Manheru names journos with US intelligence links

Nathaniel Manheru (the pen name for Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba) blasted the international media for inaccurately reporting on the situation in Zimbabwe.

He also accuses the State Department of using a “lady American intelligence officer” to create a “full-blown structure” in Pretoria for training journalists.

Manheru goes on to name Sydney Masamvu (a South Africa-based political analyst), Sizani Weza (Embassy Harare’s LES Press Specialist), MDC’s Luke Tamborinyka, Frank Chikowere (VOA stringer), and Brian Hungwe (BBC stringer) as implicated in “misdeeds and espionage.”

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SUBJECT: HARARE JOURNALIST ABDUCTED, MORE POTENTIALLY TARGETED

¶1. (SBU) Accredited freelance Zimbabwean journalist Shadrack

Andrisson Manyere was abducted from his home in Norton, a suburb of

Harare, on the evening of Saturday December 13. Manyere has been a

frequent critic of the Zimbabwean government and, unlike some

journalists, is fully accredited by the Zimbabwean Media and

Information Commission. Men identifying themselves as police with

the law and order division arrested Manyere; other officers returned

to the house later and took his laptop computer and other files. The

computer reportedly contained stories he had written for South

African media that had recently been published. Since his apparent

arrest on December 13, lawyers have been unable to locate him and

police deny holding him.

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Herald Accuses U.S. “Spy” of Manipulating Media

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¶2. (SBU) Additionally, in an editorial in the government mouthpiece

The Herald on December 13, Nathaniel Manheru (the pen name for

Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba) blasted the international media

for inaccurately reporting on the situation in Zimbabwe. The

editorial declares that Zimbabwe does not need to accredit reporters

for foreign news organizations. It also accuses the State

Department of using a “lady American intelligence officer” to create

a “full-blown structure” in Pretoria for training journalists.

Manheru goes on to name Sydney Masamvu (a South Africa-based

political analyst), Sizani Weza (Embassy Harare’s LES Press

Specialist), MDC’s Luke Tamborinyka, Frank Chikowere (VOA stringer),

and Brian Hungwe (BBC stringer) as implicated in “misdeeds and

espionage.” Manheru then declares he “happen(s) to know that the

authorities are about to place a price on those concerned, and let

no one cry.” Also on December 13, The Herald accused the U.S. of

“masterminding” the ongoing cholera epidemic as a form of biological

warfare against Zimbabwe.

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COMMENT

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¶3. (SBU) Government-sponsored vitriol against the U.S. continues

unabated, and it appears the regime is making additional efforts to

target journalists. Local journalists we have spoken to are taking

the threat seriously, and see it as a potential opening salvo in a

further assault on the media. We are particularly concerned that

one of our staff members was named in the Manheru article. The

recent spate of abductions and arrests reflect significant and

continuing efforts by the regime to intimidate and silence

government critics. END COMMENT.

DHANANI

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