THE recent invalidation of the law of criminal defamation from the statutes by the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe is set to usher in a new era in the media fraternity following years of repression and restriction on media freedom by public officials and State security apparatus.
NewsDay Editorial
The ConCourt on Monday ruled that Section 31 (a) (iii) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which the law-enforcement agents had time and again relied upon to criminalise publication or communication of statements deemed as prejudicial to the State was in violation of the country’s Constitution.
It is, however, hoped that given the said ruling by Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba, in concurrence with the full ConCourt bench, the legislature will not, in the near future or anytime soon, come up with another piece of legislation to counter the latest legal breakthrough.
For years, journalists have suffered detention in condemned filthy and nasty police stations.
Some have appeared in courts charged with publishing or communicating statements deemed as prejudicial to the State as public officials sought to have their skeleton-laden desk drawers safeguarded from the Press’ prying eyes.
Zimbabweans will, however, know that the country, as it stands now, is riddled with high levels of corruption that involve top government officials who have been basking under the cover of draconian media laws.
Now that the cover has been blown off their heads, it’s everyone’s guess that the fat cats are now busy trying to come up with other equally draconian safety nets to save their skin.
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Anything that had something to do with exposing the government’s weakness and shortfalls would be considered unworthy publishing since by doing so, journalists would invoke the use of the scrapped law against them.
Although it remains a victory to the country’s journalists, it however, does not give the media practitioners a certificate or platform to settle political or social scores with anyone in top government positions in the name of freedom of expression.
The onus is now on the country’s media to conduct itself in a manner that befits the profession and ensure it does not play to the gallery and provide its detractors with ammunition to consider tightening the screws further.
Recklessness and vindictiveness have no room in a media that purports to be professional.
Society looks up to the media to be credible and report issues fairly, objectively and in a balanced manner.
Further, society looks up to the media to educate, inform and entertain — and more important, to lead the pack in pursuing the nation-building agenda.
Media should provide a platform for diverse members of society to engage each other constructively and be able to express their fears and aspirations.
