Zimpapers Logo

Farirai Machivenyika , Harare Bureau

THE media environment has greatly improved in the Second Republic as evidenced by the absence of harassment and detention of journalists, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo has said.

Minister Moyo said this at the end of the Global Conference for Media Freedom in London yesterday.

He said the conference had noted that the journalism profession and media space was under threat in a number of countries and Zimbabwe was an exception.

“As we went through the second plenary session it was clear in the debate that journalism is under threat in many countries and the profession itself was under threat,” said Minister Moyo.

He said Zimbabwe was not on the list given its “positive handling and defence of media freedom and journalism” since the coming in of the new dispensation.

Minister Moyo added that no journalist has either been abducted or barred since November 24, 2017.

“And this obviously an encouraging disposition for Zimbabwe,” he said.

Last week, Government gazetted the Freedom of Information Bill, which seeks to repeal the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

The Bill seeks to give effect to Section 62 of the Constitution which provides for the right to access to information as enshrined in the Declaration of Rights.

Other Bills that are under consideration include the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill and the Protection of Personal Information/Data Protection Bill. The United Nations and the UK have since welcomed the reforms that Government is undertaking.

The Bills are part of the Second Republic’s efforts to fulfil the reform agenda aimed at seeing the country pursuing a new trajectory in its domestic and foreign policies.

The Global Conference for Media Freedom ended with several accounts from around the world including Malaysia, depicting an overall need to review operations of the media including in the First world. 

Canada will host the next conference of this annual event. 

The Bills are part of the Second Republic’s efforts to fulfil the reform agenda aimed at seeing the country pursuing a new trajectory in its domestic and foreign policies