Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
Being so, it is wise to mention that the situation of the various correspondents
within the various media houses in the provinces has not improved to the same
level registered in the capital. Generally, the correspondents of Radio Ecclesia
in the provinces experienced shocks in dealing with the local governments. It
is important to underline that the openness to the freedom of expression in the
country is manifesting itself with some slowness and while the speed applied
in the capital is more likely daring and also has more palpable results, this
situation is far from desirable, as it is certain that the situation in the provinces
tend to harden precisely to avoid that the governors and other responsible
officers go by the riddle of the media and consequently become vulnerable
and subjected to sanctions and to individual accountability.
However, the most critical point of the reaction against the media was put
forward by the judiciary. The judiciary reacted through a public declaration
broadcasted by the state controlled media and other media because of a programme
of judicial, political and social analyses broadcasted weekly by Radio
Ecclesia, at a time when the power of the judiciary was being analysed.
The Ecclesia Radio station organised a radio phonic forum with the direct
participation of the citizens about the situation of the judicial power in Angola
and the result was a negative judgement and denounciation beyond expectations.
On the other hand, although there has not been a judicial proceeding, the truth
is that for the first time, in the middle of 2002, a pronouncement by INACOM,
Angolan Institute of Communications put in question the judicial statutes of
the Radio Ecclesia, allegedly for broadcasting to some areas of the country
without holding a permit for it. In question is a comprehension diametrically
opposed by the existing tools of the judiciary, in which Radio Ecclesia is seen
as untrustworthy and as lending itself to its owners the Catholic Church and
more specifically the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome.
With regard to the legislative production related to the media, the Technical
Commission created by the President of the Republic is still preparing the
future Press Law which mandates the elaboration of the succession of a rejected
bill presented by the Government, two years ago, which was not approved
due to the pressure and energetic efforts of the journalists of the private
media and the civil society.
2002
Besides, a law of State Secrecy was approved almost without opposition. Although
only the press was summoned to discuss this law (while it was a bill)
it was absent. Later, after the approval of the law, some parties tried to question
its compliance with the Constitutional Law. It is still expected that the
Supreme Court (which decides on matters of this nature, due to non-existence
26 So This Is Democracy?