Indo man in Zimbabwe may cause friction

Ivan Fallon, the Irish Independent's man in Soweto, has announced plans to invest in newspapers in other African countries

Ivan Fallon, the Irish Independent's man in Soweto, has announced plans to invest in newspapers in other African countries. One of the most interesting is a 7 per cent stake in the Daily News, a newspaper backed by British and Zimbabwean investors. Media commentator for The Spectator, Stephen Glover, says the Daily News plans to give Zimbabweans something they do not currently have: a mass-market medium critical of President Robert Mugabe. But President Mugabe and Independent Newspapers chairman Tony O`Reilly are old friends, both educated by the Jesuits. Heinz has important investments in Zimbabwe. The launch of the Daily News is scheduled for February. A development to be watched.