Sources said a complaint was expected to be made during Wednesday night’s meeting of the Zanu PF politburo.

Charamba met state media editors recently and gave a brief on “who is to be covered and not”.

Targets for the media blackout include Vice President Joice Mujuru and her supporters, and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono. Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu is a surprise inclusion on the list.

Charamba blew his fuse when asked about the directive.

“Don’t you have anything to write? Just a few minutes ago someone from the Independent was asking the same rubbish. Be warned we will take appropriate action if you print rubbish,” he exploded.

Mashonaland East governor Ray Kaukonde, one of Mujuru’s most vocal loyalists, has led the revolt against Charamba. He had already met Mujuru and Ndlovu before Wednesday’s politburo meeting to discuss a response to Charamba’s directive.

Charamba also directed the editors to minimise attacks on under-performing parastatals and give maximum coverage to war veterans and Emmerson Mnangagwa who are leading Mugabe’s re-election project.

Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said sources, must be ignored due to his links to a group of war veterans and Bulawayo politicians opposed to the “solidarity marches” spearheaded by the sprightly Jabulani Sibanda in support of Mugabe’s candidacy which requires confirmation at an extra-ordinary Zanu PF congress in December.

One state media editor described the directive to black out the information minister as “ridiculous”.

“What is surprising is that the Information Minister is also a target. Some of us find it difficult to take directives from Charamba only. We find ourselves in invidious situations when the Minster (Ndlovu) issues his own instructions different from his (Charamba’s),” the editor protested.

However, Ndlovu has repeatedly said Mugabe trusts him as shown by his appointment to the ministerial post.

“It would not make sense to appoint someone you do not trust. I have the full confidence of the President and his cabinet. This is all nonsense really,” said Ndlovu.

Gono has fallen out with the acerbic Charamba for failing to rein anti-government sentiment at the Financial Gazette newspaper which he owns. Gono is also accused of leaking secret government documents to “hostile media”.

One state media editor said: “We were told in no uncertain terms that Gono should be given little coverage or no coverage at all. Charamba and Gono have exchanged harsh words on the Fingaz editorial policy. Gono argues he is not a fair weather owner who bends to instructions ruinous to his project.

“Gono does not want interference at his paper but Charamba insists the paper must dilute its coverage of the factions of the Movement for Democratic Change and report positively on Zanu PF.”

Charamba, the sources said, further suspects Gono of leaking confidential government information to local and international journalists.

“He argues that Gono is a darling of the media and is rarely attacked by the private media which lampoons Mugabe at every given opportunity,” the source said.

Gono was unavailable for comment.

Also targeted by Charamba are the owners of Zimbabwe’s major bread and confectionery manufacturer Lobels. Lobels is owned by Ceuvost Private Limited, which lists Herbert Nkala and Livingstone Gwata as directors.

Nkala is an ally of Gono and chairs the board of the Homelink, a company set-up in 2004 by the Reserve Bank to raise hard cash through the sale of residential properties to Zimbabweans living abroad.

“Charamba said the President is not happy that these guys have not supported the government on price reduction,” a source said. “He argues they have continued to create artificial shortages of bread on the market. Against this background, Charamba believes Nkala and his colleagues must not be covered, especially in the Herald and on TV.”

Kaukonde, who is part of the growing lobby in Zanu PF that seeks to block Mugabe from securing a new term, has seen his official engagements in Mashonaland East ignored by both the ZTV and state newspapers.

Mujuru’s faction, which Kaukonde is aligned to, wants Mugabe to step down.

However, some of the politicians targeted in the “Charamba blitz” vowed to take the matter with Mugabe at Wednesday’s meeting.

Said one of the politicians: “We will certainly take up the issue with seniors on Wednesday. Charamba is too junior to decide who should be covered in our papers.”

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