By A Correspondent| A Chipinge Rural District Council top official has threatened to sue freelance journalist Tafadzwa Muranganwa for what he claimed defamation over a story the latter wrote.
The Chipinge RDC Social Service Officer Mr Microt Mudodo was irked by a story the freelance journalist wrote on Radio Voice of the People portal which revealed that the Chipinge Rural District Council is being accused of shutting out the interests of the Mutema Irrigation Scheme members in a contractual row with banana producer Matanuska.
The story cites that Mudodo wanted to make sure his alleged girlfriend Jennifer Dzambo be in the committee that want to renegotiate for a better working contract with Matanuska .
However, the alleged girlfriend lost in the elections and now they have called for a re-run of the elections on the basis that when the voting was done delegates did not constitute a quorum despite that other elections held in Taona and Manesa had fewer people.
Incensed by the expose, Mudodo phoned the journalist accusing him of what he called character- assassination.
Speaking to this publication, Tafadzwa Muranganwa said he had reached out to Mudodo seeking his comment on the allegations but he had not been forthcoming.
“I contacted Mudodo to get his side of the story and he was not reachable so that didn’t stop me from writing the article.
“The problem with public officials they think by withholding their comments they can kill a story but apparently we are now pushing community journalism where the voice of the community matters most,” he said.
The journalist revealed that Mudodo was irate saying that the story lacked basic tenets of journalism and would press defamation charges if he is willing to stand in court.
“He told me that I did not make effort to hear his side of the story which is a lie because I took almost a week waiting for his response and he also said if he is to press defamation charges can I be able to stand with my story,” added Muranganwa.
“After consultation with my sources , I have realised the story remains truthful and now have confidence to defend it.
“In my story I mentioned that plans were underway for a re-run of the elections for Mutema and it has now been confirmed by Ward 3 Councillor Rhoda Simango who said they were yet to be notified about the date,”revealed the journalist.
Recently ,a journalist with NewZimbabwe.com, James Muonwa was harassed by deputy information minister Kindness Paradza, a former journalist, for writing what he claimed negative reporting on him.