Concerned about Zimbabwe? Get involved, be informed, voice your concerns
and protest by going to http://www.kubatana.net/

The following information has been distributed by: Zoe Titus MISA
Researcher Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia Tel. +264 61 232975, Fax. 248016 e-mail:
[email protected] web: http://www.misa.org
For more background information, see AFRICA ACTION at
http://www.africaaction.org/docs02/zim0201.htm

Petition by Zimbabwean media organisations
January 16, 2002

PRESS STATEMENT

15 January 2002

Six representatives of media organisations in Zimbabwe including,
MISA-Zimbabwe Director, Sarah Chiumbu, The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists,
Secretary General, Basildon Peta, Eunice Mafundikwa, Chairperson, Federation
of African Media Women of Zimbabwe, Abel Mutsakani, President, Independent
Journalists Association of Zimbabwe, Andrew Meldrum, Foreign Correspondents
Association of Zimbabwe, and the Chairperson of the Harare Journalists Press
Club, Luke Tamborinyoka presented a fresh petition to the parliament of
Zimbabwe on the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill. The
Bill was set to be passed today (Tuesday, January 15).

The representatives of the group were however denied access to see the
Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa and the leader of the House,
Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, by the parliament security. The
security said that the organisations had not made any appointment to see the
Speaker. Attempts to explain that it was not necessary to make an
appointment in order to present a petition were however met with deaf ears.
They however managed to see and present a petition to the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change, leader in the House Gibson Sibanda and MDC
Chief Whip Innocent Gonese.

Journalists intending to stage a night vigil at parliament were yesterday
(Monday, January 14) chased away from the parliament building by the police
on the grounds that the building was a high security and protected area.
Find below the petition sent to parliament.

Petition

Presented by Media Organisations to the Parliament of Zimbabwe

The Speaker of Parliament Hon Emmerson Mnangagwa The Leader of the House
Hon Patrick Chinamasa The Chief Whip Hon Joram Gumbo: ZANU PF The Chief Whip
Hon Innocent Gonese: MDC The Leader of the opposition Hon Gibson Sibanda:
MDC

Date: 15 January 2002

We the undersigned organisations completely reject the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Bill due to be passed by Parliament
today (Tuesday, January 15). We are asking Parliament to defer the passage
of this Bill pending consultations with all necessary stakeholders.

We reject the Bill because if passed into law the profession of journalism
will be virtually impossible to practice. We take note of the fact that the
Bill contains a number of unconstitutional provisions that infringe on our
rights as citizens of Zimbabwe and as journalists in particular.

We also bring it to the attention of parliament that no consultations took
place when this Bill was being drafted. We are agreed that if parliament
passes this law against the wishes of stakeholders, we will be left with no
other alternative, but to defy the new law.

Signed By

Sarah Chiumbu: MISA-Zimbabwe Eunice Mafundikwa: Federation of African
Media Women of Zimbabwe Basildon Peta: Zimbabwe Union of Journalists Abel
Mutsakani: Independent Journalists Association of Zimbabwe Andrew Meldrum:
Foreign corespondents Association of Zimbabwe Luke Tamborinyoka: Harare
Journalist Press Club

Ends

--------------------------

For more background information, see AFRICA ACTION at
http://www.africaaction.org/docs02/zim0201.htm

Concerned about Zimbabwe? Get involved, be informed, voice your concerns
and protest by going to http://www.kubatana.net/