ZLHR including the following 23 civic bodies had crafted the
communiqué, Bulawayo Agenda (BA), Christian Alliance (CA), Counseling
Services Unit (CSU), Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC), General
Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union( GAPWUZ), Legal Resources
Foundation (LRF), Media Institute of Southern Africa – Zimbabwe Chapter
(MISA-Zimbabwe), Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), National
Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO), Oxfam,
Progressive Teachers Association of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Research and
Advocacy Unit (RAU), Save Zimbabwe Campaign (SZC), Veritas, Voluntary
Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for
Human Rights (ZADHR), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development
(Zimcodd), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Zimbabwe Human
Rights Association (ZimRights), Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (ZHRF),
Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu), Zimbabwe Peace Project
(ZPP), Zimbabwe Young Women’s Network for Peace Building (ZYWNP).
ZLHR on Thursday 26 February 2009 visited the Herald House to book
space for the communiqué and was told by one of the advertising
representatives that the communiqué would be taken to the newspaper’s
Editor for vetting before placement in the newspaper. The advertising
representative informed ZLHR that the Editor was not in office and
would inform ZLHR once the Editor endorses the advertisement. At around
15:30 PM, the advertising representative informed ZLHR that the Editor
had vetted the communiqué and had recommended the dropping of two
paragraphs from the communiqué for it to be carried in the newspaper.
The censored paragraphs contained in the communiqué read as follows;
"Deeply concerned at the continued assault on the fundamental rights
and freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe, in particular human rights
defenders and legitimate political activists, In solidarity with our
colleagues and others who remain unjustly incarcerated at various
prisons, remand facilities and hospitals around Zimbabwe."
After being informed of the censored paragraphs ZLHR then refused to
advertise the amended communiqué as it omitted some vital information.
ZLHR condemns the amendment of the CSMM communiqué by the Herald, which
is supposed to be a public newspaper. The amendment of the communiqué
by the Herald Editor amounts to bowdlerization and has the effect of
subjecting the media to the dictates of the "powerful". Such
pre-publication censorship may force the media to expunge large amounts
of their news coverage from their pages. The expurgation of the CSMM
communiqué highlights and emphasizes the urgent need for the coalition
government particularly the new Minister of Media and Information
Publicity Mr Webster Shamu and his deputy Mr Jameson Timba to restore
the credibility and independence of the state-run print media and
broadcaster so that they truly function in the public interest.
ZLHR calls upon the Editors and staff at The Herald to change tack and
operate freely and without interference or pre-publication censorship.
As a public media the Herald must provide balanced and fair coverage to
all Zimbabweans, parties and organizations for their legitimate
activities.
Nehanda radio
Post published in: News