Be careful with state newspapers - Job Sikhala

The MDC-T senior official Job Sikhala have urged members of the public and commentators to be careful when talking to the state newspapers which he accused of manipulating issues to suit their own agendas on behalf of the ruling Zanu PF.

"Sometimes we need to be careful when newspapers like the Herald solicits interviews with you," he said. "They manipulate and corrupt what you say to suit their intentions."

He then spokes about Alex Magaisa whom he described as a person who writes his opinions as a scholar and try to bring different views to a subject. He aid every subject has two sides of a coin.

"When he brings the side of a coin that points to areas needing improvement for the opposition the Herald took it as Magaisa is flogging Morgan Tsvangirai," he said.

"In that, it is spiced by the title of a former advisor, to paint Tsvangirai as a person who no longer enjoys the confidence of his former advisors. What such an article does is 2 fold. It destroys  both the source of the information and it's target. I have now seen articles galore attacking Alex Magaisa on the pretext of the Herald's story."

He said the majority are saying that the failure of Tsvangirai was authored by his advisors because there is no way a Chief Advisor as the Herald puts it would mock the deficiencies of his principals.

"It means the Advisor was not doing his job but was an undermining force in an office he is supposed to give direction," said Sikhala.

"Some of us would argue that Magaisa is a scholar. He is entitled to his intellectual views which we should take note of. We must be careful that the Herald is more interested to cause conflict and confusion to the opposition. Any information that points to the destruction of Tsvangirai is manna from heaven for them. They love it that way!!!!!!"

Inzwanai Maguduru said the Herald needs to appreciate that such objective and opinionated analyses of the situation are necessary as checks and balances of excesses inherent in politics and power.

"Magaisa is not a Nathaniel Manheru of the opposition. He is objective, opinionated, and independent. I guess he wrote that article as an academic and political analyst and not as a former advisor," he said.

Sikhala said people must be  always be on alert when dealing with the Herald.

"It entraps you into an interview they will corrupt just to achieve their agenda. They want to paint as if Magaisa is saying that he has lost faith in Tsvangirai and that Tsvangirai has no strategies to remove Mugabe from power but if you careful read it you will realise that it is far from it." he said.

 Jonah Muponga said those who give interview to the Herald are equally a failure and a learned idiots  that would report a third of what you said while two thirds are lies attributed as coming from you.

"The Herald is one heap of trash that is working so hard to destroy the opposition.All they do is potray the opposition as bad in public eyes and potray Zanu and leadership as saints and immortals worth no blame," he said.