The government has labelled a local journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and academic Pedzisai Ruhanya, sell-outs following their fall-out with Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Stergomena Lawrence Tax on Twitter.
Writing on microblogging site Twitter on Thursday, Deputy Information minister Energy Mutodi said:
The Government of Zimbabwe stands with Dr Tax following her sentiments on sell-outs Hopewell Chin’ono, Pedzisai Ruhanya among others who focus on tarnishing the image of the government.
Sell-outs speak bad about their country, seek to please outsiders and are desperate for attention.
Earlier this week, Chin’ono had castigated the Tanzanian President for changing from being a “reformist” to becoming a “hero worshipper”. He also made reference to Lawrence Tax, who is a Tanzanian citizen.
Tax had suggested that Zimbabweans who criticise President Emmerson Mnangagwa do not want to see their country succeed.
Her tweet drew condemnation from Chin’ono, Ruhanya, and Tsitsi Dangarembga, among other Zimbabweans.
If the truth about a country paints a grim picture, it remains the truth! Dr Tax would prefer journalists to whitewash the situation. A government or a President must be able to take criticism which speaks the truth and it behoves them to act accordingly. I would have expected Dr Tax,a s a member of SADC, to uphold good governance and integrity and not to close ranks with the big boys.
These kind of people once they are sitting in high chairs think they own everything and get fat on the peoples hard work. These parasites called African politicians are the real reason Africa is bust. These sellouts will one day soon pay just like Mugabe did for taking the people of Africa for a ride. What really strikes us all is that all these so called African leaders go to other developed countries and see how they have done things instead they return home and build mansions for themselves. What sellouts they are.
At least “sellouts” just speak and stop there. Zanu bashes the country into pieces. Sadc is irrelevant to the people of zimbabwe and should be given the ignorance it deserves