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ZimRights condemns Daily News denial of registration
ZimRights
September 22, 2003

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) is astonished and dismayed by the decision of the Media and Information Commission to refuse to register the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, (ANZ) publishers of The Daily News and the Daily News on Sunday as a mass media service. The Commission's six members agreed unanimously on Friday, the 19th of September 2003 that ANZ's application for registration failed. ZimRights feels that the decision by the Commission is ill-conceived and is an attempt to silence the independent media in Zimbabwe. This unfortunate stance taken by the Commission tarnishes the image of the Commission and generally the human rights record of the country. The decision of the Commission does not only violate Chapter 3 Section 20 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe but it also violates Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Zimbabwe must feel ashamed as a country to continue violating human rights to such alarming levels.

ZimRights further condemns the conduct of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) 's action against the Independent Press when it confiscated the Daily News property on the 12th day of September 2003. We call upon the Government to ensure that the police act within the confines of the law in handling the newspaper's property as required by any law-abiding government.

The action by the Commission and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) undermines Article 19 (2) of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Zimbabwe; which clearly states that: -

Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, or in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

ZimRights calls upon the Media and Information Commission and the Zimbabwe Republic Police to remain professional in the discharge of their duties and refrain from being partisan or from selective application of the law. They should desist from using their statutory powers to achieve political gains or some other agendas. We demand that the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, (ANZ) publishers of The Daily News, be registered immediately. The Government of Zimbabwe must restore the people's right to fundamental freedoms in particular, the right to freedom of expression. The people will not enjoy their rights unless the infamous and repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act is repealed.

Arnold Tsunga
National Chairperson

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