MISA-Zimbabwe believes the media and most critically radio and television, because of their wider reach, play a critical role in creating the required platform for national dialogue that will input into the envisaged era of national healing, stability, harmony, reconciliation and economic development.
It has appealed to the incoming inclusive government of Zimbabwe to prioritise the transformation of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) from a state broadcaster into an independent public service broadcaster (PBS) that serves the citizens objectively and impartially as a matter of extreme urgency.
"The role of the PBS is that of enhancing the national collective responsibility of engaging the people of Zimbabwe to actively participate in national discourse by freely expressing, imparting and accessing information through the broadcaster irrespective of one's political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, colour or creed," said a statement from MISA.
MISA believes ZBC should be run by an independent board which is representative of civil society, the media, churches, labour and the business community among others as this will cushion the institution from falling into the helms of political and economic interests that compromise its public service mandate.
The institute reiterated its position that an enabling environment can only be created through:
- An immediate cessation of the arrest, harassment and torture of all journalists and media houses reporting on Zimbabwe.
- The granting of permission to all media houses, (both foreign and local) to cover the political situation as it unfolds.
- The suspension and subsequent repealing of all repressive legislation that targets the media, and in particular, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Public Order and Security Act, the Broadcasting Services Act and the Interception of Communications Act. In their place, all media policy should be guided by the principles outlined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the Windhoek Declaration and the African Charter on Broadcasting.
- An immediate conversion of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation from a state broadcaster into a public broadcaster under the guidelines outlined in the African Charter on Broadcasting.
Article published courtesy of IFEX
