Daily News group sues Jonathan Moyo for $58 million

“We have a classic case here in which the prey has become the predator.” This is the opening sentence of a cable from the United States embassy in which officials were reporting about the lawsuit filed by the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, publishers of the Daily News, against Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

The newspaper group was suing Moyo for Z$58 million for “highly defamatory and malicious attacks” on the paper and ANZ non-executive chairman Strive Masiyiwa.

The case was reported in August 2003 just a month before the paper was “banned”.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 03HARARE1564, MEDIA REPORT ANZ SUES INFORMATION MINISTER MOYO;

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

051322Z Aug 03

UNCLAS HARARE 001564

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS

NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

LONDON FOR GURNEY

PARIS FOR NEARY

NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL PHUM KMDR ZI

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT ANZ SUES INFORMATION MINISTER MOYO;

HARARE

¶1.   We have a classic case here in which the prey has

become the predator. Upset by “highly defamatory and

malicious attacks” by Information and Publicity Minister

Jonathan Moyo, the independent Associated Newspapers of

Zimbabwe (ANZ) – publishers of the “Daily News” and its

sister weekly the “Daily News On Sunday” – has filed a Z$58

million defamation suit against the minister, including the

state-owned Zimbabwe Newspapers (ZIMPAERS) group –

publishers of “The Herald” and six other titles – and

Nathaniel Manheru, a columnist for ZIMPAPERS’ flagship “The

Herald” newspaper. According to an article carried in the

August 5 edition of the independent daily “The Daily News,”

under headline “ANZ files $58m defamation suit against

Moyo, Herald,” ANZ secretary and chief legal advisor

Gugulethu Moyo is reported to have instructed ANZ lawyers

to issue summons against Moyo in his personal capacity.

ANZ is suing Moyo over various statements he allegedly made

in the state media attacking and bringing into question the

integrity of the ANZ newspapers and their editorial staff.

¶2.   Among the offending stories cited in the summons is an

article carried in the May 17 edition of “The Herald.” In

the article, Moyo is alleged to have attacked “The Daily

News,” its staff and the ANZ Group non-executive chairman

Strive Masiyiwa over a story about a plan proposed by the

international community to help lift Zimbabwe out of the

current economic crisis. Another defamatory article cited

in the summons appeared in “The Herald” of June 10, in

which Information Minister Moyo is quoted “accusing

Masiyiwa of using `The Daily News’ to destabilize Zimbabwe”

and also harboring presidential ambitions. In the June 14

edition of “The Herald”, Manheru allegedly wrote and

ZIMPAPERS published and distributed an article suggesting

that Masiyiwa owned and ran a newspaper “to advance his

personal interests in opposition politics.” According to

an unnamed official, ANZ has “more than 300 articles in

which he (Moyo) has made statements which were untrue,

defamatory and highly prejudicial to the newspaper group.”

Information and Publicity Minister Jonathan Moyo is yet to

file his papers at court responding to the ANZ suit against

him.

WHITEHEAD

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