Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Police detain independent filmmaker
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a MISA press release: April 5, 2000 Police detain independent filmmaker On April 1 2000, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) detained Edwina Spicer, co-ordinator of the Media Monitoring Project in Zimbabwe and independent filmmaker, for a two hour period because she filmed a police roadblock near the Remand Prison on […]
Public media refuse opposition advertising
Two state-owned media organisations, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and Zimbabwe Newspapers (Ltd), have allegedly refused to air or publish Z$1 million (approx. US$26,205) worth of advertising material, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman Learnmore Jongwe was quoted in “The Daily News” as saying. In an interview with MISA-Zimbabwe, Jongwe said material submitted to Zimpapers […]
Private broadcasting company litigates against broadcasting law
The Munhumutape African Broadcasting Corporation (MABC) Television (Pty Ltd), an independent broadcasting company, is challenging the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, in particular Section 27, arguing that it denies freedom of information and the right to information in a democracy. According to papers filed with the High Court on 9 February 2000 by MABC Managing […]
Army commander ordered to allow papers to be served on military officials
High Court Justice James Devittie has ordered the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Constantine Chiwenga, to allow the deputy sheriff to enter the army barracks to serve summons on the commander himself and other senior officers being sued by “Standard” journalists Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto. The journalists are seeking compensation in excess of […]
Two journalists sentenced, another acquitted for defaming the president
On 31 March 2000, journalist Rafael Marques and Anguear dos Santos, the director of the independent weekly “Agora”, were convicted of defaming President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. A third accused, Antonio de Freitas, the chief editor of “Agora”, was acquitted. Marques and Dos Santos were both convicted of defaming, injuring and slandering the president, while […]
Supreme Court orders police to investigate reports of two journalists’ torture
**Updates IFEX alerts of 23 and 15 March, 1 February, 28 and 7 January 2000, 4 October, 30 and 10 September, 19 July, 31 and 11 May, 25 March, 24, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 3 February, 29, 27, 25, 22, 21, 18, 15 and 13 January 1999; for recent threats against Choto see IFEX […]
Political censorship at former state owned weekly
(MISA/IFEX) – The Maputo Sunday paper “Domingo” has apparently begun to censor the advertising it publishes according to its political content. “Domingo” is a former state-owned and controlled newspaper that was privatised in 1983. It is owned by a group of business people who make up the management and appoint the editor-in-chief. According to the […]
State broadcasting employees dismissed
On 23 March 2000, the board of directors of the Swaziland Television Broadcasting Corporation (STBC) abruptly fired the thirty-one employees who went on strike in October 1999. The board’s decision to sack the employees superseded the findings of the one-man commission of inquiry, carried out by Rudolf Maziya, who concluded that the employees were not […]