By Charles Motsi
Every year the 3rd of May is reserved to celebrate the self-proclaimed 4th Estate, that is the Media. The day has come to be known as World Press Freedom Day and it was set aside to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression as enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Not to be left out, Zimbabwe also has its own clause that protects the freedom of the press, under Sections 61 and 62 of the Constitution the freedom of the media is guaranteed as the right to free expression, media freedom and access to information. This was one of the promises of the Second Republic under the tutelage of His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This year's theme reads like a ZANU PF poster as it dovetails with the party’s policy on the media since the coming in of President Mnangagwa. This year’s theme is Media for Democracy, Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation, which is what the President has preached and practised from day one.
Unlike in past years where some media houses were not allowed to cover the country, the 2018 elections were covered by all who showed interest, at the invitation of President Mnangagwa. Even after the MDC tried to tarnish the country’s image after the peaceful July 31 elections, no media house was chucked out of the country as they were all allowed free movement to cover the issue in the hope that they would give a true and balanced account of events.
The election period of 2018 was unlike any other in recent memory for journalism in Zimbabwe. Media practitioners were not restricted in movement and they carried out their duties without any problems. This was especially true for ZANU PF events unlike at opposition rallies where there were reported incidents of harassment and intimidation. At one point Al Jazeera journalist, Haruzivishe Mutasa, lamented the treatment she experienced while covering one of the MDC Alliance’s press briefings at Morgan Tsvangirai House. She noted that the MDC security was overzealous and were not accommodative of journalists.
On Sunday 15 July, a Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) news crew was attacked by rowdy MDC youths at Mucheke stadium where their president Nelson Chamisa was addressing. This was not the only incident as, again, on 24 February another ZBC crew was attacked while covering an MDC rally at Mkoba Stadium in Gweru. This lack of tolerance for media that does not worship Chamisa by MDC supporters is deplorable and shameful for a party that claims to stand for democracy. So, in as a far as political tolerance to media is concerned, it points to ZANU PF as opposed to the Chamisa praise singers in the MDC.
Commitment to further media freedoms is not only limited to ZANU PF as a party but has become one of Government’s main priorities as a way to increase civil liberties and human rights for the economic development of this country. It is visible that the issue of media freedom has been placed on top of cabinet’s to-do list as minister after minister has spoken about it as the gateway to a truly viable democracy. The ministers of Justice (Ziyambi Ziyambi), Media (Monica Mutsvangwa) and Finance (Mthuli Ncube) are on record promising media reforms at various national, regional and international forums.
It is refreshing to note that the promises were not only political bunter as we have seen that there is actually movement on the ground to repel and amend the laws that govern the media, making them more accommodating and creating a conducive environment for journalists to practice in.
The media in Zimbabwe is governed mainly by the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA); Public Order and Security Act (POSA) which are currently being reviewed and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). So far Government has moved to repeal POSA as it published the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill in the Government Gazette dated 19th April 2019. The bill has received positive reviews so far from progressive Zimbabwean and as expected it was lambasted by those who thrive on crises and chaos even if it is their own manufactured chaos.
Government’s moves to adjust media laws for the better has turned past government detractors in to worthwhile partners in the quest for a better media environment. Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) executive director, Loughty Dube, was full of optimism when commented that; “I sincerely hope that her (Minister Mutsvangwa) statement will be heeded. They should come up with a national gender policy that will protect both males and females from abuse at workplaces. It will now mean that our media policy would be derived from that national policy. It should not end with just policies but they should be capacitated so that it can be implemented effectively.”
There are those who are calling for more TV stations and radio stations, this is just lack of creativity from those misdirected individuals. They should instead turn to modern technologies which have made media production and dissemination cheaper, quicker and in some forms more attractive.
The likes of Magamba Network, Bus Stop TV, Nehanda, ZimEye are just some of the brands that have gained traction in the media industry and have grown rapidly due to the maximum use of new media facilitated by the growth of internet use in the country. All of the aforementioned organisations are very critical of President Mnangagwa and his Administration and they operate freely using various forms of artistic creativity to express themselves. Their very existence is evidence that media freedom is alive in the second republic.
Furthermore, there are no journalists currently incarcerated because of their profession unlike the late Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered for speaking out against the USA backed Saudi Arabia monarchy.
Happy Press Freedom Day journalists.
