Of the countries of the Southern Africa Development Community which committed themselves to “promoting an independent and pluralistic African press” in the Windhoek Declaration, only South Africa has made notable progress towards media independence, says John Manyarara, chair of Trust Fund Board of the Media Institute of Southern Africa in its annual report of 1996/1997.
“Mozambique and Tanzania appear to be on a similar path, while Namibia is probably prevented from clamping down on the media by provisions of the country’s Constitution that do not permit erosion of fundamental rights,” Manyarara said.
Manyarara said while the political authorities in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe pay lip service to the Windhoek Declaration, they continue to flout its provisions.
While journalism continues to be a hazardous profession, there were no recorded deaths of journalists related directly to their work in these countries.