Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
MISA condemns government threats against media organisations
**Updates previous IFEX alert of 4 February 2000** (MISA/IFEX) – The following is a MISA press release: MEDIA STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2000 The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) strongly condemns the recent threats emanating from the Zambian government directed against non-governmental organisations in Zambia, in particular the Zambia Independent Media […]
Minister warns Zambian chapter of MISA and AFRONET of “drastic action”
(MISA/IFEX) – On 2 February 2000, Zambian Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Newstead Zimba warned of “drastic action” against the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA), which is also the Zambian Chapter of MISA, and the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET), a human rights organisation. In a statement, Zimba accused both organisations […]
Journalist still in detention after more than forty-five days
(MISA/IFEX) – Angolan journalist Rafael Marques has informed MISA that he and his lawyer, Joao Faria, were able to visit detained journalist Andre Domingos Mussamo. The journalist has been in jail in the Cuanza Norte provincial capital, N’Dalatando, for sixty-three days. Mussamo is reported to be in good spirits, though his health condition is sensitive […]
Radio station reinstates phone-in programme
(MISA/IFEX) – On 28 January 2000, the privately owned Radio Phoenix announced it was reinstating Let the People Talk, a phone-in programme which it had earlier scrapped, saying this was in order “to keep peace with the sponsors.” Radio Phoenix General manager, Elizabeth Pemba, who was flanked by the station’s managing director Errol Hickly, told […]
Journalists hit back at Mugabe
(MISA/IFEX) – Two “Standard” journalists, Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto, have dismissed President Robert Mugabe’s version of the torture perpetrated against them by the military and other agents of the state as cheap politicking. On 31 January 2000, Chavunduka, a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in the United States, said that he never sustained injuries […]
MP calls for action against critical journalists
A ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) member of parliament (MP), David Kapangalwendo, has called for a government crackdown on journalists working for newspapers which are critical of government, in addition to tougher action against the newspapers themselves. On 27 January 2000, the “Post” newspaper quoted Kapangalwendo as saying, “They have gone too far, particularly […]
President threatens journalists with arrest
President Robert Mugabe has said that irresponsible journalists who write blatant lies to “cook up emotions” in the country will be arrested. Mugabe was speaking with the Voice of America (VOA) in New York in a wide-ranging interview. The president also said if the two “Standard” journalists wrote another lie which offended the army and […]
New legislation amended to conform with freedom of expression principles
On 25 January 2000, the Namibian government amended the Namibia Film Commission Bill to bring it in line with acceptable norms of freedom of expression and information. Among the amendments made to the bill before it was tabled and passed by the National Assembly on 25 January, was to change the ambit of the bill. […]