The new minister will be appointed from ZANU PF, which has controlled
the media with an iron fist since independence almost 29 years ago.
Many observers are concerned that with the regime still in control of
such an important ministry, it will be extremely difficult to enforce
changes.
But the Global Political Agreement, signed by all parties to the
inclusive government, called for the country's tough media laws to be
changed and to allow private radio, television and daily newspapers to
operate under a unity government.
JOMIC is a special multi-party taskforce mandated with supervising the
implementation of the inclusive government. This includes working to
ensure the immediate processing by the appropriate authorities of all
applications for re-registration and registration, in terms of both the
Broadcasting Services Act as well as the Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act.
Frank Chamunorwa, a senior member of the MDC-M who sits on the JOMIC
media sub committee, told us time was of the essence to ensure that the
inclusive government takes appropriate measures to achieve these
objectives as quickly as possible. Others members of this sub committee
are Tabitha Khumalo, an MDC-T MP in Bulawayo and Oppah Muchinguri, a
former ZANU PF MP in Manicaland.
We are just waiting for the minister to be sworn in on Friday and we
are hopeful by early next week we will be knocking on his door to
introduce ourselves,' Chamunorwa said.
Although Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 it's constitutional claims
of being a democracy have been dented by the regime's failure to
facilitate the licensing of private media players, including radio and
television stations.
In 2000 Capital Radio won the right in the Supreme Court to open the
country 's first independent radio station. But this was shut down at
gunpoint after just 6 days. In response to this legal challenge to it's
broadcasting monopoly, the regime enacted the Broadcasting Services Act
(BSA), which brought about the establishment of the regulatory board,
the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), which has not licensed a
single private station. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation remains
the sole broadcaster in the country, despite calls from all sectors of
the media to free the airwaves.
The country still lags behind most of its neighbours. South Africa,
Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Botswana opened up their airwaves long
ago and have witnessed huge strides in the broadcasting industry.
Chamunorwa said they would be visiting these regulations that have inhibited the registration of independent media players.
We want this whole thing expedited so that interested parties can be
encouraged to make applications for broadcasting licences in terms of
the law. Three months from now, we would be in better position to know
when new independent players can start operating in the country,'
Chamunorwa said.
According to Chamunorwa the committee has demanded that public media,
as well as the independent weekly papers, refrain from using abusive
language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic
hatred or that unfairly undermines political parties and other
organisations.
During a meeting with representatives of media houses on Friday, JOMIC
chairperson for the month of February Professor Welshman Ncube said the
media have an important role to play in reducing the political tension
that has gripped the country over the past 10 years.
Ncube urged the media, both public and private to assist in promoting
national healing as the country moves to form an inclusive Government
on Friday.
The chairperson for JOMIC rotates, on a monthly basis.
SWRadio Africa
Post published in: News