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Perspective with Stephen Mpofu
For more than 240 years, they flaunted it as the beacon of democracy and taunted other nations around the globe to aspire after the value in point.

But four days ago as Americans celebrated 241 years of independence from British rule, free speech, that super power’s signature tune of “Government of the people by the people for the people”, lay in virtual intensive care, ironically savaged not by anything else but by free speech.

So that some Americans wondered on Uhuru day, July 4, if their country was teetering on the brink of dictatorship.

Not only did the Americans wonder if their country was at a crossroads; other nations abroad, dictatorships as well as smaller democracies have been left by the latest turn of events in the United States wondering if the new Mr Donald Trump administration is intent on re-inventing the United States of America as a lone traveller without the press.

In short, many Americans have said they were dismayed by their president’s virulent attacks verbally and through his Twitter handle, describing his country’s news media as “enemies of the (American) people” and the stories they publish as “fake news”.

One media executive described Mr Trump’s lambasting of the journalists and their organisations as “unprecedented” and “personal” according to the Voice of America radio this week.

Another, enraged American commentator said Mr Trump’s relentless blasting of individual media personnel was “below the (American) presidency.

A journalist was quoted as saying that Mr Trump administration officials wanted the media “to write things that please them”.

It is common sense that governments should regard, and TREAT the press as a fellow traveller, and an ally in the running of the country with the latter acting as the ears and eyes of those in power by pointing out pitfalls that government may not be aware of for corrective measures to be taken for the better of both the rulers and the nation as a whole.

A press that serenades those in power with choruses of praise while turning a blind eye to shortcomings by leaders is a wolf in sheepskin and therefore not worthy to be called the Fourth Estate which should play the important role of informing and educating society by exposing wrongs for them to be put right while giving praise where it is due.

Because of the paramount role that journalists in America and elsewhere in the world play for the betterment of their nations, those in the journalism fraternity who get vilified by their governments for carrying out their professional mandate should refuse to be cowed down into zombies by whoever happens to be in power. Their noble profession requires them to be steadfast in enduring whatever harassment they face from whatever source so long as they themselves honourably discharge their duties in the way they know best for the good of their nation.

Media reports suggesting that Russia had meddled in America’s presidential elections that saw Democratic contender Mrs Hillary Clinton losing to Mr Trump, a Republican now in his fifth month in power, kicked up the ongoing rumpus deepened by Mr Trump’s subsequent firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The sacking led to widespread speculation both in the media and intelligence circles that through the move Mr Trump wanted to nip in the bud investigations to discover the truth about alleged Russian involvement in the election to sway the results in his favour.

High level inquiries continue to try to discover the veracity or otherwise of the charges of Russia’s involvement in the US elections.

Results of a worldwide opinion survey on Mr Trump’s presidency showed that Russia and two other countries gave Mr Trump its approval rating, a move that some people in the US and elsewhere say confirms Russia’s meddling in the US elections in Mr Trump’s favour, according to VOA..

South Africa and Iran are the two other countries that reportedly approved of Mr Trump’s performance as president.

Soon after his inauguration as successor to President Barrack Obama, Mr Trump talked by telephone with South African president Jacob Zuma and to Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian president. Nigeria and South Africa are respectively Africa’s biggest economies and some people have suggested that as a billionaire himself, Mr  Trump may have been persuaded by his own business linkages to link up with the two African leaders.

But now Africa appears to have paled into insignificance and become an after-thought as Mr Trump’s America remains locked up in a confrontation with North Korea over the latter’s continuing missile tests believed to be aimed at bettering that country’s nuclear capacities. America is also engaged in military conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

For Zimbabwe, the intriguing question in people’s minds is no doubt whether the illegal economic and financial sanctions imposed by Britain and America and their continental European allies over our land reform programme will receive attention for their end anytime soon.

It is a common saying among Africans that “a big snake does not bite itself”.

However, the war of words in America today proves that even the mightiest governments are wont to bite themselves as it were if they lose focus and dwell on issues affecting their personal ego.

Of course leaders including those in Africa who are driven by a nagging propensity for muzzling their press should also stand warned that they risk shooting themselves in the foot and other parts of their body politik.