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Zanu PF paper collapses
Torby Muturikwa, Journalism.co.za
June 13, 2006

http://www.journalism.co.za/modules.php?

The mouthpiece of Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party, The Voice, has been taken off the streets and seems to have collapsed, writes Torby Muturikwa.

Journalists at the paper this week said they are unsure of their future after management could not indicate when the weekly paper would be back on the streets.

"We were told that the paper was restructuring so it was important to stop publishing temporarily. But since the dismissal of Lovemore Mataire (Editor) and the problems that we now hear at Jongwe Printers, no one is sure if the paper will come back," one journalist said.

Mataire had been charged with theft from the paper, but was dismissed after State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa withdrew the charges early this year.

Zanu PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Nathan Shamuyarira had reported Mataire to the police for stealing $6 million (R120) of the newspaper's sales revenue.

Shamuyarira refused to comment on the closure of The Voice and said it was a party issue and would be dealt with by the party and not by outsiders.

The Voice has been off the streets since February although insiders at Zanu PF hinted that the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) might take over the mouthpiece.

However, the CIO did not take over after it discovered that Jongwe Printers was in the red. The CIO is currently also embroiled in a bitter ownership wrangle with founder of the Zimbabwe Mirror Newspapers Group (ZMNG), Dr Ibbo Mandaza.

Jongwe Printers, the publishers of The Voice, are on the verge of collapse after money meant for recapitalisation was allegedly used by Zanu PF heavyweights.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe released a Z$17.5 billion loan facility for the purchase of a printing press but the money was diverted to other uses.

Two years ago, Jongwe spent a $10.5 billion RBZ loan for a printing press on an unsuitable machine that can only print exercise books.

Recently the publishing house had its property attached by the Messenger of the Court to settle outstanding debts owed to a number of service providers.

The Voice, formerly The People's Voice, has been Zanu PF’s internal newspaper for almost twenty years.

Over the years, the paper has dramatically lost revenue. Its circulation dropped from 15 000 at its peak to less than 2000 per week.

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