Back to Index

Zimbabwe moots militia plan for trainee journos
Gugu Ziyaphapha, Journalism.co.za
December 22, 2005

http://journalism.co.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3478

Media organisations have slammed Harare's move to make it compulsory for aspiring journalists to undergo national youth military training, writes Gugu Ziyaphapha.

The outcry came after the Deputy Minister of Gender and Youth Development, Saviour Kasukuwere, told the national broadcaster that all those who wanted to learn journalism at government media houses and training institutions will be required to do militia training.

Kasukuwere who is also the ruling Zanu-PF's Secretary for Youth, said this would instil in the trainee journalists "patriotism" and an "unbiased understanding" of the country's history.

The national youth service militias are notorious for attacking the opposition and critics of President Robert Mugabe and his party.

The Zimbabwe Journalists for Human Rights (ZJHR) said the ve symbolized the death of press freedom in the country.

"The requirement shows the complete powerlessness of journalists in this really repressive machine Mugabe has managed to build," read the ZJHR statement.

A student journalist with one of the colleges in Harare, Austin Zhou, said: "This goes to show how the government wants to control the media, they think if they brainwash and indoctrinate journalists with the Zanu-PF propaganda, every reader or consumer of media products will think like Zanu. It will not work."

Journalist and head of the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, Andrew Moyse, said the idea does not only show that Zimbabwe is increasingly becoming one of the most repressive societies, but also makes it impossible for people to become journalists.

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists president Matthew Takaona said stakeholders should first meet to try and stop the requirement.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested John Masuku, the Station Director of the Voice of the People (VOP) shortwave radio. Masuku's arrest comes after the arrest last week of three female journalists from the station.

Masuku was arrested for breaching the Broadcasting Services Act that prohibits the ownership of transmitting or broadcasting equipment.

VOP does not broadcast from Zimbabwe but from Netherlands. It however has offices and journalists in Zimbabwe.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP