Information Minister Speaks Against Sacking Of Herald Editor As Zanu-PF Factions Battle For Media Control
The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Service is reported to be split into two camps with one camp supporting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the other supporting Vice President Constantino Chiwenga. According to the weekly publication, The Zimbabwe Independent, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and Permanent Secretary Ndavaningi Nick Mangagwana are pro-Mnangagwa and are working on replacing editors at Zimpapers owned publications, The Herald, The Chronicle, The Sunday News and The Sunday Mail with their own appointees. However, Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi is reported to be fighting in Vice President Chiwenga’s camp and is fighting against the dismissal of the editors.
Sources who spoke to the Independent said,
Monica Mutsvangwa, a Mnangagwa ally, wants Zimpapers to stop covering Chiwenga, but (presidential spokesman) George Charamba, a Chiwenga ally, is resisting. So a fight has erupted over Mutsvangwa and her permanent secretary Nick Mangwana’s bid to fire current editors seen as controlled by Charamba and doing Chiwenga’s bidding and replace them with their own appointees. A list of new editors has been drawn, but the issue has divided the Ministry of Information largely along the faultlines of the two factions
Writing on Twitter last night, Mutodi said
Those fighting Caesar Zvayi (Editor-In-Chief for The Herald) Zimpapers are not for the good of the Herald. Not for the good of ED government. We stand for meritocracy, not grudges, nepotism & proxy leadership.
More: The Zimbabwe Independent
