Citizens Coalition for Change {CCC} yesterday warned the state media to stop “partisan reporting” when covering political rallies.
Addressing journalists in Harare, CCC spokesperson advocate Fadzai Mahere said the relationship between Zanu PF and the state media must stop urging the state media to report factual news on CCC leader advocate Nelson Chamisa.
“The business of Zanu Pf of running ZBC and the Herald simply has to stop, partisan state media reporting has to stop.
“The culture of ZBC lying of what president Chamisa has said at our rallies has to stop, the culture of propaganda by the state media has to stop.
“The refusal to give coverage to our star rallies and election messages has to stop. We demand the very basic minimum of fair reporting of state television and state radio stations, this is the only way we can facilitate an equal play field,” said Mahere.
However, speaking at a Zanu Pf press conference in Harare today, Zanu Pf Political Commissar Hon Mike Bimha said Zanu Pf has no relationship with the state media.
He added that there are a lot of independent media houses which can cover CCC events hence it was not mandatory for ZBC to provide media coverage to CCC.
“I think ZBC is not the only channel of communication. We have so many channels of communication and to me there are limitless sources of disseminating information so singling out one source is void.
“We want the media to talk about anyone, who is in this game and as a party, we didn’t give any instructions to any media house to say talk, about us and there has not been any instruction to ZBC to say that they must talk about us only,” he said.
Over the years, ZBC has always been accused of covering the Zanu Pf party towards elections.
