LOCAL journalists yesterday finally held a belated World Press Freedom Day march in Harare, but the event was boycotted by other media stakeholders who are angry at the manner government is treating the media.
WINSTONE ANTONIO
The World Press Freedom Day march was supposed to be held on May 3, but the event could not go ahead as police barred media stakeholders from going ahead for unclear reasons.
But after the intervention of the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo, who openly clashed with the police for blocking the event, the march finally took place from Town House to Africa Unity Square yesterday.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services deputy minister Super Mandiwanzira, who was the guest of honour, said Press freedom must be celebrated every day.
“Any law that is not in tandem with the new Constitution is going to be amended in line with the new Constitution,” Mandiwanzira said.
Mandiwanzira applauded the media for exposing corrupt officials in both the private and State institutions.
“It is unfortunate that corrupt practices are now prevalent in the media industry. Professionalism has to be observed. We need to be fair and balanced and journalists should not have the tendency of being corrupt as it undermines good journalism,” he said.
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Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum secretary-general Barnabas Thondhlana said journalists must enjoy their rights as enshrined in the new Constitution.
“If this is a new constitutional dispersion characterised by full enjoyment of our liberties as citizens, why should we continuously exercise those liberties at the benevolence of the ruling elite?” Thondhlana queried.
“Why should those in authority determine how, where and when we as journalists should enjoy these freedoms?”
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)president Michael Chideme said the organisation was advocating for a national employment council to improve conditions of service for journalists.
“The government must scrap restrictive laws and employers in both the private and State media must pay journalists decent wages,” Chideme said.
“Concerns affecting journalists include poor remuneration and working conditions, their safety while discharging their duties and lack of proper accommodation must be taken into consideration.”
The belated World Press Freedom Day march was organised by the ZUJ and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation .
