Press freedom in Zimbabwe suffered a further blow today after president Robert Mugabe declared that all journalists have to be licensed by the government. The newly re-elected president also put into law controls that will limit foreign correspondents' freedom to work in the country even more severely.
Mr Mugabe formally enacted the access to information act today. The act was passed in January, but he delayed signing it into law after some of his own supporters expressed reservations about it. It will now be illegal for journalists to operate in Zimbabwe without government accreditation. A state-appointed media commission has been set up with disciplinary powers to withdraw journalists' licences, confiscate equipment and jail journalists for up to two years. It also restricts visits by foreign journalists. Specific assignments have to be cleared first by Zimbabwe's embassies in the journalists' home countries.
The new measures come on top of recently passed security laws, which state that journalists can be prosecuted for criticising Mr Mugabe and his government.
Source: The Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment