(MISA/IFEX) – On 9 December 2000, the Zimbabwe government announced that it was planning to sue the independent newspaper “Daily News” for criminal defamation. During the previous week, the newspaper published a series of stories alleging massive corruption involving several senior state officials, including President Robert Mugabe, in the award of a tender for a […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 9 December 2000, the Zimbabwe government announced that it was planning to sue the independent newspaper “Daily News” for criminal defamation. During the previous week, the newspaper published a series of stories alleging massive corruption involving several senior state officials, including President Robert Mugabe, in the award of a tender for a new airport.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said he had asked the Attorney-General’s Office to institute legal proceedings against the “Daily News” as a result of the newspaper’s allegations, despite denials that several government ministers and President Mugabe had received kickbacks from a company which won the tender to build the new Harare International Airport.
“The allegations are serious and defamatory and greatly undermine the clean record of the government and its credibility. I have decided to bring the matter to a head by requesting the Attorney-General’s Office to give consideration to instituting criminal defamation proceedings against the editor and publisher of the ‘Daily News’,” said Chinamasa. Several of the government officials named in the alleged scandal, including the contractor, denied the newspaper’s corruption claims.
Chinamasa’s announcement is the latest in a number of legal challenges the “Daily News” has had to contend with of late. At the beginning of December, “The Herald” newspaper reported that the “Daily News” had been found in contempt of parliament for publishing the contents of a document that had been placed on embargo by Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnagagwa.
In a 30 November ruling, Mnagagwa said details contained in the “Daily News” article published on 26 October, bore close resemblance to the contents of the document that was the subject of the embargo. The chair ruled that the publication constituted a prima facie case of contempt of parliament. The article in question concerned details of an application to impeach President Mugabe, that had been lodged by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
No immediate action was taken against the newspaper following the ruling, but as per the terms of the Privileges Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act (Chapter 10), the author of the article in question can be dragged before a parliamentary committee for a hearing. The act gives parliament authority to punish the media for contempt of parliament.
Wilfully failing or refusing to obey an order of parliament, refusing to be examined before or answer any lawful and relevant question put by a committee or parliament and publishing the proceedings of a committee as reported to parliament are all violations of the act, according to some of the provisions contained in the act.
In a separate development, “The Herald” newspaper reported that Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo has instituted a civil claim against the “Daily News” for republishing an article he had written for a local magazine some years ago, without his approval. According to the papers filed on his behalf, the newspaper breached the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act and Moyo is entitled to sue for damages for infringement.
In assessing the damages due, the lawyers for Moyo said they would apply to the court for an order obliging the “Daily News” to provide information on how many copies the paper sold on the day in published the article by Moyo.
