I will gang up with Zanu PF to put anti-media laws: Mliswa

By Staff Reporter

NORTON legislator Temba Mliswa says he was not happy with the way the media reported his issue with former girlfriend Susan Mutami and that he will join hands with Zanu PF legislators to put anti-media laws.

Zanu PF has never been known to be a fan of free media and the Norton legislator said he will take advantage of the party’s two-thirds majority in Parliamentary to gag the media.

In previous years, the Zanu PF government used such laws as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to gag the media.

Parliament is currently saddled with the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill, which is reported to be anti-media by experts.

The two laws brought suffering and bottlenecks in the field of journalism in Zimbabwe, with some journalists being arrested for doing their job.

Speaking at a press conference, Mliswa who is not happy with how he was exposed, expressed anger and bitterness at the media.

He said, “Is pen to paper now a basis of destroying one’s life? Is it so powerful that you wake up and you write what you want?

“Has that become the drawing line of who we are today where you believe if you have hate for somebody you are paid to write a scathing article about that somebody?

“How do we reverse all this now with our laws which do not protect us when we sue you, you think you will get away with it?

“I am a public figure and therefore accept the flak of my poor judgment in romantic choices, but to soil the character of my family and friends on account of a scorn cannot be allowed to prevail with impunity,” he said.

Mliswa added, “If there is ever a time I am going to move a motion in Parliament against journalists to be given five years (in prison) it is this time around because you cannot at all rule by the stroke of the pen and lie.

“We stand for you when you are arrested for lying, we say it is unfair. We stand for you, we defend you because we believe you are key.

“But now as a legislator I am forced to protect the innocent person not me.

“There must be a law that is supposed to come in and you know the ruling party has always wanted to curtail you.

“They have two-thirds, I will move the motion and the bill will pass, you cannot at all get away with it,” he said.

The fitness trainer-cum legislator said the time has come for laws to be enacted against unethical journalists.

“This must be a new era of journalism where laws are enacted to protect the innocent from journalists who are unethical. There must be a price to be paid by journalists who are unethical, a law must be there.”

Mliswa claimed the media was deliberately taking advantage of his emotional ex-lover to siphon information about him from her following their nasty breakup.

He claimed the onslaught was part of State Security Minister Owen Ncube’s attempts to destroy him.

Added Mliswa: “If there is a relationship, when they break up one is bound to react differently, why ride on somebody’s emotions?

“Why has this become headline news? Have we not heard of couples who break up and the wife goes to the husband’s workplace to claim he was stealing money? Gent more Covid-19 Stats from CovidZW.info

I will gang up with Zanu PF to put anti-media laws: Mliswa