President Robert Mugabe's press secretary has threatened to reinstate a ban on Western journalists visiting Zimbabwe, in comments published in the state-run Herald newspaper.

The threat was "retaliation" for Zimbabwean state media journalists being refused entry to Europe, the paper reported.

"(Zimbabwean) journalists are being targeted to stop them from the lawful gathering of news outside Zimbabwe," George Charamba was quoted as saying. "This is seriously an attack on the media."

His comments came after Reuben Barwe, chief correspondent of the country's only television network, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), was refused entry to Italy to accompany Mugabe to the Vatican for the beatification of former pope John Paul II.

A power-sharing agreement reached between Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in 2009 saw the relaxation of draconian media controls.

Three independent newspapers have been allowed to go to press and the ban on foreign journalists was almost totally lifted. But journalists have continued to be arrested on charges of undermining Mugabe's authority, while Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has staunchly refused to sanction new radio and television stations.

Barwe is one of six state media journalists, along with nearly 200 other members of Mugabe's inner circle, who are the subject of sanctions which prevent them from visiting Europe among other things.

Paris-based press watchdog Reporters Without Borders this week named Mugabe a media "predator," writing that it was "thanks to its president that Zimbabwes privately-owned print media are constantly harassed and that the state-owned ZBC has a monopoly of radio and TV broadcasting."

"Mugabe has no problem with the arbitrary arrests and harassment to which most of the countrys journalists are exposed," the report added.

Last week unidentified intruders broke into the offices of the independent Newsday newspaper and stole editor Brian Mangwende's computer and hard drives.

The incident came days after the newspaper had reported that army commander and Mugabe loyalist Lieutenant General Constantine Chiwenga had had to be flown to China for urgent medical treatment.