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Secret service blocked Daily News registration
MISA-Zimbabwe
December 01, 2005

Zimbabwe’s secret service allegedly reversed a decision by the government-controlled Media and Information Commission (MIC) to register Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ).

The weekly Financial Gazette reported in its December 1-7 2005 edition that impeccable sources had told the paper that the Central Intelligence Organisation had vetoed ANZ’s registration.

According to papers filed in the High Court, Jonathan Maphenduka a former MIC board member, said the media regulatory body had on 16 June 2005 agreed to register ANZ, publishers of the Daily News and Daily News on Sunday.

The MIC reportedly agreed that there was no legal basis to deny ANZ a licence.

The decision was supposed to have been communicated to the public immediately, but MIC chairman Dr Tafataona Mahoso, stalled presumably ‘to consult higher authorities.’

The June 16 decision was taken simultaneously with the decision to deny another publisher, The African Tribune Newspapers (ATN) a licence - a decision which Mahoso communicated to the applicants directly.

Mahoso, however, chose to wait for more than a month before proceeding with the ANZ case.

"Notwithstanding the attitude of the commission to the application of Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, the executive chairperson, Dr Mahoso appeared to me to be stalling on the matter and he demanded additional information regarding the shareholders of the applicant.

"Dr Mahoso took the view that the structures of the applicant were confusing and it was necessary to clear this confusion," said Maphenduka in an affidavit filed in the High Court.

The ANZ is challenging the MIC’s decision to deny it a licence to publish its titles.

Maphenduka, a veteran journalist, resigned from the MIC in August 2005 in protest against what he described as the Commission’s ill-advised decision to close down newspapers.

Maphenduka states in his affidavit that minutes of the June 16 meeting had contrary to normal practice, not been made available to him nor were they adopted at a subsequent meeting.

In his affidavit which is silent on the issue of the June 16 meeting, Mahoso says all the commissioners including Maphenduka, agreed not to register the ANZ.

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