Journalists welcome draft Information Bill

Mozambique has finally put together a draft Freedom of Information Bill, which media experts hope will pave the way towards greater transparency and government accountability. After five years of broad consultations, an agreement on the content of the proposed law was finally reached at a recently held media seminar in the capital, Maputo. Journalists have long accused the country's bureaucrats of stonewalling attempts to get official information. Palmira Velasco, former editor of 'Demos', an independent weekly newspaper, said, "Journalists have so many problems accessing official information. I've gone to the ministries to get information, only to run around in circles; I have been told to put questions in writing and only after doing that am I given the interview, which is far too late for the story. According to Alfredo Libombo of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the new law will also help to tackle corruption - an issue that has dogged the government in recent years. Libombo pointed out that despite laws which explicitly required ministers to declare their earnings to the State, many were reluctant to do so. "Access to information is not only a person's right, but part of the fight against corruption in Mozambique. When this Bill becomes law, it will strengthen democracy in Mozambique and lead to greater participation of civil society," he said. Journalists recently raised the alarm over a decision by the Maputo City Court to bar the media from covering a high-profile libel case against one of six men convicted in January 2003 for the murder of a top investigative journalist, Carlos Cardoso. Reporters claimed the court ruling was an attempt to protect high-ranking politicians implicated in the assassination. Although the bill is expected to become law within two years, finalising the draft has proved a difficult task. Libombo said previous drafts had failed to include a provision for legal action to be taken against officials who refused to provide information. A spokesman for the ministry of justice, Paulo Assuboji, said the document was under review and legal advisors were expected to comment at a later stage.