I wish to complain about Channel 4 News' story on Zimbabwe's 'torture camps' and its abandonment of professional journalism standards in its coverage of Zimbabwe.

Channel 4 News should verify that its 5 August 2008 report was what it claimed it was.

There were too many anomalies in last night's story to explain it away as poor journalism. I contend that the reporter used by Channel 4 News for this story collaborated with Mugabe critics to fabricate an anti-Zanu-PF story.

I contend that any allegation of abuse and violence against Zanu-PF by opponents of Zanu-PF is regarded as fact.

I contend that Channel 4 News and other UK news media use NGOs as cover for their reports when the NGOs also publicise unsubstantiated claims of Zanu-PF human rights abuses as fact.

I contend that Channel 4 News, and other UK news media, claim they deliver impartial news on Zimbabwe yet in effect act as an uncritical public relations vehicle for the Movement for Democratic Change and will give a platform to anti-Mugabe and anti-Zanu-PF fabrications.

I contend that Channel 4 News and other news media actively marginalize views that are critical of the regime change agenda in Zimbabwe.

I contend that despite the position of the Southern African Development Community and the African Union on Zimbabwe, Channel 4 News and other Western media are committed to 'regime change' in Zimbabwe and their reports support this objective.

I contend that the 5 August 2008 'torture camp' story revealed no evidence that any of the 'torture camp' or funeral was anything other than events staged for the camera by opponents of Zanu-PF. The ‘torture camp’ story was part of the regime change agenda.

Channel 4 News’ website,  http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/snowmail+zanupfs+mdc+torture+camps/2380382, states:
‘Snowmail: Zanu-PF's MDC torture camps
Last Modified: 05 Aug 2008
By: Krishnan Guru-Murthy

On tonight's show...

Hi there. There's a powerful film tonight from Zimbabwe. We have footage from inside one of the camps used by Zanu-PF militia to terrorise MDC people. It graphically shows how gangs of men, egged on by women present, beat and taunt those they have captured. Our guide boasts of how his thugs torture and mutilate their opponents. It is very strong stuff and they claim to have more than 100 such camps around Zimbabwe.

Clearly some of them want to publicise this to scare the MDC, hence the invitation to film. But the MDC seem as determined to continue the negotiations for a political settlement as they were last week when we spoke to their leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Those talks are ongoing and reports suggest they are making progress.’

The Telegraph picked up the story:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/2506621/Zimbabwe-attacks-filmed-despite-opposition-agreement-with-Robert-Mugabe.html

The key elements of the story that suggest collaboration in fabricating torture camp allegations are:
- that it is ridiculous to suggest that a reporter for the Western media would risk injury and death at the hands of anti-Western Zanu-PF thugs by being taken into the countryside by them;
- that a shot of a torture camp victim being attacked by Zanu-PF thugs was obscured by smoke due to the deliberate selection by the reporter so that the film could not disprove that any real taken took place;
- that there was no evidence of any limbs being cut off despite the claim made by Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Other anomalies in last night’s include:
- Zanu-PF thugs needing a Channel 4 News report to tell people that supporting MDC risks injury from Zanu-PF thugs;
- Zanu-PF thug’s desire to remain anonymous despite wanting to publicise that Zanu-PF attacks MDC supporters;
- Zanu-PF thugs were shown to carry axes to promote the image of violence;
- the ‘torture camp’ was out in the open;
- only one person was in the camp at that time despite allegations that Zanu-PF are engaging in mass torture of people;
- the outrageous claim by a Zanu-PF thug that torture is an “African custom”.

There are other general anomalies about Zimbabwe:
- no evidence of torture camps accepted by a Zimbabwean courts, despite the fact that the courts regularly deliver decisions against the government;
- Channel 4 News recently carried an interview where Tsvangirai (MDC leader) did not say that Mugabe was a ‘brutal dictator’ but rather a “human being”, who “was in denial about violence”;
- the UK government seeks to deport Zimbabwean Mugabe critics back to Zimbabwe where they claim there are widespread human rights abuses.

Reporters know that Mugabe critics fabricate stories. This was demonstrated when the Sunday Times had to retract a 26 June story about a child whose legs had been broken by Zanu-PF thugs. The mother had made the claim:
- ‘Doubts Raised Over Haunting Image From Zimbabwe’, The Sunday Times, July 6, 2008,  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4276338.ece
- ‘Iconic Image Blurred Along Its Global Trail, Poynter Online’,  http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=146534

Reporters also know that MDC engage in violence but this remains unreported. The magazine, ‘New African’ published an article in May 2007 entitled: ‘David Coltart, ‘Why I cannot join Tsvangirai’s faction’,  http://www.africasia.com/uploads/zimbabwe_special_may_2007_new_african___part_2.pdf

The article’s introduction stated:
‘Last year, David Coltart (pictured), a former Rhodesian police officer and now the MDC’s white MP for Bulawayo South, wrote a piece for the website, NewZimbabwe.com, explaining why he could not join Morgan Tsvangirai’s faction of the MDC. His major reason: Tsvangirai’s faction has a propensity for violence and has not taken any action to discipline its members who had used violence in the past. In fact, it had rehired members who were expelled or suspended for using violence against fellow MDC members. Coltart’s piece undermines Tsvangirai’s recent claims that he doesn’t “believe in violence” and has “on many occasions restrained [his] supporters from being violent”.’

This means that the Channel 4 News cannot report as fact claims that it is Zanu-PF alone that is responsible for violence against MDC when there is a history of violence within MDC.

Channel 4 News reports will be accepted as true by the vast majority of its viewers. Yet, the reports only serve to discredit any reporting of real human rights abuses by the Zimbabwean government.