'Zimbabwean journalists live in fear'

Zimbabwean journalists are constantly looking over their shoulders as they go about their daily routines because of a rigid regulatory framework that instills fear in media practitioners, a media lawyer said Tuesday.

Gweru based Brian Dube of the Media Lawyers Network told a Media Institute of Southern Africa discussion Tuesday that Zimbabwean media practitioners have five fears. The meeting was part of a build-up to World Press Freedom Day that falls on May 3 every year.

"The right to know is vital for the sustenance of any society because none can progress in a situation where the media is not free. Journalists in Zimbabwe have five fears; the fear of arrest, cumbersome civil litigation, serious repercussions for errors, fear of losing jobs because of rigid newsroom management styles, and fear of being deregistered by a rigid regulatory regime," said Dube.

He called on authorities to remove from the country's statute books all laws that remain a threat to the development of the media.

However Dube's remarks did not go down well with deputy Media, Information and Broadcasting Services minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who accused the lawyer of advocating for unconstitutional media reforms.

"It is irresponsible for anyone to say government must repeal all laws that regulate the media without due regard to the rights of other citizens. It is unconstitutional to advocate for the removal of litigation from our statutes because it is meant to protect some citizens from media excesses. It will be excessive freedom if we are to remove criminal or civil litigation because citizens will be left open to abuse by the media," said Manidwanzira.

He, however, said the continued arrests of journalists were tarnishing the country's already tattered image.

"The structural circumstances in our legal system are causing the arrests of journalists. As long as the law is still within our statutes we have no choice but to use it even though as a ministry we have said the law is not consistent with the country's supreme law.

"But does that mean we are against the actions by the police? No, we are not because they are just doing their job and it will be a dereliction of duty if they do not," Mandiwanzira said.

He said the arrests had also undermined efforts to raise funds by the cash-strapped government.

"However, I must say such actions (arrests) undermine the efforts by government to remove the perception of a pariah state and this projects a country that has no respect for human rights. It also undermines the efforts of in particular Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to raise funds for the country because of the perceived political risk factor that continues to be attached to the country."