Exorbitant accreditation fees worrisome

Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), with the approval of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services recently gazetted the registration and accreditation fees for media companies and journalists in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 22 of 2021.

Access to information is a critical component of media freedom, of which that access facilitates further dissemination of information to the general public.

For journalists to fully undertake their professional duties and access public institutions without hindrance, being duly accredited is of crucial importance in that regard.

The gazetting of the new fees is, therefore, welcome, as it will ensure that journalists undertake their professional duties with valid accreditation cards and without fear of arrest, harassment or assault.

This is in view of the media freedom violations that ensued when the country implemented the first national lockdown measures in 2020.

Several journalists were either assaulted or harassed by law enforcement officers for reportedly violating the COVID-19 regulations and undertaking their lawful professional duties using the then expired ZMC-issued accreditation cards.

Misa Zimbabwe, however, notes with concern the massive increase in this year’s fees compared to those gazetted in 2020.

This is of concern given that this comes at a time the media is facing serious sustainability and viability threats worsened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses throughout the world, including in Zimbabwe.

Accreditation fees for local journalists have been pegged at $600 for first applicant and $500 for renewal of accreditation, this was previously pegged at $120 and $80, respectively.

Misa Zimbabwe is cognisant of the hyperinflationary environment that Zimbabwe is operating under, but is of the view that this does not justify hiking the fees by more than 400% when viewed against the serious sustainability and viability challenges that the media sector in Zimbabwe is grappling with.