Tafataona Mahoso

Tafataona P. Mahoso, dubbed 'the Media Hangman' by local and international media,[1] was the controversial and vitriolic chairman of the Media and Information Commission (MIC), an organ that was created by Jonathan Moyo to control the media in Zimbabwe, pursuant to Zimbabwe's Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).[2] He was replaced by Chinondidyachii Mararike in early 2008 when a judge determined that he was unfit to perform his duties as the chairman of MIC because he was 'politically biased.'.[3]

Dr.
Tafataona P. Mahoso
Chairman Media and Information Commission
In office
2003–2008
PresidentRobert Mugabe
Succeeded byChinondidyachii Mararike
Personal details
Born (1957-01-12) 12 January 1957
Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia
NationalityZimbabweZimbabwean
Political partyZANU-PF

He was controversially reappointed to a Zimbabwe media board in October 2009 even though a parliamentary committee gave him low marks during an interview.

Education

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Literature and History from Roberts Wesleyan College, Chili, New York. He was award a Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Literature from Ohio University. In 1971, he got a PhD in African Studies and History from Temple University.[4]

War with the Media

AIPPA gave him unlimited and boundless and complete powers to oversee the media in Zimbabwe, especially the print media.

The Tribune

He closed down The Tribune and its sister newspaper The Weekend Tribune, on the ground that they did not inform him of a change of ownership.[5]

ANZ

He has fought to deny a license to ANZ, publishers of the Daily News. Over the years, he has been dragged to court where he has defended provisions of AIPPA that gives the power to shut down newspapers.[6]

Columnist

He writes a weekly column in the Sunday Mail, which he regularly uses to support government policies on one hand and to attack perceived enemies of the state on the other.[7] He has attacked Gideon Gono on the cash shortages in Zimbabwe in the same column.[8]

Personal life

Little is known about Mahoso's personal life. The scanty reports available indicate that during his time in America, attending school and teaching, he cohabited with a woman called Ruth Laughlin [9]

See also

References
  1. "Zimbabwe Media Commission Controversially Engages 'Media Hangman' Mahoso". Voice of America Africa. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  2. "MIC Delays Journalists' Accreditation". The Zimbabwe Gazette. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  3. "Banned Zim paper invited". afrol News. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  4. "Tafataona Mahoso: A man of many hats". Bulawayo24.
  5. "'The Zimbabwean' in danger". The Zimbabwean.
  6. "We welcome self-regulation: Mahoso". The Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  7. "African Focus". Sunday Mail.
  8. "Gono Now a Serious National Security Threat - Mahoso". ZimDaily. Retrieved 2 July 2008.
  9. "Iowa Women's Archives - Ruth Laughlin- University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa".
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