MEDIA-ZIMBABWE: Ruling Party Splits over Controversial Bill

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Lewis Machipisa

HARARE, Jan 25 2002 (IPS) - Sharp differences in the ruling party over a controversial bill restricting media freedom this week came out into the public when one senior party member described the proposed law as “untidy”.

For the fourth time, Zimbabwe’s parliament delayed debate of the controversial bill amid rising international criticism of President Robert Mugabe.

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill would make it illegal for journalists to work without state approval and outlaw foreign correspondents from working in Zimbabwe.

While a clause making it criminal to criticise president Mugabe has been removed, another equally controversial law, the Public Order and Security Act makes it illegal.

Had all been well in the ruling party, the media bill should have been law last week. But a crucial stumbling block has been the Parliamentary Legal Committee that comprises two ruling party legislators and an opposition member.

Eddison Zvobgo, a tough-taking politician, who was dismissed from Mugabe’s cabinet last year, chairs the committee. Giving reasons for the delay in presenting the bill, Justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa shifted blame to the committee saying it was taking its time and “holding this house to ransom”.

Unwilling to accept criticism, Zvobgo redirected the blame to where he said it belonged. “It is unfortunate that the minister has made the statement he has made. Members are quite aware of the chaos that was caused by government, by the minister, in putting this bill together.”

“It is the minister who has held this house to ransom by his inability to put this bill a lot more neatly,” said Zvobgo, a respected lawyer, amid wild cheers from the opposition legislators.

The fight pitting Zvobgo on one hand, and the information minister Jonathan Moyo and Chinamasa on the other, signals a discontent within the ruling party.

Although in the end some of the ruling party legislators will vote along party lines, privately some do not support the proposed law.

They see it as law designed by information minister Moyo to settle personal scores with some independent journalists. “The bill is embarrassing to us,” said one ZANU-PF legislator.

The bill will be presented next Tuesday amid rising discontent among ruling party and opposition legislators.

“It’s the most repressive law I have ever seen,” said Tendai Biti, an opposition legislator. “It could have only been drafted in hell.”

The law would make it a criminal offence for a journalist to work for a media house that is not registered with the ministry of information. All media organisations will have to apply for registration with the ministry and it is up to their discretion who to give the licence to operate in the country.

Those who defy the law face a fine not exceeding 18,000 U.S. dollars (100,000 Zimbabwe dollars) or up to two years in jail.

Any organisation that employs journalists not registered — under the controversial one-year renewable licences — will lose their licences and their equipment seized.

Media unions in Zimbabwe say the proposed legislation is draconian and that they will ignore it.

Information minister Moyo says the bill would stop the lies being told by foreign correspondents about Zimbabwe.

On Thursday, the state-run daily, The Herald, claimed journalists from British Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Economist and the Sunday Times of South Africa had sneaked into the country as tourists.

The journalists were accused of breaking regulations, compelling foreign journalists, to seek permission one month before visiting Zimbabwe. Clearance is almost always refused. Three correspondents were expelled last year and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was banned.

“Our net is closing in on them and we should be able to account for all of them before the close of the day (Thursday),” the paper quoted George Charamba, permanent secretary at the department of information, as saying.

Analysts believe that the restrictions on the media is aimed to obscure claims of violent campaign in the run-up to the presidential election due on Mar 9-10.