Geoff Nyarota, editor-in-chief of The Daily News, filed a Z$6 million lawsuit against Information Minister Jonathan Moyo for defamation in July 2002.
He argued that an article which appeared in the June 7, 2002 edition of The Herald under headline “Moyo files lawsuit against Sikhala, Daily News” was insulting.
The Daily News had published a story in which opposition Member of Parliament Job Sikhala alleged that Moyo had a homosexual relationship with former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Chief Executive Officer Alum Mpofu.
Moyo rebutted the story in The Herald on June 7 and was quoted as saying: “Nyarota is a disgraceful pervert whose indecency and vulgarity has gone too far, all in a morally corrupt crusade to win dubious international media awards.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE1729, MEDIA REPORT- EDITOR SUES INFORMATION MINISTER;
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
|
Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
|
|
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS HARARE 001729
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT- EDITOR SUES INFORMATION MINISTER;
HARARE
¶1. Geoff Nyarota, Editor-in-Chief of the independent
daily “The Daily News,” has filed a Z$6 million lawsuit
against Information and Publicity Minister Professor
Jonathan Moyo for defamation. Nyarota has also slapped the
editor of the government-controlled daily “The Herald,”
Pikirayi Deketeke, with a similar lawsuit for publishing a
defamatory article. Nyarota argues that the article in
question, which appeared in the June 7, 2002 edition of The
Herald under headline “Moyo files lawsuit against Sikhala,
Daily News,” is insulting.
¶2. The matter arose after The Daily News first published
a story detailing court testimony in which opposition
Member of Parliament Job Sikhala alleged that Minister Moyo
had a homosexual relationship with former Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Alum
Mpofu. Minister Moyo rebutted the controversial Daily News
story in The Herald on June 7. Moyo is quoted in the
Herald story saying: “Nyarota is a disgraceful pervert
whose indecency and vulgarity has gone too far, all in a
morally corrupt crusade to win dubious international media
awards.” In his papers filed with the High court, Nyarota
said that the article suggested that he is an
“unprincipled, unscrupulous, and unprofessional man who
would do anything to win an award.”
SULLIVAN
(46 VIEWS)
