Zim: Media practitioners bill up for debate in parliament

He made this remark during the opening of the 3rd Session of the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare on 13 July 2010.

According to his address, the Media Practitioners Bill seeks to "repeal the part of the Access to Information and the Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), which deals with the registration of journalists and privacy issues".

Easing stringent media regulation

Former Deputy Information Minister Jameson Timba had earlier mentioned plans to replace AIPPA with this Bill together with the Freedom of Information Bill to try and ease the current.

Notably, President Mugabe was silent on the Freedom of Information Bill.

What is clear from his address is government's reluctance to repeal AIPPA in its entirety as well as other repressive laws that continue to inhibit media freedom and Zimbabweans' right to freedom of expression and access to information. The address also betrays the authorities' desire to maintain controls and restrictions on media activity, which have been widely condemned as inimical to media freedom.

MISA-Zimbabwe has reiterated that only the repeal of AIPPA and other laws that erode media freedom and their replacement with those compatible with the best practice in media regulation enshrined in regional and international instruments on freedom of expression will amount to genuine media reforms necessary for the democratic development of Zimbabwe.