HARARE- Following Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais cabinet boycott last week, the state media was instructed not to cover any events which were being officiated by MDC-T officials.Sources privy to the plan said heads of all state media in Manicaland province including Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation (ZBC), Manica Post and New Ziana received a directive from a Principal Director in the Ministry of Information responsible for Rural Information Services, Regis Chikowore, not to cover events officiated by MDC-T officials.
The media was instructed to blackout PM Tsvangirais visit to victims of political violence in Nyanga last week and Giles Mutsekwas officiating of World Habitat Day at Gimbok Housing Scheme in Dangamvura High density suburb.
A senior official at ZBC Pockets Hills confirmed that they were instructed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity George Charamba not to screen the PMs video clip from Nyanga.
The directive came late because our news crew had already gone to cover the event so we were just told to throw the clip in the dust bin, said an official who spoke on condition he was not named.
Post published in: News