Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 May 2001, Catholic owned station Radio Icengelo, in Kitwe, northern Zambia, went off the air because of a fire which swept through parts of the station building. The fire destroyed official documents, office equipment and furniture and disrupted the electricity supply. The station was back on air two days later, on […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Zimbabwe’s permanent secretary in the Department of Information and Publicity, George Charamba, has defended the new accreditation regulation, which requires foreign journalists to apply for accreditation from their countries one month before their planned visits to Zimbabwe, according to a report in the 17 June 2001 edition of “The Sunday Mail”. Charamba said […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The National Youth Council of Namibia (NYC), a government-affiliated national youth umbrella body, has taken up the government’s call to cease buying and advertising in “The Namibian” newspaper. In an “urgent confidential internal memo”, NYC Secretary General Pohamba Shifeta called on all staff, members of the Executive Committee, all regional youth forums and […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Thursday 14 June 2001, a lawsuit brought against the Botswana government for banning government advertising in two private newspapers critical of its policies was postponed until 25 June. According to a report by the South African Press Association (SAPA), “The Guardian” and the “Midweek Sun” lodged an urgent application in the High […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On Tuesday 5 June 2001, police beat up and arrested a “Daily News” reporter and four of the dozens of college students demonstrating against the privatisation of catering and accommodation services by the government in Harare. Armed riot police disrupted the students who had gathered at the Old Mutual Centre, the Ministry of […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The government is being sued over its decision to ban government advertising in two private newspapers that are critical of its policies, one of the newspapers reported on Tuesday 12 June 2001. According to reports by the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), “The Guardian” and the “Midweek Sun” lodged an urgent application in […]

(MISA/IFEX) – Namibia’s ruling party, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) has joined the government in an advertising and purchasing ban on “The Namibian” newspaper, because of the newspaper’s alleged “hostile attitude” towards government. SWAPO Secretary General Hifikepunye Pohamba sent letters to the party’s regional co-ordinators on Wednesday 13 June 2001, telling them not […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 31 May 2001, broadcaster Margaret Kriel was fired from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) after airing an interview about Israel. Her thirty-minute programme “Morning Mirror” was stopped on the air without any explanation. Kriel, who has yet to receive her official dismissal letter, was asked to leave the corporation by Radio One […]