Opinion written by Viomak:
I was not surprised to read on Nehanda radio an article written for Barbara Nyagomo for One Million Zimbabwe Voices,whose topic was ‘Viomak – The Rastafarian Empire Strikes Back’.
Fortune Tazvida the Chief editor of Nehanda radio online paper used the opportunity to pursue his long standing political agenda against me and he changed the title to ‘Will the real Viomak please stand up’ giving the impression that I am an evil person who is giving people a false impression that I am a genuine anti Mugabe singer and ‘freedom fighter’ and so I should stand up and tell the world that I am actually a devil who is targeting to destroy good Zimbabweans like smear campaigner Barbara Nyagomo and some tribalistic Ndebeles like Zenzele Ndebele who harassed me over my song Gukurahundi and said I am a genocidist like Robert Mugabe. Getting the impression that he had changed the title to suit his political agenda I wrote him three messages below that I pasted on his facebook wall asking why he was asking the real Viomak to stand up and yet I am standing up,and I also included a phone number for him to call, but he never responded.Why would he ignore my messages if he changed the title of the article in good faith? I am still puzzled and will remain puzzled until he explains to me why he changed it. The messages I wrote to him. 1.MUKOMA FORTUNE TAZVIDA of NEHANDA RADIO I see you copied and pasted on your news site a note and you said on your title ‘Will the real Viomak stand up’. I have listened to your plea.The real Viomak has stood up.How can I help you?I am kindly asking that the real Fortune Tazvida stands up by phoning me on 075 380 459 81 so that he tells me why he wants me to stand up. Waiting for your call.Thanks. 2. Hello hanzvadzi.Maswera sei? The real Viomak has stood up as per your request.May you please call me on 075 380 459 81 or give me your number so I can call.I need to know why you asked me to stand up.I looked for your number on your news site and there’s non.So I am kindly asking that you call me so that we discuss why …you you want real Viomak to stand up when I am already standing up.Thank.Will wait for your call for another short while. 3.Hanzvadzi I strongly believe in TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY.I am a straightforward person.Handidi zvemakuhwa nevanhu.You asked me to stand up and I have stood up.So let’s talk.Communication is very important.Mind you I have no problem with Masimba’s article that you puplished.He was expressing his views.I am coming… here because you asked me to stand up.I am here now hanzvadzi. May you please call me on 075 380 459 81 or give me your number so I can call.I need to know why you asked me to stand up.Thanks. Why Fortune Tazvida was quick to change the title of the article and give it a different suggestive meaning is obvious to me.Many of the people I have never met who target me from ‘nowhere’ as far as observers are concerned, will actually be targeting me from somewhere meaning they have hidden reasons for doing that. The reasons only become known after I share the truth about their unreasonable behaviour.One reason why I have harboured a lot of enemies is because of my stance to face the truth when it is called for and my quest for transparency and accountability whenever it is necessary. Way back before 2008, Editor in chief of Nehanda Radio Fortune Tazvida emailed me a link about my profile that he had compiled and published on Nehanda radio as he celebrated my work.He knew I had stood up against Mugabe and Zanupf .At that time his paper had a section about profiles where he was compiling profiles for selected Zimbabweans. I whole heartedly thanked him for recognising my work and my efforts to stand up and his willingness to appreciate that I had stood up to challenge bad governance in Zimbabwe.I went ahead to offer him free samples of my music to play on Nehanda radio but I didn’t get a response from him. The paper rarely publishes my articles and the profile was their first publication about me as far as I can remember. In 2008 I released the album Zimbabwe circus and articles about the music album were distributed to media outlets including Nehanda radio for publication. Fortune Tazvida deleted the points that were criticising MDC leadership negatively and published the article half way short to a point that the review lost its meaning.Knowing that Fortune Tazvida was said to be an MDC supporter we kept quiet about it and never asked him until a situation arose later. As I continued to read news on his new site I came across an article by the editor of Talk Zimbabwe at that time Itayi Garande who had written wanting to sue Nehanda radio for an ‘inaccurate’ article that Nehanda radio had published saying Itayi Garande is a Zanupf supporter who should be deported from Britain.I can’t remember well the contents of the article. Worried about the hate amongst Zimbabweans I wrote a sisterly email below on 19 /12 /2008 with the subject title ‘Responsible journalism and Peace’ to both Fortune Tazvida and Itayi Garande, both of who I have never met even up to now ,but just knew them as news editors . None of them responded,giving me the impression that they were not happy about my views and that is obviously another reason why I am convinced that Fortune Tazvida is seeking justice from me. Since that time Nehanda Radio and Fortune Tazvida who rarely published my articles never published any news to do with me until he published an email in 2009 that I had written on Dandemutande mailing list in which I was sharing my views on foreign journalists in Zimbabwe.The email was not news but Fortune Tazvida turned it into news as he worked hard on getting news that he thought was good enough to have readers attack me.For the same reason he was quick to publish. So basically the truth is Fortune Tazvida is engaging in media harassment against me because he is an MDC supporter who is angry that I criticize MDC and so whatever silly opportunity that is raised to attack me he grabs it with open hands and makes it appear as news when all he is doing is exposing me to attack as he feels that I should go down. I could be wrong but that’s how I have viewed my relationship with him since 2008.I am convinced that he can’t wait to see me drown not because I am an evil person to him but because I criticise MDC the party that he is said to support. Below is the email about ‘Responsible journalism and Peace’ that I wrote to Fortune Tazvida and Itayi Garande on 19/12 /2008.I was always convinced that the email didn’t go down well with both of them. —————————————————————————————— Hello my brothers .
