LHR including the following 23 civic bodies had crafted the communiqué,Â
Bulawayo Agenda (BA), Christian Alliance (CA), Counseling Services UnitÂ
(CSU), Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC), General Agriculture andÂ
Plantation Workers Union( GAPWUZ), Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), MediaÂ
Institute of Southern Africa – Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe), MediaÂ
Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ), National Association of Non-GovernmentalÂ
Organizations (NANGO), Oxfam, Progressive Teachers Association of ZimbabweÂ
(PTUZ), Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), Save Zimbabwe Campaign (SZC),Â
Veritas, Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ), Zimbabwe Association ofÂ
Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and DevelopmentÂ
(Zimcodd), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Zimbabwe Human RightsÂ
Association (ZimRights), Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (ZHRF), ZimbabweÂ
National Students Union (Zinasu), Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), ZimbabweÂ
Young Women’s Network for Peace Building (ZYWNP).
ZLHR on Thursday 26 February 2009 visited the Herald House to book space forÂ
the communiqué and was told by one of the advertising representatives thatÂ
the communiqué would be taken to the newspaper’s Editor for vetting beforeÂ
placement in the newspaper. The advertising representative informed ZLHRÂ
that the Editor was not in office and would inform ZLHR once the EditorÂ
endorses the advertisement. At around 15:30 PM, the advertisingÂ
representative informed ZLHR that the Editor had vetted the communiqué andÂ
had recommended the dropping of two paragraphs from the communiqué for it toÂ
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 andÂ
freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe, in particular human rights defenders andÂ
legitimate political activists, In solidarity with our colleagues and othersÂ
who remain unjustly incarcerated at various prisons, remand facilities andÂ
hospitals around Zimbabwe."
After being informed of the censored paragraphs ZLHR then refused toÂ
advertise the amended communiqué as it omitted some vital information. ZLHRÂ
condemns the amendment of the CSMM communiqué by the Herald, which isÂ
supposed to be a public newspaper. The amendment of the communiqué by theÂ
Herald Editor amounts to bowdlerization and has the effect of subjecting theÂ
media to the dictates of the "powerful". Such pre-publication censorship mayÂ
force the media to expunge large amounts of their news coverage from theirÂ
pages. The expurgation of the CSMM communiqué highlights and emphasizes theÂ
urgent need for the coalition government particularly the new Minister ofÂ
Media and Information Publicity Mr Webster Shamu and his deputy Mr JamesonÂ
Timba to restore the credibility and independence of the state-run printÂ
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 andÂ
operate freely and without interference or pre-publication censorship. As aÂ
public media the Herald must provide balanced and fair coverage to allÂ
Zimbabweans, parties and organizations for their legitimate activities.
nehandaradio
Post published in: Politics