The Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) Board met with the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo.
The meeting held at the Munhumutapa offices was part of VMCZ’s ongoing process of engaging various media stakeholders in an effort to raise awareness on the importance of media self-regulation in Zimbabwe and the work of VMCZ.
In his address to the VMCZ Board, Professor Moyo said his ministry afforded the VMCZ the opportunity to meet with him as an indication that the Ministry acknowledged not only the existence of the VMCZ but also the work that the organisation is doing.
Minister Moyo emphasised the need to depolarise the media and said this was important as a way of pushing the nation forward.
“Depolarising the media, public opinion and the entire information sector is of paramount importance, and this will allow us to then take measures on policy and the legal framework,” said Professor Moyo.
The Minister spoke at length on the need to realign, amend and where necessary repeal some media laws that are not consistent with provisions of the new constitution.
“There is need to do something about AIPPA, for example we have provisions of criminal defamation and this is problematic and is inconsistent with provisions of the new constitution, there should be a different way of dealing with journalists who abuse journalistic privileges,” he said.
Professor Moyo said there was need for the VMCZ and Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) to forge a working relationship and said public media should be encouraged to be part of the VMCZ.
He said the public media’s participation in VMCZ training workshops should be seen as a starting point and all parties should build on that.
“As a ministry we encourage the public media to join and be part of the VMCZ, we however cannot force them, if need be we will announce this in public because we as a ministry will never stop anyone from being part of such voluntary organisations, public media editors were not part of Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef) but they are now members and are participating,” Minister Moyo said.
VMCZ chairperson, Mr. Alec Muchadehama, encouraged the continued exchange and engagement between the ministry, its various departments and media stakeholders.
Retired Justice George Smith, a VMCZ Board Member and Chairperson of the Media Complaints Committee briefed the Minister on the work of the Media Complaints Committee and the need to work with the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) towards a common code of conduct.
The meeting was also attended by members of the VMCZ secretariat.
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