Am just worried about these issues pertaining to Itayi’s deportation etc. I think you should be working hand in hand instead of threatening each other with prosecution etc.When are we going to sow seeds of love and peace amongst ourselves.In these ‘white’ countries you see BBC ,SKY NEWS,ALJAZEERA ETC WORKING HAND IN HAND,and yet with us blacks it’s ‘war’ after ‘war’. Don’t you think you are brothers in journalism too and should be cooperating and joining hands in informing the public instead of ‘fighting’ yourselves.I’m just concerned.I understand that your views could be different but why not respect each other’s views for the sake of progress.You are our future leaders and I think you should be tolerant of each other’s views.This doesnt mean that Zanupf or MDC murderers and thieves should be tolerated,but that should be left to us the public to say and you write what we say no matter who you support. Your papers have grown to be partisan and it is really a sad thing for Zimbabwe.You need to be responsible enough and understand that we look up to you to bring sanity in our society through your media outlets.We cant all be writers and journalists.Responsible journalism is very healthy for any society that strives to move forward in a positive way.This habit of attacking each other unnecessarily is not good for us.The same thing was happening with Zimdaliy ,New Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe times.When are you going to learn that what we need in Zimbabwe is free media that takes in anyone ‘s views.Freedom of expression gives way to a democratic society that we are all striving for. Because of your type of journalism you leave neutral people like me in limbo with no Zimbabwean paper willing to publish our stories or articles.
Fortune you published mai Holland’s attack on Itayi and yet when Harriet my publicity gave you my article to publish you deleted everything that was of great importance to it because the article was against MDC Tsvangirai etc.I didn’t query you.If I ask you why you deleted those sections I’m sure you will tell me that it’s per your policy and yet the real issue is you were not prepared to publish something negative about MDC. You gave me the impression that you support MDC and are hesitant to publish anything against them.
In a similar manner many people are purporting that Itayi supports Zanupf and is hesitant to publish anything against Zanupf,but guess what I am irritated cause many of these people are not different from Itayi.I think the best thing is for each of you to move on with your good work. You are all doing great in publishing what pleases you and I am convinced your views should be respected.Please try to avoid personal attacks that end up tarnishing the image of Zimbabwean journalists.Our politicians are doing the same and I think we should strive not to be like them. Only that I don’t have time otherwise I was going to write Mai Holland telling her to mind her business in MDC and leave Itayi alone cause there are so many MDC thugs here who are getting away with bad behaviour.MDC just hailed that thug Tonderai who assaulted Trudy as a hero and yet she despises Itayi for voicing his opinions.She should actually tame the MDC thieves and rapists in our midst than to cry out for Itayi’s deportation .I am not supporting Itayi but just sharing my views.Itayi you never bothered to publish my article concerning Reason because it was against a zanupf supporter.I didnt query you .I have come to appreciate that Zimbabwean online papers are run by MDC and Zanu pf supporters so if you are a neutral person like myself they will not publish your stories as they are.
I know my truth has created more enemies for me than friends but I will stick by it for the sake of democracy and development.Of course I am suffering a media blackout from some Zim journalists that I have shared some truth with which they didn’t want to hear but then for the sake of progress the truth will bind us in the end.So you guys why not sort out these disturbing issues amicably instead of taking each other to court etc.Zimbabweans need your services,both Nehanda radio and Talk Zimbabwe and I think you should stick to professionalism and be friends in business too.
Please be nice to each other.I wish you all good luck and blessings during this festive season and in future.
Vio