Independent Media Caught Offside

The just ended week was awash with sensational headlines that President Robert Mugabe's private visit to Singapore had paralyzed the administration of state affairs.

Though the headlines were screamers, the substance of the stories ran far short of informing the public on the nature of the paralysis. To this day, Zimbabweans are yet to be told by the same publications of any sovereignty threatening treaties or any crucial meetings that needed the attention of the President during the said period.

For starters, is there any abomination in a President going on a private trip? In particular was it a crime for President Mugabe's to take advantage of the long Easter holidays to attend to his private affairs on a trip that was made public to the nation through an official press statement by the presidential spokesperson George Charamba.

If anything the claims that President Mugabe's private trip caused paralysis is not only unfounded but tantamount to an act of subverting the constitution of Zimbabwe through the publication of falsehoods whose intention was to cause alarm and despondency with the ultimate goal of unseating a constitutionally elected President, a thing the western countries have been seeking since 2002.

Surely how can there be a paralysis when President Mugabe, appointed Vice President Joice Mujuru as Acting President, for the duration of his absence as stipulated by the constitution of Zimbabwe. 

To this day, the citizens of Zimbabwe are still puzzled by the reports as they have failed to discern the paralysis which the so called independent media sought to sell in their publications.

The paralysis of the Government was only witnessed by the idle publications, as those whose hands were full with business were not even aware of the absence of the President, not until the alarmist publications began to peddle their, "paralysis falsehoods."

To be simplistic which administrative arm of Government closed shop? It was business as usual at all the Government offices starting from Monomotapa, where the Acting President Cde Mujuru was, to Kaguvi and Mukwati where some of the ministries operate from right down to all the provincial government offices and their districts inclusive of the mobile and satellite offices. Can someone then point out where the paralysis was?

In the private sector, where the very publications belong, it was business as usual.

But of utmost importance and which is a very critical observation is that the very papers that peddled the paralysis of the Government did not believe in the story themselves. Reading through their stories, the story of President Mugabe's private trip to Singapore paralyzing government operations was just but a dumb squib.

Why a dumb squib one would want to ask.

As soon as the front pages of these papers screamed of Government paralysis caused by President Mugabe's absence it was logical to then have a host of other stories pointing or giving life to the perceived paralysis.

Alas! That was not to be, as the stories gave a picture of a functional government endowed with a well fed population. One was left wondering as to whether these stories had passed through the same editors of the respective publications or they were actually forced down the throats of the editors by desperate spinners from Harvests House, whose life span is running short as they have failed to prove their mettle. As if to rub a sore when it needs a plaster, it would seem the editors did not at all help the cause of the Harvests House novices but threw them further into the deep end.

To be specific, the News Day of Friday, 6 April 2012 ran a story on its front page under the headline, "MUGABE ABSENCE PARALYSES GOVT,' written by John Nyashanu the paper's news editor.

Besides the story, there were no other stories to give credence to the paralysis hogwash. In elementary journalism you are taught that an idea has to be sustained through and through and should not stand out like a lone gum tree in acres of fields.

 In actual fact, the issue's lead story was, "Tsvangirai Kasukuwere face off." In the story the News Day reported that Government had on the previous day announced the take over of all foreign firms that had not complied with the Indigenisation and Empowerment Law compelling them to dispose 51 per cent share holding.

In the same story the News Day quoted Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai urging business to ignore Minister Kasukuwere's ultimatum claiming that he had, "executive powers and the Constitution of Zimbabwe bestowed him the authority to oversee and supervise policy formulation and implementation." The question that arises here is what business are the two ; Minister Kasukuwere and Prime Minister Tsvangirai  doing in a "paralyzed" state such that they have to 'face off.'

In the business section of the same issue is a story attributed to the Miningweekly.com under the headline, "Amplats, Zim meet over Unki indigenisation plan." The story quotes Amplats spokesperson Mpumi Sithole as confirming the development. The question that arises is, who is Amplats coming to meet in a Government that is under "paralysis" if ever it was.

Another story under the headline, "Tobacco sales up 40 per cent," does not help the case for the Harvests House novices. The story is attributed to Andrew Matibiri, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chief executive officer. In the story Matibiri announced to the nation that the tobacco sales as of end of business on Tuesday, 3 April 2012 stood at 38, 1 million kg of tobacco generating $141,6 million in the process. Matibiri said there was a 40 per cent increase in sales compared to the same period last year.

Acting Vice President Joice Mujuru launched the Tele- education programme at the University of Zimbabwe. The programme marked the third phase of Government's computerization programme for the education sector.

Within the same period Finance Minister, Tendai Biti alongside Agriculture Minister Dr Joseph Made also carried out their task mandated by the President to unveil the US$20 million winter wheat crop loan scheme. These are just but a few of some of the national events that took place with the blessings of the President while he was away and do not at all point to the paralysis the so called independent media would like people to believe.

Can all this happen in a country in paralysis!

If ever there is anything that has been seeking to cause paralysis to this country are the illegal sanctions slapped on the country when it embarked on the land reform programme in 2000 as Zanu PF launched its black empowerment crusade.

Interestingly, the paralysis which the country's detractors wish, which is being funded by the western imperial forces is better explained in the words of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara as quoted in the same issue of the News Day.

The story came under the headline "Mutambara okays empowerment crusade" and the quote read: "The financial sector must be indigenized. It must be aligned to the national interest. We need a new financial sector law as the current ones are inadequate. New instruments must be given to the financial sector. Banks must support agriculture because there is money to be made there. You can't have banks in the country that don't support agriculture. Whose interests are they serving?"

Indeed whose interest are they serving, seeking to paralyse the economy of Zimbabwe which they have failed to achieve in the last 10 years, through the illegal sanctions.

Actually if anything, the absence of President Mugabe showed that he was a leader par excellence. The activities that took place during his absence point to a visionary administrator as he made sure that everyone critical had a duty to play while he was away.

Yes, it is a fact that Cabinet did not seat on 28 March, 2012 but the reasons have got nothing to do with private visit by His Excellency but other factors. For instance on this very day Finance Minister Tendai Biti and his counterpart Cde Nicholas Goche, Minister of Transport Communication and Infrastructure Development were away in Brazil amongst a host of other who were also on national duty.

But the naked truth is that Prime Minister Tsvangirai snubbed the Cabinet of Tuesday 21 March, 2012 in the pretext of attending the CEO Round Table in the United Kingdom â€" not Government business. He traveled to that country in his capacity as the leader of MDC-T not Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. He was away for a total number of ten days.

Besides this, Tsvangirai absence has on numerous occasion cause the failure of crucial meetings such as the National Security Council to take place, including that of the Council of Ministers, which he so much loves.

Whereas Presidential spokesperson George Charamba told the media that President Mugabe was on a private visit that amongst other things would include sorting out post graduate place for the first family daughter Bona, Luke Tomborinyoka did not inform Zimbabweans of his boss visit to London. Tamborinyoka did not tell Zimbabweans how his boss insisted on being booked in an exclusive suite at Savoy Hotel overlooking the River Thames. Tamborinyoka did not inform Zimbabweans who was in the company of the Premier and why the Premier insisted on the exclusive room overlooking River Thames instead of being at home and attend Cabinet. That is a story for another day.