shloboe boe
Harare Bureau
GOVERNMENT has condemned an article published by The Zimbabwe Independent, describing it as filled with unfounded allegations, falsehoods and malicious insinuations aimed at tarnishing the image of President Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said the newspaper’s claim that US$52 million collected from licence fees is unaccounted for was a gross exaggeration and a complete fabrication. The ministry said the actual revenue from licence fees is nowhere near the “thumb-sucked figure” of US$52 million.
It also noted that no Government audit or forensic investigation has been conducted regarding the matter because no evidence of malpractice has ever been presented. ZBC’s internal audit processes, the ministry added, have not flagged any such irregularities.
Reads the statement: “The Government strongly refutes the highly insulting narrative that His Excellency the President would reassign a Minister as a punitive measure for raising governance issues. This narrative falsely implies that the President condones malfeasance within his administration and punishes those who expose poor governance. This is a deliberate distortion of the facts designed to impugn the wisdom of His Excellency.”
The ministry further criticised the newspaper for failing to follow basic journalistic procedure.
“The publication was explicitly directed to channel its inquiries to the Permanent Secretary for comment. This direction was ignored because the intention was never to seek the truth, but to print a pre-determined, vindictive story . . . the claim that the reporter attempted to engage the ZBC CEO is a blatant lie. No such engagement took place.”
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to accountability and transparency, saying ZBC is scheduled for its regular audit next month, with the results to be presented before Parliament.
“We will further ensure that the results of this audit are duly tabled before Parliament for scrutiny, in line with established legislative processes. Furthermore, in keeping with our oversight role, we have directed the Corporation to cooperate fully with any applications made under the Freedom of Information Act. The ministry expects nothing less than full compliance from ZBC, as there is nothing to hide and public trust must be upheld,” reads the statement.
The statement added that the publication of the story appeared to have been influenced by individuals “bitter about their own failed agendas”, possibly motivated by financial inducements and “as has been suggested, as cheap as a bottle of whisky”.
“It is deeply troubling that a publication purporting to engage in serious journalism would allow itself to be used as a vehicle for such petty and sponsored character assassinations. We call upon the public to treat these baseless allegations with the contempt they deserve. We urge media houses to adhere to the principles of factual and balanced reporting and to desist from publishing stories that seek to divide the nation, undermine its institutions, and destabilise State-Owned Entities,” reads the statement.
Online Reporter