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Herald censors CSO's communiqué
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
March 02, 2009

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is extremely disturbed by the actions of the Herald newspaper after its Editor refused to publish a communiqué drafted by civil society organizations announcing the establishment of a Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism (CSMM) on the implementation of the Interparty Political Agreement (IPA) between ZANU PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations in its Friday 27 February 2009 edition. ZLHR including the following 23 civic bodies had crafted the communiqué, Bulawayo Agenda (BA), Christian Alliance (CA), Counseling Services Unit (CSU), Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC), General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ), Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe), Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO), Oxfam, Progressive Teachers Association of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), Save Zimbabwe Campaign (SZC), Veritas, Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (ZHRF), Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu), Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), Zimbabwe Young Women's Network for Peace Building (ZYWNP).

ZLHR on Thursday 26 February 2009 visited the Herald House to book space for the communiqué and was told by one of the advertising representatives that the communiqué would be taken to the newspaper's Editor for vetting before placement in the newspaper. The advertising representative informed ZLHR that the Editor was not in office and would inform ZLHR once the Editor endorses the advertisement. At around 15:30 PM, the advertising representative informed ZLHR that the Editor had vetted the communiqué and had recommended the dropping of two paragraphs from the communiqué for it to be carried in the newspaper. The censored paragraphs contained in the communiqué read as follows;

"Deeply concerned at the continued assault on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe, in particular human rights defenders and legitimate political activists,

In solidarity with our colleagues and others who remain unjustly incarcerated at various prisons, remand facilities and hospitals around Zimbabwe."

After being informed of the censored paragraphs ZLHR then refused to advertise the amended communiqué as it omitted some vital information. ZLHR condemns the amendment of the CSMM communiqué by the Herald, which is supposed to be a public newspaper. The amendment of the communiqué by the Herald Editor amounts to bowdlerization and has the effect of subjecting the media to the dictates of the "powerful". Such pre-publication censorship may force the media to expunge large amounts of their news coverage from their pages. The expurgation of the CSMM communiqué highlights and emphasizes the urgent need for the coalition government particularly the new Minister of Media and Information Publicity Mr Webster Shamu and his deputy Mr Jameson Timba to restore the credibility and independence of the state-run print media and broadcaster so that they truly function in the public interest.

ZLHR calls upon the Editors and staff at The Herald to change tack and operate freely and without interference or pre-publication censorship. As a public media the Herald must provide balanced and fair coverage to all Zimbabweans, parties and organizations for their legitimate activities.

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