Media bodies slam minister's threats

Media organisations and human rights activists in Zimbabwe have slammed alleged threats made against journalists by the minister of information, Tichaona Jokonya. Reports on a press conference addressed by Jokonya early this week quoted him as commenting on "unpatriotic" journalists by saying: "The end of a traitor is always death. The unfortunate thing about a traitor is that you are killed by both your own people and the person whom you are serving. Our problem in the media is that we don't have the umbilical cord. If you don't have that you will serve any master." The press briefing was addressed jointly by Jokonya and the Washington-based Pan-African Liberalisation Organisation, which reportedly is trying to help lift sanctions imposed on Harare by western countries. Rashwheat Mukundu, executive director of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, described the minister's alleged threats as "unfortunate" and added, "I think the minister is not being sincere when he accuses journalists of being traitors. Being patriotic does not mean being loyal to a certain leadership or political party." He suggested that if the government wanted to prevent journalists from working for foreign media organisations, it should reopen newspapers closed as a result of oppressive media laws, which would create employment opportunities in Zimbabwe. Four newspapers, including the country's biggest daily, The Daily News, have been closed since 2003, and independent radio stations have been kept off the air as a result of the restrictive Broadcasting Services Act. Njabulo Ncube, vice-president of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, said government's complaints of negative international media coverage seemed inconsequential, as its top officials continued to shoot themselves in the foot. "In any civilised society [such remarks], attributed to a top government official, [would create] a scandal and, naturally, it attracts negative publicity. Our call is very clear: the government must just open media organisations which it banned. In any case, the advantage ... is that it would be able to regulate their operations." Human rights lawyer Jacob Mafume also criticised the minister's remarks. "In terms of patriotism, it is the minister who is not being patriotic. A patriotic minister would ensure that all Zimbabweans would have access to jobs and better life. Closing down jobs and opportunities, and denying citizens a decent life, is hardly patriotic. The minister should just open the closed media organisations." Jokonya joins a growing list of senior government officials who have allegedly threatened journalists working for private media or writing for foreign media organisations. IRIN was unable to get comment from Jokonya.