Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Eleven private broadcasters have rejected the Draft Digital Migration Policy, developed by Zambia’s Ministry of Information. The broadcasters are asking for the government to consult relevant stakeholders before continuing to develop the policy.

Youngson Chilinda, chief security officer of the Parliament of Malawi, punched photojournalist Thoko Chikondi on 30 May 2013. Chilinda was arrested on 1 June, and has denied the charge of “assault occasioning bodily harm.”

Journalists across Southern Africa recently came under attack in separate incidents. In one case, photojournalist Motshwari Mofokeng was wounded in the chest when a security guard shot a rubber bullet directly at him, as Mofokeng was covering an eviction.

Journalists for the Zimbabwe Independent were arrested and charged with “false statements prejudicial to the state” after they wrote about a meeting between politicians.

On World Press Freedom Day, the Media Institute of Southern Africa expresses concern about the rate at which media freedom and freedom of expression violations are occurring within the southern African region.

One of Swaziland’s few independent source of news, The Nation magazine, has been found guilty of “contempt by scandalizing the court” following its publication of two articles in 2009 and 2010 that criticised Chief Justice Michael Ramodibedi.

Alec Lushaba and Thulani Thwala have been reinstated as editors of the Swazi Observer and the Weekend Observer They had been accused of continuously publishing negative stories about King Mswati III.

Zolile Menzelwa was attacked on 3 March and told to stop writing “about the mayor.” The incident follows a series of attacks on journalists during their coverage of a farm workers’ strike in January.