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Espionage
case
Media
Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ)
Extracted from Weekly Media Update 2005-1
Monday January 3rd – Sunday January 9th 2005
THE
government media’s fear of reporting fully on perceived sensitive
issues was clearly demonstrated by the passive manner in which they
covered the arrest of four ZANU PF officials, including a banker,
on espionage charges.
Although
these media, as exemplified by The Herald (18/12), first
alerted the country during the Christmas holiday to the mysterious
disappearance of one of the suspects – businessman and ZANU PF MP
for Chinhoyi Phillip Chiyangwa – it was only the private media that
ultimately informed its audiences on what had actually transpired.
For
example, it was through investigations by Studio 7 and SW Radio
Africa (22, 23 and 24/12), Zimbabwe Independent (23/12) The
Financial Gazette (24/12) and The Standard (24/12) that
established the arrests of Chiyangwa, Zimbabwe’s ambassador designate
to Mozambique Godfrey Dzvairo, banker Tendai Matambanadzo and top
ZANU PF officials Kenny Karidza and Itai Marchi on suspicions that
they sold State secrets to foreign powers.
The Herald
(31/12) only followed up the story a week later under a front-page
headline, Spy ring busted. Even then, it was only after the
suspects had appeared in court for their initial remand. But the
government broadcaster was even worse. It simply ignored the story
in its main news bulletins throughout the holiday.
The
pattern remained unbroken in the week under review.
Except
for Radio Zimbabwe, which carried two stories on the court appearances
of the suspects, ZTV and Power FM continued to ignore the matter.
Whereas
both sections of the Press and private radio stations carried a
total of 23 stories on the espionage saga, none of the nine stories
(39%) that appeared in the government Press tried to independently
penetrate the shroud of secrecy surrounding the case. Only the private
media attempted to do that in the 14 (61%) stories it carried on
the matter.
Rather,
the government Press’ reports mainly focused on the court appearances
and proceedings on the five while smothering pertinent information
on the arrests, detention and even alleged torture of some of the
suspects (The Standard, 9/1).
Moreover,
just like the private media, the official Press did not question
why the five continued to appear in court separately when they were
being charged with the same offence. The secrecy surrounding the
arrests of the five, coupled with the court’s decision to have the
matter tried in camera, seemed to have heavily compromised the Press’
ability, especially the private ones, to establish the truth on
behalf of their audiences.
In
fact, so secretive were the authorities on the matter that The
Standard (9/1) reported Karidza’s relatives as being concerned
by their failure to see him and ascertain his condition since he
was detained in December.
And
while The Herald (7/1) had earlier quoted an Information
Department statement calling on the media to "limit coverage"
on the espionage trial to court proceedings because the matter was
"sensitive" since "the security
of the State was involved", there were no reports of
any efforts to safeguard the interests of the accused.
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