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MISA castigates stringent media laws
Grace Kombora The Zimbabwe Independent
May 06, 2005

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2005/May/Friday6/2279.html

THE Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) has castigated Zimbabwe’s oppressive media laws, describing them as inimical to Independence and democracy.

Misa’s legal adviser Wilbert Mandinde together with Zimbabwe Union of Journalists President Matthew Takaona were in Banjul, Gambia, this week to present the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe case on the closure of its two publications to the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights.

In his presentation to the commission Mandinde said the theme for the silver jubilee (celebrating 25 years of Independence and democracy) was out of sync with the situation prevailing in the media in Zimbabwe.

"It sounds discordant to be celebrating independence and democracy in an environment in which media which served as alternative sources of information were closed in terms of a law which has been condemned locally, regionally and internationally as an impediment," Mandinde said.

Mandinde noted that media freedom, which is a key element of democracy, was absent in Zimbabwe.

"At a time when Zimbabwe says it is celebrating 25 years of Independence and democracy, freedom of expression as the cornerstone of any democracy, is visibly absent," Mandinde said.

Mandinde condemned the Media and Information Commission (MIC) for the closure of several media houses in the country, which he said was an indicator of media repression.

"Only in February 2005, the government-appointed Media and Information Commission closed down yet another paper, The Weekly Times," Mandinde said in his statement.

"This followed the closure of the Daily News, the Daily News on Sunday and The Tribune, facts of which were placed before the commission in the previous sessions."

The decision to give airtime to all political parties towards the March 31 parliamentary election was a move which Mandinde said should always exist, not just at election time.

"What we saw before the March 31 elections were cosmetic changes to the sector, which saw the coming into operation of a statutory instrument governing access to the media by political parties during elections," Mandinde said.

"We believe access to the media should be guaranteed at all times and not just during elections. And that the governance structure of the public broadcaster must be transparent and representative of all voices in Zimbabwe."

Mandinde said the media played an important role in building Zimbabwe in the last 25 years.

"The media has played an important role in highlighting and shaping policies and course of events that define us as Zimbabweans in the last 25 years.

"After 25 years of Independence, Zimbabwe now needs freedom and democracy," he said. "Zimbabwe can rescue itself from disaster by the mere act of repealing Aippa and amending Posa, the Broadcasting Services Act and many other laws that impinge on our rights as citizens," he said.

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