He was speaking at the Bulawayo Press Club last week following moves by state security agents to force photographers to delete pictures of President Robert Mugabe falling at Harare International Airport recently.
Not only did Moyo defend the forced removal of the photographs. He disturbingly disclosed that government would in future confiscate the cameras. Feebly, he tried to justify that by making reference to other states, the Vatican included, which ask photographers to get rid of pictures that they thought were in bad taste. He then further threatened to bar journalists from State events.
To start with, it is an unfortunate fallacy to try and justify government’s unconstitutional actions on the basis of what happens in other countries. That is like saying Mugabe’s security agents can go ahead and beat up journalists carrying out bona fide duties simply because that is happening in Ethiopia, Swaziland and Eritrea. The fact that it is happening in those countries does not make it acceptable here or anywhere else.
In any case, his reference to the Vatican and Cambodia is misplaced. He gives the example of people who take nude pictures of themselves in a temple.
The pictures taken at the airport were of the president of this country falling down. It is in the public interest to know that Mugabe fell, whether that was because of a hump in the carpet or his advanced age. It is misleading and wrong to try and give the impression that the pictures were in bad taste. They were not indecent. I doubt very much that the Vatican would force photographers to delete pictures of a falling Pope. That has happened in the past without any hullabaloo about it.
More importantly, interfering with the pictures taken by photographers is an unconstitutional act on the part of the security agents. The constitution is clear on freedom of expression and the media.
Journalists must conduct their work without undue interference, for as long as they are not compromising national security, public health or public safety. It would be farfetched to argue that pictures of Mugabe falling down compromise any of these.
It is disappointing that the information minister, who should really know better, tried to justify unconstitutional actions. Interestingly, he was among those that berated MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai for ordering his supporters to stop using social media. He lacks the legitimacy to criticise Tsvangirai because he is also trying to muzzle the media, something he has done very effectively in the past.
Post published in: Opinions