The warning by the chairman of the Media and Information Commission, Tafataona Mahoso, published in a letter in the state-run daily Herald, came a day after the release of an editor and two journalists from the country's leading independent weekly.
Zimbabwe Independent editor Iden Wetherell was freed from jail Monday, two days after his arrest along with news editor Vincent Kahiya and reporter Dumisani Muleya for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe in a story.
They were charged with criminally defaming Mugabe by reporting that he commandeered a wide-bodied aircraft from the national airline for his holidays in the Far East.
Headlined "Open letter to Iden Wetherell", the head of the media commission criticised the Independent's editor for publishing a letter two weeks ago which said "Zimbabweans are a stupid lot" and compared them to "wild beasts".
Mahosa said the letter - signed by a writer whose name appeared to be that of a black Zimbabwean - "is typical of the worst expressions of racism from the former slave territories of the US, from apartheid South Africa".
Mahoso, whose body is also responsible for licensing media houses and journalists, said yesterday's statement was the commission's position on racism in the press.
Wetherell responded to the warning saying his paper is committed to media pluralism and will not "censor readers who express frustration with what they see as the docile response of Zimbabweans to tyranny". – Sapa-AFP.
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