Mugabe govt to 'flush out' foreign scribes
Monday, March 17, 2008
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's government will "flush out" and arrest Western journalists entering Zimbabwe without official permission to cover upcoming elections, the government's senior media official said yesterday.
"We are aware of attempts to turn journalists into observers or to smuggle in uninvited observers and security personnel from hostile countries under the guise of the media or think-tanks," George Charamba, permanent secretary in the ministry of information, said in the state- controlled Sunday Mail.
"Those will be flushed out."
The government last week announced it had excluded observers from any Western country from monitoring the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on March 29, because, officials said, Western governments believed that "the only free and fair elections could be won by the opposition".
Mugabe's victories in the three national elections since 2000 following the emergence of a powerful pro-democracy opposition have been mired in controversy because of violent intimidation and evidence of rigging.
Western observers have not been allowed for the last two elections in 2002 and 2005.
Mugabe, 84, is seeking a further five-year presidential term and faces a major challenge from former labour leader Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Mugabe's former finance minister, Simba Makoni, who is standing as an independent.
Charamba said about 300 foreign journalists had applied for official accreditation to cover the elections, but "a team drawn from (the ministries of) information, foreign affairs and the security arms is examining each and every application".
"We are also aware of journalists from Western countries who have sneaked into the country," he said. "Our security personnel are on the spoor."
DPA
"We are aware of attempts to turn journalists into observers or to smuggle in uninvited observers and security personnel from hostile countries under the guise of the media or think-tanks," George Charamba, permanent secretary in the ministry of information, said in the state- controlled Sunday Mail.
"Those will be flushed out."
The government last week announced it had excluded observers from any Western country from monitoring the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on March 29, because, officials said, Western governments believed that "the only free and fair elections could be won by the opposition".
Mugabe's victories in the three national elections since 2000 following the emergence of a powerful pro-democracy opposition have been mired in controversy because of violent intimidation and evidence of rigging.
Western observers have not been allowed for the last two elections in 2002 and 2005.
Mugabe, 84, is seeking a further five-year presidential term and faces a major challenge from former labour leader Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, and Mugabe's former finance minister, Simba Makoni, who is standing as an independent.
Charamba said about 300 foreign journalists had applied for official accreditation to cover the elections, but "a team drawn from (the ministries of) information, foreign affairs and the security arms is examining each and every application".
"We are also aware of journalists from Western countries who have sneaked into the country," he said. "Our security personnel are on the spoor."
DPA
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