The appeal to Mugabe follows defiance by Webster Shamu, the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, to reconstitute BAZ issued by the three principals to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
Shamu declared to the state media on Wednesday that he will not reconstitute BAZ as demanded by the three principals, Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
BAZ is packed with ZANU-PF sycophants and bootlickers. It caused a stir a few months ago after it cherry-picked companies linked to ZANU-PF to open private radio stations.
MISA-Zimbabwe said on Friday in a statement Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara should come in the open and clear the confusion on whether the current BAZ board was legally constituted or not.
“A joint statement signed by President Mugabe, PM Tsvangirai and DPM Mutambara will go a long way in putting the matter to finality. A press conference would even be of greater impact and effect in clarifying the matter at hand,” reads part of MISA-Zimbabwe statement.
It noted that while the media have repeatedly reported the principals as having ordered the reconstitution of BAZ within specific timeframes, the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity, still insisted that BAZ was legally constituted.
“It is therefore important that the principals take a public position on this matter to clear the air on the status of BAZ as well as affirm their executive authority that is seemingly wilfully defied,” it said.
Tsvangirai has publicly stated that the appointment of the BAZ board was illegal as it was not done in terms of Section 4 of the Broadcasting Services Act and the GPA.
Misa-Zimbabwe added:”It is our humble submission that the legitimacy of such a key public institution cannot be left to continue in confusion at the expense of Zimbabweans’ right to full enjoyment of their right to free expression and access to information through multiple broadcasting stations.”
Post published in: News