ZUJ elected into African body for Journalists

The Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, ZUJ, through its Secretary General, Foster Dongozi has been elected into the Steering Committee of  The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ).

 The FAJ is the  regional association of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and  held it Fourth Congress in the Nigerian capital, Abuja last week under the theme "The Political Change and the Safety of Working Journalists in Africa".  The Congress brought together 34 Delegates from 22 journalists unions and associations across the continent to deliberate on issues affecting journalists and the media in Africa; to take stock of the Federation's achievements and challenges over the past three years; as well as to elect a new leadership that will run the affairs of the Federation for the next three years.

Acting in accordance with Article 9.2 of the FAJ Constitution, the Delegates at the Congress elected nine union representatives from all the regions of the continent to serve in the Steering Committee.   In relation to FAJ Procedures, the elected members of the Steering Committee then elected Abdulwaheed Odusile of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as the new FAJ President.  Maria Luisa  Rogerio Carvalho of  Sindicato dos Journalistas Angolanos (SJA) was elected as the Vice President,  while Zeid Debbon of the Syndicat National des Journalists Tunisiens (SNJT).

Other elected members of the FAJ Steering Committee include, Stephen Ouma Bwire of the Uganda Journalists Union (UJU), Ibrahima Ndiaye of the Syndicat des Professionnels de l'Information de la Communication – Senegal (SYNPICS), Alexandre Niyungeko of the Union Burundaise des Journalistes (UBJ), Denis Nkwebo of the Syndicat Nationale des Journalistes du Cameroon (SNJC), and Moussa Traore of the Union Nationale des Journalistes de Cote d' Ivoire (UNJCI). In the same vein, three reserves were  also  elected for the Steering Committee,namely, Eduardo Constantino of  the Sindicato Nacional de Jornalistas of Mozambique, Abdullai Camara of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and Franck Kpochere of the Union des Professionnels des medias du Benin (UPMB).

The Delegates at the Congress also unanimously elected five female journalists leaders into the Pan- African Gender Council.  The elected female leaders are Angela Chishimaba of the Zambia Union of Journalists (ZUJ), Marion Obam Vivian of SNJC, Particia Ajdisseku of the Union des Journalists Independents du Togo (UJIT), Aisha Ahmed Youssouf of the Association des Journalistes Djiboutiens (AJD) and Fatimah Abdulkareem of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

In relation to its programmes for the next three years, FAJ outlined the Safety of journalists and the campaign against impunity as a top priority, while also focusing its attention to gender equality in the media and unions, freedom of information, online safety and the decriminalization of libel.