Henry Muradzikwa was fired for openly defying the Minister of Information and Publicity Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and the ministry's Permanent Secretary George Charamba to deny positive radio and television publicity to the MDC. He was also reportedly accused of denying President Robert Mugabe favourable coverage.
 
The minister is said to have also instructed the former ZBC boss to bar the MDC from flighting its election campaign material with the state-controlled broadcaster until after the presidential election run-off between President Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The runoff is expected end of June 2008.
 
When he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communications in 2007, Muradzikwa  told the committee that political interference and censorship of news reports is the order of the day at the state-controlled broadcaster.
 
MISA-Zimbabwe notes with concern that the reported instructions defied by Muradzikwa fly in the face of the SADC Guidelines Governing the conduct of democratic elections which stress equal access to the media by all political parties.
 
Source: MISA Zimbabwe

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