admindisagreeing with what journalists write gives them the right to beat or punish them.
MDC-T thugs have since made good on Mr Tsvangirai’s chilling threat to journalists that “rimwe zuva gava richadambura musungo (one day all hell will break loose)’’ as they assaulted two journalists in Harare and Bulawayo within a period of 24 hours.
Our Bulawayo Bureau senior reporter Mashudu Netsianda was the first to fall to MDC-T thuggery when Mr Tsvangirai’s personal aides manhandled him before confiscating his notebook and deleting recordings on his mobile phone.
Mashudu’s crime, he had covered a town hall meeting where Mr Tsvangirai had been given a difficult time by Bulawayo residents. Hardly 24 hours later, MDC-T thugs at Harvest House in Harare descended on, and severely assaulted Zimbabwe Independent reporter Herbert Moyo, who was covering a demonstration by disgruntled MDC-T supporters at Harvest House.
We unreservedly condemn the barbarism shown by MDC-T.
We have said it before and we say it again, newspapers are not obliged to write to please Mr Tsvangirai, they write to inform the nation on Mr Tsvangirai’s suitability for office, given that he has been actively campaigning for national presidency.
If Mr Tsvangirai wants a praise-singing Press, he is free to apply for a licence at the Zimbabwe Media Commission and launch his own newspaper.
However, as he does that he must remember that journalists have a duty and that duty is not to deodorise his ugly politics and casual sex escapades, their responsibility is to be watchdogs for their readers.
We hope the nation has seen for itself the dangerous traits being exhibited by Mr Tsvangirai, whose allies say should not be allowed near instruments of state power as he has a dangerous predilection for dictatorship.
Former MDC secretary for security, Mr Job Sikhala, could not have put it any better where he said should Tsvangirai lay hands on instruments of state, we would all have our heads chopped off and stuffed in refrigerators for principled points of disagreement.
We are reminded of Mr Tsvangirai’s role in having six journalists from the public media placed on Western sanctions.
His party helped compile the list that saw Zimpapers chief operations officer and editor-in-chief Pikirayi Deketeke, Herald deputy editor Caesar Zvayi, Sunday Mail assistant editor Munyaradzi Huni, ZBC chief correspondent Reuben Barwe, Diplomatic Correspondent Judith Makwanya and freelancer Musorowegomo Mukosi placed on sanctions.
In placing these six on the sanctions list, the West sought to instil fear and create a psychological block in all journalists who do not toe the MDC-T/EU line.
As part of MDC-T intolerance, one of our long time columnists Peter Mavhunga was subjected to a witch hunt by British authorities for his opinions in this paper and was forced to stop writing or risk deportation.
Prolific columnist Reason Wafawarova had to fight tooth and nail in the Australian courts to avoid deportation. His crime, he writes a weekly column in The Herald critical of Western foreign policies and the MDC formations.
While the MDC-T and its allies have ganged up against innocent Zimbabweans abroad to the extent of silencing some of them, they should never dream of doing it here.
We urge our colleagues to intensify scrutiny, at least now we know what lies behind Mr Tsvangirai’s call for media reforms. He wants a lap dog not watch dog press.
It appears he has a lot to hide.
To that we say, in your dreams, Mr Tsvangirai.
Online Reporter