Media in firing line

HARARE – The state-appointed media commission threatened on Monday to shut down an independent weekly newspaper for allegedly publishing without a government registration certificate.

In a statement broadcast on Monday, which was also World Press Freedom Day, the head of the commission, Tafataona Mahoso, said owners of The Tribune had not received official approval and “should stop publishing”. New approval of the paper, established more than a year ago, was required under the media laws because there had been changes within the company that owns it, state radio said.Kindness Paradza, a senior executive of the owners, Africa Tribune Newspapers, who is also a ruling party lawmaker, was suspended from the ruling party last week after being accused of seeking British funding to expand the company and possibly start an independent daily paper.The government shut down The Daily News, the country’s only independent daily, in February on grounds it was not registered.For three years, The Daily News had been a platform for dissent against the authoritarian rule of President Robert Mugabe.The government controls the country’s five main newspapers, two of them dailies, and the only television and radio broadcast station.The government has accused independent journalists of being “traitors” for reporting on the worst economic and political crisis, including human and democratic rights violations, since independence in 1980.The Herald newspaper, the main state daily seen as a mouthpiece of official policy, has called for the jailing of “Zimbabweans who are giving aid to the enemies of the country by deliberately portraying it in a bad light”.Mugabe’s government has sought to crack down on dissent since his disputed re-election in 2002.- Nampa-APNew approval of the paper, established more than a year ago, was required under the media laws because there had been changes within the company that owns it, state radio said.Kindness Paradza, a senior executive of the owners, Africa Tribune Newspapers, who is also a ruling party lawmaker, was suspended from the ruling party last week after being accused of seeking British funding to expand the company and possibly start an independent daily paper.The government shut down The Daily News, the country’s only independent daily, in February on grounds it was not registered.For three years, The Daily News had been a platform for dissent against the authoritarian rule of President Robert Mugabe.The government controls the country’s five main newspapers, two of them dailies, and the only television and radio broadcast station.The government has accused independent journalists of being “traitors” for reporting on the worst economic and political crisis, including human and democratic rights violations, since independence in 1980.The Herald newspaper, the main state daily seen as a mouthpiece of official policy, has called for the jailing of “Zimbabweans who are giving aid to the enemies of the country by deliberately portraying it in a bad light”.Mugabe’s government has sought to crack down on dissent since his disputed re-election in 2002.- Nampa-AP