Al hoe meer berigte sien die lig waarin gewys word op hoe, soos dit vanoggend in ‘n rubriek in Volksblad gestel word, ‘n magsdronk regering sy beheersug verskans. Pas het die internasionale persvryheidswaghond, Verslaggewers sonder Grense (VSG), nuwe mediawetgewing in Zimbabwe gekritiseer (nuusverklaring hieronder).
Dit waarvan spesifiek ZANU-PF beskuldig word, klink verbasend baie soos die brief wat die organisasie onlangs aan die ANC gerig het, en toe nie gehoor gegee is nie, Suid-Afrika se posisie op die persvryheidindeks laat tuimel het.
In die geval van Zimbabwe is die beswaar onder meer dat die beperkende maatreëls dit moontlik maak om onderdrukkende regeringsmagte goed te keur sonder dat iemand eers daarvan bewus is.
Zimbabwe is onderweg om ‘n verkiesing te hou wat hopelik ‘n nuwe bedeling onder ‘n nuwe grondwet sal inlui. Die beoogde wetgewing staan in skrille kontras met die wêreldverwagtings.
Dit laat Afrika se aandrang dat geteikende sanksies teen Mugabe en sy ringkoppe opgehef word, nie net voortydig klink nie, maar laf en irrasioneel.
Die werklike onheilspellendheid blyk egter uit die mate waartoe dit waaroor die VSG Zimbabwe aanspreek, net so op Suid-Afrika van toepassing gemaak kan word. Dit is nog minder gerusstellend dat Suid-Afrika voortgaan om vir Mugabe lewensruimte vir sy voortgesette diktatuur te gee, wat Mugabe se aanhangers die hoop laat skep dat Mugabe onoorwinlik is, met allerlei eise dat hy lewenslange president moet wees.
Vir enige goed-gefundeerde demokratiese staat is dit ‘n klip in die maag om ‘n diktatuur of tirannie oorkant sy grens te hê. Dit herinner aan die spanning tussen die voormalige Oos- en Wes-Duitslande. Selfs in Afrika het lande soos Tanzanië – destyds self nie ‘n model-demokrasie nie – gewapend tot die stryd toegetree om van die Idi Amin-verskrikking ontslae te raak.
Hier, so lyk dit, is dit Mugabe wat besig is om sy buurlande en spesifiek Suid-Afrika, ideologies te koloniseer, en nie andersom nie. VSG se verslag dien as onheilspellende spieëlbeeld om hierdie stelling, wat verregaande moes wees, mee te meet.
17 novembre 2010
ZIMBABWE
Bill would restrict public access to official information
Reporters Without Borders calls for the withdrawal of bill which is about to be submitted to parliament and which would allow the authorities to block public access to official documents including judicial decisions, new legislation and public records.
Announced on 22 October and called the “General Law Amendment Bill,” the proposed law’s sole aim seems to be to place additional obstacles in the way of access to information and thereby hamper the work of the media even more.
“Drafted by members of the coalition government’s Zanu-PF wing, led by President Robert Mugabe, this bill would just aggravate the already precarious situation for Zimbabwe’s media,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Jean-François Julliard said. “It is a political manoeuvre designed to prevent any critical examination of the government’s actions.”
Julliard added: “The bill is extremely dangerous as it would allow the authorities to adopt unjust measures without anyone knowing and without anyone being able to protest. It shows that the government is rejecting transparency in favour of secrecy and abuse of authority.”
Under the proposed law, the publication of any government document would require prior permission from the authorities. A human rights group or a journalist, for example, would need the justice minister’s permission to publish a judicial decision affecting the public’s rights. This would restrict the ability of ordinary citizens to monitor what the authorities do and, as such, it is contrary to the principles of good governance.
The bill’s announcement has coincided with a number of developments in recent weeks that have raised concerns about a renewed crackdown on the media. The government announced at the start of this month that no licences would be issued to new radio or TV stations. Two journalists, Nkosana Dhalmini and Andrison Manyere, were arrested while covering a public debate at the end of last month and were held for two days.
And an arrest warrant was issued last week for The Zimbabwean editor Wilf Mbanga in connection with an article critical of President Mugabe that was published after the 2008 elections. Mbanga has lived in London for the past six years.
Zimbabwe already has two laws that throttle free expression. One is the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), adopted in 2002. The other is the Interception of Communications Act, adopted in August 2007. The coalition government made significant efforts to limit their negative effects earlier this year, for example, by issuing licences to several privately-owned dailies. This bill constitutes a major step backwards.
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