Zimbabwe continues to open the media
THE drive to continually open and expand the media environment continues as the Second Republic remains determined to create a conducive operating space for media practitioners while also allowing newcomers access, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has said.
Speaking at the ongoing strategic planning review workshop in Nyanga for her ministry, she said: “The trajectory for media reforms continues. We repealed the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) and replaced it with two legislative Acts — the Freedom of Information Act (in July 2020) and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Act (in April 2021).
“Going forward, we want to maintain the momentum by seeing the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill go through the legislative process.
“This Bill is important as it consolidates national efforts to further liberalise the broadcasting sector by increasing private and community ownership and investment in the sector, including foreign participation. It will further consolidate citizens’ and media practitioners’ rights and freedoms to access information as envisaged by sections 61 to 62 of the constitution.”
Minister Mutsvangwa said the enactment of the proposed law will increase media diversity and pluralism, positioning the media sector to better serve all publics, national, regional and international, in communicating the
Zimbabwean narrative.
The draft Media Practitioners Bill, said Minister Mutsvangwa, is expected to foster accountability in the media industry and will embrace the principles of co-regulation, so that those who breech the agreed code of conduct can he held to account.
Co-regulation in media involves Government, independent regulatory agencies, industry, independent selfregulatory agencies, civil society groups and citizens and consumers in an overlapping set of relationships.
“This is one way of ensuring that the media is democratically held accountable. The Bill will encompass media governance or regulation, providing for among other things, a framework for disciplining media practitioners who would have breached a code of conduct applicable to them. “Principles have been drafted and I am going through them before taking them to Cabinet,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
In his presentation, Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana underscored the importance of the role that the ministry plays in Government operations.
“As a ministry, we are always in a situation where when everything is going well, nobody appreciates our existence. When things go wrong then the floodgates of hell are open,” he said.
“We are like a child who must be seen but not heard. But this cannot continue. There is a need to reposition this ministry. It has to adapt or die,” he said Mr Mangwana.
Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe director Mr Loughty Dube commended Minister Mutsvangwa for a different and open approach in managing Zimbabwe’s media industry.
“There were times when we have had very difficult and painful experiences in the past when dealing with the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.
“As a people, we differ robustly on different issues but we must have time and space to sit down and discuss issues. We are happy that this is now happening, all because of the open door policy that the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has created.
“We are thankful to you Minister Mutsvangwa and your team for that,” he said.
Several key stakeholders from the Office of the President and Cabinet, Media Alliance of Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwe Media Commission as well as senior officials in the ministry including chief director Mr Jonathan Gandari, made presentations during the ongoing four-day workshop.