Download - Media Institute of Southern Africa

State of the media in Southern Africa 2002
murder, sought to take legal action
against a newspaper. The lawyer objected
to a front-page article in the
latest issue of the weekly “O Pais”,
entitled “Nini may be involved in the
death of Siba-Siba”. The article suggested
that those responsible for
Cardoso’s murder may have also ordered
the killing of Austral Bank
Chairman Antonio Siba-Siba
Macuacua on August 11, 2001.
Jorge requested that presiding
Judge Augusto Paulino summon “O
Pais” editor Ramos Miguel to appear
before the court and testify on what
he knows about the Siba-Siba case.
Jorge insisted that journalists must be
held responsible for what they write.
He claimed it would be “complicated”
to use the press law, “and it
won’t have any effect.” The judge
suggested, however, that if anyone
was upset by media coverage, they
should opt for the remedies available
under the press law, in other words,
either demand a right of reply or start
libel proceedings.
The trial of the six men accused of
murdering Cardoso opened on November
18 under tight security in the
Mozambican capital, Maputo. The
defendants are businessmen Ayob
and Abdul Satar, former bank manager
Vicente Ramaya, and two members
of the hit squad that they allegedly
recruited to murder Cardoso,
Manuel Fernandes and Rashid
Cassamo. The third member of the
hit squad, Anibalzinho, escaped from
prison on 1 September and is being
tried in absentia. The accused face
charges for Cardoso’s murder on
November 22, 2000, the attempted
murder of Cardoso’s driver, Carlos
Manjate, the formation of a criminal
association and the illegal possession
and use of firearms. Anibalzinho also
faces charges for using a fake passport
and making false statements to
the authorities.
2002
86 So This Is Democracy?