(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 October 2000, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa appealed to parliament to hold the “Financial Gazette” in contempt of court for publishing an article which implies that the new broadcasting laws were illegal. Last week, the “Financial Gazette”‘s chief reporter, Sydney Masamvu, quoted unnamed sources in the parliamentary […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 25 October 2000, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa appealed to parliament to hold the “Financial Gazette” in contempt of court for publishing an article which implies that the new broadcasting laws were illegal.
Last week, the “Financial Gazette”‘s chief reporter, Sydney Masamvu, quoted unnamed sources in the parliamentary legal committee as saying the new broadcasting laws announced recently were illegal and unconstitutional. Tabling the article for parliament to consider as a case of contempt, Chinamasa, who is also the leader of the house, said: “The newspaper, by making reference to a meeting of the parliamentary legal committee which never took place and suggesting that the decision was taken at a meeting which never took place, has, in my view, committed a gross contempt against this parliament. This article is patently and blatantly false and holds parliament in contempt. It is clear that the article seeks to influence the decision of the parliamentary legal committee, which is yet to meet to give consideration to the broadcasting regulations.”
Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa said he would consider the article in question before making a ruling on whether contempt of court has been committed.
If the speaker rules the article was in contempt of court, the reporter may be dragged before a parliamentary committee for a hearing. The Privileges Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act (Chapter 10) gives parliament authority to punish the media for contempt of parliament. Wilfully failing or refusing to obey an order of parliament, refusing to be examined before or answer any lawful and relevant question put by a committee of parliament, and publishing the proceedings of a committee or evidence given before such a committee as reported to parliament are all violations of the act.
Background Information
On 19 October, the “Financial Gazette” reported that the legal committee which checks the legality of laws brought before the house had met and ruled the regulations on the broadcasting industry as unconstitutional. According to the published article, the regulations dealt, “a severe blow to legislation widely seen as entrenching the government’s grip on the key sector”. Eddison Zvobgo, Masvingo South member of parliament (MP), Welshman Ncube, Bulawayo North MP, and Kumbirai Kangai, Buhera South MP, are the members of the legal committee.