Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
State prosecutor withdraws charges against journalists
(MISA/IFEX) – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Fahad Assani, has withdrawn a case against two journalists who were arrested in the middle of 1999 on charges of incitement and conduct likely to cause breach of peace. Since the charges were brought against the journalists – Harace Somanje and Mabvuto Banda, editor and deputy chief […]
Journalist continues to face official harassment
(MISA/IFEX) – Journalist Isaías Soares, based in Malanje, continues to face harassment from official circles. On 7 August 2000, the provincial delegate of Social Communication (SC) in Malanje, André Antonio da Costa, summoned Soares to his office and demanded that the journalist bring all his archives and documents relating to his work as a journalist. […]
Book banned
(MISA/IFEX) – Authorities in Tanzania have banned a book that details the 1998 massacre of four Muslim youths by police, reports the PANA news agency. The order banning the book, titled “Mwembechai Killings and the Political Future of Tanzania”, was contained in the official government gazette released on 4 August 2000. Signed by President Benjamin […]
Government bans several marches
(MISA/IFEX) – “The Namibian” newspaper reports that the government has outlawed at least three different protests in the past four days. On 6 August 2000, the government blocked two interest groups from marching on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit meeting and State House in Windhoek. Heavily-armed police said they were acting on “orders […]
Government denies plot to assassinate editor
(MISA/IFEX) – The government has said that it wants to put on record that it does not consider “The Daily News” editor-in-chief Geoff Nyarota, or any other editor in Zimbabwe to be its enemy. Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo said this in response to a story published in “The Daily News” […]
Country’s first ever state-owned television goes on air
(MISA/IFEX) – After several misses, on 31 July 2000, Botswana’s first ever state-owned television went on air amidst pomp and pageantry in Gaborone, reports the PANA news agency. The station started its inaugural broadcast with a news bulletin in Setswana, followed by a short studio interview with the acting minister for presidential affairs and public […]
Journalist’s movement and access to information restricted
(MISA/IFEX) – According to information received from Angola, journalist Isaias Soares, a stringer for Voice of America (VoA) and the independent Radio Ecclesia, is being banned from covering official events or reporting on military issues in the northern province of Malanje. The ban has apparently been in place since 1997 and, according to Soares, the […]
Plot to kill editor exposed
(MISA/IFEX) – A plot hatched by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to kill the editor-in-chief of “The Daily News”, Geoffrey Nyarota, has been exposed by the hired assassin. The assassin, Bernard Masara, 35, told the “Daily News” that he developed cold feet and could not carry out the killing. Not only did he expose the […]