Back to Index

Rainbow Tourism Group tries to silence The Sunday Mail
MISA-Zimbabwe
August 15, 2011

The Rainbow Tourism Group Limited (RTG) company management on 10 August 2011 allegedly attempted to 'gag' The Sunday Mail from publishing the remarks by major shareholder Mr Nicholas van Hoogstraten querying a $20million debt that the company has accrued over the past two years.

According to The Sunday Mail of 14 August 2011, RTG Corporate Communications Manager Ms Eltah Nengomasha allegedly requested and failed to turn up for a meeting with The Sunday Mail editor to 'discuss issues' following the publication of a business story quoting Van Hoogstraten's questioning a number of debts totaling $44million that the RTG had incurred.

Instead the company lawyers, Scanlen and Holderness, delivered a letter to Zimpapers Editor-in-Chief Pikirayi Deketeke seeking to bar the publication of a question and answer article with Van Hoogstraten alleging that his remarks were ' false, defamatory, abusive and manifestly scandalous' and aimed at destroying the image and integrity of the clientele and officers.

Mr Hoogstraten, who owns 36 percent equity in Rainbow Tourism Group Limited is vying to become the largest shareholder at 53,5 percent if he wins a legal dispute with the company in court.

MISA-Zimbabwe position

MISA-Zimbabwe strongly condemns this attempt by RTG to muzzle the press on a story that was not only already in the public domain but is of public interest. The alleged RTG's conduct, which comes barely a week after Econet tried to gag Alpha Media Holdings from carrying stories that reflected badly on the mobile service provider, is unacceptable in a democracy as it violates the freedom of the press and citizen's rights to access information on pertinent issues and events around them.

While RTG as an interested party has a right to take action to protect its reputation, there are a number of options available that the company could have taken without seeking to muzzle The Sunday Mail from reporting on the subject and citizen's freedom to access that information as protected by Section 20 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

RTG has a right of reply and could have given its side of the story to The Sunday Mail or alternatively filed a complaint with the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe regarding the manner in which the story was written or published. If the RTG prefers the legal channel, then it could have approached the civil court for damages for defamation or for any other injury or loss suffered.

MISA-Zimbabwe therefore contends that the actions by RTG are highly detrimental to freedom of expression, the free flow of information and the operations of a free and independent press. The press should be left to discharge its fourth estate role without any form of interference from any source.

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

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