Maravi

Mugabe to choose media commission board members

Mugabe to choose media commission board members
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare, Zimbabwe
Thursday, August 20, 2009 4:53:53 PM

THE Zimbabwean Parliament has submitted 12 names from which President Robert Mugabe will choose nine board members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) which will replace the Media and Information Commission (MIC).

The list, however, does not include Dr Tafataona Mahoso who has been at the helm of the criticised MIC, which has been responsible for licensing journalists and media houses as well as enforcing the country’s stringent media laws since 2002.

According to the Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee, which carried out interviews for ZMC board nominees, Dr Mahoso apparently scored the lowest points among the 27 interviewees.

Dr Mahoso, along with others viewed as ZANU-PF sympathisers failed to make it on the final list, prompting ZANU-PF to complain bitterly against the "biased" selection.

ZANU-PF alleged that the panel that interviewed the candidates was biased against candidates perceived to be sympathisers of the party and that the panel favoured candidates with links to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC.

The ZMC is part of several commissions to be formed by Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government as part of reforms meant to reshape Zimbabwe's politics.

The other commissions provided for under Constitutional Amendment Number 19 that established the power-sharing government are the Independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (IZEC), Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC).

Once the commissions and a new constitution are in place, the government will call fresh elections with the whole process that began in February expected to last between 18 to 24 months.

Among those nominated to sit on the ZMC board are Zimbabwe’s former ambassador to China Chris Mutsvangwa, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists president Mathew Takaona, lawyer and journalist Chris Mhike, freelance journalist Miriam Madziwa-Sibanda, Danhiko Project deputy director Godfrey Majonga, Dean of the National University of Science and Technology's Faculty of Communication and Information Science Dr Lawton Hikwa, and Journalism and Media Studies lecturer Nqobile Nyathi.

Others include Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe division chief Dr Millicent Mombeshora, former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings chief executives Henry Muradzikwa and Dr Rino Zhuwarara, Zimbabwe Christian Alliance national director Reverend Useni Sibanda and Zimbabwe Liberators Platform executive director Wabata Munodawafa.

Labels: MEDIA, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 3:55 PM