Journalists arrested for demonstrating against AIPPA

Three journalists were arrested for demonstrating against the proposed Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Bill. The journalists denounced both the bill and its sponsor Information Minister Jonathan Moyo.

Those arrested were Cornelius Nduna, Foster Dongozi and Rhoda Mashavave. They were among 60 journalists who picketed outside parliament.

Full cable:

Viewing cable 02HARARE293, MEDIA REPORT MEDIA BILL; HARARE

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

010755Z Feb 02

UNCLASSIFIED     PTO2619

PAGE 01       HARARE 00293 012333Z

ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00   CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EUR-00   UTED-00 VC-00

H-01     TEDE-00 INR-00   L-00     AC-01   NSAE-00 NSCE-00

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——————60F0F3 012333Z /21

FM AMEMBASSY HARARE

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0851

INFO NSC WASHDC

AMEMBASSY PRETORIA

AMEMBASSY LUSAKA

AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK

AMEMBASSY GABORONE

AMEMBASSY LILONGWE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000293

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACHTER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P,

INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM

SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MEDIA BILL; HARARE

¶1.   THE CONTROVERSIAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION

OF PRIVACY BILL IS EXPECTED TO BE RE-INTRODUCED IN

PARLIAMENT TODAY (JANUARY 31), FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS

BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL

COMMITTEE WHO RECOMMENDED ON TUESDAY THAT THE BILL BE

WITHDRAWN BECAUSE IT CONTAINED MANY CLAUSES THAT WERE

UNCONSTITUTIONAL. ADDRESSING PARLIAMENT ON JANUARY 30,

JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER PATRICK

CHINAMASA TOLD LEGISLATORS THAT BOTH PARTIES HAD AGREED ON

THE AMENDMENTS TO BE MADE TO THE BILL. THEY ALSO AGREED

THAT THE AMENDMENTS BE INCORPORATED INTO A NEW CONSOLIDATED

TEXT. THE TWO SIDES REACHED A DEADLOCK ON TUESDAY (JANUARY

29) WHEN HARVARD TRAINED LAWYER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE

PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE DR. EDDISON ZVOBGO TABLED AN

ADVERSE REPORT ON THE BILL DECLARING 21 SECTIONS OF THE

PROPOSED LEGISLATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

¶2.   MEANWHILE, HARARE POLICE YESTERDAY ARRESTED THREE

JOURNALISTS – CORNELIUS NDUNA OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY

“THE STANDARD,” AND FOSTER DONGOZI AND RHODA MASHAVAVE OF

THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE DAILY NEWS” – AFTER A PEACEFUL

MARCH TO PARLIAMENT BY INDEPENDENT MEDIA JOURNALISTS TO

PROTEST AGAINST THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF

PRIVACY BILL. THE THREE, WHO WERE AMONG 60 INDEPENDENT AND

FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WHO PICKETED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT

BUILDING, WERE RELEASED YESTERDAY EVENING AND ASKED TO

REPORT THIS AFTERNOON TO THE LAW AND ORDER SECTION AT THE

HARARE CENTRAL POLICE STATION. THEY WILL BE CHARGED UNDER

THE NEW PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY ACT.

¶3.   THE JOURNALISTS, WHO DENOUNCED THE BILL AND ITS

SPONSOR PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, WORE BLUE GAGS OVER THEIR

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03       HARARE 00293 012333Z

MOUTHS TO SYMBOLIZE THE EFFECT OF THE PROPOSED LAW ON THE

MEDIA AND CARRIED PLACARDS VOWING TO IGNORE THE PROVISIONS

OF THE BILL WHEN MADE INTO LAW. SOME OF THE PLACARDS READ:

“DO NOT VIOLATE OUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION,” AND “ROCKET

SCIENCE MUST NOT TRIUMPH OVER JOURNALISM.” THE ZIMBABWE

CHAPTER OF THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (MISA),

THE ZIMBABWE UNION OF JOURNALISTS (ZUJ) AND THE FOREIGN

CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED THE PEACEFUL

DEMONSTRATION.

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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