Dearest Caesar Zvayi I write this with a heavy heart

I write this with a heavy heart. Just like I have carried heavy hearts every time something went wrong with you. Like last year when you said you received threatening calls. Like the time when you told me Ian Khama was deporting you. Like those days when I sensed jealousy people trying to pull you down.

But I know, you will not misconstrue my sentiments as anything sinister because we have had this discussion before. 

Like the day I joked about where you will go in the case MDC came into power. Do you recall what you said: That you can become just like Lovemore Madhuku and lecture at the university.

I asked that question not because I am an MDC supporter. You know I am not and will never be. I said it just to tease you.

My point is that the way The Herald has swayed or kilted these days has beaten any other time after Ian Smith's era when there were days the paper would have blanks because stories were deemed politically incorrect.

I have known journalists like the late Philip Magwaza whose political reporting was fictitious at worst and appalling at best. There have been many others who tried their best to rise. I am not worried about your allegiance. That you know very well. Between us, we have discussed it. Laughed at it. But am worried with The Herald under your hand.

After the war in 1980, I saw kangaroo courts carried out by overzealous Zanu-PF chairpersons who called people perceived to have been anti-Zanu-PF to confess. I know people whose bodies were found dumped a few days after they had confessed to having been all sorts of things.

What I am saying is that with Grace Mugabe's unashamed finger-pointing, and The Herald's celebration about it, those fingered are being sacrificed. Our country is a very violent country. Fingering people and accusing them of unproven crimes is very dangerous. But it is extremely dangerous when a national paper carries such claims as if they are true.

Playing such a role in the name of informing the people has proved to be a catalyst for civil war. We have seen this in Rwanda where the media played a biased role and divided tribes resulting in the massacre of the century.

I am referring to Grace's careless talk about Ndebele men being good for nothing; I am referring to Grace's loose talk about Mavambo and MDC having been formed in Joyce Mujuru's house. By so doing, Grace isolated people, exposed them to the winds of violence in Zanu-PF. The people accused and fingered have been marked for anything.

Like I said earlier, that is not my business. What worries me is the role The Herald is playing in all this. Honestly, how can you let a claim go unchallenged? The story where Grace talks about MDC and Mavambo being formed in Mujuru's house, there is no effort to talk to Joyce or Simba Makoni or Morgan Tsvangirai to verify this?

Of course, Mujuru spoke about the salarygate but with concern on why it was being done selectively. And that is fair talk because who does not know that salarygate was just a project to target certain people while defending others?

I mean, how and why did Ignatius Chombo reinstate Tendai Mahachi after The Herald had run stories about salaries at the Harare City Council? Why was there no heated and spirited campaign against Mahachi just as in Cuthbert Dube's case?

I have spoken against corruption, Caesar. And you know where I stand. And am not saying this because I condone rot of any kind.

To make matters worse, most of Grace's stories are one source – her voice only making all sorts of claims! Here my friend, media ethics are on the cross. Why not challenge Grace on her claims? Why not seek responses from those accused? That's one of my biggest problems with this type of journalism.

The other story that still makes me shrink is about analysts urging Joyce Mujuru to resign. How can Chris Mutsvangwa who lambasted the VP be an analyst? He is an interested party. Expecting him to say anything different would be expecting you or me to fall pregnant one day.

Grace made claims. Unsubstantiated ones. Her husband has made such claims before. There is nothing new. Nobody resigned as an honourable thing to do. Permanent secretary George Charamba who was fingered in the PSMAS salaries saga also urged those making corruption allegations to resign, together with him. He was referring to Jonathan Moyo, the man behind the salarygate stories.

Nobody took Charamba's advice. So how in the hell do your analysts think Joyce Mujuru can resign just because Grace has made unsubstantiated claims? In any case, who in the history of Zanu-PF has ever resigned for being rumoured to be corrupt? Of course, Maurice Nyagumbo killed himself. It's not confirmed though that he died to protect a big man whose wife was fingered in the Willowgate Scandal.

Until today, the results of the Sandura Commission which was called to probe the Willowgate Scandal have not been released. Some of those who were fingered in the scandal are all back in Zanu-PF. Frederick Shava is one of those.

So I wonder what Mutsvangwa and those other two fake analysts are saying urging the VP to resign because of mere claims by the president's wife. I am asking you my dearest friend to give me three names of Zanu-PF ministers who resigned voluntarily after corruption allegations were levelled against them. Not even Philip Chiyangwa who was arrested in connection with spying against the government. So if people who were arrested once are still in Zanu-PF, why should the VP resign? Is it because of Grace? What is Grace? Is she the ultimate law now that she can cough and people start running?

In any case, if Zanu-PF had the guts to resign for messing up, there would not be a government today. Especially when there is no water, unreliable electricity, empty hospitals, a bankrupt government, and above all, a bleak future for our children.

Lastly, I don't care what Zanu-PF does or does not do with its people. But I care about our profession. I care when such glaring crucifixions happen.I care about my country.

I know you care.