Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Link to: Editor loses defamation case

Editor loses defamation case

On 22 December 1999, the editor of “MoAfrika” news magazine, Candi Ramainoane, was found liable for defamation in a ruling made by Lesotho’s High Court. Ramainoane was sued in a civil action brought against him by a current member of parliament, Moeketsi Sello, following an anonymous letter-to-the-editor published in the September 1996 edition of “MoAfrika”. […]

Link to: Journalist sentenced for defamation in trial held behind closed doors

Journalist sentenced for defamation in trial held behind closed doors

On 24 December 1999, the Luanda Tribunal sentenced journalist Gustavo Costa to one-year suspended sentence and ordered him to pay a fine of 2,850 Kuanzas (US$ 508) and a sum of US$20,000 as compensation for “defaming the Chief of the Civil Office of the President, Jose Leitao”. Costa made two court appearances on 12 and […]

Link to: British national deported after newspaper publishes his letter

British national deported after newspaper publishes his letter

On 4 January 2000, Majid Ticklay, a 62 year-old British national resident in Zambia for fifty years, was deported to the United Kingdom following a letter-to-the-editor he wrote to the privately-owned “Post” newspaper, appealing to Zambians of Asian origin to play an active role in local politics. In the letter published on 28 December 1999, […]

Link to: Reporter barred from public function

Reporter barred from public function

On 1 January 2000, Kelvin Shimo, a reporter working for the privately owned “Post” newspaper, was barred from attending a function organised by the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) at Itezhi-tezhi in Central Zambia. Shimo told the Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA/MISA-Zambia), that he was prevented by Bob Samakayi, an official from State House, […]

Link to: Journalist hauled before police following article, threatened with criminal charges

Journalist hauled before police following article, threatened with criminal charges

The senior reporter for the “Swazi Observer” newspaper, Thulani Mthethwa, has been called before the police on two occasions and the attorney general on one occasion following the publication of a letter deemed secret by police. On 10 January 2000, the “Swazi Observer” published a letter from Swaziland’s Police Commissioner Edgar Hillary to the South […]

Link to: High Court orders public broadcaster to air NCA advertisements

High Court orders public broadcaster to air NCA advertisements

On 13 January 2000, the High Court of Zimbabwe ordered the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to transmit the National Constitutional Assembly’s (NCA) programmes and advertisements within forty-eight hours. High Court Judge Yunus Omerjee granted the order after a hearing in his chambers which lasted about four hours. The NCA applied to the High Court to […]

Link to: Journalist’s case to be heard in Supreme Court

Journalist’s case to be heard in Supreme Court

The Angolan Supreme Court is to decide whether the case against journalist Rafael Marques, who is accused of defaming the president, is to proceed. This followed an application by Marques’ lawyer during an appearance before the provincial court on 15 August 1999 to have the case against Marques dismissed. The Reuters news agency reports that […]

Link to: Political activist jailed for sedition

Political activist jailed for sedition

(MISA/IFEX) – On 14 December 1999, Christopher Mtikila, a religious leader and head of the unregistered Democratic Party, was sentenced to a year in prison for sedition. The case against Mtikila arose in April 1997, when he was accused of uttering defamatory words against the government and leaders of the ruling Chama Cha Mpinduzi (CCM) […]