Articles by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Public broadcaster again refuses to run advertisements
(MISA/IFEX) – The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), a non-governmental body working towards constitutional reform in Zimbabwe, has threatened to re-institute legal proceedings against the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) for refusing to run its advertisements on radio and television. In a letter dated 26 August 1999 to ZBC Director-General Luke Munyawarara, the NCA gave the ZBC […]
“Standard” journalists institute another court action stemming from their detention and torture
(MISA/IFEX) – Lawyers representing “Standard” journalists Mark Chavunduka and Ray Choto filed an application in the Supreme Court last week seeking to force the commissioner of police, Augustine Chihuri, to investigate the crimes committed by agents of the state against the journalists. The application cites the commissioner of police and the attorney-general as the first […]
Serious clampdown on media: journalist killed, several interrogated
(MISA/IFEX) – On Tuesday 31 August 1999, Mauricio Cristovao, a young journalist working or Radio 5, the sports channel on the government-owned Radio Nacional de Angola, was gunned down in the capital, Luanda. According to Radio Nacional, twenty-four year-old Cristovao was shot three times, once in the head and twice in the chest by unknown […]
President attacks independent press
(MISA/IFEX) – On 20 August 1999, President Robert Mugabe again attacked the independent press. On this occasion, he added the “Daily News” to his list of enemy publications by saying the newspaper was being used by former Rhodesians to discredit the government and the ruling ZANU-PF party. Mugabe was speaking at the ZANU-PF Women’s League […]
Media Institute denounces conviction, jailing of publisher
(Media Institute/IFEX) – On 20 August 1999, Anthony Gachoka, the publisher of the “Post on Sunday” weekly magazine, was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine. His company, The Post Limited, was fined Kshs 1 million (US$13,500) and ordered to cease publication of the […]
New legislation to control Internet pornography to be introduced
(MISA/IFEX) – On 24 August 1999, the “Herald” newspaper reported that a new law aimed at controlling the dissemination of undesirable material through the Internet, mostly pornography and unsolicited junk mail, might soon be enforced if a proposed draft amendment is made law. The proposed law has been compiled by the Law Development Commission at […]
Journalists released, threat of law being used against media, newspaper forced to self-censor
(MISA/IFEX) – Journalists Paulo Juliao and Emanuel da Mata from the independent church-owned Radio Ecclesia were released on Tuesday 10 August 1999, some nine hours after being arrested by officers of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (DNIC). The two were arrested shortly after the station re-broadcast a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview with Union for […]
Journalists detained and interrogated
(MISA/IFEX) – On Monday 9 August 1999, the chief editor of the Catholic FM station Radio Ecclesia, Paulo Juliao, and two other journalists, Laurinda Tavares and Filipe Joaquim, were detained by officers of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (DNIC) after the station had re-broadcast a BBC interview with UNITA rebel leader Jonas Savimbi. Four officers […]