MEDIA organisations have slammed what they described as insensitive sexist remarks by Nathaniel Manheru, a Herald columnist believed to be President Robert Mugabe’s spokesman, George Charamba.
PRIVILEGE SHOKO OWN CORRESPONDENT
Al Jazeera correspondent, Haru Mutasa earned Manheru’s wrath after she posted a video of an anti-Mugabe demo in Zambia, with the columnist launching a scathing attack, described as below the belt.
Manheru accused the journalist of posting the video on social networking site Twitter, “due to a frustration of unrelieved spinsterhood”.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi said Manheru’s diction was unfortunate.
“The use of that example in the Nathaniel Manheru column was quite displeasing,” he said.
“It is not the thing we encourage as a union of journalists.”
Dongozi said Manheru’s attack was in breach of the Constitution, which he said was clear on issues to do with discrimination.
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“The Constitution states that there should be equality, value for women and there should not be any perception of undermining the female journalists,” he said.
Media Institute of Southern Africa Misa-Zimbabwe director Nhlanhla Ngwenya said the comment was from a male chauvinist bent on demeaning female journalists.
“We urge all public officials to be gender-sensitive so as to contribute to the Zimbabwean struggle for gender equality,” he said.
Ngwenya said the people of Zimbabwe had to change the idea of patriarchy.
“We have to change the idea of patriarchy in our societies and this should be condemned,” he said.
The Zambian demonstrations were unexpected as Mugabe is often portrayed as infallible and adored by most of Africa.
The Al Jazeera correspondent posted on social networks about the demonstrations and the State media has not taken kindly to that.
“The tweeting twit took the form of some diminutive yet ageing girl clearly frustrated by unrelieved spinsterhood,” Manheru wrote.
Efforts to get a comment from Charamba were fruitless although he has in the past refuted claims that he was Manheru, despite saying they thought alike.
