The unpopular and authoritarian Zanu (PF) regime is fighting for its political survival through a concerted attack on the freedom of the press.
Government tax collector, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has refused to release the consignment – despite payment, in full, of the punitive duty of 40 percent duty, 15 percent VAT and another 15 percent surcharge on “luxury items such as foreign newspapers.”
“They told our local distributor that the order had come from Zanu (PF) that the newspaper was not to be released,” publisher Wilf Mbanga said.
Since the imposition of the punitive duties three weeks ago, The Zimbabwean had managed to get seven issues of the newspaper into Zimbabwe via various routes and paid out more than R500,000 in duty and R250,000 in transport charges. “This is obviously unsustainable. Freedom of the Press is being annihilated by the Mugabe junta,” said Mbanga.
Also impounded are copies of last week’s South African Sunday Times and Sunday Independent as well as The Economist, which contains an “undesirable cartoon.”
Post published in: News