Another independent daily planned for Zim

Another Zimbabwean publisher announced plans on Thursday to launch an independent daily, five years after the only private daily newspaper was shut by authorities using harsh media laws.

Modus Publications, publishers of weekly Financial Gazette, said they would soon launch an evening daily—just one month after another weekly unveiled plans for a new daily as well.

“A lot of ground has been covered in capitalising the project, putting in place appropriate equipment, raw materials and expertise ahead of the launch,” Modus chief executive Jacob Chisese said in a statement, adding that the company has already been granted the licence to publish the new paper.

A month ago Trevor Ncube, publisher of the privately owned weeklies the Zimbabwe Independent, the Standard and South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, said he would launch a daily following the unity government formed by President Robert Mugabe and his long-time rival, new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwe’s last independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, closed in 2004 after failing to comply with strict media legislation.

Mugabe’s government passed a media law on the eve of the 2002 presidential elections which has been invoked to expel foreign correspondents and shut down at least four independent newspapers that were critical of his rule.—Sapa-AFP