31 Statement by Abednico Ncube Teachers from Gwanda North who fled their schools after political threats, report that at a meeting with 2 senior government officials, they were told their safety could only be guaranteed if they supported ZANU PF. In October 2002 the then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs is reported as having said: “If you want to be in politics, join ZANU PF because it is the government. If you want to join another party, wait until it is in government.” Media and journalists As with teachers, independent journalists provide a severe threat to a repressive state, and Zimbabwean independent journalists have been under continual threat since 2000, and perhaps even before, as was illustrated by the torture of the Zimbabwe Standard journalists in 1999. Statements by Robert Mugabe Speaking about the torture of two journalists by army personnel he said that the response of the army to the coup plot story published by the journalists was understandable and he went on to say: “The publishers of the Standard knew that the story was blatantly untrue. Their heinous objective was to instil alarm and despondency. If the Standard had not behaved in such a blatantly dishonest and unethical manner the army would not have acted in the way they did.” (Source: Film footage from film entitled Dancing Out of Tune) Despite independent medical verification that the journalists had been severely tortured the Defence Minister, Moven Mahachi, made the ridiculously suggestion in a High Court case that the two journalists had “scratched themselves.” “Our television, our news is now getting corrected.” (Source: Film footage from film entitled Fighting for Rights) Speaking about the independent press in Zimbabwe, he said: “They are filthy tabloids, clearly of the gutter type are edited and run through fronts of young Africans that they have employed as puppet editors and reporters. In some cases these are also their homosexual partners, and this is true.” (Source: Film footage from film entitled Dancing Out of Tune) Statements by Minister Jonathan Moyo In May 2001, briefing a press freedom group, the then Information Minister warned that Zimbabwe’s independent media must expect violence for “provoking” supporters of President Their words condemn them: The language of violence, intolerance and despotism in Zimbabwe.