Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

**Updates IFEX alerts dated 27, 25, 20, 14, 13, 12, 6, 4, 1 March, 28, 27, 23 February 1996** Several members of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) say the decision by Speaker of the National Assembly Robinson Nabulyato to order the indefinite imprisonment of two newspaper editors was a serious violation of the […]

**Updates IFEX alerts dated 11, 3 August; 24, 16 July; and 16, 19 June 1995** The publisher and two senior editors of Zimbabwe’s leading independent newspaper, the “Financial Gazette”, have been fined. The South African Press Association reports that Magistrate William Cutler fined the owners of the “Gazette”, Modus Publications, Z$ 2500 (U$300). “Gazette” editor […]

**For background, see IFEX alerts dated 30, 24, 1 September, and 24 August 1994 A freelance photographer was arrested and fined for trespassing in the early hours of 18 August 1995 when attempting to photograph the clubbing of seals during Namibia’s controversial annual seal harvest. Photographer John Liebenberg was held for several hours at Cape […]

The former head of the current affairs desk at the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), Albert Ndarama, has been dismissed from the corporation in what he considers to be a politically motivated move. Ndarama told MISA he received notice from the MBC on 16 May terminating his contract with the corporation with immediate effect. The notice […]

Journalist Chinyeke Tembo, of the Malawian daily newspaper “The Nation”, faces possible imprisonment for refusing to testify in the upcoming trial of two leaders of the Malawi Democratic Party (MDP). Tembo has written to Chief State Advocate Enoch Chibwana to say he would not appear as a state witness at the trial of the two […]

**For background to February incident, see IFEX alert dated 8 May 1995** A member of parliament (MP) stormed into the offices of the weekly newspaper “Mmegi” and threatened the paper’s parliamentary correspondent, Mesh Moeti. In its 28 July 1995 edition, “Mmegi” reported that Botswana National Front (BNF) MP Geoffrey Mosimakoko entered the newspaper’s premises on […]

**Updates IFEX alerts dated 4 August, 13 July 8 June and 13 March 1995** The news editor of the “Swazi Observer”, Donny Nxumalo, has been suspended indefinitely for writing what the paper’s management terms “defamatory statements” about public figures. The “Observer” is a daily newspaper owned by a trust headed by Swaziland’s head of state, […]

Kaunda was charged under the Public Order Act with illegally addressing a public rally on 17 June. According to “The Post” of Zambia, the 71-year-old former president turned himself over to police after an initial attempt to arrest him at Lusaka International airport on 6 August “flopped”. Kaunda was released on bail after being cautioned […]