Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
Ensure sound, credible and transparent management of broadcast and regulation
institutions to make them more effective in discharging their duties.
3. Co-production and Program Exchange
Encourage co-production and program exchange within the region.
4. NEPAD
4. a Encourage public broadcasters to educate themselves and the public
on NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development).
4. b To use NEPAD in accessing funds to meet the development needs
of media in the SADC region.
Issued by:
Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA)
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
December 2, 2002
ZIMBABWE
Press Statement
January 11, 2002
TOPIC: Press Statement by Zimbabwean Journalist Organisations
Representatives of the four main journalistic unions in Zimbabwe met at the
MISA-Zimbabwe offices in Harare, Zimbabwe on Thursday, January 10, to
discuss the impending passage of the abominable Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Bill. The meeting was attended by leading representatives
of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, the Media Institute of Southern
Africa, the Independent Journalists Association (IJAZ), the Foreign Correspondents
Association and the Federation of African Media Women-Zimbabwe.
The organisations agreed to challenge the new law in court once it is signed,
as it is patently illegal and designed to deprive the media of its constitutional
right to freedom of expression. In the meantime the unions agreed that journalists
must continue with their work and ignore the Bill which is expected to
be passed next week.
A meeting of all journalists to discuss the Bill and conscientise journalists on
how this legislation will impact on the media will be held on Saturday, January
19. The unions will mobilise journalists to defy this undemocratic law by
calling for a boycott of the registration process which is arbitrarily controlled
by the Minister of Information in the Presidents Office.
The Unions leaders also agreed to send a signed petition to the Leader of the
So This Is Democracy? 293