HARARE - SEVEN years after a Zimbabwean female journalist escaped arrest and possible torture at the hands of security forces - for her part in the publication and broadcasting in the foreign media of information deemed detrimental to the image of the country - her family says it continues to receive visits from unidentified people whom they suspect are members of theBlessing Chizola, a former producer/presenter and newscaster with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporations National FM, has been on the wanted list for stringing for various newspapers, radio and television stations abroad. The 37-year-old, acting on a tip-off, quietly slipped out the country in 2003 to evade a possible lengthy jail term (carrying a maximum of 15 years) had she been arrested and convicted of Abuse of Duty as a Public Officer under the Criminal Codification Act.
Suspicious
But it is the regular visits to the Zengeza home of her family in Chitungwiza by the same suspicious-looking persons that is worrying them. They say they last heard from their daughter seven years ago, and are not even aware of her exact whereabouts.
She never came for her clothes and all we got was an SMS assuring us that she was alive and somewhere safe although she said she could not divulge where. But the more we have the same people coming to us to ask about her whereabouts, the more we get worried, said a relative, who asked for anonymity.
According to information at hand, Chizola is alleged to have and still continues to provide and facilitate the production of documentaries and other film footage that included the looting and trafficking – four years ago – of diamonds at Chiadzwa in the Eastern Province of Manicaland by ruling Zanu (PF) bigwigs.
Two other former ZBC employees, Andrew Neshamba and William Gumbo, as well as a former e-TV journalist, Peter Moyo, were arrested in connection with the publicity of this story and charged, but their case is yet to be concluded.
Investigations
Investigations by this paper showed that it is Chizola whom the security agents are keen to interrogate as they suspect she has all along been responsible for the recruitment and payment of stringers from Zimbabwe, and the subsequent distribution of supplied material to the foreign media.
Efforts to get a comment from Chief Police Spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, were fruitless at the time of going to press as his mobile phone was going unanswered.
Chizola, a Mozambican by descent and a Zimbabwean by birth, was employed by the ZBC in 2001 and before she unceremoniously left the broadcaster, she was a producer/presenter in both Shona and Chikunda languages. She was also a news-reader.
The hunt and intentional victimization of Chizola adds to a long list of other Zimbabwean journalists who have been made to suffer while performing their duties.
They include, among others, Ray Choto, the late Mark Chavunduka, Gift Phiri, Stanley Kwenda, Vincent Kahiya, Guthrie Munyuki, Luke Tamborinyoka, Frank Chikowore, Jestina Mukoko, Ellen Mukaka, Andrew Meldrum and Alex Perry, the Time magazine correspondent who was based in South Africa.
Post published in: News