Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) MPs table motion for media reform

MPs table motion for media reform
by Lebo Nkatazo
18/06/2009 00:00:00

TWO MPs have tabled a motion for the government to urgently push through media reforms in line with Article 19 of a power sharing agreement signed on September 15 last year.

Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T, Mbizo) and Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T, Nyanga South) expressed concern over the slow progress made towards achieving media plurality.

The MPs also want the government to bring before parliament amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act which they say curtails media freedom.

The MPs also noted state media bias against President Robert Mugabe’s coalition partners while expressing alarm over what they called “the Minister of Information and Publicity’s (Webster Shamu’s) brazen and unbridled contempt of a High court ruling that declared the Media and Information Commission (MIC) illegal.”

The MPs want a vote in parliament, setting July 15 as the deadline for the constitution of a Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) which is set to replace the MIC.

Chikwinya and Mwonzora said they were dismayed that the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe’s (BAZ) had not yet granted broadcasting licenses to other private players in line with the provisions of the September 15 ‘Global Political Agreement’.

Their motion demands that “the Minister of Media and Information and Publicity constitute the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe Board (BAZ) which should immediately start granting licences to other media players by the 6th of August 2009; The public media, particularly the Herald and ZBC provide balanced and fair coverage to all parties in line with Article 19(d) and (e) of the GPA; The Minister of Media, Information and Publicity respect the rule of law and abide by the High Court ruling that nullified the existence of the MIC; The constituting of the ZMC be brought to finality and closure by the 15th of July 2009, and Parliament commits itself to supporting a constitution that guarantees media freedom.”

Zimbabwean journalists are agonising over whether to take part in the proposed Zimbabwe Media Commission or simply abandon the process to push for self regulation.

Aspiring commissioners to the ZMC have up to Friday to submit their applications to the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders Committee, which would then submit a 12 nominees to President Robert Mugabe, who will appoint nine of the members to the final ZMC board.

The ZMC, which replaces the now legally defunct Media and Information Commission (MIC), is supposed to last the lifespan of the coalition government by President Mugabe’s Zanu PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parties.

Media lawyer Chris Mhike has advised Zimbabwean journalists to approach the delicate issue on whether or not to take part in the proposed Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) with open minds as opposed to assuming rigid positions that would prove ghastly in the long run, RadioVoP reported Thursday.

Mhike said there was more risk in journalists boycotting the process than taking part and continue to push for self regulation from within.

“We must consider the effectiveness of our past strategies as an industry and also to focus the effectiveness of whatever we are going to adopt as an industry,” he said.

Mhike was one of the panelists at the Quill Club - Harare's press club - on Wednesday evening during a discussion by Harare journalists which was called to probe the pros and cons of taking part in the envisaged ZMC.

“We could adopt the strategy of completely boycotting the ZMC or saying we will go in and try to influence what happens from within,” he said.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter has already said it is now pinning its hopes on the proposed constitutional changes to ensure a self regulatory media body. It said it was viewing current processes as a temporary arrangement.

“In the latter scenario, we can say if it does not work out, then those members whom we interact with will resign or protest from inside and therefore create a constitutional crisis," said Mhike. “We should not be too rigid about our positions. Let us look at the opportunities that lie in the ZMC.”

Labels: MEDIA

posted by MrK @ 2:21 PM