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Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) statement on the pursuit of media 'gagging' court orders
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
August 16, 2011

The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) notes with concern reports emanating from the mainstream media, in the last two weeks, involving attempts and threats to gag the media by the corporate world.

The Zimbabwe Independent, two weeks ago, reported that mobile telecommunications operator, Econet Wireless, applied to the High Court seeking an order to bar and stop the newspaper from reporting on issues pertaining to the operations of Econet Wireless.

More recently the Sunday Mail of 14 August 2011, reported that the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG), sought to gag the newspaper after RTG lawyers, Scalen and Holderness, wrote to the newspaper in what the newspaper said was an attempt to bar the Sunday Mail from publishing a question and answer interview with businessman, Nicholas Van Hoogstraten.

VMCZ expresses grave concern at the growing cases of companies seeking to use the courts in attempts to bar newspapers from publishing certain information.

VMCZ reiterates that while it is the right of any citizen and any organisation in the country to seek legal redress in our courts of law, the VMCZ however views attempts by the corporate world to resort to the courts to stop newspapers from publishing information as an unfortunate attempt to undermine the public's access to information.
RTG and Econet Wireless are public listed companies with the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), and the media has a right to subject the companies to public scrutiny.

VMCZ urges the corporate world and the population at large to engage the media organisations and resolve matters amicably.

If the corporate world, government departments and Zimbabweans at large are not happy with any story published in the print or broadcast media in Zimbabwe, they are free to approach the VMCZ Media Complaints Committee to seek redress.

The Media Complaints committee was established to enforce professionalism and accurate reporting in the media.

Visit the VMCZ fact sheet

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