15 December 2004
NEW LAWS FURTHER THREATEN FREE EXPRESSION
In Zimbabwe, where the government has a stranglehold on the media, criticising President Robert Mugabe and his policies could carry even direr consequences if a proposed bill becomes law. Parliament is considering a new bill under which journalists and others can be jailed for up to 20 years and heavily fined for publishing "false" information deemed prejudicial to the state.
The bill is one of several pieces of legislation the government is trying to ram through in the months leading up to the March 2005 general elections, report the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill, which went through its second reading last week, makes it an offence to publish or communicate "to any other person a statement which is wholly or materially false with the intention or realizing that that there is a real risk of inciting or promoting public disorder or public violence or endangering public safety; or adversely affecting the defense and economic interests of Zimbabwe; or undermining public confidence in a law enforcement agency, the Prison Service or the Defense Forces of Zimbabwe; or interfering with, disrupting or interrupting any essential service."
Anyone charged under the law could be imprisoned for up to 20 years or heavily fined, or both. CPJ has condemned the bill, saying it could be used to intimidate journalists, their sources and anyone who communicates with media outlets and organisations outside Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, President Robert Mugabe is expected to sign into law a new bill that places severe restrictions on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country. Human Rights Watch says the bill "will effectively eliminate all organizations involved in promoting and defending human rights."
The bill prohibits local NGOs involved in "issues of governance" from receiving foreign funding. It also bars foreign NGOs from registering in Zimbabwe if they deal with "issues of governance." The bill's definition of "issues of governance" includes "the promotion and protection of human rights and political governance issues." NGOs are also required to register annually with a government-appointed NGO Council and to pay annual registration fees.
Visit these links:
- CPJ on the Criminal Law Bill:
http://www.cpj.org/protests/04ltrs/Zim02dec04pl.html- Human Rights Watch Backgrounder on NGO Bill:
http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/zimbabwe/2004/12/index.htm- MISA Report "Media, Public Discourse and Political Contestation in Zimbabwe":
http://tinyurl.com/5p97g- Independent Online:
http://tinyurl.com/6p3fd- International Bar Association Report:
http://www.ibanet.org/iba/article.cfm?article=34- IFEX Updates on Zimbabwe:
http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/62614/(Image courtesy of Reporters sans frontières)