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So
This Is Democracy? - State of media freedom in southern Africa 2004
MISA
December 2004
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This eleventh
instalment of So This Is Democracy? documents the numerous
media freedom and freedom of expression violations that MISA recorded
in the southern African region in 2004. The documentation and exposure
of these media freedom alerts help turn the spotlights from around
the world squarely on those responsible for human rights violations.
This can make a significant difference, as those who violate human
rights often rely on the cover of darkness.
In the period
between January and December 2004, MISA recorded a total of 169
media freedom and freedom of expression violations against individual
journalists and institutions in the SADC region. Although this figure
marks a decrease of 10 percent from the previous year, the nature
of alerts and their bearing on the psyche of journalists have culminated
into an environment in which journalists practice self-censorship,
where media organisations are either closed down by governments
through the application of repressive legislation or as a result
of degenerating economics conditions and where the pursuit of independent
journalism is often labelled as unpatriotic.
Most significantly,
the number of alerts recorded in Zimbabwe in 2005 has decreased
by 54% from the previous year (from 102 in 2003, to 47 in 2004).
MISA attributes this vast difference to the fact that the independent
media has been effectively silenced with the vigorous application
of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA)
and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA). The closure of the
Daily News and Daily News on Sunday in September 2003 and that of
the Tribune in 2004, have impacted decisively on critical and independent
reporting. Those few independent voices left in the country have
certainly experienced their share of harassment in the year under
review.
On the other
hand, a significant increase in terms of media freedom and freedom
of expression violations was recorded in Swaziland, in fact a total
of 29 individual incidences. On April 12 this year Swaziland entered
its 32nd year under an effective state of emergency. The king's
1973 proclamation stripped Swazis of many basic human rights, including
their right to political participation, and snuffed out any embers
of popular political activity. It banned political parties, concentrated
all judicial, executive and legislative powers in the person of
the king and expunged the entire Bill of Rights, which enumerated
the protections and entitlement of citizens. The 2004 Constitution
Bill does not restore those rights. It entrenches the status quo
and prevents the separation of powers essential to fairness and
good governance. In such an environment, how can the media report
freely?
Although the
media in other countries in the region have seen fewer violations,
it must be recognised that there remains a need for media law reform
as the environment is still littered with legal hurdles that stifle
media freedom.
In all, this
book remains an important historical document detailing events affecting
media workers in most of southern Africa during 2004. It should
prove valuable not only to media activists but also to scholars
and others interested in plotting the trends and identifying the
various devices used to undermine media freedom and the free flow
of information.
How to obtain
a copy
Hard copies of the publication may be ordered from MISA's Regional
Secretariat resource@misa.org
for details.
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full document
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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