A senior government official has said opposition CCC party leader Nelson Chamisa will not get equal coverage with President Emmerson Mnangagwa from State-controlled media because the latter is the Head of State, reported NewsDay.
Speaking during a workshop on elections and the media in Bulawayo last week, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services deputy minister Kindness Paradza said CCC should wait until it takes over power to enjoy unfettered public media coverage. He said:
Accept reality. We cannot equate President Mnangagwa and Mr Chamisa. He is the Head of State and government and we should not expect ZBC to treat them equally.
In the unlikely event that he (Chamisa) will become the next government, you will see what I am talking about.
So can you just relax until you are in government and you will see what we are talking about?
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Information and attended by journalists and representatives from CCC, MDC-T and ZANU PF.
Information Ministry director for media services George Chisoko said:
The question here is about Mnangagwa being a president of ZANU PF doing ZANU PF work and being the Head of government.
Now there are stories we see on television where President Mnangagwa is doing government business, there is no way we can ignore that he is doing government business and, therefore, he will be covered.
The state-owned television channel, ZBC TV has been providing live coverage for Mnangagwa’s campaign rallies while Chamisa has been denied the same opportunity.
Section 155 of the Constitution stipulates that State media must provide all political parties and candidates contesting an election with fair and equal access to electronic and print media.
Meanwhile, Paradza said public broadcasters have denied CCC airtime because opposition party leaders instigate hate speech. He said:
ZBC charges for the outside broadcasting, the live broadcasting that you are talking about. If you want you can approach ZBC and you pay for that.
If you want your rallies to be covered as live events you can approach ZBC they will tell you the charges.
But this is an election period, and the charges have been reasonably reduced.
But, language, because some of you in the opposition especially the CCC, munongoita basa rekutuka chete… (all you do is utter hate speech).
However, CCC deputy secretary for elections Ellen Shiriyedenga, dismissed claims that the party fuelled hate speech.
More: Pindula News