Return of the hangman?

Media hangman...Jonathan Moyo

By Daniel Chigundu

PRIVATE owned media in the country often regarded as being anti-government has been put on the edges following the appointment of Professor Jonathan Moyo as the Minister of Information in the new Cabinet.

Moyo seen as media hangman in Zimbabwe is remembered for causing the closure of the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ), who were publishers of The Dailynews and Dailynews on Sunday, causing the arrest of several journalists and deportation of Andrew Meldrum.

During his previous tenure, before he fell out of grace, Moyo who is multi-talented introduced the 75 percent local content policy on all the state-owned radios and television to give way to his now defunct band, Pax Afro and the policy is however credited for giving birth to urban grooves.

Moyo’s resurrection from the dustbin is believed to have sent shivers to some of the private owned media houses and freelance journalists who had already penned his political obituary following his defeat in the just ended harmonised but controversial elections.

Weeks after the announcement of the election results some of the private owned media had headlines such as “The end of Moyo” and Moyo’s future’s uncertain” but his proverbial nine lives of a cat has shocked many.

Jono, as Moyo is affectionately known in media circles is also famed for popularising hate speech during the tenure of the inclusive government with his long and verbose articles, which gobbled acres of space in the state owned newspapers.

He fell out of favour with the international world for his leading role in penning the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act which among other things infringes on the freedom of speech.

Which media will be hanged, or escape the noose, only the hangman (Jonathan Moyo) will decide and the world can only watch in anticipation.