/ 18 December 2007

Zimbabwe amends media, security laws after talks

President Robert Mugabe's government has amended security and media laws that critics say have helped him entrench his rule. The changes to the Public Order and Security Act were agreed at talks, brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, between Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

President Robert Mugabe’s government has amended tough security and media laws that critics say have helped him entrench his rule.

The changes to the Public Order and Security Act were agreed at talks, brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, between Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party and two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The media will be opened up to foreign owners but foreign journalists remain barred from working permanently in Zimbabwe.

Political parties seeking to hold public gatherings can now appeal to a magistrate if police turn down their application. Currently they appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs who the opposition says is an interested party because he belongs to the governing party.

Police will also be required to ”enter into dialogue” with the concerned party to explain the reasons for prohibiting a meeting, according to a government gazette seen by Reuters on Monday.

Critics say Mugabe has used the Act to prevent opponents from organising rallies and demonstrations, and accuse security forces of sometimes using excessive force to quell protests.

In an attempt to end an economic and political crisis, Zanu-PF and the opposition had agreed on the need for a new Constitution, the amendment of the security and media laws and an end to political violence to ensure that elections scheduled for 2008 are free and fair.

Comprehensive package

Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson for the main MDC group led by Morgan Tsvangirai, described the amendments as piecemeal and said the opposition wanted a comprehensive package of all reforms agreed at the talks to be implemented at once.

”Everything has to be done with mutual consent. This is a unilateral decision and its not done with full sincerity and undermines the talks somewhat,” Chamisa said. He would not say whether the MDC would support the amendments in Parliament.

In March, main MDC leader Tsvangirai and several other opposition and civic society activists were assaulted in police custody after attempting to attend a banned prayer rally, which renewed calls for Mugabe to enact reforms or step down.

The government is also seeking to amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) by reconstituting a state-appointed commission that regulates the media.

Under the Act, members of the media commission, which is appointed by the Minister of Information, will now be appointed by the president from a list submitted by a bi-partisan parliamentary committee and should have media experience.

The government used the act in 2003 to shut the Daily News, at that time the daily newspaper with the largest circulation, and its sister Sunday paper after the Supreme Court ruled the paper was acting outside the law by publishing without a licence. The paper is still battling to get a licence.

Changes to the Broadcasting Services Act will allow foreigners to hold majority stakes in a broadcasting service. – Reuters