The ZIMBABWE Situation | Our
thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe - may peace, truth and justice prevail. |
Zimbabweans left in the
dark | |||
BBC News examines
how the row over England's cricket tour is being portrayed in Zimbabwe
"Have You Taken The Days Off Yet?" These were the words of an advertisement for the series between Zimbabwe and England, placed in the sports pages of Thursday morning's Herald newspaper. At the time of publication, it looked extremely out of place, with the tour in grave doubt, and the possibility of matches being rescheduled. But the millions of Zimbabweans who rely on the state-run media knew little about what was taking place. Government controls the country's electronic media and the two main daily newspapers, and the dramatic events ahead of England's scheduled departure were totally downplayed. It was only on Wednesday evening, when the team failed to board the plane in Johannesburg, that Zimbabwe Television briefly acknowledged the situation. The Herald's correspondents have made no mention of the events, the only report to have appeared being a brief story from a news agency. On radio, the first acknowledgement of the fact that the Zimbabwe government had initially denied accreditation to 13 journalists came on Thursday lunchtime. That was when the Information Ministry made its surprising U-turn and gave the go-ahead to the BBC, Daily Mirror, The Sun, The Times and Daily Telegraph. As Robert Mugabe's government holds onto power, tight control of the media has been a key issue.
Since 2000, most of the foreign correspondents based in Zimbabwe have either left the country or been forced out. Cricket reporters have also been affected. In May, the Daily Telegraph's Mihir Bose was deported from Harare, and a Reuters correspondent was denied access to cover the Sri Lanka tour. Visitors have often been caught up in brinkmanship, and government is used to having its way. Last month, government ordered the deportation of a South African trade union mission, describing their trip to assess conditions in the country as "not acceptable". So it came as no surprise that the 13 cricket reporters were initially refused accreditation, given the suspicion with which government view their organisations. Yet cancellation of the England tour would cause the Zimbabwe government serious embarrassment. As the economic situation has deteriorated in the country, government has been quick to realise the value that sport has in lifting the morale of the public. The state-run media has been used to hype-up the tour, and while a great many Zimbabweans are too preoccupied with their daily hardships, significant interest has been generated. The new-look Zimbabwe team, which now consists mostly of young black players, is being portrayed as an example of black empowerment. Captain Tatenda Taibu is a household name, instantly recognisable to most Zimbabweans, who are well aware of the wealth that cricket has brought him at the age of 21. Bowlers Douglas Hondo and Tinashe Panyangara are also well-known sporting idols, as cricket has become the second-most popular sport in the country. But there has been no international cricket in the country for over six months, and the England tour is crucial if the sport is to move forward in Zimbabwe. |
SOKWANELE
Enough
is Enough
We have a fundamental
right to freedom of expression!
25 November 2004
Bowling Out Cricket in
Zimbabwe
Once
again Zanu PF bungling merges sports and politics, creating a quagmire for the
players, the ICC, the ECB and cricket fans the world round. Yet another slap in the face has been
administered to the English players who were scorned in the last episode
involving cricket in Zimbabwe.
The
scheduled one day matches set up to take place in Zimbabwe over the next ten
days recently precipitated a hot debate over the moral standing of both the ICC
and the ECB, with economics finally taking precedence over human rights abuses
and the matches given the green light to go ahead.
Yesterday 13 British journalists were barred from
covering the matches and denied accreditation in dubious accordance with
Zimbabwe’s draconian and repressive press laws.
The English team were to have arrived in Harare on Wednesday night, but
have been directed by the ECB to remain in Johannesburg until such time that the
ICC reaches a decision over the validity of Zimbabwe’s paranoid and tyrannical
stance.
Under
the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, tours can only be cancelled on the advice of a
government or because of overriding security and safety concerns. The ECB could face a fine of $2 million by
the ICC and suspension from international game if England pull out of its
commitment to Zimbabwe for any other reason.
Zimbabwe remains hamstrung by a government who insists on
the right to mix sports and politics.
Kuwait News Agency
Zimbabwe humanitarian aid must continue, MPs
POL-BRIRTAIN-AID-ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe humanitarian aid must
continue, MPs
LONDON, Nov 25 (KUNA) -- Britain should continue to provide
humanitarian
assistance to countries like Zimbabwe even if it helps prop
up brutal
regimes,
British MPs said Thursday.
A House of Commons
all-party committee said the Government faced a
dilemma
because
humanitarian aid could help maintain regimes whose very
policies were
causing the humanitarian crisis.
But it said Britain was right provide
aid to prevent more deaths''.
The report by the International
Development Committee into the work
of the
department also backed the
Government's controversial decision to
divert aid
from several middle
income countries to fund the reconstruction of
Iraq.
Aid groups have
criticised the decision to close operations in Peru
and
Honduras, but
the committee said the arguments in support of
continued
involvement in
Latin America would now seem to have been outweighed
by the
pressing
needs of Iraq''.
The committee also raised concerns over the security of aid
workers
in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Three UN workers, including Northern
Irish election observer Mrs
Annetta
Flanigan, were freed this week after
spending 27 days in captivity in
Afghanistan.
And Dublin-born aid
worker Mrs Margaret Hassan was murdered by her
captors
in Iraq.
The
committee said it was vital the distinction between humanitarian
aid
and
security work was maintained.
It said security was a prerequisite for
development, but military
objectives must never encroach on humanitarian
objectives. (end)