One of Zimbabwe’s last remaining independent newspapers The Zimbabwe Independent’ has allegedly been blackmailed into retracting an accurate story in order to secure accreditation for its journalists. Tafataona Mahoso, the Head of the Media and Information Commission (MIC), told the paper it would not get accreditation for its journalists if it did not retract a story quoting an MIC commissioner disclosing the reasons for the banning of the Daily News. According to several media reports the paper havs since agreed to retract the story.
In the controversial story Jonathan Maphenduka, who sat on the MIC board, told the paper that members on the board had recommended the granting of a licence to the country’s largest circulating daily newspaper. This he said was later reversed by Mahoso following pressure from the Central Intelligence Organisation. It’s now reported that following an alleged pledge by the Independent to retract the story in this week’s edition the MIC began the process of accrediting journalists from the paper on Tuesday. Editorial staff at the paper remained tight-lipped on the issue. A report carried by the Zimonline news site however quotes an unnamed journalist with the newspaper saying they had given in to the demands.
The Association of Zimbabwe Journalists in the UK slammed the move by the MIC saying it was another black day for Zimbabwean journalism. Its co-ordinator Sandra Nyaira said there was nothing untrue about the story the Independent ran on Maphenduka. Her association hopes the paper’s readers will understand that its survival was more important than taking a principled stand. She drew comparisons with the Daily News scenario where it had to choose between registering with the MIC or challenging the repressive laws in court. The paper was shut down when the Supreme Court connived with the government and upheld its repressive media laws.
