Journalists protest bill

Zimbabwean journalists who gathered in Harare on Saturday have resolved to defy a proposed new media bill expected to be considered by parliament later this week.

In a statement on Monday 21 January, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said: "The journalists who gathered under the auspices of the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa resolved that none of them would comply with the registration requirements as proposed in the bill."

MISA added that the journalists also decided to send a delegation to Minister of State for Information Jonathan Moyo's office with a third petition on the concerns of journalists operating in Zimbabwe. The same petition would be sent to the speaker of parliament and the chief whips of the two main parties, the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and all parliamentarians.

"In deciding on the contents of the petition the journalists agreed that there is no need to take a confrontational approach at the moment, as the amendments that are being made on the bill are not yet out," the statement said. It added that a "series" of court challenges would be launched challenging various "oppressive" sections of the bill.

Under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill, all journalists and owners of media organisations would be required to register with a governments-appointed body or risk two years in prison. The proposed legislation would also ban foreign journalists from working in the country.

Meanwhile, in a separate media alert issued on Sunday, MISA said that copies of the independent weekly newspaper the Financial Gazette and the Daily News had been destroyed by ZANU-PF supporters on 10 January on their way to the airport to welcome Congolese President Joseph Kabila.