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The need for an acceptable media policy reform process
MISA-Zimbabwe
May 14, 2009

The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) reiterates its position on the reformation of the media in the country, stating that it is key towards building reforms that will be lasting and acceptable to all media players in Zimbabwe.

The MAZ position which was submitted to the Ministry of Information, emphasizes the substitution of statutory regulation with self regulation, a guarantee of media freedom in a new constitution, the transformation of Zimbabwe Broadcasting Cooperation into a true public broadcaster and the disinvestment of government from the Newspaper industry among other issues.

These sentiments were echoed by Andy Moyse, Coordinator of the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ), at a press club discussion hosted by MISA-Zimbabwe on 12 May 2009 titled Media Policy Reform - Mapping the way forward. The main intention of the discussion was to outline the way forward in the reformation of the current media laws and environment in the country following the just ended Media Reform indaba held in Kariba.

The other panelists at the discussion were the Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity, Honourable Jameson Timba and Takura Zhangazha, the National Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Zimbabwe); both the MMPZ and MISA-Zimbabwe are members of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe. The indaba, held 7-9 May 2009 was boycotted by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) citing the continued harassment and detention of human rights defenders and journalists in particular freelance journalist, Shadreck Andrisson Manyere. Manyere is charged under section 23 (1), (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which criminalises acts of insurgence, banditry, sabotage or terrorism or alternatively Section 143 of the same Act which relates to aggravating circumstances in relation to malicious damage to property. He was admitted to bail by Justice Hungwe on 9 April 2009 and released on 17 April 2009, after spending almost 4 months at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, only to be re-detained within two weeks of his release.

Zhangazha echoed Moyse' sentiments and added that MAZ's boycott of the conference was caused by the fact that the initial conference of 28- 29 March 2009 was organized inclusively and was acceptable, as all media stakeholders were part of the planning committee which came up with the initial program. He noted that the postponement of the meeting came with governments new programme flooded with media 'hangmen' such as Media and Information Commission, Tafataona Mahoso and former Information Minister, Professor Johnathan Moyo.

Honourable Timba briefed journalists on the Kariba conference update of the media, highlighting that the conference came up with recommendations which would be used to draw up the new policy governing the media in Zimbabwe. He pointed out that stakeholders were not present would be accorded the opportunity to input their recommendations under the thematic topics which guided the Kariba Indaba.

He denounced the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act as a hindrance to the free flow of information through the harassment and arrests of journalists. He said that the laws would be repealed in the long run and reformed in the interim.

In mapping the way forward Zhangazha, on behalf of MAZ outlined the following resolutions:

• An immediate review of the resolutions by media stakeholders of Kariba conference.
• To persuade and insist that the inclusive government ensures that there is a cessation of all harassment, intimidation, illegal detentions torture and criminalisation of journalists, media practitioners and media houses.
• To establish the Zimbabwe Media Commission in terms of the amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act of January 2008 with the full knowledge that statutory regulation of the media is not preferable and that in Zimbabwe's current political climate, any such constitution of the statutory media council must be viewed as an interim measure that will eventually pave way for self regulation of the media.
• To expedite the establishment of the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe in terms of amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act of January 2008, with the express purpose of ensuring the introduction of new players in Zimbabwe's broadcasting industry whilst actively pursuing the need for the establishment of an independent Communications Authority to replace administrative arms provided for in the Broadcasting Services and the Postal and Telecommunications Acts.
• To seek the reform of the state broadcasting Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings into a truly independent public service broadcaster, that is free of undue political or editorial interference.
• To actively monitor the state controlled print media and ensures that it allows for fair coverage of all political views, ceases hate language and is affordable to ordinary members of the public in order to allow for greater access to information.
• To actively urge all media houses, practitioners to be gender sensitive in all of their operational and reporting practices to allow for gender parity in terms of media coverage of both men and women.

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