Zimbabwe journalists launch self-regulation body

Two previous attempts to launch the Media Council of Zimbabwe, in January and May collapsed following differences over strategy, largely disputes over how far the new body should go to avoid atangonising the government.

Leo Mugabe, the ruling Zanu PF party's MP for Makonde, who is also chairman of the parliamentary committee on transport and communications, warned journalists not to launch the body without the government's approval.

At the launch on 8 June, 11 board members, including four prominent journalists were voted into office. Reuters' Harare correspondent Chris Chinaka, the Financial Gazette's deputy editor-in-chief Edna Machirori, former Herald and Standard editor Bornwell Chakaodza and Associated Press correspondent Angus Shaw will sit on the board.

Other members are the director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights (ZLHR) Irene Petras, prominent lawyer Lawrence Chibwe, clergymen Oscar Wemter and Sebastian Bakare, former High Court judge George Smith, former Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe executive Muchadei Masunda, and University of Zimbabwe lecturer Professor Geoff Feltoe.

The Zimbabwe Editor Forum seconded Joram Nyathi to represent their interests in the board while the Zimbabwe Editors' Association - made up of editor's of the country's state media - and publishers are yet to each second a representative.

The chairman and vice chairman are expected to be appointed soon from among the board members.

Very few journalists from the state media turned-up.

In a vote of thanks Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) representative and veteran journalist Bill Saidi said: “When God created the world…on the seventh day he rested. We should not rest because we are not God. We should continue to fight for our rights.”

In an apparent reference to state-media journalists, Foster Dongozi, the president of the Southern Africa Journalists Association (SAJA) who is also an executive member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said: “To those of our colleagues who have not been there when we needed them most, I have a quotation by archbishop Desmond Tutu: 'of you declare neutrality when injustice is being committed, you will have sided with repression'."

In an acceptance speech on behalf of the board members, Bakare said: “When [the launch] did not work out last time we were disappointed, almost disillusioned, but today it's a new day. We are willing victims, we know what it entails and what is expected of the Media Council of Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe's High Court has ruled that the government-appointed MIC is partisan and cannot preside over fair hearings following the banning of the country's largest daily paper, The Daily News. Three other newspapers have been shut down under a media regulatory regime which requires journalists and publishers to obtain licences for their operations.

Published courtesy of New Zimbabwe.com