Journalists must fight the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act to the bitter end because the act is full of restrictions and barriers and reeks of the intolerance and xenophobia that has characterised the Robert Mugabe administration for years.
This was said by the Daily News after the signing of the Act in 2002.
“That the act was even signed into law after its eloquent condemnation last year by the chairman of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Eddison Zvobgo, is testimony to the government’s commitment to dictatorship dressed up as democracy,“ the paper said.
“Every journalist worth their salt must feel morally outraged that the government can be so uncouth as to try to muzzle them while protesting to the outside world that there is freedom of the press in this country.”
Full cable:
Viewing cable 02HARARE752, MEDIA REPORT MEDIA ACT CHALLENGED; 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.
220940Z Mar 02
UNCLASSIFIED PTQ4929
PAGE 01 HARARE 00752 220955Z
ACTION AF-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AS-01 A-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01
VCE-00 NSAE-00 TEST-00 USIE-00 IIP-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02
NFAT-00 SAS-00 /004W
——————78FC5A 220955Z /38
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1296
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS HARARE 000752
SIPDIS
AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR SWANN, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI
FRAZER
E.O. 12958: N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MEDIA ACT CHALLENGED; HARARE
¶1. UNDER HEADLINE “MEDIA ACT TOTALLY REEKS OF
INTOLERANCE, XENOPHOBIA,” THE INDEPENDENT DAILY “THE
DAILY NEWS” DEDICATED ITS MARCH 22 EDITORIAL TO URGING
JOURNALISTS TO CHALLENGE THE RECENTLY ENACTED ACCESS TO
INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT, SAYING “THIS
ACT MUST BE FOUGHT TO THE BITTER END.” EXCERPTS:
¶2. “. . .THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF
PRIVACY ACT. . .IS REPLETE WITH. . .RESTRICTIONS
AND BARRIERS. IT REEKS OF THE INTOLERANCE AND
XENOPHOBIA THAT HAS CHARACTERIZED (THE MUGABE)
ADMINISTRATION FOR MANY YEARS NOW. . . THAT THE
ACT WAS EVEN SIGNED INTO LAW AFTER ITS ELOQUENT
CONDEMNATION LAST YEAR BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE, EDDISON ZVOBGO, IS
TESTIMONY TO THE GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO
DICTATORSHIP DRESSED UP AS DEMOCRACY. EVERY
JOURNALIST WORTH THEIR SALT MUST FEEL MORALLY
OUTRAGED THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN BE SO UNCOUTH AS
TO TRY TO MUZZLE THEM WHILE PROTESTING TO THE
OUTSIDE WORLD THAT THERE IS FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN
THIS COUNTRY. THIS ACT MUST BE FOUGHT TO THE
BITTER END. JOURNALISM IN ZIMBABWE MUST CONTINUE
TO PROMOTE THE FREE FLOW OF ANY AND ALL INFORMATION
AMONG THE PEOPLE UPON WHICH CITIZENS AND FOREIGNERS
CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.”
SULLIVAN
UNCLASSIFIED
>
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