Harare residents hail MDC newsletters

Long and sometimes disjointed queues of residents waiting anxiously for the arrival of the newsletters have become a common sight at Harvest House over the past few weeks.

Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, whose tight control of the fiscus allegedly angered those who had unfettered access to state coffers for nearly three decades has been the prime target of blatant and shameful attacks by the state media.

A student from the University of Zimbabwe, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of victimization, applauded the partys media technocrats for crafting colourful and informative newsletters.

“The state media’s anti-Tsvangirai rhetoric has been rendered meaningless by these newsletters which are also published in the vernacular. This is the reason why they have become popular even in the rural areas. Luke Tamborinyoka and Andrew Chadwick are doing a wonderful job,” he said.

Tamborinyoka, an accomplished journalist and former news editor of the Daily News, is the MDCs national director of information. Chadwick is the head of communications in the Prime Minister’s office.

“We are sick and tired of being reminded every day, by the state media, that Robert Mugabe is the head of state and government and commander in chief of the Defence forces. Some of us cannot afford to install satellite dishes to escape ZBC propaganda.

These newsletters, distributed free of charge, have become our only source of news”, said a Harare resident.

Pro-democracy activist, Sydney Shumba said: “The MDC newsletters are a wonderful development for the democratisation agenda – the need for information has since ceased to a luxury but a necessity.”

Limon Mbwera, a party activist who distributes the newsletters in Chitungwiza said: “The overwhelming demand for the Prime Minister’s newsletter demonstrates the ever-rising popularity of our leader Morgan Tsvangirayi. No amount of propaganda by the Herald and ZBC will bring him down.”