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Zimb
abwe's state-appointed media commission warned publishers
yesterday against encouraging racist expressions in their
papers.
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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