Publisher considers sacking editor

Press, 23 April 1984, Page 6

Publisher considers sacking editor

NZPA-Reuter London Roland “Tiny” Rowland, head of the Lonrho Trading Company and owner of “The Observer” newspaper, threatened yesterday to sell the paper or sack the editor after a row over its coverage of Zimbabwe. Mr Rowland has strongly criticised a report by the editor, Mr Donald Trelford, on April 15, on alleged torture and murder by the Zimbabwean Army in southern Matabeleland.

Mr Rowland, who has substantial business interests in Zimbabwe, said in an interview with “The Observer:” “My alternatives are: first, to close down the paper, retaining the title. Second, to sell the paper — and nobody’s going to tell me whom I should sell it to. Thirdly, to remove Mr Trelford as editor.” Earlier this week he accused Mr Trelford of writing a sensational story based on unsubstantiated

material. Mr Trelford replied that the story had been solidly based on the evidence of victims whom he had interviewed. “I saw their wounds. I stand by every word of the story,” Mr Trelford said. In the interview Mr Rowland repeated the call he made earlier for Mr Trelford to go back to Zimbabwe with a team of reporters for another investigation in Matabeleland.