Swedish ambassador slams Zimbabwe State media
By KING SHANGO
Published on: 5th August, 2009
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ZIMBABWE – HARARE – Sweden ambassador Sten Rylander has slammed the hate speech being spewed by the State media.
Rylander, whose country currently hold the rotating presidency of the EU, railed against the State media at the recent journalistic awards held in Harare.
He urged the three parties in the inclusive government to fully implement Article 19 of the global political agreement, which commits the media to report in a balanced and responsible manner.
“The GPA notes that it is important for the public and private media to refrain from using abusive language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred – or that unfairly undermines political parties and other organizations,” Rylander said.
“It is therefore worrying to note the hate speech and negative and biased reporting that is still coming from the state media on a regular basis. The inclusive government should ensure that appropriate measures are taken to achieve this objective as articulated in the GPA.
In order to open up the media environment as anticipated by the Agreement, the Parties agreed that steps should be taken to ensure that the public media provides balanced and fair coverage of all legitimate political activities.”
The State media continues to undermine the office of the Prime Minister, denying him coverage and when they do, casting aspersions on the office.
The State media has also recently started addressing President Mugabe using fawning titles such as head of State ands government and commander in chief of the Defence Forces, yet the PM is actually the head of government.
The State media also continues to deliberately falsify information.
Just on Tuesday, the State media lied about interviews conducted by a special parliamentary committee that interviewed applicants wishing to sit on the new Zimbabwe Media Commission.
Rylander called on government to ensure that the public media abides by what was agreed in the GPA.
“The media is very important in the current dispensation; its role is to accurately inform on the various processes underway for instance the constitution-making process, the re-branding exercise and the crafting of the national vision.
“It is regrettable and unfortunate that media coverage and access in Zimbabwe is below fifty percent. There are many areas in Zimbabwe, especially rural areas, where there is no radio or television coverage and which newspapers do not reach.”
He said it was very important for the media to be accessed by ordinary Zimbabweans. He said it was also important to promote and support the printing of community newspapers and local newsletters and pamphlets in local languages in order to promote universal access.
“Universal access will ensure that Zimbabweans are aware of the progress of the inclusive government,” he said. “Through the media they can have a voice in the way the country is governed thereby strengthening democracy.”
