Herald makes apology over Shiri story

Herald makes apology over Shiri story

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By Lebo Nkatazo

ZIMBABWE'S biggest state-run newspaper was forced to make an embarassing apology Tuesday over a headline story claiming the commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe had urged voters to back President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party in a by-election.

The paper now admits that was untrue.

The Herald claimed in its Monday edition that Air Marshall Perence Shiri "urged people to vote for Zanu PF, a tried and tested party."

The paper said the Air Force chief was speaking during a prize giving ceremony at Kwenda Mission in Hwedza. Hwedza is in Chikomba district where a parliamentary by-election will be held on October 7, pitting candidates from the ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The paper splashed on the story under the headline, 'Vote wisely, Shiri urges electorate'.

The army chief was quoted as saying: “Let's vote wisely and vote the party that we know stands for development and has its people at heart. A party that has a history, an open agenda for all to see and above all a party that has
been tried and tested."

The Herald's reporter added the reference to Zanu PF in a narrative.

Sources at the paper say a furious Shiri phoned the editors on Monday and demanded a retraction, insisting that he never mentioned a political party during his speech.

The Herald now agrees.

In its retraction Tuesday, the paper said Shiri had merely urged people to vote wisely without identifying a political party.

The paper said: “It has come to our attention that Air Marshall Shiri did not
make mention of any party but merely urged people to vote wisely and
vote for a party that stood for development and had people at its heart, a
party that had a history and was tried and tested."

Zimbabwe's defence forces have struggled to remain neutral in Zimbabwe's political power game.

In 2002, Zimbabwe's Army General Vitalis Zvinavashe, now retired, sent chills down the spines of President Mugabe's opponents when he said the army would not "accept, support or salute" any president who did not fight in the country's war of independence, an apparent reference to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zvinavashe also threatened foreign journalists and private newspapers saying they caused "insecurity, uncertainty, confusion and tarnished the credibility of the country's security arms."

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