Over the past few weeks, significant changes to the media regulatory framework in Zimbabwe were set in motion amid both hope and fear on the impact of this legislative transition may pose on the free enterprise of journalism in the country.
On one hand, there is a sense of optimism emerging from the government's acknowledgement of media self-regulation as the panacea to addressing information disorders.
In his last week's post cabinet briefing address to the media, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Soda Zhemu affirmed two key principles that confirmed the policy intention for strengthening self-regulation.
On one hand, the minister said that the government was looking at invoking constitutional provisions of delegation of powers for the statutory Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), a creature of the country's supreme law - to delegate its regulatory function to a body led by professional practitioners.
On the other hand, the minister affirmed that the self-regulatory mechanism, as led by professionals will be tasked to build consensus around the implementation of a journalistic code of conduct. The minister said such a mechanism would weed out masquerades and influencers who posture as professional journalists.
These mostly untrained content creators, sometimes referred to as citizen journalists often pollute the information ecosystem through hypersensationalism, disinformation and click baiting among other unethical conduct.
Professional journalists can identify themselves, set their standards and structures of holding each other accountable and to the public.
Having a self-regulatory mechanism that is not only recognized by the government and state media but equally given the stature and powers otherwise accorded to the commissioned regulator, has been a long standing demand of the media. Particularly the professional associations and media support organizations that coalesce under the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) banner.
MAZ partners established the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) as the self-regulatory body tasked with enforcing a code of conduct, promoting professionalism and accountability.
Over the years, the VMCZ has had a successful track record in handling public complaints against the media and in coming up with interventions that entrench professionalism within the media.
The self-regulatory mechanism has established members across most - if not all privately owned news media organisations as well as online news outlets and has handled complaints raised against state-controlled news media outlets despite the reluctance of the same to be formally recognized as members.
Both the government and the ZMC recognize the role of this mechanism, in addition to being used as a benchmark within the region and beyond.
To this extent, the government has an opportunity, through this legislative transition that the Media Practitioners Bill presents to strengthen this existing mechanism.
And as the title suggests, the law will seek to regulate professional media practitioners within the news media enterprise and doesn't cover masquerade content creators.
If anything, the law seeks to make that distinction.
This was reiterated by Jameson Mukaratirwa, a senior official in the Attorney General's office who facilitated the law drafting workshop of the Media Practitioners Bill in Kadoma a fortnight ago.
In a media interview, Mukaratirwa said that the law will only regulate professional media practitioners and anyone outside of the profession will not be bound by it.
This then suggests that the follow up news media reports and debates of Zimbabwe's intention to regulate social media are either misinformed or misconstrued.
At least for now.
It would be unfortunate for the government to seek to legislate freedom of expression.
Indeed, no one supports disinformation, outright lies and unethical behavior.
In the same measure, it would be undemocratic to seek to legislate the free market place of information and ideas as is the case with social media.
If there's a policy intent to promote ethical usage of social media, as I believe there is, given the recent concerns raised by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, then the government should consider implementing a Media Literacy Policy instead or any other persuasive than punitive measures to clean up the information ecosystem.
Zimbabwe's democracy is at the crossroads and under test and spotlight. To implement laws that promote democratic regulation of the media may provide some dint of light, which hopefully would not be overshadowed by draconian regulation of social media.
*Nigel Nyamutumbu is a media development practitioner serving as the Coordinator of a network of journalistic professional associations and media support organizations the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ). He can be contacted on njnya2@gmail.com or +263 772 501 557