Harassment of journalists condemned

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) has written to Zimbabwe’s Minister of Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo to protest against the harassment of journalists by war veterans. The organisation called for an immediate end to the “terror tactics” by former freedom fighters. “As an organisation dedicated to the defence of media freedom, MISA-Zimbabwe views this persecution as a violation of the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through any media and regardless of frontiers. We call for an immediate end to these attacks on media workers and institutions, and assurances from government that it will uphold journalists and media institutions’ right to full protection by the law,” MISA said. “MISA urges you to ensure that the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on the promotion of press freedom, adopted by all SADC (Southern African Development Community) and OAU (Organisation of African Unity) Head of States, the UNESCO General Assembly and the United Nations General Assembly, is adhered to,” the letter added.