Need for Parly to overhaul oppressive media laws

NEARLY a year after the new Constitution was passed, laws governing the media such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Official Secrets Act, the Public Order, Security Act (Posa) and the Criminal Law (Reform and Codification) Act and many more have not been amended or overhauled to meet what is envisaged by the new charter.

Parliamentarians, especially those in the Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services chaired by MP for Umzingwane, Willam Dewa (Zanu PF), have a critical role to play in pushing for the alignment of media laws with the new Constitution to ensure it is done so that citizens enjoy their rights to access information and the media.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) board member Kelvin Jakachira told legislators recently at a Misa workshop on the state of the media law and regulation in Zimbabwe that they [MPs] should play a leading role in ensuring criminal defamation was done away with in Zimbabwe.

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