The Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body, MISA, has attacked the right-wing Maputo weekly "Zambeze" for its constant stream of articles libeling prominent judges and prosecutors, warning that such campaigns have nothing to do with the true meaning of press freedom, according to a report by the news agency AIM.


Scarcely a week goes by without "Zambeze" publishing articles making defamatory allegations against some of the figures most associated with the fight against organised crime in Mozambique – notably lawyer Albano Silva, Attorney-General Augusto Paulino, and judges of the Supreme Court.

MISA-Mozambique describes this stream of venom as "a series of supposedly journalistic texts that try to demonstrate an alleged subordination of judges and prosecutors to the interests of the ruling party, but without ever presenting any substantive evidence".

For the last three editions, "Zambeze" has attacked by name several Supreme Court judges, holding them personally responsible for a variety of judicial decisions, some of them dating from the period of the one party state. MISA notes that "Zambeze" has indulged in a bout of insults "attacking the reputation, dignity and self-esteem" of the judges concerned.

Click here to read the full report, posted on allafrica.com.