Chronicle rejects Makoni's adverts

Chronicle rejects Makoni's adverts

REBUFFED: Chronicle newspaper rejected Makoni's adverts

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By Lindie Whiz

ZIMBABWE’S state-run Chronicle newspaper has rejected adverts from presidential challenger Simba Makoni, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal.

Makoni wanted to place adverts in the paper, advertising his election campaign rally scheduled for Bulawayo’s White City Stadium on Saturday.

But bosses at the government propaganda mouthpiece claimed they did not have enough newsprint to carry adverts, and said other advertisers had booked space in advance.

The Chronicle also told Makoni’s campaign team that they were waiting for guidelines from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on how to deal with political adverts.

Sources at the paper said the advertising division consulted the paper’s editor, Brezhnev Malaba, who after consulting "superiors" in Harare told them not to accept the adverts.

Ironically, ZEC officials two weeks ago visited the Chronicle and Sunday News and held a meeting with bosses and emphasised to them to be fair and impartial and not to refuse any material, as long as it was not offensive. The Chronicle even carried a story about the deliberations of the meeting.

A source at the paper revealed: "Makoni's advert had his picture, dates and venue for the rally. There was a flurry of activity as bosses consulted on what to do, until Malaba got an instruction from Harare not to carry it.”

The Chronicle has been carrying full page Zanu PF propaganda adverts. One features MDC presidential hopeful Morgan Tsvangirai with white farmers giving him cheques in the run-up to the 2000 elections.

Another advert has copies of letters from British government officials announcing continued funding of civic society groups in Zimbabwe. The advert has a pay-off line which says "Zimbabwe is not for sale".

While refusing to print Makoni's advert on one hand, Chronicle on the other carried a front page story on one of the ex-finance minister's perceived backers, Dumiso Dabengwa, "denying any links" with him.

The Chronicle sought comment from Dabengwa, who did not give away much.

"Yes my name has appeared before but there is no truth in that. Those people who are spreading those rumours should confront me directly. I will not respond to rumours," the ex-Home Affairs Minister said.

Chronicle went on to say the so-called Zanu PF heavyweight backing Makoni were "non-existent" or "spineless", as none of them has come forward so far. The paper also said its approach to Dabengwa was prompted by rumours that he was on Saturday scheduled to "introduce" Makoni to the people at the White City Stadium rally. It is the same rally whose adverts the paper refused to carry.

Dabengwa's response has created even more anxiety in the system, sources said.

"It was hoped that he would crack when confronted by the Chronicle but he did not give away much. No-one knows whether to believe him or not," said a senior Zanu-PF official in Bulawayo.

Those close to Makoni's camp say the "real deal" would be – as expected – in the second round of voting should President Mugabe fail to get the required 51 percent majority in the first round of voting on March 29.

"We want to isolate Mugabe from Zanu PF. We want to prevent him from getting more than 50 percent in the first round so that Makoni faces him alone, without
Zanu PF candidates at council, parliament and senate level. Zanu PF supporters will see this for what it is – not a rebellion against the party but against Mugabe as an individual,” a senior aide to Makoni said.

He said they want to "finish him (Mugabe) off" in the second round, implying that Zanu PF 'heavies' backing Makoni would come out in the open then.

Zimbabweans vote in general elections on March 29 to elect a new President, Members of Parliament, senators and councillors -- the first time the elections have been held jointly.
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