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Media hangman summons Zimbabwe photo-journalist
Nqobizitha Khumalo, ZimOnline
August 10, 2007

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1829

BULAWAYO - The state's Media and Information Commission (MIC) has summoned award-winning Zimbabwean journalist Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi for a hearing to answer charges of "deceiving" the commission in his application for accreditation.

In a letter summoning Mukwazhi, the MIC which has banned four privately-owned newspapers over the past four years, alleges that the journalist "deceived" the commission after he failed to disclose all the media organisations he freelances for.

Under Zimbabwe's tough Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), journalists must declare all the organisations they work for before they can be accredited.

Mukwazhi, who was last week assaulted by Jocelyn Chiwenga, the controversial wife of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Constantine, was ordered to appear before the commission today.

In a statement released to the media yesterday, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-Zimbabwe, said it was disturbed by the turn of events after Mukwazhi was assaulted by Chiwenga last week.

"MISA-Zimbabwe is greatly disturbed at this turn of events as it comes hardly a week after Jocelyn Chiwenga, the wife of Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Constantine Chiwenga, on 1 August 2007 assaulted Mukwazhi at Makro Wholesalers in Harare.

"Chiwenga hurled all sorts of insults at Mukwazhi accusing him of advancing the agenda of Western imperialists," MISA said.

This is not the first time that the MIC has summoned journalists to its offices accusing them of practicing their profession without accreditation from the commission.

Last year, the MIC that is headed by Tafataona Mahoso, summoned Chinhoyi-based journalist Nunurai Jena after accusing him of obtaining his press card fraudulently.

Relations between President Robert Mugabe's government and the media are strained after the Harare authorities accused the media of pushing a western agenda to tarnish the country's image and oust Mugabe from power.

At least four newspapers including the country's biggest circulating daily, The Daily News, have been banned over the past four years with over a hundred journalists having been arrested during the same period for violating the country's media laws.

The World Association of Newspapers lists Zimbabwe among the three worst countries for journalists. The other two are the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan and the Islamic republic of Iran. - ZimOnline

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