Mnangagwa slammed over stable economic remarks and attack on media

Human Rights activists and political party activists have slammed Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his attack on the media and claims that the economy of Zimbabwe was stable and growing.

Mnangagwa on Tuesday attacked members of the media for reporting that the economy of the country was in the verge of collapse which is being blamed on the Zanu PF government.

He described the journalists reporting on such issues as agents of the imperialists and asked them to show how they view the economy as crumbling at the time when his party was working flat out to make economic boom.

But his remarks met with back lash from the human rights activists Dewa Mavhinga who said what is more worrying about VP Mnangagwa's statement is not his view that the economy is doing well, which of course is utterly incorrect as anyone can see that the economy is in doldrums, but the idea that the media should be muzzled or should parrot government views.

"VP Mnangagwa should be at the forefront of defending constitutional guaranteed media freedom and not seek to tell the media what and how it should report on the economy," said Mavhinga. "Not writing about a poorly performing economy will not make the economy improve, writing about it will push government to take remedial action to rescue the economy, if they have the capacity. But VP Mnangagwa's reaction points to a government in denial about the state of the economy."

Mavhinga said a government in denial about the existence of the media's constitutional rights including freedom of expression was unacceptable.

MDC renewal spokesperson Jacob Mafume said if the economy is stable then Zimbabwe is the Garden of Eden.

 "Anyone including a five year old can see that this economy is in a mess," said Mafume. "Nothing is working. We are losing jobs faster than at any time in history. The biggest employer is now vending. The ZANU PF government has failed to run the country.  To top it up this year we are facing food shortages of biblical proportions."

He said having ZANU PF in power is like lighting a match stick at fuel service station and everything burns down.

"As for (President Robert) Mugabe if we had known all he wanted to do is travel we would have put it in his retirement package," said Mafume.