by John Owen Thomas

Created on: July 24, 2008

When digesting news about affairs in Zimbabwe at present, the BBC has repeatedly mentioned that it is banned from reporting within Zimbabwean borders, and therefore correspondents have mostly given reports from the Capital city of Johannesberg, in South Africa.

Relays of international news which in the immediate sense call for action by the international community, to be taken are designed to keep leading stories within the public sphere for longer periods of time.

Yet there is no deeper analysis given on the situation in the country and put across more firmly from a political perspective; as to why media agencies, (the BBC among them) are being prohibited from covering stories in such a way.

The socio-economic influence of technology and the flourishing of an assertive media in Zimbabwe in the 1990's conversely and out of no deliberate action of media agencies within the territory, have seen a reaction come from their government which implements stinging journalistic prohibitations upon a wide cross-section of people's broader and no less immediate, right to political reply or show consternation.

A statute named the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act 2007 (AIPPA) sharply curtails the functionality of both domestic and international media agencies within Zimbabwe itself.

The Act brings into existence through the legislation, an authorative arbitration body called the Media and Information Commission, possessing powers to give broadcasting agencies certain media accreditations and direct "media worker's registration available through an application process.

Specifically pointed by an organisation called Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), a Section 9(4) of the Act has become problematic:

ZIMCODD has stated about Section 9(4) of the AIPPA:

"It refuses access to information if it is in the public interest to do so. The Act is not clear on what public interest means or would entail. As a result a wide variety of circumstances may be described as being in the public interest in a bid to prevent access to information."

(Quote taken from a downloadable report by a Mr Mzi Memeza entitled: An Analysis of Weakness in Access to Information Laws in SADC and in Developing Countries. The report was prepared by him for the "Access to Information Programme, Freedom of Expression Institute) (FXI).

As a primary weapon of the government and the ruling ZANU-PF, their dictatorial stance and ongoing campaign against every independent media company does certainly hinder most diplomatic efforts remaining open for foreign embassy negotiators to use with success.

For further reading on Zimbabwean politics, ZIMCODD or the AIPPA visit:

URL: www.zimcodd.org

URL: http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/legisl/030611ai ppaamd.asp

URL: www.swradioafrica.com

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