Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Journalists arrested and harassed, others in hiding
(MISA/IFEX) – On 1 November 2000, the British Broadcasting Corporation correspondent in Zanzibar, Ally Saleh, was arrested and detained by police. Saleh was taken to Malindi police station and later transferred to Mwembemadema Central Police station. Saleh was released on bail on 2 November. He is expected to appear in court later in November, but […]
Newspaper found in contempt of parliament
(MISA/IFEX) – On 26 October 2000, the speaker of the Zimbabwean parliament, Emmerson Mnangagwa, ruled that the “Financial Gazette” newspaper was in contempt of parliament for publishing a story last week which said the parliamentary committee had met and unanimously resolved that the new broadcasting regulations were illegal, reports “The Herald” newspaper. “It is the […]
Newspapers threatened with criminal defamation charges
(MISA/IFEX) – “The Herald” newspaper reports that the government is going to file criminal defamation charges against “The Daily News” and “The Standard” for publishing reports on the state of a civil lawsuit against President Robert Mugabe that is being heard in a United States court. In a statement issued in Harare, the Department of […]
Journalists barred from covering rape case
(MISA/IFEX) – On 19 October 2000, the Dar es Salaam-based Kisutu District Magistrate’s Court barred journalists from covering a case involving a prominent businessman, Nambai Tasseni, who was charged with raping a student of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The decision to hold the case in camera was reached by the Kisutu Senior […]
Newspaper faces defamation suit
(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 October 2000, Seif Mpembenwe, the district commissioner of Temeke in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam, and Khadija Kusaga, a ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party parliamentary candidate, filed a suit at the High Court against the editor, publishers and printers of “Wakati” newspaper, demanding a sum of 200 million Tanzanian […]
Supreme Court rules on appeal of convicted journalists
(MISA/IFEX) – On 27 October 2000, the Angolan Supreme Court ruled on the appeal of journalists Rafael Marques, Aguiar Dos Santos and Gustavo Costa. Marques and Dos Santos had been convicted of defaming the president, while Costa was convicted of defaming Jose Leitao, the chief of the president’s civil office. Marques’ conviction of six months […]
New broadcasting regulations before parliament
(MISA/IFEX) – On 26 October 2000, the new broadcasting regulations were scheduled to be tabled before the Parliamentary Legal Committee, to verify their compliance with the constitution. Commenting on reports made by the “Financial Gazette” on 19 October, to the effect that the regulations had been declared illegal by the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Minister of […]
“Financial Gazette” reporter faces contempt of court charges
(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 October 2000, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa appealed to parliament to hold the “Financial Gazette” in contempt of court for publishing an article which implies that the new broadcasting laws were illegal. Last week, the “Financial Gazette”‘s chief reporter, Sydney Masamvu, quoted unnamed sources in the parliamentary […]