Zimpapers Logo

Selusweyinkosi Mhlanga, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa has hailed the new Freedom of Information Act of 2020 as an inclusive law that also helps rebrand the country.

Speaking at the virtual launch of the My Freedom of Information campaign that is meant to create awareness on the new Act yesterday, Minister Mutsvangwa said it uplifts lives and rebrands Zimbabwe through promoting freedom of expression and access to information.

The campaign, scheduled to run for six months, is spearheaded by a local non-governmental organisation, Tag A Life International in partnership with the Ministry, Identities Media and Fojo.

Thirty journalists will be trained as campaign ambassadors for the duration of the campaign.

“We are very happy that as a Ministry of the Second Republic we didn’t take time to implement media reforms. This we are doing in line with the vision of the President Cde ED Mnangagwa who is saying no one should be left behind. We are saying as a Ministry of the Second

Republic we want to work with everybody, we want to remove polarisation which has been there. There is no them and us, we work with media institutions equally,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Freedom of Information Act speaks to the Constitution, unlike the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that was repealed for being unfriendly to journalists and the general citizenship.

“It’s important that we align all our Acts with the Constitution which was endorsed in 2013,” she said.

“It’s a people-driven Constitution. The Freedom of Information Act is part of the repeal of AIPPA which made a lot of noise. Yester year is gone, that time when people will not be availed with information is gone, the Constitution is clearly speaking to freedom of expression, Freedom of Information Act Chapter 61 and 62.”

She said the Act was formulated through public and stakeholder input.

The Minister said the Government is transparent to the people and wants to promote accountability within its many arms through various platforms. All Government arms also respond to information requests through information officers solely employed to disseminate information to the media and public.

“The Government is open with information and is accountable to the people, hence the Cabinet briefings and Press statements. The mandate of the Government is to educate, and inform,” said the Minister.

She said information does not only flow one way as people also need to have some information communicated to higher offices so that their lives are improved and the law takes that into account.

“As Government we strive to lift the standard of life of people through community radios. We awarded community radio licences to a number of places which had no radio and TV stations in places like Beitbridge, Chiredzi, Chipinge, Binga, Kariba. We also want to get information from communities, for instance we want talent to be identified from Binga, Chipinge etc,” she said.

The Minister also addressed issues to do with safety and security of journalists in their line of work. “Safety of journalists is very close to my heart,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“They are very essential. We consider our journalists a special breed. That came out very clear during the Covid-19 lockdown as we, as a ministry fought to ensure that all people in media are designated as essential service.”

Ms Nyaradzo Mashayamombe founder of Tag A Life International said the campaign is meant to create awareness and spread word about the new Act to the public, especially women who tend to be always the last people to find out what’s going on around them.

“Everyone has the right to access information from public and private entities, how the companies work and how programmes to do with the public are handled. We expect this law to encourage transparency in the operations of these companies and to work with the public to protect their rights, especially those who are marginalised,” she said.

Ms Nompilo Simanje, Legal and ICT Policy Officer at MISA Zimbabwe said the new Act is in tune with the Constitution.

Section 62(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides for access to information held by State institutions when the information is required in the interests of public accountability whereas Section 62(2) provides for access to information held by any person, including the

State, where that information is necessary for the exercise or protection of a right.

Ms Simanje said the Freedom of Information Act will empower journalists and aid them to carry out their duties without their rights being infringed upon. — @selumhlanga