Promises but no real improvement in media freedom

Despite a stinging report by the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), an African Union body, criticising Zimbabwe for suppressing freedom of expression, a string of official threats have targeted the independent media. The arrest of freelance journalist Sidney Saize on charges of practicing journalism without a licence and "writing false stories" was the most recent case, Rashweat Mukundu, Director of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), told IRIN. "Saize will only appear in court on Monday because the senior officer in charge has 'conveniently' gone to a funeral. Until then he will have to remain in custody, because they [officials] want to punish him," Mukundu alleged. He said it was unclear what the offending article was about, but speculated that the story might have been critical of officials in Mutare, the region in which Saize was based. The weekly Financial Gazette (FinGaz), one of Zimbabwe's few remaining privately owned newspapers, printed a retraction of an article critical of the government-appointed Media and Information Commission (MIC), which issues licenses to journalists and the media, without which they cannot operate. "The article questioned the MIC's independence, suggesting it was under the influence of the country's Central Intelligence Organisation," Mukundu said. "The MIC threatened FinGaz with withdrawal of its license, a fine, or both if it did not print a retraction and an apology." In a recent statement Reporters Without Borders noted that "the MIC has closed down four newspapers in three years and clearly takes its orders from the most senior members of the government. Reduced to functioning as a branch of the police, the MIC continues to impose the law of silence, especially when a newspaper dares to criticise it". The continued harassment of the Voice of the People (VOP), an independent Zimbabwean news production company, has also raised concern among media observers. VOP has been unable to resume operations since police confiscated its equipment and files, and arrested director John Masuku in a December 2005 raid. "When they initially descended on the offices they took everything - the place is literally empty," Masuku's lawyer, Tafadzwa Mugabe, told IRIN. According to Mugabe, Masuku has been accused of violating the Broadcasting Services Act, which prohibits the possession or use of radio transmission equipment without a licence. "He was arrested under the assumption that VOP was broadcasting from Zimbabwe, and that the station was not permitted to broadcast without a licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe." "But VOP had no broadcasting equipment," Mugabe remarked. The station gathers local news, which it feeds to Radio Netherlands for broadcast back to Zimbabwe. "VOP have applied for a licence, but the application was turned down on a small technicality - this [obtaining a licence] will now be very difficult with a criminal charge." Masuku was released on bail after being held for three days in December 2005 and appeared in court on 6 January. "His next court appearance is 30 March but no trial date has been set yet," Mugabe said. Masuku could face up to two years in prison if found guilty. The arrests followed a report by the ACHPR, which expressed concern over the "continuing violations and the deterioration of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, the lack of respect for the rule of law and the growing culture of impunity". In response to those findings the government was reportedly considering a review of its media legislation. According to Mukundu, "there is confusion about the system itself. Some officials believe that laws need to be changed - even deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga has acknowledged that the broadcasting laws are restrictive, but has done nothing about it". Mukundu concluded that "changes to the media laws are a matter of political will - all we can do is be ready when broader political change comes to Zimbabwe. In the meantime, it is likely that we will see more pressure on the media, with more threats to journalists in the time to come."