Grace Mugabe doesn't need media clearance to venture into politics

Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba has said First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, who is also the Zanu-PF secretary for Women's Affairs, does not need authorisation from the media to participate in national politics.

This followed a barrage of brutal attacks on the person of the First Lady from the private media seeking to de-legitimise her role in national politics.

During a frank exchange of views with editors from various publications in Harare yesterday, Mr Charamba said he would not hesitate to deny media practitioners of their journalistic status if they deliberately chose to venture into the zone of partisan politics.

"Why is it that there is this sub text that seem to suggest that the First Lady has no legitimate role to play in the politics of this country? Does she need authorisation from a newsroom?

"Let's deal with the ethics of it. At what point is she Grace, at what point is she the First Lady, at what point is she divisive Grace? That kind of language is not on a feature, but on hard news.

"Why are you building an attitude against a person? Are we not veering towards hate speech and also you have no reason to show emotions in respect of any party. It is not your business.

"But when we see real sympathy which is discriminatory then you are in the zone of partisanship and if you are in that zone I will deny you your status as a journalist because essentially you have joined the political game."

Mr Charamba said there was a template that was being used in the private media that prefix the First Lady with derogatory names such as "controversial Grace" designed to build attitude against Amai Mugabe.

He said the focus on the First Lady started a long time ago and there had been an intensification that should be curtailed.

Editors from the private media tried to defend themselves saying the kind of negative reportage building around the First Lady was being caused by what they termed "inflammatory language" from her.

But Mr Charamba hit back: "Could I indicate that the laws of this country are not indifferent to character assassination, are not indifferent to hate speech.

"There is recourse. Are we the arbiter as the media? Do we fight on behalf of the falling? Is that our role? When she goes inflammatory castigate her not by your editorial, but by simply giving Zimbabweans the text of what she has said and let the people judge."

He said as a political figure he was not protecting Amai Mugabe from political criticism, but abuse coming in the name of press freedom.

Commenting on the so-called factions in Zanu-PF, Mr Charamba dismissed the notion, saying there were personality conflicts in the party to serve President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

"Let's not take partisan positions. That does not help us," he said.

Mr Charamba commented on the IMPI report which some of the committee members said the final document was adulterated.

He said the report had just triggered a debate on policy issues and it was up to the Ministry to take it holistically or throw it in the dustbin or to make some amendments to it.

Mr Charamba said they would soon retreat to discuss the report and come up with the way forward, adding that it would be debated using primary data that was used to compile it.