Zanu PF bigwigs maul State media

As President Robert Mugabe was castigating the country’s independent media at the weekend, it was ironically lapdog State media — which have been at the heart of the ruling party’s brutal infighting over the past two decades — which were getting a pasting from the nonagenarian’s top aides for their factional reporting.

Among those who led the charge against State media at the weekend were Zanu PF politburo members and Cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere who once again fingered Zimpapers and its daily flagship, The Herald, as allegedly being at the beck and call of its “successionist handlers” — a thinly-disguised jab at the ruling party faction rallying behind Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mooted presidential aspirations.

“Does @HeraldZimbabwe & its successionist handlers really believe they are not settling party matters on Twitter & abusing the social media?

“So the notoriously stupid @HeraldZimbabwe thinks it’s unknown that its notoriously vile, tribal & successionist content is on Twitter? Haha!

“It’s simple. If @HeraldZimbabwe & other @Zimpapers outfits continue to abuse Twitter & other social media, they will get robust responses!” Moyo tweeted soon after Mugabe had attacked the private media and obsequious State media had made a meal of the attack.

Presenting resolutions at the end of Zanu PF’s annual conference in Masvingo on Saturday, Kasukuwere — who is also the ruling party’s national political commissar — also slated State media for failing to criticise both government and party leadership fairly and in a non-partisan manner.

Conference delegates who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said this was a direct attack on Team Lacoste — the Zanu PF faction that is rallying behind Mnangagwa — and which is now in charge of State media and allegedly working furiously to destroy all of the VP’s perceived detractors.

Kasukuwere has also recently gone a step further and taken the unprecedented step of suing Zimpapers for $7 million, accusing the media house of being used to fight Zanu PF’s factional and succession wars.

Moyo has similarly also sued the media stable, in addition to slapping it with further lawsuits on account of the organisation’s alleged factional reporting.

Part of Kasukuwere’s lawsuit reads: “And in relation to what has become known as the Blue Ocean Strategy, the various defamatory articles against the plaintiff (Kasukuwere) are intended by the defendants … (Zimpapers and its journalists) to have the following effect: In relation to succession politics within Zanu PF, to advance the political fortunes of the beneficiaries of the Blue Ocean Strategy, to which the defendants are an appendage”.

“As a result of the defamatory articles, plaintiff, who is a Cabinet minister, a Member of Parliament for Mount Darwin South Constituency and a respected political commissar in Zanu PF, has been damaged in his reputation and has suffered damages in the sum of $7 million.”

Kasukuwere said many of the stories by Zimpapers on him were meant to defame him and convey the innuendo that the political fortunes of the plaintiff (Kasukuwere) are threatened with imminent demise.

“The defendants’ conduct at all material times in relation to the defamatory allegations exhibited a wanton and complete disregard of ethical journalism and shows an unrestrained intention to malign and injure the reputation of the plaintiff.

“The plaintiff’s reputation and standing being a current and serving minister of government has been significantly impaired in the eyes of the public.”

As President Robert Mugabe was castigating the country’s independent media at the weekend, it was ironically lapdog State media — which have been at the heart of the ruling party’s brutal infighting over the past two decades — which were getting a pasting from the nonagenarian’s top aides for their factional reporting.

Among those who led the charge against State media at the weekend were Zanu PF politburo members and Cabinet ministers Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere who once again fingered Zimpapers and its daily flagship, The Herald, as allegedly being at the beck and call of its “successionist handlers” — a thinly-disguised jab at the ruling party faction rallying behind Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mooted presidential aspirations.

“Does @HeraldZimbabwe & its successionist handlers really believe they are not settling party matters on Twitter & abusing the social media?

“So the notoriously stupid @HeraldZimbabwe thinks it’s unknown that its notoriously vile, tribal & successionist content is on Twitter? Haha!

“It’s simple. If @HeraldZimbabwe & other @Zimpapers outfits continue to abuse Twitter & other social media, they will get robust responses!” Moyo tweeted soon after Mugabe had attacked the private media and obsequious State media had made a meal of the attack.

Presenting resolutions at the end of Zanu PF’s annual conference in Masvingo on Saturday, Kasukuwere — who is also the ruling party’s national political commissar — also slated State media for failing to criticise both government and party leadership fairly and in a non-partisan manner.

Conference delegates who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said this was a direct attack on Team Lacoste — the Zanu PF faction that is rallying behind Mnangagwa — and which is now in charge of State media and allegedly working furiously to destroy all of the VP’s perceived detractors.

Kasukuwere has also recently gone a step further and taken the unprecedented step of suing Zimpapers for $7 million, accusing the media house of being used to fight Zanu PF’s factional and succession wars.

Moyo has similarly also sued the media stable, in addition to slapping it with further lawsuits on account of the organisation’s alleged factional reporting.

Part of Kasukuwere’s lawsuit reads: “And in relation to what has become known as the Blue Ocean Strategy, the various defamatory articles against the plaintiff (Kasukuwere) are intended by the defendants … (Zimpapers and its journalists) to have the following effect: In relation to succession politics within Zanu PF, to advance the political fortunes of the beneficiaries of the Blue Ocean Strategy, to which the defendants are an appendage”.

“As a result of the defamatory articles, plaintiff, who is a Cabinet minister, a Member of Parliament for Mount Darwin South Constituency and a respected political commissar in Zanu PF, has been damaged in his reputation and has suffered damages in the sum of $7 million.”

Kasukuwere said many of the stories by Zimpapers on him were meant to defame him and convey the innuendo that the political fortunes of the plaintiff (Kasukuwere) are threatened with imminent demise.

“The defendants’ conduct at all material times in relation to the defamatory allegations exhibited a wanton and complete disregard of ethical journalism and shows an unrestrained intention to malign and injure the reputation of the plaintiff.

“The plaintiff’s reputation and standing being a current and serving minister of government has been significantly impaired in the eyes of the public.” Daily News