Threat to sue Beira daily newspaper

Mozambique: Threat to Sue Beira Daily Paper
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The two members of the Elections Commission in the central Mozambican province of Sofala appointed by the former rebel movement Renamo, Lucas Zabica and Patreque Chicamisse, have promised to sue the Beira daily paper "Diario de Mocambique" for libel over claims that they had used a Beira City Council vehicle for "clandestine" electoral work. The paper had alleged, in its issues of 5 and 22 January, that the two men were found to be using the City Council vehicle, an Isuzu, when it had an accident in Marromeu district on the south bank of the Zambezi. Zabica and Chicamisse have now denied that that they ever set foot in Marromeu or ever used a City Council vehicle. They also strongly deny the suggestion in the "Diario de Mocambique" story that they were doing any "clandestine supervision" of voter registration ... there are two contradictory stories about the vehicle. The paper cited the mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, stating that the City Council lent the Isuzu to the Beira City Elections Commission. Yet both the city and the provincial commissions denied ever receiving or requesting any vehicle from the City Council. The chairperson of the provincial commission, Prakash Prehlad, was then quoted by the paper accusing Zabica and Chicamisse of using the vehicle on Renamo business.