When Wilf Mbanga, one of the founding editors of the banned Daily News, introduced his title from London, the Media and Information Commission chairperson Tafataona Mahoso was quick to dismiss the paper as a “gigantic media fraud”.
Little did he know that the paper was going to be accepted by concerned Zimbabweans as an alternative media!
What Mahoso implied in his statement is that Mbanga’s establishment was a creation of foreign powers. Not only did he know that the arrival of the paper would create competition with the state-controlled newspapers, but it would mark a new media shift from the usually run-on-the-mill stories published by the state-media that are awash with pro-Zanu PF propaganda.
I have to admit that most of stories being published by The Zimbabwean are critical of the dictatorial tendencies of the sitting government, but it has to be put on record that such publications are necessary in pushing for checks and balances in any democracy.
While Mahoso is entitled to his views, I would want to challenge him to explain to the world why he is forcing journalists to pay a fine of ZW$10 000 (US$ 40 at the official exchange rate) per day for not renewing their accreditation in time.
The fine that Mahoso is imposing is in itself a “gigantic media fraud”. If I may ask, what is going to be done with that money? I know it for certain that the MIC has performed dismally since the promulgation of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act in March 2002. I don’t know of any training programs that the commission has supported or facilitated.
Where does Mahoso think that journalists get the money when he knows fully aware that journalists are being paid peanuts for their published stories? Imagine one getting a payment of not more ZW$2 000 (US$8) for a story by well-established newspaper domiciled in Zimbabwe. I challenge Mahoso to consult editors at the few newspapers that are in the country today to see how much money they are paying their stringers.
What does one do with an amount? ZW$2 000 only pays one person’s round trip to go to the city centre from Mufakose high density suburb.
It is a pity that the MIC has seen it fit to criminalise the journalism profession. What Mahoso needs to understand is that the registration fees imposed by the MIC covers the whole year from January 1 to December 31.
I challenge Mahoso to explain why his commission thinks the fine is necessary. In view of these stringent measures that the government continues to impose on the media, it must also be noted that the MIC is also requiring freelance journalists to produce letters of recommendation from the editors. Some editors have allegedly told my fellow comrades that they would not be able to provide them with such kind of letters for undisclosed reasons.
The MIC must be reminded that their commission is destroying hopes of a positive development in the country’s media sector.
There is need for the establishment of an organization that caters for the genuine interests of genuine freelancers not organizations that are led by people who are known to be political activists.
I note with dismay that such hindrances are not at all healthy to the development of the media in Zimbabwe.
I feel that the Voluntary Media Council that media groups in Zimbabwe intend to launch on the 26th of this month is the only answer to the problems journalists are facing in Zimbabwe.
Little did he know that the paper was going to be accepted by concerned Zimbabweans as an alternative media!
What Mahoso implied in his statement is that Mbanga’s establishment was a creation of foreign powers. Not only did he know that the arrival of the paper would create competition with the state-controlled newspapers, but it would mark a new media shift from the usually run-on-the-mill stories published by the state-media that are awash with pro-Zanu PF propaganda.
I have to admit that most of stories being published by The Zimbabwean are critical of the dictatorial tendencies of the sitting government, but it has to be put on record that such publications are necessary in pushing for checks and balances in any democracy.
While Mahoso is entitled to his views, I would want to challenge him to explain to the world why he is forcing journalists to pay a fine of ZW$10 000 (US$ 40 at the official exchange rate) per day for not renewing their accreditation in time.
The fine that Mahoso is imposing is in itself a “gigantic media fraud”. If I may ask, what is going to be done with that money? I know it for certain that the MIC has performed dismally since the promulgation of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act in March 2002. I don’t know of any training programs that the commission has supported or facilitated.
Where does Mahoso think that journalists get the money when he knows fully aware that journalists are being paid peanuts for their published stories? Imagine one getting a payment of not more ZW$2 000 (US$8) for a story by well-established newspaper domiciled in Zimbabwe. I challenge Mahoso to consult editors at the few newspapers that are in the country today to see how much money they are paying their stringers.
What does one do with an amount? ZW$2 000 only pays one person’s round trip to go to the city centre from Mufakose high density suburb.
It is a pity that the MIC has seen it fit to criminalise the journalism profession. What Mahoso needs to understand is that the registration fees imposed by the MIC covers the whole year from January 1 to December 31.
I challenge Mahoso to explain why his commission thinks the fine is necessary. In view of these stringent measures that the government continues to impose on the media, it must also be noted that the MIC is also requiring freelance journalists to produce letters of recommendation from the editors. Some editors have allegedly told my fellow comrades that they would not be able to provide them with such kind of letters for undisclosed reasons.
The MIC must be reminded that their commission is destroying hopes of a positive development in the country’s media sector.
There is need for the establishment of an organization that caters for the genuine interests of genuine freelancers not organizations that are led by people who are known to be political activists.
I note with dismay that such hindrances are not at all healthy to the development of the media in Zimbabwe.
I feel that the Voluntary Media Council that media groups in Zimbabwe intend to launch on the 26th of this month is the only answer to the problems journalists are facing in Zimbabwe.
1 comments:
Great site - looking forward to reading the latest from Zim...
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