Cablegate: Media Report Media Bill; Harare

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

010755Z Feb 02

UNCLASSIFIED PTO2619

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ACTION AF-00

INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EUR-00 UTED-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00
SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DRL-02 G-00
SAS-00 /005W
------------------60F0F3 012333Z /21
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0851
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
AMEMBASSY LONDON

UNCLAS HARARE 000293

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACHTER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P,
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT MEDIA BILL; HARARE

1. THE CONTROVERSIAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION
OF PRIVACY BILL IS EXPECTED TO BE RE-INTRODUCED IN
PARLIAMENT TODAY (JANUARY 31), FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL
COMMITTEE WHO RECOMMENDED ON TUESDAY THAT THE BILL BE
WITHDRAWN BECAUSE IT CONTAINED MANY CLAUSES THAT WERE
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. ADDRESSING PARLIAMENT ON JANUARY 30,
JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS MINISTER PATRICK
CHINAMASA TOLD LEGISLATORS THAT BOTH PARTIES HAD AGREED ON
THE AMENDMENTS TO BE MADE TO THE BILL. THEY ALSO AGREED
THAT THE AMENDMENTS BE INCORPORATED INTO A NEW CONSOLIDATED
TEXT. THE TWO SIDES REACHED A DEADLOCK ON TUESDAY (JANUARY
29) WHEN HARVARD TRAINED LAWYER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE
PARLIAMENTARY LEGAL COMMITTEE DR. EDDISON ZVOBGO TABLED AN
ADVERSE REPORT ON THE BILL DECLARING 21 SECTIONS OF THE
PROPOSED LEGISLATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

2. MEANWHILE, HARARE POLICE YESTERDAY ARRESTED THREE
JOURNALISTS - CORNELIUS NDUNA OF THE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
"THE STANDARD," AND FOSTER DONGOZI AND RHODA MASHAVAVE OF
THE INDEPENDENT DAILY "THE DAILY NEWS" - AFTER A PEACEFUL
MARCH TO PARLIAMENT BY INDEPENDENT MEDIA JOURNALISTS TO
PROTEST AGAINST THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF
PRIVACY BILL. THE THREE, WHO WERE AMONG 60 INDEPENDENT AND
FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WHO PICKETED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT
BUILDING, WERE RELEASED YESTERDAY EVENING AND ASKED TO
REPORT THIS AFTERNOON TO THE LAW AND ORDER SECTION AT THE
HARARE CENTRAL POLICE STATION. THEY WILL BE CHARGED UNDER
THE NEW PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY ACT.

3. THE JOURNALISTS, WHO DENOUNCED THE BILL AND ITS
SPONSOR PROFESSOR JONATHAN MOYO, WORE BLUE GAGS OVER THEIR
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HARARE 00293 012333Z
MOUTHS TO SYMBOLIZE THE EFFECT OF THE PROPOSED LAW ON THE
MEDIA AND CARRIED PLACARDS VOWING TO IGNORE THE PROVISIONS
OF THE BILL WHEN MADE INTO LAW. SOME OF THE PLACARDS READ:
"DO NOT VIOLATE OUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION," AND "ROCKET
SCIENCE MUST NOT TRIUMPH OVER JOURNALISM." THE ZIMBABWE
CHAPTER OF THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (MISA),
THE ZIMBABWE UNION OF JOURNALISTS (ZUJ) AND THE FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED THE PEACEFUL
DEMONSTRATION.

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

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