Zimbabwe (Picture from internet)
MISA calls for media reform in Zimbabwe
The Media Institute of southern Africa (MISA) Trust Fund Board (TFB) has called on the Zimbabwe government to enact a constitutional provision that clearly guarantees media freedom and citizens’ right to access information held by both public and private bodies.
The statement was made at this year’s MISA Annual meeting at Crown Plaza Monomotapa Hotel in Harare last Saturday. MISA -Botswana chairperson, Laona Segaetsho who is a member of the TFB was part of the seven members from South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe who made the call.
TFB noted the efforts being made by Zimbabwe’s government of National Unity (GNU) under the global political agreement (GPA) through which law reforms would be opened up in the country. However, TFB contends that the success of media reforms, including licensing of banned newspapers and admission of new players into the media sector will depend on the full implementation of the Global Agreement.
“We thus urge the Zimbabwean government to make the processes of media legislative reform and related policy issues as transparent and inclusive as possible and also that fundamental and international standards on media and freedom of expression rights are adhered to. These include Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Windhoek Declaration, African Charter on Broadcasting, the Banjul Declaration on Freedom of Expression in Africa,” soon after the meeting.
TFB wants Zimbabwe to engage in dialogue with media players when reviewing restrictive media laws that infringe on media and freedom of expression rights. Such laws include access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, broadcasting Services Act, interception of Communications Act (ICA), Public Order and Security Act and criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
TFD also expressed concern at the sanctioned abuse of Zimbabwe’s national broadcaster by a single political party. The state-owned print media was said to be in the habit of divisive practice of spewing hate speech designed to polarize both the media and the public.
“Both the national broadcaster and state-owned print media feed from tax papers’ money and yet are grossly abused to promote the interests of a select few,” the statement partly read.
However MISA recorded a decrease in the number of attacks on, and arrests of journalists in Zimbabwe
Lepodise le ga lena pelo,oka alola rraagwe ka sjamboko/serobi fa gare ga toropo,thupa e lelela boateng kafa baagisaneng,thusang tlhee!
Botswana is very cul!but greedy policticians are saying Botswana is the same as Zimbabwe!
le ene mdala yo o gana go siana thata, o ka bo a sa gate mmu ha utlwa de rifi tsa lepodise di nkga ha morago ga gagwe
Dilo tsa lefatshe ke mathata, come on Bots.
just wait n c wer close 2 b like our neighbours Zim…….o tla mpha letsogo
mdala o o santse a tla taboga la tshameka,o a bo a dirileng ntate le ene batho
mmeeetheeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just love Botswana the way it is. I wish BMD cud c they are the ones who are going to make Bots be like Zim.
MXX!! SAD
Ao bathung ba Modimo!!!! a motho yo ga a mo gopotse rraagwe.. kare THE DOLOM wa leka mme digata mmu di a pala.. podisi le a ineelela. o hutsegile o ka tsholeletsa mogolo lebogo. ga a swabe sis!! nxa!!
Zim go iketlilwe a ga o bone ba bangwe ba kgobile fa fatshe ba sa tsitlege, ga bana le fa e le bothata gore yo mongwe o alotswe.
i rily luv mi country waits,dilo tsa zimbabwe ga di tshwane tsa malapa a mangwe,nvana yoo ga a na thon,wa ineelela mshishi………
Are itseng gore, “God know it all and what cums around, goes around” modimo o tla utlwa our prayers zim e tla siama.
4 zim guys raise ur eyes to lord, he wil set u free..(he let israels free from pharoah’s illtreatment)
lefa baegepeto bane ba re bogisa,they dd nt mke us run like this.zims nnang ka tsholofelo,kanana go gaufi,le tla bo le iketlile go sena on yo tones.god bless yo land guys.