Speaking during a debating session organised
by MISA-Zimbabwe at the Quill Club in Harare under the topic:
The accreditation issue- Zimbabwean media’s dilemma? Unpacking
the way Forward, panellists said journalist should understand
that the repressive media environment was not a unique problem
for them alone but that it was part of the broader political
crisis that continues to deprive the people of Zimbabwe of their
basic freedoms.
In sentiments echoed by three other panellists, media academic
Ernest Mudzengi noted that the continued repression of the media
was an attempt by the government to shield itself from public
scrutiny. He highlighted that the media space in Zimbabwe, unlike
in other countries, continues to shrink despite its potential
to create jobs and foster economic growth.
The panel included former news editor of the banned Daily News,
Luke Tamborinyoka, media lawyer Selby Hwacha, and journalist
Gift Phiri. The meeting was convened to discuss the legality
of the steep accreditation and application fees for journalists
and media houses following amendments to AIPPA which legally
ended the existence of the statutory Media and Information Commission
(MIC).
Foreign media organisations wishing to establish a representative
office in Zimbabwe will pay an application fee of US$10 000 and
a further US$20 000 and US$2 000 as permission to operate and
complementary permit administration fees respectively.
Local journalists working for foreign media organisations will
pay US$ 1 000 and US$3 000 as individual application and accreditation
fees. Also of concern is that the fees gazetted in terms of Section
91 of AIPPA come into effect in the absence of the Zimbabwe Media
Council which was supposed to have come into being following
the signing into law of the amendments to AIPPA, Broadcasting
Services Act (BSA) and Public and Order Security Act (POSA) by
President Robert Mugabe in January 2008.
The panellists argued that the gazetting of the fees bring into
question the legality of the administration of the fees given
that the ZMC which is supposed to be the successor statutory
media regulatory body to the MIC is the one that should be tasked
with the functions of media regulation, registration of mass
media and accrediting of journalists and not the defunct MIC
as gazetted.
Phiri said the exorbitant fees were out of the reach of journalists
especially those working for the foreign media notwithstanding
their adverse impact on the profession. He noted that the move
followed recent threats by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Information and Publicity George Charamba that the authorities
would soon deal with foreign media organisations operating in
Zimbabwe.
Mudzengi said media self-regulation should be the way forward. “As
we dream for a self –regulating media environment, we must
introspect deeply into how the media are to regulate themselves
in terms of content with the underlying imperative being that
of sustaining a democratic, stable society … responsibility
must not only be expected from the media but that all stakeholders
must play their part,” he said.
In an effort to regulate themselves, media stakeholders and journalists
in Zimbabwe in June 2007 established the Voluntary Media Council
of Zimbabwe.
Hwacha, highlighted the legal and lobby options that journalists
and media organisations could pursue challenging the legality
of the application and registration fees. Tamborinyoka who is
also the director of information and publicity with the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC), said his party supported media self-regulation.
Rashweat Mukundu
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring
MISA Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht Street
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: + 264 61 232 975
Fax:+264 61 248016
Mobile: 00 264 813 675 362
E mail rashweat@misa.org, misaalerts@gmail.com
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