|
Session Start: Fri
Oct 04 12:13:32 2002
DFN: Welcome
to DFN's chat with Geoffrey Nyarota, editor of the Zimbabwe Daily
News. In the past few years, Mr. Nyarota has seen his printing
presses bombed and a number of his staff arrested on charges of
defamation. On May 3, Mr. Nyarota's work was recognized when he
won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2002.
Nyarota has limited time, so the chat will be shorter than expected.
Please feel free to ask your questions. Welcome, Mr. Nyarota!
Geoff_Nyarota:
Thank you. Good evening. It is evening here.
Geoffrey
Nyarota's independent newspaper, the Daily News, is
banned throughout many parts of rural Zimbabwe. |
DFN: Thank you.
Please feel free to ask your questions. I've heard reports from
ZESN that the Daily News has been "unofficially"
banned in certain rural areas. Can you talk a little about this
and how, or if, you were able to overcome this hurdle to try to
ensure that people were informed about candidates before the elections?
Geoff_Nyarota:
DFN, right. The unofficial ban placed on the Daily News
by ruling elements of the ruling party started in year 2000 when
the parliamentary elections were held in the country. There was
a lot of widespread violence over the country, but also in small
rural areas a ban was placed on the Daily News. It remains
banned in quite a number of areas. In those areas it is a risk
for both vendor and reader
to read the Daily News. The police look the other way when
our vendors are harassed. The popularity of the paper remains
quite high, however, and people take a great risk to buy the Daily
News.
DFN: Thank you.
Next question: how bad is the current food crisis? What areas
are the most affected? Is there enough relief aid in the country?
Geoff_Nyarota:
DFN, the situation is extremely bad. The figure of six million
people has been cited as the number of people affected.
The shortage
of food is widespread throughout the country. By way of example,
my own home is in Eastern Zimbabwe. This afternoon I received
an SOS from my area to see if I could find some food to deliver
to them in the village. This is very unusual.
It is an acute shortage.
Relief food is not reaching areas in adequate numbers. In some
areas, relief food has been used for political gain. My paper
yesterday published that bags of maze were being distributed by
the ruling party to voters to influence their votes.
DFN: Thank you.
Please feel free to ask questions. Mr. Nyarota has limited time.
Juliepen: Are
there still charges pending against you?
Geoff_Nyarota:
Julie, yes. There are quite a number of charges pending against
me. It is now our conviction that the arrests are a way of harassing
journalists.
Geoff_Nyarota:
There is no follow through; we are arrested, but there is no follow-up
on our cases afterward. We are left with no option but to assume
the arrests are a way of intimidation.
Juliepen: Which
charges are of most concern?
Geoff_Nyarota:
Julie, in the situation just described, none of the cases are
really serious cases; they are just ways of intimidating us.
Juliepen: Thank
you. Geoff
Bill: Geoff,
what can Canadians do to help? Are you aware of the efforts of
Amnesty International Canada, Oxfam Canada and Defense for Children
International Canada? Do you know Canadian Journalists for Free
Expression?
| Geoff
Nyarota believes that the international community sees
the situation in Zimbabwe only in terms of the dislocated
white farmers. |
|
Geoff_Nyarota:
Bill, the best that can be done is to increase the awareness in
the international community of the real situation in Zimbabwe.
There are times when the international community sees the situation
only through the plight of the beleaguered white farmers.
Their rights are important, but the situation is not limited
to the plight of those farmers.
This is a much bigger
situation: the rural population is totally without food. The plight
of the opposition parties, the journalists, the judiciary—these
are all groups who have been targeted by the government. The international
community does not see this.
DFN: Is there
adequate coverage in the US?
Geoff_Nyarota:
No. There is a very limited view of the situation in Zimbabwe
in the US. Meanwhile, Zimbabweans are leaving their country in
thousands in every day. They are leaving for Canada, for New Zealand,
for South Africa. There are running away from the plight and chaos
here.
Bill: Geoff
we need pictures and names of people hurt especially children
and youth for our DCI Canada Newsletters. Can you send these to
DCI Canada?
Geoff_Nyarota:
Bill, if you can contact the Daily News, you can get these photos.
Check out the Web site: www.dailynews.co.zw.
You
can email us at editorial@dailynews.co.zw.
Bill: Thanks
Geoff Great!
shravanti: Because
the government prevented a large number of MDC candidates from
running in the elections, we don't get an accurate picture of
support for the MDC. What would you estimate this to be?
Geoff_Nyarota: Shravanti, in the presidential election,
Morgan Tsvangirai got 1.2 million votes. This is an amazing number,
especially considering that he was not allowed to campaign freely.
He had no access to radio and TV. And considering the level of
intimidation and violence, this was a great showing for him.
The MDC got considerable
support, but Tsvangirai and his party have failed to penetrate
the rural areas, which remain a stronghold of the ruling party.
The results of that election reflect a great divide between the
rural and city areas.
DFN: Is there
any chance of this changing?
Geoff_Nyarota:
It depends on three factors: 1) Whether the election violence
can be eliminated; 2) whether all sections of the population will
have access to all media; 3) whether all parts of the country
can have access to the campaigning parties. Basically, if there
is a free and fair election, the situation can change.
It is possible this
will happen. The opposition parties need to campaign for their
rights. But the ruling party is determined to hold on to power.
DFN: Thank you.
Next question?
shravanti: The
difficulty faced by the MDC during the elections seems to show
how almost impossible it is to surmount the obstacles created
by the government, especially since Mugabe has consolidated power
in many areas. I have read reports that some are talking of an
armed rebellion. Can you give us your thoughts on this? Do you
think this could be likely if things continue to deteriorate?
Geoff_Nyarota:
Shravanti, I do not think that I am in a position to say.
If there is an armed rebellion, if would be a secret. I do not
want to speculate on this for obvious reasons.
DFN: Is there
a shortage of international journalists?
|
As
professionals emigrate, Zimbabwe is experiencing a
"serious brain drain."
|
|
Geoff_Nyarota:
Zimbabweans and journalists are leaving in large numbers. Over
the past 2 months, our chief photographer and our political editor
have all left. Doctors, nurses, schoolteachers— all have
left. There is a serious brain drain. Our economy for a long time
will remain depleted. The economy is right now suffering.
These professionals
are going to the UK and to the USA, and they are buying houses.
As soon as they are in London, they go and buy houses.
Juliepen: Geoff,
do you think of leaving?
Geoff_Nyarota:
Julie, many people ask me this. But I have a commitment to my
paper. I helped to establish it. If I were to run away, how would
people look upon me and my paper? Many look to my paper as an
alternative source of information, sometimes the only reliable
source of information. I have a great responsibility then to make
sure the paper continues. I am not saying without me it would
deteriorate, but I know that my staff would get demoralised.
I am sorry, but I must
go now.
DFN: Any last
words, Mr. Nyarota?
Geoff_Nyarota:
I will say: I hope that people will continue to keep Zimbabwe
in their prayers.
DFN: Thank you,
Mr. Nyarota.
Juliepen: Thank
you very much.
shravanti: thank
you
Juliepen: Thank
you for the opportunity to speak with Mr. Nyarota!
DFN: Feel free
to stay and chat amongst yourselves. You are welcome, Julie.
Session Close: Fri
Oct 04 13:18:03 2002
|
