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(TALKZIMBABWE) BBC film unAfrican and abuses Zimbabwean children

BBC film unAfrican and abuses Zimbabwean children
Mdelelwa Mdelelwa - BBC film unAfrican and abuses Zimbabwean children
Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:07:00 +0000

I HAVE just watched a so-called documentary on BBC4 by one South African Xoliswa Sithole. The well-fed presenter, attempting to speak English with some kind of American accent, tells the viewers that although she grew up in Zimbabwe, she is actually South African and says that during Apartheid years, her mother brought her to Zimbabwe for a better life and education.

She is seen in the film talking to President Mugabe saying she is making a documentary about her childhood in Zimbabwe.

But it is soon clear that Xoliswa’s documentary is actually a repeat of those tired and old conspiracies about the land reform programme and "Operation Drive Out Rubbish".

How someone who benefited so much out of Zimbabwe come out with such nonsense escapes me.

I want to say to Xoliswa, filming some desperately poor people and trying to make a name for oneself by misusing their plight is unAfrican and very selfish.

Xoliswa claims to be a niece of the late veteran Edison Sithole in the clip. Indeed sometimes apples are found fallen far away from the apple trees. If it was Sithole making the documentary, I am sure he would have pointed to the real cause of all that suffering - the illegal and ruinous economic sanctions that have killed millions.

Xoliswa failed to mention the word sanctions even once in her film. What a pity!

I know we all want to make a name for ourselves, but using one’s country and pandering to foreign fantasies and turning out to be a propaganda tool for some Western entities is not the cleverest piece of journalism.

If people want to pick a quarrel with President Mugabe, they should at least use acceptable standards of journalism to advance their arguments and shy away from the kind propaganda that I saw in that film.

It is a shame it’s only Africans who seem to have no qualms in exploiting children to make films and win this or that award.

Frankly, most of the clips in that so-called documentary are indecent and should not have been shown.

Showing a child who is about to become a teenager, relieving herself in public was disgusting.

Why are journalistic standards allowed to dip when it is Africa that is reported on? The rights of a child must be supported whether they are in Africa or elsewhere in the world.

As for Xoliswa, where was her humanity when she and her cameramen were trailing their lenses on a clearly hungry child with little strength to speak.

Is that how they repay Zimbabwe for allowing them the decency of a good life and a good education?

The tragedy is that whilst Xolisa and her kith and kin benefited from the generosity of the Frontline States, today they burn up our brothers in their streets in Johannesburg and sneak into Zimbabwe to make offensive films.

Labels: BBC, PROPAGANDA, SHOCKUMENTARY, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:37 PM