APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) An umbrella group of Zimbabwe’s media organisations has castigated attempts by pro-government activists to gag journalists from reporting or commenting on an Al Jazeera probe that exposed rampant gold smuggling and money laundering by top officials.
The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) said on Wednesday it was “gravely concerned with the ominous threats issued on social media platforms against ‘reckless journalists’ that are said to be repeating defamatory statements following the airing of the Al Jazeera documentary on alleged gold smuggling and money laundering.”
A faceless Twitter character going by the name Tinoedza Zvimwe, who is believed to be a top government official, warned that journalists could be jailed for making defamatory utterances in the aftermath of the damning Al Jazeera documentary that showed that senior Zimbabwe officials are behind the smuggling of gold and a money laundering scheme.
“If you are reckless enough to repeat what this phony documentary defamatorily says, hoping to plead: “I heard/saw it on Al Jazeera, you will be sorry for yourself,” he said.
He added: “Do not for once think there is no grit to act against reckless, defamatory and politically motivated journalism. Faceless Twitter names egging you on will not be factor when brickbats come. Be warned!”
The same Tinoedza Zvimwe directly warned online publication, The NewsHawks, saying the journalists are “set to be sorry”.
MAZ criticised the threats, saying “have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and freedom of the media.”
“The threats instill fear and self-censorship among journalists, thereby compromising the citizens’ right to access to information as provided for by our Constitution of which the media plays a critical role in the advancement and enjoyment of that right,” it said.
It said statements that seek to silence journalists go against the reform trajectory that the government has been undertaking, which has seen the outlawing of criminal defamation and adoption by cabinet of the principle of co-regulation and acknowledgement of the existence of internal remedies to address grievances against the media.
Any person aggrieved by the media should lodge their complaints with the Zimbabwe Media Commission or the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) for redress, it said.
MAZ is a network of nine media professional associations and support organisations united in defence of freedom of expression.
It comprises the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, Zimbabwe National Editors Forum, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe), Enhancing Community Voices, Media Centre, Gender and Media Connect, Media Monitors, VMCZ and the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations.
JN/APA