Media practitioners in the country have once again called on the government to realign media laws to the new constitution saying that the laws prompt the myriad of challenges the media faces.
Addressing journalists during the World Press Freedom Day press briefing, Earnest Mudzengi, the Director of Media Centre said that laws which curtail freedom of expression should be aligned to the new constitution.
“We want all the laws that curtail freedom of expression to be removed and or aligned to the new constitution.
“We want to see our government walking on what is written on the paper. It is only then we can celebrate meaningfully World Press Freedom Day,” he said.
He also said; “What we have only are improvements on paper yet in actual practice we don’t have that. We still have people disappearing for airing out their views.”
Reading the statement prepared by media stakeholders in the country, Foster Dongoza, the Secretary General of Zimbabwe Union of Journalists echoed the above sentiments.
“Media Alliance of Zimbabwe (MAZ) priorities alignment of laws and policies to the new constitution, to curb the use of media laws that hinder press freedom, diversity and pluralism to regulate the media industry
“Of concern is the continued licensing of broadcast media using the Broadcast Services Act, the continued existence of criminal laws against the media and the continued regulation of the media under the discredited AIIPA,” reads the statement.
