authorities to Machipisa and ultimately intimidate him to stop working for the BBC. MISA-Zimbabwe notes with concern the complicity of the state media in the on going harassment of fellow media workers.

For more information, contact:
Rashweat Mukundu
Research and Information Officer, MISA-Zimbabwe
221 Fife Ave
Box HR 8113, Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone 263-(0)4-712841, 735441/2
Mobile 263-(0)11-602685
E Mail misa@mweb.co.zw

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

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