at the last minute after acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana – who was to also address journalists at the briefing – was summoned to attend to other urgent government business. Observers pointed out that all other foreign news organisations have been banned from Zimbabwe for some time. “What sort of a deal has been made between Al Jazeera and the government?” asked media observers. “Are they going to apply to the MIC for a licence?”
The Arab-owned news channel had since the beginning of the year been rumored to be keen to set up a bureau in Zimbabwe, which, with its conflict with major Western nations over human rights and other governance issues, fits in well into the bill for the television channel. – ZimOnline
23.8.2006
0:00
Zim gov welcomes Al Jazeera
HARARE - In an unprecedented move that raised eyebrows, a press conference at President Robert Mugabe's offices was called this week to announce that Al Jazeera International, a subsidiary of the Arabic television channel, had opened a two-man bureau in Harare. The press conference was cancelled