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State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
2002
ALERT
DATE: 2002-04-11
PERSON(S): Pedzisayi Ruhanya
VIOLATION(S): Expelled
On April 10, 2002, “The Daily News”
chief reporter Pedzisayi Ruhanya was
expelled from a press conference, on
the orders of Registrar General
Tobaiwa Mudede, who was addressing
the media.
Mudede had called the conference
to dismiss a April 9 “The Daily News”
front-page story headlined, “Mudede
tape proves Mugabe lost Election”.
The newspaper had reported that the
total number of votes announced by
Mudede in a live broadcast, as having
been polled by all five contesting presidential
election candidates, was
700,000 votes less than the figure subsequently
published in other media
outlets.
Upon being pressed to clarify the
contradictions in his figures over election
results of the recently held presidential
poll, the registrar general replied
by accusing “The Daily News”
of lying. On April 10, “The Herald”
newspaper reported that journalist
Ruhanya suggested that the registrar
general was a “pathological liar” who
wanted to mislead the nation.
During the press conference,
Ruhanya insisted that Mudede explain
the discrepancies between the election
results that he announced through the
national broadcaster, Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), and
results that were later reported in other
media outlets. “Get out,” Mudede
shouted at the journalist in response
while thumping the table with his fist.
It is reported that Mudede drew his
chair back and marched towards
210 So This Is Democracy?
Ruhanya while ordering his subordinates
“to call the boys”. Ruhanya was
thrown out from the conference by two
security guards. However, two other
journalists from “The Daily News”
remained behind.
At the press conference, Mudede
announced that Morgan Tsvangirai’s
figure had increased simultaneously by
4002 votes. Tsvangirai is the leader of
the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC). The new figures
were announced one month after
the elections. According to “The Daily
News”, ZBC also provided figures that
were at variance with Mudede’s latest
ones but consistent with those published
in “The Daily News” on April
9, and those announced by Mudede on
13 March.
“The Daily News” reports that, instead
of explaining the confusion over
the election results, Mudede shifted the
focus and started to attack the newspaper
of lying and publishing false information
to satisfy “certain agendas.”
“It’s just a story to justify certain agendas
that may need to be justified,”
Mudede stated in reference to the “The
Daily News” report that had pointed
out the discrepancies. “The final report
was distributed to all the parties with
the correct figures. It looks like ‘The
Daily News’ is cooking up figures to
justify their allegations (of rigging)
against the registrar general,” Mudede
said.
“The Daily News” reported that
Mudede asked journalists at the conference
what action he should take
against “The Daily News”. ZBC’s diplomatic
reporter Judith Makwanya is
said to have suggested “legal action.”
Mudede also accused the government
owned “The Herald” of publish-