IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT - ZIMBABWE

3 December 2004

CPJ outraged over proposed new legislation that could see journalists jailed
for up to 20 years

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 2 December 2004 letter to President Robert Mugabe, CPJ
expressed its outage over the government's continued clampdown on
independent media in Zimbabwe, including proposed new legislation that could
be used to jail journalists for up to 20 years. At a time when several other
African countries are lifting criminal sanctions for press offences,
bringing their laws in line with international standards, Zimbabwe's
government is preparing to introduce penalties that are among the harshest
on the continent. In the letter, CPJ said that this will only further impede
Zimbabwe's media, which already face other restrictive laws.

According to local and international press reports, the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Bill currently before Parliament imposes up to 20
years' imprisonment, heavy fines, or both for publishing "false" information
deemed prejudicial against the state. Clause 31 would make it an offence to
publish or communicate "to any other person a statement which is wholly or
materially false with the intention or realizing that that there is a real
risk of inciting or promoting public disorder or public violence or
endangering public safety; or adversely affecting the defence and economic
interests of Zimbabwe; or undermining public confidence in a law enforcement
agency, the Prison Service or the Defence Forces of Zimbabwe; or interfering
with, disrupting or interrupting any essential service."

This comes on top of the already draconian Public Order and Security Act
(POSA) and the Access to Information and Public Privacy Act (AIPPA), which
was last month strengthened to impose a jail sentence of up to two years for
any journalist caught working without accreditation from the
government-controlled media commission. Dozens of journalists have already
been detained and harassed under AIPPA and POSA since these laws were
introduced in 2002, while AIPPA has been used to shutter Zimbabwe's only
independent daily newspaper, the "Daily News".

As well as intimidating journalists, CPJ sources say the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Bill could be used to intimidate their sources.
They fear that the law's language could also be used broadly against
Zimbabweans who communicate with news outlets and other organizations based
abroad.

These moves to tighten already restrictive legislation come in the run-up to
general elections scheduled for March 2005.

In its letter, CPJ reminded President Mugabe of Zimbabwe's commitment to the
Southern African Development Community principles and guidelines governing
democratic elections, which include safeguarding freedom of expression and
access to the media (Section 7.4).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the president:
- calling on him to do everything in his power to ensure that all repressive
media legislation is repealed and that the draconian proposals currently
before Parliament are dropped
- urging him to do all in his power to allow the "Daily News" to reopen and
independent journalists to work in Zimbabwe without fear of reprisal

APPEALS TO:

President Robert Mugabe
Office of the President
Munhumutapa Building
Samora Machel Avenue/ 3rd Street
Harare, Zimbabwe
Fax: +263 4 708 820

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Africa Program Coordinator Julia Crawford
or Research Associate Adam Posluns at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY
10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail:
[email protected], Internet: http://www.cpj.org/

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
CPJ.
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