THE Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) has expressed fear that Zimbabwe might go into next year’s elections without media law reforms.
Report By VENERANDA LANGA SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
In a State of the Media report released last Friday, Misa said it was worried that the current Fifth Session of the Seventh Parliament was the last session before elections in 2013, yet media reforms had not been implemented.
“Expectations were high that when President Mugabe officially opened the Fifth Session of the Seventh Parliament in November 2012 he would outline a legislative agenda that would address the envisaged media, electoral and security sector reforms necessary for the staging of elections whose outcome would be universally accepted,” Misa said in its report.
“This is critical to note given Sadc’s insistence on the reforms and that this will be the last session of Parliament before the 2013 elections and more so, where it pertains to the envisaged media reforms.”
Some of the repressive media laws that need repeal or amendments include the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Broadcasting Services Act, the Public Order and Security Act, the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Interception of Communications Act and Official Secrets Act.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Communication and Information Technology, Settlement Chikwinya said the major bottleneck was Media, Information and Publicity minister Webster Shamu, whom he accused of playing to the whims of his Zanu PF party.
“The problem is that Media, Information and Publicity minister, Webster Shamu has a blurred judgment when dealing with media laws because of his other role as political commissar for Zanu PF. As we speak, the nation is suffering from a kwashiorkor of information and the consequence is that people end up making uninformed decisions especially during election time,” Chikwinya said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He said in 2010, Parliament adopted a motion to reform the media environment, but up to now Shamu had not responded to it.
During the Third Session of the Seventh Parliament in 2011, Mugabe also announced that a Media Practitioners’ Bill would be brought before Parliament.
The Bill has been on the cards since 2009, but has not seen the light of day.
Misa also noted with concern that there had been no progress on the Freedom of Information Bill, which had been scheduled to be brought before Parliament more than two years ago.
