Zimbabwe: Status of broadcasting authority under the spotlight

On Thursday 9 February 2012 the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-Zimbabwe) held a press club discussion under the theme: BAZ under the spotlight: was the appointment process above board, during which the panellists offered different views on what exactly transpired.

Panellists included the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jameson Timba, member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology Bright Matonga and Dr Lovemore  Madhuku. 

Timba who was the Deputy Minister of Media, Information and publicity at the material time of the appointments to the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe argued that BAZ was irregularly constituted and was therefore an unlawful body. He said the appointments were not done in line with the provisions of Constitutional Amendment No 19 which stipulates  that all key appointments must be done by the President after consultation with the Prime Minister.

The illegality therefore arose from the fact that there was no such consultation at the relevant time that the appointments were made, he said.

However, Matonga differed with Timba’s saying all the requirements of the law were met as authenticated by the letter written by the Speaker of Parliament to the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu in connection with the appointment process.

Madhuku said the problem on the exact position as to what transpired was that the country did not have a proper system of governance. He attributed the different position on the matter to different competing political interests by  politicians from different political parties.

However, it is critical to note that despite this divergence of views, principals to the Global Political Agreement notably President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Professor Aurthur Mutambara have since conceded that the appointment process was not done  procedurally and that BAZ board should be reconstituted.

February 10, 2012 by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Zimbabwe Chapter

.........................

(Received by email: 10.02.2012)