Journos a 'security threat' - Zimbabwe

[dArKeR]

Harare - Zimbabwean journalists working for the American government radio station, the Voice of America, pose a threat to Zimbabwe's national security, the state media commission said on Thursday.

"The Voice of America is an arm of the US state department which is on record as seeking to overthrow the government of Zimbabwe through unconstitutional means and illegal(ly) under the United Nations charter," said the commission in a statement quoted in the state-owned Herald and weekly magazine, The Financial Gazette.

"The... serious problem is that of national interest and national security," said the media commission.

Its statement came after three journalists at the state-owned daily Herald were dismissed for working for the Voice of America. The trade union representing journalists issued a statement condemning their dismissals.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-259_1490077,00.html

If they're any kind of Whores like Woodward, Fineman, and Russert then I believe this story!

[Virginian]

1. Zim regulates media. - no freedom of press

Stories that are not complimentary of President Robert Mugabe are not allowed to be printed. Zimbabwe only pretends to be a democracy. Stories that quote eyewitnesses as to the reprehensible activities of Mugabe's henchmen are not allowed to be printed. An unpopular President controls the press. All that gets published is what he wants read. Below is a little more on this:

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,6119,2-11-259_1479460,00.html
Zim journos: Control or arrest
05/02/2004 14:12 - (SA)
Harare - The nation's highest court threw out a constitutional challenge to Zimbabwe's sweeping media laws on Thursday, making it a criminal offence to work as a journalist without a license.

The Supreme Court ruling effectively put journalists under the direct control of the government with a penalty of up to two years in jail for infringements of laws enforced by the Information Ministry

<snip>
'Regulatory control'

The court ruled "the practice of journalism was of fundamental importance in a democratic society but this should not place journalists outside regulatory control," Moyo said.

He said the ruling empowered the state commission to issue or deny accreditation and enforce its codes of conduct in the media.

The ruling rejected the argument that the commission - appointed and paid by the Information Ministry and answerable to Minister Jonathan Moyo, architect of media laws - was itself an unconstitutional body, said the attorney, who is not related to the minister.