Daily News staff shut out despite court ruling

Employees of Zimbabwe's Daily News were prevented from entering their offices on Friday, despite a court ruling allowing the newspaper to resume publishing, news reports said. The High Court on Thursday granted an order sought by the Daily News, the country's only independent daily newspaper, barring police from seizing equipment and giving it permission to continue operating while its registration was being processed. But on Friday police reportedly prevented the newspaper's staff from entering the building. "Police are still denying us access. What they are doing is illegal in terms of the court order," Associated Press (AP) quoted chief executive of the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe (ANZ) group, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, as saying. ANZ is the publisher of The Daily News and The Daily News on Sunday. Meanwhile, government lawyers told the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) that preparations were underway to appeal Thursday's order by High Court Judge Younis Omerjee. "We will be seeking suspension of the order, pending appeal," acting attorney-general Bharat Patel told ZBC, Agence France Presse (AFP) said. The Daily News was shut down last week after the Supreme Court dismissed an application by the ANZ, challenging the constitutionality of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). The Court ruled that the ANZ had to register under the act before its petition could be heard. The newspaper group argued that the law infringed its constitutional right to freedom of expression and filed an urgent application to resume operations on grounds that the closure was illegal. The decision to close the newspaper has been met with widespread disapproval by media rights groups. Amnesty International this week condemned the action, saying the move "sends a strong and clear signal to regional and international leaders that human rights are under siege in Zimbabwe". Since its opening in 1999 the Daily News has on several occasions received a tongue-lashing from authorities for its perceived support for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.