MDC-T pushes for Parly TV, radio coverage

Nelson Chamisa, the Kuwadzana East MDC MP, yesterday tabled a motion in Parliament pushing for radio and television coverage of parliamentary proceedings.

The motion was seconded by James Maridadi, the Mabvuku-Tafara MDC MP.

The motion calls "upon the executive to ensure and dedicate  a television channel  to the coverage of live and recorded Parliamentary proceedings is established".

The motion also seeks to ensure that a radio channel which will provide live coverage in all languages, of all parliamentary proceedings, is set up and that airtime or broadcast time be set aside for parliamentary debates and proceedings.

Chamisa wants Parliament to provide adequate resources and equipment for quality recordings of all parliamentary proceedings and its committees.

The former ICT minister said he was overawed by  the sporadic and inadequate coverage of Parliamentary proceedings by the public broadcaster.

The air and radio waves have long been controlled by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, which is loyal to the ruling Zanu-PF.

Chamisa said he was concerned by the  inconsistent and irregular coverage of important national and public issues.

He said this was unacceptable in an information society and knowledge dispensation and the motion was "desirous of deepening and widening our democracy in pursuit of transparency, openness and ccountability."

He said Zimbabwe's Constitution dictates that the State must provide access to information.

Chamisa said Zimbabwe was lagging behind other countries that have channels dedicated to provide coverage of live and recorded proceedings from  Parliament.

Arguments on the motion is likely to rest on the medium's capacity both to involve the public in making politicians accountable and to involve politicians in making the public interested.