Misa calls for more consultation on new Information Bill

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) this week said that the Zimbabwean government should invite media practitioners and other civic stakeholders to make recommendations on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Bill to ensure that it did not serve the interests of the executive arm of government only.

Rashweat Mukundu, an officer with Misa-Zimbabwe, said in a MISA alert that his organisation had submitted recommendations to the department of information and publicity in the president’s office in the absence of an official invitation. But Misa-Zimbabwe would still want the public to contribute to the Bill before it was tabled in parliament, he said.

At the opening of parliament last month, President Robert Mugabe said that the Bill should improve information availability to the public by making “its release a mandatory requirement in situations of demonstrable public interest”. “The Bill also seeks to improve the quality of information which is available to every citizen by insisting on integrity and professionalism within the media which should be able to source information from most sectors on the strength of the proposed Bill, but without undermining the citizen’s rights to privacy, as well as other competing rights, including those related to national security and the protection of children,” Mugabe told parliamentarians.

Mukundu said: “We still believe there is need for an official invitation from the government, for media practitioners, stakeholders and the general public to make their input into the Bill. This can be done through a process of public hearings or making available the draft Bill to media houses, journalists’ unions and civic society organisations so that they can equally make their input before the Bill is taken to Parliament.”