PROMOTING FREE EXPRESSION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
Tensions between South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and media house, eNCA, escalated at the weekend, with the leader of the opposition party, Julius Malema, saying they would no longer be granting interviews to the broadcaster.
In solidarity with the rest of the world, we acknowledge the fact that radio plays a pivotal role in our daily lives. The majority of the Basotho population wake up in the morning, thrives through the day and go to sleep at night being serviced with important information and education on diverse local, regional and international issues.
The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) will not publicise how the regulatory authority scored applicants that were awarded free to air commercial television broadcasting licences, BAZ acting chief executive officer (CEO) Matthias Chakanyuka has said.
Our programme officer Nompilo Simanje talks about how access to information in the public interest is very important, particularly during a pandemic or natural disasters, as this assists citizens and the nation at large, to make informed decisions about their right to life and the right to health.
Journalists, together with other essential priority groups, are frontline workers that need to be prioritised as well given the critical role they play in keeping the nation informed on developments and measures the government is taking to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
High Court judge Justice Dube has ordered the ministers of Health and Information to widely disseminate “comprehensive and adequate information” on both private and public testing, isolation and treatment of COVID-19.
Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), with the approval of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services recently gazetted the registration and accreditation fees for media companies and journalists in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 22 of 2021.
Ugandan authorities have ordered internet service providers in the East African country to block access to social media sites ahead of elections on 14 January 2021.
MISA Zimbabwe welcomes the licensing of the country’s first-ever three community radio stations as a step in the right direction towards opening up the broadcasting sector to new players.
This piece of legislation is not just for the media, but is a Bill for all Zambians, and empowers them to hold government to account while encouraging transparency
In light of the recent enactment of the Freedom of Information Act and the gazetting of the Cybersecurity and Data Protection Bill, it is imperative to explore the intended benefits of such legal instruments to the broader generality of Zimbabwe’s society.
"Corruption related to PPE ... is actually murder because if health workers work without PPE, we're risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve."
The centrality of access to information in this pandemic cannot be overlooked, in particular, as it relates to timeliness, relevance and adequacy of information.
Unfortunately, information gap created a fertile ground for fake news on issues around Covid-19..
Internet accessibility in Zimbabwe generally remains low, mainly because of limited infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, where most Zimbabweans are located.
This year’s International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) comes at a pivotal moment in Zimbabwe following the enactment of the country’s Freedom of Information Act.
Lesotho Transparency Report
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Regional), has been conducting research and studies since 2009 to establish the difficulty with which citizens in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) can access public information.
The government of Malawi has set 30 September 2020 as the day when its Access to Information Act comes into operation, almost three years after it was signed into law.
The shortlisting of applicants for interviews for private television stations by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) is a welcome development that should end the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZBC) monopoly of the television sector.