US embassy cable - 02HARARE2891

UNCLAS HARARE 002891 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL, SIMS AND AF/S 
NSC FOR JFRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT: NYAROTA FIRED; HARARE 
 
REF:  HARARE 2616 
 
  1.   Geoffrey Nyarota (52), award-winning Editor-in-Chief 
      of the "Daily News," has been fired by the newspaper's 
      board of directors.  His deputy, Davison Maruziva, who had 
      been asked to step in as acting editor by management, has 
      also resigned in protest against Nyarota's dismissal. 
      Circumstances leading to Nyarota's separation from 
      Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper are still 
      murky, but seem to be linked to an ongoing labor dispute 
      between journalists and management. 
 
  2.   In today's paper, Sam Nkomo, chairman of Associated 
      Newspapers of Zimbabwe (parent company of the "Daily 
      News"), states that Nyarota was terminated by the board 
      with immediate effect, but fails to provide a reason for 
      his dismissal.  According to the BBC, Nyarota denies having 
      been fired and says he "resigned for the good of the 
      paper."  Many sources say that Nyarota's dismissal has to 
      do with an ongoing strike by the paper's staff, who are 
      seeking a 150% cost of living salary increase.  The "Daily 
      News" has been crippled by the industrial action, failing 
      to produce a paper December 21 - 30, 2002. 
 
  3.   In March 1999 Nyarota, together with other local and 
      foreign investors, launched the "Daily News," a newspaper 
      that now has the highest circulation in Zimbabwe.  The 
      paper has generally lived up to its motto of "telling it 
      like it is."  Its principled, tenacious, independent style 
      of journalism has earned praise at home and abroad. 
      Nyarota himself has been the recipient of numerous 
      international awards, including the World Association of 
      Newspapers' annual press freedom award in May 2002. 
      Despite death threats, arrests and the bombing of his 
      newspaper's printing press in January 2001, Nyarota 
      continued to publish articles critical of the Mugabe 
      administration.  Under his stewardship, the newspaper 
      incurred the wrath of the government of Zimbabwe, which has 
      accused it of being a mouthpiece for the opposition 
      Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), a charge Nyarota 
      strongly denies. 
 
  4.   The Daily News is back on the streets today, printing 
      for the first time since December 21.  Today's paper is 
      however far shorter than usual  (only 12 pages) and has 
      very little advertising.  Today's edition breaks the story 
      of Nyarota's dismissal and announces a new editorial team 
      to be lead by John Gambanga, Acting Editor.  Nyasha 
      Nyakunu, has been elevated to the position of News Editor 
      with immediate effect.  Other appointments include Tendayi 
      Nyakunu as Assistant Editor, Pedzisayi Ruhanya as Deputy 
      News Editor, and Bill Saidi as Managing Editor.  Both 
      Gambanga (April 1999) and Nyakunu (September 2002) are 
      former participants in the Department's International 
      Visitor program. 
 
  5.   Comment: The "Daily News" is the second of Zimbabwe's 
      four independent newspapers to undergo an editorial shake- 
      up in the past six weeks.  The highly respected weekly 
      "Financial Gazette" lost veteran editor Francis Mdlongwa in 
      late November after a change in ownership of the paper's 
      parent company. (See reftel for additional details.) 
      Readers will be watching both the "Daily" and the "Fingaz" 
      for signals that the either paper's fiercely independent 
      editorial stance has shifted under new leadership. 
 
 
WHITEHEAD