22 June 2007

BULAWAYO– A number of journalists working for state media organizations have been assigned to a special task - spying on colleagues in a bid to flush out those moonlighting for foreign publications, including Zimbabwean online newspapers. The journalists in question have been promised generous compensation in return.
 

Sources within both the state media and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), have revealed that some journalists, regarded by the authorities as patriotic, were last week paid $5 million each as a deposit, with promises of “huge amounts” in return for furnishing the CIO with “tangible information” leading to possible arrest of those secretly working as foreign correspondents under false names  or under false accreditation.
 

“The random deployment of members of the CIO at various internet cafes since the beginning of this year has failed to yield any tangible results, hence the latest move,” said an intelligence source who is privy to the latest initiative.   “It was decided that getting at the journalists through their bosses was the easiest ways of nailing them. The idea was mooted by the Ministers of State Security and of Information and was passed on to us on Monday last week." The intelligence agents were reportedly also requested to make friends with journalists in both the private and state media in order to win their trust and, that way, extract valuable information from them.
 

“We have been instructed to use our entertainment allowances effectively on journalists, especially those working for the government-owned press, in return for the information they give us,” the source said. “The government believes that the outside world continues to denigrate the President and to impose sanctions on the country’s ruling elite on the basis of wrong information supplied by foreign correspondents based in this country.”  He disclosed that as part of government’s strategy some CIO agents had been deployed in both the state and private media houses.
 

Journalists working for state media organizations have confirmed these new developments. “On Wednesday we were summoned to the editor’s office,” said a senior journalist working for The Chronicle in Bulawayo. “We were told that we had visitors from the President’s Office.”  There were four men who turned out to be members of the Central Intelligence Organisation  (CIO) who wanted details of which members of staff were foreign correspondents and which publications they filed for.
 

“They gave us $5 million each as an assurance that they would indeed, pay us for the information we give them,”  He said. “They said the money would be increased as we give them leads.” He said they had warned that any journalists working for the state media who dared to moonlight for foreign-based publications would be dealt with severely. Two months ago Edward Chikomba, a former television cameraman with the government-owned broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, was abducted and brutally murdered.
 

“They said that they would punish all sellouts who write negatively about the country, adding that every journalist needs to report positively and show patriotism, especially during this time of crisis,” the journalist said. “They gave us their phone numbers and recorded ours. Our phones could be taped now.” When reached for comment Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, the Minister of Information and Publicity. professed total ignorance. “I have not heard anything about the CIO paying journalists to get such Information. But as Zimbabweans, why should you always write negative stories about your own country?” he said and switched off his mobile phone.”
 

Didymus Mutasa, the Minister of State Security sounded remorseless. “I told you long ago that I am going to get you,” he said. “Now you are cornered. We will get you and your colonial masters whom you feed with lies. You should know that selling out has never had a place in this country’s history. Ask your parents how we dealt with sellouts like you during the liberation struggle.”  The Zimbabwean parliament passed a controversial bill - the Interception of Communications Bill, which gives the government powers to snoop on the private communications of citizens, over the telephone or on the internet. -The Zimbabwe Times.

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