We need to keep telling Zimbabwes stories

Those 46 people, who include 11 women, are now bloodied and beaten in Mugabes jails. Ten have been tortured in an attempt to extract confessions that they were planning Egypt-style uprisings to end Mugabes rule. All were initially denied access to their lawyers and medical help. They have now been charged with treason and face death by hanging if found guilty.

This iron-fisted overreaction by Mugabe shows the level of his panic. Ever since the North African protests gathered momentum, the state-controlled radio, television and newspapers that dominate the media landscape in Zimbabwe have downplayed the news. Sycophantic Zanu (PF) columnists have been given hundreds of column centimetres to pontificate that such things could never happen in Zimbabwe and if anyone dared try, the army was ready and willing to use maximum force to crush them.

Desperate for information, Zimbabweans are watching satellite television and reading whatever independent news they can get hold of. Newspaper readership is much higher than circulation figures suggest week-old newspapers are passed on and read avidly, eventually making their way to the remotest rural areas. The good news is that 4- million Zimbabweans have cellphones and SMSes are a key form of communication.

Fighting for the right to inform the people about what is happening in their own and other countries are a few independent newspapers and foreign-based radio stations.

A key player in this David vs Goliath scenario is The Zimbabwean, which since 2005 has battled to keep open a modicum of democratic space in the media. The newspaper has just launched a new campaign to highlight the continued denial of freedom of speech in Zimbabwe even under the Government of National Unity (GNU) formed in 2009 between Zanu (PF) and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Freedom of the press remains shackled by the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which demands that all media organisations and journalists have to be licensed by a government-appointed commission. Despite the GNU, this secretariat is still headed by Mugabe apologist Tafataona Mahoso the man responsible for the closure of five newspapers in 2003.

With the world transfixed by the tumultuous changes and protests in North Africa and the Middle East, The Zimbabwean is redoubling its efforts to protect freedom of speech for Zimbabweans. It is vital that the worlds media does not forget the daily struggles taking place in our country.

Known for his incendiary hate speech, Mugabe is on record as saying that the bullet is more powerful than the ballot. The cabal of generals keeping him in power are a battle- hardened bunch who would not think twice about shooting down Zimbabweans in cold blood as Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafis armed forces have done in his country over the past week.

Zimbabweans themselves are under no illusions as to the fate that awaits them should they dare to rise up. Websites are awash with opinion pieces about their chances many say they are cowards, tired, browbeaten. One thing is certain the armed forces are firmly in Mugabes pocket, and are unlikely to behave the way the Egyptian army did.

But people forget that in the 1970s, against all odds, the masses rose up against then prime minister Ian Smiths powerful arsenal. They were arrested, some were hanged and thousands left the country to fight. The same thing happened in 1997. Spontaneous, leaderless food riots broke out in one suburb of Harare and spread throughout the country. They were ruthlessly crushed but the riots happened. I believe it could happen again.

Zimbabwe is like a tinderbox. You can smell the fear. Everybody is afraid. Mugabe and his generals are particularly terrified.

One lone activist called for a million citizens to march yesterday, circulating the call on the internet. But by midday there was no sign of any gathering in the large park in Harare named as the protest venue.

Police have threatened to crush any “Egypt-style” protests.

The GNU which was supposed to herald the end of Mugabes regime has proved to be its saviour. The relative economic stability that resulted from the MDC being brought into government, with the end of ridiculous hyper-inflation and the return of goods to the shelves, has blunted the desperate anger that could have fuelled an Egypt conflagration in Harare. The hatred of the Zanu (PF) government has been diluted by the presence of MDC MPs in parliament. And of course the discovery of eye-watering deposits of diamonds has upped the stakes all round.

Mugabe says he wants elections this year. His thugs have been intimidating and beating people, forcing them to attend Zanu (PF) meetings and burn their MDC membership cards, since before Christmas last year. He is determined to win another five-year term as President and to keep Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai from ever taking over.

So now, more than ever, we must continue to fight for freedom of speech and to tell the stories coming out of Zimbabwe.

Incredibly brave, ordinary peoples personal stories illustrate their battle against oppression and injustice and the huge price they have paid as a result. Their voices deserve to be heard. – Mbanga is editor of The Zimbabwean.