Midweek Reporter
MASVINGO-The Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbabwe World Tourism Expo is hogging the limelight for all the wrong reasons as private media journalists were barred from accompanying President Mnangagwa during the tour of exhibition stands.
The restrictions have raised concerns over media access at Zimbabwe’s premier tourism event, which has attracted hundreds of exhibitors, international buyers and tourism stakeholders.
During a media briefing at the venue, a woman suspected to be from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) told journalists that private media would not be allowed to accompany the President during his tour, while selected state media houses would be permitted to cover the programme.
“During the tour, private media, you will not accompany the President except Herald, ZTN, ZBC and other state media. You will not be allowed to cover the President,” she said.
She further issued instructions on the use of cameras, saying journalists without professional cameras would not be allowed to cover the President’s address.
“If you do not have a camera during the President’s address, you will not cover. You will sit down,” she said.
The directive effectively affected journalists relying on mobile phones to record and report on the proceedings.
However, journalists observed that some Zanu PF-affiliated media practitioners were using mobile phones to cover the event without facing similar questioning or restrictions.
On Sunday a similar happened at the Masvingo Airport when buyers arrived aboard an Air Zimbabwe plane and private journalists were barred from covering the event.
Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe Chapter Chairman, Passmore Kuzipa strongly condemned the behaviour of the CIO agents.
“Media should not be treated differently or selected to cover events based on where they come from or where they work. All journalists must be treated the same, whether state owned or private owned,” said Kuzipa.
The apparent difference in treatment has raised concerns among journalists over whether access restrictions are being applied consistently to all media practitioners.
The incident comes amid wider concerns over the working conditions of journalists covering high-profile events, particularly where accreditation, equipment and institutional affiliation are used to determine access.
A journalist who requested anonymity also alleged that she was harassed while seeking accreditation at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) provincial offices ahead of the expo.
“I went to the ZTA office to ask for accreditation yesterday, but I was intimidated. The lady was rude and unfriendly,” she said.
The journalist said the encounter made her feel intimidated while attempting to carry out her professional duties.
The Midweek Watch could not get the names of the perpetrators.
The restrictions have prompted concerns over the balance between presidential security protocols and the media’s role in providing independent coverage of public events.
Journalists have called for transparent and consistently applied accreditation and access procedures, regardless of whether a reporter works for private or state media or uses a camera or a mobile phone.
As the Sanganai/Hlanganani Dzimbabwe World Tourism Expo continues, questions remain over whether media access at the event is being administered fairly and in a manner that respects the role of journalists in informing the public.
